I can't believe it's the end of August already. This month flew by, just like the rest of summer. My race is less than one month away now and I'm starting to get really excited! I realized today that the first day of autumn is also less than one month away.
The weather has cooperated with me almost every time I go out for a run. I've really enjoyed my time on the Paul Henry Trail and running around Reed's Lake. I'm glad I've been outside so much to enjoy the uncommonly cool, crisp and dry summer. Today's and yesterday's weather were perfect. The air smelled fresh and clean and reminded me of how the water from Lake Superior makes the air smell in Grand Marais. The clouds were slow moving yesterday, despite a swift westerly breeze. It felt like they were trying to hang on to what little summer we have left and slow time down. The nights are getting cool enough to need a second blanket; a cruel reminder that winter isn't that far away. Despite knowing what's coming in the next couple of months, I have to admit I'm looking forward to running during the next few weeks during September as it cools down even more.
Saturday I ran 8 miles in 82 minutes, right on pace at about 10:30 per mile. It took a couple of weeks to get back to normal after being sick but I feel strong again. I'm no longer nervous about my long runs. It doesn't really seem like a big deal anymore. Running has become such a "normal" part of my life now it almost doesn't feel like I'm doing anything extraordinary. I still know what I'm doing is a pretty big deal but it just feels, well, normal. In a way I wish it still felt new and unknown but it's also a really cool feeling to be comfortable with what I'm doing.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Day 47
This week has passed too fast. I've been tired since Monday and tomorrow's 10 mile run is quickly sneaking up on me. I don't feel like I've had a chance to rest at all. In past weeks I've been able to take some time to relax and recharge for my long Saturday run but this week has not allowed for that luxury. My training has not been easy this week which doesn't help prepare me for tomorrow at all.
Sunday was really muggy and a little warm for outdoor running. I started my 3.5 mile "active recovery run" on the treadmill, which broke after 1 mile. I finished my run outside but it was dreadfully uncomfortable. My treadmill is still broken so for the time being I'm at the mercy of the weather. My 4 mile run Tuesday was painful. I had a cramp in my side, my back hurt, my knees hurt (I think because of my new insoles - not a big fan) and I couldn't catch my breath. I just couldn't get into my run for some reason. Yesterday was better. I wasn't in the mood to run last night but it's getting easier to find motivation to run. I guess maybe it isn't even motivation. I just don't think about it anymore. Running on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday is automatic for me. I don't let my brain tell me I'm too tired or too sick or too busy. I just do it.
"It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn." Psalm 18:32-36
Sunday was really muggy and a little warm for outdoor running. I started my 3.5 mile "active recovery run" on the treadmill, which broke after 1 mile. I finished my run outside but it was dreadfully uncomfortable. My treadmill is still broken so for the time being I'm at the mercy of the weather. My 4 mile run Tuesday was painful. I had a cramp in my side, my back hurt, my knees hurt (I think because of my new insoles - not a big fan) and I couldn't catch my breath. I just couldn't get into my run for some reason. Yesterday was better. I wasn't in the mood to run last night but it's getting easier to find motivation to run. I guess maybe it isn't even motivation. I just don't think about it anymore. Running on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday is automatic for me. I don't let my brain tell me I'm too tired or too sick or too busy. I just do it.
"It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn." Psalm 18:32-36
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Day 44
I have nothing profound to say today. My weekend was busy and I've been really tired so I haven't had much time to reflect on my running experiences. I feel like I've been operating on auto-pilot, just going through the motions to get through the past couple of days.
On Saturday I ran 9 miles and made some changes to my normal routine. First, I changed my hydration method from water to a mix of water and Gatorade. It worked great and kept me going through my entire run. I wore sunscreen and I also brought my iPod with me. The time passed much faster and I was able to focus my attention on something other than myself. I also wore "compression" shorts which were awesome! They were very comfortable and cooler than the long run shorts I've worn in the past. All the changes were positive so next week they will become part of my normal routine.
