I took a week off. Six entire days without running. I'm going to go ahead and say it: it was kinda nice. I've been running quite steadily since January 1st, with a couple of weeks off here and there, and running a pretty strict training schedule for just short of two months now. So it was a nice break to just not run for a few days. Although, I didn't plan it this way. Jamie said he was going to take a week off after our last long run, but I didn't think I could afford to take time off for fear of losing progress. But life interferred a little bit, and I think it was for the best.
Boy oh boy, did I have a week. I had the kind of week that makes you feel a little crazy. I was riding my bike two days ago (coming to the end of the aforementioned week) and saw a moving truck with a ramp. And because I was feeling a little nutty, I thought, for a split second, of how outrageous it would be to ride my bike up into that truck without hitting the brakes. Not in a dangerous or self-destructive kind of way, just sort of imagining how ridiculous that would be. It was that kind of week.
So I did a little retail therapy. Some supa-fly running shoes and a ballin' new iPod nano. It's all for the running, folks. The iPod was a bit of an impulse buy as I was charging my tiny iPod shuffle and noticed it didn't seem to be connecting correctly to my computer. It's probably broken beyond repair, so I NEED a new one, no question about it. New iPod is in the mail...shazam! As for the shoes, Jamie and I went to the Boulder Running Company. I have to admit, I've been avoiding that place. You know the people who work there are super gung-ho about running and shoes and I'm quite cheap and tend to be skeptical about gel-enhanced soles and sweat-wicking body suits. But I got really lucky and had the great pleasure of being assisted by Mike (or maybe it was John, I glanced at his nametag, it was definitely one of those). Mike, Mike, Mike. You really made my day. First of all, this man brought out three shoes to try, of which I instantly picked my favorite. We then proceeded to the treadmill where they record your running form in the shoes and evaluate whether or not it's a good fit. And these babies were like my own Ironman suit...custom tailored to my apparently very confusing feet. That's right, my feet measure a size seven in length but a size six in some other form of measurement that is known only to the world of shoe salesmen. I know, it's a total mind blow. But Mike wasn't even phased by this abnormality. No way, Jose. He found me the perfect shoe, right off the bat. And, the best part about Mike was that he happens to be an expert marathon runner, ("well, I've only run seven" he says to the first time marathoner who is in awe of his awesomeness). And, it gets better. He used to live in D.C. and though he never ran the Marine Corps Marathon, he did pace a few of his friends through their last few miles, so he is super familiar with the course.
Now, I've been pretty adament about not knowing anything about the course of the race. I tend to adhere to the "what you don't know can't hurt you" philosophy. My parents have seen the course, Jamie and his family have seen it, but I didn't want to know anything about it. Until I met Mike and he unknowingly ruined this strategy for me. But it's ok because not only did I get a very descriptive run-through of the route, but he also gave me a very big tip which I would have regretted not knowing: the last .65 mile of the race is up a steep hill. So, he says, "incorporate some fatigue uphill in your long runs so that you are mentally prepared for that last stretch because it will be hard." Luckily, I now live on the tallest hill in residential Boulder, even taller than the last hill I lived on. So a big thanks to Mike, who was full of information and advice, and completely empty of a big huge ego. I will most definitely be going back to that store because it is full of experienced marathoners and at least one ultra-ist (an ultra marathon is 100 miles!)who love talking about running.
So after six days off, I went for my long run yesterday, as scheduled, an 11-miler. It took a few miles to work out the kinks that had developed. And, although I knew all experts would advise against this, I wore my brand new kicks. Great decision! It was a lovely evening on the Creek Path, and I was rocking to a new playlist (titled "funky fresh"). Looks like Jamie and I will be running our long runs separately because he started school for the fall and his schedule doesn't allow for long runs on Wednesdays anymore. I have to say, I was bummed about this at first, because despite all of my teasing and jokes, Jamie is the ideal running partner and I have a lot of fun on long runs with him. But I have a new gadget coming soon and two months to really find my chi on long runs. Besides, who's to say this is the only marathon Jamie and I will train for?!
