Run, Write, Run

Summertime and the Living is Easy

2011-06-30T07:33:00.001-04:00

Ahhh, the glorious school year calendar--Summers are more than long days, fresh veggies, strawberry juice running down your chin, and the blender on high--it also means a fundamental change in routine. Problem is, I like routine. But I know myself well enough that I need the occasional change in them otherwise I will work that routine dry and then I become stale.

So, what's the new routine? I wake up turbo early (ok, no real change there), get in my main run of the day (if 2 are scheduled...before this was reserved for the evening), and then travel just past the school where I teach. But, I get to wear old soft cotton t-shirts, my best patched pants, mucky shoes, and usually get some good dirt on my hands. I'm working at a farm--splitting time between the fields and farm stand. I'm working pretty long days, but having a blast doing so. The people who own and operate the farm are just the type of people that the phrase "good people" was made for. And, the majority of people that visit have been pleasant, gracious, and kind hearted. I guess like breeds like.

This summer I'll also be taking a few classes and hosting an overnight XC camp. My brother and I are co-directors and we were really busy a few weeks ago with making, printing, and distributing brochures, setting up the website, and ironing out details. Now we are banking on the "if you build it, they will come" theory. I have a few other projects brewing, but I'm going to let them percolate a bit longer.

Ahhh, summertime running. Cool, muggy mornings. Warm evenings. Shorts and sports bra. I'm in heaven. I'm doing 5K training and it's been fun--a great change of pace and mental shift more me. I was going to race this past Thursday, but it was cancelled due to storms. My next race should be July 4, but I took/am taking a few days off to nurse a sore Achilles and while I think it's better, I'm going to play it super cautious on this one.

It's summertime and the living is easy--busy, but good.

Presented in 7 Acts

2011-05-23T21:56:00.001-04:00

"Tell Yolanda to update her blog." This was a phone message left for me, so here ya go...

First things first. (Second things will probably be a different post...oh the anticipation!!) Originally I was going to run the Vermont City Marathon, which is this weekend. I wanted to run a spring marathon and thought VCM would be perfect. I contacted the proper race personnel and asked to be in their elite field. They agreed. I was stoked. And then, I guess I choked. Not in the overly anxious, I really, really don't want to blow this moment, so I'm now going to blow it b/c I made too much out of it type of choke. Just, it ain't happenin' choke. My training wasn't going well. I felt lousy most runs and things were not falling in place, weren't being thrown in place, and definitely weren't staying in place. So, I entered the Kübler-Ross Model--well, sort of.

1. Shock and Disbelief.
"I feel good."
"This is going to work out fine."
OH MY GOSH, WHY DO I FEEL LIKE POOP! I am so shocked!

2. Denial.
"I can work through this."
"I will work through this."
"I can fight my way through this."
"I will fight my way through this."
"It's not too bad, there's plenty of time to turn this around."
Denial ends due to unbeknownst wisdom of 18 year old.

3. Anger
Rah rah ah-ah-ah!
Ro mah ro-mah-mah

4. Bargaining
"If I eat more red meat and chug my handy bottle of liquid iron religiously can I turn this around?"

5. Guilt
Bruised ego. Tail between the legs.
"What did I do wrong?!?!"
Forcing self to contact race directors and thank them for generously accepting me into their field, but I must withdraw. Feel horrible for not following through with self-imposed expectations. Guilt partially alleviated by very thoughtful, kind, and understanding message from VCM elite coordinator. Ego still bruised, but not being currently beaten.

4. Depression.
Hhhhhmmmmmpppppphhhhhh.
Bummer.
That was about it.

7. Acceptance and Hope
New goal...while improving iron levels and getting body and mind back on track totally switch gears and focus. 5K training.
Get outside perspective on training and hand it over to someone else for a while. Don't get caught in training traps.

And, so I am left with parsed down mileage, shorter/quicker workouts, and cheeseburgers. Life ain't so bad.

