Argh Hills!

It's official: I've signed up for the Maine Marathon. 153 days to go. The weather is warming up, almost as if we jumped right from winter to summer, but I know it's going to get a lot worse by the time training gets intense. Hydration is going to be a HUGE issue. After doing a bit of research, I'm planning on picking up 20 oz. Amphipod hand-held water bottle. I can't take the water belt any more. I put in on for a 5-miler last week, and was surprised by how bulky and uncomfortable it was. Did I really run an entire marathon with that thing? I'm over it. I'm hoping the handheld option will be better.

 I'm excited about the Nike+ Running App I've been using to track my runs. It's free, and for the data-usage-conscious, it uses maybe 2 MB/hour. It provides SO many stats, and the leadership board is kind of addictive and encouraging. Definitely recommended.

Today's run was the longest one yet this year - 6 miles. Since the last marathon, I've relocated to central VT, where it's incredibly beautiful and there's a lot less cars, but WAY hillier. I've been taking on this route towards Sugarbush, and the hills are RIDICULOUS, and kind of just keep going for miles and miles. It almost makes me miss that one little half-mile hill on Battery Street in Burlington. One way or another, I'm going to have to make my peace with hills.

On the way back down. This hill just keeps going forever.

I was happy to get in the 6 miles today, but not ecstatic about my pace. I'm not going to make excuses. My fastest 5-miler so far was 9:07/mile, last Tuesday. Since then, I haven't been able to get back to it. I really want to be able to do 5 miles in under 45 minutes, and I think I can make it happen - particularly if I keep training on these hills!

I do know that mindset is more important than anything. The mantra I am repeating to myself, which admittedly was most prominent in my mind during the 9-minute miles, is "mile 20 is going to be way harder than this." It somehow puts things in perspective, knowing that the more I push myself now, the more it will pay off later.

Have I mentioned that the "official" training doesn't even start until June?

Running Shape

With my eye on the Maine marathon in October, I started running again this week. I had an awfully lethargic winter, as it sometimes happens with folks like me who live in the northeast but don't ski or do many outdoor winter activities. I did a good amount of yoga, but before this week, my last run was likely in November, I think, maybe even October.

I decided I needed to get back into "running shape" a bit further in advance than I did last year. I won't start the real training until June, which gives me 3 months. Last year, I only gave myself a month of consistent running, which I think is what led to some of my injuries, as well as feeling less prepared overall throughout training.

This time around, I'm planning on following the Hal Higdon Training Program - Intermediate 1. I found out about this program from the Runner's World Forum, and it came highly recommended from many marathon runners. It looks great to me because I prefer to run more days than not running, and this doesn't involve any speed training, which, honestly, I really don't like and tend to half-ass. Also, it allows for cross-training once a week, which allows me time to do yoga and/or disc golf, which makes me happy.

My first run of the year was a 2-miler on Saturday. While slow, it was actually pretty fun. I was incredibly sore on Sunday, and slightly less sore today. Today I went for a 3-mile run, and let me tell you, it is still very much winter here. It's around 25 degrees, which wasn't too bad, but the wind chill was awful, particularly on the second half of the run. That coupled with feeling like I was going to lose my lunch for the last mile (my body abruptly reminding me that dairy and running are an awful combination), today's run was less than spectacular. I felt like I was crawling the last mile, barely above walking speed.

It's good to get this down so I can look back and remember that, at one time, running 3 miles was quite a challenge. But I know I'll get back into running shape in no time, because bodies are amazing like that. It's a wonderful reminder of how temporary discomfort often turns out to be, and how well I can adapt if I stick to it. Life metaphors, blahblahblah.

Week 1 of Official Marathon Training: Done

Today I completed an 8-mile run, the longest yet this year. It actually felt pretty great. I get a little scared each time I take on increased mileage, which makes completing it all the more satisfying.

It's weird to think that I've done all this before, but there's still a nagging voice in the back of my mind telling me this is impossible, that I simply don't have the constitution, the body, the willpower to make it through this. I think this is the reason why people run marathons. I know it is for me. Because I can think back on this at any point in my life, whenever things seem impossible, and remember that that nagging voice is nothing but a scared, ignorant, lying source of misinformation. It's sounds corny as hell, but seriously, there have been countless times when I've thought to myself, "I ran a goddamn marathon. I can do anything."

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm doing the "train less, run faster" program, which started this week. As I was warned, just because I'm training less days a week, this does NOT make it any easier. This is freaking hard, and I am feeling pushed right to the edge of my ability. However, I am hugely grateful for having a day off in between runs. I ran Monday/Wednesday/Friday and did yoga on Tuesday and Thursday. Not surprisingly, my knee pain is GONE. Like magic. Even after the 8-miler today, I feel great. I didn't even need ice.

