Auntie Em Goes Running

Race Day!  So exciting.  My friend Erin and I had a completely disasterous afternoon yesterday traveling to the race.  It was a drive of a few hours that turned into an absolute nightmare of traffic, missed exits, you get the picture.  We arrived in Tacoma around 6:00, too late to pick up our packets in the evening, so we set our alarms for 5:00am to get on the first shuttle so we could pick stuff up in the morning.  Hotel was very comfortable, but couldn't really take advantage, since I don't sleep so well under usual conditions anyway, and this particular pre race had me a little amped up.  

Our shuttle bus driver got lost!  We were supposed to start at a small airplane hangar across the river from Tacoma, in Gig Harbor.  He took two wrong turns but some woman on the bus told him where to go and we finally made it.  The woman who knew the way looked to about in my age division, so I was kind of scoping her out.  I thought she looked very strong and like a good runner.

We got off of the bus, picked up our packets, found SNO!, chatted awhile, then realized that it was freezing cold!  For me anyway.  Sno was happy because it was foggy, and I was happy for her while freezing my little butt off.  Funny, because last week was such a record breaking heat wave, I was prepared to run in a sports bra and the lightest possible shorts I could find, and here I was on race day wishing I'd thrown in a sweatshirt.  The air was also somewhat dense, not good for my asthma condition.  I just stayed positive about the air quality and chanted soothing mantras to myself.  Warm up felt great, because I needed warming up, and we finished about 10 minutes before start time.  Perfect.

I had sworn to go 9 minute miles the first few.  Did I do that?  Nope.  But my effort was very easy for the first four, and the first two had a lot of downhill in them.  So the first splits were 8:00ish.  Anyway, things felt great.  My IT band, while looking horribly bruised, was not tight, and I could only feel impact discomfort from the bruising.  The first hill was at (?) about mile 4, and it was much much longer than I expected.  I slowed and went steady, stopped just after the crest and had water at the station, walking through so that I could actually get the water.  We have a strange phenomenon here where the marine air, which creates the freezy fog, burns off and abruptly changes the weather to HOT, so I was expecting that and wanted to stay especially hydrated.  I felt great after the hill.

It was a fairly hilly course, lots of smaller ups and downs and one more somewhat longer hill.  There was a side trip into Cheney Stadium for a loop around the interior of the stadium, and the course workers were not pointing people in the right direction.  People were sort of bottling up, saying "where do we go?", and finally we got some direction! By mile 10, the air got to me, and I decided to walk 12 breathes, while relaxing the airways.  This worked, and I did it three times between 10 and 11.5.  Then there was a lot of downhill in the last mile and a half, and I mean some big, haul on down downhills.  My last two splits (haven't seen them yet) will be fast, which was one of my goals.  I came to the top of a final hill, saw a longish downhill stretch to the finish, ran down, and SPRINTED hard to the finish (200m sprint)?  That sprint made people whoop for me which I really liked.  I was in some oxygen debt, and was concerned that it would be like Seattle's race, where I couldn't walk straight once I finished running.  But that did not happen! I could walk perfectly well.  A waited a short while for Erin, then for Sno!  Erin and I hung around for awards, and unbelievably, I got a first place plaque for my division!  I was beyond surprised and excited.  Still am. 

A hot muggy morning.  Legs felt tired after yesterday's race, and I was inclined to sit around.  Thank goodness for two friends, who showed up and drug me out on an early run.  We ran easy pace up Galbraith Mountain.  Lots of elevation gain, then lots of elevation loss.  I felt great and was glad to have it done early in the day, as it is going to be over 80 today and very humid.

Going to a running birthday party tonight.  I don't know if that means more running or not (I hope not, actually).  We are wearing running clothes.   

No running today until 6pm.  This will be tough, because I'm in the post race sad place right now.  I am so afraid that I'll sign up for a marathon today.  Probably Portland.  I like Portland.  Its not far from home.  I don't have to fly.  I know a lot of people running in Portland.  Registration is still open.  Its interesting, but not too hilly.  I really NEED a new race shirt anyway.  I did say I'd sign up after I got my 1/2 goal.

