March Recap

So, I know that it has been forever since my last post.  I cannot explain how crazy life has been the last few weeks.  I have been slammed at work, and trying to keep my running going with all the other things going on in my life has been hard.  But I've done it!  After I do my run today, today will make day 80 of my running streak!  And on Day 62, I broke 200 miles!  I have wanted to give up so many times, but I haven't let myself yet.  And usually on the days that I really want to quit, I'll force myself out there and after the first mile, I am so glad that I did.

So for a very brief recap of my running highlights over the last couple of weeks...

On March 1, I ran the Beignet Bash 5K here in Huntsville.  A friend (you know who you are) was supposed to join me, but she had to cancel at the last minute.  It should have been a new PR, but I was not on my game that morning.  I have kept my new 5K time under 30 minutes though.  I finished that one in 28:46 for an average pace of 9:16.

Then, on March 15, I ran the Rocket Run 10 Miler in Mooresville, AL with one of my partners.  We finished in 1:44 for an average pace of 10:16.  It made me feel good about my upcoming half in a couple of weeks.

I followed that with a 10 mile run the following Friday night.  It was tough and required a couple of stops to catch my breath and not throw up.  However, I never stopped for more than a few seconds, and my running accumulated to 10 miles in 1:37.23 for an average pace of 9:44 (which probably explains my struggle.)  This was by far my fastest long run yet!  I don't want to get my hopes up for the half because I never know what sort of issues I may be dealing with on race day, but I am wishing this is a sign.

As I was finishing this particular long run, I had a welcome committee at my "finish line."

This particular track and park are where Fleet Feet does their fun runs and training, so there are markings all along the course.  This one is my favorite.

Sometimes the message is simple.

Finally, this past weekend, I was in Birmingham and participated with my friend, April, in the Mountain Athletics Running/Peak Bagging clinic at Railroad Park.  It was sponsored by the local Mountain High Outfitters and The North Face.  I thought it was going to be a clinic on running form, but they combined the two sports into one serious workout.  I could barely keep up.  It turns out that I am very weak (okay, maybe this is not a surprise).  April, on the other hand, has been doing cross fit for a year now, and she was killing it!  The clinic was Saturday afternoon, and I can still feel the pain in every muscle of my body!  There was no long run this weekend.  So, I guess my taper will start a little earlier than planned.  Hopefully the strength training will step up my game though!  And we got a bunch of cool swag at the clinic as well.

Okay, that should bring us up to date.  I'm sorry I let things go for so long.  I'm going to try to get back on track now!  

A Not-So-Long Run

Since I ran a 5K race yesterday (woo hoo new PR), I planned to do my long run today. I waited until the weather "warmed" up after noon. Then I set out to run about 10 miles. I fell a little short of that goal though. 

Today marked Day 30 of my streak. I have definitely seen improvement since I started, including an increase in speed. However, I can definitely feel fatigue from it. With no real recovery days, my legs are exhausted and almost constantly sore. And my joints are starting to wear. 

Last Thursday, I went to a free injury screening at Fleet Feet in Huntsville. My knees, especially the right one, have been extremely bothersome and painful on long runs. I wanted to make sure that I wasn't about to seriously injure myself just before the Gulf Coast Half. A physical therapist checked me over and said that my knee was not the problem. Apparently, my right hip is rotated inward causing my stride to fall funny and put excess strain on my knee (or something like that.)

She informed me that it was nothing serious and could be easily corrected. She said that I could continue my training and race without concern. However, I would benefit from some PT to prevent long term injury. Now I realize that her job in this is to drum up business, but the pain in my knee is real. So if my insurance will cover it, I'm game to improve my health. I am supposed to call tomorrow to see what the consensus from BCBS is, then hopefully go to my first appointment. I'll let you know. 

Anyway, back to today... My hip and knee were still hurting from yesterday, and my legs were just generally tired. They've been working hard this last month. So, instead of forcing out a painful 10 miles, I chose to cut my run short at 7. I was feeling pretty sorry for myself when I first finished: "Why couldn't I go 8?" "I should've pushed for the full 10." But I ran 7 well. I fact, I maintained an average of a 10 min pace for the full time to finish in just under 70 minutes. 

I ran my fastest 5K ever yesterday morning. I have streaked for 30 days. My half is in 2 weeks. I think maybe it's okay to give my legs a little break. Maybe there is something to be said about a taper. A recent Runners' World article spoke of a study showing that cutting mileage the 3 weeks leading up to a race does nothing to decrease one's fitness as long as he or she continues to run and train. So this time I'm going to try to trust the taper. And come on, 7 miles still counts as a long run doesn't it?

9 Miles and a Hike!

What a wonderfully exhausting day! It's amazing what a difference the weather makes. I woke up today knowing that it was going to be the best weather day for my long run, but I had no idea just how great the weather was going to be. 

It was a lovely sunny and 60 degrees when I headed out around noon. I was able to wear shorts! I put on my favorite "Run Happy" Brooks tech t-shirt and pulled over my Monte Sano 15K long sleeve tech shirt because the wind was a little chilly. I planned on running at least 10 miles on the road. But such beautiful weather called for beautiful scenery, so I headed back to the cross country trail. 

After the first 3 mile loop, I had shed my long sleeves. How long has it been since I could run outside in shorts and short sleeves? The cold winter months have seemed like a eternity. The warmth of the sun on my skin was incredible. I think I even got a little color on my face!

