halfway through and a half

This weekend I ran the North Face Endurance Challenge Half Marathon in Kansas City. The North Face race series features mostly trail races but added the road challenge in KC last year. They tried it out in August last year and probably discovered that asking people to be outside, let alone run outside, in August was a huge mistake.

So this year, the November date meant temperatures of 39 degrees at the start, which is a completely ambiguous temperature for running clothes. I started my morning with a slice of peanut butter toast and half a banana. And of course, coffee.

We stood in line for the potty as our wave wasn't supposed to start til 7:16 a.m. Race organizers decided to start everyone at once though and by the time we got to the starting line, the half marathon was gone. Sigh.

The course was SUPER hilly. Kansas City races are notorious hilly but this was a combo of the worst. My stomach felt great and it wasn't til the last mile that my hips were burning. The IT band held up just fine.

Seriously fun though. The last half I ran, I did alone. This one I got to talk to my friend Wendy the entire way. Much more tolerable. Also didn't hurt to have my parents, the hubs and of course the cutest fan ever to cheer me on.

I have no idea fast  slow I finished because the chip time shows everyone starting at the same time. Which we know isn't true. Everyone also complained the course was a half mile too long. Luckily this was for race experience and not the end goal.

The half also marks the second half of my full marathon training. To be honest, I am tired. And slightly bored. The mid-week runs are up to 4-8-4 and my next long run is a 17-miler on Sunday. It takes so much time and energy that it's making me cranky. But the thought of starting all over again, is a much less appealing option.

So I'll keep on plugging away. Eight miles tomorrow, 17 on Sunday. Bring it on.

premature aging

Holy what?! I went to confirm my registration in the North Face Endurance Half Marathon and saw this.

And suddenly realized that I, in fact, will be 30 on race day.

And then I had a little freak out.

the value of rest (and stretching)

I took 10 days off running.

My hip hurt. When my hip hurt, my knee hurt. And sometimes when my knee hurt, my ankle and toes hurt too. And most of my highly qualified internet diagnoses included the warning, "do not try to run through the pain."

So I finally listed and stopped. For 10 whole days, I thought about what was going wrong.

1. I suck at mid-week runs. I am busy in the evenings, the mornings are hard not that it's dark and when the hubs is out of town, I have to stick with Henry. When I don't do the mid-week runs I need to do and only do long runs, it's forcing my body to do way more than it's really strong enough for yet. Even though I can run nine miles just fine.

2. I don't like stretching. I do the obligatory ones at the end of my run, but I don't really stretch the way I should. So now, I have a trusty foam roller to help with my IT band and have spent more time doing the long, slow stretches my body needs to recover.

3. I don't cross-train regularly. It's starting to sound like I am a marathon training disaster. But, rewind to the busyness, it's really hard to get my runs in AND cross-train other than a long walk with the fam. I have a free gym membership with my grad student status, so I think it's high time I get acquainted with a gym.

I ran 8 miles Sunday on the most gorgeous fall day in Kansas City ever so I'm back on track, hopefully.

I'm getting excited for the North Face half marathon in just 32 days! KC Friends, if you haven't registered, the price goes up Wednesday.

oh my hip!

It came on slowly and ended with a big painful ache.

My left hip hurts. And when it was at its worst, my knee hurt.

I self-diagnosed IT band syndrome and stockpiled my foam roller, ice packs and ibuprofen. Still, when I got up from a long session of sitting at my desk, I cringed in pain.

The only thing that fixed it was a long hot bath and a glass of Pinot Gris.

All this means no running. Luckily(?) it happened on a step-back week when I was only supposed to run six miles. This next weekend though is a looming 11 miles. Tomorrow I'll be back at it with a slow three mile run to see how the ol' hip does. Then, hopefully, ramp back up to full training.

I have a sports medicine appointment for Oct. 25, which is the soonest appointment time AFTER my begging.

If a bubble bath and glass of wine are the only things that keep me on track for my training, so be it.

pushing new limits

I ran nine miles Saturday. When I trained for my first half two years ago, I was talking about stomach cramps, calf pain and adding more long runs to my training so I wouldn't lose confidence.

This time around, I ran nine miles, had breakfast with friends and took care of a hyper toddler for seven hours by myself. No stomach cramps, but some pretty annoying hip pain and sore feet.

This time, I am following the Higdon Novice 2 program. For a full marathon, which we aren't talking about yet. So by the time I run the half marathon, I will have already run 14 miles, and the half marathon will actually be a step down week where I am letting my body recover a bit.

