"Crap, This is an Air Force Base!" - Nebraska Recap

Another marathon, another state people think is lame.

Look at all the trees! No wonder they invented Arbor Day.

Spoiler alert - once again, people were wrong!

Now, I don't really blame everyone for telling me how boring Nebraska was going to be. My extended family owns a farm in rural Illinois, so I totally get how seeing nothing but cornfields is the actual worst.

But fortunately for us, we stumbled upon the Monument Marathon, which is in Nebraska's panhandle. In fact, the area is known for its bluffs, which gained notoriety when pioneers on the Oregon Trail were overjoyed to see something other than plains!

We got a killer deal on flights out of DTW on Spirit - $118 round-trip! I actually got to take advantage of a pricing error, something I thought never happened to real people. Spirit breaks down their ticket price into various categories, but Goofus was running the show that day and put in that the fuel cost was $0 for the itinerary. I'm no flight expert, but I think we probably used more than zero gallons of fuel during the flight.

This required both Michael and I to trek about two hours each to our parents' the night before, but the savings were worth it. Of course, calamity struck two blocks from my parents', and I got a flat tire. Once again, AAA totally paid for itself. I waited almost two hours for the guy to show up (supposedly his prior job took quite awhile), but he had the bike tire on in about a minute. Eager Feet Dad then was awesome and took the car to a repair shop that partners with Ford and is within walking distance on Friday, so I was all good to go when I got back from my trip. Crisis averted!

The next morning we were a little nervous about our flight. We had heard all sorts of horror stories about Spirit, but most of them seemed to be from dumb people that couldn't read the fee schedule. The flight was actually great, and we would both fly them again. The seats were quite close together, and Michael's knees just about touched, but we both were plenty comfortable for a three hour flight. (Plus the seats don't recline, so the space can't be co-opted by the person in front of you.) Our flight attendants were hysterical, and we landed right on time in Denver.

Aside here - the Denver airport is awful. We wandered around forever to find the Enterprise counter, which was hiding behind an escalator, and then had to ask where the shuttle to the actual pick-up area was. On the way back, we had similar problems, and just about had to ask where the line for security was. The area outside of security was very nice, but that airport really needs a few more signs.

I think the real conspiracy of the Denver Airport is the layout was designed by the Demon Horse.

Our flight must have been the first of the day, as every person was free at the rental counter. The person who took us to our car couldn't find our class of vehicle (I still don't understand...it's not like a section of your fleet just walks away on its own), so we actually got a free upgrade to a Focus. This was great because then I didn't spend an hour giving us whiplash while I figured out the brakes. I also knew how to telescope the wheel, so Michael couldn't make fun of me for sitting up on the wheel like a grandma. Short arm struggles are real, people.

We were officially on our way! We made a quick pit stop at a Panera outside of Denver (since apparently there are none in Nebraska) to get bagels for race morning and also wrangled some water cups, because I was not about to spend good money for bottled water at a gas station.

The next stop was lunch in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the last big town we would be seeing until packet pick-up that night. We picked a place called Poor Richard's, which ended up being, well, a rather poor choice. (Ahaha, I'll be here all night.) We went in through the door by the parking lot, which ended up being the bar area with no one around, and I think the staff thought we were rather dumb, but oh well. The food was mediocre, but it did the job.

On our way back to the highway, my phone navigated us through some neighborhoods, and I needed to turn immediately upon leaving the sub, but neither of us were quite ready for this, so I just went straight and figured I would turn around at the next business.

Oh, no, once you cross, the road dead ends at an AFB without warning. We ended up illegally backing out of the visitor center and illegally making a U-turn right in front of the guard shack, because there was literally no other way, except into the base. It was rather disconcerting.

After we outran the helicopters chasing us, we continued on to the main stop of the say - Agate Fossil Beds National Monument. This park was home to some of the most complete Miocene mammal fossils ever found. However, most of those fossils were removed before the park was founded to various museums throughout the country, including one I went to all the time in Ann Arbor as a kid!, so most of the visitor center's exhibits focus on the Lakota that were friends with the ranch owner.

It's a small world.

