Worst timing ever... trucking along

On top of the hip troubles I mentioned last week, I spent the weekend (technically Thursday through Monday) with the worst case of flu I have had in the last five years. It was super adorable. Anyhow, with three Sundays to go until the BIG DAY, it's become abundantly clear that this race won't be what I would consider a successful one. We haven't run/walked more than 9 miles, and that was almost a month ago. I'm just not sure that I have the lung integrity and hip strength to accomplish 13.1 right now.

That said, we're still planning to attempt the race even if it means walking most of the way.

After October 7th, we'll start training for the next attempt (February 3, 2013, Irving, Texas: the Texas Half). In the week after the Tyler Rose Half, I'll write an analysis of what we can do better to train for Irving.

Half-marathon distance, I *will* own you.

Temporarily waylaid

Here's a quick and dirty update, since the blog has been kind of quiet.

August 25th, we had an 11.5 mile run planned. It was pretty disastrous, with major blood sugar problems, GI crises, hip pain, and gear issues. Also, the lingering after effects of my spring bout with bronchitis were present today; I struggled to breathe even with my inhaler. I couldn't get my blood sugar balance to a good point. I don't think I prepared nutritionally for the run very well (loooots of church casserole), so I'm going to have to try some different strategies for our next long run. I'm really at a loss for what kinds of food will properly fuel me on long treks.  So, the short description of this run is that it really really sucked.

We ran about 4.5 miles at a pretty slow pace, and then stopped in at the gas station on Loop and Paluxy. My tummy wouldn't cooperate at said gas station, so we started up again but had to stop shortly thereafter. We walked down to the Dairy Queen in the French Quarter parking lot where my tummy WOULD cooperate (in a very urgent way).

About 7.25 miles in, after 4/4.5 running and a couple miles of walking), Matt encouraged me to start up again. It was a pretty pitiful pace, but we did make it almost 2 more miles this way. Although it was miserable, I drew deep on my mental and physical reserves. I think it was a valuable experience. By the end of the run, my hips were screaming. I hadn't been paying much attention to my form while I was hobbling along, and I think I threw something out of whack. The issue is on the outside of my left hip, and it seems to be some kind of inflamed bursa or ITB issue. I experienced a lot of looseness in my hip, if that makes sense, where it kept trying to pop out of the joint while I was walking around during the following week.

I rested and did some light rehab (stretching, core strengthening, icing) for the next 10 days.

On Wednesday the 5th, I attempted to run around the indoor track on my lunch break at UT Tyler.  It started out okay and I kept up a decent pace (for me). However, about 3/4 miles in my hip starting seriously cramping up. I made myself finish the mile, just in case the discomfort subsided. It did not. It got worse. So, I stopped at 1 mile (10:30min pace) and grumbled back to the office.

This last Saturday, the 8th, Matt and I went for a real easy run along our normal 30 minute course. We made it about 2.01 miles in 23 minutes. My hip started cramping up about 1.5 miles in, but I was able to walk it out for a block or so. About 2 miles in, I had to walk again because the cramping/soreness had increased significantly. There was no coming back from this walk break; I was limping and grimacing the whole way home. And now I remember that I forgot to ice it afterwards.

That's where I am today. We'll probably try to run the easy 30 minute course today and hopefully the weather will stay nice. Last Saturday's run was supposed to be 12.5 miles, but we ran approximately 2. I'm not sure what is going to happen to our training plan, or the half-marathon itself.

We are registered for the Tyler Half, and on the suggestion of a fellow Daily Miler I signed us up for the Mellew Four Seasons Challenge. So, even if this first half marathon is a big ol' disappointment (which I reckon it will be), we'll have three more to train for this year. I'll be trying out some new strategies then.

For anyone reading this week, thank you. For anyone who takes the time to ask me, "How's that running thing going?", thank you. For everyone who commiserates with my misery and mishaps, thank you. I appreciate your encouragement more than you know. I'm grateful to be a part of this running community, even if my contributions are pretty pitiful.

Onward and upward, folks.

Looking down the barrel of 11 miles

First, a quick recap of the last few runs:

Saturday, according to the training program, we attempted a 4 mile run. We ended up running a little over 3, as a complication of joint inflammation, lung issues, and the addition of my new CamelBak (which we had to repeatedly refit). Pace was about 12:10, much much lower than either Matt or I would have predicted.

Monday, we tucked in a 30 minute run where we covered about 2.6 miles at a pace of 11:32 (the fastest we've run in about two weeks). My lungs had gotten so bad by Monday evening that I had to use my bronchitis inhaler before we left; I'm really really glad I did. My breathing was still extremely ragged and halting even AFTER using the inhaler. The biggest issue I had was with tightness in my hips; it wasn't so much pain as fatigue and diminished range of motion, but it was still very upsetting. I also had some issues with my right shin at the very beginning, although they subsided after about 10 minutes. I'm still concerned about the shin issues, namely that I might develop a stress fracture if I'm not careful. All those concerns aside, I was glad just to finish this one.

For Wednesday's run, we're hoping to take advantage of this week's cooler weather and run around a bit on the UT Tyler trails. Saturday's run will be a goal distance of 11 miles, so it would be great to get a break from the roads for a bit.

Just a reminder to myself and my cutie husband: we've got to sign up for the race!

"At least I don't have to run in Victorian garb"

Yesterday's run was a bit of a trial. It was 98 on the heat index when we left the house (at 9:00 pm, mind you), and I've been feeling like I'm coming down with some kind of respiratory thing for a few days. Also, because of the weather or hormones or something, my joints have been hurting a LOT lately. The big culprits are in my hands, feet, right knee, left hip, and right shoulder.

I got pretty discouraged and said something like, "Matt, I just don't think I'll ever reach a time in my life when working out is not painful and emotionally draining. I mean, sometimes there are other rewards but I'll just never be one of those people who loves to exercise for the sake of exercising." And, you know, he responded in the most honest way he could with something like, "Yep. You're probably right. But it's like work: you've got to do it".

The self-pity continued for a while. I was feeling really bummed and the threat of angry tears was rising with every step. Around the half way mark, I came to a sort of emotional crisis point, where I needed to turn my thoughts around or risk quitting right there.

