Posts Tagged by running reflections
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.
New Year, New Goals: 2012
| January 6, 2012 | Posted by Lauren under Motivation, Running |
One thing that is equally wonderful and awful about having a blog where you openly chronicle your running is that it keeps you accountable for your actions…both your accomplishments AND your failures. Even though I logically understand that no one really cares if I don’t run a certain number of races or get a specific PR but me, it still can be tough to publicly set the bar high and then fail.
But I also think that being open about your goals can be a great way to keep yourself accountable for them, even when motivation might be lacking a little bit. Plus it helps you track where you were and how far you’ve come. My big goal for this year was to run a sub 3:20 marathon, and I’m happy to say that I did it – twice.
So now, 6 days into the new year, it’s time to finally put my goals for 2012 down on paper the internet. I have a feeling that it’s going to be a pretty fantastic year on all fronts.
The Main Goal
First and foremost, my most important goal for 2012 is to marry EC. This may not seem like it would be a very hard goal to achieve at this point, but let me tell you – figuring out a date is proving harder than I originally thought! No matter what else happens, if I get to the end of 2012 married to my best friend, I will be one happy girl.
Now enough with the sap. Let’s talk running goals, shall we?
Running Goals
Run a 3:10 marathon. Deep down inside I know I’d be happy with anything under a 3:15. But I might as well aim high, right? A 3:10 would be a pretty big PR for me (for comparison, I PR’d by a mere 9 seconds in my last marathon – this would be over 8 minutes!) but I think with some quality training and lots of dedication, I can do it.
Plus, Susan has a custom-made frame all ready for her post-Boston PR photo, and I really want to be in it with her.
Photo stolen from Susan
PR in the Half Marathon. My current PR was run in the middle of marathon training, through the snow, while I was sick. I’d like to think that in better conditions I have a sub-1:33 in me. And if I really train, I’d love to see a 1:30:xx (or below!) on the clock.
Run faster/PR in shorter distance races. I know I’ve mentioned before that I want to focus on other races besides the marathon, yet when it comes down to it, the allure of the marathon keeps drawing me in. Since I haven’t been able to give up on this torturous distance yet, I would like to train in a way that helps me get faster all around. I know I can’t expect to PR in every distance I run, but I would like to start really racing the shorter races, just to see how fast I can actually go.
Increase my mileage (slowly and safely) I’ve talked about how I used to run much higher mileage than I do now, but then had to back off because of how prone to injury my body can be. And although I still maintain that you can run a fast marathon without running 50+ miles and 6 days a week (my current marathon PR came off my lowest training mileage to date), I think every runner reaches a point where they realize they need to do more if they want to continue to get faster. I could tell during MCM that my endurance was not even close to where it needed to be for a 3:15/3:10 marathon. I think increasing mileage this training cycle can only help me run a faster this spring. And when I say increase, I still don’t mean anything crazy. You won’t see this girl running 70 or 80 mile weeks any time soon. But I would like to shoot for a couple of weeks that are close to/at 60 mpw. If I’m smart about it, I hope my body can handle it.
Run a competitive relay. My sweaty friend listed this as one of her goals for this year, and I need to jump on the bandwagon as well. I love the 200 mile relay more than any other race, and I have fun running them no matter how fast we go. But I’m a competitive person, and there’s a huge part of me that would thrive on being a part of helping a team place in a relay.
Hold myself accountable for each training run. I’ve never been great about tracking my runs. I know most runners are a bit obsessive when it comes to recording their data for each and every run, so I probably sound weird when I say I just don’t care all that much. I usually just make a training plan and then keep track of what I did each day by looking at what the plan said. Last winter I got myself into the habit of logging everything into Daily Mile, but then I just sort of fell off the wagon. This became a problem when I tried to look back at my last training cycle to analyze what I did (and didn’t do) and a lot of the data was missing. I am making myself stick to regular tracking this time around.
Keep strength training/core work a regular part of my routine. Though I’ll admit this has slightly less to do with helping me become a faster runner than it does with a certain exciting day that’s coming up. And there you have it – my vanity out in the open.
