Running Towards a Happy Birthday

The birthday run is a new concept for me.  I mean, I have read Dean Karnazes' book - heard his story about how he started running again by running 30 miles on his 30th birthday, and I admit to being in complete awe of that decision.  I think to myself, how cool would that be?  In real life, however, I had never really thought normal people do such things.  I was wrong.  As it turns out, a lot of people do these things, and yesterday I got to take part in one.

Yesterday, my friend Ann turned 42.  I don't think she'd mind me revealing that since to celebrate she invited anyone who wanted to come along to join her on all or part of a 42K (26.2 mile) birthday run.  Since I needed to get ten miles in this weekend on Sunday anyway and I was able to coax the GPs (grandparents) into letting the kids spend the night, I said I would join her.

My plan was to be there at the start of the run at 7 a.m.  Unfortunately, I timed the 45-minute drive a little too closely, and this didn't allow for any errors.  So, when I had to turn back to get my Garmin only a few blocks from my house, I already knew I was in trouble.  Getting to the University of Wisconsin Green Bay (UWGB) campus, which I had never visited, only sealed the deal.  I hadn't asked enough questions on where exactly I was going; had understood this parking lot, not that one.  So, I ended up circling around for quite a bit looking for cars with running stickers on them before finally deciding to park at a little cut-out right next to the trail.

I felt a little funny starting on my own, but I could clearly see the trail from my car.  And, since I had made the drive, I was determined I would do the run with or without others.  Besides, I figured I had simply parked in the wrong spot and knew there was a good chance I would a) either run into my friend on the trail or b) come across her car somewhere.

Obviously I didn't feel so funny at the start that
I couldn't take a self-portrait.

The deep, dark woods.

So, I locked things up, grabbed my Gatorade and Garmin and headed out.  Right away the trail dipped a bit into the woods, going under the road I had just driven and then disappeared into the trees on the far side.  It ran right alongside the Bay of Green Bay for a bit, and while it was beautiful, I couldn't shake the creep factor of being alone on a trail I didn't know.  (I had no idea where it was taking me!)  As it turned out, it took me to Ann's car.  Before I had even run a mile, I popped out into a parking area right next to the water and something called Lambeau Cabin (so, that is what Ann meant by Curly's Cottage; I had wondered.)  

Now, having found Ann's car, I decided to trot back the way I had come to move my car.  That way, at least they would know I was there.  In doing so, I ran right into Ann and another friend of hers only a hundred yards or so down the trail.  They kept me company on the run to my car, before running back to where they had parked.  I drove my car to the new parking area and met them there.  After regaling them with my morning's misadventures so far, we took off.

Bay of Green Bay

 The trail itself was great!  It consists of a 4.5-mile loop that circles the UWGB campus.  Some of it is paved, but most of it is actually crushed gravel or wood chips.  There are surprisingly quite a few ups and downs as the trail goes past a golf course and campus buildings before wending its way through the woods.  There are bridges, road crossings, hills, and even a tiny little stream crossing (you can step over it).  We even saw white-tail deer on the trail.  The Green Bay Running Club hosts a 6 and 8 hour ultra on the trail in June, and I can see why they like it.  It is challenging, and yet with the woods and soft trails, a person could reasonably expect to be shaded for part of it, and it would be easier on the legs.  Looping around every four or so miles is a plus, too.  There is no need to carry a lot with you.

As for my run, it was fantastic.  It was tougher for me from a pace standpoint.  I really had wanted to go between 10 and 10:30 pace, but with the others, it ended up averaging out to 9:55.  The others in the group consisted more of hardcore marathoners and ultra runners, so for them this was nothing more than a FUN long run.  They didn't care about pace at all and were happy to keep me company as I tried to push myself to keep going.  Trust me, I wanted to take a lot more walk breaks than we did, but I tried to challenge myself.  I am sure I slowed them down a lot, and despite telling them to go on - leave me behind, I was secretly grateful when they didn't.  The conversation was great, and before I knew it ten miles was DONE.  I have to say, I have never experienced ten miles go by so quickly before.  

So, I am sold on the idea of the birthday run!  During our run, two other friends of Ann's joined in and ran a portion of the trail with us.  After I left, I heard later that a handful of other folks showed up as well.  What a great way to celebrate a birthday - running and with friends.  Hmm, I keep thinking to myself now, I turn 42 this year.  Theoretically, I will have trained for and completed a marathon in September.  Is it so odd to think that a couple of months later I could celebrate my own birthday with a similar endeavor?  Something to keep in mind.

Peeps for the Peeps.

Scary picture of me mid-run with the birthday girl.

Stretching afterward.  Thank goodness for
the picnic blanket in the back of the car.
I needed to stretch before hopping in the car
for the drive back.

Have you ever celebrated anything with a run?

Motivation, where did you go?

I woke up this morning with a feeling that nothing productive was going to get done today.  I don't know what that is about. So far this week, I have been rocking my schedule - taking things on, checking off items on my to-do list left and right.  But this morning I feel that energy vibe starting to peter out.  I don't know.  Maybe it has something to do with several nights in a row of six hours of sleep.  Some people can live on that.  I cannot.  And, frankly, I should know that by now.  So, I will muddle through this day as best I can and hope I get my mojo back.

This has been a good week fitness-wise.  After PRing at the 10K on Sunday, I have followed that up with an increased effort week all around.  After several weeks of either maintaining current effort or taking my rest week (at 70 percent of normal effort), I have turned up the volume on all my workouts.  So, my week has thus far looked like this:

Monday:  Slow Flow Yoga and 35-minutes elliptical (up from 30 min,) Tuesday: Power Vinyasa Yoga and 6,000 meters rowing on the ERG (up from 5,500 meters) Wednesday: 60-minute run (up from 55 minutes)

Yesterday's run was particularly rewarding because I went into it feeling sort of sluggish - possibly from lack of good sleep.  In fact, I was wondering if my less-than-enthusiastic anticipation of the run would lead to a bad run.  (You know, negative self-talk and all that.)  I told myself on the drive over to the coffee shop to shape up and just let things happen the way they were meant to.  And, it went great!

