Dirty Thirty

So I celebrated leaving the 2nd decade of my life in grand style. I subisted off a steady diet of booze and sweet potato fries, and stayed up until at least 4am every night. And I ran zero miles for 6 days. And you know what? I don't regret it at all. Who is lucky enough to get 12 of my friends to come to Vegas to celebrate my 30th birthday? Me!

Sizzling at the Pleasure Pool @ Planet Hollywood (seriously, it was 105 degrees)

My husband, the one man entertainment show

All the girls. Lots of shiny. 

Husband, wearing a much skinnier friend's jacket. Hilarious. "fat guy in a little coat"

Vegas. 30. 

We've been friends for 10 years. Love her.

And there you have it. I bet on 30 on the roulette wheel all weekend and laughed my ass off all weekend. Especially at the girls at the club wearing dresses so short that their Spanx were hanging out the bottom. Girl, that means it's not your dress!

I did a 7 mile run yesterday and was surprisingly fast considering how terribly I'd treated my body over the last 4 days. 7 miles, 8:10 avg. 2 miles in the middle with 10x100 strides.

I also came home with $25 in ones. Strip club, anyone? :) haha... I kidd, I kidd... (maybe)

Running while out of town and big life things (like entering new decades)

I spent most of this week in Connecticut visiting friends. It was glorious. A brief reprieve from the city, and laughing a lot with friends I haven't been able to spend any real time with in years. These girls were my rocks when we were all new to the life of being a submarine wife (rhyme, anyone?) in Hawaii. Now we are all old pros at this weird lifestyle and we can laugh and drink wine while exchanging our latest crazy stories. We refer to each other as 'husbands' since ours were always out to the damn sea (that whore).

yes to pastries and friends

I ran 6 miles (with 10x100m strides thrown in) on Tuesday, which conveniently landed me in the North End, so I bought pastries to take with me to CT. I might have been the most loved person in the room that night! I know the way to my friend's hearts - cannolis, whoopie pies, and cream puffs!

The weather seemed cooler down there and I enjoyed my runs. It was slightly unnerving to run on quiet, residential roads with no real sidewalks, though. I did 5 on Wednesday and 10 on Thursday. I think Thursday was my first official mid-week double digit run of this training cycle. I ran along the waterfront, which consisted of a lot of dilapidated houses (so sad, if only someone could save them) and then out to this beautiful point:

Ocean mist, ahhhhh

I liked the point so much I looped around it twice. Then we all went to the outlet stores for a little retail therapy. It was good week indeed. As much as I love Boston, sometimes you need to escape the hustle and get away.

So this is also big week in my life, I guess. I am in my last week of my 20s. I will be 30 next week. And honestly I thought I'd be totally cool with it, but suddenly I'm finding myself freaking out a little inside (and outside now, since I told all of you). I feel like I should have more things figured out by now; that generally I should have my shit together a little better than I do currently. I find myself thinking that maybe I dress to immaturely, or that I need to start up a new career. Basically, it's a a total mind game. I might write more on this later, but for now I'll keep my lamenting to myself.

We are going to Las Vegas to ring in my new decade (along with 12 other friends!), which probably means my marathon training will be shot to hell next week. Honestly, I'm not heartbroken over that. It's early enough in my training cycle that I think I might benefit from a little bit of a break. Now I just need to go shopping and find a really shiny, Vegas-worthy dress!

Also, big life things... sigh... I am seriously considering going off birth control. While I'm not quite ready to expand our family, I think it might not be in my too distant future, so I am considering pulling the plug on the pill. Has anyone else had any experience with quitting the pill while marathon training? I have not been off the pill in over 10 years. From what I recall, my periods were normal, if maybe on the heavy side. On the pill they are almost non-existent (like 2-3 days). This is certainly freaking me out, but I think it might be better to do it now. If anyone has any insight or experience, I'd love to hear about it.

It's supposed to be 90+ in Beantown this week so it's looking like Sunday's 15-miler will be done at the crack of dawn. I'm (not) looking forward to it. It exhausts me just thinking about it, but it's got to be done.

