Tag Archive | running

One Thing At a Time

Danger Will Robinson,

I am going to sound like the old lady that I am pretending not to become…….

When I was a kid we didn’t have all the technology we have now. What am I talking about? We didn’t have ANY. There were no cell phones, i-pods, 24/7 updates. Hell our phones were still attached to the wall and if you wanted to take music on the go, it was a big ole boom box. Not conducive to going anywhere except your front lawn.

You know what?

We didn’t miss anything. No we really didn’t. They were good times. We may have actually been more aware of what was going on than “the kids of today.” I see it everyday at pick-up. The first thing the kids do when they come out of school is look at their phones. Walking out with their heads down missing it all. Many of the parents too. Don’t get me wrong, I am as bad as the next person. I admit it. I might be worse, but I’m work in progress.

Now what does this have to do with running?

I’m getting there.

When I was at Dirty German on Sunday, I knew I probably would not run with headphones as many times when I’m running I don’t use music. I usually never do during a race because I usually like to experience the race around me. (try it) Part of me thinks that on my second loop inspiring music might have helped as I was running by myself, but being as I didn’t bring earbuds the decision had already been made. It didn’t really matter on the first loop because even though I was running by myself, I was not alone. (Yes, there is a difference).

There is a big part of me that loves running races without music, especially when I am by myself which is the norm. To save my phone battery, I even turned my phone onto airplane mode. No interruptions. I could hear my own breathing, I could be with my own thoughts, I could listen to the sounds of the trail, and really just be. It is almost meditative. Really. This kind of “alone” time is hard to come buy in the world we live in today. (Yes, I know I sound like Grandma).

We are so connected yet at the same time so disconnected. No I did not have some awe inspiring idea pop into my head or resolve an issue but it has happened. This run was all about the run. All about the distance and all about finishing. So no I was not thinking about anything else but my run – moving one foot in front of the other. This was enough. We don’t do that enough. We have become the age of the great multitaskers that we forget that sometimes it is ok to just do one thing at a time.

It is enough.

How could I not get into the zone when running these trails alone.

There is something to be said about taking the time to be by ourselves with no distractions. To get away from it all and just be. Our minds need it. A run like this recharges not just the body, but the mind.

relax

What do you think?

Tick Tock Tick Tock Goes The Cuckoo Clock

May13

Just two more days and really at this point of the evening it really is one more day. Two days till I attempt to run a 50K. Somehow this really seemed like an amazingly great idea a few months ago. Today not so much. Today is the more, “What was I thinking?” kind of day.

What was I thinking

I usually get asked two questions about my upcoming race. The first one is how far in miles is a 50K. I had to look it up because although I knew it was 31 point something, I really didn’t know what the point was either. It is 31.7 miles. At some point it doesn’t matter except at the end when you are counting them down.

The second question is why? We’ve been through this before. Why not?

You think I would be nervous. You think I’d be packed. You think I would have read through all the information they sent. I don’t even have directions to the hotel mapped out. I will get to all of these things shortly I’m sure. I’m actually pretty calm for some reason. I guess you might refer to it as the calm before the storm. Besides at this point I’m in for the LONG haul which hopefully will be only 31.7 miles baring any wrong turns. Again, this is why I need to read the information and look at the map. I can’t just follow the crowd because how do I know they won’t leave me in the dust or even that they know where they are going.

As far as goals, my number one and really only goal is to finish. I would, of course, like to finish well but finishing is number one. And as far as what I mean by finishing well, I do not mean winning the Cuckoo Clock the winners get. I mean to finish strong. To finish like I trained for this. To finish without feeling like I want to die. (Why am I doing this again?) I would also like to make sure to finish before the twelve and half hour alloted time. I think I should be ok as when I did the trail marathon in January I was at six and half hours. That gives me a nice cushion:)

But it is time to get prepared. It’s time to open the door to utra running and see what that is all about. I would like to say that I will be one and done, but I said that about marathons too and I’ve already run 2 more than I said I would not counting NYCM coming in November. And I won’t lie in the back of my mind I’m already toying with a 50 miler for the year I turn 50 which thankfully is a few years away. Besides, I really should just get through this weekend before I start talking smack!!

Either way it’s going to be a great time filled with lots of laughs and good company since there are many BAMR’s going from my running group. Some are doing 25k, some 50k, and the truly insane ones are doing 50 miles but insanity is a wonderful thing! The support of these women is something I wish everyone experiences in their life in some shape or form.