My Rose Colored Glasses Got Stepped On

2011-04-02T23:08:00.001-04:00

This week was a running struggle...one in which the struggle won. After being sick all last weekend, I ran on Monday and Tuesday, but didn't get out the door on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. Why? I just really, really, really didn't feel like it. I was tired. I was rushed for time. But I could have fit it in. I knew I could fit it in, but I didn't want to. I sat in my desk chair Thursday evening, knowing I needed to leave NOW! if I was to get my run in. I sat down and pictured myself driving, getting out of my car, parking, and starting to move. I did it to motivate myself. Instead, everything in my mind and body didn't like that. The thought of moving in a straight line down the road--a thought that usualy delights me--completely turned me off. I didn't want to feel the fresh air, I didn't want to breathe hard, I didn't want to stretch out--again, things that generally delight me. Things I generally enjoy doing multiple times a day. No, I caught it...the three day funk.

It was a solid three day funk. Not the good, groovy, soul funk. But, the wretched, vile, stanky funk. The funk that makes you go blah, not aaahhhhhhhhh. The funk that no one wants to be around, not the funk that makes people want to throw down.

I went for a nice run today. Hopefully I'll get my run mojo back real soon, because I have a hard 8 weeks if I'm to hit an OT qualifying time at the end of May. I feel so pressed with my schedule, that if I don't have the mental fortitude to commit and believe in this goal, then I can't and won't do it. The past few days I realized/admitted how mentally fried I was from the 50K. I bounced back pretty good physically, but mentally I really struggled. Am struggling. I'm not sure how to explain it and I'd probably sound whiny, so I'll just say, "it got to me, it really got to me." Hopefully, these past few days were a complete purging of it and I can do what needs to be done (which deep down is also what I want to be done, if I can peel back these layers of funkitude). This week will be telling, as the race is quickly approaching.

That horse bucks!

2011-03-27T20:47:00.002-04:00

The title will make more sense if you read or scroll down to the previous posting. Anyway, I ended last weekend on a strong note...got in a hard effort on Saturday and a solid longer run on Sunday. I ran easy on Monday and was hoping to do a workout on Tuesday, because although not ideal recovery-wise, it was best schedule-wise and I was hoping I could get away with it and then take the next few days really easy, as they were jam packed anyway. Well, the workout on Tuesday got cut short--real short and I felt like dog running the rest of the week. Not sure if I just didn't respect the work I did the previous weekend enough or I wasn't getting enough rest or maybe I was fighting something off. It didn't matter because by Friday 5th block I was looking through magic-mirror glasses and trying not to toss my cookies.

I rallied--or sort of rallied--for practice (asst. coach at the high school I teach at) and faked my way through standing upright (mostly) and not being a total slug. I left quickly because I felt horrible and had a meeting to go to. By the time I wrapped my day up, I almost had to pull my car over on the side of the road because driving just seemed soooooooo labor intensive. No joke.

For someone who not too recently trudged through 31 miles, it was all I could do to walk inside, take off my shoes, and pull the blankets around my shaking body--mind you I had on two pairs of pants, two long-sleeve shirts, a sweater, my winter jacket and a winter hat. Here I stayed for a solid 12 hours. I woke up, went to the bathroom, took off my jacket, and slept the rest of the day and following night away. In a 36 hour period, I easily slept for 30 of the hours. And that's not in any way typical of me--healthy or sick. I took the sick animal approach and quarantined myself and didn't move (couldn't move), didn't eat and probably drank a total of 8 oz. of fluid. But, by mid-Sunday, I was feeling quite a bit better. Good enough to write about a lack of running and ponder how I can feel tired after sleeping that much. Guess my body was busy fumigating and healing.

Well, I didn't have the running week I was hoping for and I'm finding my schedule tough. Before I got sick, I was pondering if perhaps I have too much going on right now and I can only hope the sickness was a freak incident (food poisoning, perhaps?...it came on pretty suddenly after lunch) and not a sign of anything else. I can only take each day as it comes and plan as best as possible. I'm hoping we get some warmer weather too, this week of highs in the low 30's was a bummer. But, once again, I'll get back on the horse--hopefully tomorrow.

Back on the Horse

2011-03-19T21:31:00.000-04:00

After feeling sorry for myself for a few days, I'm back on the horse.

At the 50k, I didn't have the race I envisioned. Not even close. I never felt good and it got ugly--quickly. I knew pretty early on that I would have to back way off my race plan to complete the distance. I initiated the back off and then it took on a life of it's own. Growing, growing, growing.

