Leaving Footprints in the Snow

And the storm rolled in covering the ground in a heavy snow, perfect to build a snowman but awful to shovel.

I was very excited to get up and run. We have only had one other snow and it was great run. It was peaceful and I got cheered on by cops and plowers. This run was not that. Since it was a work day, everyone was up early and clearing their driveways. The sound of snowblowers echoed thru the early morning air.

Getting ready was interesting because I had to plan for the wet but balance that with mild 30’s. I wore fleece leggings, tall socks (from Christmas), a light shirt and light jacket, my hat with lights (from Christmas), buff (from Christmas), reflective vest (from Christmas), and headband. And of course, I brought my phone and headphones because music is motivating, especially the Lady Sovereign or HyperCrush IHeart stations.

With all the snow, I figured street running would be the way to go. Last winter, I discovered that many of my neighbors are not good about cleaning their sidewalks. It was generally a good idea except for the roads that weren’t touched by a plow. I ended up running in the narrow tracks of tires, hurdling sometimes thigh high piles of snow left by plows going the on other streets. The dog loved the snow; snow blowers, less so.

It felt like I was running through deep sand. My legs tired quickly as I had to high step much of the run and manage to stay in a narrow tire track which is much harder than it sounds. I did manage to stay upright for the whole run. I cut my run short since I knew that I was slow today. The snow slowed me down and I only got in 5.37 miles.

I had used Gu because I figured I could use the extra boost for this run. Iheart decided to quit just a ½ mile in but I didn’t want to stop and futz with the phone. I just prayed that Runkeeper kept going. And it did. Sometimes, the pace announcements were rather depressing (snowbound) but other times it was very encouraging (clear roads). I’m not sure what sort of running exercise this might be considered but I know my legs are stronger because of this run.

While it wasn’t the same feeling as my last snow run, I had a different feelings. Determination, persistence comes to mind. There was some serenity as I listened to my breath, watching clouds form in front of me. 

Waiting for the Dark and Stormy Run

And we’re back! Holidays are over and it’s time to get you all an update.

Wednesday was nice. Aerial yoga is great to get centered when you feel stretched in too many directions. I imagine this is true for any yoga. The regulars were there and we had a visitor from the Thursday class as it was cancelled due to the holidays. We worked on heart openers. We also aired grievances getting things off our chest. Heart openers are great for those of us who are at desks and are hunched over for the better part of the day. The chest gets stretched, as well as the shoulders and quads. I felt much more prepared for the holidays after class.

Thursday I went for a run. I had the day off and planned on doing ALL my Christmas shopping afterwards. The winds were rotten. It didn’t seem to matter which way I ran, I just got buffeted by the winds. The Hank Aaron Trail is a nice place to run. It’s never been very busy on days I run it. South Eastern Wisconsin has some very nice trails and eventually I need to explore them. Some of them even have beer gardens nearby for the beer drinkers. The dog stayed home for this run as I didn't want to leave her in the car while I poked around for the perfect Christmas gifts. Maybe I need her for motivation. It was just a suck run. I tried to be positive by reminding myself that I’ve come far and how great I was doing despite the wind. I did feel pretty awesome and accomplished afterward but it was a hard one 5.67 miles.

Christmas was a great win for me. Yes, Christmas is more than presents and food but I had some wonderful food and received some much needed and wanted running stuffs. I got a slightly heavier running jacket and a nice puffer vest, a runner world cookbook, glowing shoelaces, buff, running tank, a new running belt, some nice tall running socks, earbuds that hook on my ears so they won’t slide out and are waterproof, reflective vest, and a hat with lights on the brim. I think there was more but they are escaping me at the moment. I also received a harry potter cookbook which I’m excited about. I feel ready for some good runs.

Saturday I ran 13.17 miles. I felt good. With all the stress of the holidays, running soothes me. My anxiety is always high this time of year and that leads to flares from the autoimmune. There were some hard parts as there usually is, but the running itself felt right. 

And I should have known better. Whenever it feels easy, I’m going slow. And I was. I was 15 min slower than my last thirteen miles. I also had a couple of phone calls which put me off my pace. Despite this, I enjoyed the run. There were a few hills that were a pain but I went back to the route I did last week only added a run on the Hank Aaron. The scenery is nice. And when you are running long distances, I find good music and good scenery makes it all so much more gratifying. The dog was less than thrilled about the run, but she got in her groove around mile 6. I took my blueberry pomegranate Gu with me and that sat easy. Two packs seem about right for a recreational run. I got to take my new headphones and running belt with me. I appreciated the water I could now carry hands free a lot, though I did need to pee by the time I got back home. The headphones stayed put and let enough ambient sound come thru that I could have both in.

A storm is rolling in today. People came into work early today in hopes of getting home early. The snow is starting to stick to the ground. We have a storm warning for snow and ice. The roads are supposed to be treacherous. Then there is me. I am watching the snow come down and praying for more snow than ice. I’m hoping that the snow continues to fall into the morning. I’m hoping to be able to use some of my new clothes and gear. I’m hoping for good traction tomorrow. I can’t wait for the morning!