I ran with the group for the first five miles, and I had a great time talking to a friend of mine along the way.  It was a slightly hilly route, and I was glad to have someone to push me along.  (I think I would have taken a lot more walk breaks otherwise.)  After circling back to the coffee shop, I added another twelve minutes to finish up the hour I had hoped to run.  I ended up doing 6.3 miles in about 61 minutes.  Average pace of 9:39.  Not bad.  I felt happy going in to coffee and didn't feel the least bit guilty about ordering my Vanilla Caramel Latte.  (It was delicious, by the way.)

Today on tap I have a 6,000 meter row and then tomorrow I am heading up to Green Bay to join a friend for part of her birthday run.  I am really looking forward to this run.  I am curious about the trail we are going to run on and it just sounds like a fantabulous way to celebrate a birthday.  My plan is to do ten miles tomorrow and make this my long run for the week.  I realize that - given my track record (ha! a pun!) - moving my long run from Sunday to Friday is a possible invitation for disaster; my body doesn't seem to like surprises like this.  However, I am hopeful that if I take it slow and listen to my body, I will be fine.  Fingers crossed.

Day 37 of the No-Chocolate Challenge:

So, as a final thought, I was thinking this morning how happy I am that the no-chocolate challenge is almost done.  What have I learned from this?  Well, certainly that I haven't lost my taste for chocolate - I can't wait to eat some on Sunday.  In fact, I have missed it so much that I probably won't ever give up chocolate again.  So, not very deep, huh?  No great insights into what I am made of, no deeper understanding of who I am and what makes me tick - just a deep-seated assurance that I will never give up chocolate again.  Sad, but in a happy way.

Lindt, we will meet again soon...

What do you do when motivation lacks?

Writer's Block and Door County Fall 50 Relay - Can't Wait!

I realized this morning I hadn't posted anything in a couple of days and thought I should rectify that before things get hectic again.

It's been crazy busy this week - in a fun stressful way - with running-related activities.  In my real life I write articles for two different running club newsletters, send out e-mails for our running club, and edit a paper version of the newsletter as well.  This week it seems like all of that has come due at once.  So, instead of blog writing, I am article writing.  Normally, I really enjoy the whole writing experience, but this week I have suffered something akin to writer's block.  So far, I have managed to squeeze out one of my articles, but it was a stretch and I wasn't too happy with the end result.  As one friend told me on Facebook, however, having one article being sub-par will make all my other articles look like "fabulous dipped in awesome!"  Doesn't she have a way with words?  I loved this line!

Anyway, fabulous dipped in awesome notwithstanding, I find that if I am supposed to be sitting down to write an article - or do any other work for that matter  - then I have to sit down and do it, not putz around on the computer.  So, that is what I have been trying to do this week so far - with mixed results as you can see, because really I should be working on something else right now!

So, aside from the articles and editing and e-mailing, I am also in charge of soliciting charities to help work at our club's training runs and updating our running club's brochure.  I really do enjoy working on all these projects (so don't think I am complaining, because I am not), it's just been hard to work them all into a schedule already busy with non-running related activities.

2012 Door County Fall 50

One thing that I am excited about  - that I did manage to accomplish - is I registered a team for this year's  Door County Fall 50 relay race.  I have done this event for four years now, and it's really a lot of fun.  After not even being sure I would do a team this year, I am now fully committed to Mama Bird and the Peepettes - an all-girls team made up mainly of my Wednesday morning running group's girl power contingent.  So far we are a four-person team with the possibility of a fifth.  Either way, it will be a ton of fun, and I foresee a lot of laughs that weekend.

The Door County Fall 50 is a fabulous race!  It starts out at the tip of the Door County peninsula and then wends its way 50 miles through scenic towns and backroads to the finish at Sturgeon Bay.  It really showcases the natural beauty of Northeast Wisconsin.  There are ten legs, so everybody usually takes on two, with the first half being fairly hilly and the second half more flat. There is awesome support along the course, a great halfway buffet, and a rockin' after party at the park at the finish with free pizza and beer and dancing and music.  It's really a great time.  

For those crazier than me (at least at this point), there is a solo category as well.  Hubby, a.k.a. Distance Dude, ran the Fall 50 solo two years ago.  It was his first ultra, and apparently it hooked him on the distance since he's now a committed (or should be) ultra fan.  Apparently, it's a pretty fast course as far as ultras go.  Last year's winner Zach Bitter won the solo division in 5:26:52, smashing course records, and - I believe - running the fastest 50-miler of the year. 

Hubby at the start of his solo adventure two years ago.

This year, Hubby will be running with a friend in the Pairs category.  Their plan is to bike their non-running legs, so that should be a fun twist for the guy who is always looking for new challenges.  

This race gets more and more popular every year.  So far this year, three days post registration opening,  the teams division is 61 percent filled and the solo category is 20 percent filled.  A great event!

Here are a few more pix from over the years:

Start line

Exchange point along the water

Approaching the finish

Finish line beer tent

Great shirt and bling medal for all participants

So, that's all for today.  Stay tuned for another great giveaway coming up courtesy of the good folks of Peak Performance Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine!  I am very excited about this one.  Details to follow.

Scheels Run for Home Race Report - 10K PR!

To truly write an unbiased race report for the Scheels Run for Home would be hard for me.  It is a race that our running club puts on every year and one I have been involved with in some capacity or other for a number of years, so, of course, I think it's GREAT!  So, more than just a generic report, I'll give my personal account of the event.

When last I left you, it was the day before the Run for Home, and having signed up for the 10K, I was trying to decide how to run it: easy peasy long run pace or as fast as my legs could carry me.  Well, as life would have it, the kids were spending Saturday night at the grandparents, so that Hubby and I could enjoy a rare date night.  For us this weekend, that simply meant dinner out and a DVD back at home.  Hubby was in a celebratory mood, as he had spent his day in the Milwaukee area running the Trailbreaker Marathon - once called one of the top 25 toughest marathons in the U.S. by Marathon & Beyond.  I don't call Hubby Distance Dude for nothing, and he proved once again why I like that moniker for him.  He placed sixth overall in the marathon, finishing first in his age group.  Crazy.