Professional/Life Goals
Become a certified running coach. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time. The year after I graduated college, I worked as an assistant cross country coach and have been thinking about ways to get back into coaching ever since. I finally decided to take the plunge and sign up for an RRCA coaching class this spring. If all goes as planned, I’ll have my certification by the end of March!
Find a new job Yes, that whole job hunt thing is still ongoing. Luckily, recent events have made it look like I might get a few additional months at my current position (which makes things a little less stressful), but it’s still only temporary. By the end of the year, I would like to not only have a new job, but one that I actually love (yes, I know, this may be idealistic, but a girl can dream, right?). Bonus points if it helps me move out of Rhode Island.
Start actually saving money. I love running. And racing. And buying new running clothes. The problem with all that is that it’s sort of expensive. Since chances are I won’t be winning the lottery any time soon, it’s time to start redirecting some of those race funds into a savings account. Unfortunately, when you have some persuasive running friends, this is easier said than done.
So there you have it – my main goals for 2012. While there are a few other things that I’m hoping to get/do within the year, those are a little more out of my control. More than any recent year, I’m really excited to see what 2012 has in store.
And as for something that’s more short term – this weekend I’m running my first ever 10K. It seems weird to say that I’ve been running for over half my life and have yet to actually race a 10K. (Can you tell I avoid them like the plague?) My goal for the weekend: to not die. As long as I survive the race, it’ll be an automatic PR. Win.
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What is the one goal you are working toward above all others this year?
Confessions of a {Vegetarian} Long Distance Runner – Part 3
| December 12, 2011 | Posted by Lauren under LifeontheRun |
I’m still fully committed to this “no running tights in December” thing (I’d call it No Pants December for the sake of simplicity, but I’m not quite sure that sends the same message), even though the day after I wrote the post, it started to get colder. In fact, to show my strong commitment to the cause, I’ve made a button for the sidebar. Because if you put something like that on your blog, it means it’s official (obviously).
I know most of you are just passing me off as a crazy person, but for those of you who do want to join, feel free to grab a button and let me know – I can make a participant page.
The truth is, I couldn’t back out now, even if I wanted to. After receiving this lovely comment from my Dad, I have no choice but to keep pushing through. I don’t really want to come home for Christmas to face a bunch of “I told you so’s.”
Even though, I hate to admit…he’s probably right
During my run yesterday, my legs got so numb that it stopped feeling like I was wearing shorts. Fortunately a quick glance down at my legs confirmed that my pants had not mysteriously disappeared into thin air. That would’ve been a little awkward.
I’m telling myself that numb legs will make me run faster, since they will be so cold that I can’t feel how fast I’m running. On yesterday’s run, I picked up speed going down a hill and then proceeded to run the last 4 miles progressively faster – finishing up with a last mile in 7:00 minutes. I couldn’t feel my legs the entire time.
I still haven’t washed the blood off of my marathon shoe, much to the disgust of certain family members. But as far as I’m concerned, a bloody toebox is a badge of honor. Plus, it’s fading anyway.
Yep, there’s that bloody toe again. You’re welcome.
I’m lucky that I work in a place that doesn’t really care about fashion, since I basically cycle through the same handful of outfits every week. Whatever is not dirty or wrinkled when I pull it out of my closet is what I end up wearing to work that day.
Speaking of work, another one of my sisters is moving to Florida next month, which means I’ll have 3 family members living down there with easy access to the beach. Since I still don’t have any job prospects, I’m {more than} half tempted to just go down on an extended “vacation” in February. There could be worse things, right?
EC and I are going to be on TV talking about how much we love skating at the Bank of America rink in Providence, even though neither of us really knows how to skate. Why we agreed to be filmed for this is beyond me, seeing as the last time I had done any sort of ice skating was on a cruise ship 5 years ago.
We may have looked like idiots on the ice, but at least we had new hats for the occasion. (Related confession: I always, always spell occasion wrong. How many c’s and how many s’s does the word have?? I can never remember.)
I recently discovered chocolate vodka, and may never be the same again. I’m not a big drinker (what can I say, I prefer my indulgences to be of the high fat, high sugar, high chocolate variety), but when you combine alcohol with chocolate, the results are amazing. Let’s just say that it goes down real easy when chilled in the freezer for a few hours (and paired with homemade coconut macaroons).
