Oh Nooooo! Or How I Missed the Boat on This Post

For some reason, I thought this week's post was all about marathon training.  So I diligently wrote up my ideas for how I'm going to train for my next marathon and posted them this morning.  But I just realized that training isn't the topic of this TiART at all.  I think I've logged a few too many miles this week . . .

So what is it that draws me to the marathon?  It started as one of those big goals on my life list.  Doing a marathon sounded really cool.  You're tough if you can do one, I reasoned, and I wanted to prove that I was tough.  I had done a few longer runs, though no actual 1/2 marathons, but I thought I could pull one off.  About that time my husband and I decided we wanted to start a family, and as I switched gears, the marathon goal started to fade a bit.  But as the months went by without getting pregnant, I started to get a little crazy.  I gave myself an ultimatum - I would do the Portland Marathon in October if I wasn't pregnant.  Nevermind that I wasn't training.  If I couldn't get my body to work the way it was supposed to, then I could at least do a marathon.  I even went so far as to sign up for the race; I still have my confirmation card.  But I was lucky and found out I was pregnant just a few weeks before the race.

And so that goal kept floating around in the back of my mind.  I started running after my first daughter was born and worked up to a 1/2.  Daughter #2 came along and the running continued.  I started getting stronger and running farther, and finally, at one summer barbecue, my little brother and I declared that we were going to do Portland that fall.  My lack of training is chronicled in the post below, as is the excruciating pain that went along with my first experience.

Still, here I am training again.  I have unfinished business with the marathon.  I want to run the whole thing.  I want to see how fast I can go.  I'd love to qualify for Boston some day.  There are so many beautiful marathons to run, and for some reason, a marathon seems like a good enough reason to travel to a new locale.  A 10k just doesn't seem worthy of a vacation.

The marathon pushes me beyond my comfort level.  I can't coast when I'm training for one (properly, anyway) - I've got to concentrate and give it my full attention.  And in a world where it seems like everything is clamoring to be heard, having myself fully in the moment as I am when I'm running long is a gift.  I guess that's why I'm drawn to the marathon.

Marathon Training: The Speculative Edition

I wish that I could say I had all the answers for marathon training.  I wish I could say that I had any answers for marathon training. But the truth of the matter is that I have not had much luck with the marathon distance to date.  I have only survived one.  I won't say that I ran it, because a lot of it was a painful shuffle that surprised me with its intensity.  This photo says it best:

Me near mile 20 in the Portland Marathon, 2007

I've finally mustered enough courage to try another one.  And because I had such a tough first experience, I have a few ideas about what I'm going to differently that I hope will help.  

For my first try, I knew the marathon was going to be tough.  Duh.  But I had no idea that the training would be tough as well.  The first 16 miler I did was my last.  I just couldn't get it together to go out and run any further.   I hit the training wall.  I did one more 13 miler, and that was it.  No more running.  I had a 3 week taper of no running.  Not once.  Probably not the best plan for maximum performance.

And now I know that if I don't keep running, the walking is going to hurt just as bad as the running.  That was another big surprise for me.  Once your legs are cooked, they're cooked.  For any type of movement.  So you might as well train and suffer for less time just because you are moving faster.  Now that I know that training will be tough, I've got a few ideas about how to keep me going:

1.  I've enlisted friends.

Having company for the long run is key.  This was made all too clear to me last Saturday when I had to do a 14 miler by myself, since my friends were all running a 1/2 marathon the next day.  I had so much anxiety about that run; I could hardly sleep.  But if I'm getting up to meet my friends for an 18 miler, I don't even think about what I'm going to be doing.  I'm just excited to catch up with them and drink coffee afterwards.  I feel the run, but it isn't the same.

2. I've given myself enough time.

Part of my problem with Portland, is that I decided to go for it in July.  The marathon is in October, and between that time was a relay race that I couldn't give up.  I only had time to do maybe one 20 miler if I stuck to my plan, and really, the more of those you can do, the better off you're going to be.  Many plans recommend 4 prior to the race week.  When you factor in the ramping up you need to do to get there (no more than a 10% increase on your long run mileage if you're going to be really cautious), it takes a long time.  I will have about 24 weeks of training with the marathon in mind by the time I get there. 

