Good Morning!!

This morning, on my way into work, I found myself in a fabulous mood.  Awake, cheerful, excited to get busy at the office.  I 100% attribute this to getting back on a schedule with running.  And, by back on a schedule, I mean running at all... 

I know that regular exercise makes me a happier person but I guess that I sometimes manage to blow that fact off.  It's nice to already be feeling a mood improvement after just three weeks back on the trails.  I'm hoping that I'll also start sleeping better soon.  My energy level is definitely feeling higher too. YAY! 

Week 2

Another week of very slowly easing back into running...  otherwise known as still struggling with motivation and discipline:

Monday - 3 miles
Tuesday - rest
Wednesday - rest
Thursday - 3 miles
Friday - rest
Saturday - rest
Sunday - 3.5 miles

This morning's run was particularly enjoyable.  We ran the two park route which is so named because it goes through two parks and we let the pup go off leash in both of them.  There were so few people out and she was being so good that she actually got to be off leash for nearly the entire way home!!  We just leashed her up twice when passing other dogs.  The air was cool and crisp...  there was little traffic on the roads and paths.  For whatever reason, we didn't really talk.  

Since my backpack was stolen over the summer, I still haven't replaced my iPod.  It was just a beautiful, peaceful and introspective run.  My thoughts turned to the things I love about running and how strong I feel when I'm having a good run.  I thought about how nice it is to have good running equipment.  I thought about how lucky I am that I can just head out and RUN whenever I feel like it.  I thought about how great it is to have the most perfect, mellow, loving puppy in the world as a running companion.  I thought about how great a cup of coffee and hash with asparagus and red peppers was going to taste once I was home and showered.  I probably thought about lots of other things too that I can't recall now but the point is that it was a perfect little run and I'm slowly finding the joy in running again...  which is really all I wanted for Christmas anyway;). 

Biggest Loser

I've been a huge fan of the Biggest Loser since the very first season.  I love the idea of helping people learn proper nutrition and how to exercise.  The people on the show are obviously on the extreme end of the health/weight spectrum.  Although I consider myself to be reasonably fit and to generally eat right, I still find inspiration from watching the contestant's struggles and I do learn little tidbits from each season.  But, I have to say, I do have one major issue with the show and that is how they portray the act of running a marathon. 

First of all, that 26.2 mile course featured in the episode looked like the worst marathon course of all time.  Totally flat, totally boring, loops in the desert.  No cheering crowds, no variety of scenery and only a handful of participants.  Sounds incredibly tedious and painful to me. 

Second, these people all seemed to be wearing brand new gear.  NO veteran runner of any distance would run their first marathon in new clothing.  Heck, I will only break in new clothing on runs of less than five miles.  New clothing often brings uncomfortable chaffing and blistering and is totally unrealistic in a long distance event. 

Third, there appeared to be absolutely no aid, water or energy supplements consumed along the way.  I saw only one brief glimpse of one contestant running with a water bottle.  I fear that this gives a very false and glib impression that one can run a marathon without any hydration or electrolyte replacement.  For those of you who have never run long distances, this is a sure way to become dehydrated, have a horrible racing experience filled with muscles cramps and, worst case, even suffer from serious health issues like heat stroke.  I have run three marathons and each had an aid station roughly every mile.  An aid station is more than just medical support - they are generally staffed with a dozen or more volunteers handing out water and a Gatorade product at a minimum.  Some stations will also have easily digested snacks like gummy bears and popsicle sticks loaded with Vasoline. 

There are so many more details that go into running a marathon but these are my three main 'beefs' with the Biggest Loser marathon.  Their representation of the event as something where you put on some brand new running gear and run loops in the desert without any shade, water or Gu is ridiculously inaccurate.  It could even be incredibly dangerous should someone decide that their glib portrayal is correct and attempt something similar themselves. 

Week 1

If last week was Week 1 in getting back into a regular-ish running routine, then this must be Week 2, right?  Yesterday, Ty and Onya meet me at the end of my work day and we did one of my regular and beloved routes...  I not sure how or why but I never get tired of my tried and true Waterfront routes.  We ran an easy 3 miles and it felt great!  Here's last week's results:

Monday - 2 miles, 20 minutes yoga
Tuesday - 2 miles, 20 minutes yoga
Wednesday - rest
Thursday - rest
Friday - 2 miles, 20 minutes yoga
Saturday - rest
Sunday - rest

As you can see, I definitely did NOT overdue it;).  Better to ease back into the routine... 

2012 Race Schedule

Yesterday, I mapped out a training plan for Joss and I to follow for the majority of 2012.  If all goes according to plan, and it usually doesn't, we'll be running the Shamrock 15k, the Helvetia Half and the Portland Marathon!!  I used an online calendar program to design a fun calendar with running pictures of us and filled in each day's workout based on Hal Higdon's Novice and Novice 2 plans for each event.  I've used his plans in the past and I like them. 

