Betrayal

My heart is broken. I thought we had something real, but all you do is hurt me. All I ever did was love you and cherish you, and you betrayed me. When I was with you, I felt like I could conquer anything. When we were together, I could see jealousy in the other girls' eyes because they wanted what I had -- what we had together. You made me feel pretty. You made me feel special. But now I know the truth. You're no good for me. It's over.

That's right, beautiful pink Brooks Pure Cadence shoes -- we're through. I've loved these shoes more than any other pair I've owned. But alas, I have suffered great shin splints. About two weeks ago, I finally gave up on these babies.

My shins and calves hurt so bad during the first few minutes of every run that it made me limp and changed my stride, which is never good news. Even on rest days, my legs hurt when I was just walking around. I thought I eased into neutral shoes, but apparently I ramped up my mileage in them too quickly.

So now I'm back in my trusty old Nike Zoom Structures. I loved them once too, but now, after having something small and sleek and cute, they feel like giant mom shoes. Not cute at all. But my legs are no longer stabby and my runs are pain free, so I guess that's what's important. I'll still wear my Brooks to the gym, because, ya know, fashion statement. And I'll still wear them on super short runs and attempt to use them more gradually. But they won't be my one and only anymore. It just wasn't meant to be.

Sigh.

Garmin Forerunner 10 Review

What's the best part about getting back into running? Getting new gear! Just before I ran the Bentonville Half in 2011, I got a Garmin Forefunner 405. It has more bells and whistles than I know what to do with, and a touch bezel -- an invention dumber than this.

At the time, it was near the top of the line for GPS watches, but the touch bezel was so weird that I could barely use it. My sweaty fingers would accidentally select almost everything except what I wanted to select, and the battery life was pathetic. It's also huge and ugly. And huge.

So imagine my delight when Trea surprised me with a new Garmin Forerunner 10 for Christmas! In PINK! 

Pink was this year's theme for my gifts. Can't go wrong there!

The Forerunner 10 has just four buttons -- no touch bezel or touch screen -- and it's a very basic GPS watch. It only displays pace, distance, time and calories, but it shows me elevation and everything else I was used to seeing from the 405 after I upload my runs to Garmin Connect. It doesn't display average pace, and that's the only thing I miss about the 405. It also doesn't sync wirelessly with my computer; I have to plug it in. But it's so worth it to have a watch that actually fits my arm and does what I tell it to do with a simple push of a button. 

And it's adorable. (Focus on how adorable it is, not on how sad the numbers are.)

Here they are side by side. I let the 405 battery die a slow and painful death. It probably took all of two hours.

The Forerunner 10's skinny strap breathes so much better than the giant, wide 405 strap. And it's adorable. Did I mention it's pink? 

I'm going to hang onto the 405 because Pinky isn't multisport, and I plan to still use the 405 for bike rides. But for running, the Forerunner 10 is my new favorite thing. And it's not important to me at all that it just happens to match my pink iPod shuffle and pink shoes. The most important thing is that it fits my wrist, tracks my runs accurately and is super easy to use. (And it's pink!) 

18 miles and counting

A lot can happen in 18 miles. On Saturday, Trea and I ran our longest distance ever. 18 big ones. After my bad experience trudging through 16 miles, I did not have high hopes for this run. But it was awesome! I felt strong the entire time and had plenty of energy to get to the end. I still can't believe I ran that far and actually had fun doing it.

We ran a new route that went through places we were somewhat familiar with, but areas where we usually don't run. It was so nice to have a change of scenery. We ran past the city airport and watched planes take off and land, saw about 47 little kid soccer games and were serenaded by a Latino garage band. I almost stopped and loved on some free puppies that were being given away on the side of the road, but I made myself keep going. It was a beautiful, happy day.

I stopped at a gas station around mile 7 to get some ice and refill my water bottle, and we were already starting to get hungry. After about 10.5 miles, we ran past a Popeyes, and I was doing fine, trucking right along...until the smell hit me. Trea and I both smelled fried chicken and biscuits at the same time and just couldn't resist. We were starving and still had quite a ways to go. I had packed Shotbloks and strawberry Newtons to eat along the way, and I had 8 oz. of Accelerade for an extra boost, but all that stuff suddenly seemed pretty nasty compared to hot, buttery biscuits. So we stopped our watches, walked in all stinky and covered in a thick layer of salt and ordered three biscuits and some water. The lady behind the counter was not too excited about touching my debit card, but I didn't let her snobby attitude get me down. People in the restaurant were staring at us, but we were too hungry and exhausted to care. We took off our gear, plopped down at a table and destroyed some biscuits. YUM.

After a few minutes of rest, we topped off our water supplies and headed back out for 7.5 more. The rest of the run was new territory for me, with much of it on bike trails in Rogers, where I never run. It was sunny and breezy and the fall leaves were beautiful. At around mile 15, we made another quick pit stop. We were just getting started again, ready for the home stretch when the unthinkable happened. I was standing there talking to Trea, waiting for the crosswalk to change, and SMACK, I felt a hard thud on my head, like an acorn had fallen out of a tree. But there weren't any trees.

I got pooped on by a bird! Thank goodness I had a hat on, but it was still disgusting. Luckily, I had packed kleenex, so I was able to clean up a little. An hour later, Trea was still laughing at me.

Even with the bird incident, this was still one of my favorite runs so far. Getting through that distance -- and getting through it feeling good and staying strong -- was huge for me. I feel a lot more confident about finishing a marathon now, but at the same time, I'm still nervous about 26.2. Although I didn't get so tired that I had to take walk breaks on this run, I got little breaks at stoplights, crosswalks, bathroom stops and breaks while I consulted my route notes to figure out where to go. I won't get any breaks like that during a race. Pretty sure I won't have a chance to swing by Popeyes either, so nutrition is a big concern for me. I still don't know what to eat that I can carry with me. I can't eat Shotbloks for 5 hours straight. I can't even get through a whole package without feeling sick. They're just too sweet. On my next long run, I'm planning to pack a PB&J and see how that goes. I need to figure out what works for me in race conditions -- without a bunch of stopping and without a piping hot biscuit.