We did an easy one mile hike first when we got the park, which showcased the fossilized burrows of paleocastor, an ancestor of the modern beaver. We also had great views from the top of the bluff and got to watch a hawk out hunting. The park is 30 miles from the nearest town, so it was incredibly quiet and peaceful, and we had the area to ourselves. This was definitely a really unique trail, and I'm so glad we made the effort to explore it.

On the way to the visitor's center, we stopped at an overlook to view the two main hills where the fossils were discovered. It was only a few miles from the trail, but apparently the first person to come explore the fossils in the area was so fascinated by the paleocastor burrows (which he thought were fossilized roots of gigantic plants), that he totally missed the amazing mammal fossils right next door, which would've been the find of a lifetime for him. Plus, his plant theory was pretty quickly disproved - that poor guy couldn't catch a break! We could've hiked out to these hills, but the fossils are almost all gone, and it was 90 degrees and we didn't have sunscreen, so we satisfied ourselves with the view.

The visitor's center was small, but they were open late that day, so we had plenty of time to explore the exhibits. The plaster models of the removed fossils were so cool to see up close. I think people spend so much time focusing only on dinosaur fossils, that it was really refreshing to learn about mammals instead.

The collection of Lakota artifacts was also very beautiful (I didn't take pictures because I wasn't sure if it was okay), and it was wonderful to read about a truly positive relationship between whites and the natives.

Once we were finished, we made the journey back to civilization. We popped into our hotel to check in and unload the car. We got a great rate at what has to be one of the nicest Super 8's in existence. They even gave us a little goody bag at check-in - the chips were so clutch after the race, and it was nice to get a throw-away water bottle to take with us before the race.

Neither of us were brave enough to try the apple pie.

However, the clerk didn't ask me to show ID or my credit card at check-in, and the exterior door by our room was taped open 24/7. These made the hotel a little shady, though the area seemed nice enough. We just triple-checked that our door was locked at night.

The game plan was to then make a brief run through packet pick-up before grabbing dinner. This was complicated by the fact the roads in Scottsbluff made absolutely zero sense. Some roads where I live make 90 degree turns, but they only make one. Some of the roads there made two or three - yes, some of the roads turned into U's or squares. Plus, the main highway wasn't labelled as such, so we spent that first night stumbling from street to street.

We eventually found the community college where packet pick-up was. The college seemed very modern and clean. The pick-up was in a sort of rotunda inside the main building, and there was plenty of room. There was no line, so it was a breeze. We also got to choose the color of our bag, which was a nice touch!

We grabbed a few freebies and made sure to add pins to our spots on the map (a really fun idea). Michael and I were both shocked our cities were officially marked, since they're in proximity to much larger places.

After some more navigation "fun," we made it to the Runza Drive-in. I did a quick Internet search before we left to see if there was any can't-miss food in Nebraska. I assumed there wouldn't be any, but, man, am I so glad I checked. For those not in the loop, a runza is (traditionally) a roll stuffed with beef, cabbage, and sauerkraut, and was introduced by Danish immigrants. Fortunately, the restaurants allow you to customize, so I added Swiss cheese and tortilla strips instead.

It tasted like sweet, sweet Jesus.

It was very pleasant outside after sundown, but there is a sugar plant in the area, which smelled like absolute ass, so we planted ourselves inside. The restaurant actually had the Tigers game on, so we watched them get whaled on by the Twins for awhile.

After dinner, we settled in and hit the bed very early in preparation for our marathon. We were both nervous how it would good, but thanks to the travel, sun, and good food, we passed out.

Check out the race recap here (coming soon!).

After the race, we were both pretty beat from the conditions, not to mention the actual distance, but we had run through Scottsbluff National Monument, and I was determined to get my park passport stamp. The visitor's center was only a few minutes from the start/finish area, so it made sense to go there right after the race. We both left our medals on, so that hopefully the other visitors would understand why we were disgusting humans. A few people congratulated us, so I think everyone was at least very good at hiding their hatred for our stench.

I snagged my stamp, but neither of us were feeling up to seeing the exhibits or viewing the film. We did decide to take the drive up to the very top of the bluff (much higher than Mitchell Pass), and I'm so glad we did! We hobbled out to an overlook, and there were amazing 360 degree views of the area. While running around the bluffs was obviously scenic, the view from way up top was even more beautiful.

