Lessons from another year

As I celebrated my birthday this weekend, I reflected on some of the lessons I learned that made this past year a pretty good one.  Some lessons came from running and can be applied to life.  Others were life lessons that can apply to running.

Don't decide what you can and can't do before you try.  You may surprise yourself.
I never thought I would run 2 marathons in the same year again because my body couldn't handle it.  In fact, I ran 2 in 3 weeks and I held up just fine.  Who knew?!

Set goals. But don't be disappointed if you don't achieve them.  Learn from the process.
This one is hard, but I'm getting better.  The reward is not as instantaneous as achieving the goal, but a lot can be learned on the way there.  I didn't meet my marathon goals this year, but learned A LOT from my races that I will definitely put into practice next time.

Surround yourself with great friends.  Sometimes you need a hug and sometimes a kick in the butt.  Different friends are there for different reasons and appreciate them all.  Whether it's the friends that texts from across the country to tell you they are proud of you, the friend that gives up her weekend to cheer you on in Burlington, or the friend that eats ice cream with you the day after your big race, remember how lucky you are to have them all.

It's tough to be the boss.  Last year I hired staff, fired staff, delegated, motivated, trained, explained, prioritized and organized.  Being in charge is not easy and it doesn't always feel great when tough decisions need to be made.  When someone else steps up in a leadership role, it's good to remember this and help out rather than criticize what could have/should have been done differently.

Tell your parents "I love you".  Especially when they really are the best.  My parents have been to 9 of my 10 marathons, and the one they missed was because I gave them 10 days notice.  My dad used to drive 4 hours on a Tuesday to watch me play a college volleyball game in Baltimore, only to drive home the same night.  My mom's hug is the one I look forward to most after a race.  I really lucked out.

Double knot your shoelaces.  And make sure all the other preparations are taken care of before the race/day/meeting starts.  but if your shoelaces do come untied, you forget your lunch at home or you printed the wrong draft of the meeting presentation, it's not the end of the world either.

Two days into my new year and so far, off to a good start.  I truly cannot wait to see what this year brings!

Peanut butter chocolate rice krispie birthday treats from my team at work.  They know me better than I thought.  

Chocolate cake for breakfast and other post-marathon splurges

It's been a full week since I laced up my running shoes and went out for a run.  I thought this week would take place 3 weeks ago, but after marathon #1 did not go as planned, I decided to dig in for a for more weeks to give marathon #2 a shot.

Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed some downtime this week.  I could not totally commit to being a couch potato, but I definitely took it easy.  Not surprisingly, my legs were pretty beat up this week.  I spent some quality time pool running and on my yoga mat.  Both felt amazing.

My week off was also about enjoying a little more unstructured time.  Friday afternoon, as we discussed upcoming weekend plans, my co-worker and running friend Sarah suggested "doing something I wouldn't normally do" to celebrate my accomplishment.  This was great advice and I found a few things to meet the criteria.

1. Sleeping on the couch
I fell asleep on the couch Friday night.  I love my couch and LOVE napping on it.  At night, however, I'm always too nervous I will fall asleep before setting an alarm, or wake up in the middle of the night, move to my bed and then not be able to fall back asleep.  But with nothing planned for Saturday, it didn't matter when I would wake up.  With 2 minutes left in the Celtics game, my eyes started getting heavy.  At some point I heard the Celtics won by 10.  I thought I just dozed off, but when I next looked at my watch, it was 4:56am.  Nice.

2. Sleeping in
I did eventually crawl into my bed early Saturday morning and without an alarm, planned to sleep until whenever my body decided to get up.  Apparently the magic time was 10am.  I have not slept that late since...

3. Chocolate cake for breakfast
When I finally did get up I was hungry.  And some left over chocolate cake looked delicious.  And tasted delicious too.

4. Us Weekly and coffee in bed
After "breakfast" I took a cup of coffee back to bed.  With the rain pouring down outside, it seemed like a good excuse to stay in bed a bit longer and catch up on some reading.  I bought Us Weekly in case I couldn't sleep and needed some mindless reading while in Vermont last weekend.  Turns out, it's good lazy Saturday morning reading too.

As nice as my lazy weekend was, I know I could not do this every weekend.  In fact, I'm really glad it rained to deny me the temptation of wanting to do something fun outside.  But I'm getting ready for my first run tomorrow morning and soon enough, I'm sure I'll be itching for a training plan for my next marathon.