I don't know what to eat, but at least I know what to wear. I got my first pair of real, legit running tights last week!

No more Old Navy yoga pants for this girl! I feel like a real runner now. They look black in the first photo, but they actually have a fun design so I'll look FAST. (Ha!!)

I'm hoping Memphis brings some cold weather on December 3 so I can put these to good use! They're Nike Pro tights with a soft fleecey lining, so I'm hoping they'll keep my legs toasty warm this winter.

Only 31 days till the St. Jude Memphis Marathon, and just 10 days till my first 20-mile run.

I'm ready!!

Race travel and freaking out

This weekend is the Mother Road Half Marathon in Joplin, and it will be my first out-of-town race. I'm getting nervous about remembering everything I need to pack and getting ready/having my pre-run breakfast in a hotel instead of at home. I'm also nervous because I'm STILL sick, and I might not even be able to run at all. I went back to the doctor today for a stronger antibiotic, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I will wake up feeling like a million bucks Sunday morning for the race. We'll see.

This race is point-to-point instead of a loop, so we'll have to take a shuttle to the starting line in Baxter Springs, Kansas and then run to the finish line in Joplin, Missouri. So of course I'm stressed out about shuttle schedules. And what is this I keep hearing about gear trucks? Should I pack a bag that will be waiting for me at the finish line with dry clothes and stuff? What do you put in your bag? What kind of bag do you take? A backpack? Small duffel? Gallon-sized Ziploc? I am totally serious about these questions.

Trea and I have our long run routines down pat, and I'm more than concerned about changing things up this weekend. The morning of our long runs, Trea always makes a trip to McDonald's for egg McMuffins, or I make homemade ones for us, and then we don't leave the house for another 45 minutes or so to let everything settle. We normally eat around 5:45 and are running by 6:45 or 7:00. But at this race, the last shuttle arrives at the starting line at 7:00, but the race doesn't start until 8:00! So we'll still need to get up early and eat early, but I'm worried my McMuffin will be "wearing off" by the time we're ready to start. Maybe I need to get two... {Trea is allergic to both peanut butter and bananas -- runners' favorite fuel -- so our pre-run options are limited. PowerBars and ClifBars are out for him too.} We're running with friends, so ideally, we'll be able to drive one car to the start and leave it and take another car to retrieve it later. This would relieve tons of stress...as long as the race folks will let us do that.

Even though it stinks to be sick on ANOTHER race weekend, I'm still looking forward to this experience because I think it will be a good dress rehearsal for the St. Jude Memphis Marathon in December. Much better to figure out our out-of-town/hotel routine now than in downtown Memphis at our first full marathon! I just found out only 262 runners are registered for the Mother Road Half, so this is going to be a tiny race. This is terrifying because my chances for finishing dead last just increased dramatically, but having a small turnout might be easier on us as we learn how to handle racing far from home.

I'm treating this weekend like a training run, so I'm not shooting for a certain time or anything. Since I've been sick for a week now, I'll just be happy if I'm able to run at all. I actually have 15 miles on my training schedule this weekend, so if I'm feeling better, I'm planning to run a mile or so before the race to warm up, and then whatever is left at the end as a slow shake-out run.

So, expert out-of-town racers...how do YOU get ready to race when you're away from home? 

How do you handle racing during training, when the race is shorter than your training distance? 

Memphis Marathon Training: Week 7

Some training weeks are better than others, and this week definitely did not go my way. After my 14-miler last Saturday, my Achilles and calves were pretty cranky for a few days. Then I felt like I was fighting off a cold almost all week, and it finally caught up with me this weekend and kept me out of a 5K I was really looking forward to, as well as my long run. I've missed several cross training workouts during my training, but this is the first significant run that I've missed, and I'm completely stressed out about losing endurance and not keeping up with my mileage. But when my nose ceases to function and I'm stuck in bed with a fever, my options for training are pretty limited.

Next weekend, I'm supposed to run the Mother Road Half Marathon in Joplin as a training run, so I'm hoping that missing my 10-miler this weekend doesn't set me back too much. 

Monday
Speed 4 Easy
My legs just weren't up for a speed workout after running 14 miles Saturday. I'm learning that these pace-focused runs don't always work out because I usually need more than one day of recovery in between. Instead of pushing myself to the breaking point, I just focus on getting the miles in rather than running at a crazy intensity when my legs feel less than 100%. I ran 4 miles by myself in downtown Bentonville and had to stop several times to stretch. I got some new Asics Kayanos, which offer a little more stability than my Nike Zoom Structures, and this was my first time to run in them. So far, I think I like them, though they are noticeably heavier.

4 miles/42:21/10:35 avg. pace

Tuesday
Cross train Rest
Trea and I went to Little Rock for the day to be with his mom while she had surgery (she's doing OK now). It was a long day with lots of driving, so there was absolutely no time for a workout. But we had a fantastic dinner on our way home at a new Greek restaurant in Conway! We stopped at Layla's Gyros and Pizzeria when we saw it had a 100% rating on Urbanspoon, and it did not disappoint! I had hummus with pita, falafel, a gyro meat pizza with tzatziki and I ate most of Trea's chicken schawarma. After our feast, I had homemade baklava and Turkish coffee, which they served in tiny little cups. This place is super affordable, and the staff was so friendly and helpful. If you're ever in Conway, stop in at Layla's.