Preparing for a long training run is becoming an event in and of itself now. My inventory list for Saturday's run included: sunglasses, chap stick with sunscreen, iPod and arm band, water bottle, watch, Shot Bloks, house key, and $3.00 in case I ran out of Gatorade and needed to stop at a gas station. Thankfully, I didn't need to stop for a refill.
Overall, I felt great after my run Saturday. I had such a sense of peace when I was finished. I still experienced some pain in the balls of my feet but I am trying some new insoles this week to see if they help. I figure I'll never be completely comfortable after running long distances anyway.
Back to auto-pilot mode...
On Saturday I ran 9 miles and made some changes to my normal routine. First, I changed my hydration method from water to a mix of water and Gatorade. It worked great and kept me going through my entire run. I wore sunscreen and I also brought my iPod with me. The time passed much faster and I was able to focus my attention on something other than myself. I also wore "compression" shorts which were awesome! They were very comfortable and cooler than the long run shorts I've worn in the past. All the changes were positive so next week they will become part of my normal routine.
Preparing for a long training run is becoming an event in and of itself now. My inventory list for Saturday's run included: sunglasses, chap stick with sunscreen, iPod and arm band, water bottle, watch, Shot Bloks, house key, and $3.00 in case I ran out of Gatorade and needed to stop at a gas station. Thankfully, I didn't need to stop for a refill.
Overall, I felt great after my run Saturday. I had such a sense of peace when I was finished. I still experienced some pain in the balls of my feet but I am trying some new insoles this week to see if they help. I figure I'll never be completely comfortable after running long distances anyway.
Back to auto-pilot mode...
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Day 37, Vol 2
Ever since I started thinking about training for a half marathon I have been searching for the reasons why I am motivated to run 13.1 miles. Even when I signed up for the race I still questioned what I was doing. Even I think I'm a little crazy. I know there is a deeper reason than the sense of accomplishment I will feel after finishing the race. Yesterday I stopped questioning why and decided to live with the fact that I may never know exactly why. I have two reasons to stop questioning why: surrender and mystery.
Sunday's message in church focused on surrender. I was reminded that sometimes we are so focused on ourselves we think: I can, I will, I am, I can't, etc., without looking beyond our own human capabilities. At times when we are at our weakest, we need to remember to surrender to God in order to accomplish our goals. Otherwise, we are only fighting ourselves. Case in point, my feet and ankles ached horribly on Sunday during mile 6 of my 8 mile run. I wanted to quit. I decided to surrender to God and almost immediately I stopped thinking about the physical pain I was dealing with. My focus shifted to simply finishing my run. Before I made the decision to surrender to God, I was fighting myself and my own body so much I almost had myself convinced I couldn't finish.
I think surrender and mystery go hand-in-hand. If I can't surrender, I can't enjoy mystery. In my opinion, the mystery of life's purpose makes life fun and interesting so I want to enjoy it. If we knew all the answers ahead of time, what would we have to look forward to; what would we have to fear? There would be no surprises, no excitement, no "ah ha" moments, no epiphanies, no letdowns, no disappointments. I don't fear my race, I look forward to it. Therefore, I don't need an answer right now as to why I'm doing this. Maybe I won't ever need an answer. Maybe I'll get an answer and maybe I won't. I'm going to just embrace the experience and enjoy the mystery.
Sunday's message in church focused on surrender. I was reminded that sometimes we are so focused on ourselves we think: I can, I will, I am, I can't, etc., without looking beyond our own human capabilities. At times when we are at our weakest, we need to remember to surrender to God in order to accomplish our goals. Otherwise, we are only fighting ourselves. Case in point, my feet and ankles ached horribly on Sunday during mile 6 of my 8 mile run. I wanted to quit. I decided to surrender to God and almost immediately I stopped thinking about the physical pain I was dealing with. My focus shifted to simply finishing my run. Before I made the decision to surrender to God, I was fighting myself and my own body so much I almost had myself convinced I couldn't finish.
