19 Miles!

Today I had my 19 miler--a mileage I have not run since training for the Akron Marathon. It went surprisingly well.  Here are some pictures and some lessons I learned:

1. (Re)Learn to run by yourself.  This one is odd for me. When I first started running, I primarily ran alone. I loved running long, slow distances (as well as shorter runs) and races all by myself. Just me and my music. What can I say? I'm a rebel, Dottie, a loner.




 In the past two years, I have switched my focus to running long with groups or partners. In a way it was really good for me to be sociable. As I get older, I have less patience with others, and I often find it tiring to talk to other people when I don't have to do it. Such is the life of a teacher.

Anyway, I grew to love running long with others, but unfortunately, I also grew to depend on it. When I decided to train long with groups, I forgot the fundamental rule: People will not always come through when you need them to. (It's the same rule with running with music, by the way.) As long as you depend on people, you are always opening yourself up for a letdown. Now, this isn't a condemnation of anyone in particular; it's just a fact. For example, you might set up a long run at 8:30 AM with another runner, and she/he might wake up sick. It happens to all of us, and it is nobody's fault. That, however, will not help you when you realize that you didn't take your earbuds with you because you depended on conversation as your distraction.

I've had a few situations in the past month where my runs were partly alone. Mostly I have awesome friends who have "rescued" me by running a few miles here and there during the long runs, but I now realize that I have to stop depending on running with other people.

Today I ran the first ten miles of my long run alone, and it wasn't terrible, but it would have been so much better if I hadn't gotten out of the habit of running long alone.

Technically, I wasn't completely alone. Snappy here was on the Towpath cheering for me.  Or hoping to chew off my leg.

I need to get back to depending on myself, Peeps. After all, chances are really good that I'll be running alone for the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon (unless you want to run with me?). I used to be so good by myself, and I need to get back there.

2.  Don't sit in an Epsom Salt bath immediately after your long run if you have ANY SUSPICIONS AT ALL  that you might have chafing anywhere in your nether regions.  'Nuff said.


Joy ran with me for the second part of my run: 9 miles. It has been a while since we were able to talk, and I really missed her, so we had a good time. We dodged a lot of snakes.

There were LOTS of these.

The weather was really hot, and by the end of the run, I looked like a salt lick. Joy was my savior, and I'm so grateful to her for saving my butt and getting me to finish 19 miles.

We finished at Lock 29.

I kind of screwed up my mileage plan for the marathon. Normally I should hit my 20 miler on April 30, three weeks before the race; however, I couldn't pass up a fabulous deal to run the Pro Football Hall of Fame Half Marathon on that day (for only $26.20!), so I had to decide whether I want to hit 20 miles before or after that. I've chosen the Sunday following the race, which will give me 2 weeks to taper. This is actually more than I normally schedule to taper, so I'm hoping this will all work out for me.

How is your training going, Peeps?

Do you prefer running solo or group running?

How long do you take to taper? Do you REALLY respect the taper?

I hope to see you in Cleveland. Until then, run happy, Peeps!

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Training. Huh. What Is It Good for?

Last week I ran with Shelby on the Bike and Hike.

"I have to admit that I run faster in these cold temperatures, even if I don't want to do it, " I said.  "Plus, I've actually spent this winter following a training plan for a half marathon.  I really should sign up for a half marathon in April.  Maybe the Pro Football Hall of Fame."

Silence.  Running.

"But then I would have to run a half marathon."

Shelby:  "I was waiting for it."

Shelby gets me.

It is true that after reading five books and countless online articles on marathon and half-marathon training, I came up with a plan, and I have followed that plan pretty well this winter.  This is unusual for me, as I never felt the need to follow any sort of plan for a half-marathon, even when I had an ambitious (for me) time goal. I've always just thought, "Run more; run faster," and for the most part it worked.  Except that lately it didn't work.  This year I didn't reach my sub-two-hour goal for a half marathon, and I could give lots of reasons why, but I won't.  I didn't hit it, and I moved on to other goals.

What is my training program?  Glad you asked!

I have divided my program into indoor and outdoor running.  Both use a heart monitor, but outdoor running uses mileage and indoor running uses time. This is a typical week:

Monday: no running.  Yoga.

Tuesday: Tempo run.  Outdoors: 1 mile warm up.  3 miles @ 8:50/mile.  1 mile cool down.  If indoors, 10 minutes warm up.  30 minutes @ 6.7. 10 minutes cool down.

Wednesday: Weights and Core.  30+ minutes weights and 10+ minutes running in place with 2 lb. weights.