A Few Holiday Thoughts. The Obligatory Holiday Post.

Hey all. No run to report. It’s the dog’s turn to be sick and I was up with her.

I wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. After this post, I might not be back till Monday.

My sense of the holidays is very traditional. We will spend time with family and eat lots of food including homemade cookies. We will ooh and ahh over the gifts given and received. But really the holidays is about love and family, both blood and chosen.

It’s about goodwill to the world. It’s about a sense of love and forgiveness that I seem to forget during the rest of the year. It’s about opening up my heart and being willing to love. Doing my best to love people for who they are and not who I think they should be.

Do those heart openers. Ground yourself to this world (and if you would, your higher Power). Fill your heart with joy and awe.

Run forward into the arms of those that love you and hold your arms open for those that need your love.

Last, there is just something about Linus' speech that gets me every time.
Peanut's Christmas Special

Half Marathons for Fun. No, Seriously.

I have only a single run to talk about today. One lonely 13 miler. I was hoping to have at least another 6.5 miler and maybe even a 3 miler, but I was struck down. Struck down by a stomach bug. I’ve run with head colds, mild chest colds, autoimmune flares but the stomach bug got me. I figured the jiggling wasn’t helpful to the nausea.

The good news is that I managed to get in thirteen miles before being knocked on my butt. They were a hard won thirteen miles. I did also take 5 min off my previous time. It was also my longest distance by a .01 mile or so. I had no thoughts of trying to keep going for a mile 14.

We slept in until five. It seemed late and early all at once. The dog was very excited to go out and there was lots of huffing while I decided which layers to wear. My phone told me it as 21 degrees out. Cold. Donned in compression pants, fleece leggings, fleece hoodie, fleece ½ zip, and light jacket, I grabbed my headband and music and leash, and headed out. My feet were a little sore starting out so I went with my trail shoes for added support.

Warming up was tiring. The wind buffeted me as I headed south. I just reminded me that this might just give me a tailwind on the way back. The first two miles were slow. Those are the argument phase miles. Why am I up? I’m crazy, right? When is this supposed to be fun? You know, you could be sleeping now. Maybe that’s why I like going the longer distances. Maybe that’s why a 5k seems too short. I would only have a mile, mile and a half to enjoy it. I need to run thru a 5k to hit something close to enjoyment.

I didn’t really scout my route and it was dark so I didn’t want to go the same route I did with the 10 miler from the previous weekend. I paused a few times to check the map and make sure I was going in the right direction. One road I was on, abruptly ended on a curve. I wasn’t sure if I was facing west or north, or someplace inbetween. These occasions led to “screw it” moments and I headed off in the direction I hoped was north-and was. I was pushing myself for this run. I wanted better than my last 13 miles.

The sense of adventure, running in only somewhat known territory, distracted me from my legs. They felt tired this whole run. I did not get much reprieve. And yet, I was ok with it. There was no panic. There was no fear or desire to call the fiancé to pick me up from I don’t know where. I had an acceptance of the discomfort. I surrendered to it. I am a runner and suck is part of it.

Part of the reason I run early is for the sunrise. It feels very special to see it come up, empowering. 

This sunrise did not disappoint either.

This whole run was rough but I enjoyed it. The dog did too for the most part. I think a few parts she wished she could be off leash. My time was improved from my first run. The weather was nice, though my water bottle started to freeze. The GU sat well, and I could feel it pick me up at the 4.5 mile marks. Despite doing a little trailblazing, I saw some nice parts of where I live and after looking at the map, I found where I can continue  with more trail and scenery.

This girl can run half marathons. Who knew?

Sunday was a different matter. Sunday I woke up with a nasty bug with body aches and firey skin. And I can live with that but it settled in my stomach. While I never barfed, it was close. Monday I was sick too, staying home from work, but made myself feel better by signing up for a race in my hometown. It’s a flat 5k consisting of two loops around the Fox River Parkway. Later in the morning, my friend will be doing ice carving for the yoga studio. It should be a fun day. I’m a little nervous as I am usually so slow in the beginning. I just need to remember that this is supposed to be fun and I’m still a newbie. Today, still no run. Probably, no run tomorrow either, but hopefully, some aerial yoga.

Dog kept me company on the couch yesterday

Suck It Up, Buttercup

I don’t wanna. That was how I was feeling about everything these past few days.

Seemed an appropriate shirt for my attitude

Around noon, no one had signed up for my aerial yoga and I was daydreaming about how I would spend my free Wednesday night. And then it happened. The lone person signed up right before I was leaving my full time job. I’ve found frequently when “I don’t wanna” the classes are end up to be rewarding. It was also a regular so there is amount of relief that if I’m off, it won’t be the first impression the student has.

The dog came with me. Normally, she goes with my fiancé to a friend’s house and plays with all the other dogs, but he had something to do first. I do like bringing her along. It’s a good way for her to learn manners with other people. She has bad manners, like barking for attention and jumping up to say hi. And she is a collie/border collie so that requires us herding us while we practice. My regulars know about her and know she may make unexpected appearances. The health center connected to the studio often have canine visitors as well. Overall, it’s a very dog friendly yoga/health community.

