Last summer, I was part of a marathon clinic group at the Running Room in Halifax. What I love about running clinics is that you get to meet so many different people and draw on each other's experiences and backgrounds to inspire each other. And by the end of the clinic, you usually get to know each other really well.
So last fall, after most of the group had run their races, we got together at a local restaurant to share some of each other's experiences and race stories. I had yet to run my race - Legs for Literacy in Moncton - but I showed up to hear how the others had fared (many of them had run the PEI Marathon) and learn from their experiences.
We took turns going around the table, each individual sharing their stories. Most of the women in my pace group had had a fantastic race, and accomplished, or even bested, their race time of four hours. Wendy had even qualified for Boston. And while I sat there fascinated by all their stories, my stomach was also tied up in knots, because I still had yet to run my race.
And then there was Greg's story, which I still carry with me to this day. He shared how he had made a point of thinking of all the people who had helped and inspired him through the several weeks and months of training, all of whom had played a part in helping to get him to the start line on the day of the race -- from his wife and family, to friends, colleagues and even members of the pace group he ran with.
He had then scribbled those names onto slips of paper, and put them in his pocket on race day. Then, when he reached a certain kilometre marker, he had started pulling them out, one at a time, thinking of the person and sending out a silent message of thanks to that individual. And then he left the slips of paper on the ground and kept running.
I love that story - it's such a good reminder of the roles that our friends and family and other support networks play in getting us to the start (and finish) lines on race day. And while I don't necessarily scribble people's names on slips of paper (there's just so much jammed into my water belt and pockets on race day, I don't think I could fit anything else in), I do make a point now of remembering of all of the people without whom I wouldn't have made it to the race course - from my husband (aka, "coach"), to my parents, my running group and friends. When my legs get tired and the kilometres seem endless, I send out a silent little message of thanks to them. And somehow, thinking of all the people who believe in me helps make my legs feel lighter and my determination stronger.
So if you're looking for inspiration as you prepare for your big fall race, take out a piece of paper and scribble down the names of all of the people who helped you get there. You'll be amazed at just how long that list is, and how strong your support network is.
~ HRG
Showing posts with label husband. Show all posts
Showing posts with label husband. Show all posts
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Week 16/17: A rough tempo, Yasso 800s and gratitude for great running buddies!
Last Wednesday was my last speed work training session with our Running Room clinic before packing my bags and heading to Toronto and Port Hope, Ontario, to spend some time with family and friends before running in the Toronto GoodLife Marathon.
After dropping the car off at hubby's work, I met our group at the Running Room. It was a bit of a drizzly grey day, but not quite as cold as the previous week, when I'd had to wear my headband, gloves, a long-sleeved sweater and my jacket.
From Bruce's email to us: "Up to this point the runs have been done at 1:30 below race pace for long runs to 20 seconds below for tempo. On the program the intervals are done at faster than race pace to prepare you for running at your race pace."
For me, that means that while I've been doing my long runs at around 6:30-6:50 (for a four-hour finish) and my tempos at 5:30 to 5:45, my tempo should be around 5:26.
As I sprinted around the track on one of my laps, this time feeling a little more like a gazelle and less like a penguin (though a gazelle that was huffing and puffing...and when have you ever seen wildlife look like they're struggling on a run?), I looked up, only to see that Wendy was standing on the sidelines. She had told us that she would not be joining us as she was still recovering from Boston, so I was surprised to see her there. Then out of the corner of my eye, I spotted something neon green from across the track.
As I neared Wendy, I saw that she was holding up a sign. I figured she'd come out to cheer on our group. But as I came closer, I read the words:
As I rounded the corner on the track for my second lap of the 800 metres, I felt lighter -- as though little wings had sprouted on my shoes. I was Halifax Runner Girl, and I was going to rock this marathon! No matter that the speedsters in our group and Cliff's athletes were still running circles around me. I felt like the world's greatest runner.
It's amazing how knowing that there are folks who believe in you and care about you makes such a difference -- it can give you a boost more powerful than any gel or sport bean ever can. So if you're ever at a race standing on the sidelines, know that your presence there and your cheers do help make our feet lighter and the race easier.
Speedwork complete, I headed home to pack. Among the luggage I carried next morning, as I got into a taxi at an ungodly 4:45 am to take me to Toronto, were the two posters that Wendy had made for me so that my family can hold them up on race day (the other one says "Christine you rock!" :) ).
Although I may not actually catch a glimpse of them on the sidelines, I'll know they'll be there holding up those signs, and I'll also know that there will be a group of friends and my hubby cheering me on from Halifax. No matter how I finish, I'm so thankful for everyone's support and encouragement over these last 17 weeks. I'm grateful to have met a group of amazing friends and runners, and am ever thankful for their support.
Gratitude!
~ HRG
After dropping the car off at hubby's work, I met our group at the Running Room. It was a bit of a drizzly grey day, but not quite as cold as the previous week, when I'd had to wear my headband, gloves, a long-sleeved sweater and my jacket.
I was a little trepidatious about speedwork on that night, because the day before I'd done a tempo run with the group (three times around the North Commons) and my legs were feeling a little tender. I can always tell when my legs are tired (especially my calves and shins) when I start slapping my feet on the pavement like some kind of crazed penguin. Not gazelle-like at all!
