Running - Marathon Training #9

Today's 10 mile run through Stockholm was perhaps the prettiest ever.

During the day the city is full of people. People line up on stairs, fill benches, sit on docks, and lay on grass. They are desperate to absorb some sun after the long winter. But, at six on Easter Sunday morning, I pretty much had the city to myself.

There is a running trail right outside of the back door of our hotel. I followed it along a canal until I could cross over to the next island. I ran along the water for the better part of five miles, seeing all kinds if birds, statues, gardens, and museums and then I turned around and ran five miles back. Then there was a hotel buffet breakfast waiting for me when I got back. I couldn't have asked for a better setup.

I didn't make particularly good time on this run. I stopped to take pictures and I knew I would need to be able to walk around for the rest I'd the day so I took it a little bit easy. It took me 1:51 to complete the 10 mile run.

I wore my New Balance trail
running shoes. I had some peeling skin on my old bad spots and some tiny blisters in various places but nothing painful. Maybe New Balance will work for me on longer runs if I go half a size up.

We were out and about in the city for 12 hours after the run. I couldn't wait to get to bed!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Djurgårdsbrunnsvägen,Stockholm,Sweden

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Running - Marathon Training #7&8

Both of these runs were a little slower than I would have liked, with a pace over 10 minutes per mile. My legs felt like lead. Maybe it was because they were fatigued. Maybe it was because I ran before breakfast. Either way, it's amazing to me that I was able to run nine miles at a faster pace earlier in the week.

I got up early to run five miles today before we hit the road for Sweden. I love the peace and extra briskness of early morning runs but I hate getting up earlier than absolutely necessary. That's what running is to me...a love hate relationship. I love the challenge of running further than I've ever run before but hate dealing with blisters. I love the nice calorie burn but hate the running monster that makes sure I replace those calories right away. I love planning to run on vacation but hate the ambiguity of figuring out a long run in an unfamiliar place. The list goes on and on.

I swore after the Prague half marathon I was going to figure out a good eating plan. I have failed so far and the car is loaded with road trip goodies...trail mix, Pringles, peanuts, cookies. Add Cheetos and Dr. Pepper to that list and it would be a perfect mix, but when I start consuming those things I know I've fallen off the wagon for sure so I kept them out of my cart.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

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Running- Marathon Training #6

Look who I found out on my run.  It's Kenny and Sophia!  I left from the house, but they drove and met me at the trail.  They were so sweet running together.

Gear

I really, really like running with my iPhone.  It keeps my stats, plays my music, takes my pictures, and is handy in case of an emergency.  I still wore my Garmin watch on this run because I wanted to pay careful attention to pace and it's easier to see the watch on my wrist than the iPhone that I wear in an armband.

I had purchased some Saucony shoes hoping the wider toe box would keep the blisters away.  I paid careful attention on this run and realized that they were good for about 7 miles and then my toes started hitting the end of the shoe, resulting in blisters on the end of my toes on my right foot.  I also had the makings of a blister on the side of my left big toe.  So, I'm thinking maybe my feet swell on runs longer than an hour and perhaps I need a half size bigger shoe.  Before I buy any more shoes though I'm going to do a long run in each of my pairs and document the results.  Then I might go in to a Laufanalyse to get a professional recommendation.

My computer told me that it was 40 degrees outside, but no wind and sunshine made it feel a lot warmer.  I felt overdressed in my long running tights and fleece.  Kenny and Sophie were comfortable in shorts and long sleeves.

Goals

Today:  Run nine miles in less than 90 minutes.  Pay attention to what happens to my feet.

Short term:  Work on pace in addition to adding distance.  Add strength training.  Keep knees healthy.  Get knees healthy.

Long term:  Complete the Königsschlösser Romantic Marathon.

Stats
Distance:  9 miles
Time:  1:25:49
Pace:  9:32
Weather:  40s

Thoughts

• I had lots of company out on the trail...walkers, runners, bikers, my own family.  It's amazing what a difference sunny weather makes.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

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Running - Marathon Training #4-5

I'm seeing what it is like to post from my phone. It is not exactly speedy but it may be convenient sometimes. Maybe if I practice I will get as fast at the tapping as a texting teenager.

I did a lot of social runs this week. I ran 3.5 miles with Sophia which I didn't count as training runs since they were slow and done on my rest days. And, I had a rare run with Kenny, which was nice.

I think it might be important for me to run with other people from time to time to get out of my own head a little bit and to spend time with friends and family. But, for actual improvement, I run better by myself. That is unless Sarah is standing there with her watch. Running is becoming a selfish time when everything is about me...my pain, my joy, my speed, my goals, my thoughts.

Run #4 was four miles done in bitter wind and rain. Run #5 was three miles with Kenny on a beautiful day. Both runs were done in a 10 minute something per mile comfortable pace.

