The Difference a Week Can Make

If you are discouraged about how your weekly long run went, take heart!  I find it fascinating that my long runs can vary so much week-by-week and also that the effort level can feel so different between runs too.  Take a look at my last two long runs below.

On Saturday, January 7, I hobbled through a painful 12-miler with my hurting big black toenail.  I didn't need 12 miles to know that it would be a hard run; I knew in the first mile that this run would be tough.  I grimaced and stopped often (while also stopping my Garmin, usually a big "no-no" for me).  It was NOT fun at all. On a level of 1-10 with 10 being the most painful, the toe was really only a 2 at the most, but it was just an ever-present annoyance that I could not get out of my head.  I struggled to get an 8:52 average pace.

I took a couple days off from running to do the elliptical machine on Thursday and Friday this week, and I guess it made me very eager to run.  On Saturday, January 14, I attempted another long run.  I ran 20 miles on a whim with an average pace of 8:01, my fastest 20-miler in a long while.  And it was done without any thought the night before about food, hydration, anything.  It may be that Mountain Mist is quickly approaching and the need to get one more quality run crept in, or it may be "all" of the trail running that I've been doing that makes road running seem easy!  I can't really figure it out, but it was nice to get a last 20-miler in at that pace before Mountain Mist. 

Thoughts on Mountain Mist With Two Weeks To Go

I'm pretty nervous about running Mountain Mist with only two trail runs as training, but it'll have to do.  I've done the Rocket City marathon and two 20-milers since then, so I have done enough distance (for me).  I don't think it's possible to try to shoot for another course PR for me with so little trail running this time around.  The big black toenail is actually a benefit now, since it cannot hurt during the run.  And not running many trails prevented me from twisting an ankle, like I did last year during training (also see here).  I guess I am playing the "pros and cons" for my training this year, trying to justify it and to feel confident about the upcoming race. 

January 14, 2012

January 7, 2012

Mountain Mist training runs

Don't prepare to be impressed, people.  I have only done 2 trail runs in preparation for my 7th Mountain Mist.  Both were the second half of the Mountain Mist course, a distance of about 15 miles each. 

The importance of the second half (Why not the first?)

I always smile a little when we decide to do the second half, since five years ago I was eleven weeks pregnant with my daughter and dropped out at the halfway spot on the course.  I never saw the second half of the course that year.  It's very fitting that I should get to run this second half many times since then!  Also in this section is the spot where Rick proposed to me eight years ago (at the top of McKay Hollow).  But it's not just for sentimental reasons that I like running the second half.  It also makes sense to use my time wisely.  I don't get many opportunities to train on the trails, and the second half is MUCH tougher than the first in terms of terrain and climbs.  It's better to get more experience on the second half while you feel good, so you will be mentally prepared for the challenge on race day when you are tired when you get to it. 

*

I was lucky enough to run with some great trail runners on Saturday, December 17--Rick (my husband), Eric C. (Fleet Feet team captain), DeWayne S. (previous MM winner), and James F. (fellow FF team member).  Needless to say, I was VERY out of my element with this group of men.  Little old me was still recovering from the marathon the weekend before.  No one else seemed phased by it at all (Eric had run a 3:10 and was still sailing in front of me the whole time!).  We all had a moment where we sat at the crest of Waterline (I would say the steepest climb of the race--you actually climb on all fours up a waterfall).  We just all sat down on this log and the steam was rising off of us as we recovered from the climb.  It was a pretty neat moment--and one I felt proud of myself for hanging in there long enough to experience!  I was complimented by the guys for my footwork on the big sharp rocks that lead up to Waterline and for my speed as we headed into McKay Hollow, though I quickly ran out of steam after that.  I told the group that I hadn't been on trails since the cancelled McKay Hollow the year before!  I didn't feel too rusty out there, just tired.

It was great having DeWayne along since I felt like I was getting secrets from a pro!  He also climbs Waterline on all fours instead of trying to balance on two legs (he calls it "four wheel drive!").  He also commented that the REAL race begins at Mile 18.  I plan to take that to heart on race day and to try to pace accordingly.  He told us about some really good road racer that just completely dropped out of Mountain Mist because he couldn't (or didn't want to) continue into those last few really tough miles.  I loved hanging with those guys that day and learned a lot from them. 

I ran with Rick on New Years' Eve morning, again on the second half.  He and I talked about how to pace yourself when you don't have a Garmin up there (I will only have my watch, and there aren't mile markers).  The obvious answer--and the one I will try--is to use the aid stations (about every 5-6 miles apart) as indicators.  I will write down my previous times (probably on my arm) and use that to gauge how I am doing.  More about race strategy later.

Unfortunate effects of trail running are LOTS of mud covering your lower half and BLACK TOENAILS.  I got a big black toenail from the trail run on New Year's Eve.  It hurts much worse than the little toenails when they turn black.  On Thursday of last week, I could almost not stand it anymore and was contemplating using a hot needle to pierce the nail to relieve the pressure or having Rick "drill" my nail (manually turn a drill bit into my nail).  You know it was bad if I was contemplating those two solutions!  Luckily, icing it and a good night of sleep helped me make it through the worst of it.  I am on the mend now and will be running in 9 1/2s now, not 9s!