In the past, my workouts have generally been 90 to 100% running based and I've decided that I need more cross training in my life.  So, through Shamrock, I'll just be running three days a week.  I'll be biking two days a week and doing yoga on Mondays for the duration.  Once we start training for Helvetia, I've upped the running to four days a week and reduced the biking to just one day. 

Last night, I ran another nice two miler with Ty and Onya and then did a 20 minute yoga on-demand that was running geared.  It's been way too long since I've run two days in a row and I have to admit that it felt amazing!  My calves are pretty tight and sore today but in that good way that makes you feel alive.  I think I'll try for another two miles tonight and then an on-demand ball workout (if such a thing exists). 

Training...

Okay, I'm officially training again!!  Six months off was simply too much and I've got to get my ass back in gear.  The people in my family seem to have a very bad habit of dropping dead in their early 50's and I simply don't want that to happen to me. 

Last night, I logged an easy two miles with Ty and Onya.  Over the summer, my backpack was stolen...  and I lost several of my most treasured running gadgets including my Garmin.  I've yet to replace it so I'm currently running routes where I know the milage and not worrying about or tracking my time at all.  It's actually kind of nice considering that I know that I've gotten super out of shape! 

One of my goals for this week is to map out a training plan for Joss and I to follow as we train for Shamrock, Helvetia and, ultimately, the Portland Marathon;).  2012 will be a much more successful running year than 2011 has been! 

AAARRRRGGGGGG

This is going to be hard...  but, after too long of a hiatus from running, it's time to get my ass back in gear.  Feel free to join the journey as I resurrect this blog! 

Weekly Update

Monday - rest (ran in Iris Festival Half on Sunday)
Tuesday - 3 miles
Wednesday - 3 miles
Thursday - 3 miles
Friday - rest
Saturday - 12 miles
Sunday - rest

I have tried both a soft and hard reset and can't seem to get my Garmin to turn on unless it is sitting in the cradle.  Although this is very frustrating, it is also kind of fun to just run without an concern about the time...  especially since I'm not actively training for anything right now.  My shuffle headphone broke (again) right after Austin and I haven't gotten around to replacing them either yet so I'm running totally free of gadgets!  I'm sure this won't last long - I'm already getting itchy to figure out how to fix my Garmin and get new headphones... 

Running Group!

I LOVE my Saturday running group!  I've been away from them for about two months now for many good reasons but I got back to running with them this morning and it felt SO good!  Sometimes, there's only two to four of us but this morning pulled in six of us.  We ran a familiar loop - starting from OMSI, along the Springwater Trail, across the Sellwood, up the Waterfront to the horse stables, back to the Steel Bridge and across to finish up along the Eastside Esplanade.  It was beautiful and just fun to catch up with that group of girlfriends.  

My advice to anyone training for a half or longer?  Find a great group of girls to start a Saturday morning running group with - the miles go by much faster, you're way less likely to bag or shorten your run and you have someone to get coffee or breakfast with after:).  

Flooding

The last two weeks, the Willamette river has been the highest I've ever seen it.  On today's run, not only did it deluge on me the entire way, but the path was actually covered in water in three places.  Granted, one of these flooded spots floods so regularly that the path splits with one path going close to the river and one going up above so that the upper path is still open.  But the other two spots have never so much have had the water close to them before...  much less covering the entire path.  Makes you wonder what more rain and snow melt will do to the river... 

Naysayers...

We all have naysayers in our lives, whether it's in the realm of running or other aspects of our lives, there are those people who just don't seem to get it or can only make themselves feel good by making others feel bad (or at least trying to).  When it comes to running, it is fairly common for the people in our lives not to share our passion and, therefore, not really understand it. 

Recently, a friend completed her first half marathon and, when talking about it to co-workers, was meet with an overall apethetic response.  SHE'D JUST RUN HER FIRST HALF MARATHON, people!  This is and should be a huge deal to anyone who has done it! 

In my life, I've been told things like 'how many times can I say good job' and 'I'm not going to support you running your first marathon because that would be boring'.  When it has happened to me, I've been incredibly hurt and taken aback...  and wished I'd known what to say in return.  Both of those happened over two years ago, when running was still a relatively new thing in my life and I really needed support. 

The good news is that I now know that I run only for me and that I don't need anyone else's support to enjoy it.  I've run marathons where I've had a handful of supporters with signs cheering me on and one where I had not one friendly face to look for in the crowd.  I can't recall anyone coming out to support me in a shorter event than a marathon.  Yet I've managed to finish them all because I run for me.  That said, the marathon with the most supporters was my fastest time and most enjoyable marathon experience overall. 

But, the point is, I don't run so that others will be impressed or make me signs or fawn over my accomplishments.  Those things are nice and I do value them very much...  but I can't let them interfere with how I feel about myself and how proud I am of my running 'career'.  For me, this has been a huge lesson in running but also one that I desperately needed to apply to my real life too - and since I have, I've been happier and more fulfilled on both fronts! 

