keep running. faster. longer. stronger.

Today’s run: 9.30 miles, the FARTHEST I have ever run in my life! I find out so much about myself with every run (esp the long runs), but what I found out today was far more poignant than I’ve ever discovered before.

First off, I noticed lately that after long runs, my body feels great (no knee pain!) and my emotions are euphoric, but I am also cranky, impatient, and indecisive and spend more time than usual focused on negativity. I’m not sure if this happens to anyone else, but it’s discerning because I find myself snapping at strangers and spacing out when on the phone with HB.

They say long runs are mostly mental and they are right. I was wiped after last week’s 8 miler, and today I am even more so with the 9. I hope this is one of those cases where one day an 8-9 mile run will one day (soon) look and feel like nothing, because if I’m feeling this way now, the marathon is 3 times this distance. It seems to easy to train the body, but how does one train the mind?

There is a BIG difference between 8 and 9 miles. It seems like there shouldn’t be… After all, 9 is one more mile than 8 and takes only a few minutes to pass. That is the logical argument, but my experience today does not agree with that. Again, the “pain” involved wasn’t physical, it was mental. Running into unchartered distances is usually so exciting to me, but today, it felt like pulling teeth!

So I’m feeling a little discouraged at this moment. Right now, a half marathon seems more than doable, but the marathon scares the bejeebies out of me. I’m hoping this will soon pass, maybe when I start doing 14 milers?

On the upside, my speed somehow upped itself. I was all about the negative split today, I used to run in the 10MMs during long runs, but whereas I warmed up in the high 9MMs, according to my Garmin, my speed increased to the low 9MMs as the miles passed by, at one point even holding 8MMs… I had no idea! The last couple of miles of my run were all hills, which I climbed in the mid 9MMs. Amazing!

Other than that, it was a beautiful day at the beach… Last time I ran on the beach, there were LOTS of creepy and questionable characters (who hangs out at the beach on a cold, rainy day, anyway?!), but today it was full of spring breakers and volleyball players. I am so grateful that it’s so readily available to me from my house!

After forcing myself to run slow for awhile a long ass time, I finally gave into my temptation to test my skills in the speed area. After all, what can it hurt when doing it on a baby 3-miler, right???

I started the run by warming up in the 9MMs for the first mile. I eased into the 8MMs for the second mile, and finally for the third I bursted into 6:50 MM – 7MM range. What amazed me was that I wasn’t even at 100%!!! I was even able to maintain this fabulous speed up a big hill… (fyi… this speed was virtually unattainable for me until recently)

It felt good and so darn liberating.

Maybe this “run slow to run fast” thing really is working, eh?

“To run fast, you must run slow.”

Those were the words of a running expert at a seminar I attended last year. My initial reaction was quizzical, as it would seem that you have to run faster to run faster, right?!

Some time this year, I decided to prove him wrong. Nevermind that he trains professional athletes and Olympians for a living, I know better!

Many months later, as I review my log, I was surprised at how right he was. When I started running, I’d dash off in 8-8:30MMs in all my runs because I could, but I would head into disaster as I got towards the middle and end of the runs. Since the end of February, I’ve been concentrating on running what felt like painfully slow 10MMs, but found myself today running 9MMs comfortably in the entire 7 miles without my heart going above 75% of max in the entire run! Towards the end, I even broke into 8:44MM for awhile because it just felt fun. At this rate, I suspect that in a few months, I’ll be in the late 8 MM’s regularly in my long runs. It’s just absolutely fantastic that my fitness can improve this drastically by running slow.

Another improvement are my knees. Since the end of February, I’ve worked extremely hard on my the muscles that support my main running muscles, but in particular, my quads. Result? I had ZERO knee pain during the 7 mile run today! I believe it came from ST on the quads and the core work, which in turn helps my posture, which helps eliminate all sorts of soreness and pain.

Everything is feeling better, life is fantastic!

Today marked a milestone in my 8-month running career – I used tube of Gu on my long run!

