Back on Track?

130 Days to Race

My ankle is killing me. I'm used to a low level of constant pain. That's what comes from a severe fracture and dislocation. I'd almost expect there to be something brewing in the Gulf. I can usually tell if we have a good strong low out there. I haven't heard of anything yet.  I ran yesterday even with my ankle problems. It's been ten years since the injury.  I can tell by now what is regular if slightly more intense pain and real pain that I should pay attention to.

Anyway, I missed two LSRs recently. I was supposed to do a seven miler while I was on vacation and I was supposed to do a five miler this past Sunday. I've been catching up so I've been a bit off. I set out yesterday knowing that I was going to do at least five miles and, if I felt up to it and the sunlight held, I'd do seven. It was brutal. I guess I'm going to have to start running in the mornings. I am sooooo not a morning person.  It was still too hot to comfortably run. I think it was still 88 degrees when I set out. I wore my hydration belt (which makes me look like a total geek) but it barely held enough Gatorade for me to do five miles. I was slow.  I could have kept going for seven, but it was starting to get too dark and I hadn't brought my safety gear.  I can't say I was upset by this turn of events.

I found a Nike + GPS app for my new Iphone. I'm not sure I like it. I've calibrated my regular Nike+ several times and it is almost dead on. I've used my Iphone twice now and it has cheated me out of at least a half mile each time. I do like, however, the option to post to Facebook when you start a run and have it cheer you whenever someone likes it or comments on it. It's fun to get random cheers when you are running--especially when you are having a tough run. 

Today is a rest day. Part of me thinks I should try to get in seven miles, but the rest of me thinks I need the rest. Tomorrow is my 35th birthday. I get to celebrate with a three mile fast run. Joy.

My First Night Run

135 Days to Race

Say you want to increase your speed. You search online for speed training programs. You start interval training. You run some fartleks. Maybe you start some plyometrics training. Maybe it works. The easiest way, I've learned, is to go for your first night time run.

I'm still on Pacific coast time. I wanted to go for a run and just couldn't face running on a treadmill. I've bought all the safety equipment to go running at night. I have a head lamp. I have safety flashers. I have a RoadID. I have a whistle. I even carried my phone (something I hate to do) and called my sister before I headed out.

I knew I needed to run today because I got off my schedule on vacation. I mentioned in an earlier post that I was good at the start but allowed myself to slack too much. It turns out that I only missed two runs. One of those runs was a seven miler, though. I chose to catch up on my two miler tonight. I headed out and, though I felt strong and settled easily into the run, I never settled into the situation. I found myself breathing harder than I usually do. So, when I reached a street light and could, I checked my Nike + armband to find out my pace. Let's just say that I must have really wanted to get the run over with.

I wonder if I'll become more at ease with running after dark like I got used to running in public or if I'll always be uncomfortable. And I do make a distinction between heightened awareness and uncomfortable. I don't think I'll ever become complacent about night running.

Slacking

137 Days to Race

I was doing so well with my running while on vacation. WAS is the operative word. I made myself run in Seattle and on the Olympic peninsula. I actually enjoyed my runs there. Sunday, however, I found myself in Leavenworth, Washington. This town has styled itself as a Bavarian hideaway. I found myself enjoying good German food and good German beer far too much to make myself get out and run seven miles. I rationalized it by saying that not only did the landscape resemble the Alps, I was truly at altitude. I know I can handle running at altitude or handle hills, but I don't think I could survive both. Definitely not seven miles of both. SO, I put off the run. I'll fit it in, I said. This morning I'm near Portland, Oregon--a place that is hilly but relatively close to sea level. I should have gotten up and run this morning. I'm scheduled for two miles today, I think. I should have done the seven miles I missed. But I've gotten lazy. Tomorrow I fly home. I could run tonight, but I'm thinking that I'll probably just give up until I get home. I'll start over then. I still have a few months until the race. I'll be able to make up training in that amount of time, right?

Running in Washington

142 Days to Race

Today has been a historic day in my running career. Well, perhaps I'm overstating, but it has still been a good day. First the mundane. I ran fartleks today in the fitness center at my hotel. I had a lot of vacation things to do today and couldn't spare the time to travel somewhere to run. Figuring out strange treadmills is always fun. This one was FAIRLY straightforward, though, and I was able to get started pretty quickly. My fartlek training was extended to 30 minutes from 20 minutes. That meant two extra sessions. They kicked my ass. But I was able to finish. During the next to last set, however, a family started staring at me through the window in the fitness room door. I kept imagining what the father was saying to the young girl. Was he commenting on that fat girl who thinks she is running? Perhaps I shouldn't be thinking such things, but I can't help it. There was an article in Runner's World recently about how a formerly fat runner is always a fat runner. Either you are fat are you are running from being fat. I identified. Anyway, it felt like they stared at me for about 10 minutes. I finally waved at them in the mirror and they jumped. Like they really thought I couldn't see them? Mirrors let you see behind you too. That's the cool thing about them. I think that just made the last two sessions even harder than they should have been.