If you've been running for any amount of time, I'm sure you've had a similar experience.  What insights can you provide for how you handled the negative emotions that resulted?  Feel free to share your experiences and thoughts in the comments. 

Scheduling

One of the biggest challenges with running and training can be finding the time for it.  I regularly run at 2:00 and have for the last couple of years.  I eat my lunch around 11 and then take my actual lunch break at 2...  by the time I get back, in only have an hour to an hour and a half of work left before I can go home and shower.  Some days, due to recent co-worker scheduling changes, I have to take the deposit to the bank or write up the deposit.  These things happen right around 2 and they, obviously, take priority over running.  Some days, I have meetings or social events after work - which is fine because I do have a shower available at work.  BUT, taking time to shower cuts even more time out of my work day that I need to make up.  Sometimes that means I cut my run a mile or two short so that I don't have to worry about staying late to make up the time. 

I've toyed with running after I get home from work...  but that's been a miserable failure.  Typically, Ty takes Onya out on the two park 3.5 mile loop after work.  But, when it's a family run, 75% of the time, I get lazy and talk him out of his run too.  I'm not sure why or what happens mentally in that 20 minute drive home but I am far too good at talking myself out of running altogehter. 

I'm generally not a morning person but I'm actually considering moving my daily run to BEFORE work...  I could just take one shower at the office a day.  I could still run my favorite path - the Waterfront - but getting up, throwing on workout clothing, heading to the office and running before work.  I could shower at work and be all ready for the day.  I already keep travel size face wash, shampoo, leave-in conditioner and body lotion in my running bag.  I could just add toner, moisterizer and deodorant.  No biggie.  The biggest challenge will be my unending and overriding morning laziness. 

Today, I'm running at 11 so that I can swing by the sandwich place (that's conveniently located a block-ish away and also just happens to mark exactly 3 miles on my regular loop) on my way back.  I have to take the deposit at 2 plus I have a cheese making class tonight so that just seems to make the most sense.  After I eat, I'll take my shower and be ready to face the afternoon at work:). 

And this too shall pass...

I've been struggling mentally with running since Austin.  I'm getting really good at finding little excuses not to run.  I've gained 4 pounds.  My fitness level has definitely declined.  My pants are fitting a little tighter than I prefer.  So, what's up?  

I don't know, exactly, but I really need to work through it and get back on the right track.  At the same time, I need to remember and realize that marathon training doesn't need to be and maybe shouldn't be an all year kind of thing.  That's a pretty high mileage rate - it takes a lot of time and sucks a lot of energy.  But there does have to be a balance and one shouldn't feel like they're always looking for a excuse to drink wine instead of running!  

Sometimes, it's the fear of the next event that keeps me training.  Lately, I've been doing minimal training but the ONLY reason that I think I've been doing any is that I promised a friend that I'd run her first half marathon with her.  And that was today.  We ran those 13.1 in a solid time and had a great time visiting the whole way.  She ran the last 1.1 perfectly - speeding up just a bit at the 12 mile marker and continuing to slowly accelerate until we saw the 13 mile marker.  At that point, we put the pedal to the metal and sprinted it in!  It was a fast finish and it felt amazing.  

Now that I don't have anything on the calendar, I'm going to have to dig deep and find some other motivator.  In fact, this might be the first time in a very, very long time that I'll be running for nothing, so to speak.  I hope I can get back into my five days a week routine...  I'll keep y'all posted!  

Donations??

Last night was my second time of running with women in recovery at DePaul Treatment Centers.  My first time, we had just 2 runners...  but, last night, we had 6!!  Some were runners, some were run/walkers and some were content just to walk.  While these ladies are trying to change their lives for the better, they do not have much in the way of workout clothing and running shoes.  So, that's why I'm turning to YOU!  If you have any workout clothing, running shoes or even workout DVDs that you'd like to donate, please comment to this post or drop me an email at jessengvall at msn dot com.

Thanks for considering donating to these amazing ladies! 

Weekly Summary

Monday - rest
Tuesday - travel home from Bahamas
Wednesday - 3 miles @ 10:39
Thursday - 3 miles @ 10:10.34
Friday - rest
Saturday - 8.25 miles @ 10:46
Sunday - rest

It's been two months since Austin and I'm just finally starting to get back into a good, regular schedule.  Let's hope I can keep it up this month!  I have two races coming up in May - the Hippie Chick Half and the Iris Festival Half.  The good news is that I have someone else to run each with...  which is going to be a life saver since I'm undertrained, undermotivated and not likely to PR.  I can take them both at a slow, comfortable pace and just hope to get through them:).

