Settling into Winter Training in Georgia

Corner Store

On Saturday I ran four loops totaling 15 miles in the rural Georgia town of Cassville while visiting with my in-laws.  On the run I realized that I will be out in the cold, wind and rain a lot in the coming months, and I'm adapting. The 10% chance of rain materialized while the temperature was 40 degrees, and it rained lightly at some times.

Enjoyed passing the sheep until their herding dog expressed his dislike of me.

I enjoyed the new scenery along the two-lane curving roads.  This area has leash laws, so I felt safe from dogs.  Only on my third loop did a dog have a chance to charge at me.  A herding dog ran out of the open gate on its property and came close to me.  I slowed and did not look at it, hoping that the dog was protecting the sheep on the property and not wanting to engage me any more than I wanted to engage with it.  I was fine, but rerouted the end of the run.

The local cemetery is the final resting place for numerous Confederate soldiers killed in battle or as a result of their wounds.

Monday: 7 miles; 9:21 pace + 6 x 100 strides
Tuesday: Day off for Christmas
Wednesday: 8 hilly miles; 8:58 pace
Thursday: 6 miles; 9:25 pace
Friday: Cycling and Yoga; not done (traveling)
Saturday: 15 miles on Roads: 9:19 pace
Sunday: Day Off

Washing my Yoga Pants on a Run

On Wednesday I ran eight hilly miles with a friend at 6AM in the cold rain.  It was raining, dark and 40 degrees when we started.   When I first saw her, I laughed and wondered what we were doing out when most were resting from the previous day's Christmas festivities.  The first half of the run was better than expected, except when the road curved, and the wind hit us with a surprisingly cold gust.

My friend and I parted ways at around four miles when she ventured farther to make hers a 10 miler.  It was then that the light ran turned into a downpour.  I wondered how she could keep running in the other direction and away from the warmth of our homes.  The first half of our course has more uphills, so making the way home, downhill, is more pleasant  -- except for on this morning.

I've been running for just over six years, and I don't think I've experienced such miserable running conditions.  I have run in the rain.  I don't balk at that, but this was cold, cold rain.  A drenching rain.  My pants stuck to my legs, and I felt like I was carrying extra pounds of water.  I had worn my running jacket designed for temperatures under 40 degrees; it is water resistant, but not waterproof.  I don't run in these types of conditions enough to justify purchasing waterproof outerwear.

On my return trip home, I thought that this is a treadmill type of morning.  If I had to, I would run eight miles on a treadmill.  I do not own a treadmill.  I don't think I would want to unless I lived in a colder climate.  My house doesn't have room for such a large piece of equipment, and I have a Y membership.  I can run on a treadmill at the Y, but it was closed for the Christmas Holiday.

Distracted by my Garmin and still running in the dark (and alone at this point), I made a wrong turn and ran about 200 meters in the wrong direction. I was soaked, cold and lost.   I stood disoriented wondering what to do and hoped I could retrace my steps and and get back on track.  This was at 5.5 miles.  My momentum was gone.  I wanted to stop and be home. I tried to find humor in it all.

Early morning runs during the Christmas Season have bright points.  I caught Santa at this house.

I was short on mileage at the end, so I ran back out and found myself running toward my training partner.  We couldn't believe the turn the weather had taken.  She said that all she could do was laugh about such a miserable run.  I felt the same way.  As we parted, she pointed out that I had soap bubbles on my pants.  Yes, soap bubbles.  My knees were foaming as if I were in a washing machine.  She laughed and laughed.  And, I did, too.  This was a first.  We laughed some more as we stopped to take a picture of my pants.  I was foaming in other areas that were touching my skin.  Bizarre.  When I made it home I realized that I had mistaken my yoga pants for my running pants. That's a first, too.  And, I hope it's my last run for a while in the cold rain.

It's hard not to find humor all along this run.

Boston Training: Week Three

This week Winter weather set in during training.  On Tuesday I ran at 6AM in shorts; on Saturday I ran at 9AM bundled in layers and gloves.  The wind was fierce during the Saturday long run, but my area was spared from the Blizzard that affected some parts of the country.

I was grateful for company on some runs this week.  When I ran alone, I couldn't help reflecting on the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut.  I have felt sorrow and anger.  In Yoga, I wasn't able to stay in the moment when focusing on my breath and lungs expanding because in crept intrusive thoughts of small children's lives ending, their lungs, hearts and other vital organs being injured to the point of death.  I imagined their final moments while I moved through poses on cue using my body and lungs.

This week I have loved my children more fiercely than ever.  My youngest is six-years-old, the age of many of the victims.  I was in her first-grade classroom twice this week, once volunteering for centers and once for her year-end cultural celebration.  Each one of her classmates is even more precious to me.  And, my fifth grader is now aware that we live in an unpredictable and cruel world.

We are beginning a time of family togetherness this Christmas week.  I will enjoy spending time with my family and will travel to visit extended family.  My training plan will be somewhat disrupted, but I am thankful that I have these wonderful people with which to share my life.  I wouldn't want to have it any other way.

This past week of training:
Monday:  5 miles rolling hills at 9:34 pace
Tuesday:  Track Tempo Run; 2 miles warm up, 4 miles at 7:57 pace, one mile cool down
Wednesday:  Day off
Thursday:  7 miles general aerobic run on rolling hills at 9:13 pace
Friday:  Cycling + Yoga
Saturday: 13 miles of rolling hills at 9:32 pace
Sunday:  Rest

Where Did She Go?