Wednesday
8 Tempo
I ran with Laura on the bike trails around town. I always hate these longish mid-week runs, so we ran an out-and-back route so I wouldn't be tempted to cut it short. If you run 4 miles away from the car, you have to go 4 miles back! It was hot when we started, but it got dark before we finished, so it was nice and cool for the last couple of miles. I took 5 minutes off my previous 8-mile time!

8 miles/1:27:30/10:56 avg. pace

Thursday
Cross train Rest
I skipped spin class again. AGAIN. I really have to get back on the cross training bandwagon. I felt like I was coming down with a cold, and wanted to just go home after work and rest. I thought if I could keep chugging EmergenC and get lots of sleep, maybe the sickness that's plaguing my entire office wouldn't get me. I was wrong.

Friday
Even more rest
Have you ever seen so many rest days?!

Saturday
10 Long and Go Literacy 5K Nyquil coma
This was my "runniversary," the one-year anniversary of my first 5K. I was so excited to run the same race again and blow my previous time out of the water, but I woke up with fever and all kinds of nastiness that kept me from even going as a spectator. Not cool. I spent the morning at a walk-in clinic, but Trea raced and won first in his age group!! He set a new PR and finished in 24:52! I'm so proud of him, but still sad that I wasn't there to see him get his medal. Next year, Literacy 5K. Next year, IT IS ON.

Not only did I miss out on my race, but I also wasn't able to get in my long run. I had hoped that after getting a steroid shot yesterday and a good night's sleep, I would be able to run today, but I still feel awful. Let's hope I can still make my way through 13.1 at the Mother Road Half next weekend! Even though I'm just using it as a training run, I'm more than a little worried about it now.

Total miles for the week: A measly 12

9 weeks till Memphis!

4 on the 4th

Is there anything in this world better than shiny new shoes? I don't think so. I have had a pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS 10's since last summer, and they have served me well. For a while, I tried switching them out occasionally with Nike Frees to build up my strength in my calves and feet, but I haven't run in my Frees or anything else in several months.

When I was training for the Bentonville Half Marathon in the spring, I started getting blisters on my right foot any time I ran more than 4 miles. At the time, my shoes weren't worn out yet, and I don't know what was causing it, but I've been very much looking forward to getting new shoes in hopes that it would solve the problem. My old Brooks have somewhere in the neighborhood of 330-ish miles on them, so I helped myself to a shiny new pair on Friday!

I love the color, love the fit, and they felt great walking around the store. The sales guy told me all about some new technology that Brooks used in the Adrenalines this year, something about a gel that's firm when it should be and will also be soft when it needs to be. All I really absorbed is that this year's model is available in better colors. Red! So I have been impatiently waiting until Trea and I had the time and energy for a run during the long holiday weekend. We got up early yesterday with plans to run 6 miles.

We had a thunderstorm over night, so everything outside was damp and the day wasn't hot yet. More storms were coming, so the clouds spared us from the sun and we were hoping to finish up before we got rained on. We tried a different route, so I was extra excited about the change of scenery. I set out in my shiny new shoes and felt good for about 2 minutes. I looked down at my Garmin, and I was barely moving. My feet felt like lead. I couldn't figure out what was wrong. The weather was perfect and I felt good, but I just couldn't make my legs go. Pretty soon, my feet started to cramp, along with my calves.

I made it only half a mile before I had to take both shoes off and stretch my miserable cramping feet. That helped for a while, but I continued to have to stop and walk. At one point, a few of my toes went numb and I was getting angrier and angrier. I wanted so badly to run. The rest of me felt good, but my feet refused to cooperate. Also, I had just spent a sizable chunk of cash on shoes that seemed pretty useless.

Halfway through the run, I gave up. My feet were cramping again, so I just turned around and started walking back toward the car. Fuming. I still didn't feel like I should be finished running and was so frustrated. After walking for a few minutes, my feet had calmed down, even though I hadn't. I took off running again, hoping to at least make it a four-mile day. About that time, there was a rumble of thunder and the skies opened. Fantastic. Just when my run couldn't get any worse. I looked around for a place to take shelter so my iPod wouldn't get ruined, but didn't really want to stop and sit out the storm. So I kept running...and realized a cool rain shower felt kind of nice. I stowed my iPod in my SPIbelt with my sport beans and ran listening to the rain in the trees. Surprisingly, my feet felt OK, and for a few minutes, everything was peaceful.

We ran by a little creek through a park and saw a HUGE bullfrog hopping down the path in front of us. As we got closer, he took a big leap and jumped over the tall bank into the creek, making us both giggle at how silly his giant feet and legs looked when he took a dive. My awful run somehow became a happy run, and I learned that when it's warm outside, I love running in the rain.

We finished up at 4 miles instead of 6, but it felt like enough for my feet. I'm still not sure why a new model of  the same shoe would feel so awful, but I'm hoping I just need to break them in or get used to them. I'll give them another try before giving up. And hopefully it'll rain.

Going the distance

This blog post title is brought to you by Cake and my new favorite running song. I have a little more than two weeks to go until the Bentonville Half Marathon, and on Sunday, I finished my first ever 10-mile run! I averaged an 11:48 pace, which I was satisfied with, and I didn't take any walk breaks. I am going the distance, but I am obviously not going for speed. Running longer distances has presented a whole new set of challenges, and I'm still figuring out what works for me and what doesn't.

Here's what I know so far:

Pain
Running long hurts in a whole new way and in new places. To help with recovery, I invested in some pretty pink leg hugs, also known as Zensah calf sleeves. This is how I spend my weekends now.

These calf sleeves are magical and I am not ashamed to wear them on the run, on the couch or to the office under my pants.