Unplanned Hiatus

For the past two and a half weeks, I have been on an unplanned hiatus from running.  First, I was feeling burned out and overwhelmed with trying to be ready for another marathon in less than two months.  Then, I got new Fingers which gave me a small cut on the outside of my right foot.  After wearing them anyway during a rainy Shamrock Run, I ended up with a sizable open wound instead.  This is when I should have considered taking a couple of days off...

But I didn't and noticed that my left knee was starting to act up.  Figuring it was nothing, I kept at it until my left IT band flared - likely from compensating for that open wound.  I've never had an IT band issue in the past but I've read a lot about them in Runner's World and I was immediately sure that this was what was wrong.  Which was fine because I was starting to come down with a cold and could use a rest.  A trip to my LMT confirmed my IT band fears but she assured me that I could run on it but should maybe take a couple more days off to let the inflammation go down a bit.  No problem as my cold was getting way, way worse. 

Fast forward another week with no running, for a total of two weeks, and my cold/cough was finally nearly gone when I woke up at 4 am on Saturday for a five hour stint with the stomach flu.  So, there went my Saturday running plans!  I finally got back out yesterday for a short 3 1/2 miler with Ty and Onya.  It felt great and I love that my calves are slightly sore and tender today! 

Because I am rather determined and stubborn, this is what my body has to do sometimes to tell me that it needs a break.  I'm listening and, obviously, not running Vernonia.  I've also decided that 2011 is not the year that I tackle my first ultra marathon.  Which is okay - I just need more miles to boost my endurance and strength first.  The time will come.  Until then, I have several half marathons coming up to plan/train for!! 

Honestly, the time away from running has been good.  I feel recharged and ready to run again.  It helped me realize that I needed to back off from some of this year's goals and make them longer term because I'm just not up to them.  At first, I was feeling badly about this and I'll admit that it is disappointing.  But sometimes part of the journey is realizing that there are things you can and things you can not do.  As this endless winter finally starts to fade, I have decided that outdoor time BBQ'ing with friends will be a higher priority than spending 10 hours every weekend running.   For now and for me, this is the right choice. 

Shamrock Run

Yesterday, I ran the Shamrock 15k for the second time.  It is a challenging course that starts downtown on the Waterfront and heads north to the Burnside bridge.  After running halfway across the bridge, the course does a turn around sending runners back up Burnside.  After turning left at Broadway, the course continues on a slight uphill through the Portland State campus.  After running through campus, the course crosses I-405, turns right and then left to head up Terwilliger.  This is where it gets steep as Terwilliger heads up to OHSU...  then there's a slight reprieve before heading uphill again to the Chart House.  From there, there are a couple more downhill, uphill combos and then the course turns left again to head down the sweet, sweet downhill of Barbur all the way back downtown to the finish line. 

Although it is technically a 15k or 9.3 mile race, it only feels like you're running 5.75 miles because everything past that is a nice, steady, gentle downhill where you can really put it in cruise control and still log some fast miles.  Last year, I averaged 10:21 pace because I was gearing up for Eugene and had run an 18 miler on Friday night.  This year, I'd done a 14 miler on Friday morning but I still knew I'd shatter last year's pace... and I was right.  I clocked in with a 9:46 pace this year. 

Here are my splits according to the good old Garmin:
Mile 1 - 9:49
Mile 2 - 10:12
Mile 3 - 10:13
Mile 4 - 10:05
Mile 5 - 9:59
Mile 6 - 9:13
Mile 7 - 10:02
Mile 8 - 8:37
Mile 9 - 8:34
Mile 9.5 - 6:58 pace

So, according to my Garmin, I actually hit a 9:30 pace.  I'm not sure how the official timing and my Garmin could be off by :16 per mile but who cares.  I'm happy with my time especially considering that I'm only three weeks off of Austin and not feeling quite 100% recovered yet. 

Weekly Summary

Here's the update for last week:

Monday - 4 @ 9:46
Tuesday - 6 @ 9:49, Ab Lab class, 3.5 miles at Fit Training class (no idea on pace)
Wednesday - rest day (CPE)
Thursday - Vinyasa Yoga class
Friday - 14 @ 10:13
Saturday - rest
Sunday - 9.5 @ 9:30 SHAMROCK RUN!!

My schedule got pretty screwy with my work and social committments plus a race on Sunday.  That said, it was a good week.  I was really, really sore all week from getting back into some crosstraining.  That is finally starting to ease up and hopefully my body gets more used to the extra work because I have four yoga and one pilates class pencilled in for this week plus runs of 4, 6, 4, 6 and 16 miles.  Once again, I'll be doing my long run early on Friday morning to accomodate a birthday party and a wedding this weekend. 

Riverplace Athletic Club

Last night, I started by month long Yollar membership at the Riverplace Athletic Club.  The verdict is mixed but, obviously, I'll wait until I've gone a few more times to make the final call.  

