g i r l c a n r u n
How do you run thru life?
How do you run thru life?
The Half MUST go on....
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
AAAHHH. It feels like FOREV-UARY since I posted and it’s like 8 MILLION things are going on - And trying to balance everything AND train for the half?? NOT exactly working out. Ugh. And I don’t know about you, but when that happens to me, it’s a domino effect and all the negative thoughts come soldiering in:
See, a half marathon is a far cry from a 5K. Scary to Lisa.
But I love that fear. It’s excitement laced with nervousness. Or, it’s nervousness laced with excitement.
Either way - it’s a rush. Still scary, but a rush. And I want that rush.
Well, that, AND I want that 13.1 magnet. (Hey, whatever motivates you, right?)
I know how good I’ll feel when I cross that finish line. I felt it before....
And yes, logically I KNOW that the nerves are normal and that I have nothing to worry about.
Fast, slow, short distance, long distance, jogger, whatever - I am a runner.
And I CAN do this.
I gotta squash the negativity, get geared up, get out there and kill it. Like I know I can.
FP says, running is 90% mental.
I can dig it - Get my mind right, and my legs will go forever.
The thing is, now I’m 4 days away and my nerves are at full attention.
Why?
Because I’ve barely ran in the last few weeks. Ugh.
Oooooh here come the negative thoughts again…….
See, after I tried interval training with mygirl Jennifer, I had a couple of weeks before MexIndian time in Mexicanaville. (He’s a Mexican, I’m an Indian = MexIndian, ya dig?) So I was working bunches to not leave loose ends for my co-workers, and planning and packing… clearly these things took precedence over regular running.
I say it that way because I WAS running, but just once or twice a week, and not many miles at all.
g i r l c a n r u n tip #27: Consistency. You don’t have to run far or fast, but you do have to run consistently.
For me, that’s 4 days a week, or every other day – something routine. If I go 2 days, eh, maybe ok. But 3 days go by without a run and you’d think I hadn’t run in years. Maybe it’s just my body. That reminds me of another tip we've talked about here,
g i r l c a n r u n tip #53: Know your body & Listen to it
I found what works for me – and what doesn’t – and I’m still learning as my running journey grows…. And I KNOW when I don’t run consistently, I don’t improve. Period. Sure, after a mile or two the form and breathing are jivin’ again & maybe I run fewer miles the 1st day out and I’m fine on the next run. But my running never grows. I’m just a 3 mile-at-a-time-honey. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it I ain't no half-marathoner.
Sooooo, I was planning and packing and trying on my bathing suits, getting my eyebrows waxed and fixin’ dem toes up, and all that stuffage that makes me feel good about me. I was running in between all the chaos, but like I said, not many days/miles... Juggling it all was tough. But I wanted to do what I could when I could. All those things make me feel good about myself and when I knew if I felt good about myself, I would enjoy MexIndian time in Mexitown all the more :)
(And just a sidenote if I may: As a runner, I like to pay special attention to my feet and toenails – and really wish I did it more often. But if I got a pedi every time I wanted to (every 2 weeks) i would be broke. Even more than I already am :) I think nail salons should give runners a pedi discount. I bet their business would flourish - I know with all that running, I'd be in there every 2 weeks – no joke)
Anyways, what was I saying? Oh yeah, so getting all that packin’ and groomin’ done, well, it all takes away from consistent running. But no matter. It was MexIndian time babeee. We were all packed up and off to beautiful Playa Del Carmen for what can only be described as 6 un-interrupted days of paradise. We climbed Mayan ruins, zip lined, rappelled, swam in the cenotes, aaaahhh, and we ATE. It may as well have been a food tour of Mexicanaville. Relaxation, adventure, food & FP. Could a girl get any luckier?
And what does all that food and no running do? It’s like going the other way, eating double the calories and no calorie burn. (yep, I said double – don’t forget the cocktails)
Still, quite worth it to me, the few extra pounds and all. I just figured, "Once home, we'll have to get back to training for the half - I’ll just run them off when we’re back home”
Then we came back home. FP weighed himself. I did not.
Nope.
And being back, ugh. … Boo. I had no idea such a depression would set it in.
I mean, I should be happy for the time I had, and eager to share pics and reminisce about all the sillyness and romanticisms and adventure and FOOD. But nope, I fall into a depression of, “why cant we stay longer, why did it go so fast.”
Shame on Lisa. I know, I know. Be grateful sillygirl.