That did just about max out our final energy stores, so we shot back to the hotel to take showers and watch football. We were able to catch the second half of the Michigan Minnesota game, and it was icing on the cake to watch Minnesota dominate.

With our hearts filled with joy, we went to fill our stomachs. We chose a chain pizza place (ugh), but it was founded in Nebraska, so it just squeaked in under our made-up rules. I didn't take any pictures since it looked so run down, but they were having a great special and had some damn good breadsticks.

It was also at this point that I realized I had never picked up my gear check bag from the race. I had worn a jacket against the morning chill and that was the only thing I checked, so I didn't realize I had forgotten it after the race. I'm still not sure where bag pick-up was - I wasn't that disoriented! However, the race was amazing and shipped my bag and jacket back to me right away! They were super responsive and happy to help. I seriously can't say enough about how friendly and wonderful the organizers were.

We hit the rack early again that night (partially thanks to our desire to stay on Eastern time as best we could). I think we each got up to use the bathroom when someone set their car alarm off right outside our room at 1 AM, but otherwise we slept like rocks. I sleep much lighter than Michael, and my first thought when his alarm went off was that he must not have changed his race day alarm and I should shut it off before he woke up. It was only when my alarm then went off that I realized what was going on.

After snagging some free breakfast and talking to some other guests that had done the race, we took off for another destination in the middle of nowhere - Panorama Point, the highest point in the state of Nebraska. The point is located on a private bison farm, so we had to pay $3 a person to drive up to the "summit," but it was totally worth it.

Apparently high-pointing is a big hobby, and some people set out to high-point the 50 States! This is totally fascinating to me (especially since only four or five require technical mountain-climbing skills), and I'm now obsessed with finding blogs about people taking on this challenge. I think I find it so interesting because the club that oversees this explained that most high-pointers participate to see unique parts of the country, which is very similar to why I want to run a marathon in each state. Maybe high-pointing can be my retirement project!

It was incredibly windy up at the point (and I didn't have my jacket back at this point), so we snapped a few pictures and signed the summit register before getting back in the warm car. The detour wasn't too far out of our way to the airport, and now we can say we've hit 1 out of 50 highpoints!

The plan was to get McDonalds outside of Denver, but after waiting 15 minutes in line and only one person in front of us getting cashed out, we threw in the towel, along with quite a few other people in line. Good news was, we found an Arbys hiding in a subdivision, and it was empty of people and full of delicious food. Perfect ending to a perfect trip.

Weekly Recap: 9/24-9/30

Spoiler alert - I finished the Monument Marathon and checked state number seven off my list! Look out for my race and travel reports this weekend - because right now quarter close is eating me alive, and it technically hasn't even started yet. Baller.

Wednesday, September 24
rest

I went to the chiro and had ART done on my lower back. That was a new kind of hell. I also managed to shove everything I needed for the weekend (including shoes!) into my backpack. I ain't paying Spirit no carry-on fees.

Thursday, September 25
rest

I drove to my parents (they live near DTW) and got a flat tire one block from their house. I spent most of the night waiting for AAA to come put the bike tire on. Fun times.

Friday, September 26
rest

Travel day! Obviously a longer report is forthcoming, but we saw some fossilized burrows dug by ancestors of the beaver. Then we ate runzas. I'm not sure which was cooler.

Also not sure why my running shoes look like combat boots in this picture.

Saturday, September 27
Monument Marathon, 5:29:33, 12:35 min/mile

This race was absolutely amazing, and I can't recommend it enough to anyone looking for a Nebraska race. The scenery was stunning, it was well-organized, and all the volunteers were incredibly enthusiastic.

The only bad parts were the heat (the car read 90 degrees when we got in after finishing) and when I nearly puked from altitude sickness. But then I watched Minnesota destroy Michigan, and I felt all better.

Sunday, September 28
rest

We took a slight detour on the way back to the DEN and bagged the highest point in Nebraska, Panorama Point. This sounds weird but was super fun.

Less fun was when I sat behind a young girl throwing tantrums the whole way back to Detroit. At least enough people volunteered to give up their seats that no one got bumped.

Monday, September 29
rest

I was a lot less sore than anticipated, which tells me that I was significantly slowed by the heat during Monument, rather than just by my fitness. My lower legs felt very tender, but I had no problems, even going up and down stairs.