When I messaged the regular about the dog, she mentioned she had a really bad headache. The benefits of hydration, caffeine, and peppermint oil were bandied about. I also thought what a perfect time to try some yoga healing. After a little research, I found asanas that were repeated from website to website. I put together a general sequence of progression of pose expressions. I wanted to be gentle rather than throw ourselves into a pose. Which is my habit and her habit too.

The dog and I arrived at the studio and started to set up. I turned down the lights (which I find so much more relaxing for an evening yoga practice) and chose the Peaceful Sleeping IHeart channel. When my friend/regular showed up, we chatted about her headache and possible causes. I told her how to deal with the dog who is a kisser and a hugger and we began.

Who could deny this face?

We talked, we stretched, we checked in with our bodies to make sure we did no harm. The dog soon laid to the side and watched over us. The class focused on the places where our bodies like to store our stress: necks, shoulders/back, and hips. While yoga may or may not be able to cure chronic headaches, it can help alleviate. It can take away tension in the body. It can relax the body and mind and soul, allowing the headache to just be the headache and nothing more than any other pain in the body.

My view at the end of class. Savasana

Collies must make sure everything is OK. Floating is still questionable in her books.

In an aside, personally, I find this knowledge comforting. With my myalgia, I recognize that my pain is real but an overreaction to pain stimulus. So while I may want to cry while holding a standing pose in the fabrics or in coffin, I suck it up. It reminds me of a trigger point massage I got last year. It felt questionable when I got it, felt terrible the next day, and felt wonderful the day after that. Delayed gratification.

And talking about suck it up, this morning’s run. I knew I was tired last night. I tried going to bed early but somehow it always ended up after ten. Four am was coming way too fast. When my alarm went off, I snoozed it and argued and rationalized with myself. But I had my secret weapon. I slept in my running clothes. All I had to do was put on my shoes. And headphones. And reflective bands. And put a leash on the dog. And find my running belt. And track down my headband that always ends up at the bottom of the bin. But all of that is still easier than fighting with compression pants and sports bras when you’ve just woken up.

It wasn’t nearly as cold as I thought it would be but I wished I had my gloves to start. I have yet to keep my gloves on for a full run. We took down the same route as I did Tuesday. I wanted to compare my performance between the fasted run and the GU run. And I knew from the start, this was not going well. My legs were heavy, my breath labored and all before mile 2. My mind kept telling me to all it, but the other part told me, “suck it up, buttercup. Put on your big girl leggings and run.” And I did. I pushed thru the discomfort. I ran till my legs loosened up. Maybe that’s when the half packet of GU kicked in.

It wasn’t an easy run. My legs did not float like Tuesday. I had no runner’s high. I just had pure determination. And confidence that I did this Tuesday and I run twice this on weekends. I can do it. I will do it. With renewed energy, I fought my way to the midpoint and at the other half of GU. The dog was less than keen this morning on the run even though she was my cheerleader out the door.

The middle was good. I kept hearing my average pace go down. I heard consistent sub 12:00 min times which gave me hope that Runkeeper wasn’t lying this morning. I scared a man walking to his bus stop. I can’t imagine I’m quiet between the dog tags, my tired feet hitting the pavement and my heavy breathing, but apparently I was. I called ahead, “on your right” and he jumped to the grass with a big “OH” and as he gathered himself, “Good morning.” We’ve passed him before. Maybe he will remember us next week.

Last two miles were rotten. I had used up my positive thinking and all I could think about was keeping my legs going and keeping my pace down. I didn’t want another slow day like Tuesday. I wanted to go faster. I wanted to beat PB’s and be happy about it.

And that’s when the odd thing happened. My phone as I pulled into my driveway, never announced the 6.5 miles. According to Runkeeper, I only ran 6.48 miles! The good news is that my pace was better than Tuesday. No PB but much better. The bad news is the same route showed .08 miles less. I had heard that gps has an error rate but this was the first time I experienced it. Also, good news is GU seems to help.

 Headache hair. Don't care.

Overall, it was a good run. I ran thru my exhaustion. I ran thru my headache. I ran thru a bad run and got a pretty decent time out of it all considered. I’ll keep with my “suck it up, buttercup” attitude. I find at worst, I feel bad which I already did, and at best, I do things I can be proud about, like helping a friend with her pain, or run 7 miles before work.

A Runner in the Making and Cheesecake

This morning’s run was of mixed results. It was a nice morning, a little foggy and mid-40’s. The dog was all about getting up and going even though I wasn’t as sure. However, the promise of a holiday lunch encouraged me to put some time in on the pavement.

I felt good this morning. I planned a fasted fast run. After a little consideration, I decided on a different route that allowed for some street running so I could go faster without worrying about sidewalk. I am accident prone and have been very lucky to have only taken two headers thus far. And no bush bathroom breaks either. Knock on wood.

The pace alerts encouraged me. My feet felt fairly floaty off the ground. Breath flowed smoothly in and out of my lungs. Runkeeper seemed to be running smoothly. IHeart was playing the favorites of my favorites list. All seemed to be running well.

