I run for...meditation.

8/26/13 - 3.64mi in 45:38 - 12:33 min/mi

So far Monday night is the only run I've done this week. It's been SO hot and my allergies have absolutely been driving me crazy. But…no excuses. I'm running tomorrow morning and then interval training on Saturday! :)

Running for meditation. Monday night's run was a perfect example of how listening to your mind can shake your confidence and slow you down. Coming into Monday night's run I was still a little sore from Saturday's 20 miles. I knew it was going to take some effort to get going. Sure enough as I began to run, my mind started to reel and I felt like I had forgotten how to run. All of a sudden everything was going wrong - my shorts were riding up, my hair was falling down, bugs were hitting my face, the music on my iPhone was annoying, it was hot, my feet hurt, etc. I let this go on for about the first half of my run. It slowed me down. It affected my performance and it wasn't enjoyable. Then I got smart. I turned the last half of my run into a meditative practice. I turned my music off and I tuned everything else out. I focused on my breath and the sound of my shoes on the pavement. I repeated my affirmations to myself ("I am strong. I am light. I can do this.") and corrected my running form. Like any meditative practice, I cleared my mind. With each new thought or aggravation that popped into my head, I recognized it and put it in the imaginary box in my mind. The last half of my run was much easier and I enjoyed it.

So here is how you can turn your next run into a meditation…

1. Prepare yourself ahead of time. As you stretch start taking some deep breaths and try to clear your mind.
2. Leave the music or any other gadgets at home. Sometimes when running you need the distraction but sometimes it can serve as a medium for intrusive negative thoughts and feelings.
3. Start out at a nice, even pace. You can begin with counting your steps or just focusing on the sound of your feet on the pavement.
4. Now is the perfect time to focus on your breath and your running form. Repeat those affirmations to yourself.
5. Just like any meditative practice the body's natural aches and pains will try to drag your attention away. Note the feeling, evaluate if it's serious or not, and if not, bring your attention back to your breath or your running form.
6. It can be helpful to have an imaginary container in your mind as I did on Monday. I use a cardboard box. You could also use a trunk or a glass jar, etc. Something to visualize a place where your thoughts can "go". As any thoughts enter your mind, "put" the thought in your container.
7. Closure. Just as you had to prepare yourself for the running meditation, you also need to provide yourself with some closure. If you were putting your thoughts in a box, you can imagine closing it up, putting it on a shelf, etc. Same with any other imaginary container that you may have used. Stretch and continue deep breathing. Think about all the ways your running meditation has change your mind-body connection, how it strengthened your muscles and your cardiovascular system, and how next time will be even easier.

Of course, this is a very basic guide. Feel free to experiment with this process and find what works best for you. Visualizations, guided imagery, and meditations are excellent tools for a lot of athletes. Used before and during an activity some benefits include: increased stamina, improved concentration and performance, increased tolerance to temperature and pain, and being an all around more efficient athlete.

I run for...miles and miles.

Today's run: 20.40miles - 4:06:23 @ 12:04 min/mi

Okay, didn't quite run the 23 miles today but still got my first run over 20 miles in. Which is right about where I need to be. My last long run before today was 17 miles. I shot for 23 just in case I had it in me. But I did not. Haha.

Biggest obstacle today - gravel. It seems that someone freshly graveled all my favorite back roads. Running in gravel is not fun. It is comparable to running in dry sand. Super hard.

Best moment: Halfway through Jon Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer". Sing it with me now…."Oooooh we're halfway there, ooooooh livin' on a prayer"

Pics from my run today:

 

So…what all does it take to run 20 miles (and over)? I thought I'd share some of the ins and outs of my preparation and performance.

First…nutrition and hydration. For me, this generally starts 48 hours before a long run. I make sure that I get a gallon of water in each day 48 hours prior to a long run. Then the day before I always make at least 16 oz made up of Accelerade. Accelerade, used before, during, and after a run, enhances hydration and speeds up recovery. I LOVE Accelerade. Definitely try it out in place of your current sports drink. However, I have learned, through trial and error, that the only thing that works for me during a run is good ol' H20. I've tried Accelerade during training runs and G2 on my marathon day last year. It just doesn't sit well with me.

Nutrition: I'm sure you've heard it before that a day before the race you must 'carb load'. Yes, but I will just add…to an extent. Again, through trial and error, I've learned exactly how many carbs I need to consume to sustain me for a long run the next day. When I'm not preparing for a long run, I follow the IIFYM (if it fits your macros aka flexible dieting) diet. My daily carb intake right now is 186g. When I'm carb loading before a run, I try to at least take in an additional 50-100g of carbs. For the last couple of long runs, I've had Subway sandwiches for lunch and dinner and this has worked perfectly. I've loaded on pasta before, without the heavy tomato sauce, and that has worked too.

Before a run: For breakfast, before any running distance, I stick to four main foods: oatmeal, granola/protein bar, banana, bagel or some combination of those things. As additional energy (caffeine!!), I use Hydroxycut single drink packets. This is in place of my usual morning coffee and provides me with the starting hydration I need.

