Happy Trails

Some days you want to run in a group.

Some days you want a short run by yourself.

Some days though not only do you want but need a long run alone.

Yesterday, I set out to do 20 miles solo.

There is something to be said to doing runs on your own in training. Yes, you are usually surrounded by people when you are at an event. That being said, you are still running it on your own. You have to prepare for those long miles or at least I do.

I also had another reason for hitting the trails alone. My training as we know has been spotty lately. I needed to do these miles on my own to prove to myself that I could not just mentally but physically. That I could push myself just for myself. Due to time constraints though I didn’t hit the magic 20 mile mark, but that didn’t take away that I did 17 on one of the harder local trails.

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Yes, this is the trail. This is probably the toughest part of the trail especially as it came after 10 miles.

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This is a much happier part of the trail:)

I did it alone (although I did have virtual support of my tribe).

I walked away from the run tired, with blisters, and very hungry. I also walked away with knowing that the Dirty German is right around the corner and an I got this attitude. Will it be easy. Hell NO! But if it was easy, everyone would do it.

And if you haven’t figured it out yet, I don’t like to be like everyone else:)

I will say that yesterday was a perfect day to be out on the trails. The leaves have not all filled in, so the sun was shining through the trees. I could see the magnificent blue sky. Temperatures were perfect for a long run and being out on the trails reminds me of places of my youth. My grandmother literally owned half a mountain and it was our playground. Seriously.

Now, I do take precautions when going out for a solo run especially a trail run or at night. It is different from a solo run in town where you most likely can stop a passing car, call a friend, or even knock on someones door. Not that the trail I’m running is like running deep in the woods, but you are on your own. So here are some safety precautions that I will share with you. Some are over the top, but I have a VERY security conscious Best Friend that would not be happy if I didn’t take them. I’ve gotten “yelled” out for not following them before:).

Make sure to take proper fuel and hydration.
Check in either on FB or via text, so people know approximately where you are and when.
Let people know when you are safely finished as they may worry.
Carry a whistle. This is two fold – you can use it to scare off animals on the trail or you can use it to alert people to your location if needed.
Carry Pepper Spray
Make sure that your phone is fully charged. I have a Mophie juice pack that allows my phone to stay charged for hours and hours and hours.

Some of these may seem overboard, but I am after all the mother of a Boy Scout. Be prepared is always better than regret.

What safety precautions do you take on your runs?

We’ve Come a Long Way

Apr21

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Running is a beautiful sport.

Yup, I said sport.

One of the things that I love about running is that it really is a welcoming community.

Anyone can do it.

Really.

There is no age limit, no social status, no educational limit, no bull

It’s just running.

There is really only one thing that is required to be a runner and that is the passion to do it.

You can be

Fast

Slow

Middle of the Packer

Back of the Packer

Never going to race but still want to run

Only want to run short distances

Like to go for the long haul

Anything goes.

Anything.

And that my friends is what makes the running community so special. I’m not a sports person, but I really can not think of any major sport where people are so open and willing to help their fellow athletes out. Running is an individual sport that is true, but we are a pretty special community as a whole.

Case in point….

I’m sure you are aware that the Boston Marathon took place on Monday. The first woman to cross the finish line this year, Atsede Balsa, did something amazing. Amazing besides now having won Boston twice. This year finishing in 2:29:19. What she did was something no one asked her to do, but something she wanted to do. She recognized that she was standing at the podium because of brave women who broke the barrier for her.

In 1966 Bobbi Gibb ran and finished the Boston Marathon. She ran unsanctuned because women were too delicate to run so far (or so they thought). There was no bib for her let alone a trophy. She did it again in 1967 and 1968. She never got a chance to stand on the Boston podium because she wasn’t even supposed to be there. She led the way proving that women were capable of so much more. Atsede Balsa heard her story as Bobbi Gibb was the Grand Marshal for the marathon this year (yeah, we’ve come a long way). Atsede presented her with her winning trophy. Bobbi Gibb only accepted it with the condition that she would fly to Ethopia, Atsede’s home, next year and present it back to her. Can’t you just feel the love:)

And this my friends is one of the many reasons that I think running is an amazing sport. Yes, this is a grand gesture. That being said on any given days runners are helping other runners. You see this all the time. It is an amazing community and I am so glad to be a member of the tribe:)

Are you a member too?

Be Who You Are

Apr19

I’ve never been the cool kid.

I’ve never been the athletic kid.

I’ve never been the picked for a team first kid.

Actually, I was usually one of the last kids.