Over a dinner of avocado egg rolls and Mediterranean-style pizza and while sipping a cosmopolitan, we had a great evening talking about everything.  Back at the ranch, I had another two beers while we watched a DVD - uninterrupted and with the sound at a reasonable level, so as we could actually hear it.  For a few minutes, I thought we'd actually be able to watch the movie without subtitles for once, until the dog decided to play with her obnoxious squeaky hedgehog toy.  Oh well.  Subtitles, after all.  All this to say that any plans I had had to run the 10K hard went right out of my head.

The next morning, Hubby had to be at the Run for Home early to volunteer.  I woke up and got myself ready at a leisurely pace.  Having downgraded this event to a simple training run in my mind, I felt pretty relaxed about the whole thing.  In fact, I was so relaxed that I almost arrived too late for the start, pulling into the parking lot with just fifteen minutes to spare.  The race takes place at the baseball stadium for our minor league baseball team - a farm team for the Brewers.  Since I was so late, I needed to park across the parking lot from the stadium.  This wasn't a big deal.  I just used the parking lot for my warm-up jog.  (You know how unscientific I am about these, since I only started doing them at the Point Bock Run in March.)  I jogged from my car towards the stadium, jogged back to my car when I realized I had forgotten something, ran back toward the stadium to the registration area, ran back to the entrance of the stadium towards chip timing....You get the picture.  Along the way, I ran into a lot of familiar faces and friends, which made it more fun.

Being in charge of sending emails out for our running club, I had been watching the weather forecast all week and advertising that race day would be partly cloudy with a high of 70 degrees.  Well, that didn't pan out.  The day of the event dawned fully cloudy and a chilly 39 degrees or so at the start with a projected high of only in the low 60s.  I had chosen to wear my running skirt and my long-sleeved Lakefront Marathon technical shirt, along with my Hubby's compression calf sleeves.  For the race itself, that didn't turn out too badly, although it was chilly standing at the starting line.

As you can imagine, I didn't have a lot of time to wait around, seeing as I was so late.  However, I must have looked very approachable yesterday morning, because in that brief time I was chatted up by two different ladies: one asking about the compression gear, the other about Lakefront Marathon.

I had forgotten my music, so I was really just looking to take it easy during the 10K.  Honestly, I was.  As I got started, however, something clicked over in my brain and I felt myself doing a little more than my easy peasy long run pace.  I can't even explain what happened.  It wasn't like some killer instinct turned over inside of me.  I didn't even consciously make the decision to RACE.  I just slowly found myself picking up the pace until by the time I was a mile into the event, I felt like I was fairly committed to just running by feel and giving it my best shot.

The result?  A 10K PR! As far as I can tell anyway.

I haven't run a lot of 10Ks; I really have never liked them.  They're too short to lollygag but too long to not think about pace.  A lot of 10Ks I have run were before I ever kept track of such things as results.  However, a search last night for information leads me to believe that this is over a four minute PR on my best 10K race time to date.  Previously - in 2006 - I ran a 10K at 59:07.  This race, I finished in 54:57, for an 8:51 average pace.  The kicker is that in looking at the day's 5K results, I realized that if I had run the same pace for the 5K event, I would have gotten second in my age group.  (Hey, it's all about who shows up that day, isn't it?)  As it was, I was 12th in my age group and finished right smack in the middle of the field.  Hmm, ergo "average" runner, I guess.

I don't know what has gotten into me lately, or what has changed.  These past few months, I have definitely gotten faster.  I can't explain it, but I'll take it.  I still feel like someone should pinch me so I can wake up.  On average, I am running a lot faster than I ever have before.  I keep expecting someone to show up and say, sorry, we had the clocks wrong.  Either that, or I am waiting for the other shoe to drop.  With Point Bock, I was convinced that my PR at that 5-Miler was a fluke.  But, now I am wondering.

In any case, the Run for Home is a good event if you are in the area - and I am not just saying that because our club puts it on!  The course wends its way through the local technical college's campus into area neighborhoods before turning around and coming back.  There is a slight hill going both ways, as you have to go over a bridge, but it's not that daunting.  Mostly, the course is flat.  It's fun to start and finish at the baseball stadium.  The last two-tenths of a mile are around the baseball field's warning track, and you finish up right near first base.  There is a ton of food afterwards, and the kids' races are a lot of fun.

In fact, that was my next stop, as my volunteering position had me working the finish line of the kids' quarter-mile, half-mile, and mile fun runs.  That was a blast! I loved watching all the kids' excitement as they started out, and it was fun to encourage them to keep going if their race had them doing more than one lap around the field.  E. did great running on her own for the half mile.  She always makes me smile, because - like me - she has a tendency to take walk breaks, but when she runs, she is FAST - passing everyone she can reach.  If she ever decides that running is what she wants to do, the other kids will have to watch out.  LG did awesome, too, in the quarter-mile event running with Hubby.  He makes me smile in his own way, because as small as he is, he is stubborn and doesn't give up.  Both kids have been doing this event since they could walk, so it is nice to see the tradition continue.

I'll post some pictures from the race later, but for now - that's my race report!

Happy Running!  (Or, in my case today, Happy Yoga and Elliptical!)

How to run the Scheels Run for Home tomorrow?

What to do, what to do...

Tomorrow I am running in the 11th annual Scheels Run for Home event.  This is something I run and/or help out with every single year, so when this year's race rolled around, I didn't even give it much thought.  When I was asked to help out with the kids' races, I said yes.  I have no idea what I am getting myself into with that, but what the heck.  New experiences are good.

Last week, having spaced my or my family's role in this event for the most part, I suddenly realized that I had not signed up E. or LG for the kids' runs.  They have done these events every year since they could walk, so to have them miss a year would have been tragic to me.  I quickly signed them up online, and while I was at it, I signed myself up for the 10K as well.  It's kind of a down week for me mileage-wise, so I would only be doing six miles anyway.

Well, apparently, by spacing registration, I missed the shirt cut-off for everyone.  I can't believe how much I just seem to have taken it for granted that this race and I would meet up somehow this year.  Luckily, as it turns out, though, the race director contacted me and told me that they would most likely have enough shirts for the kids and - because I am a volunteer - I would have gotten one anyway.  She also pointed out to me, however, that since I am a volunteer this year, I actually didn't have to pay to run the race.  Oops.  A little something for the cause, I guess, if I don't get that back.  Anyway, a very nice perk this year for volunteers!

