My training this week was uneventful, which is a good thing. I did three easy runs, one of which I did with Maple. I love running with her! I usually don't bring the Garmin when we run, since I don't care how fast we go, but this time I was curious. We did 4 miles at 11:13 pace. Considering that Maple only runs once every other week or so, I think that's a pretty solid pace.
I also did three key runs: 7x800s at the track, a 4 mile half marathon pace run, and a 14-mile long run. I love the track, so those workouts never feel too tough. I typically do my long runs at an easy pace, so aside from the occasional pants-shitting, those runs are gravy. But running at goal race pace for a sustained amount of time? I'm such a friggin baby. This week I missed my goal pace by 6 seconds, which is not a big deal really. But these tempo runs test my resolve like nothing else.
I admit I know very little about running, but I think about it pretty often. I think a lot about why it is that I run so much but improve so slowly. To get faster, I think you have have at least two of the following: talent, drive, and willingness to suffer. I am pretty driven for an old lady with a full time job and a young kid. But as I have little natural talent for running, I need to be good at suffering if I want to get faster. And so far, I haven't been too good at it. When I start suffering in a tough tempo run or a race, I get discouraged and start to wonder why the hell I am pushing myself so hard when I could be at home eating pizza. Which brings me to a story.
When I was a kid, I did gymnastics. I was pretty into it and competed regularly. I wasn't great, but I loved it. As a gymnast, I was squarely middle-of-the-pack. I used to have conversations with myself about why I wasn't a better gymnast - the same conversations I'm having with myself now about running.
The hardest event for me was bars. Bars requires a lot of upper body strength and a lot of focus, neither of which I had. I typically went through my bar routines in a half-assed way, and my coach Jack was always griping at me to focus and try harder. But I knew I wasn't good at bars, and Jack just didn't understand that. (Which by the way is the same bullshit story I tell myself now - that my coach, who has said multiple times that she really believes I can run this pace in my half next weekend, just doesn't know that I'm not a very good runner.)
One day, I think I was about 13, I decided to do a perfect bar routine. It wasn't for a meet, it was just during regular Friday night practice. I can still remember every move in that routine, and I remember that I nailed it. It was a true mind-over-matter moment. Jack was amazed, and he gave me a big bear hug with tears in his eyes and told me this: now that I'd proved to myself I could do it, I'd be able to do it again in competition. But I never did. Maybe it was good enough for me that I knew I could do it, or maybe I just couldn't muster the energy or courage to repeat that performance. Regardless, I've always remembered that moment as a rare time that I decided I would do something, and I just did it.
For the past few weeks, I've been doing tempo runs at my goal race pace. It feels ridiculously fast, and I've only had to hold this pace for 3-4 miles at a time. It is such a struggle, and I keep wondering, is it even remotely possible that I could do this pace for 13.1 miles next weekend? It's too fast, right? I'll blow up after 6 miles of it, right?
But it would be so cool if I could learn something from my 13-year-old self. Maybe I just have to decide that this is my moment, that I'm going to just ignore all the voices that tell me that I'm not fast and I'm not improving very quickly and I'm not built like a runner and I'm old and I have MS and just running a half marathon is good enough right? No, it's not. I don't get up at 5 every morning because I want to finish a half marathon. I want to feel my lungs and legs burn and ignore the "I should be having pizza" voice. I want to really suffer, and live with the suffering long enough to run the race my coach knows I can run.
I think it's possible for me to run at my goal pace. I just have to decide to do it.
I want to hear from you! Tell me about your experience with suffering in races. Do you suffer from the first mile, or does it set in later? How do you convince yourself to go for it? How do you get through the pain?
31 March 2013
25 March 2013
Running Shoes for the Apocalypse
I made it through another week of training for the Fool's Dual Half Marathon! It snowed again on speedwork day, so I headed to the treadmill for 4x1 mile repeats. That went well. On Thursday I was supposed to do an easy 5 miler, but my ankle was acting lame so I cut that one short and took Friday off. I loved that day off. I felt so gloriously lazy. Saturday was the 5k race debacle, but I've already written about that. Moving on. Yesterday I ran a kick ass 10-miler. It felt comfortable and easy and I ran on the Boston course with a thousand other runners, in packs of at least 5, most of which tried to run me off the sidewalk in Wellesley.
See, this is why I miss Pittsburgh so much. The people here are not nice. They're so fucking entitled and if they aren't being obnoxious or driving badly, they're pretending you don't exist. Adding insult to injury, the Boston accent is ridiculous. If I didn't love my job so much, this is pretty much the last place on earth I'd want to live. People on the internet always talk about how nice the running community is; how accepting and kind they are. Even this does not apply in Boston. Or maybe just not within a 10-mile radius of Wellesley?
It's not me, it's you, Boston. You suck.