Tuesday, September 30
2 mi easy, 12 min/mile


I felt shockingly great during this run. My pace was slow, but I felt fluid and relaxed and like I could've picked up speed if I had wanted to. I felt some twinges of runner's knee (which I assume must have been aggravated by all the sitting the day after the race), but it wasn't bothersome. I also had a weird ache in my back, which I imagine is tied to the soreness I had in my obliques.

This next week will mostly be devoted to resting and recovering in preparation for Stone Bridge. I say mostly because I have the Scrumpy Skedaddle 10K on Sunday - which I'm super pumped for! The fact that I felt quite good today gives me hope I can turn in a decent-for-me time. I'm certainly not looking to PR, but I'd like to run fairly well, considering how good I did on my simulated 5K.

Worst case scenario I will become BFFs with the elevator at work.

Monument Marathon - Pre-race Overview

Tomorrow is the Monument Marathon. I had originally set out to train for a 4:20 and eventually dropped back to a 4:30. After fooling around the last few weeks, I'm not sure where I am in terms of fitness.

I do know my 5K time improved by 1:28 over the course of this training cycle, and my recent 5K time suggests I could run a 4:40. However, after an epic blow-up at Sleeping Bear last year based on what a chart said I could run, I'm hesitant to plow headfirst towards The Wall again.

In addition, race day is predicted to be 88 degrees and sunny, and it appears there will be little to no shade. The race is also at a few thousand feet of elevation, and elevation has bothered me a bit as an adult. (All it did when I was young was give me nosebleeds.) There will also be some significant hills and potentially strong headwinds.

I hope I haven't lost my heat adaptation already, but I'm not prepared for the hills or elevation because mid-Michigan does not want to hook you up with anything by sea level flats as far as the eye can see.

But, and this is a big but and it cannot lie, I have Stone Bridge scheduled two weeks from Monument. This race should have shade and cool temperatures and is supposed to be relatively flat. With this in mind, I've decided to opt for a more conservative race at Monument.

My main goal tomorrow will be to assess my fitness and not feel like total death at the end. I've decided the best way to accomplish this will be to focus on running on negative splits. I reviewed my splits from all my past marathons, and I tend to slow down significantly after 18-19 miles. My plan is to run easy to that point this time around, and then hopefully pick up the pace.

To that end, I've studied the race course profile almost obsessively, as well as reading the few blog posts on the race that I could find. The first five miles are downhill, but there is a significant climb up to Mitchell Pass (and also where the strongest winds are supposed to be) from miles 12 through 14. This is followed by an equal downhill, and the next hills don't come until between miles 20 and 25, a spot that apparently trips lots of runners up.

While, as I mentioned in my weekly recap, I'm hitting faster paces now that I'm tapering, I still want to edge towards conservative, again knowing that I can always run harder at Stone Bridge if I end up with something left in the tank.

As a starting point I'm using the 5:00 hour marathon pace. I struggled with this for awhile - shouldn't I be able to beat my marathon PR after incorporating way more speedwork this training cycle? But then I realized I need to be more realistic and compare myself to where I was in the spring, rather than last fall. In which case, five hours would be an improvement of about an hour, which is nothing to feel sad about!

To run a sub-5 marathon, I would need to hit 11:26 min/miles. I'm going to round this to 11:25 to make the mental math just a bit easier. The plan for the first 20 miles is to run 11:25 min/miles on the flats, 11:05 min/miles on the downhills, and 11:45 min/miles on the uphills.

What happens after those 20 miles will depend on how I feel. Hopefully by taking it slow, I will be able to drop the hammer, so to speak, and earn some of the lost time back. If not, especially if I feel worn from the heat and elevation, I won't beat myself up.

I'm also excited to give this a try because of my new Garmin (which I absolutely love love love). I have my first screen set to show total distance and lap time. This is a double bonus because it takes away the mental block of being able to see my total elapsed time and prevents me from having to do crazy mental math to figure out my splits.

So, there it is, my relatively simple, but hopefully effective race plan.

Most accurate description of a marathon ever.

Weekly Recap: 9/17-9/23

So, here we are. Taper week.