You know what?

NONE OF THAT MATTERS!

Be who you are

Today is my birthday and it makes you reflect on things.

As a kid you always think these things are the worst thing in the world. Even if someone told you otherwise, you would never have believed them. You think your life is set in stone. You think that these things are the end of the world. Then you become an adult and realize that none of it matters.

Not in the least.

The older I get the more comfortable I’ve gotten in my own skin.

I’m actually pretty cool

I’m actually with the right sport pretty athletic.

They should have picked me first. They don’t know what they were missing if they had just given me a chance.

I bet I could out run them now:)

I will say that these things and other things in my childhood shaped the way I look at the world. Would I change some of them. Probably so, but then I don’t know if I would be the person that I am today. These things shaped the way I look at the world. For me, I think these things shaped me for the better..

I’m more empathetic.

I usually root for the underdog.

I fight a little harder for things.

I never give up.

and most of all….

I know that I am a survivor.

These are all very good traits and the last two are very useful in my running life too. I am now less than a month away from the Dirty German. My first foray into the Ultra Running. My training as of late has been spotty with my ankle, but I’m back on track. You think I would be worried, but I’m not. No, I do NOT think this is going to be easy. That being said, I’m also not panicking (yet). I’m pretty calm about it. I think what helped is that I did do the trail marathon in January. It wasn’t easy, but I also didn’t feel like I was going to die. I also didn’t feel like I couldn’t have kept going. Yes, that was January and this is now. But I’m still feeling pretty solid in this. My training up until my ankle was solid. Rock solid. I’m not going into this for time, but time on my feet.

Besides I’m tenacious, don’t like to give up, and like to do things that surprise people. Even myself:)

Denial is a Wonderful Thing

Apr12

Runner’s are a funny breed when it comes to getting injured. I know many runners who the first thing they do when they wipe out on a run is to stop their Garmin. I, personally, don’t see anything wrong with that either. Seriously! If you don’t stop your watch, you are going to mess up your paces. Admit it, you do the same thing. Don’t you?

Then there are the times that maybe the injury is a little more than just falling during a run. Denial is a powerful thing and most runners I know embrace it 100% Even if we aren’t in denial about getting injured, maybe we are denial about how injured we are. Maybe something like rolling your ankle. Yes, you can admit that it is hurt. No, you can’t admit how hurt because that’s just crazy talk.

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That being said, I’ve been a very good girl and rested for two weeks. Is the ankle all better. Nope. Does that mean I am going to keep resting it? Nope.

This past weekend I took it out on a test run. A local Parish in town has an annual 5K. It’s for a good cause. It’s a great fast course and it’s local. I knew I was going to be running on Monday, so I thought this was a perfect place to test out my foot. Seems reasonable to me, don’t you think?

I went to the 5K with no expectations except to test ankle. That might be a slight lie, but that is what I told myself. I did know that I wasn’t going to push it too hard. The race started and it felt so good to be running that I just went with it. I felt my foot/ankle the whole time, but just under the surface. I ended up with a really nice run, but was sad that I was 3 seconds off of a personal record. Official time 27:20:40. Now I had wished that I pushed a little harder, but it is what it is. Besides I was running again, so Yeah!

After the race, I did feel sore and my foot was still tender. But it is what it is. It just needs some more time and I’m being smart about it. Really, I think that I am.

Monday I went for 8 miles and a nice and easy pace. My foot was more of a dull ache and manageable. I actually felt better after the 8 than I did after the 5K since I wasn’t pushing the pace. I am rolling into the end of my 50K training and really need to be smart but also prepared for the race. Scary thought is that it is literally only a month away!! One thing that I have going for me besides having a great coach is that I am not putting any pressure on for my pace. My goal is to finish. That is all. Seems like both a reasonable and doable goal to me.

What type of injured runner are you?

Not that I am saying I’m injured. I’m just need some TLC:)

I Didn’t Ask for any Lemons!

Apr2

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Yeah, we have all heard the “If Life Gives You Lemons” analogy. You know what? I find that a pretty sucky analogy because sometimes you don’t want lemonade. Sometimes you want a Margarita! That being said though I tend to be a pretty positive person because I learned early on you’ve just got to suck it up no matter what. So if you’ve got to suck on a lemon because that is all you got, you better learn to like lemons.

Now just because I tend to be a positive person does not mean that things don’t get to me. I am not a cartoon character after all. So 7 days ago when i rolled my ankle, I was mad at myself. Then when I realized that this was more than just a give it a few days rest kind of roll, I had a what the Hell moment. I went through the stages (quickly) because as I’ve said I’ve learned long ago that you just have to roll with it.