This week I had tea with a friend who is training to run the Boston Marathon.  She reminded me that a year-and-a-half ago, I sat relaxed in a comfortable chair in a friend's living room and stated that if I made it to Boston, I was going to enjoy the run and take in the scenery.

Where did that woman go? She sounds like someone with whom I'd like to spend time and share runs. She was calm and confident and simply seeking a wonderful new experience.  I would be drawn to such a person and think that I'd like to qualify so that I could enjoy the sights and sounds along the famous course.

That woman has been replaced by a strange, competitive runner who has no one to compete against except herself.  She reads books, articles and blog posts about the Boston Marathon and adheres closely to a training schedule designed for speed from Hopkinton to the finish line.

Training last week:
Monday:  6 miles; 9:21 average pace on rolling course
Tuesday: weights
Wednesday: Steady negative run; 7 rolling miles; 8:49 average pace
Thursday:  5 miles;  9:15 pace, (forgot to do 8 strides) plus weights
Friday:  cycling/yoga (had conflict in schedule, so not completed)
Saturday:  12 miles; 9:23 average pace on rolling course

First Week of Boston Training

This has been an eventful first week of training, and I have three areas on which to report:  coaching, training, and attending a workshop.

First, my coach is no longer coaching as she used to, but she will assist me with my training.  No more second guessing.  I will follow her training plan for me to the best of my ability and have confidence that I prepared in the best way possible when I go into the race.

Training this past week:
Monday:  4 miles, easy
Tuesday:  2 mile warm up + 5 miles of alternating 3 minutes up tempo and 2 minute jogs
Wednesday:  rest (I had scheduled weight training.  Which excuse would you like?)
Thursday:  5 miles, easy
Friday:  cycling class + yoga class
Saturday:  11 miles at 9:15 to 9:45 pace
Sunday:  workshop

Today I attended a Good Running Form Workshop presented by New Balance at Fleet Feet in Raleigh.  As a result, I am humbled.  Seven other women and I were video taped using an exclusive running application on an iPad, and we learned our number of foot strikes per minute.  To run fast, easy and injury free, runners should aim for a cadence of 180 foot strikes per minute.  We were all around 150, which we were told is where most runners are. The humbling part for me is that I worked on this briefly in the Spring.  I thought I would be closer to 180.  So, now I have even more work to do during training, and I will have many miles during which to practice.

Boston Marathon Training Begins!

"The Legendary Boston Marathon:  the oldest, grandest and most exclusive marathon in the world.  Millions aspire to run Boston, but only 25,000 meet the strict qualifying standards to run a course that is considered one of the toughest in the world.

If you're planning to race Boston, you had better know what you're up against. The course may look innocent, but as experts will tell you, it can be brutal.  If you're not ready, if you don't understand the intricacies of the course, Boston can eat you alive. ( Boston Marathon:  The Legendary Course Guide by Raymond Britt)."

When I aspired to run Boston, I didn't know it is one of the toughest courses -- in the world.  I'd heard of Heartbreak Hill, but until I qualified, I did not know about the other hills that wear out legs before ever reaching the iconic hill.

I've felt nervous anticipation this week while mentally and physically preparing for training.  I'm still not acclimated to the cooler morning temperatures or the super early morning work, but I don't think there is a good way to ease into those things.   I recently met with a friend who ran Boston last year, and she shared the Course Guide with me along with her insights.  Now, it's as if I know too much.  But, better to know too much than to toe the line unprepared.

I've also been uneasy because my coach is no longer coaching.  How can I pull this off without her support and knowledge and being accountable to her?  I  have second guessed myself each day, but this is my plan:  to follow my last training plan that worked beautifully and to add the hills of Umstead Sate Park for many of my long runs.

Tonight when I look at the legal pad (old school, I  know!) on which I've written my plan, I have some peace.  Many nights before when I studied upcoming workouts, I wondered if I was capable of carrying out the plan.  I had never run so long at this new race pace or even incorporated speed work into my plans.  It  turned out that, on most days, I was able to hit the paces and mileage required; I fell short just a few days. Knowing I've done this before gives me confidence that I can prepare again even without a coach.

I used to ask the question, "How does one approach training for Boston?" I reasoned three possible scenarios exist: enjoy the run and not worry about a time goal; aim to finish in the time of your qualifying race; or, train to run even faster.  There is no one way to answer the question, and I can only answer it for myself.  Now, I can't imagine someone deciding to take it easy in this race.  After all, it's Boston.  I worked too hard to get here to slack off now.  Another friend training for Boston is looking to better her time substantially.  Since qualifying, my goal has been to finish the course in the same amount of time I ran my qualifying race (even though it was a fast and flat course).  Now that I know too much, this will become one of my goals, a challenge type of goal.  My other two goals will be more reasonable, and I will begin to sense what they will be while I train.   I once read it's good to have three different race goals so that one is not disappointed with the outcome.

A few weeks ago I was not looking forward to the months long process of training.  I am reminded as I look ahead to this first week that enjoying the process of preparing for a race is just as rewarding as the race itself.  I know that is true, but I so look forward to the feeling I will have when I cross the finish line on April 15.