From Tapers to Tornados

I won’t delude myself into thinking that more than a handful of readers even noticed my two-week hiatus, but to those of you who inquired as to my absence–thanks, it’s nice to be missed!

The unread blogs on my Google Reader may be encroaching on a thousand in number, and the overtime on my paycheck may have had me doing a happy dance in my kitchen this evening, but I assure you–my time these past few weeks hasn’t been entirely spent away from running.  I’ve been keeping to my back-to-back marathon plan, running work-sponsored 5ks, and even setting new PRs.

The 5k was an annual run/walk put on by Tuerk House.  My company sponsors me in it every year, so long as I go and shake hands with the program director and tout our company for their upcoming projects.  Last year’s race took place right after a bit of a health scare that ended in surgery and I ended up having to walk the last part of the course.  My time this year not only took almost 10 full minutes of my previous course record, but an unexpected 27 seconds off my 5k PR!  The funny part is that I actually ran the course once before the race in an effort to stay warm (it was 42 degrees out that morning), even though I knew that by doing so I was essentially saying goodbye to a shot at a competitive time.  Apparently not, though — I didn’t wear my Garmin so you can imagine how shocked I was when I crossed the finish line and saw the clock read 26:03.  Crazy!  Maybe I should race all 5ks going forward after running a 3 mile warm up?

While I missed my last long run last weekend, I made it up with a 20 miler on the treadmill after work on Monday.  I didn’t get home until after 10pm, but it wasn’t nearly as awful as it sounds.  In fact, thanks to my new work phone I spent most of the 3.5+ hours killing time on Facebook. Posting status updates every few miles really helps pass the time, and the kudos in the comments were great motivators!  Not that I recommend epic long runs on treadmills, but I’ve determined that not only is it a decent alternative to the trail when daytime runs aren’t an option, but it’s perfectly doable.

This week begins my taper for the NCR Trail Marathon on the 27th.  I’m not sure how I feel about stuffing myself full of turkey and pecan pie on Thanksgiving and not being able to run it off for three days, but I’m sure I’ll survive.  I’m excited for the race, but I’m also excited for the race to be over. I’ve been actively training for the past 6 1/2 months and my body is tired.  My brain is tired, too, and both can really use the reprieve.  I plan to keep running through the winter, but intend to drop my weekly mileage from 35-40 to about 15-20.  And, if Wednesday’s tornado (that hit just blocks from my house!) is any indication that this winter’s weather systems will be on par with last year’s Snowmageddon, I’m sure it won’t be too hard!

Up in Smoke

Rather than blogging on my lunch hour lately, I’ve been perusing the housing market.  Frustration inevitably ensues when I invariably discover that, just like each day before,  it’s next to impossible to find a suitable home in a  suitable area that’s also at our price point.  And by suitable, I mean fabulous.  Obviously.

The fantasies that fill my head over the long hours spent on the treadmill this week (as rain + darkness + cold  = hypothermic twisted ankles) have at least managed to make the time go quickly.  No sugar plums here, just acres of land and plenty of historical charm.

So, imagine, if you will, the direction my thoughts fled when I detected a whiff of something burning on my run the other night.  No?  Not following me?  I’m going to pretend that’s not because I’m the sole evil mind among angels…

I smelled that tell-tale sign of rubber burning and I immediately began to worry if my treadmill was about to explode.  And then I started to wonder if I could sue the gym if it did.  And how hurt I would have to get to win big and buy the house of my dreams.  See?  Evil mind.  Don’t judge. 

Anyhow, just as I was 3 miles deep into building my new dream house (complete with a kitchen island and crown molding, of course) my fantasy came crumbling down.  Loudly.  You see, it wasn’t my treadmill that was ailing, it was my neighbor’s.  And you should have seen his face when his running surface stopped short, screamed a god-awful shriek, and burst into flames.

Lucky bastard.  

Run Fast and Carry A Big Stick

Things I learned on last evening’s trail run:

1)  An emergency pair of gloves should be a staple in any gym bag for when it’s unexpectedly 50 degrees and windy.

2)  Running with your hands in your armpits for warmth makes trail running a bit more precarious.

3)  Hands can remain numb for 9 miles (or aproximately an hour and a half) and still regain feeling without medical attention.