Muddy legs!

New big black toenail

Lovely.

Some tough miles (Rick's times on the Garmin, but similar to mine).  Can you tell where the climbs were?

Analyzing My Running Shoe Wear Patterns

Here we are three days from the marathon, and all of the doubts/negative thoughts are starting to creep in. 

Here are some of the thoughts I have scrolling through my brain today:

"You should've practiced more with the Garmin."

"What if the Garmin dies in the marathon?"

"Have you really trained enough for this?"

"What if you wear too much and get hot during the race?"

"Did you just slack off after Chicago?"

"Are you tapering enough?" (Ran 6 miles Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday of this week)

"What if you can't do it?"

I usually find that I will overfocus on one thing when I have all of this nervous energy.  It is currently on the wear on the bottom of my shoes.

I mentioned to Rick one day that I felt like I was wearing out my shoes really quickly, more like 200 miles instead of the 300-500 miles you are supposed to be able to run in them.  I told him that I start to hurt when I run in shoes with worn tread, so I replace my shoes a lot.  There were something like five old pairs in our garage just cluttering it up, so Rick decided to take those over to Fleet Feet to donate them.  He looked on the bottoms and told me that I really was wearing my shoes out pretty badly.  I decided to take pictures and bring the old shoes in to Fleet Feet to see if someone can help recommend a shoe that is better for my foot.  It is obvious that I am wearing the outside heel of my shoe out, so I did a little research on my own.  Here was an article about the different types of runners--pronators, neutral, and supinators (or underpronators).  Runner's World had more on supinators.  This one seemed to agree with my wear pattern the best. 

Why focus on this now?  As I said before, I think I am diverting some nervous energy.  But there are many benefits to making sure I am in the right shoe!  I can think of several.  Saving money on shoes that fit right and wear correctly, avoiding injuries, and just minimizing my annoyance of watching my foot striking the ground on the outside edge as a run.  I have been staring at my feet as I run lately, and that's not a good thing. 

Here's some pictures in case you wanted to see the evidence:

Uneven wear

I'd say that the outer edge is pretty worn out.

The black tread is separating from the shoe.

Another picture of the left shoe, which is slightly worse than the right.  I actually notice this foot landing incorrectly as I run.

Any thoughts/advice on the matter?

First and Last 20 Miler for the Rocket City Marathon: Pacing Practice

I am running in the Rocket City Marathon on December 10, 2011 as a pacer for the 3:55 group.  This will be my second time to pace in the marathon.  You can read about my time last year here and here.  I felt somewhat discouraged about my pacing experience last year and vowed to be more on pace this year.  If you reading this because you want to run in the 3:55 group, let me assure you that I will get you there on pace this year.  The things that I learned last year will help me, as will having a faster pace (I paced the 4:15 group last year).  I take my responsibility very seriously.  In most marathons, I only have myself to let down, but as a pacer, I have others relying on me.  I don't want to let anyone down.  But to be honest, pacing is a challenge for me.  It will involve very controlled running, something that I struggle to do well.

If you have never heard about pacers before, I would like to share a quote from Eric Charette, organizer of the pace teams, who says pacers are chosen "based not only on their ability to cover the distance within a certain time, but they are also outgoing and dynamic people who are able to motivate runners.  They are all experienced marathoners who have deep knowledge of endurance running and all have run a marathon within the previous year that is at least 20 minutes faster than the pace group they are leading."  I would like to add that I've always seen pacers as helpful if you are trying to Boston Qualify.  The 3:55 time is a 2013 BQ time for males 60-64 and females 45-49.  So those two groups of people will probably make up a large portion of my pacing group.  I am excited to also have people in my group who are wanting to break 4 hours.  I hope to see many of them reach this milestone!    

In preparation to pace the 3:55 group, I ran my first and last 20 miler for the Rocket City Marathon last Saturday, November 19.  I am still well trained from the Chicago Marathon and, more recently, the Huntsville Half Marathon.  This training will help me in the marathon, but I still wanted at least one 20 miler just for this race.  If I were running a training run for a regular marathon (not one I am pacing), I would shoot for a pace somewhere between 60 and 90 seconds slower than my marathon pace, or between an 8:30-9:00 pace.  For this run, however, I wanted to be exactly on pace.  I thought it would be a nice challenge and that it would help prepare me for pacing (I know there are some newer marathoners that read my blog out there, so note that running your long runs at pace is NOT recommended!!).  I somehow remembered the pace per mile wrong though, so I thought I needed 8:55s when I actually needed 8:58s.  Close enough!

