Summertime and the Living is Easy

Ahhh, the glorious school year calendar--Summers are more than long days, fresh veggies, strawberry juice running down your chin, and the blender on high--it also means a fundamental change in routine.  Problem is, I like routine.  But I know myself well enough that I need the occasional change in them otherwise I will work that routine dry and then I become stale.

So, what's the new routine?  I wake up turbo early (ok, no real change there), get in my main run of the day (if 2 are scheduled...before this was reserved for the evening), and then travel just past the school where I teach.  But, I get to wear old soft cotton t-shirts, my best patched pants, mucky shoes, and usually get some good dirt on my hands.  I'm working at a farm--splitting time between the fields and farm stand.  I'm working pretty long days, but having a blast doing so.  The people who own and operate the farm are just the type of people that the phrase "good people" was made for.  And, the majority of people that visit have been pleasant, gracious, and kind hearted.  I guess like breeds like.

This summer I'll also be taking a few classes and hosting an overnight XC camp.  My brother and I are co-directors and we were really busy a few weeks ago with making, printing, and distributing brochures, setting up the website, and ironing out details.  Now we are banking on the "if you build it, they will come" theory.  I have a few other projects brewing, but I'm going to let them percolate a bit longer.

Ahhh, summertime running.  Cool, muggy mornings.  Warm evenings.  Shorts and sports bra.  I'm in heaven.  I'm doing 5K training and it's been fun--a great change of pace and mental shift more me.  I was going to race this past Thursday, but it was cancelled due to storms.  My next race should be July 4, but I took/am taking a few days off to nurse a sore Achilles and while I think it's better, I'm going to play it super cautious on this one.

It's summertime and the living is easy--busy, but good.

Presented in 7 Acts

"Tell Yolanda to update her blog."  This was a phone message left for me, so here ya go...

First things first.  (Second things will probably be a different post...oh the anticipation!!)  Originally I was going to run the Vermont City Marathon, which is this weekend.  I wanted to run a spring marathon and thought VCM would be perfect.  I contacted the proper race personnel and asked to be in their elite field.  They agreed.  I was stoked.  And then, I guess I choked.  Not in the overly anxious, I  really, really don't want to blow this moment, so I'm now going to blow it b/c I made too much out of it type of choke.  Just, it ain't happenin' choke.  My training wasn't going well.  I felt lousy most runs and things were not falling in place, weren't being thrown in place, and definitely weren't staying in place.  So, I entered the Kübler-Ross Model--well, sort of. 

1.  Shock and Disbelief. 
"I feel good." 
"This is going to work out fine." 
OH MY GOSH, WHY DO I  FEEL LIKE POOP!  I am so shocked!

2.  Denial.
"I can work through this."
"I will work through this."
"I can fight my way through this."
"I will fight my way through this."
"It's not too bad, there's plenty of time to turn this around."
Denial ends due to unbeknownst wisdom of 18 year old.

3.  Anger
Rah rah ah-ah-ah!
Ro mah ro-mah-mah

4.  Bargaining
"If I eat more red meat and chug my handy bottle of liquid iron religiously can I turn this around?"

5. Guilt
Bruised ego. Tail between the legs.
"What did I do wrong?!?!"
Forcing self to contact race directors and thank them for generously accepting me into their field, but I must withdraw. Feel horrible for not following through with self-imposed expectations. Guilt partially alleviated by very thoughtful, kind, and understanding message from VCM elite coordinator. Ego still bruised, but not being currently beaten.

4.  Depression.
Hhhhhmmmmmpppppphhhhhh.
Bummer.
That was about it.

7.  Acceptance and Hope
New goal...while improving iron levels and getting body and mind back on track totally switch gears and focus. 5K training.
Get outside perspective on training and hand it over to someone else for a while. Don't get caught in training traps.


And, so I am left with parsed down mileage, shorter/quicker workouts, and cheeseburgers.  Life ain't so bad.

My Rose Colored Glasses Got Stepped On

.

