New Year's ... Resolutions?

"A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other." -Unknown

I'm not big on resolutions. I'm not trying to say that I'm perfect and don't need to better myself at all, but I think you don't need to wait til the new year to make these changes. And like my quote suggests, these resolutions are usually not permanent.
So, I am not going to talk about my resolutions for the new year in this post... I will talk about my goals that I will achieve next year and look back on what I did this past year. For the most part, these goals are running related.
Last year was the first year that I was very diligent in keeping a running log. I record the distance, time, and pace for each of my runs. It is interesting to look back and see how much my weekly mileage totals have changed from January to now. I am running a lot more. I think it makes a difference when you can actually see what you've done (or haven't done). I have run a total of 1183.07 miles this year and it will probably end up being 1190.07 after I run my 7 miler in an hour or two. That is a total of 7 days, 5 hrs and 11 minutes!
I ran 12 road races and set 10 PRs. Of course, this is the first time that I've been serious about racing and keeping track of my times, so I will indefinitely set some records. This year is acting as my baseline. I ran one full marathon and my first half. I am currently training for my third marathon that I will run in March.
I started a blog and joined a running club. Because of this club I have made a lot of new friends and have a group that I run with on Saturday mornings. I also found out that my hair stylist does Dean Karnazes' wife's mom's hair! Isn't that cool!
I also started this blog. I haven't been as good at keeping it updated as I had hoped. This brings me to goals that I have for next year.
I want to run at least 2000 miles and at least 1 mile/day. I want to complete two marathons (the small one in March and then the Dallas White Rock marathon in December. I also want to beat 4 hours and possibly run a BQ. I want to update this blog on a more regular basis, but that might mean just doing race reports once a month during the school year. During the summer I might have more time to write about thoughts & what's going on in my life.
So, I guess that's it. I know my goals sound like resolutions, but I just don't like the connotation of that word. Usually resolutions have to do with diets and losing weight. They typically don't work out for people and are forgotten by January 14th. So, with that thought in mind, I resolve to gain 20 lbs and start eating more junk food!

Buffalo Wallow Races - Half Marathon Race Report!

“If you want to win a race you have to go a little berserk.” –Bill Rogers

First off, I've been pretty busy lately. I'm missed posting a race report (a 46:52 10K) and several other events that have been going on in my running life. Oh well. My real life must take priority every once in a while. So here's my race report for the half marathon I ran on 11/8:

I totaled up all my mileage for the year and realized I was extremely close to 1000 mi. I added a few junk miles to my training to make it work out that the last mile of my race would be exactly my 1000th mile of the year. My brother was planning on coming to visit and run this race against me. We had been planning this since the marathon in February and I was very excited to see if I could really beat him. I had been training for this race for 12 weeks and set a primary goal of 1:45 and a secondary goal of 1:50. This is coined as the "toughest half marathon course in Texas." I had heard about the hills and didn't really think the 1:45 goal could be achieved on this course.

jon came into town late Friday night. He got to my apartment and we talked for a little while and then headed to bed so we would be well rested for the race. The weather was supposed to be very nice, in the 50s and 60s (F), during the race. jon realized he forgot his socks, so I let him borrow some of mine, and after a quick breakfast bar and cup of water we left for the race.

We got to the start and I introduced jon to several of my running buddies. We warmed up on one of the hills (agh!) and then lined up to start the race.

"Should I stay with him? ... Should I just go at my own pace?... I bet he starts too fast... maybe I'll be able to catch him later..." All these thoughts and more were racing through my head as we lined up to wait for the gun (foghorn).

Miles 1 & 2 - Well, jon got off to a better start than I did. I felt really good and I did not want to push myself too hard and run out of energy in the end. I thought that as long as I could see him I would be okay. I started seeing people running back to the start. This must mean that the mile marker is soon. The two milers are already turning. At the mile marker I looked down at my watch and saw, "7:42.22." Oh crap, that's way too fast. I slowed down a little bit to try and stay on my 8 min goal pace. The second mile was better: 7:59.22.

Mile 3 - This is where you go down a big hill, over a dam, then up a big hill. You see the big hill for about 0.5 mi before you get to the top of it. It looked very daunting, but I made myself look at the road and not be too intimidated by the monster. I could still see my brother ahead of me and only slowed down a little on this mile, 8:04.06.

Miles 4, 5, and 6 - were mostly through residential areas. I did not know where jon was until mile 5.75 or 6. He wasn't that far ahead of me! I was chasing my rabbit & I still felt really good. I was sure I could catch him eventually. 7:55.63, 8:07.49, 8:17.75

On this course you run a 6.5 mi loop twice. The last part of mile 6 & the first part mile 7 was the second huge hill. This was the hill that we had warmed up on. I think it actually did me some good to warm up here because I was familiar with the hill. It did not scare me as much as I thought it would. On this hill someone was cheering for me, "Go Rachel! Keep it up!" I'm not Rachel, but I hope that she was behind me!

After coming off the hill I saw several of my running buddies & they all cheered for me. That gave me a good mental boost and I ended up running this mile in 8:02.95.

For miles 8 & 9 I could see jon most of the way. I felt that I was gaining on him and my body felt awesome. I knew the last hill was approaching, but I wasn't scared. I could start to taste the sweetness of victory on my lips. Maybe that was just salt from my sweat. I ran 8 in 7:57.43 and 9 was my fastest mile of the race: 7:41.19.

Mile 10 is where I first passed jon on the hill (the same hill that I met at mile 3). He decided to walk up the hill, wimp, so I had to climb it and let him know I was right with him. I was huffing and puffing and wheezing and jon looked back, "I thought I recognized that breathing." Yep, you sure did. At the top of the hill he coasted down to the bottom and passed me again. But he knew I was there. He knew I was tracking him. I knew I could catch him... 8:14.76

In mile 11 I was just cruising. I was starting to feel the fatigue that 11 miles can give you, but I also knew jon was just ahead of me. We were in the residential area again. I would see him around a curve for a second then lose sight of him. Around the 11th mile marker is where I ended up passing him. He looked like he was struggling and he gave me a few encouraging words, "You deserve it." He's such a good brother. I did deserve it. ;) 8:18.61

In the 12th mile I started to feel some cramping/spasming in my calf. I have never had a problem with cramping during a run. This is an issue I will have to keep track of. I may have not been hydrated enough. Around 11.5, one of my friends who ran the 2 mi, caught up with me and joined me for the last few miles. This was good company, but I still stayed focused on the goal. This does not put an asterisk on the results of my race. I did it without the help of anything "illegal." I could actually see my 1:45 goal and the goal of beating my brother coming to fruition. 8:17.39

The last full mile I tried to speed up a little. I felt like I was going a lot faster than I really was. Another of my friends ran with me for about 0.5 mi. jon was still behind me. 8:15.80

At the last 1/10th I could finally see the finish line. My friends peeled away from the course so I could finish alone. I didn't know if jon was close behind me, but I knew I needed to finish strong. I raced with every last ounce of energy I had and finished that 0.1 in 45.45. This finished my 1000th mile of the year in 6 days 2 hours 29 minutes and 43.50 seconds. I finished my half marathon in a very satisfying 1:45:40. I beat my brother. This was a very exciting day and I am now looking forward to running my first sub 4 h marathon in March.

I am very grateful to my brother's family for letting him come out here and run with me. I had a lot of fun & really enjoy running with him. I look forward to many more races against him & with him. No matter if I never beat him again, I will always have November 8, 2008.

Happy Nobel Prize Week

"If I have a thousand ideas and only one turns out to be good, I am satisfied." -Alfred Nobel

Yesterday it was announced that Osamu Shimomura, Martin Chalfie, and Roger Y. Tsien won the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Each biochemist (too bad an organic chemist didn't win) had a major contribution in the research of green fluorescent protein (GFP). Shimomura first isolated GFP from jellyfish, Chalfie demonstrated how GFP could be used as a genetic tag, and Tsien furthered the understanding of how the protein fluoresces.
My brother from an asian mother told me that one of these men is actually a runner! How cool is that??
While I probably will never get to go to Sweden and accept my own Nobel Prize, I have touched a winner. Dr. Robert H. Grubbs visited my university this past spring. Yes, Dr. Grubbs of the Grubbs catalyst. This was a great honor for me and for my school.
Tomorrow the Peace Prize will be awarded and Monday the Economics Prize is awarded. Happy Nobel Prize Week!

Sulfa Allergy?

