Rainy Run

I decided to give my body two days off from the craziness I'd been putting it through. I slept quite a good bit (and very well too!) and let my poor blistered toe heal a little.

And with the knowledge that the Thunder Road half is LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AWAY (ahhh!) I got out this morning to get in a hill run before the rain and wind set in. I felt really good- strong and fast, through out most of it. I covered 7 miles in an hour ten. I'm really happy with my pace recently. It's amazing to me to see how much my running has improved in the last two months. I can only imagine how much faster I'd be if I actually did speedwork! (note to self: do speedwork after this run).

Since there was suppose to be some awful storm system move in late this morning, I decided to call it quits after 7 miles when it started spitting cold rain. I don't mind running in rain, but I just couldn't bring myself to run in cold rain. I don't dig being cold.

The half is 13 days away. I keep stalking weather.com to see what the temps are going to be next week. On Wednesday, it's calling for snow showers. WHHHAA?!! Not cool, not cool. But no matter how cold -or wet- it is, I'm going to do this and it's going to be awesome! I'm getting really excited as each day brings me closer. But I'm also getting more and more nervous. I know, I know, I've already run the distance. And I really haven't had a bad run since I've been training. I haven't had a bad run that I haven't been able to run through since I've been training. I don't really know what I'm nervous about.

I've been advised not to set a time goal for my first half, but I'd love to do it faster than I did my 13 mile training run last week. under 2:30... can I do it?? Guess I'll have to make sure to stuff my face with pasta the night before and eat lots of eggs the morning of! Oh, and I guess I should taper this week. Or next week???

Crowders Mountain

About 45 minutes south of Charlotte exists a very randomly placed land mark called Crowders Mountain. So we thought, sure- let's take our Floridian parents to this place! We had a great time. We hiked 4 miles with about an 800 foot elevation change.

The recent cold front left us with chilly temps, in the upper 30s/lower 40s. So I was able to try out the running tights and see how well they kept me warm (well, they're not really running tights, they're cheap cotton leggings and they were on sale). They worked pretty well! I think I'll need to wait until it gets below freezing in order to actually run in them (yes, please notice I said I would run in below freezing temperatures! I've come a long way since last year!).

I thought my legs would be shot after yesterday's long run and Thanksgiving's 10k-PR. But they held me up pretty good, getting me up and down the mountain without any major fatigue.

All in all, I had a great time with my family and the dogs. It was even clear enough to see Charlotte from the top!

(Charlotte from a distance)

(Me and Jake)

Black Friday Run

We ate a most delicious turkey-free Thanksgiving dinner after the run (I'm a vegetarian, and when you come to my house for Thanksgiving, don't expect to eat meat!), and enjoyed a piece (or two) of pie over a few games of Euchre. Then off to bed.

Some people wake up early the day after Thanksgiving to stand in lines and fight crowds of people in stores. I woke up the day after Thanksgiving to fight my sore leg muscles and tiredness (got the "why am I doing this so early?" feeling two days in a row!) to go run on the trails. Again, delighted to have the company of my dad, we set out to do a long run. I had just planned to run 12 and walk 1, the same as I did last week.

But darn my stubbornness! I ended up running (almost) the whole thing.

About half way through, the time where I usually start thinking about lunch, I decided to actually eat something. Stuffed away in his fanny pack/hydration belt, my dad keeps tons of little running goodies. Snickers, clif bars, Gu, candy, gum... so he's says to me, "you ever try Gu?" Me (intrigued): "No, let me try it."

Eeewwwwwwwwww!!!!!

Sugary, gooey, syrupy nastiness! I can see the practicality in Gu, but I'm not sure I could eat an entire packet. Ugh. I took the clif bar instead.

Luckily, we were running the porta-potty route (at the end of the trail where we turn around, there is a plastic throne). After a quick pit stop (note to self: STOP drinking coffee after the second cup!) I was able to run more comfortably. We turned around and headed back down the trail, and 13.5 miles later, I had officially RUN my first half marathon distance!! In UNDER 2:30! I was ecstatic!

