300 and 1.85 to grow on...

Have had three runs this week post-20. First was a quick three. Not so hot. Second was a 5 that started slow and got faster by the mile. Today was supposed to be four. But dang, it felt so great, I went five. Can't remember the last time I felt like tacking on an extra mile.

Weather today? 48 degrees. A bit of a drizzle. A slight breeze. I have put in a request with my friend who works at NOAA for the same weather May 6th in Cincinnati. I think the government must have some sort of top-secret weather-controlling deal in their arsenal, and she would have access to it. I'm sure she'll pull some strings. I could do without the drizzle, but it was an otherwise perfect day for a run.

I'm excited that I hit 300 miles for the year so far by finishing today's run. I'm on par for a 1,000 mile year if I can keep up about 87 miles/month for the rest of the year. Considering that last year I ran a total of 387 miles, this would be an outstanding feat.

Random thought for the day: You can never use too much Bodyglide. Ever.

Random thought number two: 23 school days left until summer vacation.

Not so random thought: 14 days until the marathon.

Ahhh, sweet, sweet taper...how I have earned ye...

20 miler number two. Check. 

 

I knew it was going to be tough. I was running on tired legs after having done three solid runs this week plus one walk around a fairly hilly zoo yesterday. And my schedule had me with a week in between twenties, but it didn't work out that way. I don't think I've ever run two twenties in a row. I don't think I really ever want to do that again. But today, I earned the taper.

I got about three miles into my run, and I realized that my shoes were not tied properly. They kept loosening to the point of annoying me, and I thought I wasn't going to put up with that nonsense for the rest of the run. So, I plunked down on the side of the road to re-lace. I was out on a road that has, I believe, one house in a two-mile stretch. The rest of it is farmland. I seldom get passed by a vehicle. Today, I did. While I was sitting on the side of the road. Tying my shoes. The driver kind of hit the brake lights, but then he kept on driving. I got up and started to run again (feeling much better about my shoes) when it started to drizzle. Just enough drizzle to keep me content but enough to make me concerned that more was to come. 

Five more minutes in, the man in the truck came back. He had driven past me, and he had gotten all the way into town when he had seen the rain coming, so he turned around to come back to see if I needed a ride. Seriously. A full five minutes after he had left me. Our town is small enough that in that five minutes, he probably had gotten all the way to his house and parked in the driveway before coming back for me. How amazing is that that he would come all the way back to check on me? (And I know. I need to be cautious out there. Believe me, I get myself into a strange headspace about running on such a remote road at times. But today, I just want to think that was pretty darn cool.)

Ten miles in, and I was running well enough. I was hitting my intervals for my run/walk, and I was on pace to be where I was last week on my 20 miler. Unfortunately, my legs felt like they had last week after fifteen miles. Crap. Honestly, I set out this morning knowing I was going to have to tough it out no matter what. I was just hoping the tough it part wouldn't come so soon. 

13 miles in, and I realized I was running low on water. Lucky ducky me, though, I run past the IGA in town. And I had $2.00 with me. I used $1.00 to buy some water from the vending machine out front. And with the other $1.00, I ran in the store and bought some of those peanut butter crackers that come in the little packet. The guy in front of me in line let me cut--I'm not sure if it was my small purchase or because he was trying to do everyone in there a favor and get my stinky butt out of there as fast as possible. But when I stepped up to pay, he asked me if I was running back to the next town. This surprised me a little, and I said that I was kind of headed that way. Turns out he's been a runner before (not running now), so he's seen me running around town. Small town strikes again. 

15 miles in, I called my husband to let him know that I was starting to hurt, but I was going to finish, so I didn't want him to worry about when I would be arriving at home. And the last five miles took a really, really, really long time. But I finished.

So when I hit the Flying Pig course, I would really like to feel like I did last week. I hope that taper will do that for me. If I feel like I did this week, it's going to be a long day. But I earned the taper. And an Anchor Steam. (My DH went out and bought me Bell's Oberon and Anchor Steam today...how lucky am I?)