I'm not sure what went wrong...if my training was the culprit then I think it would have hit me much later in the race, not so dang super early. My fueling was good and I felt ready for it. I may have had a touch of a bug--Pepto and I had a few visits the week leading up to the race, but I'm not convinced this was a factor. I got really cold fairly early in the race, due to the rain and wind. I was literally shaking from the cold while running, although I would occassionally warm up if the rain let up. I probably should have stopped to get some more clothes, but I didn't. These don't amount to much, but excuses. It simply boils down to: It just wasn't my day.

I spent a lot of time contemplating dropping out, wondering if I was doing more harm than good. But, in retrospect I'm glad I finished. If for nothing else, to hold onto a bit of self-discipline.

With the writing of this posting (finally!!), I'm tucking it away and moving on. May 29th is the next big thing.

I don't know why I can't rotate this...

Oh, blissful ignorance where are you?

2011-03-05T11:39:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow morning I'll be running the USATF 50k at this time. The weather looks to be relatively warm (40's) with a good chance of rain and wind...the course is a loop that nears the water so the wind factor will probably be on & off throughout the race. Last year going into this race, I was blissfully ignorant of what to expect and what expectations to place upon myself. I think the experience of doing it (once!) will pay off, but part of me wishes for that naivety to return. The biggest difference is probably that I'm placing more concrete expectations upon myself, but in reality I can control that so it shouldn't be a point of stress. I'm excited for the race and as it gets closer I'm sure that I'll be more and more happy to have the experience from last year in my back pocket as I do my final race preparations. Thanks to the many people who have sent me well wishes...much appreciated! Happy weekend!

Last Long Run

2011-02-21T14:18:00.000-05:00

This weekend I did my last long run before the 50K. It was probably a bit longer than I would have gone if my training schedule went exactly to plan, but I missed a few long runs due to colds and I wanted to get one more in. I weighed the pros and cons of doing it two weeks out from the 50K, but settled on the fact that if I backed off a few days after and made sure I recovered well from it, it would be beneficial for fitness and fueling practice.

The local running club, Monadnock Regional Milers, host a winter race series appropriately called the Winter Chillers. The location varies and this weekend the race took place 14 miles from where I live so I used it as motivation to get out the door and get going early Saturday morning. The temperature wasn't too bad and although it was really windy, I was pretty well protected from it for most of the run. Starting around 6:25am, I ran to where registration was being held and then added on about another 20 minutes of running before registering, using the loo, and grabbing some Hammer gel. From there my brother and I ran another 1.5 miles or so before the 3 mile race, which I didn't race, but continued along at a similar pace. My brother and I then ran the course again with a bit added on at the end of it. It worked out great for some motivation, mentally breaking up the long run, being able to fuel at regular intervals, and have company for part of it. I averaged a little quicker pace than expected, finishing my 3 hour run with 25 miles.

It was great to get in another long run and feel pretty good doing it. I practiced taking in fuel at intervals similar to what I'll use in the 50K and it worked well. I used Hammer HEED about every 3 miles and Hammer gels (I went with the flavor potpourri approach: vanilla, huckleberry, tropical, and raspberry) about every 6 miles. Everything sat fine in my stomach, while keeping my blood sugar and energy levels stable so I'll stick with this plan come race day.

I took it easy on Sunday to make sure I recover fully. I'll do a tempo run this week, race the Jones Group 10 miler (Amherst, MA) on Sunday, then onto the 50K on March 6.

Catching a Break...

2011-02-14T20:36:00.000-05:00

It was 45 degrees this afternoon...it was AWESOME! I was the person out in shorts...why?...because I needed to really enjoy the break from the cold. It's supposed to be a high of 15 degrees tomorrow, so I made sure I capitalized on it. I'm looking forward to more of these gaps in the cold as we move towards the close of February and into March.

Here's to some more shorts weather days!...

fighting, fighting, resting

2011-02-06T20:48:00.000-05:00

The other week I felt some sickness coming on...I laid low for a few days and thought I by-passed it, but it got the best of me this week. The little, mindless, sneaky buggers out smarted me. One point for them.

Consolation Game: I beat the crazies...and didn't go nuts trying to stick to my training schedule. I did pretty good noticing it was taking a lot of energy to get through the day, so I backed off the running and gave a good effort to get better ASAP. Hopefully this will totally clear up in the next few days. I've been pretty lucky this winter and school year in avoiding sickness and if this winter cold is as bad as it gets, I'm getting off easy. Here's looking forward to some long runs and hard workouts.

First of the season, probably a few more to go...

