And the Verdict is....

Jackpot! 

So I bought the knee strap and tried it that day with an easy two mile run. The run went really well, and my confidence was up. I tried six miles again last weekend, and while it was a very slow six miles I did run the whole thing with no issues. Afterwards I stretched, used the foam roller, and then iced my knee. So far so good!

This week due to the weather and work schedule conflicts I only ran Wednesday evening, but it was a good three miles. The sun is beginning to stay up a little later, so it's becoming easier to run after work. Since I didn't have a chance to run seven last week I opted to stick with my training schedule and run eight today. The first seven miles were fantastic, albeit a little slow, but the final mile was brutal. The final half mile was especially hard! After the run I waited a long time before using the foam roller and icing, which probably contributed quite a bit to my knee bothering me. I did stretch, and my muscles were super tight. Maybe I should take up yoga at some point. I'll need something to force myself to stretch more. 

So that's it so far! In just a few short weeks the Publix half marathon will be upon us, and I am super excited.  It's a well organized race and the expo is super awesome. It'll be a great way to start the spring and summer seasons!

11 Miles and Counting!

Before I talk about today's long run, let's back up a bit.

After the awesome time I had at the race last week, I knew my runs immediately following would fall into one of two categories: awesome or horrible. Guess which one I experienced?

I completed my cross training on Tuesday, pushing my run to Wednesday. Not a big deal. Unfortunately I didn't manage my meals well that day. Who knew trying to run 5 miles on less than 500 calories might be a bad idea? I felt so bad I only walked (yes walked) about half of my scheduled 5 miles. Horrible. I felt so put off by it all I didn't bother running Thursday. That meant I wouldn't really run until my long run over the weekend.

Which was great! Sometimes not following a training plan to the letter is okay. Not that I've really been following one this go around anyway but still. The weather was cool this morning for the first time in ages, and I tried out Rex's hydration belt. I've come to realize something about my long runs: I like water. 16 ounces of water gets me pretty far, but I really max out around 8-9 miles before I really feel the pinch. When I ran the 15k I not only took my hand-held water bottle and polished it off but I also drank at nearly all the water stops. How do people who run marathons do this?

So the hydration belt is simultaneously liberating and annoying. It takes a bit to get used to the sloshing sounds it makes, and for some reason the whole belt kept moving. The bottles, pouch, and belt were nowhere near where they started out on my hips. It was really nice, however, to have my hands free. I felt like I could focus better on the arm swing when before I could be too easily distracted by the bottle. I might have to get one for myself to use in the future.

So now it's just under two weeks until the big day. I'm excited!!

10 miles!

This morning's run was 10 miles! I know that's not news, but it certainly is an accomplishment.

Just a few things:
-I remembered my compression sleeves so my calves feel great.
-I sweat buckets.....that always amazes me. How much can a woman sweat? Let me show you....
-I need a nap.
-The Gu with "2x caffeine" was good. No odd effects from any of it today. I must be used to it now.

The weather in Chicago today is about 20 degrees cooler than it is here in Atlanta, so I hope it stays that way when I head up there. I'm anticipating the weather to hit mid-80s here on race weekend, so I am assuming the highs will be in the 60s for Chicago. That works really well in my favor.

One final note: Body Glide is amazing. I've used it for years, but I thought I'd mention that. =D

Forced to take a break

So work was crazy last week. I had a huge conference to attend, which threw off my training schedule a bit. Last Thursday's run was cancelled, and I forgot to wear my compression leg sleeves on my long run last Saturday. Let's just say I paid for my forgetfulness.

Here's what happened. So I forgot my leg sleeves. No big deal, right? Yeah, my calves are dealing with the biggest adjustments out of all my muscle groups, and the leg sleeves help with the swelling. Why is that important? Shin splints. Because I have been properly fitted for the right shoes and they're fairly new, I know that's not the cause. My form has improved, which has helped significantly in many areas. What gets my calves is the increase in mileage. And since muscles swell a bit when they're used, that can sometimes cause some discomfort. I had a lot of discomfort during and after the long run. Sometimes even my left foot will go numb, but it does get better as I run. The leg sleeves decrease the amount of time I'm bothered by soreness, tightness, and numbness, and they also help recovery. I'm not saying everyone needs compression gear, especially since it can be kind of pricey, but I love it.

