I'm streaking again

Over the Summer, I accepted the Runner's World challenge to run every day from Memorial Day to July 4th, 40 consecutive days. I was skeptical and worried I might injure myself. Always considering myself a novice runner, I thought it was bad for you to run every day. I wanted to try it, though, and figured 40 days wasn't long enough to do any permanent damage. So, I challenged myself, and followed through finishing strong with the Peachtree Road Race on July 4th. I felt stronger and more fit at the end of that streak than I have ever felt, and along the way I learned the benefits of active recovery.

Yesterday's half marathon proved that I wasn't back up to full strength yet (after surgery in July), but Runner's World just posted about their Winter run streak. I just can't pass it up. Hopefully, I'll finish this streak the same way I finished the Summer streak. Thanksgiving to New Years, I plan to run at least a mile every day. Marathon training starts Sunday; so, I guess this will be a nice kick off challenge before that training takes over my life.

Half marathon yesterday, mile and a half on the treadmill today, tomorrow who knows. :-)

Who wants to join me?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today I ran a half marathon as part of the Atlanta Track Club's Triple Peach series. Also, Thanksgiving dinner was at my house at 1pm. I got home at 11:30am. Now we're headed out for some Black Friday shopping. I realize the last four sentences are more than enough proof that I've completely lost my mind. I won't argue.

Yesterday I managed to cook sweet potato soufflé, green beans, cornbread stuffing, and pumpkin pie, clean a pretty good portion of my house and keep my kids alive and happy (mostly). After he got home, my hubby took over cleaning while I finished the sides. Then he spent the rest of the night (almost) cooking the turkey. Then he woke up to send me off this morning.

It has been a wonderful Thanksgiving even with all the craziness and frozen booties. And, even though I'm super exhausted, I'm gonna enjoy this Black Friday date night tradition we started years ago. Tonight I might actually shop til I drop.

Happy thanksgiving!

Holiday racing

I'm running a half marathon tomorrow, on Thanksgiving Day. What possessed me to take on this feat, I'm not sure, but I guarantee it seemed like a good idea at the time.

I've run half marathons before, and I ran 14 miles last Saturday. I can totally handle the mileage, and I love racing, especially with one of my favorite running partners. The thing is, it's a holiday, and Thanksgiving dinner is at my house. So, add to the race nerves and preparation all the cooking and cleaning, and you have a recipe for my crazy alter ego to come shining through.

My husband stepped up for me today. He kind of took over with the cleaning and let me cook, and with minimal complaining about my choosing to do a race on both our families' biggest holiday. Plus he always does the turkey. There are two things I'm so bad at that I concede to him every time, painting a room and cooking the holiday bird. I made sweet potato soufflé, cornbread stuffing, green beans and pumpkin pie. There will be plenty of food, and plenty of family togetherness.

I don't think I'll do another holiday race again, at least not while my kids are little and our families are getting together still, but I want that triple peach medal. So, off to bed and then off to the races.

Happy thanksgiving!

My butt is still cold

So, I tried out my new hyper warm running pants on Saturday. Yeah, my butt was still cold. Is that some kind of weird thing resulting from faulty DNA? Is there something wrong with my circulation? Once again, my toes and fingers were fine, but my butt was cold. Perhaps my glutes aren't firing properly, and this is further proof that I do, in fact, have a lazy butt.

Anyway, that workout plus more treadmill workouts lead me to a 31 mile total for the week. Wahoo! My week went as follows:

Tuesday - 4+ miles at <70% HR Max
Wednesday - 2 miles at <65%, 2 miles at 80%, 2 miles at <65% (indoors)
Thursday - 4 miles at <70% (indoors)
Friday - 1 mile at <65%, 1 mile strides (20/20/20 w/60 rest - that's steps, 20 to build speed, 20 at max speed, and 20 to slow back down to recovery pace, 60 steps to rest), 1 miles at <65%
Saturday - 14+ miles at <70%

Total = 31+ miles

This week will be similar, only I'll be running a half marathon on Thanksgiving. So, I'll have to adjust the rest and long run days accordingly. I'm feeling great, and loving this whole heart rate training thing. It's hard to keep myself below the proper range right now, but I hear it gets easier soon.

We'll see.

Happy running.

