Brooks and The Splits

Last Thursday, David and I had passes for an advance-screening of The Adjustment Bureau. We got to the mall in plenty of time, so we decided to walk around the athletic store right next to the theater, Sun & Ski Sports. They offer payment plans for their ski jackets, so I really wasn't expecting to do anything other than window shop.

But whatdoyaknow was sitting on the clearance rack in the shoe department? None other than my most favorite running shoes in the whole wide world! AND they were my size - hot dog!

Well hellllllo Brooks Adrenaline Size 10 Width B for 60% off!

I don't think I had felt this level of excitement since I found my wedding dress.

So I took them for a spin this morning for my 3 mile easy run. Not too shabby. I think they've earned their spot in my closet next to my other Brooks.





And just for kicks, here are my 1 mile splits from my run this morning... all three of them!


As you can see, mile 2 is where the hills were. I really need to work on hills! Do you like my ghetto method of taking a screen shot from my computer and then cropping it to size in order to share my data table? Anyone else have a Garmin that can tell me how to copy/paste this from the Training Program?

Mint Ice Cream and Interval Runs

Last night I sat in front of my computer for about an hour looking at different training plans to improve my half marathon time. I decided to make my own hybrid version between Hal Higdon's intermediate and advance plans. It calls for 2-3 days of strengthening at the gym (accompanied by either a 3 mile 'easy' run or cross training), two days of speedwork (intervals and tempo runs), a long run, and an optional pace run. Hopefully after 14 weeks on this plan, I'll be ready to run the Charity Chase Half in under 2 hours!

(And if I don't finish in under 2 hours, I'm going to move on and start training for the Grand Canyon run!)

Hubby and I had a great, relaxing morning. It was finally warm enough that I could plant my gladiolus and holly hock thinga-majigs in the backyard. And just to tempt spring into coming early, we got out all the patio furniture. Maybe in the coming weeks we can pull out the grill too? I had an "ice cream meeting" with two of my former students (there is nothing quite like being hugged by a 5 year old who says, "thank you for being my piano teacher!"). I put the windows and sun roof down for the drive home and decided it would be a crime not to take advantage of the AMAZING weather with a run.

So when I got home, I grabbed my running shoes and Garmin (I'm on a trial-run with this thing), harnessed up the doggy and told David to get in the car. I decided to do my first speed-work run. I was fully aware that my green mint ice cream might make a reappearance, but hey- when it's 70 degrees and sunny, you take these chances.

I set my Garmin to do 6 x 400 with a quarter mile recovery in between each. I might have been on my hill loop, which might not have been a good idea. Can you guess which intervals were uphill?

1 x 400: 7:41
2 x 400: 7:31
3 x 400: 7:54
4 x 400: 8:56
5 x 400: 8:36
6 x 400: 7:56

According to Runner's World Training Calculator, in order to finish a half marathon in 2 hours, your 5k should be 26:06. So- I more or less kept that pace.

Oh, and the ice cream stayed inside =)

Marine Corps Marathon

Before you start reading this entry, please know I did not sign up for the MCM. I'd hate to mislead anyone!

But I really, really wanted to sign up.

Running a marathon is an incredible accomplishment. I know there are people out there that think the 26.2 should be reserved for only 'elitist' runners. They think the marathon is losing its prestige because of all those 3-4 hour finishers that clog up the course. I think those people are full of what covers the pasture across the street from us at the dairy farm.

I've obviously never run a marathon, but it seems to me that the prestige of the distance is personal. If you're not part of the top 2% of runners that can keep a :42 per mile pace (or whatever ridiculous speed it is), then every race is for a personal accomplishment. There's just something about setting a goal and meeting it, pushing your body to its limits and then going a little further, doing something that you didn't think you could ever do...

That being said, I want to run a marathon. I'll confess- I've jumped on the marathon-bandwagon. And the MCM would be the perfect one for me. There's something about DC that captivates me. And no, it's not politics. It started in middle school when I discovered The X-Files. We went on a family vacation and toured the FBI building one summer- I thought I was in heaven. In recent years, my fascination with the city has become much more personal- military ensembles. It's my dream to play in a military band, and Washington, DC is home to every Armed Force's premier band: The Army's Pershing's Own, The USAF Band at Bolling, US Navy Band, Marine Band Presidents Own. I've taken auditions for these bands (and obviously not won them, but I've learned a whole heck of a lot in the process), and fallen in love with the job that I hope to one day attain.