I got there half an hour before my class and had a very enjoyable tour of their facilities including the pool, indoor track (16 laps to a mile?!?!??!!), basketball court, workout studios, cardio bays and weight room.  I then headed to the first class on my agenda - Ab Lab.  Upon walking in, the instructor didn't greet me or suggest what equipment I needed to gather.  I spread out my yoga mat and grabbed a ball like everyone else had.  She did start the class promptly on time but didn't vocalize any of the moves so I had to watch her and switch when she did.  That said, it was a good, hard ab workout and I'm definitely feeling it today.


Next up was the Fit Training class.  I decided to take this class because the description on the website made it sound kind of like a boot camp:  

Fit Training - This class is designed to address your
endurance, agility, strength, speed and power. The indoor
track, stairs, push-ups and weights are incorporated into
this intensive workout. You perform a series of drills,
adding challenging, multi-level moves over several weeks.
Improve your ability to burn fat using intervals and cross
training.

First off, I was told that it met at the track...  but then I could see from the track a group of people with the instructor from Ab Lab gathering by the front door.  So I went over and asked if they were meeting for Fit Training.  She said 'yes' but still did not introduce herself or ask my name.  Everyone was excited because class was going to be outside so that sounded good to me.  We headed off to run to the Hawthorne Bridge and then do some exercises on the other side.  Then she decided, no, we'd run on to the Burnside and we'd do the stairs three times and then do some exercises.  Then she decided, no, we'd run back to the club and do some kettle bell stuff there.  Then a couple of the guys said they were going to run back the long way instead so then she decided that everyone would.  At this point, I'd already run 6 miles at lunch and with the out and back was adding another 3 or so miles.  All this coming off a marathon just over two weeks ago.  I'm pretty sure I don't need a running class...  so this class was a total bust (and irritation) for me.  

This instructor clearly isn't for me but there is a yoga class on Tuesday and Thursdays at 5 that I'm going to take instead of the Ab Lab/Fit Training combo.  Things that I really did like include the 2 1/2 hours of free parking and free towel service.  The locker room is nice and I love being able to take a quick shower after a workout.  The locker room is well stocked with shampoo, conditioner, shave gel, body wash, cotton balls, Q-tips, hair spray and body lotion.  Not that I use all those things but it's still nice that they are there.  


I'll let you know how the other classes go and what I think after a few more days of membership. 

Weekly Summary

It was a challenging week as I felt like I was still recovering from Austin.  On my first two runs, I was incredibly unmotivated but that definitely changed on Friday.  I'm glad I made myself do those runs that I didn't want to - having a great run is definitely a good payoff for slogging through those tough days.  Saturday, I was supposed to run 12 miles but the Waterfront Loop is actually on 10.35 (I was thinking it was 11.5) and we were in a hurry to start Ty's birthday festivities so I called it close enough.  Plus, my legs were really tired...

Monday - rest
Tuesday - 6 @ 9:52
Wednesday - 3 @ 9:16
Thursday - rest
Friday - 6 @ 9:43
Saturday - 10.35 @ 10:05

For this week, my training plan calls for runs of 4, 6, 4, 6 and 14 miles.  We have the Shamrock run on Sunday so I'm going to have to adjust everything around that.  I'm running the 15k which, at 9 miles, will take the place of one of my 6 milers.  I have CPE on Wednesday so I think I'll have a family run around the lake that night which will cover the other 6 miler.  On Friday, I'll take a very long lunch and run the 14 miler which leaves me with today and tomorrow to get in the 4 milers.  Sounds like a plan!! 

Crosstraining!

Like a lot of runners, I really tend to fail at getting adequate crosstraining worked into my schedule.  I don't maintain a gym membership and, despite my best intentions, I find that it's really hard for me to do a video or on demand workout when I get home after work.  What I have found that works for me is Groupons!  Most of them last for 30 days and it's a great way for me to incorporate something new but it doesn't last so long that I get totally bored.  In the past, I've done them to Diva Den and RDFT Bootcamp.  I've also taken advantage when ADAPT Training has offered a free week here or there. 

I just bought a Yollar deal for 30 days at the River Place Athletic Club and I'm super excited to use it.  It is less than a mile from my work so I can even incorporate some of their lunchtime offerings into my schedule.  This is extra great because it means fewer nights away from home and fewer nights of dumping all the puppy and chores duty on my ever patient husband.  Here's my tentative weekly schedule:

Monday - 12:00 pm Yoga Fusion
Tuesday - 5:30 pm Ab Lab
Tuesday - 6:00 pm Fit Training
Wednesday - 6:30 am Yoga Fusion
Thursday - 5:30 pm Ab Lab
Thursday - 6:00 pm Fit Training
Friday - 10:35 am Mat Pilates

This will be on top of my running schedule.  I know from past months like this that it will be super, duper exhausting.  But, the results will be worth it.  I've had a couple of niggles on my last couple of runs and I know that it is my body telling me that I need to do some strengthening or else I'll be getting an injury.  Plus, we have a vacation in the Bahamas in April.  If that can't keep a girl motivated to crosstrain her butt off, I don't know what will!!! 