3. I've got longer runs in mind.

I've got this crazy idea that I should try an ultra - a race longer than the marathon.  Because I'm thinking that way, I'm rethinking my goals for the marathon.  An ultra is about going the distance more than the speed with which you cover it, and when I start thinking that way, spending a couple of hours running changes in my mind.  I have a real issue with wanting to go too fast, which leads to injury in my case, and so with this subtle shift, I may have found the key to being able to go long.  I went out pretty fast in my first marathon, and I know I burnt myself out by not pacing well.  If I can find my rhythm - my long pace - I can run a better race for the entire distance.  I hope.

4. I'm finding inspiration from long runners.

There's nothing like reading about ultramarathoners to give you a quick shot of humility.  As I whined my way through my 14 miler the other day, I was thinking about the H.U.R.T. 100 in Hawaii - 14 miles is just a warm up in that race.  And not only is it 100 miles long, it's on hilly, bumpy, root covered terrain in the warm rainforest of Oahu.  I was only chugging up a mild incline on a smooth sidewalk in 40º weather.  What did I have to whine about?

There are some really interesting books out there by these runners.  When I'm recovering from a long run, it's a nice way to recharge my engine and give me the boost I need to face the next week in running.

And so there you have it.  The things I'm going to try this time around to see if I can have more success in the marathon distance.  You can bet I'll be reading all the great advice on TiART this week!

Community

Having a group to run with has been the biggest boon to my running.  Hands down, the friendly faces I meet up with on Sunday mornings have been the singlemost effective training aid I have ever had.  More than properly fitting shoes, well timed energy gel, or the looming spectre of a race I've entered and now need to run, those guys and gals have taken my running to a new level.

This was made all too painfully clear last weekend when I chose to run 14 miles on my own rather than kill myself at a 1/2 marathon the rest of them were attending.  I tried to talk myself out of the run, I worried about it, I even questioned why I really wanted to run in the first place.  This never happens when I meet them on Sunday morning.  "Sure," I'll say, "I can do 18 miles.  Just don't want to run by myself."  

So I was thrilled to learn that the little town of Fossil, Oregon, is creating a community of their own around the Biggest Loser show on NBC.  When one local office decided to start a Biggest Loser challenge, they put a notice in the local paper.  To their surprise, 66 people, or 15% of the town's population, showed up for the first weigh in.  Early in the evening, 20 to 30 people gather together to work out.  They've even started a pool for the top losers.  And local businesses are getting in on the act by donating gift certificates for the winners.   

For people to change their lives, they have to come together in community.  Knowing that others are going through the same struggles and challenges will make them stronger.  I have no doubt that the people in Fossil will have more success with this journey than they would have if they tried it alone.  We talk a lot about the obesity epidemic in America, but maybe it's an epidemic of loneliness.  We try too hard to do things on our own.  When we come together, we can achieve even more.

This blogging community that I am just coming to know is the same way.  I've been a long time lurker, but I've finally decided to share what I write and think about.  It's scary, but at the same time, it is exciting.  I love reading about what other runners are doing in their training and in their lives.  Knowing that I'm not the only person who goes a little bit crazy when I can't hit the roads, or that hitting the point that I can't run another long run before the marathon is actually sort of normal, helps me to keep on challenging myself.   Helps me to get over the roadbumps that come with anything that is difficult.

So to all of the bloggers who have been generous enough to share their stories and their inspiration, thank you.  You have built an incredible community.  To the inspirational folks in Fossil, good luck.  Keep on supporting each other; you can do it.  And finally, to my fellow running buddies, thank you , thank you, thank you for letting me join you.  You guys are awesome.