Back to the marathon thing. I know now isn't the time for me to run my first marathon. You see, me and running are still in the honeymoon stage of our relationship. I still get starry-eyed when I think about any run longer than 10 miles, and I would much rather buy a pair of running shoes over high heels. I'm really enjoying running, and for the first time in years, I've stuck with it for longer than 6 months. I really enjoy the half marathon distance and while there is a part of me that wants to prove I can do a full, I don't want to push myself too hard and too fast.

And so I've decided since I want my first marathon to be something special, I'm going to wait until the 2012 MCM. That's my goal- to run the Marine Corps Marathon in 2012. Who knows, maybe by then I'll be a part of the armed forces?

To anyone reading this: Have you run a marathon? If so, how did you know you were ready? If you haven't run a marathon, do you someday want to?

Race Weekend, Part II

The start was less than 2 miles away (Gainesville really isn't that big of a place) so I didn't have to wake up toooooo early. I kind of wanted to get to the start before the gun went off, unlike last time. Well, mission accomplished: we got there in enough time to find the porta potties AND snap a few pictures...please notice that the sun was just starting to come up. Ugh.

My always supportive hubby. Idn't he cute?

Getting our laugh on before the bullhorn sounded.

This run was way more low-key than the Thunder Road, with about 5,000 fewer people. As the saying goes, "Without the University, Gainesville is nothing but a cow field." So the fact that there were a few hundred people there wasn't surprising. In fact, it was refreshing not to be so cramped!

The bullhorn went off a few minutes past 7:00 and we shuffled across the start line. Thus began my 13.1 mile journey through the small town that was once my home.

Our first landmark was the 'iconic' 34th Street Wall. The race description says this wall is "where thousands of UF students and Gainesville residents have commemorated important events in their lives and in the community." Translation: The only place in the state of Florida where graffiti is not only legal, but encouraged. Allegedly, there's something like 4 inches of paint built up from over the years...

Then we passed a bike store that use to be my all time favorite running store (they sold shoes for cheeeaaaap!). Nostalgia begins. We get going for a few miles before turning on to the dreaded 16th Ave. Again, as the race description put it, "you’ll be challenged by the historic hills of 16th Avenue, a popular training route of Frank Shorter who won the 1972 Olympic gold medal in the marathon." Yeah, they weren't kidding.

At mile marker 4, there was a sign that said, "Most people won't ever make it this far." For some reason, that stuck with me. I guess I've been so immersed in my own runner's thoughts, running blogs, and Runners World that I lost sight of what the general public thinks of distance running. It's true, so few people run a distance over 5k. I was feeling pretty good about myself. And then I ran up the first hill.

And then another hill, and another hill, and another hill.... in all honesty, I was getting a little worried that I had gone out too fast, should have walked more, and I wasn't prepared for the heat and humidity. Everything was getting tired and my hip was starting to hurt. Finally, the abuse stopped as we rounded the corner where our pit crew was stationed. Ahhh flat land!

See how pretty Gainesville is??? Alachua county is one of the poorest counties in Florida. This is because most of its residents are college students who aren't really "residents." Or next journey took us behind the house I rented with two friends for a summer, and on into "Duck Pond." Ironically, I didn't see any ducks. (No duck soup, either)

We were suppose to go through the downtown (I use this term loosely) but I don't think we actually did. After Duck Pond, we crossed into student housing and then Sorority Row. I think this was around mile 9 or so. I tried to eat a bite of my Clif bar, but never took long enough walk breaks to really get anything down. I was definitely going at a faster pace than my training runs. We were keeping a fairly consistent 10 something pace, and even though my body was slowing down, my mind was so happy with my time that I kept pushing. When I stopped to walk, I didn't walk for too long. I just can't stand people passing me!

I also felt the heat radiating off my body everytime I stopped running, which reminded me of how soft these Northern winters have made me! But by any Floridian standards, it was a nice day. At mile 10, I said something to the tune of, "Only a 5k left!" There was an older gentleman we'd been running with that appreciated that. Well, at least I had encouraged one person. When we got to the 13th Street Tunnel (left) I knew the end was in sight. On the other side of this picturesque tunnel lies the beautiful UF Campus. 11 miles down, 2 to go.