My secret marathon

In 2008, after I injured my hip, I promised myself I would not run more than 1 marathon a year, ever again.  I truly believed I would keep that promise.  Until about 3 hours after completing the Long Island Marathon on May 8.  The race didn't go as planned and I was extremely disappointed.  I tried to still be proud of the effort, but in all honesty, I really was not. My finishing time itself did not bother me as much as my failure to mentally stay in the race.  I wanted a do-over.

So the next day, I started researching marathons.  Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) there are not many marathons during the summer months.  The only one I really considered in the Northeast was the Key Bank Vermont City Marathon in Burlington, Vermont, scheduled for today, just 3 weeks after the Long Island Marathon.

Well, if there is any question about how this story ends, today I finished my 10th marathon in Burlington, Vermont. 

I kept the race a bit of a secret, so as not to add any pressure, all of which comes 100% from myself.  I told my running friends who I knew would be supportive, as I didn't need anyone other than myself questioning my decision. I told my parents, just in case anything went wrong.  I told some Run for the Memory colleagues, as running the races meant bailing on a prior commitment; thanks for covering for me guys!  And I told my long time running partner Brenna, and asked her to serve as my copilot, and luckily for me, she accepted.

I assumed if I ever broke my promise not to run more than 1 marathon a year, I would run them several months apart.  I was concerned about the physical impact running 2 marathons in 3 weeks would have on my body.  But I was also concerned about what the mental impact would be if I did not run.  I needed to prove to myself I was tough enough to hang in there for all 26.2 miles.  "I want to do this" beat out "I'm crazy" and at 8am today I was standing at the starting line.

Over the last 3 weeks, while my mileage was light, I put in a lot of time thinking through how I was going to correct the brain games that defeated me a few weeks ago.  I tried to remember what I how I felt and what I thought about during my last race that contributed to what I call my "unravelling".  I researched hitting the wall - what causes it and what helps prevent it.  Often, it is the lack of glycogen available to the brain that keeps a runner from doing what her body is still capable of doing.  I realized I can't go 4 hours sitting at a computer without a snack, WHAT would make me think I could think clearly at mile 19 with just 8 jelly beans since breakfast?!

So my goals were clear: 1) Take in enough food during the race to be able to think clearly and 2) Stay positive and focused, especially from miles 18-24.  Physically, I had no expectations; I had never run 2 marathons so close together and I did no know what to expect.  I had a time goal in mind, that was mostly to give me a reasonable place to focus.  As it turns out, it was completely reasonable for the first 15 miles.

Mile 15 through just about 17 was the longest hill on the course.  I expected my pace to drop during those miles.  I did not expect the cramps that began shortly thereafter.  They started and remained most vicious in my calves, but did not ignore my quads, adductors and even my toes.  But I kept going.  Slowly.  Aside from walking through a few water stops to ensure the water and gatorade actually went in my mouth and not down my chest, I only walked once when the cramps got so bad I was uncertain about my foot plant and was afraid I would turn an ankle.  As soon as the muscles loosened a bit, I was back at it. 

I finished the marathon today in 3:59:36, a minute slower than I finished the Long Island Marathon.  But it was by far my better race.  I never once did not think I would finish and never wanted to quit. One day my my body and mind will show up for the same race.  Until that race, or maybe even after, today's Vermont City Marathon will remain one of my best races ever.

Pre-race, by Lake Champlain. An amazing view, but probably the last time I noticed it.

 

Fancy Framework

I struggled with what to write about running my 9th marathon yesterday for about the last 24 hours.  Prior to the race, I had a lot of ideas, but they all relied on the outcome being a bit different.

I was certain after training this winter that I was ready for a great race.  I had a solid plan and I stuck to it to prepare to reach a goal. Other than some phantom pains the week before the race, I held together in one piece over the last 4 months and felt good.  I'd even done some work on improving my mental approach to running and racing.  I studied up on some techniques to keep focused and confident.  I practiced them in my training so I would be ready to use them come race day.

One technique I learned was reframing.  A frame is a structure that gives shape or support.  How I frame an event, like a run or a race, will affect how I view the event and respond to it.  It's not easy.  But when done well, it can help make the event a constructive experience.  So I've chosen to reframe the results of my 9th marathon to make me a better runner (and person).