Around mile 3.5, I felt a wall encroaching. The legs that felt so good after a few minutes were starting to slog. My breath felt labored. I kept moving. This was to be expected. I had been cheating with GU on other runs so I had a suspicion that this might be a hard won run.

I redoubled my efforts to keep up a good clip. Pace alerts from Runkeeper seemed to indicate I was slowing down. But my average pace kept sinking and that was all that mattered.

Around mile 5, I think I seriously considered walking. I have not walked on a run for over a month other than warm ups and cool downs. This morning would not break this streak. I refused and pushed on up the hills and thru the straightaways.

The last mile was pure stubbornness and detachment from my body. But my pace alerts still was putting me at 11:30min/mi.

Now, once again, the app froze when I tried to save my activity, so I lost about 20 seconds off my average pace for the run. That seems to be normal now but what got me was my average mile times. They were not great and certainly not speedy.

What can I take away from this? It is either a bad run, shows how much GU helps my performance, or both. Or something completely unrelated.

While the results are not what I hoped for, it was still a good run for me. It felt good. Other than the feeling of impending walls and the wall itself, it felt good. It felt comfortable. The first minutes of it sucked, but most people I know say the first mile or so are rough.

This is a non-time victory. I truly enjoyed my run this morning. I guess I’m really turning into a runner.

Oh and the holiday work party was fantastic. Even more so because I could eat lunch and freely and without reserve enjoy the cheesecake and garlic bread.

A Hunt for Gu and a Foggy Path

Last week, I was rather inactive. It felt strange, but my body needed a rest week. The trip we had planned for Chicago just didn’t happen. I have to say it sort of made me happy because that meant I could get a long run in. I would really like to get my HM time under 2:30:00. I’ve got nearly 30 min to shave off.

One problem was since I didn’t plan on running, I had no GU. I plan on doing some fasted runs, but my long runs are not those runs, or at least not yet. Neither of the running stores were on my way home and I had a time crunch to get to a dinner on time. I went to the GU website and searched for dealers and I was in luck! A bicycle store a few blocks from my house was listed. After work I ran over there and they told me “nope.” As a stream of foul curses flowed thru my head, I asked cheerfully if they knew where I could find some. “Well, there is the vitamin store that sells all sorts of things. They probably have it. Oh, but they’re closed.” More curses.
My phone was my savior sort of and I found a store that seemed to be mostly bikes but seemed to support triathlon athletes too. Once again, GU promised to be there. Off I went. My phone refused to call them, yay technology, but my need for my little gummies urged me on. The store had bike stuff all over their branded van, windows, and hanging from the walls and ceilings. My heart sank. Owner came over and I asked dejectedly if they had fuels. He said, “Of course, but we just have blueberry pomegranate and raspberry flavors.” Not my favorite but I grabbed some fistfuls. He asked where I normally went and I told him the local running company and he told me he carried all the same things. I nodded. We briefly bonded over our dogs and then I ran for my car.

The dinner was wonderful. Many people I hadn’t seen in awhile were there. There is something comforting about catching up with people. I was glad I was able to make it. I was also glad my waist did not expand like Violet Beauregarde with all the wonderful food and desserts (my weakness). It also gave me extra motivation to hit the pavement in the morning. I also had a new route that used the local walking/bike paths. I couldn’t wait to give it a try but first “carb-loading.”

Saturday morning was glorious and foggy. Dog woke me up around six. It felt late. The sun was practically up. The weather was wonderful with nearly no breeze, mid-40’s. I went out with a light long sleeve tech shirt but still went with the fleece pants. I like warm legs. I wanted to take pictures of the scenery but my phone is rather fussy with Runkeeper running. I ran down to a local path and we were early enough that there weren’t a lot of people (with dogs). There was still heavy fog giving the whole run a misty, mysterious look.

The mileage came pretty easy. I was building my speed with each mile. I feel like I could have brought my average pace under 13:00. The GU I hunted so hard for did their job. I felt loose. There were moments of “why do I do this?” and “gee, I’m really far from home.”

The first three miles flew by. It didn’t feel like I had gone that far. I felt some elation knowing this time last year that this would have been a very foreign concept. The trail miles went by quickly as well. There were other runners cloaked in the fog too. Everyone said, “hello” and went on their way. The dog enjoyed the new path aside from the other dogs intruding on her. Some dog passings went better than others.

I had to cut it short. A friend had mentioned she might want to do 3 miles with me. The last thing I wanted was to be too tired for her. This 13 miler seemed doable but another three on top of that with a short distance runner, that would be too much. Better to cut it short.

The dog and I ended with 10.17 miles. I still ended up freezing twenty minutes later. Maybe I need a space blanket to keep warm after long or hard runs. I felt tired but good. I think I might have been able to beat last week’s time. 

My friend had had a long Friday and I let her sleep. The mileage will always be there. Sleep is fleeting.

I have a new race on my schedule. I still may end up with one in January but I will be running a race to raise money for heart disease research sure mid-February. I am also looking at a Pi run 3/14. Get it? Run for pie? Seems good. In the meantime, coffee from my local roaster, Valentines.

