I ran a 30 mile time trial in 3:51:54. I ran in Mt Vernon, 6 times around the 5 mile skagit ultras course. Jim came and helped me out and shouted things at me that Joel said all the way from North Carolina. Just kidding, Jim doesn't shout at me! And someone else would shout so loud that I could hear him without any help. I finished 10 miles at slightly under my PR pace in 74:xx, something something, but my hamstrings started complaining early- actually at about 8 miles and the day just wasn't getting any warmer. I managed to run the rest of the way at around 7:40-7:58 pace and finish at around what would have been a 4 hour 50k. But don't tell me that, I did not want to run another 1.07 miles! I don't know why but for some reason that sounds really far right now.
I need to do some more speed work and more leg strengthening activities. I'm usually able to touch my toes but that hasn't been the case for the last month or so.
On Christmas day I hit 5000 miles for the year! Today I hit 5100. I basically ran 5000 miles in 11 months because of the one month I was injured and only ran 80 miles the entire month. Next year I hope to be able to run 5215 miles and beyond.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Fairhaven Frosty 10k
Aww remember when there was this widdle biddy race called the 10k? I don't!
I ran the Fairhaven Frosty 10k on Saturday and I don't remember how to run this race. It is like a sprint right? Or at least it feels like you are sprinting but you are really running 6:53 pace? Right. Maybe I do remember this.
The course was hard in that there were four pretty good sized hills- twice up Chuckanut road and twice up the Interurban switch backs. Also because it was extremely w word. ( I can't actually say the w- word because when you say the w- word it will start w-ing right in your face.) But anyway the w was so strong I could not breathe unless I turned my head sideways for some of the race, and it felt like it was pushing me backwards. We only got the negative effects of the w because it was blowing north which meant it was beating us face first up Chuckanut Drive but wasn't giving back as when we were running north because we were in the trees of the Interurban by that point.
This race is so short there were only two times I felt like crying- one when I was running up the Chuckanut Drive hill with what felt like a hurricane beating the will to live out of me and the other time when I had rounded the final corner and could see the finish line about 200 meters away and the finish line clock rapidly approaching 43 minutes and the w picked me up and dropped me like 100 meters backwards.
With the hard course and the w I feel like my time was all right, especially since I don't do very much speed work right now.
I ran the Fairhaven Frosty 10k on Saturday and I don't remember how to run this race. It is like a sprint right? Or at least it feels like you are sprinting but you are really running 6:53 pace? Right. Maybe I do remember this.
The course was hard in that there were four pretty good sized hills- twice up Chuckanut road and twice up the Interurban switch backs. Also because it was extremely w word. ( I can't actually say the w- word because when you say the w- word it will start w-ing right in your face.) But anyway the w was so strong I could not breathe unless I turned my head sideways for some of the race, and it felt like it was pushing me backwards. We only got the negative effects of the w because it was blowing north which meant it was beating us face first up Chuckanut Drive but wasn't giving back as when we were running north because we were in the trees of the Interurban by that point.
This race is so short there were only two times I felt like crying- one when I was running up the Chuckanut Drive hill with what felt like a hurricane beating the will to live out of me and the other time when I had rounded the final corner and could see the finish line about 200 meters away and the finish line clock rapidly approaching 43 minutes and the w picked me up and dropped me like 100 meters backwards.
With the hard course and the w I feel like my time was all right, especially since I don't do very much speed work right now.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Running with Goats
On Thanksgiving I was running like I always do, and I was on a busy road, yuck, when I ran into a goat. He was just chilling on the side of the road eating some grass. When he saw me he started to follow me. I was worried about him being on a busy road so I stopped for a second to see if I could see where he belonged but as soon as I stopped he started head butting me with his horns, not in an unfriendly way, and the only way I could get him to stop was to start running again. Hmm, Joel is behind this perhaps? The goat started following me as soon as I started running again but fortunately he was out of shape and only made it about a hundred meters.
This was not the first time I have run with goats. When I went to Evergreen in 2007 or 2008 I was running to practice when I passed a little backyard farm. All of a sudden I hear "baaahhh!" behind me. When I looked back two little goats were running after me. They followed me for about two miles! They were both panting and I was scared they would give themselves heart attacks or something but they kept following me down the Evergreen parkway, past the dazed onlookers in buses, bahhhing all the way. When I was almost to school I got worried as obviously they could not come into school with me and I was still worried they would collapse and die but luckily some guy came by in a truck and exclaimed- "those are mine!"
Whenever I get a bit lonely out running I think about my goat friends and pretend I hear a little "baaaaahhh" behind me.
This was not the first time I have run with goats. When I went to Evergreen in 2007 or 2008 I was running to practice when I passed a little backyard farm. All of a sudden I hear "baaahhh!" behind me. When I looked back two little goats were running after me. They followed me for about two miles! They were both panting and I was scared they would give themselves heart attacks or something but they kept following me down the Evergreen parkway, past the dazed onlookers in buses, bahhhing all the way. When I was almost to school I got worried as obviously they could not come into school with me and I was still worried they would collapse and die but luckily some guy came by in a truck and exclaimed- "those are mine!"
Whenever I get a bit lonely out running I think about my goat friends and pretend I hear a little "baaaaahhh" behind me.
Monday, November 12, 2012
First Call Veteran's Day Marathon
Saturday I ran in the First Call Veteran's Day marathon for the third year in a row. I had a good time and finished first in the field again although my time was slower than the last two years where I ran 3:15:58 in 2011 and 3:12:22 in 2010. This year I ran 3:17:45.
It was below freezing at 7:15 in the morning when I got out of the car to "warm-up." I wore three jackets and my rain coat on my mile warm-up and didn't get that warm.
My time difference comes in the first half of the race. The course consists of two out and backs along the Sammamish river trail that are 6.55 miles and 6.55 miles back. In 2010 I ran my PR for a half marathon in route to my PR for the full in 1:31:30. Last year I was 1:34 something, this year I was 1:36:40 something. I run more consistently and I have way better endurance but I'm not as speedy. In 2010 I used to do lots of speed work and 21 mile hard runs. That was before I was a 50 miler or 24 hour runner. I ran the first 18 miles of the marathon at about 6:59/ mile pace and then crashed and ran about 8:00s, or in the 30 mile time trial I did that year 9-10:00s. I do not die like that now, or get nearly as sore afterwards as I did then but I would like to have some more of that speed I had so maybe I should go back to 21 mile hard runs. Sigh. Sometimes I wish I picked an easier profession.
It was weird to think when I was running that I was running only my third actual official marathon. I have done four 50ks, also four 10ks. It goes by a lot quicker than it used to. And my quads are not even sore at all so maybe the wall sit is actually helping!
It was below freezing at 7:15 in the morning when I got out of the car to "warm-up." I wore three jackets and my rain coat on my mile warm-up and didn't get that warm.
My time difference comes in the first half of the race. The course consists of two out and backs along the Sammamish river trail that are 6.55 miles and 6.55 miles back. In 2010 I ran my PR for a half marathon in route to my PR for the full in 1:31:30. Last year I was 1:34 something, this year I was 1:36:40 something. I run more consistently and I have way better endurance but I'm not as speedy. In 2010 I used to do lots of speed work and 21 mile hard runs. That was before I was a 50 miler or 24 hour runner. I ran the first 18 miles of the marathon at about 6:59/ mile pace and then crashed and ran about 8:00s, or in the 30 mile time trial I did that year 9-10:00s. I do not die like that now, or get nearly as sore afterwards as I did then but I would like to have some more of that speed I had so maybe I should go back to 21 mile hard runs. Sigh. Sometimes I wish I picked an easier profession.
It was weird to think when I was running that I was running only my third actual official marathon. I have done four 50ks, also four 10ks. It goes by a lot quicker than it used to. And my quads are not even sore at all so maybe the wall sit is actually helping!
Friday, October 19, 2012
5000 miles
Last year my goal was to run 4000 miles by the end of the year, this year it is 5000, and more. I really want to hit 5229 miles which would be an average of 100 miles/week for the whole year. I forgot about it being a leap year when I was calculating my goals and thought I would only have to hit 5214.5 miles, being at 3,869 currently with 73 days left that would be 18.4 miles a day, but then I remembered. Dangit, new calculations are 18.6 miles a day! Stupid leap year. How much did I run on Leap Day anyway? Was it worth it?
7 miles!?!? I don't remember a single day I ever got to run just 7 miles! I remember running like at least 16 miles a day, every single day, sometimes 56, or 65. What is my average through today?
13.2 miles!?!? I don't even remember a single day I ever got to run just 13.2 miles! Not even once. How did these easy days take over my year?
Stupid knee!
7 miles!?!? I don't remember a single day I ever got to run just 7 miles! I remember running like at least 16 miles a day, every single day, sometimes 56, or 65. What is my average through today?
13.2 miles!?!? I don't even remember a single day I ever got to run just 13.2 miles! Not even once. How did these easy days take over my year?
Stupid knee!
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Baker Lake 50k
Why did I want to do this?