Denial

Maybe it’s not that bad

Anger

Why did I go out for a run at night? Idiot.

Bargaining

I’ll rest it a couple more days and I’ll be good as new

Depression

I’m loosing everything I’ve worked so hard to build up. Why bother?

Acceptance

Well I better do something to give my ankle/foot time to be 100%

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Still not 100%. Bruising is getting better. No pain to walk, but do feel it at the end of the day. Also not good to run as when I stretch it to mimic a run it hurts. Boo Hoo.

I know that I rolled my ankle pretty bad. I know I totally jacked up my foot. Not enough to go to the doctors because he is just going to tell me what I already know. I need to rest it. I need to give it time. I need to do this now, so that I can go about my life.

I will say that nothing compares to running, but I am going to embrace this SHORT recovery time while not letting my endurance slip. It won’t be the same. It won’t be as good, but maybe just maybe when I do start running again I will find that what I’m doing will benefit my running.

Sounds like good enough BS that I can buy it. Although there is some truth to it and cross training really is good for runners.

So today I went to my local gym. I rode the stationary bike for 15 minutes for a total of 3. 37 miles burning a whole 120 calories. Whoop. Whoop. (inserting sarcasm here). Then I did some strength training for my abs, back, and arms. I do need to do this as they say “a woman my age” should be strength training. I’m sure I will feel it tomorrow which will make me not so secretly happy.

I’m going to plan some things out this week. Swimming, more strength training, longer stationary bike rides and a combo of all of them.

I may not get any lemonade or Margarita’s but maybe I can learn to like the lemons on their own.

PS – I miss running

Friday Five – Five Days…

Apr1

Today I am joining in on the Friday Five with Courtney at Eat Pray Run DC, Cynthia at You Signed Up for What and Mar at Mar on the Run.

So First, I’m going to start with this five. Hello, my name is Christine and it’s been 5 days since my last run. I have a problem. My problem isn’t my foot. My problem is that it has been 5 days since my last run. I’m not sure how much longer I should/can hold out.

For those wanting to know about my foot/ankle: Overall the foot is getting better and only has discomfort now not pain. Still tender to the touch and bruised but those are things that take the longest to get better anyway. Not 100%, but I think it’s fine. I may possibly try to run on a treadmill tomorrow just to test it out. Yeah, that’s the story I’m going with. That sounds reasonable.

It really is reasonable too, because my thought process is that if it does bother me to run I can just stop and not have to run home like I did the night I twisted my foot running.

So my Five today is 5 ways runners go crazy when they can’t run.

They see other runners on the street and feel pangs of jealousy.
They Google their problem that is keeping them from running not to make themselves better, but to get back into their running shoes.
“It’s fine” becomes a catch phrase.
Even though it has only been days, they feel like they are behind the eight ball and are loosing stamina by the minute.
They keep track of how many days it has been since a run.

If none of these apply to you, then you are better at dealing with not running than me.

How do you cope?

Hitting the Ground with Both Feet Running….NOT!

Mar29

So after recovery from my NYC Half, the plan was to hit the ground with both feet running. Get right back to 50K training. Recover went well and I was just about to get into the swing of things. I knew what needed to be done and planned on doing it. To the point that I knew that I wouldn’t be able to run my cut-down on Easter Sunday, so I wisely thought I would do it Saturday night.

I put all my blink on and was ready to go. If only walking wasn’t so hard. Before I even got to the end of my street, I twisted my ankle.. I twisted it good. I thought this was one of those where you land wrong and just need to work it out. So I went with it. First mile I could still feel it. Thought well maybe I just need to work it out a little more. Second mile I was pushing the pace for my cut-down. I was on target. Then I picked it up slightly after the second mile and before I got to mile 3, I was swearing up a storm. My ankle/foot was killing me. This is when I realized that I should have turned around and gone back inside before my run even started. It hurt so bad, I entertained the thought of calling my hubby to come pick me up. I didn’t want to get the look though. You know the look like “well why are you running in the dark anyway?” So I decided it wasn’t too bad and I slowed the pace down and worked my way home.