Thursday: Intervals.  Outdoors (in theory--I haven't had the opportunity to do this outside yet): 1 mile warm up.  1/4 mile @ 8:00/mile, 1 minute recovery x 12, 1 mile cool down.  Treadmill:  10 minutes warm up.  1 minute @ 7.6, 1 minute recovery @5 x 12.  Cool down until I hit the rest of the remaining mile.

Friday: 4 miles minimum of whatever I want to run.

Saturday: 5-6 miles either hills (Sand Run) or easy on the treadmill while watching Supernatural.

I tell myself that I only watch this so I can converse with my 13 year old daughter, but I think we all know better.

Sunday: Long, slow, distance run.  10+ miles.

I have noticed that when I run outdoors, I have been running faster more easily.  Is that the training or the temperature or both?  Who knows?  I know that I should sign up for something right now so I can see if this is my moment. . . but I can't seem to care.  I really enjoy the training right now, but I have nothing going on until May.  Is it too soon?  Will I burn out?  I don't know.

I do know that I am currently enjoying myself and sleeping better.  The downside is that I am constantly hungry, but I am used to this feeling.

I am going to save it for Cleveland, Peeps.  Will you join me?  Sign up for the Race Series Challenge; I'm running the 8k/Half Marathon.  Come give me some motivation.  Until then, run happy, Peeps!

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12 Mile Boost

It's no secret that I am battling a lack of running mojo lately.  I smile, I show up, I do the run, I do the strength training, but I'm just not feeling confident.

Neither one of these seems to work lately.

It's also no secret that some of this lack of confidence probably stems from dealing with my father's death in June, something with which I really haven't come to terms.  (Read my post about it here.)

I suspect that I went through a slump like this at the same time last year, but I haven't read those posts yet because I choose to wallow for a bit.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I choose to wallow for a bit.

Now, there are some very positive things that have happened to me just recently.  First, I came up with a plan for my dreaded tempo run.  I have decided that I am going to run Sand Run Parkway the difficult way (downhill first half, uphill on the way home), and I'm going to better my time each time I run it.  Also, I'm going to focus on an even pace rather than racing the downhill part and suffering the uphill part.  I did this on Thursday, and while my overall time may have been slower, my splits were even, and I felt great.

The second positive thing that happened is that I won't have to deal with two very toxic people who really took up too much of my psychic energy for the past few years.  Those people are gone, and I wish them well.  I will be going back to work this year with a sense of hope that I had been lacking for quite a while.

Yet I am still anxious and worried about the Akron Half Marathon.

Last Wednesday at the track, Mandy invited me to do the long run on Sunday with her--twelve miles--with the condition that we keep it around 10:30 a mile.  Normally this would be no problem for me, but the heat and humidity have really messed with my runs (and my head) lately, and I immediately starting doubting I could keep up for twelve miles.  See, it's this kind of mental crap that I'm talking about; self-doubt sucks.  Anyway, I said I would go with her, and today I did.

What a boost!  Our overall pace was faster than 10:30, with one mile at 9:45, and NEGATIVE SPLITS!!!  I am normally not a negative split runner, but I am really happy with this run.  Not gonna lie, Peeps, I suffered in the last two miles, but who doesn't suffer in the last two miles?  Mandy, that's who, but she's just a damned kid.  This old lady finished a minute behind her, and I'm just happy that my time was so good, especially since we ran in the same heat and humidity that has been bothering me all along.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I run negative splits in a 12-miler.  This is also my first experience with a selfie-stick, which Mandy says is the best 8-buck investment she ever made.

I can do this.  I just need to shut down the stupid head games.

Coming up: the Burn Rubber 10k in Akron.  Until then, run happy, Peeps!

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Shake up the Long Run

Are you tired of the same routine every day?  Do you have one beloved neighborhood route that you run all the time?  How about if you try to shake things up once in a while?

Distance runners get especially tired of their "long run" routes, possibly because after two hours on the road, we get bored anyway.  I know that I need something to be excited about on Sundays in order to get up at five in the morning to prepare for my lsd.  No, peeps, I do not indulge in acid; LSD stands for long, slow distance run.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I am so. bored. with. running.

What helps me is having a different route to run each week.  I can still run my beloved neighborhood loop or do four strenuous, hilly miles on Sand Run path during the week, but Sundays need to be different.  Think about what makes a long run tiresome for you.  Is it having to carry water/fuel/tons of Kleenex?  Shhh, I have sinus issues; don't judge.  Is it not having access to a bathroom when you think you will need it?  Maybe it's that your pace is different than most in your running group?