Mileage

Like a lot of runners, I keep track of my miles.  I run with a Garmin so it is pretty easy for me to sit down in front of the computer and plop my daily miles into a quick and easy spreadsheet.  During 2010, I ran 1,111 miles which was short of both my original goal of 1,500 miles and my revised goal of 1,200 miles.  For 2011, I've left my goal a little more flexible - I'd like to run between 1,200 and 1,500 miles.  This should be totally doable if I do end up running Vernonia and the McKenzie River 50k in addition to already completing Austin. 

So far, I ran 176 miles in January.  While this is very impressive, it is somewhat tempered by the fact that there were FIVE Saturdays in January.  An extra long run is always going to skew those numbers upward.  In February, I only ran 73.3 miles including a marathon...  so that's clearly not cutting the mustard!  My total YTD for 2011 is 249.50 miles.  To hit 1,500 miles for the year, I need to average 125 a month - which is exactly my rate through two months so we'll see if I can keep that up! 

Exercise and temperature

Here is a really interesting tidbit on the correlation between average annual temperature and levels of physical activty - http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/03/exercise_and_temperature_us_states.  I can't decide if I'm shocked or not that a quarter of Americans get no exercise outside of the workplace. 

Austin Splits

It has been over a week and I'm finally ready to take a look at my splits:

1 - 10:33
2 - 9:59
3 - 10:06
4 - 9:53
5 - 9:47
6 - 9:58
7 - 8:45
8 - 9:22
9 - 9:44
10 - 10:03
11 - 9:59
12 - 10:13
13 - 10:16
14 - 10:14
15 - 10:17
16 - 10:08
17 - 10:23
18 - 10:21
19 - 10:26
20 - 13:04
21 - 15:10
22 - 16:15
23 - 17:02
24 - 17:14
25 - 17:33
26 - 14:47
.52 (according to my Garmin) - 11:56

6 miles and it felt so good!

I ran six miles today - my first run since Austin!!  I had thought going into Austin that I'd be running again right away but I actually think that taking a full week off was a good idea.  Today's run was refreshing...  if slightly painful.  I am running in new Fingers and they were rubbing a lot on both achilles and I feel like I might have a blister on the arch of my right foot.  I think I'll take a few weeks to switch over and use my old Fingers on alternating days until the new ones don't hurt. 

Here's my tentative plan for Vernonia:

2/28 - R, 6, 3, 6, R, 12, R
3/7 - 4, 6, 4, 6, R, 14, R
3/14 - 4, 6, 4, 6, R, 16, R
3/21 - 4, 6, 4, 6, R, 20, R
3/28 - 4, 6, 4, 6, R, 10, R
4/4 - 2, 3, R, 2, R, 2, MARATHON!!!

Any comments or thoughts?

Failure

If you've been following this blog, you probably know that I ran the Austin Marathon on Sunday and maybe you've been wondering why you haven't heard any more about it.  You may also know that my training went really, really well.  Like me, you probably expected big things.  If so, you'd be very, very disappointed.  I had the absolute worst race ever.  During my lowest low points, I felt like a total failure.  But, even then, I'd tell myself that someone who has run three marathons can not be a failure.  This would be followed by other very negative thoughts - that I really can't consider myself an athlete at all, that I don't deserve to run marathons, that I'm never going to even bother to run ever again.  Of course, with some perspective, I realize that none of these things are true.

So, what happened?  I'm still not entirely sure.  The only thing that I can come up with is that the heat got to me and resulted in severe dehydration.  I was on pace the whole way up until around the 20 mile point.  At around 15 miles, I had a bathroom stop where I emptied my colon and hoped that that would be the end of it.  However, around 20 miles, it hit again and I was forced to visit another port-a-potty.  From that point on, I couldn't run more than a quarter mile without having to stop and walk just to try to get my tummy settled again.  Those last six miles were long, hot, depressing and painful.  I watched the 4:30 pace group go by...  then the 4:45...  then the 5:00!!!  That's right, the FIVE HOUR group passed me.  When I ran the Portland Marathon, my first, I finished in under five hours and was diagnosed with a stress fracture the following week.  At Austin, my bowels and the heat somehow forced me into my worst ever finish.  Devastating.  

I'm not used to failing - in any aspect of my life.  This has been a tough couple of days filled with reflection and self-soothing.  I know this doesn't mark the end of my running career.  It does mean, however, that I'm going to play around with electrolytes in my training since taking them on this run might have prevented the wheels flying off this bus.  I had days of vibrant urine, headaches, muscle aches and feeling pretty worn down - all of which lead me to believe that I was too dehydrated.  I finally got past it with a full day of taking an Advil and an electrolyte pill every four or so hours along with GALLONS of water.  