By the time I got home and showered, my ankle/foot was swollen. A friend who saw my picture said it looked angry. It certainly was behaving that way. I had only hoped that running 5 miles on it didn’t make it worse. And knowing how good veggies are for the body, I thought it prudent to put some on my foot before bed.

foot

Easter Morning comes and although less angry, it hurts more to walk on it. Luckily I have an ace bandage that I put on it and plan on taking it as easy as possible. Rest. Ice. Heat. I was also very thankful that I wasn’t hosting Easter dinner. At my Mom’s I was questioned more than once about my running and my ankle. It was pointed out that if I had a problem walking maybe I shouldn’t be running. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Anyway I am nearing the end of day two. The ankle is still tender, but when I woke up this morning it felt so much better. I was able to walk normally. I still put the bandage on and rested it as much as I could which wasn’t a lot. By the end of the day, I was ready to put my feet up as it was painful. I tried jogging a few feet in my living room to test it out. That was an emphatic NO GO.

So more rest. Per my coach I am going to try to get some swimming in but no pushing off the walls and just dragging my feet. More for the aerobic factor of it. Maybe a little mental too.

All I know is this is NOT how I envisioned hitting the ground with both feet for my 50K training. Although I know that I’ve already been in training doing several looong runs. Today was supposed to be my second 18 miler which obviously didn’t happen. I just know though that I need to go slow because the last thing I want to do is make it worse especially as I get further into my training.

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I’m thinking by the end of the week, I will be ok to run. One day at a time. I just don’t like this at all. Not one bit.

Crazy About Running

Mar22

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It’s hard for some people to wrap their heads around, but I just like running. I’m not running away from anything. I’m not running towards anything. I JUST LIKE RUNNING! Period. End of Story. There is no great mystical problem that I am trying to solve. Based on the numbers I’m not alone.

According to Running USA’s Annual Marathon Report, there were 541,000 people who completed a marathon in 2014 with 47% of them being Master Runners. Did you know just by getting old that I get to call myself a Master Runner. Perk of being over 40 because you might be a Master Runner now too (Yes, you!).

Anyway, I digress. So there are A LOT of people running. The Half Marathon saw more than 2 million people finish in 2014 too.

Wow!

That’s a lot of people running away from their problems.

HA!

Again, maybe this is something that only another runner can understand. Although, I’m not sure why because everyone has something they like to do. For some of us that just means lacing up our shoes and putting in some miles. It is something we look forward to for a whole host of reasons.

Yes, I do enjoy the peace that running brings me. I also enjoy running with friends. I also enjoy the feeling that running brings. I enjoy the fact that I eat what I want because of the miles I run. I enjoy many things that running brings me.

Anyway, what I am trying to say is that some people really just enjoy running.

Seriously.

It’s actually something that is missed when not done on a regular basis.

Truth.

Again, maybe this is something that only another runner can understand.

I feel if Dr. Seuss was a runner, he would have said it something like this…

You have running shoe’s in your closet.

You put your feet in your shoes.

You can go out for any miles that you choose.

The Good, The Bad, and the Awesome!

Mar22

I’ve run in NY many times. Maybe not compared to some people, but a lot for me. I’ve run enough last year to qualify for the NYC Marathon. That being said nothing prepared me for the feeling of running the NYC Half Marathon. It was amazing on so many levels. I loved it so much that I’ve already signed up for two more Boro races to qualify to run it next year. I don’t want to chance the lottery and I would love to do this run again.

Why?

It was AWESOME!

Yes, it really was.

Now there are some thing logistically that weren’t so awesome, but you’ve got to take the good with the bad. For example:

Early wake up call

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Yup. Early. I needed to leave my house by 5:00. I require time to wake up, have some coffee, eat a small breakfast, and not feel rushed.

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Then there is the fact that the start and finish line are at totally opposite locations which makes for a great race, but not so exciting when the race is over. We decided to park at the start line and had to take the subway and then walk a bit to our car after the race. Not really bad except it was cold and we were not really dressed for it. On a positive note, it did give us a chance to cool down with the walk. Plus we parked literally around the corner from Magnolia’s Bakery. Finally though, if you’ve got a fun group to take the walk and subway with it really doesn’t matter anyway.

Magnolia Bakery

Need I say more. Oh my. So good!

Security. I get it. I really do. There was only one entrance to the park for runners. We had to go through metal detectors and have our stuff screened. I get it. I really do. I applaud all NYRR and Police Department does to keep the runners safe. That being said, I really think if there was someone out to do something bad, they would not pose as a runner. I really don’t. I was having panic attack as once we finally made it through security we had to make our way through the park to our corrals. I honestly for the first time at any race thought I would miss the start of my corral.

That’s it for my complaints. Got nothing.

And these things I wouldn’t even say too bad in the whole scheme of things.