Here is a link to the 3-D Map of the MCM course. I still haven't watched it though, I want to have a few surprises...I've never been to Washington, D.C.!
http://www.marinemarathon.com/mcm_community/Video_Archives/3D_Video_Course_Tour.htm
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
12 Wheat Thins and a Spoonful of Chia
Just wanted to start this blog out with a bang. Badda bing, badda boom. Yesterday, we were scheduled to run 15 miles. We chose to run a route that included a trail run at Chautaqua. But this did not go as intended. Allow me to explain. Jamie and I read this book called "Born to Run," which is a must read if you're even remotely interested in running. Anyway, we've picked up some pretty radical ideas from there, such as barefoot running, and these potent little buggers called chia seeds. Yes, we're talkin' "ch-ch-ch-chia" seeds. They're one secret of the Tarahumara people, who are legendary long-distance runners. These folks are known to run 60 miles a day...just because they can. Supposedly, one tablespoon of chia seeds can sustain a person's energy for 24 hours, because they slow the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar. Which means increasing endurance. So, Jamie and I headed over to our local chia seed provider, Whole Foods, and picked up a bag. The best way to consume them is to soak them in water and they form this funky gel (because they absorb 9 to 12 times their body weight in water), which you can then mix into yogurt, juice, smoothies, and just about anything. So here's a couple pictures of these babies:
From my house, we ran up 9th street to Chautaqua, which, if you're familiar with Boulder, means we ran at least the first three miles uphill. And I mean super uphill. So the warm up was a bit more brutal than what we're used to on long run days. And let me be honest, I wanted to quit when we were barely 3 miles in. But I'm a tough cookie these days, and there was no way I was going to call it quits so early. Jamie handled it like a champ, of course. So we pushed on, trying to conquer 5.7 miles out on this difficult trail, and 5.7 back. But we also had to beat the sunset, because darkness on a trail spells disaster. Especially for someone like me, who is so very prone to sprained ankles. We were going back and fourth, trying to decide if we should just head back early and tack on some extra miles when we got back onto pavement. It was a tough call, but ulitmately we decided it was best not to risk it, we both want to be able to run that marathon, so injuries have to be avoided at all costs. This time, we thought we should try to bring some food. Although, one of the magical things about chia seeds is that they help you stay full longer, so we never really felt hungry on this run. But I did bring along 12 wheat thins, of which we only ate 2 each. Here they are, in all their glory:
So we turned back on the trail earlier than expected, but we ended up running about 13 miles still. Which is really hard to be disappointed about because that was the most difficult route we've run so far. We plan to head back to the same trail on a short run day because it was really beautiful and very quiet. As for the chia seeds, they're quite miraculous. Aside from the previously mentioned benefits, they are loaded with Omega 3s, they help you stay hydrated longer because of their gelishness, they're a complete protein so they aid in repairing muscles, and they're totally wacky to play with and eat! Jamie and I both felt that if we hadn't ended up on such a challenging trail, we could have easily completed 15 miles, and probably more because we never "hit the wall" on that run. We usually "hit the wall" at miles 9-11ish. So, in my own humble opinion, I'd say that the Tarahumara have really tapped into something special with those chia seeds, I really do believe they made a huge difference in our running performances yesterday. The wheat thins...not so much.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
New Jammie Jams
And no, I'm not talkin' about some cozy new p.j.s that feel oh-so-snuggly when you curl up in bed at night.
I'm talkin' about a real fresh little collection of music that my amiga, Hay-bob Berg sent to me via mail. It's quite a bangin' little ensemble. In an earlier post, I asked if anyone had any good running music suggestions and Miss Hayley sure did deliver! There's some spicy Shakira, a little loco song about a monkey being the king of the "bongo bong," "September" by Earth, Wind, and Fire, and a fantastic running song called "Starlight" by Muse. So this is a big thanks to my dear friend for being totally super-fantastic and giving me some new beats to pound the pavement to. It was a really great gift of music, but also nice to know that Hayley's got my back!
I think I just ran 7.5 miles, I hope it was 7.5 because it took me too long to just be 7 miles. Otherwise, I'm a whole lot slower than I thought it was.
Anyway, I just wanted to give a shout out - peace be with you readers.
