Author: Lauren

First – sometimes I like the comments on my posts better than the post itself! Tuesday’s post was one of those.

Second – before you read this new post, be prepared that it may be a bit unnecessarily cheesy. But what can I say? I’m feeling more cheesy than ever these days.

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There are some runs that make you feel like you are floating on air. Where you fall more in love with running with every effortless step. When you feel fit, and fast, and incredibly strong.

And then there are runs where you struggle with each stride, fighting for any ounce a speed you can get.

Last night was one of those runs.

Last night, I didn’t feel weightless and free. I felt tired, bogged down, and didn’t even want to run at all.

Last night, even after giving myself a pep talk, I still had to drag my butt out the door with the promise that I would just run a couple miles and see how I felt.

But last night, I somehow gritted it out – and in the end I ran further and faster than I would have guessed I was able to.

I don’t often blog about my training runs because most of the time, they’re sort of uneventful. Sure, some days I feel awesome – I hit my paces perfectly and feel like I could run forever. But other days I’m just out there trying to get the miles in. I’ve come to accept that this up-and-down roller coaster of a relationship is all just part of being a runner.

However, last night’s workout was the hardest I’ve had in a long time. Not necessarily because of what I was doing, but because of how I felt doing it. My original goal was to do a tempo run, but since my legs have been hurting me all week (I finally did the full Core on Monday and have been in pain ever since!), I really didn’t know how much they could handle. To top that off, I was an awful mood. I was mad at the cold and bone-chillingly damp weather (what happened to spring weather!?) and the only thing I wanted to do was go home and curl up with a warm drink on the couch. Not go out and run hard for an hour.

But as I so often do, I convinced myself to just go out there and see how things went – if I could only run hard for one mile, at least I’d have done something.

The run was tough right from the start. I climbed up a long hill in the first mile, trying to keep the pace relaxed so I could pick up the speed in Mile 2. I spent every step of that mile wishing the run was over already. When it came time to pick up the pace, I sucked it up and surged. Without looking at my watch I ran at what I felt like was a good pace for a little while.

And then I looked down at the Garmin. And a “7:47″ was staring back at me. You know, the pace I used to be able to hold easily for most of my runs. A pace that shouldn’t feel so dang hard. I questioned how I was able to effortlessly float through a 7:00 minute mile after a hard lifting workout one day, and then struggle like crazy to get my pace under 8:00 the next.

But I kept pushing, determined to drop that pace down as far as I could. I figured that even if the times were slow, I might as well make the effort hard. I told myself I only had to run 2 hard miles, and then I could be done.

The third mile started out just as tough as the second. I was fighting for any semblance of a fast pace. Then I turned a corner, and was rewarded by a nice downhill. A hill that gave me the kick that I needed. I saw the pace drop below 7:00/mile and I vowed that I would keep that up for the entire mile. Just one hard mile. I could do that.

Well that mile finished and I started looking ahead to the next one. If I could do one sub-7:00 minute mile, I could do two. All I had to do was hang in there a little bit longer. My legs were heavy, I was feeling sick, but I just kept pushing…one step at a time. That mile ended and I was faced with that awful hill – the hill that pushed me to go fast in mile 2 and would certainly ruin my splits in mile 4. I told myself to push as hard as I could anyway. At the top of the hill, I stopped at a light and as I was waiting to cross, I thought “That’s it. I’m spent. That’s all I have in me.”

For some reason that I can’t explain, yesterday my body was stronger than my mind. While my mind complained about being tired and nauseous and zapped of all energy, my body had other plans. Even though I thought I had nothing left, my legs kept pushing forward. Despite the hills in the 4th mile, I finished in under 7 minutes again.

And again I told myself, “That’s it. I’m spent. That’s all I have in me.”

But then I found myself running down a nice long downhill. The same one that I struggled to get up in mile one. For the first time all night, the pace was finally feeling effortless. I floated down that hill and thought: “This hill is a gift. Don’t waste that gift.”

So once again, I picked up the pace. I got to the bottom of that wonderful hill and kept on pushing. This was going to be my fastest mile yet.

Finally, the 6th mile ended. 6:33. I couldn’t believe I had done it – 5 miles hard, with 4 being under 7:00. As I ran around the downtown of this tiny city that I’m in a love-hate relationship with…and ran along the river that is actually sort of polluted but looks so peaceful at night…and ran up to the State House – stunningly lit up at the top of the hill….I thought about how crazy it is to be a runner. To willingly put yourself through so much torture on a regular basis. To invest so much time, and energy, and money into a hobby that basically involves just as much (if not more) pain and heartbreak than it does joy. And I thought about the fact that I’m so committed to this crazy sport that I’m willing to put myself through all of this, just to rise to the next challenge.

During that cool down, everything hurt. My legs, my cramped and nauseous stomach – even my arms were exhausted and hard to hold up. But I suddenly didn’t care about that anymore. The workout had transported me to a zen-like place and all I could think about was how thankful I am for running. For this sport that pushes me harder than anything else in my life.

…And then I got home and realized that my average pace (7:17) was actually slower than what I’d need to maintain to run a 3:10 marathon*. Which, I’ll admit, took the wind out of my sails a little bit.

Even though I still felt nauseous from that workout hours later and was so wiped out that I accomplished nothing else for the rest of the night, and even though I know I still have a lot of hard work ahead of me to reach that 3:10 goal, I went to bed feeling satisfied. Welcome back to marathon training, LB. I’m finally glad to be here.

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*Obviously I would race a marathon a little differently than I ran that workout. But it’s still intimidating to think that there isn’t any room for slow miles if I want to finish in 3:10.

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!

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.

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!

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?