Tough or Stupid?

As runners we like to brag about how tough we are. We say that the tough runs are the runs that really make you stronger. This can be true, but sometimes I also think we just use this as an excuse to justify bad decisions. 

I know that I can be dedicated to a fault. I have a marathon training plan and I want to do everything in my power to stick to that. Sometimes though I just have to ask myself "am I just being an idiot?"

Today was one of those days. Was doing my long run today tough or stupid?

-The temperature was 11, without the windchill

-The roads were icy/snowy. I either had to run in the middle of the main road (and keep jumping out of the way of cars), or slide around on the side-roads. I almost got hit several time and I fell twice.

-I am coming down with a cold. Yesterday I had hot/cold flashes all day, started getting a sore throat, and generally felt terrible and had no energy. 

-My legs were fried before I even started. I went to absolutely brutal bootcamp yesterday and have terrible DOMS in my quads and butt. Plus, my calves are still really tight and my hips are achy from running on the tiny indoor track earlier this week. 

-I was exhausted and stressed from a long week.

Where do you draw the line between tough and stupid?

#BodyPeace in 2015

I have made New Year's resolutions in past years but this year I decided not to. I already have a lot on my plate: going back to school for nursing, training for and running a marathon on my 6th continent, and coaching Girls on the Run for the first time. The semester just started and I already feel overwhelmed. For someone who avoided science during my first undergrad degree and my Master's, a schedule that includes Pharmacology, Pathophysiology, and Nutrition is terrifying.

I don't want to add anything else to my plate. Instead I decided to think about what I can do to make my life easier. What can I take away that sucks up a lot of my physical and emotional energy?

I found my answer when I started reading BODYpeace (disclaimer: I got a free copy through my partnership with Fitfluential, but as always I will give my honest opinion). Although I have gotten better over the years, I still don't have the best relationship with my body. I know I waste a lot of worry, guilt, time, and energy on what I eat, how much I exercise, and how I look.

I'm tired of it.

Body Peace starts with some background and then has exercises, meditation, and queues for journaling to complete each day. It's written by 2 young women and their writing style makes me feel like I'm talking to a good friend. But at the same time, I've pulled out some really deep quotes that really made me think.

I've developed my complicated relationship with my body over 30 years, so I know that no one book is going to cure me. But, I have noticed a shift. First, I've really cut down on the negative self talk. Instead, I am focusing on all the amazing things my body does for me. I am also trying to separate my sense of worth from my body. Finally, I've really been more intentional about my eating, which allows me to enjoy it more, and feel less guilt. Before eating I take a minute to say thank you for my food and think about why I am eating at this moment and what this food will do for me. Sometimes I still just eat because I am bored or I want comfort, but being aware of that and allowing it occur intentionally takes away a lot of the guilt.

This little kitten has lost her mitten

After my long run on New Year's day I tossed my stuff in the car, drove home (cranking the heat and drinking my Vega Sport Recovery Accelerator) and headed straight for a hot shower, stopping only to dump all my sweaty running stuff in the washer.

Friday as I took my clothes off the drying rack to put away, I came to a horrible realization. I'd lost one of my mittens!

I got these New Balance Competitor Glo-Mitts last year and they changed my life. Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic but I do absolutely love them.

They have a flip top, so when you get too hot or you need to do something with your fingers, you can just fold them back and they stay in place with a magnet. Genius. I don't have to take my whole mitten off when I am freezing at the start my run to start my Garmin. And when I inevitably get too hot, I can open them up and let some air in.

And now one is lost forever. I searched my whole house, my car, and I even drove back to the Eastern Trail Parking lot to look for it. Whomp whomp. 

What piece of running gear do you love so much that you would spend hours searching for it and be devastated if it were lost?

A New Year's Run and Last Year's Mileage

Happy New Year! I had a very tame NYE. I went to see Unbroken (really good, but not as good as the book) at 4 pm and then came home, made sweet potato gnocchi, and hung out with my sister-in-law, watching Pitch Perfect and drinking Sangria. I was asleep by 10:30.

I made in an early night on purpose because I knew I had a 14 miler to run this morning. After so much rain in December, all the snow is gone so I was able to run on the Eastern Trail. Running off road is so much more peaceful.

I knew it would be a cold one (18 degrees and windy), so I bundled up. I was really cold when I started and when running through the open marsh section, where there is no protection from the wind, but overall I was fairly comfortable.

I was really excited to finally get to try the Nuun I got for Christmas while running. After my first experience, I am a fan. I didn't get any of the stomach issues I've had with sports drinks, and I felt like my overall hydration levels were better. My fingers didn't puff as much as they usually do and I didn't have salt crusted on my face. 