So, Monday involved speed training. 10-20 minute warmup (about 1.5 miles jogged slowly, followed by stretching), then 3 x 1600 meters (1 mile) at a 10K-45 second pace, 1 minute rest intervals. End with 10 minute cool down. I thought this would be easy! Only three miles? And I get a whole minute to rest in between? Piece of cake. My pace was supposed to be 7:15/mile -- quite fast for me, but I'm only doing one mile at a time, so how hard could it be?

I was hoping to run on a track, but that proved trickier to find than anticipated. I called UVM's athletic department to ask if I could use their track and got no response. I then called Burlington High School, and they said it was cool so long as the gate was unlocked, which they said it should be. Drove down there early afternoon, and it was locked. Argh. SO, I went down to the waterfront instead, as they at least have mile markers on the bike path. I was hoping to run on some rubber, but had to deal with the asphalt once again.

Once warmed up on the bike path, I began the first run, iPhone in hand to measure the miles. Turns out I really need a watch, or a stopwatch. The iPhone screen turns off, and it's too easy to accidentally hit the pause button on the touch screen. Plus I kept yanking my headphones out of my ears. I gave up on music by the third mile.

For the first mile, I felt like I was running fast as hell, but I made it in 7:30-ish. I felt exhausted. The one minute of rest FLEW by and I felt like I was still gasping for air on the second mile. "I hate this. I hate this. I hate this," is what ran through my mind. I finished the second and third miles in about 8 minutes. I felt really uncomfortable and unhappy the whole time. This is very different from the long distance running I'm used to. Plus side? It went by really fast, I guess.

Day #2: easy 2 miles, 2 miles at 10K pace, easy 2 miles. I was wary about running 6 miles for the first time, but I actually really liked this run. The easy miles were, well, easy and quite enjoyable. I didn't quite make my desired 10K pace (8 minutes), and was closer to 9 minutes. We'll work on that.

Day #3: 8 miles at planned marathon pace + 30 seconds. For me, that's 9:40/mile. This was actually great. The weather was absolutely gorgeous -- about 40 degrees and soooo sunny. I think this is my favorite running weather. Just perfect. The run was challenging, but I felt prepared for it. Now, I have GOT to work on my pacing. With the "lap" feature on the iPhone stopwatch, I tried to capture my times for each mile. After the fourth mile, it looked like it wasn't letting me do that any more -- turns out it just scrolled down and I could have kept using it. So, I only got the first 5 miles, and it's obvious that I'm all over the place and not great with pacing.

Overall, my time was about 81 minutes, or 10:07/mile. I don't have the exact time because a) I didn't start running the second I hit "start" and, b) my phone froze at the end of the run for about 30 seconds. Here's the breakdown. This looks ridiculous:

Mile 1: 10:00

Mile 2: 9:11

Mile 3: 10:44

Mile 4: 9:47

Mile 5: 9:21

Miles 6-8: 32 minutes (10:40/mile)

Miles 3 and 6 involved a ridiculous hill on Battery Street -- 6 solid blocks of a relatively steep decline/incline. This is actually what runners face at the 15th mile of the Burlington Marathon, affectionally referred to as the "assault on battery." I figured I should get a handle on it so it doesn't wipe me out like it did in 2010. It's surprising that running DOWNhill (mile 3) slowed me down so much. I think I was holding back as I saw it as an excuse to conserve my energy, but there's no excuse for that time. I'm assuming that running up the hill on mile 6 slowed me down to about 12 minutes, and I ran 7 and 8 in 10 minutes each. I felt like I was crawling up that thing. It's pretty damn tricky.

Week 1 is done. I feel great. I love how breathing feels after a long run. My lungs feel so open, like I was never really breathing before. Have I mentioned how much more energy I have now? How I can climb the multiple flights of stairs to my apartment without being out of breath? Life is good.

like a gazelle

Second run of the third week of base training, and I finally feel like I'm in shape again. I felt that coveted "runner's high" for the first time in a while, as I kept my head up and focused throughout the 4 miles. None of those, "uggh this is awful when is going to stop" thoughts that have been running through my head for the last two weeks. I'm sure those thoughts will be back, though. It was nice to be reminded that running is actually enjoyable!

Before the run, I really wasn't feeling it. I've been running 5 days a week, taking off Tuesday and Friday (always subject to change depending on the weather). The last two days, Saturday and Sunday, were rough. It was absurdly cold. The high on Sunday was 6 ºF, with a low of -8. This morning, when I woke up and checked the temperature, wunderground reported -5. Ack!