The theme of the North Face Endurance Challenge is just to challenge yourself. Probably meant for the 50K folks who really push themselves to the limit, physically.

For me, the challenge is finding energy and time to run with our crazy life. So far it's working on weekends, not as well during the week. Yet I feel stronger and more confident than I did last time around.

The race has anything from a 5k to 50k. Ready to challenge yourself?

running for real + a cute tailgater

It feels good to be back.

I ran more than seven miles Saturday, which feels like I'm really training now. Running has become a family affair as the hubs took Henry in the jogging stroller for a run at the park while I set out for my long run. 

My running partner was out of town this weekend so I slogged through it solo. I am out of practice though and forgot to bring any sort of fuel or water. Luckily a local running group sets up water stations along my route, and I borrowed a cup. It still took me the rest of the weekend to refuel and hydrate.

I have 61 Days until the North Face Endurance Challenge half marathon here in KC. I feel stronger than I did two years ago. Last time around, I ran fast but had to walk routinely to catch my breath. This time, I've started at a slower pace and don't have to walk. Speed can come gradually, though I don't really care.

We jumped in the car after my run to head to a K-State tailgate where Henry hammed it up with the basketball team.

Another good weekend in the books!

finish line emotion

I promise I'll stop posting about the half marathon soon. But my friend Edie captured all these great pictures that show the emotion, and I had to share.

{Such a proud hubby! Probably grateful it's all over, too. For now.}

{Our friend Wendy ran too despite a hurt ankle. What a stud!}

{Kisses from my mama}

{"Wow that was great and awful."}

{Baby Herbie: Take notes. Running is good for you.}

I cannot tell you how grateful I am for all their support, sacrifices and love. I'm so lucky!

race report: kansas city half marathon

I woke up at 5:45 a.m. to turn the coffee pot on and headed back to bed for a few more minutes of sleep. I don't do well eating a lot before running but not eating anything before running for over two hours doesn't work either. So breakfast consisted of half a luna bar, half a cup of coffee, half a banana. I attached my racing chip and waited for my parents to arrive - my dad also ran his first half.

I was way nervous on the way to the race and almost cried when I left Shea and then when my dad started choking up, but when I got to my pace group and began chatting with the other runners I forgot I was terrified. I was planning to line up with the 2:20 pace group but couldn't push through the crowds and stayed with the 2:25 group. I really loved running with the pace team - Mary and Wally - who coached us the whole way on our form when running up the GIANT hill at mile 3 or backed us off when our pace got too fast. Or the cheers that kept the running fun - "big hill, little butt!"

Mile 1-3
I ran this route frequently in my training. I saw my mom and Shea right before conquering the first hill.The plan was to throw my jacket to Shea but they were on the other side of the road so I just kept going. The Kessler Road hill is brutal and I rarely ever make it up without walking but with the coaching from the pacers, I made it! "Lean forward, shorten your stride." And this was the view. How could you not love Kansas City?!

Mile 4-7
Stayed with my pace group. My favorite sign was "Sue Says, Run Fatties Run" at Westport Road. My group walked through the aid stations, which I stuck with water the whole way except one when I went for some nasty-tasting warm Gatorade. Grateful that I had several sticks of gum with me to keep my mouth from going dry. I chatted with a couple as I ran through the Plaza and was amazed I could easily talk as I ran. Turns out, pacing is effective.


Mile 8-10
Started to get knee pain and got increasingly worse. The bottoms of my feet started aching. Saw my mom, preggo friend Edie who came from Dallas to cheer me on, and Shea at mile 8 where I was able to finally shed my now sweaty jacket. Shea ran a little with me, and I refreshed with orange slices from a wonderful volunteer.

Though this section was mostly barren and spectator-less, it ran through rougher neighborhoods resulting in the most interesting cheers. I got ahead of my pace group at this point and found running alone was pretty darn lonely. Favorite spectator chant: "Don't look so miserable. Remember, this was your choice!"

Miles 11-13
I swear the mile markers were farther apart during this stretch. My knee pain got bad. If I kept running it was tolerable but when I walked for an aid station or to catch my breath, it was borderline excruciating when I started running again. Between 11 and 12 my stomach started cramping up. As we rounded the curve to head to the finish line chute, a volunteer shouted out: "Keep going, you're about to finish a half marathon!" And I choked up and got blurry eyed.

The long finishing chute was AWESOME and horrible at the same time. I finally saw Shea but was battling knee pain and fierce stomach cramps. I zeroed in on the finish line clock and finished at 2:24:44. My goal was to not start out too fast, and I succeeded with negative splits (second half faster than first). Did I mention that most importantly, I finished?