My feet have been healing nicely. We'll see what happens on the nine mile long run this weekend.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Weiden, Germany

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Running - Marathon Training #1-3

Running a full marathon was never on my bucket list.  When I was doing well I ran four miles a couple of times a week to get a good cardio workout.  I relied on my bad knees excuse to get me out of any big commitments.  But then I let a friend talk me into training for a half-marathon.  I started reading Runner's World.  My knees got healthy.  I ran through all kinds of ugly winter weather.  I completed my half-marathon in the not too embarrassing time of 2:14:10.  Now spring is here.  I can already run a half-marathon.  If I'm ever going to train up for a full marathon, now would be the time.  Yikes!

My goals for the half were to keep my knees healthy and finish the race within the maximum time of three hours.  With that comfortably achieved I want to do a little better.  I'd like to be able to run the long distances with a 10 min/mile pace.  In my training for the half I pretty much just checked the box on the training runs to get the mileage in which was a challenge in and of itself with all of the icy conditions.  Now, I'd like to work on pace and speed more as well as get some of the core and upper body strength back that I lost while focusing on running.

Run #1
I jumped into week three of Hal Higdon's How to Train  marathon program for novices.  That's where I needed to be to train for a July 24 race.  I just needed to do three miles on this run so I picked a route that had some trails and some roads and some hills.  I had been avoiding this route all winter to protect my knees but they're feeling good, so I thought I'd go ahead and give it a try and it felt good.

I took my new iPhone with me along on this run.  Previously I would take a GPS watch to track time and distance, an iPod for music, a camera for photos, and a cell phone for emergencies.  This really wasn't a big deal in the wintertime because I had lots of pockets.  But, it's a little silly to carry all of that stuff when it is warm outside.  It's really nice to have just one device that does all of those things.  I got the IMapMyRun+ app that allows me to show you this cool map of my run among other things.




Run #2
This run was only 2.25 miles, but it was a killer workout.  It was part of the boot camp program that is being offered at the Graf gym all month.  We did quarter mile warmup.  Then we did a timed one mile run.  I really wasn't sure how fast I could run just one mile so I gave it all I had.  In fact, I gave it too much in the beginning and couldn't hold onto my pace.  But, I ran it in 7:44 which I thought was a pretty okay time.  After that we ran 400 meters as fast as we could four times with three minute rests in between.  I ran the first two in 1:45 and the second two in 1:48.  (I think.  I guess I should double check with my friend the record keeper.)  I dare say I was more done in after this workout than I was after the half-marathon.  I came close to feeling like I was going to puke and my legs were still pretty sore the next day.  It really gives me hope that there's room for me to improve my times on my longer distances.
Run #3
I've wondered before if I could call myself a runner yet.  I took my stuff and ran while on vacation at Chateau Mcely in the Czech Republic.  I'd say that running on vacation takes me one step closer to being a real runner.  I ran 5 miles in 48:25.  It was a beautiful run on a sunny day through a wide forest trail.

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Sophia Update - She Runs!

Kenny was surprised at how long Sophia was entertained by watching the runners at the half-marathon in Prague.

Then she saw that I received a medal for completing the race.

 Then she decided that she wanted to train for a 5k that's coming up next month.

We'll see how long her enthusiasm lasts, but she's completed 1.5 mile and 2 mile runs so far.  We stop for water breaks and she gets distracted from time to time (today she picked up a stick and drew a map of the route in the dirt) but she does surprisingly well.  I found this post about running with children.  It addresses safety issues of children running, and mentions that 5k is an appropriate distance for young children.  So, if she wants to run we'll run.

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Running - Prague Half-Marathon 2011

 Excited to get started.

 Halfway done.

Only one more bridge to go.

After three months of training I finally completed the Prague Half-Marathon with a time of 2:14:10 which I think is pretty respectable.  Running 13.1 miles is not something I ever thought I would do.  I struggled to run one mile in high school.  In college I did not help my GPA by taking a jogging class.  I could not run fast enough to get an A.  I've had issues with my knees for as long as I can remember.  In spite of all of that I decided that I was going to run a half-marathon and I did.

I was really pleased that Kenny and Sophie went along with me on this trip.  I did most of my long runs on the weekend so I got used to seeing them at the end and it was always something that I looked forward to.  We shared a four bedroom suite with friends who were also running.  Since this was my first race longer than a 5k it was nice to have the support, encouragement, and camaraderie of other runners.

We took the metro to the race.  It was crazy to see other people with numbers pinned on their shirts all going to the same place for the same purpose.  There was a long line of people just to exit the metro.  There were nine-thousand five-hundred runners.  We chose a meeting spot near the finish line, hit the WCs, gave a cheer, and went to our designated starting places.  My friend Sarah is a faster runner but I lined up with her anyway.

We began the race to cheers and music.  It took us about five minutes to walk slowly from our lineup spot to the starting line.  I couldn't believe that so many people were capable of running that distance.  I didn't start my music right way because I wanted to enjoy the atmosphere.  It was surreal to participate in something so big with so much fanfare and hoopla.  I followed Sarah's lead as we ran over cobblestones and dodged streetcar tracks.  We sidestepped and dodged our way through the mass of runners.  We were pretty aggressive.  We were running an 8:45 minute mile which is fast for me even without cobblestones and other runners.  I told her it was fast but I could hang.  I knew I could always slow down and settle into my pace later.  What I didn't count on was the heat.  Sixty-six degrees is not hot, but after training all winter with temperatures in the teens and 20s it sure felt hot.  I lived for the next bit of shade from buildings or tunnels and I savored any little breeze close to the river.  With the faster pace and the warmer weather I was already hurting when I said goodbye to Sarah at the first water station.  She stopped and I didn't.  Maybe it was around mile 3.  I wondered how soon she would catch up.