Bend but Do Not Break

After the 18 miles on Saturday and Sunday, I’ve been taking it easy. My body has been less than thrilled over the past few days. I’ve also had a stressful few days, so I wanted to do a yoga class to compliment my aches and pains. We focused on hips both flexibility and opening. So many people come in with tight hips and have no idea until they go to a yoga class and try to do some of the hip stretches. We also focused on shoulders as responsibility and anxiety hangs out there. Aside from the stress, many of us are hunched over a computer for a good part of the day.

The regulars were there and offered no objection to my “playlist.” We also had a new person join us and she was a delight adding an ebullience to the class that only a new student can add. We twisted in new ways, pulled our body in directions not done before. It felt rather wonderful. We all came into the class with some frustrations with life and while in the fabric, we were refreshed to face the world.

After class, I stayed and worked on some moves I had found. Not so much new asanas but ways to move from on asana to another, linking the moves together in an organic manner. Working out problems with the fabrics helped me forget the ones I had outside the studio. Some of the moves worked out, some of them did not, some of them need more work. Such is life.

In the morning, I was less than thrilled to get up early but I knew if I did not, I would not be happy during the day. Running creates a greater calorie deficit which means I get to eat more. I am a much happier person when I get to eat more. Calories slip away very quickly like sand thru a chubby hourglass.

The run itself was hard. I can’t say I was expecting that. My legs didn’t loosen up until well into mile 2. The dog was very into this run, straining to go faster. I added 2 big hills to the run. Running theory says that this will make me run faster. I don’t like hills. I don’t like them walking and I do not like them running either. This makes me think I might need to do more hills and or rolling trails. I didn’t like running when I started either.

I was only running 3 miles this morning so I was very thankful to find some release and relief at mile 2. Part of me was afraid I had burned myself out like a greyhound with this silly 13.1 mile business. We were doing very well in the last mile, really pushing. I was hoping for a lower 10:00 mile and then we had to go past a few people, wait for a bus, and the arch nemesis. Not mine, the dog’s. These two dogs have hated each other since we moved in. Dog was very upset the other dog dare cross paths with us. She very nearly pulled the leash right out of my hands. As soon as we passed them, crossing thru yards, all was well with the world. She huffed and kept running forward in a straight line.

My time was very slow this morning. Hills didn’t help but my legs didn’t really cooperate here either. And I dressed too warm which is an odd thing to say in near winter but very true. It was 40 degrees out. I had worn a shirt, light fleece jacket and light fleece leggings. I was much too warm and very much feeling where the fabric had rubbed last night in aerial yoga. Maybe I should use BodyGlide when I am in the fabrics, less fabric burn. Many things to consider.

Hopefully, some speed intervals tomorrow. No long run this weekend. Family life requires my time.

Also, shout out to the a blog I look forward to following after finding this entry  about what it's like to start running. She first caught my interest with this meme.

First Half Marathon Distance and the Evil 5k

Lazy. I was lazy on Friday and I didn’t go to aerial yoga. I was feeling tired. I’d had a few late nights and the Packer game on Thursday went very late. And I’m so glad I stayed up for the whole game unlike so many who gave up after the 1^st quarter when things were looking so grim. I did a little yoga at home. I was so lazy I didn’t even do aerial at home, just regular ground yoga.

Saturday I had an 11 mile run in mind. The weather was nice. The dog woke me up at 4:30am which was also nice because I could get my run in and then take a nap and still get up at a “normal” Saturday time of 9 or 10. I wore my Saucony Rides. Long runs on the road means comfy padded shoes are needed. I love my Xodus GTX but those are for wet runs. It was foggy and beautiful but not wet. I went light and even then I wanted to remove layers. Music was a list of my favorites from Iheart. Dog was anxious to go. I can’t say I was. The distance was a bit intimidating. Only in spring, I couldn’t even run a mile.

The run started a bit rough. I couldn’t find my pace, Runkeeper was being a poop, my music kept stalling out, and the dog kept stopping to pee. Finally, everything started to bend to my will. I wanted to keep slow so I didn’t wear myself out. I started out with a half a pack of watermelon Gu with the plan of taking a half pack every 4 miles, raspberry was the other flavor. I think the Gu is very helpful with long runs. I could feel when it kicked in and when it wore off some.

The mileage went pretty fast except on some of those straight a ways. Oh, those were tough. I could see where I wanted to go and that spot just didn’t seem to get any closer. My fiancé’s words kept ricocheting around in my head between song lyrics. “Be kind to yourself.” I wanted to get on myself that my slow pace but I was doing fine. Speed comes after distance. The whole run was pretty comfortable. After a certain point, my legs were moving on their own as naturally as my body knew to inhale and exhale or how my heart would beat all on it’s own. My mind sang the lyrics, checking in with pain to make sure it wasn’t serious. Pain is part of my life so it is vital for me to check in and ask myself “real or not real.” While all the pain is real, what I really ask myself is the pain proportionate to the area. My body exaggerates it’s reaction to pain stimulus. But I did well. My miles slowly built in speed until my last mile was my fastest.