The rules of long runs

We got back from our trip to Philadelphia, and I was scheduled to run 20. HA! I forgot the first rule of long runs--I don't go out to run them doing an "I might run..." with my distance. Oops. Loaded up the Camelback with water and strawberry banana gels--enough to run 20. But I set out with the mentality that I might not do 20, and I gave myself permission to turn around at any point, and guess how well that run went?

My legs were bricks. My lungs were not cooperating. My pace was turtle slow. I couldn't stop looking at my watch. Most importantly, my head wasn't in it. Damn. I was back home after 11 miles, and I was once again kicking myself and wondering what the hell I was even doing out there. I was thinking, "I have a marathon in 5 weeks, and I can't even comfortably cover 11 miles?"

Rule number 2 of long runs--remember that sometimes they suck, and sometimes they don't. I'm sure that there are plenty who disagree with me and would say that success on long runs isn't random. It's not entirely random. Clearly. There is nutrition. Rest. Previous mileage. Mentality. Even weather. But there is also this other thing, and I often know how a run is going to go within minutes of stepping out for my first mile. So, I headed out Saturday morning for my 20 miler, and it didn't suck. In fact, it went really well considering where I'm setting the bar right now.

Things that worked for me:
         I walked for about five minutes to warm up. My knee has been a little bit twitchy lately, and the little walking warm-up actually helped.
         I abandoned monitoring my mile pace. I'll do that on my shorter run days from here on out, but I have been beating myself up every single long run because I'm not remotely happy with how fast I'm running. Beating myself up isn't making me run any faster.
         I ran "easy" through mile 15. I actually did a route where the toughest miles were 8-14, so I focused on making those miles feel easy. Then, I ran consistently through the last miles.
         I took in a gel every 30 minutes. (I need to pack something else, though...I am so sick of strawberry banana power gels that I never want to see one again.)
         I finished feeling like I could do another mile. Since the marathon has 6.2 more, I was happy to feel like I wasn't dying at the end of this one.

I don't have a profound closing thought on this one. The run fell on an odd weekend. I was supposed to have run 20 last week, 12 this past weekend, then 20 again next weekend. Now I'm trying to figure out my schedule for the last weeks before the marathon. Too early to taper. So right now I'm thinking about doing another 20 next weekend, then 12, then 8, then marathon day. Alternately, I'm thinking about amping up my mileage during the week this week and running 16-18 on tired legs next weekend, then 12, then 8, then marathon. All opinions welcome.

Checking in from Philadelphia

Quick. And running-related.

I DID run 18 miles two weekends ago. It was tough. And boring. And not so very much fun. But I covered the 18 miles. (And I ran out of water...that was really tough, too.) But it didn't kill me. So that was good, too.

THEN, my daughter came up/down with pneumonia. It started on the Sunday night of my 18 miler. She couldn't lay down without vomiting from coughing. The week that followed was full of not working, lots of laundry, several runs to the doctor and pharmacy, and very little sleep. I'm a mom. It means I'm a slower runner than I used to be and that small people puke on me. I'm okay with that. But it was a tough, tough week.

THEN, my parents showed up to watch my daughter for the week while my husband and I flew off to Philadelphia so that I could present at a conference this week. That was tough, too. I packed my running shoes, but tomorrow will be the first day that I get on a treadmill. Running downtown Philly doesn't appeal to me--too many stoplights. But I'd love to get out to Fairmount park. It is amazing. I have put several miles on my legs with all the walking I've been doing, and I have been going to bed every night exhausted. But I've gotta run. Tomorrow. This weekend.

Like I said, I'm a mom now. Stuff gets in the way. Puke gets in the way. And I'm okay with that. (But it also means I better get more okay with a long, long, long, slow, slow, slow marathon.)

Yesterday's run was brought to me by the letter "R"

Running stroller + Ruby Grace + wind Resistance + Reality + REALLY warm

Yesterday was the start of a much-needed four-day weekend, and I took advantage of the free morning to pull the running stroller out of the closet and take the Rooster out for a run. A tough, tough run.