4)  Wild  Agressive off-leash dogs are not deterred by cold weather.

5)  Teddy Rosesvelt may not have been a runner, but he was on to somthing with his “big stick” philosophy.

6)  Those dogs didn’t stand a chance.

Don’t Honk At My Taper

The week before my first marathon, I expected to be bubbling over with anticipation, posting ad nauseum about the mundanities of tapering and preparing for race day.  I did not expect my preparation to include a 60+ hour work week that left me with a desire to look at anything but a computer monitor once I finally found my way into my pj’s each night.  

I’ve heard horror stories of athletes turning into angry, frustrated, bloated jerks during their taper and I was fully prepared to become one of them (even apologizing to my husband in advance for any undue masochistic tendencies that might crop up over the upcoming weeks), but surprisingly, and in spite of my long hours, I have been wholly embracing this taper thing.  A couple of months ago, I was having a hard time managing my one rest day, but here I am, a full two weeks into my taper and I’m noshing on Stromboli, sleeping late and loving every minute of it*.   In fact, the only thing that I’m not anxious about, is the fact that I’m not anxious.

Some might say I’m in denial, and just so you know, I’m not arguing. 

In my oodles of spare time away from the office, I’ve been pecking away at a post on drivers who honk at runners–a ubiquitous pastime of the uncivilized that got me particularly incensed this past weekend.  Apparently, not everyone is feeling as lighthearted as I am these days, as evidenced during my last “long” run on Sunday, when the drivers on the road were a better fit for the taper stereotype than I was.  Over the course of my 8 miles, I was honked at 3 times–4 if you count the air horn some jackass blasted 5 feet from my ear.

Why, oh why do people honk at runners?  I wasn’t running in the street, or wearing skimpy clothing.  I wasn’t even wearing spandex!  I was just minding my own business on the sidewalk–bum knees be dammed. 

I’m not sure why it irritates me so much, but the honking truly rubs me the wrong way (more so than the creepy guy who slurred, “Baby, you don’t need to exorcise” around mile 6).  I think it’s because I can’t figure out how all this honking is ment to be received.  Do they mean for me to take it as a “Hey, baby,  How you doin?’” a la Joey Tribbiani,  or is it more of an assertation of the  ”Atta girl!” variety?  I’d be much more appreciative of the tonal high-five rendition of the automotive honk (if that’s the case, perhaps the air horn was more an “up high” interpretation?).

The real issue is this:  If I don’t know how a honk is intended, how do I know how to respond?  Instinctively, I want to give the offender the proverbial finger, but if the driver is merely offering kudos, clearly flipping the bird is not the ideal response.    And yet, a smile and a wave of thanks is hardly the message I want to be sending to some sleaze-bucket who’s puffing up his tail feathers and trying to get in my pants.

Scott Douglas published an all together different theory on why drivers honk at runners called The Mystery of Honking.  His whole philosophy is rooted in the belief that honking stems from anger.  Be it anger at the runner for hogging the road, or anger at themselves for not being as physically active as their object of abuse.  Personally, I’m hoping Scott’s way off base, because if he’s right, that air horn was probably laced with foul-mouthed resentment.  And who needs resentment messing with the bliss of their taper? 

All I know is this:  Tomorrow I’m headed to the starting line to race my first marathon, and the only air horn I want to hear is the sound of the gun at the start.

* Well, clearly not every minute….

The Last Hurrah

This weekend was the final push before beginning my taper and I planned to make the most of it.  On Saturday I set out on my last long run – 12 miles. 

Actually, lets back up a moment, because the real challenge here wasn’t really the run, it was getting out the door.  In reality, I woke at 6 and ate a bowl of oats.  And then I went back to bed.  At 7:30 I got up again and checked the weather.  It was 50 degrees.  Not only did that incite me to don some cold weather running gear (pants and long sleeves), but it also meant that heat wasn’t going to be and issue and so … yup, you guess it, I went back to bed.  At 9:30 my husband started laying on the guilt trips and so I started making moves towards the front door.  Don’t think I wasn’t dragging my feet with procrastination though.  First I forgot my tunes, and then my sunscreen and when I finally made it outside it was hot!  Well, ok, not hot, but it wasn’t 50 degrees anymore either.  I went back inside and changed into shorts and a tank.   I was finally off and running around 9:45.   Geeze…