So anyway, because I was hurting I skipped the recovery run Sunday. Then it stormed Tuesday, and since I don't like to run back to back during the week I didn't run again until Thursday. My run yesterday went well, but I have noticed something about myself over the years. If I take a break, I often have to break down a lot of newly built mental blocks. Yesterday, I just didn't feel like running. I finally had to tell myself about half a mile in that I needed to get over my self pity and just run, damnit. Funny enough, once I picked up my pace (I was dragging) everything went fine. It's like I have to prove to myself again that I can run. Note to self: after the half marathon don't stop running! I've got to keep up some regular running or else I'll fall off the wagon again.

Long story short, take care of your legs and don't let the mental blocks get you. Tomorrow's long run: 10 miles!!

Good Form Part 2

Well yesterday was the second and final good form running clinic. We learned a lot of drills that will help with our form, range of motion, and strength. We also got new videos of us to see what kind of progress we've made. It was an amazing clinic and there's a possibility that Big Peach will be doing a more intense clinic in the future. If it fits my schedule, I will definitely sign up!

Since I was busy with the clinic yesterday, I saved my long run for today. I was still a little tired and sore from the drills so the run wasn't fantastic. It was an improved time from last year, which is good. Even with fatigue I ran better due to the improved form. I did encounter something that haunted me a lot before: post-run headaches.

Seeing as how I have several more weeks of training to look forward to, I did a little googling to see if there was something I could do about these headaches. So far the common culprits seem to be dehydration, low blood sugar, electrolyte imbalance, and tense muscles. One comment mentioned that maybe we're all wearing our hats too tight, but I can't see that being the case.

For today's run, I drank water before and during the run. I admit I should have been better about it after the run, but even after I started drinking a lot more water the headache persisted. I also ate salty food last night and after the run. The banana I had before the run contained the potassium I needed. It should have had some magnesium too. My neck and shoulders actually feel okay, so I don't think they're tight. My blood sugars seemed okay, but I have no means of measuring it exactly. Suffice it to say I didn't feel any other typical low blood sugar symptoms like shakiness and irritability.

So do I have a solution? Maybe. I've been toying around with the idea of magnesium supplements since I sweat a ton on these runs. I need to check the supplement levels in salt tablets and in the snacks I will eat on the longer runs before deciding. Taking vitamins and supplements are iffy because it's known that eating foods rich in whatever you're lacking is best. It turns out that means eating a lot of beans. As a runner, we often try to avoid eating too much fiber in case it ends in gastrointestinal distress during a run. Maybe the solution is to eat more of the right foods at first? Yogurt is supposed to be high in magnesium, and I've been eating more of that lately.

Overall it seems that these kinds of headaches are actually fairly common. It's just hard to me to deal with because of my already chronic headache issues. I'll do a little more research and report back.

On a more positive note, I invested in a large foam roller to help massage larger groups of muscles. It's going to take a little time to get used to it, but let's just say it hurts so good :) My recovery today has been great aside from the headache, so the good form is still working. We will see how everything goes after I incorporate more of those drills. They fit perfectly with cross training days, so I will end up working out a lot now. It will all pay off in the end!

Post-race updates

Well, I did better time-wise than I thought! Officially my time for the race ended up being 3:04:06. It's a little slower than I had trained for, but I also didn't train with so many hills either. Ideally I admit I would have liked to have had a 2:45 time, but I met my ultimate goal: finish and still be counted among the living. Since I accomplished both criteria and had a blast doing so, I can't really complain.

Speaking of slow, the results also include an age grade. What is an age grade? Short answer is it figures out how you rank among those of similar age. I can compare myself to others and see how I stand. I found my result to be quite funny: 35.8%. That's not even on the scale! HAHA! Oh well. Just as I was telling Rex tonight over dinner: I'm not someone who can count running as one of my strengths or natural abilities, but I enjoy it and I'm glad it's so popular because many who are like me keep me company. I ran with a huge crowd of people during the race, so I know I wasn't alone in my time. I even passed people! Woooo!