2011-01-21T15:13:00.001-05:00

It was pretty icy last night when I went running, but I found some relatively non-slippery spots and was managing quite well until I had about 5 minutes left...bam! No real damage, just some scratches and temporary stiffness. Aaahhhhhh, should have worn the screw shoes...

snow, screws, sponsorship...oh my!

2011-01-18T14:33:00.000-05:00

Another boat load of snow today...I'm not sure how much we are supposed to get, but I think we have about 6-8 inches and it looks like it's still coming down pretty good. We got about 2 feet a week ago, so the snow banks are becoming rather impressive. School (work) was cancelled today, so I was able to get in most of my running this morning. Before I got the call, I was up and out of the house so I could do a short run before work, so I just ended up making it a longer run before the roads got too bad. They were pretty hard to run on by the time I finished, but the screws in the soles of my shoes definitely help. They are, without a doubt, a winter necessity.

Some winter essentials: shoes w/screws, super heavy wind-proof
mittens, hot hands, reflective vest & head lamp (not much day
light), and dubs hats.

That and "hot hands" which made my long run yesterday possible. It was just over 10 degrees yesterday (luckily it was sunny and not windy) and my hands do not last long once it gets that cold. But, tucking some hot hands in my mittens and changing the mittens half-way through the run kept my hands from being painfully cold. (My hands get really cold, really easy and I have a really hard time dealing with it...as in, it makes me almost physically ill, not to mention cranky.) But, despite the cold and snow, I've been fortunate getting in my runs.

I recently found out that my sponsorship with Hammer Nutrition was renewed...and, not only renewed, but upped. I was thrilled, especially since I did not race very much last year. I won the USATF 50K Championship, but outside of some small, local races didn't do too much. Luckily, they are a great company that was very supportive when I told them I needed to put aside my racing plans and take a few months off to clear up some lingering injuries. I emailed them and their sponsorship coordinator gave me the thumbs up and even suggested it was probably a wise thing to do. A company that puts people first and makes great products...I'm okay with that.

balance in boomtown

2011-01-08T16:43:00.002-05:00

2011 is off to a busy start. I'm in the process of jacking up my mileage in preparation for the 50K Championships in early March, while being mindful of balancing it with my other commitments. That is, in order to be best prepared, I need to run not as much mileage as I possibly can, but run as much mileage as I possibly can while upholding my other commitments, not being useless at my job, and keeping myself healthy...finding the sweet spot of training, as my brother likes to say. While I know my body can handle a certain work load when training is my #1 priority, I have to discover how much my body can handle when there are other priorities and commitments. I'm making a lot of time for running, but as is life, there are of course lots of other things requesting my time.

This was my first week incorporating some double runs and testing out my new morning routes. Last year to maximize sleep and run time on my double days I would wake up and head out the door as quickly as possible to hit the cold pavement. This year I decided it would be better to spend a little bit more time awake and moving...the old body doesn't always spring out of bed. But, I need to maximize my time. So, I've been getting up, driving part-way to work, doing my run, then going to work and cleaning up there. Plus, the roads on the way to work are better to run on than the one in front of the house...at least in the snowy winter dark. The doubles are treating me well and I had a good week of workouts. (I'll try to write more about these, since they are probably more of interest...and I didn't forget that I owe you a training plan.)

Aside from running, teaching is going well. It's been super busy coming back from break and with a new semester starting in another week, but I'm trying to keep it balanced too.

In the late fall, I inquired and looked into taking on the position of leading the Servant Leader Team of Discipleship at my church and was accepted for the position. The position is to help coordinate and plan discipleship activities. Programs such as the nursery, children's church, youth and high school programming, and adult education fall under the auspices of this team. There are people in place who do a ton of great work for these programs and I"ll hopefully be able to offer support and guidance in this upcoming year. Right now we are busy with a church-wide study program (r12) that I'm really excited about. So, this is the other portion I'm balancing with the other two.

I realized each topic could be split into mind, body, spirit. Now, as long as I keep them in harmony and, of course, remember which is most critical. (No, not running.)

Best wishes for a wonderful new year!!

just a blip.

2010-12-13T21:13:00.000-05:00

After barely running the prior week (due to some wierd bug), I was able to hop right back into things this past week. I think the key was realizing it would be anti-productive trying to fight through whatever I had and then not starting running the second I began to feel better, but give my body and day or two lag time and make sure it was back up to full health. Oh, what wisdom! 34 years in the making no less!

