PR weekend :)

This last weekend was a great weekend :) I had an "easy" run scheduled for Saturday morning, a 13.1 miler! It still makes me laugh to think that 13.1 is "easy!" I had been looking forward to it all week. I hoped it would go well and would fill me with positive energy for the following weekend's 17 mile run! I followed my now regular Friday, pre-long run routine: shake for breakfast, hummus and veggies for a snack, protein bar, and a Subway grilled chicken sandwich for an early dinner.  I think I have it pretty well figured out now except for a minor change here and there. I figured I would share this so that others can get some ideas. However, like a very good friend of mine always says: It depends on the person. What works for one person may not work for another! My one recommendation is to eat dinner earlier in the evening to allow plenty of time for your food to digest before your run (if you run early in the morning.)  

I mapped out a route this time that would keep me fairly close to the city limits. If I venture out much farther then Pandora doesn't work on my phone and we already know how important music is during running :)

I had my Prolong and my GU gels to keep my energy sustained the whole time. At mile 11.5, I realized I was making really good time and I quite possibly could set a new PR for a "half marathon." So what else did I do, but kick it up a few notches... BAM! ;) I might have set a PR with that last mile but I have no idea and didn't care at the time. All I cared about was that I had just completed a half marathon distance run 5.5 minutes FASTER than my finishing time for the KC Half Marathon- 1:59:15...woohoo :) I was so excited!

                               

On Labor Day, I participated in the 36th Annual Saguero National Park 8 mile run. It was the 2nd race of the Gabe Zimmerman Triple Crown. The first event was a 5k nighttime run held earlier this summer.  The last event is a half marathon up "A" Mountain held at the beginning of October. For those of you who don't know or remember, Gabe Zimmerman, was a former aide to Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and was one of 6 people who lost their lives during an event Zimmerman organized called "Congress On Your Corner" that was held January 8th here in Tucson.  Having a moment of silence in rememberance of Gabe, while a beautiful rainbow peaked through the clouds made for an emotional start to the race! I overheard several conversations throughout the week discussing the "Mile 4 Hill" and how hilly the course was in general. I was definitely not prepared for just how hilly the course was!! I have posted a topography map of the course.... Bring it on Liberty Memorial ;) 

As you can see there definitely is a "Mile 4 Hill" and NO flat spots! It was challenging but I loved it! I started the race in the middle of the pack which was where the 7 minute pace group was. This would be the reason why I set a PR that day! I was unaware of my pace but just kept up with the speed demons surrounding me. I was surprised by the continuous rolling hills but pressed on. I was wondering why I was already breathing heavy when I saw mile marker 1 when I looked down at my watch to see 7:45!! No wonder :) I am certain I had just ran my fastest mile ever, but I needed to slow it down if I was going to make it the next 7 miles! It was definitely challenging but I think it was a great training run for my marathon. I finished the 8 miles in 1:08:16. The results came out and that placed me 6th in the Female 25-29 division, 182 out of 848 people, and my average pace per mile was 8:32. I am definitely VERY happy with these results :) My confidence is definitely boosted a little and hopefully I can carry that with me through out the rest of my training and through the marathon itself.

 

                                                                     37 days!!!!! :) :)

NOTES of the DAY:
*Song of the day: "Shutterbug" by Lucious Left
*Tip of the day: Try to run in a race or two as training runs for your half or full marathon. Running with people is more fun and you can push yourself a little harder and set new PRs.
*Quote of the day: "The obsession with running is really an obsession with potential for more and more life." -George Sheehan

Una breve recapitulacion :)

 
 With my morning 8 mile run complete, today marks the end of training month #3!! I took a few moments today to look back to the beginning of my training. i have a calendar that hangs on my wall-each day of my training is color coded. I have fast runs, tempo runs, cross-training days, easy runs, long runs and of course REST DAYS- all marked in different colors. Each day is crossed out as they are completed and most have the length of time in which I have completed the run.
   I started a 2 week pre-training program consisting of several 3 mile runs and an occassional 4 miler. I wanted to have somewhat of a bse before starting my full marathon training. I remember feeling anxious and yes, even terrified to run 3 miles. I was scared of failing and having those short runs kick my butt! I know many of you have been in those shoes and may be in them now! Keep your chin up, think positive...You will get there! I did :) I never imagined that I would get to the point where I was looking forward to "just an 8 mile run" or that I "only had a 13 mile run this week." Its crazy how your thought process changes when you begin running!
  As of today, I have tackled about 300 miles... Let me repeat that... 300 miles, baby!!! How crazy, but exciting :) I still have about a month and a half left until the big day! For those of you who do not know, I have finally decided on which marathon will be my first! I will be gracing Kansas City with my presence and running the Waddell & Reed full marathon on October 15th :-D I couldn't be more excited to share this experience with my friends and family back home! I hope to see all your smiling faces out at the race and throughout the weekend, so pencil me in! I can't wait for weekend to arrive!!

