Learning through Running

The other day Shannon had a four-mile run on her schedule.  I asked her about it when we chatted in the hallway between classes.  "Oh, I didn't go.  I had to drive my kids to practice, and then (voice drops and falters) I went out.  I need to make it up.  Maybe I'll tack it on to today's run."

This is where I stopped her with unsolicited advice because--hey--ME.

"I would not suggest you add mileage to your run tonight, as you haven't established a base yet, and even one more mile would be a significant add-on at this point.  Let it go, learn from it, and move on."

Shannon sometimes suffers from injuries, but today she suffered mostly from guilt, and I would hate for her to hurt herself in an attempt to make up a lost run.  Too often we adhere to a rigid training plan, and when life gets in the way, we beat ourselves up.  Does that mean I should drop a run anytime I don't feel like getting out there?  No.  At this point in my running, I know what my options are when I feel like I need to bail, but it took me a while to figure it out.

I believe the first year of running is a way to learn more about yourself THROUGH running.  The added mileage and endurance is a plus.  When I explained this to Shannon, she asked, "What do you mean?  What do I need to learn?"

Here are some things I learned about myself through running:

1.  How and when I need to eat to have a successful run.  For example, if I run six or fewer miles, I know that I don't need to eat breakfast first.  I can just wake up, chug at least sixteen ounces of water, and lace up.  If I go longer, the rules change.  I need to wake up at least one and one-half hours before I leave, eat a bagel with cream cheese, drink coffee and lots of water, and spend some quality time in the bathroom.  I didn't learn this the first time I ran more than six miles.  It took me a good year to figure it out through trial and error.

Mmmm.  Food of the gods.  Except I definitely need cream cheese, and that coffee needs some Thin Mints creamer.

2.  Water is non-negotiable.  I HAVE to drink at least six 8-oz. glasses of water a day, more if I'm running.  If I run more than five miles, I have to carry my water with me or run where there are drinking fountains.  The pre-run hydration is the most important part for me, though.  Not drinking enough before a run is a bonk waiting to happen.

My favorite beverage.  I even like it more than I like wine!

3.  When I should run.  When I first started running, I ran with my friend Deidre after work.  Because we were both always so tired, both physically and psychologically, we rarely had good runs, and we were rarely able to push ourselves as much as we should have.  I have learned that with very few exceptions, I can't have a good run when I've been teaching all day.  It just doesn't recharge me, and my chances of bonking increase exponentially.  On the other hand, if I run in the morning, even as early as 4:30, I've set myself up for success.  My mood improves dramatically, and the runner's high carries me through the day.

Wake up!  It's time to run!

4.  How much sleep I need.  I've learned that I function just fine on very little sleep for short periods of time.  This means that if I whine to myself that I'm too tired to get up at 4:30 to run, I have to tell myself to suck it up and run.  I am not allowed to use lack of sleep as an excuse.

5.  When asked to try something new, my first response will be "No."  You should ignore this response because I will do said new thing anyway.  I don't know why I do this; I think I just don't like people to tell me what to do, even if it's something I want to do anyway.  I learned this from my running coach, who does a great job of ignoring me when I bitch and moan or even just say no.

6. My most efficient running weight.  I'm still trying to figure this one out.  This year I've lost about twenty pounds, and it's had a dramatic effect on my pace.  I've got to figure out how to balance my need to eat and drink everything I see with my desire to hit certain paces.

How much weight do I have to lose to get a PR?

7.  I am my biggest driver and harshest critic.  Nobody has higher expectations for me than me.  I have long-term goals, short-term goals that lead to the long-term goals, and secret goals.  I have tests that I give myself to see if I'm going to hit my marks.  I punish myself if I don't make it.  Sometimes I have to do a check-in with my coach to make sure I'm not being too hard on myself.  Sometimes I need to "fail" in order to get a reality check.  It's funny because I don't have impossible aspirations; for the most part I know that I am a middle of the pack runner, but I want to be the best middle of the pack runner I can be.

Everything I have learned so far doesn't just apply to running; it applies to ME and the way I live.  It is extremely valuable information, and it has taken me three years to get this far.  I'm excited about what I can learn in the running years to come.

This is the third week for the Towpath Turtles, our new runner group, and I can't wait to meet all of you on future runs.  The advice I have for you is the same advice I gave Shannon:  Take this time to learn about yourself through running.  You won't regret it.

Run happy, Turtles!

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But Was It Fun?

Today I ran twelve miles on the Towpath with the Towpath Turtles.  Shelby, Vimarie, and I had a great conversation about our race goals.