I had a waaaay better morning than all those poor saps waiting in line to buy TVs and stereos and laptops!

After this run I learned an important lesson: take care of calluses ASAP. For underneath a callus there becomes a blister, and this blister doth hurt in extraordinary amounts!

Lake Norman Turkey Trot

As a time-honored tradition, we all got out of bed on Thanksgiving morning before the sun arose in order to run the Turkey Trot. Last year, I ran the Charlotte Southpark Turkey Trot. It was a well run production, and don't get me wrong- I enjoyed it. But it was so.crowded! This year I decided to look up north and found the Lake Norman Turkey Trot, which took place up in Catawba Co. So we all laced up our running and walking shoes, grabbed the dogs and their leashes, and headed up I-77. Mom and David walked the 5k with the critters, while my dad and I ran the 10k.

It was a well organized event, I must admit. There was a good number of people there, but not so heavily attended (like Southpark) that you had to park a mile away and shuffle through crowds of people from the moment you stepped out of your car until you got to mile 3. I'd say it was just the right amount of attendees to give the air a good buzz.

The half marathoners started first, followed by the 10k-ers, and finally the 5k-ers. There wasn't a Tot Trot (or kids 26.2 or whatever they're called) so there wasn't an overabundance of little people running around either. Just a handful of doggies. That was a plus.

It was a great day for running, 50's and overcast, spitting rain on occasion. The course was very well marked, and for the most part pretty enjoyable. It was a little weird to run through parking lots and behind stores, but I suppose it's difficult to find the police force, on a holiday, to redirect traffic in order to run on busier streets.

I wasn't really thinking about my time. My fastest 10k until this point was about 68 minutes (yeah, I know it's slow, shush!). I just concentrated on running strong and enjoyed the company of my dad and the other runners. By mile 5, I heard my dad say something about me making a PR in coming in sub 60 minutes (that's the right lingo, I think). That was all the encouragement I needed to pick it up a little! After I saw the 6 mile marker and turned the last corner, we picked up the pace (it always looks better when you sprint down the finish line). I did indeed finish sub 60- 59:28! Woohoo!!

I liked the course because it never felt like I was running alone and very far away from other runners. In fact, part of our course coincided with the 5k, so we got to say a quick hello to each other and the dogs. And, like I said before, it wasn't really crowded. But I think in order for me to sign up again next year, they need to take the course out of parking lots and behind the stores- dumpsters aren't what you want to see on a race course!

Hills, hills, hills

Did just over 7 miles this morning on the hill route. My pace was pretty slow, but no matter. I'm going to have 3 more opportunities to kill my running game this week:

1. Thursday is the 10k Turkey Trot. The parents are driving up, so it'll be nice to have a running partner! Then the great vegetarian Thanksgiving will begin.

2. Friday I'll be hiking up and down Crowders Mountain with the fam and the dogs. Ok, so it's not running, but it's just as hard!

3. Saturday is a long run day: run/limp 12 miles, walk/crawl 1 mile.


I think my legs will be on strike by Sunday!

Another Long One...

Since the half is less than a month away and you're suppose to "taper" about a week before, I only had about 2-3 long runs left to get ready. Last week I did 11, and as much I would have liked to do the same today, I'm starting to get a little freaked out that the race is coming so soon! So I decided to run 12 miles and then walk the last mile. That way, I could at least have 13 miles under my feet at one time.

After a brief spat with my iPod and Nike+ (I wanted it to turn on, it had other ideas...we worked it out), we were off. I think today was the coldest it's been - 38 degrees - since we started training for this thing. We did the "holy cow it's cold" warm up shuffle for a mile and a half before I could feel my toes and hands again. Around 3 or 4, I could tell this one was going to be a struggle. Felt pretty weak and tired, and I could tell I was going to really need to use the porta-potty in a mile or two. (don't get me wrong, I'm not against popping a squat in the woods, but there aren't enough trees on this trail to provide any kind of privacy!).