So, everything is straightened out.  The lesson learned?  Just because you do a race every year for seven or eight years doesn't mean that you don't have to read the race information or sign up by the deadline.  Next year, I will try to be a little more on the ball.

So, now the question is what to do about the race?  Originally, if I didn't have a race this weekend, I would have just run the six miles at an easy 10:00 pace.  (It's supposed to be a down week after all, and I am moving next weekend's 10-miler up to Friday instead of Easter Sunday.)  I keep feeling, though, like I wouldn't mind seeing what I could do.  I think I have it in me to try for a 10K PR, but does that really fit into the plan?  Part of me wishes I had just signed up for the 5K.  I keep hearing about friends who PR'd another race last night.  Maybe there is something in the air?

What to do, what to do...

From 2010 Run for Home - weather should be similar this year, unlike
2011's freezing rain!

So, in a similar situation, would you go all out for the 10K or run conservatively?

Coming Out of a Running Rut?

So, lately, racing and/or group runs have been some of the furthest things from my mind, ever since suffering from my weird, enthusiasm-busting shin insult.  (I am now not even sure that I should call it an "injury," since it seems to defy everyone's understanding of acceptable injuries.)  I have shied away from signing up for races or committing to even run with friends, because I have felt I couldn't trust that I would be well enough to run when said events rolled around.  Lately, however, I find myself getting excited again.

I wouldn't say the shin is 100-percent, however I do feel I have a better understanding of how to manage it.  The past couple of weeks, I have successfully gone on eight- and nine-mile runs, done speed work, and enjoyed some group runs without any long-lasting fallout from my efforts.  The shin is still sore afterward, but not lingeringly so.  I can even kneel on the floor without it bothering me.

I don't know what has changed, but a few things do come to mind:

1. I did start that hot yoga class, taking my yoga up to twice a week.  
2. I have been more committed to wearing the calf sleeves while running and for recovery after.  
3. I got the new shoes - the Cortanas - which I am really liking.  
4. And, ... I have discovered the softball.

This is the newest tool in my injury management tool belt.  My massage therapist was the first one to recommend it a while back while she was torturing me soothing my overtight muscles.  She is a huge fan of using a tennis ball or softball to work some of the deeper muscles and thought if I rolled one along my hamstring it might help with everything.  Well, not knowing which would be better - the tennis ball or the softball - I bought both.  As it turns out, the softball worked better for me.  (My dog really appreciated the tennis balls, though.)  I find it has been useful for rolling around on the hamstring - just like she recommended - and the calves.  However, I also find it useful for rolling my shin muscle.

So, rolling a shin muscle with a softball is not easy.  (Kids, you may not want to try this at home.)  However, I am finding that it really makes a big difference.  After my nine-miler on the trails last Sunday, I noticed the sore spot along my shin was really bothering me.  I grabbed my trusty softball (whose other great benefit is that it is HIGHLY PORTABLE) and decided to give the shin rolling thing a whirl.  Now, I didn't come up with the idea of rolling this particular body part myself.  PT #2 actually recommended I try it a while back with a foam roller.  (That was a funny appointment, as she got down on a foam roller to try it herself before asking me to do it.  She had to make sure it was even possible.)  Well, I did roll my shin with a foam roller a couple of times, but I didn't find it that helpful.  Sunday, though, with the softball, it was like magic!  It seemed to release whatever tightness was pulling on my shin (just below the knee), and I felt relief almost immediately.  Even pressing on the sore spot, it didn't seem so sore anymore.

I don't know.  Maybe it is just my attitude that has changed, but whatever it is I will take it.  I am getting excited about runs again!  In fact, I have three in particular that I am looking forward to in the next couple of weeks:

• This weekend, I am signed up for the Scheels Run for Home.  It's a home-grown event that is in its 11th year.  I'll be doing the 10K, but I haven't decided yet if I will do it slowly (a la long run pace) or try to kill it (inasmuch as I can kill anything).  It all probably depends on how I feel Sunday morning.  Being in early April, this race has run the gamut as far as weather is concerned, but this Sunday promises to be in the 70s and partly cloudy.  Regardless of how I run, it should be an enjoyable day.

• Next on tap will be a friend's birthday run.  She's turning 42 and has invited folks to join her for all or part of a 42K jaunt around a Green Bay trail.  I've never run up there and was hoping for ten miles that weekend anyway, so I thought I would go join her for some of her run.  I love celebrating birthdays anyway, and this seems like an awesome way to do it!  (Hmm, I turn 42 later this year as well...)

• Finally, the opportunity fell into my lap to join a team for the inaugural Run Away to the Bay relay event in a couple of weeks.  Originally, I didn't plan on doing it because of my leg, but now that my confidence is creeping up there, I am excited to give it a go.  This 55-mile relay should be a lot of fun, and I am really looking forward to it.  

Happy Running (again)!

So, what runs are you looking forward to in the near future? Far future?

Have you ever tried rolling a body part with a tennis ball, softball, foam roller, anything else?  What works for you?

Have you signed up to follow the blog yet?  If you are a frequent visitor, please consider it!  I would love to know you are out there!   :)

When hitting the trails really just means FALLING

There is a definite art to tripping on the trails.  To do it right, several things have to happen.  Here is a short list of the most important things you need to stumble, bumble, tumble with aplomb.