Fuel
Longer runs require fuel, and my first attempt at hydrating on the run was a disaster. I got a cheap fuel belt with two water bottles, washed them in the dishwasher and now everything I put in them tastes like lemon soap. FAIL. I couldn't find the right kind of bottles for sale around here to replace the ones I ruined, but my local running store had an extra lying around and gave me one. So now I have a two-bottle fuel belt and only one usable bottle, which means my fanny pack doesn't sit straight on my fanny. After several miles of struggling with my cheapo bouncy belt, I came home and ordered an iFitness hydration belt, which should be here any day now!

In addition to chugging H2O, I also have to eat something along the way, all while not choking and not falling down and maintaining a decent pace. I tried walking while I reload, but I run so slowly anyway that this really set me back. I learned that Clif Shot Bloks make me want to die, but eating a few tiny Sport Beans (with caffeine!) every few miles is kind to my digestive system. Trial and error, my friends. Trial and error.

Mood
So much of running is mental, and I have to really focus to stay positive. If I let my brain wander down a negative path, I might lose confidence and cry on the sidewalk at mile four. (Not that that's happened.) (Ahem.) I've read some articles that suggest choosing a mantra to repeat to yourself when you get overwhelmed. Something short and easy to remember, like, "Farther, faster," or "Be strong, keep going." I think this is a great idea, but somehow my mantras always end up to be, "These are side-stitches of death," or "This hill is trying to kill me." Music helps me cope best, as you can tell from this post's title. And my new favorite things on the planet are Yurbuds, which keep my quarter-sized Apple earbuds from falling out! These things have changed my life. Buy some.

My 10-miler also made me weak in the knees, and not in a good way. I have been in some serious pain these last few days, but I'm trying not to obsess about it. I felt better today, so I ran tonight for the first time since Sunday and only made it 2 miles before all the pain came back and I called it quits. It's not so painful that I couldn't run through it, but it's the kind of pain that I know I shouldn't ignore. I'm hoping ice and rest will solve the problem, along with some strength training for my quads, hips and glutes. After the race, I can relax, recover, give my knees a break and focus on quality strength work before adding any more miles. Just two and a half more weeks to go!!

And now for your listening pleasure, CAKE.

Baby, it's cold outside

Training for my first half marathon officially began this week, and it coincided with our first snowstorm of the year. Here in Arkansas, we are experiencing sub-zero windchills and more snow than we know what to do with. I worked from home yesterday because I can get much more done that way, but today I didn't have another choice. Roads were icy and slick, and since I already had my laptop at home, there was no reason to risk driving to the office. But after two full days of being here with two whiny dogs who don't want to stay inside but don't want to go out in the cold either, I was going stir CRAZY, and I went for my first snowy run.

Since I was home in the middle of the day, I was able to run in the daylight, which is a novelty lately, and even though it was wicked cold, the sun was shining bright and melting the snow a little bit. When I left, it was 19 degrees with a windchill of NINE. I bundled up in my warmest running clothes - two pairs of socks, the best pants on earth - Nike dri-fit thermals, a toboggan covered with a fleece headband, my super warm running jacket from Target and one of Trea's Buffs. So what if I couldn't move my head? At least it was warm.

As soon as I stepped outside, I realized the roads were worse than I thought, and I immediately began to worry about slipping and falling. But according to Hal, I had 3 miles to run, and I was too afraid to try driving to the gym. I walked very carefully around my neighborhood until I found a dry stretch of road that was in direct sunlight. It was only about 0.15 miles of snow/ice-free surface, so I just ran back and forth until I got my 3 miles in. And it was mostly a hill, so...bonus points for hill training. I'm sure the neighbors thought I was crazy running back and forth up the same stretch of road, but everywhere that was shaded by trees was covered in snow and ice.

My weather.com app did a great job of terrifying me of the risks of frostbite, which is why I opted for the Buff. It actually worked pretty well at keeping my face warm - until it froze from the steam from my breath. And then it was like wearing a big fat ice necklace. Thank goodness I didn't have to go more than 3 miles!

I haven't been running much the last month or so because of a minor knee injury, so my weekly mileage has been crazy low. One of the most important rules of running, I'm told, is to increase mileage by only 10% each week to avoid injury. So because I've only been logging about 5-6 miles a week, I can't just dive right into my training as I'd hoped. Hal's plan calls for 12 miles in the first week, which would more than double my mileage. Not smart to do this probably, so I ran/walked the last mile today, and I'll be hitting the gym more frequently these first couple of weeks for some elliptical action and stationary bike training. According to Coach Pink Girl, this will give me the cardio, leg work and mileage without pounding my knees.  

My snowy run wasn't ideal. It wasn't comfortable. My pace was ridiculous because I walked so much to keep from slipping on ice. But I felt so good for getting out there and sticking to my plan. So bring it on, Old Man Winter. I have 81 days to train, and it's gonna take more than a little wintry mix to slow me down.

Get geared up

I am not a zen runner. I do not simply walk out the door with no watch and no music and run until I feel like I've run enough. I set goals, I obsess over weather preparation and I take a lot of crap with me. A lot.

Things were simpler when the weather was warm. But now I have to make sure I have a light to see since it's dark all the time, wear a headband over my ears, sometimes layered with a warm hat, gloves, vest, etc. While some might view this as a weakness and think I should just get myself out the door and deal with it, my level of comfort is of the utmost importance when I'm running. If my gear isn't right, I break down.