This week was a running struggle...one in which the struggle won.  After being sick all last weekend, I ran on Monday and Tuesday, but didn't get out the door on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.  Why?  I just really, really, really didn't feel like it.  I was tired. I was rushed for time.  But I could have fit it in.  I knew I could fit it in, but I didn't want to.  I sat in my desk chair Thursday evening, knowing I needed to leave NOW! if I was to get my run in.  I sat down and pictured myself driving, getting out of my car, parking, and starting to move.  I did it to motivate myself.  Instead, everything in my mind and body didn't like that.  The thought of moving in a straight line down the road--a thought that usualy delights me--completely turned me off.  I didn't want to feel the fresh air, I didn't want to breathe hard, I didn't want to stretch out--again, things that generally delight me.  Things I generally enjoy doing multiple times a day.  No, I caught it...the three day funk.

It was a solid three day funk.  Not the good, groovy, soul funk.  But, the wretched, vile, stanky funk.  The funk that makes you go blah, not aaahhhhhhhhh.  The funk that no one wants to be around, not the funk that makes people want to throw down.

I went for a nice run today.  Hopefully I'll get my run mojo back real soon, because I have a hard 8 weeks if I'm to hit an OT qualifying time at the end of May.  I feel so pressed with my schedule, that if I don't have the mental fortitude to commit and believe in this goal, then I can't and won't do it.  The past few days I realized/admitted how mentally fried I was from the 50K.  I bounced back pretty good physically, but mentally I really struggled.  Am struggling.  I'm not sure how to explain it and I'd probably sound whiny, so I'll just say, "it got to me, it really got to me."  Hopefully, these past few days were a complete purging of it and I can do what needs to be done (which deep down is also what I want to be done, if I can peel back these layers of funkitude).  This week will be telling, as the race is quickly approaching.

That horse bucks!

The title will make more sense if you read or scroll down to the previous posting.  Anyway, I ended last weekend on a strong note...got in a hard effort on Saturday and a solid longer run on Sunday.  I ran easy on Monday and was hoping to do a workout on Tuesday, because although not ideal recovery-wise, it was best schedule-wise and I was hoping I could get away with it and then take the next few days really easy, as they were jam packed anyway.  Well, the workout on Tuesday got cut short--real short and I felt like dog running the rest of the week.  Not sure if I just didn't respect the work I did the previous weekend enough or I wasn't getting enough rest or maybe I was fighting something off.  It didn't matter because by Friday 5th block I was looking through magic-mirror glasses and trying not to toss my cookies. 

I rallied--or sort of rallied--for practice (asst. coach at the high school I teach at) and faked my way through standing upright (mostly) and not being a total slug.  I left quickly because I felt horrible and had a meeting to go to.  By the time I wrapped my day up, I almost had to pull my car over on the side of the road because driving just seemed soooooooo labor intensive.  No joke. 

For someone who not too recently trudged through 31 miles, it was all I could do to walk inside, take off my shoes, and pull the blankets around my shaking body--mind you I had on two pairs of pants, two long-sleeve shirts, a sweater, my winter jacket and a winter hat.  Here I stayed for a solid 12 hours.  I woke up, went to the bathroom, took off my jacket, and slept the rest of the day and following night away.  In a 36 hour period, I easily slept for 30 of the hours.  And that's not in any way typical of me--healthy or sick.  I took the sick animal approach and quarantined myself and didn't move (couldn't move), didn't eat and probably drank a total of 8 oz. of fluid.  But, by mid-Sunday, I was feeling quite a bit better.  Good enough to write about a lack of running and ponder how I can feel tired after sleeping that much.  Guess my body was busy fumigating and healing.

Well, I didn't have the running week I was hoping for and I'm finding my schedule tough.  Before I got sick, I was pondering if perhaps I have too much going on right now and I can only hope the sickness was a freak incident (food poisoning, perhaps?...it came on pretty suddenly after lunch) and not a sign of anything else.  I can only take each day as it comes and plan as best as possible.  I'm hoping we get some warmer weather too, this week of highs in the low 30's was a bummer.  But, once again, I'll get back on the horse--hopefully tomorrow.

Back on the Horse

After feeling sorry for myself for a few days, I'm back on the horse. 

At the 50k, I didn't have the race I envisioned.  Not even close.  I never felt good and it got ugly--quickly.  I knew pretty early on that I would have to back way off my race plan to complete the distance.  I initiated the back off and then it took on a life of it's own.  Growing, growing, growing.

