Chickamauga Training: Week 1 Recap

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Week #1:

Monday, July 11:

Plan: 5 miles

Actual: 4.85 mile run + 2 mile walk w/Matt and dogs

Per the usual, when I got home, Matt asked about my run. My response? "I believe this would be considered character building."

HOLY COW I have not felt so wiped out after a run in a LONG time. Of course we were under all sorts of heat advisories and it was 99 degrees when I started this run just before 6:00 p.m. However, the HUMIDITY was unlike anything I have felt in a while. I seriously felt like I was breathing through a straw the air was so dense. I was out on my usual trail and while the trees usually offer a break from the heat, the canopy was trapping the humidity and making it feel like a rain forest. I was covered in sweat even worse than normal and a couple of times had to completely pull off to the side and stop and walk around. The humidity was making it where I could NOT cool down. There were actually quite a few people out on the trail today which was surprising given the weather but it made me feel better that everyone else pretty much looked like s*** too. Regulars that I usually see zooming around were walking (and it was not near parking areas, we were all just gassed). I made it 2 miles before I was forced to walk (~1 min) b/c I knew I could not keep it up for another 5K. For (almost) the last 2 miles, I was running 5-6min and walking 1 b/c I was so hot and drained. I arrived back at my car at 4.85 and while I could have run around the parking lot to round it off, I was DONE. I really didn't want to take the dogs out for a walk but we chose a "less hilly" route and kept the pace moderate and the time on my feet never hurts.

Post run...look how red my face is! And sadly, this was after I had been sitting in front of my AC on full blast for several minutes!

Tuesday, July 12:

Plan: 3 miles + bootcamp

Actual: 3 miles + bootcamp

I am beginning to think bootcamp is cursed! My plan had been to run 2 miles before bootcamp, take the class (30 minutes) and then run 1 mile back to my car. Work ended up being CRAZY and I got out in just enough time to change and run to class. During class, storm clouds began to roll in and we just got through with our intense sweat session (seriously...one girl who was similar size to me had on a Body Bug and it said she burned 384 calories in that half hour...I don't doubt it!) it started to lightning and the skies darkened even further. I was busting ass to get back to my car; I had the energy to tack on the mileage but was worried about the weather. (This is the 4th week in a row weather has impacted this class in some way, shape or form!) Luckily, where I live, skies were cloudy but with no impending doom. My neighbors told me Matt had just left with the dogs but I picked the wrong route in my pursuit to find him...so I tacked on a quick mile to visit my ducks and turtles at the lake and scoped out a couple of hills for repeats on Thursday.

Wednesday, July 13
Plan: Rest
Actual: Rest :)

I had an early meeting and Bunco after work which made today ideal for a rest day. Right now, my rest days tend to fall on Mondays (or around stuff I already have in my schedule, which is why I did my 5 on Monday) but it was nice to have the mid-week break and to hang out with my friends. Also turned out to be good that it was a planned rest day b/c there were torrential downpours and thunderstorms all afternoon and well into the evening so I would have been forced to the gym treadmill or needing to reschedule (both of which would have stressed me out)

Thursday, July 14
Plan: 3x hill + yoga
Actual: 3 x hill + 3.4 mile walk w/Matt and dogs

I find it kind of funny that just after I write a post about my work schedule "normalizing" that I have a week with 4 early meetings and 1 late meeting. Today I had a "last minute" meeting added for 7:30a and then a 5-6p to end the day. My original plan (before the meetings were added) was to do my hill workout in my neighborhood in the a.m. and then go to yoga after work (it starts at 6). Well, since my meeting ended at 6 that killed off yoga and I was NOT getting up extra early to run a sweaty workout that would require a re-washing of the hair, blah blah blah. I was starving when I left my meeting and it was overcast but I decided I was just going to get the hill work done downtown. Our downtown is actually fairly flat but there are some good hills that go from midtown to southside as well as some bridges that go from midtown to the northside. The bridge route is actually a little bit safer at this time of day, so off I went.