I think I'm going to give the USATF 50k Championships in March a go. I had a great time there last year and would like to try and tackle it again. While I train for it, I'm going to try and keep focusing on some areas that need improvement (shorter/speed stuff). This may seem totally counter-productive, but, if I keep my focus on the goal and pepper in a few things I think I can not only make it work, but make it be successful. I'm still ironing out the details of a training plan, but I'll share it once it's done.

In the meantime, check this sweet logo (from an Australian band). They work the two-tone to give me a nice name plate. Thanks dudes.

what happened?...

2010-12-05T20:27:00.000-05:00

Last week, I was set to continue my 5K training for another handful of weeks and see where it would take me, but that obviously didn't happen if you look at my total mileage for the week (11 miles!...total...for the week.)

I had a bit of a stomach ache on Saturday, but nothing that kept me from still enjoying T-day leftovers and yummy holiday deserts. But, then on Sunday I noticed I didn't have much of an appetite. I ate a little in the morning and for lunch, but wasn't very interested in dinner. So, I fully expected to wake up hungry the next morning and be on my happy little way. Well, I was on my happy little way, but not hungry--in the least. I felt okay, but decided to keep my run short since I didn't eat anything all day other than a couple crackers. I felt fine running, but still no appetite. This continued into the next day, so I scratched my workout and just ran short. Anyway, you get the point. I ate a few crackers during the week and went a few days without any food, as the thought of it made me nauseous. I actually felt pretty good otherwise. No real sickness...just felt a little spacey later in the week. Friday night I was able to eat some dinner and I now feel like my appetite is back to normal. So, I'll pick back up with the running tomorrow...luckily it wasn't enough time to lose any real fitness and I can pick up where I left off.

Here's a picture of where I left off...my Island Photography Proof from the Manchester RR.

Closing the Gap

2010-11-29T20:20:00.002-05:00

This fall I've gave myself the goal of trying to close the gap back to where I was last year. I started with a 21:something 5K run in September and have slowly been whittling it down. This past Thursday I ran in the Manchester Road Race in Manchester, CT. It's close to where I grew up and has great tradition behind it. This year the race was capped at 15,000 and it filled up a few days before the race, making it the largest in race history. It's a great race--there's a ton of talent, it's well organized, people line the streets along the odd-distance course (4.748 miles) shouting encouragement, playing instruments, and starting their celebrations early. And, being from the area, it's a great opportunity to see people I don't regularly see throughout the year.

I closed the gap from last year to within 6 seconds, so just over 1 second/mile, which is the closest I've been this fall to my race times from last year. I ran with a similar effort to last year (hard, but not so hard I didn't enjoy the scenery, spectacle, and fans along the course), so I feel comfortable making the comparison. In fact, I closed the race better than I did last year despite running only about 60-50% of the mileage I hit last year. Sweet. I'm going to spend a little more time trying to further whittle down my 5K time and hopefully get a bit closer to my PR and then around the new calendar year start up with some new training, which I'm starting to hammer out now.

After the race, I had a great T-day with my fam.

A few pictures from the race are below. (courtesy Courant.com)

I agree. I heart Safetyman, too.

Speaking of...

One of the many bands along the way.

Runners heading up the hill.

It's thick heading toward the finish.

What a difference...

2010-11-14T21:43:00.001-05:00

...a day makes.

Friday was a rough day. I felt pretty horrible from the second I woke up to the minute I went to bed. I didn't feel sick per say--no wretched stomachache or head cold--but just felt really "off" all day. I think that's one of those blessing/curse things of being an athlete...you get so in tune with your body that you can really sense all the little things and notice when the body is slightly off kilter. Luckily it goes hand-in-hand with knowing how to deal with it and just proceed throughout the day. Anyway, I felt lousy all day Friday and I had to fight all day to not let my mood totally match it and dash the day against the rocks. I struggled through a six mile run (can't wait until I'm doing higher volume and those become 12 mile struggles...) and called it a day.

Then Saturday rolls around and I feel great. I woke up a different person--feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally alert and just plain good. I was planning on a 14 mile hilly run with Lance and Todd and was happy it was scheduled for Saturday and not Friday, which would have been fairly torturous. Instead, it was a beautiful day (aka shorts and t-shirt day) and the run was productive. I followed the run up with a trip to Fitchburg to meet my family, watch Lance's play (very good, by the way), and eat Chinese food from a shin-dig that had a drive through window--could there possibly be any better way to get Chinese food?