Today, I intended to run two miles. But the moment I got out of the car, I knew I was going to have a bad run solely because of the headband I chose. Instead of wearing a hat layered over a Bondi Band, like I normally do when it's 35-ish degrees, I opted for a cheap fleece headband only. Big mistake. It was too loose, so it did nothing to protect my wimpy ears from the freezing wind. And it was just loose enough to tug my headphones out of my ears every time I took a step. (How can Apple produce some of the world's greatest gadgets but fail at designing earphones?!) So I ran one angry mile - fighting with my earphones and headband the entire way, dreading the cold-induced earache that I knew was coming - and gave up in frustration and went home. That headband is dead to me now. 

So even though it might take me 20 minutes to get myself put together for a run, it's well worth it to me. Here is only a sampling of my winter gear - hat, Bondi Band, Road ID, Garmin, headlight, and of course my music.

Of all the things I must take with me, my music is the most important, ya know, other than shoes and clothing. I listen to music constantly whether I'm driving or cooking or cleaning house, and I run better when I have a good song to motivate me. I use music sort of as an incentive or reward for running. When I hear a song I love on the radio in the car, I turn it off, buy it on my iPhone and I don't let myself listen to it unless I run. It's my version of a dangling carrot. Also, I don't let myself listen to my favorite running songs any other time besides when I'm running so I won't get tired of them too quickly. This is a money-saving incentive so I'm not buying music for new playlists every other week. So...here are a few of my latest favorites.

1. My Body by Young the Giant - All I could find on YouTube is the live version, but it's still awesome. The lyrics are perfect to make me pick up my pace!



2. Down by Jay Sean - I first heard this song when I saw the Pink Glove Dance video. Who couldn't love this?



3. Ours by The Bravery - I liked this one so much I had to buy the entire Eclipse soundtrack to get it. Yuck.

4. Bang Pop by Free Energy - Remember bad videos from the '80s? Yeah, so do these guys.

5. Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap - This would've been perfect for a Brat Pack movie.

6. Love the Way You Lie by Eminem feat. Rihanna - PARENTAL ADVISORY. It's Eminem; what did you expect?

One good run

I've been struggling to find the motivation to get off my fanny and run for a lot of reasons. Mostly because I'm slow and not a good runner, but also because it's dark and cold every time I get an opportunity to run. But on Wednesday, I decided just to suck it up, get out there and do it. I'm so glad I did. Running hurts and I've been so discouraged lately. But that one night, I had a good run. Besides, I've had so much fun shopping for winter running gear, it was about time I took the tags off my long pants, fun toboggan with the ponytail hole and my awesome C9 shirt from Target and gave 'em a whirl.

Wednesday was cold. Seriously COLD. In northwest Arkansas, it's almost always windy, which I hate and which always makes the cold feel colder. But on Wednesday, it was cold and perfectly still. No wind AT ALL. This never happens, y'all. It was 32 degrees, but it was a peaceful 32. I knew I would regret it if I didn't take advantage of the calm.

Trea was busy and couldn't come with me, so I left my comfy couch and ventured out into the cold darkness alone (sorry mom). I was excited to try my new cold weather gear, and for the most part I didn't get cold (except for my delicate ears, as usual). I bundled up in a long-sleeved shirt, vest and long pants. Then I spent a good 15 minutes trying to take a picture of myself with my phone in the bathroom mirror. How does everyone else do that and not look like a goob? I obviously still haven't figured it out.

I have mentioned this about a thousand times, but I can't stress enough how sensitive my ears are to the cold. If it's below 70 degrees, those babies have to be covered or I'm in for a world of hurt. So I was super excited about my new toboggan. I loved that it had a place for my ponytail!

Unfortunately, this hat doesn't have a bill like my running cap, so there was nowhere to clip my hat light. Dilemma. How to run in the dark without a light - and dressed in black? I did not think this through. BUT, I was determined to get out there and brave the cold and not let the darkness keep me from my run. So I headed out to a park that has lots of safe sidewalks and lots of lighting. When I've run at night before at this park, there have been volleyball games and soccer games going on, so all the fields were lit up like daylight. But not on Wednesday. There was no one else there. The soccer fields were dark and my car was the only one in the lot. It was perfectly still and perfectly silent.

I headed out and was surprised that I wasn't freezing. Especially with my nifty fingerless gloves/mittens, I was perfectly fine. My nose and cheeks were pretty chilly, but since there wasn't any wind, it wasn't bad at all. I decided I would just run for 30 minutes and call it a night. About 10 minutes in, I started getting warm, so I pulled back the mitten part of my gloves and let my fingers breathe so I could cool off a little. I ended up switching back and forth with the mittens closed and open, and was able to stay warm enough and cool enough. Sadly, my hat did little to protect my ears, so I may have to add some behind-the-head earmuffs to this ensemble (nerd alert!)

I didn't run far, but I felt good. This rarely happens. My lungs didn't burn. I had plenty of energy. I could've run farther, but I had told Trea I wouldn't be long and didn't want him to worry. It felt so good to get out by myself in the cold, still darkness and have FUN running. I had one good run, and that's what keeps me going back out there. Every now and then, everything works like it should - peaceful thoughts, strong legs, strong lungs and beautiful scenery. This makes the hard runs worth it.

MILEstones

Today I ran my 100th mile! I am five days away from race day, and four months ago when I started trying to run, I never dreamed I would rack up 100 miles over the summer. I could barely run for 60 seconds without wanting to collapse. And tonight I ran 3.15 miles - without a walk break! ALSO! I wore pants today that I haven't worn in over a year. In the beginning I said, "I'm 29, and my pants don't fit." Well guess what, y'all. They fit! Sort of! Enough that I can tolerate them for an entire day of sitting and breathing! That's good enough for me!