I'll post pictures soon of my super supporters who were waiting for me at the finish line.


Recovery
The finish line food consisted of a banana, yogurt and M&Ms. I totally could have used some chocolate milk. I've iced and heated my knee and took the most remarkable hot shower. We had Ingredient for lunch (turkey  avocado wrap and salad).

Then I proceeded to have stomach cramping all afternoon. Got some girl time with Edie and drank a huge bottle of Powerade and many glasses of water. I did not pee until midnight despite the fact I have probably drank my weight in liquid. I took a nap on the couch with my feet resting on Shea's lap - apparently doing a running motion for the entire hour-long nap.

Despite the burning knee and hips, I think I'm hooked. I've run over 270 miles since July. I never thought I could run more than five miles on a treadmill, let alone finish a half marathon in hilly Kansas City. It ranks as one of my greatest physical and mental challenges.

Next up? Nurse my IT band and pick my next goal. Another half? Maybe a full? A big ol' training break? Stay tuned!

finished!

Race report to come tomorrow, but I am now a half-marathoner!

Finish line complete with beer (eh..) and banana. Took a brief nap and Shea says my feet were making running motions as I slept. I think that means more rest. Back with you tomorrow!

nervous!

I'm just chilling at work drinking water when I suddenly realize that in 32 hours I'm going to be running my first half marathon! By the time I got around to finishing this blog post, it's 26 hours.

And then I got really, really nervous.

I'm really only trying to finish, not expecting some fantastic time to brag about. That's for another race. And the weather is looking perfect.

Now I just need to clear my head from the week's landlord drama, keep drinking water and give the knee some TLC.


Last minute reminders
1. Start slow and ignore the sprinters.
2. Drink water at every aid station.
3. Remember I am stronger than I think I am.
4. There are bananas and beer at the finish line.

not benched yet

I went to the sports medicine clinic today. It started off well when I had to change into the clinic's version of a hospital gown - shorts with a drawstring that did not draw small enough requiring me to roll them over four times and finagle a boy-scout-level knot.

When the doc came in, I had to stand up straight, facing away from him.
Doctor: Um, can you straighten your left leg?
Me: Is this not straight?
Doctor: Oh boy.

He then pushed and prodded my knee and kept telling me I was tense. I explained that since his poking felt similar to a steak knife it was a bit hard to release my muscles. Following the torture, he determined I have IT band strain (called it!) and bursitis, which means the sacs of fluid around my knees are very swollen.

Long story short, I have an overuse injury despite the fact I did everything right. Except that one time I ran on a treadmill because it was raining. Which means I started the misery there and then continued to overcompensate for it while running outside.

My instructions 
1) Ice after running for 20 minutes
2) Moist heat three times per day, for 20 minutes
3) 500mg Naproxen (strong anti-inflammatory) twice a day
4) Run up to my pain tolerance
5) Follow-up appointment in two weeks
6) Never run on a treadmill again.

As for running my half-marathon in 11 days?  Doctor: "You definitely can. But you'll pay for it in pain the next day." The good news is I can't do any severe damage to my knee if I do decide to run. The bad news is I am the one who has to make the call. I did however get our ever-handy supply of codeine refilled.

I'm not deciding anything until the swelling goes down because last night I couldn't even make it through an hour-long church service with my knee bent. But I'm feeling a bit more optimistic that I'm not completely benched.

mad pain

Today I was supposed to run 12 miles while Shea went to a baseball game. Instead, I'm lying on the couch in pajamas with an ice pack on my knee and choking down four ibuprofen every four hours.

And it makes me mad. Mad, mad, MAD.

Thursday it wasn't awful. Just like a headache in the outside of my knee. It was stiff after sitting too long, and the pain only was bad when walking down stairs. But last night the pain was so bad I cried until the ibuprofen kicked in, and I fell asleep. I figured it was too much walking around the cider mill.

But today it's still hurting, and I've only walked from the car to a coffee shop. So tomorrow the plan is to call sports medicine doctors until someone has a same-day appointment opening.

I am hoping it's something that can get better in two weeks and I can still run my half-marathon even though it's not going to be as fast as I trained for. If not, maybe I can just run with my dad who is also racing but at a more manageable pace for someone with an injured knee. If I can't run because there is risk for permanent damage, then fine. I will be the loudest spectator on the sidelines.

But I'll be really really sad.

"You must listen to your body. Run through annoyance but not through pain." - George Sheehan  

Sunday night update: Leftover hydrocodone is a beautiful thing.

missing: motivation

"Ask yourself: 'Can I give more?' The answer is usually yes." -Paul Tergat, Kenyan marathoner

Only 18 days til my first half marathon, and I have ZERO motivation. I cannot even express to you the poorness of this timing.