I'm talkin' about a real fresh little collection of music that my amiga, Hay-bob Berg sent to me via mail. It's quite a bangin' little ensemble. In an earlier post, I asked if anyone had any good running music suggestions and Miss Hayley sure did deliver! There's some spicy Shakira, a little loco song about a monkey being the king of the "bongo bong," "September" by Earth, Wind, and Fire, and a fantastic running song called "Starlight" by Muse. So this is a big thanks to my dear friend for being totally super-fantastic and giving me some new beats to pound the pavement to. It was a really great gift of music, but also nice to know that Hayley's got my back!
I think I just ran 7.5 miles, I hope it was 7.5 because it took me too long to just be 7 miles. Otherwise, I'm a whole lot slower than I thought it was.
Anyway, I just wanted to give a shout out - peace be with you readers.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
La Quinta
Jamie and I trudged through 14 very long miles yesterday. Very long indeed.
It took just about 2 hours and 45 minutes. And we made the very stupid mistake of not bringing any food or fuel besides our collective 30 ounces of water. And on top of that, this was our first morning run, so besides a few bites of some homemade granola, we hadn't eaten since the night before. I think this made a huge impact on how we both felt. A litte bite of something would have been really fantastic at about mile 9 or 10. I also have reason to believe that this oversight led to a little case of the grumpies for us both. Believe it or not, 14 mile runs aren't all fun and games. There are definitely times when I want to kick J's foot from behind (you know, when you kick a foot just as it's being lifted to take a step and then the that leg kind of shoots up really fast and it looks quite hilarious) and I'm sure he feels the same way. But we're both pretty understanding of the fact that our snappiness is most likely a reaction to the exhaustion that we're experiencing.
Some of you millions of readers out there might not know that Jamie is a scientist in all moments. One of Jamie's signature moves while on a run is to distract himself by exploring the world around him, investigating his surroundings. Sometimes this means he slows down unexpectedly and squints his eyes at some random insect or animal and then says something like "huh, I wonder if grass hoppers come out more during certain times of the day or if they're just plentiful on this trail."
One move that he's been pulling lately is to grab the apples off of crab apple trees while we're running under them so that he can take a bite of one.
And I don't think he realizes that when he does this and I'm running behind him, he also pulls the branch down right on my head while simultaneously slowing his pace drastically. What this means is that I have to duck suddenly and try to dart out of the way and then run into him like we're tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum. But these quirky things that Jamie does while on long runs are what keep him moving and loving the run, and I dig that. And I know that when he asks me stuff like "what would you do if there was an alligator in that pond?" (my answer was "wrangle it, duh") he's just trying to keep me in the game. Good running partner, he is.
We also had a testy little moment when I was complaining about having to pee and needing to find a spot along the trail to do so. Jamie was running in front of me and said something that I couldn't hear or understand and was pointing to something. This is how it went down from my point of view:
[Jamie and Rachel are beginning the trail section of their run. It's quite flat with long, dry grasses on either side of the path. The sun is behind them and they are running towards a small pond with a little cluster of trees.]
J: (Pointing with his left hand to something far away) Mumble mumble pee mumble mmmmmuble lake muble mum when mummmmmble.
R: (Brow furrowed, scanning the area for pee spot) What?
J: (A little louder, pointing more vigorously) Mumble mumble mumble blah blah when mmmmumble pee mumble grumble...!
R: (Pretty much just giving up the attempt at understanding what J's saying) What?! I really can't hear you back here!
J: (Turns head slightly to the left, annoyed, now pointing violently) WHEN YOU GOT TO PEE!
R: (Now more confused than ever....was that a question or a fragmented sentence...??) Oh...ok! I'm just going to pee right here! (Really not sure what just happened or what J was trying to say this whole time.)
Clearly, long runs are not all glamourous and lovey-dovey. No sir-ey. It's serious business out there.
We were both considerably sore after that run, and we spent the rest of the day rewarding ourselves. First we had breakfast at Le Peep (it's the next best thing to breakfast in bed), followed by a little beer tasting at New Belgium in Ft. Collins. Thanks to my parents (and originally my mom's previous employer), we had a gift certificate for on night at La Quinta (classiest joint around)
in Loveland and a gift certificate for a chef's tasting menu and wine pairing at a lovely little restaurant called Chimney Park. So after New Belgium, we took a nice nap and a dip in the hot tub at La Quinta. And then Jamie put on his best pair of Chucks and a Polo and we headed to dinner. Which was delightful, to say the least. I realize this is a blog about training, but I'm also a foodie, so I have to satisfy that side of myself because this is my blog, after all, and so I can type whatever my little heart desires. Neither Jamie nor myself have ever had the pleasure of partaking in a chef's tasting menu or wine pairing. It was four courses paired with four wines, and we each had a different dish for each course. So we split everything to ensure we got the most out of the evening. Chad was a very informative server and made us feel relaxed and taken care of. So "holla!" to Chad. I'll spare the details of every individual dish, but you should rest assured that it was a perfect ending to a very enjoyable day.