Torture or Treasure

I have a love/hate relationship with my treadmill. It's how I started running. I was very happy to keep the glory of my initial 5k training indoors and away from public scrutiny. Of course, I've never met a runner that would look at someone starting out running and think badly of them. When I see someone run/walking, I get excited for them, and want to encourage them to keep it up because one day, they could love it as much as I do. Anyway, I hate running on my treadmill, but I love that it is there for me when my schedule is super full or the weather is bad, like today. No babysitter. No run. Unless I want to jump on the old torture machine and crank out a few miles.

I decided to follow my HR training plan and do the prescribed workout today ON my treadmill.

2 miles at 65%, 2 miles at 80%, 2 miles at 65% = 6 miles

It was REALLY hard to stay under my 65% heart rate, even on the treadmill. The last 2 miles I had to walk some to keep my heart rate so low. The middle 2 were at about 9:40 pace. So, that was nice.

Yesterday I could't feel my butt. Today, my brain is numb. But, the workout is completed. Cross that one off and go eat some lunch.

Happy running. :-)

I can't feel my butt

So, this morning it was 21 degrees. I had some stuff to do, and opted to wait til it warmed up to run. When I did get out there, it was a whopping 28 degrees.

There was ice.

I wasn't wearing as many layers as I wore for the 5k this past Saturday, but I thought I was pretty well covered.

I can't be serious taking a selfie.

There was a moment when I felt a little hot. Then the wind blew again, and all my warmth blew away.

4 easy miles at my 70% HR

I got bored trying to stay under my recovery ceiling heart rate. So, I tried to write my name with my GPS. I spelled it wrong, and ran it too small.

My fingers and toes were warm enough, but walking back to my car, I couldn't feel my butt.

So, I made a trip to my local running apparel store. Hopefully, I'll be better prepared for my next run in temps below freezing, and my butt will be warm enough not to go numb. Maybe.

Happy running. :-)

My first 5k back from surgery

I've done some walking and crawling to get where I am.
Source: Etsy.com

I ran a 5k this morning benefitting my son's school. My first 5k really running since my surgery. I came in 5th for my age group. My time wasn't awesome, but it wasn't really bad either. It was cold, like 26 degrees. I didn't get any postable pictures, but I WAS wearing my fast pants, underneath another pair of pants. I was also wearing a ski band on my head, gloves with hothands inside, 2 base layers and 2 outer layers on my body, 2 pair of socks and I was still cold until I started running. Then I got hot, but I wasn't going to stop and shed anything for a 5k. I was clipping along at a pretty good pace until we got to a pretty bad hill, one of those long steady hills that breaks your will. Then I walked. It went on forever, and I started feeling like I was going to end up being last (which is silly since I was at least middle of the pack, and there were lots of people walking that hill). Now I'm tired and still hungry after Starbucks postrace and roast beef with gravy, chicken dumplings, fried okra, broccoli and biscuits for lunch (Cracker Barrel). Yesterday, I thought I wanted to run more today, but today I think I'm spent. I kind of feel like I did after my marathon only on a smaller scale. I might just rent a movie, start a fire and rest for the remainder of the day. Ha. I must be delusional like I was after the marathon, too. I'm a mom. That's just not going to happen, but it's a nice thought.

Oh, and I met a local college's running coach after the race. He won, and my friend came in 3rd, I think. So, as I was waiting to watch her get her award, we talked. It's fun to meet people, especially fast people. ;-) I don't think I've ever met a runner I didn't like. I'm starting to think it might not be possible. I'm sure there's some super jerk with a pair of running shoes. I just haven't met them. I like my little bubble believing all runners are really cool people. I'll stay in it until someone pops it.

More heart rate training this week.

Today, though, I eat and rest as much as a mom is able.

Happy running. :-)

The heart of a runner

I wish I looked that good running. Source: http://pearsports.com

I did a max heart rate test today. It was painful, and didn't really tell me anything I didn't know already. So, after 3 miles of running, I felt like I was just as spent as if I had done a 12 mile run. My legs don't feel so bad. Actually, everything felt so great physically during one of the sprints that I felt like I was flying for a few seconds. I really like that feeling, when everything is working in sync, and your legs are stretching and pushing and pounding out a nice beat while you're breathing in rhythm. It's a beautiful thing. My watch said I was running below a 6:00 mile pace during that glorious moment. That was a nice ego boost. Anyway, my muscles feel fine (right now about an hour after the test and while I'm drinking my Starbucks latte). But, my lungs hurt. My heart feels fluttery. I feel yucky. I didn't drink my recovery drink because I felt nauseous. Which means I'm going to be sore later. The only thing that sounded even remotely decent was a hot chai latte from Starbucks. I need to eat, but I still don't feel up to it. I suppose that means I did the test right, but it wasn't fun. I kind of wish I had just done a normal workout. I think I would feel better about the run, more productive and less yucky.