Earlier this month, I ordered some new duds from Oiselle. I was super excited to get the new stuff and so far it hasn't let me down. First, the Lux Layer. Everything I read about this top is true. It's cozy and soft - hard to believe it's polyester or whatever. The only problem is it seemed too nice to use for running! For a couple of weeks I just kept looking at it on my shelf, thinking "you're way too nice to sweat in." But as I wasn't wearing it for anything else ("it's for running!"), I eventually tried it out on a short cold run, underneath my Patagonia NanoPuff jacket. It was so cozy. I even raced in it this weekend! Sadly there are no action shots, but here's a picture of Michelle and I after the race. (I'm wearing my new Ibex wool beanie too. Ibex is amazing. Most of my fall and winter clothing is from Ibex.)
I also ordered Oiselle's Lesley Knickers, and they have become my go-to treadmill crops. They are so lightweight and cozy - it feels like I'm not wearing anything at all. Well no, that would feel weird. It's just that they move perfectly with me and are totally comfortable. I definitely recommend these two items from Oiselle. I have yet to try the Game Day Shorts and the Running Pants, thanks to Boston's eternal winter. I'm still running in thermal tights.
Of course, the never-ending shoe saga continues. I bought two new pair recently and although I like both of them, my posterior tibial tendon is not thrilled. It might be that they are too big. I can never figure out how big running shoes are supposed to be; my toes are wierdly long which makes it hard to know. So today I got a pair of Adrenalines, and I'm very excited to see how they work. I think I need a bit more stability for my sad little right leg. Or "big cankly right leg", whatever. They felt amazing on my short sidewalk test drive. I am also going to order some of my old standbys, the Asics GT 2170s. They worked pretty well before, and since they are now discontinued it will be good to have a couple of pairs lying around for emergencies. Some people save money or stockpile food. I stash running shoes for the apocalypse.
See, this is why I miss Pittsburgh so much. The people here are not nice. They're so fucking entitled and if they aren't being obnoxious or driving badly, they're pretending you don't exist. Adding insult to injury, the Boston accent is ridiculous. If I didn't love my job so much, this is pretty much the last place on earth I'd want to live. People on the internet always talk about how nice the running community is; how accepting and kind they are. Even this does not apply in Boston. Or maybe just not within a 10-mile radius of Wellesley?
It's not me, it's you, Boston. You suck.
Earlier this month, I ordered some new duds from Oiselle. I was super excited to get the new stuff and so far it hasn't let me down. First, the Lux Layer. Everything I read about this top is true. It's cozy and soft - hard to believe it's polyester or whatever. The only problem is it seemed too nice to use for running! For a couple of weeks I just kept looking at it on my shelf, thinking "you're way too nice to sweat in." But as I wasn't wearing it for anything else ("it's for running!"), I eventually tried it out on a short cold run, underneath my Patagonia NanoPuff jacket. It was so cozy. I even raced in it this weekend! Sadly there are no action shots, but here's a picture of Michelle and I after the race. (I'm wearing my new Ibex wool beanie too. Ibex is amazing. Most of my fall and winter clothing is from Ibex.)
 |
| Michelle and I after the 5k |
Of course, the never-ending shoe saga continues. I bought two new pair recently and although I like both of them, my posterior tibial tendon is not thrilled. It might be that they are too big. I can never figure out how big running shoes are supposed to be; my toes are wierdly long which makes it hard to know. So today I got a pair of Adrenalines, and I'm very excited to see how they work. I think I need a bit more stability for my sad little right leg. Or "big cankly right leg", whatever. They felt amazing on my short sidewalk test drive. I am also going to order some of my old standbys, the Asics GT 2170s. They worked pretty well before, and since they are now discontinued it will be good to have a couple of pairs lying around for emergencies. Some people save money or stockpile food. I stash running shoes for the apocalypse.
2013
My race schedule is firming up! I keep this Post-It on my computer at work. Whenever I get overwhelmed by the small stuff, I remember that this is who I am.
23 March 2013
PR? Maybe.
I ran a 5k this morning with some friends from work. It was a small race and very disorganized. They started the race five minutes early, so two of my coworkers almost missed it. We may or may not have run the correct course, according to some Facebookers who claimed the officials directed them to run a different route than the official course map. My Garmin (which in this case I trust more than the race's official timing) said I ran 3.28 miles in 26:05, which matched my official time but not the official distance. The Garmin said I ran a new 5k PR (24:44).
It's a bit frustrating to get out there and give it your all and find that you've just run THE SLOWEST 5k YOU'VE EVER RUN. Oh well. The important thing is that I ran well according to the pacing plan that Coach Erin set out for me. My mile splits were 8:06, 7:53, and 7:57. Did I think I could run faster? Yes, but not much. It was a solid effort.