The run was a success even though my splits were not consistent, especially in the beginning.  I was running with Jane then, and we were not paying attention to pace.  When I ran alone, I was paying more attention and was more consistent.  I also ran a fairly hilly course!  At Mile 19, I conscientiously slowed my pace to a 9:23 to bring my average down.  I felt very in control on this run, and it gave me a lot of confidence about my pacing this group in two weeks.

Splits (aiming for 8:55 pace)
1 9:03
2 9:00
3 9:03
4 8:56
5 9:08
6 9:24
7 8:35
8 8:43
9 8:58
10 9:01
11 8:26
12 8:46
13 8:48
14 8:46
15 8:46
16 8:52
17 8:52
18 8:58
19 9:23
20 8:43
Average 8:55 pace/691 elevation gain

I've met people who just love pacers and people who pretty much hate them.  But I've learned that walking in someone's shoes can do wonders for how you view them.  I now have so much respect for the pacers in the marathons I've run, even though I've never been in a pace group myself!  Running a marathon at a pace 20 minutes or more slower than your marathon time is very challenging.  Pacers are doing this selflessly for the other runners, for anyone that wants to run in their group.  I have a lot of respect for anyone willing to give that a try!

Preparing the Mind for the Marathon

I promised you my thoughts about preparing your mind for the marathon, so here goes.  First off, I think the mental preparation to run 26.2 miles comes long before you toe the line.  To start with, it comes from the thoughts you have as you do your long runs and solo runs.  Here is where you begin to let your mind take you to all of the different places it goes.  It distracts you in wonderful ways.  I think back to July, when I wrote this entry about communicating with God as I run and this entry about beauty on runs.  I believe I was writing and experiencing these "deep thoughts" during this month since it was the first time this season that I had ramped up my miles for marathon training.  I had more time out on the roads to allow these thoughts to creep in.  I felt refreshed after running many of my long runs because of all of the solo thinking that I had gotten to do.  I enjoyed the time alone to listen to music and to just think by myself.

I begin mentally rehearsing the marathon as the race gets closer.  I think back to previous marathons and try to remember how I felt as I was running them.  One day as I was lying in bed trying to go to sleep, I was picturing Myrtle Beach so vividly that I could not relax enough to sleep.  Adrenaline was coursing through my body.  My heart was racing, and my hands were sweaty.  I think picturing previous races can really help you to mentally prepare for an upcoming race (but don't do it while you are trying to go to sleep!).

Finally, I also reflect on quotes with a journal I've kept for years.  I joked one night to Rick as he tried to sneak a peak at my journal that, "You wouldn't understand these!!"  I really don't know if other people do this or not.  I've always written down quotes that I like.  Many closely apply to my life now even though I wrote them years ago. 

Two on a page from 1997 were:
For an instant, the old impulse of flight swept through her; but it was only the lift of a broken wing.
--Edith Wharton

and

"Nothing's worth that," the naysayers laughed.
"The crack of dawn!  The bitter cold!
The pouring rain!  Nothing's worth all that!"
"Obviously you don't know me," the woman said.
"For if you do, you'd know I am."
from a New Balance ad in 1997

I can only imagine this little twenty year old me thinking far enough in advance to know that one day I would be a stay-at-home mom of two needing to hear these things.  I don't want to have the impulse of flight, only to find that I don't have the wings to fly.  I want to take advantage of the opportunity to run while I can.  And, oh my, how true the New Balance ad is to me now!  So many people can't understand why my group gets up early to run.  Well, because we are worth it.  We are important and we matter, even though sometimes it feels like we get so little time to devote to ourselves.  We have to find it.  And sometimes that means running in the cold and the rain.  But I'm worth it!  I love this quote.

Finally, here's one more:

When you are old and gray and full of sleep
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep...
William Butler Yeats

With this one, I picture myself looking back at this blog one day and reading the tales of my marathon adventures.  I picture myself sharing these stories with my children and grandchildren.  This quote was in my high school yearbook, wayyyy back in 1995! 

So instead of just saying, "Carpe diem," these are some of the quotes that I read back over and reflect on.  I picture the upcoming marathon as being something I will always remember.  I try to imagine having a great outcome, which I will, even if I don't meet my time goal!  I look forward to the adventure that lies ahead.

Last Two Long Runs

I am in crunch mode now, trying to get everything thought about, written about, and said before this marathon comes and everything gets forgotten.

My last two long runs were on Saturday, September 24 (12 miles) and Friday, September 30 (8 miles).  Notice the sharp taper from the 20 miler the week before.  I was tempted to use these runs like tempo runs, but I played it smart and used them for long runs as they were intended to be.  On the 24th, I ran 13 miles with Julia and some with Jane at an 8:41 pace.  I pushed some of the last mile, and it was a 7:52.  We were aiming for between 8:30-9:00 minute miles that day, and I think we accomplished that nicely.

I ran 8 miles on the 30th by myself with an 8:41 pace.  It felt so odd to be done after only 8 miles.  I saved my speeding for the next day for a short tempo run, but I don't have the Garmin data on that run yet.