I knew part of my fatigue on Tuesday had been largely due to Sunday's 32k run, so I chose not to worry. Also, despite our efforts to slow our pace on our tempo run, every time Carol looked at her Garmin (mine had died...again...) it seemed we kept speeding up. Andrea had told me that her 12-year-old son Luke had been reading my blog and said, "She needs to slow down." But sorry Luke, I failed at that again, until the pain in my legs forced me to slow down and walk for a bit.
Hence why I felt a little nervous about speedwork on Wednesday. But before we left the Running Room, Andrea handed me a card signed by her, Carol and Wendy - wishing me good luck for my marathon. I was sincerely touched that they'd done this for me, and I held on to my card as we headed down South Park Street to the SMU track at the Tower for speed/interval training.
Some of you may wonder, why start speedwork when we're three to four weeks away from race day? As Bruce explained it to us, we've spent close to 12 weeks building the base of our house - we developed a foundation with tempos and the walls with hills, and now we're putting on the roof of the house with speed/interval training.
From Bruce's email to us: "Up to this point the runs have been done at 1:30 below race pace for long runs to 20 seconds below for tempo. On the program the intervals are done at faster than race pace to prepare you for running at your race pace."
Number crunching aside, the point of interval training is to develop your VO2 max and get your body used to running at your maximum aerobic threshold.
Bruce had taught us a few speedwork drills last week, and we started off with them again: lunges for 10 metres, running with knees high for another 10, then running and kicking your butt for 10, then a short 10-metre sprint. I'd watched elite runners do all kinds of drills at the York University track way back in the day when all I could run was a few kilometres, and always wondered what they were doing. Cliff (a well-known Halifax running coach) and his runners were at the track too, and while I'll never be as fast as they are, it's still pretty cool to be eating their dust while we do our training.
Following our drill, we did six reps of Yasso 800s. According to this, you can predict your marathon time based on how long it takes you to do 800 metres. So if I'm looking to do a four-hour marathon, I should be able to complete the 800 metres in four minutes.
The week before, I was a little sore, so I hadn't pushed myself on the track, but my pace had still been faster than what I'm trying to accomplish. Also, instead of doing 800s I had done 1,600s with a longer break in between. This time, I decided to give 'er on the Yassos, crank the tunes, and just see what happened.
Overall, my pace averaged about 4:47, which works out to 3:47 for 800 metres -- which according to Bruce Yasso translates to a 3h 47min marathon.
Based on that, I should be more than able to achieve my four-hour goal, but if you've read my first marathon story, you'll know that it's not all about the physical abilities. So much of it (I'd say 95% for me) is mental. Really, what matters is that I was feeling good. I may not have looked fast, but I felt it.
As I sprinted around the track on one of my laps, this time feeling a little more like a gazelle and less like a penguin (though a gazelle that was huffing and puffing...and when have you ever seen wildlife look like they're struggling on a run?), I looked up, only to see that Wendy was standing on the sidelines. She had told us that she would not be joining us as she was still recovering from Boston, so I was surprised to see her there. Then out of the corner of my eye, I spotted something neon green from across the track.
As I neared Wendy, I saw that she was holding up a sign. I figured she'd come out to cheer on our group. But as I came closer, I read the words:
 |
| My pre-departure surprise from my fabulous running friends |
It's amazing how knowing that there are folks who believe in you and care about you makes such a difference -- it can give you a boost more powerful than any gel or sport bean ever can. So if you're ever at a race standing on the sidelines, know that your presence there and your cheers do help make our feet lighter and the race easier.
Speedwork complete, I headed home to pack. Among the luggage I carried next morning, as I got into a taxi at an ungodly 4:45 am to take me to Toronto, were the two posters that Wendy had made for me so that my family can hold them up on race day (the other one says "Christine you rock!" :) ).
Although I may not actually catch a glimpse of them on the sidelines, I'll know they'll be there holding up those signs, and I'll also know that there will be a group of friends and my hubby cheering me on from Halifax. No matter how I finish, I'm so thankful for everyone's support and encouragement over these last 17 weeks. I'm grateful to have met a group of amazing friends and runners, and am ever thankful for their support.
Gratitude!
~ HRG
Monday, April 25, 2011
Week 15: Let the taper begin!
Woohoo! I completed the second 32k of the training program yesterday. The taper begins today!
Because last week's long slow distance went fairly well with my pre-run dinner of Gordon Ramsay's Pancetta Spaghetti with a side pep talk by hubby, I asked him to make it for me again this Saturday. I followed last week's menu of no dairy and one small glass of wine, then headed to bed early. And...miracle of miracles, I actually managed to get a good 6-7 hours of sleep!
Since this was Easter Sunday, I knew most of my running buddies wouldn't be at Run Club this week. I had the option of putting my 32k run off till Monday or just getting 'er done on Sunday. And since Steve had put in the effort of making me my pasta meal the night before, I knew that once again there was no putting it off. So after sleeping in a wee bit and making sure my Garmin and iPod were charged, I headed out at around 9:30.
Although the Weather Network had called for an 80% chance of rain, by the time I headed out, all that remained was a light fog.
I'd spent a lot of time reading other runners' inspirational blogs and soaking in the post-Boston excitement last week. Among them was runner Erin Poirier's blog post -- Boston with Love -- where she recounted her Boston highs and lows -- from running with a demon to running like an awesome runner.