I think surrender and mystery go hand-in-hand. If I can't surrender, I can't enjoy mystery. In my opinion, the mystery of life's purpose makes life fun and interesting so I want to enjoy it. If we knew all the answers ahead of time, what would we have to look forward to; what would we have to fear? There would be no surprises, no excitement, no "ah ha" moments, no epiphanies, no letdowns, no disappointments. I don't fear my race, I look forward to it. Therefore, I don't need an answer right now as to why I'm doing this. Maybe I won't ever need an answer. Maybe I'll get an answer and maybe I won't. I'm going to just embrace the experience and enjoy the mystery.
Day 37, Vol 1
I feel like I'm almost back to normal today after fighting a cold all last week. I can barely remember last week to be honest. When I'm sick it's like my brain looses all capability to function like a normal human being's. I misplace everyday objects (I looked for my iPod Sunday for at least 20 minutes before realizing it was right where I though it was). I say sentences that only an alien from planet Zoogt would understand and I forget the simplest things (I yelled for Finn, the cat, to come in from outside for about 5 minutes on Saturday before my husband reminded me I brought him in the house already).
I only ended up missing one of my short runs last week and I feel like I made the right decision to rest instead. I went to bed early Friday and made up my Thursday run on Saturday morning. It wasn't nice out at all on Saturday, actually I think it was raining pretty hard, so I ran 4 miles on the treadmill.
Sunday I ran my long run. I still wasn't 100% better but I couldn't put it off another day or I would have really been behind. It was already 74 degrees with 95% humidity at 6:30 a.m. so I opted to run on the treadmill again. I knew running on the treadmill for the better part of an hour and a half in our unfinished basement would be dreadfully boring so I downloaded some free audio podcasts to occupy my mind while running: PRI's This American Life, BBC's Woman's Hour and BBC's Silver Street (a radio soap opera). I'm hooked on Silver Street now and can't wait to find out what happens in the next episodes! This American Life was great and I only made it about 5 minutes into Woman's Hour before finishing 8 miles in about 92 minutes. My pace is a lot slower on the treadmill than when I'm running outside so I feel really good about next week's 9 mile run now. I should be able to finish in about the same time if all goes well.
Yesterday I picked up some GT's Organic Raw Kombucha. I was warned the flavor isn't the greatest but I tried it today and I don't mind it at all. In fact, I enjoy it. It's full of probiotics, B vitamins, and lactic acid (the latter two being great for runners). It's suppose to be great for digestion, immune system health and a slew of other things. I'm going to try it for a few days and see if it does anything for me. For all of you who know what a strong dose of B vitamins will do; yes, I will be drinking this long before I head out for a run.
I feel refreshed this week after surviving last week. Training won't get any easier in the coming weeks but I am energized and ready for what lies ahead!
I only ended up missing one of my short runs last week and I feel like I made the right decision to rest instead. I went to bed early Friday and made up my Thursday run on Saturday morning. It wasn't nice out at all on Saturday, actually I think it was raining pretty hard, so I ran 4 miles on the treadmill.
Sunday I ran my long run. I still wasn't 100% better but I couldn't put it off another day or I would have really been behind. It was already 74 degrees with 95% humidity at 6:30 a.m. so I opted to run on the treadmill again. I knew running on the treadmill for the better part of an hour and a half in our unfinished basement would be dreadfully boring so I downloaded some free audio podcasts to occupy my mind while running: PRI's This American Life, BBC's Woman's Hour and BBC's Silver Street (a radio soap opera). I'm hooked on Silver Street now and can't wait to find out what happens in the next episodes! This American Life was great and I only made it about 5 minutes into Woman's Hour before finishing 8 miles in about 92 minutes. My pace is a lot slower on the treadmill than when I'm running outside so I feel really good about next week's 9 mile run now. I should be able to finish in about the same time if all goes well.
Yesterday I picked up some GT's Organic Raw Kombucha. I was warned the flavor isn't the greatest but I tried it today and I don't mind it at all. In fact, I enjoy it. It's full of probiotics, B vitamins, and lactic acid (the latter two being great for runners). It's suppose to be great for digestion, immune system health and a slew of other things. I'm going to try it for a few days and see if it does anything for me. For all of you who know what a strong dose of B vitamins will do; yes, I will be drinking this long before I head out for a run.