The weather has cooled off significantly over the last few days, and it's definitely made running more pleasant. Tonight I went out in shorts and a tank at 61 degrees as the sun was going down, and it was more than a little chilly to me. Summer wardrobe was easy; I just tried to wear as little as possible. But now I don't know what I'm doing. The whole hot/cold/sweaty situation has me baffled. I started out freezing, but of course warmed up pretty quickly. I was hot and sweaty but my skin still felt like ice. Weird. I'll be experimenting with what to wear so I'm not too cold or too hot, but one thing I know for sure is when it's under 70 degrees, I'll be protecting my delicate ears with my ugly Bondi Band. I get terrible earaches and headaches when there's the slightest chill in the air, so I just have to not think about how ridiculous I look.

One of my favorite things about running is people watching. I know I've mentioned this before, but I love it when there are lots of people out so I can take my mind off my tired legs for a while. Lately I've seen deer grazing just a few yards off the path at the park where I run. Just tonight, as I was cursing Arkansas for the swarms of gnats flying in my face even though it was 60 degrees, I came up on EIGHT deer - babies and mamas - lazily grazing and completely unconcerned with the huffing, puffing, stomping human on their turf. And then I forgave Arkansas.

Seeing other runners also makes me feel better about what I'm doing. I always see people who are better and faster, and it makes me want to work harder. I'll see a runner farther up the path who looks like they know what they're doing, and I'll try to imitate their form before they leave me in the dust. The other day, I was struggling and not wanting to run at all. As I was trying to resist the urge to slow down and walk, I met two barefoot runners coming up the path the opposite direction. And I mean BAREFOOT. None of this Nike Free business. Bare skin on pavement.

Source

They were FLYING! And they looked so happy! I almost tripped over myself gawking at them. There was no Garmin strapped to their wrists, no headphones in their ears. They weren't wearing approved, sweat-wicking running attire - or shoes - but they were running free and it made me want to run that way too! Not run barefoot, but simply run happy. To run for the sheer joy of running. I haven't gotten to that point yet, but I was inspired to speed up a bit. 

There are beautiful runners, who give me something to work toward, and then there are runners who make me laugh out loud. I sometimes forget that even though my music is blasting and I can't hear anything else, people can still hear me. But no matter how hard I try, I cannot keep from laughing when I meet Crazy Arms runner. I see this man at the park often, and I giggle every single time. Trea and I call him Crazy Arms because he flails his arms wildly and awkwardly as he runs. He's short with a bit of a tummy, and he runs crazy fast! Every time I see him, I think of Phoebe from Friends. Kudos to him though, for doing what works. Everyone is different. And he is hilarious.



In five days, I will run the Go Literacy! 5K for the Benton County Literacy Council, and I think I have about a 70/30 chance of running all the way without walking. I drove the race course the other day, and boy oh boy, the last half has some nasty hills! I've been so focused on just finishing my workouts and building up endurance that I haven't focused at all on strength training. I wish I had put in the extra energy to practice running hills so my legs would be stronger, but I'll just have to hope my training has been good enough. I usually stick to flat paths, so this 5K is going to be extra tough. Tonight is the first time I've ever run a 5K distance without walking, and the path was pretty flat. Saturday is going to be a beast. But it will be fun and exciting because I've never even attended a race before. AND! The race for literacy just happens to coincide with Banned Books Week. How awesome is that?

So wish me luck that I won't finish last, and I'll post a race report afterward. I get a cool t-shirt no matter what, so it can't be that bad, right?

Obstacles and Solutions

I'm only 18 days away from my 5K, and I've struggled the last couple of weeks, worried that I won't be able to run the full race without walking (and without finishing dead last). It's been really tough lately. It's also been hot and dry, until just recently. The pond at my favorite running spot dried up and made the park and trail awful to visit. My mysterious ankle pain returned, even though I've been wearing my professionally-fitted running store recommended shoes. My RunKeeper app stopped working and I got frustrated that my mileage wasn't being recorded accurately. I've struggled through the right gear and fuel so I don't flake out in the middle of a run. I still don't have it all figured out, but today I finally had a pretty good run and feel better about things.

Fuel
Running requires fuel. I need to be hydrated, but not drink too much. I need to eat so I don't feel weak with hunger during a run, but I can't eat too much or I'll feel sick. I've been drinking water and avoiding Gatorade because I didn't want to add any calories to my day. But I've decided G2 has a fraction of the calories in Gatorade, and it makes me feel tons better, so it's worth it. Also, I've learned peanut butter and crackers are little miracles before a run in between work and dinner. It tides me over without making me full. A friend recommended that I eat Skittles, which I think is a fantastic idea, since I already have a mild addiction to them. I'm slowly getting this fuel thing figured out and learning what my body can and can't handle.

Gear
When my RunKeeper app started acting up, I was so upset. I knew Nike+ didn't record accurate mileage, and I was at a loss over what to do. Somehow spending over $150 on a Garmin just didn't seem appealing. But then Nike+ e-mailed me and said they had changed their cheating ways and wanted to get back together! For only $1.99! So I downloaded a new Nike+ app on my iPhone for two bucks, and I don't need the shoe sensor anymore.

It works through GPS and some other magical technology that can even track my mileage when I run INDOORS! I don't know what Nike+ is thinking, providing such a great app for practically peanuts, but so far, it's working great. The GPS has been accurate when I run outside, and it kinda blows my mind that it knows how far I'm running inside at the gym. I am loving it! I love it because it works, but hearing a silly congratulatory message from Tracy Morgan when I do a good job doesn't hurt either.