As I headed along the gravel trail near the Armdale Yacht Club, the sun beginning to poke through the fog and glint off the water, I thought about Erin's experience and I decided to try running like I was awesome. And as I climbed the steep slope near the boat dock, the air smeling like seaweed, I smiled to myself for the first time in many a long run. The rain had held off, I had the support of my husband and running friends who believed in me...and all I had to do was three repeats of 10k, plus a 2k to finish it off. Easy peasy. And my legs were feeling good!
The day before, I'd set out for an easy 6k run, but with the sun shining and the tunes cranked on my iPod, I once again reverted to my usual pattern of giving 'er for the first 2k, building up the lactic acid in my legs till they were cramping, and then having to slow down for part of the run. As I realized what I was doing, I kind of chuckled to myself. Will I never learn? Yet although I held back on the pace for the rest of the run, I still managed to maintain a 5:40ish or better pace for the remainder -- almost a tempo pace, and I wasn't even trying!
Which was another reason for the confidence I had as I continued on Sunday's long run, past the Northwest Arm, the fog cloaking the horizon in a romantic kind of way. By the time I made it up to Oxford, I was only 3k away from my first 10k. After that, I'd only have two more 10ks left plus a 2k. Easy!
I continued, turning onto Inglis to Tower, then into Point Pleasant Park. What a treat to run on cedar chips and soil...a nice break on the knees. I almost felt playful as I ran through the forest, chickadees chirping in the trees and dog walkers enjoying the trail.
At the halfway point, somewhere near the Seaport Market, I let out a silent cheer -- 16k down, only 16k left to go, and I was feeling strong! Nothing like the pain and agony of a few weeks ago, when I'd been doubting my abilities to do this. What a difference a good night's sleep, the right nutrition and confidence makes!
At around 20k, the sun finally came out. Although I started to tire and I was getting a little warm, I didn't worry. I'd just run all the way up Devonshire Rd -- a long, gradual incline -- and knew part of my tiredness was due to that hill. Meanwhile, the GoodLife Marathon in Toronto will be mainly downhill for most of the way.
Running along Windsor and turning left onto Joe Howe, I did feel awesome. I'd just run 24k, and I was only 6k from 30. At this point it was all about running down each 10 minutes until a walk break, and while I was tired, I wasn't disheartened. What a beautiful day for a run, I thought to myself as I ran along the Rails to Trails, past families, friends and couples out for a walk.
Eventually, after three hours and 39 minutes, I made it home. Walking along the trail behind our house, I really did let out a cheer. Because now, the taper begins!
Looking over my Garmin records from the last four months, I thought back on all of the hours of training I'd put in, and I felt proud. No matter what happens on race day, I know I've put in the effort and I'm ready. And more than any time goal, that's something to be proud of!
~ HRG
Because last week's long slow distance went fairly well with my pre-run dinner of Gordon Ramsay's Pancetta Spaghetti with a side pep talk by hubby, I asked him to make it for me again this Saturday. I followed last week's menu of no dairy and one small glass of wine, then headed to bed early. And...miracle of miracles, I actually managed to get a good 6-7 hours of sleep!
Since this was Easter Sunday, I knew most of my running buddies wouldn't be at Run Club this week. I had the option of putting my 32k run off till Monday or just getting 'er done on Sunday. And since Steve had put in the effort of making me my pasta meal the night before, I knew that once again there was no putting it off. So after sleeping in a wee bit and making sure my Garmin and iPod were charged, I headed out at around 9:30.
Although the Weather Network had called for an 80% chance of rain, by the time I headed out, all that remained was a light fog.
I'd spent a lot of time reading other runners' inspirational blogs and soaking in the post-Boston excitement last week. Among them was runner Erin Poirier's blog post -- Boston with Love -- where she recounted her Boston highs and lows -- from running with a demon to running like an awesome runner.
As I headed along the gravel trail near the Armdale Yacht Club, the sun beginning to poke through the fog and glint off the water, I thought about Erin's experience and I decided to try running like I was awesome. And as I climbed the steep slope near the boat dock, the air smeling like seaweed, I smiled to myself for the first time in many a long run. The rain had held off, I had the support of my husband and running friends who believed in me...and all I had to do was three repeats of 10k, plus a 2k to finish it off. Easy peasy. And my legs were feeling good!
The day before, I'd set out for an easy 6k run, but with the sun shining and the tunes cranked on my iPod, I once again reverted to my usual pattern of giving 'er for the first 2k, building up the lactic acid in my legs till they were cramping, and then having to slow down for part of the run. As I realized what I was doing, I kind of chuckled to myself. Will I never learn? Yet although I held back on the pace for the rest of the run, I still managed to maintain a 5:40ish or better pace for the remainder -- almost a tempo pace, and I wasn't even trying!
Which was another reason for the confidence I had as I continued on Sunday's long run, past the Northwest Arm, the fog cloaking the horizon in a romantic kind of way. By the time I made it up to Oxford, I was only 3k away from my first 10k. After that, I'd only have two more 10ks left plus a 2k. Easy!
I continued, turning onto Inglis to Tower, then into Point Pleasant Park. What a treat to run on cedar chips and soil...a nice break on the knees. I almost felt playful as I ran through the forest, chickadees chirping in the trees and dog walkers enjoying the trail.
