Does your Face Hurt?

After a tough 15 miler yesterday, I woke up with the realization that there are just over 6 1/2 weeks to marathon day.

Here is my confession to the running gods:

Forgive me Forrest (he's gotta be one of the running gods, right?!), for I have sinned. It's been never since my last confession. I have been having impure thoughts about consuming carbs...and not working them off.

And it gets worse, for I have indulged in a bit of booze on the sacred Sunday (medium run day).

Yes Forrest, I will say 50 Oprah Winfreys.

I've been less structured with training during the past few weeks than I was in the beginning. After training hard and diligently for a month and a half or so, I started to feel a lot of progress and growth and got excited. So I skipped a few short run days here and there. And then Jamie and I took a week off to let our bodies heal (you always feel sore when you're training for a marathon, in some way or another). And then I sustained a minor injury of some sort to my hip during our 17 miler, which hurt when I ran. At this same time, Boulder was being smothered by smoke from the fire and all residents were being advised to avoid outdoor activity. So, the 15 mile run was quite challenging for me yesterday.

I believe this is the part during training where burn-out becomes a factor. You have to re-evaluate where your head is at in this whole process. And your heart. You have to remind yourself what you love about every single run.

The first half of the run was not enjoyable for me. I was not dedicated to it. But then I got over the wall and started to really feel that familiar buzzzzzzz.

So here I am, officially re-committing to training. There's a month and a half left and I intend to use that time to build the necessary strengh and endurance in my body and mind. I want to run every step of that 26.2 race. So no more excuses.

In the very wise words of my basketball coach (and Dad): "Does your face hurt...?"
To which you always respond with a groan and a whiney "noooo..."

(Coach/Dad) "Well, it's killin' me!"

In other words, no excuses.

P. Diddy

Since this hasn't been the most productive week training-wise, I thought "hey, let's give 'em somethin' to talk about."

Naturally, the best way to get people talkin' is by presenting them with some facts. So I did a little research.

Here are some interesting facts about marathons:

* Historically, the tradition of the marathon began after the battle of Marathon in ancient Greece in 490 B.C. With a victory over the Persians, a messenger was sent to Athens (22 miles from Marathon) to announce the good news to all those gorgeous Greeks. After running this distance, Pheidippides, the messenger, squeaked out the words "Greetings, we win!" and then dropped dead. Needless to say, this story gets me really psyched up.
* The majority of female marathon runners are ages 25-29 years.
* The average woman burns 2,880 calories during 26.2 miles.
* 4:32 is the average time in which U.S. women complete a marathon.
* For men, the average time is 4:16
* World record for women: 2:15:25 Paula Radcliffe
* World record for men: 2:03:59 Haile Gebrselassie
* To get a feel of the speed required in order to be considered an elite runner, hop on a treadmill and turn that baby up to it's max, 12 miles an hour. That means you'd be running a 5 minute mile, which would put you in the top percentage of racers.
* At the 1996 Olympic trials, Bob Kempainen threw up 6 times between mile 22 and the finish....and he still won. (Again, I'm feeling really pumped)
* Some famous people who have finished marathons:
- Lance Armstrong, twice (big surprise)
- George W. Bush
- Sarah Palin
- Will Ferrel
- Mario Lopez (I wonder if he was..."saved by the bell" at the finish. Ha!)
- Freddie Prinze, Jr.
- Oprah Winfrey (ran the Marine Corps Marathon, as a matter of fact.)
- David Lee Roth
- John Edwards (also MCM)
- Al Gore (also MCM)
- P. Diddy (my personal favorite.) Here he is, probably training pretty hard, so he's just a little thirsty:


So there ya go. Carry these facts with you, always.

Bad News

In case you haven't heard, Boulder is under a blanket of smoke. There is a raging fire burning just a few miles away that has destroyed many homes and is wreaking havok on the area. It started on Monday morning and we could see the first smoke plume floating over Boulder, heading east. Now it seems as though the smoke is settling into the valley in which Boulder is situated. It's incredibly hazy at different points in the day, and long distance visibility is touch-and-go. It's being called a catastrophic fire. I am only telling you this because I have never experienced such a strange occurance. Though I can hardly imagine what people farther up the canyon are feeling, those who have already lost their homes and those who are still unsure as to whether or not theirs can be saved. It's quite saddening, to say the least. Though it is being reported that the fire didn't grow at all during the night, thanks to cooler temperatures and weaker winds.

It seems irrelevant to write anything about training while this is happening.

Though I will say that we skipped our 18 mile run this morning because of the smoke. Seems counterproductive to try to run such a distance when you're not actually breathing in fresh air. We decided it was best not to risk it. However, I haven't run in a week, except for a teeny 2.5 miler, because of a possible injury that I sustained during last week's long run. So today, despite the poor air quality, I will go for a small run and determine if this injury will require a trip to the doc.

Hopefully the mild weather today will aid in the fight against the worst fire this canyon has seen.

hit by a train?!

Here is the route that chewed us up and spit us out:


So this one was a little rough. Once we hit mile 14 or 15, it seemed as though our bodies were working against us. We both wanted to finish that damn run, but your body just screams at you to stop. I imagine if my body could talk, at mile 14 last night, it would have said "please, stop the madness!" (Or maybe something a little more vulgar, but this is a family show.) We both decided to stop and walk at about 16.5 or so, but we kicked it into high gear for about the last quarter mile just to really seal the deal. After pushing your joints and muscles far beyond their normal limit, you hurt in ways that you never really knew you could hurt. And the funny thing is that although the act of running is what is causing every inch of your lower half to ache, that same act is the quickest way out, because the more you walk, the longer you'll be out there.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. Just trying to spread the word that hey, training for a marathon is anything but easy. But despite all the hard work and physical discomfort, I still want to get out there once a week and do a really long run.

Top 5 fantasies during the last 5 miles:
1. ICE CREAM! Jamie and I almost always reward ourselves with the world's most incredible edible, however, as sad as it is, we were both so very wiped out last night that we skipped it.
2. Food - something salty and hardy, last night I was thinking about soup
3. Beer
4. Shower - hot, and looooooooooong
5. Aspirin and the dreamy mattress that fills up half of my apartment. (Maybe you think this counts as two seperate fantasies, but you're wrong)

Oh, you may have noticed I changed things up in the design department of this here blog. The flames really spoke to my soul. Everyone knows that flames are the surest way to amp up the thrill factor.

I'm raw, hustla, getcho bakin' soda.

17 Miles....

kicked our a-double-s-es

This one goes out to Mike...

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

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.