Just Keep Moving…..

Jul25

Just like there are peaks and valleys in life. There are peaks and valleys in training. Sometimes, you even get stuck in the valley.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. We all have lives outside of our activities. Sometimes it gives us the drive to get moving and sometimes it sucks it away. I’m not talking about time management. I’m talking the mental game. We all know how that can make or break you.

I’ve missed a few runs these last few days. I went out the other morning for my 8 mile cut-down and finished just shy of 4. It wasn’t even close to the run that I was supposed to do. Life outside of my running got in the way and I needed to take care of it. Some things are more important than finishing your run. Then the next day it was hotter than hell and I figured I would do my long run at night. Night came and went with no long run. Figured I would do it the next morning. I got up for my run at the same time my 9 year old woke up. We watched Sandlot together. I figured I would do my run at night. When the time came though, I didn’t go.

I just had no motivation to get out the door.

Now, we all know the dread we sometimes face when it’s time for a long run. This is not my problem. My scheduled run is only 12 miles which is not really a distance that I dread. Seriously. My problem with getting out is different. I just don’t have the drive to go.

I’m as shocked as you are.

I’ve always been goal orientated, but now I’m like so so about my fall races. Doesn’t make sense since one of them in the NYC Marathon. What the Hell??!!?!

It really all started last month when I had a bit of a medical scare which thankfully turned out to be nothing. It was enough time though for my mind to play the what if game. Remember the race where I said If I could Shut up the Little Man Up?

I was like what does it all matter?

Then i got my head back on again, but I still didn’t have my drive back. I really wasn’t fully engaged mentally, but at least I was doing what needed to be done. Now I’ve got some other things sucking away my drive. Physically, I’m fine. Mentally, I may need a tune up.

Nothing has really happened. Nothing has really changed. Yet, something is different. It has taken a bit of my mojo away.

I also think what might not be helping is that I am dealing with the Summer Time blues. Yes, I know that we all think that it is the Winter Blues, but to me, at least this summer, it is the Summer Time Blues.

Summer leads to lots of fun, but it also means lots of solo running which most of the time I like. This year I’m missing the time with my morning running Mama’s. Maybe I’m avoiding my runs these last few days because the idea of running alone with my own thoughts is lonely. Who knows. Maybe I need this solo time to come to terms with things. I also need some laughs, small talk, and just the fun that comes with running with them brings.

I’m going to force myself to get out the door tonight. I might even do my 12. Who knows. What I do know is that maybe I’m just in need of getting away from it all. Maybe I’m just getting too close to vacation. Maybe I just nee to stop over thinking and without a doubt maybe I just need a run.

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Yeah I Went There

Jul17

I’ve tried to deny it. I’ve wanted to pretend it doesn’t affect me. In truth I wish I could be done with the whole thing, but alas I’ve still got time to go and it seems to get worse as I near the end of it. My husband wouldn’t be shocked, but don’t tell him that I am admitting to it; but I suffer from PMS.

Yeah I went there.

Apparently, there aren’t too many places I won’t go:)

Actually there are, but this is a normal thing that women have to deal with month after month after month.

People don’t like to REALLY talk about it other than the off hand comments or jokes, but it’s real. It sucks and it’s real.

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I always thought men were lucky at races zipping off to use a tree instead of being forced to wait for a porta potty but not dealing with this makes them even luckier. I wonder if they have anything that effects their moods, water retention, and energy levels every month. My husband may say me, but he best be careful what time of the month he says that! Of course if men had to deal with this, it would be a medical epidemic that needed to be studied and a pill designed to fix it.

One thing I will say is that I do notice is that the older I’m getting, the worse it is getting. Maybe it is because I’m hopefully nearing it’s inevitable end, but then I think there will be a whole host of other things to deal with. Maybe it is getting worse because in years past, I wasn’t trying to do anything when suffering with it except maybe hide the chocolate and sneak in a nap. Now I’m out there trying to run a workout and sometimes it just doesn’t work out.