Once I have some pictures I'll post them. Right now with nearly 11,000 finishers just for the half-marathon (the marathon I believe has around 2,000), the photographers have a lot to sort through and catalog. Red took a picture of me in my shiny blanket post-race too with my medal. I hope they look okay. I wasn't that concerned about appearance when I was running.

Here's the list of lessons I learned from all this hoopla:

• Training for a long race like this takes a lot of time. That being said, I think I will never train for a full marathon. While I enjoyed my training for the most part, I can't fathom giving up so much time. Maybe I'll change my mind in the future. Five years ago you would never have pegged me as a runner.
• 13.1 miles is the perfect long distance race. Just enough to pose a major challenge for someone like me, while not so all-consuming that Rex thinks he's lost his wife to some crazy people.
• I am so doing the Georgia Half-Marathon again. So much fun!
• Having the 13.1 sticker on my car is insanely gratifying. The accomplishment alone is addictive. I can see why people run so many races of significant distance.
• The compression sleeves are a life saver. Oddly enough my hips have been tight and sore, while the rest of me is fine.
• I know I talked a big game about cross training, but I did none. Next time I will incorporate some into my training plan. I promise!

I'll figure out some new goals for myself, but for now I'm enjoying my rest. I can honestly say I've earned it.

Here's a huge shout out to Red and Atalanta for meeting me after the race. It meant so much to me to know I had people waiting for me in the family reunion area. Rex deserves a huge prize for putting up with all my training. He's doing the Couch to 5k training plan, and he's really liking it.

BBIAB!

Georgia Marathon and Half Marathon 2011

It's over!!! I'm relieved that the training I went through for the last 12 weeks was worth the effort, and I'm definitely proud of myself for completing the race. Here's a recap of how my day went:

Let me first state that it's so hard for me not to forget something when I leave the house. When I go on vacation or head out to work, it's very common for me to forget an item of some kind. This morning it was my Accellerade. Luckily I was close enough to the house that I could turn around and fetch it, however it did make me a little later than I wanted to be.

Parking for a race this large can be hectic. I ended up parking several blocks away from the starting line, which meant a little more walking than I had really wanted to do before the race, but it was fine. Walking through downtown Atlanta before dawn meant seeing a lot of homeless people sleeping on the sidewalks. Not to get distracted by social commentary, but I felt bad for these folks.

Once I got to Centennial Olympic Park, I needed to use the port-a-potties. Unfortunately I think half of the race participants needed to do the same. Luckily the mass of people there meant that many of us would be starting the race a little past the 7am start time. I ended up beginning my run at about 7:12am.

All along the race there were tons of volunteers who worked hydration stations, directed us when the course made turns, and generally cheered us on. Lots of other volunteers from charities also manned hydration stations. There was a spectator who held a sign that said "Charlie Sheen says you're #winning!!" She also said that we had tiger blood LOL!! The spectators in general were that positive and encouraging. In fact, there were more spectators than I had anticipated, particularly at the finish line. It all makes a difference when you're feeling like the hills are defeating you.

I also got to see a very cool view of Atlanta. I've lived in the area for nearly 20 years now, but it's so different when you're driving around vs running. I had forgotten how beautiful the Inman Park area was. Georgia State University and Georgia Tech have also grown tremendously and built a lot of cool stuff around the city. I had never been to the 4th Ward, so that was cool to see. In fact, they had the best cheering section in my opinion.

Overall it was a well run race. Publix did an excellent job of sponsoring it. I got a cool medal, the shiny blanket after the race, and a very nice race t-shirt. The expo was awesome. I bought a t-shirt that says "If it weren't for people like me, you'd have nobody to pass" on the front and "If you can read this, then I'm not last" on the back. Perfect for the slow pokes like me!

Btw, the compression sleeves were great. I wore them during the race, and everything else hurts except my calves. They're worth every penny!!

The race is almost here!!

I have my final run tomorrow before the race, and I have to admit a good part of me is thankful the race is around the corner so I can take a real break. See, you're supposed to take some time after a big distance like half marathon or full marathon and just let your body re-cooperate. I'm excited I've made it this far, looking forward to accomplishing my goals, and I know the race atmosphere will be fun and thrilling. I also look forward to resting the rest of the day on Sunday and all day Monday.