I still haven’t finished my Christmas shopping even after a long trip to the Outlets this weekend and countless other hours spent online. At this point, I have more gifts picked out for my dog than my brother-in-law.
In my defense, Koli isn’t really that picky.
I thought about sending out Christmas cards this year and just including a picture of the dog. Nobody really needs to see me anyway.
Unfortunately, I’m not sure most of the members of my extended family would really appreciate this.
Maybe next year, little man.
And finally, THIS:
Dear family – please see your Christmas gift below. The Forever Lazy may embody all that is wrong with this country, but who doesn’t need one? I mean, heating costs do get expensive. And it has a bum-hatch!! (Please watch at 1:14).
Click here if embedded video doesn’t work.
To read more confessions:
Confessions of a {Vegetarian} Long Distance Runner – Part 1
Confessions of a {Vegetarian} Long Distance Runner – Part 2
About that Return to Running
| November 18, 2011 | Posted by Lauren under Running |
…it wasn’t quite as glorious as I had imagined.
Today is Friday, and I’ve run a total of 2 days this week. I plan on bringing that number up to 3 this afternoon. Maybe.
Even though I felt all fired up about running on Sunday night, I didn’t actually run on Monday. A long day spent in the car was enough to take away any motivation that had built up over the weekend. But on Tuesday morning I got up bright and early, determined to make my triumphant return. Before running, I popped in the one workout DVD that I own. I figured that Level 3 of the 30 Day Shred* was exactly what I needed to start toning up muscles that are beginning to feel a little marshmallowy. After 30 minutes with Jillian Michaels (that nearly killed me), it was finally time to run. So I laced up my shoes, strapped on my fully charged Garmin, and was off.
I’d love to tell you that my rested legs returned effortlessly to running. That I floated along the street, so happy to be back out there. That’s what I had imagined my run would be like, anyway. But in reality, I just sort of trudged along slowly. I kept the pace really easy and wasn’t struggling, but I didn’t exactly feel excited about running in that moment. I managed 4.5 miles before knee pain drove me back home.
I attempted another run yesterday, and although that went better than Tuesday’s jog, it brings my total to a whopping 10.5 miles for the week. Maybe I’ll bring that number up to 20 by the weekend. We’ll see. Honestly, I don’t really care about numbers at the moment. My plan for the next couple of months is to just run when I feel like it. Maybe I’ll run 10 miles a week, maybe I’ll run more. I’m not going to stress.
I actually look forward to these down times in my training. They give me a chance to refocus and rebuild. Plus, I think that most of us can agree that as great as running is, it’s not the only (or even the most important) form of physical activity. I’ve talked about this before, but I’m actually in better all around shape when I run less and focus on cross training and lifting more. Partially because it uses different muscles, and partially because I no longer use my mileage as an “excuse” to eat whatever I want.
So when I say that I want to return to training, you should know that I am using that term loosely. Very loosely. I don’t really plan to get back into training until around the 1st of the year. Until then, my very unspecific, totally relaxed {don’t get completely out of shape} plan will consist of:
- Running 3 – 4 times a week, unless I feel inspired to do more
- Cross training another 2 – 3 days a week
- Strength training 2 – 3 times per week
I try to focus more on strength training/lifting when I’m not in the middle of training for a race, not because I love it, but because it makes me stronger. Also, it helps keep off the extra pounds that would otherwise creep on from my reduced mileage and increased holiday food intake. A necessary evil, of sorts. I will say now that I hope to keep up my lifting routine once marathon training starts again, but I’ve never been truly successful with this in the past. So I’m not making any promises.
Anyway the point of this rambling post is this: I may not know everything there is to know about running, but I do know my body. And I know that I do better in the long run when I give myself the chance to rest. If you can jump right back into training after running a hard marathon, more power to you. I am not a runner that can. I don’t fear rest days or weeks when I don’t run as much because my goal is to continue running for a very long time. In the scheme of an entire lifetime, a couple of weeks isn’t going to make or break me as a runner. (If you want to read more, in the past I’ve written in detail about why I think rest is so important)
To close on a completely unrelated note, here are a couple more awesome running picture for you. So flattering. And such model form.