Now with flavors like Strawberry Banana, Tri Berry and Chocolate Outrage, you’d think anything with any texture at least these types of flavors, it’s gotta be kinda yummy at the very least. Well, I thought that way, anyway, so I picked these up and used Strawberry Banana during today’s run.

At first taste, I wanted to VOMIT! The texture and taste reminded me of what possibly a snake slushie with too much syrup would taste like. It… was… disgusting. But I was 45 minutes into my run and I still had a bit of a ways to go before reaching home, so I forced myself to swallow half of it with with a bunch of water and downed the rest 10 minutes later, with most of that time trying my best to keep it down. (Note: Absolutely at no time did my tastebuds detect anything remotely resembling the flavor of a strawberry OR banana!)

At almost an hour on the dot of the run, however, my legs suddenly felt like they had a mind of their own. The sugar rushed a renewed energy with my legs and I started running faster again – even faster than the first half!

After this experience, I can’t possibly imagine a 1hr+ long run without this stuff, yet I’m wondering if there’s something that works equally good or better but won’t make me waste additional energy to keep it down? Gummy bears maybe?

I recently reported about how my first run (Fri. 2/19)after taking a month off was especially difficult, as expected from the loss of fitness.

To that, Jane76552000 helped me maintain my optimism by reassuring me that I should gain back my fitness in no time. (Which I very much appreciated, being that she’s one of the most knowledgeable on here, and not just on running, but most everything as well!

So then on the following Monday, I went out on Monday on another short run, but this time it felt incredibly EASY, almost back to where I was before I took off.

My fitness level could not have returned this fast, could it?

Another run on Wed. 2/25 (yesterday)... PIECE OF CAKE!

Interesting…

Thanks to a month’s worth of ailments, I had to abandon running for the sake of my health. (But I didn’t go down without a fight!)

However, after a month of holing away from society, depressed about the necessary absence of exercise, I came upon some startling conclusions.

A month off may mean fleeing levels of fitness, but it’s a month that the body can heal. When I was still running, I had this nagging plantar fasciitis that seemed to heal… very… slowly… After today’s itsy run, I can honestly say that my foot feels FREAKING FANTASTIC!

During my month off, I read up on running books like letters from your parents when you’re homesick at camp. Posture is one of the topics that experts can’t seem to agree on. I read about lifting knees to leaning forward but none of that seems to work for me. I decided to try Jeff Galloway’s information on posture today… And it seems to be it for me! Every time my knees would start to hurt, I noticed that my posture was faulty. A few adjustments here and there and then suddenly my knees felt brand spanking new. I can also feel the amount of work that’s needed from my abs, though, which means I really really need to work on that area. A month off means a month to reflect on my sore spots and what to do about it. Great bennie in the long run!

A month off helped me look at my goals again. Yes I had to cancel the HM plans, but after looking at my timetable for marathon training, the two would have overlapped slightly. I also canceled biking the LA marathon… As much as I love running, it’s kind of like dating someone. When you’re in that first phase, a little makes you crave that person’s presence a lot, but too much of a presence could mean major burn out!

I can honestly say that I am a different person now when it comes to running and fitness. No more running for OCD reasons, from now on, it’s about running for the love of it! And that could be the key to “keep running, faster, longer, stronger.”

With the start of half marathon training, new gym schedule and restarting strength training after taking a one month+ break all on the same week, I was destined on a one way road towards train wreck that may somewhat equate to that picture of red-lipsticked Britney sitting on the sidewalk crying.

Monday: In anticipation of a very hilly 10k (461’ gain for a straight 2.75 miles) AND HM (703’ minimum elevation gain – yikes!), I tried to run a new route filled with taunting hills. Result? My eyes brimmed with tears at mile 4 and I negotiated a compromise with myself to where I won’t stop running if I cut out the second half of the hills I had planned. After the run, I was so exhausted to where I could not even pet my cat and my eyes were glazed and staring at the wall. You can say I was traumatized.

Tuesday: I woke up somewhat sore and it was hard to get out of bed. I attended a Super Sculpt class which seemed easy but that night, some more soreness came on. Good thing I skipped the Pilates class!