And on that note, I'll sign off.

7 years ago today...

I married this guy:

And I'm not a butterflies-and-rainbows-flying-out-of-my-ass person, but it's the best decision I've ever made. He is full of awesomeness (and he's pretty easy on the eyes). I think I'll keep him around for a long time.

And today also marks the day that our last house-guests have finally left. I have had my house full of guests for the last for the last 16 days. While it was super fun and I'm happy I did it, and I also very happy to get back into my normal routine. I think I only ran 4 times the last 16 days. I also ate 4 lobster rolls, went on 3 brewery tours, and ate more pizza and North End pastries than I care to think about. As someone who normally eats a pretty clean diet, this has wreaked havoc on my system and energy levels. I cannot wait to cook every night and not go to a restaurant for the foreseeable future.

I still have not finished reading Advanced Marathoning (see above, also, I am easily distracted) and I am supposed to start marathon training this week. We also have a 10K this weekend, which I am guessing will not be a PR effort, judging by my less than stellar training over the past few weeks.

Here's to eating vegetables and running again!

I miss you, running.

So I haven't posted in a while, mostly because I haven't been running. Specifically, I didn't even run a step for 5 days. I know.

My mom and stepdad were here for the last 5 days, making it impossible to run. They don't travel much and they aren't very self-sufficient, so I felt obligated to keep them entertained. We did do a shitload of walking and I played the part of a substandard Boston tour guide (with a Southern accent) for most of the time. I have to say, being a tourist is exhausting.

Yep, Supertourist with Mama & Stepdad

Yes, this was taken from a Duck Boat.

Not giant balls. Giant Vandergraff machine at MOS (which was terribly disappointing)

PENGUINS!

SEALS!

After making my 4th trip to the airport in 10 days (and I do not work there, nor did I ever get on a plane) via MBTA (a 60-75 min one-way trip), I got home yesterday and stayed on the couch for the better portion of the day. The best part is I have only a 48-hour reprieve, because my sister and her husband arrive on Saturday. AND the day after they leave, I have more friends coming to stay with us. Hotel CK is booked. 

How do you guys get your workouts in when you have houseguests? I am at a loss trying to figure out how to do it. I guess I just worry they will feel like they are wasting their vacation time waiting on me.

My husband also had a rough week - miltary full-time job + 2 summer term grad classes = he's running on fumes. I convinced him to come run with me yesterday and we did a slow 4 miles and talked (because we've barely even seen each other over the past 7 days). 4 miles, 9:00 avg pace.

I've been reading Advanced Marathoning by Pfitzinger. I am such a geek, because I find all this information fascinating. I'm only about halfway through the book, so I will refrain from speaking about it until I finish. But already I have to say I really wish I would have read it before I ever ran a marathon. The title is somewhat misleading, because this information would be useful to anyone looking to successfully run a marathon. Marathoning isn't just about getting the miles in - it's also about fueling, hydration, rest, and run strategy -all of which is covered in this book.

Marathon training doesn't need to begin for a few more weeks, so for now I'm just running casually (and slowly) and going to the gym, yoga class, and some spinning here and there.

Long Run Saturday Success

I am a woman on a mission - a mission to redeem myself after my last race. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned (by a bad race). I jumped right back on the wagon this week, clocking in 4 weekdays of running (3 easy runs, 1 speed workout).

Today my plan said I needed to run 14 miles. Ummm, I haven't run longer than 13.1 since October 9, 2009 (the Chicago Marathon). But I felt like I needed to do it prove something to myself. To prove I had it in me to set out to do it and do it right. 

BUT the reasonable side of me was thinking I should be conservative, that long runs are supposed to be 30-90 seconds slower per mile than goal pace. So I held back, running around an 8:30 for the first 9 miles (and being forced to stop for a drawbridge - that's a new one). Side note: tried the Peanut Butter Gu today. It was delish! I mean, I wish it had some caffeine, but you know. :)

And then something just snapped, and I went all Ricky Bobby and said to myself, "I WANNA GO FAST!" and I just took off. My last 4.5-5 miles were at a sub 8:00 pace. 