For the first time ever in a race, I passed lots of other runners, just like Erin said I would do if I didn't go out too fast. In the final stretch, I heard loud footsteps behind me and I fought hard to keep my position, which I did. I never saw the woman who almost caught me. Since the race wasn't chip-timed, we had to stay in finishing order in the finishing chute. My pursuer actually tried to cut in front of me in the chute, after I finished ahead of her! Fortunately the girl who was collecting our tear-offs (from the bottom of our bibs) saw what this lady was trying to do and made sure she took my tear-off first. I was shocked that anyone would be so unsportsmanlike (unsportswomanlike?) in a small neighborhood race.
I finished 26th overall and 2nd in my age group, 30-39. I've never placed in a race before! I missed getting my award because I was eating. Typical.
I'm slightly annoyed about the timing issues, and I'm impatient to get an official 5k PR. I'm not dwelling on it though; I don't have time for that shit. My goal race - a half marathon - is just two weeks away. I'll be damned if I let another race go by without an official PR.
Update: We did in fact stray from the official course. Check out my Garmin map vs. the course map:
The race officals have apologized.
It's a bit frustrating to get out there and give it your all and find that you've just run THE SLOWEST 5k YOU'VE EVER RUN. Oh well. The important thing is that I ran well according to the pacing plan that Coach Erin set out for me. My mile splits were 8:06, 7:53, and 7:57. Did I think I could run faster? Yes, but not much. It was a solid effort.
For the first time ever in a race, I passed lots of other runners, just like Erin said I would do if I didn't go out too fast. In the final stretch, I heard loud footsteps behind me and I fought hard to keep my position, which I did. I never saw the woman who almost caught me. Since the race wasn't chip-timed, we had to stay in finishing order in the finishing chute. My pursuer actually tried to cut in front of me in the chute, after I finished ahead of her! Fortunately the girl who was collecting our tear-offs (from the bottom of our bibs) saw what this lady was trying to do and made sure she took my tear-off first. I was shocked that anyone would be so unsportsmanlike (unsportswomanlike?) in a small neighborhood race.
I finished 26th overall and 2nd in my age group, 30-39. I've never placed in a race before! I missed getting my award because I was eating. Typical.
I'm slightly annoyed about the timing issues, and I'm impatient to get an official 5k PR. I'm not dwelling on it though; I don't have time for that shit. My goal race - a half marathon - is just two weeks away. I'll be damned if I let another race go by without an official PR.
Update: We did in fact stray from the official course. Check out my Garmin map vs. the course map:
The race officals have apologized.
22 March 2013
Mental Health Day
While attempting an easy 5-mile run yesterday, I felt a familiar dull ache in my posterior tibial tendon.
This tendon is often unhappy because my right leg is so screwy. My right foot is chronically rotated to the inside, so I'm basically always stepping on the inside/arch of my foot, which I think is called eversion. I also overpronate with my right leg. My whole right side is kind of a shit show. Anyway, the posterior tibial tendon is responsible for stabilization of the foot and support of the arch, and mine gets stressed because it's trying really hard to stabilize my very unstable foot.
Even though the pain wasn't severe, it was a warning sign. I experience this once every month or two, and it's probably exacerabated by 1) not doing my ankle stabilizing exercises, and 2) trying different shoes, or maybe tying my shoes too tightly. If I ignore it, it leads to no-running, which leads to the crazies, and no one wants that. So yesterday, I stopped my run halfway through, and Erin told me to take today off since I'm racing (5k) tomorrow. I've iced and rested and it's feeling better now.
I'm really enjoying my unexpected day off! This is unusual. Typically I feel guilty and worried and grouchy when I have to take a day off, but not today. I slept in, blew off my core work, and I'm bloody loving it. Around 10am I started feeling a little wonky, which I usually blame on MS, but it's probably just endorphin withdrawal.
Do you ever take a "mental health day" off from running?
This tendon is often unhappy because my right leg is so screwy. My right foot is chronically rotated to the inside, so I'm basically always stepping on the inside/arch of my foot, which I think is called eversion. I also overpronate with my right leg. My whole right side is kind of a shit show. Anyway, the posterior tibial tendon is responsible for stabilization of the foot and support of the arch, and mine gets stressed because it's trying really hard to stabilize my very unstable foot.
Even though the pain wasn't severe, it was a warning sign. I experience this once every month or two, and it's probably exacerabated by 1) not doing my ankle stabilizing exercises, and 2) trying different shoes, or maybe tying my shoes too tightly. If I ignore it, it leads to no-running, which leads to the crazies, and no one wants that. So yesterday, I stopped my run halfway through, and Erin told me to take today off since I'm racing (5k) tomorrow. I've iced and rested and it's feeling better now.
I'm really enjoying my unexpected day off! This is unusual. Typically I feel guilty and worried and grouchy when I have to take a day off, but not today. I slept in, blew off my core work, and I'm bloody loving it. Around 10am I started feeling a little wonky, which I usually blame on MS, but it's probably just endorphin withdrawal.