Last Thursday I ran intervals on the treadmill. I ran fast and loved it but did not love the fact the treadmill makes my knees hurt. And my left knee has felt jammed since then. Plus I haven't been drinking water, and I've had some wicked womanly symptoms. We had a busy, cold and rainy weekend so my only time to do my long run was Sunday night after a long weekend. I skipped it and watched three episodes of Dexter.

Now the weather is just awkward. It can't decide between tank top and shorts or a running jacket and tights. Tomorrow I'm headed to the running store for some new fall running clothes in hopes of reigniting my love. Then I'm going to find some new routes because if I have to keep running past people sitting on patios eating their delicious-smelling food, I will cry.

It's only 18 days. That's less than three weeks. I can do anything if it's temporary.

painful high

I've finally got a runner's high.

The long runs I've finished have left me hating running in the last mile - calves on fire, stomach souring and trying not to quit by falling into a tear-filled heap. But this one was different. I felt good from the start. I got faster in the second half of my run. I didn't walk except by choice so I could chug my Gatorade and water.

I got done with 12.5 miles and felt fantastic. Like I was a real runner. I finally have no doubt that the 13.1 miles I will face in three weeks are possible. That maybe I could even do more...

I showered super fast (Vikings kickoff and an impatient husband awaited), pulled on my new favorite compression sleeves and ate my peanut butter sandwich with chocolate milk.

Now it hurts. My hips, thighs, groin, butt and lower back are on fire though not as bad as when I got into bed last night, cringing. I'm trying to stop myself from eating everything in sight.

But the pain feels good. I earned it.

how to not stink when you have no shower

Sometimes I really hate running. When I did my long run Sunday, it took me a good three hours of watching a crappy Jennifer Aniston movie, sipping water, cleaning out the fridge and whatever non-priority task I could think up before I finally got around to fill my water bottles, put on my running shoes and start the 11.5-mile trek.

However, I found such a love for running during my lunch hour. Because summer is slipping away and the dark mornings have arrived, noon running is my best option. Dragging myself for five miles when I first got out of bed was so much harder than this! I love breaking up the work day and having time away from my computer to just think. 

The challenge however is the whole sweating for an hour only to sit at my desk for another four while still maintaining work friends. So I created a little shower kit for my bottom drawer.

First, unscented baby wipes. The problem is I keep sweating despite being wiped off so I'm adding a towel to the mix. There are expensive shower wipes you can buy but these are the same thing and cheap!

Next, baby deodorant. Obvious reasons.

Then, Passion for Change body mist. Because it makes me smell pretty in case the first two fail.

Finally, hair brush so I can wet down my hair and put it up into a bun to hide the sweaty tangles. It works out pretty well. My face is definitely beet red and totally makeup less but I think it's good to keep my vanity in check. 

31 days!

38 days and counting

The half marathon is in less than six weeks - a realization that made the fact I slept in instead of running much more guilt-filled. I've done great with my long runs, not so great during the week. My intention of running four days at a minimum for the shorter runs has turned to three. Still, I've managed to keep my long runs on track.

During a happy hour yesterday, I discussed with a fellow runner friend the possibility of continuing to train for a full. Then I saw that that would mean in about two months I'd have to run a week of 5-10-5-20 miles. The prospect of that week alone is enough to make me reconsider. Plus I think my body would hurt all the time.

Goals for the rest of my training
1. Actually follow my training plan and stop with the sleeping in and rainy day excuses.
2. Get back into the habit of more conscious healthy eating. More protein and water, less sugar.
3. Run faster on shorter runs. 10-minute miles are for long runs, not being lazy on weekdays.
4. Figure out ways to run during lunch or after work at least some days to avoid dark streets.
5. Entice Shea to rub my feet and calves more often.

Onward!

new running challenges

Seven weeks til half marathon time! I've felt pretty good about my runs despite the fact I can get quite lazy during the week. I don't do all my small runs but I usually reach the correct mileage (give or take a few) and have so far stuck to or exceed my long run plans.

This weekend I got up to 9.2 miles on Sunday. Despite feeling like my calves would explode in the first five minutes, my body worked it out, and I finished feeling good. I didn't even give into the temptation to steal lemonade from a little girl's stand. (Sarah 1, Devil 0) I then spent the entire day pretending to not be incapacitated by super sore butt and hips along with razor sharp stomach cramps. Running, how I love thee.