Hope this message catches you on a "good" day, but if not--and even though it's cliche--I think the hard days make the good days all the sweeter, helps us be a little more thankful, and allows us to be mindful of others thereby connecting us to that which is humanity.

East Windsor Memorial 5K

2010-11-11T08:21:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I made the relatively short trek to CT for a visit with my mom and a road race, the East Windsor Veterans Day 5K. I ran in this race last year, placing first for women and third overall, in a time of 17:48. Going into this year, based off the workouts I was doing, I figured that if I ran 6:00 pace it would be a good race and another step in the right direction. The weather was great and I had good company for the warm-up and cool-down, which always makes the race experience all that much better.

After the gun went off, I quickly found myself in second place (for women), with the first place woman about 10m ahead of me. By the first mile mark she was probably 4-5 seconds ahead of me and I was bouyed by the fact that my split was 5:48-5:49 and I felt comfortable...especially since the only time I have moved at that pace or faster since May was some 200's earlier in the week. I love how aerobic fitness trickles down...

Back to the race, I figured that if I was going to catch the leader, I needed to do it in the 2nd mile where there are a few small hills. I set out to do so, but the gap did NOT diminish. The last mile has a few small rolls the first half, but then a gradual downhill towards the finish. At the 2 mile mark, the leader seemed to throw in a surge and I figured I wasn't going to be able to close it up, but in the same thought decided that I would at least try. In the middle of the rollers, I caught up and decided I had to pass then, knowing full well it may be a bit early for me to try and hold on for the rest of the race. But, I went for it and being in front, trying not to get caught, and having no idea of what was going on behind me helped me push to a 18:13, beating my "hoping for 6:00 pace" out of the water. I thought I was being very realistic with my 6:00 pace attempt, so this was a pleasant suprise and a great boost. Yeah, it was 25 seconds slower than last year, but I'm at a different point with my training now so making that comparison is fairly useless. I will, however, make the comparison that at a road race about a month earlier I ran 20 seconds/mile (almost to a T) slower than the previous year and at this race I ran about 8 seconds/mile slower than last year. Getting there...

Oh, and in the injury update, I wore flats for the first time since the spring too...they felt great and my achilles was totally cool.

Shout out to my sister-in-law who set yet another PR this fall...taking about 30 seconds off her old 5K time. She has PR'ed...and not just PR'ed, but HUGE PR's...in everything from 5K-1/2 marathon this fall. She's in the Brooks ID program, so if you see a nightlife singlet coming at you, watch out! And, a side perk to her running was I was able to play with my niece for a while before having lunch with my mom...a great day.

I have to start remembering to take a camera to races, so I can throw a few pictures up...

Catch Up Time

2010-10-31T14:15:00.000-04:00

Okay, it's been a while since the last posting, but things were a bit hectic. The good news is that the running stayed in place and continues to progress. I'll pat myself on the back and say I've been good about making it a priority. And, I guess it's a relatively easy thing to make as a priority because I enjoy it, but I do tend to push it aside when things crowd in.

Anyway, I wanted to keep hills as an integral part of my training and although I haven't done a specific hill workout in the last two weeks, I have intentionally run some particularly hilly routes and have made an effort to not slack on those sections. The other day I was running with my brother and he started to pull away from me on a hill (not totally atypical) and I said, nope, and made an effort to fight my way up it. So, the strength part is coming along and I think my calves and achilles are benefitting from it and hopefully it should help me stay injury free.

The weather has been pretty good for running...relatively warm afternoons and the rain seemed to be strategically timed this past week. It will stink a bit when the clocks get set back next week, but so it goes.

What else...oh, I left off a while ago saying I was going to continue with a train of thought about why this time around I feel different running. I'll get to that in the near future...

