WTFery

This is a pile of all the clothes I had on to walk Leo this morning.

SO MANY LAYERS.

Also, please note, Leo's little coat! Adorbs!

About 90% of the time I am complaining about the temperature outside. I am NEVER happy. It's always too hot, too cold, too humid, too windy, etc. I am a JOY to be around. But now that I have a dog and I am forced to get out in the weather regardless what the temperature is... I've learned that being dressed appropriately makes me much less cranky. doh.

This morning it was like 9 degrees with a blasting wind. So, I wore the following:

tshirt

long sleeve tshirt

fleece zip up

sweatshirt

fleece jacket

rain jacket/windbreaker

scarf

hat

yoga leggings

jeans

sweatpants

two pairs of socks

tennis shoes

two pairs of gloves

I COULD BARELY MOVE and good lord it takes so long to put all those layers on and take them off. But, I am happy to say that the only things really cold were my face (the part that wasn't covered with the scarf) and my fingers. I'll take that as a win. We will see how I feel about running in 9 degree weather (or colder) tonight. 

In other news... Saturday I ran a long run with my friend Liz. I just knew we had ran 10 miles together, it was so windy and it felt so fast and hard! But when I got home and mapped it... it was only 9. So, all total, I only ran 11 miles (I ran 2 miles to meet her). Boo. 

Also sad? I ran into a fire hydrant on Saturday while running:

The picture doesn't do it justice.

It's swollen, bruised, and painful.

I'm also about 75% sure that I'm going to run The Flying Pig in Cincinnati in May for my goal spring marathon.I would REALLY like to cross off another state with my goal race, but that's my target weekend and unless I want to fly to Wisconsin, Nebraska, or Long Island*... Cincinnati is most likely to win out for it's convenience.

That weekend means that I pretty much have to start kicking up my training this week. Oh fun.What spring races is everyone else running? Are the rest of you venturing out in the cold weather to run or are you running on the treadmill?

*There are other races that weekend as well... but some are some states that I want to run a particular race in (like for Rhode Island, I want to run Newport not Providence).

Memorial Day Weekend

First things first.... this is a running blog, so I will report on running. Sunday I ran the 11.2 for my long run. It started off feeling really easy and good and ended feeling a little tough, but we managed to keep a fairly honest pace and I was happy with our end time of 1:45. Boom.

Overall, I'm more interested in running now. I've been tweaking my fall racing schedule and thinking about what I really want to do and what I really should do. It's hard. There are so many races I want to run and so many places I want to go to race them. But, I also want to really improve and unfortunately I can't have it all. As of right now, I think I'm going to run a marathon in September instead of race it and then plan on racing in December. Yes, it sounds dumb when it's in writing (and when I say it... ugh). Running marathons all the time is not really conducive to running a spectacular goal marathon. But, when you have as many fucked up marathons as I do... it's kind of hard to give up blocks of time to focus on ONE race. (because, inevitably that race goes down the shitter anyway, literally). But, methinks that's exactly what I'm going to have to do in 2014. I am officially putting a website block on Marathonguide.com.

What does this mean for my training? I have no idea at this point. Stay tuned.

ON TO MORE FUN THINGS... I had a great memorial day weekend and actually decided to take some pics!

First up, there was the event with my dad's other woman on Saturday:

Sara Ruth and the family.

Sara Ruth only competes a couple times a year

and I was happy to go and support her on Saturday.

(Sara Ruth: 1956 4 door chevy hardtop).

After that it was time to head down to The KoB's river house where we christened the official 2013 beer of the river:

5.9% alcohol? Don't mind if I do.

Leo also took his first boat ride...

River Dog.

And a couple of fish were caught. (Not by me, all I caught were trees and the bottom of the river).

To be fair, the other fish was bigger,

but I didn't get a picture of it. 

 

There was an epic game of yahtzee.

 4 Total Yahtzees in one game! Whoa.

Plus, I finally won something. Boom!

And overall, it was a fantastic weekend. A word of warning though... Be careful with that Ice beer...

You might just find yourself wandering around

aimlessly in a field of honeysuckle.

Day 3- Taper Update

So far, so good. Granted, it's only day 3 and this week doesn't really feel like TOO much of a taper, since I'm still allowed to run 45ish miles.

I've been doing a lot of reflection on this training cycle though and there are a few things that I'm going to take away from it (besides a wicked PR next week):

1. POTENTIAL. Ummm. This probably sounds kinda douche-y, but, I feel like I still have so much more that I can do. This training cycle was great because it pushed me to the limits, but I don't feel like I ever really got all that close to breaking. Which means I trained smart and also means that I have the potential to train to be much, much faster. Next time. And the time after that. And... well... you know.

2. SUPPORT. I have the best support system. My friends and family have always been great (obvi), but Coach Tanya and Cheryl have become a couple of my best friends and I am so psyched that the 3 of us are going to be taking Birmingham by storm next weekend. And of course, The KoB has been amazing. He's done a bunch of my workouts with me, has listened to me talk incessantly about this OMG race, has pushed me to do the extra mile instead of bailing early (cough, last night, cough cough) and has always had faith in me. Fun fact: Our first date was about a week and a half before the Tom King Half Marathon last year (which, if you remember correctly, I KILLED and, so did the KoB) and we sat across from each other at a table making small talk (ABOUT RUNNING, of course) and all I could think about was how much faster he was than me and how much more of a badass he was than me and how he probably thought I was just some lameass hobbyjogger. But, I'll never forget we were talking about the upcoming half marathon and I made some comment about how "we'd just have to wait and see" if I was going to be able to PR or not. And he looked at me and said, "oh you will." with such conviction and without even a hint of a smile. It wasn't that he was just saying it, because that's what you do when someone talks about their goal... He was saying it because he knew it*. He barely knew me or about any of my training, but he had total faith in me. And, strangely enough, that gave me a huge confidence boost. It was like... yeah... maybe I hadn't done much with my running in my past. But that didn't mean I couldn't now or in the future.