You can see from my last post that I am beginning the part of my training where I am looking back and telling myself that I have done this before, and I can do it again.  One part of me wants to say, "You haven't trained enough.  You're not ready for this race.  You can't PR."  I am trying to quiet that voice.  I am trying to build up my confidence.

This Week's Long Run

Saturday's long run was a 17-miler.  Maybe it would help if I had a pace in mind to run these things in.  On Saturday, I just drove to my starting point having EXACTLY enough time for 17 10-minute miles until I needed to get home.  I thought, "No problem.  I can do this with room to spare!"  Then I got running, and my first mile was 11:35.  Every time I start ramping up my weekly miles, things start hurting and feeling tight.  I attribute this to my lack of cross training and poor stretching.  Anyway, my right calf and my left shin have been bothering me, and neither one felt very good during that first mile.  I am also not used to having only one rest day a week.  Six days of running each week has been a challenge for me. 

Things got better, and by mile 4 I was running a sub 10 minute mile.  The good thing about long runs is that sometimes a warm up can take a few miles.  No rush!  As I was finishing my sixth mile, my friend Alice ran up to me.  We were able to run together for a little while.  It was nice having the company!  I was still trying to get my overall pace down to 10 minute miles by that point so that I'd have time to finish my whole 17 miles.  I had to leave her and continue alone. 

My pace ended up at 9:25, with my last mile being an 8:47, much better than the first mile and a good way to end the run.  I made it home just in time for Rick to go to volunteer at a race.  Finding time in our week to both get our running and volunteering in is still a challenge, but I am feeling better about it.

July 14-15 Training

Thursday, July 14

Hal called for a 7 mile "marathon pace" run today, and for me that's a 7:27.  I headed out without a Garmin at 8:30 in the hot morning sun for my run.  Oh yeah, and I was pushing the double stroller. 

Needless to say, I did NOT run a 7:27 pace.  But I did run for 70 minutes, was dripping with sweat when I was done (my hands were pruney like I'd been in a swimming pool), and managed to fit in a stop at a nearby playground for my two kids to get some exercise too.

I read a blog about a mom that pushes a triple stroller.  I really admire her because she is brave enough to post her splits when she runs with it.  I don't think I've ever worn a Garmin when I'm running with the double.  It is hard enough to run with 100 pounds of stroller and children!  In case anyone reading this wants a few tips for running with the kids, here is what I thought about today.

• Pack snacks  Mine usually eat their breakfast in the stroller (cereal, Poptarts, granola bars, etc.) or their lunch (cheese cubes or slices, crackers, drink).  If they finish it all, they get dessert.  Here is where you can add in foods that take a long time to eat (gummy bears, ring pops, and--my favorite--candy buttons).  Today I packed my kids' food in reusable bags, with the dessert inside this bag in a ziplock bag.  My kids could easily take their bags to the stroller and strap themselves in. 

Dry cereal breakfast with a gummy bear dessert

• Repeat your route  Others may disagree, but I think doing the same 3-6 mile route with your stroller is just enough, and this way the kids know how much longer they have to sit. 

• Reward them at the end  My favorite thing to do is to "race" my kids for the last block or so as we head home.  I let them upstrap and then "race" me home (of course, I let them win).  This lets them have some fun too! 

Happy faces (and ballet poses!) as we head out for our run

Friday, July 15

I had intended for this to be a 14 mile run since I was adding 2 miles to the 12 miles I had run last week in my long run.  I started the run with my friends, and we did our first mile in 11:02.  The rest of the miles were around a 10:00 pace.  They did 6 miles with me. 

Since I had not gotten a marathon pace run yesterday, I tried to speed up gradually so that my last few miles would be faster.  I was aiming to get a few of them to marathon pace.  I was happy to note that the last few miles ended up feeling great.  I think the speedwork is helping me to feel stronger in the long runs.  This is something I will try to note since it is a new thing for me.  I felt so good that I decided to add 2 more miles to the 14, and I ended up with 16.58 miles.  The last 5.58 were: 8:47, 8:07, 7:56, 7:46, 7:28, and 7:19 (for the .58).  My music died early on, but I think running the miles without distraction was also a good move training-wise.  I liked how focused I felt. 

One week down, 11 more to go!

Committing to the 3:15 Marathon with Hal Higdon's Help

For the first time ever, I am trying to closely follow a training guide for the Chicago Marathon on October 9.  This will be my 23rd marathon, and, though I always follow a program for the long runs, I have never followed the speed, tempo, or hill workouts in any training program.  But I do think there is something appealing about being able to commit to a time goal and then lay the foundation to take you there.  I am willing to give it a try.  My usual race-day approach is to start way too fast and try to hang on until the end, and this has led to alot of misery during the last few miles.  Also, I feel like I could improve on my PR with a little more training. 

