Friday, June 29, 2012

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.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

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.

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

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!

Monday, June 25, 2012

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)

Thursday, June 21, 2012

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.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

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)

Monday, June 18, 2012

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:



Friday, June 15, 2012

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...

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

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.

Monday, June 11, 2012

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!



Friday, June 8, 2012

Week long hiatus




Well, you've probably noticed that I've been awful silent this week. I decided to take the week off before transitioning to the half marathon schedule, as a kind of reset for my body.

Last week's runs (three days in a row) wore me down pretty good. I followed that up by attending a 3 day nerdy convention in Dallas, which involved walking the mile to and from the convention center multiple times a day and climbing lots of flights of stairs. Saturday night of the convention, I started experiencing a really scary knee pain. It seems to be mostly fine now. I've got quite a bit of overall fatigue which may be a product of something icky I picked up at the convention.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying some rest and trying to stretch a lot. I've had to sacrifice the $10 I would've "earned" this week, but I feel like I made the right decision. Next week jumps into the Jeff Galloway Half Marathon training program. Wish me luck!


P.S. Some pictures of me from the convention. I told you it was nerdy.