Runner's High

Running two half marathons, I have experienced the "Runner's High" both times. But rarely do I get the pleasure of reaching that point in a training run. I'm not sure why, maybe there's too much on my mind and no one else around me... but yesterday I was attempting to run 7 miles... (attempting because I didn't get that far) but around .5miles my brain was working against me. I had to fit the urge to stop and go back... I kept hearing a voice say "If a half mile is this hard, you can't possibly do a mile let alone seven." I hate that voice... that voice likes to dominate my thoughts.. "you can't do it, stop trying" but yesterday I said, NO NO NO... i have run 13 miles before, this isn't as hard as I'm pretending it is... and I kept going... around 1.5miles I felt it... that moment when you feel like you've reached the pinnacle and the rest is downhill (even though it's up and down on the trail) ... I started to feel STRONGER! And more comfortable... the parts that hurt at 1/4mile started to loosen up... and while I only did a total of 4.4miles... it was probably my best training run in a very long time...

Lesson learned: NEVER GIVE UP AT THE START OF THE RACE!

Just do it...

Wow... I have to say I am impressed with myself... for many of you, waking up early to go for a run before work is normal. For me, well... let's just say I rarely wake up early these days since I haven't had a full time job... but today I set the alarm for 7:30am... and only snoozed once! I was out running by 7:47am!! I did 2 miles in 25 minutes, which isn't great but it's better than ZERO!

Gotta be ready for Saturday's 11k!... stay tuned

It's been too long

Hey, readers and friends!!

Sorry it's been so long since I blogged... just life getting in the way...

but I ran my first race in Vibrams on Saturday... the Race for the Cure 5k in Winston-Salem, NC...

I was a little nervous because I had not run that far in the vibrams yet, but I was determined to push through the pain (if there was any) and run to the end...

Here's the thing... the entire first mile was UP HILL... at a fairly steep grade... so I had to stop towards the top and walk up because I was not going to sprain my ankle for a charity 5k...

All in all it was a good race... a lot warmer than I am used to for races... in the 70s!! so I was happy with my 37mins finish...

My thoughts about the vibrams.... I'm definitely happy I have them... and will continue to train, hopefully running the Philly in them in November... but weirdness in the muscles in my feet... and strange blister on the side of my foot... I need to keep working with them... I'm not particularly happy that they are super tight on my ankle and i have to wear bandaids so they dont cut the back of my ankle/heel... but that could be my fault for buying the clearance ones online instead of the $100 in-store that I tried on...

so... vibrams... To Be Continued....

Running in gloves...

Both of my half marathon triumphs have been held during the winter, so running with gloves is nothing new to me. Although, around mile 2 or 4, I typically ditch those gloves. The gloves I ran in today were on my feet! I know?! Today was my first official vibram fivefingers run!!! I went 1.6 miles in 16 miles!! I learned a lot in my first attempt:

1.) if you run on a rock/stone you will feel it immediately and attempt to over correct

2.) The road is super rough

3.) it definitely feels different to run in vibrams than in nikes

4.) my ankle isn't completely healed from the 5 mile sprained run in DC...

I'm sure I will continue to learn new things every time I strap on my vibrams and venture down the trail/road!

But it is nice to be out and running in the shoes that inspired my running goals... Born to Run and it's emphasis on the benefits of barefoot running was why I registered for the Philly Half Marathon last April before having set out on my first "jog"...

I am excited to continue training in my vibrams and race my first 5k in minimalist running shoes on May 7!

Running in unfamiliar lands is fun

My family's life has been struck by tragedy... so training has rerouted itself to NJ for a few days... running is one of the best ways I have found to relieve the stress of life... and this week has brought more unexpected stress than we could have anticipated...

I ran an unfamiliar trail near my sister's home in Haddon Heights, NJ... it was along a stream... I had no idea where it would lead or how long it was, I just started running and followed the path... it was nice to break the routine of NC training... and if it's not a monsoon in the morning, I will explore the other side of the park and possibly the large lake as well...

running in new places is always fun, you don't get board because you've never seen it before... I think that's why I do well in races because I don't know how far I've gone or how far i have to go, and I can be distracted by the scenery...

Although i haven't run in the fivefingers yet, I have worn them to Ruby Tuesday for brunch and out to pick up my nephew from school... my feet are getting more used to them... soon I will attempt to run...

The next step in my running career...

Vibram Fivefingers....

Since I am rapidly becoming a running officianado (lol!) I needed to pay homage to what started this wild fascination....