The fantastic weather was needed, too. It was a welcome distraction from the tough terrain. When I decided to trade my long road run in for a long trail run, I knew the sacrifice of a mile or two would be made up for in difficulty. Trail runs are tougher for the obvious reasons such as the instability of the terrain: loose rocks, roots, fallen trees, etc. But then there are also the hills. Rarely do you find a trail run without them. 

This particular track has one heartbreaking, spirit-crushing, murderous hill that will shut down a good pace in seconds. You begin with a gradual incline shortly after the 1.5 mile marker. This is just enough to warm up your calves. Then, less than a minute later, you look up to at least 50 or more feet of a devastatingly steep climb. This is a climb that shortens the breath, burns the calves and strains the quads. Your heart is pounding; you enter another heart rate level in your training. And I'm still not sure that is the worst part. You see, once you finally crest the top of the incline, there is no reward with a downhill breather; there isn't even a leveling off. It keeps going! At a slightly less punishing incline, the hill keeps climbing. It feels like it never ends. Until finally, when you're just about to give up, you reach the top to a brief downhill recovery. And that's when I remember why it's okay that I'm not running 10 today. 

There are so many benefits to running on trails besides the beautiful views and the hill training. One of the most noted is that the soft dirt provides a much easier impact and can provide for fewer related injuries. However, that doesn't make it injury free. I would caution anyone just starting out on the trails to be careful. The uncertainty of where your foot might land can easily lead to sprained ankles or worse. I feel that this is one area where my years of ballet have helped me, because I came into the game with pretty strong ankles. But even I nearly rolled one today. This is a great article that highlights some of the benefits of trail running. http://m.active.com/running/articles/5-reasons-to-try-trail-running

As enjoyable as my run was today, by the time I conquered heartbreak hill the third and final time, I was happy to see the end ahead. 9 miles on trails is work! My knees were aching, my muscles were fatigued, and my feet were ready for me to get off of them. But there is a wonderful sense of accomplishment that comes at the end of a hard run. I was pleased with my workout. But I wasn't done yet...

I had already made plans with my friend. Holly to take advantage of the warmer weather and go for a hike today with our two Goldens. She had already texted me when I got back in my car. I came straight home, put on some dry clothes (9 miles does work up a sweat), and met her outside. We walked to the Monte Sano trails across the street and had a great time hiking with our two pups. The dogs loved the weather and the exercise!

They played in the creek and sniffed everything they came across. They met a couple new friends on the trails as well. We all had a great time!

After a 9 mile trail run and an hour and a half long hike, I am pleasantly exhausted. My feet hurt, and my legs are sore. And yet, I am happy knowing that the pain is only temporary and well worth the fun and running improvement I got out of it. It's a great feeling being tired tonight. And the sleepy dog next to me sure was one happy pup on that trail!

Happy 10 Mile Day

Weekends are typically for long runs. It's nearly impossible to fit a two hour run in on a workday. I'm in Birmingham to celebrate my husband's birthday this weekend. The Weather Channel promised me a 50 degree sunny forecast for Saturday and Sunday, and I was excited to pack shorts for my long run. Well, what I got instead this morning was an overcast 40 with 15 mph winds. I went to Walmart after lunch and was discouraged thinking I was going to have to put my long run off until tomorrow and hope the weather turned around. However, after a short nap when I got home, I was pleasantly surprised to see sunshine. With tights and my nike element (always be prepared) that I also packed, the temperature seemed bearable, so I decided to go for long. 

Just down the road from my house in Gardendale is a little park called Black Creek Park. From there is a trail that is part of the Rails to Trails program turning old train tracks into biking and running trails. It's a packed gravel trail that is great to run on. This particular stretch is 3.4 miles one way, so that's where I started. It's really quite pleasant: surrounded by woods and quiet. Other than an occasional passing pedestrian, you kind of have the whole track to yourself. It's a great place to get out of your head and enjoy some fresh air. 

Well, on this particular occasion, my peaceful run got a little excitement. Right after my turnaround, at almost exactly the 3.5 mark, I came across a police car driving down the track, two of them actually. Now, there are no motor vehicles allowed on the trail, so any car was a bit of a surprise. I noticed him slowing down and rolling down his window. So I paused my run and my music and walked up to the now stopped vehicle. 

"Have you seen anyone around here with a rifle?"

I'll give you a moment to let that sink in. I was a caught off guard by the question to say the least. I told him no and asked if I should be concerned. He told me that he didn't think I should worry; he said that he thinks someone was probably just out target practicing, but they received a complaint. I did tell him about a car that was parked at the end of the trail, and he said he'd check it out. He confirmed one more time for me that I was good, and I returned to my run. 

Now, Gardendale (or technically Fultondale) is a pretty quiet and safe place to live. And it certainly is the type of small southern town where people do randomly fire off their rifles at targets on the weekends, so I really wasn't too concerned. Especially when the two cops passed me again on their way back and didn't stop. I assumed that if I was in danger that they would have picked me up. I will say this: it may have been the possibility of a random gunman or the excitement of it all, but I shaved 2 minutes off of my 7 mile time from last Saturday which was 1:10'26. Today, I finished 7 in 1:08'33. And then I went on to finish 10 in 1:39'41. That's 10 miles in under 100 minutes. I'm so happy that I'm keeping up my pace on long runs.  Maybe this whole streaking thing is starting to pay off!