So, as a mental/motivational exercise, I started listing off things I should be grateful for in the course of this lame unsatisfying run. Here is part of that list, with links and pictures.

• At least I live in a time where I am ALLOWED to run this distance I'm training for. (Katherine Switzer in 1967 Boston Marathon)
  
  
• And my doctor won't try to tell me that my uterus will fall out, that I'll grow a mustache, or that I'll age prematurely.
• I live in a country where it is not illegal for me, as a woman, to exercise.
•  I live in a neighborhood and country where I don't have to literally dodge bullets during practice runs.
• I don't have to run against Olympic athletes while fasting.
• I don't have to run in Victorian garb.
  
• Or in a hijab (I respect women who do so as a decision of personal faith and piety; I am extremely heat sensitive and would feel especially miserable).
  
• I don't have to run home from the market with groceries on my head.
  
• Or run with a baby.
  
• Or run from a bear.
  
• I still have both legs, and I don't have to learn to run again after losing them.
  
• My husband is not a super athletic jerk.
  
  
  
• I don't have to deal with atrocious air pollution. 
• I don't have to run on tundra or through deserts. 
• I don't have to worry about landmines, or morality police. 
• I don't have some kind of disorder which makes my bones fragile like glass, or prevents me from feeling when I'm injured. 
• I don't have to run from militants or risk being raped or maimed when I go on practice runs. 
• I don't have to worry about being mistaken for a robber and shot in gentrified neighborhoods.
• I don't have to run to entertain my corporate overlords.

So, that's part of my list. What are you grateful for? All reasons are acceptable, from the most mundane to the most ridiculous.

Wish list funds

With the run from Saturday in the books, we bumped the thermometer up to $120. After the run, I purchased a $65 CamelBak which knocks the total down to $55.

The new thermometer is here:

9(ish) mile run and the adventures of Stick and Box

Saturday's run was a new "longest ever". Our goal was 9.5 miles. In the 132 minutes allotted, we covered 8.78 miles. This was an increase of about 2.25 miles over our last "longest ever run".

We actually experimented with Jeff Galloway's proposed run/walk ratios this run (he recommends a pace of 3 min run, 1 min walk where we had been doing 10:3 or 8:5). I really liked it, because I felt like my legs held out a lot longer. Matt didn't enjoy it as much, because the constant time checking prevented him from "zoning out". We basically broke it up into 32 rounds of 3:1, with an extra 1 minute walk break after 8 rounds.

Our overall pace was about 15 minutes per mile. I don't want to get hung up on time, though. The distance itself was a victory. Temps were 86 with a heat index of 90, humidity of 57%. That's pretty ridiculous for 9:00pm.

During the run, I had some moderate hip discomfort in my left hip. I took periodic breaks to stretch out my ITB and pop the tendons back into place, which seemed to help. Surprisingly, I had no problems with my right shin; so, the periodic ache I'm having there is probably not a stress fracture. When we got home, I went through my normal routine of static stretching followed by a cool shower. I then decided on a whim to take an impromptu ice bath. We didn't have much ice, so it was pretty weak. I can understand the appeal though.

For fuel/hydration, we brought a good ol' 12 oz gatorade and a package of Clif Shot Bloks (they're like giant square gummies). The Clif Bloks worked great. They're really easy to eat while running, they don't leave a horrible aftertaste, and I definitely felt the effects. No glycogen issues on this run. We scheduled a Shot Blok approximately every 45 minutes (one at 12th round, and one at 24th). I may experiment with some other gooey fuel in the future, but I thought these worked awesome.

I ended up buying this CamelBak Aurora Hydration Pack (70 fl oz), which is different than the one on my wishlist. The one I bought is $65, compared to $50, but it has more pockets, more colors, and a greater water capacity (which I hope will make it more useful if I ever decide to transition to even longer distances). I don't know when it will arrive, but hopefully soon.

Also, the adventures of Stick and Box.... while we were running down Old Jacksonville Hwy during the first leg of the run, we came across a big cardboard box with a long gnarly stick leaning against it. We decided that Stick and Box were the main characters in a buddy comedy. Box is the staid, reserved, slightly overweight pencil pusher (to be played by Nick Offerman) while Stick is the spontaneous, fun-loving new guy who likes to shake things up (to be played by Seth Green). We decided that their love interest (which threatens to tear them apart) is Puddles, a refreshing but unreliable woman played by Maggie Gyllenhaal. We made them a theme song (although we didn't really get past "Stick and Box, Stick and Box, one is a stick, and the other's a box"). This took up a large chunk of our run.

Week 9 of the training plan

First, to report on Saturday's run... we did a 3 mile Azalea District run with time goals. Our original intent was to run negative splits of 12:00, 11:30, and 11:00. That might have been a little ambitious for the temperature and humidity (heat index in the high 90s, humidity about 60%). We ended up hitting 12:25, 12:05, 12:10 which still makes for great consistency for splits on a continuous run.

Technically, this was the longest continuous run we've done together in possibly years (although it only exceeds previous continuous runs by about 1/4 mile). I grumbled a bit, but we made it through. I didn't have any complaints with my hips, ankles, or tummy. I had a bit of tenderness in my right shin, which required some icing.

That run puts another week in the books, so a notch on the thermometer.

Monday's run was actually really rewarding. In 30 minutes, we covered about 2.55 miles for a pace of 11:34. With temps/heat index of 85/89 and humidity of 60%, I was pretty happy with that. Again, no major physical complaints with the exception of my right shin.

For the rest of this week, we've got:

Wednesday - 30 min run (we'll either do a generic jog or hill work)
Saturday - 9.5 mile run (a new "longer than ever)

In the meantime, here's a neat article on "structural v. metabolic changes" and injury. Basically, the thesis is that new runners often find themselves in a position where their aerobic conditioning far exceeds the conditioning of their muscles and joints. If they push themselves past their physical conditioning, they are vulnerable to injury.
http://runnersconnect.net/running-injury-prevention/why-runners-get-hurt/

Also, I am totally IN LOVE with this Anytime Black Forest Blizzard recipe from September's issue of Runner's World. Any combination of cherries and chocolate will win me over.