Hitting the Hills

2010-10-16T21:34:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday I planned on doing a track workout, but there was a field hockey game on the infield, so I switched plans and did a hill workout instead. There's a grass hill not far from the track so I headed over with my training partner of the day, Todd. He loves hills, so he was totally game for the switch. The grass hill was great, taking just over 1:40 to go the distance. It started with a steep little incline, then kept rising, but at a much more modest rate. After reaching the top, we jogged down and started over again. This time on the descent, we were met by a not-so-friendly dog. Hair raised, teeth showing, and growling...not very friendly. We attempted another one and were met part-way up the hill by this same guy and realized it was not going to be feasible to try and tempt fate, especially since he was right in our path. We decided it was going to be more productive (and safer) to move to elsewhere. As a side note, I used to be pretty scared of dogs while running--as a result of being bit by one during a run--but I am not as worried as I used to be. So, this switch was realistic and not totally fear based.

We jogged over to a nearby road and tested out it's hill. It took about 77 seconds to run and was a great workout. As I was running, I was reminded that as I return from my layoff, I wanted to make sure my muscle strength was brought along in-line with my aerobic system, in order to prevent the type of injuries that I seemed to be incurring. What better way to work on my muscle strength than hills. I'm going to try and make this a regular part of my training. I used to do quite a bit of hill running and found that I responded well to it. So, hills, hills, hills it is.

Honeymoon Suite

2010-10-08T21:04:00.004-04:00

On Wednesday it was cold, dark, and rainy. In other words, it was a trifecta for killing any get-out-the-door-and-run motivation. I was sitting at my computer wrapping up some work and looked at the rain coming down and sighed while I packed up my belongings to call it quits on my work day. As soon as I hit the fresh air, I smiled and felt ready to take on the challenge of getting myself out running on this dreary day. In fact, as I drove to meet a few people for my run and turned my windshield wipers up a notch, I found myself really happy and excited to go running in the rain. Perhaps I'm still in the post-injury honeymoon stage, but I'm starting to think it may be more than that.

On one level, I am excited to be back running--it's simply an activity that I find pleasant. It creates a time and space where I feel alive and at peace. A time and space where I feel both stretched and comfortable. A time and space where everything is simplified, yet welcoming to complex philosophical and theological pondering. A time and place where I feel stimulated and soothed.

On another level, it is exciting to feel like I'm starting over in some regards. I have the opportunity to build towards a challenging goal and test my will, discipline, physical and mental self as I work toward qualifying for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials. It is comforting to know that I did it before and am familiar with what is needed to achieve that goal, but I am also mindful that I am trying to do it in different conditions. Running with Hansons-Brooks was a huge gift and one that I will always be grateful for receiving. It was an ideal training ground with ideal coaches and ideal teammates and ideal preparation. I may not be in ideal training conditions this time around, but I am enjoying the challenge of creating them and dealing with it when not. Rather than looking at what I don't have in terms of that ideal training setting, I am really appreciating what I do have (and doing what I feel I am "supposed" to be doing with the rest of my non-running hours). Running in the wind and rain on Wednesday, I was all smiles as I ran around the first turn of the track, as I was so happy to have great people running alongside me, sharing in laughs, effort, and goals.

I started to write another paragraph but I was getting into a whole other topic, so I'll save that for another day and just stop short here and say there's at least one more reason I want to share as to why I think this is more than just a honeymoon-stage. Instead, I'll say that my workout on Wednesday went well...I've stuck with doing stuff at 6:00 pace and letting my body adjust to that in small doses. The first time I was on the track, my achilles was pretty tight after, but this go-around I only had a little calf tightness. The pace feels comfortable and I'm ready to start doing some longer intervals and being a little bit more aggressive. My body has been responding really well to what I've thrown at it, so I'm going to stick with this gradual, progressive plan and let things develop in their own time.

Good luck to my Michigan girls (ahem, women) at Chicago this weekend!!

Tony Danza

2010-09-29T21:02:00.002-04:00

Quick...

Yup, Who's the Boss.
How good was that show?

Last Sunday, I went out early for what is currently my long run--10 miles. The prior week, I had done the same run and was feeling pretty darn tired out by the end. This week I ran it considerably faster and felt a ton better. It was nice to finally feel like I was in control of the run, instead of the run being in control of me. I felt like that again today while I was on the track. The workout isn't anything to write home about in terms of volume or speed, but it served its purpose of reclaiming some fitness and allowing my muscles and tendons an opportunity to adjust and strengthen themselves. I felt like the injuries that seemed to be cropping up were related to muscle weaknesses or imbalances and I need to make sure they are corrected and strengthened as I progress.

I've been running long enough to know that sometimes the run is the boss, but it was nice to be on top the last few days.