Born to Run by Christopher McDougall was the beginning of something amazing. I read this book on recommendation from a fellow running friend... and halfway through I signed up to run a half marathon six months away. Having been an avid anti-runner for many many years, I had a lot going against my ambitions, but I allowed near insanity to guide me from couch potato to mildly competitive runner in just six long months of training.

In this book was the first time I saw the words "Vibram Fivefingers" and the name itself fascinated my curiosity. I had to know what all the fuss was about. These are the funniest shoes I ever laid eyes on. I had seen them on some super crazy running people last March at the DC Marathon (I was a finish line spectator, really in it to see my friends and have brunch lol). I had to leave my job and move to a new state, but my goal was to buy these fantastic shoes with my first paycheck at my new dream job. And then I was officially unemployed for six months (eek!).

(Disclaimor: I am an independent Arbonne consultant, so I had a home business, but moving to a new state where you don't have any connections makes relaunching a network marketing business super difficult, not impossible, but harder than a guaranteed paycheck to use toward new running shoes... now my business is booming but it took work to get here!)

So, I ran two half marathons without my coveted vibrams but I was not discouraged. One day I knew I would be a minimalist, a barefoot runner, if you will. There are not too many things I am confident about regarding the future, but that was one. In walks my mom. She's the best. It was her birthday yet she said to me "For finishing the race in such a great time, I'm going to buy you those crazy shoes you want." WHAT?! I love her! She isn't the richest woman in the world, and she doesn't have to buy my shoes for me when I'm 28years old. But this is mom's way of showing how proud she is of me, how much she supports what I'm trying to do for my health. She is fantastic. And then a facebook post led to a friend finding VFs for $50!!! OMG. I placed my order monday, and on Friday... they arrived....

My first outting with my new friends will be Monday afternoon... details to come... :)

Back on the trail

Yesterday, I stopped by my local "Fancy Gap Outfitters" to try on some vibrams so find out my size.... so I could order them for 35% off online... the sales woman was VERY good at her job, had me trying on a bunch of minimalist shoes... gave me a free book on Barefoot Running... so I put both shoes on hold... left the store... regained my sanity... came home, ordered my vibrams for $50 online... and sat contemplating what to do about those amazing NB minimalists waiting for me in Mt. Airy... they felt so good... like love for my foot... like my feet had met their sole mates.... it was beautiful, I think I heard birds singing and saw fireworks (or I heard Katy Perry singing "firework").... so what to do?? Do I invest $100 in a pair of running shoes, to cross train (if you will) with my new fivefingers, or do I realize that I am out of contacts and it will likely cost double the amount of those PERFECTO shoes to get new ones (considering I need to have an eye exam to get those nifty eye ball fixers)? Oh the dilemmas of a baby runner....

also... there are people starving around the world... and I'm considering spending $100 on yet ANOTHER pair of shoes... shoes that will allow me to feel like i'm running barefoot... Am I insane?

---

In other news... I ran 2 miles on the track today... it felt good... I'll probably keep those 2 miles up every other day or so to get ready for the 5k in May... and then focus on Philly... :-)

NEXT!

While spraining my ankle wasn't the best way to run half the race, it's quick recovery made me realize that exercise is really helping strengthen my body... and with that... I registered for the Philadelphia Half Marathon on November 20th! I have 6 months to train so it should be a little better than trying to squeeze training into two good weeks in the winter.

Also, I'm going to run this race to raise money for Cancer Research... although I haven't chosen which organization to donate it to yet. But expect to see more information about how you can donate coming soon!

So, who is with me?? The Philly course is a lot less hilly than DC and I really enjoyed running through parts of Philly I hadn't been to before... register before April 15th for the cheapest prices!!

www.philadelphiamarathon.com

Post-race: let down... future goals

After limping around for a bit, the ankle is feeling better than ever... or at least back to normal... so I over indulged in WAWA while in NJ and also more coffee/lattes than I normally do... plus the food... so yummy... and I haven't exercised beyond a mild morning stretch since Saturday...

but

TOMORROW PHILADELPHIA MARATHON REGISTRATION OPENS~!! WOOHOO!!!

November 20th.... Philadelphia, PA.... 7am.... half-marathon.... I am so there...

Which means, I start training tomorrow... after I register... :)

RACE DAY: insanity, running, pain, Personal Best

Okay... I had planned to write a post Wednesday that was my "pre-race weekend" thoughts... however, i ran out of time... sad face

so now i'm going to squish it all into a post-race commentary... yay for "change of plans"

WEDNESDAY:
Wednesday began a very long span of four days culminating in a beautifully long sunday afternoon nap!