I ran a half mile warm up to the bottom of the bridge (10:31 pace) and estimated that it was a 2 block (.2 mi) climb to the "peak" (it was .19 so I was pretty close). I thought it was a decent, challenging hill/bridge and am surprised to see only 50 feet of elevation gain over the 2 blocks. So, OK, not the most challenging hill I've ever tackled but still a respectable climb and one you wouldn't necessarily want to see coming in a race situation. I went and re-looked at the V2V killer hill and it climbs 180 feet in .75 miles and that was seriously cruel and brutal (but NOT safe to train on due to traffic) I would still LOVE advice for picking a good hill to train on. Is a .2 mile hill too short to gain benefit? Should I go for something longer with a slower grade? Like I've said, I run hills anyway b/c there is almost no way to avoid them, I just want to do some focused work on them.

Since this was a new workout, I really had no idea how to tackle it or what to expect so I just decided to go for it and adjust as needed. I wanted to focus on powering up to the top and letting myself go a little bit more than usual on the downhills. In races, I usually use the downhill as a way to "catch my breath", bringing down my heartrate and I can feel myself holding back a little.
I totally screwed up the lap function on my last downhill and I'm disappointed not to have the data b/c I finally had the feeling of controlled motion downhill on the last set. BUT totally rocked out negative split paces on the uphills.

Hill 1 10:23/mi (up); 10:05/mi (down)
Hill 2 10:14/mi (up); 9:31/mi (down)
Hill 3 9:36/mi (up); (did not recordthe down)--After monitoring the splits for 1 & 2, my goal was to hit 10:00/pace and I totally killed it! Woo hoo!

A couple of "cool" things during the run: a yellow school bus full of kids (looked like 6-7 y/o baseball team) at a stop sign as I was climbing hill #2. Windows down, I heard some kids saying hey. I looked over and saw some waving so I gave them a huge 2 handed wave. Then a huge "YAY!!!" erupted from the bus. So cute and made me smile (and push harder). On hill #3 a couple people leaving from the corporate buildings that I pass acknowledging me and 1 woman saying "Great work" Wonder if she was a runner.

Ran the .5 cool down back to my car (11:33 pace this time around!) and headed home. Ate an awesome dinner from my "personal chef" and we headed out with the dogs for a nice humid walk afterwards.

Friday, July 15

Plan: Rest

Actual: Rest

I had made plans to spend the weekend in Auburn with my aunt and cousin and drove down after work. It's a 2 hour drive and I got in around 9:30; the drive was rainy and I could feel that my back/shoulders were sore from tensing up.

Saturday, July 16

Plan: 8 miles

Actual: 8.1 miles

I absolutely LOVE running in Auburn. Not just because it provides different routes and is considerably flatter (not flat, but it's considered the plains, not the foothills) but 1. Most of the city is connected through a sidewalk system (not just in subdivisions but on "major" traveled roads as well); 2. It is so easy to get lost in thought/memories as I run past places that were such a huge part of growing up (as a child, then teenager and later as a college student back for summers or weekends with my then-b/f who went to Auburn University).

It was the PERFECT morning for running and if it weren't for the lingering humidity, you wouldn't believe it was July. It was 72 degrees and overcast with 94% humidity (2 out of 3 is not bad!). I watched the weather channel as I was getting ready and saw that there was no expected break in the clouds and that the high wasn't even expected to reach 80. BLISS!

I had toyed with the idea of getting up extra early and running with the local running group but since it was "only" 8 miles I saw no reason to kill myself meeting everyone at 6am. My plan had been to be out of the door by 6:30 instead but once I saw the forecast, I took my time getting ready and was out the door a few minutes after 7. My plan was to run a modified loop of the running club's "Saturday plan", starting and ending at my aunt's house. My aunt was doing body pump and we would meet at 9:30 for Starbucks/breakfast.

Cheesy pre-run mirror shot

Overall, this run was BLISS. Everything fell into place and I could not have asked for a more perfect morning. I was running without music (more on that to come in a future post) so I was alternating between losing myself in thought and "taking it all in". I decided that I would count all of the runners/walkers and cyclists out this morning as something to keep me focused. You will not believe this but...26 on foot (including a girl I knew from high school) and 26 on bike! Not counting myself though, so the runners have the slight edge ;) 23 of the cyclists were part of a group ride and I was able to focus on counting them as I was climbing a hill, so it was a nice distraction.