Pre-run Fuel:  Panera blueberry bagel, coffee with Thin Mint creamer, lots of water

During run:  GU Blackberry

Post-run Fuel:  1/2 cup milk with two teaspoons Carnation Breakfast drink, pasta with red sauce, zucchini, and a fried egg

This is EXACTLY how I look after running 12 miles in the rain.  I feel terrible that I somehow cut off Shelby and Vimarie, but hey, this is all about me, right?

As I wrote before, we discussed race goals for this year.  All three of us will be running the Natatorium 5k in the beginning of September and the Akron Half Marathon at the end of September.  I am very comfortable with my goal for the Nat: I have a pace in mind that I am sure I can sustain for 3.1 miles, and I have been practicing that pace at least once a week.  5k's are all about suffering: if you enjoy running a 5k, you didn't race it.  I always know that if I want to PR a 5k, I must endure pain and push myself.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I am suffering from a 5k.

 I tell myself that I can endure anything for fewer than thirty minutes.  I am ok with this; it is the half marathon that has me thinking.

As you remember from my race recap of the Perfect 10 Miler, I cut off about thirteen minutes from my previous time running this race.  What was different?  Well, I am mostly back in full training after my foot injury, and I also lost about fourteen pounds.  These are things that I am prepared to do to better my time in a race.  As I ran this race, I realized that if I am serious about my half marathon goal, training and weight loss aren't enough.  I need to cut off about twelve minutes in my half marathon PR, so I know I have some serious work to do, but not just on my body; I need to put my head in the game.  That is, if I intend to run a sub-two hour half marathon, I need to resign myself to the fact that it won't be a fun race.

I am mourning the loss of my fun race time.  Akron Marathon is very special to me.  For ten years the blue line ran by my house, and the kids and I would come out and cheer on the runners.  In 2012, I ran the half marathon, and I loved every minute of it.  Every picture you see of me shows that I am having a ball.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I am having a ball in the Akron Half Marathon, 2012.

I felt the same way running the 2013 Medina Half Marathon.

Ok, I was happy here because I was annoying David.

I realize now that my attitude toward racing has to change.  If I want to accomplish my goal, and it's a lofty one, I need to resign myself to more than discomfort; I need to think about suffering.  This means that I may have to change several factors that contribute to my enjoyment of a race:

1.  I may have to ditch the music.  I can't fathom running 13.1 miles without my race music, but if I intend to run quickly, I may have to pay more attention to my rhythmic breathing.  This is the most problematic adjustment to make for me, so I need to give it some thought.

2.  I need to carry a water bottle instead of walking through the water stops.  I usually hit up at least three stops during a half marathon, and this may be adding more time than I would like.  I like walking through the water stops; it gives me something I can look forward to.  I'm just not sure that it is worth the extra time, though.  Plus, I HATE carrying my water.

3.  I need to think about running with a partner.  I usually like to run my own race, but running with Shelby helped keep me accountable.  If we can find a way to coincide our fueling, we may be able to keep each other going.

4.  Most of all, I need to recognize that if I am having fun DURING the race, I am not working hard enough.  Now I need to tell myself that two hours of suffering won't kill me.

I have talked to several runners about this, and it's like this is the big secret to races.  Nobody ever tells you that if you're serious about a PR, you won't have fun.  I've got a lot of thinking to do.

When (if ever) did you realize that running a race wasn't supposed to be fun?

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Fueling for the Long Run

Sooooo humid and muggy today!

I ran nine miles on the Towpath with the Turtles.  The last part of the run was a half-mile hill (5% grade), so we got to finish strong by running downhill.

After the run, we had a lovely tour of the Mustill Store, one of Akron's FREE museums that show the history of the canal and lock system.  Bonus:  the store sells popsicles!  Anyway, the nice docent talked to us about what the canal used to look like in the Akron area.  He also explained where the Blue Line for the Akron Half and Full Marathons used to go in previous years, and in return, we sweated all over the floor of the museum.

The Ohio and Erie Canal in the 1870s

The Ohio and Erie Canal today

Sheila, the coach for the Towpath Turtles and OneLife Fitness, talked to us about finding the best pre-run fuel for long run days.  As this is one area that I feel I have covered in my fitness regime, I thought I would write about it today.

My long, slow run is always on a Sunday because that is the day that my husband is home from work, so he can be with the kids while I am out for a few hours.  I look forward to Sundays because I can spend some quality time by myself (or with fellow runners), and because I actually get to EAT YUMMY FOOD for breakfast.  Normally, during the week I run on an empty stomach, and after the run I eat oatmeal with fruit or cereal with fruit, but Sunday is my day to eat what I want, and what I want is a bagel with cream cheese.

Hello, Beautiful.  Come to Mama.