I'm writing this post high on benadryl and with a rash all over my body. This started Sunday morning, 24 h after I got through with the sulfa drug regimen. I know there are cases of delayed onset, but normally a does of steroid shot in the butt takes care of it. This is what the doctor did for me on Monday afternoon. I asked the doc if I could workout and they said it would be fine. So I ran my five miles yesterday (rather slowly I might add) and I went to my Pilates class. After class we were standing around talking and I started to feel a little nauseated and almost blacked out. I sat down and got home quickly to get some sugar in my system. I took benadryl last night and fell asleep watching the Cowboys game (they won!).
This morning I woke up and the rash has spread. I'm not so sure it's sulfa drugs that I'm allergic to. I'm not sure what it is, but I wish I hadn't come into contact with it. I'm not going to run today. I'm just going to sleep. zzzzzzzzzzzz

Life Under a Black light

There are two kinds of light - the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures. ~James Thurber

In my Pilates class on Mondays we workout under black lights. I've always loved how I look under a black light & I think all fluorescent lights should be replaced with black lights.
They make you look tanner, they make your teeth whiter, and I just realized the best part of all three days ago ... they make your muscles look awesome!!!
I was in downward dog and lifted one leg to the ceiling to stretch my hip. I opened my body to the side and I bent my knee. Please note, in this position it is hard to keep your shirt from falling up to reveal a bit of tummy. When I looked in the mirror I was amazed. I saw a six pack. Not a six pack of Budweiser either (I don't drink), a six pack of abs! On me!
In regular light, when I'm not contorting my body, I definitely can't see any definition in my abs. That's why I'm moving that we all switch to black lights in the work place, church, school, the gym, dressing rooms, everywhere!! Who's with me?!

I have a test on Saturday so I'll update my training stuff after that. I'm way too busy & too much of a procrastinator.

School's In Session

"We don't need no education. We don't need no thought control." -Pink Floyd

School started last week. I don't have nearly as much free time as I thought I would. I'm only taking one class and I'm not teaching this semester, but I sure am spending a lot more time in the lab. I've been trying to get up early to get my run in before I go to school. Emphasis on the word "trying." I've gotten up at 5:15 a few mornings, gone for my run, and was able to get ready at to the school by 8. The other mornings I've been waking up around 7 and getting to the school around 8:30. This means I have to get my run in when it's super hot outside or on a treadmill. Boring!
I hope I can get into the 5:15 wake up habit. I really like running by myself early in the morning. I also don't feel like an idiot when I'm talking to myself as I run. No one else is up that early to hear me. You see, I've been listening to a "Learn how to speak Chinese" podcast. I listen to the host of the show and repeat the common Chinese phrases. Then, when I get to school, I talk to my Chinese brother. And then he laughs at me because I don't sound Chinese at all.
So, that's what I've been up to since my last post. I finished watching the Olympics, which were awesome! Usain Bolt is amazing. The men's marathon was awesome! Did you hear about Brian Sell? He ran with no socks on (like normal)... but he doesn't normally run in that kind of heat. Here's what Runner's World had to report on his race.
I also just saw this article on Runner's World that goes with the theme of this post: Marathoning 101. Why don't they offer this course at my school? I'd ace it!

Well, I don't have that much time right now to post the last two weeks of my training. I'll get to that later in the week.

Phenomenal - Olympic Weekend Wrap-Up

“When I came back, after all those stories about Hitler and his snub, I came back to my native country, and I could not ride in the front of the bus. I had to go to the back door. I couldn't live where I wanted. Now what's the difference?” -Jesse Owens

As I mentioned last week, I LOVE THE OLYMPICS!!! I also hate the Olympics. This juxtaposition is due to my feeling of remorse, regret, disappointment, [insert other synonym here] that I didn't get to participate in gymnastics when I was younger. I see gymnasts like Shawn Johnson and wonder if that could have been me. I doubt that I would have gone as far as the Olympics, but I really think I could have excelled at this sport.


And then I see the 33 year old gymnast, Oksana Chusovitina, and think, "I still have a chance!"; but I really know I don't. And I also realize that if I were any good at gymnastics I probably would have gone to another college and I would not have met my husband. It all worked out well in the end.

Michael Phelps. Awesome. I watched him swim with his relay teammates to his 8th gold of these games. It was phenomenal. I doubt I'll ever see such an athletic feat in my lifetime.

Saturday night was the women's marathon. I watched every minute of coverage for this event with hope that Deena Castor would bring a medal back home to the US. I was extremely saddened when she had to drop out in the early miles. She said she felt a pop in her foot. It takes great courage to drop out of a race of this magnitude, even when something serious is afoot... pun intended. I applaud her ability to realize when she can't go on and I look forward to see what else she can do.

Paula Radcliffe was my next hope for this race. Eight weeks ago she was diagnosed with a stress fracture in her femur. I thought she might be able to pull through and medal, but she wasn't able to. It looked like she might drop out in the latter miles of the race, but I think she really did not want to repeat Athens. She was criticized a lot for dropping out of that race four years ago. Deena and Paula were on two ends of the spectrum, and I believe they both did what was best for themselves.

Shalane Flannagan won the bronze in the women's 10 K! Our hopefuls, Lopez Lomong and Bernard Legat, in the men's 15oo m did not qualify for the final race. China's hurdler, Liu Xiang, dropped out of the race after a false start by another runner and disappointed 1.3 billion Chinese. The Jamaicans are the fastest people in the world with Usain "Lightning" Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser taking gold in the men's and women's 100 m races. Tyson Gay said he was 100% in the semifinal heat for the 100 m, but I really think that his hamstring is still injured. I love that he won't give an excuse though.

This year looks to be a great year for the athletes. The Olympics are always a place where character and sportsmanship is displayed. I wasn't around to see Jesse Owens' snub that is mentioned in my quote, but this is part of what the Olympics can bring to the forefront of people's minds. He was a great ambassador for African Americans in the Civil Rights movement. Hopefully, changes like this will begin in countries that continue to violate human rights, e.g. Russia's treatment of the Georgian people and China's role in the Darfur situation.

Runs:

M - 6 mi, 55:04.33

T - 6 mi, 54:01.35

Th - 5 mi, 42:57.51

Hot Dam!

"Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air, can't live, can't breathe with no air" -Jordin Sparks

Saturday I ran the Hot Dam Runs 5 miler. I wasn't expecting much from this race, but I thought I should be able to run it in less than 40 minutes. I was very surprised at how hilly the course was. I felt pretty good in the first mile, but not great. I was having some trouble breathing. Stupid asthma!
For the first 2.5 miles I was leading a woman that I had seen at several races, but she had never beat me. I knew I wasn't feeling up to par, but I didn't want to lose either. She drafted behind me until the turn around and then she passed me. I kept her in my sights the rest of the race, but I never did catch back up to her.
At the Prairie Dog Runs back in February there was a guy who would speed up as soon as I got close to him, then slow down. This went on for the last few miles of that race. It happened again at this race, but only for the first mile then the last half mile. I was so disappointed because I finished just a few seconds behind him. Ben was cheering for me to beat him, but I couldn't. :(
I finished in 40:27, which isn't too bad, but not as fast as I could have gone if I hadn't had any trouble breathing. Oh well. This makes it easier to beat my time at next year's race.

The bigger story this weekend is the Olympics!!! I love the Olympics. It makes me want to be a gymnast or a swimmer. I really can't wait until August 15 then the track and field events start! Here's an awesome rap about the Olympics from Paul Brogan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89X0CP4MuME

The biggest story this week is that two of my friends from college got married!! Yay! I love weddings!

Runs:
T - 3 mi, 26:41.30 - This included my race against Felix!!!
W - 5 mi, 41:03.94
S - Hot Dam Runs 5 mi, 40:27.21; I got 26/60 overall, 7/23 women, 2/3 age group

Sibling Rivalry

"Besides winning, [the most fun thing is] getting out there and mixing it up with friends; it's the competition." -Al Unser, Jr.

So sorry for not posting anything sooner. I have a good reason for my late post; I was waiting until after I raced one of my coworkers, Felix.
Felix is sort of like my big brother at school. He has really taken me under his wing and taught me a lot of stuff that is really important for me to know as a grad student.
He is also Chinese (Felix is his American name). He has no brothers and sisters and one day we were talking about this and I told him I could be his little sister. Part of my responsibilities as a little sister is to taunt and annoy the older sibling.
I have told him on several occasions that I am faster than him and could definitely beat him in a race. So, today, we tested my theory.
Felix plays soccer every weekend and is pretty quick. He is 8 years my elder (like my real brother), but is still in good shape for that age ... ;) ... like my real brother. We decided that he would be able to beat me in anything shorter than a quarter and I could beat him in anything longer than a mile. So our agreed upon distance was a half mile.
I plotted our course using mapmyrun.com and we made our way over there around 5pm. It was 99 ºF and I was little worried about my asthma so I used my inhaler. We warmed up and stretched a little bit, and then we were off.
I led the whole first quarter. The jogging trail we were running on gave at each step; it was like running on sand. A bus stop was on the trail, and as you would expect, a bus stopped right as we ran by. There were only a few students getting on and off, but it was enough to slow us down a little bit. I got back up to pace and then realized I didn't hear Felix's steps anymore. I was not about to look back or slow down, so I just ran the last straight-away. I finished in 2:51.84 and turned around to see Felix had about 1/16 of a mile left. I whooped him!!!
I wasn't wearing my usually running watch, so I couldn't get his time, but I bet he finished in around 3:15 or 3:20. That's not bad.
I did end up having an asthma attack, and I think that scared Felix. He made sure I was okay, like a good brother. This was a lot of fun & I look forward to being able to rub it in his face tomorrow about how much faster I am than him.
That's what little sisters are for, right??