3. TEMPO RUNS. I feel like tempo runs give me the biggest boost mentally. This latter part of training, I haven't done as many tempo runs and that's really the only thing that makes me nervous. I've been doing more interval work and I think physically, that might be more beneficial for me. But, as dumb as it sounds... I really get no mental boost from an interval workout. Still being a newbie to this "real training" thing, interval work is just too abstract for me to wrap my head around. I'll finish a track workout and will have hit all my splits, but... that doesn't mean anything to me. It just means I did what I was supposed to. When I do a tempo run... it's like.. DAMN. I just ran X miles at my marathon pace/faster than my marathon pace, etc. Tempo runs feel more satisfying to me. Maybe this is because I'm an adult-onset runner and have no background or experience on a track.

4. NIGHT RUNNING. So, I'm no longer attached to the morning running. Sure, I still like to get up early and get a run over with. But, I have to say it's so NICE to have the option to run in the afternoon.

5. CONFIDENCE. Nothing like a 22 week training plan to give you confidence. Sure, I'll be nervous for the race. But, I don't have any regrets or any nagging doubts about my training. I never missed a workout and I think I always hit my paces/splits. My fitness is in a great place, but most importantly, my marathon pace doesn't scare the shit out of me when I think about it. 

More to come... I'm sure these next 11 days are going to be filled with nervous chatter from me on the blog. 

*Or ya know... he was saying it for other reasons. Dudes.

Photo Friday

Taken this morning when I finished my run.

 

Um. Yeah.

The Sweet Spot

Warning: This post could cause extreme nausea and/or eye rolling.

Something happened last week. At some point last week something clicked inside me and I realized... Whoa. Running is fun! After almost 3 months of standing at my front door every morning trying to make the decision of whether I'd rather slit my wrists or go for a run, I found myself happily heading out AND I actually felt good during most of my runs. People! This is huge!

And so I spent all last week basking in the gloriousness of running. W.T.F?

I felt so good that after I got my weekly schedule from my Coach, I emailed her back (because I can't even tie my goddamn shoelaces without asking her if it's okay. Co-dependent much?) to see if it was okay if I can run MORE miles that week.

Bwhahahaha. Adorbs.

I've decided to spend these next two months before my marathon training gets into high gear to base build. Which coincides nicely with this new found love of running that I have also means I'll probably be burnt the fuck out before marathon training. yay!

But of course, I can't just be happy and leave things alone. Nooooooo sir. I have to start analyzing every minute detail of my running to figure out WHY I'm feeling so great and probably ruin everything in the process.

The only thing that I can come up with is an idea that I'm in the sweet spot right now. And this sweet spot is comprised of the following things:

1. I'm only doing speed work once a week, so, I'm not super fatigued. And in general I don't give a rat's ass about my pace.

2. I'm finally adjusted to the humidity. I don't even really notice the humidity until I notice that I can wring my shirt out during a run. Ew.

3. I'm eating enough.

4. I'm getting enough Iron. I know that's like the hot topic these days on blogs, but I've been consciously trying to include more iron in my diet since June or so (blackstrap molasses, spinach, and when I remember, I take a supplement). I did this because I had all the symptoms of low iron (extreme fatigue and pagophagia) plus I'm a girl AND a runner. Jackpot Anemia! And while I am feeling better, I'm still craving and eating ice like CRAZY. I'm afraid I'm like one step away from that god awful show on TV where people eat chalk or rocks or some shit. I do have a doctors appointment in a couple of weeks, so I'll get a blood test then.

5. I'm drinking a shit ton of water (mostly in the form of ice, thanks pagophagia! ugh).

6. I'm getting enough Protein.
7. Carryover excitement from the Olympics?

Anyway... it's probably a mix of a lot of these things. But in any case, I'm sorry in advance if this awesomeness persists, because if it does... it probably means some shitty/boring/rainbows and unicorns blog posts in the future. And let's be honest... who wants to read about that shit?

Yayyyyyy Running!!!

(Go ahead and gag. I know I'd want to).

Quality over Quantity?

I mentioned that I made a "Race Schedule" for the rest of 2012 (and some of 2013) recently. I used a sharpie, wrote neatly, and hung it on my fridge. Motivation for the upcoming weeks/months!

The next day, I fired off an email to my coach with the entire schedule typed out. There were a couple of races that I KNEW she wasn't going to like. But everything else, I felt pretty good about. It was ambitious, but doable.

And then I got her response which was essentially along these lines:

Bitch, please! Are you shitting me?

Instead of getting defensive and stubborn I listened to what she had to say and then looked at my schedule again. And you know what? This is EXACTLY the type of thing that I would have done a year ago. I would have gone through Marathon Guide and the Strider's Website and found all these races that I wanted to run and crammed them into a short period of time. And from there, I would have continued my streak into running mediocrity (at best). Quantity over quality. It's the American way, right?

Can I do all the races? Of course I can. Can I do them well and have the finishes that I want? Most assuredly not. I'm in a phase now where I want to improve. I want to be a faster, stronger runner. And that definitely comes with some hard decisions. I have to be smarter about picking my races, I can't just do a race because my friends are doing it or because I've done it for 3 years in a row or because it sounds like fun. If I'm serious about becoming a better runner, I have to choose quality over quantity. This is a pretty big deal for me. Shying away from races just because I'm training for other races isn't something I'm accustomed to (e.g. Stumpjump 50k and Chicago Marathon in back to back weekends. Remember how spectacularly awful that turned out?). But, it's something I'm going to have to get accustomed to, if I want to reach certain goals.