The run itself was amazing.  I will even go as far as to say it was my most successful training run yet.  My long runs have been slow all through my training – around a minute slower than my goal marathon pace which is 9:49 (though in all honesty, I think 10:15 is more realistic).  This scheduled run was no different and was written for 12 miles at 10:40.   My first mile was 10:19 and though I tried to slow it down my second was 10:12.  At that point I just figured what the hell, I was feeling good and I might as well take advantage of it.  It’s not like I could do any harm this late in the game.  And so that’s exactly what I did.  For the next ten miles, I dropped 10 seconds from each mile for perfect negative splits.  My route was really hilly too, but I think somehow that helped me.  I powered up the hills and relaxed a little on the decline and just focused on lengthening my stride.   My final mile was completed in 8:55 and it felt awesome.

I’m trying to mentally prepare for my taper, but my body isn’t cooperating.  The last 3 days my appetite has been out of control.  Yesterday I ate breakfast 3 times!! I’m hoping this relaxes considerably over the next two weeks because with my drop in my activity level, I could puff up like a blimp if I continue down this road.  Yikes!  Anyone else battling the munchies as they enter their taper?

There You Go Making My Heart Beat Again

As hesitant as I was to embark on yesterday’s 22 miler on top of everything else on my plate yesterday, when my eyes popped open at 5:45am I took it as a sign that I should go.   Before I could chicken out, I downed some breakfast, grabbed my gear and headed to the rendezvous point at Patterson Park. 

The run was actually a supported training run on the Baltimore Marathon course put on by my favorite local running store — Falls Road Running Store, the official sponsor of the Baltimore Marathon.  Runners could log anywhere from 10-21 miles with options to pick up extra mileage at various points along the course.  I was going for 22, my longest distance yet.

Parking turned out to be a beast of a challenge and I logged my first half mile running from my car to the meeting point.  I got there just as instructions were being relayed over a handheld mega phone to the couple hundred runners that had gathered for the run.  The gist of it was that while there would be water/fuel stops along the course, there would be no traffic control and we would need to watch for cars, stop for red lights, etc..  Everyone signed a waiver of responsibility, left a donation if they so wished, and then we were off. 

Per usual, the first few miles were the toughest.  It took me a bit to find my stride, but my pace was pretty much where I wanted it to be – I was pleased to see that I wasn’t going out super fast.  The Baltimore Marathon is notorious for its hills, which is the whole reason I wanted to do this training run on the actual course.   I’m pleased to report that they were a complete non-issue – looks like my hill training is working out well!

The water stops were at three locations on the course and were strategically placed so that we passed each of them twice – which was a very good thing.  I’m still struggling with hydration.  I took 4 salt tablets over the course of the run and drank plenty of Gatorade, but I still felt like I took in way too much fluid.   I’ll definitely be researching this in the coming weeks, but if you have any tips I’m all ears.

We were given a list of turn-by-turn directions at the start, but the crowd was pretty thick and I didn’t need them for the first 2 hours as I could simply follow the herd.  After that we started to spread out and it got pretty sparse — at some points I could maybe see one other runner up ahead.  Luckily, I know this city pretty well, so I wasn’t concerned about getting lost, only a little nervous at the thought of logging way more miles that I had intended.  When I hit 15 miles and we were still running away from the finish I made the decision to turn around. It worked out perfectly – I hit the park at exactly 20 miles and then ran around the perimeter for the last 2 miles.   Turns out some people (like me) had picked up extra miles while running through Druid Hills, while others (like the ones I was following later in the game) had not and were looking to make up the difference at Fort McHenry.  If I had followed them all the way there I would have run a full marathon by the time I got back to my car! 

Although the last few miles were hilly, they were surprisingly easy, though granted, they were also super slow.  That’s ok though, I wasn’t out to set any records.  I finished 22 miles in about  3h58m, which should put me right on track for a 4:30 marathon finish.

Oh! and I got a chance to meet my pacer for the marathon!  He works at Falls Rd Running Store and we talked briefly about his strategy for race day.  I’m really looking forward to running with a pace group.

