Ahh, vacation!

Last week my better half (also known as the Sporty member of the Dynamic Duo) and I went to Lake Tahoe for a very, very much needed vacation.  Tahoe is stunningly beautiful, serene and fun regardless of the season… If you’ve never been, you should go there as soon as is possible and if you’ve been but aren’t currently there, you should immediately stop what you’re doing and go back. 

Poolside after Granite Bay run

We left the city on Sunday and stopped for a slumber party with our extended family in Granite Bay which, as always, was a fantastic time!  Spending the night in Granite Bay also gave me the opportunity to get in some miles on Monday before we went to Tahoe and my motivation for running was stolen by the high elevation, drinks with umbrellas in them and warm sandy lakeside beaches. 

Lakeside lounging

According to my training schedule, I should have run 10 miles on Monday, 9 on Wednesday and 14 on Friday… according to real life, I ran 7 on Monday, none on Wednesday and attempted 14 today. I would typically get really frustrated with myself for straying from my schedule and would subsequently spend way too much energy worrying that I’ve made some sort of fatal error which will most certainly result in my not reaching my goal.  Instead, I thought this time I would try to focus on the amazing trip and the physical relief a few days off from running gave my pieces and parts (my toe was extremely grateful for the rest as were my knees…. all of which seem to be getting angrier and angrier at me with each new mile I run…. I wonder if they will every forgive me and return to their former happy parts). It really was such a fun and relaxing time and regardless of the missed miles, I wouldn't trade the time at the lake for anything.

So, with what I strongly suspect was a touch of dehydration and lingering aftereffects of vacation overindulgences of both the adult beverage and nutritionally unsound type, I set out this morning to log my requisite 14 miles. It was hard… I went really slowly, tried to keep my energy up with those gel things, attempted to hydrate with Gatorade, took short walk breaks (which I really hate to do and avoid as much as I can) and repeatedly told myself every positive don’t-give-up mantra I could think of.  The good part was that I didn’t give up despite feeling like I was going to keel over… the somewhat disappointing part was that I had to walk the last .75 of the 14 miles.  I am fairly certain that the run was as difficult as it was because of what I did and didn’t do in the week leading up to it which is actually encouraging as perhaps there really is a method to the madness… eating right, drinking right (and moderating umbrella drinks!), cross training, sleeping, stretching… it all seems to add up and have a huge impact on how my body responds to the demands of running.  Looks like that whole trusting in the process thing really is legit! I plan on getting right back on track with all of the above mentioned items and get myself positioned as best as possible for my longest training run which is this coming Friday... 20 miles... that's far.

Monday, June 25: 7miles, 1hr 13min 7sec, avg 10:27

Wednesday, June 27: 0miles, hours of lounging lakeside, avg time from towel to lake 00:05

Saturday, June 30: 14miles, 2hrs 36min 10sec, avg 11:09 (not horrible considering the walking)

Cheers,

SF runner in training

Who ran 18 miles? I did!!

Today I ran 18 miles all at one time and without throwing up, passing out or any of my parts falling off!! It was a great morning for running… not super windy, cool and foggy enough to keep the droves of unruly biking tourists at bay (although that same fog did lead to some rather soggy times).  I was nervous all week about this run and yesterday was no exception so I tackled the things I thought I could do to help my cause … got my Pilates session in, did some yoga, lots of foam rolling, tons of water, good nutrients and a phone call with Bendy DD for a boost of confidence.  With some final reassurance from my better half, lots of magic tape on my knees, any and every blister aid I could find for my poor toes and all my other running essentials (it’s a miracle I haven’t had to trade in my Mini for an SUV to carry all of my necessary items!), I set off to Crissy Field to tackle my second longest training run.

