Race Planning

Apparently, I am not the only person trying to plan their race calendar for the 2010 season. I had confidently listed a triathlon in June on my race schedule, only to find out while I was out of town this weekend that it was already full. After a minor fit, I got myself together and decided I better get serious about what races were important to me and get myself registered. My credit card is a little tired.

The first order of business was to sign up for the Disney Half Marathon 2011. Mike wants to do the Goofy Challenge again and it fills up quickly. With my heart set on running the NYC Marathon 2010, doing the full marathon at Disney two months later is not feasible for me. Running the half marathon will give me some motivation through the holidays. After running half of the marathon in 2009 and not getting a medal, the Donald Duck Medal will be a welcome reward. I still have getting that Mickey Medal on my to-do list, but it's going to have to wait until 2012 or later.

Next, I did some homework and found a replacement for my now-full June Triathlon as well as a sprint tri for July. For June, I signed up for the Lake Waconia Triathlon on June 27th. With a .5 mile swim, 20 mile bike, and 4 mile run it is longer than a typical sprint race. It will be good incentive to get the tri training in early in the season. I've been in the pool a little bit, but I haven't had any time on the bike. I better load it up on the trainer and get going.

The other races on my list are either not open for registration yet or I've already signed up. I can't believe it's only mid-January and I've already had to figure out what races I'm committed to. I'm sure I'll add some smaller road races along the way. I had wanted to try another Olympic distance triathlon this summer, but with training for a fall marathon I'm going to hold off. If everything is going well and I can sneak one in, then I will. For right now, though, I want to leave my schedule light enough to concentrate on getting the miles in for the marathon.

Besides freaking out about my race schedule during the weekend, Mike and I did get in some lovely skiing as well as a beautiful snowshoe hike. Here I am with our friend Cyndi on our last day of skiing. Cyndi just ran the Disney Half Marathon which was her first half marathon. Yeah, Cyndi! I'm hoping that I sufficiently nagged her into doing it again next year.

This is Mike and I at the start of our snowshoe hike:

I took a little pit stop with Marie and Buddy. Buddy is in the middle in case you couldn't figure it out.

It was a wonderful weekend in the mountains with a great group. Now that the holidays and our ski trip are over, it's time to settle down and get to work to get ready for the season. The Frozen Half Marathon is still on my schedule for this weekend. The temperatures look promising but the forecast is calling for freezing rain. I don't mind running in the cold or in snow, but I may have to draw the line at freezing rain. I've decided to wait until race day and make the call as to whether I'm going to go over for the race.

The Races on My Schedule List looks long over on the right side. I can't wait to start checking them off of my list. I'm hoping to meet up with a lot of friends along the way and have a lot of laughs and smiles. I'm sure there will be some aches and pains as well as some disappointment as well, but running has taken me on a great ride so far. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Back to Basics

After my last post, everyone had a lot of great race suggestions. Thank you! They all sound like so much fun, it's hard to pick which ones to run. I have to admit that I'm kind of enjoying this pause in my schedule. Ever since I signed up for my first marathon, I've had at least one marathon on my schedule. This is the first time in over 2 years that I haven't been registered for a race. Once a big race is on the calendar, it eliminates so many other choices. Having just about every race as a possibility makes for fun daydreaming.

Even if I don't get into NYC Marathon 2010, I've made up my mind that I will do a fall marathon in 2010. Besides planning races between now and then, I have a few things I need to work on to get ready for marathon training next summer. Here are the big ones:

1. Strength training. I'm already strength training a couple times a week, but I need to train more specifically to my needs as a runner. My hope is that stronger legs in the spring will decrease the likelihood of injury next summer.
   
   
2. Improved flexibility. Touching my toes is not even a remote possibility for me. I'm lucky if I can touch below my knees. My stride is abnormally short and my back gets unbearably tight after a run. I've been practicing yoga once a week for the last 6 weeks and, although it's embarrassing, I think it's helping. I've also enlisted the help of a professional for some ART work and I am spending a lot of time each day stretching. Hopefully, devotion to becoming more flexible will keep injury and back pain away.
   