Speed Signs

I am a big fan of The Office. For runners, the Fun Run episode is classic.  But last week's episode featured something close to my heart - racing the speed sign (it's in the opening scene). There's something about the challenge of those giant numbers staring me down that I can't resist.  I have to pick up the pace and see how high I can get.  The best sign for me is on Boones Ferry Rd, heading down the hill.  Traffic is usually light, and the incline is perfect for going fast.  I haven't done an all-out sprint yet, but it's coming.  So yeah, that probably makes me a dork.  Oh well.

Half Marathon Training

When I first began running, I felt I was a superstar for doing 10ks.  I rocked the Hood to Coast with . . . gasp . . . 15 miles of running spread out over three legs!  And when I went out for my one, and only, long run of 12 miles, I was stoked.  I was a runner.  I was amazing.  And then I had my first kid.

Sixty pounds later, I realized that I needed to start running again.  And sticking to the occasional 10k probably wasn't going to do it.  I needed to go long.  I started by setting my sights on a 15k - Portland's Shamrock Run.  Wow.  That wasn't easy.  But still, if I could pull off 9 miles up the big Terwilliger hill, I could do a 1/2 marathon.  Really.  Right?  And so I kept on running (which, thankfully, helped with the 60 pound problem), and I signed up for my first half marathon.

Making that kind of a commitment is a big deal.  Once you get out to the 1/2 marathon distance, you really can't fake the training.  Some of the things you read about runners talking really start to matter when you're going long.  Here are the most important ones I've found:

1.  You need to do the long run.

Running 3, 4 or 5 miles is just not enough to get your body ready to go 13.1.  You need to have one run a week that you stretch out, to a bare minimum of 9 miles.  Ideally, you will hit the 12 mile mark at least once before the race, and that's just to cover the distance successfully.  If you want to go fast, you've got to go that distance several times in the lead-up to your race.   The more you go long, the more your body adapts to the stress of the pounding of that many miles.  Everything becomes more efficient, and that's a good thing.  So even if the training plans you find just seem too intimidating, do the long run part of them.

2. You need proper gear.

If you're going to do a 1/2 marathon, you need to get fitted for shoes.  Period.  You can fake it over 5 or 6 miles, but once you start adding distance, every little ache and pain that your shoes cause will become magnified.  I was shocked to learn that I had been wearing shoes that were 1 whole size too small for over 8 years.  Improper shoes can cause all kinds of issues with your feet, calves, hips and knees.  It's worth it to go to a store that videotapes your gait and determines the best kind of shoe for how you run.  Another good investment is in BodyGlide - it looks like deodorant, but it is a greaseless version of Vaseline.  What doesn't chafe at 5 miles mostly likely will at 10!

3. Learn to fuel yourself.

I hated GU for a long time.  I would avoid the stuff like the plague.  I started to come around and drink water with added electrolytes after battling dehydration, but it wasn't until I found a GU flavor that I loved that I learned how much a shot of carbohydrates can help.  Now when I run for over an hour and half, I make sure to take some GU at the halfway point so that I don't bonk.  But you definitely want to experiment before race day.  I have had friends who have ruined their races because they tried something new race morning.  Head down to the local running store or REI and pick up a couple of flavors/brands and figure out what works best for your stomach.

4. Find a good sports chiropractor/physical therapist/massage therapist.

The thing with going longer is that as you increase your mileage, you are bound to have some new aches and pains.  You definitely want to follow the 10% rule (don't increase your mileage/long run more than 10% per week), but if you are like most of us who are willing to admit it, you'll probably end up breaking that rule in your new found enthusiasm!  Finding a provider that you trust and that can help you find strengthening exercises, stretches and so forth will help you tremendously.  I have had friends give up on their training programs because injuries and soreness have started to crop up as they pushed out the miles.  Most likely, they could have managed most of those injuries with the help of a good professional.  You'd be amazed to learn how weaknesses in different muscle groups can end up meaning IT band problems, sore knees and a host of other problems.  

These are only starting points.  There are many more things to think about as you begin to train, but as I've ramped up my miles, these four things seem to be key in keeping me healthy and moving.  But the best thing about doing a 1/2 marathon is that you really start taking yourself seriously as a runner, and that can be an incredible feeling.  Good luck!