Soooo trying to come out of the depression and I know this is the time to jump back into regularly running and get as best prepared for the half as possible. Clock is ticking. T minus 4 weeks.
But then it’s back to the cold weather and work and the house stuff and grocery store and what's for dinner, oh and then the car battery died AND the garage door opener busted AND I’m 1400 miles over due for an oil change and I STILL have to do my TAXES. AAAHHH!! Really?!?!
Yeah, yeah, 1st world problems, I know. But everything all at once SUX. Timing is everything.
And it all cuts into running time.
So here I am again. Life keeps happening and I’m slowly (and painfully) realizing that if I don’t figure out how to get consistent with running, I’ll never grow miles. I’ll still rock that 5K, and be the 3-mile-at-a-time-honey, but I’ll never grow that mileage that I know is in me. And at least now I know that’s what I want . Ok, good. A positive came out of the experience. And maybe I want this for more that just earning a magnet. Maybe I want this for me. And to do it with FP and accomplish these miles together, supporting each other. And to make that happen, it has to be a priority. No excuses. And after the half, I’ll have to make some changes. If life keeps happening, how do I stay loyal to my run? Running a marathon in Jan 2013 (#rundisney2013) is a goal. And we cant get there running only 3 or 4 miles. But we can get there supporting each other and from the support of our comrades on the run.
We fellow runners were twitterizing on #runchat this past weekend – there is no better community than the blind support of fellow runners on twitter. And I am so grateful for them. The tips, the support & encouragement. All from strangers that I now call my friends. Only we runners know what we runners endure. And man I can’t get enough of them.
And so today, it’s T-minus 4 days to our first half. FP and I are excited, nervy, excited, nervy - you know the drill. Well, ok, maybe that’s me. FP seems to be cool, although he’s better at controlling nerves than I am. I wear mine on my sleeve, my face, my body.....
Oh, and it’s 3:00am wake up time with a 7:00am start time. We have to get there early for a bus shuttle, etc…. all this doesn’t help with the nerves either!
Most races we do are within a 30 min drive, start time is 8:00am ish, no biggie. And FP have little traditions we’ve picked up thru the races.
We leave around 6:30am, park, get in our mental ‘zone’, run that thang and it’s breakfast by 9:00am :) Yum, pancakes & coffee :) extra butter and syrup please.
Then it’s a shower, some rest, and BAM. Pizza and beer celebration dinner. Ok, lookit, I get that we’re eating and drinking poorly. And yes, I also get that you cant reward yourself with food. But this isn’t everyday, only on race days, and I'm good with it, yo.
Besides, if you tasted this Anna Maria’s pizza with extra cheese and extra sauce and all the fixins – you’d KNOW why we made it part of our tradition. (and just as a sidenote people, the key to great pizza is the sauce – take it from me, I think I have pizza sauce running thru my veins)
And so, it’s all a little different this time. More miles than we’ve ever run before. An earlier wake up time. And not the greatest preparation on my part from a training perspective…. So what am I gonna do? The Half must go on….
Here’s the plan for this week, the routine that always works for me pre-race:
(1) HYDRATE. HYDRATE HYDRATE
Even the slightest dehydration can cause strain to our cardiovascular system. Our heart races and our body has trouble getting the heat from our muscles to our skin where we can sweat it out.
Sweat = cool ourselves off.
(2) Eat right. Everyday. And at the right time. Lean proteins and complex carbs, and yummy black cherry chobani yogurt for dessert or post run recovery. (YUM) No more tacos – you aint in Mexicanaville anymore chica. And a few days before the race, a little more carb-rich foods - good pasta, starchy potatoes, more chobani (YUM), low fat milk, plenty of gatorade as needed – I wont go overboard, I’m not running the miles now to need too many extra calories – but all good fuel for my body. Building up those glycogen stores the right way.
(3) Tonight or tomorrow, a few days before the race, I’ll practice my run at my half marathon pace for a few miles in the clothes/gear I’m going to wear on race day. I’ll be GU’ing it up too to make sure my stomach is still good to go with it. On race day, I’ll GU it up 15 min before start time, and every 40 min or so afterwards so I don’t bonk out. I don’t want something like that to trip me up.
(4) OK, so 3:00am wake up on race day. Right, ok. How do I get used to that? For the next 5 days, I’m going to bed a little earlier and waking up a little earlier – all the way to race day. Bed by 8:00pm, & wake up at 3:30am, every day. FP is doing it a little differently, gradually each day: 5:30am wakeup, 5:00am wakeup, 4:30am wakeup and so on until race day. Hopefully both methods work for us.