That's a bit of a negative, right? So why am I so happy? Because I seem to have influenced two women in my life to start running and/or set lofty running goals. Admittedly I'm ASSUMING one of these women was talking about me when she could have been talking about anybody, but my cousin contacted me directly. She started the Couch to 5k program today. I'm proud of her for trying and hope she is successful. I hope she knows I'm here for her no matter what. The other woman? She is running for weight loss and has set a goal of running a marathon--probably in 2012. I'm very proud of her, too.

Tomorrow I'm supposed to do a three mile run. There appears to be a nice trail along the Juan De Fuca Straight just outside my hotel. I'm not sure how long it is, but it is beautiful enough that I can double up if needed.

Foreign Running

143 Days to Race

I just ran for the first time in a different state. That sounds funny, doesn't it? I was running when I went on vacation last year, but I wasn't yet comfortable enough to go out and run in unfamiliar areas.

I did my research and found that Seattle's "runner's park" was Green Lake Park. I'm going to insert a (bad) picture I took with my phone.

Quite different from Houston!

Anyway, the trail runs around the lake and is about 2.8 miles. It was cold and windy, but it was wonderful to run some place new. It was a flat trail for Seattle, but hilly for Houston. I was able to keep a fast pace (11'07"--fast for me) and avoid what seemed like millions of other runners, walkers, bikers, skaters, and lollygaggers. I'm generally proud of myself today.

By the way, I forgot to mention in yesterday's blog post that even though I fell three times and it was a trail run (which is generally slower) I was within about two minutes of the time on my first (and only other) 10k race. Cool.

Races and Falls

144 Days to Race

I haven't written in a while. My runs have been going pretty well all in all. I've felt strong. I've felt fast. I haven't been fighting my running demons as much as usual. I was supposed to run six miles on Sunday. I was looking for a more fun way to accomplish this and stumbled on a night time 10k trail run. I thought it sounded fun. I geeked out in my headlamp and crashed through heavily wooded trails.

I fell.

Three times.

And hit my head.

I'm okay, but I'm thinking there are no more night trail runs in my future. It's just too dangerous for a klutz like me. Check out one of my more colorful bruises.

I'm out of state for a week. I hope to get some runs in up here, but I must admit that the less than flat terrain has me a bit nervous.

Seeking Encouragement

154 Days to Race

I’m on schedule and doing okay, but I’m having trouble with the mental aspects of training for a marathon. Today I ran outside—at the hottest part of the day. I know I’m crazy for doing that—especially given that I had a heat stroke when I was fifteen and am now supposedly more likely to have them. But I did it anyway. It wasn’t that hot for Texas. Well, maybe it was hot (85 degrees) but not humid and there was a breeze so it didn’t feel that bad. I know that later in the summer I’ll have to be running in near 100 degree weather with near 100% humidity. I have to adjust.

ANYWAY, I felt okay physically during the three mile run. It took a bit longer than usual to settle into it, though. I’m usually feeling settled after about a quarter mile. Today it took about a mile. I just couldn’t shut off my brain! I kept asking myself why I was doing this. I kept thinking that there was no way I’d be able to do it. I’ll never be able to run a marathon. I should just quit and go home to sit on the couch.

I fought it and kept going and I’m proud of myself for that, but it bothers me that it happened at all. I’ve done more in the last year than I ever thought I’d be able to do. A marathon is the next in a line of natural progression. My brain knows I can do it. It is logical. My heart, however. . . It needs some convincing.

The End of a Crazy Week

160 Days to Race

I haven't written here in a while. Why? Well, Tuesday during class I all but passed out. I soldiered through the end of that class and met with the next, cut it short and went to an Urgent Care center. I don't know anything yet. They did some tests--including an EKG and bloodwork. They have ruled out problems with my heart at least. I've been a bit off with my training. I'm still on schedule more or less. I've been off a day but got caught up yesterday. Then today my lights went out. I couldn't make myself go run today without knowing if I'd have air conditioning or the ability to have a hot shower when I got home. So, well, I'm off again.

I've lost a lot of weight since I've began. I just bought a pair of size 8 jeans. They don't fit beautifully, but they do fit. What I wonder, however, is when I'll actually start to see myself as thinner. When I was almost 250 pounds I thought I was the same size as another girl who, though my height, was more than 300 pounds. I learned through therapy to trust numbers not images. I'm okay with that, I guess. I just wish I could look in a mirror or at a photograph and see, actually see, someone who is less than 300 pounds.  (I just heard Osama Bin Laden is dead). Anybody else out there dealing with this? j

I can't keep this kind of post going right now. Must watch news!