1) Witnesses.  First and foremost, you MUST have witnesses to the tumble.  In fact, the more, the better.  Because, as any philosophy major will tell you, if you don't have witnesses, it didn't happen.  (Or, would they tell you it did happen?  Anywho ...)
2) Race week.  If you are going to trip, you must make sure it happens within five days of an upcoming race event.  Anything over five days and you are running the risk that you might actually feel okay for the event.  Five days or under and it's more of a crap shoot.
3) Invisible debris.  A good fall will leave no evidence.  (This is especially important if you have fulfilled the multiple witness requirement.)  When you - and your witnesses - look back upon the scene of the crime, there should be no earthly indication of what you possibly tripped on.  In fact, it is even better if instead of a visible rock or tree root, there is simply a series of divots in the dirt where you apparently hopped, skipped, and jumped your way to your downfall.  It gives the witnesses more things to laugh at talk about.
4) Early in the run.  Falling at the end of a run is no good.  When that happens you just get in your car and go home.  It's much better to trip in the first half mile or so, so that you have a good long time to relive the moment and can spend the rest of the run in a state of paranoid anticipation of falling again.  That way you get more bang for your clumsy buck.
5) Get dirty.  What good is a fall if you don't come away at least somewhat soiled?  Ground-in dirt and grass stains on clothes are good.  Pebbles stuck in your hands are even better.  This at least can make you feel more badass during the rest of the run, as you - of course - pick yourself up and continue on the journey.
6) Laughter.  And lots of it.  After all, if you haven't broken anything and you can still run, it wasn't that bad.

So, I had a great run with the Wednesday morning running group this morning.  Eight of us took a little field trip to the local state park to run trails.  My face-plant, which did occur in the first half mile or so of the run, was luckily just a small part of an otherwise enjoyable five miles.  If anything, the fall just makes me shake my head.  I tell myself time and time again that I am not allowed to run trails before a race - just one part of my pre-race weirdness - but I didn't listen.  I ALWAYS trip on trails the week before a race.  This weekend's Run for Home 10K is really just a training run for me.  I don't plan on racing it, but apparently it is enough of an "event" to invite trail tripping disaster.  When will I learn?

I can't hear for all the screaming muscles

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscular_system
By User:Mikael Häggström (Image:Gray190.png)
 [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

This morning I woke up to the sound of screaming muscles.  While I appreciate their right to talk, I do wish they would pipe down or shut up altogether.  After all, I have rowing to do later today and - more importantly - a trail run tomorrow, and I don't want anything to interfere with THE PLAN.

Apparently, Sunday's nine-mile trail run was tougher on the body than I thought.  All those little balancing muscles firing, all that lateral movement to get around rocks and debris - it all took its toll.  My IT bands scream when I sit down.  My hips and glutes scream when I roll over in bed.  My lower calves scream when I walk.  Even my upper back is screaming, although I don't know what's causing that unless it just feels left out of the scream-fest.

Ah well.  I am not necessarily against the soreness.  It makes me feel like I did something, and that's a good feeling.  And, generally speaking, my policy is to never regret a run.  I just get too much out of them.  However, I suppose I can be irritated if I end up hurting myself on one, or even if the general soreness sidelines me in any way for the next couple of days.

Perhaps the yoga class I had on tap for this morning will help.  It's one of those "hot" types of yoga where you really get the muscles loosened up.  I was really looking forward to this class until I woke up this morning; now I just hope it's not too late to do some good.  Suddenly, I fear it may hurt.

Bondi Band Winners!

Thanks to everyone who signed up for the Bondi Band Giveaway this past week!  Congratulations to Paula M. and Karen W. for winning the heart-patterned and Packers Bondi Bands, respectively!  Please get in touch with me regarding shipment at your earliest convenience!

Why can't I run the Ice Age Trail everyday?

So, today I had nine miles on the schedule in preparation for my May half marathon coming up.  As luck would have it, Hubby was planning on heading down to run the Ice Age Trail in Kettle Moraine's Northern Unit - about an hour from home - with another ultra runner type for an easy, four-plus hour trail run.  Seeing as my parents had agreed to watch the kids for the day, I decided I would tag along.

I knew from the start that I would not be running with Hubby or our friend, Mike.  They are way beyond my level of running.  However, I was excited to get on the trails for the first time this year and to see what this particular portion of the Ice Age was like, and if that meant running alone in the woods for a couple of hours, so be it.

When I mentioned to Mike on the drive down that I wanted to do nine miles, his response of "oh, so about two hours?" seemed off the mark.  I let it slide, though.  I didn't want to start bragging about how nine miles should only take me about an hour and forty minutes, after all.  Likewise, I shrugged off his comment that nine miles would feel more like fifteen.  I mean, I had run trails before, and sure they are a little tougher, but how bad could it be?  Well, as it turns out, this was no walk in the park.

The Ice Age Trail is a 1,000-mile footpath that highlights Wisconsin's Ice Age heritage and scenic beauty.  The portion of the Ice Age Trail that is in the Kettle Moraine Northern Unit is considered a moderate to difficult course that "follows sinuous eskers and tumbled moraines descending into bogs and deep kettles." (Source: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/name/kmn/trails.html)  In everyday language, that means there were a LOT of ups and downs - steep ones.

After saying good-bye to the big boys in the parking lot of Mauthe Lake Recreation Area, I gathered my supplies: a handheld bottle with Gatorade, one Triple Berry GU, some dates, my camera, and my phone.  I was so anxious to start out that I forgot all about the banana I had planned on eating before running. Although my tummy reminded me of that about fifteen minutes into the run, it wasn't worth turning back for it, so I would just have to make do.

Within the first half mile of trail I was already smitten with the beauty of the place.  Deciduous and pine trees stand shoulder to shoulder in a landscape alive with sound, scent, and visual abundance.  Being that it is still March, most of the trees were bare of leaves giving me a nice glimpse into the surrounding landscape, which rolls and climbs, dips and falls toward lakes, ponds, and swampy lowlands.  Frogs provided a musical backdrop to the dramatic and primitive sounding calls of sandhill cranes reverberating through the hollows.

In the 4.5-mile stretch (which I did out and back), I believe I crossed three roads, but aside from a couple of cars driving by on those roads, I did not see a single person the entire time I was out.  In fact, I barely saw any wildlife.  I saw some geese flying overhead and two sandhill cranes.  But it wasn't until the last couple miles of the run that I saw my "greatest find" - a bushy-tailed fox.  The only reason I saw him at all was because there wasn't any cover in the woods for him to hide behind.  I would have loved to get a picture, but he saw me about the same time that I saw him.  And, apparently, he didn't want to have anything to do with me, because faster than I could pull out my camera, he turned tail and ran.  Before I knew it, he was gone.