We ran past the music buildings (oooooh memories), Century Tower, the University Auditorium... I'll stop reminiscing now. We ran through campus, waved hello to all the campus police who had taken the day off from ticketing bicyclist who run stop signs (no kidding) and started coming up on The Swamp. Any self-respecting college football guru knows The Swamp, and it is perhaps the most sacred place on any college campus (and I'm completely biased!). There was an aid station right before our course brought us into the stadium that had Girl Scouts holding the most glorious bowl of Thin Mints- I could smell them before I could see them! Smelling was all I was capable of, I'm afraid.

We were looking at the bowl of cookies... they smelled SO good! See the blue shirt guy behind us? He was getting his Thin Mints on.

Unbeknown to me, one of my dad's ultrarunning buddies had come to cheer us on. She took the above picture and a few others of us leaving the stadium. It was a nice pick me up to see her!

Yeah, we're goofy. I love running with my dad! This is us coming out of the stadium. I think he had just finished singing. He's done so many races and run for so long, he knows just what to say or do (or sing) to get me going again.

Shortly after this picture was taken, I finished the last of my Gatorade and was able to con some off my dad (can you see the hydration pack he's got around his waist?). It definitely helped to get some more fluid down (I had been rationing for the past half hour). Even still, I was feeling pretty beat. I was entering the stage of just wanting to get it over with.

Remember that guy who I was able to encourage with my 5k comment? He turned around and looked me dead in the eyes and said, "You got this. Go!" He'll probably never know it, but that is what carried me through to the finish line. At mile 12, I wanted so badly to stop and take a walk break, but with the finish line "just around the corner" I kept telling myself "you'll walk when you finish!"

After what seemed like an eternity, I started hearing the DJ and music. I looked over and saw my in-laws, cheering us on! Everything started happening in slow motion and I could hear the Rocky theme off in the distance... ok not really. But we did finish in 2:13:56! That's 10 minutes faster than my previous Half!

I had such a great time at this run, partly because it went through my old stomping grounds, and partly because I got to run it with my Dad. I gave it my all and had a blast. Now, I can't wait to incorporate more tempo and interval runs into my training to see what I can do for the next one!

Race Weekend, Part I

What a great weekend - and run- it was! We started the 8 hour drive to Gainesville shortly after lunch (both hubby and I had work in the morning). We were assisted by various travel necessities, including twizzlers, peanut butter pretzel bites, and the ever exuberant Jack Russel Terror, Max.


We pulled in around 10:00 and hit the sack pretty quick. It's amazing how tired you get when you sit on your butt doing nothing. The next day, we headed out to the race expo. As it turns out, the expo and packet pick up were in the same building where I had my physical therapy after knee surgery #2. I felt both uneasy by the (horrible) memories of surgery/PT and thrilled to have come so far in my running since then.

There was a map of the race course in the packet, so we decided to drive it to see what it was like. I nervously wrote "hill" on every turn where there was one, until we got to the 4-6 mile stretch of historic 16th Ave. Ahhh! So.Many.Hills!!! I couldn't take it anymore, so we opted for walking around campus with our furry kid instead and met my brother-in law for lunch at THE best pizza place in the world, Leonardo's Pizza. I decided to start my carb-loading at lunch. (Yeah, I know half's don't really warrant it, but whatever).

For dinner, my parents came up to meet up with everyone to feast on taco salad (boca crumbles for me!). We chased down dinner with an amazing chocolate meringue pie, chatted a little, and then it was off to bed. Of course, I had to lay out all my stuff for the next day, show my dad how to attach the timing chip to his shoe, take the doggy out for potty and give him his eye drops (etc etc... he really is like a little kid) and take a shower.



The race shirts were pretty hideous, in my opinion. BRIGHT red with gigantic 2011 on the front. Oh well. At least they're made out of that fancy sweatable material that keeps you all dry. As per tradition, I set out my blue and white Gator racing shirt, blue shorts, and my favorite (favorite 'cause they're newish) pair of Brooks. I cut up a Clif bar and put three shot blocks in a baggie and stuffed it all in my water bottle handstrap. Ahhhh... now I can go to sleep!