Runs:
T - 5 mi, 42:02.41
W - 4 mi, 34:21.94
Th - 7 mi, 58:31.24 - this was a speed workout, 5x1600 at 7:13
S - 10.59 mi, 1:38:14.96

Dream Marathons

“Everyone in life is looking for a certain rush. Racing is where I get mine.” –John Troutmann

I have several goal races for my marathon career. I plan on running all the marathons in Texas, then I will try to conquer certain US marathons. My dream races have more of a history and are all international (with one intergalactic). Here they are:



Athens Marathon

I want to run what is considered the course of the first marathon run by Phedippedes in 409 B.C. Today's marathon begins at Athens Stadium and ends in Marathon. Going to Greece just to see all the history would be amazing in itself. But running a marathon there is a true dream.



Real Berlin Marathon



I'm not sure if this is the real (as in not fake) or real (like the Real Madrid soccer team) Berlin Marathon, but either way, I want to run this one. It is considered the fastest marathon course in the world. It is highly acclaimed as one of the best marathons in the world. The course map shows why I want to run this race because it has landmarks where all the historical sites are along your 26.2 mile journey. I think this would be an awesome way to see Berlin.





Flora London Marathon

I've always wanted to go to England. I've even pondered the possibilities of moving there for a semester or even a year. This was before I got married and had a little more freedom with where I could travel by myself. Now I am willing to settle for a few trips and possibly a marathon in London. And I love their commercials.


Great Wall Marathon



The only man-made structure that is visible from space is the Great Wall of China. How about running a marathon on it? The Berlin Marathon might be the fastest course in the world; I'm sure with the 5164 steps on the Great Wall, this race would be one of the slowest. Another perk is that I would possibly get to visit some of my Chinese friends that I won't have seen for along time after grad school. I bet I won't be able to run this race for a good 20 years, so that will make for a good reunion.







Marato Barcelona


Another country rich in history and culture: Spain. Just look at the pic! When I'm there to run the marathon, I will definitely schedule time to go see a real soccer game. Who knows, maybe Thierry Henry will watch me run then I can watch him play.

Marathon de Paris


I've always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower. Now I can run by it! I have always thought the best way to get to know a new city is to run through it.






Moon Marathon


My final dream marathon is one that does not yet exist: a marathon on the moon. I think it's possible. My question is that if you weigh less, would you run faster or slower? The "bounciness" of the run might actually make it harder run keep up the pace.



I thought it might be good to take it a little easier and not irritate my blister any more. I cut back my mileage and didn't do any speed work last week.
T - 4.48 mi, 43:22.92 (1.5 miles before my pilates class then 2.98 miles after with my hubby)
W - 5.28 mi on a golf course. 18 holes from tee to green with my running buddy, Marcus. 45:33.31
S - 9.59 mi with some running buddies from my running club, 1:29:51.01

Blisters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“Pain is weakness leaving the body.” -High school CC coach

I have a blister that WILL NOT go away!!! It all started the weekend I went to go visit my family at the end of June. Specifically June 28th. It is now July 21!!!
On June 28th I ran a short 5K and ended up with a blood blister on the crease of where my big toe connects to my foot. I did some internet/forum research and found that many runners love Dr. Scholl's Moleskin for blisters. I cut a smaller piece the size of my blister and put it sticky side to sticky side to a bigger piece. I kind of made my own moleskin band-aid so it would not stick directly to my blister. This seemed to work pretty well. The blister got a little bigger, but not too bad.
July 4th, my 10 mile race. I was pleasantly surprised that my blister (and the moleskin) held up the whole way. I had already popped the blister by this point and only a little more fluid built up after this race. I even have been running with my socks turned inside out so the seams won't rub my foot.
Fast forward to Thursday. I did some speedwork and built up a blood blister again! Saturday I did a run with some of my running club buddies & it got almost as big as it was a month ago. What do I do! I can't stop running long enough to let it heal completely, but I don't want to live the rest of my life with a blister. What do I need to do?? Please, feel sorry for me.
Click here for a nasty pic of my blister. This was after I popped it after the 10 mi race.

M - 5 mi, 44:21.16
W & Th - some speed work that I had to spread over two days due to rain and time constraints.
Mile repeats vol. 1: 0.71 mi warmup - 6:32.20, 1 - 6:44.26 (2:41.14 rest), 2 - 7:13.18
Mile repeats vol. 2: 0.71 mi warmup - 6:49.91, 1 - 7:17.50 (2:40.31 rest), 2 - 7:43.26 (3:19.30 rest) 1.54 mi cooldown - 14:57.75
S - 10.46 mi, 1:37:51.36

2008 Firecracker Runs 10mi

“A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways they’re capable of understanding.” -Steve Prefontaine

Friday, July 4th, I woke up early to get ready for my race that was supposed to start at 8am. The race was 45 min away, so we planned on leaving by 6:30 to have ample time to register and warm up. We got to the race and as I was preparing I thought it might be a good idea to know the race course. Due to flooding and mud slides in the park, the course had changed. We weren't going to run through the park as planned, we were doing a real out and back. Since the course wasn't going through the park anymore, the turnaround point was extended to where we had to run along a highway for about 0.1 mi. Agh! I'd never run this race in the first place. Now I have to run along the highway. I hope it's not too busy!!
I warmed up and 10 min before the start I decided it might be a good idea to visit the ladies' room. Well, I guess all the other ladies had this same idea because the line was super long. And there was only one restroom! I was glad to be a woman at this point though because the men's line was a lot longer & I heard a group of five boys saying they didn't just have to pee.
I made it to the start with a few minutes to spare. The race director gave the directions of the new course and we were off.
Mile 1 - I felt really good in this mile, but I was a little nervous that I was going too fast. I was being passed by a lot of runners, but they were mostly the 3 milers. I focused on two men in front of me that I knew were running the 10 mile race. I finished the fist mile in 8:15.42.
Mile 2 - This mile I really wanted to pass the two men in front of me, but I wouldn't let myself. I knew they were keeping a good pace, so just followed them a little farther. 8:14.02.
Mile 3 - This mile had the first a several rolling hills. At the top of one of the hills I saw a huge dog. I asked the men in front of me to protect me from it. "I'm afraid of dogs that are bigger than I am," I informed them. "That one is about one and a half of you," said Richard. The dog kept its distance. 8:24.88.
Miles 4 & 5 - I finally passed the two men and started working on moving up in the pack. At this point I felt pretty lonely being in between the runners, so I was grateful that I had Click & Clack the Tappet brothers to listen to during these miles. Around mile 4.5 I saw the lead runner going back home. 8:13.69 & 8:16.43.
Mile 6 - I turned around to start heading back to the finish! At this point I had moved up to the next runners and passed one of them around 6.5. It was also pretty cool to see & encourage everyone as we passed each other. 8:21.20
Miles 7, 8, & 9 - These miles seemed to run together. I didn't see the dog on the way back, which was awesome. One man in front of me kept running then walking. I would almost pass him when he was walking then he'd start running again. On his last walk he said "I think I bit off more than I can chew on this one" as I passed him. I passed two other people with about a mile left in the race. 8:21.05, 8:17.75, & 8:33.94.
10 - I felt okay at this point. I was pretty tired, but I didn't want anyone to pass me. Well, one man did pass me with about 0.5 mile left. He encouraged me to keep going and not slow down as he passed me. I tried to keep him pretty close thinking I could possible catch up at the end. At the final turn (see pic, left), he was about 50 ft in front of me. So I started running as hard as I could to catch up to him. And I did. I passed him, then he started to kick it and he ended up beating me by this [ .... ] much (see pic, right). The last mile was my fastest at 8:00.06
This race was a lot of fun & I ended up finishing in 1:22:57. I placed 19/35 overall, 4/11 women, 1 age group and got this awesome medal:

M - 4 mi, 35:22.18

W - 4 mi, 34:34.07

F - speedwork, 18x0.1mi (0.1 mi walk between). I did this on the treadmill with 0.5 mi warmup and cooldowns at 6 mph, the walks at 3 mph, and most of the sprints at 10 mph. The last four were faster at 11, 11.5, 12, and 12.5 mph.