But... I've never run one before.  I'm scared.  What if I can't.  What if I'm a sprinter.  What if I break a shoelace during the marathon.  What if it snows?  

I don't really like days like this, but I do realize they are necessary.

5 easy miles was the assignment.  Since we were running as a group, we ended up doing about 1/2 of those miles at marathon pace.  Fun run.

Rode home from the run for a little bike ride.  Had to ride the clunker, though, because I lost my road bike shoes!  This is pretty serious. 

I'm not going to run today!  Going to spend the equivalent amount of time rolling out my stubborn IT band.  I did it last night, and it hurt really really bad, but felt better when I went to sleep.  I want to get this thing cleared up before it gets bad.  Kind of made a mistake on last night's run.  There were seven of us from my group, but coach could not make it.  And here is why we need a coach.  We ran out Chuckanut, because someone wanted to see "the big hill".  At the bottom of the big hill, I ducked into a porta potty, and said I'd catch up.  Well, I was in there all of 3 seconds, then headed up the hill.  I saw Erins bright blue just ahead, but when I got to the intersection, noone was there.  I had a choice of straight, left or right, left and right being trails.  After a bit of consideration, I chose left, down through the switchbacks to the creek and back up the other side.  So, 3/4 of a mile later, I pop out on the road, and there is part of my group (the men).  The women had all run back up the big hill to look for me in case a bad guy was in the woods waiting to attack me (be attacked BY me is more like it).  So anyway, we all circled back around to catch everyone up, and ended up adding like a mile to the five we were supposed to do.  Then, on the way back, three of us (myself included I'm ashamed to admit), took of flying back down the trail.  Every so often someone would say "this doesn't seem like easy pace", and then we would speed up.  It was the worst example of completely undisciplined running I've ever been involved in.  I am sure that our coach has NO IDEA how much his tiny bit of neglect was squashed our training to bits!

Anyway, I will go for a nice bike ride today if I can find my shoes. 

OH, I almost forgot to say that I signed up for the Portland Marathon.  Now I'm really really scared! 

Got a little bike ride in this evening.  Wow, did I ever feel fast without a run before the bike ride to tire my legs out!  I led much more than my share and felt like I was flying up the hills.   

Its really cold this morning!  Couldn't get out at 5:30 as planned, because it was just too cold and dark!  I'm not ready for winter.  Ran 5 actual easy miles:  9:47, 9:26, 9:37, 10:05 and 10:00.  This is progress on keeping it slow, for sure.  I've adjusted my marathon expectation based on Saturday's race, and my easy pace should be 10 minutes per mile.  I am determine that on easy days I will hit that pace.

See how seriously I take this now that I am going to run a marathon? 

I went to my early morning group workout for hill workout, but I couldn't do the faster intervals on the hills; IT band still somewhat tight.  I will save the hard work for next week.  I did a few easy and a few MP miles instead.  Its a beautiful morning to be out early.

Since running is so light this week, I'm going for a longish bike ride this afternoon.

Nice 25 miles on the bike.  Felt really strong on the hills, no pain in the IT.  Its really cloudy here now, like its about to rain, so I feel like I better run outside and do yard work now before it hits. 

I got a lot of sleep last night.  Woke up not knowing WHAT was up, with the cats sprawled all over me.  Something conked us all out like a light.  NICE.  

No running today, but three long stretching/strengthening sessions planned.  I've been neglecting the upper body weights lately, and need to get back to that.  The IT band feels really good, but I'll do many stretches anyway.  

I'm also beginning to take this marathon thing VERY SERIOUSLY!  After about 10 seconds of consideration, I made a goal of a top ten finish (AG, of course!).  I think this is reasonable.  BUT, I think that I will really need to hit the hip/core strengthening routine hard.  I believe that this is what will keep my legs strong and form reasonable to the end.  