It was a beautiful day at Baker Lake and the Baker Lake trail twisted along through miles of shade and trees and gorgeous views of Mt Baker but I was disturbed by two things. One, I had been running for 5 hours now and I was still in the woods. I was not even to the 29.3 mile point where the trail emptied out onto the road. It appeared someone had added extra miles to the trail in the time since I had run out on it 4hours and 40 minutes ago, really, that was the only explanation. And two, and even more disturbing than trail lengthening hooligans, what kind of person would voluntarily run for over five hours in the hills? Really voluntarily, like her coach is in the Bahamas and doesn't have any control over what she does voluntary. For that there was no explanation.
The Baker Lake 50k starts at the Kulshan campground in Concrete, WA, runs up along the road for 1.75 miles and then runs the entire length of the Baker Lake trail and back. It is probably a very nice trail for hiking, even I enjoyed it on the way out, most of it, but not the last few miles. I didn't enjoy those because I was looking at my watch since it got to around 2:15 wondering when I would get to the halfway aid station and turn around. I thought I had been moving pretty well and though the trail had been up and down it had not been up and up like most trail runs. But it was still a trail and I got to the aid station finally at 2:28. I paused for a minute to drink something yellow and refill my water bottle- all 20 oz of it strapped to my hand.
Really I should say something about my water bottle since it took me about an hour to pick out. At REI they have water things that go on your back, your stomach, your sides, your hand and pretty much everywhere in between. They have 8 oz bottles and 10 oz bottles and 12, 16, 20, 32, 40, 70 and everything in between. The 10z bottle is light but says it is good for runs of one hour. Huh, where is the five and a half hour bottle? Ooh it costs 99 dollars, hmm do I really need this water stuff? I'm not thirsty standing here in this store for the past hour. Last trail 50k I did I didn't take any water at all and that didn't end well even with like 4 or 5 aid stations, this one only had one. I obsessed for about an hour in REI over which one would be the least annoying and figured they all would be. But then being thirsty is very annoying so I sucked it up and bought one that goes around your hand, maybe it is time I became more like all other runners.
The bottle didn't actually annoy me that much which is saying something because as Joel said - "you are easily annoyed," but then he would think that because he is easily annoying.
Now for the way back. I had been worrying too much about the downhills on the way out knowing they would turn into uphills on the way back. Really you are supposed to do the opposite. But for the first time in my life they weren't as bad as I was remembering. I was running very low on water though on the way back. I started rationing it, only taking a little bit every 20 minutes. Good plan except if the way back is taking 20 minutes longer than you would have thought possible! I started to get very nauseous and a little delirious- like I coulda sworn I saw the road- it was there down in the river! Finally! Luckily an even better solution to my hydration needs came along in the form of a guy with a big jug of water who offered to fill my water bottle up just because. Hmmm, are you thinking what I'm thinking? Flirt with the guys around you and get them to give you their water! That's the best option yet.
I only fell once though I almost fell probably twenty times. There were a few logs and trees to climb over and the trail was very twisty and turny- all of which add up to slowness in retrospect. I like twists and turns because they hide how far you have to run and you can hope that the road is around every corner. It wasn't until 5 hours and 9 minutes.
I feel like an imposter next to all these people that actually like trail runs. Yes they are pretty and when I don't know that I am running 10+ minute miles on them I like them too. That four and a half hour run I said was 30 miles at cougar mountain, haha, it was probably like 24! When I come into finish in 5 hours and 24 minutes it seems unfair that that was only a 50k. For that much time and effort I want something cool like a 60k or something. And yes, I do think the trail was a little bit long, though not as long as I would think. I saw on numerous web sites the length of the Baker Lake trail being 14.3 miles which when added to the 1.75 mile road start becomes 16.05 miles and 32.1 miles total- which is a whole extra mile, or at trail speed like 10 whole minutes! But if I had been running on the road I could have driven home already and be taking a nap right now with some pizza instead of just crossing the finish line and wanting to throw up.
I have to do a better job of remembering next time how hard these are. Yeah, like that will help.
It was a beautiful day at Baker Lake and the Baker Lake trail twisted along through miles of shade and trees and gorgeous views of Mt Baker but I was disturbed by two things. One, I had been running for 5 hours now and I was still in the woods. I was not even to the 29.3 mile point where the trail emptied out onto the road. It appeared someone had added extra miles to the trail in the time since I had run out on it 4hours and 40 minutes ago, really, that was the only explanation. And two, and even more disturbing than trail lengthening hooligans, what kind of person would voluntarily run for over five hours in the hills? Really voluntarily, like her coach is in the Bahamas and doesn't have any control over what she does voluntary. For that there was no explanation.
The Baker Lake 50k starts at the Kulshan campground in Concrete, WA, runs up along the road for 1.75 miles and then runs the entire length of the Baker Lake trail and back. It is probably a very nice trail for hiking, even I enjoyed it on the way out, most of it, but not the last few miles. I didn't enjoy those because I was looking at my watch since it got to around 2:15 wondering when I would get to the halfway aid station and turn around. I thought I had been moving pretty well and though the trail had been up and down it had not been up and up like most trail runs. But it was still a trail and I got to the aid station finally at 2:28. I paused for a minute to drink something yellow and refill my water bottle- all 20 oz of it strapped to my hand.
Really I should say something about my water bottle since it took me about an hour to pick out. At REI they have water things that go on your back, your stomach, your sides, your hand and pretty much everywhere in between. They have 8 oz bottles and 10 oz bottles and 12, 16, 20, 32, 40, 70 and everything in between. The 10z bottle is light but says it is good for runs of one hour. Huh, where is the five and a half hour bottle? Ooh it costs 99 dollars, hmm do I really need this water stuff? I'm not thirsty standing here in this store for the past hour. Last trail 50k I did I didn't take any water at all and that didn't end well even with like 4 or 5 aid stations, this one only had one. I obsessed for about an hour in REI over which one would be the least annoying and figured they all would be. But then being thirsty is very annoying so I sucked it up and bought one that goes around your hand, maybe it is time I became more like all other runners.
The bottle didn't actually annoy me that much which is saying something because as Joel said - "you are easily annoyed," but then he would think that because he is easily annoying.
Now for the way back. I had been worrying too much about the downhills on the way out knowing they would turn into uphills on the way back. Really you are supposed to do the opposite. But for the first time in my life they weren't as bad as I was remembering. I was running very low on water though on the way back. I started rationing it, only taking a little bit every 20 minutes. Good plan except if the way back is taking 20 minutes longer than you would have thought possible! I started to get very nauseous and a little delirious- like I coulda sworn I saw the road- it was there down in the river! Finally! Luckily an even better solution to my hydration needs came along in the form of a guy with a big jug of water who offered to fill my water bottle up just because. Hmmm, are you thinking what I'm thinking? Flirt with the guys around you and get them to give you their water! That's the best option yet.
I only fell once though I almost fell probably twenty times. There were a few logs and trees to climb over and the trail was very twisty and turny- all of which add up to slowness in retrospect. I like twists and turns because they hide how far you have to run and you can hope that the road is around every corner. It wasn't until 5 hours and 9 minutes.
I feel like an imposter next to all these people that actually like trail runs. Yes they are pretty and when I don't know that I am running 10+ minute miles on them I like them too. That four and a half hour run I said was 30 miles at cougar mountain, haha, it was probably like 24! When I come into finish in 5 hours and 24 minutes it seems unfair that that was only a 50k. For that much time and effort I want something cool like a 60k or something. And yes, I do think the trail was a little bit long, though not as long as I would think. I saw on numerous web sites the length of the Baker Lake trail being 14.3 miles which when added to the 1.75 mile road start becomes 16.05 miles and 32.1 miles total- which is a whole extra mile, or at trail speed like 10 whole minutes! But if I had been running on the road I could have driven home already and be taking a nap right now with some pizza instead of just crossing the finish line and wanting to throw up.
I have to do a better job of remembering next time how hard these are. Yeah, like that will help.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Predicting my race results before they even happen?
I decided on Tuesday to do the Baker Lake 50k since I won't be able to do the USATF 50 mile in two weeks. Yay they were still accepting entrants! But then today when I log on to look that I am signed up I see this next to my name- Target: 6:09:50. Wha???? Is that what time I am going to get in the race??? Thanks ultra sign up, thanks a lot! Are you trying to jinx me or what? I don't know about this race anymore... :0
Friday, September 21, 2012
back to high school
Ahhhh!
Sorry, this is usually the part in my nightmare when I wake up, screaming. But real life- I was so lonely for running buddies I went to my old high school last week.
I hated this place! haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaated!!!!!!! For years I used to avoid running by it. When we drove by in the car I'd boo. The only thing I did like was xc and track.
We were horrible when I went there. We had 5-6 girls. Well now they have about 40 guys and girls, or maybe more. They have so many you don't learn everyone's name and no one really notices if there is a new person or not. Well- except for a couple guys- one who asked if I was new, and the other, who after I said I was an alumni, looked baffled and said "well I'm a senior and I don't remember you!" Aww you guys, you're too kind!
The first day I went they were doing a workout. They have a very good girls team now and I ran with their varsity girls and since I haven't run faster than 7 minute mile pace since like April they just about killed me even though we only did 2x 1200-800-400-400 and the times were slower than my 10k pace.