Case in point.

Friday I knew it was going to be hot, so I went to my local gym to run my cut-down. I had 8 miles starting easy but getting progressively harder. I knew it wouldn’t be easy to do in the heat and even though I hate treadmill running it needed to be done. I get there realizing I forget my towel and also that I wont’ have enough time to do the whole thing. Already decide to shorten it to 6. Get set up and go. By mile 2 physically, I’m moving right along. Then my headphones die. NO MUSIC! They gym does have tv’s but they are all replaying/analyzing the tragedy in Nice. Now I run to take a break from all the crap in the world. I need this down time. This is not what I want to focus on for the next hour. I end up shortening the run to a 3.2 miles and calling it a day. Quick miles, but not the miles I should have run and on any other day of the month I probably would have sucked it up.

The following day, I had 10 miles on the books. Again due to kids schedule, I know that I won’t have time to complete them all once I adjust (sloooooow down) my pace for the scorching heat (high 80’s – remember this is Jersey not Texas). Get out there and even though I’ve been running in heat, somehow it feels even hotter. I want to bag my run almost immediately. My mind starts with “why are you sabotaging yourself after 2 great weeks of training” and “what is the point of even doing this.” The run is a struggle. My mind is pure negativity. I have muscle aches. My stomach isn’t right. My pace is even slower than the slow pace I wanted. Luckily, I run away from home, so there was no going back until I got in some decent miles. I ended up finishing with 8 which I’m ok with, but it was not pretty. I was ready at the end to hang up my running shoes by the end and not just for the day.

Then I had my aha moment. It’s not that what I’m doing is pointless. It’s not that I’m a sucky runner. It’s not that I am trying to self sabotage. It honestly and simply is that I was suffering (and if you’ve never experienced it you won’t understand why I used the word suffering) with PMS. Men think it’s an excuse. Men don’t think it’s real, but the fact is that it affects a lot of us in various ways. It’s also not funny. I’m just really starting to realize how it affects me. I so can’t wait to be done with it all.

There is an upside

not much, but I always try to find the silver lining.

I think that PMS makes me a stronger runner mentally. It sometimes wins the battle, but the fact that month after month I have this negative voice in my head that I have to shut down and work around makes me stronger. It’s like having to prove to the bully that teases you that you aren’t good enough that in fact you ARE good enough. Then there are the aches, pains, and tenderness that come with it. I still run through them (most of the time). This will help on those hard and long runs.

I’m not saying that PMS effects every woman. I’m not saying that even those that deal with it have the same issues that I do. This is just me:)

I know I’m not the only one. I just might be the only one to put it out there:)

Not a Morning Person

Jul13

I’m not a morning person. My friends know this well. I am a night owl which makes being a morning person that much harder. I am also someone who isn’t at her best when she jumps out of bed and goes. I need time. I need coffee. This is why on a perfect day, I would like a minimum of 45 minutes before a run to be up. I will further admit that I LOVE to sleep in. There is nothing better than waking up when your body tells you it is time and not when your alarm tells you. The problem is that this summer there are days (many of them) that I need to be more of a morning person.

I don’t like it.

I don’t like it one bit!

It doesn’t always work and I’m trying. But even on mornings it works out, I still hate it.

Why would this self professed night owl want to change into a morning person.

To get my runs in, of course!

Having 3 kids with active summer schedules, it is hard to find the time to run. In my Pollyanna world, summer is about sleeping in, beach days, zoo days, and being a bum. The reality isn’t so. Although more freedom than the school year, we have teen work schedules, summer classes, soccer schedule, and other activities. The bigger problem is that they are all on different days. We may be busy in the morning with one activity and then have a few free hours before the next one. Does not leave as enough time for adventure or running.

Boo!

Just Boo!

Then add to this the heat and it means early morning runs.