I have a Panera just down the street from me, and my husband has NO PROBLEMS going to get bagels for the family, so I have made Panera bagels and cream cheese a part of my long, slow distance (LSD!) for three years now.  I am partial to blueberry bagels, and my husband loves the chocolate chip bagels.

It was incredibly lucky for me that Panera has decided to sponsor the Akron Marathon this year, and even better when they asked me if Panera's meals were a part of my training for the Half Marathon.  Ummm, yeah!  So, now I get to share my blog with all of you who are training for running the Blue Line.  (I received a gift card to Panera in order to supplement my training meals, but all opinions are my own.  The only way I'll ever unabashedly shill for a company is if it's a WINE COMPANY, and even then it has to be a wine I like.  I'm still waiting for that opportunity to explain how wine is an important part of my training.)

In any case, the bagel with a shmear of cream cheese has about 440 calories, and with a cup of hazelnut coffee, I am raring to go for at least six miles.  Panera has a training menu for the Akron marathon, and it does have some really interesting choices for pre- and post-run fuel, but I am hooked on the bagel.  Not only does it fuel my body properly, it perks me up at 5:30 in the morning on a Sunday, and it gives me a reason to look forward to the long run.

The most important thing about food/nutrition choices is that you have to experiment until you find something that works for your body and what you intend to do.  I know runners who eat bananas with peanut butter, English muffins, oatmeal. . . you name it.  If it helps your body to be strong and run efficiently, then you should eat it.

The second most important thing about food/nutrition choices is that when you find something that works for your runs and your races, DON'T CHANGE IT!!!  I would never decide to change up my pre-run breakfast for a race; that's a bunch of craziness waiting to happen.

So. . . to sum up:

Pre-run fuel:  Panera bagel with plain cream cheese (about a tablespoon), hazelnut coffee with Thin Mint creamer

Fuel during run:  Chocolate Outrage GU (see my post about fueling during the run)

Post-run recovery:  1 cup of tortellini salad.  Somebody should tape my mouth shut.  Seriously, what was I thinking?  

Maybe by next week I will be psychologically prepared enough to examine my stupid food choices after the long run.

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I Gu, Do You?

The topic of the week at the Turtle run was fuel.  The Turtles have hit their seven-mile mark (Yay, Turtles!), and they now know that the mileage is going to keep increasing, so everyone needs a plan for re-fueling during a run.

Let me first say that I resisted any form of fuel for the longest time.  My thought was that I'm carrying at least thirty extra pounds, and that (plus lots of water) should sustain me on any run, no matter how long.  
It took two bonks for me to change my mind (I'm a slow learner, I guess).

The first time happened at the track during a Wednesday night speed workout.   I hadn't eaten since breakfast that day, but it had been an enormous breakfast, and I wasn't hungry.  Within half an hour, I had decided that I was NEVER going to do speed work again.  I just couldn't continue.  When I confessed to Sheila (our coach) that I hadn't eaten, she looked at me as if I were insane, but Sheila knows how I operate (my motto is Don't F--ing Tell Me What to Do), so she just shook her head and let me figure it out myself.

Who needs food for the rest of the day when you start with this?

The second time, I was running in the evening with Deidre, and I hadn't eaten since lunch, but I knew I was going to eat dinner when I got back.  Big mistake.  Both of us bonked around mile 2, and it scared me because I thought this meant that I would never be able to complete a run again.

I finally figured out that fuel is necessary for me.  I experimented with Chomps (nasty), and Beans (just candy, right?), and then I tried Gu power gels.  I went with the Gu brand because the Akron Marathon supplies Gu during the race, so I wanted to make sure it worked for me.

Yummy!  Well, more like mmm. . .tolerable!

Gu has a frosting-like consistency, which, frankly, is not a pleasant mouthfeel, but it's perfect for me for the following reasons:

1.  It has about 100 calories per pouch, just enough to carry me for an hour or so.
2.  It's small and easy to carry.
3.  It's easy to tear open and easy to squeeze into your mouth as you walk.  No chewing involved!
4.  Many of the flavors have added caffeine--bonus!
5.  It doesn't upset my stomach in any way.

If I am racing, I take a gel at the sixth mile and another at the tenth mile.  Sometimes, if I ate breakfast two or three hours before a race, I take a gel fifteen minutes before the race starts.  It's easy to time my fuel breaks with water stops, and I don't worry about choking because. . .no chewing!

I have to admit that I have an iron stomach; if I could, I'd fuel with burritos, but I haven't figured out how to make that happen.  You need to find what type of fuel works for you.  Experiment well-ahead of your race; it would be awful to decide during Mile 9 that gels just don't feel good in your stomach.

I'm gellin' like a felon!