Also, I got a lot of questions this weekend about the iPod Nano Multi-Touch I purchased on Friday.  I took it out for its virgin run on the 22 miler and met with success.  The clip worked great and didn’t budge the entire time, the touch screen was easy to use while running and I really have no complaints.  When I first clipped it to my fuel belt I was a little discouraged as the screen was upside-down, but I soon figured out that I could rotate it in any direction – awesome!  I’m thrilled to finally have an mp3 player that I can clip on while I run and not have to worry about carrying it, wearing an arm band or accidentally sweating on it and causing a premature death.

Check out my new power song – I played this one on repeat for the last mile.  The video is a little disconcerting though, no?

A Soggy Sixteen

I woke yesterday to the sound of rain drops hitting the window above the bed.  It was 5:40 in the morning, but it didn’t matter, I bolted out of bed and raced to check the weather — I had 16 miles to run!

According to weather.com the rain was anticipated to decrease to only a 60% chance by 7am and then down to 30% by 9am.  It was cool out — only 60 degrees, and if it weren’t for my company picnic planned for early afternoon, I would have waited out the storm.   As it were, I had no choice but to head out I the wet.  I was weary of heading to my planned trail head because I had no idea how long it had been raining and had visions of a swampy, muddy mess.  However, on the flip side, the foliage overhead promised a drier run.  It was a toss up, and since no other options really struck my fancy I laced up my old, dirty trainers and headed for the trail.

Since the weather was cool, I donned capris and a loose-fitting long sleeved shirt, but because wearing things around my waist over baggy clothes always causes bunching (and thereby the dreaded chafe!), I was left wondering how I was going to carry my water.  I’ve tried running with handhelds before, and always ended up stashing them in the bushes 3 miles in.  Taking inspiration from Danica’s recent post about learning to run with a handheld I grabbed one of the 8oz bottles that came with my new 4-bottle hydration pack.

             

Danica suggested starting by carrying something small like an iPod or mace, just to get used to carrying something in your hand.  I do this already without a problem, but at 20oz the handheld I was using was not small at all and my arm would get tired after a few miles. 

My Ultimate Direction Fastdraw Extreme Hand-held Bottle. 
Great for hikes, not for runs. 

I’m happy to report that the little 8oz bottle worked swimmingly.  My arm never got tired and I never ran out of fluid.  Because it was cool out, and because I knew there would be a water fountain at my halfway point, I was comfortable carrying so little fluid.  On a warmer day this never would have worked! 

Two things stood out to me on my run:

1) Apparently only dedicated runners hit the trail in the rain.  No walkers, chit-chatters or recreational runners dared to brave the elements.  You could see it in their eyes — every runner out there was focused on knocking out their workout as quickly as possible.  I was dreaming of warming up with a big mug of black coffee and comfy sweats and I’m pretty sure they were too. 

2) There were also no cyclists to be found.  Why is that? Is it because the trail is too slippery?  Or do rain drops really hurt that much more when hitting you in the face at 16mph rather than 6mph?

The highlight:  Another celebrity sighting!  Right around mile 2 a guy runs past and shouts, “Olivia!”.  I knew instantly who it was, but of course I could only remember his blog name and not his given name.  As I was debating the merits of calling it out in return, he saved me by pointing to his chest and yelling, “Running moron!!”.  Yes, that’s right.  It was Brett from The Running Moron.  I had a good chuckle over that one  and it helped time fly by for a while, so Brett?  I owe you one.

The low point: Dispite using a handheld, I did not escape chaffing.  As I stepped into the shower I let out a little scream as the water hit my collar bone.  Turns out that the necklace that I’ve been running with for years is not ment to be paired with rain under a high-collared shirt.  The chain rubbed my poor collarbone raw.

What’s the strangest injury you’ve sustained while running?

20 Mile Harbor Run

This past weekend was a whirlwind that included:

• A three-hour bus ride to NYC
• An afternoon searching for a T-Rex at the American Natural History Museum

• Dinner at S’Mac – a restaurant that serves only macaroni and cheese in a dozen variations (brie and figs anyone?)

(This is actually a friend’s cheddar and parm concoction–mine didn’t survive long enough for pictures)

• General shenanigans at Mason Dixon, a bar which boasts its very own mechanical bull 

(oh yes, she did!)

(hard to believe I was dead sober, eh?)