I feel refreshed this week after surviving last week. Training won't get any easier in the coming weeks but I am energized and ready for what lies ahead!
Friday, August 7, 2009
Day 33
I have been fighting a cold since Monday night. I've gone to bed before 9:00 p.m. every night so far this week with the exception of Tuesday. I'm starting to feel better but my training has suffered.
I managed to finish 3.5 miles of my 4 mile run on Tuesday night. My stuffy nose actually cleared up during the first mile of my run and I remember thinking to myself, "This might not be so bad after all". Wow was I wrong! I made it to the 3 mile mark and lost steam almost instantly. By mile 3.5, I was almost falling over my own feet and decided it was time to walk. Sometimes I think our bodies know better than our minds when to quit. I could barely move off the floor when I finally made it home and collapsed.
Yesterday was the worst day of my cold and I missed my run completely. I was only supposed to run 3 miles so I'm still debating on making it up tonight or taking it easy and just calling yesterday a lost training day. I don't think it will really hurt to miss one run. I really want to be strong enough to complete my long run this week on Sunday (a day later than normal).
I knew this would happen eventually. I just had a feeling when I started training that I would have to deal with an illness at some point. I suppose it probably isn't that uncommon for runners to deal with illness during a long training program. I could be really frustrated about how this week has panned out but when I step back and look at the big picture, I realize this is just a minor setback, a hurdle, and I just need to move forward.
~Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. - Isaiah 40:30,31~
I managed to finish 3.5 miles of my 4 mile run on Tuesday night. My stuffy nose actually cleared up during the first mile of my run and I remember thinking to myself, "This might not be so bad after all". Wow was I wrong! I made it to the 3 mile mark and lost steam almost instantly. By mile 3.5, I was almost falling over my own feet and decided it was time to walk. Sometimes I think our bodies know better than our minds when to quit. I could barely move off the floor when I finally made it home and collapsed.
Yesterday was the worst day of my cold and I missed my run completely. I was only supposed to run 3 miles so I'm still debating on making it up tonight or taking it easy and just calling yesterday a lost training day. I don't think it will really hurt to miss one run. I really want to be strong enough to complete my long run this week on Sunday (a day later than normal).
I knew this would happen eventually. I just had a feeling when I started training that I would have to deal with an illness at some point. I suppose it probably isn't that uncommon for runners to deal with illness during a long training program. I could be really frustrated about how this week has panned out but when I step back and look at the big picture, I realize this is just a minor setback, a hurdle, and I just need to move forward.
~Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. - Isaiah 40:30,31~
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Day 30
Saturday I ran seven miles. It was the most lonely, physically exhausting and challenging run I've completed so far. I wanted to quit so badly toward the last mile of the run. The balls of my feet hurt, my back hurt and my water supply was depleted by the beginning of mile six. I almost cracked under the pressure of finishing but I made it.
It's a good thing I've already registered and paid for the race because after Saturday I was ready to call it all off. I have started re-reading my earlier posts to remind myself why I am doing this. I still don't have all the answers as to why but I feel like this is something I just need to do. I will keep pushing forward because I know I am capable of finishing this training program and this race. I know God is still with me and I knew this wouldn't be easy. I will not let this defeat me.
It's a good thing I've already registered and paid for the race because after Saturday I was ready to call it all off. I have started re-reading my earlier posts to remind myself why I am doing this. I still don't have all the answers as to why but I feel like this is something I just need to do. I will keep pushing forward because I know I am capable of finishing this training program and this race. I know God is still with me and I knew this wouldn't be easy. I will not let this defeat me.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Day 27
This week was incredibly busy for me. I had an event Tuesday that threw my sleep schedule and my running schedule out of whack. I ran almost eight miles in two days on very little sleep and slept for almost 12 hours straight last night. Today I'm feeling a little more like my normal self. I have developed a lot of respect for dedicated runners over the past week. It takes a lot of planning and sacrifice sometimes to fit running into an already busy life. Unfortunately when I'm sacrificing sleep, it just makes running that much more difficult! Oh well, the week is over and life should be a little less hectic this coming week.
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