I hope that I learn a good lesson from this race - even if that lesson is just that I am capable of both falling on my face and dusting myself back off so I can get back in the game.  I'm taking most of this week off and planning a 12 mile-ish run for Saturday.  I have a six week plan sketched out...  hopefully I can redeem my battered pride on the Vernonia Marathon course!  

Carbs!!!

For my last dinner in Portland, Ty whipped up my absolute favorite pasta - creamy with lots of pesto and fresh veggies from our farm.  He served it up with a cold, dark beer and a big plate of toasty, buttery olive bread.  Nom nom nom!!!

 

Packing

The most important parts of my packing are completed:

 

Austin Bound!

I'll be in Austin by this time tomorrow!!  My flight leaves at the butt crack of dawn - 6:15 am.  Which means that I'll be setting my alarm for 4 am! 

I still have to do laundry and pack but I at least have a packing list so that I hopefully will not forget anything.  At lunchtime today, I stopped at the grocery store to buy copious amounts of beer* and carb rich snacks for the flight. 

The current LOW temp for Austin on Sunday is 62 degrees - which is about 15 degrees higher than the recent HIGH temps in Portland.  I hope this doesn't slow me down too much but there's nothing at all that I can do about it so I'll just have to roll with it.  Hopefully these last four months of solid training will pay off for me.  I'm definitely the best trained that I've ever been going into any event.  But, of course, I'm still nervous... 

* - my Austin hosts only requested good beer when I asked them what they've been craving from home.  I found some sleeves of bubble wrap in my craft room last night and I'm hoping that the six 22 ounce bottles that I'm bringing will be sufficiently cushioned to make it there!  Cheers! 

Week 17

Taper feels so lazy and luxurious!!  I know that there are runners out there who really struggle with the decreased activity level but I am so not one of them!  I love getting the extra rest and spending so little, comparatively, time running.  I couldn't do it for long but I do really cherish these respites.  I know the lower activity level will not only give me the bounce I need for the upcoming race but that it also serves to give my body and mind time to heal so that they can be that much more ready for the next big task I have planned for them:). 

Monday - rest
Tuesday - 5 @ 10:12
Wednesday - 4 @ 10:14
Thursday - 3 @ 10:07
Friday - rest
Saturday - 8 @ 9:59
Sunday - rest

My flight to Austin leaves on Friday and, other than the actual marathon, I only have three runs totalling 9 miles this week.  I need to start my packing list and focus on eating good, high quality carbs at every meal while limiting the junk food and snacking.  This is also a good time for me to pay attention to being well hydrated all day, every day.  Which doesn't mean that I'll cut beer - oh, no, no, no - just that I'll limit myself to two while watching tonight's basketball game (KU v. K-State - ROCK CHALK) and one or two each night Friday and Saturday nights.  I think the carbs outweigh any dehydrating factor as long as I'm keeping my consumption low and it might even help the tendency to over hydrate and the associated issues that one can have with that. 

I'm getting nervous but also very excited!! 

Volunteering

Today, when reading the most recent Red Lizard Gazette, I came across an article describing a volunteer opportunity that involves running.  Currently, some Red Lizards are partnering with the DePaul Treatment Centers to run with men in recovery.  Apparently, they must have a chaperon to leave the facility - this gives them a chance to get outdoors, get some exercise and, hopefully, develop a life long relationship with running.  All which will hopefully help them as they overcome their addictions.  

So, I immediately sent an email off to the author and received a response from the woman who is working to get a similar program set up for the women at DePaul.  She also sent me an application which I'll turning in tomorrow.  Then a drug test and a criminal background check and I should be ready to take some ladies running just as soon as they get the program ready to go!  

WTF, Austin!?!?

Chance of snow in Austin today!!  The 10 day is showing warmer temps but I can already predict that this race is going to be very tricky on the packing front...

Super Taper!

I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I missed last night's scheduled four mile run.  After missing a day last week!  This is not a good trend but I'm thinking that I'll just make up for it on Friday so I'll still be getting all my miles in for this week.  I'll be sure to take it slow and easy, though, since I am technically on taper:). 

Week 16

I ended up missing my planned six miler on Tuesday because I just wasn't feeling great and was worried that I might be coming down with a cold or something.  As it turned out, I wasn't...  but I sure don't feel bad about getting some extra rest!

Monday - 5 @ 10:15
Tuesday - rest
Wednesday - 5 @ 10:12
Thursday - 4 @ 10:19
Friday - rest
Saturday - 12 @ 9:37
Sunday - rest

On Thursday, I was supposed to have a tempo run but that didn't end up happening because I ran with Onya the Anchor.  I had CPE that day and dinner with friends that evening so I had to squeeze my run in first thing in the morning.  Since I was running at home for a change, I took the mutt along and she reminded me why I can get so inpatient with her sometimes!!