Overcoming Weakness
My ankle pain returned a couple of weeks ago. It wasn't as painful as it was before I switched to my Brooks shoes for overpronators, but it was still noticeable and getting worse each time I ran. So I finally gave in to the idea of barefoot running and all the amazing stories I read in Born to Run. Born to Run is a book that would make the laziest of sloths want to get up and race around the countryside. It's filled with inspiring stories, but it also contains compelling arguments about why we shouldn't wear giant, thick-soled protective shoes. Because we truly were born runners. All humans can do it. All humans can't do it well, as I'm proving, but everyone is capable. In Born to Run, the author says that if we encase our feet in protective padding, our feet can't get strong. And our feet can't tell our legs and our brains how we need to move so we won't get hurt. So I took a chance and got some new shoes. I'm not running barefoot by any means, but I got a pair of Nike Free running shoes, which is a slimmer, much more flexible version of other Nikes.

I ran on Sunday for the first time in my Nike Frees. It was totally weird. For the first time ever, I was very aware of my toes. Instead of striking on my heel and slapping my toe to the ground as I do with my huge Brooks shoes, which look like boats on my feet, I can now control and change the way my foot hits the ground. The shoe is flexible enough that it lets me run however my legs need to run, and it makes my feet and legs work a lot harder. There's no two-inch sole to spring me forward anymore. I didn't run very far because I didn't want to overdo it. But today, I tried my usual 30-minute run in them, and I didn't have any ankle pain. I did, however, have serious foot and calf cramps. I had to slow down and walk a few times because my muscles were so tense and tight. They're having to work so much harder than before, and it was too much for me to handle. I'm thinking of switching back to the Brooks on some runs because I don't want these Nikes to throw me off for the race. I have a hard enough time as it is when everything feels "good." Getting new shoes less than a month before a race is probably not the best idea, but I want to do whatever I can to get stronger. So far, I think Nike Free is the way to accomplish that.

My Route
I have a place where I like to run, but I haven't been able to go there lately. It's been too hot to run outside at all, but my place in particular has been extra awful. It's a pond filled with geese, but the pond dried up and the geese stayed. There was an unpleasant smell and what little water was left turned green. It was a sad sight. But it finally rained! And rained and rained and rained. And now the pond is full and there's water flowing under all the little bridges along the path. I'm going back to my safe zone with pretty views and semi-flat running path. This place makes me happy.

My Motivation
I haven't quite finished the PodRunner program, but I'm finished with PodRunner. I can (sometimes) run 30 minutes without stopping, and I still need to work up to 35 before I "graduate," but there's only so much techno dance music I can stand. So now I'm working on the ultimate playlist to keep me going when I want to collapse. My taste in music is probably pretty odd compared to most people. I like songs that are slow and mellow almost all the time. So my iPod library is not meeting my needs when it comes to motivational running music. When I'm cooking or driving, I love Death Cab, but that just won't cut it when I'm running in the summer heat and gasping for air. I downloaded some new songs, and I was in love with my playlist today.

Sweet Pea - Amos Lee
All Cause of You - The 88
Pumped Up Kicks - Foster the People
Bad Sun - The Bravery
Help I'm Alive - Metric
Crossfire - Brandon Flowers
Out of the Blue - Julian Casablancas
Good Life - OneRepublic
Why Don't We Just Dance - Josh Turner
I'll Stop the World and Melt with You - Modern English

RunKeeper

It was tough to say goodbye, but I've already found a replacement for Nike+. Trea discovered the RunKeeper app for iPhone and talked me into trying it out. For the bargain price of $9.99, I can use GPS to track my runs, and it doesn't require calibration like Nike+. RunKeeper shows me my route, displays my time, distance and all sorts of fun stuff. I call it the poor man's Garmin. Here's what a run looks like when I log onto the computer.

It's awesome because the app sends the info from my phone immediately, and I don't have to sync my phone to iTunes in order to track my progress. It will also upload my stats to Facebook and Twitter as soon as I finish a run. I might do that one of these days when my stats are less embarrassing. It seems to be more accurate than Nike+, which is good, but at the same time, it's disheartening. Nike+ told me I was going farther and faster than I actually am. Here's a screen shot of the app after a run. 14:07 was my average pace! Yikes!

In my defense, it was crazy hot and I walked a lot more than I normally do. However, even if I had run more, I'm still a slow runner. I just didn't realize how slow! But I'm glad that I have a new gadget that seems to be working. It may seem silly to spend so much time to find something to analyze my workout, but counting my mileage and tracking my average pace is what keeps me going. Seeing those miles add up and seeing my pace improve (in theory) gives me the encouragement I need to go out and run another day.

Yesterday, Trea and I went to our local Farmers Market for the first time ever! I can't believe we've lived here for so long without checking this place out. It was a beautiful Saturday, and we were up early enough to beat the heat. I think we were the only people there without a dog. 

We got some fresh bread, okra and the most gorgeous heirloom tomatoes I've ever seen. Today, Trea made caprese sandwiches with these beauties on ciabatta, and they were amazing! When tomato juice drips down your elbow, you know it's good. Ah, the taste of summer!

That's it; we're through!

I think I'm breaking up with Nike+. It has totally let me down and driven me crazy. My run on Saturday, as my pal Kel would say, was E-motional, and today's run wasn't super.

Even though I only run for about 30 minutes, that's the only time I get all day for uninterrupted focus. My mind can wander to all sorts of places while I'm running around in a circle at the goose pond. When I started my run Saturday, I was already in a bad mood. It was a good day for mood swings I guess. I knew it would be my last time to run on level three before moving up to level four on PodRunner, and I was worried about finishing.

Trea and I got a very late start Saturday, so I was mad at him for making us run in the dark. Then I was mad at the people who let their giant 80-pound dog poop on the trail. I was mad that the front side of the pond smelled like goose poop and made me want to gag. These geese, by the way, are the reason I don't usually run all the way around the pond. I try to stay away from their hangout by the parking lot, but on Saturday we were out so late the geese had gone to bed. I took this picture today, and it does not do them justice. There are usually three times that many standing in the middle of the trail.