Please note the crazy fingers in the photo below. For whatever reason, I do weird things with my hands when I get tired. If you see me running with my fingers splayed out like that, it’s a sure sign that I’m not doing so well.
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*I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I don’t really use the DVD correctly. If you ever want to hear more about my super technical 30 Day Shred mentality, I’ll let you know. But basically – I use it more for a core strengthening/toning workout than a way to “shred” the pounds. I don’t do the workouts everyday so whenever I want to workout at home, I just put in Level 3. I’ve never actually done a workout from the other two levels. I assume they’re just okay.
Beware the Crazy Marathoner
| October 28, 2011 | Posted by Lauren under Marathon Training, Running |
I would like to have been able to title this post “How to Stay Calm the Week of Your Marathon.” Or at least “How to act like a rational adult when under pressure.” Instead, I need to confess that I’ve done neither of those things this week. Despite the hours I’ve spent trying to convince myself that this marathon is a no-pressure, “just go out there and see what you can do” situation, I’ve been hit with the pre-marathon nerves. And hit hard.
You’d think that after 5 marathons and 27 years of life, I’d be a little more collected. But nope – I’m embarrassed to admit that all it takes is a large, out of town race to reduce me to a 5 year old. I’m sure I’ve been such a joy to be around this week.
So in the spirit of “do as I say, not as I do,” here is how this week in {ontherun} land went.
Monday
Wake up and am immediately hit by the fact that in less than a week’s time, I’ll be running the 36th MCM. Heart rate soars. Go to work. Have a mild, public freak-out about my training and the taper. Almost convince myself that the sane and smart thing to do at this point in my training is to go out and run 9 miles that afternoon. You know, because everyone knows you should do one last semi-long run duringmarathon week.
Talk to Twitter and my always wise Father (yep, I still call my dad to calm me before races), and am finally brought to my senses about the stupidity of my plan.
After work, see that the shoes that I finally got around to ordering last week (oops) have been delivered. Take them out for a test run. Decide that’s a good enough test to declare the shoes marathon worthy.
Tuesday
Wear my brand new running shoes to work in an effort to break them in as quickly as possible. Notice that my quads seem to be experiencing mysterious muscle aches. And that dang knee pain hasn’t gone away. Take the day off running and ice instead.
After work, head to the store because I’ve managed to convince myself that I absolutely need a pair of green shorts for the race. Find myself slightly disappointed in the store’s small selection of shorts (I guess winter is coming or something), but settle on a pair of Nike tempos.
They’re not green and pink, but they will do.
Proceed to have a minor meltdown that night because of a bad stomachache. As if stomach pains are the first sign that everything is falling apart.
Wednesday
Wake up congested. Convince myself that I am suddenly coming down with some horrible disease whose impacts are far more serious than those of seasonal allergies. Proceed to drink enough water and nuun during the day to warrant a trip to the bathroom every half hour.
After work, go for a short, easy run to test out the new shorts. They hold up great for 4 miles – decide this must mean that they’re marathon worthy. Meet Lizzy and Beckyfor a carb-filled pizza dinner. Go to bed feeling calm.
Thursday
Wake up congested again. Apparently that rare disease I’ve just contracted hasn’t gone away over night. Take an allergy pill on the off-chance that I’m actually just suffering from seasonal allergies, and not a condition that is likely to result in severe injury or death.
Head to work. Proceed to tell everyone that I won’t be in on Friday because I’m running a marathon. To which they reply, “Again?!” Not quite the response I was going for… Manage to make it through the day feeling relatively calm.
After work, go for a really easy 3 mile run in the cold rain. It’s like a 25 minute ice bath for my legs and I love it. Until the last half mile when I suddenly feel an odd, yet painful tweak in my left quad. Stop to walk and rub it out. Try to rationalize it’s just a cold muscle…and not a pulled one.
Get home from the run and head out to complete a few last minute errands. Suddenly all the calm I had been feeling during the day melts away and everything seems to be going wrong all at once. Proceed to have the biggest meltdown yet. By this point, EC is looking for the nearest escape route – and beginning to have serious doubts about being stuck on a plane with me the next morning.
Finally talk to my parents and get an awesome MCM email from Dorothy. All is right with the world again. Set my alarm for a super early wake up call.