During a run: During a run you also need to have proper nutrition. After about 45-60 minutes of activity, the glycogen levels in your body are depleted. To sustain your energy, you must supplement during your run. This has taken some trial and error for me too. Whenever I first started training last year, I was SO put off by the texture of the GU gel. I solely used either Clif Shot Blocks or GU Chomps. These have more of a chewy consistency analogous to fruit snacks. But after awhile these became difficult to transport. GU gel is much easier to pack in my hydration belt as it lays pretty flat. So now I solely use GU gel but I've learned I can only use certain flavors (Mandarin Orange, Peanut Butter, and Chocolate Outrage) otherwise the texture thing still gets me. As you can see from the picture, I also use Dole Fruit Bites (comes in pineapple, mango & apple). They gave these out as a sample at the Go! St. Louis half-marathon this past April. Yummy!

After a run: Your options for food are more open after a long run but you will want to focus on things that will speed your recovery. For me, my recovery drink is always Accelerade. Food wise it varies greatly. Today I had 2 hard boiled eggs.

Other random things you might need to know:

• Before running any long distance, you need a proper stretching and warm-up/cool-down routine. This is another one of those things that you will have to experiment with. Before a run, I typically use dynamic stretching in place of the more traditional static stretching. I focus mostly on my legs (duh!) but running is a full body workout so you need to stretch your arms and core as well. And don't forget your ankles! For a warm-up, I will walk to the end of my street (approximately 1/4 mile) and for a cool down I do the same thing. Then, I will do the traditional static stretching when I get home.
• If you are going to be running any distance over 6 miles (more or less depending on your individual needs) you will need a way to carry your water and supplements with you. For shorter distances, between 6-12 miles, I can usually get away with just my handheld water bottle. This holds 20oz of water and has a pouch for my GU gel. For longer distances, I carry my handheld and I also wear a hydration belt. The bottle on my hydration belt also holds 20oz of water and a pouch for extra GU gel. Depending on temperature (and how prepared you were for the 48 hours before) you might need more than 40oz of water. I have a WONDERFUL husband that will bring me extra water if I need it. I've also taken a detour to my aunt's house before too. If this is not a possibility for you, then you can freeze water bottles the night before and hide them in places along your route.
• I always make sure I let someone know what my running route is going to be or at least a general idea. This is for safety purposes obviously. But like I mentioned above, I have also had to have my husband come out and bring me water before. He also has come to pick me up when I've pushed myself too hard/far, ripped my pants (no joke), or injured myself.
• Skin lubrication. You might laugh at this but it is absolutely necessary. Before I knew that this was necessary, I experienced many painful burns, bruises and scrapes from friction caused by bra straps, panty lines or running gear (arm bands, handheld water bottle, hydration belt, etc.). It is necessary. Trust me.
• Ice baths speed recovery. I have a love/hate relationship with ice baths. No…they don't feel good but then again, they do. After running 20 miles, your legs and feet are going to hurt. Ice baths help ease that pain immediately and jump start recovery.

Now for the really hard part…the mental barrier. Your brain will tell you to stop and you will have to tell it 'no' REPEATEDLY! This is what I've learned works for me at those very crucial moments.

1. Affirmations - Short, catchy phrases you can use that emanate strength, confidence, and power. I use "I am strong.  I am light. I can do this." And when I'm going up hills, I will repeat "I am strong" over and over. It totally helps me get through it.
2. Grounding - Being in the present moment is vitally important when you set out to run any long distance. If you're looking at the end goal, you will get discouraged. So I use a simple grounding technique to keep me focused. I will remind myself that "Right now on mile [fill in the blank] I am doing great." Then I take inventory of all the things around me - the scenery, the road, the music I'm listening to, all the ways that "right now, in this moment, I am doing great".
3. Music - I'm including this here because it does help but it's effectiveness is limited, especially when you don't refresh your playlist every run. But every once in awhile (like today's Jon Bon Jovi) the perfect song will come on at the perfect moment and it can serve as a wonderful distraction. So I guess my advice is to keep mixing it up. :) 

Whew! I am thankful that I don't have another run over 20 miles for 3 weeks. Until then I will continue to share with you my training experience. Next week is interval training!!

I run for...those who cannot.

8/19/13 - 3.87mi @ 42:53 - 11:04 min/mi

8/21/13 - 3.65mi @ 39:55 - 10:57 min/mi

Me & Mark - UIS Ski Trip 2004

This week has been particularly hard on me but it has had nothing to do with my training. Today is the 4-year anniversary of the death of one of my best friends and the first guy I ever loved, Mark. Every day without him is difficult but it gets a little harder every year during this time. Mark was a special person and he made all the people in his life feel special too. Take me, for instance. Even though our relationship never worked out, he still remained faithful in my life as one of my best friends and always took the opportunity to tell me how much I meant to him.

I will often think of Mark when I run. He was a fitness guru. He also loved the movie Rocky (we watched it on our first date). At his memorial service, they played “Gonna Fly Now”, the theme song from Rocky, and it has graced every single one of my running playlists ever since. When that song comes on I am reminded that Mark is no longer with us and I run a little bit harder for him because he can no longer run.