I decided to try for--well, at least to train for-- a 3:15, or a 7:27 pace.  This is a 3-minute improvement from my PR marathon last February, which was on another flat course.  Last week, I was shocked to notice that we are only 12 weeks away from Chicago!  I quickly looked up programs (after consulting with my "trainer," Rick!).  He recommended Hal Higdon's Advanced 1 program found here, though I am having to modify it since it's a 16-week program.  I started "official" training with a 12-mile long run that left me pretty drained (it is super hot and humid right now here in Alabama).  It's not a good sign to be that beat after only a 12-miler! 

Hal's descriptions state that less than 10% will commit to the advanced programs because they are so demanding.  I am not sure I can stick with it, but it sure helps that some of my friends are on board with also trying the speedwork, tempo, and hill repeats called for by this program.  My most uncertain workout is the weekly marathon pace run, which Hal calls for on the day before the long run.  The day before the long run?  I usually take it easy on that day!  I may have to run some of those pushing a single jogger too.  I certainly would slow the pace down a bit for that though!

Today was a 5x800 speedwork session.  I did not have my friend Julia's advice on how fast to do them (and I had forgotten the recommendations Hal gives on the link above), so they were all over the place as I found my rhythm.  The 800s are much harder to do than the 200s and 400s, and not just because they are longer.  I had so much trouble finding the right pace.

When I got home, I looked up my splits on my watch and averaged them to a 3:15:
3:25, 3:08, 3:11, 3:14, 3:19

And, lo and behold, I looked up Hal's suggestions and read this:
I've prescribed 800 repeats for this program, also done every third week. Run an 800 at faster-than-marathon pace, rest by jogging and/or walking 400, then start again. Further instructions are included in the Interactive emails, but you might want to consider running these like "Yasso Repeats." Regular readers of Runner's World are familiar with what I mean. Bart Yasso is Promotions Director for the magazine. Bart suggests that you run your 800 repeats using the same numbers as your marathon time. In other words, if you run a 3-hour marathon, you do the 800s in 3 minutes. A 3:10 marathoner does 3:10 repeats; 3:20 marathoner, 3:20 repeats, etc. It seems silly, but it works.

I am aiming for a 3:15 marathon, and my repeats averaged 3:15.  Now to get them to be a consistent 3:15!

Firecracker 5K Prep Work

In an effort to hit the sub-20 minute mark in the Firecracker 5K, I continued my weekly speedwork.  I did what my friend Julia called a "sharpening" workout yesterday.  It was 12x200 (is this how you write it?), and mine were between 40-44 seconds each, with my last one being the fastest at 40 seconds.  It seemed easier that last week's workout (I guess it should since we did only half the distance), and it does make me wonder if I actually enjoy speedwork.  Don't get me wrong, I still look like a klutz out there as I try to figure out which of my watches to hit and when to press the button (yes, I had no idea that a track could be so confusing!).   

I calculated the pace, and I will need a 6:26 in Monday's race.  I used this website.

And I looked up the previous results.  Last year, fellow teammate Kathy Youngren was the first female in 20:10.  In all honesty, I would be happy finishing behind her with a time somewhat under 20:30, since that would still be an improvement over my recent 5K time.  It helps me to have some competition out there, so I do hope she (or someone else) is running about that pace on Monday so I will have motivation to go-go-go.  Trying to keep her in my sight will help me pace myself properly.

Busy weekend ahead for us.  Five years ago today I was laboring at home.  My son was born the next day.  Five year olds LOVE birthday parties (balloons and cake are the BOMB!), so we are having fun partying over here.  Happy 4th to you all!

A Final Look at Splits From the Past

I ran my PR of 3:21:54 in the Suzuki Rock 'n' Roll Marathon on June 1, 2003.  Wow, that was a long time ago!  But with all of this talk about running smart and negative splits and starting too fast, I thought I'd go back to see what my splits were like way before I started caring about such things.  I was actually really surprised to find my splits jotted on the back of my race number from that fateful day.  I never analyzed times back then or recorded my training runs.  I ran because it felt good and I liked to do it.  I had tons of free time.  Rick and I love to reminisce about how we could have written a guide about "what not to do the day before a marathon" at this race.  We walked all over the San Diego Zoo the day before, and we ate a huge Mexican lunch.  Tired and stuffed, I would imagine we slept well and then used all of that youthful energy we had back then to run our PRs the next day.

Here were my splits:
1-2 16:25 (I guess slow from the number of people.  I never saw the mile marker.)
3 7:29
4 7:10
5 7:19
6 7:38
7 7:49
8 7:25
9 7:53
10 7:19
11 7:40
12 7:23
13 7:33
14 7:27
15 7:37
16 7:42
 17 7:37
18 8:05
19 7:41
20 8:05
21 7:44
22 7:50
23 7:56
24 7:57
25 8:04
26 8:04
.2 1:36

As soon as I saw the 7:10 at mile 4, I realized that I always have gotten carried away in the excitement of the race early on.  But I managed to hold the pace very well and only slowed to 8:04's for the last 2 miles.  I also see the advantage of having a Garmin versus just a watch.  My splits were a little all over the place, and I bet I could've kept them more even with a Garmin's help.  This looking back and analyzing stuff is getting addictive, but these suitcases are not going to pack themselves!  Enough walking down memory lane tonight!