MorningWorkout

It doesn’t always work. Today is a perfect example. Set the alarm for 7:00. Promptly snoozed till 7:30 which means I didn’t make it out the door for a 7:30 as I wanted. I do have some leeway today which I must have been holding onto in the back of my mind, but it really would have been better to go at 7:30. Now I have to wait till 9:00 which won’t be bad today as it’s not going to be hot yet and it’s a shorter run. That’s the problem when my mind knows the truth:)

So even though it didn’t work this morning. It also kind of did. The kids are asleep, I’m getting some stuff done and I will get my run today. The problem that I will have is that on mornings I have a longer run in I will need to be dedicated and get out the door which when push comes to shove I have been doing.

I’m on a roll with my training. Shocking I know. I have completed all my required workouts these last 2 weeks. Maybe they weren’t perfectly on pace, but they were done. I would like to keep it that way especially because in 2 weeks (Yeah!!) I will be going on vacation. I’ve already told my coach that even though I will run that I will probably not be on schedule then. Until then, I will have to be good:)

I think what has got me back on track is that I am once again training with purpose. I’m in New York City Marathon Training. 16 weeks will go very quickly! Let’s not forget that in October I will also be running the Runner’s World Hat Trick again.

Let the games begin.

Are your a happy Morning Person?

Some Like It Hot

Jul5

I admit, I like it hot

but only when swimming at the pool or on the beach.

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For running, I much prefer a balmy 60 degree day. Fall is a beautiful time to run (usually). That being said, July is not usually perfect running weather in Jersey. That doesn’t keep me home though and I know it doesn’t keep anyone home that has a big fall race on the calendar either. It just causes us to make adjustments or pay the price for not. Most of us just don’t want to though or think it doesn’t apply to us. I make them usually kicking and screaming.

The most obvious and easiest adjustment should be to get up super early and run before the heat of the day. During the school year, I normally do my runs mid morning. In the summer, I like to sleep in when possible. Beating the heat does not allow for this.

Boo early runs.

Boo.

I will admit that depending on what type of run that I am doing, I may sleep in and just deal with the heat. Yes, I may suffer a little bit in the heat but I got to sleep in or may even go for an evening run:) I will say this does not work for days where I have a specific pace or cut down run. This really only works on slow steady days.

Runner’s are usually all about the numbers. When you’ve already embraced the running slower approach in your training, it is even worse. You think to yourself, “Well I’m already running XYZ pace, so I’m good. I don’t need to slow down any more.”

FALSE

Here is the thing – coaches, articles, friends and even Google will tell you that heat is a huge factor in training. I imagine if you live a a place where it is hot ALL year round and 80’s is a cool day that your body had adjusted to the heat, so this probably doesn’t apply to you. For me though, I can tell that the heat makes a difference. Even once my body has adjusted to the higher temperatures of summer, I still need to adjust (slow it down). Here is the thing, no one wants to feel like a speed walker can pass them because they slowed their pace down to what feels like a stand still. Sometimes, I admit, I think that I should tape a sign to my back saying….

I can run faster

Really

That being said, if you try to nail your assigned paces that were designed for the perfect running day (50 to 60’s), then you are going to overwork yourself trying to hit those paces. You may not even be able to complete your run or if you do it won’t be pretty. I’ve been there. As much as we want to pretend it isn’t so, if you run a 10:45 pace on a 60 degree day, then when the temperature soars to 80 you need to slow down to 11:05. There are some good online calculators for adjusting your pace due to heat. The hotter it is outside, the more you need to slow down. You get the same benefit running slower on a hotter day. Really.

Really, it won’t kill you to run slower.

Then there is this.

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

Normally, I run with my Fitletic belt with 2 bottles. Now that we are in the midst of summer, I have added an additional 2 bottles. I plot my routes to go by friend’s houses, parks, or even 7-11 so that I can refill them. I may also break out my running vest as that has bigger water bottles and more storage. Although, I think I will save that for long runs only.

The bottom line is we are all grown ups and know what we should be doing. Now we just have to do them.

Be safe.

Be smart.

Run.

Finding Balance

Jun29

Life is about balance.