Do you ever take a "mental health day" off from running?
20 March 2013
Liebster Award
One of my favorite bloggers nominated me for a Liebster Award! I had no idea what this was, so I looked it up. There is no official website, but I did find out that Liebster is German for "dearest", and the award is a way to recognize bloggers who don't have many readers. I absolutely fit into that category. Thanks to Green Girl Running for nominating me!
To accept the award, I have to do three things:
- Post 11 random facts about myself.
- Answer the questions that Green Girl Running asked in her post.
- Pass the Liebster Award on by nominating up to 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers, and giving them 11 questions to answer.
- I have a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering.
- I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis over 9 years ago.
- I was a competitive gymnast from age 4 to 14.
- I took a lot of lessons as a kid: guitar, saxophone, flute, piano, violin, ice skating, French, ballet/jazz/tap, gymnastics, voice, horseback riding.
- I gave birth to my daughter at home, by choice, with no drugs.
- My husband and I lived on top of a mountain in Big Sur, CA with no electricity.
- I used to have secret government clearance (but I never knew anything remotely interesting).
- I'm from Pittsburgh and I wish I still lived there.
- I cry easily - usually at least once a day.
- I was in the marching band in high school - I played saxophone - and I never watched one football game even though I attended hundreds of them.
- I've hiked over 1700 miles of the Appalachian Trail, most of it in one 4-month chunk in 2001.
- At what age did you learn to ride a bike? 5
- Have you ever broken a bone? A couple of toes (I was stepped on by a horse)
- Are you a morning person or a night owl? I used to be a night owl, but now I'm definitely a morning person.
- What was the first car you ever owned? Honda Accord
- Do you prefer mountain or beach towns? Both! Big Sur!
- What's your favorite weekend activity? Sleeping in
- Cat person or dog person? Cat
- What's your proudest accomplishment? Having a home birth
- What's the nicest thing you've ever done for someone? I helped my husband get clean and sober almost 9 years ago.
- What's the nicest thing someone has done for you? In college, I had to drive home from Vermont to Pittsburgh after a snowstorm. I was completely freaked out about the drive, so my dad flew to Vermont and drove me home.
- If you had to live one day over and over (like that movie Groundhog Day) what day would you choose? The first day of the first road trip I took with my husband (before he was my husband).
- Pittsburgh Runner
- Just Keep Running
- Eating the Week
- Maine Mom on the Run
- Running Escapades
- Running on Ipsum
- Middle Aged Runner
- Miles and Trials
- Westford Mommy
- What profession would you be doing if not the one you're doing now?
- What book would you bring with you to a deserted island, if you could only bring one book?
- What language do you wish you could speak?
- If you could only obtain one goal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
- If you won the lottery, what would you do?
- If you had only three days to live, what would you do?
- Do you believe that there are other living things in the universe, besides us?
- What's one non-trivial thing that you Know?
- What is your least favorite word?
- What is your favorite modern device or appliance?
- What is your favorite song?
19 March 2013
Week 5!
I learned so much last week! In a way I'm glad Week 5 is over because it brought with it some really messy lessons. Warning! I'm going to "talk shit" later. And menstruation too.
Last Tuesday, I did my speedwork on the treadmill. The snow hadn't melted from the previous week, so I ran in the gym with my two favorite running ladies, Lynne and Ruth. We did 7x800 repeats. It was the toughest speedwork I've done since last summer, when I was training for my mile race and did all my speedwork (twice a week) at 7:00 pace. Granted, I hardly did any 800s, since that was half as long as the race itself, but I digress. The point is, this speed session was tough! Towards the end, I could barely talk, which was awesome. I love working hard.
On Friday I had the worst PMS ever. I probably say that every month, but some months seem worse than others. Let's just say the timing of my second goal race pace run wasn't ideal. I had to do 4 miles at 8:24 (super fast for me) with some easy milage on either end. It started out okay, but I became so fixated on my Garmin, and crazy angry when it didn't seem to be working right, that I let it ruin the rest of the run. It was classic angry PMS-Portia. I finished on pace but felt like a complete failure. I'd been obsessed with all the wrong things, and I hadn't enjoyed the run at all.
Erin helped me snap out of it. She said I should be enjoying runs, not freaking out about them. I shouldn't worry so much about my exact pace for each mile, that it was the overall pace that mattered more. She admonished me to try for a hard effort and focus more on how it felt than what the watch said. Since I was running outside, I should expect some miles would be slower and some faster. I got my head back on straight and was ready to face the next run.
And I started bleeding. That helped too.