My finishing time at the Long Island Marathon was 3:58:34.  Although this was a bit slower than I had trained for, here's how I will instead frame this race:

• This was my first sub-4:00 marathon since 2008 and 2 minutes faster than my last marathon last April.

• Several times I rebounded from and "off" mile or miles, including finishing the last 2 miles faster than any between 19-24.

• Miles 19-24 really were rough, but now I know where I need to prepare most for next time (yes, next time).

• I stayed healthy throughout my training and other than some general soreness and grossly large blister on my pinky toe, seem to be healthy post-race as well.

• I am incredibly fortunate to have amazing parents who stood outside for 4 hours to see me run by 4 times.  To be fair, they did stop for pancakes while I was running miles 13-20, but cheering does work up an appetite. 

Like I said, it's not easy, and several times I've caught myself wishing I'd done this or that differently.  But it's a lot better to work to believe these points than be disappointed in myself for running a marathon. 

Me, post-race.  Happy to be sitting down.

Have you met my friend Dale?

There is definitely not a lack of runners training for a marathon in Boston in the winter/spring.  While I'm not planning to run the Boston Marathon this year, I've remained involved with the Alzheimer's Association and their Run for the Memory Program.  It's a nice benefit for me to be able to take advantage of the team's supported training runs and avoid as many solo 18-20 milers as possible.  (I am planning on another marathon a few weeks later.  I do not run 20 miles just for kicks.)

Today was one of the best days to take advantage of this, as it was the annual charity long run, where many of the charities affiliated with the marathon, hold a training run that begins in Hopkinton and ends 20-22 miles later somewhere in Newton.  My plan today was 20 miles at marathon pace, so it was a great fit.

The run started out well, until about Mile 6 when my stomach started to turn a bit.  For about 10 miles I struggled to keep it in check, unfortunately slowing some to compensate for the Gu Chomps and Sports Beans that had started dancing in my belly.  I was annoyed and a little frustrated.

And then I thought a bit about my running partner, Dale.  He just finished telling me how he thinks he almost had a heart attack and had a stint put in 10 days ago.  Dale also ran a marathon after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and then ran another marathon a year after a pretty significant surgery to remove that cancer.  He still has double vision as a side effect of the surgery, but instead of letting it slow him down, he re-qualified several times for the Boston Marathon.  And he notes when we pass a cute girl, that sometimes double vision has it's benefits.

We ran all 20.65 miles together.  Even though he originally was going to run "only 16", he tacked on an extra .35, so he could run an even 21.  Seeing as I was only planning to do 20, stopping at 20.65 was just fine by me.

My point is, Dale's attitude is amazing.  Not only does he not let anything stop him, but he always enjoys himself when he runs, even on a bad day.  And if the result isn't what he hoped for he just gets back out again for another run.

My stomach settled down after Mile 16, and I actually felt great the last 4+ miles of my run.  I didn't hit my overall pace goal, but I think I made a lot of progress elsewhere in my training today.

Dale and I running today.  If you want to make a donation to the Alzheimer's Association, on behalf of Dale and his wife Dale (I'm not kidding, they have the same name), click here for the link to their fundraising page.

Not another "bad race" report

Hooray!  And thank god. 

Finally a race that I don't have to write about how I gutted out a bad day.  Today I ran the Black Cat 20 Miler in Salem, MA.  It was basically an opportunity to do a long run somewhere new with support along the course.  And go out for brunch afterwards with my friend Carolyn.

The plan was to use the first 4 miles to warm up and then hit the remaining 16 at my goal marathon pace.  The weather was awesome for a long run, hovering around 40, little wind and overcast.  Chilly standing to start, but fine once I was moving.  My goal marathon pace is 8:23...I know, not specific at all...and I have been getting pretty confident and comfortable at that pace on my longer runs.  Twenty miles would be my longest run since the Boston Marathon, but didn't seem impossible.

One thing I hadn't realized is my obsession with the clock.  On training runs, I will turn off my watch when I stop for water or take a bathroom break.  Not today.  So, I perfected the cup fold allowing me to run and drink while not spilling too much water on myself or choking.  I also convinced myself to hold "it" for one more mile, and eventually I just finished the race without stopping (or wetting myself, just to be clear).