Knowing that I had a whole lot of miles to get in and that some of those miles should include some elevation, I started off with making my way up to and across the Golden Gate Bridge (very different experience when the fog is so thick that you can’t see the end or the water underneath).  After the bridge, I made my way down by the Palace of Fine Arts, wound around the Marina, up into Fort Mason and down through Aquatic Park.  I usually turn around at that point vs. continuing in that direction because there are typically a whole lot of people visiting Pier 39, Ghirardelli, getting on boats to Alcatraz, etc. and, as is clear by earlier rants, I tend to get somewhat testy when people don’t watch where they are going! My plan was to get through the masses and continue on towards the Bay Bridge but that plan went out the window when I encountered a cruise ship being disembarked…. That was a whole lot of tourists with a whole lot of rolling bags.  Needless to say, I did an about face and made my way over the scary hill and back towards Crissy Field.  

Mentally, the run went really well.  I was able to stay focused and pull from my library of inspirational quotes when needed (I know, cheesy but it works for me so I’m sticking with it!).  Physically, the run went fairly well although I did struggle with my badly blistered right toe, some knee crunchies and some new ankle and foot pain that lead to having to stop and retie my shoes a couple of times.  Miles 14 – 16 were spent trying to work through the nagging discomforts which has starting to morph into something closer to real pain.  Thankfully, once I hit 16 miles I had shaken off most everything with the exception of the toe but once I convinced myself that it really wouldn’t fall off and that there was no way I was stopping, I picked a great song (well, two songs actually… Body Movin’ by The Beastie Boys and Shake It Out by Florence + The Machine), turned it way up and dug in for the final 2 miles.  

I have to confess that I fought back a few tears at the end of today’s run…. I didn’t think I could run all 18 miles but I did.  And guess what? I know I can run those 18 miles again and I know that I can run the 8.2 more it will take to cross the finish line. 

18miles, 3 hrs 12min 16sec, avg 10:41

Cheers,

SF runner in training

15 training runs to go...

Other than some slightly crunchy knees and my right toe still doing its best to make sure I’m aware it isn’t pleased with this whole running business, today’s 9 miles went well.  I spent a lot of time while running today thinking about the fact that I only have 15 training runs left before the marathon including an 18 miler this Friday and a 20 miler the Friday after next… I’m really putting my newly found mantra of “trust in the process” to the test and am hoping that it helps me avoid a full-blow panic attack at the idea of the upcoming very long runs! 

When the adrenalin of today's run had worn off, a touch of soreness had settled in and the rest of my day was wrapping up, my mantra faltered just a tad and let in a sliver of doubt. Thankfully, a well-timed chat with my mom during which she worked her mom magic by letting me go on and on about running and then telling me once again how proud and impressed she is with my efforts helped me do an about-face and squash the creeping doubts. Mom's timing was impeccable and, as always, her love and support was invaluable and irreplaceable... thanks mom!

My schedule has been somewhat chaotic the last couple of weeks and I’ve let my cross training fall by the wayside (definitely a required part of the “process” so you can imagine my anxiety over not getting it done!).  So with the fear of an increased potential for injuries and the knowledge that it really does seem to help with my running, I got back on track this week and got in Yoga for Runners yesterday and will make sure that tomorrow includes a Pilates mat session… both are a little challenging to do given that the room in my house that has the TV/DVD has a lot of furniture (a.k.a. hazards!) so one has to be very careful about where they roll like a seal or land their pigeon.  I’m obsessed with the pigeon pose and am still trying to turn my angry pigeon into a happy pigeon like Bendy Dynamic Duo… Sporty Dynamic Duo thinks we made up pigeon pose as a way to torment her but it really is a true pose and there is nothing like it for tight hips!  

Other than a short Pilates session tomorrow, I plan on keeping an eye on my hydration and nutrition, absorbing as many inspirational quotes and images as humanly possible (I've included some for your viewing pleasure so you don't feel left out) and doing anything else I can to get myself ready physically and mentally for Friday’s 18 mile run.  Wish me luck and check back in a few days to read how it went…. I’ll likely not be able to move afterwards so will have plenty of time to write a thorough update!

9miles, 1hr 31min 27sec, avg 10.09

Cheers,

SF runner in training

245.5

After a totally sweltering weekend, the weather took a turn yesterday so my 9 mile run was blissfully cool (albeit a bit soggy from the misty fog) and, thankfully, went much better than the one last Friday.  I also managed to make it through without acquiring any additional injuries (well, none that have surfaced thus far) which equates to a great training session in my book.