At the halfway point, somewhere near the Seaport Market, I let out a silent cheer -- 16k down, only 16k left to go, and I was feeling strong! Nothing like the pain and agony of a few weeks ago, when I'd been doubting my abilities to do this. What a difference a good night's sleep, the right nutrition and confidence makes!
At around 20k, the sun finally came out. Although I started to tire and I was getting a little warm, I didn't worry. I'd just run all the way up Devonshire Rd -- a long, gradual incline -- and knew part of my tiredness was due to that hill. Meanwhile, the GoodLife Marathon in Toronto will be mainly downhill for most of the way.
Running along Windsor and turning left onto Joe Howe, I did feel awesome. I'd just run 24k, and I was only 6k from 30. At this point it was all about running down each 10 minutes until a walk break, and while I was tired, I wasn't disheartened. What a beautiful day for a run, I thought to myself as I ran along the Rails to Trails, past families, friends and couples out for a walk.
Eventually, after three hours and 39 minutes, I made it home. Walking along the trail behind our house, I really did let out a cheer. Because now, the taper begins!
Looking over my Garmin records from the last four months, I thought back on all of the hours of training I'd put in, and I felt proud. No matter what happens on race day, I know I've put in the effort and I'm ready. And more than any time goal, that's something to be proud of!
~ HRG
Saturday, April 16, 2011
My favourite pre-run/race supper: Gordon Ramsay's Pancetta Spaghetti, served with a side pep talk by hubby
It must be annoying at times for the partner of a runner to keep the enthusiasm up when night after night they have to hear about yet another run's high's and lows. After awhile, all we runners seem to speak about is running, running, and more running. Especially when we're training for a race. And if you're not a runner, it may be hard to understand our one-track minds and how much running seems to take over our lives. How many times can you say "Wow, that's great that you had a good run tonight," with the same amount of enthusiasm as the last 50 runs?
But this week, with four weeks left to go till race day, I asked my husband to step in again to be my running coach. When he's in coach mode, he's always so terriffic at encouraging me before and after a run, cooking me healthy meals, pushing me out the door when I don't want to go, running me a warm bath on cold winter nights...He also does things like research recipes for certain training periods.
And that's how he discovered my favourite pre-run/race dinner: Gordon Ramsay's Pancetta Spaghetti. It's clean, light and yummy, too! (Of course it helps that it was dreamt up by a marathon-running super chef with an attitude.)
So tonight, knowing that I have a 29k run in the morning, hubby cooked up a plate of Pancetta Spaghetti for me, served with a side pep talk. "Don't worry about time tomorrow," he said as I savoured a flavourful mouthful of Proscioutto (he subbed it in for the Pancetta, and it's just as yummy). "Just do the run, and call me when you're done so I can run you a bath. And make sure to eat oatmeal and some fruit for breakfast."
God I love my husband!
So tomorrow as we're running in the rain (100% P.O.P., according to The Weather Network), I'll hear his voice in my head, offering one last bit of advice as I bit into my last mouthful: "Just get 'er done."
How lucky am I?
~ HRG
But this week, with four weeks left to go till race day, I asked my husband to step in again to be my running coach. When he's in coach mode, he's always so terriffic at encouraging me before and after a run, cooking me healthy meals, pushing me out the door when I don't want to go, running me a warm bath on cold winter nights...He also does things like research recipes for certain training periods.
And that's how he discovered my favourite pre-run/race dinner: Gordon Ramsay's Pancetta Spaghetti. It's clean, light and yummy, too! (Of course it helps that it was dreamt up by a marathon-running super chef with an attitude.)
So tonight, knowing that I have a 29k run in the morning, hubby cooked up a plate of Pancetta Spaghetti for me, served with a side pep talk. "Don't worry about time tomorrow," he said as I savoured a flavourful mouthful of Proscioutto (he subbed it in for the Pancetta, and it's just as yummy). "Just do the run, and call me when you're done so I can run you a bath. And make sure to eat oatmeal and some fruit for breakfast."
God I love my husband!
So tomorrow as we're running in the rain (100% P.O.P., according to The Weather Network), I'll hear his voice in my head, offering one last bit of advice as I bit into my last mouthful: "Just get 'er done."
How lucky am I?
~ HRG
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Week 12 complete, and 13 begins: Marathons are also about the chocolate-banana smoothies and ice baths!
Well, last week was tough, there's no denying it. But as I was discussing with a fellow runner on Twitter, usually a tough run is followed by a great run. And that's what happened this week. After my awesome Body Attack class on Monday, which was supposed to have been a rest day, I didn't know quite how I'd be feeling on Tuesday. But after Bruce's quick chat on perceived effort vs heart rate monitoring, we headed out for our 6k tempo run. And it was a great run.
To keep things easy route-wise, Bruce made us do laps around the Commons. I thought I was going to stick with the 4:15 group, given the attacking that my body had done the previous day. As we came up Bell Road and along Ahern, turning left onto the sidewalk next to the Commons, I started to pick up the pace. We were supposed to be running at around a 5:50/5:55 pace, but pretty soon, I was catching up to the 4hr group. Looking down at my Garmin, I saw that I'd picked up to around 5:06 in order to catch up with them.