(5) Will practice a couple runs in the early morning too before work. Not too many miles, but I want my body’s clock to be used to waking up early & running that early.
(6) Don’t do anything new. Nothing. Not at home, not in my eating, not at work. No surprises. This is one time when I don’t want to be spontaneous. What’s tried & true works and routine is my best friend.
(7) Swizzle out. Translation? As Frankie says, "RELAX." And don’t wear myself out the day before, body or mind. No negative thoughts – just swizzle out. Maybe I’ll kickbox Friday night after work – it’s fun and I love to do it! Then a little 2 miler with FP early Saturday morning, and we can go check out the runners expo, grab our bibs and goodie bags, and then take it to the house for some chillaxing time. Sleep early. That 3:00am wake up call will come FAST.
And that's it. I know I’ll be ready. Sure the jitters will be there. I slacked a little on my training. But I can’t change what I did or didn’t do. I’m still in the race & have to nix those jitters with a quickness. So, I prepare. I take care of my body AND my mind.
Come race day?
Wake it up at 3:00am, and be the runner I know I am.
I got my clothes, my shoes, my iPod & my GU.
I got my legs, my lungs and my mind.
I’ll push myself because I want this.
My body CAN do this.
And what happens after the race?
Well, that last 1/4 mile I know I'll hear my FP shouting my name, "Go Lisa GO! Sprint NOW, Sprint NOW! "
I always sprint at the end of every race - The plan don't change cause the miles go up.
And well, after I cross that finish line, I'll probably goof on FP a little bit as per usual.
AAAHHH. It feels like FOREV-UARY since I posted and it’s like 8 MILLION things are going on - And trying to balance everything AND train for the half?? NOT exactly working out. Ugh. And I don’t know about you, but when that happens to me, it’s a domino effect and all the negative thoughts come soldiering in:
“I’m not training enough, this is gonna be painful,”
“Why did I plan a half so soon after a vacation?!”
“Am I eating right? What am I gonna eat the night before or that morning… am I staying hydrated?”
“Whats the weather gonna be like, how should I dress?”
“GU or Gatorade or both?!?”
“My legs feel wobbly after friggin *6* miles! Please let me just finish”
“Why did I plan a half so soon after a vacation?!”
“Am I eating right? What am I gonna eat the night before or that morning… am I staying hydrated?”
“Whats the weather gonna be like, how should I dress?”
“GU or Gatorade or both?!?”
“My legs feel wobbly after friggin *6* miles! Please let me just finish”
See, a half marathon is a far cry from a 5K. Scary to Lisa.
But I love that fear. It’s excitement laced with nervousness. Or, it’s nervousness laced with excitement.
Either way - it’s a rush. Still scary, but a rush. And I want that rush.
Well, that, AND I want that 13.1 magnet. (Hey, whatever motivates you, right?)
I know how good I’ll feel when I cross that finish line. I felt it before....
This was the 1st 5K FP & I ran together. So proud of ourselves :)
And yes, logically I KNOW that the nerves are normal and that I have nothing to worry about.
Fast, slow, short distance, long distance, jogger, whatever - I am a runner.
And I CAN do this.
I gotta squash the negativity, get geared up, get out there and kill it. Like I know I can.
FP says, running is 90% mental.
I can dig it - Get my mind right, and my legs will go forever.
The thing is, now I’m 4 days away and my nerves are at full attention.
Why?
Because I’ve barely ran in the last few weeks. Ugh.
Oooooh here come the negative thoughts again…….
See, after I tried interval training with mygirl Jennifer, I had a couple of weeks before MexIndian time in Mexicanaville. (He’s a Mexican, I’m an Indian = MexIndian, ya dig?) So I was working bunches to not leave loose ends for my co-workers, and planning and packing… clearly these things took precedence over regular running.
I say it that way because I WAS running, but just once or twice a week, and not many miles at all.
g i r l c a n r u n tip #27: Consistency. You don’t have to run far or fast, but you do have to run consistently.
