Run More, Post Less

It has been an incredibly restful summer here in the ATL. As compared to last summer in New Orleans, we as a family have re-discovered our peace and that puts a smile on my face. Just this last week, I was able to put my treadmill back together after the movers broke it last February. Yes, you read that right, February. We moved into our house in early March and discovered the treadmill was broken in transit. It took us MONTHS to complete the claims process with the Van Lines and it was finally, FINALLY settled at the end of July! We received the check and I ordered the part that was broken. Elated to finally have my treadmill back, I was devastated to discover more broken pieces that were not originally noticed. (Not to mention, that they were not on our original claim and could not be added since it had been closed.) After receiving the next parts, I took the whole machine apart and then put it back together. I’m glad that I did, because the man who started to put it together during our move in, did not ground the machine. Yikes! I can officially say that our New Orleans chapter is finally closed!

On to running. I have been running all summer long in an attempt to strengthen my base. I had zero interest or drive for our first two months back in GA. The stress and depression let down. I started running again in May, post ATL pollen. I don’t remember too much about that base building. I know I ran about 3-4 times a week, 2-3 shorter runs (5k) and one long run. I increased my mileage by 2 miles every other week and threw in a 3-4 mile run on the off weeks. I got up to 8 miles by Memorial Day. Took a trip up the E Coast with my parents and did zero running. By the time we got back, the heat and humidity had hit. I ran the same amount of times, but dropped my distance down to 5k and added a weekly walk into the mix. 

As you saw from my last post, I was able to buy a black market bib for the Peachtree Road Race. I am excited to run it again next year as myself! I think I did a great job running considering that 1) I hadn’t trained at all and 2) I had a cyst rupture the day before. I felt pretty crummy the morning of the race, but the endorphins really helped curb the pain. 

Next up on the race schedule is the Atlanta Half Marathon. I have run this race two out of the last three years and only missed last year due to NOLA. I am excited to see what I can do on this course this year. Unfortunately, my weight is still up about five pounds from the last time I raced. I am hoping to bring that back down, but I have noticed that I have more muscle in my legs and butt. I have been making a conscious effort this summer to do more squats. 

I have taken the two Jeff Galloway Half Marathon Training Plans and have merged them. I want more than the “Finish It” plan and don’t have the time to complete the “Time Goal” plan. 17 miles is too long for me to run whilst homeschooling our boys. 

So, here is what I have managed to come up with:

ATL Half 2014: Jeff Galloway Hybrid Training Schedule

Week	Fri	Sat	Sun	Mon Hills	Tues	Wed	Thurs
1	8/1/17	8/2/14	8/3/14	8/4/14	8/5/14	8/6/14	8/7/14
	off	40 min run	off	40 min run	easy walk	off	4 miles
2	8/8/14	8/9/14	8/10/14	8/11/14	8/12/14	8/13/14	8/14/14
	off	40 min run	off	40 min run	easy walk	off	5 miles
3	8/15/14	8/16/14	8/17/14	8/18/14	8/19/14	8/20/14	8/21/14
	off	40 min run	off	40 min run	easy walk	off	6 miles
4	8/22/14	8/23/14	8/24/14	8/25/14	8/26/14	8/27/14	8/28/14
	off	40 min run	off	40 min run	easy walk	off	4x400
5	8/29/14	8/30/14	8/31/14	9/1/14	9/2/14	9/3/14	9/4/14
	off	40 min run	off	40 min run	easy walk	off	7.5 miles
6	9/5/14	9/6/14	9/7/14	9/8/14	9/9/14	9/10/14	9/11/14
	off	40 min run	off	40 min/MM	easy walk	off	6x400
7	9/12/14	9/13/14	9/14/14	9/15/14	9/16/14	9/17/14	9/18/14
	off	40 min run	off	40 min run	easy walk	off	9 miles
8	9/19/14	9/20/14	9/21/14	9/22/14	9/23/14	9/24/14	9/25/14
	off	40 min run	off	40 min/MM	easy walk	off	8x400
9	9/26/14	9/27/14	9/28/14	9/29/14	9/30/14	10/1/14	10/2/14
	off	40 min run	off	40 min run	easy walk	off	10.5 miles
10	10/3/14	10/4/14	10/5/14	10/6/14	10/7/14	10/8/14	10/9/14
	off	40 min run	off	40 min run	easy walk	off	4x800
11	10/10/14	10/11/14	10/12/14	10/13/14	10/14/14	10/15/14	10/16/14
	off	40 min run	off	40 min run	easy walk	off	12 miles
12	10/17/14	10/18/14	10/19/14	10/20/14	10/21/14	10/22/14	10/23/14
	off	40 min run	off	40 min/MM	easy walk	off	6x800
13	10/24/14	10/25/14	10/26/14	10/27/14	10/28/14	10/29/14	10/30/14
	off	40 min run	off	40 min run	easy walk	off	13.5 miles
14	10/31/14	11/1/14	11/2/14	11/3/14	11/4/14	11/5/14	11/6/14
	off	40 min run	off	40 min/MM	easy walk	off	8x800
15	11/7/14	11/8/14	11/9/14	11/10/14	11/11/14	11/12/14	11/13/14
	off	40 min run	off	40 min run	easy walk	off	15 miles
16	11/14/14	11/15/14	11/16/14	11/17/14	11/18/14	11/19/14	11/20/14
	off	40 min run	off	40 min run	easy walk	off	5 miles
17	11/21/14	11/22/14	11/23/14	11/24/14	11/25/14	11/26/14	11/27/14
	off	40 min run	off	40 min run	easy walk	off	Half Marathon!!!
18	11/28/14	11/29/14	11/30/14	12/1/14	12/2/14	12/3/14	12/4/14
	off	40 min run	off	40 min run	easy walk	off	5 miles
19	12/5/14	12/6/14	12/7/14	12/8/14	12/9/14	12/10/14	12/11/14
	off	40 min run	off	40 min run	easy walk	off	6-8 miles