Catching up, and a new record

I've been pretty silent on here for a few weeks, but rest assured that we haven't given up. I got a bit bogged down by the blogging process.

Here's what you've missed, in the meantime:

• Wednesday, July 18 run - a 30 minute run that got cut short due to hip pain; kept up a decent pace though.
• Vacation in Miami - in which we endeavored to run, but failed (Saturday July 21, Monday July 23, and post-vacation recovery on Wednesday July 25)
• Saturday, July 28 run - 8 mile target, just under 6.5 run (making this the new longest run ever). Run/walk of 10min/3min was adjusted to 8min/5min to deal with hip pain, headache, and tummy ache. Ended up stopping 5 minutes earlier than planned because I completely depleted my glycogen stores and just couldn't run any farther. It was a surreal experience which taught me that: 
• a) I need to have a plan for fueling on runs longer than 1 hour
• b) I am infinitely tougher than I used to be; seriously, this was the most out-of-body miserable experience I have ever put myself through
• c) My husband makes an incredible long-distance runner; he isn't affected by this stuff at all
• d) Old Jacksonville Hwy inside the loop has great sidewalks
• e) It's time to buy that CamelBak
• f) I still hate the heat, and probably always will, but it doesn't have to keep me from running
• Tuesday, July 31 run - a 30 minute run fraught with whining and puttering and grunting. I learned that:
• a) Some runs are just really hard for no reason.
• b) My attitude problems aren't gone, but they are getting better (and Matt allows me enough grace to make up for it)
• c) I need to be mindful of my tendency to fall into a slow-pace rut
• d) Accordingly, it's time to kick it up a notch
• e) I still let my emotional environment dictate my physical output
• f) Sometimes my feelings are wrong.

With the Saturday run, we wrapped up what I consider another week towards our bribe-thermometer (lost a week while in Miami).

It's been really tough here lately. I know lots of people experience seasons of discouragement in their training, so I'm not alone. I've been struggling physically and mentally for the last few runs. What have you done to get through periods like this?

It won't always be easy

Today's run was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo lame. Yes. That many Os.

The good:Overall speed was acceptable (11:24 pace overall). We finished. I did not puke or anything else. I got out and ran even though I seriously didn't want to or feel like it.

The bad:
So much burping. Eww. My initial pace was a slow, pitiful crawl. Everything hurt and my legs felt like lead. I repeatedly wanted to quit and/or curl up in a ball and cry. Also, it felt really really hot (it was not that hot, maybe like 90F). Humidity was about 60%.

The ugly:
About 10 minutes in as we were getting ready to start the first speed interval, I accidentally yelled at Matt. I didn't feel angry at him before or after it happened, so we were both taken by surprise. It was basically one of those instances where I had to repeat myself because Matt couldn't hear me, and I let my tone get out of control.

With that run and all its emotional baggage behind me, I want to step back and evaluate some stuff.
Somehow, miraculously, this crazy plan is working. I've never done anything like this in my life. It is hard and unnatural. But folks, I just ran 5 3/4 miles on Saturday. I. Did. That. It's unbelievable.
It's been over a three and a half years since the first time I ran a mile. I've done a lot of things wrong from that day until now. Even my incredibly sweet, encouraging, inhumanely optimistic husband had doubts when we started this training plan. But it's working. I am experiencing little to no joint pain/inflammation on my runs and I have avoided injuring myself in a major way (so far).

So, let's take a look at what I'm doing differently THIS TIME.

New Sam	Old Sam
Has a set routine*	Did whatever, whenever.
Tailors strength training for running**	See above.
Has a running plan	See above.
Has a support system (that’s you folks & Matt)	Ran solo.
Varies running environments	Ran on a treadmill. Every time.
Has a concrete goal	Dreamed about stuff and things.
Listens to her body and rests when necessary	Rigidly adhered to unrealistic benchmarks.

^aka "got injured a lot"

*Routine:
5 minutes (minimum) of walking and dynamic stretches before every run
5 minutes (minimum) cool down walk and static stretches after every run
Cool shower post-stretch
Chocolate milk post-run recovery drink
Ice as necessary

**Strength training:
Exercises include things like planks, side planks, side squats, one leg chair squats, lunges, four part crunches, the sun salutation routine, regular squats, chair dips, pilates push-ups, calf lifts, resistance band leg lifts (side, front, back). I also stretch my hips, plantar fascia, and hamstrings regularly during the day when I remember/make myself do it.

What are your secrets to success?

Something clever, and a new record

To wrap up last week's runs:

We had this speedy-q run on Friday (Wednesday and Thursday got delayed due to some kind of illness that manifested on Monday). It was a 30 minute run in which we covered just over 3 miles (9:58 pace, awesome awesome). It's pretty evident that occasional intervals of speedwork help me keep a good pace throughout the entire run. Sometimes, my legs just need a wake-up reminder. This was probably the best paced run we have ever had.

On Saturday, we ran a new record distance of 5.71 miles. The training plan target was 6.5. We ran for 75 minutes (a 15 minute increase from our last record long run). Mentally, I was in a much better place this time.  I also got through the whole run without ANY join pain (some mild fatigue in the left hip) and only minimal tummy cramping. One note, though: do NOT run south on Robertson Ave past 5th street. It is extremely dark, there are no sidewalks, and it has a surprising amount of oncoming traffic. Old Jacksonville Hwy, however, has some great sidewalks - really wide and flat. It was sooooo nice to get away from hills for a while.


And another week in the books means another notch on the thermometer:

I think it's about time to cross something of the Wish List. First down will probably be the Camelbak Annadel Hydration Pack from REI. As our long runs get longer, a small gatorade bottle isn't going to cut it anymore. Also, I'd really like to have a pocket for holding keys/phone/etc. Especially the phone. As we venture further and further from the house (or anyone's house), I'm getting a bit squeamish about not having one on me.

