Monthly Archives: January 2012
You’re still a runner if…
| January 31, 2012 | Posted by Lauren under Running |
Runners are a unique and quirky bunch. In fact, one of the things that I love most about this sport is that it unites people from so many different walks of life. We come in all different shapes and sizes, speeds, abilities, and backgrounds. It doesn’t matter if you’re tall or short, big or small, fast or slow – if you love running, you’re a runner. Simple as that.
But even though I know this, sometimes it can seem like all real runners do X or wear Y. And it can be easy to think “I’m not a real runner because…”
Well today I’m here to remind you that that’s not the case. Runners run. The rest is just details.
You’re still a runner if…
You don’t own a fancy watch. You can train just fine with a regular old Timex. Or no watch at all!
Your body shape more closely resembles Beyonce or Kim’s than Shalane or Kara’s. I’ve tried, but no matter how many miles I run, I just can’t outrun my curves. (That just means my legs are more “powerful”….right??)
You don’t own one piece of Lululemon Clothing. I can’t lie – the stuff is incredibly cute. And comfortable. But the price tag is a whole other story. You know what I train in 95% of the time? Old race t-shirts. And I most certainly don’t color coordinate my outfits.
Your running shoes are the most expensive part of your wardrobe. You buy workout clothes on clearance, but don’t blink at dropping over $100 on shoes.
What, you don’t run in Chanel shoes?? Apparently these babies carry a heavy price tag of $795 – $950!
(Source)
…which is why you only own one pair. And not one pair for long runs, one pair for speed work, one pair for racing, one pair for recovery days…
You don’t belong to a fancy gym. I love my treadmill, but the best part about being a runner is that you don’t need a gym to do your sport.
You do every run on the treadmill. Treadmill or roads – wherever you run, you’re a runner.
You only run 3 days a week. There is no minimum requirement on how often – just get out there and run.
You don’t eat any meat. Who says runners need to be carnivores? You can get all the protein you need without having any meat in your diet.
You enjoy more than the occasional burger and fries. And who says runners need to be health freaks? Burger + fries + chocolate milk(shake) = post-run recovery.
The only Olympics you’ve ever competed in is Nintendo’s World Class Track Meet. Don’t tell me I was the only kid who would invite her friends over and make them compete in track meets “for fun.” Anyone??
Best game ever. Seriously.
(Source)
…which might also have been the only race you’ve ever truly won.
You don’t actually race at all. I know it may seem like every single runner is training for something. And maybe you’re getting sick of saying “nothing” when people ask what you’re training for when they find out that you run. But who really says that runners have to race? Just get out there and run for the fun of it.
What else? I’m sure there are lots of things I’ve missed. Fill in your own “You’re still a runner if…” below!
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In other news, I was very excited to be featured as Fitness Magazine’s Fit Blogger We Love last week. Check it out!
The Shoes Made Me a Believer
| January 25, 2012 | Posted by Lauren under Reviews & Giveaways, Running |
Dear Asics,
I have a confession to make.
I have been cheating on you. Big time.
Anyone who knows me and my history as a runner will know what a big deal that last statement was. I grew up in Asics, and have been running in the same shoes since the 90′s. When it comes to racing flats, I’ll try any brand. I’ve raced in most major shoe brands and had great results. But when it comes to my trainers? Well I’m loyal to a fault.
Until recently, that is…
When I heard about the new line of Saucony shoes and saw this video.
The Saucony ProGrid Guide 5 shoes have a heel-to-toe offset of only 8 mm. For comparison, the offset in the average running shoes is 12 mm. It may not seem like much, but let me tell you – that 4 mm makes a huge difference when you’re running. I will never actually transition to barefoot running (yes, I know that is a big statement but I can confidently tell you that I do not buy into the merits of running barefoot or in shoes that make it seem like you are barefoot. If you ever see a picture on this blog of me in a pair of VFFs, assume I’ve been hacked. Anyway, I digress…), but I do like the idea of shoes that are a bit more minimalistic than my usual trainers. These shoes are not only lighter, but the smaller heel-to-toe offset ensures that you land further forward on your foot. As someone who has major problems with heel-striking (see Exhibit A below), I knew I could benefit from a different shoe.