I let myself slow down to around 5:24 and drafted along behind the 4hr group, feeling pretty good. My breathing was a little heavier, but I was just enjoying the feeling of speed, and of the strength in my legs. At around 5k, my calves and shins were cramping a tiny bit so I held off a tad. I find that usually helps burn off the latic acid and lets my muscles recover and loosen up a bit.
Anyways, we were supposed to do threre laps around the Commons and head back, but by lap three, I saw Andrea and Bruce standing at the Five Corners. I guess I forgot how to count that day, because when Bruce told me we were supposed to do three laps and head back to the store, I got confused and thought I'd only done two. So back around the Commons I went.
By that time, I couldn't see the group ahead of me, and there was no one behind. Confused, I headed back to the store, only to see Wendy, Carol and Andrea stretching there, when I thought they had been behind me! In the end, I did 8k at around 5:30/km and it felt great.
Long story short, this run reminded me how much I love running short, fast (relative to me) distances. I don't mind not being able to breathe for a few kms (5-10) if I know the finish line is nearby!
On Wednesday and Thursday, my husband and I headed in to the Valley for an early birthday mini-vacation. We had a great time sampling local beers, wine and food and watching the local bald eagles (did I mention I'm such a Lisa Simpson?), and it was nice to relax with him in the countryside for a few days -- we don't often get two days off together due to our different work schedules.
Friday, the weather was a typical Halifax spring day -- wind, rain, snow, ice pellets...I'd been running in a tank top and shorts only a few weeks ago, now this? I opted for Zumba instead, but for some reason I didn't quite feel like I had my A-game. So Saturday, rather than repeating my mistake of the previous week of doing too much (10k + Ashtanga), I just did Ashtanga. At this point in the training schedule, skipping out on a few runs isn't going to make or break my race. And I knew that if I was feeling tired, sometimes it's just best to take it easy and give my body a break.
Today, we ran 32k. And I conquered the MacDonald Bridge once again! I've never been a fan of running it, but today it was pretty cool - there must have been 50 or more runners heading over to Dartmouth from the Running Room, and I felt surrounded by our positive energy. We headed past the Mic Mac Mall, then under the highway to Shubie, around the Mic Mac Lake and back over the bridge. I kept my pace consistent with Wendy's at around 6:45-7:00. My legs felt a little sluggish, but I knew that today was just about getting the distance in.
After crossing back to Halifax, Wendy peeled off at 23k to head back to the store, and we continued through the outside loop at Point Pleasant Park. For some reason my Garmin decided to conk out at around 24k (I'd charged it the night before! Jonathan at the Running Room suggested doing a master reset, so I tried that after our run. I'm going to *need* it to last longer than 2 hours for my race, that's for sure!).
I was happy to have stuck it out with the group this week after a few weeks of runing the long runs on my own. I was reminded today that the thing I love about running with a group is that you get to meet some really interesting people. Today, I ended up running with Rachel, who is in our clinic. I had no idea, but she's running her marathon in the name of animal welfare, and raising funds for that cause. I hope to be able to profile her in a future Runner in Profile spot.
Since most of the group is running their race the week after me, they were doing 29k today but I was supposed to do 32. We stopped at South and South Park, and then I walked with them to the Running Room for a quick bathroom break and some water. Then I left everyone to their stretching while I finished my last 3k -- amazing how much better I was feeling after a little break, but at 32k, I'd had enough. But I was done! Next Sunday, I'll taper back to a nice comfortable 23k, followed by 29, 32, 16 and then...42!!!
After my run, I headed to Starbie's for a chocolate banana smoothie, praying they had bananas -- it's one of my favourite post-long run recovery drinks, and I can literally feel it working only minutes after drinking it. My legs were starting to cramp up. Then home, for an ice bath, followed by a soak with some Epsom salts. Phew!
I'm still not 100% sure about the benefits of an ice bath for recovery, but most serious runners swear by them. See this article published in Running Times Magazine a few years ago. Says @Love4GambiaErin, "Am 100% pro ice-bath. Feels like relief. Important tip: hoody, hat and latte required." I have to agree: when you're sitting in cold (or ice-cold) water up to your legs, a jacket and hat definitely helps dull the cold in the rest of your body!
I'm looking forward to profiling Erin soon in an upcoming Runner in Profile spot. Stay tuned!
Happy running, and healthy recovery,
~ HRG
To keep things easy route-wise, Bruce made us do laps around the Commons. I thought I was going to stick with the 4:15 group, given the attacking that my body had done the previous day. As we came up Bell Road and along Ahern, turning left onto the sidewalk next to the Commons, I started to pick up the pace. We were supposed to be running at around a 5:50/5:55 pace, but pretty soon, I was catching up to the 4hr group. Looking down at my Garmin, I saw that I'd picked up to around 5:06 in order to catch up with them.
I let myself slow down to around 5:24 and drafted along behind the 4hr group, feeling pretty good. My breathing was a little heavier, but I was just enjoying the feeling of speed, and of the strength in my legs. At around 5k, my calves and shins were cramping a tiny bit so I held off a tad. I find that usually helps burn off the latic acid and lets my muscles recover and loosen up a bit.
Anyways, we were supposed to do threre laps around the Commons and head back, but by lap three, I saw Andrea and Bruce standing at the Five Corners. I guess I forgot how to count that day, because when Bruce told me we were supposed to do three laps and head back to the store, I got confused and thought I'd only done two. So back around the Commons I went.
