Random Thoughts From a Long Run......

Today I went on the longest run to date.  11 miles.. I'm sorry, what?! Even when I tell people that I don't know what I'm talking about.  The whole time I'm running it, I don't know what I'm talking about.  But here are the random thoughts that run through a runner's head during that long period of time......

Miles 1-3:

*I'm cold
*Wish I'd worn some gloves
*My plantar fasciitis hurts
*I can't breathe
*Why am I doing this?
*I'm hungry
*It's so gross to wipe my snotty nose on my sleeve
*Those birds could carry me away!!!!!

Miles 4-6:

*That house is pretty
*Watch that sidewalk
*I hear the birds chirping!
*Everything is warm but my hands. Why didn't I wear gloves?????
*What street am I on?
*I think I feel the runner's high at times!!!
*Oooo, haven't heard this song in a while....
*I wonder what time it is?
*Man, this flavored applesauce tastes good
*I think I just aspirated some water.  Cough twice. 
*I hope the light stays green at that intersection
*My fingers are numb! I would turn up the volume on this song, but I can't
*"You make me feel like I been locked out of heaven......"
*This is a great shortcut
*What am I going to do about that condo.....
*It's so gross to wipe my snotty nose on my sleeve
*Ducks!!!!!!


Miles 7-11:
*Does that car see me?
*I hope that light changes so I have to stop at that intersection
*"Nope, you need to turn around sir, go down one block and turn left and the student center is on your right"
*Ugh, I'm burping up that flavored applesauce, think I might vomit
*Is that part of an animal?
*That guy is cute.  Step up the pace, don't look like you're dying
*Jesus, what time is it?
*What street am I supposed to turn on???
*Wonder what my pace is?
*Well, don't wave back at me, bitch!
*I can feel my fingers!!!!
*I'm just mentally tired, suck it up buttercup
*Mercy, I'm sick of carrying this water bottle
*Are my shoelaces coming untied?
*I'm tired
* I need more music
*It's so gross to wipe my snotty nose on my sleeve (constant, on a loop)
*I see my building!!!!!!

These are the earth shattering, important thoughts that go through my head during a long run.  Just thought you wanted to know. 

11 Days Until Spring!!!!!!!!!

Where did February go? Oh wait, I know---- all I did was run, sleep and eat.  And then there's the matter of that full time job thing.  Anyway, sorry for the long break.

It's been the most brutal winter in about 20 years here and the half mary training has been rough to say the least.  I believe the last time I was ranting on here, I had just ran 7 miles to my utter astonishment.  Well, yesterday I hit an all time high of 10 miles.  How does that even happen??? Even while I was doing it, I couldn't imagine how I was doing it.  It took me 2 hours but at the same time it was over in an instant.  I have been doing group runs with one of my local breweries (after trying many running groups) and I find this one to be the best one for me by far.  Beer = friendly people??? Whatever the reason, I'm happy to be training with them and I'll even get a free t-shirt to wear on the big day labeling me as part of their group.  This excites me to no end for some strange reason.  I hope the blood, sweat and tears will wash out of it easily so I can wear it again.

I even found someone as slow as me to run with yesterday, and dare I say, he might have been a tiny bit slower.  We paced each other the first 8 miles, then he made a detour to run by his house for water and snacks.  Those last 2 miles alone were brutal.  He gave me some great advice and information about this particular half since he ran it in 2012.  He also promised that since he would be at the race I would not be last. 

3 weeks until the race.  One more long run of 11 miles.  Then the taper begins.  I feel stupid even saying that.  I'm not ready for this, haven't done enough hill work, but it's going to happen.  I'm still trying to figure out what to eat during the run and it's been hit and miss. Found a great blog, active-balanced-vegan, that listed some great vegan options for eating during endurance runs.   This week I tried one of those squeezable flavored applesauce.  It's a pretty good size to carry along, don't have to chew it.  My tummy tolerated it pretty well. May try some gluten free pretzels and/or dates this week. 

Strength training is going well, but I can't really tell any difference in my running yet.  I'm sure that will take quite a while.  I can say that I've never been so sore.  How were these weak ass muscles carrying me down the street?!  I can also say that the book I'm following is fantastic (Quick Strength for Runners by Jeff Horowitz) and I highly recommend it. It basically spoon feeds me what I need to do, when to do it and how many times.  I have found this is what I need. I operate best with a clear plan. 