Flirting with Spring

Today, I conquered my Type A personality.

I always run in the morning- it's how I start my day off. I'm so afraid that if I don't get my run in first thing (well, eating is first thing, so second thing) that I'll end up not doing it. My predicament? Charlotte has been flirting with Spring-like temperatures lately, but only in the afternoons. In fact, yesterday morning I went out for a 5 miler in my light weight running top (all my warm running clothes are dirty) and ended up running to the gym because I didn't want to deal with the cold. Had I waited until that afternoon, I could have easily run in a t-shirt!

So when I saw that it was suppose to get up to the 60s this afternoon, I waited until after lunch to put my running shoes on. It took *everything* that I had to wait that long! I didn't feel as strong (I'm a morning runner for sure) but I got to wear shorts and a sleeveless shirt! It was wonderful to have the wind in my face (well, except for the fact that we live across from a cattle farm that boards horses... but it's better than car exhaust), the sun in my eyes, and sweat pouring down my forehead.

It took about 10 minutes to warm up, but after that I felt great. It was just the run I needed to give me the confidence to do my Half this weekend. I'm so ready! Three of my favorite songs came over my playlist this afternoon that I wanted to share. Find them on youtube or grooveshark and listen to them- you won't be disappointed!

Maino: All the Above

Tell me what do you see
When you looking at me
On a mission to be
What I'm destined to be
I done been through the pain and the sorrow
The struggle is nothing but love
I'm a soldier, a rider, a ghetto survivor
And all the above

And then for something completely different, Reba sang to me (I love country and I love Reba, so go ahead and judge me all you want!)

Reba: A Little Want To

There 'aint no excuse- that's what my momma always said.
You gotta get up and get outta bed
Roll up your sleeves and put your back into it.
If you're gonna get it done then you better get to it
No matter what it is you want to do,
You got to have a little want to
Inside of you

And to finish things up, my all time favorite motivation song for running (you must go download this song and listen to it!):

The Hours: Ali in the Jungle

It's not how you start, it's how you finish.
It's not where you're from, it's where you're at.
Everybody gets knocked down.
How quick are you gunna get up?

It's not where you are, it's where you're going.
Where are you going?
It's not about the things you've done, it's what you're doing now.
What are you doing now?
Everybody gets knocked down.
How quick are you gunna get up?

Granola!

Greetings blogging world! I feel like I've been MIA lately, although it's only been 4 days since my last update. I had a rather difficult weekend which led to a somewhat less than pleasant start to the week, but things seem to be reaching an equilibrium and calming down. Of course, my run tonight helped a little. (Ever gone through a particularly bad few days but been injured or in the middle of a taper week, so you can't really work your emotions out on the road/elliptical/weight machine?).

I ran 3 miles this evening on the treadmill- and felt very strong. I wanted to go faster, but I had a stitch in my side the whole time so I decided just to keep it steady. I did 3.1 miles in 31 minutes- no walk breaks! I then did some arm/shoulder/back things, finishing up with a good 5 minutes of stretching.

I also had some gym time on Sunday, but none of it involved running and is therefore unworthy of posting- so ha!

So since this is a delightfully un-insightful post, I'll leave you all with one of my favorite recipes: homemade granola! Since the grocery store had Chobani on sale this week, I stocked up on some Greek yogurt (never tried it until three days ago. Wow! So much protein!). Yoplait was also on sale, so between the two, my refrigerator is FULL of yogurt. Logically, this led to the granola making since store bought granola is SO expensive and sugary. Enjoy!

(I didn't take a picture of my granola, this is courtesy of google images)

8 cups rolled oats
2 cups wheat germ, flaxmeal, or both
1 cup of granola appropriate nuts (I use 1/2 cup sunflower seeds and 1/2 cup chopped almonds)
2 cups shredded coconut
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2/3 cups water
2 cups dried fruit- if you want

Directions: Mix first 4 ingredients in a VERY large bowl (I use two big bowls).
In a small pot, heat remaining ingredients (sans the fruit) on medium to low heat.
Mix the wet ingredients with the oat mixture until well blended. Spread mixture evenly over greased cookie sheets (will need about 3). Bake @ 250 F for 1 hour, +/- 15 minutes (depends on how thick you lay it down). Cool. Stir in dried fruit if desired. Store in airtight container/bag. Eat like crazy with all the Chobani you bought at Harris Teeter.