"I don't know what to do with my hands"

Today's run: 14.8 miles, 2:01:39, 8:13 pace. BOOM. As soon as I hit 14 miles and I was under two hours I yelled out "YES!" and did a little fist pump. And then I realized I was still in public and people probably thought I was crazy. Don't care!

Some days you got it. Some days you don't. But I revel in the fact that today, I did!

So I celebrated with my foam roller, The Stick, a big bottle of lemon tea Nuun... and I signed up for a marathon in October! I haven't run a marathon since October 2009 (see above). I'm super pumped and hope to put in a great training cycle this summer. 

I earned my Cinco de Mayo margarita today!

I'll take this one please, on the rocks, yes to salt

Side note #2: Loving the Garmin! I have only taken in on two runs but it's really helping with pacing (I now realize I am ALL over the place - I'll be working on that). And I've had no issue with figuring out the bezel and no problems with it. I do have to wear a wristband under it to get it to fit my child-sized wrists. 

80's fashion, making a useful comback

I am not in pain. I am not in pain.

So about a week ago, I went to go carry my 30 lb. dog downstairs (she was getting a bath and was less than cooperative) and I felt a little twinge in my right knee, below my kneecap. I got worried about it for about 10 minutes, and then forgot about it after I left for Nashville. I was in so much other pain during that disaster of a race that I didn't even think about my knee. I can honestly say I can't remember it hurting.

But every day I've run this week (3) I've felt stiffness and pain right below my kneecap. I know I should not turn to google for these things, but of course, I did... and when you google "pain below kneecap" the first results are Runner's Knee.

NO NO NO NO NO. I refused to believe this. This is no time for injury! The only other injury I've incurred was an IT band issue near my right knee - they think it was a small tear at my knee attachment. Anyway, F U Runner's Knee, I am refusing to have anything to do with you.

The only treatment for Runner's Knee seems to be the typical - RICE, time off, etc etc. I have been icing every day, taking ibuprofen when I can remember, and I tried to wear a knee brace today but I swear it hurt worse then. I have a patella band somewhere (i.e. I'll probably have to tear apart my house to find it) but I am unsure if that is the correct treatment either.

So have any of you had runner's knee? How did it effect your training? And how did you treat it?

Training Plans

So in my super long running career (umm, like 5 years) I have always used Hal Higdon's training programs. I am really big on training programs for longer races (anything 13.1 and up), mostly because I'm terrified of running those distances without training. (I might be a control freak)

However, I'm starting to think I need to try something different. Specifically, I think I need higher mileage, at least for a half marathon. I think it might be a good idea to have a double digit run every weekend, and maybe even a few runs that are longer than 13 miles. I found this one; it looks promising. Runner's World also has a wide array of programs, but for $24.99 each, they can keep them. There are so many other free resources on the internet, I will just stick with them.

What training plans do you guys use? Do you have any super top secrets to success you'd like to share?

And a picture of my dog in a lobster costume. Just because. Doesn't she look thrilled?

Oh, running memories

I didn't run more than a lap around a basketball court until I was 23 or so. I did a 5K occasionally (very, very slowly) and always said I 'hated running' and 'wasn't built to run' until I was 26 or so. On a whim, I signed up for the Aloha Run in 2008 - it's a 8 mile run from Aloha Tower to Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. I had never run more than 3 miles, and I was terrified. It took me almost an hour and a half to finish; but I did it. I thought then, if I can run 8 miles, why can't I run 13?

So I signed up for a half marathon in 2008. I also signed up my husband, who had just returned from a deployment and had not trained at all. We finished, but I remember not being able to walk later that day. I think our time was about 1:57.

Perfectly in step, that's how we roll. Also, really bad hair decisions (aka that 2" ponytail here)

So we conquer that one. We later went on to run another half marathon later that year, shaving 5 minutes off our pace. My husband, K, can run much faster than me, but he often chooses to run races with me because he says "it's more fun that way" (yes, he's awesomesauce, and no, you cannot have him, he's mine). 