• A 5am bedtime… am I the only one that didn’t know bars are open until 4am in New York?  …ugh…

(sleepy time)

• Copious amounts of coffee
• A tour of the Times Square Toys R Us (it has a ferris wheel inside!)
• And another looong bus ride home. 

And following all of that?  A 20 mile run. 

On Labor Day I woke up bright and early at 6am and headed to the kitchen for my standard pre-run breakfast of oatmeal and banana.   And then I went back to sleep for 3.5 hours.  When I woke again at 9:30 I was groggy, cranky and not exactly chomping at the bit for a run, but then I thought about that mac ‘n cheese (and the Mexican pastries, yes plural, that I’d inhaled at brunch on Saturday) and knew it had to be done.  Before I could think much more about it, I grabbed my new hydration belt, five GUs and headed out the door. 

Since it had been 4 hours since breakfast, I sucked down my first GU on my drive to Patterson Park.  My plan for the run was to start at the park and run towards the harbor, then I would follow the waterfront all the way around to Fort McHenry and double back.  I’d never run down there before, but I felt like I needed a change of scenery if I was going to get this done and I’m so glad that I did. 

The brick and wood plank piers were so much nicer on my knees! 

Though I wanted to, I did not stop for a tour of the coolest submarine ever

Gorgeous, gorgeous day!

The run along the waterfront was not only picturesque, but it held my attention as I really had to watch my footing on the boardwalk planks and around the twists and turns of the piers.  I ran through Highlandtown, Canton, Fells Point, Harbor East, Inner Harbor, Federal Hill, Pier Point, Riverside, Locust Point and Fort McHenry.  Phew! 

When I reached Fort McHenry I was actually only at mile 8 and it was the end of the road.  Rather than turn around early and try and make up the miles eleswhere, I decided to do three laps around the fort.  McHenry is a star-shaped fort that is surrounded on three sides by the Chesapeake.  It was where troops defended Baltimore against the British Navy in the War of 1812 — the battle that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star Spangled Banner.  The views were amazing.

Before I left the fort, I refilled my two water bottles (the two others were still full of Gatorade).  A mere 5 miles later I was running on empty and desperately searching for a water fountain, a hose, anything other than the nasty Baltimore bay water.  I finally spotted two people wearing official looking lanyards around their necks who took pity on me, allowing me to use the facilities of some private boat club to refill my bottles.  I had taken a salt tablet before I left, but running in the afternoon without shade probably warranted at least 2 or 3 of those babies.  I was feeling ok, but by the end of my 20 miles I had consumed 73oz of fluid(!!). 

Check out my dizzy stagger back to my car when I was done!!

(oopsy…)

My plan was to do a second loop around the park to bring my total milage to 22, but the perimeter of the park had absolutely no shade at 2pm and I was getting crazy hot (and clearly not in top form) so I called it a day. 

I stopped at the grocery for a banana and an orange on the way home and after my ice bath I made a yummy smoothie with spinach and vanilla protein powder.  Later we went out for burgers and ice cream.

All in all, I say it was a successful holiday weekend!  How was yours?

 

The Lazy Playwright

Act I

THE SCENE
Husband is nestled in bed, fingers rapidly tapping the keys of his laptop.  Wife is readying herself for sleep: changing out of her work clothes, pulling back the bed covers and slipping beneath the sheets.  She props herself up on the pillows, lifts a book from the nightstand and settles in for  a restful evening.

HUSBAND
Oh, are you not running tonight? 
(He asks this innocently, but with a touch of surprise–this is clearly not the typical bedtime routine)

WIFE
[silence]
(She cuts him with a fierce side-long glare, pushes back the blankets and walks to the bureau.  She dresses in her sports bra and outerware, laces up her running shoes, and with one final scowl at her mate, heads for the door)    

HUSBAND
(Not knowing what he’s said wrong and desperately trying to avoid making matters worse, he makes a tentative offering) …You look … cute?

WIFE
(slams door)

END SCENE

What can I say?  Sometimes I don’t feel like running.  Sometimes I need someone else to keep me accountable.  And sometimes that person gets the brunt of my frustrations.  It’s a damn good thing I’m cute– no one would love me otherwise. 