So, I've got some editing to do to my schedule. And I think I'm okay with that... 

A Tale of Two Runs

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. -Charles Dickens-- Opening of a Tale of Two Cities

(and I thought I was bad about run-on sentences...)

So, it's not quite that dramatic...

It never ceases to amaze me the unpredictability of a run's success. Saturday morning, I laced up my shoes, dressed in a short sleeve tech tee (short sleeves! yes!) and shorts and met Steve at Shelby Bottoms at 7am. I had told him I was looking to run for an hour.

I really felt like this was going to be a great run for me. It was going to be in the daylight (which I was really excited about) and I had so much going on the rest of the day (prepping for my St. Patrick's Day party that was Saturday night) that I figured I'd just fly through the miles bursting with stress turned into adrenaline.

Something I don't think I've brought up on the blog...is that my morning pre-run routine has drastically changed (I'll post on that later, now that I realize I haven't spoken of this), but it's been awesome. I'm able to sleep in more before my runs and I RARELY have any issues on my runs with my stomach! But, something was brewing this morning... something... not so good. On the short drive over, I began to realize that it was a good thing that I was few minutes early, because I was going to have to hit up a porta potty... and FAST.

I got to the park and pulled off at the first porta potty closest to the entrance. It was even clean and had toilet paper! Bonus! I took care of business and felt like I was fine.

We started the run and initially... I was still bursting with energy and optimism. About a half mile in... that optimism and energy turned into a general feeling of awfulness. My stomach ached dull-ly. It had that completely empty and borderline queasy feel to it and my legs just felt like bricks. I complained during the run, I tried to slow down, but none of it was helping. It was just one of those shit days.

When we got done (I bailed at the 2.5 marker... so we only got 5 miles, instead of 6) I actually felt worse. My stomach just felt weird. Not a... I gotta go to the bathroom weird. And not a... I feel like I'm going to puke weird. But just weird.

And then this morning, I got up after only getting 5 hours of sleep last night. I tossed and turned for about 2 hours in bed before falling asleep. That NEVER happens to me anymore. I expected this morning's run to hurt. I expected to be tired, to feel fat from all the guinness and car bombs that were drank on Saturday night, and to just be generally lethargic. But, the run was amazing! It was effortless. I felt like we pushed the pace a little at the end, and while I could tell we were running faster... it didn't feel hard. It just felt good. And natural.

Having these two runs in a row is really the essence of running for me. Lately I feel like 85% of my runs feel shitty. Especially, it seems, when I think it's going to be a good day. And I can usually handle the shitty runs and accept them... but just when I get a particularly shitty one... That 15% kicks in and I have one of those glorious this is why I run, runs.

I know better than to assume anything by this great morning run or expect more of them anytime soon. So, I'm just going to enjoy it and continue putting up with those pesky 85% runs... the 15% will be there when I need it.

State of the Union.

I wouldn't exactly call it a funk... It's more of the winter-time fed up with the freaking icy sidewalks, the bonechilling wind, and the fact that 90% of my mileage is logged in complete and utter darkness that is stealing my mojo.

It happens every year at this time. And I'm trying hard to remember that and to cut myself some slack right now. But, let's be honest folks... the sub 4:00 Marathon in less than two months? Um... Yeah, that ship has sailed for a warmer climate, no doubt. And it kinda feels like it packed up my motivation and took it on the trip as well.

This morning, after my morning run, after I had realized that the 3:59 marathon was a pipe dream this time around, I started to think about what my deal was. I spent so much time getting a training plan together, I was excited about incorporating new workouts to my daily runs. What happened? It's not solely the weather or the darkness.

And then I realized it... my heart isn't in it.

It is time to admit something to myself. Something that is hard for me to admit, because it's embarrassing and it makes me feel weak and like less of an athlete... But, I'm 31 for chrissakes... it's time to own up to who I am and stop trying to fit into a mold that I think I'm supposed to fit into.

The truth is... I honestly don't give a shit if I ever run a 3:59 marathon.

There, I said it.

I love to run. I really, really do. I love the freedom. I love being able to lace up my shoes and step out the door and feel the wind on my face and breathe fresh air deep into my lungs. I love the way it has made me appreciate my body and take care of my body like I never have before. I love running long distances and I've always loved training for a race. The motivation to log the miles has never been an issue. Running is what I do. It's a part of who I am. And it always will be.

The issue is the fact that running is also a sport. It's a competition. And with that comes expectations.

I'm not a competitive person. I grew up playing golf and tennis and I enjoyed them a LOT. I loved being outside, I loved interacting with kids that didn't go to my school. It was great... until I turned 12 or so. I can remember being in the car on the way to a golf match and praying for a round of violent thunderstorms to sweep through. This would happen every week. Seriously. I had such anxiety over matches. It's the reason I quit playing tennis... At some point... you're expected to move on from lessons and camps and workshops to competitions. And I did that in tennis. For one match. And then I quit. I never really understood the concept. I mean... I don't give a shit if I can beat you or not. Honestly, sometimes I feel kinda bad when I beat people (mainly because, heh, I am NOT good). What does your game have to do with mine?? I'm out there doing the best I can and it's supposed to be fun, right? I stuck it out with golf. Thinking that it was good for me to be pushed out of my comfort zone. Plus, some of the guys on the golf team were WAY hot. (And now... that there's no competition involved, I absolutely LOVE golf! of course!).