Monday's run, another adventure

For this run, I don't have much to say beyond what I wrote on my Dailymile account:

"Well, we made it at really great pace (10:42)... but just before the 2 mile pace, we got caught in a HUGE lightning storm. We got totally soaked, and had to stumble home early. I could not see anything because of the rain on my glasses. Matt had to hold on to my arm to get me home (I ended up taking off my glasses because I could see better without them. I have 20/200 vision)

To make matters worse, running up College St I became suddenly aware of impending intestinal DOOM coupled with sudden weakness. Second run in a row this happened. Got home, dealt with crisis, took a shower, passed out. Experienced lots of sickness/issues the next day. Apparently, I got a bug from my husband. Still dealing with it, and probably have to delay today's run.

But, at least we had a good pace and no real joint issues! (Just a little nagging in my hip)"

So, there's that. Also, the temperature was in the low 80s so it was really nice. That humidity is something else, though. It feels like breathing pea soup. We did some mild speedwork until the Impending Intestinal Doom hit, at which point I abruptly stopped running.

This week's training plan:
Monday - 30 minute run  24 minute run
Wednesday - 30 minute run 36 minute run (to make up for Monday's lost time)
Saturday - 6.5 miles (Plan to run/walk 85 ish minutes, approximately 6.5 miles worth of 13:00 pace. Run 10 minutes, walk 3 minutes)

Two runs, one day (have we gone mad?)

Today, I experienced two "firsts" in my running journey...

1. We ran twice today, after our second run of the week was repeatedly delayed.
2. I had my first experience with Impending Intestinal Doom.

Our two runs were nothing spectacular, but we got them in.

The first was a 30 minute run around 10:30 am at Rose Rudman, in 95 degrees with a heat index of 104 (it was SUPPOSED to be 85 degrees... thanks weather forecast). It was really hot and humid, like breathing pea soup. We tried to keep track of the distance, but somehow got on the wrong trail or something. Still haven't figured that out. We estimated the pace about 13:30, since that's our usual M.O. for hot runs. One good thing I noticed is that my mental game is getting a lot better. I normally request time updates every ten minutes. This time, I was able to hold out well past that. Matt let me know when we looped back around to where we started

The second was a 30 minute run around 9:30 pm in the Azalea District. We covered 2.37 miles, with an average pace of around 12:30. The best part of this run is that the splits were within 10 seconds of each other; this is even more impressive if you've ever run north on S. Chilton street, which is basically a series of giant neverending hills. Seriously.

We lost a lot of time after the first hill when I had some issues trying to get a drink of gatorade (basically stumbled all over the place trying to drink it, then choked on it). We also lost a bit of time around the 2 mile mark when I had an "OH CRAP" moment... and I mean that in the worst way. Fortunately, I was only a few blocks from my mom's house so I knew I could stop there if I had an emergency. Even more fortunately, I did not have an emergency. :) I think the culprit may have been the cabbage/bacon/feta rolls I made earlier today. I picked up the pace significantly for the last .37 miles, which saved our pace a little.

On the injury front, my hips seem to be doing well-ish. They feel generally sore like I've been working them, but not painful or too weak. My shin started bothering me again after the first run, which has me a little worried about the possibility of a stress fracture. I was able to run on it without any pain during the second run, but I iced the snot out of it anyway.

So with that, we've wrapped up another week... happy days! I'll update the thermometer soon, but Blogger seems to be having issues with HTML right now. For a manual update, this makes the 8th week of completed training (9 total, one was a hiatus week), so I've "raised" $80 for myself! :)

Checking in, nothing crazy

Well, our running schedule is still a bit wonky from last week.

This week's schedule is:

Monday Tuesday: 30 minutes
Wednesday Friday: 30 minutes
Saturday: 2.5 miles

We did get in a really good, solid 30 minute run on Tuesday (temperature was like 80 degrees, phenomenal). We kept up a pace of about 10:50, with a great attitude throughout. After 10 minutes of warm-up, we alternated between Matt's pace (1:00 minute, a bit speedier) and my pace (3:00 minutes, slow and steady). With each round, Matt got slightly faster, culminating in a really good clip on the last fast stretch.

I'm really looking forward to the 2.5 mile run this coming Saturday. Last weekend's long run was a 5 mile (ish).

The training plan I'm on has periodic tapers to prevent injury and allow my joints to rest. I also think there's a psychological benefit to it.

In any case, we're supposed to run 30 minutes tonight. It's pretty warm again, so we'll probably wait until after 8:00. Hopefully, I'll have good results to share.

Oh yeah! Almost forgot... I keep meaning to talk about the new running clothes I got. After picking up a technical tee from the East Texas Striders, I was converted. Up until that day, I'd been running in whatever clothes I had lying around (mostly cotton t-shirts, thick cotton workout capris, etc). HUGE mistake.

So, I've picked up another technical shirt (BCG from Academy), some basketball style shorts, some "compression" pants (maybe a bit too cheap to be really effective). I love them so much. I also bought a breathable hat, so I can keep the sun of my face/scalp without smothering.

UPDATE:
Uggggh... we just stepped out for our 2nd run of the week and found a GIANT LIGHTNING STORM waiting for us. It's converging from the east. I feel really upset. Should've checked the weather (I really should get in the habit of that anyway), because then I would've known to leave earlier. This is our normal time during the week (about 9:00pm).

Our gym closes at 5:00pm on Fridays, so we don't have an alternative planned. I feel really really wound up and antsy now.

The current plan is to run twice tomorrow (wahhhh), once in the morning and once in the evening. Sigh.

New Milestone: Longest Run Ever

As of last night, I've set a new personal record for myself: longest distance/time ever run. Technically, it was more of a run/walk but I'll take it.

The previous "record", set just over two years ago, was about 45 minutes long. It was a memorable run because I pulled my infamous hip flexor muscle (the injury that has defined my running failures ever since). I followed up that injury (which immediately left me limping) by running a 5k that weekend and walking around San Antonio for three days the next week. Note to reader: don't do that. I could hardly walk at the end, and the muscle STILL plagues me today.

Last night's run, however, went significantly better. We ran/walked for over 60 minutes (not including warm up and cool down), at an average per mile pace of about 13:00. I tapped previously unknown resources to finish the last mile. My hip was definitely nagging me, but not painful. I stretched extensively post run and took a cool shower. Today, I'm trying to stretch it lots and give it a bit of a rest.