I'll spare the boring details, but we did finish all 12 miles running/jogging, and then walked the last mile back in. And this time my right hip and left knee hurt. So if they're not consistent aches and pains, that's better, right?

I think next week I'm going to bring some fig newtons or a powerbar- less than half way through my stomach was growling. And that was after I had coffee, orange juice, oatmeal, a banana, and two eggs for breakfast.

And speaking of food, my running bud and I decided to go treat ourselves to some Jimmy Johns after we finished. Best. Tasting. Sandwich. In my life! I'm sure we stunk to high heaven, but it was sooooo good!

12 miles in 2:20
1 mile in..... 20 minutes?? We were pretty tired!!

Insert Witty Title Here

Friday:

11 Miles with my running partner. Great weather (=no rain!). I've got to admit, it's really nice to have someone to run with. I like my music and all, but having someone else next to you makes the miles go by faster. I'm so glad to have found someone at my speed to run with! About half way through, we started discussing the love/hate relationship runners have with running. At that point, we were leaning more toward the hate part of the relationship. And it got me to thinking about all those people who say they can't be runners because a) it's so hard, b) it makes my knee/ankle/back/toe/finger hurt, c) I just can't catch my breath, etc. etc.

Um, do you think our bodies don't hurt? Do you think it's easy for us to get out of our warm beds in the morning and throw ourselves into our sport when it's 40 degrees and raining outside? Do you think we never get winded? I hate it when people put runners on a pedestal and think it's so much easier for us than it is for them, and then use that excuse as to why they don't get out there themselves.

Rant over. Now I'm going to complain about how my knee/ankle/back hurt. Ha! I've been noticing around 8-9 of my runs that my lower back tightens up and my left leg starts to get achy all over the place. Interesting to note that it was my right knee that I had two surgeries on, and it feels great! Hmm...

But the final result? 11.5 miles in 2:10ish. Stretched, drove home, and entered "eat everything in sight" mode.



Didn't do any running over the weekend because of a "professional development" trip to Raleigh (um, 6 hours in the car after running 11 miles is killer!). Got out yesterday to do a quick 3 before work, and when I say quick, I mean PR quick! w00t! Made a new 5k PR: 29:58. To the real runners, that's pretty much your warm up speed, but I was thrilled with it!

This morning I knew I had to get out there before the rain started (see previous post for rain rant). I started my hilly course. There are two gradual uphills on the 1.7 mile loop, and on the 2.7 mile loop, three hills mountains that I've come to know as "Misery," "Nausea," and "WTF am I doing out here?!" But I always remember the sage advice my ultra-marathoner father told me about running hills: what goes up, must come down. But then again, the opposite can be true about breakfast before those hills.

Me and my breakfast finished just under 8 miles in about 1:22, barely before the rain moved in.

Now for a day of rest before the 12 mile run. Three weeks and three days until the half!

Running on Garbage Day Stinks

I don't usually run on Wednesdays, and I was reminded why this morning: because it's garbage day. Not only does it smell bad, but I either have to dodge garbage cans left and right on the sidewalk, or run on the road. (Though I usually just end up running on everyone's lawns while thinking obscenities toward all those who don't retrieve their cans immediately after the garbage truck comes... the nerve!)

Aside from the garbage, it was a so-so run. I started thinking about why and then it dawned on me: I didn't eat a real dinner last night. And no matter how much I want it to, a venti-soy-no foam peppermint mocha does not constitute as a meal. My bad. My 4 miles were a bit strained, but I did it. And it was a comfortable 60 degrees! Perfect weather.

Taking Thursday off to hang with my man for Veterans day, then running 11 miles on Friday!! Woooo!

I've been terribly remiss....

Almost a week and I haven't posted anything. My bad. Let's start from last Thursday...