 

I also think of my Mema who lost a battle to cancer almost 10 years ago. And I think of my father who died at the young age of 27 (just 2 years older than I am now). And I run a little bit harder for them.

I think of my Uncle Marty, losing his battle to cancer just this year. On my runs since his passing I will often run through the cemetery next to his grave and give a little “Ooh Ra” for him (retired Marine). And I run a little bit harder.

I think of all the people who are sick, injured or without their freedom and cannot run. And I run for them.

 

Every time that I run I recognize what a gift it is. I can feel it. Running is one of the most natural things that a body does. I try my hardest to not take advantage of that gift. Sometimes it’s thinking of those that cannot run that serves as my motivation out of the door. If you find yourself reading this blog, lacking the motivation, pick someone in your life that you know (or have known) that can no longer run and go out and run for that person. Dedicate the time spent and the effort it took to that person. Think of them as you run and run a little bit harder.

More tomorrow on my 23 mile run! Stay tuned...

I run for...beautiful weather.

Today's Run - 7.79mi in 1:31:26 - approx. 11:44 min/mi

Another reason why I have decided to start this blog is to hold myself accountable. I plan on sharing most (definitely not all) of my runs. When I'm slacking, I want to share that with you because I know it will push me to do better. I think it's also important to share when I'm doing well too. If you're not a runner or if you are a beginner, you need to know that, like life, running is full of ups and downs. I am continuing to improve after almost a full 2 years of running. As you can tell by my run time today, I am not fast. I'm short and stocky and just not built to run fast but that does not mean that I cannot be a long distance runner. It just means I'm slower than most. However, I am getting faster. :)

In an effort to hold myself accountable, let me share a few details about my training program. I train based on the Jeff Galloway training method. Jeff Galloway uses a walk-run ratio for marathon training that is perfect for beginners. Last year in order to just finish my first marathon I kept training to a minimum. I ran 3x a week - 2x during the week at just 30 minutes a run & 1x on the weekend for my long run. Now that I'm hoping for a time goal (more on that at a later date) I have upped my training quite a bit and introduced interval training into my routine. Most weeks I still maintain a 3 run base and maybe 1 or 2 extra short runs. Saturdays are generally my long run days.

I think this would be a good place to introduce a disclaimer. I am not an expert. I can share what I've learned and what works well for me but everyone is different. Even with my own training, I've had to experiment with so many different things before I've found what works. Please view this information as mere suggestion. You may do with it what you will.

Ok...back to today's run.

Last summer was miserable for marathon training. I found myself getting up at 4:00am (sometimes before) on multiple occasions, just to run as much as I could without the hot sun and stifling heat. This year I can only remember one time that I had to get up that early to avoid the heat and humidity. I have been SO fortunate this year to train in mild summer weather. Take today for instance. It's mid-August. It should be steaming. Instead I woke up to mid-60s and wonderful cloud cover. It was a B-E-A-utiful day for a run. Which may be a lot of the reason why my pace was so slow today. I really wanted to enjoy my run and I definitely did.

Today's run was just a maintenance run between my longer, endurance workouts. Next weekend marks my first run over 20 miles. 23 miles to be exact. In order to prepare, I have to be extra vigilant during the week to maintain my diet and weekday runs. Hopefully I'll be able to check in with my progress to share that process with you.

I run for…my life.

 

Today marks my first blog post. First I want to tell you what this blog is all about. Running! And so, I feel like it is important for you to know how my running journey started.

I officially began my running journey in November 2011. Prior to this date I had run before but my runs were few and far between. The longest distance I ever ran was about 4 miles. Fast forward to November 2011. My husband went to the doctor for a check-up and received some pretty scary health news - pre-diabetic, high blood pressure, obese. I did not have to go to the doctor to realize I was in the same boat. We lived a pretty vegetative lifestyle, full of fast food and inactivity. At the time he was 30 years old and I was 27 and we had a son that was not yet 2 years old. That's what inspired me to start my running journey. I wanted (and still want) to have a long, healthy life and be there for my son. More importantly I wanted (and still want) my son to grow up making better choices and living a long, healthy life as well. I needed to be an example for him. My husband felt the same way and so it began.

I will never forget my first run. It was HARD. It was just around my block, which is approximately 1 mile. I had to stop to walk several times. That first run, just 1 mile, took me at least 20 minutes to finish. In the days following that run, my legs, my back, my sides, my everything hurt. I was incredibly out of shape. It is extremely difficult to look back on those days. I'm ashamed at how far I let myself go. However, it serves as a wonderful reminder of how far I've come and I hope that by sharing my story it can serve as motivation and inspiration for so many others.

 

 

Last year (October 2012) marked a huge milestone. I ran my first marathon (see above pic). The journey to that finish line was full of ups and downs but I persevered and finished! I really thought that after my marathon I would check it off my Bucket List and move on but NO! As of today, I am right smack in the middle of my training for my second marathon. This year has presented with a whole new set of obstacles but I will not give up. I love running too much and I hope to share that love through this blog. Feel free to comment, offer love and support and encouragement (much needed!), and ask all the questions you desire. I want to share what I've learned these last two years and what I continue to learn