I worked til 2:30pm then went to the park for a "jog" to remind my legs what I wanted them to do for me... but it was 81 degrees... so brisk walking was my compromise... then there was dinner at Little Italy (love me some carbs) and a thirty degree temperature drop during a hurricane of a thunderstorm... packing, "cooking", paying bills, balancing checkbooks, laundry, and spending time with the pets before my long trip.... wednesday ended at 1am thursday...

THURSDAY:
Thursday was one of the longest drives ever... started with working from 11-2, then drove 5.5hours from mt airy, nc to Arlington, VA... but it was a good time to think and mentally prepare myself for the feat i was going to undertake two days later... although let's just say i was doing too much TWD and the ride back will be seriously less distracting (which is a great thing in the entire scheme of things).... Left NC at 3pm, arrived @ Jen's house around 8:40pm... good times... we went out for a late dinner and chatted .. returning home to find the lights out until 2am... good times...

FRIDAY:
Friday was expo day... but first, DUNKIN DONUTS! Ah-maize-ING.... it's so much better when they make if for you (sorry DD express at the Hess)... met up with the UD running girls at Union Station, enjoyed some sustenance, drove to the armory for some bounty!
Got my race bib and t-shirt then some other free stuff (bandaids, chapstick, ice pack, backpack - united way, energy supplements, pain relief gel, coupons, etc.). I entered to win an all expenses paid trip to the Kilimanjaro Marathon... although since I haven't heard from them I doubt I won, sad face. Friday night = carb load at Potenza (with the rudest waiter ever) but delicious bread and pasta....

SATURDAY:
Saturday morning the alarm went off at 5am. That was evil. but we got ourselves together and headed downstairs to catch the shuttle we thought was free... turns out it wasn't, so we attempted to hail a cab at 6am... then walked two blocks to another hotel to get a cab there... no one was answering at the cab service, walked two blocks back, then one block up to the metro entrance, metro arrived at 6:29am... race started at 7am... but the metro was packed so no worries on the lateness... checked our bags, stretched, sang a little "FIREWORK" by Katy Perry, used scary porta-potties... joined the wave of people walking toward the starting line, gave each other last minute encouragement, started the ipods... picked up the feet... and started running!

Needless to say, my lack of hardcore training made each mile feel like it took FOREVER to complete... and the lack of mile markers on the course did not help my mental ability to pace myself... but i kept the tunes up loud and just trucked along.... up and down hills... heinous hills... checking out the sights along the way...

we ran through areas of town I knew well and other areas I'd never been to (even though I lived there for three years), it was great to see all the early morning risers who came out to support friends, family, loved ones, and those random runners who didn't have their own personal supporters (SIGN: WAY TO GO, [your name]).

Around Howard University (I honestly can't remember if it was before I got there or while I was running through it) I felt the worst pain in my ankle... and I knew it wasn't just a muscle I needed to stretch... so I pushed through... hoping to keep running and the pain would subside... it got worse... so I attempted to figure out where we were based on signs people held up for the marathoners (btw, it is difficult to figure out percentages while in pain, thirsty, and running up hill... but thank you to whoever it was who hung the bright pink sign announcing the marathon was 30% over at that point). Either my math was off or theirs was, but either way, somehow I convinced myself to continue running through the pain... that it was just a bit further and I would be okay... 2.5ish miles later I saw a sign for mile 10... and I pulled out my cell phone and called my father... the conversation went something like this

Dad: Hello?
Me: Hi.... dad....
Dad: Good morning, sweetie, how are you?
Me: Uh.... not... good... I... neeed... you... to pray... I'm at ... mile.... ten.... and my ankle... hurts so bad... i don't know what's wrong.... but i can't do this on my own...
Dad: Oh oh oh ok I will pray, r u ok, you can do it, i'm gonna pray
Me: Thanks... i gotta go now... i'm running... love you
Dad: love you too, honey...bye

I prayed for God to take away the pain, or at least give me the strength to run through it... the pain never went away but I made up my mind to get to that finish line running and just run myself into the big white medical tent...

Finally, I saw the sign for the half/full split... and then the big red "FINISH" banner.... and I turned up the speed... I passed 13 people in a very short space.... and almost ran passed the girl handing out the medals as I focused on that "MEDICAL" sign... I went right in, sat down, a fantastic athletic trainer got ice bags and a gauze bandage and set me up with my foot elevated, making a quick diagnosis of "sprained ankle"... i texted the girls to let them know my location... eventually we all met up at the armory... and my friends (God bless em) became my human crutches and piggy back rides... I love those girls more than they'll ever know...