The give and the take.

The Ying and the Yang.

Hot and the Cold

Without balance our lives would be more chaotic than they already are now. Balancing time for ourselves, our friends, our family, and our training. Ignore one at the expense of the other and things suffer.

Balance.

The same is true when it comes to our training. As I said the other day in my post How Slow Can You Go, I have embraced the going slower approach to my training. But there has to be a balance to this approach for it to work.

Balance is the key.

Run too fast too often and you will end up injured or burnt out.

Never running fast and you will never improve.

Balance.

So even though most days I am not running faster than a 10:40 pace, there are days that I’m out there pushing it. Today was such a day. These are the days that you have to bring your A game to. These are the days that make up for all the “slower” days.

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Yes, I take notes as when I’m pushing it sometimes my brain needs a little help. That being said, I am pretty happy with the way this cut down turned out. I haven’t done one in a while and this one was not meant to be an easy run. I guess that’s what happens when you have a good race. Your coach adjusts your cut down paces accordingly even if it made you cry a little when you saw it. That being said, it also wasn’t meant to be I need to stop right now run either. At the end, I was supposed to feel like I could run another mile at the pace I was running. I will say that although, I do think I could have kept going at mile 5 that I was more than happy to slow down.

Moral of the story is as much as you need to run slow to speed up, you also need days like this too.

The Ying and the Yang.

The give and the take.

The slow running days and the run like hell days.

It’s all about balance.

How Slow Can You GO?

Jun26

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We all know that I’ve never claimed to be an expert at running. I readily admit that I have so much to learn, but that isn’t to say that I don’t have some knowledge as I’ve been at it a few years now. A running friend recently asked me about my running. She’s gearing up for marathon training as many of my running friends are and she wanted to know about my paces. She specifically wanted to know about the “running slower” in training. As most of you know, my coach and now me, swear by this approach. My coach can give you all the schooled reasons why it makes more sense to train slower (Chronic Runner), I can just give you my take on it.

Before I wisely started working with my coach, I would estimate that almost ALL of my runs were at the same pace. It didn’t matter if it was a long run, a short run, or anywhere in between. You could count on an almost steady 10:20 pace. I thought I was doing good, but I was wrong. It wasn’t good for my body and it wasn’t good for my training.

I know that concept of slowing down to speed up sounds entirely crazy. I know it doesn’t make any sense. It goes against the grain. You think to yourself if I’m going to get faster, I need to run faster and I need to run faster a lot. Well, yes, yes you do need to run faster. Here is the thing though. You don’t need to run faster ALL the time and honestly most of the time you should be running slower. Seriously. No joke. No lie.

The first thing that my coach had me do when I started with her was to slooooooow down. Most of my daily runs except the ones designed for speed were slowed down to 11 minute pace or slower. I didn’t get it. I thought this doesn’t make sense, but I listened. I followed her advice. These slower days balanced out with days where I pushed it and ran hard. There was a balance that I didn’t have before. It was the key that I was missing (that and most of the key chain). I didn’t always understand, but I understood enough to know that she was right.

Here is the thing too. Before I slowed down, I battled plantar fasciitis. I battled it a lot. Taping my foot. Running in pain. I just thought, “this is part of being a runner.” I was wrong. Now, I am not saying that I am always pain free. I am not saying that new shoes and inserts have not also helped. What I am saying is that running slower when I didn’t need to be running fast helped. Not only with injuries, but also allowing my body to have the juice it needed on days I needed to run fast and then allow it recover from those hard days too.

Here is the bottom line from all this slowing down. I am an average runner. I do not have what is considered the “runners body.” I am short with short (but powerful) legs. I am a few pounds overweight. You know what all of that means? NOTHING. Really. Not only have I been able to run longer distances without injury since slowing down, but I have also run faster than I ever thought I could. In my 5K last week that I PR’d in 26:26. I ran the fasted mile that I have ever run. EVER. I ran a mile in 8:12. This was unimaginable to me. This still boggles my mind. Yes, I realize it’s only a mile but my 3rd mile of the 5K was 8:19. I may never get any faster that this, but I know that I would never have made it here if I hadn’t slowed down.

