Crossroads Training: Week Eleven

I celebrated my first week of upping my mileage by not actually run any more miles than previous weeks.

And by you, I mean running.

Monday - NROLFW Stage 4 Workout 1B
I switched up the days of my workouts to take advantage of the spring weather. Monday was still pretty gross, so I stayed indoors. I enjoyed that this workout was shorter than the ones at the end of Stage 3 were. I noticed a big increase in strength on some of the exercises.

Tuesday - 5 mi easy
My quads were so cramped I almost face-planted on my first step in front of some small children. Excellent start to a run.

Wednesday - 6 mi easy
I tried my honest best to do a tempo run, but my quads were so cramped my "tempo" pace was edging towards 11 min/mile, I knew it wasn't going to happen. This turned into a run/walk (heavy emphasis on the walk). It was a lot more enjoyable, and I would've done the full seven if my hands hadn't started going numb.

Thursday - Yoga for Hips, Hamstrings, and Back
My quads still had me hobbled, even just walking around work. I tried some yoga instead of running to try to loosen everything up. The hamstring stretches helped by proxy, but I didn't feel that much better afterwards.

Friday - rest
After even more hobbling around, I tried taking the day completely off in preparation for my 20 miler.

Saturday - 20 mi long
I had amazing spring weather for this run! I needed my hat and light gloves but only had to wear my light jacket and capris. The cramping was still there but finally eased up after about seven miles. I got tired shortly after this, so I didn't really have any miles to just zone out during, but that's probably good mental preparation for the race. While I hope and pray this weird issue goes away in a month, I'm not terrified about what will happen if it's still around on race day.

I also noticed a big difference in how I handled the distance in this race. Breaking it into four mile chunks made it feel manageable. I was tired and ready to be done at 20, but thinking of a marathon as that plus one more four mile chunk and the final two feels good. I don't think my time is going to necessarily be much better than before, but I feel like I have a much better base.

Sunday - rest
I was out of town and away from my pool, so I took another rest day instead of my normal swim.

Run: 31 mi, 6:23
Lift: 45:43
Yoga: 26:59
Total Time: 7:35:42

Dealing with this bizarre cramping definitely put a damper on my training this week, but I'm pleased I still had a pretty great 20 miles despite that. It took away a lot of my nerves for the upcoming marathon. And it's definitely nice knowing I only have one 20 miler left outside of races for the next long while.

Here's to 33 days until Crossroads!

Crossroads Training: Week Ten

After battling a terrible cold complete with fever and cough and taking seven days off, I eased my way back into training this week. Other than a few sniffles (some of which were probably brought on by my allergy shot), I felt like I was over my illness.

I did cut back some on the workouts - taking a whole week off to lay on the couch definitely led to some tightness. I also was able to head outside for some runs for the first time in months, and the change in running surface worked a lot of different stabilizer muscles and brought on some extra soreness. But running in the warm sun (hey, 40 degrees feels steamy after this awful winter!) was worth all the pain.

I admit, I realized it was worse than I thought when a coworker today asked me, "Did you go running? You're walking REALLY funny."

Monday - 5 mi easy
This was my first run outside in more than a month (and my first elective run outside in more than two) (and my first run outside where I could maintain a running motion in more than three). It felt amazing beyond belief to feel the sun and listen to the birds while I ran. My legs felt sluggish, but my pace was actually a bit faster than it had been indoors.

Tuesday - NROLFW Stage Four Workout 1A
This workout was nice and familiar, since Stage Four repeats Stage Two, with some modifications. I could really feel the lack of use in my muscles during this workout, but I just focused on intensity. I was still able to go up in weight on some exercises, which was great proof to myself that I am getting stronger.

Wednesday - 3x1600, 800s jogs (+WU/CD)
The weather turned nasty again on Wednesday, so I opted to head back to the indoor track to focus on hitting my splits, rather than how windburned my face was getting. I was admittedly pretty nervous for how the mile repeats were going to go, considering how I felt the previous two days and the amount of soreness that had built up. I was incredibly achy and tight and just off during my warm-up, but that somehow went away the instant I sped up. I haven't felt that smooth and fluid in a long time. Despite my fears, I came in under my goal for all three repeats. (But before you hurt your hands clapping for me, you should know my goal pace was 8:46 min/mile.)