It took just about 2 hours and 45 minutes. And we made the very stupid mistake of not bringing any food or fuel besides our collective 30 ounces of water. And on top of that, this was our first morning run, so besides a few bites of some homemade granola, we hadn't eaten since the night before. I think this made a huge impact on how we both felt. A litte bite of something would have been really fantastic at about mile 9 or 10. I also have reason to believe that this oversight led to a little case of the grumpies for us both. Believe it or not, 14 mile runs aren't all fun and games. There are definitely times when I want to kick J's foot from behind (you know, when you kick a foot just as it's being lifted to take a step and then the that leg kind of shoots up really fast and it looks quite hilarious) and I'm sure he feels the same way. But we're both pretty understanding of the fact that our snappiness is most likely a reaction to the exhaustion that we're experiencing.
Some of you millions of readers out there might not know that Jamie is a scientist in all moments. One of Jamie's signature moves while on a run is to distract himself by exploring the world around him, investigating his surroundings. Sometimes this means he slows down unexpectedly and squints his eyes at some random insect or animal and then says something like "huh, I wonder if grass hoppers come out more during certain times of the day or if they're just plentiful on this trail."
One move that he's been pulling lately is to grab the apples off of crab apple trees while we're running under them so that he can take a bite of one.
And I don't think he realizes that when he does this and I'm running behind him, he also pulls the branch down right on my head while simultaneously slowing his pace drastically. What this means is that I have to duck suddenly and try to dart out of the way and then run into him like we're tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum. But these quirky things that Jamie does while on long runs are what keep him moving and loving the run, and I dig that. And I know that when he asks me stuff like "what would you do if there was an alligator in that pond?" (my answer was "wrangle it, duh") he's just trying to keep me in the game. Good running partner, he is.
We also had a testy little moment when I was complaining about having to pee and needing to find a spot along the trail to do so. Jamie was running in front of me and said something that I couldn't hear or understand and was pointing to something. This is how it went down from my point of view:
[Jamie and Rachel are beginning the trail section of their run. It's quite flat with long, dry grasses on either side of the path. The sun is behind them and they are running towards a small pond with a little cluster of trees.]
J: (Pointing with his left hand to something far away) Mumble mumble pee mumble mmmmmuble lake muble mum when mummmmmble.
R: (Brow furrowed, scanning the area for pee spot) What?
J: (A little louder, pointing more vigorously) Mumble mumble mumble blah blah when mmmmumble pee mumble grumble...!
R: (Pretty much just giving up the attempt at understanding what J's saying) What?! I really can't hear you back here!
J: (Turns head slightly to the left, annoyed, now pointing violently) WHEN YOU GOT TO PEE!
R: (Now more confused than ever....was that a question or a fragmented sentence...??) Oh...ok! I'm just going to pee right here! (Really not sure what just happened or what J was trying to say this whole time.)
Clearly, long runs are not all glamourous and lovey-dovey. No sir-ey. It's serious business out there.
We were both considerably sore after that run, and we spent the rest of the day rewarding ourselves. First we had breakfast at Le Peep (it's the next best thing to breakfast in bed), followed by a little beer tasting at New Belgium in Ft. Collins. Thanks to my parents (and originally my mom's previous employer), we had a gift certificate for on night at La Quinta (classiest joint around)
in Loveland and a gift certificate for a chef's tasting menu and wine pairing at a lovely little restaurant called Chimney Park. So after New Belgium, we took a nice nap and a dip in the hot tub at La Quinta. And then Jamie put on his best pair of Chucks and a Polo and we headed to dinner. Which was delightful, to say the least. I realize this is a blog about training, but I'm also a foodie, so I have to satisfy that side of myself because this is my blog, after all, and so I can type whatever my little heart desires. Neither Jamie nor myself have ever had the pleasure of partaking in a chef's tasting menu or wine pairing. It was four courses paired with four wines, and we each had a different dish for each course. So we split everything to ensure we got the most out of the evening. Chad was a very informative server and made us feel relaxed and taken care of. So "holla!" to Chad. I'll spare the details of every individual dish, but you should rest assured that it was a perfect ending to a very enjoyable day.