I've never actually had one of these before. For my first training cycle, I was laid low by a sinus infection and, except for a two mile shake-out run the day before Sleeping Bear, I took the whole week beforehand off from running. And, as I've mentioned ad nauseam, I battled injuries and illness leading up to my season this spring, so I didn't run for 12 days before the marathon, and hadn't been running very much beforehand either.

While I've freely admitted to essentially bailing on Hanson's the last few weeks, I've still been running five or six days a week, so I finally can actually taper down. And I have to say, I'm definitely a fan. I'm running enough that I don't feel like I'm losing fitness, but I feel more rested, physically and mentally.

I'm starting to hit the easy paces Hanson's prescribed for me, except now they feel truly easy. Instead of gutting out every run, I've been pushing the pace a bit because it feels fun and good, rather than like death.

I'm sure this is exactly what I look like.

I can also tell my mind is raring to go. I'm exhibiting the classic symptom of wanting to sign up for every race I see. I should totally do three different 5Ks the weekend after Stone Bridge, you guys. And I'm totally getting back into tris and doing a half iron ASAP. Yeah...clearly I'm ready to race. Hopefully I can channel this energy when I need it Saturday.

Wednesday, September 17
rest


Why can I never remember what I do on these days? I think I managed to work in a nap.

Thursday, September 18
4 mi easy, 11:41 min/mile


After running nothing shorter than five miles for months, it felt so bizarre to turn around at the two mile mark. I already noticed my legs were feeling perkier than normal.

Friday, September 19
rest


I watched terrible college football, and it was wonderful.

Saturday, September 20
3 mi easy, 11:44 min/mile


I cranked this one out before watching MSU spank Eastern Michigan. (Seriously, I know tune-ups are important, but if you have to pull your starters in the first quarter, it's pretty out of control!) Even though it was quite cool, the sun had heated up the asphalt to the point that it was uncomfortably warm out on the trail.

At least I didn't forget to snap the ball.

Sunday, September 21
8 mi easy, 11:21 min/mile


This run was one of the best of the training cycle and was a huge confidence booster. I set out at the same pace I plan to use at the start of the race, but I felt like I was floating, so I boosted my pace every other mile. I finished feeling strong and invigorated. Now the real question will be if I can do that 2+ more times Saturday.

Monday, September 22
rest


Having a Monday off felt so scandalous.

Tuesday, September 23
3 mi easy, 11:08 min/mile


I probably ran this one a tad too fast, but I was feeling good, and the pace felt easy.

I know quite a few people complain about tapering, but I love it. It's like an early reward for the hard work. (I know the race is the true reward, but that's a pretty painful reward at times!) I feel like I'm primed and ready to go. I'm a tiny bit antsy, but I think a lot of that has to do with a slow period at work giving me lots of extra time to contemplate the race.

I'm also just so excited for this trip! I love the West, and I can't wait to do some light hiking and exploring on Friday. Plus I get to see Michael after a few weeks apart. Oh, and I get a chance to try this fabulous creation.

Who knew Nebraska was hiding such a wonderful and terrible secret?

What I Learned Doing Hanson's

This post might be a bit premature (since I'm writing it before I run the race I trained for), but I wanted to explore what I learned from trying Hanson's Marathon Method before my race results could color my judgment (good or bad).

For anyone not familiar with this program, it involves six days of running a week, no cross-training, and long runs that only build up to 16 miles. The main ideas behind their program are cumulative fatigue - so that those 16 mile long runs feel like the last 16 miles of a marathon instead of the first -  and the rule of specificity - the way to become a better runner is by running more.

I was super excited when I first started using this program. I was coming off a very disappointing training cycle using Runner's World SmartCoach. Not only did I dislike the training program, but I suffered through two illnesses and an injury, leading to some less than stellar marathon times during the spring season, only breaking six hours once. Considering I had managed a sub-5 at my first marathon, this was very disheartening.

Hansons seemed like a great way to redeem my running. I had run five days a week before no problem, so I assumed adding one more wouldn't matter. I had done some speedwork and gotten up past 40 miles when doing Hal Higdon for Sleeping Bear, so I didn't think I would be adding too much distance or intensity.

Spoiler alert - those assumptions were wrong.