Mid-Year Muse & Motion 5K Race Report

“I'm going to go out a winner if I have to find a high school race to win my last race.” - Johnny Gray

Okay, I'm finally getting around to this race report (and I'm not too worried about the anonymity stuff that much anymore*). Last weekend my hubby & I went to visit my family. My brother & I signed up for a local race to run early Saturday morning. I was pretty excited because I thought I had a chance at beating jon. Our PR's for the 5K were about a second apart, so it wasn't unrealistic to think I could take him.
At around 6:15 jon came to my parents to pick Ben & me up for the race. On our way to the location we listened to some good music which included songs from a movie I had recently watched. We arrived at the race site, registered, and then stood around for a while waiting for the race to start. I was pretty much the coolest person at the race when Kelly Clarkson came on the radio. I used to work with her, you know?
jon & I decided we needed to warm up a little bit, so we jogged around the park while Ben took some pics of us. Finally the race was about to begin, so we lined up at the start. We listened to the almost incomprehensible directions given by the race director in his thick accent. The chairperson for the group the race was benefiting sounded the fog horn and we were off. I later learned that the timing crew was not ready for the start, so our times had to be adjusted at the end of the race.
In the first mile I kept my brother in my sites. I felt good, but I definitely didn't want to pass him. I didn't want to get too burnt out at the start. We ran around the park for this first part of the race and much to my chagrin I ran a 6:39 first mile. That was waaaay too fast. This seems to be a common problem that I have.
About a quarter mile into the second mile we turned off the loop in the park and headed into a "foresty" part of the park. This is what I'll call the out & back portion of the race. We kept running & I finally saw the leader heading back on that path. I could still see jon ahead of me too, but by this time I had given up on beating him. I was feeling that first mile & it wasn't good. jon & his group turned a corner to get out of my sight then came back about 30 seconds later. He saw me and told me it wasn't too far from the turn around. That was good news. My second mile was 7:38.
I really wanted to slow down on the way back to the loop portion of the race, but I couldn't let the other runners I was passing see me suffer. So I plodded on. I may have been able to see my brother at this point, but I wasn't paying attention to him anymore. There was a man who would walk a few seconds and then start running again in front of me. That's what I was focusing on. I wanted to beat him. I came out of the forest to complete the loop to the finish line. I finished the third mile in 7:43.
Now for the last tenth of a mile. I could see the finish line & I really wanted to catch the guy that had been walking in front of me. I picked up the pace on the curve around the parking lot and then on the straightaway to the finish I really kicked it. I finished this in 37 s, but I didn't catch that guy. After I got out of the chute, the incoherent race director commented on how great my finish was. This I understood because he was giving me a compliment.
All in all this was a good race. jon finished in 21:30 (a PR!) and I finished in 22:35 (a certified race PR!). I think a local race with my brother will have to be a staple in my visits to the fam. I wonder what my mom would think about the Turkey Trot when we visit at Thanksgiving?

past two weeks in training:
S (6/22) - 8 mi, 1:08:06.44
M - 3 mi, 24:56.43
T - 3 mi, 23:58.71
S - Mid-Year Muse & Motion 5K - 22:35
M (6/30) - 3 mi, 24:15.32
T - speedwork, 4x1600 (400 jog between)
0.5 mi warmup-5:05.40
1-7:13.00 (2:30.13 rest)
2-7:13.68 (2:29.00 rest)
3-7:13.52 (2:30.61 rest)
4-7:03.76
0.25 mi cooldown-2:29.86
W - 3 mi, 25:10.17
Th - 1 mi w/one of my coworkers that's just starting running, 10:48.98
F - Firecracker Runs, race report next week!! 10 mi, 1:22:58
S - 6 mi, 57:53.05

* - it's not hard to figure out info about me when I put the name of the races and my time in my blog posts.

503.39

“Like trained monkeys or drug addicts, some athletes will do whatever it takes for more.” –Joe Miller

Today I passed the 500 mile marker. I'm sure that I've run at least this much in one year before, but I've never recorded it. I'm pretty proud of this accomplishment. I have my runs planned through November and I should pass the 1100 mile marker before the end of the year.
This hasn't been an easy task to accomplish. I have a subscription to a few women's magazines and every month one of the cover stories is about getting "Flat Abs Fast" or "Dropping 10, 20, even 30 lbs NOW!" Well I'm going to let the cat out of the bag: running's not easy. You can't up your mileage fast or run a marathon NOW. You'll end up hurting yourself or getting burnt out.
I've been running since I was 12 and it has taken me almost 12 years to get to the point where I am racing and training on a consistent basis on my own. Sure, in middle and high school I ran a lot, but I had a team and coach that helped push me. In undergrad I ran, but it wasn't very consistent and I never raced. I was very involved in the campus activities & that's what I gave priority to over running. Now that I'm married & in grad school I seem to make more time for running. I am still very busy, but I don't have to worry as much about the social time constraints like dating & my time at school is more like a job than school. My husband also likes to workout so it's something we both make room for in our lives.
It has also taken me 12 years to get to the point where I am starting to see more muscle tone in my legs & body. I'm sure it was always there, but sometimes the person in the mirror doesn't look anything like the person standing in front of it. Running can really help improve your self esteem, but I think it might take longer than 6 minutes a day for one week.
Running should be slow for beginners, but that doesn't mean it's going to be easy. Once a certain pace gets easy, you'll find yourself pushing the pace to make it harder. I think I'll always be striving for a new PR.

my runs:
M - 2 mi, 16:40.26; yoga class at gym
T - 4 mi, 34:59.71; pilates class at gym
W - Centergy class at gym then Lunar Lope 5K, 28:44.66
We ran under a full moon (which you could only see for a few minutes because it was overcast) at 10pm through campus. This was a lot of fun and I plan on doing it every summer we're here!
Th - spinning class at gym

Bobby Birdsong Memorial Levelland Lope

“The long run is what puts the tiger in the cat.” –Bill Squires

Saturday morning I woke up at 5:15 to make sure I had ample amount of time to eat a little breakfast and get ready for the race. I was pretty nervous because I knew I had set the bar pretty high for this race. We left for the race around 6:30 and arrived at the starting line at about 7:10. I paid my race fee, went to the restroom, then my hubbie & I walked around the South Plain College campus. Their track was pretty nice.
I jogged a little to warm up and stretched then got to the starting line. I was ready to get this thing over with. The gun went off and I started the race! I felt pretty good, but I thought I might be running a little faster than I need to. I had planned on running the first two miles at 7:20 pace, the second two at 7:15, and the last two at 7:10. The first mile came in 7:07. Too fast. It was here that the two milers turned around to head back to the finish.
The second mile is where I started to feel the hurt. I was running against the wind and on a slight incline. I was a little excited about this because it seemed like it would make the back half of the race easier. I ran for a little while with a girl and a guy, but eventually passed them. The guy was the same person that beat me in the Prairie Dog runs. I would catch up to him and then he'd sprint ahead of me. I ran the second mile in 7:28.
In the third mile we got off the asphalt road and started running on dirt. This was a little hairy at some points because it was a little loose. Running on sandy dirt is a lot harder than on packed dirt. In this mile I got lost between the fast runners and the slower runners. I felt like I was all alone on a long straightaway of road. Boring. Third mile in 7:37.
We turned around at the 3.1 mile marker. This is where I thought it would get easy because the wind would be toward my back. Boy was I wrong. Without the wind, I got really hot. I couldn't feel the wind blowing against my sweaty skin, so I couldn't feel it cooling me off. I decided that in the summer it is much better to run against the wind. The extra effort might slow you down a little, but probably not as much as the heat will. Fourth mile in 8:01.
Now I started to feel a side stitch. No!!! These things can sideline me. I don't know what causes them or how to avoid them. Sometimes I can run through them, but normally they just get worse. I decided to stop and try to push it out before it got worse. That's why this mile was so slow, 8:32. It seemed to work though because my side didn't bother me for the rest of the race.
The last full mile is where the girl I had passed in the first mile passed me. I tried to keep up with her. After the race she came over to tell me good job. I told her good job as well and that she had pushed me at the very end. "That's what she said," was heard from a group of guys standing behind me. This mile was finished in 8:00.
The last 0.2 mile I really tried to push it to beat the girl. I didn't want to come in fourth for the women. I just remembered back to all my quarter repeats and really tried to dig deep for a last burst of speed. I finished it in 1:23, but I didn't beat her. She ended up beating me by 17 seconds. Why did I have to push out that side stitch??
I finished in 48:12, 26 out of 61 overall, 4th for all the women, and 1st in my age group (out of one). Not too bad. I've also decided that in the training for my next 10K, I'm going to incorporate mile repeats, not just quarter repeats. I think that will help my endurance a lot more. Next time I'll get a sub-45 10K.