And it sucks. It really, really sucks to not be competitive. Because everything is about winning. And if you don't care about winning, then you must not be passionate about it. Right? That's what everyone tells us to believe. If you aren't trying to win, trying to do your absolute best, then something is wrong with you. I mean, that's just Unamerican!

And now... five years after becoming a runner, I realize, I've fallen into the same damn trap again. Running can't be just about getting out there and feeling alive, doing something good for your body, and enjoying something that you love... Noooooooooo. It has to be about running farther and faster and making it to Boston and placing in your age group.

So, every time I sign up for a marathon... I feel like, okay... I have to have a goal. I have to PR, I have to do this or that. But, to be honest, it's not because I WANT to do that. I'll be just as happy running a 5:30 marathon as I would be a 3:59. And I honestly mean that. I just feel all this outside pressure from society that I'm supposed to be constantly seeking some kind of time improvement with each race.

W.T.F? When have I ever cared what the hell society expects of me? So, why now??? Why with running??  Where was that kool-aid and when the hell did I take such a big ass gulp of it??? How did I get so wrapped up in all this bullshit? It causes me to not enjoy certain races, it causes me to be uptight and put too much pressure on myself, and it causes me to procrastinate in my training (um. like every training cycle)... to give myself an excuse when I don't reach the goal.

And of course... now I realize why I love the idea of ultra marathons... No one gives a shit how fast you ran 32 miles.

It all makes sense.

So, from now on... I'm going to try to be true to myself and stop worrying about how fast I run. Because, for me, that's not what keeps me hitting the pavement day after day. I wish it was. I wish I was one of those people that has a natural drive to excel at everything that I do. But, thats not me. I'm just a runner who is passionate about getting out there, clearing my head, getting to know people and my environment, soaking up the sun, and getting my heart pumping. I love running races because I love the energy of a group of people who are all passionate about the same thing. Not because I want to PR.

There. I've admitted it to myself and now to all of you and I actually feel good about it. Sure, it's still a bit embarrassing that I don't have the competitive spirit that athletes have... but, at the very least I'm no longer trying to make myself into someone that I'm not.

My name is Amy and I'm still a runner. Even if I don't ever PR in another race, or even if I do... I am not going to judge myself against a clock again, for good or bad.

Running... as punishment.

I love running, right? Except when I don't. Take for example this morning. My alarm went off at 4:45 this morning. Which, is nothing unusual for a Thursday morning. What is unusual, though, is that I had just gone to bed at 12:30.

I immediately grabbed my cell phone in the hopes that in the middle of the night Carolyn had texted me and had cancelled our run. In which case I would have had no problems rolling over and going back to sleep. But no messages. Dammit. The next thing I did was attempt to swallow. And discovered that for the 3rd morning in a row... my throat hurt. Double dammit. Then I realized just how freaking tired I was and I recalled the events of the night prior.

There was the smokey bar. There was the alcohol. There was the fun. And there was the late night. Ugh.
First instinct? Use my sore throat as an excuse (as I did the morning earlier, legitimately) to bail on the run.

But then I realized that I needed to use this run as a punishment for going out on weeknight. That's right. Just like my mom wouldn't let me skip school the next day after I'd stay out late as a high schooler... I wasn't going to let myself skip my run. Obviously, that didn't mean that I wasn't checking my cell phone every 20 seconds to make sure that Carolyn hadn't woken up and decided to cancel. No dice.
When Carolyn and I met up, we both were bitching. We were both tired. Neither of us wanted to run. But, run we did... And at first it didn't feel good. But as the run went on... I started to feel better... we both did. By the end we added on some extra mileage. And I was surprised at how good I felt.

It started out as punishment... but it actually ended as a reward. I wish that happened with all punishments...

Why I run.

When people ask me why I run I generally give the same answer all the time. It's always something along the lines of "it's the healthiest way to simultaneously calm and satiate my inner control freak." On the one hand, it's something I'm in complete control of. When I go, how far I go, where I go... it's complete freedom to obsess about something that doesn't affect anyone else. On the other hand? Running is something I have absolutely no control over. I can't completely control how I feel when I run or how fast I run. I can merely try my best to prepare myself for the situation, but how it turns out is completely out of my control. In the end, every run is a crap shoot.

But, if I'm being honest... aside from all that psychological mumbo jumbo, there's really only one reason that I truly hit the pavement as many days as I do. And that reason is very simple... it's so I can indulge. In bad food and more importantly, booze. How many times have I exclaimed... "I'm carbo-loading, bitches" while I raise a beer bottle in the air? Yeah, too, too many.

Sure, running doesn't erase all the calories from alcohol or from my favorite meal of nachos. But... it does make me feel a little less guilty about stuffing my face when I've had a good run earlier in the day. And a lot of times, I crawl out of bed early in the morning only because I remember the enormous whole pizza (or the enormous whole bottle of wine or Woody*) I inhaled the previous night. Gotta do some damage control, right?

This is the sole reason that I found myself running in the rain on Sunday morning along one of the hilliest freaking routes around... Yes, folks. I got up at 7am and headed to Loveless Cafe to meet up with a group of crazy ass runners to run 10 miles on the Natchez Trace. You see, this is called the biscuit run. You run 10 miles of rolling, climbing, heart-pumping, awful, awful hills and then you go into the Loveless Cafe and gorge yourself on the most wonderful breakfast food that there is... Biscuits.