Also worth noting is my yesterday was filled with a debilitating migraine. All I could do, for hours, was lie down with a blanket over my eyes. While I'm certainly no doctor and may spend too much time self-diagnosing, I think dehydration may have triggered my first migraine in years. Saturday night, I went out and had a few drinks - first time since NYE, actually. I did not properly rehydrate before passing out (not that I drank all that much). The next day, I don't recall drinking much water, nor consuming more than a sip before jumping in the shower post-run. Before I knew it, scintillating scotoma took over my vision, so I downed a bunch of water and took some excederin, but it was too late. My afternoon was ruined.

So, fully recovered today, I wanted to stay that way and was in no mood to run. But I did anyway, of course. I remember an interview with a competitive marathon runner that I read a while back, where the interviewer asked the runner at the starting line how he was feeling. His response was simple: it doesn't matter. It might come off as cold and callous, but I find it somehow calming and zen-like. It's true. It doesn't matter how I'm feeling before a run, not emotionally anyway. Obviously physical problems are a different story, but when I'm running, but those silly thoughts and emotions are a different story. I'm going to run anyway. I might be cranky, scared, tired, enthusiastic, optimistic - it's irrelevant. Just run.

I wish I could find the interview. I think it was in Runner's World like 2 years ago.

Today, I just ran. I lost myself in the moment, and it felt great. The temperature increased to a balmy 15 ºF, and I did feel the difference. I felt like I could use that energy normally devoted to shivering to, you know, running. I can tell that running in this frigid air is going to pay off come spring time.

And, I had my best time yet for the 4-mile run: 37:30. Still, at 9:20/mile, I'm not quite at my 8:00/mile goal, but I'm getting there, slowly but surely.

we have been through worse than this, and we will live to laugh 'bout this

When I woke up this morning, I realized I didn't have my usual breakfast available, so I improvised with what I had and came up with banana pancakes and maple syrup. It was delicious, but I should know better than to switch up my routine before a run.

After breakfast, I headed to the grocery store, and the snow really started to come down. Concerned that it might get out of control, as it is January and Vermont is ripe for a snowstorm, the decision was made to start running as soon as possible.

So, about 2 hours after my filling breakfast, dressed and ready to head out the door, my stomach began to groan and grumble. This was not a good sign. I told LTB to start without me, as I was afraid of traveling too far from my bathroom. Alone in the apartment, I paced back and forth, in a bit of a panic. I felt like I really needed to get the run done before there was more than a couple inches of snow, but I am seriously afraid of having an emergency situation in the middle of a run. The fear makes my stomach feel worse, of course. It's a vicious cycle.

After hyperventilating for a few minutes, I sucked it up and made my way out the door and into the snow. Within a minute into the run, I forgot there was ever a problem.

The snow really wasn't too bad. The sidewalk was completely covered with about a inch of powder, but it wasn't too slick. It was kind of like running on sand - easier on the joints, but it also felt like it slowed me down and took more energy. All the better for training.

I got my new headphones today! These ear buds, to be exact. They're fantastic. So comfortable, great sound, and (sort of) noise canceling so I can keep the levels at a reasonable volume (does that make me sound old? whatever, ask me about my experience with tinnitus). AND, they stay in place, in my ear the whole run. This is huge. Not a lot of earphones do that for me and my tiny ears.

Oh, running with music is so much better. So much more fun and motivating. Currently, this is my favorite energy-boosting tune that I can rely on to move my feet to a sprint for the last half mile or so: Me Vs. Angry Mob, by The World/Inferno Friendship Society. I feel like I'm right there with Jack Terricloth, being chased down the street by an angry mob, hopping fences and running through restaurants. And, oh, that horn line! Puts a goofy smile on my face, every time.

Get home safely

I will, I do, I always do

My time today was 40 minutes - stuck at that 10 minute/mile pace. Oh, it's a bit frustrating. I know I can't expect that I'll jump right back into 8 minute miles after being so lazy for the last year. But, I think back to the week before the 2010 marathon, when we were in the tapering phase and the 4-mile run felt like the Easiest Thing Ever, and my time was far closer to 30 minutes than 40 minutes. I'm only on week 2. Only week 2. I have to keep that in mind. No point in feeling bad about it, but at the same time, it is motivating to know that I'm Capable of much better.

Running on an Ice Rink, Hyperbolically Speaking

Well, friends, today the path was not slushy. It was icy as hell. I quickly discovered that every area of the bike path that appeared to be wet was, in fact, black ice, and for portions of the path, 99% of the area looked wet.

So, the run turned into bit of an obstacle course - hopping over patches of ice, constantly switching sides of the path, avoiding pedestrians/dogs/bikes/trains, running on grass whenever possible (icy grass has a bit more traction than icy cement, but it's still slick) - it was actually kind of fun. This is another reason why I prefer running outside in the freezing weather over treadmill running: the adventure and unpredictability. Running can be monotonous. Treadmills magnify that quality.