The next time we ran about 8 miles with a couple stretching breaks that last about five to ten minutes. Hmm, I should run with these people more often. The coach was talking about Galen Rupp being 22-23 and I made the mistake of saying, "no he's my age, he's 26." I mean, I'm not that old, I don't know why I just said that! I'm 21! I don't know why I did have to say that, I mean I was a little jealous and thought it a little unfair that Galen Rupp got to be 22 even though he is like a whole month older than me, but I got to be 22 too! Who there would think I was over 22? They can't even imagine ages beyond 22!
Yeah I don't know if I can do this. The way the girls looked at me when I admitted when I graduated, the realization that some of these girls were kindergarteners then. They could have been the little 5 and 6 year olds I used to assistant coach at Gliders track practice when I was 17.
At least I'm remembering now that I don't actually want to be in high school. Even if you get to be 14-18 it's just not worth it. Although I wouldn't mind running the 5k in high school now.
Sorry, this is usually the part in my nightmare when I wake up, screaming. But real life- I was so lonely for running buddies I went to my old high school last week.
I hated this place! haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaated!!!!!!! For years I used to avoid running by it. When we drove by in the car I'd boo. The only thing I did like was xc and track.
We were horrible when I went there. We had 5-6 girls. Well now they have about 40 guys and girls, or maybe more. They have so many you don't learn everyone's name and no one really notices if there is a new person or not. Well- except for a couple guys- one who asked if I was new, and the other, who after I said I was an alumni, looked baffled and said "well I'm a senior and I don't remember you!" Aww you guys, you're too kind!
The first day I went they were doing a workout. They have a very good girls team now and I ran with their varsity girls and since I haven't run faster than 7 minute mile pace since like April they just about killed me even though we only did 2x 1200-800-400-400 and the times were slower than my 10k pace.
The next time we ran about 8 miles with a couple stretching breaks that last about five to ten minutes. Hmm, I should run with these people more often. The coach was talking about Galen Rupp being 22-23 and I made the mistake of saying, "no he's my age, he's 26." I mean, I'm not that old, I don't know why I just said that! I'm 21! I don't know why I did have to say that, I mean I was a little jealous and thought it a little unfair that Galen Rupp got to be 22 even though he is like a whole month older than me, but I got to be 22 too! Who there would think I was over 22? They can't even imagine ages beyond 22!
Yeah I don't know if I can do this. The way the girls looked at me when I admitted when I graduated, the realization that some of these girls were kindergarteners then. They could have been the little 5 and 6 year olds I used to assistant coach at Gliders track practice when I was 17.
At least I'm remembering now that I don't actually want to be in high school. Even if you get to be 14-18 it's just not worth it. Although I wouldn't mind running the 5k in high school now.
Monday, August 27, 2012
I'm back
Yesterday I ran around in the woods for four and a half hours so I guess I still have endurance. Maybe I have a little bit of speed too, just a little bit, as I got away from that bear I saw snacking along the side of the trail. I know you are not supposed to run away from a bear- but what if you are already running? Should you stop? And then what? Back away? Do you have to walk backwards the whole rest of the trail? Well luckily he didn't chase me though my sister thinks he might come knocking on the door any minute. If he does I'll make him my new training partner.
Anyway last week was my best week since the 24 hour run with 124 miles and the 30 or so mile run and today I increased my wall sit pr to 10:10. I don't know if this is helpful but it hurts a lot so it probably is. I'm starting to get tired of running again and bored of running around my neighborhood so I guess that means everything is back to normal. Unless a bear shows up at my front door.
Anyway last week was my best week since the 24 hour run with 124 miles and the 30 or so mile run and today I increased my wall sit pr to 10:10. I don't know if this is helpful but it hurts a lot so it probably is. I'm starting to get tired of running again and bored of running around my neighborhood so I guess that means everything is back to normal. Unless a bear shows up at my front door.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
So this is what other runners go through...
I do not like this!
I am injured. I have not been injured since May 2011, not for a whole day anyway. Sometimes I wished I would be injured so I could sleep in or have fun on the weekend but now....This sucks! So this is what other runners have to put up with?
I was once injured for a long time in 2009, after being injured for about 9 months I was hit by a car. I came back to running in 2010 and was as slow as I was in high school. Which was not fast. A doctor told me I would probably always have problems because I was "bow legged." I haven't had to deal with an injury that lasted over a week since then.
I admit, I was a little excited when my injury kept me from training for a couple days. I had just run the 24 hr six days ago and Joel already wanted me to go 15 miles, which I did, but my quads were still so sore I busted my knee. I got two easy days of only 10 miles a piece after that but still my knee hurt so bad afterwards I had trouble walking. Usually I just keep running because as Joel has trained me- awww, no one cares! But the next day I got an unusual day off, then two, then three, then it still hurt too bad to run more than a minute. I did not mind at first I confess because I felt I earned it and also I expected it to go away. I mean I was not running AT ALL. But now that is three or four weeks later and I still can not run more than a couple miles without it starting to hurt I do not enjoy it, not at all. Because pretty soon, if it hasn't happened already, I will revert back to my natural state, the state I am in when I am not running 100-160 miles a week, and that state is the 23 minute 5k runner. I don't know why people put up with these things.
Today I decided I could run two tiny runs twice a day and it wouldn't hurt anymore after an hour or two's rest than after a whole nights. So today I ran 5 miles, in two runs, omg.
Sigh. At least I can do a 6 minute wall sit now!
I am injured. I have not been injured since May 2011, not for a whole day anyway. Sometimes I wished I would be injured so I could sleep in or have fun on the weekend but now....This sucks! So this is what other runners have to put up with?
I was once injured for a long time in 2009, after being injured for about 9 months I was hit by a car. I came back to running in 2010 and was as slow as I was in high school. Which was not fast. A doctor told me I would probably always have problems because I was "bow legged." I haven't had to deal with an injury that lasted over a week since then.
I admit, I was a little excited when my injury kept me from training for a couple days. I had just run the 24 hr six days ago and Joel already wanted me to go 15 miles, which I did, but my quads were still so sore I busted my knee. I got two easy days of only 10 miles a piece after that but still my knee hurt so bad afterwards I had trouble walking. Usually I just keep running because as Joel has trained me- awww, no one cares! But the next day I got an unusual day off, then two, then three, then it still hurt too bad to run more than a minute. I did not mind at first I confess because I felt I earned it and also I expected it to go away. I mean I was not running AT ALL. But now that is three or four weeks later and I still can not run more than a couple miles without it starting to hurt I do not enjoy it, not at all. Because pretty soon, if it hasn't happened already, I will revert back to my natural state, the state I am in when I am not running 100-160 miles a week, and that state is the 23 minute 5k runner. I don't know why people put up with these things.
Today I decided I could run two tiny runs twice a day and it wouldn't hurt anymore after an hour or two's rest than after a whole nights. So today I ran 5 miles, in two runs, omg.
Sigh. At least I can do a 6 minute wall sit now!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
24 HR
My 24 HR run turned out to be only about 10.5 hours. I ended up running about 100k in a little under 10 hours and then walking until about 65 miles somewhere around 7:30 at night. I couldn't believe the race still wasn't even halfway over. The first couple hours had gone by fast, leading me to think- ah look at that, 1/24th of the way done already and I just started! 1/12th of the way done and wasn't that easy! Once at 10 hours though reality was sinking in. I haven't even run half of forever yet, just 10/24ths of forever. Feels like the same thing. My quads had been tightening up for awhile and I had been fighting it but by 65 miles I pretty much couldn't run anymore. I wanted to walk for awhile but Joel didn't want me to injure myself if I couldn't make the world standard- 120 miles, so he would rather I stopped. I was pretty disappointed and it was hard for me to disapoint Joel and Jim and I was feeling guilty that meant we would have to get a hotel for the night which would cost even more money. But I was not quite physically or mentally ready to make it.
I felt proud that I had tried at least and made a very good effort at reaching the distance, covering half the distance I would need in about 10 hours. I didn't mean to but I was leading the race for the first 8 hours. Maybe because as Jim says- I don't know how to run slow. It didn't feel like I was running fast- it felt normal. I don't like to force myself to run slower than what feels normal- it makes me cranky and it makes my legs cranky. Joel made me do a 21 mile run where I had to run 10 minute pace and it was one of the hardest runs I've ever done. It felt even worse than when I used to sprint 21 mile long runs at 7 minute pace. My legs were aching after only about 10 miles of that run and when I tried to pick it up to run even like 9:30s it felt like I was running up a wall.
I'm also disappointed I missed the night run. I like running after dark, seems faster when you can't really see where you are going. Also the weather during the day was hot and also windy so I was both hot and cold at the same time and ended up with a worse sunburn across my shoulders than the pain in my legs. Both of which hurt very badly and kept me up that night, thinking of those still running.
I am going to do a couple 12 hour runs to practice and then try again next year. Hey it's a little crazy to do a 24 hour run when you've never even done a 100k- at least I have now completed one of those! And the nice thing about the 24 hour run is that even if you stop after less than that hours you still technically finished. When everyone asks you how your race went you don't have to tell them you didn't finish and most people still seem to be impressed when you say you only ran 65 miles.