I have changed my plan to include longer long runs as my confidence wanes. I have one more 9, three 10s, 2 11s and then a tapering 8. Oh the havoc my stomach will reap.

With less than two months to go I am getting nervous. Suddenly it's now darkish when I get up to run. Despite my self defense techniques, I'll soon have to eliminate morning runs. We have a lot of evening activities so finding the time for weekday runs is going to become increasingly challenging. I can't even imagine being my full marathon friends.

My other big challenge is trying to keep on track with eating healthy. All I want after the weekend is food, and a lot of it. We had a friend in town this weekend (pictures to come), and it's back to school week at my work meaning a lot of tempting lasagna, pizza, sub sandwiches, cookies and donuts. Plus this weekend is the cabin and a wedding - deadly combination.

I've gained five pounds since I started running, which is still in my optimal weight range. And I've read that training for races 5-10 pounds of weight gain is common. A lot of it is muscle and water weight. Some of it is chocolate milk, spoonfuls of peanut butter and cookies. Some if it also discovering that my metabolism is no longer 22 years old. Sad.

So it's back to paying more attention to protein and avoiding the work break room. In the time it took to write this post, three different caterers walked into my work with bags of food. I'm hiding behind my computer screen.

the racing begins

My race experience is limited to inline skating marathons.

Considering in eight weeks (eight!) I will be running a half-marathon, I figured I better get some experience under my belt with a race sans wheels. In celebration of my grandma's survival of breast cancer, I ran the Komen Race for a Cure 5k on Sunday.

Shea got up earlier than me and made coffee and reviewed the parking map. He then posed me for pictures in my running clothes. After the race he bullied me into drinking three bottles of water; a good idea considering my soaked clothes. He truly is my greatest support.

The race was H-O-T. And hilly. And there were 27,000 people. I finished in 28:20 or 9:08/mile. That's about a minute faster than I've been running in the mornings so I'm happy with my finish. According to this race time predictor, I should finish the half in 2 hours and 10 minutes. I think that's quite ambitious for my poor, amateur legs.

Lessons learned

1. Do not worry about other people. You have no idea when their chip crossed the starting line so comparing is futile. 

2. It is very difficult for thousands of people to begin running at the exact same time. 

3. Keep a safe distance. People tend to suddenly stop to walk. And it's really annoying.

It was super fun, and I got my share of free milk, Starbucks and water. Plus, now I definitely have some things to remember for October 16 such as I need to practice running more of these KC hills. At least blistering heat won't be a factor.

This week I am going to get reacquainted with the treadmill considering our heat index is supposed to reach 115 degrees through Wednesday. At 7 a.m., it was in the mid-90s, at noon, the heat index was 105. Sad.

the one where I publicly declare I will run a half marathon

In a few weeks I am starting Hal Higdon's half marathon training officially. I'll be doing 12 weeks of novice training because the intermediate version includes speedwork, and that does not sound like fun to me.


I never really liked running until recently. I'd much prefer inline skating but turns out people in Kansas City don't live in the 1980s and they are befuddled when I ask about a rollerblade marathon? ("How many miles is that?!") 

{That's me at the North Shore Inline Marathon in Duluth, Minn. in 2007.}

During our get-skinny-for-the-wedding-day training plan, I loved running on the treadmill. I could watch TV and there is something about the numbers methodically switching that soothes me. Recently I started running outside and realized I didn't suck at it as much as I thought I would. I always hated outdoor running because not only does the ground not move, but the cold air makes my lungs scream. Yet I have found that heat and humidity make my lungs scream in an opposite, but more tolerable, way.


Plus there is this camaraderie with the other runners out at 6 a.m. We say "morning" as we run up a large hill, proud that we're enduring summer. Little do they know that as soon as they are out of sight, I immediately halt and begin heaving. When it's this humid, I don't really sweat. Because where would it go? Until I stop and get into a less-humid place. There, Shea will find me sitting in front of the laptop trying to map my run but completely unable to get traction on the mouse pad because of the pooling sweat. This is probably the sexiest thing he could possibly imagine seeing first thing in the morning.


Anyway, back to my plan. I'm planning to run the Kansas City half on October 16. And I am scared because not only is it my first big race, but there are two huge hills - one in the first four miles and one at almost nine miles. This means I have to train using hills, which really kind of zaps the fun out of my day. Also it'll probably make my calves more humongous than they already are. I don't have time goals yet and may not ever make them because mostly, I just want to see the finish line. 


This morning I ran at 6 a.m. in temperature of 81 and humidity of 80 percent. I know there is a heat advisory but seriously, this is only June. There is more inferno to come.


So begins the journey!