   
3. Better nutrition. Have I mentioned that I don't really cook? I am capable of heating, but not really cooking. I just don't have the patience or the know how. As a result, my whole family is not eating as nutritiously as we should. There have been many runs when I ran out of energy and I know that poor nutrition is to blame. Previous attempts to work on this area have failed miserably, so it's going to take some solid dedication to improve.

Of course, I also want to keep swimming, training on the bike, and roller skiing/cross country skiing throughout the winter. How am I going to have time to do all of this and keep the house clean, the children cared for, the husband happy and the pets alive? I haven't figured that part out yet!

October?

What a crazy week this has been. I had mentioned that after the race I didn't feel well. It turns out that the kids and I had H1N1. We had all of the symptoms including a very high fever, but we all made it through okay. The kids missed some school but didn't have any complications. I had to go to the doctor with a sinus infection that I developed along the way. After some antibiotics I'm feeling like myself again.

This morning, I woke up and there was a dusting of snow on the ground. I couldn't believe it! I know this is Minnesota, but come on. I had overslept and had to rush to get ready to meet a friend to run. This was my first run since the TC 10 Mile and since I had been sick, so I was excited to get back out there but also a little nervous about my energy level. I quickly threw on my twenty degree weather uniform: my trusty running tights, a technical short sleeved shirt and a quarter zip top. We ran an easy 5 miles and enjoyed the snow covering the trees still showing their fall colors. Strange! The cold air felt surprisingly wonderful and I ran just fine. While I like running in the winter, I hope fall returns for a few more weeks.

The wrapping up of my race schedule and the changing seasons has me thinking a lot about what goals I'm going to set for myself. As I mentioned, I'm going to try to get into the NYC Marathon 2010, but that is very far away. I want to roller ski and cross country ski, but I want that to compliment my running this winter, not take away from it. Usually, I lift weights twice a week but I haven't been very consistent about that the last couple of months. I would like to work on that so that my legs are strong enough to pick up the marathon training when it is time.

All of those plans are great, but I need a race close enough that I can plan around. I think I need a half marathon on my schedule. Maybe a race in December like the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon? Doesn't that sound like fun? Or maybe an early spring half marathon? Any suggestions?

Home Again

I'm home from our two state juggernaut which included 26 hours of driving, plenty of family visiting, and way too much junk food. Finding time to write has been difficult because I also was able to fit in several workouts and now I have post workout chores to do.

Usually, I like post workout chores because they give me an excuse to sit down for a little while when I am tired. The primary chore is to download my workout from my Garmin 305 to Training Center, the software that comes with the Garmin. If you don't have a Garmin, now is a great time to think about getting a 305. The newer models are out and the 305 is a bargain. A few weeks ago Best Buy had it on sale for $120. Amazon.com usually has a competitive price for it. Add the bike kit which gives you speed and cadence and you have the perfect workout companion. It records all of your workout data and then transfers it to the computer.

After I download my workout and either pat myself on the back for a great performance or lament the poor showing, it's time to record the info in my log. Log? Training Center is a log in that it lists all of your workouts in date order. A simple click on the date gives you all the details including a map of the route and a heart rate and speed chart. Good enough, right? Uh, no.

A couple years ago, before I had a Garmin, I started recording my workouts on a bare bones, free workout tracking site. Less than 50 people use it and its run by a guy out of the goodness of his heart. He posts monthly and yearly running mileage totals and tracks your monthly average speed. When I started, I went back and recorded several months of previous workouts, so I have a lot of workout history on this site. When I was marathon training, it was great to be able to go back and compare runs to previous training cycles. After each workout I log my stats here so that I have a continuous record.

So, that should be plenty of data recording... for your average person. But, I am not average in this department. I started to get worried that the guy who maintains the bare bones site would get tired of it and shut it down, so I decided I better have a back up. Starting a couple months ago, I also record my workouts on Training Peaks, the free version. Is anyone using the Premium Version? The upgrade to the Premium Version is $20 a month, so I haven't given that a try. THAT would seem excessive, as opposed to what I am doing (sarcasm). I've been slowly going back and uploading my old workouts to Training Peaks so that I'll have plenty of history there. If anyone loves the Premium Version, let me know. Given my obsessive tendencies, I could be convinced to give it a try.