We covered, in total, about 4.6 miles. The splits, as far as I can figure, looked like this:

• Mile 1: (just under) 10:00min/mi.
• Mile 2: 12:30min/mi
• Mile 3: 14:50min/mi (lots and lots of hills here)
• Miles 4/5: average of 11:20

So, that's pretty spectacular. We definitely went out a little fast, which probably set us up for the big lull at Mile 3. I'm proud of our strong finish, however. I'm even MORE proud that I can walk today.

(The run itself got delayed from Saturday to Sunday because I spent all Saturday on my feet working at an antique blacksmith forge... needless to say, I was SUPER BEAT and had no interested in running 5 miles in that condition)

This puts another week in the books, which means we've raised the thermometer again:

Small victory and a good solid run

Well, I survived the dreaded belt test I mentioned in my last post. The main thing I learned is that I really do need to work on high-intensity aerobic conditioning. The running I have been doing does not help much in short (2 minute) high intensity sparring matches. Obviously it's better than doing no cardio/aerobic workouts, but I was definitely huffing a bit. For my rank, I had to spar two people in a row for about 1:30-2:00 minutes each. Doesn't sound like much, but it'll wear you out quick.

Anyway, Matt and I skipped out on celebratory ice cream to fit in the run we missed on Wednesday. We ran a 30 minute circuit near our house. Pace was about 11:57. If I look at my times for the last 5 30 minute runs (11:57, 12:49, 13:12, 10:49, 12:36) my average pace is 12:27. So, I feel like I can consistently run right around 12:30. It's a comfortable pace for me right now, but I don't want to get complacent and stay stuck there.

My goal for the Half Marathon is just to finish. For my running in general, I want to build a steady base and move towards a slightly quicker speed. My body feels most fluid (and least painful) at a pace between 9:30 and 10:30. Right now, my body isn't conditioned to run that pace for long... but I'll get there.

Aside from pace, Thursday's run went really well. I jabbered on non-stop for the first 13-14 minutes, mostly as a result of the lasting adrenaline from my belt test. I did try to push the pace a bit but I could probably do better. I wish we had been more intentional with our interval work, but I can always improve that next week.

The temperature was right at 90F (didn't see the heat index), so we're making really good training progress in the heat. If I'm lucky, October will be nice and cool! The average temperature for October 7, the day of the race, historically falls between 60F and 80F.  Because this is Texas, however, the temperature could be anywhere between 50F and 90F.

I experienced little to no pain during the run, which is incredible; just after 20 minutes, I had a recurrence of the side pain that has been plaguing me this week, but it was much milder than Tuesday and it passed very quickly. I'm really happy with my posture and attitude. My breathing returned to a normal level in less than 3 blocks from the end of our run. That's especially awesome to me, and a sign that I've made a lot of progress.

Saturday's run will be a 5-mile, eek! In the meantime, I'm reading through Gordon Piries' "Running Fast and Injury Free". You can find it for free online here.

Tuesday run

Well, this has been a heck of a week. Monday's run got pushed to Tuesday, Wednesday's run got pushed to (hopefully) Thursday, and Saturday's run will follow 8 hours on my feet in front of a forge.

The plan for this week is basically:

Monday 30 min run
Wednesday 30 min run
Friday easy walk
Saturday 5 mile run

I've got a belt test on Thursday that has my head all out in left field. I keep having these nightmare scenarios where I strain my ankle running and can't test... or break my leg sparring and can't run... or any number of ridiculous scenarios.

Sigh. Ugh. Sigh. Anyway, the running's got to be done. This is week 8 of the blog (can you believe it?) with 16 weeks of training left. I feel like I'm at a crucial point in my mental training (and physical conditioning). I'm definitely getting into the habit of running even when I don't want to. This week has been more challenging than most, because I've had a lot of excuses at hand. My body feels fine, but my mental resolve is lagging.

Anyway, Tuesday's run went okay. I feel like it was a solid 30 minutes, although I wasn't thrilled about the pace. We ran after 9:00pm, and it was STILL 93F with a heat index of 99. Crazy.

I had a really rough time about 14 minutes in with a flare-up of abdominal pain (i.e. ovarian pain). It's a thing that comes up cyclically. Some months it is worse than others, and some months it doesn't appear at all. This was one of the first obstacles I encountered when I tried to start running a few years ago. I have no idea what it is, although I had a ton of tests done. On Tuesday night, I just kind of ran through it. I tried slowing down, which made it hurt worse. It subsided somewhat after I gulped some gatorade and sped up a little, paying special attention to my breathing.

Mostly, my joints were fine. The shin pain I was worried about really didn't give me any trouble, although I iced it post run just in case. My hip flexor was a little naggy, but not painful. Attitude was mostly really good (Matt complimented me on keeping my cool).

That's the sum of it for now. La ti da.

Saturday run (East Texas Striders)

Saturday's run was a 3-miler following the half-marathon clinic hosted by the East Texas Striders (a local running club). We split into groups based on pace, and a few veteran runners were gracious enough to hang back with slow little me. I failed to account for the heat/humidity (it was already in the 90s by the time we started running), so I ended up taking a walk break at about 1 mile. We also missed a turn, which added an extra quarter mile to our run (all up hill, if you ask me).

Overall, it was a pretty decent run. The course they had mapped out was pretty flat, unlike the part of town we normally run in. The only downside is that we spent 3/4 of the run in direct sunlight.  We covered about 3.25 miles in just over 40 minutes, which is slightly better than my Race for the Cure 5k time. I'm pretty encouraged to see that I can run the same pace today in 90°+ heat that I ran 5 weeks ago at 65°.

I also got to experience the novelty of new running partners, since Matt decided he was going to sleep in. Everyone was super encouraging and helpful. A lot of them commiserated with me when I told them I was training for my first half. They were all genuinely welcoming and excited for me; I was also encouraged to learn that this process is hard for EVERYONE. If you ever get a chance to run with these folks, I strongly encourage it. They are just too cool.

The best part of the run by far was all the advice I soaked up from the other runners. Here's some that stuck with me.... the underlined ones are my favorites.

