another rainy race

New hat and headband to help provide attitude.

Oooo, look!  My second blog post today!!

So yeah, I ran the Get in Gear Half marathon yesterday.  If you recall, I won an entry to the race via a marvelous little invention called Facebook. The internet certainly is chock full of goodness!

Yesterday's race was just like last year's....cold, rainy and windy.  For some reason, it was a much tougher race than last weekend's half marathon. I don't think I hydrated as well this past week, and I was having GI issues most of the week as well...... I'm still figuring out this whole fueling thing.  It's a puzzle, that's for sure.  Good think I like puzzles!

Post-race soaking wet honeybadger.

I met up with the same friend I ran with last year (Julie) and we had a great time catching up on everything that's been going on since the Minneapolis half marathon (the last race we ran together.)  I also got to see my sister-in-law (well ok, technically she's my ex-sister-in-law but as far as I'm concerned, we're still family!) She ran an amazing race and finished under 2 hours.  I'm so jealous of that pace!  I was going to get pictures of all of us, but the porta-potties were calling our names.... so my SIL and I lost each other before the start.  Didn't see her again until the out-and-back portion of the race.  She was waaaayyyyy ahead of me - no way I could have kept up with her! Another work friend was running too, and also killed it at 2:02.  I have some speedy friends!

So anywhoo, the upshot of the day was that I didn't get a distance PR, but I did get a course PR!  My official time was 2:14:53, last year's time was 2:23:26 so that's an improvement at least. GarminElectra bailed on me at the start. The lying tart APPEARED as though she was ready to run the race with me, and chirped when I hit the start button as I crossed the mat, but at mile three I realized there was no beeping happening.... so I had to restart her. Grrr.  That means I only have my splits for the last 10 miles. SUCH a frickin' diva.

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	1:41:39.1	10.17	10:00
1	10:23.2	1.00	10:23
2	10:13.5	1.00	10:14
3	10:19.1	1.00	10:19
4	9:51.0	1.00	9:51
5	9:57.8	1.00	9:58
6	9:41.9	1.00	9:42
7	9:58.9	1.00	9:59
8	10:12.1	1.00	10:12
9	9:25.9	1.00	9:26
10	10:00.8	1.00	10:01
11	1:34.9	0.17	9:18

We must have been REALLY slow for those first three miles because my overall pace was 10:18.  It was pretty crowded at the beginning and we were getting passed by a lot of people, but that's usually how it is for me anyway.  I like to start slow and then once my body gets over the fact that I'm making it run, it levels off and I can slowly pick up the pace.

I started to fall apart a bit at mile eleven (mile 8 according to GE) and needed some sustenance..... my hands were so cold I couldn't get my honey stingers out of my pocket so I had to walk. I told Julie to just go ahead and I would catch up.... not so much - I didn't see her again until the finish line.  She was flying and ended up about 2 minutes faster than me.  I really had to dig deep those last two miles and WILL myself to keep running in the last mile.  Not exactly the strong finish I had hoped for but, oh well.

After the race I still had 5 miles on the training plan. So I went home, changed my clothes and headed to the treadmill.  And I did my 5 miles for a total of 18.  Just like last year, it made me feel like a badass honeybadger to do all those miles.  Funny how that works!  After all that, I took a well-deserved ice bath.  I hate them and I love them at the same time.  My muscles are always much happier after an ice bath, but the during part?  Ugh.  The actual sitting in a tub of icy water is NOT happy time.

Not.
At.
All.

Colorful language helps me cope.

heading to grandma's - week 8

Another week in the bank!  It's a cutback week meaning fewer miles, thus providing a bit of a rest for the old bod.  Ready for the exciting recap?  Great!  Here it is:

Week 8:  April 2-8

Monday
Easy Run As Follows:
Warm up walking 5-10 min at brisk pace
Easy run of 4 miles at 11:34 min
Cool down with brisk walk of 5-10 min
workout note:
4.01 miles, 10:21 pace.  Nice and easy run!

Tuesday
Interval Run As Follows:
Warm up with 1 mile at 11:34 pace
Run 2 miles at 9:40 pace.  Recover 1 mile at 11:30.  Run 1 mile at 8:50-9:10 min pace.
Cool down with brisk walk 5-10 min
workout note:
Mile 1 - 11:34
Miles 2 & 3 - 9:40
Mile 4 - 11:34
Mile 5 - 8:41 Do you see this?  An ENTIRE mile at 8:41!!!  And it felt GREAT!
Walked with Jane 2.29 miles as well.

Wednesday

workout note:
Core work.  45 push-ups, 20 crunches, 20 reverse crunches, 20 bicycle crunches, 20 reverse crunches, 10 plank reps, 20 hip thrusts, 20 pendulums. So far it's not getting any easier.

The husband's toes in his ice bath AFTER he ran 11 miles
in the cold rain.  He's pretty badass.
And I KNEW he'd learn to love ice baths.

Thursday
3 Miles Easy Run as Follows
WU w/5-10 minutes of brisk walking
Run 3 miles at 11:34-12:34 pace.
Cool down with 5-10 min brisk walk.
workout note: Very early start to the day and I wasn't sure I was going to have the energy to run in the evening so I kept track of how much time I spent walking during the day. Good thing too, because I was exhausted at the end of the day. Not sure how many miles but I know I walked for 33 minutes!

Friday
workout note: walked 2.58 miles with Jane

Saturday
Long Run as Follows:
WU for 1 mile at 12:34 pace
Run 8 miles at 11:34-12:34 min
Run last mile at 10:13 min pace
Cool down with brisk walk for 5-10 minutes
workout note:
I slept in, had some coffee, read the paper, folded laundry and just generally took my sweet time getting ready for my run. I finally got my ass in gear, got all suited up and headed out the door......and it was raining. Pouring rain, actually.  And about 42 degrees out.  No thank you.  I turned my wussy ass around, changed into shorts and tank and headed to the treadmill.
I did my warm up just fine and started on mile 2 but quickly got bored so I was switching up the pace the entire time, going anywhere from 8:30 (yes, 8:30!!!) to 11:32 and finished the last two miles at 9:50. So all in all I think it was a good run.  But I felt pretty wussy since the husband braved the rain for his 11 mile run.  

Sunday
workout note: Had to get those final 3 miles in from Thursday's missed run (and to combat the calories consumed in an amazing Easter brunch along with all those yummy mini-eggs and jelly beans I've been eating all day), so Jane and I headed out for a quick run.  Gorgeous weather tonight!  It was a lovely run. 3.04 miles at 10:04 pace.


Miles planned: 22
Miles run: 22.04
Miles walked: 4.87+

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

the craziness continues

What the hell is wrong with me??

I just signed up for marathon #3!  The Bank of America Chicago Marathon, which will take place Sunday, October 7, 2012.

October 7th also happens to be the husband's and my wedding anniversary so we're going to spend a couple of extra days in the city to celebrate.

Signing up for a fall marathon means I'll be training through the summer which will bring with it alllll kinds of new challenges.  I'm a bit of a delicate flower when it comes to running in the heat and humidity so you should expect a definite uptick in bitching and whining episodes.  Ai yi yi!! Consider yourselves warned!

I'm telling you, it all started with my acceptance of ice baths.  They truly are a type of gateway drug for runners.

mini-taper week

At this point in my marathon training plan, I'm on something called "taper week" (which boils down to a reduction in miles and workouts before the Get Lucky! 7K this coming Saturday), and it's given me lots more time to ponder my existence and nitpick obsess over notice the changes that have taken place in my body since I started getting serious about training and added in kettlebells and TRX classes.

Good changes: My butt is definitely not as wide as it was before. I've lost six pounds!  More muscle tone all over the place; there are actually some muscles that are DEFINED now, where before there was only mush.  And most astonishingly, I'm starting to get definition in my abs - MY ABS, PEOPLE!! - which is nothing short of a miracle.

Not so good changes: As of this writing, I have two toenails that are currently a dark shade of crimson and will eventually be turning black and then falling off.  I can live with that.  So classifying soon-to-be denuded toes in the "not so good" category is questionable.  Besides, kettlebells and TRX are in the clear on this one - the blame resides with my foot confirmation.

This isn't me.  But it could be if I'm not careful.

WTF changes: While my arms are definitely displaying the fruits of my labors (dare I say they are ripped?  Nah, not really, but hot damn they are looking so much better!!) my right arm is way more muscular  than my left arm.  I noticed it in circuit class last night.  The left arm is also noticeably weaker.  Seriously....Double U.Tee.Eff.  How did that happen???  Last time I checked, both arms were clocking identical amounts of time at the studio, lifting the same weights and participating in all other physical endeavors on an equal basis.  Also, kettlebell lifting rotations are always supposed to start with the left arm then go to the right (but sometimes my dyslexic self screws that up), so you'd think the left arm would be going to town since the brain thinks it's so much fresher than the right arm.  Guess I'll have to start doing one-arm pushups or something to get the left arm up to snuff.

So, back to taper week.....I'm trying to not go crazy with my reduced mileage.  And trying to figure out at what point exactly I went from noticing "Gee, guess I haven't run for a couple of days/weeks," to CARING and even being somewhat annoyed that my mileage has been reduced AND feeling antsy when I can't get my run on.  Probably about the same time I started taking ice baths.  I hear they're like a gateway drug for runners.

easy as she goes

Had a nice, slow & easy long run yesterday with the marathon group.  Actually, it was just two of us doing nine miles; the others ran shorter distances.  T and I ran a VERY hilly out and back route (uphill both ways!) but ran the entire distance which seemed like a pretty big accomplishment for both of us.  I'm recovering from bronchitis and T was recovering from a super hectic couple of weeks.  Our pace was just under 12 minute miles, slow enough that we could chat the entire time.

I have to say, T is amazing.  We are the same age.  I don't know her very well, but I do know that she has lost about 85 pounds so I asked her what prompted her to change.  She said her changes have been incremental.  She didn't like how she was wheezing after a hike with her husband so she decided to quit smoking.  After working on that goal for a while and starting to feel better, she was out walking her dog and just felt like running a bit.  So she joined a club at a local running store and got going.  Ran her first 5K and was hooked!  (She tells how she finished running her 5K and turned to the 10K finisher next to her and said, "I just finished my first 5K!" and the 10K finisher gave her a huge smile and said, "Great job!"  LOVE LOVE LOVE how supportive other runners can be!!)

Her goals kept advancing:
* she wanted to change her diet and lose weight - so she joined a group to help make that happen
* and she wanted to get stronger and more fit - so she found a personal trainer to help make that happen.
She has run 5Ks, 10Ks, 10 milers and half marathons.  Now she is training for her first marathon.  Wow!!!  What an inspiration!!

T makes it look so easy the way she picks goals and then finds a way to make them happen, but I know it's not easy.... she says the thing that is most useful is breaking goals down into palatable chunks.  You know the saying, "How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time."  Keep it doable to increase the likelihood of success.  Very cool.  I loved hearing her story.

Oh, and after our run, she went home and had her first ice bath!  Brave girl - the first ice bath is the toughest!!! (like I'm such a veteran of the ice bath phenomenon....I was probably the biggest baby of all regarding ice baths, but now I've done them THREE times!!  Big girl!!)

Rest day today, so I'll be taking Jane for a walk.  More snow in the forecast (up to 10 inches)..... Ugh.  March in Minnesota.  I am SO ready for Spring to be sprung!!

I am a prizewinner!

I almost forgot to share my awesome award for being a brave ice bath taker!

My conjones-worthy prize basket!

TenacityChris challenged the marathon training group to take an ice bath (I don't think any of us were very willing to try it) but since she wrote it into my training plan I figured it was time to find some cojones and get waaaaayyyyyy out of my comfort zone.  So I did, and sadly, despite the unexpected and very real PAIN I experienced, it proved to be rather anticlimactic and not at all the uber drama-rific activity I thought it would be.  But still......so utterly worthy of a wonderful prize package put together by TenacityChris.  She is the bomb and covered everything pre- and post-workout, with a little something tasty thrown in just for fun.  I have to say, my favorite was the home made orange zest/cranberry/blueberry bread.  The bread was almost cake like and for a carb whore like me it was a little slice of absolute heaven! And it even had some good carbs in it!

On another note, my quality time with darling daughter has been extended...... one of the two flights for our journey home has been delayed so late that we can't fly the second leg home until tomorrow.  So we are heading out of beautiful Burlington, VT and going to Philadelphia where we will continue the adventure.  If the force is with us, we will fly home tomorrow morning.  So, a little more together time.  I'm not opposed to that!  Now, if I could just get rid or this god-awful cough of mine I'd be golden.  And dang, I'm really looking forward to going for a run soon!

I am a big fat hairy liar

All my fancy talk about moving workouts around so I can fit it all in, blah, blah, blah.......turns out I'm full of crap.  "Fitting it all in" has proven to be an elusive concept for me.

I wasn't able to get my 6 miler in until today and when I finally did, it was UGLY.  I was feeling pretty good about myself because I managed a couple of 3 milers (the last one was 3.1 miles, at 10:15 pace -- NOTE: this is a faster pace than TenacityChris asked for in my last 5K race AND I had negative splits -- all without trying!!)  Yeah, I know I shouldn't brag, and let's be honest here, it's not like I'm burning up the road with my excessive speed, but damn, I'm feeling good about things!!

Or, at least I was until today..... Having two plus feet of snow melting has made for some pretty moist footing; when I decided where I was going to run today I chose poorly.....I was running along a bike path and noticed a huge puddle so I thought I'd give it a wide berth and run in the snow.....another bad choice, the puddle extended under the snow too, and turns out it was ankle deep.  I found that out when I nailed it with both feet.  And that was before I finished the first mile.  I kept going in my squishy shoes even though a good portion of the bike path wasn't plowed - I tried to run in the snow but it was next to impossible.  All in all, I did about a mile and a half of essentially walking because I was going so slow....the legs got a pretty good workout though!

I was feeling pretty miserable with my wet feet and slow motion running; after 4 miles outside I decided I'd had enough and would finish indoors on the treadmill.  And I did,  so I'm giving myself points for persevering.  Not only did I do those last two damn miles on the treadmill but when I was done with that my legs were cramping up horribly so I thought, "Hey, maybe an ice bath would help."  And so I took an ice bath.  Without the potential of winning a prize or anything.  WTF????  This is not something normal people do. I've said it before: I think aliens have taken over my body.

Anywhoo.... while I'm able to fit the shorter workouts in, I still haven't figured out how to get ALL my training in along with all the other things I have going on in my life, so if anyone has suggestions, I'm all ears.

But dang, I'm proud of myself for getting all six miles done.  It wasn't easy, and it wasn't fun, but I did it!

sometimes I amaze myself

in a positive way: I really must be getting stronger.
in a negative way: I really think my mind is going.

Yesterday, I had two workouts on the calendar: a 6 mile run and kettlebell class.  But I also work full-time and my employers have this expectation that in exchange for a paycheck, I will do quality work and meet deadlines, etc.  Because of this little idiosyncrasy of theirs,  I knew I couldn't manage a 6 mile run and kettlebell class AND finish what I need to finish for work.  How to manage it all????  How about I flip-flop Tuesday's 3 mile tempo run for Monday's 6 miler?  The extra 30 minutes will enable me to satisfy both work and workout needs.  TaDa!!

Long story short - the tempo run was not as hard as I thought it would be (quel surprise!!) and I was just wrapping it up when I realized I had remembered the time of kettlebell class wrong - it was at 5:30 not 6:00.  D'oh!!  I swear I am losing my mind.  I had JUST registered for the class so I knew what time it was at......and yet somehow 5:30 became 6:00 in my addled brain.

I believe the technical term for what I experienced is "brain fart."

Anywhoo, so I jumped off the treadmill (tempo run FINISHED!!) ate two quick but huge bites of cottage cheese (chock full of carbs AND protein!) jumped in the car and was off to class.  Showed up 10 minutes late.  D'oh!!x2   Got down to business and when all was said and done, I was able to get in 3 rounds at each station..... I think the class ran a little long.....lucky for me!  So I got two tough workouts done - back to back no less! - in one day.  I'm getting strong like bull!  

Any brain-trainers out there?
The body may be getting strong but the mind is not firing on all synapses.  Clearly.  So here's my thought: just like my marathon training plan is making my body strong like bull, I need a workout plan to make my brain strong like.........something with really awesome brain power.  Is it possible to exercise the brain using similar tactics as in a physical workout plan - you know,  cardio, strength, core?  Can you get the brain to do figurative heavy lifting?  Using games like Sudoku and Boggle, maybe? Jigsaw puzzles??  Oh, and I'm thinking the plan should probably incorporate nutritional aspects, too.   Are there foods that can help reduce brain farts? Fiber for the brain, as it were....  Or supplements?? Whatever it takes......I'm sure there's a multi-level, comprehensive, all-inclusive (feel free to insert additional descriptors here)  plan I can follow.  But no cranial ice baths, please.  There are limits.  Really.

Off to do my 6 miler.  Outside!

ice, ice, baby

Yesterday was a good day for this slow runner!

Had my Valentine's Day TC 5K race.  My coach TenacityChris assigned me a goal pace of 10:30.....seemed FAIRLY doable if I pushed myself, but I was a little nervous, too, because my outdoor runs have all been 11+ minute paces.  Had my trusty Garmin Electra fired up and ready to go and when I passed the starting line, hit the button and was off - walking.  HUGE traffic jam as runners streamed into the narrow walkway from the adjacent parking lot, forcing those of us who had actually lined up for the race to have to slow down and wait.....grrr.....oh well, it's supposed to be a fun run, right?  Except that I had definite goals I was trying to accomplish (a first for me!) and damn if I was going to let a few walkers, strollers and slower runners (whodathunk THAT was possible?!) get in my way.  Or mess up my positive attitude.  I was just going to go with it.

Took me a while to weave my way through the aforementioned traffic and then I was feeling pretty good.  I heard Garmin Electra beep at mile one and looked down to check my pace.....and my aging eyes couldn't make out the numbers.  Argh!  But, like I said, I was feeling good so I picked up the pace just a touch.....eventually, I was passing (yes PASSING!) other runners.....that felt great!!!  There is one spot on the route that I HATE, and that is the little extra loop that gets thrown in right before the finish line.....for some reason that is a mental hurdle for me in every race I run around Lake Harriet and yesterday was no different.....what WAS different was that I was able to suck it up and tell myself to just keep moving; I even made myself go faster to show that particular portion of the trail just who frickin' OWNED it and then all of a sudden, I was done.

When I was finally able to read my watch, I saw my times:
Mile 1: 11:04 (uh oh, not too close to the goal pace)
Mile 2: 09:48
Mile 3: 09:35
Mile 4: 08:19 (the last 0.1 mile around the mind bending bend)

Yee Haw!! Negative splits, baby!! Overall pace: 10:05!!!

You faster runners will be way underimpressed with my pace but I'm amazed at what I was able to accomplish.  I think a big part of it is the core training.....but also changing my diet (no more bonking, please.)  Annnndddd eliminating my regular staple of Don Julio probably played a part, too.

Maybe I'm on my way to finding the secret sauce for a successful marathon.....I can't wait to see how the next race goes!!

Next up......woman finds cojones in ice bath!!!

the dumping of the ice

I am a prize winner!!!

Home again, home again, jiggity jog.....on to the next challenge: the dreaded ice bath.  The husband stopped at QuickieMart and picked up two 10 pound bags of ice while I filled up the tub..... TenacityChris suggested I do as she does: keep socks on (check), bundle up on top (check) and have a hot beverage to drink (check).  I got in the tub and the husband dumped the ice in.

Goosebumps.  Damn, it was cold!

Oh.My.God.  No one told me that ice baths HURT!!!  My feet in particular were truly IN PAIN.  That was a bit of a surprise.  I thought there was no way on God's green earth I was going to last for 10 full minutes.  But I wanted the prize, dammit!  And I can't claim a prize if I don't do it up right.  So I gritted my chattering teeth and sucked it the hell up.  Honestly, after a few minutes the pain really did go away.  It was frickin' cold, no denying that, but not unbearable.  So, all in all, really rather anti-climactic.  Another training wonder!  Good lord, who knows what else I'm going to learn to like.

Can you tell which part of the leg
was submerged in freezing water?

Fast forward to today, and my legs feel great - even my misbehaving knee.  So I guess I will keep trying the ice baths and see how they go.  Another trainer congratulated me on my race and my first ice bath.....then said I had to do ice baths weekly AND not complain.  Ummmm, I make no promises.  On either front at this point. But especially in the complaints portion.  Baby steps people, baby steps!

  

the gauntlet has been thrown AND a lesson in cause and effect

I was going to name this post "desperately seeking cojones" but then I thought that might send the wrong message.  Anyway, my fearless coach, TenacityChris, has issued a challenge to the marathon group: first person to take a picture of themselves in an ice bath (with actual ice cubes clearly visible) will win a prize.  I made certain she is aware of my intense fear of ice baths, hell, of being cold in general, and yet she remains unmoved.

I have no idea what the prize is but damn, I am a sucker for free stuff!  She upped the challenge to me via my training plan - I have a race next Saturday so wouldn't that be a great opportunity to try an ice bath?  Ummmm, you mean after I finish running my race? Outdoors - in February - in Minnesota??  <cue the whining> Yeah, well, now I'm thinking I may just have to take her up on that.  You know, show some intestinal fortitude, some mental toughness, some chutzpah, whatever........  I have almost a whole week to find the cojones to do it; there must be some around here someplace.  And you can bet that if I do somehow manage to find said cojones, there will be photographic evidence.  (Of the ice bath.  The cojones will be figurative and thus not included in the photo.)  I may soon be a prize winner - stay tuned!

Cause and Effect

sometimes I need to be hit with one
of these before I really "get" a concept

So, remember my food diary demonstrating the undeniable proof that I am a carb whore?  Last Friday evening I went to kettlebell/TRX circuit class after a typical day of eating.  The only difference was that I knew that my diet that day was made up of 71% carbs; simple or complex I have no idea.  All I know is that midway through the class I started to feel my blood sugar plummeting.....had a peppermint candy from Chris's stash and was able to finish the class.  So I mentioned to Chris that, gee, I noticed the carb percentage in my diet today <hahaha sheepish laugh hahaha> and she just said, "Girl, we have GOT to talk!"

The concept has now become reality.  I now understand first-hand why I often feel the way I do upon exertion.  <Everyone say it with me: "DUH!">  OK, so I'm not the sharpest knife, the brightest bulb, etc., but I am slowly getting the clue about diet.  Maybe it's NOT that I am a delicate flower, maybe I just ain't fueling the machine the right way!  Went home on Friday and had a favorite meal again: cod, rye berry salad and kale salad.  So delish......

Since I wasn't interested in bonking on my 5 mile run on Saturday, I made sure my breakfast was more protein than carbs; felt great the whole time!  Fast forward to today: Had me a heaping helping of protein before kettlebell class and voila, I didn't see stars or get that old LBS (low blood sugar) feelin' today either.  See???  I CAN be taught.  Huzzah!!

a change is gonna come

frightening photo of an ice b-b-b-bath

The husband and I were able to salvage part of the weekend and had a nice overnight getaway.  Ate my weight in really good (sadly, good does not equal healthy) food, had a fairly heated discussion about politics (always interesting!) and laughed together a lot.  It was great!

Got my initial marathon training plan from my trainer this past weekend.  I think she's starting me off pretty easy since I'm still a bit of a delicate flower what with my tired knee and all.... but it looks like it will ramp up pretty quickly.  Yay!  I'm super excited to finally get the serious training underway after all this time talking about it.  She's got all kinds of things on the training plan - stretching, core work, miles - but the thing that scares me the most is the ice baths that she has SCHEDULED.  Makes me want to weep.  I HATE HATE HATE to be cold.  Tell me I'm going to learn to love them.  I need to hear that.

The writing is on the wall in other arenas too.....  I need to lose some weight (about 10 pounds).....  Looks like I'm going cold turkey on the Oreos (thank goodness we don't have any more of those tasty morsels in the house)....and saying goodbye to Donnie J. (also no longer in the house) and his friend Red Wine......and I'm going to keep a food diary so I can come clean about the crap I love to eat.  Again, unlike Jane, not literally - but I do have that soft spot (most likely adipose tissue) for fat, grease and salt.  My motto is usually "everything in moderation" but I think I really do need to make some drastic changes in my diet over the next 5 months.  I can handle it. Right?

TRX/Kettlebell class tonight - swung a 16kg kettlebell - getting stronger!

Three mile run tomorrow.  Since we got about 5 inches of snow today I'm thinking it's a date with the treadmill.