   I leave you with these little excerpts from the book I'm currently reading titled "Run! 26.2 Stories of blisters and bliss" by Dean Karnazes...

             "The emotional swings that running creates can induce great bursts of creativity and insight. I believe these dramatic changes build strength of character. Just as a problem-free life never makes a strong and good person, smooth roads never make a good runner. As the runner fights the urge to stop, she masters her very mind. In overcoming adversity, she better understands the inner workings of her psyche. Life becomes bigger, bolder, filled with greater potential. 'In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity for growth,' Einstein wrote."
             "I've said it before: There's magic in misery. We runners lust for more. Our emotional discord heightens as we approach the fringes. Nothing seems to quell the insatiable appetite for more and more life. We are never thoroughly satisfied. Addiction? Perhaps. Is this a bad thing? You be the judge."

Love,

B.

Play that funky music, White boy!

     This was the tune that popped in my head during a portion of my 16.5 miler this morning :) I was in desperate need of some music but my I-Pod pulled the white screen, no-buttons-working stunt on me on Tuesday! I was left to attempt running the scheduled 7 miles (on Tuesday) without any music and it turned out that it wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be. But I knew 16 would be a lot tougher so I grabbed my phone and set Pandora to Big Boi's radio station in hopes it would get me through this morning! The first 6 miles were GREAT! The new music was just what I needed to keep me entertained... until it stopped working! I had to run the next 8 or so miles, the hardest part of the run, without music, GAH! I have always ran to music up to this point. It definitely messed with my head. The remaining miles dragged on and I felt like I was never going to get home. Mentally I was beat but physically I felt good! I had decided to mix some Prolong into my water bottle (ask me for more info about that amazing product!) to see how well it would work for me... Love it! I felt energized and strong. Usually by mile 6, I have to take one of my GU gel packs, but not today! I was feeling physically strong until mile 9 or 10 and didn't want that to change so I had my GU. I'm not even sure that this helped because by mile 11 all I could think about was quitting.  I couldn't get into a good mental rhythm without my music. I was desperately wishing I had a running buddy with me this morning, someone to help push me through the fast approaching wall I was about to hit. There is a turn on this route that always tricks me! When I hit it, I always think I am so much closer to home than I am :( At this point, I started to make small goals for myself... just get to the next stop light or driveway. Each goal was .25 mile to .5 miles away. This was working well until mile 13 when it felt like someone grabbed a hold of my shirt as I was trying to run forward. My feet felt as if they each weighted twenty pounds and my legs were on fire. Their she was... the "wall!" I smacked so hard into her that I almost fell over backwards ;) I literally had to drag my feet inch by inch down the last 2 mile stretch of the route. I was telling myself I was light as a feather or that I was flying, lol, but nothing was working! This time my goal was just to make it the next twenty feet, then the next twenty, and so on. I could have not been more relieved to see my apartment complex up ahead! I had survived yet another PR :) 16.68 miles is the furthest I have ever ran... woohoo!

     Although I had set a PR, I was a little disappointed about how it went. It made me start to doubt my ability to run 26.2 miles! But with the help of my friends, I was reassured that I would be just fine :) Not all of our runs can be great and its the tough ones that we learn the most from! So as much as I wish this run went a lot smoother, Ive actually have learned a great deal. This coming week my long run is tapered down to 12 miles while my weekly runs increase to 5, 8, and 5 :) I'm excited to get this week started. Hopefully I will gain tons of momentum and confidence to carry me into next week's training!

NOTES of the DAY:
* Temperature: 78 degrees
*Song of the Day: "I'm a Thug" by Trick Daddy ;)
*Tip of the Day: Try Prolong while you are running or cycling! It helps sustain performance with dual-source carbohydrates and electrolytes. It has a 2:1 carbohydrate-to-protein ratio with ultra pure whey protein isolate helps reduce muscle breakdown during exercise.
*Quote of the Day: "Sometimes, when I'm racing, the thing that keeps my mind off the discomfort I am feeling is the story I will tell about it when I'm finished."

Saving grace?!