I got to the meeting place a little early and after a little socializing, we all took off to get the run over with. And literally about 2 minutes into the run, the sky opened up and it started raining on us. The rain continued for the entire rest of the run. Despite the weather, initially, I was feeling really good... I was even like... "why is it that we only do this once a year? we should have a fall biscuit run!" and then by the time I had hit 7 miles or so, I was thinking to myself, "oh my freaking god, if I stop right now and sit on the side of the road in the rain, will one of the fast people drive back to get me?" I mean seriously. After running 20 miles the day before... those hellacious, hilly 10 miles sucked.

But in the back of my mind the entire time... were those biscuits. They became like some sort of runners porn. I imagined one steaming hot with honey dripping all over it. Another one slathered in salty butter. I came up with every salacious biscuit scenario I could and finally... finally the run was over.

We all went inside to gobble up the biscuits and the other breakfast grub and as I ate my one biscuit (ugh. stupid diet) with honey drizzled all over it, I thought to myself... this makes the shitty, shitty run all worth it.

*Woody... Yes, it's finally the time in our relationship to start using an affectionate nickname for my beloved boyfriend, Woodford Reserve.

#1799

I'm a maniac... maniac on the road and I'm running like I've never ran before.
That's right. I'm taking creative liberties to change the lyrics of a cheesy ass song to suit my needs.

Well folks. It's official as of yesterday. I'm Marathon Maniac #1799. (It only took me two months to pony up the $58.95 for membership and the yellow singlet). I'm pretty psyched to be apart of such a crazy group of runners. What I like about the Maniacs, is that they're about quantity over quality. Sure, I've ran 7 marathons... but a couple of those have been in the 5+ hour. But do they care? Hell no. All they care is that you finish the races. Finally... a racing a community I fit into.

So, my qualification for Marathon Maniac status was running The Grizzly Marathon and the Madison Marathon in consecutive days. That enters me in at the 4 star level, which is the Iridium level.

To be honest, I didn't even realize that running back-to-back marathons would qualify me for Maniac status. But the morning I was leaving to fly to Montana, I ran a 5k and I mentioned to my friend Melanie that I was running back to back marathons the next weekend and she said... Oh! You'll be a Maniac. And at first... it completely flew over my head. Sure, I'd seen the singlets on people at marathons, etc. But, you see, to me, running back to back marathons didn't seem like such a crazy feat. I forgot all about her comment until later in the week. And when I looked it up, I was psyched that it qualified!

So, naturally... now, I wanna move my way up the Maniac ladder and I think I've picked the route I wanna take... here are the choices for the 5 star status:

Five Star: Ruthenium

1. 26 - 30 Marathons within 1 calendar year.

2. 4 Marathons on back to back weekends (within a 9 day window).

3. 3 Marathons in 3 separate US states, Countries, or Canadian Provinces (any combination) within a 9-day time span.

4. 13 Marathons in 13 different US states, Countries, or Canadian Provinces (any combination) in one calendar year.

Can you guess? I bet you can...

3 Marathons in 3 separate US States, Countries, or Canadian Provinces (any combination) within a 9-day time span.

Ruthenium, I've got my eye on you.

Back on track...

So, I realize it's been a little quiet lately from the Nashville side, lately. That's what happens when a friend comes into town for a week, you get drunk every day of said week, yet still have to drag your hungover ass to work every morning because there is a huge deadline looming (I may or may not have thrown up at work and spent a good two hours bit of time with my head on my desk one of those mornings). And then last week, I spent my time wrapping up for the deadline and catching up on other things at work, as well as detoxing (most importantly). I've been running though! It's just not really been anything noteworthy.

I'm still trying to get myself back into hardcore mode. It's not been as easy as I thought it would be... but, I am on my way. This week should be a week of high mileage. Aside from my regular morning runs... I'm doing a 2-a-day (today and possibly wednesday, too), running a 15k race on Saturday and then a 21 mile training run on Sunday (my favorite training run!). It should be a good week and I'm pumped. I've missed having running-centered weekends.

Aside from my running... I'm also back to counting calories. Vandy-Montana and I's Weight Loss Challenge #2 ends in a couple of weeks, and I've got some catching up to do. But I'm not worried. I know I'll be ready for the weigh-in.

Also, a quick shout out to my best friend, Steph, who ran her first 5k this weekend! Congrats! So, when's your first marathon? :)

Book Review: Born to Run

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Super Athletes, and The Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen. By Christopher McDougall

The whole review should just be: GO OUT AND BUY THIS BOOK, OR CHECK IT OUT AT THE LIBRARY, NOW. But, I feel like some of you might need some persuading, because honestly... the book title and image didn't really do it for me initially, either.

A couple of months ago, Vandy-Montana told me he was reading a book about running and that it was really good. I was intrigued... until I started to get e-mails and phone calls from him wherein he discussed such things as...

--Some kind of funky ass tribe down in Mexico
--Barefoot Running
--Vegetarianism/Veganism and how it can pertain to running.

Do what? Are you freaking kidding me? What a snooze and hippie-fest, I thought. When he told me that I had to read it myself and that he would let me borrow it when I got to Montana, I was less than thrilled.

He handed me the book and I went in with LOW expectations. I expected to be totally bored (a tribe in Mexico?? Not my thing to read about) and totally skeptical (barefoot running? come on). But, from the minute I started the book, I was hooked. It reads like a novel and is one of the most fascinating books I've ever read.

First of all, this might be a little incoherent as a book review, but it's only because the book is so good that it's hard to really condense it down into something easily understandable (and I'm just so damn excited about it, that I have a hard time getting my thoughts lined up). Now, this review should be taken with a wee bit of salt (or, if you're like me and apparently have high blood pressure now, take some Ms. Dash with the review), because at the time of reading it...