Rain and Snow Saturday 10-Miler

So far, this new year has just been terrible weather-wise for running. First, we had that week of snow January 10-14 (in which I did absolutely no running at all even though I was still training for Mountain Mist which was on January 22). Since then, we've had a few days here and there of "freezing rain" or "icy" conditions (so our group doesn't plan to meet), and then it turns out to just be a light drizzle. This is seriously frustrating! To top it all off (for me), Rick was on travel January 25-28, so without childcare, I stayed inside instead of running all but one day. I don't tally my monthly mileage, but I can imagine that January's would have been pretty low. I did manage the 31 miles of Mountain Mist and then an 18-miler on January 29th, but many of the other days were zero miles! I can handle the cold, but not the rain or heavy snow!

So today our group had decided on a 10-miler at 5:15 a.m. We had met earlier this week for a run in the 20 degree (windchill) temperatures and faced a brutal wind that day. We can handle the cold, at least the cold in Alabama! I was pumped to be able to run, and the weather only called for a 10% chance of precipitation. We always check it on the hourly forecast just to make sure, because who wants to wake up early for nothing? So I woke up, got ready, and got in the car in the garage. As soon as I start pulling out of the garage, I see these little misting raindrops all over my windshield. At that point, I thought about pulling right back into the garage and going back to bed. I'd gotten that far so I decided to at least drive to our meeting spot. The rain continued (but it was so light!) as I made my way to the parking lot of the nearby school. No sooner had I parked when I saw Jennifer's car pulling in next to mine. She immediately rolled down her window and said, "I'm still not sure!" and I quickly agreed as the rain pelted my face from my rolled-down window. But then, another car appeared, this time my friend, Angie. Shortly after that, here comes Kristen. So the four of us are sitting in our cars trying to decide what to do when I see Angie putting her hat on and getting out.

"Are you really running in this?" Jennifer and I asked incredulously (Kristen may have been too, but I could not see her very well from where I was). She said yes. I didn't want her out there alone, so I started thinking that I might try it too. The thought of being miserably cold and wet was so unappealing to me! The wind really picked up then. The rain starting whipping through my car even though the window was only open a little more than a crack. I think that was when Angie decided that it was not letting up at all and changed her mind about running. She quickly sought shelter in her dry car! We all sadly agreed that it was a no-go and headed for our homes. My friends probably think that was the end of the story, but I have a confession! As soon as I made it home, the rain really did let up. I sat watching my windshield in my driveway, and, noticing no rain, turned the car around and headed back to the parking lot. I was hoping some of my friends would do the same. No such luck! So back home I went for the second time, and still no running.

I laid back in the bed, running clothes and all, and waited for the rain to pass. When I woke back up, it was time for a solo run. I decided to make the best of it. I hadn't done any speedwork in awhile. I'd been focusing more on endurance for the Rocket City Marathon and Mountain Mist. So I decided to try our original plan of the 10-mile run but to try it at a 7:30-8:00 minute pace. That is roughly what I'd like to do in the Myrtle Beach Marathon in a couple of weeks. I have a really hard time motivating myself to do speedwork or marathon-pace workouts. Today I also felt a little tired, I guess still from Mountain Mist (a rough "formula" is one day of recovery for each mile raced, and I am only two weeks post-race so that could easily be a factor). But I put in my music and set off, with Rick's borrowed Garmin, of course! I took a couple of miles to warm up and then fell into a 7:45ish mile pace for the next few miles. I didn't feel like straying too far (and ending up with anything over 10 miles) so I repeated the greenway a few times during the run and added the neighborhood from this day. Believe it or not, along with seeing a bunch of puddles everywhere, about halfway through my run I started seeing snowflakes! They fell very lightly and didn't accumulate, but they still made for a nice "apology" from Mother Nature for her earlier plan-cancelling rain. Near mile 8, I already started running out of gas and slipped to an 8:10 pace. The next two were back to sub-8, though it was a struggle. The overall pace turned out to be 7:57. I had paced myself so I was right in front of my house at mile 10. As soon as the Garmin beeped the mile, I stopped, relieved. Ohhhhhh, that is a little frustrating to me, to feel so tired after 10 miles and to have to run 16 more than that in the marathon in two weeks. There was no way I could have kept up that pace for 16 more miles. Based on today, I am planning on 8:00 minute miles for the race, but I may have to aim for 8:30 instead. I just hope to be able to recover more before then. Judging from the recent winter weather we've been having, I'll be given lots of days to do just that.