Now if you'll excuse me, the tofu lasagna we're having for dinner tonight is ready. Bon appetite!

Last long one

I love my Nike+, but absolutely hate, hate, HATE the Nike+ website. Why?


Just in case you can't read that, it says, "The Adobe Flash Plug-in has crashed." I'm not really computer savvy, but since this happens all.the.time at their website,I'd be willing to bet it's a problem on their end! Why make your website overly complicated when something a little simpler would do the trick and have FAR fewer problems?

Ok, rant over.

I went out this morning to do my last long run before heading down to Florida. Nine miles. I decided, for kicks, I would do this run on my hill route. Maybe not the brightest idea, but it worked. I kept about a 10:30 pace (awesome for me on long runs) and felt decent through out.

The first 2 miles were on moderate, rolling hills. It was a nice little warm up, and I felt ok.

The second 2 1/5 miles covered three good size hills. I felt like junk- huffing and puffing, not able to keep a consistent pace, taking too many walk breaks...

The next 2 miles I returned to the moderate hills loop- and felt better.

The last 2 1/2 I repeated the loop with the 3 big hills. This time, I ran halfway up each hill and walked the rest of the way up. I continued this pattern for all three hills and felt good enough that by the time I was a quarter mile away from my car, I was able to 'sprint' to the end.

So I'm going to do the hardest thing for me now- take it easy! Light runs and light gym workouts. I hate tapering weeks...

Lazy-Hazy Days Off

Since Sunday, I have worked out three times and posted zilch. I've gotta get better about that. When I woke up on Monday morning, my left ankle had this funky soreness going on. When I pointed my toes and turned my foot out, I felt what I thought could just be a tired muscle. You know that feeling in your legs after you put a long, hard run in and your muscles are achy, but not strained? That's the feeling I had, except I hadn't been on a long, hard run for 4 days (and that's plenty of time for my body to recoup).

With the Gainesville Half less than 2 weeks away, I decided to "give it a rest," and forgo my morning tempo run. So instead, I used my running time to self diagnose.....


The picture quality kind of stinks, but I came to the conclusion that my peroneus tendon has been strained (puh! who needs doctors!). My husband kept telling me it was a 'mild ankle sprain.'

Well I'll hear none of that!

I rested Monday morning and then went to the gym that evening. Wary of the treadmill, I went to the stairmaster (oh, beautiful self-torture machine!) for 20 minutes of intervals (gotta get ready for that rim2rim Grand Canyon run). I hopped off and headed to the elliptical like thing and increased the incline so it would work my glutes and hamstrings. I lasted about 7 minutes before my ADD-self got bored. I finished up with doing some arm strengthening.

So that counts as a rest day for my ankle, right? Right?

On Tuesday, the soreness seemed to have gone down a bit, so I headed out to my beloved hill route. I put in 5 glorious, pain-free miles and was partially accompanied by three deer (I love living in the sticks...). Later that evening, hubs and I went to the gym and I attempted to get a few more miles in on the treadmill.

FAIL. No, it wasn't my ankle, it was my inspiration. I had a breathing cramp and just felt sluggish. Guess I used up all my mojo that morning. I got 3 miles in before I gave the treadmill the finger (the finger to turn it off, that is). In the short time I've been using the gym's treadmill, I've noticed something interesting about my speed (or lack thereof). On the 'mill, I feel like I'm flying but in the end, my pace turns out to be dreadfully slower that normal. But on the road when I feel sluggish, my pace is under 10 minutes. Peculiar.....

Woke up Wednesday to an almost pain free ankle, but had a 10 hour work day (with 5 year olds, so it seemed like 200 hours).

This morning... no pain! Woohoo! Unfortunately, I had to get to work early and by the time I came home it was dark and, well... I just wasn't gunna do 10 miles on the treadmill in the gym.