• I was embarking on my biggest running feat yet, the back to back marathons (in case I haven't bragged about that enough yet)
• I was also noticing that my feet (which are usually the only thing that give me any trouble these days) were feeling mighty awesome lately despite high mileage weeks and over 800 miles on my shoes
• I have been constantly running into really fast runners who were vegetarians, vegans, or raw foodies... so much so, that I had started cutting back a little on meat and incorporating a few raw meals into my diet a week, just to see if I could tell any difference in my running (easy to do in the summer with all the summer veggies available).
  

I don't really want to reveal a whole lot about the book, because I want you to read it and go into with a clean slate... but I'd like to talk a little bit about my favorite things about the book...

• I loved the sections about ultrarunning and the Leadville 100. I had no prior knowledge of that race or of it's participants like the amazing Ann Trason. I was fascinated reading through those sections of the book and it made me dream of ONE day, maybe doing something LIKE the Leadville 100.
  
• Speaking of ultras and trail running and amazing people... all the characters in the book (do you call real people like, Scott Jurek, a character when they're in a book?) are so interesting and so talented and so inspiring. Although, I must admit... I feel a little more akin to Jenn Shelton (an amazing ultrarunner) who seems to exist on this lifestyle of partying hard and running hard. She can drink all night and pop up the next day ready to tackle miles and miles of trails. I heart Jenn Shelton and I want to be just like her when I grow up. (Well, I won't be as fast as her, plus, I'm not really the fighting drunk type).
  
• "If it feels like work, you're working too hard." So. Freaking. True. One of the main themes in the book is that running should be enjoyed. If you're running just to burn off calories or just to PR in a race, then you're not really tapping into what running really can be. If you're running because it makes you happy, and you find yourself grinning from ear to ear randomly after running 15 miles (this happens to me around mile 15 of just about every marathon), if you're truly enjoying yourself, then that's when running is magical. I mean, you have to admit... we're all guilty of going out for a run on a rest day, because we feel fat. And think about it... are those runs EVER enjoyable? No. (My runs like that ALWAYS suck total ass).
• Shoes. I don't really want to get into a whole big thing here about shoes... but, as a runner wearing a pair of shoes that are getting ready to break the 1000 mile mark, I am a true believer in the idea that for most of us... shoes should be basic and neutral. I was guilty of spending $125 bucks on a new pair of shoes every 400 miles... super cushioned ones, too. But, through my last training period, I seriously had the least amount of aches and pains that I had ever had. Why wouldn't shoe companies want you to change shoes more often than you should? They definitely make more money that way. And the runners back in the 70s and 80s had very little shoe options, and way less injuries (sure, more people are running now...). There are arguments for both sides, but just read the book and make up your own mind. I'm not saying I'm going to go all barefoot all the time or anything. But, I am going to do some experimenting with barefoot running and I'm going to stick with my old pairs of shoes, and then when they're too hole-y, I'll move onto some cheap, neutral shoes.
  
• Animal vs. Man. Why humans really are born to run... and born to run long distances... Soooo fascinating. Really, I know it sounds totally boring. But, it's not.
• Diet. This book talks some about diet and running. From the Tarahumara tribe and their brewed alcoholic beverages and corn-based diets, to the vegetarians and vegans who eat a big salad for breakfast. But it's never done in a preachy way. It's more just weaved into the story (for the most part. Now, the author/narrator does touch a little on his own diet changes, but still... not in a preachy, holier-than-thou way).
  

This book really has helped to change my perspective on running. It's made me realize that the end of the run or race isn't the goal. Running isn't just about burning calories and winning races. The ends are not better than the means. Running itself is what makes me happy. Particularly when I'm not stressing myself out to run faster or harder.

Now I find myself boring people talking about vegetarianism and performance, barefoot running, and a crazy- awesome- fast running tribe in Mexico. And you will be too, after you read this book. (Btw, this book would make an excellent movie. Reads just like one).

Astronomical Run

Yesterday, when I read that there would be a meteor shower that night, I got so excited. It seems like I always miss cool things happening. So when I discovered ahead of time that the Perseid Meteor Shower would soon take place, I made plans to watch. Now I'm not really into astronomy or anything, but to my knowledge, I've never seen a meteor shower and every picture I've seen of one looks totally awesome.

When my alarm went off at 4:00am, I got up, made a pot of coffee and took a cup outside to watch the big show in the sky. Luckily, my husband Greg, is a very early riser and usually wakes up at 4:30 or so anyway, (insane, isn't he?) which meant I had some company. Sadly, it wasn't as exciting as I'd hoped due to the brightness of the almost full moon, Memphis smog and a cloudy sky. I was sure longing to be at my parents house out in the country, where the stars are so bright and numerous that when I go home for a visit and look up, I'm startled and reminded of just how amazing the night sky really is. However, the meteor shower viewing wasn't a total bust because I saw two meteors falling fast and quite a few slower moving ones. It was satisfying enough that I don't regret losing that extra hour of sleep.

And anyway Coach Hal told me that I had to get in a 5 miler today and so when I started my run at 5:15 it was still dark and I was able to watch the sky for just a bit longer. It made for a very memorable run. I felt good, the humidity was lower and I listened to a great music mix comprised from my brother Logan's collection of 35,000 songs on itunes!!!! I'm not even kidding. I hadn't even heard of half the artists and bands on his list, but fortunately he has good taste in music and is also a runner (and also training for the St. Jude Marathon in Memphis), which means he was able to recommend good running songs. My favorite so far is from a French music duo/band called Air. Good stuff. Here is what Logan said about Air: "Oooh here, you definitely need some Air. Air will give you a running high when you aren't even running." Hehehe.