We then bit the bullet and signed up for our first full Marathon. It was the Maui Paradise Marathon, and it was the inaugural event. We were totally clueless about races. We assumed that all races were pretty sizable. WRONG. The Maui Paradise Marathon only had about 50 runners total for the full marathon. For most of the race, it felt like a training run; we couldn't see anyone behind us or ahead of us. A few hours before it started, there was a terrible thunderstorm with lightning (very uncommon in Hawaii) and sheets of rain; for the first 10 miles or so, we got pounded with rain that stung the skin. This was pre-LASIK - I even had a contact lens pop out at mile 9 (I managed to catch it and get it back in my eye). The roads were flooded - we had no choice but to run through 6-10 inches of water at some points. All this was really exhausting, and then in the 14-20ish mile point was an out and back on a tiny rural road of mean, short, steep hills. At 18 or so I told K I just wanted to quit. He wouldn't let me, so we walked on and off and finally got to the finish - soaked from head to toe. I really wanted a sub-4 hour marathon, and we missed it: we finished in about 4:20.

Totally soaking wet. My shorts kept falling down because they were so heavy!

We finished. Yes, I am crying.

I burst into tears at the finish line. The girl that handed me my metal was terrified. I think she thought I was hurt. I wasn't hurt (I mean, I was in physical pain) but I think I was just overwhelmed. I'd spend 4 months training and it felt like it was over so fast. And it really didn't go the way I wanted (gross understatement).

So later that year, my husband left again for deployment, and I signed up for the Chicago Marathon. Mostly because I am super stubborn and I really wanted a good marathon experience. A REAL marathon experience with cheering crowds in a big city. A friend of mine met me there and ran it with me. I lived in Hawaii at the time, and since I was a relatively newbie runner I knew nothing about gear. I checked the forcast a few days before and realized it was going to be cold at the start in Chicago - so I packed the only pair of tights I owned and I bought long-sleeve DriFit shirt at the Nike store. Oh, how dumb I was! It was 25 degrees at the start. It was a shock to the system for sure. Biggest mistake? I didn't have gloves. My hands were so swollen at the finish that I couldn't get my rings off for about 3 days.

But it was an AMAZING experience, and we hit our goal - we finished in 3:55:56. Can you tell we were happy? For the last 3 miles we were totally delirious (runners high is real, fo sho) and we kept saying back and forth to each other "we're doing this!" "we are really doing this!" I am sure we sounded insane.

Oh, Christen, if only you had known about winter running gear... you could have prevented THIS:

We look great for having just run 26 miles, but OMG sausage fingers! It was SO painful.

So after that I said to myself, "Alright, successful marathon DONE. Check off life list" and went on with my life without considering to ever do another one. I had a pretty significant IT band injury only a couple months after Chicago and was unable to run more than 2-3 miles for 7 months (with the exception of running the Aloha Run again with that injury - VERY stupid). We moved to SoCal, and ran a half marathon in LA:

We're back bitchez! Finished in like 1:50.

And then, of course, K leaves again. So I threw myself into other things - like going to 6 spin/gravity/bootcamp classes a week. I also was in full-time grad school and working 30 hours a week. I tend to do crazy sh** like this when K leaves - I totally overload myself to stay busy. So last summer, I ran 3 half marathons, which was a blast:

RnR San Diego. J's first half! I talked her into starting to run. I am a very persuasive friend. 

I set a new PR: 1:45:55

K came home! Napa to Sonoma Half. BEST RACE EVER! 1:51-ish. It was my birthday. I consumed copious amount of wine! Also, the medal is a wine stopper. Only useful medal I've ever received!

 AFC Half. I HATED this course. The elevation profile is basically a giant U shape.

And there was no free beer at the finish. BOO. 1:52.