The last workouts of my 10K training:
M - 3.74 mi (tempo), 31:04.49
T - 3 mi (easy, but in 97°F heat), 23:41.98
W - 4.25 (1 mi warmup, 6x400 repeats, 1 mi cooldown), repeat times: 88.15, 87.11, 87.26, 93.76, 90.99, 90.75
S - 6.2 (race), 48:12

a few things that make me smile

“I love to run, it makes me smile, I think I’ll run another mile.” -my high school CC coach

The Shufflin' Crew. I need more cowbell from Maury Buford, please.
Sports satire at its greatest
my morning radio show!
Runner's World Daily blog
a funny article from The Onion
my online running log & pedometer
and... Carl Lewis!

This week's runs. (I think that 8 or 9 weeks is too long for me to train for a short 10K. Next time I'm only going to focus about 6 weeks. I've just gotten a little burnt out. Oh well. Next Saturday's the race. Wish me luck!)

S - some mile repeats (then less than a mile) in 104 degree weather, 1 - 8:26.41, 2 - 7:22.14, 3 - 7:48.81, 0.5 - 4:18.00, 0.25 - 2:10.44
T - 6.83 mi (tempo), 1 hr
W - 6.75 (1.25 mi warmup, 12x400 repeats, 1 mi cooldown), repeat times: 91.50, 91.50, 91.94, 88.68, 89.00, 87.18, 86.56, 89.81, 92.56, 88.80, 89.50, 86.44
Th - 6 mi, 53:35.75

Staying motivated

"Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired." -Jules Renard

Today I ran a 5 miler that was supposed to be race pace (7:15/mile). Needless to say, I didn't finish in the 36:15 that I was hoping for. My problem is that I lost my motivation (and I started out too fast). Is it a good idea to just run without paying attention to the time, or should a runner look at their watch at each mile to see how they are doing?
My first mile I felt like I was going fast, but I didn't know exactly how fast I was going. I was thinking that if I didn't run that mile faster than 7:15 that this run was a failure & that I wouldn't be able to finish. I looked at my watch: 6:45. That was waaaaay too fast.
The second mile I tried to slow down, but it was still a little too fast: 7:07. After that I got tired. My third mile was a lot slower because I had been running too fast. I didn't realize how much I slowed down, however, until I looked at that dreaded watch: 7:39. That was waaaay too slow & I lost my motivation.
My legs hurt, my lungs hurt, it was hot, and surprisingly humid. So I walked. I walked for a total of 4:35 and ran 5:34 for the 4th mile. I finished up with an 8:16 5th mile.
This run wasn't a total loss. I learned that I don't know what 7:15 pace feels like. I need to become familiar with this pace so I can achieve my 45 minute 10K goal. I also learned that 7:15 will not feel as hard as 6:45 did. This gives me hope that I will be able to accomplish the task before me.
All in all, I think it is still good to keep track of your progress. Whether it's by your watch or by a pace group. I seem to remember a certain brother of mine that lost motivation as the 3:50 pace group started catching back up to us in Austin. We have to let our mind and body not give up when these progress markers let us know we aren't doing as well as we hoped. We have to keep going and come up with a secondary goal or figure out a way to achieve the primary goal of that run.
I'm just glad that this happened two weeks before my race and not on race day!

my runs (not like Charlotte's)
S - 3 mi, 25:23.42
M - 3.55 mi (tempo), 30:00
T - 3 mi, 25:00.79
W - 5.125 (1 mi warm up, 11x400 repeats, no cooldown), repeat times: 89.28, 90.56, 89.33, 91.06, 90.26, 96.48, 91.05, 95.98, 95.81, 95.33, 90.75
Th - 3 mi, 25:51.52
S - 5 mi (race pace, sort of), 39:54.22

Running Rut

"And the bass keeps running, running, and running, running, and running, running, and running, running, and running, running, and running, running, and running, running, and running, running, and..." -Black Eyed Peas

Lately I've been slacking on my runs. I'll either skip a day or not run as fast as I should. This may be due to the fact that I got back from vacation about a week ago. That messed up my routine and it's a little hard to get back into the normal flow of things. Also, the semester just ended & I've been trying to get my runs in early instead of in the late afternoon or early evening. It's starting to get too hot to run in the afternoons, but it's hard for me to wake up at 5 or 5:30 if I don't really have to. I can get up that early if I have a morning class, but I can always run later in the day if I want to. The warm and cozy bed just is too hard to get out of to go out on the hard, cold road.
Since I am in training for a goal race, I have made a new rule for myself during this rut. I'm not going to skip another workout before the 10K in June. After that I'll just be running three days a week and I'll start doing some other workouts like yoga, pilates, and some other fun classes that are offered at my gym. They say that varying your workouts will help get you out of the rut, but I can't give up on this training when my goal of a 45 m 10K is in sight. Hopefully I'll be back to normal soon.

Here's a pic of the boring Horseshoe Bend medal. I told you it was no Prairie Dog Runs medal.






Training:
T: 5.54 mi (tempo), 50:00
W: 5.75 mi (1 mi warm up, 10x400 repeats, 1 mi cooldown), repeat times: 90.51, 91.75, 90.07, 89.49, 89.00, 92.25, 95.39, 93.01, 94.39, 90.75
Th: 3 mi (easy), 25:11.11

Horseshoe Bend Canyon Spring Frolic Race Report

“Perseverance: is not a long race; it is many short races one after another.” -Walter Elliott

My running club hosts at least one race every month. This month was an 11 miler called the Horseshoe Bend Canyon Spring Frolic. Basically, it was out in the middle of nowhere and we ran out of a canyon then back into it. It was a lot of fun & pretty cool to have hills on a West Texas race course. The only way we find hills out here is to find a hole in the ground and run out of it.

Mile 1 (8:15.96): I started out a little faster than I wanted to, but I felt really good.
Mile 2 (9:06.26): This was a little slower because we started running out of the canyon. This hill lasted about .75 miles.
Miles 3, 4, and 5 (8:36.57, 8:36.75, 8:37.57): These miles were just a long, flat straightaway. It was nice to be running out there by myself. During these miles I was in 3rd place for the women & I was keeping my pace pretty steady. I ran by a few farms. One of the houses had three goats tied up in the front yard.
Miles 6 & 7 (8:48.76, 8:52.79): I turned onto another straightaway, but now I was fighting the wind. One girl passed me & that was a little disheartening. I thought I might be able to catch her after we got out of the wind. I remember thinking that the view on this stretch of road was awesome. It was like I could see for miles. There were only a few houses to obscure my sight of the horizon. It was pretty cool.
Miles 8 & 9 (9:11.00, 9:30.00): I turned out of the wind, but another girl passed me. I was pretty tired from the wind & the fact that I got passed made me lose some of the motivation to speed up for the last stretch. I decided to just enjoy the last few miles.
Miles 10 & 11 (8:23.81, 8:18.21): These miles were downhill & really nice. This was the only part of the course that was shaded. The trees made a canopy over the road. It reminded me of some of the back roads around where I lived when I was growing up. No one else passed me on this portion of the course, but I didn't pass anyone either. I ended up finishing in 1:36:22 gun time (1:36:18.41 watch time), 20th out of 36, 5th for the women, and 2nd in my age group. The medal from this race is not as good as the Prairie Dog Runs medal; it's pretty plain & simple.
One of the coolest things about this race is that my husband got suckered into volunteering! Maybe he'll volunteer at all the races he goes to now. I think it was good for him to help out & it helped make the time go by faster for him. Volunteers are a huge part of the races we run. We should always make it a point to thank the volunteers & to volunteer every once in a while ourselves.

