Gearing Up

With the official kick-off to marathon training only eight days away, I'm getting prepared. "Squeaky" (a.k.a. my left running shoe) and I are soon to part ways. Squeaky's been getting a little too mouthy on my runs lately. You know it's bad when the noise even starts to bother your running partner. Squeaky was mute and submissive until that memorable trail run in the pouring down rain. He found his voice that fated day and has gleefully squeaked along with every step since. Squeak, squeak, squeak. Imagine ten miles of that: squeak, squeak, squeak. It's maddening. When I got the email from the running store this past week saying that Squeaky's model was being discontinued and was thus on clearance for 40% off--well, I'm very fond of Squeaky, don't get me wrong, but it's a relationship that can't last forever. Squeaky already has over 400 miles on him so I'd be justified in replacing him by that factor alone. Now a new pair, hopefully "Dumb and Mummer," are peacefully tucked in my closet awaiting their intial outing.

And, as they say, "When in Rome...." Or, in my case "When in the running store..." What?? My marathon training is starting soon. A girl's gotta be prepared. Soooo, I got a new fuel belt too. Well, that's misleading. I didn't actually buy the fuel belt at the running store. The clerks were nice enough to let me take the belt out on a couple of test loops around the parking lot before commiting. Which I did. I just commited to come home and buy it for $5 less on eBay.

Okay, okay, I also bought two sleeveless running shirts. Well, I didn't really buy them, my mom did. Runner Mommy takes good care of Runner Girl. I've always been a little resistant to the whole sleeveless thing but after a few calculations I realized I've already done over 2,500 push-ups so far in 2008. If that doesn't warrant a sleeveless shirt, I don't know what does. Of course, I had to add about 30 more push-ups this morning before heading out for my first sleeveless run.

So now it's all out there.

Today's run: A sleeveless 6 miles with Running Partner.

Today's Miles: 6
Total Miles: 33.5

Go Toward the Shade

Today's forecast is only 78?!? I don't know about those guys at weather.com. I could have sworn it was at least 80 when I was out there today. Maybe because I was running in the afternoon blaze? One o'clock is a great time for a run when the temperature is the highest it's been in like eight months, right? Who needs time to adapt?? You know it's searing when you prefer a half-mile of shaded continuous uphill to any length of uncovered downhill. I actually caught myself zigzagging across the street trying to run under as many trees as I could. That probably looked pretty interesting from behind.

Today's run: A sunny, sunny 3.5 miles, and yeah, I'm claiming that extra 0.5. This was a G-less run so I got to sing to myself. A particular verse of Will Smith's Miami was on a constant replay:

Hottest club in the city and its right on the beach
Temperature get to ya its about to reach
Five-hundred degrees in the Carribean seas
With the hot mommies screamin "aii poppy"

Aii, Poppy indeed.

Today's Miles: 3.5
Total Miles: 27.5

To G or Not To G, That is the Question

Diligent hill-trainer (trainee?) that I am, I set out today to conquer the 5-mile hill route that I devised last week. Since I was running the same route, it seemed only logical that I wear dear Garmin (a.k.a. G) and try to beat last week's time. Afterall, training is all about improvement, right? Hmmm, not so sure. Big picture improvement, yes. But week-to-week improvement? I think that's a bit ambitious. If you've learned anything about me by now then you know, of course, that I did beat last week's time. Even if I had to drag a hobbled limb up that final hill I would have beaten the time. The problem is that I was totally obsessed with beating the time. I hate to even guess how many times I glanced at G. It was pretty much my sole focus. Feeling winded? Suck it up and push on. Side stitch? Ha! I laugh at you side stitch. The run must go on, and at a decent pace to boot.

When I hit hard patches in my runs I have certain idiosyncratic coping mechanisms that usually involve counting or reciting the alphabet. I save these for when I've gone beyond the thinking realm and my options are either primal chanting or (horror of horrors) walking. They're for emergency use only. The rest of the run is usually spent enjoying the scenery, thinking about what to eat for dinner, singing to myself, etc. Now here's the issue with G: when I'm racing against a previous G record, I'm in emergeny mode the whole time. There's no relaxation, no mind clearing or wandering, and certainly no scenery-taking-in. I might have run past a herd of unicorns today for all I know. Sure I beat last week's time, but is it really improvement when the run just wasn't any fun?

Today's miles: 5
Total miles: 24

An Open Letter to the 3-Mile Run

Dear 3-mile run,

First, let me apologize for every nasty thing I've said to you and about you for the past several years. Ours has been a volatile relationship and I take full blame. I put you on a pedestal when I first started running. You were the ultimate goal, a distance I couldn't even imagine covering at a sustained run. I worked diligently through my couch to 5K program, celebrating my progress in tenths of miles. Then that first 5K race came. Again, my fault. In retrospect starting the South Beach diet two weeks before the race was probably not a good idea. Those two carb-free weeks did not serve me well when you and I met on the course. I blamed you, felt you had sucker-punched me then kicked me while I was down. Time has softened my emotions and cleared my head and I realize now that you were just being you, challenging but not punishing. I look back at that race and am grateful for the lessons it taught. Mainly, four scrambled eggs are not good pre-race fuel. But also: I am stronger than I think I am; I have hidden reserves; and, when the running gets tough, stop thinking, put your head down, and power through.

Now, as I train for this marathon, I see you in a new light. Instead of a goal you have become a nuisance. Why bother getting sweaty for something that won't even last thirty minutes? I trust you are still an important distance because all the experts say so but I'm running on pure faith. In order to make you worthwhile I've embraced the mantra "Go hard or go home." From that first step I push with everything I have until the Garmin ticks 3.0. (Well, 3.10 actually--if I'm doing three miles I'm at least making it a 5K.) So I run, panting, grunting, wincing, until the distance is done. Every second hurts. Every step involves some level of pain.