Post-race lunch was delicious (pancakes and eggs)... then metro back to the hotel, quick shower, jen drove me to my car that had stayed at her place in arlington, and I headed to NJ for an Arbonne workshop....

Oh, and yes... I ran faster than my Philly time... almost reaching my goal of 2.5hours.... I offically clocked in at 2hours 32 minutes 55 seconds :) PRAISE THE LORD :)

T-minus pringles and milkshake

Ok so for some reason the depression got to win today and caused me to fall off the healthy eating wagon... Dill Pickle flavored Pringles... Mozzarella sticks and marinara flavored pringles... and a black cherry milkshake... someone shoot me because i think i just reversed three months of training in less than 30 minutes...

So tomorrow is the last day to train before I rest my legs for the half mar... yup... well today it was 82 degrees... probably about 40 degrees warmer than it will be on Saturday.... definitely didnt lace up the running shoes... but tomorrow i need to run... just to run... just to remember how... and maybe decide which socks to wear... i dont want my feet to be too cold or too hot...

oh and i need to set my ipod playlist... and pack my suitcase

and get good sleep :)

I started the day with Organic Oats, Craisins, and Apples... it held me over until my horrid pringles bash.... hopefully the weather and my tummy will cooperate tomorrow for a little jog :)

5 days left to train

Today, I focused on stretching and toning and strengthening my muscles with yoga... then the dog escaped and I ran a couple miles in flip flops chasing mr crazy paws... I received my FINAL INSTRUCTIONS email and i'm super freaked out... THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN!! READY OR NOT!!! eek....

So I've issued a challenge to facebook friends... donate to a charity, tell me which one, and hopefully I will have 13 charities to run for... one for each mile... so when I'm thinking I can't go on, I can think of 1. people suffering in Japan, 2. children sponsored through Compassion International, 3. St Jude's Children's Hospital.... (these are three causes that have been impacted so far)...

I need something bigger than myself to push through the walls... I need to think beyond my own inabilities and do it for those who can't...

Often, I think about those young men and women returning from war with less than they went with... those who lose a leg or both and would give anything to run again... those who become blinded as an effect from an IED, or a head injury, would give anything to see the sites of DC the way I will get to see them.... and for all those who come home only to rest in peace...

What would keep you racing toward the goal at mile 9?

5 in 53

Today was one of those days where I just couldn't get myself going... and had so much to get done before I could lace up the sneaks and hit the trail... but I was determined to run... determined to run the entire 5 miles even if i wound up snapping something and falling into the river... I was determined... and that determination turned into a FANTASTIC run for me... 5 miles in 53 minutes, that's one minute better than last week... now I realize I need to hit 13.1 miles, and so perhaps you're wondering why with 9 days left I'm so happy to have run 5 miles... good question... but the fact is, I did it, i ran, I didn't die, i didn't fall down... I pushed through the pain.... will i be able to push through the pain next saturday?? DARN RIGHT.... besides, apparently there are some FANTASMIC cookies at the finish line... and I so want to wear my medal all day :)

Marathon Fresh Scent Test 5: FAIL... hmm not a good sign...

accidentally ate a tootsie roll today... meh... it didnt kill me...

Ten days....

With the National Half Marathon ten days away, I fear I am not at my best due to lack of training... due to lack of motivation to run in the winter... and just excuse after excuse...

but I'm not a quitter.. and I know that I can do this... I did it once before... so I have one week left to get my train on before I need to rest my body for the 13.1miles of torture...

Marathon Fresh Scent continues to win, so that's one less distraction... I have a spybelt for holding the goodies... I'll be staying in a nice hotel with one of my besties... I have my ipod (but not my playlist yet) and hopefully by the end of the week I'll be a little clearer about "stuff"...

so with the full awareness that my brain will be on a million other things if I let it, I'm going to try to get over the mental hurdles I have placed before me and train like it's all I have to live for...

Any recommendations for songs that keep you going when you want to give up??

Losing an hour makes me grumpy

Today is another beautiful day... but I've slept through most of it because I lost an hour to Daylight Savings Time... I should strap on the shoes and go for a run but I'm grumpy... so if I can manage to get the television away from Joseph for an hour, I'll do some Wii Fit yoga and aerobics...

Deodorant Test 3: Win

Setbacks and leaps forward

Running into the wind just seems so counter-productive... i was having a great run today (after a dismal effort that saw shin splints and stomach pains yesterday) and then the force of the wind against me made it feel like i was barely moving... and yes, one of my hardest things to do while running is to mentally accept that i'm running a distance for a long period of time (ADD perhaps?)... so I just stopped... and stood with my arms out as the wind tried to knock me down... it was crazy... then i started walking into the wind, which is not as draining as running into the wind... but still, mentally distracting for me...

but the great thing about running into wind is that when you turn around to go back, the wind is pushing you forward... so the time you lose on the first half, you pick up on the way back...