There was a lot going on. Roo is now 25 pounds big. Even though we bought a top-of-the-line running stroller, that's still a bit of weight to push. And there was a wind. I felt like I was trying to push a small horse down the road. A small, reluctant horse. The 70+ degree day was beautiful. It was the hottest I've been on a run in months. I was drenched by the halfway point. So grateful for my small, reluctant horse of a running stroller to carry my water bottle!

I intended to run somewhere between four and eight miles. Thunderstorms were threatening. I wasn't sure how Roo was going to do in the stroller for that length of time. And I was waiting for a call that was going to change my schedule for the day, so I felt like I couldn't commit to a specific distance.

All that being said...what a great, tough run! Roo is a champ in the running stroller. We talked for the whole run. She pointed out every bird, butterfly, and big tree along the way. Whenever I drank, she drank (never too early to instill an understanding of the importance of hydration). And she loved the ride so much that when we got home, she insisted on staying in the stroller for her morning snack.

I do not always gauge runs by the distance, and yesterday was all about gauging by effort required to finish the run. Despite only getting in five very slow miles, I felt like I had gotten in a very hard eight. More stroller runs to come, for sure.

18 miler coming up this weekend.

Running with the fishes

Today's thoughts:

1. 80 degree days are awesome. The bugs think so, too. I ate a few. The ones I ate probably don't think it's such an awesome deal.

2. I will never understand why cars refuse to give me an extra foot on the side of the country road that I live on. Seriously. You have a several ton vehicle. I am not challenging you. I am sure your manhood is adequately sized. Is there any other reason you can't just flick your wrist ever so slightly to the left to give me a little extra shoulder? C'mon, man.

3. Warm days bring people out of the woodwork, too. White, pasty people.

4. I was running so hobbly today that I probably could have been mistaken for one of those people who hibernated all winter, saw the first warm day, and made a break for freedom. I'm pretty sure I run these same roads enough that people have seen me out in all weather, but I was watching my shadow today and thinking I didn't look like a girl who has already done half of her total mileage from last year.

5. I saw a fish on the road today. At the 2-mile marker. It was dead. And in the road. About 30 inches of fish. If I had had my phone, I would have taken a picture. If you know anything about where I live (all farmland, no water), you know that fish had no business being there.

That's pretty much it for me so far this week.

17. Check.

For now, that's about all I have to say about that. I did it. Oh, and ouch.

Falling off the wagon and finding my way back to the saddle...on being discouraged

Ran last Sunday and totally bonked. Nothing else this week. Work. Only work. Monday through Thursday of this week, I came home every night from a long day and felt like I would barely make it to put my daughter to bed for the night. Could not get myself into that headspace where I needed to run no matter what. I felt like I was getting my ass kicked by Maslow's hierarchy of needs, and I was stuck at the bottom of the pyramid.

I can list the reasons...er, excuses...er, reasons. But I have not run this week. And I'm looking at a 17 mile long run this weekend. And I'm mentally in a strange place. I've never tried to pull off a marathon on this kind of training nonsense, so I'm in new territory. I feel like I can totally recover from this bad/blah week with a solid run this weekend, so I'm putting a lot of weight in that long run. What if I can't pull it together?

Here's the thing, I'm not a "What if?" kind of a gal. I played that game when I was at Ironman Wisconsin the first time around, and I pretty much put that to rest. With "What if?", just answer the question, and it's done. Ironman Wisconsin--What if I use up everything I have on the swim? What if my bike breaks down? What if the hills really are as bad as they look on the course profile? What if I forget my sunscreen? What if I get dehydrated and can't get caught up? What if I don't make the cutoff times? You name it, I asked it. And I answered every single one of them before I even got to Madison. Most of the answers were something along the lines of, "I would suck it up and move on."

So I'm surprised to find myself "What if"ing again this week. Time to turn it on...

What if? I'll gauge it. And try it again on Sunday.
What if? I'll plan walk breaks and take them.
What if? I'll do better with nutrition this week.
What if? If I don't get out first thing tomorrow morning, I'll wait until Sunday morning.

And I've got to be consistent in my other runs this week. I'm a lucky duck. Spring is just around the corner, and the changing of the clocks on Sunday promises longer daylight hours after work. Shut down the what-ifs, and get back in the saddle.