Veteran runners' advice for your first half/marathon:

• Train with a plan.
• Listen to your body (repeated ad infinitum). 
• Build up gradually (the 10% rule).
• Run with other people.
• The weekly mileage on your training plan is a MAXIMUM.
• For long runs and races, set a pace for yourself and whatever you do, don't go any faster.
• Adjust your pace for heat, hills, and humidity.
• Take the heat seriously and HYDRATE smartly (in Texas, that means getting glucose and salt in addition to liquid). 
• The first half is all about restraint. If you push yourself too hard in the first half, you'll pay for it in the second.

In other good news, I've completed another week of training which means another notch on the Wish List thermometer!

East Texas Striders' Half-Marathon Clinic

This past Saturday, I met with the local runner's club for an awesome half-marathon training clinic in the parking lot of Racquet and Jog. I am now a member of the East Texas Striders! More on that later...

THE CLINIC

By the time we got rolling at 7:30 a.m., it was about 80F (it was approaching 90F by the time we started running). We had a nice little canopy set up which helped a bit.

The first speaker was Dr. Cathy Fieisler (M.D.), a sports medicine physician and local ultra-marathoner. In addition to running her practice and serving as a senior writer for Running Times magazine, she's helped out with some major athletic events including (most recently) the Olympic trials in Houston. Dr. Fieisler had a great attitude and lots of helpful advice about injury prevention. It was really neat to hear from someone who had personal experience as a runner.

The biggest take away for me (aside from the usual advice about building your base and increasing your mileage very gradually) was her emphasis on single-leg strengthening exercises. She made the argument that when we run we never have both legs on the ground... so why do so many of us stick to exercises that work both legs (like squats)? She showed us some great stretches and talked about ways to incorporate single leg workouts in our daily routine.

The next guest speaker was Dr. David Flynn (D.C.), a local chiropractor and athlete who serves as a medical adviser for various marathons and triathlons across Texas. He shared some great advice  on the topic of running nutrition.

Some of the things I remember off the top of my head: sodium/potassium deficiencies are usually the cause of cramps during a workout, while calcium/magnesium deficiencies tend to be the root of cramps when you're at rest. Runners are more prone to upper respiratory infections because the act of running, especially over long distances, suppresses our lung's immune response so that we can breath better (and you can work around this problem by consuming foods rich in zinc, vitamins A, C, D, and selenium). Finally, for the best glutamine absorption, try mixing the supplement in some orange juice for an immediate post-run drink.

The last speaker was another runner (the assistant manager at Racquet and Jog) who stepped in as the resident shoe expert. He gave us a basic guide to the shoes sold at Racquet and Jog, along with a succinct discussion of what makes a good running shoe and how to pick the best shoe for your foot/goal. He talked about some of the dangers of minimalist shoes, what kind of lifetime you can expect from your shoes, and how he makes decisions about his own. We got a coupon for 10% off our next shoe purchase at R&J, which is pretty cool because (frankly) they're too expensive to be my first choice.

(Read about our post-clinic run)

Tyler Azalea 10k

I don't want to get ahead of myself, but the Tyler Azalea 10k could be a neat event to look forward to after the Tyler Half. I find that I do MUCH better with my running when I'm training for a race. With the 10k in March, I could take advantage of the winter training to work on getting mas rapida (that's "faster" for you monolingual runners out there)!

Other races in our area after the Tyler Half:

The Texas Half - Irving, Tx February 13, 2013
North Texas Warrior Dash - Location and date not yet posted, but we've got to get back in the swing of things after missing the 2012 race, which would have been our third year in a row as a couple. Stupid bronchitis.

Not quite in our area, but still under consideration:

Run For Your Lives Zombie 5k - Austin, Texas. December 15, 2012 (We've talked about signing up as zombies, which drops the price from $75+ per participant to $25. You can still run in a later wave if you choose, but you won't be eligible for prizes. On the plus side, it's a professional zombie make-up job. Sweet! Matt's less than enthused about the December date).

Texas Spartan Sprint - Burnet, Tx, May 18/19, 2013. Distnace is around 4 miles with 10+ obstacles.

Tuesday/Wednesday runs and a shiny new look

TUESDAY RUN
We ran one mile barefoot in karate class (upper belts have strict running requirements, so we start early). I must have landed too far forward on my toes, because I finished class with super sore calves. I'm definitely adding a foam roller to my Wish List, because this is not an isolated incident. Normally I really enjoy barefoot running and manage to avoid any injuries. It's likely I just didn't stretch well enough.

TECHNICAL UPDATE
You may have noticed that I've changed some things around lately, including the layout, color scheme, and domain name. I just recently fixed the internal hyperlinks (from one blogpost to another), so I'm sorry if anyone had problems with that. I hope you enjoy the new look.

WEDNESDAY RUN
We ran for 30 minutes in the Azalea District on Wednesday. I forgot where we stopped exactly, so I put down last street I remembered. I believe we might have run farther, although it doesn't really matter. The course we made up was basically one giant hill after another.

We almost skipped the run entirely. My calves were so sore from Tuesday's 1 mile barefoot run that I didn't know if they'd cooperate for my scheduled run. On top of that, Wednesday was one of the top three worst work days ever (the top two belong to the Tyler branch of Home Depot, but that's a story for another time). After a long conversation with my husband (and a nap), I still hadn't managed to shake it.

The good that came out of all this, however, is that I managed to channel all my frustration, disappointment, and hurt feelings into motivation to get out the door. I knew the run would make me feel better even if my calves yipped a little... and I was right. The fact that I made this decision so easily shows me that I've experienced a major attitude realignment. Exercise to feel better? Who DOES that? Apparently, I do.

About half way through the run, Matt pointed out another change. I have never been one to run through pain or discomfort, but here I was running through the pain in my calves (note: it's "sore" pain, not "injury" pain. I'm very conscious of giving potential injuries a chance to rest).

I managed to keep up a pretty good attitude throughout the run, although I got a little less-than-perky after Matt volunteered to demonstrate proper "fartlek" technique while we were climbing a long evil hill... I'll leave the implications up to your imagination. Needless to say, it gave ME motivation to run faster.