The trail itself seemed pretty technical to me.  It was at turns muddy, grassy, and rocky.  Leaf litter did a good job of hiding rocks and tree roots, and I managed to turn my ankle once before I realized I would have to stop gawking at the landscape and pay more attention to where I was putting my feet.  Then there were those steep climbs and descents, which I found very challenging.  I ended up walking most of the steeper hills and a fair amount of the downhills, too.  Otherwise, though, I felt pretty good with the steady clip I was able to maintain throughout the run.  In a way, I feel I redeemed myself after my doomed Ice Age Trail Half Marathon last year.  Running that while sick, it took me 3 hours and 15 minutes to cross the finish line.  At least today's nine miles in two hours showed me that I am better than what that time last year reflects (though I think I could do better still!).

In the end, today's trail run was amazing.  I will agree that running a trail like this one is really taxing.  So, yes, I can see where, physically, nine miles would feel like fifteen.  (In fact, I feel I may have tweaked every injury trigger point my body has.) However, mentally, those nine miles felt more like five.  Whereas on the road, when doing a longer run, I always feel ready to be done in the last couple of miles, the last couple of miles from today's run left me feeling sad that the experience was almost over.   Really, I just can't wait to get back.

To end, here are some photos from today's run.  They don't do the trail justice, though.

Start of the trail for me. 

Following a ridge line.

Running along a "saddle" between two lower lying areas.

One of many uphill battles

Rocky uphill trail

More rocks

Mossy rocky part of trail

Thankful for the trail markers.  No getting lost

Down we go

Nice views

Favorite stretch of the trail

Boggy approach to river

At the end of a trail run, muddy shoes mean a trail well run!

That's all!

Running dates (and no I don't mean going on a date date)

Have you signed up for the Bondi Band Giveaway yet?  Just a reminder that this is the last day to sign up.  I'll be randomly picking two lucky winners tomorrow!  Go to my Bondi Band Review and Giveaway page for details.

Have you ever wondered what fifteen pounds of dates look like? Wonder no more!  Yesterday, I was very excited to get this ginormous box of gorgeous dates in the mail.

Why so many dates, you ask?  Well, because Distance Dude and I actually find them pretty good food to eat while running.  I don't even know how we first stumbled upon the idea a year or so ago.  I know after ODing on GUs in a long run a few years ago, I am no longer a huge fan of them.  I can tolerate one or two, but the longer I run the more I need to eat.  And, once I get past three during a run, my stomach starts to rebel.  Somehow they are just too sweet for me.  Switching to Margarita Clif Shot Bloks  seemed to be the solution to the GU dilemma, but they get old after a while as well.  So I was looking for something that could replace your typical GU but still be useful for running.  At the same time, Hubby was also looking for foods that he could carry on his long runs to offset some of the GUs that he was taking in, especially as his mileage got longer and longer.  I guess you could say that the idea of eating real foods while running was just plain more appealing.  After experimenting a bit with dates, we both found that they do seem to do the trick.

And, we're not the only ones who think so.  According to Brian Willett's article What Fruits are High in Carbohydrates, on Livestrong.com, "The high calorie density of dates may make them a good choice for endurance athletes or those engaged in intense workouts." 

Ten dried dates contain 61 grams of carbohydrates and 228 calories (Food sources high in carbohydrates, Time-to-Run.com), so the ratio is not too different than, say, a Vanilla Bean GU (which has 25 grams of carbs per 100 calories).  Dates are high in potassium and purportedly have many additional health benefits.  According to the article The health benefits of eating dates on the site Frederic Petenaude: Common Sense Advice on the Raw Food Diet, dates can do everything from helping with intestinal disturbances and heart problems to cutting your risk of stroke and lowering LDL cholesterol.  Of particular interest to endurance athletes, however, may be that dates are digested very easily and therefore are good for supplying quick energy.  Also, dates are rich in iron and can be beneficial to those who suffer from anemia. (http://www.fredericpatenaude.com/)

What makes dates great for the average runner, though, is that they carry really well and, at least for me, are easy on the tummy.   I have experimented with them on my two-hour exercise days, where I will run an hour, eat some dates, and then hop on the elliptical for an hour.  I find they don't upset my tummy, they get rid of any hungry feeling I have, and I definitely have energy to continue my exercise.  Dates seem to store forever in the freezer, and they can in fact be eaten straight out of the freezer.

Ideally, the best dates for running would be a drier variety, so they don't stick together.  According to the good folks at Shields Date Gardens, where we ordered our dates on sale, a drier variety would be Thoory - which unfortunately had a bad year this past year - or Deglet Noors.  Since we were looking for a sale purchase, we ended up with this huge box of Khadrawi.  This is a chewier date that is a little moister than I would have liked, but they sure taste good.

If there is any downside to running with dates, it would be the pits.  You can buy pitted dates, but they are more expensive.  So, what to do with the pits?  Normally, I am very much against littering, but is it so bad to spit these out?  I mean, they are natural and will break down - eventually.  And, being in Northeast Wisconsin, I seriously doubt we're in danger of planting unwanted date palms over the countryside, thus introducing an invasive species.  Hmm, I'll have to think about that.  Also, I suppose if you don't like the idea of carrying five dates versus one GU packet, that is a problem, too.  Going on longer runs, though, with a hydration belt or other hydration carrying solution, I find I have plenty of pockets to carry the dates.  Anyway, food for thought if you are looking for another source of energy on your longer runs.

A day off from ~ everything ~

So, I am savoring my day off from running, rowing, strength, yoga, everything today.  Why Saturdays have developed into my official day off every week, I do not know, but it seems to work out great for us.

Saturdays are the days I don't have to:

• Get up early - well, until my children come bouncing into the bedroom to remind me I promised them pancakes.  
• Be anywhere - well, unless it is something we want to do as a family. 
• Feel bad about being lazy - although when I think about the fact that I have been up for hours  and this is the first chance I have to really sit down, I am reminded that the rest of the day will be much of the same.
• Move - unless you count the fact that later today I'll be either swimming or at the gymnastics center with my kids.  

But, it's all okay.  That's what Saturdays are for.  They are for resting, recovering, savoring, and just plain doing other things.  At least for me.  Tomorrow I will get back into the swing of things.  On the agenda is a nine-mile trail run with the Big Boys.  Well, sort of.  More on that tomorrow.