Wednesday: I could barely drag myself out of bed to get DH ready for work – and OMG my butt was so sore!!!! Just sitting bed made me wince. Could it be from all the butt squeezes in the sculpting class??? I went on a short run which felt like it took foooooooooorever but it helped shake out the soreness. I decided to skip a yoga strengthening class and opted for a stretching class instead. Ahhh!!!!!!!! Me likey.

Thursday: I did an hour aerobics that concentrated on legs in the first half hour and waist up in the second. TORTURE!!!! We worked on muscles I haven’t called upon since the first half of December and my confidence plummeted as I took (gentle) orders from the super-fit should-be-on-the-cover-of-Oxygen-magazine instructor. She is no joke. I went home beyond exhausted – I collapsed in bed at about noon and didn’t get up until about 6 pm. (DH didn’t appreciate that I was bouncing off the walls at 9 pm though – heehee)

Friday: Tempo Run day: 1 mi slow jog, 3 mi 8:39 pace, 1 mi slow jog. I’ve been agonizing over this because I’ve been practicing on slowing my pace that I wasn’t sure if I could do it anymore. In addition, I’ve been SO EXHAUSTED! To combat my fear, for the past few days I used visualization exercises, which calmed my jitters a bit. I decided to use my regular route. WRONG DECISION – my regular route is hilly!. At about mile 2.5-ish, I broke down to a walk (or “pathetic crawl,” as some would describe it) for about 1/4 mile and from there, slooooowly jogged and completed fartleks instead (I even ran up to the 6:34 pace – wow!!!). Plus, did I mention that it was 75 degrees in the morning???? Holy cats. I finished the mileage (with a beet red face!), came home for a snack (I almost threw it up) and sat a good few minutes in shower on the floor. I wasn’t sure about attending a yoga class an hour later, but I’m glad I did! Thanks to the class, I came out once again a relaxed, less sore, and a little more optimistic. Gotta love yoga.

Of course, I can’t just vent and leave it as is. Tough times are excellent opportunities to learn and grow – and this week definitely fits squarely in the box called “challenge.”

Firstly… (I got this idea from one of my favorite Sparkteams)

I ACCEPT that I bit off more than I could chew this week.
I ACCEPT that my body needs rest.
I ACCEPT that I am exhausted.
I ACCEPT that I am afraid of the elevation involved in the HM.
I ACCEPT that I can’t hold up the 8:39 pace on a hilly route, and especially when I am exhausted.
I ACCEPT that I need to recover.
I ACCEPT that rebuild will follow breakdown.
I ACCEPT that I have a long way to go.
I ACCEPT that I need to learn patience.
I ACCEPT that this is hard because “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”
I ACCEPT that this time will pass at its own time.
I ACCEPT that my body has a timetable separate from my mind and heart.
I ACCEPT that I am turning 29, not 19.
I ACCEPT that I needed change and challenge, which will help me grow.
I ACCEPT that everyone needs to start somewhere.
I ACCEPT that I am not listening to my body close enough.
I ACCEPT the heatwave blanketing SoCal.
I ACCEPT that I need to work hard.
I ACCEPT that hard work does not always feel good.
I ACCEPT that the finish after hard work is delicious.
I ACCEPT that not every run will be glorious, but most will be.
I ACCEPT that my body may crave more nourishment.
I ACCEPT that the harder I work, the more my body needs me to listen.
I ACCEPT that I need to “trust the process.”

Secondly, my plan.

1. With the exception of yesterday, I am not eating enough carbs. With the mileage I’m putting in, I should be aiming for 225-250g of carbs for energy and NEVER below 200g. The exhaustion could also be coming from the lack thereof as well. The body is like an employee – you can’t crack the whip without extra compensation or risk your employee going postal on your booty. With this in mind, heavier training means MORE FOOD. I need to hammer this into my head.

2. Possibly find a new route to do the tempo runs. My regular route is hilly, but with long runs on the monster hills, it’s too much for me right now. I need a flat stretch of road.