For me, that’s 4 days a week, or every other day – something routine. If I go 2 days, eh, maybe ok. But 3 days go by without a run and you’d think I hadn’t run in years. Maybe it’s just my body. That reminds me of another tip we've talked about here,
g i r l c a n r u n tip #53: Know your body & Listen to it
I found what works for me – and what doesn’t – and I’m still learning as my running journey grows…. And I KNOW when I don’t run consistently, I don’t improve. Period. Sure, after a mile or two the form and breathing are jivin’ again & maybe I run fewer miles the 1st day out and I’m fine on the next run. But my running never grows. I’m just a 3 mile-at-a-time-honey. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it I ain't no half-marathoner.
Sooooo, I was planning and packing and trying on my bathing suits, getting my eyebrows waxed and fixin’ dem toes up, and all that stuffage that makes me feel good about me. I was running in between all the chaos, but like I said, not many days/miles... Juggling it all was tough. But I wanted to do what I could when I could. All those things make me feel good about myself and when I knew if I felt good about myself, I would enjoy MexIndian time in Mexitown all the more :)
(And just a sidenote if I may: As a runner, I like to pay special attention to my feet and toenails – and really wish I did it more often. But if I got a pedi every time I wanted to (every 2 weeks) i would be broke. Even more than I already am :) I think nail salons should give runners a pedi discount. I bet their business would flourish - I know with all that running, I'd be in there every 2 weeks – no joke)
Anyways, what was I saying? Oh yeah, so getting all that packin’ and groomin’ done, well, it all takes away from consistent running. But no matter. It was MexIndian time babeee. We were all packed up and off to beautiful Playa Del Carmen for what can only be described as 6 un-interrupted days of paradise. We climbed Mayan ruins, zip lined, rappelled, swam in the cenotes, aaaahhh, and we ATE. It may as well have been a food tour of Mexicanaville. Relaxation, adventure, food & FP. Could a girl get any luckier?
And what does all that food and no running do? It’s like going the other way, eating double the calories and no calorie burn. (yep, I said double – don’t forget the cocktails)
Still, quite worth it to me, the few extra pounds and all. I just figured, "Once home, we'll have to get back to training for the half - I’ll just run them off when we’re back home”
Then we came back home. FP weighed himself. I did not.
Nope.
And being back, ugh. … Boo. I had no idea such a depression would set it in.
I mean, I should be happy for the time I had, and eager to share pics and reminisce about all the sillyness and romanticisms and adventure and FOOD. But nope, I fall into a depression of, “why cant we stay longer, why did it go so fast.”
Shame on Lisa. I know, I know. Be grateful sillygirl.
Soooo trying to come out of the depression and I know this is the time to jump back into regularly running and get as best prepared for the half as possible. Clock is ticking. T minus 4 weeks.
But then it’s back to the cold weather and work and the house stuff and grocery store and what's for dinner, oh and then the car battery died AND the garage door opener busted AND I’m 1400 miles over due for an oil change and I STILL have to do my TAXES. AAAHHH!! Really?!?!
Yeah, yeah, 1st world problems, I know. But everything all at once SUX. Timing is everything.
And it all cuts into running time.
So here I am again. Life keeps happening and I’m slowly (and painfully) realizing that if I don’t figure out how to get consistent with running, I’ll never grow miles. I’ll still rock that 5K, and be the 3-mile-at-a-time-honey, but I’ll never grow that mileage that I know is in me. And at least now I know that’s what I want . Ok, good. A positive came out of the experience. And maybe I want this for more that just earning a magnet. Maybe I want this for me. And to do it with FP and accomplish these miles together, supporting each other. And to make that happen, it has to be a priority. No excuses. And after the half, I’ll have to make some changes. If life keeps happening, how do I stay loyal to my run? Running a marathon in Jan 2013 (#rundisney2013) is a goal. And we cant get there running only 3 or 4 miles. But we can get there supporting each other and from the support of our comrades on the run.
We fellow runners were twitterizing on #runchat this past weekend – there is no better community than the blind support of fellow runners on twitter. And I am so grateful for them. The tips, the support & encouragement. All from strangers that I now call my friends. Only we runners know what we runners endure. And man I can’t get enough of them.
And so today, it’s T-minus 4 days to our first half. FP and I are excited, nervy, excited, nervy - you know the drill. Well, ok, maybe that’s me. FP seems to be cool, although he’s better at controlling nerves than I am. I wear mine on my sleeve, my face, my body.....
Oh, and it’s 3:00am wake up time with a 7:00am start time. We have to get there early for a bus shuttle, etc…. all this doesn’t help with the nerves either!
Most races we do are within a 30 min drive, start time is 8:00am ish, no biggie. And FP have little traditions we’ve picked up thru the races.