Shortly before mile 4, I passed some runners inviting me to utilize the "water stop" ahead which was nice as I was pretty sweaty and could use an excuse to stretch my lower back. It was actually at a place I worked for 2 summers in college (nostalgia!) I took this opportunity to take in about 6 oz of water and to eat 2 chomps. I wouldn't normally eat on a run this short but as much as I like the "jelly beans" I have been wanting to test some new fueling options and figured it's best to do so on a low risk run (not a 20 miler). The chomps were from a sample pack I rcv'd at one of my races and while they were tasty, I think they upset my stomach just a bit and in fact, I threw up in my mouth a little toward the end of the run (and it was not from overexertion). Gu chomp FAIL. Will be trying something else this coming weekend.

Also shortly after the water stop, it started to lightly mist and pretty much misted on me the entire way home. It was like having my own personal sprinkler system. WIN! I thought to myself that I could have run a half marathon today, I seriously felt THAT good. Huge confidence builder and my last mile (mostly downhill but STILL) was my fastest of the morning.

Water or sweat? I'll let you decide!

Even my legs were sweaty!

For the record:

Pre-run fuel: 1/2 of a honey wheat bagel with nutella, 6 oz water

During the run: 20 oz of water/gatorade mix in my handheld plus 6oz at water stop and 2 gu chomps (strawberry)
Wore: Nike running skirt, UnderArmour tank, Wigwam Ironman socks, pink Mizuno Wave Nirvanas (which are going to need replacing soon), UnderArmour headband
Accessories: Nathan shadow pack (for phone), Nathan handheld, Garmin


Sunday, July 17
Plan: Cross training (choice)
Actual: 1hr recumbent bike at the gym ("Random Hills" with Level 3 as the "base", 21.6 miles completed)

My aunt and I got up early and headed to the gym. I thought about doing the elliptical after the 30 minute mark but was enjoying the bike workout so stuck with it. For the first half hour I was reading "Run" by Dean Karnazes but then got sucked into a fascinating "Outside the Lines" on ESPN about Charlie Wittmack and his journey to complete a World Triathlon which included swimming the English Channel (250 miles), an approx. 9,000 mile bike ride and then climbing/summiting Mt Everest. His story was extremely interesting and apparently motivating b/c there were times when I would check my speed and see myself pumping 25-30mph on difficult parts of the "hills" in the program. I know that I got a solid workout on the bike and my legs will thank me for the variety, but there is just NOTHING like the sweat I get from a good run.



Overall Thoughts
Not bad for week #1 of training. I was able to find a good balance of a busy work week, fun times with friends and training. Hoping for a good week #2!

Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon: Let the Training Begin!

Today begins to journey to marathon #2… the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon which will be held on November 12 in Ft. Oglethorpe, GA.

I was pretty bummed about not having my name come up in the NYC Lotto and my other 2 opportunities to gain entry fell apart so I was a little bit lost for what I might do for my fall marathon. It took some searching on marathon guide and then a chance encounter in Starbucks (which I may or may not go further into on this blog) and some more searching and obsessively reading random race reviews before I came to my decision. With my first marathon , I had quite a few “qualifications” that came into play when making my decision: winter marathon, (relatively) flat course, no double loop courses, road race and within an afternoon’s driving distance (I did not want to be across the country if, God forbid, anything should happen to me).

While St. Jude’s was an AMAZING experience I knew it was also time for something new.

This time, my list of qualifications was much shorter: late fall/early winter marathon. That’s pretty much it! (1. It’s going to be hot but I did not want the peak of my training in late August in Alabama; 2. We are planning an amazing trip out of the country for this fall and while I plan to “run through it”, I want to give myself enough bounce back time.) I feel that even though this is only my second time at the dance, I know so much more about what my body can handle and what I need to do to take care of myself (both during training and during a race situation). A marathon in GA is the fiscally responsible choice anyway and the reviews really sold me on the experience (even if it is a double loop course!).