This hurts me just looking at it!
The smaller heel-to-toe offset in the shoe also allows for a greater range of motion with your calf/achilles, giving you a more powerful stride. Which, in turn, can help you run faster. (I am in complete support of that!) And if that’s not enough, the shoe boasts cushioning and some support for pronators like myself.
Knowing all of that, I was very excited to test out a pair…but a bit nervous about how my stability-shoe-loving legs would react. As soon as I picked up a pair and felt how light they were, I couldn’t wait to take them out of a spin.
The honest truth – it was love at first run. Not only did my feet feel so light and free, but I felt like I was running on pillows. The shoes were everything they were marketed to be. Light, responsive, fit great to the shape of my foot. All thoughts of my old trainers were out the window.
I have been running in the shoes for a couple of months now, with a little break in between due to a problem I experienced in the heel with my first pair. However, I was sent a replacement pair and have not had the same problem – they fit and feel great! Because I am not used to running in any sort of minimalist shoe and the Guide 5 shoes very clearly change my stride, I have purposely kept my transition very slow. I don’t run in the shoes everyday, and the longest I’ve run in them so far is 7.3 miles. I’m interested to see how they hold up over the course of marathon training.
For those of you who like bulleted lists, here are the major pros and cons of the Guide 5s (vs. my usual trainers – the Asics 2160s).
Pros
- Very lightweight
- Cushioned and supportive – I don’t feel like any of the cushioning was lost when making the shoe lighter and my over-pronating feet feel very supported.
- I land more on my mid-foot! This change was pretty much instantaneous. The first time I ran in the shoe, I was actually taken aback by the loud “slap, slap, slap” sound I was hearing as my feet hit the pavement. I quickly realized this was happening because I wasn’t absorbing all of the impact with my heel anymore, which made me land heavier on the front of my feet. This has gotten better as I’ve gotten used to the shoe and the change in stride.
- As an added bonus – my stride is better in my old shoes too. On the treadmill the other day, I could see that I was landing less on my heel and more on my mid-foot, even while wearing my old trainers. (Though this changes when I get tired or start to run really fast).
And finally, now when I switch back to my old trainers, I honestly feel like I’m running on bricks. Those shoes were built for support and cushioning. But they feel so hard, clunky and unweilding in comparison.
Cons
So far, any con that I’ve experienced is simply due to the fact that the Guide 5s have literally changed my stride and the way that I run.
- Uncomfortable rubbing on my arches/toes that is leading to some new calluses. This is expected, since the shoe not only fits my foot differently, but is changing the way my foot hits the ground. I am hoping it will go away as I become accustomed to the change in my stride. And my toes are pretty callused anyway, so what’s one more?!
- Soreness in my calfs. Again, I think this is because I’m not completely used to the shoe. And when I switch back and forth between the 8 mm offset and the 12 mm offset shoes, my calf muscles get a bit confused.
The bottom line: The Sauconys are here to stay. My feet have found a new love.
I’m still not running in them 100% of the time yet, but I plan to keep building up. At the very least, I’ve been loving these shoes for shorter runs and speed workouts.
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I received a free pair of Guide 5s to test out and review. But as always, my opinions are my own. I would never recommend a product I don’t like or believe in. And I love these shoes so much that I intend to buy another pair when these ones are worn out.
Boston 2012 Training Plan
| January 23, 2012 | Posted by Lauren under Marathon Training, Running |
Thank you for the encouragement on my last post. Even if some of you feel like I need to shut up and suck it up already (it’s okay, you can say it!), it does help to know that others feel the same way. Ultimately, I want to train hard for Boston. I know that when I get to the starting line, I’ll be happy if I can look back over the past couple of months and know that I put in the work. However – I can’t escape the fact that there’s a lot going on in my life right now. And as kaprian brought up in the comments section of my last post – prioritizing some of those things over Boston doesn’t necessarily make Boston any less awesome.