My favorite running quote of the past week: "Running is a series of controlled falls".  Ain't that the truth.

I'm getting so nervous.  I'm even starting to stress out about the parking and how early I need to get there.  There are going to be 5,000 runners!!!!!! That's crazy.  I know it's going to be way harder than I am even imagining and I already know I'm going to cry.  I just don't know if it will be during or after.  Or both. 

But the most stressful thing of all this past week?  I made an offer on a condo and damn if they didn't accept it.  So it was good in one way, took my mind off my other stressor, but this is stress of a whole other level, money and moving stress.  I'm excited to hopefully have a place that is mine, where I can dig in and not move until I go to the assisted living facility.  Inspection is this week, if that goes well, it's time to start signing some checks..... :-)

To Run or Not to Run.....That is the Question??????

I've been muddling through this half-marathon training and it's been rough with all the crazy cold weather we've been having.  The first winter I'm a serious runner and it's the coldest it's been in 20 years. Go figure.

Anyway, this week I had my first major running scare.  There was a possibility that I had a stress fracture in my right foot.  I developed an aching pain at the base of my 5th metatarsal after my run last Saturday.  It stayed with me all day Saturday and Sunday.  It didn't help that I stood on it for 3hours Saturday night, but I was at a beard contest with a burlesque show, so forgive me.  I made the mistake of looking up my symptoms on Google and was then convinced I had a stress fx.  I was more convinced after talking to a friend of mine who is a doctor.  As soon as I described my symptoms, he says "stress fx". 

So now I'm freaking out, knowing that I will not be able to run for at least 6 weeks if that is the case and will have to sell my bib for half marathon.  I knew I was enjoying my new found activity of running, but I had no idea how much I loved it until I thought of not doing it for 6 weeks!!! I felt a little lost at the thought and wondered if I would be starting from scratch after such a layoff. 

I skip my runs for Monday and Tuesday to give the foot a rest and to try and find out what is going on.  I go to our wellness clinic at work, where the nurse practitioner has no clue about my foot, barely touches it, calls her attending doc, and then tells me my symptoms carry a presumption of it being a stress fx and that I should stop running. Ok--- I'm not going to quit 7 weeks away from my goal based on a "presumption".  So I get an ortho appt for Wednesday. Tell me what I want to hear doc!!!!

This guy does great exam, x-rays, asks lots of questions pertaining to my running (he's a runner, thank goodness!) and tells me he's pretty positive that I don't have a stress fx!! Does tell me I need to cross train for strengthening due to my slender frame (thanks doc!) and my advancing age (thanks doc!). But I'm cleared to run. 

I did a treadmill run on Thursday due to ice all over the streets and my foot ached.  So I'm still worried.  Today I had longest run of my life thus far scheduled, 7 miles, so I was very worried.  But I thought it would probably tell me what I needed to know.  And here's what I found: my plantar fasciitis in my left foot hurt more than my right foot did!  You just never know.  I know I will still have to see how the foot does with all the increasing mileage, but for now I'm going for it.  And let the strength training begin........

7 miles was tough.  But I kept reminding myself how lucky I was to be out there trying.

Perspective

Several posts ago, I was whining about making the change to running in cold weather and how I just couldn't get my body out the door if the temp was less than 30 degrees.  Oh, how times have changed!!

There is nothing like a little artic vortex (the weather person's phrase, not mine) to give a person a completely new perspective on what "cold" really is.  And it's all relative folks, it really is. 

Across much of the country, temps were in the single digits or below.  In my little area of the world, there were several days of temps in negative degrees once the wind chill was factored in.  And this happened, of course, the week that most people were starting the serious training for the local half that I've signed up for.  So I made friends with the dreadmill again, and tried to be grateful that I had one in my building to use. 

But the positive that has come out of such a cold spell?  I can now run comfortably in 15 degree weather and even enjoy running in the snow, as long as ice isn't involved.  Thank you artic vortex!!