Around mile 8, I made a decision. In my previous runs, I had a nagging urge to run 13 miles but I wanted to trust the plan. However, I had decided to abandon the plan around mile 6. I can’t say it’s serving my running needs any more. I think I need more speed intervals. Distances were getting longer but my speeds were still turtle-like. Anyway, I decided to add 2 miles to my run. I was feeling good. Actually, I wasn’t feeling much at all. I hear that’s a good thing. I did some maths in my head and figured where I could find the mileage. About this time, I started getting dirty looks from the dog. I told her she was a border collie and to keep going. We past the zoo and she was surprised by monkey and elephant noises. When we past a local coffee shop, we ran into a pack of santas roaming on bicycles. I’m not sure which freaked out the dog more. At mile 11.5, I died. Those legs I couldn’t feel started to feel like cement, slogging thru cement. Part of me whispered, “Stop at 12. It’ ok. You still did great.” But if I could do 12, I could do 13. Pure determination got me thru. They say running is a mental game and I think I won.

The smile is because I can't feel my legs. 

Runkeeper had a virtual race on Sunday. It was a 5k and I thought that was doable.

I had just done 13 miles on Saturday. A 5k couldn’t be that bad. It was the longest three miles of my life. How I felt during the last part of Satuday’s run was how I felt during the whole run. All of it. I wanted to quit and go home, I wanted to stop and walk. I wanted to do anything but run. The dog felt the same way judging from the piercing glares I was getting. I tried to be positive but I think I used up all my positive thinking on Saturday. The good news is I’m stubborn. And I finished and I did not walk. It wasn’t my fastest time and it wasn’t my slowest run but it was definitely one of my hardest. Originally, I didn’t plan on getting a t-shirt for this race. It felt not quite like a race because it was virtual. After finishing this race, I realized I needed that shirt. I also want one of those 13.1 stickers for my station wagon.

Really, it was a triumphant weekend. I did 18ish miles. I did a half marathon. I ran thru all my discomfort and doubt to victory. A victory that seemed impossible in April. 

Drapes and Gu

Wednesdays are great. Not only are they the middle of the week, but it’s the day I get to teach low aerial yoga. I’ve said before I don’t really like to say “teach” and really think of it ask guiding or leading but for sake of conversation, I teach on Wednesdays. Each class is different. Some are very silly and some are a little more on the serious side. And just because you are less than a foot off the ground most times, doesn’t mean class will be easy. My style is relaxed. I use the English version of names. Talking is fine so long as it’s not too distracting. It’s a safe place where things can be said and know it won’t go any further. The attendees are pretty fantastic themselves with different backgrounds and abilities and goals. I’ve got a few regulars and new ones pop in here and there.

Last night, we used two fabrics. Another teacher did this with me in a regular aerial yoga class and I’ve been wanting to try it. I went in with a few vague ideas of asanas/poses that could be done but decided to explore the dynamics of the fabrics as we lay and stretched in them. Part of the joy in aerial for myself and, I think, the students is the freedom of movement and at the same time the guidance of the fabric. Sure you can force a move, but in reality, it’s just better to go with the flow as much as possible, especially in a class that has “restorative” in its description.  And restore we did. The time flew by as we played in the fabrics. Time was spent stretching joints and twisting out our aches and pains. I did have one pose I wanted to do. I’m not sure it would have a name in regular yoga but I call it draping. There is also a dead lizard or corpse lizard but that one is completely enveloped in the fabric and nearly impossible to get a picture of. I promise it’s not as grisly at it sounds and a great hip opener.

Thursday was a rough morning. I’ve not been getting to bed very early and it’s taking its toll. But I have a schedule and I like to keep my commitments, even to myself. Maybe, most importantly to myself. Not because I’m most important but because I have a habit of forgetting about myself till I don’t know what sort of eggs I like.

 My HRM is on the fritz which makes me sad but I dressed a little warmer on top and a little cooler on the bottom and chose my Gu for the run. Strawberry is good and gummier than the blueberry pomegranate. I found it very palatable with a splash of milk. It was a nice chilly 30 degrees. No rain or snow, with just a bit of wind that I was running into for the first half of the run. Great, tailwind!

I had mentioned in a previous post that I thought I was hitting a good run streak only to be disappointed by a rough run on Tuesday. Maybe Tuesday was a fluke but Thursday felt great. I don’t know if it was the weather, shoes, body, Gu or what, but I just felt good. Running felt right. It felt like something that was natural and natural at an 11:00 pace. The dog, I don’t think, felt the same as me. She started running with me about half way thru. There was some tired legs, there was some gasping, there was some side stitches but that’s just part of running. I ate the other half of Gu when we turned around. I think the Gu works. My time decreased from 1:23:00 to 1:18:00 and I still felt pretty good at the end of the run.

This is a really short post about the run. There wasn’t anything that made it special. I didn’t see any urban wildlife or paintable sunrises. It was just me and my dog challenging ourselves. It’s pretty wonderful. 

I think this should be my theme song.

Three runs and a funny hat

So I am playing catch up with my posts.