3. Use the iPod again? I ditched my iPod awhile ago because it was sooo much more fun to just run on my own, but never underestimate the amount and power of motivation that comes through music! I’m not sure about this though because I like to be aware of my surroundings and I feel a lot safer without it. Plus, music gets annoying when I’m trying to concentrate on breathing and form. Hmm.

4. TEA DOES NOT HYDRATE. What was I thinking??? I’ve been drinking my jasmine green tea first things in the mornings, but it seemed to do nothing but dehydrate me during my run today. Water rules!

5. Even though the classes are incredibly fun, I may need to scale back a few. Except for yoga of course. :):):)

6. Fall in love with running again. If running was my boyfriend, I’d guess you’d say we’ve been fighting all week. I hate that I’m looking at it like a calorie burner these days instead of an activity that I sing Lionel Richie songs to. I think it’s time to hit the books about running again… Maybe find inspirational running quotes… Stories… Maybe even peruse my old blogs from when I did the C25k and One Hour Runner plans. Running and I need some darn good make up you-know-whats!!!

7. Implement a reward system into my training schedule? I’m atypical to where I don’t respond to rewards, but who knows. It’s worth thinking through.

Well that’s it… I’m off to the spa for some r&r. Hey – that’s a reward, isn’t it? ;-)

Misery, oh die die DIE!

Today was the first run since I started in August where I pathetically begged myself to please please please quit.

In the spirit of committing towards a hellaciously hilly mountainous 10k AND half marathon, I embarked on a new running route that I thought would provide me the hill training I needed.

Result: I nearly DIED and by mile 4, I was crawling with tears brimming in my eyes!!! Sure I smiled at passersby, but in my head I was whining strings of creatively colorful curse words so long that it would have made the Guinness World Records, paws down.

The good thing was that in the midst of negotiations with myself, I agreed to not quit only if I skipped Part 2 of the killer hill training I initially planned, mainly because the temperature was climbing (72 degrees) and it became more of a safety issue than anything else.

But I did finish 7 miles in 1:11:34 non-stop (except for the 5 second rests at each of the two stoplights) with a modest elevation gain of 1489 feet, shedding only a few tears and a fairly exhausted me. I reflected the trauma I endured as I walked crawled home, stripping down to my jogging bra and pants from the heat – in front of an old lady and church no less! By the time I reached my front yard, I was more relaxed and thoughts of “OMG What did I get myself into?” was further from the front of my mind.

I need yoga… NOW!

First of all, had I known how FUN and EXHILARATING tempo runs were, I would have incorporated it into my runs a long time ago.

My running program went like this today:

5 min warm up walk
10 min easy jog at heart rate zone 3 (70-80% max)

Repeat 5x:
15 sec run at 90%-95% effort
45 sec recovery (easy jog)

15 min easy jog at heart rate zone 3 (70-80% max)
5 min cool down walk

The crazy/amazing thing about today was that according to Garmin, I actually hit into the 6 minute mile area – HOLY CRAP!!! And the best part? I didn’t even run it at all-out! It wasn’t too long ago that I was freaking out about dipping into the 7’s but now 6’s??? At this rate, with a little extra elbow grease, qualifying for Boston could truly become a reality!

Although for hours afterwards the tempo run felt like nothing, as I sit typing at this very moment, my legs are starting to complain from soreness. I have an off day tomorrow and I welcome it!

Community, meet “Garmin” – my new BFF and running coach:

Yes the Forerunner 405 is manly looking, huge and kinda clunky (I need to write to Garmin about making one in pink with fuzz), but hopefully it will help me grow some hairs on my chest when it comes to running faster, longer, stronger. (* squeals) I’m also excited that I will no longer be calculating my pace and distance by hand, saving time that can now be used towards more useful things like surfing the web, playing with my cats, taking out the trash, and – oh yeah! – the dreaded holiday shopping.

Of course this also means that I have now no choice but to continue to run; otherwise HB will NEVER let me forget that he sprung all that $$$ only to let it join with other gadget friends in the corner that are so sadly but busily collecting dust (Very typical of me).

P.S. All I need now is a dog!!! (I love kitties but they are useless when it comes to my new favorite sport)