Last but not least, another self-portrait to end this post with.  I am really not a basketball fan, but I was very sad to see Michigan State lose in the Sweet Sixteen the other day.  As you can tell, I have been expressing my MSU pride this past week with my sweet MSU tech shirt.  Maybe next year!

Do you have a planned day off from exercise?  What do you do with it?

One small step for rowing; one giant leap for parentkind

Today's 5,500-meter row was a little less than ideal.  For some reason, I wasn't feeling too into it, and it didn't help that with the Little Guy on the loose "keeping me company," I couldn't even plug in The Lord of the Rings.  Oh, I SO wanted to know what was going to happen next.  (Oh, wait, I already know.  I've read the books and seen the movies multiple times.  Geek alert!  Geek alert!)

Anyway, while I appreciate LG coming down to keep me company while I row, I know he does so begrudgingly.  Seriously, the boy hates me on the ERG.  I tried to ask him why today, but his vague response of "it takes too long" smacked of lack of detail.  I may not know the whole gripe, but today at least I think I know what was getting him grumpy, and it had to do with this:

Source: http://www.rovio.com/ 

My children are completely obsessed with the Angry Bird games, and I rue the day we ever installed them on our computer.  It all started innocently enough.  Kids were talking about it at school.  It sounded kind of fun, and we thought, why not?  We don't really allow them that much computer time or TV time anyway, so what's the harm of a silly little game?  It might even teach them something about physics, what with all the trajectory elements, right?  Little did I know.  If our involvement with the game was simply limited to playing it, that would be fine.  The problem is that there is constant talk about it, too.  Angry Birds, Angry Birds, Angry Birds.  Argh!  And, just when I thought their interest might be waning, along came the promise of Angry Birds Space - weeks ago.  Completely befuddled, I have watched my kids anticipate this new game as if it were Christmas.

Well, today was the day.  We downloaded it for $4.99 - at least it's cheap - and now my kids have spent more time than advisable investigating the intricacies of zero gravity as it pertains to slingshotting a small avian through space, into the gravitational pull of micro-sized planets, all for the pleasure of bumping off pigs.  Did I mention we're vegetarian?  It all just seems so wrong.  Oh well, I am obviously alone in my misgivings.  Besides my kids, my husband and even my parents have been known to play Angry Birds.  I, like the apparent Angry Bird loser I am, am only called in when reinforcements are required and no one else is around.

So, back to today's row.  Although LG never likes me on the ERG, today I have to imagine that his displeasure had less to do with the principle of the thing and everything to do with the fact that I was imposing a no-Angry-Birds break on him.  Grouse, whine, pbbbbttttt.

I have to say, though, it wasn't all bad.  I had a load of laundry in the washer and one in the dryer, and I discovered something very important today that I had failed to realize before.  You see, we have a front loading setup that is not mounted on any stands.  To move laundry around, I have to really bend and strain and stretch to complete the task.  I do not enjoy this, and I have said it before and I will say it again - these things were NOT built for adults to use.  Ahhhhh, but that is where the "wasn't all bad" part comes in.  These machines WERE apparently built for four-year-olds to use.

While I continued to row my boat unenthusiastically down my imaginary stream today, I diverted LG from further whining about how slow I was going (and thus reinforcing the negative view I already had of my workout) by cleverly directing him through the laundry process: empty dryer, move wet clothes from washer to dryer, throw in dirty towels from basket to washer, close all doors.  Done!  The beauty of this whole thing was that LG actually enjoyed doing it.  I felt so smug.  What a win-win situation!  Next it's to get him a chair, so I can guide him through laundry detergent pouring and button pushing.  Okay, so maybe he's not ready for those steps, but a parent can dream, can't she?

So, I want to know...If you have small kids what tricks do you use to get in some exercise while they are about?

Also, don't forget the Bondi Band Giveaway, going on until March 24.  Go here for details.

My feet have (finally!) found a new home AND Bondi Band Giveaway

And, we have a winner!  (Drumroll, maestro, if you please................)

Saucony Cortanas!

Ok, so anyone who has been following my blog of late knows that I have struggled with finding some new shoes.  I don't know why this has to be so hard, but it is.  After years of being told that I am a neutral runner who overpronates ever so slightly on one side - and, ergo, should wear neutral shoes - the most recent round of shoe buying necessity has found the situation changed. Now it seems everyone from my PT to the sales folks at the local running stores are telling me essentially that maybe I should do something about that overpronating-ever-so-slightly thing.  Huh?  Welcome to the search for mild stability, folks.

After over a year in the Nike Pegasus - the marshmallow of running shoes as I have come to know them - not to mention a year of trying to go more minimal, I was tasked with finding a shoe that offers mild support.  

I guess I could see the point.  There is that lingering injury thing, and I do overpronate a bit.  While this should not be a problem on most shorter runs, I want to go looooooooooong.  When I go long, my form suffers, and everything starts to collapse.  

Anyway, the search began, and, as it turns out, the tricky part has been that I only need mild stability - not full-blown stability.  I guess I would incur other problems with that.  To complicate matters, since I have been having issues with my right foot as well (my bigger foot as it turns out), I needed to find a shoe with a wide toe box, too.  Ugh.  

I ended up going to the local running store probably three different times to try on shoes.  Each time, the salesperson pulled out at least nine different boxes of shoes for me to try on.  With every one there was a problem - either I didn't like them or the salesperson didn't like them on me. Go figure.  Then came the Cortanas.  (Cue choir of angels singing.) As soon as I slipped these puppies on, I knew there was potential. Even initially, when the shoes I tried on were a half size too small (because that is all they had), they felt right on my feet.   So, I waited patiently for the correct size to come in, and I went to try them on again.  Again, my feet seemed to like them.  There was hope.  However, I made myself walk away for a few days.  I didn't want to rush into anything.  These are not cheap shoes, people!  In fact, my stomach still clenches a bit when I think about the price.  The company will tell you that the shoes will last 500-600 miles (so longer than your typical running shoe), and I have to say that is the ONLY thing that makes this acceptable to me - well, that, and they were the only shoes that felt good after weeks of searching.  