2009 Eugene Marathon

I'm getting closer to signing up and committing for real. I've printed out the form, reserved a hotel room, and now I just need to write a check and send it in. Previewing the course made it all the more real. It's just getting through that darn training that has me freaked out . . .


Eugene Marathon Course 2009 Flyover Version 2 from Brian Flindt on Vimeo.

Understanding Sweat

I sweat when I run.  A lot.  Often as much, or more, than the men I sometimes run with.  I've learned not to wear gray shorts on a warm day, and I struggle to drink enough to keep me hydrated when I run during the summer.  But what does all this sweat mean?  Am I healthy?  Freakish? Efficient at cooling?  I was tired of not knowing the answers to these questions, so I decided to do a little digging and get to the bottom of this sweaty situation.

First of all, sweating is good.  The evaporation of sweat from our bodies is our defense against heat stress, which will lead to cardiovascular issues and all kinds of other nasty problems if not controlled by a good sweat response.  But it is the evaporation, and not the act of sweating itself, that is important.  This is why people struggle on a humid day - the humidity reduces the evaporation level, which makes our mechanism for cooling less efficient.  We might sweat like crazy on a humid day, but still suffer from heat illness if the sweat can't do its job. 

Our fitness levels do affect our sweating.  As our fitness levels (as measured by VO2 max) increase, the onset of our sweat response occurs earlier.  Fit people have lower resting core temperatures, so our bodies will respond to an increase in temperature earlier than a person who is less fit.  Other factors in our sweat reponse include our hydration status (less water in the body = less sweat), our exercise intensity, environmental factors (like heat) and acclimatization.  Research has shown that people who live in warm climates have delayed sweat responses; their bodies will not begin producing sweat until their core temperatures are higher than what a person who does not live in a warm climate.

We can acclimate to warmer temperatures.  This typically takes about 5 days, and it is recommended that we spend time exercising in the heat and making sure that we sweat profusely.  For more information on acclimatizing, check out this article. 

So we know that sweating is good, and that the earlier we sweat, the more we fit we really are.  But what about sweat volume?  Is more better?  Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case.  Sweat rates look to be fairly individual, and what you sweat out is the same way.  Some people are "salty runners", leaving a crusty, white residue on their skin as the sweat evaporates (that's me).  And because a heavy volume ends up costing you valuable hydration, big sweaters have more issues with keeping fluid and electrolyte levels in balance.   It would seem to be to your advantage to sweat efficiently - just enough to keep you cooled, but not enough to wipe out your reserves.  And it's something we don't really seem to be able to control.

So what is a big sweater to do?  Awareness appears to be the key.  A good way to find out how much you sweat is to perform the following test:  Weigh yourself before heading out on a 1 hour run.  Do not take in any fluids after the weigh-in or during the run.  When you get back, weigh yourself again, and find the difference in weight.  Divide that number by 2.1 - this is the number of quarts you need to drink to replace the lost fluid.   Once you know that you sweat a lot, you can do all you can to keep hydrated and to replace lost electrolytes with drinks like Nuun or GU2O.  For more information on hydration, Runners World has some great articles.

And so now I know.  I'm healthy, but I also sweat alot without any extra benefit.  Now if I can just remember to wear the dark shorts . . .

Facing Down the Distance

In my more optimistic moments, I imagine myself running a 50k. When I'm on the verge of madness, I see myself running it effortlessly, quickly, not unlike the incredible athletes that grace the covers of Trailrunner magazine. Poring over books and articles, I am enthralled by what it takes to go the distance. And while I imagine myself in the 50k, it is the 50 miler or the 100 miler that really captures my attention. Could I pull something like that off? What does it take to go that distance?

When I mention casually to friends that I am thinking of doing a marathon, I am met with approval and enthusiasm. Throw out the word "ultra" though, and it's a whole new story. "You're crazy!" is the most common response. "Really?" comes in a close second. And it leads me to wondering what I'm really drawn to in this sport that I have yet to try.