The past two weeks of training:
M: 4.7 mi (tempo), 43:14.26
T: 5 mi (supposed to be easy, but I skipped lunch [because someone stole it from the fridge]. This was a really hard run!), 48:40.66
W: 3 mi (easy), 28:12.74
Th: 4.63 mi (0.17 mi warm up, 8x400 repeats, 0.92 mi cooldown), repeat times: 87.70, 83.81, 84.31, 86.33, 87.12, 86.55, 85.88, 86.32
S: Race 11 mi, 1:36:22
We left for vacation after the race. I only skipped two of my runs one vacay, but one of them was speedwork. I'll work extra hard to make it up next week though. ;)
S: 3 mi (easy), 26:57.70
M: 3.33 mi (tempo), 30:00
T: 3 mi (easy), 25.38.60
F: 5 K (race pace), 22:18.97 (with approximately 30 s of waiting on crosswalks)

Free shirts

“Fitness has to be fun. If it is not play, there will be no fitness. Play, you see, is the process. Fitness is merely the product.” -George Sheehan

I love things that are “free.” I love the free shirts you get at school sponsored events (i.e. – Homecoming, the opening of the SUB, Arbor Day…). I love the free shirts you get from your sorority/organization’s activities (i.e. – variety shows, pledge week, the infamous toga party…). I LOVE the free shirts you get at races. Sometimes you get two shirts (i.e. – the official race shirt then the finisher’s shirt)! I love wearing my finisher’s shirt the day after the race so everyone can see that I finished. I can run farther than they can. That is, in theory I love these things. You see, I’m pretty small and schools, club presidents, and race directors don’t usually plan on fitting someone my size. However, race directors especially should count on petite athletes showing up to their events. And they should cater to these athletes.
Finding clothes that fit me has always been a problem. It seems like all the medium people out there think they’re small and they always get the last t-shirt before small people, like me. My first marathon ran out of smalls by the time I finished the race, so I was stuck with a medium long sleeved shirt that I can only use to sleep in. My second marathon thought that all of the runner’s were men, so they gave me a men’s small finisher’s shirt. Again, much too large to wear in public. The worst part about this was that in the registration process, they offered x-small as an option but then didn’t have any x-small shirts to give.
There is also the infinite number of free t-shirts you get from other road races. What is the expiration date on one of these shirts? (I have a shirt that’s over 8 years old and has probably seen enough miles to go from here to China and back). Why do we keep these shirts? What should we do with these shirts? Here’s my answer to all these questions. A free race shirt that turned workout shirt should be thrown out when you think the shirt is yellow or grey, but was originally white (especially in the armpit area). The oldest race shirt can also be thrown out when a new shirt is added to the collection.
These shirts act as a reminder of what we accomplished. If you can’t remember all the races you ran in, write it down. Keep your bib number. Take a picture. Don’t make your spouse/significant other/roommate smell your nasty shirt or look at a three foot tall pile of free shirts in the corner. It’s a fire hazard.
A noble thing to do with these shirts is donate them to charity (as long as it's not the 'yellow' shirt). Who cares if the person receiving the shirt didn’t actually run in the proverbial half-fast 5K? They’ll have a shirt on their back. Or, you can use these shirts as cleaning rags. They really provide a streak free clean.

Training:
I'm on vacation, so I'll put two weeks' worth of runs in my next blog. I'll also be reporting back to you my Horseshoe Bend Canyon Spring Frolic race report!

PS - Happy Mother's Day!

Speedwork, Part Deux

“The will to win is not nearly as important as the will to prepare to win.” -Bobby Knight

Tempo runs/race pace runs & hills.
Many runners have different definitions for tempo runs. On my training plan from halhigdon.com it says, "A tempo run is a continuous run with a buildup in the middle to near 10-K race pace." (This specifies 10K race pace because that's the race I'm training for right now). "The pace buildup should be gradual, not sudden, with peak speed coming about two-thirds into the workout."
Jack Daniels, Ph.D. popularized tempo runs and he defines them as, "nothing more than 20 minutes of steady running at threshold pace" [Daniels’ Running Formula (Human Kinetics)]. Dr. Daniels says threshold pace is about 25-30 seconds slower than your 5K pace.
In high school, my coach said tempo runs were just race pace runs. The girls would run two miles as fast as we could and the guys would run a 5K as fast as they could. These were our race distances and we were just trying to mimic race day.
So, basically, a tempo run is a fairly short run (about 20 minutes) run at a pretty fast pace.

Hills provide a good way to get strength training. Basically, you run up a hill fast and then run down it at a pretty slow, recovery pace. You can gradually increase the amount of repeats as you do these workouts consistently. The best way to run up hills is to lift your knees to get a strong pushoff. To go downhill, your best bet is to lean into the hill to where you feel like you're going to fall on your face. This will decrease the pounding and help save your quads. You also want to shorten your strides on the downhills.

That's about all I have for speedwork. The best way to incorporate speedwork into your normal training is to have recovery days after your fast days. Your muscles need time to recover and rebuild. Depending on how advanced of a runner you are you can recover in one of several ways. You can either take the day off complete, do some sort of cross training, or go on easy runs of varying distances. Experiment (starting with the easiest option) and see what works best for you.

Training:
S: 3 mi (easy), 25:00.24
M: 4 mi (easy), 33:13.04
T: 3.87 mi (supposed to be a tempo run), 34:20.81 - My shins were really hurting so I walked a little bit and ran really slowly for parts of this workout.
W: rested b/c of my shins. :(
Th: Speedwork, 2 mi warmup, 7x400 (82 s, 84 s, 87 s, 88 s, 89 s, 89 s, 87 s), 1 mi cooldown
F: rested
S: rested again - for my shins & my allergies are acting up.

Speedwork

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” -I Cor. 9:24

As I mentioned last week, I'm training for a 10 K race in June. I'm using one of Hal Higdon's plans for advanced runners. I want to run this in less than 45 min (7:15 pace). To accomplish this goal I have to incorporate speedwork into my training program. There are definitions for all the different types of runs I am supposed to follow on the training webpage above. However, I want to give a more general overview of different types of speedwork that I have been exposed to over the years.
These are a few main types of speedwork: intervals, fartleks, tempo runs, race pace runs, and even hill workouts. Some people may consider hill workout strictly a strength workout, not speedwork. But this is my blog, so I'm grouping it into speedwork.

Intervals and fartleks
These are all variations on a similar theme. You go fast, then slow, then fast, then slow, etc... In my mind, intervals (aka - repeats) are based on distance and fartleks are based on time.
In a typical interval workout, you'll have a set amount of a certain distance (ie - 4x400) and you'll go out to the track and run a fast 400, then walk or jog for about 200-400 m, run another fast 400 and so on until you've completed four fast 400s. Usually you are aiming to get these quarters done in a certain amount of time. I aim for 90 seconds. Some people go by there fastest mile pace. I'm not sure if I could run a 6 min mile right now, but after doing these repeats for a few weeks, I probably will be able to.
You'll probabaly only want to do one (maybe two) interval workout(s) a week and increase the amount of intervals weekly. So, in week one, you'll do 4x400, then week two you'll do 5x400, etc...
In a fartlek workout, you'll do basically the same thing as above, but using an amount of time as the goal, not a distance. If you're training for a 10K run, you might run at your 5K pace for 1 min then jog for 30 sec. You could then run at the fast pace for 2 min then jog for 30 s. Another variation to really make this be speedplay is to have a friend/coach hold a whistle and you just start running fast when they first blow the whistle then slow down upon their second whistle blow. This was one of my favorite workouts during high school cross country. Not knowing what was coming next really made it go by quickly for me.
For both of these types of workouts, you can do "ladders." This is where you gradually increase the distance/time at each interval, then gradually decrease it. And example of a ladder interval workout would be to run intervals of 200, 300, 400, 600, 800, 600, 400, 300, 200. You peak in the middle at the longest distance of 800 m. To make this workout more intense, don't increase your rest time as the intervals get longer.

CLIFFHANGER!!
In an effort to keep my blogs not too long, I'll write about tempo runs/race pace runs and hill workouts next week.

Training:
M: 3.75 mi (tempo), 30:59.12
T: 2.57 mi (easy), 21:34.03
W: Speedwork, 1 mi warmup, 6x400 (97 s, 95 s, 93 s, 92 s, 96 s, 90 s), 1 mi cooldown
My shins were really hurting my Wed morning, so I took Thurs off (I was supposed to run an easy 3 mi
F: 5 mi (2 mi at race pace), 39:58.21; I ran the fast 2 mi in 13:28.56. This is the fastest I have EVER run 2 mi! I was so excited that I beat my high school PR (13:42).
S: 3.46 mi (stroll through the neighborhood), 56:43.15

You crazy runner

“Why dost thou run so many miles about?” -Shakespeare, Richard III

One of my coworkers tried to tell me that everything that is fun is in some form bad. While the version we enjoy might not be wrong, it is derived from something wrong. So I asked him, how is running bad. He responded by saying, “that’s what I don’t get about you.”
Not many people “get” why we run. I think you have to enjoy running to understand why someone sacrifices hours on end to just run. Most of us don’t have a chance to win a major race. We can’t make any money from running, so why do we do it?
I run for many reasons. I first got the running bug in my 5th grade field day. This year they had a new race, the quarter mile. I thought I had a chance to win this because I could play forever in my backyard without getting tired. I practiced the day before the race by riding my bike up and down the big hill on our street. Apparently there was something in the air because I had a horrible asthma attack that afternoon. I went back home to take my medicine so I could breathe again and rested up for the next day. I didn’t win the race, but I did get second. I have been a runner ever since that day.
I loved being able to run that far and have people be so impressed that that “tiny little girl” could go so far. I love the feeling I get when I finish a long run and I love the look on people’s faces when I tell them I ran a marathon. “How far is that?” they’ll (stupidly) ask, “26.2 miles.” Then they’re speechless. They can’t imagine going that far. One of my friend’s calls me “Wonder Woman” because I can run that far without stopping.
Let’s face it, non-runners are impressed if you can run one mile without stopping.
I love that my sport is everyone else’s sport’s punishment. And I love the time I have to myself while I run. I can listen to music, I can listen to a podcast, or I can just listen to my own thoughts. It’s great seeing the world from a different perspective. Runners see things the drivers that zip by us never see.
I just love to run.