By that time, I couldn't see the group ahead of me, and there was no one behind. Confused, I headed back to the store, only to see Wendy, Carol and Andrea stretching there, when I thought they had been behind me! In the end, I did 8k at around 5:30/km and it felt great.
Long story short, this run reminded me how much I love running short, fast (relative to me) distances. I don't mind not being able to breathe for a few kms (5-10) if I know the finish line is nearby!
On Wednesday and Thursday, my husband and I headed in to the Valley for an early birthday mini-vacation. We had a great time sampling local beers, wine and food and watching the local bald eagles (did I mention I'm such a Lisa Simpson?), and it was nice to relax with him in the countryside for a few days -- we don't often get two days off together due to our different work schedules.
Friday, the weather was a typical Halifax spring day -- wind, rain, snow, ice pellets...I'd been running in a tank top and shorts only a few weeks ago, now this? I opted for Zumba instead, but for some reason I didn't quite feel like I had my A-game. So Saturday, rather than repeating my mistake of the previous week of doing too much (10k + Ashtanga), I just did Ashtanga. At this point in the training schedule, skipping out on a few runs isn't going to make or break my race. And I knew that if I was feeling tired, sometimes it's just best to take it easy and give my body a break.
Today, we ran 32k. And I conquered the MacDonald Bridge once again! I've never been a fan of running it, but today it was pretty cool - there must have been 50 or more runners heading over to Dartmouth from the Running Room, and I felt surrounded by our positive energy. We headed past the Mic Mac Mall, then under the highway to Shubie, around the Mic Mac Lake and back over the bridge. I kept my pace consistent with Wendy's at around 6:45-7:00. My legs felt a little sluggish, but I knew that today was just about getting the distance in.
After crossing back to Halifax, Wendy peeled off at 23k to head back to the store, and we continued through the outside loop at Point Pleasant Park. For some reason my Garmin decided to conk out at around 24k (I'd charged it the night before! Jonathan at the Running Room suggested doing a master reset, so I tried that after our run. I'm going to *need* it to last longer than 2 hours for my race, that's for sure!).
I was happy to have stuck it out with the group this week after a few weeks of runing the long runs on my own. I was reminded today that the thing I love about running with a group is that you get to meet some really interesting people. Today, I ended up running with Rachel, who is in our clinic. I had no idea, but she's running her marathon in the name of animal welfare, and raising funds for that cause. I hope to be able to profile her in a future Runner in Profile spot.
Since most of the group is running their race the week after me, they were doing 29k today but I was supposed to do 32. We stopped at South and South Park, and then I walked with them to the Running Room for a quick bathroom break and some water. Then I left everyone to their stretching while I finished my last 3k -- amazing how much better I was feeling after a little break, but at 32k, I'd had enough. But I was done! Next Sunday, I'll taper back to a nice comfortable 23k, followed by 29, 32, 16 and then...42!!!
After my run, I headed to Starbie's for a chocolate banana smoothie, praying they had bananas -- it's one of my favourite post-long run recovery drinks, and I can literally feel it working only minutes after drinking it. My legs were starting to cramp up. Then home, for an ice bath, followed by a soak with some Epsom salts. Phew!
I'm still not 100% sure about the benefits of an ice bath for recovery, but most serious runners swear by them. See this article published in Running Times Magazine a few years ago. Says @Love4GambiaErin, "Am 100% pro ice-bath. Feels like relief. Important tip: hoody, hat and latte required." I have to agree: when you're sitting in cold (or ice-cold) water up to your legs, a jacket and hat definitely helps dull the cold in the rest of your body!
I'm looking forward to profiling Erin soon in an upcoming Runner in Profile spot. Stay tuned!
Happy running, and healthy recovery,
~ HRG
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Week 11: It's a mystery!
Well, so far this week has been a bit of a mystery.
On Saturday night, I ate pizza to store up on carbs, knowing that I would be running a looong run in the morning. I tried to get to bed early, and catch some zs -- always a hard feat for me the night before a long run, since my mind just seems to race ahead of me in anticipation. So I caught about 5 hours of shut-eye, which for me is not bad.
In the morning, I took my time getting ready, ate a bowl of oatmeal and a half cup of tea. To be honest, for some reason I was dreading the run even though I'd done 27k the weekend before, so I took my time even more. I gave myself just enough time to get to the Running Room and head for one more loo break, then we were on our way.
The first part of the run went pretty well, though I must admit I was having trouble catching my breath and falling into the groove as Andrea and I chatted about the previous day's Ashtanga yoga class. Part of me wondered if I'd overdone it, because in addition to that hour and a half class that had me sweating buckets, I'd also thrown in a 10k before it -- my week had gotten a little messed up when I missed a run on Tuesday. Regardless -- I was about to find out if I had indeed overdone it, the day before a 29k run.
At around 7k, we made it to the Rails to Trails, which is remarkably close to my house and yet I never knew it was there! One more option for running routes close to our house! We started our way along the trail, and I noticed I was dropping back, and back, and back. I was worried about my IT and hamstring too, because I've been having trouble with them lately (an injury that actually stopped me from running for two months last year).
Part of the trail passes by streets and houses, but then there's a big chunk of it that's literally in the middle of nowhere for about 5k. It's pretty, but I didn't want to end up stranded in the middle of nowhere if I couldn't keep up with the group, and I also didn't want them to feel like they had to slow down for me, since they were keeping up a pretty good pace.