Bouyed

2010-09-25T08:45:00.000-04:00

Bouyed by how my Achilles felt after the Anne-Marie House 5K (one of my longer runs so far--w/warm-up and cool-down--and moving a little quicker than I had), I decided to hop into my brother's workout on Wednesday. He was doing a broken up tempo run on the track and I jumped in for every other quarter. I ran the quarters in 88-89--again, to see how it felt and my Achilles would react. I'll sure be happy when I can stop being concerned about this tempermental 3 inch section of my leg! I felt good and it was fun to be doing something different than what the past few weeks consisted of.

Last fall, my brother, our friend Todd, and I did workouts together every Wednesday. It was a good workout group and I'm hoping to make my way back into the workout wednesday routine. But, I'm going to be realistic where I'm at, so I'll swallow (and no doubt choke) on my pride and just try and hit paces and interval lengths that are representative of where I'm at, not where I want to be. As I was doing the 4's, I thought about how I want to be able to run this pace for a much, much longer distance, but if I can only do it for 400m at a time right now, that's okay, too.

My run last night started in the dusk and finished in the dark so I got to sport my headlamp. I'm used to wearing it in the winter, so it was a treat to be in a tank top while sporting it!

Anne-Marie House 5K

2010-09-19T20:21:00.000-04:00

Earlier this spring I was contacted by Dennis St. Lawrence and asked to participate in a fundraiser for the Anne-Marie House in Hudson, NH, which provides emergency transitional shelter, meals, and services for families experiencing homelessness. The house is part of the Greater Nashua Interfaith Hospitality Network (GNIHN), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Their vision is to eliminate homelessness one family at a time. Beautiful. And, it seems as if they have already made a huge difference in the lives of a number of families.

When I was contacted, I didn't know where I would be living or what I would be doing in the fall, so I expressed my interest in helping, as long as I was in the area. When I found out I would be around, I called Dennis and said I would be there to help, but wouldn't be able to do much in terms of racing...that whole Achilles lay-off thing.

It was a great afternoon with a lot of people out to support the cause. I felt horrible warming up and didn't have a game plan. My main goal was just to get in 8-10 miles and not do anything stupid to my Achilles. I started the race pretty conservatively and then picked it up as I went along. I ran 20:31, which was the first time I dipped under 7:30 pace since starting running again. Good to know it's still possible and not bad since I felt comfortable and purposely wasn't trying to race. My brother said I could run on his XC team...maybe even Varsity. Sweet.

It was a well organized event for a great purpose. I hope to return next year and continue to support the Anne-Marie House.

Thank You!!

2010-09-13T21:00:00.000-04:00

I wanted to take a quick moment and thank my sponsor, Hammer Nutrition, for being so supportive during my lay-off this summer. While I want to represent them well and be able to show them fast times and high places, I felt no pressure to perform this summer. In fact, I even received words of support for my decision...just another reason why they are such a wonderful company. They make products that work and taste great and truly are an athlete-centered company. Thank you Hammer Nutrition!!

(And thank you to those who have shared with me that you tried Hammer Nutrition because you saw that they sponsor me…I’m sure you are enjoying it as much as I am! If you have any questions or want any suggestions, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment and I’ll reply.)

Also, a thank you to Marx Running & Fitness in Acton, MA for taking a similar stance--support and patience. They (Mark) hooked me up with some great gear and race support...then I stopped running. It's nice to have people say, "it's okay...you'll be ready when you're ready" and be totally cool with it, even after pumping time and money into you. Thanks! and I'm looking forward to getting the singlet back on!

Long Run

2010-09-11T13:59:00.000-04:00

Today I did the longest run since coming back...a solid 10 bangs. I still have a cold, but wanted to give it a go, especially with the company of Lance (brother) and Mae (brother's dog) and since I "tapered" for it the day before. It was a fairly hilly 10, but we hit up some great dirt roads and logging trails.

I was super sleepy when I woke up this morning, so as I sipped my coffee and scanned the internet, I was stoked to get some inspiration in the form of a Runner's World interview with Hansons-Brooks runner and friend, Desiree Davila, who's going to crush it (along with her teammates, no doubt) at Chicago this October. Inspired, I put on some of my sweet Brooks gear from my time with the team and happily headed out the door.

Here's a snap of me after the run, faking feeling fresh.

And then here is one of me, with my eyes half-closed that more properly represents how I felt.