As I was running and getting annoyed and angry at every little thing that was wrong with the day, I noticed that I was running really well. I wasn't too tired. My legs didn't hurt, and every breath I took was satisfying instead of that awful feeling I get when I'm sucking wind and it seems like my lungs won't fill up all the way. So I decided to change my attitude. It takes less energy to smile than to frown, right? So I forced myself to smile for a second, and it truly helped my mood.

I remembered when I was in high school, I kept a gratitude journal. I used to write down three things each day that I was thankful for. As I ran, I started to make a mental list. My first thought was of my dad. His story is a long one, but I'll keep it short here. My strong, active, outdoorsy father was in a horrific motorcycle accident in April 2009. He not only broke most of the bones in his body, but he crushed and shattered them. Over the last 14 months, I've watched him struggle and work and sweat to relearn things that we all take for granted - like brushing your hair. This time last year we were rejoicing over his holding a cup without any help. Now I'm watching him learn to walk and fight with all his energy to not be in a wheelchair anymore. And I get overwhelmed when I have to run for three minutes at a time?! Dad is strong, and I can be too. I'm thankful that I can run, and I'm thankful that he can stand.

And right in the middle of all those deep, emotional thoughts, I inhaled a gnat right up my nose. And man, I was mad! But I thought, just keep going, just keep going, almost there. I'll be thankful for this sweatband on my wrist, so I have a place to expel that gnat. Yep. Thankful for the sweatband. Just keep calm and keep running.

At the end of level three, there's a 4-minute walk to cool down. My legs felt so good I decided to see if I could run to the end of the music for 4 minutes - longer than I've ever run before. I did it! It was hard, but I made it all the way to the end, and I knew that I'd be able to move up to the next level after that little test. I couldn't wait for the Nike+ lady to tell me what a good job I had done. I just knew that I had set a new personal record pace with all that running. When I listened to my results, Nike+ lady said, "Workout time: 27 minutes. Workout distance: 0.00 miles. Average pace: 0." And I promptly burst into tears. Crazy E-motional. So much for being thankful and not sweating the small stuff.

Today, Trea and I ran for the first time on level four. Trea has already broken up with Nike+ because of its unreliable ways, so he was using a new iPhone app that tracks his route with GPS. We both ran our tails off! We ran slower today to try to pace ourselves because we knew it was going to be tough. Level four is two 3-minute runs and two 5-minute runs. Five minutes straight!! TWICE! And we finished! The run was so hard, and the weather was wicked humid, but it felt good to get through the end and not give up.

When Trea and I compared our stats, our mileage didn't match. His said he went 3 miles, and mine said 3.7 miles. That can't be right because he's faster and always runs a little farther than I do. He argued that his mileage was correct because his GPS app is more reliable than Nike+. When we analyzed how both programs work, I realized I had calibrated my Nike+ all wrong! Over a month ago! So you see that widget over there on the right? It's not true. I have no idea how far I've actually run. Trea thinks my total mileage is around 35 miles instead of 43. Unfortunately, he's probably right.

So, bye-bye Nike+. We had a good run.

On the road again

Trea and I have had a great holiday weekend. We relaxed a lot, tidied the house, and Trea worked in the yard all day Sunday. Now we are growing tomatoes, squash, oregano, parsley and basil. I can't wait to make a fresh salad!

On Saturday, I went to Rush Running to try to solve my ankle pain problem. They watched me run and recorded my feet with a handy dandy video camera that's mounted on the floor at the back of a treadmill. Then they played the video back for me in slow-mo and showed me that I overpronate. (For more info on what that means, go here.) Thankfully, my problems stem from having the wrong shoes for my stride or gait or whatever the running term is. Turns out I'm not incapable of running (for now)! I just bought some super cute Nike Pegasus running shoes in May, and they still look brand new. It stinks to have to buy another pair of shoes, but I was willing to try anything to get back out on the road. The folks at Rush recommended Brooks Adrenaline GTS 10's, and I LOVE them -- even though they made me go up a half size and they look like boats on my short legs. These shoes are supposed to stabilize my ankles and keep them straight. 

The sales guy even showed me some exercises I can do at home to strengthen my ankles and try to prevent any future issues. I LOVE Rush Running! The service I got there was a thousand times better than the "service" I got at Hibbett Sports, where I bought my Nikes. That conversation went something like:

Me: I just started running, and I'm not sure what shoes I need.

Hibbett: What kind of shoes do you like?

Me: That's the problem. See, I just started, so I don't know. I'm not sure what's right for me.

Hibbett: Well, let me know if I can get anything for you from the back.

Me: *Sigh*

Trea and I ran three miles today, and so far, I'm pretty much pain free. I still feel some pain in my ankles, but it seems more like leftover pain that hasn't quite healed yet. There weren't any shooting pains that made me limp this time, so that was nice. After taking a week off, I wasn't able to move up to level four on PodRunner. We stayed on level three, and I'll likely stay on that one until the end of the week. It's amazing how much momentum I can lose in only seven days. After sitting around for so long on the couch with my feet propped up, I barely made it through today's run. But I didn't quit, and my pace improved since I wasn't running weird to compensate for joint pain. My issue now is entire body pain, which means I need to get back on schedule and build up my endurance. It also means I feel incredibly old.

Speaking of old, I'm going to see Aerosmith in Las Vegas in a few weeks! I'm SO excited. To ensure I got tickets the day they went on sale, I joined the Aero Force One fan club. (Yeah, I know.) By joining the fan club, I got to buy tickets early, and they're supposed to be in the first few sections near the stage. Being a fan club member means I also get a super awesome t-shirt, which arrived on Saturday. Just one more reason it's been a great weekend!

And yes, that's a membership card. It has my name on it. It's not like I'm gonna carry it in my wallet.