Now the good parts that makes it so awesome.

When you do a big race like this there is a level of excitement that you really can’t get anywhere else. You’ve got the news coverage. You’ve got the huge crowds with over 20,000 runners. Then you have the spectators and volunteers.

But what made it so special?

The course.

Really.

Honestly.

Can’t wait to do it again.

Seriously

The race starts in Central Park where you run the first few miles. Then the magic happens because you leave the park shortly after mile 6. You running down 7th Avenue towards Times Square. As if that isn’t enough, you then run down 42nd Street until the West Side Highway coming out near the Intrepid. Then you run through Lower Manhattan and cross the finish line.

You don’t have to be familiar with the city to know how awesome it would be to run through the streets. That being said, as someone who has been to the city, driven in the traffic, and knows the congestion of all the vehicles; it’s nothing short of awesome. I was having so much fun running these streets that I literally had to slow myself down. The crowds in Time Square are incredible. When I was running by, they were starting the kids 1 mile race in Time Square which just adds to the excitement of it.

I even took my phone out and took several pictures while staying on pace if I do say so myself.

Then if that isn’t enough, there is the finish!

The medal and the sense of accomplishment that finishing brings.

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And I would like to add one more thing. The post race snack bag. Some races you finish and you get an apple and a water. Not here. Every finisher gets their own personal bag with a big water, a Gatorade, and apple, some pretzels in a reusable clear drawstring bag. No picture because I was too busy consuming.

What is your favorite race?

Trust In The Training!

Mar21

Trust is a funny thing. Trust is something that needs to be earned and is sometimes hard to do. I had to go out on the ledge and trust my coach, my training, and myself. These are not necessarily easy things to do. I trust my coach but trusting in ones self can be harder. Sometimes the doubt creeps in, but I shut the door on it in New York City.

I had a great race. I had phenomenal race. The stars were aligned. The sun was shining and it all came together. I pushed the doubt and the fears to the side. I took a leap of faith and went with it. I started the race with the knowledge that I could do this. I had a plan. A plan that my coach helped me develop. All I needed was to stick to the program and trust in my training. I went out as planned, but almost got sidetracked early on by the 2:00 hour pace group. They blew past me around mile 2. At first I think that I tried to stay with them, but I stopped myself. They were not following my plan. They were running a different race. I knew what I needed to do and they were not doing it. They were going out too fast for me. I let them go. It was hard at first, but I had my mantra that I kept repeating to myself. It was not a planned mantra, but it was fitting.

TRUST IN YOUR TRAINING!

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It was that simple. I needed to trust in the hours that I’ve logged. The miles that I’ve ran at pace. The fact that I had done the work to set me up to do what I needed to do. What I needed to do was not what everyone else needed to do. So I let them go. I trusted in my training and my ability to get it done.

I was in the zone.

A friend that I went to the half with came up to me a few miles in. I actually said to her, “Karyn, just so you know I’m not being a Bitch. I’m just in the zone.” I needed to run this race by myself. Some things are like that. You need to do them by yourself. This was that race for me. I needed to focus on my pace, my calculations, and moving forward. She understood. (Love you, lady).

As I ran, I knew where I needed to be. I had a pace band in my pocket that I didn’t use during the race; but had done some calculations ahead of time. I kind of knew where I needed to be when. I added up the time I needed to hit as the miles rose. I was hitting my targets. There were times that I had to reign myself in as he race was so exciting. I was trusting in the training and not trying to bank time.

My plan was to run consistently till around mile 10 where I would pick it up a little more. At that point my mantra became NO REGRETS. By this I meant that no matter what, I would not have regrets because I was doing all I could. I also meant that I would not give myself an out. That I would continue to push it and fight for the sub 2 because the only way I would have regrets is if I backed down. So NO REGRETS. By mile 12, I was pushing it pretty hard but trying to make sure as to not burn up. I knew I would be close. I knew that I was going to need to give it all I had at the end. So I saved a little fuel in the tank and when I hit the 20K mat, I pushed it even harder.

NO REGRETS.

You can’t have regrets if you’ve done everything that you’ve needed to do. If you’ve given all you have. I dug as deep as I could go and I did it!

1:58:59

A minute to spare:)

I honestly can say that if somehow I didn’t make my goal, I would have been happy with this race. Honestly, I am not saying that because I reached my sub 2 goal. I was telling myself that that last 3 miles.

That being said, I am over the moon with reaching it.

This was an amazing adventure. There is more to tell, but this is enough for now.