Any of you experienced marathoners out there have any other tips?  Besides running, of course!   

Group run this morning; warm up run for a mile, then strides, then warm up exercises, then 2 miles easy (9:30ish), 2 miles marathon (8:30ish), 2 more miles easy.  Not many miles, as we are saving ourselves for some big mystery strength training next week.  

Its been nice to have a lower mileage, easier week while my IT is getting better.  Got a lot of bike rides in also.

Will run a few more miles this afternoon or ride my bike, depending on whether it rains.

Got up to the mountain by 5:00; time for an easy run with daughter and cousin in the woods.  It was fun to run with people I don't usually run with, especially with my cousin, since its good to see her back running again after bout with breast cancer!  She looks and feels great.  Yeah!  Got to try out the new Vroom! shoes.  Loved them.

A few easy miles near the cabin in my trail shoes.  Rode up the mountain later with my husband.  Biking felt great, and I think I was much steadier on the LOOONG climb than in the past.  21 miles up.  Its funny, but I don't get out of breath so much as my legs just cannot go any faster on the steady climb.  

Nice track workout this evening.  It was raining and kinda cold!  I ran first with my chiropractor who worked with me on my mechanics.  That was good, because by the time I got to the track, I had new stuff to work on while I ran the 1600s.  My splits on the 1600s were 7:42, 7:41 (about right), and 7:21 (way too fast, but experimenting with not looking at Garmin).  Garmin seemed to go wonky with the rain anyway, and by the cool down miles, all that showed on my screen was a compass looking thingy.  The whole workout I practiced my new form and enjoyed my new shoes.  

Afterwards, I was freezing cold, starving, and had no hot water in my house for a bath.  Had to eat carry out food and huddle up under a comforter all evening.  Life is so harsh sometimes.   But I did my arm workout on the weights anyway.

BTW - I had not a speck of tiredness from yesterday's killer bike ride.  And, believe me, its pretty killer.  Why is that?  It seems like a run of that intensity would have made me rather tired the next day.  

Had to split today's run into two bits:  4.5 miles in the morning and 4 miles in the morning.  I didn't like doing to shorter runs in one day.  I would prefer a two a day to include one longer run.  But this is all I could manage.  Felt really tired in the morning anyway, and felt like I slogged through the morning run.  I didn't have Garmin, but I'm sure those miles were all 9:30s.  Ran most of the evening run at a quicker pace, using trails in the woods.  No Garmin here either, but I think the miles were about 8:30.

Still tired though. 

No Garmin again, but I was going for four easy miles.  Once again on the trails by the cabin.  It was a little nippy this morning, and I was out so early that I was especially alert for wildlife on the trails.  I don't know why, but I always think somehow that the cougars will be out in the early morning.  I have no evidence for this, and have never seen a cougar in these woods.  I have seen tracks, and heard what I thought was a cougar once.  Anyway, no cougars, but thinking about what I would do if I encountered one occupied most of the run.  Silly me.  

I'm not doing any more running, or biking today.  I'm just kind of strangely tired, and feel that I should save myself for tomorrow's track work. 

Only five miles this morning, and a relatively short workout, but HARD!  Instead of mile repeats at a relatively sane 5K pace, we did 200m repeats (10) at 90% effort or so.  I actually felt great while doing them, but right now I'm very tired.  

I'm working out my diet for the remainder of time until the marathon.  My biggest challenge at this point is to not lose any more fat.  I think if I get any leaner it will compromise my strength.  Any tips from experience marathoners out there?  I've got about seven weeks to go and mileage will probably go up for a few more weeks, and some long runs thrown in there.  I am already putting the snack plan into action:  two snacks per day.

HaHa.  I just read my post from yesterday, and its clear that I'm getting freaked out about all the things that could go wrong with the marathon!  Its good to get the anxiety out of the way early I guess.  Here are some of my positive mantras:

  1.  I am getting good training from experienced people, who have helped many people successfully compelete marathons.  I am fortunate in this.