Thursday, November 4

The long run day. Today was my first double digit run- 10 miles!!!! Unfortunately, I awoke to the sound of rain. I don't mind the rain so much, but it was cold and raining (I will no longer complain about the 40s unless there is rain along with it). This was truly one of those days that had I not already registered for the race, I would have just gone back to bed. Got geared up and went out the door. Met my running partner and we were off. Within 3 minutes we were soaked. And we were the only ones on the trail too (the parking lot was empty, the soccer field was empty, we did see a turkey thought...). About half way through, we saw the only other crazy runners on the trail, two very chatty women who seemed happy as clams to be out in this weather. But the thing we noticed is they had rain jackets on! What a novel idea! I might not be new to running, but I'm new to running gear (until now, I would just go back to bed when it was cold/hot/raining/snowing). Note to self: get rain jacket.

We got to the 5 mile mark and turned around... passed the running chicks again, and trekked onward. By mile 8 or so, I couldn't lie to myself anymore: I was completely miserable. Soaked to the bone, cold, and you could even hear "squuuuuiiiish" as my feet hit the pavement. And... to add insult to injury, the weather just continued to get colder until (gasp!) I could see my breath! That's a sure sign of too-coldness. I suppose to technical term would be "cold front."

Finally we turned that corner that signaled there was only a quarter mile left. Not wanting to be out any longer than needed, I sprinted to the car and turned the heater on. Stretching, I decided, could wait until after I got home and showered.

So to recap: 2 hours of being wet = 10 miles.


Monday, November 8

Spent the weekend out of town with some old friends. Normal eating and sleeping went out the window, so of course when I got out to do my "medium" run, I felt like death warmed over. I spent the majority of the day before driving back to Charlotte, didn't eat dinner or anything remotely healthy. And what you put in is what you get out. After mile 3 I really just wanted to quit, things were going very poorly. I was winded, fatigued, and mentally not with it. But then I thought, "will I be more mad at myself for quitting, or for finishing this run slower than normal?"

Some might call it motivation, but anyone who knows me well knows it's my stubbornness. I just can't say I'm going to do something and then not do it. So onward I went, past my car, for a second (and then third) loop around the Trail of Hills/Death. When all was said and done, I had finished close to 8 miles (in 1:27) and a mind made up to eat salad continuously for the next 5 weeks.


I think that about recaps the week. I'm going to get out and do at least 4 this morning, but there's this snoring, cuddly dog on my lap and a half pot of coffee that are beckoning me to stay... so maybe one more cup before I hit the door.

It's only going to get worse....

Got back from Jacksonville (Go Gators!!) in time to light the pumpkins up and pass out candy to Trick or Treaters. The good news is that none of the children were afraid of our Barking Bumblebee (Max's costume), but the bad news is there weren't as many kids as we thought (or maybe we over-bought the candy? wishful thinking?). So... there's a bowl full of chocolate candy bars sitting on my table taunting me.

Anyway, I decided to step it up for yesterday's run. Instead of running through my dinky neighborhood, I drove to a more hilly area to do an "easy 7" (ha! 'easy'?!). But once I got there, I was a little hesitant to actually get out of the car. Now, I'm not going to say it was cold, but it was chilly. In anticipation of this arctic chill, I dug out an 'under armor' top from the bottom of my drawer before I left (I bought this handy piece of cold weather running gear last year). I had to cut the tags off because as I mentioned before, the winter is what killed my running last year, so I never tried it out.

The verdict? It did keep me warm and dry, and even when it warmed up a bit toward the end I still wasn't too hot. So what do you know? Those magic sweat wicking shirts actually do work! I finished 7.54 miles in 1h20m.

This morning I went for another 3.5 run, but felt like I was going at a snail's pace (because I'm suuuuch a fast runner otherwise). Guess I did too much partying on those hills yesterday cause my legs were tired!

When I got home I turned the TV on while I stretched, listening to the weather man say obscenities like "winter storm" and "cold, dry air." Yup... it's that time of the year, and it's only going to get worse colder.