Week in Review

The first week of training was good. I got in all mileage and survived my first long run, which was the longest run I've had in a very long while. I know that in a few weeks, 8 miles will seem like nothing, but I was really proud of myself. Doing long runs makes training seem real to me. It brought back those happy feelings of accomplishment. It made me feel more like my old self. And the best news of all? No pain, baby!!!! I'm loving that! The only downside to the first week of training is that I didn't do my cross training or my strength training. Today is an off day, but I think I'm going to do some light weight and ab work tonight while I watch TV (Monday is good TV night for my house-How I Met Your Mother, Rules of Engagement, Two and A Half Men, Big Bang Theory)

I'm following Hal Higdon's Novice 2 program, but I'm considering moving over to the Intermediate 1 program. It has another day of running and more pace runs. I think I can handle the extra mileage, but I'm so nervous about pushing it and getting injured again. Although I have done a marathon, its been over 2 years so its almost like I'm starting from scratch again. I might try the Intermediate program this week and see how I feel at the end of it.

Some good non-running related news...my brother, Spencer, popped the question to his girlfriend last week!!! And she said yes!! Congratulations Spencer and Kyoko!!!

What's goin on.

Previously in Amy's Running...

Thursday AM: Regular Thursday morning run with Matt. 'Twas good. During the run, I bitched and moaned to Matt about how my runs have been so slow lately and that while I try not to let it get me down, it does. I mean... how can running 2 minutes per mile slower than you used to not depress the hell out of you? Right? I had to bail on the run before I got my regular 12 miles, but before we parted I asked him... "so, what was our pace today?" He responded: "between 8 and 9 minute miles." And then I joyfully skipped all the way home. (Okay, not really... I was having some stomach issues so I kind of ran/waddled/fast walked/sprinted home). But, HOT-DAMN. Apparently, I still have some speed in me... somewhere.

Thursday PM: My regular Thursday afternoon run with Anonymous Commenter (AC). As usual, I ran to meet him and as usual it was hot as shit. I spent the first half of the run bragging about my earlier speedy run and the second half I spent looking like a total jackass who falsely brags. I had to stop numerous times and take walk breaks. It wasn't my legs or lungs. It was my whole damn body. I just felt like I was running with the flu or something. Walk breaks?? Ugh. My ego was shattered. UNTIL, the end of the run. After the run, I must have looked as bad as I felt, because AC offered up some water. I had some and was starting to feel completely normal. We stood around and talked for awhile, and then it hit me... I started getting that tunnel vision, where in your periphery you start seeing black and it starts to creep around and slowly your entire line of vision starts to go to black. Not good. I couldn't even walk or run home. But... the good thing... the almost-heat stroke totally redeemed me! I didn't have to take walk breaks because I'm a pansy!!! I had to take walk breaks because I was about to pass OUT. Sweet.

Saturday: I met up with Matt & Melanie for the 11.2 at Percy Warner Park. I got there a little later than I had intended and only managed to get 4 miles in before I met up with them. The run was great. It was nice to have two people to talk to, basically Matt and I asked Melanie a bunch of questions about her Europe trip, so that we could just listen as we chugged up the hill (standard hazing). The only issue I had was that I got one of the worst side stitches I've ever had. And it was on the long downhill! WTF? Who gets a side stitch on the downhill???? Actually, I think I got it, because I was yapping at that point. I was torturing everyone by talking about watermelon, iced coffee, and orange soda (those were things I was craving, why not make everyone else crave it, too? See what a thoughtful running partner I am?)

Sunday: I REALLY wanted to get in a good long distance run. But my legs were not having it. I think I averaged about 11:30 miles. I went home after a measly 7 miler and laid around on the couch all day eating cherries and watching Weeds.

Monday: Legs still jacked up. Arg! I realized... running the 11.2 must seriously do a number on my legs. Sluggish, fatigue... general hatred of running.

Tuesday: Legs feeling a little better. Almost got eaten by a dog. Basically, your regular Tuesday morning run.

Here's hoping that Wednesday will bring some fresh feeling legs.

A sort of PSA

A friend of mine made a big mistake recently. We hadn't talked in a couple of months and after asking me how things were going (things are good), how work was going (work is busy, but good) he then asked me the one question that he would soon wish he hadn't: how my running is going.

Twenty some odd minutes later when I finally took a breath, I realized... oh god. I've turned into that person. You know who I'm talking about... I'm like your 74 year old aunt that corners you at thanksgiving going on about her last colonoscopy. I'm like that friend from high school that you weren't really friends with, but when you see her out somewhere pregnant with like her 8th kid and you ask her how she is, she takes that as the green light to go into great detail and uses words that should never be used during small talk (you know, phrases that end with "sac" and "fluid"). Yeah. That's me. About running. I'm the girl that tells you way more than the "it's good" response that you're looking for.

I'm sure the thoughts that went through his head were identical to mine... who.the.f*ck.are.you? And what have you done with Amy?

Sure, I've been running a lot lately and have realized that the more I run, the happier I am, etc. But, daaaaaaaaamn. I didn't realize I'd not just drunk the kool-aid, but that I've bathed in it, as well. Who the hell am I? I hadn't really stopped to think about how incredibly unbelievable it is that I'm as obsessed with running as I am**. This whole thing has kind of snuck up on me. One minute, I'm training for the Country Music Half Marathon to get into better shape and then BAM, a few years later I'm training for my 6th marathon and running 60 miles a week. Daaaaaaaamn. Seriously. Who am I? If you'd asked me 10 years ago, who I'd be at 29, I probably would have told you that I'd be the girl with the 8th baby on the way.