So I turned around and headed back to the streets of Halifax for another 16k or so. And that's when the going started getting tough. For the next 11k, I had a really difficult run, physically (I was running at around 7:20 for a while there) and mentally. I started asking myself whether I could do a full marathon again if I was finding this so tough and I wasn't even at the 20k mark yet. Did even I want to do it? The feeling on the run on Sunday reminded me of the angst of my first marathon -- not a fun feeling at all. So why was I doing this if I found it so agonizing? Was I perhaps just more suited to shorter runs? Etc, etc, etc.
Signs of spring are everywhere in the city now, and did help to keep me going through the physical and mental strain. So I pushed on, at a very slow pace, knowing that if I didn't get this 29k in today, I would regret it. I made it back to the Running Room at around 24k (by then my Garmin had died. I must remember to charge it on Saturday nights!). The fast runners of our group had already made it back and were stretching. Boy, are they fast!
I went to the loo, again (well we are out there for more than a few hours), then headed back out for my last 5k. Since my Garmin wasn't working, I approximated my route. As I was heading up Bell Road, the rest of the group I'd peeled away from was heading in. Given that I had taken a couple of bathroom breaks (and one break to text Wendy to let her know I was fine), I estimated that they were probably around 2 or 3k ahead of me, pace-wise.
I ended up doing around 6k, so all told I did 30k. And truth be told, although mentally I was a little messy, physically I wasn't too bad. After stretching for a few minutes, I went to Pete's Frootique for a Blue Moon (blueberry smoothie -- lots of antioxidants and so a good recovery drink, says Bruce). Standing at the counter, I dialed our home number.
"I think I want to quit running," I said to my husband. But he wouldn't hear any more of my negative talk, saying it wasn't good for me. Basically holding up a big red stop sign in front of the negativity train I had been riding for the last three and a half to four hours.
Paying for my smoothie, I headed back to the car and drove home. As soon as I got in, Steve was there, and told me to hurry up, because he was going to take me out for lunch to celebrate my run. God I love my husband for that -- he knows me so well, and he knew right away that if he didn't take me out, I'd just go upstairs, have a bath, and wallow in pity and self-doubt.
Instead, we went to Duffy's for lunch and I had a pretty good steak sandwich and fries. Then over to the Hart & Thistle for a few pints and some laughs with Greg. At around 6pm though I was dying. My legs were stiff but not sore. Mostly I was just dead tired. We drove home, stopping at Cold Stone Creamery for some ice cream (I'd just burned about 1,700 calories so I figured I could indulge in some comfort food. And boy is their ice cream yummy! So creamy!). At home, I changed into my jammies and then tucked in for a night of live-tweeting the Junos for work.
A perfect end to a difficult run.
Now what's the mystery behind all that, you wonder? We all have bad days, right? I know.
Here's the thing: yesterday, you would have thought that I'd be in some form of pain or discomfort, or that my legs would be feeling stiff. But you know what? I felt pretty good. So I decided to get some strength training in after work. My plan was to do Body Attack before Body Pump, to get a couple of hours of cross-training in.
Bear in mind, I've never taken Body Attack before. I didn't even know what it was, but the "attack" part of it made me think it involved some kind of punching or something.
Hehe...
Body Attack burns more calories than any other LesMills class, the instructor told us. Then she put on her mike, turned on the music, and we started stepping...and hopping...and jogging...And we jogged in circles. We jogged front and back. We did jumping jacks...And we didn't stop for a full hour...
But you know what? I didn't feel bad at all. I kept up with the whole class, and chose the level three or four high intensity option wherever I could. And despite being sweaty, I wasn't winded. Or at least nothing that I couldn't handle on a tempo run.
Coming out of that class was a realization that I am in pretty darned good shape, if I do say so myself. My confidence level was boosted again. I opted not to do the Body Pump, because technically Monday was supposed to be a rest day and I'd just finished Les Mills's hardest class (according to the instructor) when all I'd wanted was some strength training.
So you know what? Running remains a mystery to me. Some days, you have good days, others, bad. And other days when you think you'd have no energy, all of a sudden you feel like a superstar. The important thing is to find the positive in the pain, like spotting some crocuses blooming beside the sidewalk, or thinking of all the friends and family who have believed in you when you doubted yourself.
I owe so much of my perseverance to my husband and running friends who have pushed me on when the going got tough. Thank you. I won't be quitting running anytime soon, and my goal to run the GoodLife full in Toronto in May still stands.
Here's to a new day!
~ HRG
On Saturday night, I ate pizza to store up on carbs, knowing that I would be running a looong run in the morning. I tried to get to bed early, and catch some zs -- always a hard feat for me the night before a long run, since my mind just seems to race ahead of me in anticipation. So I caught about 5 hours of shut-eye, which for me is not bad.
In the morning, I took my time getting ready, ate a bowl of oatmeal and a half cup of tea. To be honest, for some reason I was dreading the run even though I'd done 27k the weekend before, so I took my time even more. I gave myself just enough time to get to the Running Room and head for one more loo break, then we were on our way.
The first part of the run went pretty well, though I must admit I was having trouble catching my breath and falling into the groove as Andrea and I chatted about the previous day's Ashtanga yoga class. Part of me wondered if I'd overdone it, because in addition to that hour and a half class that had me sweating buckets, I'd also thrown in a 10k before it -- my week had gotten a little messed up when I missed a run on Tuesday. Regardless -- I was about to find out if I had indeed overdone it, the day before a 29k run.