Training:
M: 2 mi, 14:54
W: Speedwork, 1 mi warmup, 4x400 (89 s, 91 s, 91 s, 89 s), 1 mi cooldown
F: 2 mi, 19:04 (ran this with my husband)
S: 15 K, 1:22:54 (I had a 5 K route planned out and ran three laps. This was a lot of fun because we were visiting my in-laws this weekend and I got to run with my sister & brother-in-law for the first lap, just my sister-in-law for the second lap, then my hubbie for the third lap.)

Aging gracefully

“Twenty-three is old. It's almost twenty-five, which is, like, almost mid-twenties.” -Jessica Simpson

So, Jessica, what does that make 24? Yes, this week I turned 24. I’m just a year away from the next age group and I’ll have to start competing against that really fast girl in my running club. I better enjoy this year while I can.
Everyone has birthdays, and as we get older, we tend to think about what we want to do with our lives. Not that I’m having a mid-life crisis or anything, but there are specific things I want to do before I kick the bucket. Even before that movie came out, I had a list of goals that I want to accomplish before leaving this world.
I’ve always been taught that it’s important to set goals, and it’s even more important to write them down (this could be to aid your memory as you get older so you don’t forget your goals). I think it’s also important to tell others your goals. Once you put a goal out there, you can’t take it back. Your friends and family that know about the goals can hold you accountable to these expectations.
Goals can be split into two categories, long term and short term. The time frame you choose to categorize goals is up to you. I think it’s relative to the total amount of time you are spending on that type of goal. A short term goal that has to do with your whole life could take as long as a year, whereas a short term goal for a semester long school course could be accomplished in a week. These are my short and long term goals for my running:
Short term (by the end of the year):
Run a 10K in June in under 45 m
Run a half marathon in November in under 1:45
Run all the local races held by my running club (that I am not already scheduled to be out of town for)
Long term:
Run all the major (& a few minor) marathons in Texas – 2 down
Qualify for Boston before I turn 30
Continue running well into my senior years

Training:
M: 5 mi, 48:56 - This was a run w/my hubby. He doesn't like running, so we did the Jeff Galloway run/walk method... we ran 9 min then walked 1 min. Around mile 3.5 we walked a little more. He did a very good job!
W: I skipped my 3 mi run to study for yet another test
F: 8 mi, 1:06:39
S: 6-8 mi, about 1h of hilly trail running with a new running buddy of mine. I like running with someone. It's a lot more fun that running by myself!

Low Fidelity

“Every day is a question of your commitment that running is not afraid to ask.” New Balance LOVE/hate commercial

This past week has been very busy and something had to give. Unfortunately, that something was running. Yes, I admit it, I cheated on running this week. But the good thing about our relationship is that running understands. Running always lets me come back and sometimes I’m better for taking the break.
I had a test on Saturday morning, so I didn’t run Friday because I was studying. The same reason is my excuse for missing my Monday run. I have found that when you miss a run and try to make up for it, you never catch up to where you should be. You’re stuck in a cycle of trying to catch back up with the run you missed. I think it’s easier to forgive yourself for missing the run and just start back where you should have been.
That sounds easy enough, right? So, why is it so hard to forgive yourself and move on? I have trouble with this because I am a perfectionist. If I miss a workout I feel like I messed up my training and lied to my friends who thought I might be running that day – basically that I cheated myself by cheating on running. Right now it’s not that big of a deal for me to miss a run because I’m still in my recovery mode after the marathon in February. I can afford to miss a run to study for a test.
Which leads me to my next point: prioritizing. There are some times where you have to miss a run because an emergency came up or a big project is due that you have to finish. You have to realize when it’s okay to postpone or cancel a run. Some examples include: the birth of your child, the TPS reports your boss gave you to be finished by Monday, helping your best friend move, or if an injury sidelines you. Whatever you think is more important than running really is.
If you’re consistently missing runs, it might be a time-management problem. Make sure you’re scheduling time to run and not procrastinating on other projects that you have to do. Wake up early to make sure you get your run in. This could help your mindset for the rest of the day. You could also write your runs in on your schedule. Whatever you have to do, make sure you’re getting out there to do what you love. But don’t ever let running keep you away from the ones you love.

Training:
M: I was studying for my test on Tuesday.
W: 5 mi, 38:40.04
F: 7 mi, 58:04.80
S: Speak Up for Kids CASA 5K (am), 24:08.37 (gun time: 24:12.7)
I got 28th overall, 6th for the women, and 1st in my age group

As promised: The Get-Strong 2006 plan

Intro to Running

“What kind of crazy nut would spend two or three hours a day just running?” -Pre (This is how Steve reacted in Junior High when he saw the High School Cross country team running)

The cool thing about running is that all it takes is a pair of running shoes and a road. It’s not hard to start running, but what do you do when you don’t understand what all the other runners are talking about? What do PR and BQ stand for? And what in the world is a fartlek? That sounds nasty.
Hopefully, this is informative enough to help a beginning running be more confident when talking to other runners about running.

PR – Personal Record
BQ – Boston Qualifying time
WR – World Record
10% rule - Don't increase your daily or weekly mileage by more than 10% of the previous amount
Bandit – A runner who did not register/pay for the race and should not be running the course. Their time and place will not count.
Chip time – As most big races they’ll give you a chip to put on your shoe. This is to start your race time when you cross the finish line, not when the race gun sounds. Sometimes it can take up to 10 min to get to the starting line.
Cotton – Not what you want to wear when on long runs. Wear moisture wicking material
Clock time – Your race time based on when the race gun sounds.
Fartlek – Swedish word for speed play; includes faster running mixed with slower running
Intervals/Repeats – A workout where a set distance is run repeatedly with a recovery jog between; (ex- 6 x 400 m with a 400 m jog between)
LSD – Not lysergic acid diethylamide or Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. It’s long, slow distance to improve endurance.
Glucosamine – A supplement to improve joint health.
Master – Runner over 40
Negative Splits – Running the second half of a race faster than the first.
Overpronation – The excessive inward roll of the foot before toe-off.
Pronation – The natural, inward roll of the foot; pronation begins when heel contacts the ground, the foot then rolls inward to absorb shock and transfer weight to the ball of the foot as it prepares to push off.
Supination/Underpronation – The lack of sufficient inward motion of the foot; highly cushioned, flexible shoes are recommended to absorb shock and allow the foot to pronate naturally
R.I.C.E. – Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate. This is what you should do to help recover from minor injuries.
General rules to be a courteous runner:
At a road race (Especially at smaller races):
Listen to the announcer. Know the course. Don’t suddenly stop at the water station because another runner could run into you. As you’re coming into the chute, pull the tag off your bib number and hand it to the volunteer (unless your race is employing chip time).
Always remember: HAVE FUN!
Some info in this blog was taken from these sites:
http://www.howtobefit.com/glossary-of-running.htm
http://www.valleyforgestriders.com/training_corner/running_terminology.htm

Training:
M: 3 mi (on the treadmill), 25:10
W: 3 mi (on the dreadmill), 24:58
F: Studying for my test in Saturday morning
S: 5 mi after the test, 40:35

I've also started a new periodized weight program I found online (I'll try to find the website). I've completed the four weeks of core training and am now working on four weeks of total body strength. I'm pretty sore, but I'm looking forward to seeing how this helps with my overall running economy. I'll keep you posted.

Running from dogs

“Cujo knew he was too old to chase rabbits.” – Cujo, by Stephen King

Cynophobia is the fear of dogs. While my fear has greatly subsided since I was a small child, I am still afraid of dogs I don’t know and especially dogs that are bigger than me (I am fairly petite). Just hearing the bark of a dog through a fence is enough to make me run a little faster.
On some of my very long runs, I run by a house that usually has the dogs enclosed in a wire fence. I don’t mind running on the same side of the street as that house as long as I know the dogs can’t get out. On one of my 20 milers, I saw in the distance a silhouette of a dog on the street. I switched sides of the road, but as I got closer and closer to the house, Cujo started trotting my way and barking at me. I got away unscathed, but still scared that I would have to see the dog on my way back.
Around mile 13 on that run, I encountered another early riser walking 7-8 dogs... some unleashed. The unleashed ones just wanted to play, but I didn’t appreciate these unfamiliar dogs yipping at me and jumping on my legs as I tried to maintain my pace. Thankfully, I was got away quickly as the owner was able to somewhat control her dogs.
On my way back home, the traffic was a little heavier, so I was able to avoid any run in with the first dog again because he couldn’t cross the street.
I have many other stories about seeing dogs while I’m on my runs (including seeing dogs on the roof of their owner’s house and changing my route because a pit bull was on the loose), but the point of this is to hopefully help other runners avoid a bad run in with these canines.
As a runner, the dog instantly sees you as prey. In Runner’s World, Karen Peak says if you’re being chased by a dog to slow down, turn around and walk in the opposite direction of the dog, be boring, and definitely report it. If there is a dog loose, the animal control needs to know about it so no one else has to encounter the animal.
If the dog does attack, drop to the ground and get in the fetal position. Make sure to cover your head and neck and yell like crazy. You want someone to hear you so they may be able to ward off the dog.
If possible, I suggest climbing a tree to get away from the beast. While the dog is nipping at your dangling ankles, you can call for help (if you carry your cell with you) or make enough noise for the neighborhood to think there’s a domestic disturbance and then they’ll see it’s just you.