Thursday - rest
My right IT band and quad were incredibly angry at me for being indecisive about which running surface I wanted to use. All my long runs on the track put my right leg on the banked part, so it's still adjusting to extending as far as my left leg. I recovered by sitting on the couch some more and watching basketball.

Friday - 4 mi easy
I had been planning to lift as planned, but I decided to make up my missed run from the day before and take advantage of another nice weather day. My legs felt sluggish, and my IT band absolutely ached, which made me pretty nervous for my long run the next day.

Saturday - 16 mi long
I tried to soothe myself for this long run by reminding myself it is favorite long run distance. It was quite cold when I headed it out, but it warmed up enough later that I was able to remove my hat and gloves, and I even got a little overheated in my heavy jacket. I ran the first three miles with a friend who was visiting (with an obligatory stop at the bizarre Duck Hunters' Memorial), and those miles flew by. 

After we split up, I was so content to listen to the sounds of nature I actually made it to mile ten without putting on my iPod. (Side note: I know some runners get really worked up about no iPods, but I didn't realize how much I used it just to prevent noise fatigue from cars until I got to run somewhere much quieter.)

The last four miles got a little too death-marchy for my comfort level at this stage in the game, but I tried to reassure myself that it was just the time off and the change in running surface. My splits did get generally faster as I went on, so I might just need to go a little slower to feel more comfortable.

Sunday - rest
I truly was planning to swim, but my quads were sharply painful. I honestly didn't think I would be able to generate enough power with my kick to comfortably swim the workout I had scheduled. Plus, Michael was visiting, so I enjoyed a lazy morning instead.

Run: 31 mi, 5:47
Lift: 38:00
Total Time: 6:25

This was a pretty easy week, at least time-wise. I thought I would be able to dive right back into training, but I'm glad I listened to my body and took it a little slower. I have enough time before Crossroads that I doubt a week off will affect anything. (I had to take the week before Sleeping Bear off due to illness, and I still finished relatively okay.)

The big test will be my 20 miler this Saturday. I'll be back visiting the Eager Feet Parents, so I'm excited to have somewhere fresh to get the miles in. (Plus their house will be available for any Code Red pit stops.) I'm also bumping up my total mileage a bit this week because I was starting to get paranoid. I know it won't make any real difference, but a nice mental boost will be nice.

T-5 days until this becomes relevant to my life!

Running Funk

I feel like I am in a running funk. I'm hitting that part of my training cycle where I've done a 20-miler without imploding and just want to get the show on the road. I'm fairly confident I could roll out of bed and run a marathon tomorrow, though it would probably turn into a death march. I'm trying to remind myself another month and a half of work will make the whole experience more pleasant. Plus I know have four marathons scheduled in 49 days, so my time to race extensively is coming.

 

I was thrown for an extra large loop of funk last week when I came down with a cold. I don't own a thermometer, but I'm relatively certain I had a low-grade fever on two or three days. Luckily my work is really flexible, so I was able to work from home quite a bit, but it was my busiest week of the month, so I still had to be in the office quite a bit. 

I had very little appetite the whole week (ie eating two or three pretzels for dinner was a major success), so I took the whole week off running, even when I felt better. I had a 20-miler scheduled and felt weird for skipping it, but I would've hit the wall at about mile two. My system just wasn't fueled properl. I have 16 miles this Saturday and 20 the next, so I feel like my preparation is still going to be adequate. 

Which comes to the next part of my funk - my training plan. I chose to use Runners World's SmartCoach for this training cycle. I liked the fact that I could somewhat customize the plan, and it incorporated what I thought of as "real" speedwork. While the plan is perfectly sound, I think some of my current lethargy is coming from the fact no one sat down and made this specific plan. Obviously someone had to right the program to spit out the workouts, but I'm starting to feel a mental difference. I'm not sure why this is bothering me so much; I like to think I'm smart enough to put together my own training plan if my only goal is to finish, but there's something about doing a run because a computer told you to, not a person.

In that vein, I looked at my race schedule and found I have 15 weeks between Hatfield-McCoy and Monument. I had been waffling about what to do - it wasn't long enough to take a break and build up again, but I didn't just want to sit in a holding pattern for months either. I did a little research and bought myself the Hanson's Marathon Method book.