On Saturday, Sean did a 31-mile training run, nbd. It's his longest training run for his 100-mile race at the end of April. He's a monster. In a good way. Maple and I drove downtown to meet him at the halfway point. He looked surprisingly good, and when he got home a few hours later, he looked fresh as a daisy. That's just wrong. Maple and I did a watchless 4-miler while he was gone. She's amazing. No running for months and she hops off the couch and runs four miles.
My long run on Sunday was a 12-miler; my longest since Disney. That's weird, what a slacker I am! Anyway, I felt great on this run, with the exception of my stomach. To be fair, it was fine when I left the house. I have been experimenting with fueling strategies, so I had some Accel Gels with me on the run, which I'd never taken before. The Marathon Nutrition book I just read suggested that some runners like a little protein with their carbs. Accel Gels have whey in them, which didn't sound appetizing but I wanted to try it anyway. I took one around mile 4, and by mile 7 I found myself on a picturesque little lane in Wellesley, surrounded by huge beautiful houses, shitting my pants standing up. Also I was holding a tree branch out of my face. I was trying so hard not to lose control of my bowels that I couldn't move one centimeter, and somehow I'd stopped too close to a tree. Such is the life of a runner.
It only got worse from there. There were a few more typical pit stops which involved squatting in the leafless woods, hoping passing cars couldn't see me but knowing they probably could. There was an unfortunate lack of toilet paper or pliable leaves, and there were random hip cramps that made it very hard to keep moving. There was the horrid scent of failure. Finally, there was a severe energy crash (I was afraid to take another Accel Gel), which coincided with a huge hill. At one point I was imagining the conversation I'd have to have with Erin, explaining why I only ran 9 miles. Somehow (!?) I got it done. I don't know if it was my crazy Garmin, but my average pace was respectable - about 10:01.
When I got home, I expected Sean to be dropping off Maple at a play, so I was surprised to see him when I walked in the door. I burst into tears and sobbed like a very smelly lunatic. Sean helped me calm down and I quickly put the run behind me. It wasn't a complete failure - my pace was decent, my energy was good until I ran out of fuel, and I'd experimented with a new brand of gel and found that it didn't work for me! Information = power!
Also I wasn't constipated anymore.
So what have I learned? Running should be enjoyable. The Garmin isn't God. Accel Gels make my stomach explode. No whey!
It's getting late and this post is getting looooong, so I'll wrap this up. But I'm very excited to report that Green Girl nominated me for a Leibster award, which I'll tell you more about next time. Thanks Green Girl!
Last Tuesday, I did my speedwork on the treadmill. The snow hadn't melted from the previous week, so I ran in the gym with my two favorite running ladies, Lynne and Ruth. We did 7x800 repeats. It was the toughest speedwork I've done since last summer, when I was training for my mile race and did all my speedwork (twice a week) at 7:00 pace. Granted, I hardly did any 800s, since that was half as long as the race itself, but I digress. The point is, this speed session was tough! Towards the end, I could barely talk, which was awesome. I love working hard.
On Friday I had the worst PMS ever. I probably say that every month, but some months seem worse than others. Let's just say the timing of my second goal race pace run wasn't ideal. I had to do 4 miles at 8:24 (super fast for me) with some easy milage on either end. It started out okay, but I became so fixated on my Garmin, and crazy angry when it didn't seem to be working right, that I let it ruin the rest of the run. It was classic angry PMS-Portia. I finished on pace but felt like a complete failure. I'd been obsessed with all the wrong things, and I hadn't enjoyed the run at all.
Erin helped me snap out of it. She said I should be enjoying runs, not freaking out about them. I shouldn't worry so much about my exact pace for each mile, that it was the overall pace that mattered more. She admonished me to try for a hard effort and focus more on how it felt than what the watch said. Since I was running outside, I should expect some miles would be slower and some faster. I got my head back on straight and was ready to face the next run.
And I started bleeding. That helped too.
On Saturday, Sean did a 31-mile training run, nbd. It's his longest training run for his 100-mile race at the end of April. He's a monster. In a good way. Maple and I drove downtown to meet him at the halfway point. He looked surprisingly good, and when he got home a few hours later, he looked fresh as a daisy. That's just wrong. Maple and I did a watchless 4-miler while he was gone. She's amazing. No running for months and she hops off the couch and runs four miles.
My long run on Sunday was a 12-miler; my longest since Disney. That's weird, what a slacker I am! Anyway, I felt great on this run, with the exception of my stomach. To be fair, it was fine when I left the house. I have been experimenting with fueling strategies, so I had some Accel Gels with me on the run, which I'd never taken before. The Marathon Nutrition book I just read suggested that some runners like a little protein with their carbs. Accel Gels have whey in them, which didn't sound appetizing but I wanted to try it anyway. I took one around mile 4, and by mile 7 I found myself on a picturesque little lane in Wellesley, surrounded by huge beautiful houses, shitting my pants standing up. Also I was holding a tree branch out of my face. I was trying so hard not to lose control of my bowels that I couldn't move one centimeter, and somehow I'd stopped too close to a tree. Such is the life of a runner.