I had been looking forward to this run all week! My runs this week had all felt great so I had positive thoughts for this 14.5 mile run. However, I woke up with a heavy heart... Two months ago today, a very important person walked away leaving me with a million questions and a horrendous feeling of worthlessness. As I began the search for answers and desperately trying to find myself, I ran head first into this crazy thing called running! I'd been training for just a few short weeks at the time but my head had been so clouded before that running felt like a chore. I needed something to temporarily fill a void but at the same time allow me to discover who I was... Running has been one of my saving graces since then- offering a sense of comfort, accountability, honesty, and passion. I was hoping this saving grace would help me lighten my heart this morning so that my run would be smooth, but I think "Grace" and I were fighting today because she was nowhere to be found ;)
I started off feeling slow and the three newly formed blisters from this weeks runs were painful from the beginning (thanks to my new shoes!) I knew after a few miles I would forget about them, as long as I didn't stop!! I must have zoned out for a mile or two because when I came back to reality I had passed my turn by several blocks, gah! The only way back would add on at least another mile. Sure a mile is a relatively small distance; however, when its already stamped in your mind that you are going to run 14.5, any amount of additionaly distance is mentally deflating. But I had no choice at this point, so I pushed on! The thought of adding additional mileage, my still heavy heart, and not-so-light feet got the best of me. I just couldn't get into a rhythm or zone back out. Even at my favorite spot out in the desert, there was no sense of serenity or peace like the week prior. Just a flood of emotions as I peaked the crest of the hill- frustration, sadness, and determination mixed with many others. I tried some visualization and mental tricks I have been reading about, but nothing worked. I was just not meant to have a good run today... bottom line. It felt as if my run would never end and even my GU gel packs didn't provide the pick-me-up they usually do!  Somehow I kept my feet moving and made it home. The additional mileage brought my run to 15.69 miles... which is a PR for me! Longest I have ever ran in my whole life... until next weeks 16 or so! I also took my first icebath EVER!! My dear friend, Wonder Woman, does this after her long runs so I decided to try it out :) My long run will have to be mid-week next week so I wanted to make sure my legs were as fresh as they could be. The icebath wasn't as bad as I thought it would be so I may try it again next week :)
Well, here's to next week's long run being more successful than today! Have a good week

NOTES of the DAY:
*Temperature: 70 degrees
*Song of the day: "Drop the World" by Lil Wayne
*Tip of the day: Accept and appreciate the fact that not every single run can be a good one. (working on this one lol)
*Quote of the day: "We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves...The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for freedom. No one can say, 'You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.' The human spirit is indomitable."

Serenity

What a great day! I woke up this morning at 4am to prepare for my 13.5 mile run. Im getting down to business with trying to figure out a regular pre-long run routine! I have 71 days until race day and I want it to go as smooth as possible. So I chowed down on a protein bar, had a glass of water mixed with some Niteworks (great for pre-workout as it helps open up the blood vessels and improve circulation), and a handful of "magic beans" aka chocolate covered espresso beans- for a little extra kick! I did some light stretching while I got everything ready to go: double-knotted laces? I-pod set to my new playlist (starting out with 'Momma Sed' of course!)? Two vanilla bean flavored GU gel packs? Watch? And sunglasses for later in the run? CHECK!! And out the door I went!!

It was about 4:45am when I hit the pavement! I didn't take into consideration that at this time its pitch black outside- with limited lighting from street lights- so I stumbled my way for the first few miles, dodging cars and potholes. Some streets here are neither runner nor cyclist friendly, Christopher- maybe I should start a petition down here as well?! ;)

Although I couldn't see well, my run was great from the start! I wasn't too concerned with how fast I could run it, I just wanted to feel good the whole time- and that I did! Might have been the "magic beans' or it might have been the positive thoughts I have had all week and especially during my run. I had extended my favorite route a little further to cover the extra mile or two, so I ran past the infamous 4th Avenue and University Boulevard (which are becoming a few of my favorite places here) then back out west towards the desert! Just before hitting the city limits I checked my watch- 18:35... What?! No way! I have been running for longer than that. I fumbled with the buttons a little and nothing. Damn- dead battery. For a minute I was a little stressed but continued on. With in a few minutes, I felt an enormous sense of relief. Not having to feel the pressure of the running clock was amazing! I was just running to run. I knew my route and that's all that mattered- what a great feeling! I later found out that it was in fact working and keeping my time because I finished in 2:08. Not as fast as my first half in KC but this route was also more difficult AND .4 miles longer ;)

As I was hitting mile 7, I came to my favorite spot on the route- a place I have mentioned before- where there are no signs of life. Just as I reached the top of the hill, my breath was taken away by the scenery! It was different than the last two times I had been there. I was in the middle of the desert and in front of me were rolling hills covered in dark-green vegetation, fog covered mountains in the distance, and an almost perfect blue sky. It was then that a calming, peace came over me. I realized at that point that I was okay with the rocks (in my life) being unturned and with the ones slowly sliding perfectly into place. Everything in my life was happening for a reason and in the way it should be. It was perfect...
Finished my run just as strongly as I started! Once again I am looking forward to another week of training... 14.5 miles next week :) Positive thoughts that all of next week's runs will be as successful as this weeks!