The race went on to be won by Sabrina Moran in a new American record of 147 miles. I feel good about being able to run with her for even 1/3 of the race. I think it means I have a good future in the 24 hr distance as there is not another race I could lead the American record holder for even a 1/3 of the distance. I couldn't run a 4:40 mile to lead the 5k, couldn't run 5:18 pace for 9 miles in the marathon ( or even 1), and I don't think I could even run the record mile pace if I sprinted my guts out for 100 meters.
I felt proud that I had tried at least and made a very good effort at reaching the distance, covering half the distance I would need in about 10 hours. I didn't mean to but I was leading the race for the first 8 hours. Maybe because as Jim says- I don't know how to run slow. It didn't feel like I was running fast- it felt normal. I don't like to force myself to run slower than what feels normal- it makes me cranky and it makes my legs cranky. Joel made me do a 21 mile run where I had to run 10 minute pace and it was one of the hardest runs I've ever done. It felt even worse than when I used to sprint 21 mile long runs at 7 minute pace. My legs were aching after only about 10 miles of that run and when I tried to pick it up to run even like 9:30s it felt like I was running up a wall.
I'm also disappointed I missed the night run. I like running after dark, seems faster when you can't really see where you are going. Also the weather during the day was hot and also windy so I was both hot and cold at the same time and ended up with a worse sunburn across my shoulders than the pain in my legs. Both of which hurt very badly and kept me up that night, thinking of those still running.
I am going to do a couple 12 hour runs to practice and then try again next year. Hey it's a little crazy to do a 24 hour run when you've never even done a 100k- at least I have now completed one of those! And the nice thing about the 24 hour run is that even if you stop after less than that hours you still technically finished. When everyone asks you how your race went you don't have to tell them you didn't finish and most people still seem to be impressed when you say you only ran 65 miles.
The race went on to be won by Sabrina Moran in a new American record of 147 miles. I feel good about being able to run with her for even 1/3 of the race. I think it means I have a good future in the 24 hr distance as there is not another race I could lead the American record holder for even a 1/3 of the distance. I couldn't run a 4:40 mile to lead the 5k, couldn't run 5:18 pace for 9 miles in the marathon ( or even 1), and I don't think I could even run the record mile pace if I sprinted my guts out for 100 meters.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Some girls chase boys, I pass them
I must be the biggest freak in the world, according to the media
Why??
Because I don't have a boyfriend. Because I've had very few in my whole life, and none until I was 20, gasp! Because I don't start every day with the attitude- what could I do today to make the guys like me. And I admit- because I still struggle at age 25 to find a single character I can relate to.
It's hard to find many people to relate to when you are an ultra runner. Imagine if you greeted those you meet with, "Hi, I'm Emily, my biggest goal is to run for 24 hours!" You probably wouldn't get a lot of dates either. Which is fine, just fine. That doesn't make me a freak does it? It just means it's hard to find someone who you like who also likes you. Maybe I am a little busy running 24 hours a day, maybe I have other things on my mind. But according to every TV show, every movie and almost every book I read none of that could possibly be true. The only explanation is that I must be a freak, the biggest freak in the world- the 25 year old woman without a man!
I like shows about women/girls with goals like me. They don't have to be about sports but sometimes they are. I liked to watch Make it or Break it on ABC family. It was always a bit over the top with the drama and there were of course boy love interests even though the show was about teen gymnasts training for the Olympics who weren't allowed to date. But I put up with that because the boy issues were less than on other teen shows and because the show had a shining exception to every TV land girl that had been shoved down my throat thus far. Her name was Payson Keeler and she didn't care about boys or drama, she only cared about gymnastics and making it to the Olympics.
TV along time ago used to shun showing teenagers drinking or doing drugs or being promiscuous. Then there was a rebellion against that and the tables swung in the complete opposite direction. These days it is hard to find a teenage character who does not drink or sleep around. Payson wasn't like that though. She truly did just train and think about training and love training. I was in love. Here, even though I was in my mid twenties, was finally a girl I could relate to. A girl who wasn't a freak, who was such lovely words as dedicated, self motivated and sacrificing. She didn't want to have a boyfriend- she wanted to think about training. She didn't want the drama to distract her. And she definitely didn't want to end up like her friend Emily Kmetko- pregnant right before the Olympics. But, like all other characters that have come before her it couldn't last. Any show that claims at first to be about one thing always descends eventually into 'the boyfriend show.' The front she was putting up of having goals that were more important than having a boyfriend at age 16 was just to cover up her insecurities about boys not liking her. Of course, in TV land, when any girl finds out that a boy could like her she will throw away any such nonsense goals about making it to the Olympics right out the window. Payson got a boyfriend- just like every "normal" teenage girl in TV land America and right away she started acting different. She started sneaking out when the coach wanted them to stay in and get a good night's rest. She stopped thinking about training and practicing her routine before bed and just stayed out late making out with her new boyfriend. Then, just a couple weeks before the Olympic cuts were announced she decided to sleep with her new boyfriend, something she had even earlier in the episode been against because of the physical and emotional changes it could bring to her at such a crucial point in her life.
The message I got from this was clear- no matter what a girl's other goals are- they are less important than having a boyfriend. Any girl who claims otherwise is just afraid of being rejected. If you don't have a boyfriend when you are a teenager you are the only girl in America because even the girls practicing gymnastics for 8 hours a day, who are forbidden to date and truly do dream of bigger things have them. And it's all they talk about.
There's nothing wrong with having a boyfriend, there's nothing wrong with them showing girls on TV with them but there's also nothing wrong with not having one. With not showing every girl on TV with one. To make a girl's storyline be about her and not about the men in her life.
There used to be no respect for a girl/woman who slept with someone before she was married. That was extreme but what we have now is also extreme. There is no respect for a girl/woman who doesn't. The so called feminist movement in the US would have you believe that there is no psychological or emotional difference between men and women. That in order for women to be strong, to get ahead in the world, to be "liberated" is to act just like men do. I was called out by one of my professors in college because I was acting "girly." I said- "I am a girl, what is wrong with that?" In some ways I feel sexism is even worse in this country than racism because other races and ethnicities are recognized at least somewhat( though not enough) for the different cultures they have that they bring to the dominant society that are worthwhile. In Chinese or Japanese culture for example teamwork is valued, and putting the good of the whole above the individual. This is different than US culture but is valuable and teaches us something and should be respected. But when it comes to women's culture the prevailing attitude is- they should not act like women, not if they want to get ahead in this world. You want to be "liberated" you need to act like men do, never mind that there are biological differences that may make you not want to act this way. To act like a woman is to be weak.
I think women are naturally strong. I like that we tend to take relationships and our bodies more seriously. Women are natural caregivers and bring many wonderful things to society just like men do.
We also have goals. Some of us have goals that have nothing to do with what society tells us is important- getting guys to like us no matter what the sacrifice to ourselves and our own dreams.
I believe girls and women should be able to choose whether they want to have boyfriends or not and not let some bigwig writer tell them they are a freak for choosing the 24 hour run over a lifetime of chasing boys.
Why??
Because I don't have a boyfriend. Because I've had very few in my whole life, and none until I was 20, gasp! Because I don't start every day with the attitude- what could I do today to make the guys like me. And I admit- because I still struggle at age 25 to find a single character I can relate to.
It's hard to find many people to relate to when you are an ultra runner. Imagine if you greeted those you meet with, "Hi, I'm Emily, my biggest goal is to run for 24 hours!" You probably wouldn't get a lot of dates either. Which is fine, just fine. That doesn't make me a freak does it? It just means it's hard to find someone who you like who also likes you. Maybe I am a little busy running 24 hours a day, maybe I have other things on my mind. But according to every TV show, every movie and almost every book I read none of that could possibly be true. The only explanation is that I must be a freak, the biggest freak in the world- the 25 year old woman without a man!
I like shows about women/girls with goals like me. They don't have to be about sports but sometimes they are. I liked to watch Make it or Break it on ABC family. It was always a bit over the top with the drama and there were of course boy love interests even though the show was about teen gymnasts training for the Olympics who weren't allowed to date. But I put up with that because the boy issues were less than on other teen shows and because the show had a shining exception to every TV land girl that had been shoved down my throat thus far. Her name was Payson Keeler and she didn't care about boys or drama, she only cared about gymnastics and making it to the Olympics.
TV along time ago used to shun showing teenagers drinking or doing drugs or being promiscuous. Then there was a rebellion against that and the tables swung in the complete opposite direction. These days it is hard to find a teenage character who does not drink or sleep around. Payson wasn't like that though. She truly did just train and think about training and love training. I was in love. Here, even though I was in my mid twenties, was finally a girl I could relate to. A girl who wasn't a freak, who was such lovely words as dedicated, self motivated and sacrificing. She didn't want to have a boyfriend- she wanted to think about training. She didn't want the drama to distract her. And she definitely didn't want to end up like her friend Emily Kmetko- pregnant right before the Olympics. But, like all other characters that have come before her it couldn't last. Any show that claims at first to be about one thing always descends eventually into 'the boyfriend show.' The front she was putting up of having goals that were more important than having a boyfriend at age 16 was just to cover up her insecurities about boys not liking her. Of course, in TV land, when any girl finds out that a boy could like her she will throw away any such nonsense goals about making it to the Olympics right out the window. Payson got a boyfriend- just like every "normal" teenage girl in TV land America and right away she started acting different. She started sneaking out when the coach wanted them to stay in and get a good night's rest. She stopped thinking about training and practicing her routine before bed and just stayed out late making out with her new boyfriend. Then, just a couple weeks before the Olympic cuts were announced she decided to sleep with her new boyfriend, something she had even earlier in the episode been against because of the physical and emotional changes it could bring to her at such a crucial point in her life.