Friends

So I’m off to do all the things that I need to do, but you can count on hearing more about this not matter how it turns out.

What are you doing this weekend?

Crazy About Running

Mar22

funny-running-posts-1-20-03

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.

Run, Run, and Run Some More

Feb26

Looking at the calendar, my next big race is now less than a month away. The New York City Half Marathon. I’m very excited about it and I’ve been doing quite a bit of training to see if I can make it a sub 2 half. Still not sure, but I will never know unless I try. Now that being said, I realized something about a week or so ago too. Something that didn’t really occur to me. Yes, I’ve been speed training for the half but I’ve also started training for my 50K. To me that seems so distant because it’s 3 months away. I’ve learned though that doesn’t mean that I am waiting for the half to be over to start training for it.

Once I realized this, my new manta to get me out the door become

50K’s don’t just happen.

DirtyGermanFinishlogoweb

Now I know that to be true. I expected it. Somehow though in my mind I was still training for the half which made the 50K seem like it wasn’t real. I realized though when I had a long run that was 14 miles. That was my Aha moment. That was the moment it all become real. That was the moment that I thought to myself, “What am I doing?”

I’m hoping these are normal thoughts. Then again I never claimed to be normal.

Someone asked me what I was training for and when I told them they thought I was crazy. They asked me, “Why the hell would you want to do that?”

I really had no answer. Other than that I thought it would be a fun challenge and that it is something I do it for me.. They rolled their eyes and did not see the fun in it. That is ok. A lot of people do a lot of things for fun that I just don’t get. Now I’m not saying all this training is fun, but it does clear my mind and allow me to pretty much eat what I want. So for me that is a win.

Around the same time that I made the realization that I was in 50K training, something else exciting happened too. I had joined a group that matches runners with those who can’t run. Runners can be matched with individuals with special needs or the group I’m in their sibling, the unsung hero. I was finally matched! So now my running is really not all about me. It is for both of us. Someone that will inspire me to push further. That is all I will say about my unsung hero for her privacy. It’s a cool feeling though. This is still very new to me as I’ve only recently been matched, but I can’t wait to see how this develops.

IRun

Your Running What?

Feb10

fartlek

Word of the Week

Fartleks –

Because it’s fun to say, but maybe that is only because I’m a mother of three boys. Now I realize it’s something fun to say, but it is also something fun to run. Although truth be told, sometimes I get so caught up am I hitting my pace I loose some of the fun. Not today. Not with fartleks.

So what exactly is a fartlek you ask because I know that I did!

fart·lek

ˈfärtlik/

noun

Track & Field

noun: fartlek

a system of training for distance runners in which the terrain and pace are continually varied to eliminate boredom and enhance psychological aspects of conditioning.

It sounds like some made up word to make non runners feel stupid. Then I realized that the reason it was such a silly word is because it is from Sweden and it means “speed play” in Swedish. It was developed in 1937 for a Swedish cross country team that was in need of both speed and endurance training. So their coach, Gosta Holmer came up with the good ole fartlek. I’m guessing it worked for them as all these years later we are still doing them.

Now I feel bad for thinking that it was a made up word. Then again, what do I know? Not much, but I do like to learn:)

So I’ve done them a few times. Well actually twice now, but I think I enjoyed today more than the first time I did them. The first time, I was more concerned if I was doing them right or not. Then I found out that I was way overthinking it. I sometimes do that. Today, I followed the advice of my coach. She told me to “throw some faster bits in for fun” up, down, fast, medium and just have fun with it. So I tried to do just that.

You know what, I think I did have some fun with it.

Was it challenging?

You bet!

Did I have fun with it?

Yup!

AND

my last one was the best!

For 10 seconds I could fly hitting 6:08.

Now I could NEVER maintain that speed,

but that is the beauty of the fartlek.

I’m not supposed to.

I’m supposed to just enjoy my little legs moving as fast as they could.

On top of that, I didn’t feel like I was going to die!

Although I was happy to resume my normal pace to finish the run.

Running a fartlek is kind of like running like Pheobe from friends.

Running like a kid, just to run.

Do you Fartlek?

Why Ask Why?

Feb3

I was recently asked why I would ever run a Marathon. This person must not know that I actually signed up for a 50K, but that is a different story. They were wondering why I would ever want to run a marathon especially a trail one where I ran over six and a half hours. My answer is complicated and yet simple at the same time.

Let’s be honest, everyone has their thing. Everyone has something that someone else might look at and question, “Why?”