Friday (today)
Wake up as soon as the alarm goes off feeling groggy but excited. I’m going to DC today!! Gather up a few remaining things and my carry-on suitcase (not taking any chances this time). Head out to the car and am shocked to find it coated in layer of ice (in October!!). Despite that minor setback, everything goes smoothly. I get to the airport with EC in plenty of time, board the flight, and get myself to DC.
Now I’m hanging out with my wonderful sister, who greeted me with a huge gift bag filled with pre-marathon goodies (dark chocolate, granola, and bananas – what else could I girl want?). We’ll be heading to the expo in a little bit, and I’m surprised that I feel calmer now than I have all week. Maybe I just had to get all the freak-outs out of the way early…
Good luck to everyone running this weekend!
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There’s still time to enter my Team Sparkle Skirt Giveaway! Entries are accepted until November 1st!
Talk to Twitter and my always wise Father (yep, I still call my dad to calm me before races), and am finally brought to my senses about the stupidity of my plan.
After work, see that the shoes that I finally got around to ordering last week (oops) have been delivered. Take them out for a test run. Decide that’s a good enough test to declare the shoes marathon worthy.
Tuesday
Wear my brand new running shoes to work in an effort to break them in as quickly as possible. Notice that my quads seem to be experiencing mysterious muscle aches. And that dang knee pain hasn’t gone away. Take the day off running and ice instead.
After work, head to the store because I’ve managed to convince myself that I absolutely need a pair of green shorts for the race. Find myself slightly disappointed in the store’s small selection of shorts (I guess winter is coming or something), but settle on a pair of Nike tempos.
They’re not green and pink, but they will do.
Proceed to have a minor meltdown that night because of a bad stomachache. As if stomach pains are the first sign that everything is falling apart.
Wednesday
Wake up congested. Convince myself that I am suddenly coming down with some horrible disease whose impacts are far more serious than those of seasonal allergies. Proceed to drink enough water and nuun during the day to warrant a trip to the bathroom every half hour.
After work, go for a short, easy run to test out the new shorts. They hold up great for 4 miles – decide this must mean that they’re marathon worthy. Meet Lizzy and Beckyfor a carb-filled pizza dinner. Go to bed feeling calm.
Thursday
Wake up congested again. Apparently that rare disease I’ve just contracted hasn’t gone away over night. Take an allergy pill on the off-chance that I’m actually just suffering from seasonal allergies, and not a condition that is likely to result in severe injury or death.
Head to work. Proceed to tell everyone that I won’t be in on Friday because I’m running a marathon. To which they reply, “Again?!” Not quite the response I was going for… Manage to make it through the day feeling relatively calm.
After work, go for a really easy 3 mile run in the cold rain. It’s like a 25 minute ice bath for my legs and I love it. Until the last half mile when I suddenly feel an odd, yet painful tweak in my left quad. Stop to walk and rub it out. Try to rationalize it’s just a cold muscle…and not a pulled one.
Get home from the run and head out to complete a few last minute errands. Suddenly all the calm I had been feeling during the day melts away and everything seems to be going wrong all at once. Proceed to have the biggest meltdown yet. By this point, EC is looking for the nearest escape route – and beginning to have serious doubts about being stuck on a plane with me the next morning.
Finally talk to my parents and get an awesome MCM email from Dorothy. All is right with the world again. Set my alarm for a super early wake up call.
Friday (today)
Wake up as soon as the alarm goes off feeling groggy but excited. I’m going to DC today!! Gather up a few remaining things and my carry-on suitcase (not taking any chances this time). Head out to the car and am shocked to find it coated in layer of ice (in October!!). Despite that minor setback, everything goes smoothly. I get to the airport with EC in plenty of time, board the flight, and get myself to DC.
Now I’m hanging out with my wonderful sister, who greeted me with a huge gift bag filled with pre-marathon goodies (dark chocolate, granola, and bananas – what else could I girl want?). We’ll be heading to the expo in a little bit, and I’m surprised that I feel calmer now than I have all week. Maybe I just had to get all the freak-outs out of the way early…
Good luck to everyone running this weekend!
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There’s still time to enter my Team Sparkle Skirt Giveaway! Entries are accepted until November 1st!
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