Is it the trails? I've always been drawn to the trails. When I first discovered that there was a trail leading from Canada to Mexico through the Cascades, I dreamed of covering the miles someday (on horseback during my horse phase). I've always loved hiking. One of my favorite trips came during the summer after my senior year in high school when I hiked partway around Mt Hood, lunching in Paradise Park and camping at Dollar Lake. So yes, the allure of trails certainly has something to do with it. I love the idea of covering long miles through the wilderness, but my success in falling on relatively clear trails leaves me a little concerned at the idea.

But I think more than the call of nature, what appeals to me in the ultra is the idea of challenging myself to see just how far I can go. I have done a marathon now - not very well trained and not very quickly - but could I go farther? How far can I go if I train hard and long? Is it more important to me to qualify for Boston or to push my limits? I suppose either one pushes my limits, but I find that the appeal of the ultra is probably more. There is a question in me as to what I'm made of. Will I bend or break? My hope is that I would bend, would find inner strength to get me through the physical challenge, but perhaps no. If I were to break, to fail, it would be far more profound than if I am unable to qualify for Boston. So many reasons that a 3:45 might not happen on race day. Not life-changing. Not really.

Still, it is scary as hell to contemplate such a thing. It might be easier to keep running within these easy limits. For now, I'll just keep staring down those miles, daring them to answer.

Training Plan Dos (for TIaRT)

Training plans. Two words that can strike fear into the carefree, fun-loving runner who wants nothing more than to hit the road on her own schedule, at her own pace, on her own terms. Two words that can mean the difference between achieving a PR and being grossly unprepared. I've never been very good at following a training plan, but I've learned some things along the way from these plans that have helped me improve my running. Here they are:

Do allow extra time to train.
I think it is useful to add at least a week to your training plan. Life has a habit of happening despite your best plans to stay on target. You get sick. You get hurt. You have an opportunity to sneak out of town and drink with your friends. When you give yourself the minimal time to prepare for a race, it is super easy to run off course and get behind. Once you are behind, it is really tempting to scratch your plans all together. But with some cushion weeks, you give yourself the opportunity to catch up. I tried my first marathon with only 12 weeks to train. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I needed at least 16 - but probably more like 20 to really get in the runs I needed to if I wanted to do well.

Do run the long runs for the marathon.
It might seem obvious, but once you get in to the thick of the training plans with 3 - 20 milers staring at you in the face, you start to bargain with yourself. I was sure that my one 16 miler was enough. I threw in another 13 miler, figuring that if I could get through the first half easily, I would be fine. Wrong. There is a reason that training plans have so many long runs in them. Your body needs to learn how to be on its feet for so long. Your muscles and tendons begin to adapt to the stress, and your metabolism learns how to use fat for energy. For a great review of what the long run will do for you, check out this article. If you don't do the long runs, you might finish the marathon, but it won't be pretty. What surprised me most was how much walking hurt.

Do listen to your body.
It can be so tough to take a rest day on a day you are scheduled for a run, but if you feel a pain that feels like the beginning of an injury - rest. The way a marathon trainer friend of mine puts it is, "6 days, 6 weeks or 6 months." If you catch an injury early, you might only have to take 6 days off. Keep pushing through the pain, the injury has a good chance of getting worse. What might have healed up quickly can become chronic. Most of us don't plan on running only for a short time. So we have to take the long view of our training.

Do forgive yourself if you don't follow the plan exactly.
Give yourself permission to move runs around. I like to combine training plans and create my own, factoring in vacations, races I want to do, and other scheduling conflicts. There seems to be a few basic elements in any training plan - a long run, a run with some speed or hills, and rest or easy days between hard workouts. There is much variety in the way that you can put the plan together, but I find that working with my own personal schedule allows me to be much more successful in following a plan. It wasn't until I gave myself permission to stray from the program that I began to actually stick with one.