As far as the leg sleeves go, I have decided to wear them. My legs are at that point where they could use a little extra help, and if I can reduce the amount of pain and discomfort I experience then awesome.

On a really positive note, all this training has helped me lose quite a bit of weight. I'm not sure how much I lost because I haven't been weighing myself, but I'm wearing clothes I couldn't wear last Spring because I gained too much weight the prior Winter. Talk about an awesome side effect from all this training!

Running with leg sleeves

I've been trying to decide if I should run the race with leg sleeves or not. I didn't train in my long runs with them on, so I don't know how they'd feel after more than two miles. Tonight's run was two miles, so I figured I would try them. If they're really bad I give them up for the race. They actually felt good while I was running, but they made my legs warm. Since I perform better in cooler weather, warming up my legs seems counter-productive. Ultimately I think it will depend on how cool the race morning is. It doesn't look like that day will be cool, so I'll probably leave them off and use them post-race.

I decided to try and run faster today since it was just two miles. Yeah, I totally got way too excited in the first mile and wasted my energy. The second mile was okay, but my left calf was mad at me. It was just a harsh reminder that pacing is still important, even at the shorter distances.

Let the taper begin!

Since the weather was terrible yesterday, I had to postpone my final super long run until today. It pushes my recovery run out for a Monday, which is typically a rest day, but since my next run isn't scheduled until Wednesday it's all cool. The cooler weather we experienced today is awesome for my runs. I just wished I had paid more attention to the weather report because I could have used some gloves. My hands were freezing!

On another positive note, I am wearing the compression leg sleeves post-run and wow do they make a difference. I'm thinking I should have splurged for the sleeves with footies, since I can tell my feet are also tired and sore now that my legs are feeling significantly better. It's all good though. I can tell that my legs are going to be well rested for the race with the taper and the sleeves.

Happy early birthday to me!

So Rex was super awesome and took me to the running store tonight. What cool new item did I get? Compression leg sleeves!! They're supposed to speed up recovery time for your calves, and since I've been having tight calves lately they seemed like the logical choice. Plus they will probably alleviate a lot of the waddling I do on Saturdays after the long run. I wore them after my run tonight, which was only three miles, but they immediately made me feel a lot better. I'm excited to use them Saturday. It's supposed to rain this weekend, so we'll see if I have to push the long run to Sunday. After this weekend it'll be taper time!

OMG! It is REALLY cold!!!

Holy cow! What happened to the weather here?! It's one thing to say it's cold outside, and it's another to finally get your butt out there and realize that 28 degrees is literally freezing. WOW! I was sooooo cold last night. It was a harsh reminder that I need to layer up, find my gloves, and get some ear muffs.

Because I hadn't run in a while due to my recent head cold and because I hadn't been in the cold in a while (as you can tell by my reaction earlier), I decided to just walk. I was very tempted to run to warm up faster, but I was not in the mood to deal with an asthma flare up.

There was one advantage to being in my neighborhood when the sun had set: Christmas light displays! I have a lot of enthusiastic neighbors. Some have great taste, some don't. The cheapskate in me wonders how bad their electric bills are, but I digress. It was definitely a nice way to spend my evening. Tomorrow I'll head out with Red to tackle 2.5 miles. I hope to run 3.5 miles Saturday with a short recovery run on Sunday.

Speaking of being outside at night, my new safety accessory was awesome. I'll take some pictures and write a better review later. Short version: it rocks! Now I'm gonna go and curl up with a blanket on the couch with my kitties.

Running Music

Do any of you listen to music when you run? I haven't in a very long time because I found messing with an iPod while outdoors meant I was too distracted by it. First, it marks you as a target for thieves (Rex is a cop, so I can't help but think this way). Second, I spent more energy focusing on what was playing rather than my form. Third, my iPod kept freezing on me which just pissed me off. I may invest in a nano to avoid this problem in the future.

I've recently begun enjoying a lot of dance music, which is perfect for working out in general since it has such fun beats and is meant to get you moving. Since I'll be running a lot this winter, I've been considering using the free fitness center in my workplace and using an iPod (or some other MP3 player) to help pass the time. Treadmills are extraordinarily tedious. Like running a mile on it is sometimes the worst thing you could do. If I'm going to be serious about that half marathon I will have to use the treadmill if I want to make sure my training is consistent.