I have put together an aggressive (for me) training plan with (of course) the ability to flex and modify as I go through. The plan includes 4 days of running, with one speed/hill/tempo workout a week, as well as yoga and bootcamp (1x each per week) for as long as I can sustain the schedule. (Just FYI, the running parts of the plan are a hybrid of Higdon’s Novice 2, Intermediate 1 and Advanced 1 plans. )There is also room for additional cross training as time allows (likely in the forms of brisk walks w/Matt) which is low impact and helps give me time on my feet. I am also planning to incorporate massage once every 3 weeks b/c I have been dealing with serious glut/IT band tightness in the “off season” and it has the potential to be debilitating if I’m not on top of it. (Plus, I have a membership to Massage Envy, so it's fairly economical to do this)

All in all, I’m super excited for my new plan, especially b/c I know if I could pull off what I did last fall while working 60+ hour weeks, I know I am capable of better things given that I’m in better shape and working much saner hours. Seriously, last fall I was routinely in the office at 6:30a, would leave between 6-7p, workout, go home and eat, shower and get back on the computer to do more work from home. Work is busy and fulfilling these days but not insane!

Without further adieu, I give you week #1:
Monday: 5 easy
Tuesday: 3 moderate + bootcamp (30 min)
Wednesday: Rest (Bunco night!)
Thursday: 3 x hill + yoga (1 hour)
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 8 (possibly a few miles with a running group)
Sunday: Cross

Anyone else doing Chickamauga this fall?

Summer smoothies...doggie style

Before I even touch that title, I just want to thank those of you who have commented on my last few posts. I have tried to respond on multiple occasions and I keep getting locked out by Blogger. It's done this as I've tried to comment on others' blogs too...not sure if it's me, Blogger, Google ID or what. I'm getting really excited putting together my marathon training schedule and even the anticipation of jumping head first into training (remind me I said this as I'm grunting through my long runs in August!)

Anyone that knows me and Matt knows that Roxy and Bali are like our children. We dress them up for Halloween, had caricatures made of them last summer, and they get a byline on our Christmas cards. I/we just adore our dogs and LOVE spoiling them by taking them on long walks and snuggling on the couch.

Bali will find any pillow available to make one if blankets are in the vicinity

Last week Bali celebrated her 6th birthday! (My "baby" is growing up!) Per doggie birthday tradition in our house, R & B get to eat doggie "ice cream" (which is essentially frozen protein) as a special treat. They LOVE this stuff and it's hilarious to watch them with the little paper cups. Somehow the subject of doggie ice cream came up with one of my coworkers last week and we had a good laugh about it. Well, yesterdayy this same coworker (J) came into my office with a clipping from a magazine. Don't know the name of the magazine but the article is called "Lick the Dog Days" with a recipe for...doggie ice cream/smoothies! She said she immediately thought of me and I knew as soon as I saw the article that I was making these!

I had to go to the grocery store last night anyway so I decided to get the ingredients to make these since the recipe looked SUPER SIMPLE (and I was in a good mood after *finally* getting to run/avoiding the storms).

I texted this to J with the caption "Just call me a sucker" (Her response? "Your dogs OWN you") Guilty as charged...

The goods:
2 cups (organic optional) vanilla yogurt (Can use low fat)
3T flax
and one of the following: 1 banana, 1/2 cup peanut butter, 1/2 cup blueberries or 1/2 cup strawberries
(Reminder from me: Do NOT add any types of grapes, raisins, citrus or chocolate as these can be harmful or fatal to your pet. Same goes for onions and peppers of any kind but don't think you would be adding those to a smoothie)

(R&B love PB so I opted to make the PB version but I had any of those fruits available to me to make as well. We also already had 3 different types of PB in the pantry!)

--Pour all ingredients together in a blender/food processor and blend until smooth.
--Pour into small paper cups or ice cube trays and freeze until solid (I used the 3oz. "bathroom size" cups)

Ready for the freezer in just a couple of minutes!

The entire time I was putting this together R & B were going NUTS and begging...it was like they KNEW this recipe was for them even though those are all very much human ingredients.
The smoothies were still freezing when I went to bed last night but I let them lick spoons after I was done and it met with a "wet nose seal of approval". (I admit, I tasted it as well and it was pretty darn tasty! Does that make me weird? Don't answer that :) )

Has anyone else done any "home cooking" for their dogs?

"Mommy give me a smoothie!"

PLEASE???

Fall Marathon

I think I have my fall marathon picked out!!!! So happy to have things coming into clarity and to begin looking at training plans :) Details on the selection process coming soon!