It would supposed to arrive today, but it got stuck because of the snowstorm. I'm excited to dive into it tomorrow. I'm familiar with some of the plan's key tenets, but I'm eager to learn all the specifics. The plan is supposed to be 18 weeks long, but I read that the first few weeks have much lower mileage and encourage you to mesh your current running with the plan rather than the other way around. I'm incredibly anal retentive and wish I would be able to follow it 100% exactly, so I'll have to let that go.

I'm really hopeful that giving every run a purpose and a specific pace will reignite my passion for training. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to spend my unplanned rest day watching Big Ten basketball.

Crossroads Training: Week Eight

This past week was a step-back week and did it ever feel great. I know building for three weeks is typical for most plans, but I've never done it before, and I can definitely feel a difference in my fatigue levels.

Monday - 6 mi easy
My calves were feeling very tight after my long run, but the track goes the same way on Saturdays and Mondays, so I didn't feel that much better afterwards. I did stay long enough that the basketball games below me finished, and the following peace and quiet helped me recharge.


Tuesday - NROLFW Stage 3 Workout 4B
This was the last workout for Stage 3 of NROLFW! I wasn't exactly looking forward to repeating the sequence again, but I was motivated to complete the stage. The music at the gym was a lot quieter than normal, so I could comfortably listen to a podcast the whole time, which helped stave off the boredom.


Wednesday - 6 mi easy
I wasn't super thrilled to run six miles at the track again, but I felt a lot more fluid in my hips than I have in a long time (probably inhibited by the banked turns). The track was a lot more crowded than normal, so it was probably for the best I was doing an easy run instead of speed workout.


Thursday - 6 mi easy
Another day, another six mile run.


Friday - rest
Rest day! I took a day off from lifting and watched BBC on Netflix with my friend instead.


Saturday - 6 mi easy
I can't even begin to describe how great it felt to only have to run six miles on my long run day. I didn't necessarily go that much faster, but I had a spring in my step.

Sunday - 2800 yd swim
I had a great time swimming with my friend (and not just because I didn't have to share my lane with any weird people). It was so nice to know no one was going to crash into me, plus we hit up the sauna afterwards. We were going to use the hot tub, but it had no water? Still don't understand that one.


Run: 24 mi, 4:25
Lift: 1:08
Swim: 2800 yd, 1:15
Total Time: 6:48

My Running Story

I was inspired to write this by seeing a few other running bloggers I follow post their running stories. Also, I am lazy and wanted to write an "About" section - now I can get double credit for it.

 

When I was in seventh grade - the first year my school district allowed students to participate in sports - I tried out for the basketball team. Unfortunately, I wasn't selected for even the alternate team, so I decided to do track and field, a no-cut sport, with all my friends. While I didn't loathe it enough to outright quit, I hated most of our practices. The one day we had a practice cancellation for rain was like Christmas.

Practices were two hours, five days a week. The first hour was calisthenics, and the second hour involved everyone not naturally talented getting dumped in the field behind my middle school to train on our own. You were expected to be active the whole time, but rarely were you given any real instruction on what to do. (Our main coach was training for his own marathon, so I'm not sure what the disconnect was. He finished his race, so he must've known something about running.)

I was put in the exhibition 220 and also chose to run the 880, as it was open to anyone interested. My crowning achievement was when I did not come in last place. (Full disclosure: it was at the district meet when I got to run against all four other schools.)

Looking back, I understand why I hated track so much. We were all forced to do the exact same workouts and were punished for not performing well enough. I certainly got stronger and probably improved (my times weren't recorded), but it wasn't in a logical way. I wasn't given the tools needed for success; even now I would need to do a lot of research to learn how to train to run the 220 and 880 well (ie not come in last again) - I'm not sure how I was supposed to figure it out as an 11-year-old running laps by myself in a field. (Wearing all cotton and Meijer gym shoes, no less.)

This thoroughly turned me off running, even though it was something I really wanted to do. I think my most distinctive take-away from this phase was that I didn't mind that the training was hard, I minded that I didn't know what I was doing. I vividly remember my grandmother asking why I participated if it was hard (I think I said I was sore after the first week of practice) and being nonplussed by the thought I would quit just because track required effort.