So, what I already knew but proved with this test. My max heart rate is 165. According to the heart rate calculators and formulas online, it should be 186. I don't know what that really means, but for the first time since I set my heart on Boston, I feel pretty discouraged. I find myself wondering if I am physically capable of running that fast that far. Do I have the heart, like the actual blood pumping organ, for a goal like this? I have my heart set on running, but do I have a runner's heart?

To further discourage myself, I started thinking about my heart and this goal a little too much. I'm obsessive. It's what I do. Anyway, I have a common and relatively unthreatening heart condition called Mitral Valve Prolapse. Most of the time people who have it don't even know they have it. I wasn't diagnosed until my first pregnancy. It doesn't really bother me. I don't have symptoms except that my heart does not beat a normal rhythm. It's more like the waves of the ocean on the shore, up and down with my breath. This heart rate test, though, makes me wonder if that might have something to do with my heart rate not showing as high as the internet says it should. I'll be having a conversation with my doc husband later to discuss if this means I'm completely hopeless or just making a mountain out of a mole hill.

I don't like failing, especially before I even really try. So, I will recalibrate my watch and my training plan, and I will give this training by heart rate a go. If I can't get my pace down to where it needs to be, I might have to let go of this goal, and that might just break my heart, the proverbial one not the actual one. Although, if I keep pushing it, I might break that one, too.

On another note, I learned that my resting heart rate while drinking a caffeinated beverage and typing a blog post is 72 bpm. I'm sure that's super valuable information I'll need to file away somewhere. Off to the shower with my slow heart.

Happy running. :-)

Why I run

Sometimes I wonder why I run. Usually it's during a grueling workout or tough race. I'm struggling and thinking about all the people I know at home, warm in their beds or hanging out watching Saturday morning cartoons with their kids, and I wonder why I'm doing this to myself. Sometimes, though, I'm contemplating the reason I choose to put myself through the discomfort and struggle most humans have gladly left behind. I mean, there are people who suffer daily through no choice of their own, and in my lack of suffering I CHOOSE to inflict myself with pain. I do it on purpose. Why?

This week I realized that I drive more than 700 miles a week on average. 700 miles a week. How crazy is that? All my kids' activities and their school locations, I'm in my car at least 2 hours a day during the week, and double that on the days when all my kids are in school. There's a local running store that uses the tag line, "may your best miles be those covered on foot." Maybe I run to break free from the machine that confines me so much of my life. Maybe it's all a resurfacing of my primal instincts because I've strayed SO far from that natural life.

I'm a mother of three. Two of which I partially homeschool. Some days I would give anything for some uninterrupted adult conversation or that blessed thing called silence. Maybe I run to get away from all the noise and pressure.

I could probably say I run for my health, although I push the envelope a little in the other direction. My doc husband thinks the marathoning might cause more problems than it solves.

I may not truly suffer in my life, but there are plenty of things out of my control. Maybe I run because it is one thing I can.

I know I love the sense of accomplishment and the comradery I feel when I race. Maybe I run to feel like I've done something good with my body and my time.

I like to eat but simultaneously feel pressure to look a certain way. Maybe I run to enjoy the food I love more.

Maybe it's all of these things or none. Maybe I'm just addicted to the endorphins and dopamine release. Whatever it is, I'm very thankful for the ability, and I hope that question never leads to the decision to stop.

10 Miles is 10 miles

I'm all about the medals.

I've been running for a while. When I started, the goal was to finish a 5k. That quickly morphed into chasing faster times and faster runners. Now I want longer distances and harder challenges. The Boston Marathon is next on my list. Then I'm considering Ultra Marathons, and maybe trying a triathlon. Although, anyone who knows me, knows I won't be able to just try it. It will likely become another obsession, along with ultras and maybe even running a marathon in all 50 states then moving on to international stuff. I'm way more competitive than I ever thought, and I'm most competitive with myself.

I ran my fastest 10k this past July in the Peachtree Road Race. That race was the final day in a Run Streak challenge from Memorial Day to Independence Day. I ran every day for 40 days straight. I felt stronger and faster that day than I've ever felt in my life, and decided afterward to sign up for a three race challenge called The Triple Peach. It includes that race, the Atlanta 10 Miler and the Atlanta Half Marathon on Thanksgiving Day. 6.2 miles, 10 miles then 13.1, all distances I've done before. All times I wanted to improve. Only thing is, I had surgery in July, too, just a few days after the race.

