Short Run Friday

Ran 3 speedy miles this morning. It was 70 degrees and beautiful out and would have been perfect weather for a long run, but today's schedule didn't allow for it. I really like having the 2 short runs, 1 sorta long run and 1 long run schedule. The two short runs are like a little extra treat as a reward for that longest run. I can run them a little quicker ( not too fast, I'm listening Hal Higdon) and enjoy the shorter route. And I think having run those at a faster pace, it will help me not to be so impatient to start too quickly on the longer run. I'm trying to remind myself every time I'm out there to keep it slow so I can get my base miles in. I'm not trying for a PB on a training run, nor do I want to be injured again and have to sit out.

I learned a hard lesson during the fall/winter about proper footwear. I ran a race in my old shoes, (Brooks) which caused a problem with my big toe. The new shoes that I replaced them (New Balance) were a half size too small and exacerbated it. I ignored the pain for a while thinking it would get better on it's on. When it didn't I went to a GP instead of a podiatrist which was another big mistake. By the time I got my footwear sorted out, and consulted the right specialist I had to have part of the toenail permanently removed, and lost out on a lot of run time. I have a great pair of shoes currently ( Saucony) and a good specialist to consult on any other foot problems I may encounter (hopefully none).

My gear is the usual stuff that most people run with. My shoes are for pronators, and I have noticed recently that my left foot pronates more profoundly than my right. I use an older Garmin forerunner 201 to measure my distance and pace, which works pretty well except in one part of my neighborhood I'll just call the black hole.It is way more accurate than the RunKeeper app I was using on the Iphone. I listen to my tunes on a second generation Ipod shuffle, which is handy because I can clip it to my shirt and way less bulky then when I ran with my Iphone. I prefer to wear sleeveless shirts because they don't chafe my arms. Not sure what I'll switch to if the weather ever gets cooler. For shorts I prefer the loosest, blousiest ones I can find. I have found that Adidas has the market cornered on blousey running shorts and these are my favorite. And of course a dry fit hat to help keep some of that sweat out of my eyes. I'm still working on finding the perfect headphones. The ear buds pop out of my small ears, and it only took two months of sweat to short out the Philips over the ear kind that sound so good.

Short Run Long Post

I woke up at 5:45 am all set to run 11 miles. However, mother nature had a different plan. Thunderstorms. So I went back to bed and had to devise a different plan for today's training. I decided to schedule my long run for this weekend and just do a short run today. But, I wasn't looking forward to the treadmill ( which I refer to as the dreadmill since it's dreadfully boring to run on). My 5 year old son suggested we go for a run together outside since the rain had stopped. We packed up the jogging stroller and dropped baby sister off at school. Then we were off to run the 66 bridge. It's a nice flat easy route, and I figured if I was pushing a 40 pounder in the jogger it would be perfect. We both got out our Ipods and headphones and headed out. I was surprised at how much faster I ran on a 3 mile run, even pushing the stroller. Got a little speedwork in just for fun.I know I'm supposed to just work on base miles and not speed right now, but sometimes it just feels good to go fast.

As far as jogging strollers go, we have two. A Schwinn and a Baby Trend. I usually push my 18 month old in the Baby Trend and it feels like I'm fighting it the entire way. Running with the 5 year old in the Schwinn was way easier, even though he's 20 pounds heavier than his sister. It's like driving around in a clunker with no power steering and suddenly you upgrade to a Caddy with all the bells and whistles. After I completed my short 3 miles, my son wanted to get out and run too. So we ran together for almost 3/4 of a mile. His pace is not bad, about what I ran the Turkey Trot 8 mile last year. I think he's not too far out from running some of the 1 mile fun runs for kids. And once he learns to ride his bike he can ride next to me while I run instead of getting a free ride in the stroller. Then I can see how it feels to push his little lightweight sister in the Schwinn.

I've switched training plans from the Hal Hidgon Half Marathon plan to the Hal Higdon full marathon Novice 2 plan. I'm not 100% sure I'm going to run a full 26.2 mile race, but since I'm already up to 11 miles for my long run, and my 13.1 mile race is still 2 months away, I thought I could switch over and see how far I can go. I may decide that I love running longer distances, or I may decide my true talent lies at 13.1 miles.

Cross Train

Today was my cross training day, and I chose a deep water excercise class. I've been to a few different water classes and this is the one I like the best. It's a good aeorbic workout, but also a good workout for my core and arms. I like that it's easy on my knees and the stretching we do at the end feels really good, and it's a bonus that I'm not dripping sweat when I'm done.
I've been reading Hal Higdon's Marathon book, and last night I read the chapter on nutrition. I realized that I need to add more carbs ( the good ones) to my diet. For so long I've been dieting to lose weight and denying myself that I've lost sight of what is important about eating. It's fuel for the body. And it needs to be the right kind of fuel so I can have energy for training. Of course I fully intend to keep my after dinner dessert, but i need to change up what I eat for snacks, and add more complex carbs into my meals. So my goal is to clean up the old diet and eat enough of the right kinds of foods so that at the end of the day I'm not crashing and craving the wrong kinds of foods. I've got three weeks before I go back to work so I have a good amount of time to play around with new recipes and find what works and what doesn't.

First day back

I ran a little over 5 miles this morning. It was my first run after taking a week of rest and vacation. While I enjoyed the rest, I was definitely ready to start my training again. My IT band on the left hip felt tight, and my right ankle also was a little sore this morning. What I'll remember is next time I take a rest week, I should still at least stretch. I enjoyed the run, and I'm still amazed at how quickly 5 miles goes these days. That used to be my long run distance and now it's my short run. Ran it at a comfortable pace which at times felt very easy, except when I was running up the monster hill to Champions. Enjoyed the new music I added to my itunes playlist. (Slobberbond, Clutch and 1100 Springs ) I know some runners don't run with music, but I really enjoy it when I train. I try to switch up the playlist and just add what i like to listen to. There are some songs I like because they help me stay motivated when I'm climbing a hill, and some that just make me feel happy when I hear them. I've seen different people post different playlists, and I've found that there is a wide variety of music out there that people listen to. Playlists are like running pace, everyone's is different and unique. I do enjoy finding new music to add, but usually the real gems come from my husband's music library. He likes a wide variety of music and much of it is off the beaten path. So I enjoy adding songs I know I won't hear 1,000 times on the radio and I don't listen to my running playlist any time except when I run. That keeps it fresh for me. Like a special extra treat I'm saving for my ears.

Why I Run

People ask me why I run. The simple answer is because I can. It took me almost a year to really understand that if I just set my mind to it, I could get my stubby legs to go as far as I could train them to. I'm moving forward towards 13.1 miles week by week. And every mile that I add is one more accomplishment for me. I'm not competing against anyone else's milage or pace, just my own. And when I'm running, it's a little piece of time that's just mine, when no one needs me or expects anything from me. I'm not a mom, a teacher or a wife. I'm just me, thinking my own thoughts, listening to my breath, my music and my footsteps down the road. It's peaceful and free. And when I come back to my home and my family, I can be a better mom, wife and teacher because I had that time alone.