Training:
M: 5 mi, 40:39
Th: 3 mi, 25:25
F: 5 mi, 45:53
S: 35 min on a cardio machine(s); I think I have shin splints. Since I'm still the in recovery phase of my periodization I'm going to be conservative with any injuries that might occur.

My bro’s first 26.2

“Your first marathon teaches you to respect the training” -my husband

This year I was ready! I stuck to my training and even got faster. I suffered through a bout of sesamoiditis (self diagnosed) for about 4 weeks, but I had still gotten in my cardio on different machines at the gym. I was ready this year! But I had a running partner. This was his first marathon. Had he stuck to the runs like I had?
We live in different cities, so we didn’t get to train together. But we did have one good run over Christmas – a 15 miler that we finished in 2:13:09. That’s faster than 9 min/mi pace. And he felt a lot better than I did on that run. I was very excited after that run. We learned that we could run together and push each other. So after Christmas, we went back home to finish the training and meet up in February for the race.
Race day was finally here! I had run my 20 miler in 3:07:03 (with three run-ins with dogs and rolling my ankle around mile 8). I was pretty confident that my brother and I could meet our goal of a sub 4h marathon. We got in the 3:50 pace group early Sunday morning and with the boom of the canon and shots of fireworks, we were off!
Up and down many hills. We didn’t stop for water until around mile 4. At this point we were far ahead of the pace group. We felt awesome. We were joking the whole way. If we got separated I would yell “Marco” and he would respond “Polo” so we could meet back up. We were not finishing this thing separated. We were not running this thing separated. We were a team!
Up and down more hills. Mile 10 (1:25:41), we met several people on our run as we were joking with each other. A man from Vegas listened to us pick on each other for a while. He had run many marathons before this one.
Up and down some more hills. Bro & I bonded as I confessed a little secret to him that will not be mentioned in this blog.
Up and down even more hills. I was surprised at his response when around mile 15 (2:09:32) I asked how he was doing. “Not too good.” I needed to use the port-a-potty, so I ran ahead as he walked to the johns. Déjà vu. Walking doesn’t seem to help. It seems to make all the pain increase to almost unbearable levels. And, in my brother’s case, it made his leg cramps worsen.
We walked/jogged the rest of the race. Our roles seemed reversed this time. Last year he rode his bike and encouraged me to finish, and this time I pushed him to run a little farther. “Let’s get to that stop sign, then we can walk,” I would say. I have to admit, there were times that I hoped he would ask to stop, but I couldn’t let him see that. I needed to be strong for him.
We stopped twice to try to stretch out his hamstrings. It helped a little, but he couldn’t run the rest of the way. If only there was an inhaler for leg cramps! As we turned down the home stretch, we ran to the finish line. My brother held out his hand and we raised our arms to the heavens. The crowd cheered a little louder for us. We did it! We finished together! We hugged after we crossed the finish line & held our own little medal ceremony as I put his around his neck, and he did the same for me. We didn’t finish in under 4 hours; we both did set PR’s though: 4:41:13.
After we were corralled out of the finisher’s area, we hurriedly made our way back to the hotel because it was check-out time.

Training:
M: 4 mi, 33:32
W: 5 mi, 39:34
F: I was a little lazy
S: am (the scheduled run) 5 mi, 42:28; pm (to make up for Fri) 4 mi, 35:54

My first 26.2

“You have to forget your last marathon before you try another. Your mind can't know what's coming.” -Frank Shorter

I have been a runner since I was twelve years old. That’s almost half my life! I could run this marathon easy! It didn’t matter that I skipped a few days. It didn’t matter that I cut my 20 miler short to just 10 miles. I could run forever. I wouldn’t need any food or energy on the course either. I don’t like eating while I’m running. I could run forever! I definitely didn’t need to take my inhaler. I’m strong. My lungs are strong. What’s a little asthma going to do to me? I could run forever! Or so I thought.
I started the marathon on pace. My goal was to run 10 min miles. That’s so slow! I could do that for a million miles, not just 26.2. I skipped the first water station because everyone was stopping. I didn’t want it to slow me down. I started psyching myself out around mile 6 but I kept going because I knew my family would be there to cheer for me soon.
My family was supposed to meet me at around mile 10, but there were some last minute course changes that put them at mile 11-ish. That was pretty discouraging because I didn’t know where they were, or if I missed them. I was still (somewhat) on pace, but not feeling too hot. I just wanted to at least keep the pace till I saw everyone. Finally I saw my brother and husband. They had walked down the course to meet me before I got to where the rest of the fam was waiting. That was a good boost to my energy and kept me going until mile 13.
Around mile 13, 2:16:37, I saw the leaders leaving the loop I was entering and heading for the finish line. I decided it was time to walk through the next water stop. That was a bad idea. After I stopped to walk it was just that much harder to keep going. Did I mention the winds got up to 60 mph? I’m not sure if I ever actually hit the elusive wall, but I know whatever it was didn’t feel good. I got to the point that my legs weren’t hurting too much, but I couldn’t breathe. I would run for a little bit then have to stop because my lungs weren’t working the way they’re supposed to. If only I had taken my inhaler before the race started. If only I had my inhaler to take right then!
Luckily my brother brought his bike to the race and eventually found me around mile 18 or 19. He road beside me for miles, encouraging me and watching me suffer as I tried to finish the marathon. My walk/jog/walk combination went on for miles until I was about 1.5 miles from the finish where my husband met us. What a savior! He had my inhaler!! I sat down and took a couple of puffs. Waited until I could feel the glorious oxygen flow through my body and got up to run the last part of the race. I didn’t walk again after that and my brother and husband left me to make sure they could see me as I finished. I turned the last corner and sprinted to the finish line. I could run forever! And forever is how long it took: 5:16:56. That’s a far cry from the 4:30 finish I had hoped for. But I finished. I laughed, I cried, I didn’t hurl. I didn’t want to do the race again. I was through with marathons. I was through with running. I was going to take up cycling.

But this is something I have done for almost half my life. Who cares if I have a bum knee? I love to run. What’s that, bro? You’re going to run this next year? Okay, I might run it with you.

This week in my training:
M: 3 mi, 25:19
W: 4 mi, 32:19
F: 3 mi, 27:00
S: Prairie Dog Runs!! 4mi, 30:41 - I got 24th overall, 3rd overall women, and 1st in my age group!
Here's my awesome Prairie Dog medal:



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Cool Videos

Here are some running videos that were posted on a Runner's World Blog:

Screamer
http://www.maniacworld.com/most-annoying-runner-ever.html

Best finish ever!? (this made my eyes water, I'm a wuss)
http://www.bigtennetwork.com/videos/outdoortrack.asp?bcpid=1137942423&bclid=1119231645&bctid=1441108989

This video was posted on the Phedippidations Google Group:

Flora London Marathon commercial
www.youtube.com/v/m-hCuYjvw2I

Blogging for Dummies

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” -Socrates

My first run-in with blogging happened in high school when a rumor was spreading about two of my friends. The whole school was buzzing about how they secretly let their secret out to the whole wide world via the internet.
Since then I have wondered if I should start a blog or not. I want to let my thoughts be seen, and maybe affect other people, but I don’t want to let any of my secrets out. I still like my privacy.
After listening to a running podcast (Phedippidations, Episode 104) titled “Run, Blog, and Share,” I decided I don’t want my life to go unexamined. I do, however, want to stay as anonymous as possible. I will give you my thoughts and opinions that are contrived during my runs. I will try to entertain and inform, but I hope no one will know who I am specifically (except for my close family and friends that read this). Please feel free to comment and leave me your opinions and ideas for future blogs.

Disclaimer: I’m not an expert on running. I’m probably not an expert on anything.

My training:
Right now I'm recovering from the marathon I ran two weeks ago. In late April I'll start more intense training for a local 10K race.
Mon: 2 mi, 17:55
Wed: 4 mi, 32:10
Fri: 2.35 mi, 19:21
Sat: 3 mi, 28:35.62