I'm not sure what went wrong...if my training was the culprit then I think it would have hit me much later in the race, not so dang super early.  My fueling was good and I felt ready for it.  I may have had a touch of a bug--Pepto and I had a few visits the week leading up to the race, but I'm not convinced this was a factor.  I got really cold fairly early in the race, due to the rain and wind.  I was literally shaking from the cold while running, although I would occassionally warm up if the rain let up.  I probably should have stopped to get some more clothes, but I didn't.  These don't amount to much, but excuses.  It simply boils down to: It just wasn't my day. 

I spent a lot of time contemplating dropping out, wondering if I was doing more harm than good.  But, in retrospect I'm glad I finished.  If for nothing else, to hold onto a bit of self-discipline. 

With the writing of this posting (finally!!), I'm tucking it away and moving on.  May 29th is the next big thing.

I don't know why I can't rotate this...

Oh, blissful ignorance where are you?

Tomorrow morning I'll be running the USATF 50k at this time.  The weather looks to be relatively warm (40's) with a good chance of rain and wind...the course is a loop that nears the water so the wind factor will probably be on & off throughout the race.  Last year going into this race, I was blissfully ignorant of what to expect and what expectations to place upon myself.  I think the experience of doing it (once!) will pay off, but part of me wishes for that naivety to return.  The biggest difference is probably that I'm placing more concrete expectations upon myself, but in reality I can control that so it shouldn't be a point of stress.  I'm excited for the race and as it gets closer I'm sure that I'll be more and more happy to have the experience from last year in my back pocket as I do my final race preparations.  Thanks to the many people who have sent me well wishes...much appreciated!  Happy weekend!

Last Long Run

This weekend I did my last long run before the 50K.  It was probably a bit longer than I would have gone if my training schedule went exactly to plan, but I missed a few long runs due to colds and I wanted to get one more in.  I weighed the pros and cons of doing it two weeks out from the 50K, but settled on the fact that if I backed off a few days after and made sure I recovered well from it, it would be beneficial for fitness and fueling practice.

The local running club, Monadnock Regional Milers, host a winter race series appropriately called the Winter Chillers.  The location varies and this weekend the race took place 14 miles from where I live so I used it as motivation to get out the door and get going early Saturday morning.  The temperature wasn't too bad and although it was really windy, I was pretty well protected from it for most of the run.  Starting around 6:25am, I ran to where registration was being held and then added on about another 20 minutes of running before registering, using the loo, and grabbing some Hammer gel.  From there my brother and I ran another 1.5 miles or so before the 3 mile race, which I didn't race, but continued along at a similar pace.  My brother and I then ran the course again with a bit added on at the end of it.  It worked out great for some motivation, mentally breaking up the long run, being able to fuel at regular intervals, and have company for part of it.  I averaged a little quicker pace than expected, finishing my 3 hour run with 25 miles. 

It was great to get in another long run and feel pretty good doing it.  I practiced taking in fuel at intervals similar to what I'll use in the 50K and it worked well.  I used Hammer HEED about every 3 miles and Hammer gels (I went with the flavor potpourri approach: vanilla, huckleberry, tropical, and raspberry) about every 6 miles.  Everything sat fine in my stomach, while keeping my blood sugar and energy levels stable so I'll stick with this plan come race day.

I took it easy on Sunday to make sure I recover fully.  I'll do a tempo run this week, race the Jones Group 10 miler (Amherst, MA) on Sunday, then onto the 50K on March 6.

Catching a Break...

It was 45 degrees this afternoon...it was AWESOME!  I was the person out in shorts...why?...because I needed to really enjoy the break from the cold.  It's supposed to be a high of 15 degrees tomorrow, so I made sure I capitalized on it.  I'm looking forward to more of these gaps in the cold as we move towards the close of February and into March.

                              Here's to some more shorts weather days!...  

fighting, fighting, resting

The other week I felt some sickness coming on...I laid low for a few days and thought I by-passed it, but it got the best of me this week.  The little, mindless, sneaky buggers out smarted me.  One point for them. 

Consolation Game: I beat the crazies...and didn't go nuts trying to stick to my training schedule.  I did pretty good noticing it was taking a lot of energy to get through the day, so I backed off the running and gave a good effort to get better ASAP.  Hopefully this will totally clear up in the next few days.  I've been pretty lucky this winter and school year in avoiding sickness and if this winter cold is as bad as it gets, I'm getting off easy.  Here's looking forward to some long runs and hard workouts.