To give you an idea of what I will be listening to, here's what I've recently compiled:

Lady Gaga (love her!)

Kylie Minogue

Black Eyed Peas

Rihanna

Madonna

Britney Spears (yeah, go ahead and laugh at me now)

Ke$ha (I think I hear the laughter from here! Talk about guilty pleasures lol!)

Shakira

I'm thinking of checking out Katy Perry's latest album, but we'll see. Amazon makes it WAY too easy to download this stuff. I'm going to have to put myself on an Amazon ban for a while. Last time I spent this much time on there I ordered a pair of $85 Guess pumps. Speaking of which, they're on their way!!

Sorry guys, this post started out generic but ended up being super girly. Have I mentioned that one of my favorite things about running is buying cute running clothes? Gotta find whatever motivates you!

Saturday's run!

I was only out for 20 minutes, but it was nice! The weather was cool enough that I didn't feel like it was a struggle to run, but warm enough that I didn't have to bundle up. Rex caught a cold, so he didn't come out with me. I haven't been on a solo run in months, so this was really nice.

I know I'm still in new gadget heaven, but this heart rate monitor is awesome! How else can I see what my heart rate is (yes 198 means I'm going to fast)? I also saw how fast I was running, down to miles per hour!! 5.0 mph seems to be a good steady and comfortable pace, but 5.5 seems to be where my legs want to go. I think 6.0 is closer to my old 5k race pace. To break this down, 5.0 equals a 12 minute mile. 5.5 is 11 minutes, and 6.0 is 10 minutes. Once I get the hang of it, this heart rate monitor will give me a clearer picture of my progress. Can I train without it? Absolutely! I did so for some time with no trouble.

On a good note, now that I'm back into the swing of things (sort of) I can tell my metabolism is kicking back up a bit. I need to be extremely careful so that I don't overindulge, or get into what I call "stupid full" after meals. Stupid full means I'm so stuffed I can't imagine eating another bite, and I'm uncomfortable because my tummy is poking out. As Juno's friend said "food baby" (from the movie Juno).

Training and the heart rate monitor

I think I need to read the whole owner's manual for the heart rate monitor I have. Rex and I used it this afternoon for our quick run, and it worked like a charm. I turned it on, and it calculated everything. When I use it indoors it doesn't like to calculate calories burned, at least when I turn the GPS off.

So last Saturday was an intense circuit training session. Lasting almost 50 minutes, I ended up being so tired by the final round that I couldn't complete the workout. By the end of the night my abs were really sore, and I spent all day yesterday having trouble getting up from a seated position. It's not injury, but very tired abs. Woohoo! I focused a lot on my core, so this was to be expected.

Today we ran the walk/run combo of run 3 minutes walk 2. We covered 1.8 miles, which is really slow for the 37 total minutes we were out. I spent most of my time getting Rex to try and maintain running during the 3 minute periods, but it was good we went out. Tomorrow and Wednesday I have class, so the next time we'll run will be Thursday. Saturday we're planning on a more intense running session with the group, so that will help a lot.

Circuit training

Atlanta has been in the midst of some horrible weather lately (we had snow....snow!!!), so my friends and I hit the gym for some working out. We all hate the monotony of the treadmill, so I told them how to use circuit training for a good anaerobic workout. Only one friend actually did this with me, because the guys all decided to show off to one another how much they can lift or how well they can punch, but we all got a great workout in nonetheless.

We worked out for 37 minutes, and I know this because I used my new heart rate monitor! When I plugged it up to the computer it said I only burned 97 calories, but my arms are killing me today, so I know I got some good exercises in. I'm very concerned about making sure my whole body is in better shape for the Warrior Dash, so it worked out well. Rex focused a lot on his core, which I'm very thankful for because that will prevent back injuries down the road.

For those that don't know, circuit training is hopping from machine to machine, exercise to exercise to keep your heart rate up. For example, I did three rounds of cardio, free weights, weight machines, and push ups. Make sure you're paying special attention to form because you don't want to hurt yourself while doing this. That's worse than not working out at all, at least it is for me because it's so demoralizing. I only spent about 5 minutes on cardio and one set of exercises for the rest. After cardio, 10 push ups, 10 arm curls, and a whole host of other stuff times three, I was exhausted!