We leave around 6:30am, park, get in our mental ‘zone’, run that thang and it’s breakfast by 9:00am :) Yum, pancakes & coffee :) extra butter and syrup please.
Then it’s a shower, some rest, and BAM. Pizza and beer celebration dinner. Ok, lookit, I get that we’re eating and drinking poorly. And yes, I also get that you cant reward yourself with food. But this isn’t everyday, only on race days, and I'm good with it, yo.
Besides, if you tasted this Anna Maria’s pizza with extra cheese and extra sauce and all the fixins – you’d KNOW why we made it part of our tradition. (and just as a sidenote people, the key to great pizza is the sauce – take it from me, I think I have pizza sauce running thru my veins)
And so, it’s all a little different this time. More miles than we’ve ever run before. An earlier wake up time. And not the greatest preparation on my part from a training perspective…. So what am I gonna do? The Half must go on….
Here’s the plan for this week, the routine that always works for me pre-race:
(1) HYDRATE. HYDRATE HYDRATE
Even the slightest dehydration can cause strain to our cardiovascular system. Our heart races and our body has trouble getting the heat from our muscles to our skin where we can sweat it out.
Sweat = cool ourselves off.
Bottom line: dehydration = no sweating = overheating = no bueno.
(2) Eat right. Everyday. And at the right time. Lean proteins and complex carbs, and yummy black cherry chobani yogurt for dessert or post run recovery. (YUM) No more tacos – you aint in Mexicanaville anymore chica. And a few days before the race, a little more carb-rich foods - good pasta, starchy potatoes, more chobani (YUM), low fat milk, plenty of gatorade as needed – I wont go overboard, I’m not running the miles now to need too many extra calories – but all good fuel for my body. Building up those glycogen stores the right way.
(3) Tonight or tomorrow, a few days before the race, I’ll practice my run at my half marathon pace for a few miles in the clothes/gear I’m going to wear on race day. I’ll be GU’ing it up too to make sure my stomach is still good to go with it. On race day, I’ll GU it up 15 min before start time, and every 40 min or so afterwards so I don’t bonk out. I don’t want something like that to trip me up.
(4) OK, so 3:00am wake up on race day. Right, ok. How do I get used to that? For the next 5 days, I’m going to bed a little earlier and waking up a little earlier – all the way to race day. Bed by 8:00pm, & wake up at 3:30am, every day. FP is doing it a little differently, gradually each day: 5:30am wakeup, 5:00am wakeup, 4:30am wakeup and so on until race day. Hopefully both methods work for us.
(5) Will practice a couple runs in the early morning too before work. Not too many miles, but I want my body’s clock to be used to waking up early & running that early.
(6) Don’t do anything new. Nothing. Not at home, not in my eating, not at work. No surprises. This is one time when I don’t want to be spontaneous. What’s tried & true works and routine is my best friend.
(7) Swizzle out. Translation? As Frankie says, "RELAX." And don’t wear myself out the day before, body or mind. No negative thoughts – just swizzle out. Maybe I’ll kickbox Friday night after work – it’s fun and I love to do it! Then a little 2 miler with FP early Saturday morning, and we can go check out the runners expo, grab our bibs and goodie bags, and then take it to the house for some chillaxing time. Sleep early. That 3:00am wake up call will come FAST.
And that's it. I know I’ll be ready. Sure the jitters will be there. I slacked a little on my training. But I can’t change what I did or didn’t do. I’m still in the race & have to nix those jitters with a quickness. So, I prepare. I take care of my body AND my mind.
Come race day?
Wake it up at 3:00am, and be the runner I know I am.
I got my clothes, my shoes, my iPod & my GU.
I got my legs, my lungs and my mind.
I’ll push myself because I want this.
My body CAN do this.
My body was born to run. Running is 90% mental. My legs will go forever. And I WANT this.
And what happens after the race?
Well, that last 1/4 mile I know I'll hear my FP shouting my name, "Go Lisa GO! Sprint NOW, Sprint NOW! "
I always sprint at the end of every race - The plan don't change cause the miles go up.
And well, after I cross that finish line, I'll probably goof on FP a little bit as per usual.
And after enjoying
some Anna Maria’s pizza & a victory beer, I’ll probably *live* in my
completion medal for days and days :)
And why not? I earned it. Bonafide Swizzlefide :)
And why not? I earned it. Bonafide Swizzlefide :)
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