Just goes to show you... you gotta be careful with this running thing... before you know it, it will become your life and you'll become that girl that people avoid like the plague at social gatherings.

**Never mind the fact that a psychologist would probably say that my obsession with running is a classic case of displacement or possibly some form of transference. Good thing I only got a C in psych 101 and don't understand any of that jazz.

How does one prepare for an ass kicking?

Tomorrow is going to suck ass.

First of all... there will be the morning run. Last week Matt and I met up for an early morning run. The plan was to meet at 6:30 am. Now, for whatever reason... probably because I wrongly consider myself to be like wayyyy more hardcore than EVERYONE else that I know... I just assumed that he'd want to run like 4-5 miles. So, I thought to myself... I'll just get out a little early and log a few extra miles before we meet up.

A good idea in theory... not a good idea in practice. For one... I found myself at like the furthest point possible with only 15 minutes to get myself to the meeting place... which was like a comfortable 22+ minute run. Oh SHIT is right, my friends. I high-tailed it to the meeting spot and was pretty much exhausted by the time he pulled up. And then I asked him... "so, how far you thinking about running today?" When he casually replied... "oh, about 7 miles" I seriously almost shit my pants. But, I played it cool.... yeah, 7 miles. No problem.

By the time I got home that morning I had logged over 12 miles and felt nauseous. But ya know, I did it... and I didn't die. So, now... tomorrow morning when we meet up, I have to log 12 again, right? Cause I did it last week.

Okay, so I guess that's not so bad, right?

Well, now let's consider tomorrow afternoon. Remember the two-a-days? Well, they were supposed to be on Tuesdays, but... through a weird combination of random and cosmic occurrences that involve a mutual friend, the blog and an anonymous commenter (which... by the way... not the same anonymous commenter as this anonymous commenter, right?) I now play golf on Tuesday afternoons with anonymous commenter and in exchange he runs my afternoon two-a-day run with me... but on Thursdays. Okay, confused yet? Don't worry, it doesn't matter anyway.

So, last Thursday was our first run together. And... between you and me (and him, I guess. Haha) I thought I was going to die. Everyone is faster than me. That's a known fact. But... usually I can keep up. And by that I mean... usually I just make the other person slow down to match my speed. I have no issues about being a slow bitch. Normally. But, you see... in this case... I don't really want to tip my hand and show what a pansy ass golfer I am, and then two days later, ask him to slow the freak down before I throw up all over the sidewalk. Especially considering that he already thinks we're running slow! I mean... that's just too demoralizing (even for me).

So, I tried to play it off like it was no big deal... just out for a casual jog (although it was probably more like a casual crawl to him) meanwhile I was praying for every red light at every intersection to turn red and stay red for 10 minutes at a time.

And this is what I have to look forward to tomorrow. Both of these hard ass runs on the same damn day! (Although, the rescheduling of the run with Matt was because of my own conflict, so I can't blame him for that. Even though I might try). My ass is going to be completely kicked. Good thing Friday is a rest day.

Sweet 16.

Woo hoo. It's the weekend. Well... almost.

My plans for the weekend? Besides my brother's birthday dinner tonight (which I will undoubtedly have to pass on gorging myself on ribs and cake and ice cream, because of this stupid little contest I'm involved in) all I've got planned for the weekend is a long run. My first official long run for the Grizzly Marathon. How long? 16 miles.

Now, 16 miles isn't that far. But, as I've lamented on this blog before... the 16 miler is my least favorite long run distance. It's not far enough to make you feel like a total bad-ass that can justifiably inhale a plate of chicken nachos when you're done, but it is far enough that one must consider location, energy supplements, and water (especially this time of year). Ugh.

So, initially, I was thinking... maybe I'll head out to a local park and log these miles. Maybe the flat, boring, dog-shit infested Greenway that is close by? Or, I could go to the park that is beautiful and offers up loads of challenging, hilly routes that are sure to burn both my calves and my lungs simultaneously? Sound like two really fun options, huh?

In the end, I think I'll just stick to my normal routine. I'll get up at the ass crack of dawn and log my miles around my house. It's convenient, it's easy, and I can stash my water/shot blox at my place, instead of wearing my skin rubbing hydration belt.

Let's just hope I make it. I'm notorious for bailing early on these 16 milers.

Happy Trails.

Ahhh... a long holiday weekend. Do people actually expect to get work done on the Friday before Memorial Day Weekend? I mean, honestly... today should be like a free day.

So, this weekend... I'm heading to Chattanooga tomorrow morning for a trail half marathon and I am VERY excited about it. It's my first real trail race and I am just excited to be running a race for fun instead of trying to school bitches in a Grand Prix race or PR. Yay! Expect a full report next week.

And Monday morning, instead of racing in the Grand Prix race... I'll be volunteering. Yup. That's right... I'm finally shedding the "lazy" and "freeloading" nicknames and am volunteering for a race instead of running it. (And you know I'm only doing this because I have to volunteer to be eligible for the Grand Prix prizes). I get to clip chips! Which is kind of ironic, because, I usually have comments about the chip clippers after races. I find that in about 30% of all the races I run, I usually wind up clipping my own chip off. Now, it is true, that I clasp that chip on like a mofo, because the last thing I want to do is feel like I'm going to puke for 24 straight minutes and then find out that my time will not be recorded because I lost my chip somewhere along the way. So, yeah, any chip that gets strapped onto my shoe is SECURE. So, now people can bitch and moan about me not being able to clip their chip off. Karma.

Any wagers on how many shoe strings I clip in the process?

Good luck to everyone racing this weekend! And especially good luck to Spike who's running the Bayshore Marathon.

Happy Memorial Day!