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How slow can you go?

Don’t Think, Just Run

Jun24

My town was hosting an inaugural 5K yesterday. I had signed up for it a month ago as a way to support the event, but really was not sure if I was going to even run it. The race was to start at 7:30 and a friend texted me in the late afternoon and I still didn’t know if I was going to run or not. I got dressed in my running gear and figured I needed to run anyway, so I headed over to pick up my bib.

Met up with some of my MRTT and chilled out a bit.

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(This was post race, but we didn’t take a picture before the race. Also, I forgot to tell you Happy Birthday! My bad.)

Still didn’t know what I wanted to do, but knew I didn’t want to start in the back. Would much rather start up front and fad to the back. Besides it was elbow to elbow. So I started near the front with another amazing MRTT Mama. Then saw another one who was running with her two boys. She was going to run with her 6 year old, but her 10 year old told her he was going to sprint ahead.

So when the race started, I sprinted behind a 10 year old the first mile. He was faster than I wanted to run and he had no idea that I was following, but I figured I would stick with him and see where it took me. We ran an 8:12 mile! Oh my. Did I mention that it was HOT too! It was too much for both of us. I saw him holding his side and I wanted to say something to him about how awesome he was doing, but I thought better since he didn’t know who I was and he might have thought I was a stalker:). I was so proud of both of us, because although we both slowed for the second mile neither of us gave up. At this point, I ran ahead as it was time to pace myself.

I will say that I didn’t really look at my watch except to see the distance. I didn’t want to think about pace, I just wanted to run. I pushed myself. I was breathing hard. I probably wasn’t smiling, but I was running. This was a run that I needed. This was the run I didn’t even know I wanted. I can honestly say that I gave it my all the entire race and really don’t think that I could have pushed any harder than I did. That really is all I can ask of myself. At the end of the race I could barely breathe, but I did it. I finished in 26:26 which is a PR!

By the way, the 10 year old finished in 28:16!

So I believe the moral of this story is sometimes it is best not to think and just run. I thought way to much in my 6K and not at all in this one. The races could not have been any more different. It might also have helped that this run was in my backyard, so I also knew many people. Who knows. All I know is that maybe overall I should just stop thinking so much, stop looking at my watch so much, and just run.

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PS – the only reason I looked at my watch for distance was to know how far before I could stop

If I could just Shut the Little Man Up!

Jun18

This morning started off just right. Actually woke up right before my alarm. Had a good night sleep, although maybe not enough. Got up and was ready for the Queens 10K Crew to pick me up. Moving right as scheduled, then the brakes get put on.

Literally.

We could arrived to Citifield right before 7:30 giving us plenty of time to get to the start line at 8:30. At least it should have been more than enough time! We literally did not park the car till 8:30.

The frustrating part is that there was more than enough parking, but they just didn’t have the lots open. It was annoying. It was frustrating. It was not the volunteers fault who were directing traffic. Someone made a mistake or underestimated or something, because it was ridiculous!

Queens10k_16 Why oh why when there is this much space did we have to wait an hour to get into the lot. Crazy!

Then we had to do a 3/4 mile jog to the start line and literally jump into a corral and start the race.

Not the best way to start.

The corrals were crazy croweded probably due to people such as ourselves getting to the start line late. Elbow to Elbow. Bob and weave. Stop and go. Crazy start.

Then I settled into it or as much as I could settle in. I was on pace. I was on the money. Then The little man in my head would not shut up as much as I told him to. Physically, I think I may have had it in me today even with the heat. Mentally, my mind just was not there.

Queens10k-16_2 Look at these beautiful negative splits……. Backwards!

Mentally, my head wasn’t in the game. As much as I wanted to pretend it was, it was not there. It did not help that I did not plan my music accordingly causing thoughts to pop into my head that I had no business thinking about while trying to run a race.