The message I got from this was clear- no matter what a girl's other goals are- they are less important than having a boyfriend. Any girl who claims otherwise is just afraid of being rejected. If you don't have a boyfriend when you are a teenager you are the only girl in America because even the girls practicing gymnastics for 8 hours a day, who are forbidden to date and truly do dream of bigger things have them. And it's all they talk about.
There's nothing wrong with having a boyfriend, there's nothing wrong with them showing girls on TV with them but there's also nothing wrong with not having one. With not showing every girl on TV with one. To make a girl's storyline be about her and not about the men in her life.
There used to be no respect for a girl/woman who slept with someone before she was married. That was extreme but what we have now is also extreme. There is no respect for a girl/woman who doesn't. The so called feminist movement in the US would have you believe that there is no psychological or emotional difference between men and women. That in order for women to be strong, to get ahead in the world, to be "liberated" is to act just like men do. I was called out by one of my professors in college because I was acting "girly." I said- "I am a girl, what is wrong with that?" In some ways I feel sexism is even worse in this country than racism because other races and ethnicities are recognized at least somewhat( though not enough) for the different cultures they have that they bring to the dominant society that are worthwhile. In Chinese or Japanese culture for example teamwork is valued, and putting the good of the whole above the individual. This is different than US culture but is valuable and teaches us something and should be respected. But when it comes to women's culture the prevailing attitude is- they should not act like women, not if they want to get ahead in this world. You want to be "liberated" you need to act like men do, never mind that there are biological differences that may make you not want to act this way. To act like a woman is to be weak.
I think women are naturally strong. I like that we tend to take relationships and our bodies more seriously. Women are natural caregivers and bring many wonderful things to society just like men do.
We also have goals. Some of us have goals that have nothing to do with what society tells us is important- getting guys to like us no matter what the sacrifice to ourselves and our own dreams.
I believe girls and women should be able to choose whether they want to have boyfriends or not and not let some bigwig writer tell them they are a freak for choosing the 24 hour run over a lifetime of chasing boys.
Monday, April 16, 2012
This week
On Friday I did a training run of 20 miles with a goal time of 2:40. I ran 2:34:53 and felt pretty good. The first ten miles I even had to try to go slower. It felt like I was jogging yet running 7:40 pace whereas usually when i run it feels like I am running pretty good and mapmyrun tells me I was running 9:10 pace. I like this way much better! After ten miles I had to work, but only a little bit. It caught me by surprise at first though, like I have to try a little now? Ahh man! I did the run around Cornwall park on a 1km loop so I got to run it 32.2 times. That meant passing the same stoners at least 4 or 5 times which they thought even that seemed like a lot. I got such clever comments as "you must like running a lot" and "jeez aren't you tired yet?" "You must like smoking dope a lot!" and, "No! you will collapse of frolfing before I even make a sweat!" ( if you don't know what frolfing is the best defintion I could give you is - frolf is a good run spoiled.)
Today I ran a lot shorter and quicker. I ran 7 miles along the Cedar River in Renton in 49:18 with three U turns. The trail is so close to my parent's house I would run there more often where it not for the nasty, gassy, kilometer hill in between. But today I got to cheat and drive there. It pays to run fast- you have extra time in your day for things like driving, and blogging. Though I should have plenty of time for that with a weekly mileage of only 107 :O
Today I ran a lot shorter and quicker. I ran 7 miles along the Cedar River in Renton in 49:18 with three U turns. The trail is so close to my parent's house I would run there more often where it not for the nasty, gassy, kilometer hill in between. But today I got to cheat and drive there. It pays to run fast- you have extra time in your day for things like driving, and blogging. Though I should have plenty of time for that with a weekly mileage of only 107 :O
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Running is my 9-5
Sorry, you hafta start at 8 if you want a lunch break? No? Then no breaks for you, ever!
Today I ran from 9 am- 5pm. I ran 56.2 miles, the longest I have ever run by 25.1 miles, and the most I have ever run in one day by 16.2 miles.
Along the way I finished the marathon in 3:31, 50k in 4:11, and 50 mile in 6:59:32.
The course I ran was the same course my team puts on the Skagit Valley Ultras and I set a course record for the 50mile on it. The course is in Mt Vernon and is a 5mile road loop. I started out in what felt like a normal training run pace except I felt good for once, like the first time since the 50k which is not normal! Really I was going just slightly under 8 min pace and for the past few weeks I have struggled running under 9 sometimes for lengths a quarter of the distance! I liked this time trial because I didn't have to worry about pace since it was all so new, just surviving it would be an accomplishment, and once I got to 31.2 miles everything I ran was a PR.
The first 30 miles actually went by pretty quickly. At about 40 miles I realized I could maybe break 7 hours for the 50 mile, despite a bathroom break and throwing up at 49.5 miles I managed a kick and got it which was pretty exciting for my first 50 mile ever! After that I ran kind of slow for a few miles but then managed to 8:50s- 9:10s for the last four miles.
After driving home my right leg was cramping and it was hard to walk up the stairs. But it has since improved and I managed to do a quick 12 minute walk around the house. Well as quick as you can go when you have to turn around furniture every few feet and are being attacked by a killer cat who thought this was the funnest game ever, especially after napping for longer than I had been running probably. I even walked up and down the stairs!
Today I ran from 9 am- 5pm. I ran 56.2 miles, the longest I have ever run by 25.1 miles, and the most I have ever run in one day by 16.2 miles.
Along the way I finished the marathon in 3:31, 50k in 4:11, and 50 mile in 6:59:32.
The course I ran was the same course my team puts on the Skagit Valley Ultras and I set a course record for the 50mile on it. The course is in Mt Vernon and is a 5mile road loop. I started out in what felt like a normal training run pace except I felt good for once, like the first time since the 50k which is not normal! Really I was going just slightly under 8 min pace and for the past few weeks I have struggled running under 9 sometimes for lengths a quarter of the distance! I liked this time trial because I didn't have to worry about pace since it was all so new, just surviving it would be an accomplishment, and once I got to 31.2 miles everything I ran was a PR.
The first 30 miles actually went by pretty quickly. At about 40 miles I realized I could maybe break 7 hours for the 50 mile, despite a bathroom break and throwing up at 49.5 miles I managed a kick and got it which was pretty exciting for my first 50 mile ever! After that I ran kind of slow for a few miles but then managed to 8:50s- 9:10s for the last four miles.
After driving home my right leg was cramping and it was hard to walk up the stairs. But it has since improved and I managed to do a quick 12 minute walk around the house. Well as quick as you can go when you have to turn around furniture every few feet and are being attacked by a killer cat who thought this was the funnest game ever, especially after napping for longer than I had been running probably. I even walked up and down the stairs!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
40 miles
My legs hurt. But that is legs with an s so it doesn't matter. It's good actually, the more you can be miserable the better, because the better practice it is.
Last Sunday I did something I had never done before- run 4 times in one day- getting a new PR of 40 miles in one day. My Sunday went like this- wake up run 10 miles, stop for an hour and a half, eat breakfast, run 10 more miles, stop for an hour and a half, eat lunch, run 10 miles, lie on the floor for the next hour and a half wishing that it would go by as slowly as your next run is going to, then slog, I mean jog 10 miles. Total time = 11 hours. I am told doing it this way was harder than doing it all at once which I believe. I am also told that the harder running is the better. That which doesn't kill us...to quote a book I didn't like very much but did have this one very good line- only makes us want to die!
But maybe I should try running 40 miles straight before I make that decision. Running any hill right now that is bigger than a speed bump makes my legs feel just the same as that forty miler. You cant get away from hills where my parents live. They are in every direction- east, west, north, south, upwards, backwards, skywards, and sideways. And it's really more than my legs- it's like every single muscle in my whole body is being pounded through a blender. I do not like running when I feel this way every single day because it makes me feel like the world's worst slowest runner in the world.
I know that I am running 20ish miles a day but really that is normal. This bad feeling is not normal :(
Last Sunday I did something I had never done before- run 4 times in one day- getting a new PR of 40 miles in one day. My Sunday went like this- wake up run 10 miles, stop for an hour and a half, eat breakfast, run 10 more miles, stop for an hour and a half, eat lunch, run 10 miles, lie on the floor for the next hour and a half wishing that it would go by as slowly as your next run is going to, then slog, I mean jog 10 miles. Total time = 11 hours. I am told doing it this way was harder than doing it all at once which I believe. I am also told that the harder running is the better. That which doesn't kill us...to quote a book I didn't like very much but did have this one very good line- only makes us want to die!
