My endurance measuring stick

I haven't been able to run for the last 2 weeks, because I came down with a wicked cold that took total control of my sinuses and lungs, and i could barely breathe while laying down, so running was totally out.

So today, I had a soccer game, which sounds like a lot of fun, until one realizes that I will have to run for 90 minutes after having taken 2 weeks off. For those who are wondering, yes, we do have subs on our team. And for those then wondering the next obvious question, no, I do not come out. For whatever reason, our team has decided I am good enough that I need to play the entire game, while everyone else on the field subs in and out. I love it, I'd rather play than sit anytime, so this is very cool for me. But I was quite worried, since the most physical thing I've done in the last 2 weeks is having horrific coughing fits in the middle of the night.

Anyway, I played the game, and we ran more than we usually do, because the team we played was really really good. And, surpringly, I felt great. I am not sure how I managed to take 2 weeks off and still feel this good after running for that long and that hard (I had three 3/4 field sprints in the middle of the game, besides all the regular 20 and 30 yard sprints and stuff), but it was awesome. I am so reinvigorated, and excited to start my regular training regimen again Monday.

As the title of this post suggests, I try to use soccer as a measuring stick for my endurance. Yes, if I sat back and ran in the 10-10:30 min/mi range, I could probably run for a really long time. But, I like to see how I do when I'm running at that pace, and then I throw in a bunch of wind sprints. It feels great. Hooray!!!

Running 16 miles in the rain - pretty badass, moderately insane, or just plain stupid?

Today we ran the Drake Relays Half-Marathon. This is the logo from the website - ah, only in Iowa.

Well, it was raining when we left Ames, it was raining when we got to Des Moines, and it rained every step of the way through the race. We had 18 miles on our schedule today, so we planned on running an extra five today. We were there early so we ran three miles beforehand. I ran that pretty slowly so I figured it would be fine. Big mistake. I was a little skeptical of the 17 mi long run followed immediately by an 18 mi long run the next weekend, but Kecia modified our schedule from Hal Higdons website, so I guess I figured it was alright. But I was clearly nowhere near recovered from last weekend. Not that I really expected to be, but I had a good running week with a fast (for me - 9:42 pace) 9-miler on Tuesday. I think Kimberly and Kecia felt the same way since we all hit a wall. Needless to say, we didn't run the extra two at the end.

My wall came pretty early - at about mile 10 (mile 7 of the race). My quads were just so tired. Mile 7 was probably right at top of the big hill that I apparently didn't notice while I was running. The whole time we were running down the big hill, I was very nervous about the fact that the race was a loop and that eventually we would have to go back up. But I must have been totally spacing out because I don't remember going up that big hill at all. Anyways, today was rough, but I considered it a good mental training day. I wanted to stop every step of the way after mile 7 of the race. Six miles can seem like an eternity at that point. Nothing hurt whatsoever (except in a "I'm tired" sort of way), so I had no excuses to stop. So I made myself run every last step of the way. I figure that the last 6 miles of the marathon will probably feel the same way, so it was good practice.

I didn't have lofty goals for this race, but I really wanted to beat my time from the 20K I did last summer (I know that it is 0.7 miles more, but I can run a lot faster now). That was 2:17. Today I cruised in at 2:19. Although in my head I am taking the time of the first 13.1 miles I ran today, which was 2:13 :-)

I actually really liked the course though and will probably do it next year. Since I don't remember the hill, it can't have been that bad. The course runs through all these nice neighborhoods. And knowing the course now, I know I can let go more on the downhills. I was afraid of pushing too much on the downhills and not having the energy for getting back up. I also really liked that you can see the finish line from about a third of a mile away. That was just the motivation I needed for one last push to the end. Also the end was flat. To me, there is nothing worse than getting to the end and realizing you have to sprint up a hill. I think that is just plain evil. Even more evil than the styrofoam cylinder.

It was just an exhausting day all around. So I think I am going to spend the rest of the day sitting on my couch, drinking a pot of tea, and watching movies. Good times!

This is a recovery week on our schedule, thank goodness. I am going to take full advantage and rest up and do this 15K trail race next weekend. Second highest point in Iowa? Wow! I hope I don't get altitude sickness.