Redemption: A Joyful Run (Part II)

(Did you miss PART I?)

Monday's run went well... really, really well. Not only was it comparatively cool, which allowed us to run at a consistent pace of 10:49 (yeehaw!), but I maintained a great attitude throughout.

We made it a fartlek run (Swedish term for "speed play", or interval training), which you can learn more about from Coach Jeff Galloway here. Matt and I took turns on the cross streets picking a distant landmark to run to at a quicker pace. Running fast is one of my weaknesses, so I've really got to work on it. Fortunately, fartlek runs are AWESOME and FUN for me. On top of training my body to run fast and allowing me to run in child-like glee, fartlek workouts foster great camaraderie.

Matt likes them because he can break out of the slow pace we normally run; he also enjoys challenging me to defy my own expectations. We had a lot of fun, and Matt frequently expressed how proud he was of my performance. I won't lie, I felt pretty dang good.

We finished really strong, and managed to get home before 10:00pm. I'm still feeling the excitement today, but I'm also feeling a bit of tenderness in my shins (from Saturday) and hip connectors. Hopefully, I can stretch and work out the tightness before Wednesday's run.

The plan for this week (week 2) :

Monday: 30 min run (speed work, Azalea district)
Wednesday: 30 min run (I don't know what we'll do here... a regular run?)
Saturday: 4 mile run (East Texas Striders' Half-Marathon clinic, which is scheduled for a 3 mile run unless I can find someone else to run the last mile with me)

Redemption: A Joyful Run (Part I)

(Looking for Part II?)

You may have read about my attitude problems from Saturday; it wasn't a particularly tough run, but I sure made it one. Post-run left me feeling a bit down on myself, and rather guilty. Matt and I talked about the issues we were having (I mostly listened), and I feel like we're in a better place. Before I get to the recap of Monday's run, I figured I would share some things that have kept me going this week.

First, this article, "Why Run: If lacing up is fun for you, you don't need a reason. The rest of us do" from the Newbie Chronicles column in the July issue of Runner's World mag. I love this whole series but the July article - about finding motivation to run when running sucks - really spoke to me. I found it while leafing through the magazine on Sunday, with all the weight of Saturday's failures on my mind. My favorite excerpt:

"I hated running for over a year. I know, hate is a strong word. You know what a stronger word is? Superhate. In my first year and a half, I superhated running every time I went out... What I've become is the person who will never quit running no matter how bad it sometimes feels." - Marc Parent

I can identify with that. Saturday was one of those days I superhated running. I'm really blessed right now to be in a place where I generally enjoy at least PART of a run, and I sometimes have really transcendent runs (like Monday) which make it all worth while. I definitely aspire to be the kind of person who will never quit running (barring serious injury or illness, of course).

Over the course of my life, I have rarely been what you would call "tenacious". In fact, I had a general tendency to quit things as soon as they got difficult or uncomfortable. I would quit anything, no matter the stakes. I quit things I loved, really really loved. Bullies in band? Just quit. Don't like your lab professor? Drop that class. Relationship not perfect? Dump 'em. Not the smartest kid at school anymore? Stop showing up.

Sometime after 20, I started to change. I was finally sober (after many half-hearted attempts). I had a steady grown-up job.  I started dating a very reliable/consistent/earthy guy (who became my husband). I became a Christian. I went to all my classes, even the ones I didn't like. I started running.

I remember, very clearly, the first time I actually ran a whole mile as an adult.  It was incredibly hard and emotional (I don't even remember how long it took). I ran it on a treadmill at 360 Fitness. I was huffing and puffing and wanted to quit, but I kept thinking about all the times I had quit before... and all the people who had defined me as unathletic (my stepdad, my siblings, my junior high gym coach, that 8th grade cheerleader bully, the jr. varsity softball team, those guys senior year of high school). I needed to prove to myself - just one time - that I could finish. something. hard. And I did. This single act, this decision to endure even though no one was watching, changed my life.

My first mile was a spiritual experience which opened so many personal doors for me. I cracked open the door to that part of my character which knew how to be tenacious, not just in running but in everything - marriage, faith, school, career. That's why I have to keep running, even when I superhate it. And like all things, my attitude DOES matter.

I aspire to maintain gratitude for the health which allows me to run at all; for the freedoms I enjoy as a woman in America; for the women runners who paved the way before me in the 60s and 70s; for my husband and partner; for all of you wonderful people whom I know and do not know, who visit this blog and leave wonderful inspirational comments; for the people and the God who never gave up on me.

(Continue on to PART II)

Attitude problems and first attempt at official course

First of all, I'd just like to say that I'm really looking forward to running in winter again. I am extremely sensitive to the heat and I lose a lot of electrolytes, even running short distances. Running in the summer for me is a Herculean task; running in the winter is a frolic (my husband hates it, though).

Saturday's run was no exception. At 90F, it was one of the cooler runs we've done this month (unfortunately). We ran the first part of the Tyler Rose Half Marathon official course (see our progress here). It's a heck of a course, all uphill and mostly in the sun for the first two miles. We also had to cross two pretty tricky intersections (Houston/Glenwood, Houston/Vine).

A little after two miles in, Matt's watch malfunctioned (we didn't realize it until about a mile later). We lost ALL of our time data. Neither of us had bothered to check the time when we started, so we had no way to extrapolate our actual pace. I did not handle this well at all. When he first broke the news, I was really confused... confusion then became panic, which turned into accusation, which slipped into despair. I very nearly quit within two blocks of him telling me, but finished in a petulant snit. I had not marked the miles very well, so we ended up running 3.11 (basically a 5k).

My attitude obviously hurt his feelings; some of the issue had to do with my tone (it's really really hard to sound sweet and obliging when you've been pounding up a steep hill for what seems like eternity). Most of it had to do with me taking him for granted.  That sucks.

He told me that it's hard enough for him to come out and run with me at a much slower pace, in adverse conditions he can't control (he's a treadmill runner), for a goal he never intended to set for himself (half-marathon race)... it's even harder when he feels like he has to persuade me out of a grumpy mood (almost) every time, or endure being griped at (near) constantly.