Fat lazy pandas don't put much effort into their image searches, alright?

I moved on to high school, where I took a required gym class the summer before my freshman year. (Over-achiever, hey-oo.) To get 100%, you needed to run a sub-30 3 miles. I was determined to get a 100%, so I spent extra time running on my own. However, it never occurred to me I could run outside (or trade in my Meijer gym shoes), so I did everything on the treadmill, which I hated. Again, with 20/20 hindsight, I can see what I really hated was where I was running, but I had no one to tell me otherwise. I think I ran a 31:something, which, considering I had no base beforehand, was really good for me. My most vivid memory of this whole thing was on "test day," when I ran more than a whole mile without walking and felt like I was flying. Even though I ultimately lost points, that sensation made up for it. (Though I do remember feeling ashamed when my friends had already finished well under 30 minutes and told me I needed to hurry up. Who knows why I prefer to always run alone?)

After that class, I proceeded to play zero sports and stopped running. This is probably my one regret from high school; I really wish I had had the camaraderie of a team for those four crappy years. I do laugh now though, because plenty of people ask if I was some sort of cross-country protege when I tell them I run marathons. (A sport that requires you to run really fast on grass? That sounds like some terrible nightmare.)

But, and this is a big but and it cannot lie, I am also a tiny bit glad I didn't run in high school. Several people I know who did track and/or cross-country now despise running and have given it up. I can't explain how weird it is to be able to run further than someone who I used to think was a fantastic athlete. I'm sure they could still kick my butt when it comes to speed any day, but it's a bizarre paradigm shift I still haven't acclimated to. This might go back to how in my head I'm still the slowest runner on the planet, but that's another story for another day.

Cheesy, but I'm honestly not sure how else to describe it.

Somehow, the tiny desire to run still stayed alive deep inside of me. When I started college, one of my close friends was a runner. She never forced it on me, but seeing someone be a runner day-in and day-out helped show me it was possible, no calisthenics or running on grass required. I started running in short intervals (in a new pair of Meijer shoes), though I made the rookie mistake of sprinting and being forced to walk. This time I kept it up.

One day, when I was staying with my runner friend, we discussed doing a 5K for my upcoming birthday. I found this inspiring and decided to go running. I have no idea what clicked this time, but I focused on running through each song as it came on my iPod, slowing the pace if I needed. As I went longer and longer, I decided I wanted to run continuously to the other side of campus. I was totally winded when I got there, but when I allowed myself to stop I almost fell over the runner's high hit me so hard. It was like what I had felt five years before, multiplied by a factor of 1000.

I managed to run back to my friend's apartment and looked up how far I had run without stopping - two miles. That sounds like so little now, but at the time I felt like a champion. This gave me the confidence I needed to sign up for the 5K. I finished the Run Back to School 5K in 33:48 one day before my 19th birthday. 

Eight years after my first track practice, I could finally call myself a runner.

And I jaywalk right across because a running party don't stop.

That spring I decided I wanted to do something I'd never done before - run four miles without stopping. I set-up two two-mile loops and headed out in the evening. I wanted to stop so badly after the first loop, but I kept going. I was so sore afterwards I hobbled for two days, but I felt like I was ready for more. In the summer of 2012 I ran the inaugural BTN Big 10K in Chicago and loved it. This was the first inkling I had that I might like to go longer, something that once seemed so overwhelming.

I started training for my first half, The Ice Cube Half, after Thanksgiving that year. Marathons had crossed my mind enough that I started reading seriously about them, but they still sounded pretty scary. However, I discovered my favorite part of training were the long runs, when I would just go for hours. I started researching races and signed up for the Sleeping Bear Marathon on January 1, 2013, before I had actually run my half.

After this point I started to learn more about the marathon community, especially about 50-Staters and the Marathon Maniacs. That summer I discovered the Mount Desert Island Marathon would qualify me for the Maniacs and start me on the 50 States path. Eager Feet Mom needed some convincing about why going to Maine during the semester was a good idea, but she eventually came around and became very supportive. When I crossed that finish line, I knew the 50 States was something I really could achieve.

Though my new coworkers probably wish I would stop telling them all about it.