P.S. I realized that I should probably stop whining about hills if I am going to do this relay. The average elevation gain on each leg is about 400 ft (although there are several legs with over twice that much).

Let us compare the elevation map above from today, with leg 19 of the relay:
Each one of those lines is 100 feet. Okay, granted this is probably the hardest leg in the relay (+1655') but it works for effect. After the marathon in June, I shall make myself run hills once a week.

I have discovered the instrument of hell and it is a foam roller

On Monday, Susan (the masseuse) gave me three things I need to do:

1) Massage my tibias.

2) Stretch my hip flexors.

3) Roll my IT bands on a foam roller.

Number (1), no problem! Number (2), I do that anyways for my back! Number (3)? Someone please shoot me before I have to do that again. Who knew that a cylinder of styrofoam could cause so much pain? I called Kori, who is a pro at this, and she affirmed that it indeed sucks.

The styrofoam cylinder of death seems so unassuming. And then I lay on top of it and tried rolling my IT band and I could do about one roll down my thigh, screaming expletives the whole time. I made myself do 5 each leg (with about a minute rest between rolls).

I stole this picture from the internet somewhere, but it describes my feelings.

They're dropping like flies!

So Adam has just informed me that his best friend's bachelor party is the same weekend as the relay and thus will be unable to attend. I think he is just a wuss. Who needs friends when you can run over the Continental Divide?

Well anyways, that means we are down to 10. Before departing, Adam did manage to possibly recruit someone, so maybe we are only down to 11. But anyways, everyone needs get those recruitin' skillz sharpened so we can fill out the team again.

That's okay Adam, we didn't want you anyways ;-p

they're religious, and they run

My running sucks less than it did a week ago, thanks in no small part to D putting me on a schedule. I'm getting the cobwebs out at last.

I can do 3-4 miles pretty easily now, but my problem is that I get bored out of my skull after like 2 miles. So I'm combating my lack of mojo by starting a running group at my church. Our first meeting was last week, and I'm the only one who showed up. I ended up doing 40 minutes worth of circles around Queens Park, which in the late afternoon is filled with Toronto hippie types getting baked. I think I got a little bit stoned.

The second meeting is today, and it's pissy and raining out, and I'm starting to get sick. Will those lazy bums show up? Will I?

Margaritas and Krispy Kremes, the breakfast of champions!

Yesterday was the ever so fun Donut Run 5K. If I hadn't signed up a week ago, there is no way I would have done that race. It being VEISHA, there were lots of bands playing for free on campus the night before. As I have no natural resistance to peer encouragement, there was a little too much tequila consumed that night before heading out to see Cross Canadian Ragweed and Rober Earl Keen.

So I woke up Sunday morning still feeling hazy with my stomach not feeling 100%, but I paid my $15 gosh darnit, so I was going to run that race. I was also resolute in meeting my four donut goal. The race was at 9am, so I had plenty of time to get up and clear my head (I find it very hard to sleep past 7am). Once I got running, I actually felt okay. I even ate three donuts and still felt pretty okay. The fourth donut though, man that was hard to get down. But I did it. If I had done one more, I would have gotten a 2 minute bonus, but I just couldn't do it. The last half mile was pretty rough, but I made it to the end. My unadjusted time was 30:11 and my donut time was 27:41. Considering it takes me about 30 seconds to eat a donut, my actual running time was probably in the low 28s, which is good for me.

There was a guy in the race dressed up in a full-on Pooh Bear costume (like with a big furry costume and a big Pooh head with his face sticking out under the bear's nose). Apparently Pooh Bear finished the race and then went off into the woods to throw up. While this image is quite funny in my mind, I am sure a few kids were traumatized :-)

I got a sports massage this morning. It was the most painful massage of my life, but she was good. My IT bands were hella tight (the source of the nagging pain on the side of my left knee). I fear the fate of Kori, so I must buy a foam roller so I can massage my own IT bands.

<Awesomeness Level="High">Joe Rules</Awesomeness>

I can draw < and > signs. I rock harder than Danielle!

/Queen

I can't think of any other Queen songs. Note I had to take the <> off the title because blogger didn't know what to do with a nonsensical tag and I am not talented enough to make it do what I want :-).