Mountain Mist Strategy

I've learned from a few people lately that strategizing about a race is a good idea. It may seem like common sense for most, but for me I never thought much about why to use the elevation profile, why to specifically segment a race mentally, or why you should pick places to surge or slow down. But when you are trying to shave minutes off of already good times, it is the details like this that do matter. Rick proved this theory to me when he studied the elevation profile before the Marshall Marathon and decided on his strategy from there, and he used this smart thinking to help him take nearly 2 minutes off of his old PR (see here). It's a lesson to me that knowing the course and how you plan to attack it can help you perform your best.
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Fellow Fleet Feet team member Eric Fritz helped me also start the initial plan for my Mountain Mist time by introducing me to "A-B-C" goals. This is simple really. He says that you should have three goals for any race--the "A" goal, or what you would ideally get in the race, the "B" goal, or what you would still be happy to get, and the "C" goal, or your least of the three and your "I'll take it" kind of goal. As I thought about this year's Mountain Mist, I decided to make my "A" goal to break 6 hours, my "B" goal to get between a 6:06 and a 6:17, and my "C" goal to finish sub-7 hours. I came up with the "A" goal based on the fact that I've broken 6 hours once before (in 2004), and my marathon times this year are close to what I was doing back then. Plus now I have more experience than I did back then, and, hey, I'd like to think that I'm tougher now and I want it more! This goal seems both achievable and challenging. As my "B" goal, I would be happy to be between a 6:06 (my second best time ever) and a 6:17 (my third best time ever). And I think my "C" goal is very achievable, since the only time I've gotten over 7 hours was when I was not in very good shape. Of course, I could fall or get injured and then not finish at all or finish in 8 hours (the maximum time allowed). But these things are not ideal!
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Secondly, Eric suggested to use strategy to attack the three main hills in the course--K2, Waterline, and Rest Shelter Hill. He recommends using a walk approach to these hills and allowing 20 minutes time for each of the hills (as these segments are roughly a mile a piece). This then subtracts nearly 3 miles and one hour off of the part of the race that can feasibly be run (by us "normal" people anyway--I am aware that some trail runners run these hills). So you are really looking at 27 miles of somewhat non-hilly race to be run. In order to figure out what my running pace should be for these 27 miles, I located a pace calculator and entered "5 hours" (the "A" goal's time left over minus the hills) and "27 miles," and I got 11 minutes and 06.66 seconds. So I should run faster than an 11:06 pace for those 27 miles. Gulp. That seems pretty fast given that these trails are pretty rocky and muddy and may even be icy on Saturday. And one more thing getting in my way--Rick may be using the Garmin (if he can start the race he will have it on). So now I am thinking to print up a "cheat sheet" with the aid stations and the time I should have at each of these stations listed on it. This will help me use strategy to stay on track during the race.
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Here is that infamous segment from our race instructions emailed to us runners today from Suzanne Taylor:
"You are the one responsible for entering this race, you better be prepared for the course itself. The rocks will have no mercy. I have seen this course rip apart many a "good trail runner." Mountain Mist is trail running in its finest form. No one is ever let down, just shut down, beaten up, broken and left bleeding. You first timers beware, this course may cause you bodily harm. Even though you have entered the race and paid the fee...YOU CAN STILL BACK OUT! No one will laugh at you, just tell them your family still needs you and you want to continue running in the future, they'll understand! Otherwise, "know your limits and then completely ignore them." "
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After chuckling about how some first timers may be nervously reading that like I once did, I enjoyed reading through the list of entrants for the race.
I came across this:
29 XL Rob Apple 49 Murfreesboro, TN 573
The number on the far right is number of ultras run. Oh my goodness!! I will be in the same race as a guy who has done 573 ultramarathons?!?!
You can read all about Mountain Mist and see more of the incredible competitors in this race here.

Winter Running

Rick in the 20 degree weather with icy beard

This past week has been filled with the most snow we in Huntsville, Alabama have seen in a long time. On Sunday night, Mother Nature delivered almost 8 inches of snow to us. I woke up to a picture-perfect white landscape outside my window and a surprising day off for my husband, Rick. But. The snow was everywhere, roads and sidewalks included, and this was not the usual dusting that melts in a few hours. On the first day, I worked up a sweat by trying to push my daughter in the jogging stroller down the street to our neighborhood sledding hill. The stroller was very heavy as it barreled though those 8 inches! Going up hills was next to impossible, much harder than pushing both children on a regular day. Some of my running friends did brave the snow for a run that first day, but I opted for the elliptical instead. It felt very unusual to start out my week without my morning run with the group. (By the way, plastic bags wrapped around your feet and under your shoes is the way to go for the snow running). Jane and Julia definitely made some good memories on their snowy run Tuesday morning and proved how die-hard they both are!

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Staying inside and missing my Wednesday and Friday runs is taking its toll on me. Tuesday my concern was having enough of a path to run on (the roads were not well plowed at all). Wednesday through today (Friday) the concern for us all has been the ice on the streets and sidewalks and now the bitter cold (lows in upper teens). That is bitter cold for us! Schools were out all week...meaning most of us moms are stuck inside with our little ones who are climbing the walls! I have had now 6 straight days of the elliptical machine. With my swollen ankle from the trails last week, I am looking at the snow as a blessing in disguise for keeping me off the roads and hopefully letting it heal. But getting an unexpected break in my routine is a hard way to feel ready for a 50K next weekend.