(not so) Long (very) Slow (not-so-much) Distance day

I listened to a story on NPR today about a guy who suffers from a malady that is a combination of narcolepsy and instant paralysis caused by feeling extreme emotion. You can listen to the story here.  Whenever he feels extreme joy or sadness, he goes into a stupor which apparently feels the way I often feel when I am between asleep and awake--aware of the world around me but unable to move or do anything about it. This guy wanted to go to his brother's wedding, so they propped him up against the wall for the entire event because he was unable to move. They took the wedding pictures around him.

My not so Long, very Slow, best-of-intentions-to-be-a Distance run today turned into a short jaunt out into the countryside. Looking for a connection to the above paragraph? About six miles in, my legs did not want to turn over. I went from running. To walking. To not even wanting to walk. I think I could have happily sat next to the road and watched the traffic pass despite the 30 mph winds and 40 degree temperatures. I felt a bit like I imagine that guy feels right before he really goes into one of his episodes.

Coincidence that I actually heard this guy's story while I was out running today? Perhaps. But really, I'm realizing that I just bonked out there today. It's been a while since I bonked. And especially a while since I bonked on such a short run. But when you let your reserves run low and then head out on a run without enough nutrition or water in your system, that's exactly what happens. Fixable. And not really all that miserable. Part of a bonk is accepting that it is what it is. Wish I could say that it was extreme joy that had pushed me to the point of feeling like I was ready to sleep next to the road. Instead, it was just poor planning.

Back in the saddle again for a hopefully LerSD next week Sunday. (17miler coming up!)

Runner's Calm at 3.12

I ran 4 miles on Thursday, but it took me exactly 3.12 miles to unwind. I know because I looked at my watch when I realized it had happened. I told a friend about it the next day and he said, "So, runner's high?" I said, "No, more like runner's calm."

I can't write extensively about the source of my stress here because the source of my stress actually has a name. I do think, though, that part of the reason I have been so stressed has been that I have not mentally relied enough on the things I know about the world because I am a runner:

1. Running doesn't always feel good. When a run goes south, as they say (although now that I live in the south, I'm wondering why we put up with that metaphor for things going poorly), you just keep running. One of two things will happen: you will start to feel better, or you will finish the run. Amen to either.

2. There is always a finish line. Even when there isn't a real finish line, there is always my mailbox. The run can't go on forever.

3. Other people might run with you, past you, or hang behind you. How much you let them impact your run is totally up to you. If you are doing a run that is central to your plan, you may need to cut loose the people who can't hang with you.

4. Recovery is essential, but it means giving the body a day or two off, even if the mind says to hit the pavement.

The stress sucks. It doesn't feel good. The finish line is on the calendar. And I have a clear picture of who is going to hang. So on to planning number four; time to talk with dear hubby about that summer vacation.

Any to add to the list?

A few great things...congestion being one of them.

Can you read that sign? "Slow Congested Area."
Our government dollars hard at work. I can confidently state that there was no congestion anywhere in the area...nor in the next four miles which looked incredibly similar (and had three more signs posting that it was a congested area.)

Had a great run out into the countryside this morning. Dropped 23 seconds per mile off last week's long run time and added a full mile onto the run.

Favorite moments from today's run:

Saw a baby cow that had just been born. Its momma was still trying to clean it up when I came by, and the baby was just taking its first steps. Nothing's sweeter than a wobbly calf.

About ten miles into the run, an old man pulled up next to me, rolled down his window and said, "I guess you are out for a walk?" (At the time, I was taking a one-minute walk break, so I didn't have to kick in his door.) Still, the fact that I was three miles from town on a country road was enough that he wanted to make sure all was okay. I told him that I was getting ready for a marathon. He repeated, "A marathon... so I guess you don't need a ride?" Very sweet. Unless you were the woman in the car behind him waiting for him to get going again. Then it was probably very annoying.

Five dog day. But still no dogs at the house that worries me most. That was a seven pig house, but they were all safely behind a fence. Phew.

I found a nickel.

I had the hubby take this pic at the end of the run...celebrating my first fifteen mile run in several years.




What was great about your latest run?