Some don’t understand the drawl of Crossfit, Spinning, hot Yoga, biking, or the many other types of exercises available. They might not be for you, but I bet they are for someone else.

So my question is why not?

What does it matter what someone wants to do? They do not need our approval. Probably aren’t even looking for it. We are all grown ups here. As long as we are not doing anything illegal or that is hurting someone, to each their own I say. This is one of the things that make the world so wonderful. We are all different. We all follow our own paths. Even those of us with similar paths do not follow the same one.

Now sometimes people will ask why because they might not be able to wrap their head around why anyone would want to run for hours on end. I will say that it is really not something that I can explain either. I run these distances not only for the challenges of them, but also many other reasons. The feeling of accomplishment afterwards is awesome, yet there is more to it than that. I run them because I actually like to run them. Yes, maybe not ever second of every run yet still…. There are times that you get into a rhythm with your feet, your breathing, your mind and you just keep going because it’s perfect. There is truth in the runners high. It is why we keep coming back for more.

Some things in life must be experienced to fully understand. Like someone trying to explain to you what being a parent feels like. It is something that is intangible till experienced. I can tell you about the peace running brings me. The calmness felt after a good run. The joy of crossing a finish line. The pride in having done something and many other things that running brings no matter what the distance. It still isn’t enough. Some things in life must be felt to understand. This is why runners as a whole usually stand (or run) together.

We know what most people won’t know until they experience it themselves is that

Running is Aweome

Amazing

Calming

and

Bad@ss!

So my question is not why?

My question is why not?

Slowing Down Isn’t Always A Bad Thing

Jan12

Someone once said to me that if I was a running dog that I would be a working dog like a husky. At the time, I took offense to it but now I think I would like to own it proudly. As a matter of fact, I know that I would. I would be happy to have the running power and stamina of a husky.

siberian-husky-running-through-garden

Besides look how magnificent they look while running. But that’s another issue.

What has become apparent to me is that for some strange reason, just like the husky, I’ve developed a desire to run and run far. I actually think that depending where I’m running that I would rather do a long slow run than a quick short one.

Yes, that boggles my mind too!

Now maybe this talk is just because I’m having such a good recovery after my trail marathon. I don’t know. I do know though that it is NOT that the trail was easier than a road marathon. It is just that they really are two very different beasts. Both road marathons that I have ran I reached a point where I questioned my sanity, I couldn’t believe how stupid I was to sign up for it, and I did hit the proverbial wall. None of these things happened out on the trail. NONE. I’m not sure why.

Yes, both races are technically the same distance. Although, I do believe that a trail marathon is actually longer but that will happen. I think there were a few major differences for me and maybe part of it was because I didn’t approach it like a race. I went into this with no time limits, no set paces, nothing. I went into my trail marathon like I was going for a normal run. I didn’t watch my pace at all. There in lies the difference. It’s not that I wasn’t pushing myself but especially (for me) on muddy trails there is only so fast I can go. When I ran my MCM I kept a fairly steady pace the entire race of about 10:30 while my average pace on the trails was about 13:30 with some miles hitting 16.

Now don’t think that just because I was running slower that I wasn’t working. Trails are a different beast than Satan’s Tar as Dawn now refers to roads. One of the reasons my pace is so much slower on the trails besides needing to run them more often is that I approach them with caution. They are muddy. They are filled with slipper rocks. There are places that you really need to pay attention to which doesn’t always happen on the roads. When running the roads especially in a closed course race, you really can just zone out. You can never zone out on the trails unless you want to eat the dirt or worse.

Now, the side effect of running slower does mean that you have more time on your feet. I ran MCM officially in 4:38:18. I ran this event officially 6:30:08. So the slower pace does add up. That being said as far as the actual running goes, I think that I enjoyed the trail running more. My mother asked me what motivated me to run for such a long time. I had no answer on the motivation other than I just liked to run. I’m not winning any races. This event there wasn’t any bling or even a t-shirt. It was just that satisfaction of knowing what I could accomplish and that was enough.

I have decided after this weekend’s event, that I really need to do more trail running. More trail races. Before this event, I was wondering what I was thinking signing up for the Dirty German. Now I’m looking to see how I can squeeze more off road races into my schedule.

oh my.

Have your tried the trails yet?

Just Run!

Nov9

It has been so long to run just to run. Sometimes near the end of marathon training running can begin to feel like a job because every run is for something. Be it a speed workout, long run, or even just a recovery run. Every run is mapped out to maximize your training. It is necessary, but it does get old. You do it because the more it feels like a job the closer you are to your event. Then the day comes where all that training pays off on a good day.