As you can see, since I was able to work out several times while I was on vacation, I've been very busy downloading, logging, and re-logging workouts. That along with washing the mountains of smelly laundry created by myself and my Ironman training husband has left me with little time for much else. I am happy with the track workout, long swim, 40 mile bike ride, strength training at the gym, and 5.5 mile hilly run I accomplished while we were gone. I'm a little sleep deprived since almost all of these occurred in the early morning hours, but I'm still thankful I got them done. If I could have only passed over the chocolate pie, hamburgers, fries, pizza and multiple servings of ice cream, I may have come home in a little better shape than I left. Instead, I am 2 pounds heavier. Thank goodness I haven't gotten around to tracking my weight. That would be crazy!

Fit for Fun

Just like other athletes, I like to talk about this or that race. Races help give focus and motivation for training. They are the extra little push out of the bed when the weather is nasty. They are the end date of the training schedule to count back from to plan workouts. They are a yardstick to gauge efforts. Races, though, aren't the reason why I run, bike, swim, lift, or do whatever else I choose to do each day. Staying healthy to live a full and active life is my goal, as I'm sure it is for all of us that have come to accept that there is no Olympics in our future.

Crossing the finish line is fun, but the true reward of training comes in both everyday and extra-ordinary activities. Being able to carry laundry baskets up the stairs, playing with the kids, and having the physical stamina to clean house all day and still walk the dog at night are some of the ways that I put my physical fitness to use everyday.

This week I've been lucky enough to do some extra-ordinary things. I'm getting some quality time with the family, and for our family that usually involves lots of outdoor fun. We've been mountain biking, kayaking, hiking, and riding a zip line. During the steepest steps of the climb, standing on the pedals of the mountain bike up the trail, and paddling down a long river, I was truly thankful for a fit body.

Taking in the views of beautiful mountains, paddling the river with beavers, and sighting bear tracks on the banks were all part of my race today. Sharing the journey with my smiling kids and husband is a greater reward than any race medal. This week has been a reminder for me to not get caught up in whether I beat my race goal or what place I finished. I am reminded that getting out the door for that run is more important than what what pace my watch reads at the end. I hope I have many more races like the one I had today. In the meantime, I'll keep training for the rest of life.

Buckets

Until I started marathon training in the Fall of 2007, I had never run with anyone else. I was lucky that my husband met Jenny through a run club and introduced us. She ran a few long runs with me during that training cycle for Fargo 2008. I remember that I was struggling with the higher mileage, and she told me about buckets. She said that running fitness was like a bucket with a little hole at the bottom. It takes a long time and a lot of effort to fill up the bucket the first time. Once the bucket is full, it's about consistently filling the bucket a little at a time to compensate for the little hole at the bottom.

Before the Fargo Marathon 2009, I felt like my Running Bucket was pretty full. After the marathon, my bucket was a little low from the effort, but nothing to worry about. Shortly after, I took my Running Bucket and dumped some fitness into a Swimming Bucket and a Cycling Bucket. My running fitness helped me jump into both of these sports and enjoy them from the start. I feel strong when I am doing them, and am not struggling the way I did when I first started running.

The Running Bucket, however, has paid the price. It is very, very low. It's pitiful. I'm still struggling to run 4 or 5 miles without walking. I was going to run 6 miles today, but needed to walk the last 2 miles. There were moments in the run today, though, that I felt like my old self. For the first time since I started the tri training, I think I'm making headway in filling the Running Bucket. My legs are feeling stronger and my quads and hip flexors are complaining less. I'm starting to feel like my body is adjusting to the increased training hours and the different activities. I'm not there yet, but I think I just need to keep at it and not give up.

The Rochester Triathlon is only 12 days away. On the one hand, I don't think I'll be ready for the Olympic distance in time for the race. The 6.2 mile run after the .9 mile swim and 24 mile bike is going to be a challenge. I'm predicting that I will have to walk some of the run, particularly if it is at all hot or humid on race day. But on the other hand, I know that I wouldn't be pushing myself to get my run back together if I had just signed up for the Sprint.

For now, I'm going to try my best to fill my bucket. I don't know long it will take until it's brimming again, but I feel fortunate that I have the good health and time to find out.

Feeling Like Summer

I usually take craptastic race pictures, but this one from Fargo isn't too bad. Since I paid good money for it, I've decided to get the most out of it and post it.