It only got worse from there. There were a few more typical pit stops which involved squatting in the leafless woods, hoping passing cars couldn't see me but knowing they probably could. There was an unfortunate lack of toilet paper or pliable leaves, and there were random hip cramps that made it very hard to keep moving. There was the horrid scent of failure. Finally, there was a severe energy crash (I was afraid to take another Accel Gel), which coincided with a huge hill. At one point I was imagining the conversation I'd have to have with Erin, explaining why I only ran 9 miles. Somehow (!?) I got it done. I don't know if it was my crazy Garmin, but my average pace was respectable - about 10:01.
When I got home, I expected Sean to be dropping off Maple at a play, so I was surprised to see him when I walked in the door. I burst into tears and sobbed like a very smelly lunatic. Sean helped me calm down and I quickly put the run behind me. It wasn't a complete failure - my pace was decent, my energy was good until I ran out of fuel, and I'd experimented with a new brand of gel and found that it didn't work for me! Information = power!
Also I wasn't constipated anymore.
So what have I learned? Running should be enjoyable. The Garmin isn't God. Accel Gels make my stomach explode. No whey!
It's getting late and this post is getting looooong, so I'll wrap this up. But I'm very excited to report that Green Girl nominated me for a Leibster award, which I'll tell you more about next time. Thanks Green Girl!
16 March 2013
Running with Maple
Maple and I did four easy miles this morning. We saw 69 Boston hopefuls out on the Boston Marathon course (we live a block from the 10-mile marker). She hasn't run in a couple of months but she didn't complain once.
12 March 2013
Breakthrough
Last weekend, quite spontaneously, I decided to move my blog. I've used Blogger for a long time, and before that, I had my own installation of Movable Type. This was before there was easy-to-use blogging software, when people thought a blog was probably a burp and not a word. I started my first blog, portiastar.com, in 2002. I have fond memories of Movable Type, but I don't have time for the maintenance involved with running my own blog. Enter TypePad, which is easy to set up, and uses MT under the hood. I'm back to my glory days. Nostalgia reigns. Sort of.
When I first started Run Portia Run - it's hard to believe it was only about a year ago - I just wanted a diary of my training for my first marathon. I figured that someday, when MS had its way with me, I could look back and remember what it was like to run far and chase my dreams. But over the past year, while I was writing about every last gory detail of training for two marathons and a few other races, I also rewrote my future. I don't think anymore about a day when I won't be able to run. I just run.
Last week was my fourth week using Coach Erin's training plan, and it was a good one. On Tuesday I did speed work at the track, for the first time since November. I love speedwork, and I adore the track. My BRF (Best Running Friend) and I met up and did 10x400 repeats. I love 400s because they're so easy to get your mind around. Just one lap around the big red oval. It was a lot of fun, and we averaged about 1:51 per lap.
On Friday, I faced the workout I'd been dreading the most since I got the training plan from Erin last month. It was a tempo run, 5 miles total, with the middle three miles at goal race pace, which is 8:24. That pace sounded ridiculous to me! It still kind of does, but I'm putting significant effort into thinking it's realistic. Since it snowed about a foot on Friday, I had to do it on the treadmill, which I disliked because I knew I'd have to run faster to compensate for the lack of incline that my wimpy ankles demand. I ended up hitting 8:24 in 0% incline equivalent pace, but my actual pace was 8:04. Sweet! I really practiced thinking positively and knowing that I could do it. The first mile felt almost effortless, the second mile was a bit of a grind, and the third mile was dig-deep hard, but I did it. This was a breakthrough workout for me. Coach E said she was sure I could do it, but I was kind of in shock afterwards. I'm getting faster! It's really happening, isn't it?
Sunday was an easy 10-miler, and I got to run that one outside. I didn't feel great, and I probably went a bit faster than I should have, but I really wanted to get it over with! It feels great to know I can get 'er done even when I'm not feeling my best.
I'm so inspired by my breakthrough tempo run, I'm healthy, and I'm excited for another week of this running stuff (and an even longer tempo run at that crazy pace!).
If you have any feedback about the new site, I'd love to hear it.
When I first started Run Portia Run - it's hard to believe it was only about a year ago - I just wanted a diary of my training for my first marathon. I figured that someday, when MS had its way with me, I could look back and remember what it was like to run far and chase my dreams. But over the past year, while I was writing about every last gory detail of training for two marathons and a few other races, I also rewrote my future. I don't think anymore about a day when I won't be able to run. I just run.
Last week was my fourth week using Coach Erin's training plan, and it was a good one. On Tuesday I did speed work at the track, for the first time since November. I love speedwork, and I adore the track. My BRF (Best Running Friend) and I met up and did 10x400 repeats. I love 400s because they're so easy to get your mind around. Just one lap around the big red oval. It was a lot of fun, and we averaged about 1:51 per lap.