First of the season, probably a few more to go...

It was pretty icy last night when I went running, but I found some relatively non-slippery spots and was managing quite well until I had about 5 minutes left...bam!  No real damage, just some scratches and temporary stiffness.  Aaahhhhhh, should have worn the screw shoes...

snow, screws, sponsorship...oh my!

Another boat load of snow today...I'm not sure how much we are supposed to get, but I think we have about 6-8 inches and it looks like it's still coming down pretty good.  We got about 2 feet a week ago, so the snow banks are becoming rather impressive.  School (work) was cancelled today, so I was able to get in most of my running this morning.  Before I got the call, I was up and out of the house so I could do a short run before work, so I just ended up making it a longer run before the roads got too bad.  They were pretty hard to run on by the time I finished, but the screws in the soles of my shoes definitely help.  They are, without a doubt, a winter necessity. 



Some winter essentials: shoes w/screws, super heavy wind-proof
mittens, hot hands, reflective vest & head lamp (not much day
light), and dubs hats.



That and "hot hands" which made my long run yesterday possible.  It was just over 10 degrees yesterday (luckily it was sunny and not windy) and my hands do not last long once it gets that cold.  But, tucking some hot hands in my mittens and changing the mittens half-way through the run kept my hands from being painfully cold.  (My hands get really cold, really easy and I have a really hard time dealing with it...as in, it makes me almost physically ill, not to mention cranky.)  But, despite the cold and snow, I've been fortunate getting in my runs. 

I recently found out that my sponsorship with Hammer Nutrition was renewed...and, not only renewed, but upped.  I was thrilled, especially since I did not race very much last year.  I won the USATF 50K Championship, but outside of some small, local races didn't do too much.  Luckily, they are a great company that was very supportive when I told them I needed to put aside my racing plans and take a few months off to clear up some lingering injuries.  I emailed them and their sponsorship coordinator gave me the thumbs up and even suggested it was probably a wise thing to do.  A company that puts people first and makes great products...I'm okay with that.

balance in boomtown

2011 is off to a busy start.  I'm in the process of jacking up my mileage in preparation for the 50K Championships in early March, while being mindful of balancing it with my other commitments.  That is, in order to be best prepared, I need to run not as much mileage as I possibly can, but run as much mileage as I possibly can while upholding my other commitments, not being useless at my job, and keeping myself healthy...finding the sweet spot of training, as my brother likes to say.  While I know my body can handle a certain work load when training is my #1 priority, I have to discover how much my body can handle when there are other priorities and commitments.  I'm making a lot of time for running, but as is life, there are of course lots of other things requesting my time.

This was my first week incorporating some double runs and testing out my new morning routes.  Last year to maximize sleep and run time on my double days I would wake up and head out the door as quickly as possible to hit the cold pavement.  This year I decided it would be better to spend a little bit more time awake and moving...the old body doesn't always spring out of bed.  But, I need to maximize my time.  So, I've been getting up, driving part-way to work, doing my run, then going to work and cleaning up there.  Plus, the roads on the way to work are better to run on than the one in front of the house...at least in the snowy winter dark.  The doubles are treating me well and I had a good week of workouts.  (I'll try to write more about these, since they are probably more of interest...and I didn't forget that I owe you a training plan.)

Aside from running, teaching is going well.  It's been super busy coming back from break and with a new semester starting in another week, but I'm trying to keep it balanced too.

In the late fall, I inquired and looked into taking on the position of leading the Servant Leader Team of Discipleship at my church and was accepted for the position.  The position is to help coordinate and plan discipleship activities.  Programs such as the nursery, children's church, youth and high school programming, and adult education fall under the auspices of this team.  There are people in place who do a ton of great work for these programs and I"ll hopefully be able to offer support and guidance in this upcoming year.  Right now we are busy with a church-wide study program (r12) that I'm really excited about.  So, this is the other portion I'm balancing with the other two. 

I realized each topic could be split into mind, body, spirit.  Now, as long as I keep them in harmony and, of course, remember which is most critical.  (No, not running.)

Best wishes for a wonderful new year!!