I also hadn't realized all the "lessons" I've learned from those bad races, actually come in handy, even on a relatively good day.  Yes, the physical training helped, but the mental game training may have proved to be even more important.  Twenty miles is a long run no matter how you slice it, but if I can make it seem less intimidating when I'm at mile 3, I'm definitely helping myself out.  I didn't care who I passed or who passed me.  I didn't feel envious of the 10 Mile racers finishing as I crossed my half way point.  OK, maybe I was a a little jealous, but I didn't want to quit.  I never doubted I could run this race today. 

Don't get me wrong, I still have work to do.  Mile 16-20 were challenging.  My pace dropped more than I would have liked it to.  And I still struggle with my race nutrition - what to eat (that won't make me want to puke) and when to eat it.  But I saw progress today, and finally I can appreciate what I was supposed to take away from those previous rocky races.

Gut Reaction

Week 1: 10x800 workout with 400m recovery jog, warm up and cool down. 9 miles.
Lunch: Peanutbutter and banana sandwich and carrots
Last snack: Luna bar at 4:30

Week 2: Fartleks. 7.5 miles with warm up and cool down.
Lunch: Leftover tofu stir fry
Last snack: Odwalla bar at 4:00pm

On the surface these 2 workouts and diets appear somewhat similar.  What was different was the impact on my stomach afterwards.

Last week, following the 800s workout, I came home and tried to eat.  Recognizing the total failure of this attempt, I climbed into bed, unshowered, curled into a ball and prayed I would fall asleep before the awfulness in my stomach made me feel any worse.  No such luck.  Add a few more sprints to the bathroom that night to my speed work for that day.

Fast forward to tonight.  Reasonably difficult workout and a somewhat "less-safe" lunch.  I won't lie, I was a bit nervous how my stomach would fare on my run tonight.  Unnecessarily, apparently.  I came home and scarfed down some left over baked ziti.  I don't get it.

Similarly, I've had races where I ran hard and then enjoyed a few beers immediately after.  And then there was the 2010 BAA Half.  I had to have a friend drive me home AND we pulled over on the side of Soldier's Field Road so I could puke.  I couldn't even keep water down.

I don't get it, as there really is no predictability to the gut reaction I have following races or training runs.  Yes, usually it happens when I run harder.  I try to run on a somewhat empty stomach but 2+ hours to digest a granola bar should be sufficient.  I've eliminated certain foods from my pre-race or run meals, some obvious (burritos) and some a result or trial and error (I still blame the salmon I had for dinner the night before for the BAA Half incident).  But who would have thought green beans, squash and tofu today would be a winner?!

I'm sure again at some point, I will have another sensitive stomach experience.  For now, I'll continue to try to eat those foods that have been consistently tummy-friendly before races and harder workouts.  And I'll be thankful my belly waits until after the run to let me know if it disagreed with my choices.

When life feels upside down...stand on your head

Like a great run, sometimes life seems effortless.  Each good thing that happens breathes energy into my body to make more good things happen.  Pieces fall into place and I make decisions with confidence.  The train arrives just as I get to the platform.  The sun is shining and if not, I remember my umbrella.

Other times, life can be clunky and challenging. These days usually start with someone beating me to the open parking spot and spilling coffee on myself.  It's like the run that I just never settle into; the run that seems like it will never end.  Of course I get to the finish line eventually, but sometimes I have to plow through a little longer than I'd like.

Kind of like my race this weekend.  Without much explanation it just was not my day.  Although I felt I set realistic expectations for myself, I just couldn't make it happen during the run.  I returned home disappointed, frustrated, sad and puzzled.  I still need to think through a bit more what I did before and during the race that may have helped or hindered my performance, though it seems lately I can't find the answers for a lot of things.

Except how to do a headstand.  While I'm feeling a little lost about how to make my body work with my feet on the ground, I never really thought about how good it might feel to stand on my head instead.  I approached my first lesson with a nervous excitement; excited for the challenge and nervous I'd topple over like a lopsided Jenga tower.

But somehow I didn't fall at all.  In fact, I floated up with ease, and with guidance from my wonderful yoga instructor and some support from a nearby wall, hung out with my feet in the air for quite a while.  It felt pretty great.

Some new perspective might be just what I need.  Who knew I'd find it standing on my head?!