Crossroads Training: Week Seven

This week was my third week of three in this build stage. Physically I feel fine, but I did lose some motivation towards the end. I'm really looking forward to a step-back week!

(I realize this post looks super obnoxious without pictures, but I wouldn't know what to do with my phone while I actually worked out if I lugged it around to take pictures of my shoes. And I refuse to take post-workout selfies because I have principles.)

Monday - 4 mi easy
My legs still felt very fatigued from my 20 miler the Saturday before. It felt good to shake them out a bit, but the built-up track makes it hard to get all the kinks worked out.

Tuesday - NROLFW Stage 3 Workout 3B
After a long day of doing nothing at work, I just wanted to curl up with Faramir at home. I made myself go anyway; I can't say I felt better afterwards, but I'm glad I went.

Wednesday - 7 mi tempo
I didn't hit my tempo pace right away, but my average worked out properly. I think if I want to hit the right pace off the bat, my warm-up needs to be a little faster.

Thursday - 4 mi easy
I ran a little faster than I probably should've since my legs were tired from the day before, but we were having a winter sleetstorm, and I just wanted to get home. I thought I fueled properly, but I crashed during the last mile.

Friday - NROLFW Stage Workout 4A
I actually sat in the parking lot for a good 10 minutes and debated just driving home. I really wanted next Friday to be a rest day when a friend comes, so I made myself suck it up, buttercup. There were surprisingly few people there, so it actually was relatively relaxing. I could feel a lot of fatigue in my legs and had to go lighter on some exercises, so I just focused on effort level.

Saturday - 16 mi long
Despite the rest of the week, I was pretty motivated to crank this one out. I feel like this is the longest distance I feel comfortable properly pacing myself at. For some reason breaking it into four four-mile segments makes it possible for me to mentally push through the fatigue without worrying I'm going to hit the wall. Other than my normal back issues from running on such a hard surface, I felt very good the whole time and got progressively faster as I went.

Sunday - 3200 yd swim
I was extremely sore in my hamstrings and glutes and was tempted to rest instead, even though I know swimming helps flush all my muscles out. The swim sounded long to start with, but each rep was so short that it went by relatively quickly. My tris felt totally done with about 300 yards to go, but I was happy with the swim overall.

Run: 31 mi, 5:38
Lift: 2:17
Swim: 3200 yd, 1:30
Total Time: 9:25

Hodgepodge Update

Well, that was a much longer hiatus than I had planned. Because it was definitely 100% planned. Ahem.

Just kidding! Last month I started working full-time, which was a bit of an adjustment. I love my job and my coworkers, but it took some time to settle into a routine. Aka I got suckered into cuddling with Faramir every night to make up for being gone all day.

Things have also been a bit strange with the weather. My city plowed all the sidewalks at the start of winter, but I think the combination of extremely high snowfall and sustained frigid temperatures beat them into submission. I have no problem running through the cold, but the high drifts of snow have forced me inside for all my runs. The indoor track has finally broken me, and I no longer dread it. (I only dread the inconsiderate other people who run on it.)

I'm glad your 2-year-old loves Winston the elephant, but the track is not the appropriate place to play with him.

I thought a reprieve was coming with the last few days above freezing and rain, but starting tomorrow we have no more days on the 10 day forecast above 25, so the sidewalks will probably be skating rinks until sometime in March. But hey, I've already done one of my 20-milers on the track, it literally cannot get any worse.

Otherwise, my marathon training has been clicking along on schedule, despite the fact I haven't posted about it. My goal is to get back into writing it up every Sunday now that I have a better weekend routine down. I have decided to cut back to two days of lifting instead of three and one day of swimming instead of two. I certainly don't mind two-a-days, but I hate working out before going to the office. It just isn't fun for me, and I decided that, since lifting and swimming are my supplemental activities, if cutting them down makes me happier, I should do it. Please note that even though I sound firm here, I angsted for almost a week about this.

Angsting about John's mustache is legitimate. Angsting about working out is not. Sometimes I forget the simple truths of life.