If you look really carefully, you'll see that both of my feet are off the ground at the same time. The guy who took this must be a real professional, because this is a state that is rarely seen when I am running. I look happy and that's what really counts, I guess.

Somehow, Minneapolis has skipped over Spring and we are straight into Summer. It was 80 degrees today and yesterday and it's been very blustery. Luckily, it is still pretty cool in the mornings when I run. I got out this morning for an easy 4 miles and the weather was perfect.

My legs feel strong but there is still a lingering tiredness from the marathon and probably the new bike training. I'm keeping the running mileage pretty low for the rest of the month, just running 4 days a week and 5 miles or so at a time. Once I get acclimated to the addition of the biking and swimming, I'll try to pick up some more miles.

I must go and obsess about the weather now.

Training Schedule

I got a question from Virtual Runner about my training plan. I love to drone on and on about every aspect of my running, so an open invitation to talk about my training plan is like a dream come true! Let's dive right in because I can hardly wait!

Ideally, I would be running 5 days a week. I would have one long run day followed the next day by a short recovery run. Then I would have a speed work day, a medium distance day, and another shorter run. Because I've had plantar fasciitis and shin splints in the last couple months, I am using a four day running schedule. For the fifth day, I am riding my bike on a trainer for 30-60 minutes. To complicate things, I do weight training three days a week and have started swimming one day a week to get ready for my summer triathlon.

So for me, I do speed work on Mondays and a medium length run on Tuesdays. On Wednesday I lift weights and try to swim afterwards (I just swam for the first time in a long time this week. I hope I can keep it up.) On Thursdays I do my long runs and on Fridays I do a recovery run and lift weights. Now that the running season is really getting going, my lifting on Fridays will probably just be core work. Saturdays I try not to do anything, and Sundays I ride the bike and lift weights.

If you are new to marathoning, Marathoning for Mortals by John Bingham and Jenny Hadfield is a great place to start. It covers everything you need to know and has several training schedules to choose from. RunnersWorld.com also has training schedules that you can generate by putting in information such as: how hard do you want to train, how many weeks, etc. I have also used the McMillan Calculator to figure out what pace I need to be doing my speed work and goal times for races.

I'm very lucky that I have time to train while my kids are at school. My husband works full time and travels a lot with his job, yet somehow he manages to fit his training in. Sometimes it seems like all I do is keep the kids alive, the pets fed and get my training done. I have so much respect and admiration for people who train and keep their personal lives going while they work at the same time. I know I'm very lucky to be able to put a lot of focus on training at this point in my life. I'm certainly trying to enjoy it!

Favorite Race T-Shirt

One of my favorite things about racing is getting the race t-shirt. Maybe after I've run a hundred races I won't care about it, but right now I still love getting the race tee. I would prefer a finisher's shirt, but I'll pretty much take any shirt. I'm running a St. Pat's race in a couple weeks and was checking out the pictures of the shirts from last year. Not too bad! On the registration form, you actually get to pick if you want a long or short sleeved shirt and if you want it in cotton or a technical fabric. This is my kind of race!

When I don't like the t-shirt, I'll wear it as a throw away shirt when it's chilly at the start of another race. We run a Turkey Trot that consistently has the ugliest long sleeve shirts I've ever seen. Because they are so cheap and don't breathe, you would never want to run in it. For that very same reason, it worked perfectly at the start of the Twin Cities Marathon. It was cloudy and chilly at the start (it later poured down cold rain). After a mile or so I was warmed up and I just tossed it on the sidewalk.

When I get a shirt that I do like, I want to wear it all the time. What makes a race shirt a favorite? Is it the design and color of the shirt itself or does it have more to do with the significance of the race? My favorite race t-shirt is my favorite because it is the perfect blend of wear-ability and race significance.

The Bear Water Run is a 20 mile race scheduled three weeks before the TC Marathon. Advertised as a tune-up for the marathon, it is the perfect last 20 mile training run before the big race. A course with a lot of short, steep hills, it was one of the toughest runs I have ever done. About 12 miles into it, it started to rain and, being September in Minnesota, it was cold. Turns out this would be an omen for the marathon. It was hard and I wanted to stop, but somehow I kept shuffling along. At least with the marathon, when you want to stop you can just tell yourself that when you're done you will be a marathon finisher. During a 20 mile race three weeks before the marathon, all you can tell yourself is that you better suck it up because the marathon is 6.2 miles longer. Not exactly a heartening thought.