The Peachtree Road Race

July 4, 2014

00:55:47

Peachtree Road Race

Atlanta 10 Miler

October 26, 2014

01:58:11

Atlanta 10 Miler

Sub 9:00 mile pace to a barely sub 12:00 mile pace. That's a time differential I would usually struggle to accept, but if you ask me which race I enjoyed running more, I would tell you the 10 Miler. (Can you tell by the look on my face?)

Still so far behind where I wanted to be in running and fitness after my surgery, I went in with zero expectations, and when I say zero, I mean zero. I had NO time goal in mind. I had no purpose but to show up, run and support the wonderful ladies running with me, and I did. The thing is, though, I feel like they did more to support me than I did them.

I spent most of the race running with one of my favorite running buddies. It felt like one of our long runs but with a little extra traffic. Then after deciding to break away (which only lasted about a mile), I ran past another of my favorite people oiling up her knees for the last stretch. I hung back and ran with her the rest of the way in, joined very quickly by her mom and the buddy I started with, then another member of our running group, Moms Run This Town. We waited in line together for our Triple Peach medals and enjoyed our refueling boxes. Then it was off to find our car (which took an hour because I didn't pay attention to where exactly we parked), then back to the house to hang with the babies.

I could and do talk to her for hours.
Usually while we run off our worries.

She's so inspiring to me.

I met Ms. Freakishly Awesome for the first time
that morning, but I think she wore the right shirt. ;-) 

I think I had more fun running that race than I have had running any other race in a long time.

I'm getting stronger with every run, and I'll be back up to full speed soon enough. In the mean time, I'm so glad to have so many awesome ladies that want to run and race with me no matter how fast I cover that mile.

10 miles is still 10 miles, no matter how fast you go.

My fast pants

I've decided to coin a new running term. Like people say to put on your big boy pants or big girl panties and deal, I want to say put on your fast pants and run. Think it will take off?

My husband doesn't think these pants are flattering. It would peobably help if I were any good at taking selfies of just me, or in this case just my legs. I don't filter or edit them, either. That would probably help, but 'ain't nobody got time for that.' Or, at least I don't. Or maybe I'm just lazy which makes the selfie thing worse. Anyway, this post is about fast pants. I really like these pants. They're warm, and right now that's a BIG deal. 

So, here's the first official use of the phrase. Today I put on my fast pants and ran 11+ miles....really slowly.

It still counts. Yay for fast pants. :-)

Give a girl the right shoes...

I LOVE this quote.

The right shoes. The RIGHT shoes. *sigh* This is like an epic spiritual quest for the holy grail. At least for me, it is. Not long ago, I thought I had found them. The ones. The perfect running shoes. Only to find after my last 12 miler, they were rubbing and constricting the top of my foot. Back to square one.

My husband thinks I have a problem.

These are all my current running shoes minus a couple pair I don't wear anymore but keep around for nostalgia sake. Those would be the pair I started running in and the pair I wore for my first marathon. In this picture, I have Skora, Brooks, Altra, Nike, Skechers and New Balance. Not pictured are the dozens of pairs I have returned. The two pair in the middle are my current training shoes, Skora Core and Skechers GoRun Bolt. Skoras for the trails. Skechers for the road. I thought I had found the perfect combination. I still LOVE the Skoras, but I can't handle the high mileage on the road in such a minimal shoe. The Skechers are the ones I mentioned before that are now rubbing and constricting the top of my foot.

I started in Brooks stability shoes, but I have moved in a more minimal direction. Their Pure line is great, but just not right for my foot. I have the Drift, the Cadence and the Connect, and I've tried the Flow. All with pros, but sadly too many cons for me. I went all the way to zero drop and zero cushioning with the New Balance Minimus. Trained for and ran my first marathon in them, but ended up with a couple lost toenails in those even with the huge toe box. I have my sights set on Boston. So, I need a shoe that will go the distance without killing my toenails. The Nike Free Flyknits feel great for short speedy runs and errands, but the drop isn't quite low enough for me. The Altras next to the Brooks above, 3-Sum, fit weird. My big toe is at the center of the shoe squishing my little toes to the side. The other pair of Altras, my first minimal shoe, have too much arch padding, and they're REALLY ugly in my opinion. I want cute, but I can handle ugly if they're perfect. So, if the arch wasn't an issue, I'd just suck it up.

I thought we had something special.