At around 7k, we made it to the Rails to Trails, which is remarkably close to my house and yet I never knew it was there! One more option for running routes close to our house! We started our way along the trail, and I noticed I was dropping back, and back, and back. I was worried about my IT and hamstring too, because I've been having trouble with them lately (an injury that actually stopped me from running for two months last year).
Part of the trail passes by streets and houses, but then there's a big chunk of it that's literally in the middle of nowhere for about 5k. It's pretty, but I didn't want to end up stranded in the middle of nowhere if I couldn't keep up with the group, and I also didn't want them to feel like they had to slow down for me, since they were keeping up a pretty good pace.
So I turned around and headed back to the streets of Halifax for another 16k or so. And that's when the going started getting tough. For the next 11k, I had a really difficult run, physically (I was running at around 7:20 for a while there) and mentally. I started asking myself whether I could do a full marathon again if I was finding this so tough and I wasn't even at the 20k mark yet. Did even I want to do it? The feeling on the run on Sunday reminded me of the angst of my first marathon -- not a fun feeling at all. So why was I doing this if I found it so agonizing? Was I perhaps just more suited to shorter runs? Etc, etc, etc.
Signs of spring are everywhere in the city now, and did help to keep me going through the physical and mental strain. So I pushed on, at a very slow pace, knowing that if I didn't get this 29k in today, I would regret it. I made it back to the Running Room at around 24k (by then my Garmin had died. I must remember to charge it on Saturday nights!). The fast runners of our group had already made it back and were stretching. Boy, are they fast!
I went to the loo, again (well we are out there for more than a few hours), then headed back out for my last 5k. Since my Garmin wasn't working, I approximated my route. As I was heading up Bell Road, the rest of the group I'd peeled away from was heading in. Given that I had taken a couple of bathroom breaks (and one break to text Wendy to let her know I was fine), I estimated that they were probably around 2 or 3k ahead of me, pace-wise.
I ended up doing around 6k, so all told I did 30k. And truth be told, although mentally I was a little messy, physically I wasn't too bad. After stretching for a few minutes, I went to Pete's Frootique for a Blue Moon (blueberry smoothie -- lots of antioxidants and so a good recovery drink, says Bruce). Standing at the counter, I dialed our home number.
"I think I want to quit running," I said to my husband. But he wouldn't hear any more of my negative talk, saying it wasn't good for me. Basically holding up a big red stop sign in front of the negativity train I had been riding for the last three and a half to four hours.
Paying for my smoothie, I headed back to the car and drove home. As soon as I got in, Steve was there, and told me to hurry up, because he was going to take me out for lunch to celebrate my run. God I love my husband for that -- he knows me so well, and he knew right away that if he didn't take me out, I'd just go upstairs, have a bath, and wallow in pity and self-doubt.
Instead, we went to Duffy's for lunch and I had a pretty good steak sandwich and fries. Then over to the Hart & Thistle for a few pints and some laughs with Greg. At around 6pm though I was dying. My legs were stiff but not sore. Mostly I was just dead tired. We drove home, stopping at Cold Stone Creamery for some ice cream (I'd just burned about 1,700 calories so I figured I could indulge in some comfort food. And boy is their ice cream yummy! So creamy!). At home, I changed into my jammies and then tucked in for a night of live-tweeting the Junos for work.
A perfect end to a difficult run.
Now what's the mystery behind all that, you wonder? We all have bad days, right? I know.
Here's the thing: yesterday, you would have thought that I'd be in some form of pain or discomfort, or that my legs would be feeling stiff. But you know what? I felt pretty good. So I decided to get some strength training in after work. My plan was to do Body Attack before Body Pump, to get a couple of hours of cross-training in.
Bear in mind, I've never taken Body Attack before. I didn't even know what it was, but the "attack" part of it made me think it involved some kind of punching or something.
Hehe...
Body Attack burns more calories than any other LesMills class, the instructor told us. Then she put on her mike, turned on the music, and we started stepping...and hopping...and jogging...And we jogged in circles. We jogged front and back. We did jumping jacks...And we didn't stop for a full hour...
But you know what? I didn't feel bad at all. I kept up with the whole class, and chose the level three or four high intensity option wherever I could. And despite being sweaty, I wasn't winded. Or at least nothing that I couldn't handle on a tempo run.
Coming out of that class was a realization that I am in pretty darned good shape, if I do say so myself. My confidence level was boosted again. I opted not to do the Body Pump, because technically Monday was supposed to be a rest day and I'd just finished Les Mills's hardest class (according to the instructor) when all I'd wanted was some strength training.
So you know what? Running remains a mystery to me. Some days, you have good days, others, bad. And other days when you think you'd have no energy, all of a sudden you feel like a superstar. The important thing is to find the positive in the pain, like spotting some crocuses blooming beside the sidewalk, or thinking of all the friends and family who have believed in you when you doubted yourself.
I owe so much of my perseverance to my husband and running friends who have pushed me on when the going got tough. Thank you. I won't be quitting running anytime soon, and my goal to run the GoodLife full in Toronto in May still stands.
Here's to a new day!
~ HRG
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)