Friday, August 6, 2010
I swear, there is definitely some sort of cosmic occurance that is entirely inexplicable. Something that just isn't normal....I've mentioned it before, but a second occurance makes it quite astounding, indeed.
I ended my most recent long run (nine miles) with the wacky sounds of Michael Jacky. Oh yes. Anybody ever heard of a little song called "Thriller?" Well, allow me to introduce you to a bumpin' beat that will certainly make you shake your tail feathers. The last half mile of that run was...thrilling...to say the least.
It was my first solo long run in a few weeks, and I was having a bit of trouble in the beginning finding that sweet stride. But it is a great route and I lucked out, yet again, with the weather. I try not to get too mushy in these posts because, let's face it, a little bit of warm and fuzzy goes a long way. But I must acknowledge the fact that I have once and for all, fallen deep in love with running. It's a challenge for me every time, whether it's three miles or fourteen (next week!). Every time I step out my front door, I have to face myself. I have to spend a significant amount of time keeping myself motivated and revved up. But once I'm out there, I have the freedom to address all of the things in life that cause me stress, anxiety, excitement, sadness, and everything in between. It's just me and my beating heart and the road. I know, I know, this is all terribly cheesy. But I'm sure you know exactly what I mean, whether you're a runner or not. Life is too big to swallow in just one dose...best to break it down into smaller pieces to appreciate the complexity.
Anyway...
So I'm climbing up one of the millions of hills in B-town during the last mile or so of my run. And it's looking bleak. I'm tired and feeling oh-so-jello-jiggly. Every step is like hanging out in the Millennium Falcon....before you kick that baby into lightspeed (i.e. very slow). But then my ears perk up at the sound of his holiness, Sir Michael Jackson. Thriller. 'Nuff said.
After a long run on Wednesday, a very big and tiring move-in day on Thursday, plus a nice, long day in a miserably hot kitchen today....I'm feeling pooped.
Goodnight party people.
I ended my most recent long run (nine miles) with the wacky sounds of Michael Jacky. Oh yes. Anybody ever heard of a little song called "Thriller?" Well, allow me to introduce you to a bumpin' beat that will certainly make you shake your tail feathers. The last half mile of that run was...thrilling...to say the least.
It was my first solo long run in a few weeks, and I was having a bit of trouble in the beginning finding that sweet stride. But it is a great route and I lucked out, yet again, with the weather. I try not to get too mushy in these posts because, let's face it, a little bit of warm and fuzzy goes a long way. But I must acknowledge the fact that I have once and for all, fallen deep in love with running. It's a challenge for me every time, whether it's three miles or fourteen (next week!). Every time I step out my front door, I have to face myself. I have to spend a significant amount of time keeping myself motivated and revved up. But once I'm out there, I have the freedom to address all of the things in life that cause me stress, anxiety, excitement, sadness, and everything in between. It's just me and my beating heart and the road. I know, I know, this is all terribly cheesy. But I'm sure you know exactly what I mean, whether you're a runner or not. Life is too big to swallow in just one dose...best to break it down into smaller pieces to appreciate the complexity.
Anyway...
So I'm climbing up one of the millions of hills in B-town during the last mile or so of my run. And it's looking bleak. I'm tired and feeling oh-so-jello-jiggly. Every step is like hanging out in the Millennium Falcon....before you kick that baby into lightspeed (i.e. very slow). But then my ears perk up at the sound of his holiness, Sir Michael Jackson. Thriller. 'Nuff said.
After a long run on Wednesday, a very big and tiring move-in day on Thursday, plus a nice, long day in a miserably hot kitchen today....I'm feeling pooped.
Goodnight party people.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Spidey Webs Galore
On my run yesterday morning at 4:00AM I saw the following:
- One mama deer with her two babies; steered clear to avoid being eaten.