I am almost done with week 3. I will be running six miles on Thursday. I’ll try to post once every few weeks to keep up with the schedule and let you know how this turns out. I’m hoping for a PR at 2:15 which would be 12 minutes faster than the last time I ran this race. I will also go for a negative split, which means hill training on very tired legs. This race has been described as a 10k with a 10k warm up. The race really doesn’t start until mile 7 when you leave the park and start climbing hills. Usually, by the time I exit the park, my tank is empty. Not this year. My goal is to exit the park with energy and finish exhausted and empty!

It’s a great day for running y’all!

Hanging with Bart and Meb

Yup, tomorrow I'll be running 6.2 miles with flat Bart and Meb at the AJC Peachtree Road Race. You know you're jealous. 

Happy 4th of July!

I Walk the Line

(My apologies to Johnny Cash, may he rest in peace.) 

I am a MotherRunner and because of this I walk the line. I am a mother and a runner. I am a runner and a mother. But first and foremost, I am a mother who runs. I view running as my oxygen mask. When you’re flying, they always tell you that if you are traveling with children to put your oxygen mask on first and then assist the children. That’s what running is to me, my oxygen mask.

When we moved to New Orleans last June, it was with heavy hearts. Hubby’s restaurant closed and they transferred him to a new city. We loved Atlanta; it was the only home our boys remember. We left our hearts in Georgia. So we followed the job to New Orleans. This has not been an easy transition for any of us. June in NOLA felt like August in Atlanta. Hot and Humid. Then it got even hotter and even more humid. We didn’t leave the house. I kept the shades drawn and the ac at full blast. I would run in the early mornings before the sun would rise and melt the sidewalks with 100% humidity or in the early evenings when the humidity dropped but the sidewalks were melting. A few months in, hubby’s work hours changed to very early mornings and he needed to stay at the restaurant later. Thankfully, my treadmill arrived at this time. It was my saving grace. I was no longer a slave to weather or work. I then followed my marathon-training plan to a T and when I had to, I would run inside, thankful for that treadmill.

Somewhere in the midst of this, I realized that I was starting to dread my run. It started slowly at first, dread of the long runs. Then it took over my short runs and then, running in general. I noticed that I was more tired. I slept late and had a hard time getting myself started each morning. I spent all day tired and dreaming of bed, but the minute I crawled into bed, I couldn’t sleep. I was wide-awake. Headaches became the norm as well as the inability to focus or think clearly. It wasn’t until my parents came down for Christmas and my mom pointed out to me that I was depressed did I realize what was going on. I remember when the dread first entered my mind and I remember thinking that it was crazy. Even though I had that dread, I completed my runs. If it was on my training calendar, I got it done. That training calendar was the only thing that saved me.

Around New Years hubby heard that he was getting transferred, again. I am glad that we are getting out of this dark, depressing city, but this transfer means no marathon on Feb 2. All of that training flushed down the toilet. Or was it? It was the training that kept me from the throes of depression. I don’t think I would have gotten out of bed if it weren’t for my training calendar. While I am sad beyond all measure that I won’t be able to run 26.2 in two weeks, I realize the importance that my training had in my life. I am changed because of it. I am stronger because of it. It is my oxygen mask. I might have to put my racing on the back burner and be a MOTHERrunner, but it doesn’t mean that I am just a mother and not a runner. I am a mother who loves to run. I am a mother who needs to run. I am a MotherRunner and because of that, I walk the line.

It’s a great day for running y’all!

I’m (almost) a Marathoner

Yesterday I ran 23 miles. Actually, it was 23.15 miles but hey, who’s counting?

I AM!

A few months ago I convinced hubby to request a Saturday off (yes, it really sucks that he works all.weekend.long) so I could run a half marathon and tack some miles on to make an even (or possibly odd) 23 miles for the day. I hadn’t run a race in 2013 yet due to the severe bout of flu I had last winter and had to bail on the 15k in January and then this wretched move to NOLA shot any dreams that I had of running the ATL Half for the third year in a row. When I discovered a half in December, I knew I had to take it. My plan for the day was to get down there early, run a two mile warm up, run the half and then tack on 8 miles and be done.

When I picked up my bib at the running store (yes the race was so small the “packet pick up” was at a store) I asked how big the race was. The woman tried to tell me it was a big race. I figured that since the quantity of bibs for the 5k AND the Half was smaller than the letter “B” at the ATL half, she didn’t know what big was. I was right. I had hubby and boys drop me off at the entrance to City Park so I could put in my two miles. I ran past the start line so I could get the lay of the scene and discovered I had tons of time. I had enough time to get three miles in and stretch before the National Anthem.

The Ole Man River Half started promptly at 8 am. The temperature was a cool 66, feels like 66. The wretched humidity was up to 94%. I could feel the cool, thick air as I hopped out of the car and I knew it was going to be a hard 23 miles. I’m not sure how or why, but the first 7 miles (remember 3 before the half, so 4 into the half) were well under the 12 minute pace. Once again, I blew my wad by going out way too fast for the distance and humidity that day. I guess it was race day jitters? I should know better by now. I even went into the day knowing that it was a possibility. Once my watched beeped 7 miles (4 into the half), I knew I was done. Crap. 9 miles left of the race and 16 miles left to run. I struggled. My pace slowed down and then the headwinds at the lake started working against me. The overpasses felt like mountains. It sprinkled a bit. I think that some people would call it rain, but I knew the “rain” could be much worse. Thankfully, it didn’t outright rain or I would have been screwed. Then the clouds burned off and the darned sun came out. I could feel the road starting to melt in the sun. The second half of the race was all a blur. Finally, I entered back into the park and the beautiful oak trees created some shade. As I entered the finish chute, I saw hubby and the boys holding the most amazing signs cheering me on. I literally cried when I saw them. The boys hopped in and brought me across the finish line!

I told hubby that was the hardest half I have ever run and he quickly reminded me that I have never put in 3 miles before a race. I did a quick stretch and walked with them back to the car. They went to play mini golf in the park and I pushed on through for the last 7 miles. Mid race I had planned to just bail. Jump in the car and go home with them. But then I saw those beautiful signs and I knew I couldn’t give up. I’m not a quitter. I adjusted my run-walk ratio to 2:2 and pushed on. I did it. I finished 23 miles and I felt like wonder woman! My IT band didn’t hurt like it did on my 20 miler. I think I could have pushed on for another 3.1 miles and completed the marathon distance. Don’t get me wrong, I hurt, but I was uncomfortable vs. the severe pain I felt last time.

What worked for this race:

Aspaeris pivot compression shorts really helped my IT band

Body glide on my feet and under the front of my bra line

Gels every 4 miles

Clif bar to munch on throughout the run (no real hunger pains mid run)

Hydration: 2-10 oz flasks of nuun + 2-8 oz flaks of nuun on my fuel belt+ 24 oz hand held of nuun in the front pocket of my race vest (hydration pack) + race vest full of water.

Lessons Learned:

Body glide on my shoulder straps and at the back of my bra- hello chafing!

Hydrate with electrolytes in the 24 hours before the race. When I finished the half, my hands were the equivalent of Fred Flintstone feet. I asked a friend who is almost done with nursing school and is an endurance athlete and she told me that I was dehydrated and I need to hydrate the day before with a combination of nuun and coconut water. I’m going to try that next time. I’ll keep y’all posted.

I didn’t PR on this race or even this run. I was incredibly proud of myself for keeping my pace below 12 minutes for the first 7 miles, even if it means that I struggled the last part of my run. The reason being is that when I finish this marathon and train for my next half, I will have a MAJOR half marathon PR. My endurance-athlete nurse friend told me that running doesn’t get easier, you just get faster. I have been sad that my pace has actually slowed down by a full minute this training round. I try to remind myself that my distance is doubling and unless you’re Kenyan, a marathon is not a sprint. Yesterday’s paces proved to me that with the proper training and focus, I will kick some major asphalt on my next half marathon.

Two weeks of light running then the big 26.0, then the long waited taper. I feel like I’ve been training for a year now.

It’s a great day for running y’all!

Wordless Wednesday

Half Marathon + 10 miles = Saturday's long run

I remember when 13.1 used to scare me...

Is there anything worse...

...than trying to run on the treadmill while refereeing two boys?

#anothermotherrunner
#firstworldproblems

Twenty Freaking Miles

Holy heck and shoot fire! Twenty miles is not for the feint of heart! Saturday, November 23 I ran 20 miles. TWENTY FREAKING MILES!!! I have never run that far and it was mind blowing! I prepared a 6.63 mile loop that I ran three times and then tacked on a bit more to get an even 20. I started just before 6:30 in the morning. I had gotten up early to eat a bowl of oatmeal and drink some water. My nerves woke me up early and I could barely finish my oatmeal. I threw a Clif bar in a Ziploc bag and planned to much on it during the run. I brought four gels and took them every four miles. I had my hydration vest full of water and my fuel belt was full of nuun (two 8 ounce flasks up front, two 10 ounce flasks in the back). The temperature was 64, feels like 64 with 94%+ humidity. The minute I stepped outside and felt the humidity I knew it would take longer than originally planned for this run. 

As expected, the humidity really weighed me down. I started munching on my Clif bar around five miles. Take a bite and swig some water. I have found that I get incredibly hungry mid-run and I need to eat something or my stomach growls so bad it feels like severe stomach cramping. Taking gels every four miles really worked. My run/walk ratios were 4/1 (minutes). About 15 miles in, I decided that I was absolutely crazy for doing this! I even ran into my neighbor and told them that I was 15 miles in to a 20 mile run, he and his wife just looked at me like I was crazy! I admitted to them that right about then, I was either crazy or incredibly stupid. I felt both!

I can honestly say that this was the hardest physical run I have ever had. I struggled to keep my mind in the game. Knowing that I had three loops made it easier. The first loop was just that, but by the second loop, I was telling myself that I only had to pass that house one more time. I only had to pass that tree one more time. That really helped. About 18 miles in, my body decided to start fighting me. I guess it had enough of the abuse. My IT band got incredibly tight and started affecting my knee. I could feel some major blisters on my feet. I pushed on through and had to walk more than I’d like those last 1.5 miles, but my garmin read 20.01 miles when I finally got home! And yes, I immediately took a picture of it!

What worked this time:

My hydration was good. I could have brought more nuun since I burned through it due to the humidity. I think I will bring my 16 ounce handheld full next time and strap it into my hydration vest

Fueling was epic! The Clif bar really helped and the gels did their job.

Body Glide got all of the hot spots from the last run so no chafing.

Mentally I was able to hang on and stay in the game.

Lessons learned:

One more flask of nuun for humidity.

Body glide my feet for blisters.

Try my Aspaeris compression shorts  to keep my IT band in check

Overall, this was an epic run and I couldn’t stop telling people for the next 36 hours that I had run 20 miles! I can’t wait to say that I am a marathoner and to put that 26.2 magnet on the back of my car!

Next up: I will run 23 miles on 12/14. I am actually going to run a half down at City Park and then tack on 10 more miles. I will need to remind myself to not race this event, but treat it like a long run. I’m notorious for blowing my wad in the first 10k of a half and struggle on through.

It’s a great day for running y’all!