I never know what exactly is going to happen during those 4 miles. Despite the lack of winter upkeep, I love running on the bike path in Burlington. The views are gorgeous, and there are always other people around in case I need emergency care, and there are mile markers on the path (although sometimes covered by snow). There is unfortunately a freight train the crosses the path. I think it's a freight train. Whatever it is, it occasionally parks itself right on the bike path for an indefinite amount of time. This happened last week, at about my third mile. I paced back and forth along the length of the train, trying to figure out how the hell I was going to get around it. It seemed to go on forever. Another runner headed towards me with the same exasperated look on his face, and I asked him if there was a way around the train. Just then, one of the train employees approached us, and asked us two questions: 1) are you going to fall? 2) do you promise to never do this again? Satisfied with our answers, he let us climb a tiny ladder over one of the cars, climbing backwards down the other side before dropping back down to the bike path. As frustrating as it was in the moment to waste so much time at that one spot, it was also pretty exciting and fun.

Anyway, back to winter running. At some point, I did have a pair of ice cleats that I received as a gift or from a conference or a race or something. I can't even remember; it was a couple years ago. I never actually got around to using them. And, now I can't find them. They have to be in this apartment somewhere. My place isn't very big, and I'm not a terribly disorganized person. I'm too stubborn to pay money for something I already own. I'll keep looking. I have to think they'd help with the ice, or at least give me some more confidence.

Still, at 25 degrees with flurries far more pretty than irritating, winter so far has been quite mild up here in Vermont. The forecast for the upcoming week shows temperatures in the 30s. To me, that means another week of outdoor running. I think it's going to take negative temperatures, or more than 6" of snow, to get me back on a treadmill.

My time today for the 4-mile run was 39:50, 1:10 faster than yesterday. I really felt like I had it in me to go a bit faster. I was ready to practically sprint the final mile, but got slowed down by ice - as in, nearly falling, and having to stop completely to regain my balance. However, I never felt like I was in real danger of hurting myself. Just hurting my time.

another run, another lesson

Today was the fifth run of the week, closing the first week of base training. I cut my 4-mile time down from 45 minutes to 41 minutes (from 11:15/mile to 10:15/mile). If I can cut 4 minutes off every week, I'll be in a good place to start the real marathon training.

At the end of the run today, I felt like I could have run a few more miles, which tells me that I should have been running faster. I know one thing that slowed me down today was that the bike path appeared to be a bit slick. It snowed a couple inches on Thursday, and then rained today, so there were blotches of white all over. With the temperature hovering barely above freezing, I couldn't tell if it was ice or slush. Turns out it was mostly slush.

After my run, I began to wonder why exactly I slow down so much when I think it might be slippery. Will I really be less likely to fall, or sustain injury, if I'm running slower? I'm not sure if that's true. Running is going to be more dangerous than walking, no matter the speed. I should have more faith in my balance.

Today was also the first time this year I listened to music during my run. As a musician, this may come as a surprise. Really, it's just because I don't have good running headphones. The ear buds that came with my iPhone constantly fall out of my tiny ears. I ordered these headphones, based on good reviews from other small-eared folks, but I'm still awaiting delivery. During today's run, I pulled a hat on over the iPhone buds. It sort of worked, but I spent a lot of time pushing the music back into my ears.

Another lesson re-learned: I really need to make playlists before the run. Putting my entire song catalogue on shuffle, not liking a song mid-run, then removing a glove, pulling the iPhone out of my pocket, unlocking it, getting to the iPod app, and hitting skip until something good comes up = super awkward and time-killing.

Not that I'm trying to make excuses for my time. This is all part of the process, just like building the muscles, improving oxygen intake, etc. All these little details are part of training, it seems.

Next week (which starts tomorrow), I would like to focus more on increasing my speed. This week mostly felt like I was just trying to survive the run. During the last two runs, I haven't felt fatigue or any muscle aches, it's mainly my gasping for air that is keeping me from accelerating. Maybe next time I'll see how my heart rate is doing. I feel like I have a hard time telling when I starting too fast, or if it's the normal mild, yet constant, discomfort that comes with running, that I just have to get used to.

Perhaps most importantly, this run was the first this week where I did not experience any stomach issues - no cramps, no nausea, nothing. This is important and I need to make note of this. I had breakfast around 10:30am. I had 1 cup of black coffee, and kashi golden goodness cereal with almond milk and blueberries. In between 11 and 1, I drank a pint glass of water. The run started a little after 1, maybe 1:15. I noticed that I was slightly hungry when we started, which initially concerned me, like it might make me light headed, but that turned out to be a good thing. I think that's what I should aim for from now on - slightly hungry.