But maybe I should try running 40 miles straight before I make that decision. Running any hill right now that is bigger than a speed bump makes my legs feel just the same as that forty miler. You cant get away from hills where my parents live. They are in every direction- east, west, north, south, upwards, backwards, skywards, and sideways. And it's really more than my legs- it's like every single muscle in my whole body is being pounded through a blender. I do not like running when I feel this way every single day because it makes me feel like the world's worst slowest runner in the world.
I know that I am running 20ish miles a day but really that is normal. This bad feeling is not normal :(
Monday, March 5, 2012
USA 50k National Champs (again!)
It has been a whole year since I started my blog, hard to believe. This is where it all started last year- at the USATF 50K National Championships. And this year I am back at Caumsett Park NY on the same course.
That means 10 more 5k loops and 20 more out and backs. That may sound like a lot but the race is getting less and less long to me. It was still long.
I was less nervous the few days before the race this year but that didn't help me to sleep at night at all. I get so worried about not being able to sleep that I pretty much kill all my chances of falling to sleep. It got so bad I even went to the doctor so I could get put on sleeping pills, but I stopped taking them the night before my race so I wouldn't feel groggy the next morning and got a total of about 20 minutes of sleep. I hate, hate, hate people who tell me that if I want to get a good nights sleep try exercising. Wow, is that what I have been missing? Well I have only run 10 miles in the past 3 days so no wonder I would be sleeping only about a 1/3 of a night- that is like a 1/3 of a day. No! it's exercise that keeps me up in the first place! I also hate people who start snoring a couple seconds after they hit the pillow. And that means most boys I have ever known, and also my cat. Ahh to be a simpler creature, if only...
Anyway I got enough nerves race morning to make up for any shortage. I don't know if nerves stay in your legs bouncing around but that's what it felt like for the first couple laps. I tried to calm myself down by lying ( to be an ultrarunner means you must lie to yourself- constantly) to myself that I was not really nervous but it was like trying to sleep all over again.
I don't know if that explains how I can run a 3:46 30 mile in a time trial and feel pretty good, and then run a 4:01 50k in a race and feel very sore and tired but I don't have another explanation. I am glad that I could still run a PR (by 2 and 1/2 minutes) in such a long race where I felt badly for most of it. I held off running really slow except for one lap or so which was better than last year. I ended up 5th whereas last year I was 4th but this year had a stronger field. Still I missed getting lapped this year by about three seconds!
I was a little disappointed though that my time did not closer match my time trial time and that I feel so sore afterwards when I ran slower. Shouldn't that be the other way around?
Still I was happy to get a 50k PR and my fourth All American medal. And even though I was hurting we walked around New York for several hours that night so good practice for the 24 hour huh? I'm most glad that I have a coach who supports me and puts so much time and effort into me, thanks Joel!
right after start of the race
my time shot
with our friend Joe Gray, winner of the men's race!
I have red gatorade all over my face
us in Manhattan, I no longer have gatorade all over me, yay!
That means 10 more 5k loops and 20 more out and backs. That may sound like a lot but the race is getting less and less long to me. It was still long.
I was less nervous the few days before the race this year but that didn't help me to sleep at night at all. I get so worried about not being able to sleep that I pretty much kill all my chances of falling to sleep. It got so bad I even went to the doctor so I could get put on sleeping pills, but I stopped taking them the night before my race so I wouldn't feel groggy the next morning and got a total of about 20 minutes of sleep. I hate, hate, hate people who tell me that if I want to get a good nights sleep try exercising. Wow, is that what I have been missing? Well I have only run 10 miles in the past 3 days so no wonder I would be sleeping only about a 1/3 of a night- that is like a 1/3 of a day. No! it's exercise that keeps me up in the first place! I also hate people who start snoring a couple seconds after they hit the pillow. And that means most boys I have ever known, and also my cat. Ahh to be a simpler creature, if only...
Anyway I got enough nerves race morning to make up for any shortage. I don't know if nerves stay in your legs bouncing around but that's what it felt like for the first couple laps. I tried to calm myself down by lying ( to be an ultrarunner means you must lie to yourself- constantly) to myself that I was not really nervous but it was like trying to sleep all over again.
I don't know if that explains how I can run a 3:46 30 mile in a time trial and feel pretty good, and then run a 4:01 50k in a race and feel very sore and tired but I don't have another explanation. I am glad that I could still run a PR (by 2 and 1/2 minutes) in such a long race where I felt badly for most of it. I held off running really slow except for one lap or so which was better than last year. I ended up 5th whereas last year I was 4th but this year had a stronger field. Still I missed getting lapped this year by about three seconds!
I was a little disappointed though that my time did not closer match my time trial time and that I feel so sore afterwards when I ran slower. Shouldn't that be the other way around?
Still I was happy to get a 50k PR and my fourth All American medal. And even though I was hurting we walked around New York for several hours that night so good practice for the 24 hour huh? I'm most glad that I have a coach who supports me and puts so much time and effort into me, thanks Joel!
right after start of the race
I have red gatorade all over my face
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Birch Bay
I had a rough start to my race as in before it even started. I spent the night at my friend's house in Bellingham and discovered at about 6:30 in the morning that I locked my keys in the car, which is typical behavior for me really, usually if they are in the car it is the only time I can actually find them. I can't handle keys! My friend very kindly, as it was 6:30 on Sunday morning, offered to drive me to the race which was when I realized I had also locked my running shoes in the car. "Oh well, let's just drive there and I'll see if I can borrow someone's shoes," I said.
Wow, the people willing to give me their shoes. A woman offered me a pair right away, right size, they were technically "walking" shoes but they felt a lot better than my ballet flats. Anyway it was only a half marathon, it's not like I would have to wear them that long.
It was a lot longer than it should have been. I didn't have my watch either, probably in the car! But I figured I must be running like the pile of bricks my legs and feet felt like. It's probably good I didn't have a watch or I would have spent the whole race crying, instead of just the finish line. You know how hard it is to sprint in someone else's walking shoes? I do- I mean like 100 meter sprinter, because that is where some woman caught me and made me run to the finish line like she was Usain Bolt, not someone running a 98 minute half marathon, yuck. Why is it that the slower you run the more pain you feel? Always.
I was still glad I ran though because I had to help out for the rest of the race and if I had not run the race I would have to do it after helping out, aaaaall day, and Joel probably would have made me do a 25k.
I helped out at the finish line, handing people medals and sometimes just standing there until the last finisher of the marathon finished at about 2:30.
Then my day got a lot better- I got to eat, and sit down, and be warm and watch Veronica Mars, where I made the comment- I wish I could do cool things like Veronica! and then my friend and I broke into my car- sooo, wish fulfilled even if we were not quite as smooth as she is.
Wow, the people willing to give me their shoes. A woman offered me a pair right away, right size, they were technically "walking" shoes but they felt a lot better than my ballet flats. Anyway it was only a half marathon, it's not like I would have to wear them that long.
It was a lot longer than it should have been. I didn't have my watch either, probably in the car! But I figured I must be running like the pile of bricks my legs and feet felt like. It's probably good I didn't have a watch or I would have spent the whole race crying, instead of just the finish line. You know how hard it is to sprint in someone else's walking shoes? I do- I mean like 100 meter sprinter, because that is where some woman caught me and made me run to the finish line like she was Usain Bolt, not someone running a 98 minute half marathon, yuck. Why is it that the slower you run the more pain you feel? Always.
I was still glad I ran though because I had to help out for the rest of the race and if I had not run the race I would have to do it after helping out, aaaaall day, and Joel probably would have made me do a 25k.
I helped out at the finish line, handing people medals and sometimes just standing there until the last finisher of the marathon finished at about 2:30.
Then my day got a lot better- I got to eat, and sit down, and be warm and watch Veronica Mars, where I made the comment- I wish I could do cool things like Veronica! and then my friend and I broke into my car- sooo, wish fulfilled even if we were not quite as smooth as she is.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
There should be a 24 hour steeplechase
Cuz then I could be a steeplechaser. Really. It'd be awesome :D
Monday, February 6, 2012
Geoduck Gallop
Yesterday I paid a visit to my Alma mater to run a sprint race, I'm talking of course about the half marathon. The race is called the Geoduck Gallop, which if that sounds silly to you you have obviously never seen a geoduck run a half marathon. Not many have as they do them underground usually.
When you run as much as I do you get to know the places you live better than most other people. Like it only took me about a month to run over the entire town of Bellingham and then I was already pointing out shortcuts to my roommate- a Western grad. I encircle probably every single road within a five mile radius of my parent's house everyday, at least the ones I'm not in Seattle at my sister's house. I wonder how long before I can start giving her directions places a couple miles away? And that is still true of Olympia even though I haven't run one step there since last year's Geoduck Gallop. I would know my way around better than many lifelong residents. Really I only get lost in all places I travel by car.
This was my third year doing the Geoduck gallop and my first time winning, or winning any half marathon!
I'd done a few workouts before the race but not too many, mostly just a long run everyday. But I did a few mile repeat days with goal times of 6:55 which I hit but not happily. I feel like with all the miles I've been doing 7:20 pace has become easy but 6:55 pace has become the opposite. It used to feel easier than this. Now it is like death.