I ended up getting overtraining syndrome, reigniting the compartment syndrome in my lower legs, and inflaming my cranky left IT band. I cut runs short because they were too hard and took it really hard. I slept and slept and ate and ate but was never satiated. I spent a lot of time feeling bad because not being able to adhere to my training plan didn't just mean I was a bad runner, but also a bad person. (Don't worry, once I scaled back the last few weeks, I realize how silly that was.)

I'm sure this training plan works great for some people, but it wasn't for me. I don't want to guarantee I won't revisit it in the future, but it won't be for a while.

But I am really glad I tried out this training plan, because I learned a lot in the process:

See, I'm just really Zen!

1. I am a terrible all-or-nothing perfectionist.
I was reviewing my training to calm my pre-race nerves, and I was surprised by how many workouts I had nailed. However, after missing a few runs because of the wedding I was in, the wheels came off a bit. I got worried I couldn't handle the training anymore, and, instead of amending my time goal then like a normal person, I skipped workouts rather than fail them. I should've just backed off the pace and at least gotten the miles on my legs, but that didn't seem like an acceptable options, since I had already "failed."

2. I love having prescribed paces, but they are a double-edged sword.
Building off the item above, I love the focus of having a specific pace to hit each workout (even if it is just what my easy pace should be) - I value each run more because I feel like it's accomplishing something. Obviously an easy run will do the same thing if I'm just told to go run based on effort rather than a specific easy pace, but I like tangible goals. (What can I say, I'm an accountant through and through.) However, if I don't think I can handle the pace, I'm very tempted to make an excuse and skip the run entirely, rather than just modify.

3. Saturday is my ideal long run day.
This was something surprising to me. Hal Higdon's long runs were on Sundays, and they were fine, but I used that plan in college, and most of it was over the summer, so I didn't really mind which day I lost four hours on, since my schedule was so flexible. Now that Monday always means a return to the office, I find I like having more couch time the day before. FIRST places the long runs on Saturdays, which might involve some early mornings and use of the DVR during football season, but I'm fine with that.

4. Five days a week is the maximum I want to run.
Hal Higdon prescribed five days a week of running, and I never felt like I was losing all my free time. Obviously, this (again) was different in college, but the thought never even occurred to me, so I assume it will translate pretty well to now. Running one more day a week doesn't sound that much different, but when it means one free day instead of two, it is.

5. I know what overtraining syndrome feels like for me.
As training started to ramp up and I was running paces truly beyond my ability, I got real live actual overtraining syndrome. It's always hard to distinguish between that and just normal fatigue (which is what I thought it was), but I eventually realized what was happening when I put on 5-7 extra pounds without any real diet change and had major trouble falling asleep, which I normally can do just fine. While this certainly wasn't fun, it'll be much easier for me to spot next time it happens.

I wished I looked this contemplative when I thought about it.

6. I love swimming.
This was also pretty surprising, especially because I'm by no means a good or even technically sound swimmer. I was honestly looking forward to Hanson's as a break from swimming, but now I see that was more a burnout of ramping up my yards too fast in the pool. I couldn't be more excited to get dive back in (ha ha ha) a month from now. While it still gets me a great cardio workout, swimming feels refreshing because it's no-impact, and I mean that mentally as well as physically. I'm sure I'll be back to flopping around like a drowned cat, but that doesn't mean it isn't fun. 

 

7. I'm not very good at setting a realistic time goal for myself.
I think I'm better at speed than endurance. (Which is so weird to type since I'm quite slow and enjoy endurance more.) What this means is my 5K/10K times aren't very good predictors of what marathon times I can run, at least in my experience so far. The reason I blew up in Sleeping Bear so bad was I tried to run a 4:20, which my contemporary 10K time (56:08) said I could run, but I could only handle that for about 18-20 miles. My recent simulated 5K indicates I could run around a 4:40 at Monument. Maybe I just lack the race experience to manage myself appropriately to that time goal, but I'm going to be much more conservative. Worst case I can run negative splits and take my mulligan two weeks later at Stone Bridge.

Overall, my takeaway from Hanson's is that it's a great training plan, it just wasn't for me. Running is a way for me to relieve stress, but having some quiet time on the couch every night is vital to my mental well-being, too. I sustained a lifestyle of work, run, sleep when I had my crazy internship two years ago, but that was just to keep from going insane - it didn't renew or refresh me. I need free time to do other things for that to happen.