I do have to say that I’m getting a bit bored of the Crissy Field/Fort Mason area but it is a really good location for getting in varying terrain (that hill is a killer!) and keeping off of injury inducing cement sidewalks.  Golden Gate Park is another lovely area to run but it lacks the hills that I’m trying to include to decrease the possibility of having to crawl up all of them on race day so I guess I’ll stick with what I’ve been doing and suffer through with the panoramic views of the bay, Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Palace of Fine Arts, the city skyline…. I know, poor me!

Yesterday when I was running and trying to keep myself motivated through the little twinges of discomfort and the passing of time and miles, I started pondering the idea of trusting the process. As you may have deduced from earlier posts, I’m not necessarily inclined to be the most go-with-the-flow individual (as demonstrated by my fit on Saturday when I had a wardrobe malfunction when already 15 minutes late leaving for a wedding) and I’m further challenged by a general lack of capacity for trusting things like processes (or myself on occasion) so this was a bit of a breakthrough for me.

That being said, it was a very introspective run and I was able to make some progress in allowing myself to trust in the process of my training… to trust in the hydration and nutrition, to trust in the yoga, stretching and rolling, to trust in the magical recovery items, to trust in the 245. 5 miles I’ve run since April 1st and to trust in my resolve to achieve what will be the biggest accomplishment of my adult life (so far and not including things such as not being arrested and whatnot).

Tomorrow’s run is another “short” run during which I plan on continuing to focus on staying motivated and introspective enough to keep me from hiding under my bed on Friday morning when I will tackle my second to last very long (18 miles!) training run.

9 miles, 1hr 31min 39 sec, avg 10.11

Cheers,

SF runner in training

Checklists

In spite of the absolutely beautiful morning and waking up feeling very motivated, today’s 12 miles did not come easily. The first couple of miles went fairly well with only some slight toe discomfort, a gorgeous sun-filled sky and a pleasant breeze (fantastic change from the ever-present gale force winds that I typically experience) but right around mile 5, I started to feel more fatigued than I normally would at that point in a run.  Given where I am in my training, it was difficult to not feel discouraged by being challenged on what I felt should have been a relatively easy run.

When I’m running and something is hurting, I’m tired or simply unmotivated, I tend to go through the same thought process each time.  First comes the Am I Okay checklist… that’s where I try to figure out things like if my kneecap really is trying to detach itself from my leg or if it’s something that’s off in my form that I can correct on the fly or can fix later with ice and other magical things.  I then move on to the What Did I Do Wrong checklist where I try to determine if something I did or didn’t do is effecting my energy level or physical abilities… am I hydrated, am I eating well, did I get enough sleep, did I have a second margarita, etc. Lastly, I go through my Eleanor Roosevelt checklist...  that’s where I flip through my mental list of inspirational sayings and images and remind myself of why I’m on this journey and visualize what race day will be like (considering that the mere thought of crossing the finish line makes me totally well up, I have a feeling that it’s likely to be a total sob fest!). 

Although I did have to take 3 walking breaks, my checklists came to my rescue once again by helping me determine that nothing was about to fall off, the fatigue very well may have been because of the second margarita (to say nothing of the lack of water or much food yesterday) and that “The ability to run the extra miles lies between your ears. Keep going.” (thank you, collage of quotation goodness!).

So although it was a struggle, I made it through all 12 miles.  The sad left big toe managed to make it through fairly well although the right big toe managed to acquire the biggest blister I’ve ever seen which is either because of the new socks or the fact that I’m hovering around 30 miles a week mileage which, according to my bible Runner’s World Magazine, can be when all hell breaks loose. I’m thankful that my physical parts cooperated enough to carry on and I’m grateful to my mind for pretending that it didn’t know what I was doing when I was attempting to trick it into continuing on!  

12 miles, 2hrs 3min 7sec, avg 10.15 (I thought my average would be way higher with the walking breaks... Gives me hope that I might be able to finish the marathon before dark!)

Cheers,

SF runner in training