Another good thing about starting work is that I know my schedule for the rest of the year, so I finalized my marathon schedule for the year. The only change is I'm replacing Paavo Nurmi with Med City. We have a huge software change scheduled for August, and I didn't feel like I could peace out if everything is blowing up left and right. This means April and May will be a little intense with three marathons, one every other week, but Michael and I figured we'll be in shape for it, so why not? Plus I have Hatfield-McCoy in June, so I couldn't have slacked off anyway. I'm really excited that I'll be able to squeeze in six this year, knock on wood. (Though my new greatest angst is whether to count Hatfield-McCoy as West Virginia or Kentucky. What state should I color in on my map?!)

I guess since I'm vomiting updates out in no specific order, I might as well review my New Year's resolutions just like I promised I would do at the end of each month occasionally.

Health

1. Allergies - Yes! I went to see the allergist, who confirmed I'm allergic to just about everything. I've been going every week for shots and have my three month follow-up scheduled. If I'm lucky, this means at the end of April, I can drop down to getting shots every other week instead.

2. Vitamins - In between. I was doing great with this, but I fell off the wagon when my stomach was upset for a few days, since the iron upsets it even more. I'm renewing my resolve to do this, since I'm starting to notice my SAD a lot more without the Vitamin D.

3. IBS - Not needed. As I suspected, my IBS flared up between graduation, the holidays with family, moving to a new city, and starting a new job. Everything seems to running smoothly now.

Diet

Uhm...it's better than before but still not fantastic. I have a go-to healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner; it's the snacks that are my downfall. I forgot that when I run 30+ miles a week, I turn into the hungriest hippo of them all. I need to make a better effort to buy more fruit to snack on. Or it might be worth paying for some protein bars as a healthier choice. 

Lifting

Even though I cut back to two days a week, I'm still following through with the NROLFW program. The workouts are getting longer (mostly because the rest periods keep increasing), but I really want to stick it out until the end. I think my tentative end date is around the beginning of fall. I haven't given much thought to what I'll do after. At my gym you can pay to set up a training plan with a personal trainer; it's a little pricey but within my comfort range for a one time thing, so I might consider that.

Recovery

Total failure. I don't really like the foam roller I bought at Meijer (yes, I was that dumb), so I haven't been using it. I also find it requires so much upper body strength that it can be hard after lifting. I have been using my compression socks and stick a lot, though, so I'm not totally neglecting my body.

I've dropped doing yoga though. It wasn't fun with all the other workouts I wanted to do. Maybe next time I step down from marathon training for a couple months, I'll replace a running day with yoga.

Giving Back

1. Volunteer at races - I've changed this resolution from one race a month to twelve for the year. Michigan just doesn't have enough winter races to make this feasible. I've also discovered tons of races don't have any sign-up pages for volunteering. A local running store from my hometown has a great volunteer program though (their races are all around the state), so I'm hoping to sneak in a lot with them.

2. Volunteer at blood drives - Sadly, I've given this up. After doing a background check and an extensive orientation, the Red Cross also wanted to do a phone interview. Enough was enough; it wasn't worth it to me for what I wanted to do. I feel bad for not donating or volunteering, but they just made it too difficult.

3. I haven't started looking for other volunteer opportunities much in depth yet. However, I saw our local nature center accepts volunteers, so I'm planning to inquire about outdoor options once the weather gets a little nicer. I love hiking, and this seems like a great outlet for that without having to travel too far.

Personal

1. Blog more - Working on it. Now that I've got a routine and got over the hump tonight of not writing, hopefully I can establish a better blogging schedule.

2. Attend a local event - Check! Michael and I went to two last weekend - a minor league hockey game and a play. Totally on a roll here.

3. Read a book a month - Not so far, but I'm hoping to set aside some reading time this weekend to get cracking.

4. Attend a social event - I've done several after-work things with my coworkers (though I've certainly also skipped my share). I'm happy so far with the balance I've struck.

5. Do a fun project - I've thought about starting a scrapbook for our marathons. Does that count?

Career
I've gotten a good understanding in my first month at work what my responsibilities will be and how I'll be assessed on my performance. I'm really excited to keep learning and demonstrate what I can do. I've been able to decorate and organize my cube and files to my liking (for the first time ever!), so I feel at home in my little space.

I think that concludes my brain dump, most of which wasn't even running related. But now I'm poised to start delivering more hard-hitting posts that channel Squidward as my spirit animal. You know you're excited.