I have been trying to avoid being the only one who posts on this here blog (hey guys, I get bored reading about myself :-)). But apparently I have more rambling and/or procrastinating tendencies than the other five people here.

But today I just want to brag that I ran 17 miles this morning (10:25 min/mi). This is the farthest I have ever run. About eight months ago, when I was training for the Chicago Marathon, I ran 16 miles. But my calf hurt a lot, and after the fateful weekend in Toronto, I had to stop running for like two months. But today nothing hurt! Not the weird nagging thing in my left knee, not the random hip pain, and most importantly, neither of my calves!

It was such a perfect day. It was 45 and sunny when we started at 7am. And maybe because I didn't let certain other team members convince me to stay out late drinking beer like last week, I felt good the whole run. The last mile was rough, but it was awesome to finish (on a hill!) and feel that pure exhaustion and not have it accompanied by some random ache that you worry might debilitate you next week. You know you just had a good long run when everyone comes back with salt visibly crusted on.

Innovation of the day: Mr. Kimberly making us omelets. On the grill.

Unfortunately, I have to spend the rest of this gorgeous day inside, doing work. And because it is VEISHA I rode my bike the few miles to my office at school so I wouldn't have to worry about parking. Let me tell you, those hills between here and home were not pleasant. Here is to hoping I don't die during the 5K tomorrow!

Okay, time to crank up the tunes (I am glad no one else is in my office so I can sing along to Gillian) and start using my EXCEL skills to make pretty spreadsheets for rainwater harvesting in Africa.

Oh yeah, I saw this linked from another blog and it made me laugh and laugh.

Any way the wind blows...

Okay it is windy today, but that title is a stretch. I just didn't want to be the one to break the Queen streak. And I always think of Lisa's karaoke story when I think of that song.

So, it's Marathon Monday! I hail from Newton MA. In addition to being the home of the Fig Newton, Newton is right on the Boston Marathon route. In fact I grew up about two blocks from the bottom of Heartbreak Hill. In Massachusetts we have this holiday called Patriots Day, which I think is supposed to celebrate the battles of Lexington and Concord. Somewhere along the line, they started running the Boston Marathon on Patriots Day so we all got a school holiday for Marathon Monday. My parents used to have barbeques and everyone would wander over to the course to watch the action. Good times.

Anyways, the winner this year did it in 2:07. That is about a 4:50 min/mi pace. Insane!

So I set out on my evening run today with the goal to be faster than twice as slow as the winner. And I was a total rockstar, doing the four miles at 9:24 min/mi (shut up, it's fast for me). On Saturday, I was more than a minute per mile slower for our 11 miler and I was dead at the end. I was cursing myself for putting the 13th Street hill in the last mile of that run.

Song that got me pumped to run at the beginning: As Cool as I Am by Dar Williams
Song that got me up the 13th Street hill today: By Way of Sorrow by Lucy Kaplansky, Dar Williams and Richard Shindell

If anyone knows that last song, they will probably think I am weird that that song would be of any help while running since it is sort of slow. But two things:

1) There is a faster paced fiddle part in the middle that conveniently hit about 100 feet from the top.

2) I like to sing along, even though one would think that singing along (out loud mind you - I am shameless) would mess up my breathing, especially going up a hill. But I have the embarassing habit of totally getting into music when I am singing along so it totally (all encompassingly?) gives me a burst of energy. I also tend to close my eyes when I sing along and running up a hill with your eyes closed (which again makes me look like a total freak) makes the hill go faster.

I am sure I must look insane running with my eyes closed and singing along. I don't know if I could ever look as insane as the really thin Asian woman with massive coke bottle glasses who Lisa and I would pass running in the Hole - she used to only wear shorts and this white bra that wasn't a sports bra, just a regular bra, but it was about 3 cup sizes too big for her. Yet she was out there running several days a week. I guess running attracts the crazy ones.

Like a rocket ship on it's way to Mars...

A somewhat appropriate Queen reference to keep up Danielle's trend for at least one more message... so in between the dropping out and the throwing up I thought I should post a quick update on how I've run 16km for the last two sundays which, while not quite the mileage being put in by some of you, is something I haven't done in over two years and so far I'm moving along at a decent pace (1h 35m this morning) and feeling better and better about my running with every outing. Not a bad job off 6 weeks training at least. Bring on August!!!