2.  I am a capable runner, and have proved myself to be competent at many distances.

3.  I have set reasonable, attainable goals for myself.

4.  I have ample mental resources to succeed in a marathon.

I know that I'll feel better after tomorrow's long run:  5 miles easy, 10 at MP, 5 easy.  It will give me some confidence.

As per Carolyn's advice, I enjoyed hot chocolate before bed, and look how much sleep I got!  Yes, its cold enough here for hot chocolate. 

Have a great running weekend everyone! 

20 mile run is done.  I'm not really jumping up and down impressed with myself, but I rarely am anyway, and I'm trying to keep it positive.  On the good side:

1.  I ran farther than I ever ran.

2.  My feet and legs feel great!

3.  My MP miles were all on pace, all 10 of 'em.

4.  Its done.

5.  I can wear my toe ring with no ill effect. 

6.  Ice baths don't kill you; they kinda feel good. 

One the other side (the side that could use improvement - the side with potential!):

1.  At mile 17, I just had no oxygen left.  Asthma/shmasma, or whatever.  Last three splits were bad.

2.   Orange Gatorade looks really good, but makes you throw up.

3.  My overall time was nothin' special; don't really see how I can run a marathon like this.

Going for a really pretty bike ride tomorrow- one of my favorites!  Down to Edison and pop in at a favorite gallery, hopefully eat something yummy, and home 'round the big loop through Alger (site of the famous Alger shooting spree!)  The "running" assignment is 4 easy, so the bike ride fits into my Sunday. 

Recovery day, only 4 easy running miles required.  So I decided to go for a bike ride first.  The weather is absolutely perfect today for riding!  Its warm, sunny, and a little breeze.  There is a lovely fall smell in the air, and people are picking blackberries along all of the roads.  I rode with my friend Julie around a hilly loop here near my house, partly along the lake and partly along some hilly country roads.  If I ever live out of town, I want to live up there, and have llamas.  Anyway, when we got back to my house, I was inspired to just stuff a bit of food in, change into my running gear, and do the four easy miles right away.  I was thinking that later in the day I would be tired and it would be harder to get out and do it.  So that's what I did.  Wow, did my legs feel funny.  I felt like I was moving through water and going about 12 minute miles.  But when I looked at Garmin, my first two splits were 9:09 and 9:12!  This kind of cracked me up for some reason, because I really felt like I was not even moving.  In fact, I even wondered if people passing me in cars on the road part of the run were looking at me funny, wondering why I was moving so slowly!  Third split was 9:23, and last split was 9:22.  

So, a strange workout, but good recovery jog.  Now I'm tired and will sit around reading.  I love being outdoors in this weather, the breeze is nice. 

9:00am, sunny and 72 degrees!  This is perfection.  Splits for 6 miles were:  8:48, 9:01, 9:09, 9:14, 9:27, 9:54, with .89 miles at the end of walking at 15:18.  These are more or less perfect easy miles.  I wore the Vroom shoes (Lunaracers).  The run was about 1/2 street and 1/2 trail, with a short section of more technical trail, so I could see how the Vrooms did on more rocky, rooted terrain.  I loved them everywhere; now that I've got somewhat used to them, it is easy to go slowly in them.  

I felt like this run was truly effortless, and should become the template for all of my runs.  I was talking with my chiropractor/coach/personal motivator yesterday about what muscles are required for just lifting the foot off the ground for each step, in Chi running form.  He said just think about the foot, not the muscles.  While I ran, I just observed what my body did, and sure enough, its just the foot.  The leg feels pretty relaxed with each step.  I want to have this feeling for the first 10 miles or so of the marathon.

I came home and did my core work, arm weights, hip strengtheners, and stretches, and found that all this stuff takes me over an hour!  It  has really added up over the last few weeks,  but I didn't realize how much time I was spending on the support stuff.  It is all important; there is not anything that I would cut out, so I guess I'll just have to carve out the time each day.  Sometimes I do it in two pieces.

Another perfect morning!  I got out around 5:30 and watched two young men fishing along the lake, pulling in quite large trout.  That was the first mile.  Then my run took me into the woods, where I was able to see a small coyote lurking around one of the ponds, probably looking for frogs.  It was so small I thought it might have been a partially grown pup.  So cute!  I ran down past the fish hatchery and went up and down a hill a couple of times, trying to feel that effortless stride going up the hill.  Finished my run as the sun was coming up, blood red, over the duck pond.  The ducks are all back in the pond now, back from wherever they have raised their babies; I wish I had brought something to give them to eat.  It was a beautiful morning to get out early, and I think its going to be a sunny day, yippee!  My splits were:  9:27, 9:37, 8:20 (too fast, because I wanted to get to the bathroom by the playground), 9:03, 9:54, and a walking .7 of a mile at 15:19.  

As I got back to my driveway, I was greeted by Jesus (my cat, pronounced HeyZeus), who presented me with another blue stellar Jay!  This is the second one in two days.  They are lovely birds, and it makes me sad to se him kill them, but he obviously wants me to enjoy the gift, so, as his pack leader, I try to graciously accept them.  Maybe I can use the feathers somehow.  Little cat Pirate is insanely jealous, both of Jesus' hunting prowess and the attention that Jesus gets for said prowess.  

On to the stretching and butt strengthening exercises. 

Track workout!  Some warm up running, exercises, 2X200 strides, then 5X800M at 5K pace.  My splits were 3:30, 3:41, 3:42, 3:38, and 3:42.  The first one was way too fast, but it was really fun!  I knew after the first 400 that I was going too fast, but it was too much fun to stop, so I just went for it and resolved to make the next one slower.  I am very undisciplined at 5am.

Anyway, super fun workout, and another beautiful morning.  

On Saturday, we have a 1 mile time trial!  What?   

Day off, so I just ran a bit to check out something with my stride I've been curious about.  Call it a bodywork session.  Supposed to be "resting up" for the one mile time trial tomorrow.  The whole thing is making me so angry that I might just run it really fast because I'm mad.  I'm angry because I don't see what it has to do with marathon training, and I don't want to waste my time.  I want to run a long run tomorrow.

When I got back into my car after my run, there were wasps inside my car.  At least three of them!  They were just sitting there looking at me, but not saying much.  I am allergic to most wasps, so I asked them to get out, then opened the doors.  They just sat there.  I finally had to take off my shoe, hold it out, and let them get onto it, one at a time.  I then flicked them outside on my shoe.  I hope I didn't wreck their day, but I just didn't want to drive them around. 

We did our 1 mile time trial today.  Started at 7:00; weather was perfect; 60 degrees, clear skies.  I had my goal, which was to run it in 6:40, based on my earlier season 5K pace of 7:30/mile.  Coach said to wait until 3rd lap to increase speed.  I had been thinking to wait until lap 4, because I know that I can always kick at the end.  Anyway, my first lap was way too fast (1:25), so I ended up not speeding up at all until the final stretch.  Final time was 6:10!  

As much as I complained about this run, it really was an incredible confidence booster.  Everyone in my group has improved fitness dramatically throughout the training, and it showed.  Best of all, for me, was that there was NO ASTHMA whatsoever.  I was breathing hard, and my lungs were burning after, but no wheezing.   

Easy miles, nothing special.  First two were too fast, as usual, (8:43, 8:38), the rest were all in the 9:15-9:40 range.  I noticed lots of ripe blackberries all along the trail; I could even smell them!  I will go out on my bike in the morning and collect them for jam.  Yumm!

I was up on Mt. Baker this morning picking huckleberries.  It is so peaceful and quite and actually quite Fall-like, lots of colors turning already, and a crispness in the air.  Many signs of bear in the huckleberry fields!  I guess they are trying to fill up.   