I was pooped from the holiday so I took Friday as a slug day. I barely moved and catch up on my TV shows like Criminal Minds and Sleepy Hollow. It was like visiting with old friends. With all the running I’ve been doing I haven’t been able to watch much TV. I ate horribly and I have to say the day was wonderful minus the piles of laundry I had to fold. It is vital to take time to let your body recover from all the trials we put it thru on our way to fitness. My body hurt from the race.

Saturday was a different story. The dog let me sleep in. We didn’t start our run until 6:30am. It felt strange running in daylight. I started with a Gu and slammed some milk before I left. It wasn’t the salted watermelon. I went safe with a blueberry pomegranate. I’ve heard sometimes these running fuels can lead to upset stomachs and this was a long run. They are sort of like the consistency of jujubes than the gumdrops they look like.

The run itself felt pretty good. I felt comfortable right away. I tried to think positively cheering myself on when the legs started to tire. I reminded myself that discomfort is natural. After a while, I could just focus on my breathing. Breathe in fresh breath, breathe out the old breath. This time out, I had no route planned. I had a general idea of where I was but I followed a road that had no sidewalk suddenly and then found a trail that looked like it followed said road. It did not. It ended rather in the middle of nowhere. I found a road that I was trying to avoid because of the high foot traffic. In the midst of the confusion, Runkeeper told me that I was 5 miles in, time for more Gu. It was very hard to chew as my mouth was dry. I don’t really remember the mileage. I just ran, trying to stay in the 12:30 range. The second half of the run was much less relaxed. People had started to move around the city. Other dogs were about and the dog had to show how tough she was. I’ve trained a lot of her old habits out of her but that one still lingers. I do remember the last mile. I was feeling tired but I didn’t really feel my legs. I knew they were there and I had some knee and shin discomfort but it felt sort of far away. I finished with 10.3 miles. Sometimes, when I am doing these long runs, I want to cry. There are so many emotions that run thru me. There is accomplishment and pride and a little panic. Mostly, there is amazement that my body can do this.

There is a new ache. My back, my upper back. The tribulations of being a blessed woman. I know my core itself is good but I need to work on strengthening my back. I’ve tried doubling support but so far still a sore back.

Monday was a great run. It felt good. There was a little rain. Just enough to cool me off as I pushed thru the 5k. My legs felt extremely tired but they still felt good. I don’t know how to explain it but I felt confident in their ability to carry me thru this run. I also remember thinking I’m going thru a good run streak. Because there are good runs, bad runs, and ugly runs. Sometimes, you are lucky and have a good run streak and with Saturday and Monday, it felt like one was coming on. It was a nice easy run and I sped up for the last mile. That last mile was exhilarating. My new found power shone and carried me easily home.

We are in the homestretch. We are on today’s run.
Let me tell you that streak ended today. It wasn’t an ugly run but it wasn’t a good one either. It was raining when I started, rather heavy, only to turn into a mist and finally disappear at the end of the run. I was gasping for breath from the start. I tried Gu as this was a build up run. It was supposed to be a 6.5 mile run so I took one before I left and one at 3.5. The legs were heavy but I did not have the same confidence as I had yesterday. It was like I was slogging thru mud. The dog also was not feeling this run. She was running next to me and this made the run like an obstacle course with the leash slack between us. Finally, I wrapped the extra around my wrist loosely. A less tired me might of thought of that earlier after the first or second hop over the leash, but it was taking all my minds focus to keep the legs moving. There is a monster of a hill at the five mile mark. It starts slow and then builds up in severity. Another hill is rather deceptive at the last half mile. It doesn’t look bad but when my tired legs hit that incline, it takes a lot of interior cheering to keep me going. While I did well, my first full running mile started at 13:07 and built up to 11:04. It is hard to tell exactly what I did as I generally include my warm up and cool down walks in my time. The last thing I want to do is futz with my phone while I’m out. Especially, in the rain where the touchscreen gets a little dodgy with the water droplets. All in all, it was a good run even if it didn’t feel like it while I was running it.

I wasn't impressed with the GU and I couldn't figure out why everyone was such a fan. Then, I figured something out. I was eating like a fourth of what was recommended for the time I was out running. I probably won't eat two or three packs a run, but I might try eating half before my run on Thursday and half while I'm out in this soggy weather.

Also, why all the selfies? Because running is fun. And I hope my smiling face is encouraging to those that question that reality. I questioned it less than a year ago

My head has been a little stuffy so sorry if this was a little meandering. To make up for it, here is a picture of the dog with her Christmas hat ala The Grinch  

First Race

It’s been a while. I’ve not abandoned you. I’ve got a lot to recap

Wednesday is yoga day and aerial yoga day.  And today, it was race pick up day too. Performance Running is a great company with a few stores in my area. Everyone there seems to be very knowledgable both in experience and in the products. They have never made me feel weird because I’m a beginner. I’ve found the running community to be very welcoming overall, and the employees of this store are no exception. Pick up was easy. Got checked in with my bib, then off to get my fleece, and done. Of course, I had to do a little perusing. After talking to someone about the merits of salting watermelon, I got some Gu for my long runs, including the salted watermelon flavor.