So, now I have worn the Cortanas four times, and I am happy.  The first two times I wore them for two miles each day and really noticed my lower legs working.  It was hard getting used to the 4 mm drop. The third day I threw caution to the wind and wore them for eight miles and felt great.  Yesterday, I wore them for four miles and barely noticed them.  We have a winner!

So, what are the particulars?  Well, they are technically considered a neutral shoe, but they have enough support to cross over into the mild stability category.  They are firm feeling underneath (so quite different from the Pegasus), but with a slightly cushiony feel to them over the firmness.  There are no overlays across the toe box, so I don't feel like my toes are strapped down when I run. (I haven't noticed my foot issue this past week!)  If I have any complaints, it would be that they seem to hug the ankle a little more than I would like, and on the right foot there is a piece of fabric that is poking down a bit near the base of my little toe.  I guess I'll have to see if that becomes an issue or not.  If it does, I feel confident that a piece of duct tape will do the trick.  So, we'll see.  So far, I am happy with these.  Hopefully, my body will be too.  Time will tell.

But wait, there may be another!  In the throes of my shoe-buying odyssey, I also tried on - just for giggles, you understand - this shoe:

Altra Intuition

The Altra Intuition is a zero-drop shoe that feels amazing on my feet.  It's not as cushiony comfy as the Cortanas by any stretch of the imagination, but it feels like it was cut to the shape of my foot.  Talk about room to spread the toes.  I actually tried these on in a full size too small, but the correct size is heading my way, and I can't wait to give them a whirl.  They are definitely not a stability shoe, but for shorter runs, I think they would feel amazing.  Anyway, I'll know more later.

So, now all that's left is to search for a good trail shoe.  (Deep breath.)  I think I'll wait a couple of weeks before starting that.

To finally wrap things up, here's a shot after a very hot, sweaty four-mile run yesterday.  

I don't know what is going on, but weather in Northeast Wisconsin should NOT be 80 degrees in March.  I guess I'll come clean and admit it - I like winter and I feel like I missed out this year.  Oh well.  

You'll notice that I am sporting a brand new Bondi Band.  I am not kidding, folks, I really like these.  Have you signed up for the Bondi Band giveaway?  It's still going on until March 24!  Sign up now!

Sharing Motivation and Thank You

What a difference a day makes.

Yesterday, I wrote HERE about how I felt so sorry for myself, because my running life wasn't shaping up to be quite as exciting this year as it was last year.  I forced myself to list ten things that I was grateful for this running year, and then I walked away from it for the day.

Today, I feel so much better.  However, feeling better has less to do with the cathartic value of my list-making, and everything to do with one response I got to the post on my Facebook page.  The response reminded me that motivation comes in many forms, and that sometimes things happen that are beyond our control, and that really our very character is comprised of the net result of what we make of less-than-ideal situations.  In other words, something not going your way?  What are you going to do?  Curl up on the couch and cry or "make lemonade out of lemons?"  I have always considered myself the latter type, but sometimes even I need to be reminded that - while some things are out of my control - others are not, and in the end I am in charge of my own happiness.

I really appreciated the comment and the couple of others responses I got as well for another reason.  While I say over and over again that I am writing this blog for myself and it doesn't really matter if people follow along or not, the truth is that it does matter.  Part of the reason for writing this was so that I could interact with other runners in the community and further afield who share like interests and goals - to share motivation with others.  It means a lot to me to hear back from others, to share that motivation, swap stories, and get ideas.  So, thank you for the responses!

In other news:

I am on the planning committee for our local marathon's training runs this summer, and we had out first meeting of the year last night.  I love being a part of this group.  It's so much fun to put these things together and help others get their training in for their big fall goal events.  But what makes for good training runs?  I want to know what you think!

If you take part in any organized training run programs - not online, but rather live-and-in-person through a local club - what do you like most about the experience?  I would really like to know!

Also, don't forget the Bondi Band giveaway.  If you haven't signed up yet, you have until March 24.  Go HERE for details, my review, and to sign up.

Why Running Has Got Me Down Today

Sometimes I grow tired of being average.

I look at all the amazing accomplishments my friends - not to mention Hubby - are making, and I mentally groan, wondering why I am not right there with them.  I have friends starting incredible journeys this year: shooting for a 100-miler and 50Ks, endeavoring on a career as a pacer, going for Marathon Maniacs, running Boston, gunning for 3:30 marathons, running for yearly mileage goals; the list goes on.

I smile for them, I support them, I cheer them on.  I celebrate them.

And ... I feel sorry for myself.  (How wrong is that?)

Maybe I am finally feeling the letdown after last year.  Last year was my year of accomplishment: five half marathons, a half marathon PR, the Pikes Peak Ascent, all rounded out nicely by my second full marathon ever, which was a PR, too.  But what have I done for myself lately?

This year has thus far been marred by injury and disappointment.  My May marathon has been dropped to a half marathon.  And, except for one huge event on the horizon, there are no little challenges along the way to sharpen my focus.

I know every year probably can't be the big year of accomplishment, but - damn - I miss that.

So, in order not to feel sorry for myself, I am going to list the 10 things - running-related - that this year IS offering me (in no particular order of importance):

1. A chance to better learn my body through the injury and recovery process
2. The chance to learn to embrace other forms of exercise besides running and build greater general fitness through cross-training
3. A 5-Mile PR
4. The best consistent running times so far - the promise of speed
5. The chance to better get to know some of the great friends I have made these past couple of years
6. The opportunity to give back by volunteering at some awesome events coming up, including a 50-mile ultra
7. The chance to write more about the avocation I love - running - through this blog and two different newsletters
8. The opportunity to be the best cheerleader I can be
9. The best end-of-winter running weather I have ever seen
10. And, then, that huge event on the horizon, which alternately looms darkly and radiates the promise of that elusive "accomplishment" that I seem to crave

So, really, it's time to stop feeling sorry for myself.  There are opportunities everywhere.  I just have to look for them and realize they may not always fall into the narrowly focused definition of "accomplishment" as I understand it.

Time to get doing!

Make me smile.  I want to hear what are the things you are grateful for today?

What will constitute an "accomplishment" for you this year?

Signed up for the Bondi Band giveaway?  Go here for details.