And that leads up to today... we've been running a lot of shorter races - and I've gotten a lot faster. We moved (AGAIN... 4th time in 6 years, yay for military life!) to Boston in the fall and running REALLY got back in my blood. This is the first time in my life I've been able to consistently run sub-8 min miles, so I have got my eyes set on another marathon in the fall where I can hopefully BQ!

And that's my (brief) running history! Now we're off today to Nashville to run yet another half. We were at a hockey game on a Friday night when we got a text from an old friend asking if we wanted to run it. We were a few beers into the night and we said 'OF COURSE!' and signed up from our phones. The moral of this story: don't drink and sign up for races! I am excited to go, but it has cost us a small fortune and generally left a bad taste in my mouth already for RnR races. I think this will be the last one we do. From now on, smaller local races that don't want to take all our $$$.

Looking forward to wearing my cowboy boots and having some warm weather! 

Almost time...

Yesterday: 4 miles, 7:43 avg. pace
Today: 4 miles, 8:19 avg. pace

This is half marathon week, so my mileage is a little low. I ran yesterday at 'race pace' and took today a little easier. I am always kind of at a loss for what to do during race week - I am hesitant to weight train normally, because them I run the risk of being sore on race day (I tend to life heavy and go 'all in' at the gym). So I will stick with doing lunges core work and spend the rest of my time stretching, foam rolling, and using The Stick.

We also stocked up today on Gu. I have a personal preference for the Roctane variety. The more caffeine the better! I basically consider caffeine one of my major food groups. :)

I also tend to eat a little more carbohydrates this week. Nothing crazy, just a few more sweet potatoes and maybe a little rice here and there. I'm not much of a grain person (other than oatmeal) so I just try to eat more this week.

What do you guys tend to do with your workout routine during race week?

What are your race fuel preferences?

And odd question: Does anyone know if I can take an empty water bottle in my carry on? I am a little paranoid about water during races - I like to have my own handbottle so I can drink when I want to drink, and not just at the water stops. But I also do not want to pay $25 to check my bag both ways for the pleasure of having a handbottle. I have seen people go through security with water bottles, but I am still unsure it it's actually okay. And I'd rather not lose a nice water bottle to the TSA! UPDATE: According to many travel forums and this site, it appears I can pack a totally empty, dry water bottle in my carry on. Score!

As of today, the high on race day is 80 degrees. Yikes! At least we're just running the half, and it starts at 8 am. I think the low is like 65 so it's not like it's going to be cool at the start - but at least we'll be done before 10.

Happy Tuesday!

Running Goals

I tend to be a very unorganized person. I have tried and tried in my (almost) 30 years and it just never happened. I think that part of my brain is missing. Running is one of the few things I've actually planned, stuck to the plan, and executed with success.

So I am setting some goals for myself for this year, because otherwise I worry I'll just flounder around.

1) To run a sub 1:40 half marathon. I would be happy with 1:42, but I think with some work I can do better.

2) To run another marathon this year. I REALLY want to BQ, but that might be a tall order. My best half was last year, 1:45:55, and I recently ran a 1:12 15K. I have 6 months to train, so right now, the goal is high: to BQ!

3) To strength train 3 days a week. I struggle with committing the to gym. Many weeks I'll only end up there for 2 days a week.

4) To do more yoga. Right now I'm only going once a week. That's got to improve. Years of running has left me really inflexible. I seriously can't even do half pigeon pose.

And... I guess that's it. For now!

Running Gear Thursdays

So I am kind of a running gear junkie. Some might think I have a problem. Since I spend more of my life in running gear than regular clothes, I figure it's okay to have lots of it, right?

I am currently running about 30-40 miles a week, along with about 3 session of weight training and 1 yoga class a week. I like to have multiple pairs of running shoes - which I say is for rotating through so they wear more evenly, but really, deep down, I just love running shoes.

I am sort of in a shoe flux right now. I just started keeping track of my shoe mileage, so I really don't know how many miles my current shoes have on them. I've had my current shoes for about a year or so - and I trained and ran 3 half marathons last summer, but my mileage was pretty light through the fall. I picked it up big time around Thanksgiving (shout out to the 100 mile challenge on dailymile), but since I was running in the lovely New England winter conditions, I wore gortex trainers most of December, January, and February.