On Saturday, I ran around Mercer Island with Ty.  We took a short cut to make the run 12 miles - it would have been 14 if we hadn't but I tend to prefer to stay as close to possible to my training plan.  The run itself wasn't anything special and the road around the island can be pretty dangerous as evidenced by a ridiculous number of signs telling the drivers to share the road (I have to wonder how many runners and bikers have actually been hit to necessitate that many signs!).  The final mile was primarily downhill so I turned it on and ended up running that last mile in 7:35!!  I think that might be my first sub-8 mile ever.  I nearly puked as soon as I stopped moving but it sure was fun...  and the unplanned 12 mile tempo run gave me a good confidence boost. 

Less than two weeks to go... 

January Mileage Total

I ran 176 miles in January - this is by far my highest mileage month ever.  Of course, five Saturdays helped a lot since that's my long run day.  Wow - I'm still not sure how I managed to get all those miles in!  This puts me well on my way towards hitting my 2011 goal of 1,500 miles:). 

Austin Marathon Training Blog

If you are interested in reading more about my training leading up to Austin, here's a link to that blog (which was the impetus for this one!). 

http://austinmarathontraining.blogspot.com/

Week 15

Did I already mention that I'm officially on taper?!?!??!

Monday - 5 @ 9:51
Tuesday - 5 @ 10:17
Wednesday - 8 @ 9:43
Thursday - 5 @ 10:08
Friday - rest
Saturday - 22 @ 10:12
Sunday - rest

I ran a grand total of 45 miles last week which is a record high mileage for me.  I was tired, for sure, but it wasn't unreasonable and I was still able to manage my extracurriculars.  I found that my hunger level did go up quite a bit - luckily, I didn't feel badly at all at indulging:).  I'll obviously need to watch that during the next three weeks because I'd rather not add pounds to lug all over Austin!  I'm going to try to really enjoy this taper by getting lots of rest and being ready to put my best race together.  I'm going to need the rest since I'm planning to run another marathon just seven weeks later!! 

22 Miler

I ran 22 miles this morning and am now officially on taper!!!!  I love taper:).  I started my run from OMSI with two friends who were running 8 miles.  My marathon training partner was mysteriously missing (I found out after that she was okay, just overslept and not feeling very good).  Since I was supposed to have a partner for the duration, I didn't bring my iPod and was initially not very happy to have to run 14 miles solo and without tunes.  I quickly decided not to worry about it and just enjoy the companionship that I did have for the early miles.  

We headed south along the Springwater Trail towards the Sellwood Bridge.  Once over the bridge and heading north along the Waterfront, one of my friends was slowing down and not sure that she'd make the whole 8 miles.  We slowed down some and she managed to hang in there until 7 miles.  She decided to walk it in from there so we were down to just two of us.  The Hawthorne Bridge marked 8 miles and the beginning of my solo run.  I continued on past the Steele Bridge and headed down Naito for two miles.  The 11 mile mark was my turn around and I headed back the way I came with a brief stop at a construction site's port-a-potty.  

As I made my way back to the Waterfront, I was feeling good...  my legs were a bit tired and I started making an effort to drink at each mile to make sure that I didn't let myself get dehydrated.  I had to make another stop at the bathrooms at OHSU and then had a tough time getting back up to my cruising speed.  As I came back off of the Sellwood Bridge, I realized that I only had about 3.5 miles left - WOOHOO!!!  I decided that I'd try to pick up the pace for the last 3 miles...  which I thought I was doing until I actually checked my Garmin with 2.5 left and I'd actually slowed down!! Oh well, I decided that I'd wait and rock out that final mile.  Which I did:).  

All in all, it was a good run even if it was a bit lonely.  Here's the nitty gritty:

Mile 1 - 10:12
2 - 10:02
3 - 10:09
4 - 10:48
5 - 10:50
6 - 10:35
7 - 10:57
8 - 10:20
9 - 9:52
10 - 9:59
11 - 10:07
12 - 10:09
13 - 10:04
14 - 10:00
15 - 9:48
16 - 10:26
17 - 9:51
18 - 10:08
19 - 10:04
20 - 10:22
21 - 10:22
22 - 9:29


Overall - 3:44:37/10:12
 

Welcome!!

After co-blogging with Faith and Jody during our training for the Austin Marathon, I have decided to start my own running blog.  I found that I really enjoyed both writing about my running and coming back to my posts to review how my training was going.  I've never kept a formal running log -- so this seems to be what I do instead.  

If you were following our Austin training blog, I hope that you'll continue to follow my adventures here!  

For those of you who also run (newbies and seasoned marathoners both!), while this might not inspire you to start your own running blog, if the urge to put down some words about running should strike, I'd love to host guest contributors!  So, if you'd like to share about how running makes you feel, what inspires your or a particularly meaningful race...  please feel free to let me know.