This post might come off as hyper-negative, but I truly don't want to dissaude anyone from using Hanson's, I just want to lay out the details of my experience. Besides this plan being quite hard (and I think that dead horse has been beaten pretty hard by others at this point), Hanson's takes a lot of time on weekdays. To make the shorter long runs work, you need to hit this weekly mileage. This can really suck all your time, so proceed with caution.

So what's next for me? I've hopped aboard the pendulum to swing the whole other way and will be trying out FIRST's Run Less Run Faster program. This involves three runs a week (intervals, tempo, and long) and two days of cross-training. There is one dedicated rest day and another optional rest day. I'm pretty sure I will be using the optional day to take a slow flow yoga class, another thing I've realized I really miss.

From what I've read (it seems like a lot of people critique this plan without every trying it and sharing their results!), this plan sounds just as physically taxing on Hanson's on the run days, but it will allow me to mix up my workouts and have some free time on weekdays again! I will be swimming on my lunch hours, so I will only need to come home from work (or get up early, like I alluded to in my last post) and lace up twice a week, rather than four.

This plan also allows for more flexibility. As long as the runs are not done on consecutive days, they can be moved around. This will be especially key during the holidays between travel and weird pool hours. I've been using this in between time to work on some other, non-running habits, so I plan to actually recap each week of training.

But if Hanson's taught me anything, it's that flexibility is key!

Weekly Recap: 9/10-9/16

I have to say this week went pretty well overall. I only skipped one planned run day, but I've been re-learning how to deal with my seasonal allergies (but thank God the shots have significantly improved how I feel!). I'm used to skipping runs this time of year because my head feels like it's going to explode, not because I just feel sleepy (because my body is convinced I'm on the verge of death). 

It's hard to say this is all mental, because there's obviously a physical reaction outside of my control here (and I'm doing what I can to mitigate it - shots, Zyrtec every day, 8+ hours of sleep a night), but I know sleeping won't actually help, so it still feels like I'm succumbing to my weakness.

The problem is, every day becomes Caturday.

I used my air filter last night before I slept, and I noticed a huge difference this morning. Even though I had to get up a lot earlier than usual for a work meeting (7 AM meetings should be illegal), I was so much perkier than usual that even some of my co-workers noticed. The awful sleepy feeling was successfully staved off until about lunchtime.

I'm not a fan of exercising in the morning - although I would like to be - so I'm contemplating transitioning over when my next training cycle starts. Not to spoil too much, but I'm planning to use the FIRST method, which will only require four weekday workouts. I plan to take a bit of an extended lunch (staying late to make up for it) to swim twice a week, so I would only need to get up early enough to run two days a week, which I think is very doable for me.

If you understand, please immediately become my friend.

I'm sure the adjustment will take some getting used to, but, as much as I like evening runs, I like not having to have this huge battle over my allergies every day more. I'll also have the bonus of DST ending a week into training, so I think if I can gut out the first two days, the habit will be easier to set, because it'll feel like my normal time anyway. Once everything outside is good and dead, I can always switch back to evening runs if I want!

Wednesday, September 10
rest


I think I did things that day, but they did not include a nap, and that was very sad.

Thursday, September 11
5 mi easy, 12:03 min/mile


This was our first real day of fall weather in mid-Michigan, and it felt amazing! I obviously overdressed, but not as badly as normal.

Friday, September 12
rest


I caved to my fake sleepiness and the cold rain outside and just curled up on the couch. That week was still pretty rough at work, and I needed the time to decompress. At least I didn't have to stay until 8:30 like the week before....

Saturday, September 13
6 mi easy, 12:17 min/mile


I felt fine but took the pace a little slower and was very comfortable. My new tentative game plan for Monument is to run about 12 min/miles at the start (I'm adjusting the pace from this run for the five mile decline the race starts with). I will post more on this later, but hopefully it will prevent me from blowing up.
 

Sunday, September 14
10 mi long, 12 min/mile

I tried out my planned pace, and it felt comfortable. My legs were fatigued, but I'm sure taper will clear that up. I focused on fueling properly (maybe that's why I get so tired in races?!) and forced myself to take 100 calories per mile. (For context, that meant 15 beans per hour, rather than the usual 5.) The distance was too short to really say, but I didn't feel any blood sugar drops nor (more importantly, honestly) any GI distress. I plan to carry this through to race day. I might vomit up a giant pink mess at 20 miles, but hopefully it will be worth it.