I went to the race with an open mind though because you can never tell how you will feel in a race based on how you feel in a workout. I always get scared the first mile I will go too slow and be doomed to go slow the entire race so I ran a 6:40, then a 7:00 and more 7s and even 7:20 when it went up the 17th Street hill which I knew all too well was coming, twice now that they redid the course. I thought 7:10 felt a little faster than it should but when I got to 10 miles in 71:20 I realized I was fine and could probably run a marathon if I had to. So I picked it up and tried to pass as many men as I could the last 5k and finished in 1:32:22.
I've been wondering for awhile when I will ever break 1:30 and I guess I will have to wait some more but at least I won my first half and I went over to collect my prize. WHICH WAS A FREE PAIR OF SHOES!!
I don't want to wear them though because then I would ruin them and they are my prize.
Now I feel like I am ready for the 50k with this and my 30 mile time trial last month, but just to make sure here is one more week of 140 miles.Yay.
When you run as much as I do you get to know the places you live better than most other people. Like it only took me about a month to run over the entire town of Bellingham and then I was already pointing out shortcuts to my roommate- a Western grad. I encircle probably every single road within a five mile radius of my parent's house everyday, at least the ones I'm not in Seattle at my sister's house. I wonder how long before I can start giving her directions places a couple miles away? And that is still true of Olympia even though I haven't run one step there since last year's Geoduck Gallop. I would know my way around better than many lifelong residents. Really I only get lost in all places I travel by car.
This was my third year doing the Geoduck gallop and my first time winning, or winning any half marathon!
I'd done a few workouts before the race but not too many, mostly just a long run everyday. But I did a few mile repeat days with goal times of 6:55 which I hit but not happily. I feel like with all the miles I've been doing 7:20 pace has become easy but 6:55 pace has become the opposite. It used to feel easier than this. Now it is like death.
I went to the race with an open mind though because you can never tell how you will feel in a race based on how you feel in a workout. I always get scared the first mile I will go too slow and be doomed to go slow the entire race so I ran a 6:40, then a 7:00 and more 7s and even 7:20 when it went up the 17th Street hill which I knew all too well was coming, twice now that they redid the course. I thought 7:10 felt a little faster than it should but when I got to 10 miles in 71:20 I realized I was fine and could probably run a marathon if I had to. So I picked it up and tried to pass as many men as I could the last 5k and finished in 1:32:22.
I've been wondering for awhile when I will ever break 1:30 and I guess I will have to wait some more but at least I won my first half and I went over to collect my prize. WHICH WAS A FREE PAIR OF SHOES!!
I don't want to wear them though because then I would ruin them and they are my prize.
Now I feel like I am ready for the 50k with this and my 30 mile time trial last month, but just to make sure here is one more week of 140 miles.Yay.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
I don't need a ride home- it's only 17 miles!
Last Friday was the first time I ran home from work since becoming my sister's nanny in Seattle. It is considerably farther than Petsmart, being 17 miles from Renton but that is just an average run for me. I have averaged 18 miles a day for the past two months. I don't really think about how far this very often. It doesn't seem very far when you are running in circles, just seems like a hamster running on a wheel, but when I run home from Seattle? That is a long ways! But I do it every single day! really puts things in perspective.
Traffic is awful here. It took me 2 hours and 20 minutes to run home and it can take anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour to drive home. I don't know how people put up with this on a daily basis. They might call me crazy, and I am because I would rather run home than be stuck sitting in my little claustrophobic cage of a car not going anywhere, not even able to stretch a leg for who knows how long or what reason. At least when you are running there are no traffic jams. No one can tell you how fast you can go.
You know you are getting really crazy when your long run is only 3 hours and 30 minutes and this makes you excited because it is so short! Or when you only have to do 10 mile repeats instead of 15! When 20 miles is not even a long run- it is just average. And when your coach tells you to run a 100 mile week you feel like you have the week off! You look at your old running diaries and dumfounded by how little you ran when you ran 80 miles a week. And you worry about the half marathon you are going to do because you aren't in "sprinting" shape. Well that is me now- just escaped from loony bin. And I'll be back, no doubt!
Traffic is awful here. It took me 2 hours and 20 minutes to run home and it can take anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour to drive home. I don't know how people put up with this on a daily basis. They might call me crazy, and I am because I would rather run home than be stuck sitting in my little claustrophobic cage of a car not going anywhere, not even able to stretch a leg for who knows how long or what reason. At least when you are running there are no traffic jams. No one can tell you how fast you can go.
You know you are getting really crazy when your long run is only 3 hours and 30 minutes and this makes you excited because it is so short! Or when you only have to do 10 mile repeats instead of 15! When 20 miles is not even a long run- it is just average. And when your coach tells you to run a 100 mile week you feel like you have the week off! You look at your old running diaries and dumfounded by how little you ran when you ran 80 miles a week. And you worry about the half marathon you are going to do because you aren't in "sprinting" shape. Well that is me now- just escaped from loony bin. And I'll be back, no doubt!
Sunday, January 22, 2012
I hate snow
Sure it starts off pretty, and innocent enough, even cushioning the ground. But that is just day one. By day 4 it has turned into a blocky, slushy, icy brown mess. On day 1 I thought it was fun even as it pelted against my face and gave me frostbite over 30 miles. On day 2 everything was soft and pretty and the cars stayed away. Day 3 it had mostly melted and I ran past a dead body being pulled from Lake Washington. Day 4 it came back and was pretty much a repeat of day 2, except colder, like when you are running on what you think is a road but really turns out to be a gigantic puddle you find out in the middle of it. Day 5 the power was out in my house and we were snowed in, or really I should say iced in. I went out the door, like I always do but then everything was different. I had to cling to the plants in the garden as I walked sideways down the stairs and then slid into the driveway. I could go no further unless I could run 20 miles on my stomach.
Well I am panicked. I mean I have to run everyday, and a lot, no matter what, there's absolutely no excuse I can give that would make it okay otherwise. It is hard and stressful enough having to run 20 miles a day without adding a vast wasteland of frozen rain covered snow on top of it.
My dad managed to bust us out of the house around 1 oclock in the truck and drove me to the gym while he went to work. But he was only going to work for two hours. So I ran 2 hours on the tredmill, trying to get as many miles as I could get in in such a short amount of time. I ended up, because I was so bored, changing the speed every half mile, starting around 7.0 mph and getting up to 8.4 before going back down. So I ran pretty quick since I only did 15 miles, finishing in 1:57, with 3 minutes left over for a shower (I'd forgotten you can sweat while running!) The next morning I had to get up early and go into work with him so I could run again. This time I ran 20 miles in 2 hours and 47 minutes and was not too bored because I brought my notebook and could read it by propping it up on the treadmill while running. This made time fly by because it covers up the mile counter, stopping me from obsessively staring at it as it goes from 0.01 to 0.02, 0.03, all the way to 20.00. I will stare at it if at all possible so best to just cover it up. For some reason reading while running is more distracting than having someone else read to you while running- I don't know why that is. While the treadmill may be insanely boring it is kind to me, unlike mapmyrun which always says I run like 9 minute mile pace, hmph. Maybe I should just stick to the treadmill. I already did 35 miles in less than 24 hours and Joel told me the world record is only like 90 something- that is, the world record for running on a treadmill for 24 hours.
I made it back outdoors on day 7. The snow had melted but only in the middle of the street. Somehow I managed to do my 20 miles without getting run over. Today is day 8 and we have mostly won. The snow is melted in all the street but all the disgusting sludge and every other fowl thing that was once in the street has been pushed onto the shoulder into a huge dirt stick pile because no one actually uses the shoulder of the road do they? And there was still snow putting up a fight along the trail I tried to run on. It had managed to knock down a tree about every quarter mile that I had to crawl under or over, usually on some patch of really slick ice.
Is it sad that when my long run is only 3 and a 1/2 hours I get excited and think of it as a break? I mean less than two hours into it and you're already half way done? Is this my long run or an easy day I can't tell. That might be because I haven't had an easy day since around November.
Even mapmyrun agreed I ran 24 miles ( I had to run a couple extra minutes just to make sure.) It usually only snows once a year so I hope that all traces of it will soon be obliterated. And to all those easter washingtoners and northerners and midwesterners and whereeverelse they're froms that laugh at Seattle and say we don't have "real" snow- you can keep your "real" snow. I'd like to see you run 20 miles a day in it and see how you feel about it.
Well I am panicked. I mean I have to run everyday, and a lot, no matter what, there's absolutely no excuse I can give that would make it okay otherwise. It is hard and stressful enough having to run 20 miles a day without adding a vast wasteland of frozen rain covered snow on top of it.