I've thought about abandoning you, maybe going to the gym and cheating with the elliptical instead. But this marathon is too important and if Mr. Higdon says I have to hang with you then hang with you I will. Which brings me to where I am today. It's time to make ammends and start anew. I met you this morning with open mind and open arms and you responded in kind. We shared those 27 minutes as long-lost friends reunited. I asked for hills and you showed me three doozies. I dug deep and ran from the gut; you rewarded me by having it end quickly.

Friend, we have many more journeys ahead of us between now and October. My vow is to try to embrace each new meeting with a postive outlook, to celebrate the shortness of your distance and the challenge it provides to enable me to grow as a runner. I will continue to give you all I have and I will honor your length by not secretly trying to turn you into a 4 or 5-miler.

Yours truly,
Runner Girl


Today's miles: 3
Total miles: 19

Pride Goeth Before the Fall

It was bound to happen sooner or later. I have enough friends who run to have heard plenty of horror stories. Today, apparently, was my day. The Fall. The Big Wipeout. The ol' "Ass Over Tin Cups," so to speak. Thank you once again, oh running gods, for letting my horrendous spill occur only in view of Running Partner. No passing motorists, no gawking dog walkers, just me, RP, and a slew of old trees. All in all I guess I fared pretty well--a nasty gash on my hand and a scraped leg. RP tried to get me to turn around and head back but there was no way I was copping out only two miles into an 8-mile run. Uh-uh, no way, no how.

Today's run: Running Partner (a.k.a. RP--see above) and I met for our second run together. Our plan is to do all of our long runs together until the marathon. We're not officially in training yet but, in addition to being running partners, we're also good friends and we're using the weekend runs right now as a chance to hang out and share some juicy girl talk. We did her route last week so this week was my turn. I picked a hilly, somewhat trail-ish route. It's about as beautiful as Baltimore can get. In fact, RP was motioning to the lake and saying something bucolic about "Fried Green Tomatoes" when my world came crashing and spinning in a chaotic whirly-dervil. Must look at roots, not at lake. Roots! NOT lake! Managed to keep running the entire eight miles, although the last six were definitely a little bloody. Now for the real fun: the post-run shower where I get to find out just how many raw, stinging scrapes I really have.

Today's miles: 8
Total miles: 16

Hi, I'm Runner Girl and I'm an addict.

My drug: ice baths. Ahhhh, ma cherie, mon amour, ma petite chou. Most non-runners I know view the ice bath as a form of self-torture, akin to the flagellant movement of the 13th century. But for me there's nothing that combats inflammation better. Sure the first thirty seconds or so are tough but when you've delivered three kids you can tolerate pretty much anything for that long. The ice bath is my way of nurturing my body and thanking it for enduring what is has to on this running journey. Especially Sir Wonky Knee, who has never been quite the same since surgery eight years ago. Sir Wonky Knee goes into a maddening frenzy when the barometric pressure drops just the slightest hair. And, as we all know, the knee bone is connected to the thigh bone which is connected to the hip bone. God forbid Madam Wonky Hip misses out on the party. It's a painful combination and one that only an ice bath can really cure. I usually save the ice baths for runs longer than eight miles but there must be a heck of a storm on the horizon because I'm not sure I'd be able to walk tomorrow if I didn't have my 10-minute ice bath this afternoon.

Which leads to today's run. Day two of hill training. I made the mistake of letting Runner Boy use my Garmin for his 3-miler while I toted, shepherded, and corraled the runlets around two end-of-year preschool parties. Of course when I came home I had to run the exact same route and smash his time. Failure to do so was not an option. (Competitive much?) Never mind that Runner Boy had a spirit-building, energy-boosting morning while I spent those hours having my life blood sucked by a group of dementors, I mean preschoolers. Never mind that Runner Boy had a nice big glass of water and some carb-filled hard pretzels in the hour prior to his run while I subsisted on the fumes from a Sugar-Free Red Bull chugged in haste between parties. Still, his 3-mile time--27:58. Mine--26:38. But who's counting?? ;)

Today's Miles: 3
Total Miles: 8

A journey of a thousand miles...

Well, not quite 1,000. But that sounds impressive and I think the marathon-training program is something seemingly random--like 436 miles or so. (Yes, I did actually calculate it at one point.) As I was running today I got the idea to blog my training until the big day. I expect it's going to be an adventure with high and low points and it might be interesting when all is said and done to look back on the journey.

My marathon is October 11, 2008. I'm going to be doing Hal Higdon's Novice training program. Hal served me well with my first half a few weeks ago so he has my faith for the full 26.2. Training doesn't technically start until June 7th which puts me in an awkward limbo phase. It was unsettling to go from a rigid "do this every day" training program to "do whatever you want to today; run, don't run, eh--it doesn't matter." Even with the half-marathon under my belt I still don't feel experienced or knowledgeable enough to know what I should be running right now. Runner Girl needs a plan so Runner Girl created a plan. I signed up for a 10K on June 28th called the "Dreaded Druid Hills." Runner Girl is going to be running hills, lots and lots of hills, until then.

So, today: Ran 5 miles of as many local hills that I could squeeze into that distance. Runner Boy (a.k.a. Mr. Runner Girl) is out running the same route right now. Let's see what Mr. "Allegheny isn't really a hill" has to say when he returns.

Today's Miles: 5
Total Miles: 5