Physically, there is no reason that I needed to walk during this race. Mentally, I admit that I took a few walk breaks. There was a point that I almost gave up and walked. At the end, I did push it but it was too little too late. It was just not my day. You need these bad running days to appreciate the good ones.

In the whole scheme of things, it is just a race. It is not a make or break thing that I didn’t PR today. It would have been nice, but at the end of the day (to me) I know it really doesn’t matter. There will be other days, other races, and other PR’s.

And you know what? As much as I’m going on that the race wasn’t my race, I ran it faster than last year. I still ran it pretty decently even if I walked a time or two. I still finished with a good place and overall my pace was good. Was it the race I wanted? No, but those are the breaks.

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I finished in 59:14.

So I was under an hour this year and still not a bad race.

Overall 5093 out of 9,982

Women 1594 out of 4,814

Age Place 110 out of 432

So I really think I need to shut up that it wasn’t a good race. I know that I could have pushed myself and run better but I mentally didn’t care.

Every have one of those days and realize in the end it wasn’t so bad?

me too:)

We’re All A Little Crazy. Aren’t We?

Jun17

I’ve got a race tomorrow. A race that until very recently, I had forgotten that I signed up for. A race that I signed up for in my sub 2 NYC Half haze. I wanted to race it again and I didn’t want to chance the lottery, so I signed up for a few races. Then I forgot about them.

These things will happen. Now I am running a 10K in Queens.

I’m going to be bold

I’m going to be crazy

I’m going to push the envelope

And

With any luck that means I will run fast

Very fast for me

No I haven’t been doing speed workouts, but I’m still going to go for it

Last year I ran the Queens 10k in 1:00:47

My 10k PR is 57:08

So I thought why not go for 55

Crazy, I know!

I’m not ready

I’ve been running slow

I’m in a rut

But

Still..

Maybe this is what I need. I really think it is.

Why Not?

I may crash and burn

But

Maybe

Just maybe

With a little luck and some unicorn magic

I won’t

I’ll never know unless I try.

Now I’ve put it out there and you know too.

If I crash and burn, at least I will have tried.

Real Friends Don’t Let You Skip Your Run!

Jun11

Everybody needs somebody. I’ve said before since coming off the Dirty German I’m in a bit of a slump. I think it’s like being a kid on Christmas morning and opening the last present and then realizing there is nothing more. Yes, I’ve got New York City in November but that’s a long time away. I’m mentally not there. Right now, I’m mentally just trying to get back into the rhythm of training. It’s actually important to keep my arobic base now so that when I do start the training for NYCM I’m not starting from square one.

Here’s the problem.

chocolates

I really don’t care. I want to just sit and eat bon bons. The problem with that is my metabolism won’t allow me to sit and eat bon bons. Boo Hoo. Besides it’s not that I don’t love running. It’s not that I don’t need running. It’s just the schedule. I’ll be honest though without a schedule my 8 mile run might only be a 5 mile run. That would mean my 5 miles would only be 3 and so forth and so forth.

Schedule are good.

Schedules are necessary.

I will say my coach does a really great job of scheduling too.

I think once the end of the school year is over, I will be better. Just so much as I’ve said before.

Too much.

That being said, at this point what really is keeping me going and honest in my training (although I haven’t been 100%) is my friends. I think with everything in life friends make everything better! This morning I was sitting on the couch drinking my coffee knowing that I had 8 miles that needed to be done. I was contemplating just staying there when my friend texted me she was getting ready to leave for her run and did I want to join her. It gave me the incentive to get my behind off the couch.

I know that when I’m dedicated to my training, I will do what needs to be done. I will put the miles in at the required paces. I will also do many of these miles alone as I don’t mind. That being said, there is something to be said when your just not feeling it to have your friends nudge you along, to keep you honest, to remind you that this is something you really like doing, and most of all to keep you company.

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The Accidentally Running Mama

Run, Bike, Swim and Have a Life!