That being said, I've already strayed from my marathon training program this year. I am using it as a guideline, but I am letting my body lead the way in determining what the day should bring. I will make sure that I hit the number of long runs in the schedule, even if they don't happen on the exact day they are planned for. I will also try to hit the weekly mileage targets, and I will do my best to follow the 3 weeks hard, 1 week easy guideline. We'll see how the rest of the plan works out . . .

Wet. Wet. Wet.

One of my favorite artists for listening to when I really need to crank up the pace is Andrew W.K. Yeah, his album cover is ugly, his songs all sound the same, but you can't beat the bpm he cranks out. And the tunes are catchy - it works.

So today, as I slogged through the rain, I couldn't help but think of his song "I Get Wet." Sure, that's probably not what he meant, but man, the rain was pouring. I watched sheets of water blow sideways across the field, and then I ran through that same wind myself, wondering when I would achieve liftoff. Still, there was a part of me grinning from ear to ear. There's nothing like a good battle with the elements to lift your spirits, especially if you win.

I've seen people asking for advice as to how to keep running through the winter. I suppose it all comes down to attitude. If you can think about your run as a battle, or as a really good story you can tell later that evening, it's much easier to face. When your mind just keeps whining over and over about the cold, the wet, or the ice, you're gonna lose. That's why I did so poorly during the snow, I think. My mind couldn't get past the whining. And so I didn't head out.

I'm much more comfortable in the rain. Getting used to conditions certainly helps. Growing up in Oregon, I had no other choice. Soccer games were never cancelled for rain, snow, or wind. Lightning maybe. Sliding around in the mud was half the fun. So I bring that attitude with me in the rain, and it makes it easier. I like a good soaking. I feel tough. But I've run in the rain hundreds of times, so it isn't anything new. Now. It wasn't always that way. It gets easier with time.

So I guess the key to running through the winter is to just do it. You've got to push yourself past your internal objections and then look for the joy in the new type of workout. Out of difficulty comes growth, right? After my first snow run, I was eager for more. But I wanted the snow to be just like the snow I ran in the first time. No slush, no ice. Next time, I'll just make myself go so I get used to those conditions. Eventually, I should be able to run in anything. Right?

Fascinating Reading

I'm a reader. I think I might have been born with a book in my hand. At the tender age of 8, I decided I would try and read every single book in my school library, and while I did not accomplish that ambitious goal, I did manage to make a good dent in the collection. In college, I loved reading so much that I chose English as my major, imagining that I could pass on my love of literature to high school students. So inspired by my teaching, they would read widely and well, and wander off in to their glorious futures with the fond memory of their English teacher. Yeah, right. Two weeks in the classroom before even entering the formal education program, and I was convinced that teaching high school wasn't for me. I went in to marketing instead.

That doesn't mean that I lost my love of reading though. Lately I have taken to nonfiction adventure, living vicariously through writers who have swum in the Antarctic, run past limits I can only dream of, and climbed big mountains. I am inspired and awed by the feats that individuals choose to undertake. Their stories keep me moving and dreaming.

My latest read was an impulse pick from the local library. Last Breath: Cautionary Tales from the Limits of Human Endurance, by Peter Stark, a writer for Outside magazine, is a fascinating look at the science behind common ways one can die while pursuing extreme sports. Combining stories of people meeting fates including hypothermia, heat exhaustion, dehydration and even scurvy with explanations of the way the body operates in these circumstances, Stark weaves a deft and fascinating portrait of untimely death. I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy such a bleak book, but I found myself unable to put it down.

I feel like I've just been through a crash course on survival and first aid, though I am sure that faced with any of those situations, what seems so stark in my mind right now would become a blur. But I do know that if I'm heading out on an adventure, I need to make darn sure I bring a good source of vitamin C. I need to watch out for the C. Fleckeri jellyfish when I'm in Australia, and I better be sure I take my antimalaria pills when I'm in malaria country. But I also learned that I will actually stay cooler if I keep my body covered in the sun (which explains the long-sleeved UV protection running shirts), and if I am running out of water, it really isn't going to help me that much to horde my water.

Highly recommended for adventure and science junkies who want to learn more about the physiological responses to these deadly situations -