I’m happy to say that despite my less than stellar mood, Act II is decidedly more up beat.  My assignment was 6 miles with 3×1600 at an 8:46 pace and 800m recovery jogs.  Here are my stats:

6 miles in 57:45/9:35 avg pace
Lap 1: 10:20 <– 1 mile warm up
Lap 2: 8:37
Lap 3: 10:28 <– 1/2 mile recovery
Lap 4: 8:43
Lap 5: 10:48 <– 1/2 mile recovery
Lap 6: 8:22
Lap 7: 10:35 <– 1/2 mile recovery, 1/2 mile cool down

I should note that mile 6 was mostly down hill, while laps 2 and 4 were 99% uphill.  The latter is why I ended up going faster than intended.  I have a hard time gauging my speed when hills are involved and tend to overestimate the speed necessary to maintain my pace while climbing.

Today is technically a cross-training day, but Husband is not home to guilt me into action.  I’m hoping that the 20 push ups I did this morning count for something because I think that’s as good as it’s going to get. 

Yes, I’m completely unmotivated, but I’m trying not to beat myself up about it too much.  Not only do I have to get up at 4am for this presentation tomorrow (holy crap, can I tell you how excited I am for that to be over?!) but I have the Annapolis 10 Miler on Sunday and I’m trying to rest up as much as possible without reducing the base mileage I’ve built up for the marathon.  That and I’d much rather lay here and eat another bowl of oatmeal than get on the stationary bike. 

Call me lazy or call me cute, it doesn’t really matter–I’m declaring it a rest day.  

Tri-Tip Flavored GU

Well, my 20 miles on Sunday were hard (that may be the greatest understatement I’ll ever make), but thankfully proved to be no comparison for the disastrous, painful long run the week before.  Looking back, I think my fueling, or rather, my lack of fueling was to blame. 

Last week before my 18 miler I had yogurt and fruit for breakfast,  huevos rancheros for lunch, and a salad with the teeniest slice of pizza ever for dinner.  This past Saturday in preparation for my long run I had oats for breakfast, pasta and veggies for lunch and a cheesesteak sandwich and fro-yo for dinner and dessert.   A striking difference that proved to be much in my favor.

Cheesesteaks may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of proper pre-run nutrition, but it is the first thing you think of after watching the standoff between Gino’s and Pat’s on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network.  And after all, we’re only an hour and a half from Philly…

So yes, Kirk and I drove to Philadelphia for dinner.  As a co-worker noted this morning, “Oh that’s right. You don’t have kids yet.”  True that!

The verdict?  Did we opt for Gino’s or for Pat’s?  Well, while Pat’s was deemed to have better bread, they also had super water-saturated peppers and onions (think sitting in a bucket of water for days kind of saturated).  Ew.  Gino’s steak was a teeny bit more flavorful, but ultimately, neither were all that impressive.  We were less than enthused. :/

But, as I said, that cheesesteak did me well the next morning.  The run was wildly uneventful, so I won’t bore you with the (lack of) details.  I started before the sun came up at 5:51am and ended 4 Gus and 3 hours, 33 minutes and 31 seconds later.  I was exhausted, but it good spirits. 

Speaking of steak – does anyone else get tired of the sugary-sweet GU flavors?  I realize it sounds gross now, but trust me, two hours into my run on Sunday I would have killed for a tri-tip flavored GU. 

I had an ice bath and a coffee (simultaneously), followed by a viewing of The Last Airbender accompanied by my husband and my faithful icepack.  I can’t say much for the movie, but the icing helped tremendously.  My knees were really achy later in the day, but were much improved by Monday morning and I’m ready to tackle my 7 miles today.   

In other news:  My husband and I have decided to start cooking in the evenings together.  This is going to be a challenge, I think, as the kitchen has become my territory to improvize and concoct things as I please, but I also think it will be good for us.  Mainly, because it will give us something to do together.  My husband and I are total opposites.  We are hard-pressed to find anything (aside from movies and food) that we both enjoy.  As a result, we are perfectly content to do our own thing most of the time, even if that means being away from each other.  The down side of this is the obvious: we spend most of our time away from each other!  We do love one  another’s company, so hopefully working on creating masterful dishes in the kitchen as a team will bring us a little more together time. 

Let’s just cross our fingers we don’t kill each other in the process.  Let’s face it, we bicker like nobody’s business and there are plenty of sharp weapons within arms reach in the kitchen!  Just kidding…