So then where does that leave me in terms of training? I’m still going to work hard. I’ve mapped out a plan that has me training for a 3:09 marathon and will do my best to stick to that plan. BUT if at any point things stop working for me, then I’m going to relax. I think this will be my last Boston (for a long time anyway) and I want to enjoy Marathon Monday and as much of the training that I can leading up to it. I also know myself, and flexibility in any training cycle is huge. Sticking to a plan too rigidly only leaves me injured, sick, or burnt out. So keep in mind when you look at this training plan that it’s more of a guide for what I will be doing over the next couple of months, and will most likely definitely change as time goes on.
A couple of things to point out:
1.) No more cross training days. I took them out of the plan, but that doesn’t mean that they’re gone for good. If I’m struggling during the week or feeling especially tired, then I will replace a run with cross training. I’m not against cross training (and think doing it can enhance your training), but I do want to try to focus on running more this time around.
2.) Higher mileage. I know there are many runners out there whose normal weekly mileage is in the 50s and 60s when training for a marathon. As I’ve talked about in the past, I am not one of them. I’ve kept my peak mileage lower during the last couple of marathon training cycles to avoid injury. And this has worked for me. This time around, however, I want to try something new. My plan is to try incorporating more miles while being smart about recovery. Right now, I am scheduled to peak at 55 miles. If things are going well, I will go higher than that. If not, I’ll go lower. This is all an experiment to see how my body handles the increased load.
3.) More 20-milers. This time around, I’ve scheduled in four 20-mile runs, instead of my usual three. This is something I’m not sure if I will actually stick to, especially since the beginning of this training cycle has been a little rough for me. I tentatively wrote all four in so that at the very least, I’ll be running three of them – the fourth would just be a bonus.
4.) Speed. I aim to do one true workout each week – either a tempo run or mile repeats. But I’m also planning to do at least one other run at marathon goal pace each week. I didn’t write that in to allow for flexibility based on how I’m feeling. For my long runs, I am starting out with the goal just to get in the miles. Once I have a good base, the goal will be to end some of my long runs with a few miles at marathon pace. This will be especially important during my 3rd/4th 20-milers.
5.) Lifting. Just like every other marathon training cycle, I’m starting this one off optimistic. I’m really trying to incorporate some sort of lifting/core strengthening into my routine and stick to it. We’ll see how it goes. On lifting days, I always use free weights (vs. the machines) and will most likely be doing a modified version of The Core (the full workout is often too much during marathon training) or some other strength training that focuses on building core strength.
6.) Races. Right now I just have two races scheduled for the winter – the Hyannis Half and the Black Cat 20-miler. I did both last year and loved them so much that I’ll be doing them again. There might be more races planned as the weeks go on. Stay tuned.
Okay – that’s enough rambling. Do you want to see the full plan? This time around I’ve put the entire spreadsheet into Google Docs. That way you’ll be able to see if I make changes to it as I go. You can view my current training plan here. I will also be uploading it to my Training Page.
So there you have it. Thoughts/questions/feedback? I’d love to hear it!
Getting Back on the Wagon
| January 18, 2012 | Posted by Lauren under Marathon Training, Running |
Miles driven this past weekend: 811
Miles run: 0
Amount of things wrong with this picture: too many to count
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I have a lot of excuses to explain my lack of running over the long weekend (no time, no place, not feeling well, etc) but when it comes down to it, they’re all just excuses. And as the saying goes, if something is really important to you, you won’t make an excuse – you’ll find a way to do it.
(Source)
I have to admit that so far in 2012, I have been full of excuses. I’ve been too busy, too tired, too distracted to really kick my training up a notch. I keep putting my launch into all-out training off for another day, another week. Meanwhile the weeks pass by and we get closer and closer to Boston – the marathon I worked toward qualifying for all of last year.