The solution to all of these problems could be running a loop.  Now, loops can be monotonous, so I would not suggest running them every week, but once in a while they can be a treat on the long run.  Don't want to carry stuff?  No problem--stash your loot on the loop and revisit when you wish.  Is your pace faster/slower than others in your group?  No problem--run the opposite way on the loop to catch up and then continue running.  Also, many runners will accommodate slower/faster paces if they know that it's just for a mile or two.  Likewise, you can choose a faster partner and keep up for that one loop knowing that you can always slow down later.  You may find yourself running with a different partner for every loop.  How's that for shaking things up?

Today I ran a 1.8 mile loop at Hudson Springs Park with The Towpath Turtles.  The Turtles were going to run five loops, and I ran six.  We put all of our water, bug spray, fuel, and whatnot on a picnic table along with a board with our names on it.  Every time we passed the table, we would stop and make a tally mark next to our names to keep the numbers straight.  Genius!

Hudson Springs in November.  Photo Credit:  Kevin Payravi

I really enjoyed this for several reasons:  1) Hudson Springs has a very pretty route going through the woods and around a lake, 2)the path is quite hilly, but not so much that I had to walk it (like on a trail), and 3) I got to run with different people all the time.  This was my morning to catch up with Jen  and Kathy, and we had great conversations.  When they got tired of me, they told me to move on, and I did.

Running a loop was a great way for me to shake up my long/slow, and it was fun to connect with other runners without worrying about pace.  In fact, my Garmin blew out halfway through the run (because we ran in a rainstorm), and I didn't care because I knew what the distance would be, and I could just estimate the total time.

I wonder where I'll run next week.

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The Trouble Is that I Think I Lost My Mojo

The trouble I am currently running from is a seriously bad attitude.   Don't laugh--I don't mean the regular "I pity da fool" bad attitude I usually display.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I forget my water bottle.

I used to set up my running clothes the night before and anxiously consult The Weather Channel fifty times before leaving for a 5 am run.  Hmmmm. . .Feels like 22 degrees.  Well, it's still double digits, right?  Now I just set out the Leslie Sansone DVD the night before and prepare myself for a morning of perkiness.  I hate perkiness.

This is EXACTLY how I look. . . never.

I am so sick of this weather.  I know; I chose to live in Ohio, but March 24th and still looking ahead to a week of snow and rain and cold is TOO MUCH.

Today I tried to sabotage myself again.  I set myself up for a run-fail because I knew I had to pick up my daughter from Girl Scout camp at 9 am.  This cuts into half of my long-run morning, and I was prepared to blow off the Turtle run at 10 because I was sure my daughter would take forever to get ready to go and there would be traffic and snow and my car would break down and aliens would kidnap me and I would not be able to do it.  It turns out that the same running gods who pushed me to PR at Shamrock also pushed me to get home by 9:21.  Then I had a choice:  Should I run the 3+ miles to the Turtle run, or should I hang out with the family and then drive to the run?  The weather was cold, windy, and miserable.  I accepted the challenge, strapped on the iPod and Garmin, and took off.  This was one of those runs where every song seemed to mean something to me.  In particular, I remember Adam Ant's "Is It Me or Is It the Medication?" and something by Mumford and Sons (everything by Mumford and Sons is really about me, you know).  I managed the miles at about 9:21/mile, but I didn't feel good. (I just realized that my arrival time--9:21--is the same as my pace-per-mile.  I swear that I didn't make these times up, and I JUST REALIZED that they are the same.  The Universe is messing with my head!)

Later, running with the Turtles, I had some good moments.  I enjoyed seeing so many people loving the run.  I was happy to see David, whom I miss on the long runs.  I had a great conversation about focus with Shelby, who noticed that I am battling demons.  Maybe she was alarmed because I refer to my Voices with a capital V.

Anyway, I ended with 7.5 miles.  That is a decent long run, which means I am not kicking my ass for not getting in a run today.  I'm not even going to chastise myself for catching a ride back home with Deidre instead of running back.  I feel satisfied; I feel that I did enough.

I've got to shake this.  I don't want to believe that I lost my mojo.  A wise woman (Dr. Ruth, I believe) once said, "Do it even if you aren't feeling it."  I don't think she was talking about running, but I'll take that advice anyway.

The sun will come out tomorrow. . . ok, not in Ohio, but SOMEWHERE.  When that happens, I want to be out running.