Then after said race, you are in recovery. You give your body the break that it needs. That it deserves. That it earned no matter how your race turned out. Mine was pretty good and my body recovered fairly quickly after Marine Corps. I do think that was because of all the miles that I put in. The way that I didn’t really deviate from my training plan, but that is over now.

It is a strange feeling not to be training for anything in the imminent future. I will say it feels nice. It gives your body and spirit a chance to reconnect with why you started running in the first place. I started running just to run. I forgot what that felt like. It’s a good feeling. No assigned pace. Just the you and the wind on your face.

Yesterday, I went out for what was supposed to be a recovery run. To be honest, I feel completely recovered as the marathon was now 2 weeks ago. So yesterday. Now, I know that last year it took me a long, long, long time to recover from the Philadelphia Marathon, but I did not go into that as well trained as this year. So yesterday, I decided to run to my son’s soccer game which was only about a mile and a half away. Then I figured I would do another 5 miles or so afterwards.

How did it go?

It went great. Although I wore my Garmin, I did not watch the clock. I just ran to run. I had no plan when I started other than to run a few miles. Then as I got into the run, I wanted to push myself. No reason. No pace. I just wanted to feel the burn in my lungs that can only come with a hard run. It felt great! It reminded me why I started to run in the first place. It wasn’t to hit a pace or a distance, it was just to run.

You know what?

Once I downloaded my run, I realized something. Not only did the run feel great emphasizing the intentional push of making my lungs burn and pushing myself to the limit, but the run looks good on paper. Not trying to, I ended up with not only very nice splits, but for me very fast splits! My last mile clocked in at 8:08. I have never run an eight minute mile till yesterday.

So, yes, when training for a specific event it is best to follow a plan. That being said, sometimes its fun just to push yourself to the limit and remember why you started running in the first place.

Running With Friends!!!

Aug27

As you know, I’ve started transitioning to morning running on days that I can or truthfully days that I’m motivated to get out of my PJ’s early. What has really helped is meeting friends. Hard to not put on your running shoes when you know someone is expecting you to run with them. Plus it really is a nice way to start the day – chatting with a friend. I used to do this over coffee. Now I seem to do it over the miles.

Yesterday was another such day. I had another 9 miles on my calendar which really is nice to get out of the way earlier in the day. It does remove that feeling in the back of my head telling me and wondering, “you’ve got to run” or ” When are you going to run?” Plus, I live with a family of late sleepers. If I’m lucky, I usually can get out and back in before anyone even notices depending on the run. Great thing about this run is that not only was I meeting Genine again, but Dawn was making a guest appearance! I haven’t seen or run with Dawn I believe all summer long. Not sure how that happened with the exception of we both have a house full of kids, she works, and we’ve got a lot going on. September is right around the corner though which means that we can settle into a normal routine.

I was scheduled to run 9 miles again which seems to be my new norm I’m realizing with various paces and such. This run was supposed to be at a 10:40 pace witch is slightly faster than my easy runs of 11+++. Both Dawn and I were excited to run together, but for some reason she was doubting if she would run the whole 9 at the 10:40 pace. I’m not really sure why she was doubting it because she is much faster than she realizes it or at least cares to admit. She more than proved that today as we kept a rocking pace the entire run and only stopped for a potty break at mile 3 and a water break around 5 1/2. Other than that we kept on trucking. Since Dawn wasn’t wearing her watch as is her norm, I was the time keeper. That being said, she set the pace for a most of the run and I just monitored it. There were several times that I needed to tell my friend to slow down as she was moving way to fast.

We did it. We finished 9.45 in 1:33:36. Not sure of what our average pace was, but we rocked the splits! When all was said and done we had a really great run.

Not only was it a great run time wise, but it was a great run because I got to run it with a friend. During the run, Dawn said something that was so true when we were talking about marathon training as she’s training for NYCM. She was saying along the lines about how I’ve been running so many miles lately and you just can’t do that many alone as it’s a mental thing. It really is true too. Yes, I do like running alone. Yes, I do like running with friends. They both have their advantages. The biggest advantage to running with friends though is that the miles really do not seem as long!

Then I come home and post my run on a running group that Dawn and I belong to. She posted this in response

“A running friend will run with you; a real friend gently guides you for 9 miles as you talk yourself into what you can do until you believe what she already knows.”

All I can say is that one of the best things that running has brought into my life besides killer calves is the friends that I have made along the way. Sometimes as Mom, many of your friends are parents of your child’s friends. That works when they are little and you have to go everywhere with them, but as they grow those friendships change as everyone gets caught up in their daily activities. It doesn’t mean that you aren’t friends, it just means it’s harder to find time to see them. It is nice to have friends that are forged over the miles and that will stand the test of time.

Do you run with friends?

Some Runs Are Just Not As Awesome as Others

Aug16

Runner’s truth….

Not every run is fun.

Not every run is like running through a meadow.

More truth.

Some runs just suck from the very beginning.

Today was such a day.

I think I knew it from the beginning. I almost walked back in my house after going outside. Then I thought to myself that if I didn’t go then, I wouldn’t be able to get my run in today. Besides I was ready to go. I knew what splits I was looking to hit. I had my course all mapped out. I was ready. I really wanted to get my run in. Although, truth be told, I regretted the decision for most of my run. Except, of course, the part when it was over and I knew that I go it in.

I was coming off the rails on this one. There are several reasons and sometimes that just the way it goes.

First there was the phone call with my mom right as I was getting to go out the door. Yes, it was 92 today but I have run on hotter days. The difference is that right before a run I didn’t have anyone say to me, “You shouldn’t run today. You are going to give yourself heat stroke or a heart attack.” These are not the words of encouragement needed before a run. Even though I knew that I was prepared to run in the elements, these words stuck in the back of my head.

Then there was my Garmin which died before I even hit mile one. This really made me mad because it was on the charger all night. I’m starting to wonder if my charger is not working properly because this has happened to me before. I will have to keep an eye on it. I had toyed with stopping then since I was supposed to be doing a tempo run which is impossible to do without a watch. Since it was so hot and humid though, I decided to just keep on going and do the best I could.

Then around mile 3, my sunglasses literally broke. Yes, I knew they were on their way out but really.

My face sums up the way I felt. Then by this point I was already feeling the pain of the run. It really wasn’t physical pain but mental. Part of the problem was the first part of my route did not have as much shade as I thought it did and I was baking in the sun. Then it got in my head that it was too hot to run. I kept on going.

One of the reasons that I like to plan a route out is that it doesn’t give me an out once I start. I was literally 3 miles away and thought to myself even if I turn around I would only be 2 miles shy of the 8 I needed so I might as well stick with it. I kept on going. I even toyed with calling someone to pick me up, but I figured I should save that for when I really need it.

Then I got a message from my cheerleader, Dawn, telling me I could do it. We messaged back and forth and it helped. I kept on going. Luckily by then I had hit more shade and although the run was still hard, I was no longer baking in the sun. I admit that I would run. Then I would walk when I felt that I needed to. Then I would run again picking out something in the distance to run to before I could stop again. Again, it wasn’t pretty. I was NOT close to any kind of heat stroke except in my head. I was a hot mess!

Then there was the water situation. Yes, I did buy a hydration backpack but when I tried it on before my run; I didn’t like it. I think this cheaper version that I bought might be good for hikes but I could not imagine running in it. I had my Fitletic hydration belt with all 4 water bottles AND my hand held water bottle. It was not enough on a day like today. I should have looped to the park to refill, but I thought that I was fine. Big mistake. Then I was on the search for water.

I stopped at a friends house thinking that I would fill with her hose, but she had it hooked up to a sprinkler. Not sure if it was the sweat on my hands or what, but I could not unhook it to fill my bottles. She wasn’t home or I would have knocked as I’ve done in the past. Luckily a man saw me sitting, yes sitting, under a tree and gave me a water bottle. I kept going. Swung by another friends house and the same thing happened except no nice man to give me water. By then I was close to home and just kept pushing.

I made it!

I got my run in!

The I realized that for some stupid reason I ran an extra mile. I did nine instead of eight. I will chalk that up to being delusional from the heat.

9 miles in 1:45

So, no not every run is awesome and some do suck. But it is these runs that we push are way through that really show us what we are made of. It is these runs that help to make us better runners. It gives us the mental toughness needed to push through when running an event when all you want to do is stop. If every run was easy, then that means you are not pushing your limits. Life is about pushing limits and getting out of our comfort zone.

So I’m off to bed now as tomorrow is another day

and

I’ve got 14 miles to put on the books.

How do you push through when all you want to do is give up?

The Accidentally Running Mama

Run, Bike, Swim and Have a Life!