Humbled by the Heat

I know, I know…I live in the south. It’s H-O-T during the summer and often extremely humid and at age 31 I should know what to expect by now. However, my running (and general endurance) feels like it’s taking a major hit and last week as I felt like I was crawling back to my car after boot camp I wondered if any of that would return to “normal”. I thought, “I am going to begin marathon training sometime next month…am I f-ing crazy?”

This sentiment was also exacerbated by feeling like I was on the brink of passing out while I was at boot camp. This is the 2nd time something like this has happened within the past 30 days and it (understandably) makes me frustrated and low-grade nervous.

The 1st time it happened, I could tell my heart rate was way too high and that in the 100-degree heat, my blood sugar had TANKED. All I could think of was that I was going to pass out in downtown Birmingham with no ID (I know, BAD BAD), no phone and no $$ and that I was going to end up in an ambulance on the way to the county hospital. All I had on me was my water bottle and my car key b/c since I am running to boot camp, I want to keep things “light” and I also don’t want to leave a “pouch” of things on the side where they might “grow legs”. (Not that I think it would happen, but it MIGHT and since having my purse stolen a couple years ago, I am hyper-vigilant of that sort of thing.) I literally stumbled/crawled over to the trainer at the end of class, as my vision was starting to go fuzzy, and luckily a peppermint was all it took to bring me back to the land of the living. Of course, then I had to walk the mile back to my car feeling like absolute garbage which sucked. (In his defense, the trainer did offer me a ride, but I felt like I just needed to walk it off and I did take it pretty slow on the way back.)

After that incident, I started bringing my handheld (instead of just a normal nalgene bottle), with my ID and sports jelly beans tucked into the outside pocket and filling the bottle with a mix of water and G2 since I know I am heavy, salty sweater. I also do make sure to eat a little something (usually a banana or a couple of crackers) about 45 minutes before I head out for my run to help with my blood sugar. I am already pretty good at hydrating during the day, limiting myself to 1 caffeinated beverage in the morning and drinking about 6 or 7 12oz cups of water during the day. This seemed to work for a couple of weeks...

Last week, I wasn’t at the point of blurry vision but I could feel that my heart rate was abnormally high (for me) and that if I continued to push myself, I was going to cross the line into similar territory. Several of us were not feeling great and I as I was drinking between sets feeling like I was about to puke, the girl next to me turned to me and said “I feel like I’m going to throw up.” I ended up having to do a run 1 block, walk 1 block pattern on the way back because I could feel my heart rate climbing uncomfortably.

I would be more worried (and maybe should be anyway?) if this were happening during my runs but it’s not and my runs are generally going anywhere from 40-60 minutes these days (about 3-4 days a week) often in the same kind of heat. Amy and I ran in 100 degree temps last week and I was sweaty and exhausted but otherwise fine. Matt and I are also taking the dogs out for 45-60 minute walks 4-5 days a week and I’m going to yoga one evening a week right now and while I am sweating and working, they are not at the same heart rate intensity as running and boot camp. I’m thinking I need to evaluate what I’m eating before class and maybe try to eat a little closer to when I am about to leave. (Or even drink one of those Gatorade perform drinks right before I leave for my run). I told Matt as we were walking last night, I sometimes consider scrapping the pre and post run and just driving to class b/c of the heat but then I remind myself it’s ONLY a mile each way and I like the time to decompress. The run TO class never feels painful either; it’s just the run back that often sucks.

Anyone else experience anything like this?

I was really hoping to put a new strategy to the test this week, but thunderstorms have rolled into the area and class is now cancelled tonight. I am really disappointed b/c I look forward to the sweat and the workout! Is it sad that I am thinking about recreating this workout at home? I could run the .75 mile loop of my street, go home and do a Jillian Michaels “Shred” video and then go out and run one more loop. It won’t matter if it’s just raining out! Anything to avoid going to the gym. And I already have plans to run tomorrow and Thursday so I don’t want to do 3 days of “just running” in a row.