When I came into the finisher's area, I could see people who had already finished wearing their finisher's shirts. Did I think, "Oh, thank goodness a dry shirt because I am freezing cold and wet?" No... I thought, "Hey, that shirt isn't half bad! I need to keep mine nice and dry so I can wear it after I take a shower." Oh, by the way, I did end up getting so cold in the rain that I went into a porta-potty to take off my wet shirt and put on my nice, dry, long sleeved finisher's shirt. I forgot to lock the door and some poor guy opened it right as got my wet shirt off. Ooops! He was mortified. I had my sports bra on, so I didn't see it as a big deal, but I think I traumatized him.

I know it's not the most attractive shirt ever, but it goes with jeans in the winter and khaki shorts in the spring and fall. I wore it to clean the house today and it reminded me of how proud I was to cross that finish line. Now I just need to score the perfect short sleeved shirt before summertime!

My Winter Home Course

I have to admit that I'm a creature of habit. I wish I could say that I was constantly seeking out new places to run. Dean Karnazes, ultra marathoner and author, talks about leaving his house with a few dollars in his pocket and running wherever his feet happen to take him. I like to think about running in exotic places, but when it's time to put the shoes on, I just can't do it.

Maybe it's because I'm still relatively new to running. I started running about 5 years ago, but up until about 18 months ago I never went more that 6 miles. When I started marathon training, it forced me to find longer routes. This honestly brought me more stress than joy. Running to me is still a science, not an art. Running is difficult enough for me that I need to reduce the possibility that something could go wrong. I need to be able to have access to Gatorade, Gu, and preferably a bathroom.

When there isn't snow on the ground, there are several places that meet my running needs. But in the winter, it's a lot tougher. An amazing number of people run outside all winter long here in Minneapolis. My problem: all of the runners pack down the snow making running on those trails more like running on the beach. Have you ever run on the beach? Well, it stinks. After a few freeze and thaw cycles, the sidewalks become a sheet of ice. Again, stinky.

In this land of high taxes called Minnesota, I happen to live in a city that believes in sidewalk cleanliness. There is a sidewalk that goes past my house, around a city baseball field, through the local school complex, past the police station and past city hall. If anyone slips on any part of that 2 mile stretch of sidewalk, I'm guessing the city is worried about a law suit. The upside for me: the sidewalk is cleaner than my kitchen floor. Anytime it snows, my sidewalk is plowed and brushed clean before the local streets ever hear the plow coming. This 2 mile loop of sidewalk has become my home course in the wintertime.

While others might get bored running the same stretch over and over, I find it very comforting. I even have to run the same, counter-clockwise direction every time. I love knowing which parts will be cold because of the shady trees and where I will have the wind in my face. I love knowing exactly how long it takes to climb the one slow, long hill in front of the school. I love passing my house every two miles "just in case," and I love being able to get a drink out of my cooler every 20 minutes.

It was a balmy 18 degrees this morning when I headed outside to my loop. I put my Gatorade in a cooler to keep it from freezing and left it at the beginning. I finished my 5 laps (10 miles) without incident, exactly as planned... just how I like it.

First Steps

Thanks for joining me here at blogspot for my first day of blogging.

It is a week of fresh starts for me. This week I started my training calendar for the Fargo Marathon and I started Running My Own Race. Running is the type of activity that doesn't really have a start or an ending date; it just seems to go on and on. For me, it wasn't as if one day I wasn't a runner and the next day I was. Instead, it was a gradual change that occurred over a few years. As I looked at my new, fresh calendar, I thought it would be a good time to try something else that was new. Runner types like myself not only like to run, we like to talk about it... all... the... time. I know that listening to me talk about my training can be boring for non-runners or for people who aren't sleeping with me, but the compulsion to talk about it is not easily controlled. I sympathize with anyone who has had to listen to me talk about my training. Those who know me can catch up with me here in small doses and on your own terms. Those that may stumble upon it may like to read about someone else's journey. I hope you will share your journey with me by commenting or by telling me about yourself. Runners and other athletes have a lot in common and it's nice to read about others' hopes, problems, successes and failures and know that we are all on a similar path, just running our own race.