CHOICE: running into the wind vs running with the wind to my back? option #2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I normally carry a bottle of gatorade while I run, but for some reason today I was feeling like I should take a bottle of water instead. Water is great, and essential for life, especially for staying hydrated while running... but I must admit, I like gatorade better... when I run through the water stations during the half marathon i will grab a cup of water, but i will definitely be holding my bottle of gatorade throughout the race until it is empty...

CHOICE: Gatorade vs Water? Option #1

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Update on Marathon Fresh Scent deodorant testing - testing will continue for two weeks and culminate with the real reason for this experiment, the MEGA TEST in DC

Test 1: FAIL (Friday 3/11)

Test 2: WIN (Saturday 3/12)

5 Miles in 54 Minutes

Tuesday I got myself back on the trail and ran with the most power I've felt since November... and 54 minutes later I had run 5 miles... it's amazing how good you feel after you finish a training run... I wanted to keep going but I had set a goal and met it so I decided just to keep on schedule.

Yesterday was a downpour, a big washout...

and today was surprisingly soaked as well... plus, the park I run at was closed!? what?! I'm going to go ahead and assume that it was because of all the rain... the river was rushing and crazy high on Tuesday so after two more days of rain, I bet there was some flooding... I have to admit it was disappointing...

But on a positive note, I found a sport deodorant that is called "marathon fresh scent" -- this could be the holy grail of running... I know I know... you'd think gatorade or vibram fivefingers or power bars or the perfect ipod playlist would be the holy grail, but seriously, have you ever smelled someone after they've run 13.1 miles!?

Details to come after I test the power of this miracle product...

Step 2: Realize your setbacks...

Snickers Energy Marathon Protein Bars are AWESOME... but SNICKERS PEANUT BUTTER are bad for marathon training...

but they are oh so yummy...

Okay so my problem is that I have this love for peanut butter and chocolate.... and while I am able to trick myself by making peanut butter chocolate protein bars with my Arbonne chocolate protein powder, the world of CANDY has decided to thwart my plans to train and be fit with this new yummy delicious slice of heaven...

so basically, i inhale these little bites of love... and that means i need to train twice as hard because they are not on my half marathon training diet...

nom nom nom nom...

Step One: Admit You're a Runner

I have been running for just under a year now. I still consider myself a newbie even though I ran the Philadelphia Half Marathon (Nov 2010) in 2 hours and 40 minutes. Somehow, I still think that was a first time fluke. Even though I remember running, and I remember the adrenaline, and knowing that I couldn't stop until I got to the end... but there is just something impossible about believing I accomplished a goal and exceeded ALL possible expectations I had for myself.

I've been training for the DC Half Marathon for a few months, although I use the word "training" lightly since I have lacked the consistency of a true runner and instead look more like a high school track athlete trying to impress the boys with her pretend skills.

But okay, I admit it, I'm a runner. I guess I had been fighting it for years, who knows why, that will be for the shrink to uncover in about ten years...

So I run... I don't run fast... and typically I don't even run far... unless there are 17000 other people with me and I've paid a lot of money to get a number on my shirt.

It all started with a gchat or a text message (can't really remember which) where a book was recommended to me... Born to Run... an amazing book that halfway through seriously changed my life... and I started running in my backyard... barefoot... for 30 seconds, then a minute, then two minutes...

I ran on the sidewalks of Rodgers Forge, Baltimore, Maryland. Then we moved to Surry County, North Carolina... and I began running on the roads of Shoals.... then I took some time and ran 5 miles in Accra, Ghana... then back to running in Shoals... and Pilot Mountain, NC.

Eventually, I made my way home to run the Philadelphia Half Marathon... and as I've already reported, I finished that race with flying colors... and a desire to keep going....

But then it was winter... and it is hard to run in the ice and snow... in the freezing temperatures... around the holidays... I kept trying... nothing extravagate or memorable... I used a treadmill in my hotel in Las Vegas twice to take advantage of the indoor running opportunity... I found a park with a trail near my new part-time job during an unseasonably warm week in February... and here I am, about to start the second week of March... after suffering a week off due to the flu, and a FAIL week due to the lingering cough and sinus pain...

2.5weeks until DC Half Marathon... I have my supplements, my game plan, my ipod... now all I need is time, good weather, and energy...