Post-run recovery

"Rest is the sweet sauce of labor" - Plutarch

I ran 15 miles for the first time in a month today.  The run was at a very comfortable pace and the weather was highly cooperative, sunny and around 40 degrees.  I was back on the hills in Newton, kind of home base for training runs.  It was the first long run of my official marathon training plan.  Off to a good start.

Also impressive (to me) was the energy I had after the run to complete my list of errands.  In the hour that followed my run, I made it to Trader Joe's, the dry cleaner and post office.  Check, check, check.  Perhaps the employees at each of these places would have preferred if I had gone home and showered first, but I was happy to plow through while I was still out and about.  I know myself too well by now, and especially on a winter day, it takes a LONG time for me to get moving after returning home, showering, eating and if I'm lucky, napping.

Today was a lucky day too.  Following my productive morning, a shower and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I crawled into bed.  I started reading, just waiting to feel my eyes get heavy.  Ten minutes later I was out.  For 2 1/2 hours.  It was outstanding.  There could have been an earthquake and I'm pretty sure I would have kept sleeping. 

Researchers have shown that physical activity can promote better self reported sleep quality. I'm generally a good sleeper.  I rarely wake up in the middle of the night, and when I do, usually can fall right back asleep.  Even when I am stressed, once I fall asleep, I don't often have stressful dreams, or wake in a panic an hour before my alarm, unable to fall back asleep.  

My problem is more often getting into bed.  My guess is the exercise helped facilitate my nap this afternoon, but a few extra hours of sleep during the week may also be a good idea.  I'll keep trying.  However, when I have a Saturday that allows for a 2 1/2 hour nap, I'm also not going to pass that up.  

Me, sleeping on the bus ride out to Hopkinton last April

At least I beat the dragon

It was a great day to run.  I was in Phoenix this weekend, escaping the New England winter for the Rock N Roll 1/2 Marathon on Sunday.  Fifty-five degrees and overcast. Seriously, I could not have asked for better conditions. 

It's too bad my legs did not agree.

I started well, running right on pace for the first 3 miles and feeling good.  Then in the middle of mile 4, my quads started to tense up.  Like a light switch, the loose, relaxed and smooth run I had started disappeared.  I tried to run through it until mile 5 where I stopped to stretch for a minute.  I jumped back in and felt a bit better, but soon enough my quads felt like bricks again. 

At that point, I knew my race goal was pretty much gone, as was probably the chance of a PR.  So I readjusted my plan.  My goal was to hit my goal pace for one mile.  I would focus on just one mile at a time.  Between miles 6-13, I came close twice, though never quite hit it.  Surprisingly though, it didn't stop me from trying with each next mile. 

I'm not extremely proud of my finishing time this weekend, 1:45:33, but I am proud that I kept my head in the race.  Once I lost my original goal, I tried to focus on achieving something on this less-than-ideal race day. 

Today, my legs are sore.  Like I ran hard sore.  So I know my effort was there, the execution just was not.  I'm still puzzled by the leg thing however.  In training run after training run, my legs have never tensed up quite like that.  Yet, I have had a few races where this has happened, to various degrees and at various points in the race.  I'm not sure if there is a link, nor how to prevent it in the next race.  I've got some work to do on that piece.

The PF Chang's dragon. It ran the half and those who beat it were awarded restaurant coupons. Unfortunately, I was a little too distracted at the finish to pick my coupon up, but at least I beat the dragon.

Short and Sweet

Much like my runs this week, I'll keep this post short and sweet.

The week before a big race can bring nerves, excitement and a bit of hypochondria.  But it also brings a drop in mileage.  While I look forward (usually) to my runs each week, it has been kind of a treat to do a "long" run of 8 miles on Saturday and a 4 mile run this evening.  And not because I cut my regular run short.

The weather Saturday was great for a run of any distance in Boston.  While I was done before the high temps of 57(!) degrees hit, I was hardly cold on my run.  Not bad for January 7. Not at all the same as last January when I did a 15 mile run out and back twice on a 3.5 mile stretch because it was the only stretch of road that was reasonably clear of snow and ice. 

But despite the unseasonable weather in Boston, I still plan on appreciating the warm weather in Phoenix when I run the Rock N Roll 1/2 Marathon on Sunday.  If the weather forecast holds, it should be a lovely 48-52 degrees during the race.  Sounds like a great day to run.