On Friday, I faced the workout I'd been dreading the most since I got the training plan from Erin last month. It was a tempo run, 5 miles total, with the middle three miles at goal race pace, which is 8:24. That pace sounded ridiculous to me! It still kind of does, but I'm putting significant effort into thinking it's realistic. Since it snowed about a foot on Friday, I had to do it on the treadmill, which I disliked because I knew I'd have to run faster to compensate for the lack of incline that my wimpy ankles demand. I ended up hitting 8:24 in 0% incline equivalent pace, but my actual pace was 8:04. Sweet! I really practiced thinking positively and knowing that I could do it. The first mile felt almost effortless, the second mile was a bit of a grind, and the third mile was dig-deep hard, but I did it. This was a breakthrough workout for me. Coach E said she was sure I could do it, but I was kind of in shock afterwards. I'm getting faster! It's really happening, isn't it?
Sunday was an easy 10-miler, and I got to run that one outside. I didn't feel great, and I probably went a bit faster than I should have, but I really wanted to get it over with! It feels great to know I can get 'er done even when I'm not feeling my best.
I'm so inspired by my breakthrough tempo run, I'm healthy, and I'm excited for another week of this running stuff (and an even longer tempo run at that crazy pace!).
If you have any feedback about the new site, I'd love to hear it.
03 March 2013
Week 3: There's No Place Like Om
First, here's the rundown on workouts this week:
The class is on Friday nights after work, which is the perfect way to transition into the weekend. It is gentle and includes some flows, but not fast ones. There is focus on the breath and the poses, but Jen makes it clear that it's okay to engage with the poses in your own individual way. There are lots of stretches and holding poses, which is tough but feels good. I don't think I broke a sweat in class on Friday - and that's just right. For me, running is my workout, and yoga is yoga. I'm so glad I finally found the perfect class for me, and I'm grateful to Jen for being such a great teacher! And all these hot yoga classes can go burn in hot yoga hell.
Okay maybe I still need to work on my karma. One thing at a time!
My gut has been kind of unhappy lately, so I'm tracking my food in the same spreadsheet where I track my running. Often when I track food, which I've done quite a few times, I try to track calories and all the rest if the numbers. This makes me crazy, because I'm such a crazy perfectionist as soon as there are numbers involved. This time I'm just tracking what I ate, not how much. The idea is to eat more vegetables and fruit and less processed food. It's going well, and I think my gut is responding. I'm pretty much always bloated and farting up a storm, and it really bugs me, so I hope to find out what is causing it. One thing I've noticed since I started eating better is that I'm not hungry. Whole foods are more dense, so I guess this makes sense, but at first it seemed really weird not to be eating so much. But even with the change in my appetite, my weight is steady, which is fine by me. It wouldn't hurt me to lose a few pounds, but it's not high on my list.
And the Mizuno Inspire 8s:
I trained for my first marathon in the Ravennas (2 and 3) and liked them, but went back to Asics for my second marathon. The new Ravennas feel great. I've gone up a half size because I have long toes and I always get black toenails. As a result, these feel a bit roomy (which means not quite as glove-like) but hopefully they will be nicer to my toes. They have a sweet mix of stability and flexibility. I love how they move with my feet.
The Inspires (and Mizuno) are new to me. They feel very different from the Brooks, but I like them. On an easy 4-mile test run, they gave me a bit of a rub on the bottom of my right foot, but I think they might just need some breaking in. I like the medial post in these - they feel like they halt my pronating right foot a bit more than other shoes.
For my last marathon, I trained in the Asics GT 2170, which are discontinued:
The replacement is the GT 2000:
Which I didn't like as much when I tried them on. They felt less supportive and mushier, so I passed on them for now. I'll be surprised if Asics doesn't bring back a shoe that's more like the 2170s. They had quite a following.
I also went on a bit of a shopping spree for running clothes this week. I've been lusting after Oiselle duds since I started following Paulette's blog a few months back. Then Lauren Fleshman started running for Oiselle, which put them in the cool stratosphere in my book. Around the same time, I started feeling oogley about my go-to supplier of running gear thanks to some scandalous things I read. So this week I finally took the Oiselle plunge. I ordered the new Game Day shorts:
The Lesley Knickers:
A Lux Layer (people are freaking out about how soft this is):
and their Running Pants:
- Speed: Blah. GI issues and a tweaky ankle tendon meant I only did 3.5 of my 4 mile repeats. My rest day comes right after speedwork, and my ankle was great by my next run, and hasn't been a problem since. I think my shoes were at the end of their life, so I retired them. I also had some piriformis/sciatic pain after this run but I spent some time sitting on a lacrosse ball and that did the trick.