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The pictures above and below are of my husband, Rick. Right after Christmas we were able to get up and run together since we had family staying the night. After a frosty run, I looked over and saw his frozen beard. I had never seen such a thing, so I ran to get my camera. I love how the sunrise is in the background, highlighting his rosy cheeks. This is winter running at its best!

Mountain Mist Training

Well, Mountain Mist 50K is right around the corner. It is such an awesome race and holds very fond memories for me (and hopefully for my husband, Rick!). We started dating while training for our first Mountain Mist together, got engaged at the top of Rest Shelter Hill on a training run, and even named our dog, Monte, after the mountain it's run on (Monte Sano).
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Training for my sixth Mountain Mist has not been ideal, but I am hoping it is enough to take me to a pretty good time for me (sub 6-hours). I have some marathons in recent months plus a 20-miler two weeks ago (though road runs, they are good for endurance), and I have done two trail runs in the last month. The first was the week before Christmas and was 15 miles. The second was last weekend, and it was 19.5 miles. They were both the second half of the course (look at the link above to see a course map and elevation profile). The second half is definitely the more challenging, with two pretty hard climbs when you are already well into the race. Since Rick is also training, I don't get a lot of time on the trails. So I have to make the most of it!
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My training run this past weekend was just a lot of fun and good learning for me too. All runners are invited to the training runs held on the several Saturdays leading up to Mountain Mist (this year Christmas and New Year's Eve fell on Saturdays so there were less training runs. There were no "official" training runs on Christmas though I'm sure some still ran! Another run--the Recover From the Holidays 50K--was held on New Year's Eve and I believe replaced the training run that day). The runs are held at 7 a.m. and begin at the hikers' parking lot. I went up with my friend Julia, who is training for her second Mountain Mist. A huge group was gathered this time, a big difference from the dozen or so that came out the Saturday I came in December. I guess the weather was a little above freezing, and I thought it was interesting to instantly recognize the more seasoned trail runners waiting in the parking lot wearing their shorts (and not tights). We met up with our friend, Mike, who wanted a similar mileage for that day and also wanted the miles on the second half of the course. Somehow, the massive group got going without much notice and I ended up dead last. I followed along for a little while, and eventually we came to a stop about 5 miles into the run where we split from the other group to follow Mike's route. A fellow Fleet Feet Racing Team member, Eric Fritz, came along with Mike.
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I like the training runs because you never know who you might end up running with. Single-track trails are very narrow and don't allow you to be side-to-side with anyone. But you can still carry on a conversation with the person in front or behind you without too much trouble. I figured I would run with Julia for most of the run, but I ended up being in the front of our little group with Eric most of the time. I had never run with him before, and he had the greatest stories to share and really helped pass the time. He told me how he broke 20 minutes in the Cotton Row 5K with Rick pushing him on, how he ran his first 100-miler (he has a good write-up on his blog), how he helped pace the 3:20 marathon group, and about pacing strategies for Mountain Mist (those I loved and will "reveal" in a later post). He runs the trails frequently and with some other awesome Fleet Feet Racing Teams members (Rob, Kathy, Eric C., and Dana to name a few). I loved how we stopped at one point to hunt for some stashed water jugs along the course (turns out it was not too clean and we opted not to drink it). The worst part of the run was near the base of McKay Hollow, where I landed funny and rolled my ankle on some rocks. I had never done that before. Later it swelled and, more than anything, shook my confidence a little. I also fell when my new shoe's laces got caught on a branch. The branch held my foot and I tumbled down (but it was a slow fall and I easily landed on my bottom).
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I finished the trail run muddy and tired, two essential components of any good trail run! It was great running with good company and preparing for my favorite Huntsville race!

The Week After the Marathon

Wow, I can't believe Christmas is a few days away! The weekend of the marathon was so busy that it feels like I haven't recovered from that yet. And now my ankle is hurting, so I guess I haven't! It seems like I get a new injury every time I pick up my mileage. Boo. The week after the marathon, I felt good enough to run on Monday, but it was so cold (wind chill of 6 degrees!) that we decided not to run and I did the elliptical machine instead. Then I did a hilly 10 mile run on Wednesday, a 10 mile run on Friday (did part of Alice's long run with her), and a 15 mile trail run run on Saturday (the second half of the Mountain Mist course). Then Monday was an 8 mile run. So many longer runs is not usual for me, so I mostly wanted to record this for my own poor memory. It is good Mountain Mist training.
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I've been thinking a lot about how important running should be in my life (see Jane's "Just a Thing" post for her momma's good advice on this topic). Also have a good post on body image in the works (complete with pictures of my tumultuous last 15 years or so). Digging out the old pictures has made me very contemplative of how running has affected both my body and my view of my body. It's on the to-do list for Christmas Break.