My dad managed to bust us out of the house around 1 oclock in the truck and drove me to the gym while he went to work. But he was only going to work for two hours. So I ran 2 hours on the tredmill, trying to get as many miles as I could get in in such a short amount of time. I ended up, because I was so bored, changing the speed every half mile, starting around 7.0 mph and getting up to 8.4 before going back down. So I ran pretty quick since I only did 15 miles, finishing in 1:57, with 3 minutes left over for a shower (I'd forgotten you can sweat while running!) The next morning I had to get up early and go into work with him so I could run again. This time I ran 20 miles in 2 hours and 47 minutes and was not too bored because I brought my notebook and could read it by propping it up on the treadmill while running. This made time fly by because it covers up the mile counter, stopping me from obsessively staring at it as it goes from 0.01 to 0.02, 0.03, all the way to 20.00. I will stare at it if at all possible so best to just cover it up. For some reason reading while running is more distracting than having someone else read to you while running- I don't know why that is. While the treadmill may be insanely boring it is kind to me, unlike mapmyrun which always says I run like 9 minute mile pace, hmph. Maybe I should just stick to the treadmill. I already did 35 miles in less than 24 hours and Joel told me the world record is only like 90 something- that is, the world record for running on a treadmill for 24 hours.
I made it back outdoors on day 7. The snow had melted but only in the middle of the street. Somehow I managed to do my 20 miles without getting run over. Today is day 8 and we have mostly won. The snow is melted in all the street but all the disgusting sludge and every other fowl thing that was once in the street has been pushed onto the shoulder into a huge dirt stick pile because no one actually uses the shoulder of the road do they? And there was still snow putting up a fight along the trail I tried to run on. It had managed to knock down a tree about every quarter mile that I had to crawl under or over, usually on some patch of really slick ice.
Is it sad that when my long run is only 3 and a 1/2 hours I get excited and think of it as a break? I mean less than two hours into it and you're already half way done? Is this my long run or an easy day I can't tell. That might be because I haven't had an easy day since around November.
Even mapmyrun agreed I ran 24 miles ( I had to run a couple extra minutes just to make sure.) It usually only snows once a year so I hope that all traces of it will soon be obliterated. And to all those easter washingtoners and northerners and midwesterners and whereeverelse they're froms that laugh at Seattle and say we don't have "real" snow- you can keep your "real" snow. I'd like to see you run 20 miles a day in it and see how you feel about it.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Procrastination
Sometimes I dread the weekend. Saturday and Sunday are usually the hardest, longest running days of the week and this week was no exception. Work sounds enjoyable compared to 15 mile repeats by yourself in the rain, at least it did to me Saturday morning. On such days I usually spend an hour or two dreading my upcoming run and putting it off for the next couple minutes. This sucks because usually those hours are the worst of the whole day and then by the time I finish it is already time for my second run and then darkness.
This Saturday was the most I have not wanted to run in a long time. I had been feeling pretty motivated since the 30 mile. But not enough to pretend at all that I even wanted to go outside in the pouring drizzle Saturday morning and spend the next 2 and 1/2 hours doing mile repeats on some depressing gray street with only cars for company. As awful as that sounded- doing all that running on top of driving 4 hours round trip to Bellingham to run on a track sounded just as bad. I finally got out the door, wanting to cry as much as the sky was. After doing one mile repeat I felt better because the first one never takes very long and then you are part of the way done already, yipee! maybe this won't be so bad. Then after I do about 4 and it feels like I have done a whole lot it starts to get really depressing when I realize I am only about a 1/4 of the way done. Funny how one can make you feel more done than four but that's just the way it is for me. I still managed to do 15 even though it was the last thing I wanted to do and thought I would die attempting.I was done but still demoralized. I miss speed workouts. I had to lie on the floor for about an hour on the heating vent because I was too cold to make lunch and by the time I did eat it was almost time for my second run which lets just say went very sickly.
On to Sunday. I finally got new shoes. It had only been about 4 months and 1500+ miles or so. I had forgotten what it felt like to have shoes with sole on the bottom and every pair felt like I was wearing high tops. The running shoe store only had Brooks and New Balance which are not my favorite but oh well. They also didn't offer me a high school discount even though I was with my mom and usually they do. We did however get them for only 14 dollars because of a shoe card we had that says- buy 12 shoes, get one free, or for 14 dollars. My mom had had the card since 06, or as my mom said- "wow, we've had this since you were in high school!" I would correct her but the shoe salesman is watching and he doesn't need to know how old I really am so I say- right. I can be 23, thanks mom. No one needs to know that I graduated high school like 8 and by 8 I mean BILLION years ago! shhh
Then with new shoes I am off to run more miles than I am old. I wonder how many I will be running when I am 30? Better not ask. Well it was snowing. And my run took me four and a half hours. It sounded like something your grandparents were supposed to tell you about, when you complained about walking to the school bus or something. I can picture me as an old person (older than I already am I mean), I used to run 30 miles in the snow, and it was uphill both ways. True story. My grandkids are going to hate me and I will probably still be running 30 miles then.
I have never begun a run a little after noon and finished after dark before and I don't want to again. This is what procrastination gets you, by the time you are done with your work it is almost time to start more work. Well at least I can put it off, for a little while anyway.
This Saturday was the most I have not wanted to run in a long time. I had been feeling pretty motivated since the 30 mile. But not enough to pretend at all that I even wanted to go outside in the pouring drizzle Saturday morning and spend the next 2 and 1/2 hours doing mile repeats on some depressing gray street with only cars for company. As awful as that sounded- doing all that running on top of driving 4 hours round trip to Bellingham to run on a track sounded just as bad. I finally got out the door, wanting to cry as much as the sky was. After doing one mile repeat I felt better because the first one never takes very long and then you are part of the way done already, yipee! maybe this won't be so bad. Then after I do about 4 and it feels like I have done a whole lot it starts to get really depressing when I realize I am only about a 1/4 of the way done. Funny how one can make you feel more done than four but that's just the way it is for me. I still managed to do 15 even though it was the last thing I wanted to do and thought I would die attempting.I was done but still demoralized. I miss speed workouts. I had to lie on the floor for about an hour on the heating vent because I was too cold to make lunch and by the time I did eat it was almost time for my second run which lets just say went very sickly.
On to Sunday. I finally got new shoes. It had only been about 4 months and 1500+ miles or so. I had forgotten what it felt like to have shoes with sole on the bottom and every pair felt like I was wearing high tops. The running shoe store only had Brooks and New Balance which are not my favorite but oh well. They also didn't offer me a high school discount even though I was with my mom and usually they do. We did however get them for only 14 dollars because of a shoe card we had that says- buy 12 shoes, get one free, or for 14 dollars. My mom had had the card since 06, or as my mom said- "wow, we've had this since you were in high school!" I would correct her but the shoe salesman is watching and he doesn't need to know how old I really am so I say- right. I can be 23, thanks mom. No one needs to know that I graduated high school like 8 and by 8 I mean BILLION years ago! shhh
Then with new shoes I am off to run more miles than I am old. I wonder how many I will be running when I am 30? Better not ask. Well it was snowing. And my run took me four and a half hours. It sounded like something your grandparents were supposed to tell you about, when you complained about walking to the school bus or something. I can picture me as an old person (older than I already am I mean), I used to run 30 miles in the snow, and it was uphill both ways. True story. My grandkids are going to hate me and I will probably still be running 30 miles then.
I have never begun a run a little after noon and finished after dark before and I don't want to again. This is what procrastination gets you, by the time you are done with your work it is almost time to start more work. Well at least I can put it off, for a little while anyway.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
I feel like a slacker
I feel like a slacker because I only ran 106 miles last week. I shouldn't feel guilty because it was my easy week after my time trial.
The night of my 30 mile TT I was advised to run more, if I could, but I was pretty positive I wasn't going to be able to. I was very impressed, but also disappointed, to find that I ended up running 25 minutes and walking 35 mixed in. I was impressed because this meant I was in much better shape than I ever have been, happy as this would prove good for me in the 24 hour run, but also a little disappointed because if I could do it it meant I had to. What is wrong with me? Will nothing make me sore anymore?
I was sore but not enough to keep me from running as I had to run 12 miles the next day and that would be my easiest day. It's probably for the best because I felt guilty enough about only 106 miles! I mean there were significant amounts of the day that I wasn't running and I don't normally feel like that! At the 30 mile I finally felt like I can get better and I am. When I don't run a lot I'm slow- it's my natural state. I usually feel like all my training just goes towards fighting that off. But if I have found something that will actually make me better then I will run 160 miles a week. If that's what it takes. I may not want to do it sometimes but I always want to do it in someway. Bring on 2012!
The night of my 30 mile TT I was advised to run more, if I could, but I was pretty positive I wasn't going to be able to. I was very impressed, but also disappointed, to find that I ended up running 25 minutes and walking 35 mixed in. I was impressed because this meant I was in much better shape than I ever have been, happy as this would prove good for me in the 24 hour run, but also a little disappointed because if I could do it it meant I had to. What is wrong with me? Will nothing make me sore anymore?
I was sore but not enough to keep me from running as I had to run 12 miles the next day and that would be my easiest day. It's probably for the best because I felt guilty enough about only 106 miles! I mean there were significant amounts of the day that I wasn't running and I don't normally feel like that! At the 30 mile I finally felt like I can get better and I am. When I don't run a lot I'm slow- it's my natural state. I usually feel like all my training just goes towards fighting that off. But if I have found something that will actually make me better then I will run 160 miles a week. If that's what it takes. I may not want to do it sometimes but I always want to do it in someway. Bring on 2012!
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