- Tempo: This run was great. It was hard but I felt strong and confident. I beat my goal pace slightly, keeping to a solid 8:45 average over the 3 tempo miles, and I felt so great afterwards. I was scared going into this run (as I always am before tempo runs), so I spent some time the night before visualizing how the run would go (successfully). I imagined my route: where I would pick up the pace after the first mile, how I would feel going up a certain hill; basically everything I would see and how I would feel. It made a difference! I will definitely do the visualization next week because I have to run 3 miles at half marathon goal pace (8:24!).
- Long: Awesome 9 miles through my cute little town (and the next one over). I tried out a new fuel - baby food! This worked so well. I got the idea from Middle Aged Runner, who used it in a race recently. It sits really well in my stomach and is surprisingly great tasting. It really puts gels to shame. There is enough water in it so that you don't have to take it with extra water, and it's easy to eat in little bits and save for later. The only thing that isn't ideal is that there's no sodium in baby food, and I think sodium means electrolytes, which are good, right? The brand I got is called Happy Baby, and I chose the banana because it had the most carbs (22g). Here's a picture of me after my run. Happiest baby ever. Do you like the giant pine cone growing out of my head?
 |
| Happy Baby! |
Yoga
I've never been a yoga person. My mom has done yoga since before I was born, and my husband loves yoga. I've tried quite a few times but have never gotten into it. The last time I tried hot yoga, I spent most of the class in the bathroom, emptying the contents of my stomach (mouth, not butt) and hoping the rest of the class couldnt hear me. Recently a friend of mine became certified in Kripalu yoga and started teaching nearby. I have been to two classes now and I love it. I even bought myself a yoga mat and bag yesterday!The class is on Friday nights after work, which is the perfect way to transition into the weekend. It is gentle and includes some flows, but not fast ones. There is focus on the breath and the poses, but Jen makes it clear that it's okay to engage with the poses in your own individual way. There are lots of stretches and holding poses, which is tough but feels good. I don't think I broke a sweat in class on Friday - and that's just right. For me, running is my workout, and yoga is yoga. I'm so glad I finally found the perfect class for me, and I'm grateful to Jen for being such a great teacher! And all these hot yoga classes can go burn in hot yoga hell.
Okay maybe I still need to work on my karma. One thing at a time!
Nutrition
I'm reading a new book about marathon nutrition and I'm really enjoying it. Not roller coaster enjoying it, but I think it's a good read. Lots of new information I haven't heard before. Like drinking beet juice before a run, which I did this morning and it gave me tons of energy. I love how much specific info there is about what to eat and drink in training, tapering, pre and post race, as well as during the race itself. It's a gold mine. I just wish I had bought a paper copy, because I just am not in love with reading electronically. I am way too old school for this.My gut has been kind of unhappy lately, so I'm tracking my food in the same spreadsheet where I track my running. Often when I track food, which I've done quite a few times, I try to track calories and all the rest if the numbers. This makes me crazy, because I'm such a crazy perfectionist as soon as there are numbers involved. This time I'm just tracking what I ate, not how much. The idea is to eat more vegetables and fruit and less processed food. It's going well, and I think my gut is responding. I'm pretty much always bloated and farting up a storm, and it really bugs me, so I hope to find out what is causing it. One thing I've noticed since I started eating better is that I'm not hungry. Whole foods are more dense, so I guess this makes sense, but at first it seemed really weird not to be eating so much. But even with the change in my appetite, my weight is steady, which is fine by me. It wouldn't hurt me to lose a few pounds, but it's not high on my list.
Gear
I mentioned before that I got two new pairs of shoes this week. The Brooks Ravenna 4s:And the Mizuno Inspire 8s:
The Inspires (and Mizuno) are new to me. They feel very different from the Brooks, but I like them. On an easy 4-mile test run, they gave me a bit of a rub on the bottom of my right foot, but I think they might just need some breaking in. I like the medial post in these - they feel like they halt my pronating right foot a bit more than other shoes.
For my last marathon, I trained in the Asics GT 2170, which are discontinued:
The replacement is the GT 2000:
Which I didn't like as much when I tried them on. They felt less supportive and mushier, so I passed on them for now. I'll be surprised if Asics doesn't bring back a shoe that's more like the 2170s. They had quite a following.
I also went on a bit of a shopping spree for running clothes this week. I've been lusting after Oiselle duds since I started following Paulette's blog a few months back. Then Lauren Fleshman started running for Oiselle, which put them in the cool stratosphere in my book. Around the same time, I started feeling oogley about my go-to supplier of running gear thanks to some scandalous things I read. So this week I finally took the Oiselle plunge. I ordered the new Game Day shorts:
The Lesley Knickers:
A Lux Layer (people are freaking out about how soft this is):
and their Running Pants:
I'm so excited to try all this stuff out! It hasn't arrived yet, but 'll let you know how it is.
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