- One racoon; seemed to be in kahoots with the deer
- Two cats; sitting still; also suspicious
- One human being
I ran for an hour and saw one human being, walking towards me, about a block away. And do you want to know what happened when I saw that person and he saw me? I biffed it. Yup. Just tripped on a little uneven piece of cement and fell flat on my face. In plain view of the only other person around, despite the fact that it was still dark out, because I was directly under a street lamp...and also wearing a light on my shirt. (Yes, reader, I'm one of those. I run at ridiculous times and the sun isn't always shining. And I got this new light to be safe. I tried clipping it onto my waist, but it's too shakey. Next best option is the neckline of my shirt. Have you ever tried running with a light on yourself? It's pretty silly. Makes me giggle a little bit, actually, because I'm sure I look awesome. But that sucker sure does light the way. I think I'll name him Little Richie.) So I blame you, mystery walking guy, and not the darkness or uneven pavement or even my own clutzyness, because I got distracted and that directly resulted in my toe hitting the awkard piece of man-made rock, followed by the classic falling-forward-with-excess-momentum-arms-flailing-face-contorting-palms-smack-ground-knee-scrapes--pavement. And to top it all off, walking guy proceeded to exit the sidewalk entirely and unneccesarily while gradually getting closer to where I was struggling to get myself up, as though I was so completely out of control and unpredictable that I might endanger his well-being. So good lookin' out, homeslice. Glad you made it through my distructive sidewalk trap.
On another note: short run days are the most difficult for me. Which is the opposite of how I thought I would feel. But for long run days, you get to have this build up of anticipation and adrenaline. And you plan a fun route with a reward at the end. Short run days are just that. They're just days in between, intended to keep your muscles moving and growing and to avoid tightening. And I know they're equally as important as long runs. It's just that you never really find your flow because they're short. So by the time you actually find your stride, you're three miles in and almost done. This is the battle I've been fighting lately; how to motivate myself to do the short runs. Seems as though the most effective way is to knock 'em out before work.
Also, if you're a spider, watch out for me because I will run right through your precious little web. Little Richie in tow or not.
- One mama deer with her two babies; steered clear to avoid being eaten.
- One racoon; seemed to be in kahoots with the deer
- Two cats; sitting still; also suspicious
- One human being
I ran for an hour and saw one human being, walking towards me, about a block away. And do you want to know what happened when I saw that person and he saw me? I biffed it. Yup. Just tripped on a little uneven piece of cement and fell flat on my face. In plain view of the only other person around, despite the fact that it was still dark out, because I was directly under a street lamp...and also wearing a light on my shirt. (Yes, reader, I'm one of those. I run at ridiculous times and the sun isn't always shining. And I got this new light to be safe. I tried clipping it onto my waist, but it's too shakey. Next best option is the neckline of my shirt. Have you ever tried running with a light on yourself? It's pretty silly. Makes me giggle a little bit, actually, because I'm sure I look awesome. But that sucker sure does light the way. I think I'll name him Little Richie.) So I blame you, mystery walking guy, and not the darkness or uneven pavement or even my own clutzyness, because I got distracted and that directly resulted in my toe hitting the awkard piece of man-made rock, followed by the classic falling-forward-with-excess-momentum-arms-flailing-face-contorting-palms-smack-ground-knee-scrapes--pavement. And to top it all off, walking guy proceeded to exit the sidewalk entirely and unneccesarily while gradually getting closer to where I was struggling to get myself up, as though I was so completely out of control and unpredictable that I might endanger his well-being. So good lookin' out, homeslice. Glad you made it through my distructive sidewalk trap.
On another note: short run days are the most difficult for me. Which is the opposite of how I thought I would feel. But for long run days, you get to have this build up of anticipation and adrenaline. And you plan a fun route with a reward at the end. Short run days are just that. They're just days in between, intended to keep your muscles moving and growing and to avoid tightening. And I know they're equally as important as long runs. It's just that you never really find your flow because they're short. So by the time you actually find your stride, you're three miles in and almost done. This is the battle I've been fighting lately; how to motivate myself to do the short runs. Seems as though the most effective way is to knock 'em out before work.
Also, if you're a spider, watch out for me because I will run right through your precious little web. Little Richie in tow or not.
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