With Rex now on a better work schedule, we'll begin working out together more often. It's nice having a partner because we can hold each other accountable and motivate each other. Now if the weather would just warm up...

Forerunner part two

So I used my new heart rate monitor on Saturday, but it wasn't during running. I unfortunately didn't realize I had to change modes on the monitor because I supposedly only burned 35 calories for 20 minutes of anaerobic exercise. I know that's not long, but I figured it would be closer to 100 calories. I liked being able to see my heart rate, but I have a lot to learn about all the different settings. The software allows me to schedule different types of workouts and then I can compare how I do once I begin to compile more data.

In place of running Rex and I used a DVD that Red gave me. It was 20 minutes of constant moving, and my calves were tired from all the bouncing around! I'm sure the cats thought I had gone nuts. It's unusually cold in the Atlanta area (17 is not an acceptable temperature!), so running may be a little hard. Rex's schedule changes this weekend so we'll try to run in the afternoons when we're both done with work. It's going to be freezing!!

The holidays are almost over!

Christmas is my all-time favorite holiday. I love the decorations, the food, the gifts (I love buying presents!!) the get-togethers, all of it! Woohoo!

Anyhoo, Rex bought me a running accessory I've been drooling over for more than a year but have been too cheap to buy. The Garmin Forerunner 305 Heart Rate Monitor with GPS. He found it on amazon.com for less than the price shown at the link above, and snatched it up! I haven't gone for a run yet, but I am planning on using it this weekend. I also need to install the software that came with it on my computer. I get to track my workouts and runs on the computer! Yay!

Now that the New Year is upon us, I think it's a good time to think about fitness goals for next year. I don't recommend resolutions, because we inevitably break them. Think about it...when was the last time you kept a New Year's resolution? Yeah, I never did either. But we can make goals! I like broad goals like "complete the Warrior Dash". I won't put pressure on myself and say "Complete Warrior Dash in 30 minutes". Honestly I am so slow that a goal like that is setting myself up for disappointment. But I can improve my endurance!!

If you're looking for a good way to start the new year, since we have a blank slate, try finding a race happening on New Year's Day. Active.com will have some good ideas for your area.

2010 here we come!!

At-home gym equipment

I found a good article listing which popular home workout tools we should keep or toss and why. While many runners focus solely on running, it's proven that good cross-training helps improve overall health and can help a runner be faster, less injury-prone, and handle longer distances. I say this knowing that I'm probably the worst example of cross-training.

Final group training run!

Yesterday morning was the final training run with my In Training for Peachtree folks, and boy am I glad it's done. I actually feel like I've learned a lot about running in general, not just getting ready for the Peachtree. Next Saturday will be an event to participate in, not a race that I can try to determine my 10k pace. As a recap, here's what I think I've learned over the past 10 weeks or so:

- The right shoes make a world of difference. Go to a running store and get fitted.

- Being tense in the shoulders and arms is fairly common and can lead to things like headaches and decreased performance. I didn't realize I was so tense until I began working on lowering my arms and shaking them out occasionally.

- Don't push off with your toes to go faster. This will create more shin problems and affect the distance you're able to run. Try striking with more of your foot and pushing off with your upper legs/glutes.

- It's pretty common to have hip/back soreness and problems when increasing your mileage. If you feel you need to cut back for a couple days, then do so. You know your body better than anyone else.

- Stretch!!! I don't recommend stretching before the run unless you've warmed up a bit, but stretching post-run is an absolute must.

- G2 is so awesome after a run, particularly when it's been really hot and you've been sweating like a pig.

- Bananas are still my go-to pre-run fuel.

- Not only does technical clothing help keep you cool, but you have to have the right kind of technical clothing. The hotter it is, the less clothing you wear period. If you're concerned about spectators judging you, just remember that you're out there running and working on improving yourself while they're being couch potatoes. Other runners will not judge because we're just like you - busting our butts outside to meet fitness and weight goals.

This has been a very interesting experience, and I whole heartily encourage everyone to try to get a coach. Even if it's temporary and in a group setting like my situation was, it was well worth it.