NOTES of the DAY:
*Temperature: 71
*Song of the Day: "Better Naked" by Ida Maria
*Tip of the Day: "Don't get greedy. Training for a marathon isn't like cramming for a test. That is, doing more miles than you're used to in the last few weeks will hurt--not help--your race. Even if you're feeling great, don't up the ante and increase your training. This is the time when many runners have been at it for two months or more and are becoming used to a certain level of training. Draw strength from the hard work you've put in.
*Quote of the Day: "Be brave and be patient. Have faith in yourself; trust in the significance of your life and the purpose of your passion. You are strong enough to sit in the space between spaces and allow divine inspiration to shed some light. When you put positive energy and productive effort into the world it will come back to you. Occasionally in ways you might not immediately understand and on a time frame you didn’t expect. Look. Listen. Learn. Stay open. Your destiny is awaiting you." -Jillian Michaels

Rekindled Love

After Thursday's 5 mile run, I was certain what I had thought was the the new love of my life had turned out to be merely a fling! This run was awarded "Top 3 Most Difficult" runs I have had while being down here. Now granted, I had a few decent 1-mile averages-- an 8:45 and an 8:35, and I finished the 5 miles in about 45 minutes. Maybe this was the cause of my misery or maybe it was the fact that every muscle in my core ached and was so sore that it hurt to run and breath, ha!  Two days prior, I took a 30 minute core class at a Golds Gym- the lady kicked my a**! Obviously this is an area I need to work on, lol. Either way, this run left me with a bad taste in my mouth. It made me start questioning my ability to stay focued on this training and even made me question whether I could handle the "little" 8 mile run I had today. I say "little" because I ran 12 last week and am scheduled to run 13 miles next week. Four whole miles less qualifies it as that!

I missed one run this week- a 4 miler, but I am already scheduling to make it up sometime this week. I didn't miss my treamill sprints, however :) I would have to say that I very much enjoy these! It keeps things interesting and challenging! You can really push yourself as hard as you would like- to the point of wantng to throw up makes you a badass, just fyi! I mean if you can't handle that, how are you going to handle 4 hours of continious running or better yet- the conditions of an ultra marathong?! (more no these later!) So I completed 10x 400m sprints while being entertained by some guy playing air guitar on the handrails of his stairmaster- to no music whatsoever, except what might have been in his head! As unusal and entertaining as this is, he has nothing on some of the other stuff I have seen down here! Guess the warm weather brings out the "best" in people HA ;)

I woke up somewhat dreading today's run. I still wasn't there mentally even though I tried to force myself to get prepared. I even watched the opening scene to Chariots of Fire to get my mind right (did not work..) I typically start my long run at about 445-5am (to beat some of the heat), but today I pushed it back almost to 6! I just couldn't make myself get going. As I made my way down the street into my first turn, I felt surprisingly good... legs felt strong and my stride was smooth. This instantly lifted my spirits and thoughts and from there on out my run continued to be smooth! I ran across a few hills from last week but knocked them out of the way with no problem. Maybe a little mental vacation from running was what I needed. I needed to realize what I was missing before I could appreciate it once again. Running and I have trust and a mutual understanding of one another ;) I need it and it needs me. Its amazing when love is mutual! I feel refreshed and ready to continue on with my training. :) Next up? 13 miles (next weekend)... eh, make that at LEAST 13.1, maybe even 13.5 :) I'm ready!!

NOTES of the DAY:
* Temperature: 81 degrees
*Song of the Day: "Bleed It Out" by Linkin Park
*Tip of the Day:  "In a long run there are always peaks and valleys. If you're not into it, just keep going and chances are that the low feeling will pass." -Pam Reed
*Quote of the Day:  "I always loved running... it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs." -Paula Radcliffe

Mmm...Pancakes:)

Hello friends! Yesterday was the long-awaited day! A few posts back I stated that I would reward myself with pancakes after my 12 mile run... I did just that :) They were well worth the wait! I found a place called The Good Egg down here in Tucson. Its basically First Watch, Tucson-style. The pancakes were delicious and so was the cinnamon roll :) Hey! I did just run 12 freakin miles, lol.