I am currently running in these shoes:

Nike Pegasus 27. They still feel pretty good. I think I have about 250 miles on them, so I am unsure how much longer they will last. I used Superfeet insoles for about 2 years, but the bulk of them was causing me some pain/tenderness on the top of my foot. I recently accquired FootDisc insoles from a GearBuzz deal and I really dig them. I have super high arches, but no pronation issues. I also have become a midfoot striker over the past year or so (after the beginnings of a heel spur).

I also run in these:

Nike Pegasus 25? 26? I scored these off eBay last year for like $35. They were the previous year's version. I like the feel, but they are SO UGLY. I have a vendetta against white running shoes. I recently read about washing running shoes in the dishwasher (totally works! and doesn't damage them at all!) and I washed them, but unfortunately they are now just ugly and clean. They have about 200 miles on them.

I wore these through the winter:

Nike Pegasus 27 GTX (Gore-Tex). I cannot say enough good things about these shoes. They really are windproof and waterproof. The only downside is they have a standard sole, so running in the snow was challenging (lots of slipping and sliding).

I am now having a dilemma of what my next shoe should be. I had a brief moment where I wanted to try the barefoot thing, so I ordered these:

Saucony Hattori. They are cool, I will give them that. But I quickly realized that trying out barefoot shoes with a half marathon less than a month away is a stupid idea. Also, they tore up the back of my heels so bad that I am still having nightmares about them. See that little tab on the back? Who on earth thought that was a good idea?

So then about two weeks ago, after an 11 mile run and a bloody mary, I decided to branch out from my Nikes (which I've been wearing for 5+ years pretty much exclusively) and get a pair of these:

Adidas Oscillation. I HATE them with the fire of 1000 suns. I wanted a pair of shoes that were a little lighter for shorter races and track work. You see that odd stitching around the opening and tongue? It's super stiff. I took them out for a slow 5 miler and I ended up with bruises on my ankles! My ankles felt like I'd run 10 miles the next day. That is unacceptable. I am so mad at myself for buying them (and at my husband for throwing away the box, so I cannot return them). I will never put these torture devices on my feet again.

So as a last ditch effort, I ordered these last night:

New Balance 890. New Balance is super dominant here in their hometown area of Boston. So I figured I'd give them a try. And I ordered them from a store that will take them back (and I will lock down the box far away from the husband). And, they are YELLOW! I love vibrant, fun shoes.

Also, I've gotten hooked on compression gear. It started with a pair of CEP calf sleeves:

(mine are black)

And OMG immediately the nagging soreness in my soleus and my inner ankles was gone! But them I realized the sleeves weren't good for recovery too, so I scored some CEP socks on eBay:

(I ended up with the pink ones. I am NOT a pink person, but they were half price. I AM a cheap person)

And I totally love them too. My husband is even hooked on them (he says he's had a lot less shin pain).

So I have been reading about the wonders of these compression shorts that are made just for women, so I ordered them too because they are having a HALF OFF sale right now!

I ordered red ones because I live on the EDGE

I'm 'gearing up' (so to speak) because I'm going to start marathon training in May. I haven't run a full marathon since 2009; I sort of looked at it as 'did it, checked off life list, move on' type thing. I also injured myself somewhere in there and it took a while to get my mojo back. Since moving to Boston, running has crept into my veins again, and since I've been running so much faster and stronger I feel like this *might* be my year to BQ. (I kind of hate typing that, I feel like I'm jinxing myself). My last marathon in 2009 was the Chicago Marathon, where I ran a 3:55:56. I'm running much faster these days so I'm going to train through the summer and hope for a fast fall marathon with the intention of qualifying for Boston for 2014.

So, what's your favorite running gear? And what are your favorite shoes? And how many miles do you typically put on a pair before throwing them out? Inquiring minds want to know!

(None of these people paid me to mention their products)