Every time I am marathon training I wonder how I will ever run a full marathon. At my turn-around point of 7 miles my hip flexors were starting to get sore, my right calf was really tight, and I was already mentally tired of being out there. I wondered how on earth I will run 26.2 miles in just a couple months? Luckily, once I turned around and headed back I got my second wind and ended up running the second half 30 seconds a mile faster than the first. 14 miles done!

As I was logging my run back at home, I realized that I had forgotten to check my total mileage for 2014. The grand total was 1150 miles! That is 40 miles more than last year. I'll take it!

How was your NYE? What are you doing with your first day of 2015?

Top 5 of 2014

I can't believe it is the last day of 2014. This year flew by! Yet when I look back at the year, so much happened. This was a BIG year. Here's my top 5 events from the year (in chronological order).

1) Going to Japan and running the Tokyo Marathon.

Although the race was pretty awful because I was sick, I gutted it out and finished. That marked my 5th continent as complete! I absolutely loved Japan and was thankful to get to experience both the craziness of Tokyo and the quiet of the mountains.

Also, I got to eat a LOT of noodles.

2. Becoming a certified yoga teacher. 

I learned so much about yoga and myself during the teacher training. As a runner and a naturally anxious person, yoga is essential for both my physical and mental well-being. It is a blessing to be able to pass this onto my students.

3. Getting a puppy

At the beginning of June, Rory convinced me to go look at a puppy he had found on a rescue site. I couldn't say no to this little ball of fur, and so Sushi became a member of our family.

It hasn't always been easy, but she has grown into a sweet dog who keeps us laughing. Our little 11 pound puppy has grown into a 36 pound almost 1 year old dog.

4. I got Married!

It's pretty hard to top this one! It was a wonderful day filled with friends and family in my favorite place in the world. Plus, I got to marry a wonderful man who makes me so happy,

5. I got into Nursing School and am starting a new chapter in life. 

I had a rough fall. Getting laid off from my job was a major blow. Ultimately though, it was the push I needed to think about what I want from my life and get me to finally apply to nursing school. 

2015 is looking a big year too already. I start school in 2 weeks and in February we leave for our belated Honeymoon to New Zealand where I will also run a marathon (my 6th continent),

What was your favorite thing this year? What are you most looking forward to next year?

Bananas

it looks so innocent

I made a wonderful discovery over the holidays. Bananas make a great pre-run food! I know, everyone else in the world already knew this, but I have been afraid of bananas since college.

Back in the days before GPS, my running clubs friends and I got terribly lost trying to get to the Heartbreak Hill Halloween race. We finally found it as the gun was going off. As I was jumping out of the car I remembered that I hadn't ever eaten my breakfast. For some reason, I thought shoving a banana in my mouth as I ran towards the start was a better idea than not eating.



I regretted that stupid banana for the entire race and finally "emptied" my stomach of it halfway up Heartbreak Hill.

Ever since then, I've stayed away from bananas before running. In fact, I usually don't eat anything before most of my runs. This is mostly because I want to sleep as late as possible. I am up and out the door in less than 10  minutes.

But I really noticed this week, that when I have time to have a cup and coffee and something to eat before heading out, I feel so much better during my run. Energy! I even tried a banana pre-run and I was fine! I didn't feel sick at all and I felt better than I do when I don't eat anything.

yeah bananas!

The question is though, is it worth getting up 20 minutes earlier to eat before I run?

Do you eat before you run? Does it depend on the length of the run? If you do eat, what do you have?

A Need for Speed

I have to be honest and admit that doing speed work usually falls by the wayside when I am marathon training. The primary reason for that is that I train all winter for a spring race and so the track is covered in snow! Plus, I put the focus on my long runs and overall mileage.

If I am forced inside by weather, I will do speed work on the treadmill but it just doesn't feel the same to me. On the track (or the straight, flat stretches of the greenbelt) I run by feel and so I can better evaluate my fitness. I usually surprise myself by going faster than I expected. On the treadmill, I feel like I limit myself by thinking I can only handle certain speeds.

After 2 nasty rainstorms, all of our snow is gone. So when I was driving back from the gym this morning and saw the clear track, I figured it was a great chance to get some speed work.

image source

Other than being very under-dressed for the cold, it was great! I did a ladder session 1200, 800, 400, 200, 100. I thought I'd start with a 9 minute/mile pace for the 1200 and try and speed up from there. Instead, I did a 7:45 pace for the 1200 and worked my way down to a 5:15 pace for the 100! And it all felt easy!

It reminded me that speed work can be fun. It's a nice break from all the long, slow miles. And it is a terrific confidence booster. I am really going to make an effort to work 1 speed session a week into my training (as long as the track stays clear!)

 Do you do dedicated "speed" sessions? Do notice a difference between treadmill running and track sessions? What is your favorite speed session?