Wednesday, August 22, 2012

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!

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

"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.
    Victorian Women Run to the Finish Line (1906)
  • 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).
    Jogging with a Veil
  • I don't have to run home from the market with groceries on my head.
    women running
  • Or run with a baby.
    LOVE Walk /Run for Breast Cancer Research
  • Or run from a bear.
    Texting Guy Running Away From A Bear [video]
  • I still have both legs, and I don't have to learn to run again after losing them.
    New York marathon, Nov 2011 - 02
  • 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.

Monday, August 13, 2012

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.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

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.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

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?