It's something I've got to work on, and stat. I don't have any excuse to treat my husband poorly, whether I'm aching and dehydrated from a tough run or dealing with elevated hormonal chaos. I definitely cherish his presence on the runs, even when things go wrong or I feel aggravated by communication breakdowns. I really don't know if I can reach this goal without him, but I sure know that I don't want to.

When we run, it's a rare opportunity for us to spend time with each other sans distractions. No electronics, no relatives, no strangers competing for aisle space, no traffic. I don't want to lose that or waste it.

In good news, I've raised $50 for myself:

Forgot to log Wednesday!

The training plan for Wednesday had us listed at 25 minutes. We ended up running 30 minutes because Monday's 30 minute run got cut short to 25. It was an ok run. As I mentioned on Daily Mile, I somehow managed to get out the door without changing into my sports bra (my excuse: I had just woken up from a nap). It was pretty miserable. Some women can run comfortably without a sports bra. I am not one of them. I could have stopped, but figured I would lose this run altogether if I went home.

The consequences of not wearing a sports bra were pretty significant. Aside from the pain you might expect, it restricted my breathing and threw my whole posture out of whack. I got pretty grumpy towards my husband as a result, which is very lame and unfair. I'm working on it.  I had some problems on this run with allergies, but my breathing was pretty steady and returned to normal really quickly. I also had some discomfort in my ankles, but my other joints handled the run just fine. 

I definitely got pretty mopey at the end of the run. We weren't going fast enough, we hadn't run far enough, everything was bad, I wasn't made to run, I'd never be a "good" runner, blah blah blah. Matt tried to point out that 5 months ago I would not have been able to run for 30 minutes. He also tried to point out that 5 years ago, I couldn't (and wouldn't) run at all.

Seven years ago, I looked like this

Now, I look more like this

So I should be pretty grateful. I did not respond very well to Matt at first. The good news is that we DID make it all the way to 30 minutes; I've also managed to stay injury free this whole time, which is an awesome awesome accomplishment.

I've been thinking about run/walk ratios for the long run on Saturday (key part of Jeff Galloway's half marathon training plan for new and injury prone runners). This week is 3 miles, which I think I can do with no problem. He recommends a ratio of 3:00-1:00 (run/walk) for the 10 min/mi pace, or 2:00-1:00 for the 12 min/mi pace which I'm more likely to maintain for a whole 13k race. I feel really silly doing that on a "long run" of 3 miles.

I feel like I might be setting myself up for failure if I try to power through all the long runs by running continuously. I might start with the run/walk next week (long run of 4 miles) or the week after (long run of 5 miles). I want to push myself, but I don't want to injure myself or set unrealistic goals.

Anyway, I've got all of today to figure it out. Until next time... keep on truckin', friends.

Dailymile

If you happen to be SO interested in my running exploits that you must have the most current information available, then check out my Dailymile profile. Dailymile is a social media platform geared towards athletes and fitness enthusiasts. It allows you to log your workouts (running, swimming, cycling, weightlifting, etc) and share them with your friends; dailymile has buttons for Twitter and Facebook which allow you to instantly share the results of your run to other social media sites. You can provide and receive all kinds of feedback and motivation. I especially love the "map your run" feature and the analytics it provides. It's also FREE.

Here's a screenshot from Wednesday's run:



And an example of the analytics:

As you can see, since I began logging runs with Dailymile I have burned the equivalent of 28.27 donuts (for a total of 33.37 miles). Accordingly, I believe that running the Half Marathon in October will earn me a dozen donuts.  I especially love the way that this allows me to track my pace, distance, and perceived intensity over time.

Anyway, on to Wednesday's run...

Ewwww, it's hot.

Monday afternoon, we ran on the UT Tyler trails right after work. It was 96F, heat index of 102. Which was clearly horrible.

According to this week's schedule, we were supposed to run for 30 minutes. Well, between the heat index, the rigorous nature of the trails, and my sadistic hormones, I made it just over 25 minutes. (Hormone issues: I have some kind of recurring ovarian issue which seems to be nothing serious, as doctors can't detect anything. They believe it might be recurring cysts or fibroids, which I basically just have to "deal with". It's usually fine, but sometimes when my hormones and my running schedule line up JUST wrong, I experience a sudden sharp pain which makes me stop running).

I stopped for a quick walk break to allow my side pain to subside, but the heat had drained me so much that I couldn't start back up.

A part of me feels disappointed because it's the first time since I started up this training program that I haven't completed a goal. On the other hand, I have absolute confidence that I ran as hard as I could for as long as I could on Monday.

We definitely made the decision that the trails are probably out for the rest of this training season. Last summer saw 80+ days over 100F, so this summer is likely to heat up pretty quick.

We're probably going to transition to evening running along the official Tyler Half course near our house.

Half Marathon training: Launch!

Today will mark the first run of the half marathon training schedule from Jeff Galloway. If you're new to the blog, I'm in the process of training for the Tyler Rose Half Marathon. 


I took a break last week to give my body time to recover from the Dallas anime convention (A-kon). I'm glad I made that decision, although I felt pretty restless last week on the days I normally ran.

Today's temperatures are projected at 96F, so we're probably going to wait until well into the evening to do our run. I managed to find a pdf of the Half Marathon course, which starts and ends near my neighborhood. I figure it's not a bad time to start familiarizing myself with the trail.

Here's a run down of this week's running schedule (comparing the original from Jeff Galloway with our modification, to accommodate my karate classes):

Original:

Week	Monday	Tuesday TT	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
1	off	30 min run	off	25 min run	easy walk	off	3 miles

Modified:

Week	Monday TT	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
1	30 min run	off	25 min run	off	easy walk	3 miles	off

The "TT" is an optional pace run. I'm not going to worry about that at this point. Today's run, then, is 30 minutes. With my handy map, I'll be able to get a rough estimate of how far we got and how quickly we were going.

I've had some sporadic issues with my joints last week and this one (it's a chronic issue that is exacerbated once a month). I'm expecting a bit of discomfort on today's run, but hopefully no outright pain.

Wish me luck, then!