I took my fanny pack with me.  It held a water bottle, one package of Clif Shot Bloks, and my cell phone.  I felt like I was squared away and I didn't want to stop at the water station so I pressed on alone. My feet were starting to get some hot spots.  I felt like I was overheating so I was sure to keep drinking water.  I ate one Shot Blok every two miles.  I went ahead and got some water at the next water station.  I drank half and dumped the other half over my head.  I felt incredibly better after that.  My feet were blistering but the warm weather kept my joints feeling good.  Maybe it was around mile 7 that I felt like I could finally look up and enjoy the scenery.  I was on a nice patch of sidewalk along the river and I didn't have to watch my footing.  The pack had loosened up so I didn't have to worry about people being too close.  That was the best part of the run.  Sarah found me after the last water station with about three miles left to go.  I told her I didn't have much left.  She smiled and said, "Sure you don't."  I could only keep up for a few seconds before she danced away.  I really didn't have much left.  My feet really hurt especially if I hit a cobblestone the wrong way.  My mantra became, "This is what training is for."  Those last three miles.  I could remember times when the runs got hard and I persevered anyway.  I knew I could handle the distance.  I just had to push on a little more.  I was hot so I remembered running with snowflakes in my eyes and ice under my feet.  With one more bridge to go I began to get concerned because I started seeing people on the side of the road being tended to by paramedics.  They were heartbreakingly close to the finish line.  Then I saw Kenny and Sophia waving and cheering and taking pictures.  I was so happy to see them.  And I was happy to see the finish line on the other side of the bridge.

I was in a little bit of trouble after the race, probably due to the heat, so I knew I needed to take care of myself and get back to Kenny.  I felt like sobbing when they put the medal around my neck.  It was an endurance race both mentally and physically and I was spent.  After the medals came bags of food, and then they were handing out water bottles.  I knew I had to drink and I was so desperate to get my bottle open that I almost asked someone for help with the tricky seal.  Finally I got it open and as I was walking back to our meeting point I ran into somebody that I know.  I was able to have a coherent conversation at that point so I knew that I was going to be okay.  Shortly after I found Kenny and Sophia though I took a bite of a banana and all of my muscles and my stomach seized up in cramps.  I continued eating the banana slowly and drinking a lot and then I was fine.  

Well, almost fine.  My feet were badly blistered.  I don't know if my shoes continue to be the problem, or if my feet are just extra sensitive from the troubles with the old shoes.  I even had a blister on the end of my index toe that went under the nail.  I'm not sure if I will keep that nail.  It was the best feeling ever when I drained that blister and got the pressure off of the nail.

It was fun to go out to dinner and compare race stories.  It took me a surprisingly long time to feel hungry after the race, but once I was hungry I felt like I couldn't eat fast enough.

So what's next?  I'm going to start training for a late summer full marathon.  I'm not committed to it yet.  I want to see how training goes.  I need to work on finding a way to keep my feet healthy.  I also need to figure out a vegetarian endurance athlete diet.  I feel like I don't remember enough about the race.  Maybe I was a little bit incoherent and that could be a fueling issue that would need to be solved before a longer race.

Since I usually run alone music is really important.  I intended on handpicking a playlist, but after my friend Nicole suggested Survivor's Eye of the Tiger I plugged it into iTunes Genius feature and I got a playlist that was so great I used for all of my long runs.  It helped me gauge where I was in a run and how my pace was.  Unfortunately for the race I didn't start out with my music and something wasn't working right.  It took me a long time to get it playing correctly.  Once it was going though, I found it highly comforting and motivating.  Here's my list:

Survivor - Eye of the Tiger

Journey - Separate Ways

Foreigner - Juke Box Hero

Black Sabbath - Paranoid

J Geils Band - Centerfold

Bon Jovi - Bad Medicine

Huey Lewis and the News - The Power of Love

Aerosmith - Love in an Elevator

Bruce Springsteen - Glory Days

STYX - Mr. Robato

Pink Floyd - Another Brick in the Wall

Alice Cooper - Poison

Guns N' Roses - Don't Cry

Survivor - Burning Heart

Bon Jovi - I'll Be There For You

Foreigner - Cold as Ice

Black Sabbath - Iron Man

Aerosmith - Angel

Yes - Owner of a Lonely Heart

Quiet Riot - Cum on Feel the Noize

Evanescence - Going Under

Starship - We Built this City

Iron Maiden - Run to the Hills

Poison - Talk Dirty to Me

Bon Jovi - Always

REO Speedwagon - Take it on the Run

Dire Straits - Walk of Life

Journey - Who's Crying Now

Foreigner - Hot Blooded

Eddie Money - Take Me Home Tonight

There are lots of other good songs that come after that.  Enough for a full marathon.  We'll see.

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