Today's run was destined to go poorly.
It started with yesterday's late afternoon phone call from James telling me that, because temperatures were predicted to drop to or below freezing, he would need to go into work at midnight to supervise the workers spraying plants with water to protect the new buds from frost damage.
I normally have little trouble sleeping well, even in strange places, but every once in a while, I wake up at 3 am and my mind goes places that - upon waking - are foolish and insane.
Last night, I woke up at 3 am, heart pounding, convinced someone was in my house and cursing James, because if he were here, the thought wouldn't have even crossed my mind. I spent the better part of an hour, frozen in bed, trying - through sheer willpower - to make my heartrate go down. It was only after countless minutes of deep breathing, meditative chanting, individual muscle relaxtion techniques, and stern talking to, that I realized both of my cats were lying perfectly still, peacefully asleep tucked in the crook of my arm and curled in my lap.
Now, my cats are by no means watchdogs, but if someone were in my house, they would most likely run up to them and start yammering up a storm, meowing, "You're here to FEED us?"
Not a whisker moved.
Even armed with this new and rock-solid knowledge, it still took probably another hour to calm down enough to fall asleep - just in time for my 5:30 am alarm.
Not only was I tired, but I was also plagued by a strange digestve pattern. I've actually noticed this happens frequently when I have a restless night's sleep. Maybe because my metabolism stays high when I'm awake for long period (especially with, ahem, a needlessly increased heartrate)? At any rate, I probably ate more than I normally would on a running day because I woke up absolutely STARVING.
Come to think of it, it's practically a miracle I even got out at all.
Miles 106-109: 37 and a half minutes truding along. Some day are just going to be like that.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Miles 100-105: Speed is a State of Mind
Recently I've been turned onto the blog Mile Posts by Dorothy Beal , which is kind of funny, because she is yet another of these small, wiry, near super women who single-handedly raise three children, blog daily, and run crazily well.
Three traits which I most definitely do not possess.
However, her recent posting Speed is a State of Mind, particularly the quote, "Remember we are all fast - it's a state of mind, not a speed," really stuck with me. While this little nugget rings eerily close to the catchphrase "Normal is just a setting on a dryer" and almost smacks of saccharine goodness, all things running are a state of mind.
And speed is one of my mental demons.
Reading that quote before going into today's Run the River 8K was strangely inspiring; strange, because this is a race with a cash price and historically attracts insanely fast runners (men's course record is 24 minutes flat; women's is just a hair over 26 minutes). I told myself going into this race that I wanted to cross in 45 minutes, averaging a 9 minute pace throughout.
After a chilly, windy wait, 132 runners lined up - myself, James, friends Glenna and David, and Glenna's friend M'lou included. We all chatted nervously - James was his usual bundle of nerves and Glenna was running her first 5 mile distance ever. After the fairly unceremonious start, I was surprised at how smoothly things went.
I ran my 100th mile at a 8:13 pace.
My 2 mile split was 17:26
My 3 mile split was 26:34
My four mile split was 35:08
And I finished the race in 43:54
Fast or not - I took that time and smiled all the way to the celebratory post-race IHOP brunch.
Three traits which I most definitely do not possess.
However, her recent posting Speed is a State of Mind, particularly the quote, "Remember we are all fast - it's a state of mind, not a speed," really stuck with me. While this little nugget rings eerily close to the catchphrase "Normal is just a setting on a dryer" and almost smacks of saccharine goodness, all things running are a state of mind.
And speed is one of my mental demons.
Reading that quote before going into today's Run the River 8K was strangely inspiring; strange, because this is a race with a cash price and historically attracts insanely fast runners (men's course record is 24 minutes flat; women's is just a hair over 26 minutes). I told myself going into this race that I wanted to cross in 45 minutes, averaging a 9 minute pace throughout.
After a chilly, windy wait, 132 runners lined up - myself, James, friends Glenna and David, and Glenna's friend M'lou included. We all chatted nervously - James was his usual bundle of nerves and Glenna was running her first 5 mile distance ever. After the fairly unceremonious start, I was surprised at how smoothly things went.
I ran my 100th mile at a 8:13 pace.
My 2 mile split was 17:26
My 3 mile split was 26:34
My four mile split was 35:08
And I finished the race in 43:54
Fast or not - I took that time and smiled all the way to the celebratory post-race IHOP brunch.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Miles 96-99: Almost There
So I would like to celebrate the fact that on Saturday, during my first mile of the Run the River Kinston 8K, I will have ran 100 miles this year.
Unfortunately, as the chart below illustrates, I should have hit that mark, oh, nearly two months ago.
However, I am not one to fail to celebrate small victories.
Today's run was beautiful, albeit through pollen-filled air. I can hardly stand to have a dry mouth while running, so feeling the grit of fine pollen across my tongue was nearly unbearable. But this, too, shall pass, and I am just grateful my sinuses haven't flared up again. Yet.
My second run with the Nike+ Sportband went pretty well. James and I ran together and I used his Garmin to see how well the calibration had worked. Miles 1 and 2, they were synched perfectly. Somewhere between Mile 3 and 4 though, something went off. This time, my 4 mile run was tracked as 3.93. Considering that my legs felt awful - tight right calf and tender left shin - and my form was probably terrible (and inconsistent) I'm really pleased with the accuracy - 99%
Thanks again, Cathy!
Unfortunately, as the chart below illustrates, I should have hit that mark, oh, nearly two months ago.
Today's run was beautiful, albeit through pollen-filled air. I can hardly stand to have a dry mouth while running, so feeling the grit of fine pollen across my tongue was nearly unbearable. But this, too, shall pass, and I am just grateful my sinuses haven't flared up again. Yet.
My second run with the Nike+ Sportband went pretty well. James and I ran together and I used his Garmin to see how well the calibration had worked. Miles 1 and 2, they were synched perfectly. Somewhere between Mile 3 and 4 though, something went off. This time, my 4 mile run was tracked as 3.93. Considering that my legs felt awful - tight right calf and tender left shin - and my form was probably terrible (and inconsistent) I'm really pleased with the accuracy - 99%
Thanks again, Cathy!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Miles 92-95: Two Tests
Today's run reminded me that routine can be a good thing. And that straying from a routine that works is ill-advised.
Case in point: normally when I come home from work and do an evening run, I pretty much immediately change and head out. I may or may not drink 4-8 oz of water before starting. I do not eat.
Maybe it was because James was going out tonight and I wanted to visit with him before he left. Maybe it was because the yogurt, granola, and fruit for lunch left me hankering for something else. Maybe it was the 82° weather at 5 o'clock that felt stifling hot. But I definitely strayed from the normal routine by 1) waiting until 6:30 and 2) eating a sizable (albeit healthy) snack before heading out.
My gut protested loudly going for a run after eating; my side ached with a stitch that wouldn't go away. Because I was distracted by these, my form suffered. My shins and calves ached.
Lesson learned: no need to test the tried and true routine.
Small unpleasantries aside, I also tested a new gadget. My mother-in-law Cathy was kind enough to think of me when a coworker was looking to get a Nike+ Sportband off her hands. Both Cathy and my friends Glenna and David have the Nike chip with the iPod synching feature and have had positive experiences with it. When I first heard about it, I had a hard time finding out how exactly this get-up worked. After a lot of Googling and Binging, I discovered that this inexpensive alternative to a GPS-enabled watch (like James's Garmin) is an accelerometer (in the chip) and a receiver (sport band, iPod, or iPhone).
Major positives? Very, very easy to use. The Sportband is incredibly light weight. A toggle button easily displays your mileage, pace, total time, and calories burned. Following directions to set up is a breeze.
Major downside? Where a pedometer measures the number of steps you take and can, through extrapolation, tell you how far you've gone if you take fairly regular strides, an accelerometer measures the same thing but adds the dimension of how fast your foot is moving through space. That said, if you are a highly irregular runner, your tracking might be way off.
And, as today's run proved, calibration to improve the advertised 90% accuracy-out-of-the-box is required for all runners. Today's route was just a hair under 4 miles - I know this because I've ran it many, many times and have mapped it out at http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/. The band clocked me at 4.22 miles (94% accurate). I went ahead and submitted this run for calibrating (actual distance, 3.95 miles) and with plans to run the same route again tomorrow or Thursday, we'll see if we can't get closer to 99% accuracy.
Lesson learned: Nike+ Sportband/iPod/iPhone is a great beginner's option. Also a great option if you don't have the patience to work through the intracies of the Garmin watch set-up (James almost gave up on his) and learning curve or the cash to throw down (retails for $69 versus $250+).
Case in point: normally when I come home from work and do an evening run, I pretty much immediately change and head out. I may or may not drink 4-8 oz of water before starting. I do not eat.
Maybe it was because James was going out tonight and I wanted to visit with him before he left. Maybe it was because the yogurt, granola, and fruit for lunch left me hankering for something else. Maybe it was the 82° weather at 5 o'clock that felt stifling hot. But I definitely strayed from the normal routine by 1) waiting until 6:30 and 2) eating a sizable (albeit healthy) snack before heading out.
My gut protested loudly going for a run after eating; my side ached with a stitch that wouldn't go away. Because I was distracted by these, my form suffered. My shins and calves ached.
Lesson learned: no need to test the tried and true routine.
Small unpleasantries aside, I also tested a new gadget. My mother-in-law Cathy was kind enough to think of me when a coworker was looking to get a Nike+ Sportband off her hands. Both Cathy and my friends Glenna and David have the Nike chip with the iPod synching feature and have had positive experiences with it. When I first heard about it, I had a hard time finding out how exactly this get-up worked. After a lot of Googling and Binging, I discovered that this inexpensive alternative to a GPS-enabled watch (like James's Garmin) is an accelerometer (in the chip) and a receiver (sport band, iPod, or iPhone).
Major downside? Where a pedometer measures the number of steps you take and can, through extrapolation, tell you how far you've gone if you take fairly regular strides, an accelerometer measures the same thing but adds the dimension of how fast your foot is moving through space. That said, if you are a highly irregular runner, your tracking might be way off.
And, as today's run proved, calibration to improve the advertised 90% accuracy-out-of-the-box is required for all runners. Today's route was just a hair under 4 miles - I know this because I've ran it many, many times and have mapped it out at http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/. The band clocked me at 4.22 miles (94% accurate). I went ahead and submitted this run for calibrating (actual distance, 3.95 miles) and with plans to run the same route again tomorrow or Thursday, we'll see if we can't get closer to 99% accuracy.
Lesson learned: Nike+ Sportband/iPod/iPhone is a great beginner's option. Also a great option if you don't have the patience to work through the intracies of the Garmin watch set-up (James almost gave up on his) and learning curve or the cash to throw down (retails for $69 versus $250+).
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Miles 84-91
I'm sitting here at the computer - sweat drying on my skin leaving salt tracks behind - staring stupidly at the computer while my body thrums and hums with endorphins and my brain floats is a sea of strawberry cream.
Or something to that effect.
After another week of cold 'n' allergy lethargy, I woke to a sunny cool morning and decided to screw waiting any longer. I can't afford to - once again, I've procrastinated to the point where I'm going to try to cram in 3 hasty weeks of training for the St. Louis Go! Half Marathon on April 10th.
(So much for changing my ways.)
James and I ran together for a first few miles, but with different goals in mind, he and I split ways shortly thereafter. This coming Saturday, we are running the Pride of Kinston 8K and my uber-competitive husband has aspirations of placing in his age group.
Me, I just need to get some miles in!
I surprised myself though - 7.8 miles in 71 minutes - an average pace of 9:15 min/miles.
Enjoy your Sunday, y'all!
Or something to that effect.
After another week of cold 'n' allergy lethargy, I woke to a sunny cool morning and decided to screw waiting any longer. I can't afford to - once again, I've procrastinated to the point where I'm going to try to cram in 3 hasty weeks of training for the St. Louis Go! Half Marathon on April 10th.
(So much for changing my ways.)
James and I ran together for a first few miles, but with different goals in mind, he and I split ways shortly thereafter. This coming Saturday, we are running the Pride of Kinston 8K and my uber-competitive husband has aspirations of placing in his age group.
Me, I just need to get some miles in!
I surprised myself though - 7.8 miles in 71 minutes - an average pace of 9:15 min/miles.
Enjoy your Sunday, y'all!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Miles 79-83: Beautiful but bleh.
It has been an absolutely gorgeous weekend in North Carolina; unfortunately, my health has not been so gorgeous. After last Tuesday's run, I felt the ticklings of a sinus infection coming in the back of my throat. Without fail, if either a) I change and/or stir up my environment (i.e. go travelling or do high intensity yard-work) or b) my environment changes and/or stirs up itself (e.g. seasons changes and pollen) my sinuses blow up. At least by now I know the tale-tell signs and usually slow down, sleep more, and eat lots of fruit and veggies.
This time around, I might have actually halted the thing in its tracks. Score.
After 10 hours of sleep Friday night and an entire day on the couch yesterday, I decided some form of physical activity was necessary. My mom and sister finished a 10K this morning in just under an hour (way to go, gals!) and after talking to them I thought, what the hell, let's give this a shot.
Having not been outside since Saturday morning when I dropped off James at the airport, I was shocked to find that it was 77°F outside. I settled in for an easy jog, planning to slow to a walk as frequently as necessary. I wanted to do at least 6 miles, but after 5, I felt dehydrated, wobbly-legged, and - seriously? - sun-burnt.
But on days like this, it's hard not to feel grateful to be dehydrated, wobbly-legged and sunburnt - because I'm out running/walking on a beautiful sunny day.
It's a beautiful thing.
This time around, I might have actually halted the thing in its tracks. Score.
After 10 hours of sleep Friday night and an entire day on the couch yesterday, I decided some form of physical activity was necessary. My mom and sister finished a 10K this morning in just under an hour (way to go, gals!) and after talking to them I thought, what the hell, let's give this a shot.
Having not been outside since Saturday morning when I dropped off James at the airport, I was shocked to find that it was 77°F outside. I settled in for an easy jog, planning to slow to a walk as frequently as necessary. I wanted to do at least 6 miles, but after 5, I felt dehydrated, wobbly-legged, and - seriously? - sun-burnt.
But on days like this, it's hard not to feel grateful to be dehydrated, wobbly-legged and sunburnt - because I'm out running/walking on a beautiful sunny day.
It's a beautiful thing.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Miles 75-78
What can I say? Today was windy and chilly but sunny and full of the sounds and smells of spring.
James once again waited for me to get home before going for his run. Post-half-marathon, I don't think he's minding going at my pace. Though, I am pleasantly surprised at how my pace is shifting. Today's miles were right at a 9 minute average. Annnnnnndddd, happy to report still no shin pain. The ghost of shinsplits appears to be leaving me unhaunted at the moment. I'll take it.
I also received a text message from my mom that she did a five mile run today. I am extremely proud. She and my sister will be running a 10K race on Sunday (best of luck, ladies!) as part of their preparation for April's STL Go! Half-Marathon.
Miles 75-78: 36 minutes for Fat Tuesday. Time for grub and drinks!
James once again waited for me to get home before going for his run. Post-half-marathon, I don't think he's minding going at my pace. Though, I am pleasantly surprised at how my pace is shifting. Today's miles were right at a 9 minute average. Annnnnnndddd, happy to report still no shin pain. The ghost of shinsplits appears to be leaving me unhaunted at the moment. I'll take it.
I also received a text message from my mom that she did a five mile run today. I am extremely proud. She and my sister will be running a 10K race on Sunday (best of luck, ladies!) as part of their preparation for April's STL Go! Half-Marathon.
Miles 75-78: 36 minutes for Fat Tuesday. Time for grub and drinks!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Miles 68-70 and 71-74: Because I Needed More than a 5K in Morehead City
Last night a group of us headed to the coast to rest up before running our respective races in the morning: the men running the Crystal Coast Half Marathon and the ladies trotting the 5K.
We woke up to overcast skies and moderate breezes, my preferred race day weather. Everyone was ready to rock it, especially James. Though, despite a solid 8 weeks of dedicated training, nerves were still a factor for my competitve husband. No need to fear, though - he made his personal PR of 1:47:39. All right!
I had intended to run the race with my ladies, encouraging them to run the whole way. But when we pinned on our number and laced on the chips the itchy feet started. It was the first race of the season - and the cool weather and the buzz of the participants had me glowing.
Typically a 5K is not my favorite race because I'm not extremely fast; however, with the shinsplints, I've been dialing back to the shorter run and I feel like I'm getting more a knack for it. And while today's time - 26:13 - is no cross-country marvel, it feels good to be the 9th female finisher out of 88 (5th out of 30 for 20-29 age bracket).
Miles 68-70: 26:13 minutes that prove the goal of a 24 minute 5K is not unattainable.
Miles 71-74: No words necessary.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Miles 65-67: Renee and Risotto
When James came home Wednesday evening and reported a work dinner tonight, I spontaneously asked my coworker Renee if she wanted to come over for a run and then let me cook her dinner. She eyed me suspiciously but agreed.
Renee is one of the people that I mentioned at the beginning of this blog that caught the running bug when The Plan was first discussed. She is also my regular cycling buddy at Golds Gym. She is both sarcastic and sweet and makes many a long day at work much more tolerable. She is still at the beginning of her journey, though, which made for the skeptical looks I was getting.
We tried to beat the enroaching dark, but were caught halfway through the run fighting dropping temperatures and freezing winds. But she was a trooper and we averaged a pace considerably faster than she was used to. Running with Renee reminded me of just how far I've come with my running (I was her James that night - idly chatting while she pushed herself) and how running with someone - no matter what the pace - can be just as satisfying as running fast.
Miles 65-67: a physically numbing but mentally warming 45 minutes. (Followed by mushroom and parmeasean risotto!)
Renee is one of the people that I mentioned at the beginning of this blog that caught the running bug when The Plan was first discussed. She is also my regular cycling buddy at Golds Gym. She is both sarcastic and sweet and makes many a long day at work much more tolerable. She is still at the beginning of her journey, though, which made for the skeptical looks I was getting.
We tried to beat the enroaching dark, but were caught halfway through the run fighting dropping temperatures and freezing winds. But she was a trooper and we averaged a pace considerably faster than she was used to. Running with Renee reminded me of just how far I've come with my running (I was her James that night - idly chatting while she pushed herself) and how running with someone - no matter what the pace - can be just as satisfying as running fast.
Miles 65-67: a physically numbing but mentally warming 45 minutes. (Followed by mushroom and parmeasean risotto!)
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Miles 61-64: Back on Track
Why hello, friends! So good to write to you again.
I, uh, ahem, er, yeah. I kind of went AWOL for a bit there. February was a strange month - most notably, strangely pathetic in the running and blogging department. Eight blogs entries with only four dedicated to running means is even a ridiculously piss-poor attempt at "dedicated change" even for me, the admitted procrastinator and rationalizer.
Granted, I had the dark moment where I accepted the fact that I was dealing with shin splints. But I also had an incredibly happy weekend with my sister and her fiance in Dallas. Ending February at only 60 miles out of 1111, when, if you're keeping track, I should be at 180 (!) is an especially bad showing. 33% is a failing grade, no matter how steep the curve.
So it's now March. It's been warming up steadily here in North Carolina over the last several weeks and I'm pretty startled to see my daffodils and hyacinths already blooming. We finally had some rain last night in the form of a terrific thunderstorm that left today clear, crisp, and smelling slightly of damp earth.
I arrived home a little earlier than usual and James was so kind to wait for me to change. We ran four relatively fast miles together and I am happy to note that my crosstraining is paying off. February's mileage might have sucked, but I kept up at the gym and I'm reaping the benefits from spinning and weight lifting in the form of good posture and strong legs.
Saturday we head to Morehead City for the Crystal Coast Half-Marathon (James and friend David are running) and 5K (myself and David's wife Glenna are running). With any luck, we'll have gorgeous weather and no precipitation. I don't have a goal for this race except to stick by Glenna's side as she shoots for her first attempt at a straight-through 5K run.
Miles 61-64: 35 minutes with the husband, rededicating myself to The Plan.
I, uh, ahem, er, yeah. I kind of went AWOL for a bit there. February was a strange month - most notably, strangely pathetic in the running and blogging department. Eight blogs entries with only four dedicated to running means is even a ridiculously piss-poor attempt at "dedicated change" even for me, the admitted procrastinator and rationalizer.
Granted, I had the dark moment where I accepted the fact that I was dealing with shin splints. But I also had an incredibly happy weekend with my sister and her fiance in Dallas. Ending February at only 60 miles out of 1111, when, if you're keeping track, I should be at 180 (!) is an especially bad showing. 33% is a failing grade, no matter how steep the curve.
So it's now March. It's been warming up steadily here in North Carolina over the last several weeks and I'm pretty startled to see my daffodils and hyacinths already blooming. We finally had some rain last night in the form of a terrific thunderstorm that left today clear, crisp, and smelling slightly of damp earth.
I arrived home a little earlier than usual and James was so kind to wait for me to change. We ran four relatively fast miles together and I am happy to note that my crosstraining is paying off. February's mileage might have sucked, but I kept up at the gym and I'm reaping the benefits from spinning and weight lifting in the form of good posture and strong legs.
Saturday we head to Morehead City for the Crystal Coast Half-Marathon (James and friend David are running) and 5K (myself and David's wife Glenna are running). With any luck, we'll have gorgeous weather and no precipitation. I don't have a goal for this race except to stick by Glenna's side as she shoots for her first attempt at a straight-through 5K run.
Miles 61-64: 35 minutes with the husband, rededicating myself to The Plan.
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