For whatever reason, I’ve just had a really hard time getting back into any sort of routine after the holidays, whether it be with running, blogging, or anything else. There has been a lot on my mind, and running hasn’t quite been the stress reliever that it was in the past. Usually when I’m stressed and just go out for a run, I feel better. But when I’m stressed and need to stick to a training plan, running simply becomes one more thing that I have to do.
I know that I am in need of a major change in perspective. Instead of dreading each tough training run, I need to visualize my goal (3:10) and get excited to work toward it. Instead of seeing each run as something I have to do, I need to look at it as a challenge that I want to complete – a challenge that not only keeps life exciting, but will push me to be a better runner every single day. I know that I am capable of putting in the hard work that it takes to improve. I just need to get back in the habit of doing it.
So last night after work I dragged myself out the door for a cold and rainy 11 mile run. I can’t say that the thought of running for an hour and a half in the dark rainy night was particularly exciting, but I knew I couldn’t put it off any longer. The first few miles were tough. I concentrated on getting myself into the zone of running instead of focusing on each and every mile that was passing by. My loop took me through my favorite parts of the city, and finally, as I found myself running alone down a muddy path, something clicked. I remembered what a blessing and a privilege it is that I even have the ability to train. And I remembered that ultimately, no matter what stress I’m dealing with in my life, running makes me feel better.
Training is never easy. There are always going to be days when it’s hard to get yourself out the door, or push yourself to run faster than you think you are able. There will be days when the run sucks, when it’s all you can do to keep putting one foot in front of the other. There will be days when you feel discouraged and tired, and days when you wonder why the heck you’re even putting yourself through this type of torture anyway.
But for all those really crappy days when you question your existence as a runner, there will be great days too. Days when the run feels effortless. When you go faster than you ever expected. Days when you reach new PRs or distance records. And days when you go to bed feeling so tired but so proud of all you’ve accomplished.
I need to remember that I train because I like the roller coaster ride. And ultimately, when I get on the starting line I want to know that I gave everything I had to make sure I was prepared for that one moment. Fast or slow, PR or not, I want to finish a race knowing that I gave it my all. Which means that I need to put the work in now. Days when I find it nearly impossible to get outside in the cold and the dark, that feeling at the end of the race is what I need to visualize and work toward.
Starting today, I am going to push myself back onto the training wagon. I will stop the excuses and start sticking to the plan. And I’m going to do that the only way I know how – simply, and one step at a time.
Simple Steps to Kick My Butt Into Gear
1.) Print out my training plan. Having it on my computer where I can’t see it everyday is not a very effective form of motivation.
2.) Post it online to keep me accountable. (coming soon!)
3.) Change my routine. Just like getting up, walking the dog, and going to work, running needs to become an essential part of my day again – not something I tack on at the end if I have time.
4.) Start looking ahead. I never expect myself to stick to a training plan 100%. Things come up that are outside of my control all of the time. BUT, I can do my best to minimize those things by looking ahead and planning for it. I knew well in advance that I was going to spend all of last weekend driving all over Vermont, which meant a lot of sitting and not much moving. Instead of just hoping that I’d have time/a place to run over the weekend, I could have shifted a long run up earlier in the week to make sure I got it in.
5.) Prioritize. There are a lot of moving parts in my life right now. Many of these things are very exciting, but they still are sources of stress. And while they’re all very important, they’re not the end-all be-all. I need to run not only because it keeps me fit, but also because I am a better person when I do so. I’m less grumpy, more rational, and just better to be around. Which means that running needs to be as much of a priority as everything else.
This post sort of serves as my wake up call. As my reminder that the winter may seem long, but it’s going to pass me by before I know it. I can take these simple steps to get myself back into the habit of training. Once it becomes a part of my routine, it won’t be a great big question mark at the end of every day. It’ll just be something that is as natural as breathing.