Protein Supplements?
During my two, lazy-hazy days off, I've been giving a little bit of thought toward and research about protein powder. And now that I've learned a little, I'm now more confused than ever about it. Whey? Casein? Soy? WPI? WPC? Which one is better? I even read a website that said the majority of Americans that use protein supplements don't even need them; they get enough protein in the foods they eat.

But my question is this: where does one draw the line between a workout requiring a protein recovery supplement and a workout that can be followed by a bottle of Gatorade? One hour? Two hours? ...13 miles? 26 miles? I've been a vegetarian for nearly 10 years, and I've always struggled to get enough protein in my diet (and to this day still don't). Would I benefit from a protein powder? I know I certainly don't fit into the category of Americans who get their recommend daily amount.

Maybe I'll buy a small jar and try it out....

Cauliflower Mac & Cheese

A few months ago, I bought this during a moment of weakness.
<--------------

I had just done a long run and was grocery shopping. I felt like I deserved something unhealthy and fattening... something that tasted sooooo good! So I bought it (and hid it under my whole wheat bread, lettuce, carrots, etc, so no one would see it).

I should have made it the day I bought it, because ever since then, it's been sitting in my pantry staring at me. Seriously, it's in between the couscous and whole wheat spaghetti. I haven't had the gall to bust it open and eat it yet because I know how unhealthy it is!

So when this month's issue of Runner's World had a healthy alternative to mac & cheese, I took the bait. (You can get the recipe here). While it didn't taste like my Velveta heart-attack-in-a-box, it was... interesting. A good interesting. I think I like it.

So my mac & cheese craving has been met. I think I'll keep my Velveeta sitting in my pantry just to remind me that healthy eating is a choice...

(since I found this recipe in a running magazine, it's relevant to a running blog, right?)

beer... I mean Gym Time!

Yesterday, the hubs and I went down to Southpark to try a relatively new-ish restaurant, Tacomac (we don't go down there too often because it's SO far away!). They have over 200 beers on tap... and they even have tables that have taps directly attached to them. It. Was. Heaven!

But alas, this post isn't about how much I like beer....

I did work out today AND yesterday (hence the guilt free beer drinking last night... Old Mecklenburg Copper, by the way). We were suppose to have a session with our gym's trainer yesterday afternoon, but he double booked and decided to cancel the client that wasn't paying (a complimentary session comes with our membership). But none of that is really pertinent to my workout.

Since it has been so cold/rainy lately, I haven't much wanted to get out and pound the pavement to get the miles out. So yesterday, my 'recovery' run consisted of 4 miles on the treadmill. I did some light weight-work after, but my legs and back were so tired from my 13 miler Thursday I decided not to push it. It was a fairly uneventful workout session...

Today, after consuming a massive breakfast (homemade flax-meal waffles, scrambled eggs, Facon & strawberries) and enjoying a Meck Service, we returned to the gym (although it was 50 degrees and GORGEOUS outside). I pulled out 3 miles at a 9 something-minute pace, sweating out about a pound of salt (Max was more than willing to lick me clean when we got home... not that I let him).

After the run, I set out to do some hamstring/glute strengthening and some wussy arm exercises (the only strengthening my arms get are when I hold my water bottle during long runs and when I hold my flute up when I practice... so I have to go easy on the Guns until they grow some muscle). I would try to describe the exercises, but my gym terminology is so pathetic I'd end up making an idiot of myself. Suffice it to say, however, I've got to start strengthening my backside muscles if I'm going to really improve my running. And what girl doesn't like toned arms?

The mighty power of the Clif Shot Blok

Happy Friday! I'd like to begin this post with a little mini-marathon talk.

After I ran my first half marathon in December, Thunder Road, I was so excited that I registered for another one. I found a new training program on Nike+, sat down to write out my own training program, and vowed to do more speedwork in order to improve my time. At Thunder Road, my time was 2:23. Since it was my first half-marathon and is considered to be a moderately difficult course because of the hills, I decided I wasn't going for a time goal. I just wanted a finish goal. I ran the first half with my running partner, who I knew ran at a slightly slower pace than I. Because of all these reasons, I didn't really push myself too hard to finish fast.