Monday, September 15
5 mi easy, 12:04 min/mile


My legs felt like lead after the prior long run, so I took it easy. There was a light rain, which made everything more enjoyable. I did realize that my normal route is not well-lit, and I should probably get a head lamp so I can run into the evening. (For what it's worth, the route is very safe, it just doesn't have enough street lights to make out the uneven sidewalk, so I end up high-stepping and looking ridiculous.)

Tuesday, September 16
5 mi easy, 11:57 min/mile


I ran with my co-worker (who I'm doing the 10K with in October) to help push her to five miles for only the second time. Chatting made the time fly by, and I was glad I got out there.

I'm debating what my plan is for the next week (plus the extra couple days before the marathon). Hanson's calls for a much different taper than usual. I don't disagree with their theory, I'm just not sure it's what's best for me, considering how I've been so off plan the last month.

I'm tempted to go back to Hal Higdon's taper (the Intermediate I program), since that worked well for me before. I'm only hesitant because I feel like I should get a few more miles on my legs, but I know now that I'm 10 days out, I won't really build any fitness. The hay is the barn...I'm just worried I'll lose the key before race day!

Informative picture illustrating my fitness. Thanks, Wikipedia!

Budgeting the 50 - Part One

I know this blog ostensibly has nothing to do with finance, but as an accountant, it is a big part of my daily life. I've decided to put together a Budgeting the 50 series to merge my two interests.

One of the first things I did when I signed my job offer coming out of college was to draft a detailed budget for myself. While I think it's too intense for most people - even fellow bean-counter Eager Feet Mom seemed to think it was a bit over the top - I absolutely love it.

Because I'm tracking every dollar I spend and making sure I'm in the ballpark of my estimates, I'm free to use the remainder for my marathon travels, guilt-free. (I find this especially key in months where I owe a large bill, like my car insurance, for example. I set aside the money each month, but it can still give me a mini-heart attack when my credit card statement is way bigger than normal.)

But generally, once I get someone to understand that yes, running marathons is fun and no, I'm not purposely picking the "worst" states to do first, they want to know where I'm hiding the trust fund that must be supporting this operation. I'd venture to say most people seem to think this much travel is way out of their league.

What I've come to learn is that traveling to the 50 States involves prioritizing, just like the actual training for the races does. Several other new hires started at my company the same time as me, and a particularly nosy one revealed that we all make the same amount - but these people still constantly question how I pay for my races!

I could rant all day about this, but it drives me nuts when people do this and then whine about not having money. Most people in my town own one or more purebred dogs (you should see the looks I get when I try to explain I have a mixed breed cat), a boat (we're about five miles from a sizeable lake), a place Up North, and an oversize truck or SUV (for hauling said dogs and boats to those cottages).

None of these things are inherently bad - though my accounting office parking lot tends to look like a construction site with all those F150s running around - but I found the owners of these things then like to complain how much traveling costs. I won't lie and say traveling is super cheap, but it's no more expensive than all those extra costs. It's a matter of priorities!

I made the choice to live in the second cheapest apartment complex in town. (The cheapest is not an options - not only is it loud, but one of the units blew up in a meth lab explosion this past year.) I made the choice to drive a small car and carry a higher deductible on my car insurance. I made the choice to only go out to eat once a week (excluding special occasions, of course). I make the choice to rarely buy alcohol.

And this is what lets me do what I really want. Sure, it's more expensive to have Faramir than no pet, but he's the most amazing thing ever, and I wouldn't trade him for anything. I'm able to save aggressively for retirement, a new car 10 years down the road, and for a down payment on a home. And, when that's all said and done, I still have a large travel fund waiting for me.

Now, I won't pretend this easy. It's certainly not, especially when I'm surrounded by people making other choices. (Which, again, isn't inherently bad.) Just sometimes I want to throw my hands in the air and say "Screw making a full IRA contribution this year. I want to go buy crap too!" But then I realize traveling wouldn't be as fun if I had to watch my budget more when I'm out and about.

The moral of the story is to sit down and think about what is really important to you (an extra trip each year or that bigger car) and then proactively budget to make those priorities a reality.