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But I still need some help – any other good tricks you use to jump start your routine and get yourself back on the training wagon?
Trusting My Internal Clock
| January 11, 2012 | Posted by Lauren under Marathon Training, Running |
I’ve talked about this before, but Garmins can be a mixed blessing. The feedback from them is great. And sometimes, when I look down and see a number that I like (whether it be pace or miles), it can make me feel on the top of the world. But other times it seems as though the watch’s sole goal is to crush my running confidence. I look down and see a pace that seems too slow for how I feel – and then suddenly, I feel even slower and completely out of shape. Or I see one that seems way too fast to maintain and then freak out. It’s a bit funny how one little watch can have so much impact on how we feel about ourselves and our running.
Running without a Garmin on Saturday was one thing that made the race so stress-free
In the spirit of being less dependent on my Garmin, last night I tried an experiment. I have been running with the watch more often these days (now that the training hiatus is over, it’s time to start getting my butt kicked by that thing again), but I still don’t want to be obsessing over the numbers on every run. I respect the watch as a helpful training tool, but there’s something to be said about trusting your body to tell you how fast/hard you are running, instead of a little digital computer on your wrist.
So last night, as I stood shivering on the corner in my shorts waiting for my watch to find satellites, I concocted an experimental workout in my head. The goal would be to keep a comfortably fast pace, without actually looking at my watch to make sure that I was doing so. I was just going to run at the pace that my body felt was quick but maintainable. I don’t know about you, but for me this can be a scary thing. Do you ever have those days when you feel like you are pushing hard and yet find out that your pace is actually really slow? I was afraid that after a sick day on Monday, my legs were going to trick me into thinking I was running fast while I was really just slogging along.
But I squashed the doubts. After the satellites had finally loaded (and after getting the most disgusted look from a woman walking by who saw me standing outside in shorts in January – do my shorts disturb you that much?!) I was off. I settled into a pace that felt quick, but still relaxed. I turned on my music and got into the zone. I had no idea how fast I was running, but it felt great.
I kept that up for about 4 miles. At that point I went around a corner and was blasted by an awful headwind. I felt my pace slipping and wasn’t sure I’d be able to hold on for the 1.5 miles home. It was time for Phase 2 of my experiment.
I finally let myself look down at my watch and realized I was running a sub-7:30 pace. Even with the headwind. Seeing that number displayed was the extra motivation I needed to keep pushing through. At that point, I shifted how I looked at the watch. Instead of a device whose data stressed me out, this was something that was making me want to run faster. I wanted to see if I could beat the times it kept displaying for me. My goal became to speed up for the last stretch and finish strong.
It wasn’t my longest run ever, or my fastest run. But when I finally finished in front of my apartment, I was so excited. Because the pace had felt relaxed and almost easy the entire time. Without seeing any numbers beeping on my watch, I had just run a pace that felt great – and that pace was quicker than I had expected.
Not only that, but after getting home and seeing my splits, I was surprised by how consistent they were.
Mile 1 – 7:31
Mile 2 – 6:41 (this number is a little suspicious. I went under a spot where I sometimes lose satellite reception, so I guess the real pace is a little slower)
Mile 3 – 7:32
Mile 4 – 7:31
Mile 5 – 7:15
Mile 5.5 – 3:24 (6:46 pace)
Sometimes when I don’t have that constant feedback staring me in the face, I assume that my splits are going to be all over the place. It’s easy to start thinking that I need my watch to keep myself on track. Who would’ve thought that my body could do something like that on it’s own?
I will still be using my Garmin for Boston training. I want to be able to keep track of my training paces, and having a watch is a good way to ensure that I am running fast on fast days and easy on easy days. But it’s time to start trusting my body more. I want to start doing more of these runs where I let my internal clock set (and keep!) the pace. I think that after so many years of running, it sort of knows what it’s doing.
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