In class, we focused on gratitude. It was very restorative with only a few “power” moves to get the blood moving. Of course, I snuck in some runner’s yoga too. After all, I had my first race on Thursday. I had a wonderful surprise. One of my first yoga “students” came to class. I was bookended by my first and most recent students. I felt extremely blessed and honored that these people choose me to help them with their yoga practices. Both are extremely kind and wonderful people. I really don’t like to call them students. I would like to think of myself as more of a guide or lead for them to develop their yoga. It was a great way to start Thanksgiving weekend.

Thursday was THE DAY! I’ve been training to increase my distances but this was my first race. I started running in spring and I was about to run 5 miles with a large group of people. Wednesday night I put lavender in our humidifier and it worked like a dream. I slept like a rock till the dog woke me up for the morning pee. After our little adventure outside, I went back to bed, setting the alarm, drifting back off to sleep. And suddenly bolt awake! It was too light out and I felt too rested. My alarm didn’t go off! I was running ten minutes behind. While shoveling a light greek yogurt in my mouth, it occurred to me that the alarm was set for Saturday, not Thursday. I took a shower to wash all the anxiety away, well, most of it. After getting dressed and not pestering my boyfriend too much with “let’s go,” we were on our way thru the city to the Lake. Lake Michigan is a fickle neighbor. You never know how windy it was going to be. Or if a sudden rain storm or snow will begin.

Thankfully, we got their 45 minutes early. I tried to convince my boyfriend we needed an hour but compromised for 45. I like to be early, get the lay of the land, and get comfortable with my surroundings. To be honest, 45 min was just about right since I had already grabbed my bib. There were lots of people. Some serious looking runners to a teen dressed up in a bacon costume. We walked thru the avenue of PortaPotties to the starting line. I did some dynamic stretching while observing everyone around me. Boyfriend and I checked out the runners in matching costumes and tried to avoid the runners with see thru running tights. I do not need to know you are wearing a thong.

Shirt I wore

It was time to get in the corral.  A man over the loud speaker insisted that walkers start in back, competitors in front. I tried to position myself in the middle. There was no “GO!” or starting pistol, just a throng of people moving forward. Some people were jogging, others walking and the speedy people were trying to make it to the front. I had started my Runkeeper and my Garmin but the race started a few minutes late, so their evaluation of me was a little off. I tried to keep to my pace but everyone was passing me. Bacon passed me. Turkey Tutu Twins passed me. Inflatable Turkey passed me. And I abandoned my pace. All these people couldn’t be passing me and me be going at my planned pace of 11:00. I had to be counting wrong. I found out later looking at my stats it was just everyone rushing. I knew that there were going to be people passing me but I didn’t expect that much. Eventually, I just settled in and did my best to keep jogging. I didn’t want to walk. I can jog 9.5 miles, so I can certainly do 5 miles. As I settled in, I found I had misjudged the race course and there was a very large hill. That hill took people out. But I kept going. I heard retching behind me and other racers on the side, hands to knees. I passed Bacon and the Turkey Tutu Twins. I passed very athletic looking people. I was in my head and my head was in my ear telling me I was in over my head. But I reminded myself I did this twice a week. I had trained for this and longer. I felt confidence and my legs grew more steady. Some people were still passing me. There was a 5k option and it was hard not to turn in. I was tired from my fast start. The wind was stealing my breath. I reminded myself I can and will do this. And no walking. I will finish. I think that’s when my training set in. I saw more and more people struggling on the side of the trail. There was my boyfriend driving by waving, cheering me on. I started counting again. Piano lessons and a metronome came to mind counting out meters. One guy would speed pass me and then be winded at the side. I ran behind a girl high stepping for a while. I heard a group of guys ask when the fun starts and I yelled behind me “With the cinnamon rolls!” And I made the turn and started my last leg. I was feeling my legs, there was no disconnection. I felt each footfall. My stomach started to flip flop. Apparently, my yogurt was not enough. I hadn’t stopped for the water, maybe I should have. The last leg felt long. Very long. The sprinkles had turned into a full on rain and my shirt was plastered to me.

Picture boyfriend took.

And then I saw the PortaPotties. I felt hope re-engergize me. I found that last push. I crossed that line feeling strong and nearly in tears. In spring, this never would have been possible. I couldn’t run a mile in spring. And I just completed my 8k race. The joy and pride was overwhelming. Not only that, there was a delicious cinnamon roll in my near future. My end stats were 54:39, which I think translates into 10:55/mile. I was 463 out of about 600 but there were some that didn’t make it in time before the course closed. Boyfriend insists I was in the middle and I should be kinder in my head to myself. He is probably right. :)

Pre-Race

Post race

My friends and family have two main responses. Half think I’m crazy. Heck, I would probably think the same thing of someone last year. The other half just tell me how proud and amazed they are. And the truth is that I think most have a mixture of the two. All I know is I am thankful that I did this and then got to enjoy three Thanksgivings with loved ones.

Happy Thanksgiving!

More to come. I have Saturday and Monday to recap. And will have a Tuesday too. Stay tuned tomorrow.