Had a nice but short bike ride this morning.  16 miles.

Track workout tonight.  Warm up, strides, then many exercises to strengthen and tire out the legs, then a run on tired legs.  The theory is that making the legs tired first, then running will strengthen them and "teach" them to do that in the marathon.  I think I get it.   

Nice easy run; I threw some long hills in for fun.  Looks like rain today; but if it doesn't rain, I will go on my group bike ride tonight.

Los of work today. 

An easy run that turned into M miles.  Super fun, though.  Splits were 9:00, 8:38, 8:48, 8:42, 8:35, 8:36 (for last little bit).  I felt the effort by the end because I was completely out of fuel - my body does that sometimes.   

I ran on a trail I don't usually go on, and explored a spur that I have NEVER been on!  It was a steady climb up from the lake for about a mile, than levels out and climbs again.  I went way too fast on the uphill bits, but somehow that felt good this morning.  Then, by the time I was back down on the flat lake trail, with just 1/2 mile back to my car, I started feeling so hungry that I was weak.  I must find something that I like to eat for breakfast.  I was going to stop and pick some blackberries there at the end, but didn't want to ruin my nice marathon pace splits. 

Whew!  Busy day, so I'm just now getting a chance to post this mornings workout.  I've organized a huge fundraiser for the high school XC team, starts Saturday and runs through Sunday afternoon.  Its a 30 hour relay, with nightime hours run at the high school track, and daytime hours run in front of a local grocery on a treadmill.  Trying to get 60 runners and 100 or so parents stuck into time slots is crazy.  Then I have to keep bugging the runners to see if they've got the pledges they need, and trying to get food donated so that the runners don't starve to death, find tents and lights for the nightime (some parents want two tents, in case any boys and girls get mixed up!).  Craziness.  But fun.

This morning's workout was new and quite interesting!  Some jogging, warming up, as usual.  Then, many many hopping and jumping exercises for explosive strength, plus some cadence drills and counts.  Then, four all out strides of 100m.  Then 2000m of 5K pace, then cool down.   It was exhausting, with all the jumping and hopping.  It should get my legs in really good shape for skiing I guess.

PM:  3 easy miles, just because the sun is out and tomorrow is a rest day anyway. 

Day of rest, just a tiny bike ride, before the rain happens.  I love my bike.  

Group run this morning.  It was supposed to be 2 easy miles, 4 marathon miles, and 2 more easy.  But, our coach wasn't there, so, as usual in his absence, we ran amok and completed the miles at marathon pace.  We did do a warm up though, and stretched after.  

The hill in mile 6, which used to frequently kill us now feels like a breeze; we just MP right on up that hill.  Definitely stronger than 4 months ago.  

Enjoy your weekend! 

Easy miles, splits 9:17, 9:08, 8:51, 9:18, 9:08, and 9:03.  Nice slow motion easy effort all the way.  

Whew! Eight whole hours of sleep last night, and I'm feeling really recovered from the weekend of the 30 hour relay! The event was fun, and we made some money for the team. Its fun to hang around all that teen energy for awhile. By 5am at the track, where they ran during the night, I arrived to make waffles for the gang, and there was a group of kids sleeping on the tennis courts, another group sleeping in the tent, and a third group doing laps around the course that I set up.  Parents were sitting in chairs encouraging the runners and playing some strange form of twenty questions with the kids as they ran by.  A very peaceful scene.  Its a good thing they have another week to rest up before school starts!

Anyway, I am a bit grumpy because I will miss my track workout tonight.  Parent sports meeting.  I'm feeling a little beat up today anyhow, so I might just do some easy miles, and do the track work on my own early tomorrow morning.

PM - I never got over that beat up feeling, so I just took an "off" day, and did 3.7 easy miles, just focusing on picking up my feet and leaning from the ankles.  Call it a form intensive.