I have also recently been experimenting with running without music.  I've only tried it twice so far for an entire run and I have to say that it's not as bad as I imagined.  I even did my long run today without music or my run app to track my pace.  I knew the route I was running so I just didn't care.  It was nice to not worry about how fast or how slow I was going.  It was cloudy and a little rainy at the start, but the rain stopped and it was great to just enjoy the scenery of the horse farms, old trees, and barns on my route.  So peaceful!!! I only wished I had my phone at the times I wanted to take some photos. 

It was also the first week that I added an extra day to my running schedule, which now means getting up at 4:15 3x per week.  It's was rough.  I go to bed so early it's insane.  But I just keep telling myself it's only until the end of March.  It's only till the end March.  March. 

Surrender

I recently read a post by a yoga blogger who was talking about surrender.  She discussed what it was in her life she was feeling the need to "surrender" to and it made me think about the term in relation to my own life.

The answer to the question didn't come to me until I was out on a run last week.  I need to surrender to the cold.  In one week I begin my training plan for my very first half marathon.  And all of my training will take place in the coldest winter months.  What in the world was I thinking????

It's been a little better since I made this decision.  I've quit checking the temperature on my phone before going for my morning run; I just take my dog out and let my body tell me what I think I need to put on.  I always put on my warmest running hat and gloves, knowing I can take them off if not needed.  And then I try not to think about it anymore, get out the door and GO, accepting that I will be cold until mile 2. 

This routine served me well one morning last week when I got up to take doggie out and discovered it was snowing! That wasn't in the forecast.  My immediate first thought was "treadmill", followed by "I could fall",  but I pushed those thoughts away and just thought about how pretty it was.  Came in, got dressed and headed back out.  It WAS pretty, so quiet, peaceful.  Beautiful.  When I got back and looked at my phone, it said temps were 15 with the wind chill. Had I looked at that before running, I would never have went.

I am also trying to surrender to "just being me"...at least in the context of running. I'm always just trying to be me, but with running I've been doing that horrible habit of comparison.  And it just doesn't work.  Mentally I know this, but was recently handed a huge serving of humility physically to make sure I get the point.

I went to a group run on Saturday that was sponsored by the half marathon I've signed up for.  It's a run on parts of the course that the race will be on, which is crazy hilly.  So I know I need to practice on the course.  But it's so hard to show up (for me) for runs where I know no one.  But it said there would be different routes (4, 7, 10) and different paces for all.  So I make myself go.  In the rain. 

And guess what? Only those damn hardcore runners show up in the rain.  15 people, including me.  Everybody wants to run 10 miles.  Except me.  Everybody wants to run a 9 minute pace.  Except me, can't.  So....they tell me I can go the 4 mile route, they will show me where to go when we split up.

I manage to stay at the back of the pack for the first half mile or so by running my fastest half mile ever, completely motivated by shame, but knowing that I can't keep it up.  The race director guy hangs back at first and tries to be nice, chats me up, tells me where to go for 4m loop, then he gets tired of running so slow and goes ahead. 

The pack keeps pulling further away and it makes me feel awful. A couple of runners go on the 4m loop with me to show me the way, but they have to keep doubling back to really talk to me.  It's humiliating.  I'm thinking things like "I'll never come to this training run again!" "Why in the world do I think I can run a half?" "Are these people laughing at me in front of my back?".  But then I get mad at myself for being so negative.  I can't help the pace I run at.  It's my pace.  It's the best I can do at this time.  Maybe I will get faster the longer I do this, maybe I won't.  But at least I'm doing it!  I think of one of my favorite bloggers, John Bingham, who writes about coming in LAST in many races, but still he ran.  He's ever written running manuals! His nickname is the Penguin because he is so slow!  But he runs, and he enjoys it. 

So, yes, I will go back to these training runs.  I will be the one at the back of the pack.  I will be the one yelling "car back" if a vehicle approaches from my direction.  I will be the one making everyone else feel good about their current pace.  I will be there in rain or snow.  (But not sleet)  And I will finish that damn race in as many hours as it takes and I'll have a medal around my neck just like those 9 min people!

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler !!!! (Let the Good Times Roll)

I've been battling a nice little cold all weekend, nothing horrible, just enough to make me not want to do anything.  I believe it may be my penance for having such a wonderful time last weekend!!

I spent 4 fantastic days in Louisiana, 2 of them on Bourbon St in the French Quarter, 2 of them on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain.  Started out on the North Shore, where I got in a sweet run along the shore of Lake Pontchartrain in 65 degree weather.  My body did not know what was going on.

Also got to experience a drive thru daiquiri shop at 10am.  What?! I'm on vacation!

Off to Bourbon St. on Friday.  Stayed at a very nice hotel right on the strip which had a fabulous balcony opening onto the courtyard.  Friday and Saturday were cloudy and rainy, but that did not deter the crowds in any way.  This place is cray cray.  I had some strange encounters with random people on the street each night, but I think you had to be there to get just how weird they were.  Let's just say that one man acted like he was going to bite my neck (?) and another guy threw a bag of trash at my feet while gesturing in angry ways with his arms and hands.  Neither of them said a word. ????????????????

Third picture is of this great little open air jazz bar that was right across the street.  Several moments spent here.

We encountered an impromptu parade at one point when we were coming back from the French Market.

Did you know that Abita beer is made near New Orleans?  Nope, me either.

We almost made it in time for a tour of the brewery.  But then we didn't. :-)

The area around Jackson Square, on our way back from French Market.  We then took a street car over to the Garden District and toured a cemetery.

This last photo we jokingly referred to as the "Lone Rangers", perhaps those who didn't have a family crypt to be buried in.  This is where I would be. :-)

This is a random tree next to our stop to get back on the street car.  We just happen to look over and it's filled with beads!! Beads hanging on trees, light posts, power wires, damn things are everywhere!!

So, great trip, had a wonderful time.  My only complaint? Food!!! Let me just say, I was sooooo not a gegan girl on this trip.  I had trouble just being a vegan girl!!  It was so hard to find things I would eat. My friend was getting tired of the many adventures to find me some food, but I must say much patience was displayed.  My friend did point out that I have a habit of reading the label of anything I'm handed to eat that is packaged.  This is something I had not realized, but it's something I've had to do for so long. There was nothing on the main strip of Bourbon St., but as we started to venture out, there were some options.  Thank goodness for the app VegOut.  This thing saved me.  Helped me find some ethnic options that were ok, but my greatest find was this tiny little café in the French Market.  Meals From the Heart Café. 

 

This first pic of their vegan smoothie that just happened to probably be the only gegan thing I had the whole time I was there!  It was yummy and thick enough to need a spoon!  I wanted to hug and kiss these people. Seriously.

 

 

The photo below is of vegan pancakes!!!!! This is only the second time since I've been vegan that I've had pancakes unless I've made them at home.  Wanted to kiss them this time as well.

 



So basically, if you are a vegan in New Orleans, go to this café.  You and your belly will be so happy.

Ok, gotta go take another shot of medicinal bourbon now.  In honor of the trip that caused me to have this cold. 

Too Cold for Comfort

So I still consider myself to be a new runner. Very much so. January will be one year that I've been running consistently and seriously.  When I started in January of this year, I started on a treadmill.  I was so scared of running outside.  I still remember the first time I ran outside-- it was a disaster of epic proportions.  But, oh how things change!  I now despise running on a treadmill, but guess what? I did just that 2x this week.  Why?  Because it's COLD!!!!

Running in 20 degree temps is not something I'm familiar with.  It's not fun in any way.  And it's a little early for it to be so cold where I live.  So it's a nice little preview of what's to come when I have to be super serious about training for my first 1/2 marathon, starting in January.  What was I thinking?!  Oh, that's right, I'm a new runner and I don't know any better.  I just don't know how I'm going to do it.  I'm still running in the am, just works so much better for me, but running in the dark when it's 22 degrees outside?!?! Damn! It actually hurts. 

I've been ok with the 30's and 40's, getting pretty good at knowing how to dress (dress for mile 2!), but anything below that I'm just not ready for.  Mentally or physically.  Will this get better? Will I get lucky and start going thru menopause so the hot flashes will help me out? Will the fact that I have this huge race looming over me get my wimpy ass out the door?  We shall see, dear readers, we shall see........