More than a "walk in the park"

I mentioned awhile ago about the free classes in Railroad Park in downtown Birmingham and just wanted to follow up and report on how much I am enjoying these classes! If anyone from the Birmingham area is reading this, I would highly recommend the RR Park classes as a great way to work up a sweat! (Not that we aren’t working up a sweat just stepping outside, since the weather angels have decided to grace us with August temps in early June, but I digress…)

I have been taking the boot camp classes most Tuesday nights since then and they are deceptively difficult…using a combination of plyometrics and more “traditional” moves (i.e. push-ups, planks, squats, etc). We are moving non-stop and the 90+ degree temps add to the ass-kicking. I like to think I am adding to my own bad-ass factor (HAHA) by running a mile to class from my work parking lot (after the obligatory Superman quick-change at Newk’s) and then back afterward. No need to even wonder why the run TO class feels SO MUCH SHORTER than the run back and even though it’s “only” a mile, I sometimes wonder if I might not be a tad insane given the temps lately.

Last night on the run back I passed a few runners struggling in the heat. When I was a couple blocks away from my parking lot I happened to catch one guy out of the corner of my eye who was running parallel to me (on the other side of the street). He looked like he was in great shape but fading in the heat. At this point my own legs felt like lead and I wanted to walk SO BADLY but I made it my mission to stay even with him until I reached my car. I am proud to say “mission accomplished” and am happy that the random stranger was there to push me the last couple of blocks. However, I did not envy the runner as he kept pushing up the hill on 20th street!

Smiling or Grimacing? You decide.

In addition to boot camp, I also tried the RR Park yoga class for the first time last Thursday. For me, getting in a weekly yoga session is really important in helping to stave off injury and I love having the opportunity to focus and truly be in the moment. I haven’t been able to make it to my usual class at the gym b/c of the horrible traffic conditions/interstate construction work going on right now so I was excited to try this class. And hey, who needs a bikram class when you can do yoga outdoors in 95 degree heat? (And if I had $1 for every time I heard a version of that statement Thursday night I would be well on my way to a new pair of running shoes. And for the record, I used that statement with a coworker earlier that day, so I did not totally rip off someone else’s bad joke!)

This class is definitely going into the weekly rotation! The instructor had such a great energy and truthfully the heat wasn’t unbearable. Right now, the classes are scheduled to go through November and I am already anticipating how great it is going to feel come fall.

My perspective (I love the historic smoke stacks)

After class

The yogi made a statement during the class that I would like to leave you with for now. It resonated with me completely in that moment and I hope others can find value in his words as well.

(Paraphrased and spoken in a calming yoga-like cadence) As you refocus and rededicate your intentions to this class, think of the things that brought you to this point today. These actions and encounters are in the past and they served you well…or maybe they didn’t…but either way they are in the past. As you stand here, do not think of everything that is on your to-do list for when you leave this. All of those things will be waiting for you in the future. Be focused in the present; be completely selfish and focus only on yourself and this moment; be here with intention…focus on the here and now.

National Running Day

Temperature FAIL!!

I had grand plans to celebrate National Running Day by pounding out 3-4 miles on my favorite trail last night. After a farily lazy weekend at the beach, I was ready for a good, solo run. Gym bag in the car, water bottle filled and ready to head to Newk's for the customary quick change. However, when I left work and walked to my car cloaked in heat and humidity, I thought, "NRD you are going to have to wait until it gets cooler" That picture above? I even waited a few minutes into my drive to take it, to make sure that I wasn't getting any "my car has been sitting in the sun all day" false reading. (And yes, I know my car is dusty, I plan to get it detailed this weekend!)

Matt and I ended up heading out with the dogs around 7:30 for a mix of walking and running. Matt rolled his ankle while playing basketball with my cousin last Friday night and so he's taking it relatively easy right now. But, when we got to the end of the road that I knew was a mile long, I handed him Roxy's leash and said "Babe, I know you can't run but I NEED to run so I will run to the end and double back to meet you guys." Despite the heat, humidity and bugs, it felt SO GOOD just to run. I hadn't run since Saturday morning (when L & I got together for a 90 minute sweat session) and my legs were so happy to be pounding the pavement.

The weather yesterday reminded me of why I tend to resort to the treadmill during the summer. I used to be exclusively a treadmill runner and trained for my 1st half marathon without ever hitting the road(!!) but I've come to really not like it except for speed work. However, it might be time to make friends again...or at least with some combination of the treadmill and indoor track!