As the Gainesville 5 Points of Life half draws closer, my running schedule called for a 13 mile long run this week (followed by a 10 mile and then a taper week). I ate a good breakfast (two waffles with peanut butter and syrup) and headed out to the trail. I took the first 5-6 miles very conservatively. Although when I got back and plugged my info into the oh-so-fabulous Nike+ website (oh-so-NOT-fabulous website... it crashes every other time!), I was surprised to find out my pace was a pretty consistent 9:45 per mile for the first half. I don't know how accurate my pedometer is, but I did feel pretty strong.

Near the half-way point, I turned around to head back. I was surprised by the fact that I was 7...8...9...10 miles into my run and still felt pretty good! My stomach was holding up great, there was no pain in my knees or hips, and I still wasn't taking very many walk-breaks. With 2 miles to go, my stopwatch read under 2 hours. So I pushed it as hard as I could to the end, and finished in 2:17!

I'm not sure what to attribute this time improvement to, but I'm not complaining. I've got 2 more weeks until we head down to nice, warm, and SUNNY Florida for the half, and I cannot wait to see how my performance for the 13.1 will improve the second time around.


But one thing I would like to attribute my growing endurance to is the Clif Shot Blok. If there is one thing I have learned about running (thanks to my dad, the ultramarathoner), it's that drinking and refueling during a run is essential. I always carry a Gatorade/water mix with me on my runs lasting more than an hour. In the pocket of my hand strap, I also cut up a Clif Bar to eat during the second half of the run as well. Just recently, I began experimenting with the delightful Gu and Clif shot gels. I don't have much to say about them other than they're out of this world disgusting! So when my dad introduced me to the Clif Shot Blok, I ate it up (pardon the pun). It gives the same nutrients as Gu and gels (electrolytes, carbohydrates, sodium) but it doesn't evoke the gag reflex. It's a chewable square gummy that gets stuck in your teeth, turns your tongue funky colors, gives you really sticky slobber and spit.... but most of all, gives you energy to keep going during long workouts.

I've been eating these Bloks for runs lasting 2 hours and longer for about 6 weeks. I find they really do work. And they're tiny so they take up very little space! Try them out........

Oh Mother Nature

On Tuesdays, I usually run hills. This Tuesday was no different. After eating breakfast and downing my X cup of coffee, I checked the weather to see what layering system I would need to implement. Mid 30's with a 20% of rain. Well- that's doable. So I pull on my running shorts, sleeveless t-shirt, long sleeve tee, and long sleeve pullover. Lace up the shoes, fill up my water bottle, and spend 10 minutes taking a layer off to put my iPod arm-band on, putting layer back on, taking layer back off, threading headphone cord through shirt, adjusting headband, putting layer back on.... you get the idea.

I open the door... and am confronted with drizzle. So much for that 20% chance of rain. I promptly tell myself, "Screw that" and close the door. I don't mind the rain, I don't mind the cold... but I just don't see any sense in getting out there for an hour+ to get wet AND cold! This is exactly the reason why we joined the gym- not but three days ago!

So I started work a little earlier than normal. No biggie... I just finished early and headed to the gym to do my 'hill' run on the treadmill.

I'd been doing some research on Runner's World on how to incorporate the treadmill (and gym work) into training. What I came up with was: warm up for 5 minutes; increase incline to 2% for 6 minutes; increase incline to 4% for 6 minutes; decrease incline to 0% for 6 minutes; repeat back and forth between 4% and 0% for 6 minutes each; end with 5 minute cool down.

When I got on the treadmill, I figured there was no way I was going to remember those increments of 6 after a 5 minute warm up. So I ended up doing 5 minutes of everything.

Warm up: 5 minutes
2%: 5 minutes
4%: 5 minutes
0%: 5 minutes
4%: 5 minutes
0%: 5 minutes
etc.....

My pace was about 30 seconds slower per mile, but I was able to put in 6.5 miles of "hill" workout. It was definitely a good workout (I was sweating like a pig by the time I finished) but I'm not sure how well it will condition me to run on real hills. Maybe next time I'll try 6%...

I did realize three very important things though:

1. Spitting at the gym is frowned upon.
2. If spitting is frowned upon, then the farmer's blow is DEFINITELY not allowed...
3. Missing my mouth with the Gatorade bottle has much more severe consequences inside

Tomorrow is a rest day, then Thursday is a long one: 13 miles!