Seriously. At this point, I feel like I should get paid for this, or at least get the shoes to try for free. Sure would cut down on the hassle of buying and returning. My feet must be the strangest shape on the planet.

My toenails growing back in. They're not shaped so weird, are they?

I have a friend who just bought the Altra One squared, and I was thinking about trying those. I've got to find some and settle before I start really pushing the mileage. I need the RIGHT shoes so I can conquer the world already, or at least that Boston qualifier next year.

Apple Cider Smoothie

So, this was the best part of my lunch today. I usually make green smoothies with spinach and whatever fruit looks good, but I've been branching out a little trying to spice things up. I tried the Apple Crisp smoothie in the Nutrition Special of Runner's World a while back, and while it had great flavor, it wasn't thick and smooth like I like. Borrowing their idea for cider and cinnamon, I put together my own concoction after my workout today. Check it out. I liked it.

Apple Cider Smoothie

Single serving

Approx. 500 calories, 18g protein, 12g fiber

1/2 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt

1/2 Cup Apple Cider

2 tsp Maple Syrup

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

2 Tbsp Pecans (I crush them before I put them in.)

1/3 Cup Sliced Pears (Fresh is best, but it's November. I used canned.)

1/3 Cup Canned Navy Beans, drained and rinsed

2 Frozen Bananas

Add ingredients in the order they're listed and blend until it's nice and smooth. I drank this with a sweet potato, and then began the mad dash to pick up kids and get them to their afternoon activities.

How far is far enough?

I love the way I feel after a good run. It's hard to explain to someone who doesn't run, and needs no explanation to someone who does.

But, how far do you have to run to 'feel' like you ran? My schedule is bursting at the seams right now, and I don't have a lot of time during the week to run like I want. I ran a quick mile on the treadmill today warming up for a weight session and trying to get back to running every day. But, I don't 'feel' like I ran. I'm sore from the combined weight training sessions of yesterday and today, but I don't have that boost of energy and satisfaction that comes with a nice run.

I guess it depends on how far your long run is, and how far you can run at a time. I'm running about 12 on my long run days (nothing compared to my 20 milers preparing for my marathon last spring), and can get away with it with minimal soreness. So, I feel like I need about 4 or 5 miles to 'feel' like I ran, and more than 12 to feel like I ran long.

Did I mention that I hate daylight savings time, and all it does to my running schedule? I may have to get friendly with my treadmill again, and start getting some miles in before anyone wakes up and my day speeds into hyper drive.

One of my favorite places to run. This is where I go for therapy.

I'm Running Away : NaBloPoMo

I want to participate in National Blog Posting Month (NaBloPoMo), but I'm not really good at that kind of thing. I have another blog, Feeding Angels, and I've been writing a lot lately. Thing is, by the time I get it out and read back through it, I usually feel like it's either not worth publishing or not appropriate to publish.

The three usual things I write about on my other blog aren't working right now.

1. I love Jesus, but anything I've written about my faith lately seems to come out preachy, fake or so controversial I would never live it down in my personal life. When God inspires me to write something that is actually worth reading and something I feel needs to be said no matter the personal consequences, I'll share on my other blog.

2. I love my kids and my family, but writing about them doesn't come easy. Our lives are pretty boring, like they're supposed to be. School, work, sports, dirty dishes, the usual stuff.

3. I love food, and my other blog was started partially around my son's allergy to corn. Thing is, I just don't experiment and cook like I used to. Besides the occasional post about kale from my mom's garden, I have nothing to share. And then there's running.

I love to run.
I love to talk about running.
I love to read about running.
I love to write about running.
I love running.
I love buying and trying new running gear, especially running shoes.
I love running medals.
I love inspiring people to run.
I love pushing fellow runners to go farther or faster.
I think everyone should try it, but I don't recall ever picking on anyone for NOT running. Well, maybe except for my husband, but that's a topic for another day.

Running is hard, and it hurts when you first start out and whenever you push yourself out of your comfort zone. Its a constant learning process and your body revolts every now and then. It isn't for everyone, but it's definitely for me. And, many of my favorite people are runners. Actually, I've never met another runner I didn't like. There's an instant connection through this crazy obsession with running that trumps all other differences. Now, I haven't yet decided if it's the type of personality that enjoys running that makes the connection so easy or if it's the act of running that makes people more connectable. Either way, I think runners are just super cool people.

So, I'm starting a new blog about running, and I'm going to try to pull this whole blog every day thing with one topic I am clearly obsessed about.

We'll see how it goes.