Lets take a few steps backward and update you on the past few weeks' events! My 11 mile run last weekend was pretty good. I ran the same route as the previous week; however, the only animals I came across were deer and rabbits- I felt like I was back home in the Midwest :) I thought I would push my 11 miles to 12 but by the time I got to 10.5 I think my body knew how close to home I was and wouldn't let me go any further! I completed a 6 mile run mid-week through the beautiful U of A campus... makes a run a whole lot easier when the scenery is gorgeous! The campus is huge... so much of it I still haven't seen. Can't wait to explore more of it!
   I FINALLY attempted to "tackle" this Tumamoc Hill I have been talking about for awhile. It is a "hill" that the University does research on, so it is closed during the day. I rode my bike about 2 miles to the hill thinking I was early enough to avoid the ground- I was definitely wrong about that! It is 3.1 miles from the bottom to the top and back down. My thought was that I would RUN the entire distance. If you don't remember, this hill's path is at about a 45 degree angle... for the first quarter of the way. When you hit the "half way to the top point" it then becomes 55 or 60 degrees!! I ran the first 1/8 and then walked pretty much to the top... it was THAT tough! I'm not sure even elite marathoners could tackle that with ease, YIKES!! Needless to say, I made it to the top- Wow, was it worth it! The view from the top is incredible!! You can see every inch of Tucson from the top of Tumamoc Hill... now that was breath-taking whether you like the desert or not :) I ran all the way back down, zig-zagging as much as I could, hoping to take some of the impact off my body. My next attempt will be next week. I'm hoping to "run" a bit more of it next week!

     On Thursday, I found a track to run some of my 400m sprints on. And OF course, there was a high school football practice going on! I wanted so badly to run routes with the receivers and show them whats up :) At one point, a football bounced over my way. I thought twice about throwing it over their head and across the field (like the lady did in A League of Their Own, lol) and surprising everyone but I resisted that temptation- instead I threw a perfect spiral back to the boys ;) I haven't missed football all that much until that day... it was hot and muggy and smelled like a turf field. That definitely brought up some memories! But instead of joining, I continued with my 400m sprints followed by a few 100m sprints. It was really nice mixing it up from the usual routine :)

  My twelve mile run had a rough start. I was a little more tired than normal, but after a few miles I settled in okay. I mapped out a slightly different route- again, not knowing what it actually looked like. I was nearing mile 3 when I began to realize that this wasn't going to be just another "easy" run. The further I got into my run the more hills I was seeing! Wait, a minute... I thought I was running in Tucson... a relatively flat area? NOPE! I think I found 80% of the hills in Tucson... one after another, gah! Obviously, this is great for my training, but when you are not prepared it definitely can be tough mentally! By the end of mile 8 and hill #6, I was pretty much done. I had a GU gel that gave me a little boost which was nice! Also, I used the motivation I got from the last two books I read (Running Hot by Lisa Tamati and The Extra Mile by Pam Reed) to keep me pushing forward. These two ladies are Ultrarunners :) and my new inspiration! They are pretty much ultimate badasses- of course, besides Mandy Beltz ;) They have completed some outrageous races-Badwater in Death Valley, several Ironmans, and crazy desert marathons. I kept thinking during my runs that "its just 12 miles! That's nothing compared to what they have done. Step it up, B! If you think you could possibly do what they do, you better be able to handle a short 12 mile run!" So my inner "rage" kicked in and I finished out the 12 miles in about 1:55.  If I want to achieve my ultimate goal of completing the marathon under 4:00, I need to improve drastically!

To finish out this month, I ran a total of 96 miles :) Next week's long run is only 8 miles then it continues to increase week to week. I love my training so far! I am seeing incredible results, physically and mentally. I look forward to ever run that I have for many reasons but my favorite is that it is a form of therapy for me. Its a chance for me to get away from the world and to dwell in my thoughts and feelings about everything going on in my life. I can sort out my life if I wish or I can choose to ignore it completely- for the moment. This entire adventure, including my training, has been a life-changing one. I am trying my best to embrace it and learn everything I can from it!  :)

NOTES of the Day:
* Temperature: 78-81 degrees
* Song of the Day: "Special Pets" by Otep
*Tip of the Day:  Try a GU gel pack
*Quote of the Day: "Obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated."