My Running and Fitness Goals for 2012

It's that time again...setting fitness goals for the new year!  I've realized that I have to set achievable fitness goals for myself or I end up floundering in a no man's land of exercise that keeps me more active than the man on the couch but does little else.  Last year my ultimate goal was to get back into regular running and increase my mileage to a half marathon distance by the end of the year.  I met and exceeded that goal.  Since I reached that goal mid-way through the year I had to set new goals.  I decided on the ambitious yet doable goal of running a full marathon, which I also accomplished. The full marathon was a far reach though, I'll admit.  I didn't finish it within a time that I'm particularly proud of (4:40) and I know that I have it in me to do better than that.  I realize that I probably pushed too hard too soon but I was really intent on running that first marathon.  Now that I have running experience with a variety of distances I have a better idea of what to expect and aim for. 

So, what goal(s) should I aim for as New Year's Resolutions for 2012? First I'll start by looking at the weaknesses I've identified after a year's worth of running.

Weaknesses

• Slow speed - I've sacrificed speed for endurance by competing in progressively longer race distances.
• Lack of upper body strength - Focusing on running has left my upper body strength training wanting.
• Weak on Hills - The Atlanta Marathon and Half Marathon taught me that hills are killer for me and that I need to work on leg strengthening.  

There are many more weak areas I could mention but these are the main problems I identified throughout 2011.  I don't want to spend the majority of my training focusing just on weaknesses because that wouldn't make running and exercising particularly enjoyable and I'd tire of the grueling pace of things quickly.  In order to develop a useful but reasonable and hopefully enjoyable training regime I need to take my strengths into account too.

Strengths

• Endurance - I know I can handle progressively longer runs and increased mileage if it's done slowly.
• Few Injuries - I have had few problems with injuries (knock on wood) that a short recovery period and some minor adjustments haven't handled.
• Training Plans Work - With a reasonable training plan in hand I usually follow it and benefit from it much better than when I allow myself to improvise.

With all this in mind I've developed a few goals for 2012 that I think are challenging yet achievable and will make me a better runner.

Fitness Goals for 2012

• Run a sub 4:30 Marathon - My ultimate goal for 2012 is to run a marathon before the end of the year in less than four hours and thirty minutes.  This would be a ten minute improvement on my first attempt but very doable as my first attempt was slower than even my training runs predicted.  If I find myself on track to do even better than 4:30 then great, but I'm not going to be overzealous.
• Tackle the Hills - I would love to run the Atlanta Half Marathon again next year but I need to be able to handle those hills a lot better.  At least once a week I will incorporate hill work or intense lower body strength training into my training plan.
• Get Faster - Before I start focusing on longer distances for the marathon I need to work on my speed.  For this reason I'd like my first race of 2012 to be a 5k.  My initial training plan for 2012 will be a 5k plan focusing on a 22 minute finish time. I'll also make sure to incorporate speedwork into my subsequent training plans once I transition to a half marathon or marathon distance goal.
• Don't Neglect the Upper Body - I realize that focusing on running won't allow me a lot of time to focus on the upper body (also depending upon how busy my schedule for 2012 ends up being).  So, I don't want to set an overly ambitious goal of doing upper body strength training three times a week but I need to do a minimum of one upper body strength training session a week and two sessions during my lower mileage weeks.

So, those are my fitness goals for 2012! It doesn't cover every aspect of my training plan because I know that'll change throughout the year depending on my progress and how much time I have available.  It's a good starting point though and includes things I need to keep in mind throughout the year. I have one larger, ultimate goal to work towards that can and may take the entire year to work up to (sub 4:30 marathon).  I also have a few smaller goals that I can start on right away and will help ensure I'm a well-rounded runner and increase my physical fitness level. What do you think? What are your fitness goals for 2012? 

Small Changes Can Prevent Leg Cramps During Strength Training

So, I'm playing a bit of catch-up in documenting my workouts over the past few days.  To be honest, when I started this blog I didn't intend on using it as a workout log at all and instead just using it to track my running training to see what works and what doesn't and maybe help others that were interesting in running as well.  So, I might not always list my workouts here unless I feel they hold some particular significance to the point I'm trying to make (if there even is a point).

On Saturday I decided to change up the order of my workout.  I planned to do lower body strength training and a 3 mile run on the treadmill.  From previous experience I found that doing the strength training first usually led to my muscles being tight and so I would end up changing my form during the run.  That's not a good thing.  That's how you end up getting injured by twisting your knee or something as a result of unnatural movement.  I also have had the problem of my legs cramping during strength training even if I did some dynamic stretches first.  I figured that my legs just weren't getting loosened up enough beforehand.  On Saturday I did the run first and then did the lower body strength training.  What a difference! I had no problems with leg cramps and I felt the workout was a little easier than it would normally be.  

I also changed up my exercises a little on Saturday.  I tried using the Bosu ball to do body weight squats.  I'm uncoordinated so I figured it'd help with stabilization muscles as well as overall leg strength. I had a few problems keeping my balance but it's the first time I've done that particular exercise so I know I'll improve over time. I also think using the Bosu for squats (without weights) helped to prevent the leg cramps as well.

Saturday December 17 Workout
Treadmill Run - 3 miles in 28:15

Dumbbell Lunges - 3 sets w/ 10 lbs x 10 each side
Bosu Squats - 3 sets x 12
Dumbbell Calf Raises - 3 sets x/ 15 lbs x 10
Step-ups - 3 sets w/ 15 lbs x 10 each side

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Today, Monday, I focused on upper body strength training and did that first before going on my run. I tried to cover all the major muscle groups which took me about 30 minutes to do.  I didn't do any different exercises or increase the weight really but I felt much stronger this time around than I did last Monday.

Monday December 19 Workout

Dumbbell Shrugs - 3 sets w/ 20 lbs x 12
Dumbbell Bicep Hammer Curls - 3 sets w/ 15 lbs x 10
Dumbbell Tricep Kick-backs - 3 sets w/ 10 lbs x 8
Dumbbell Chest Press - 3 sets w/ 10 lbs x 10
                                     1 set w/ 15 lbs x 10 (because 10 lbs is really too light but 15 is a little too heavy)
Lat Pull-down - 3 sets w/ 50 lbs x 10

Treadmill Run - 3 miles in 26:45

These past few weeks have been very laid back in terms of workout frequency and length.  I plan on keeping it this way until after the holidays.  I figure I have to be realistic and it wouldn't hurt to have a little extra time for my knees to heal.  Once the New Year rolls around I will definitely have to increase the workouts to at least five per week and increase the run mileage a bit as well.  The large running mileage increase won't happen until Spring though.  By then I should be completely recovered and more than ready to run, run, run!

Trail Run at Clinton Nature Preserve

Clinton Nature Preserve Trail - Much Better Than Looking at a Gym Wall

Today was a beautifully temperate winter day so I took the opportunity to go on a trail run at Clinton Nature Preserve.  I had no particular route in mind and my only goal was to run for at least 40 minutes but preferably no more than 50 minutes.  Setting a time goal instead of a distance goal is much better for trail running as the terrain variation will make your pace slower than normal anyway while giving an added workout to stability muscles while going over rocks, limbs, etc.  It's also more difficult to hit a goal time or distance exactly as, unlike in the gym, you can't just stop whenever and wherever you want and be within short walking distance of your car.  So, it takes a little more planning to run on trails and until you learn the network of trails in the park or area where you wish to run you need to plan for the unexpected as much as possible.  If you'll remember, this nature preserve is where I got lost while trying to follow the entire red trail.

To track this run I decided to use my husband's Nike GPS Watch which he rarely uses.  I used that in combination with my New Balance Minimus shoes with the Nike+ pod nestled in a pouch attached to the shoe.  The big disadvantage that I've noticed in using the pouch on shoes that are not Nike+ compatible is that the sensor isn't as accurate.  Sometimes it'll underestimate the pace and distance and other times it'll overestimate it.  I guess there's something about the pouch that means the pod isn't as secure as when it's in the Nike+ shoe.  I smell a Nike conspiracy.  Anyway, the pod in this case was just a backup in case the GPS went out.  I was able to recalibrate the Nike GPS watch to my sensor pretty easily but there was no way to change the Nike+ account associated with the watch so the run got logged under my husband's account.  At least it made his numbers look good.

Nike GPS Watch and NB Minimus with shoe pouch (that shiny thing is the pouch)

My run was pretty enjoyable.  It was nice to get back out on the trails after running solely on a treadmill for a couple of weeks.  Too bad this nice weather isn't likely to last all winter.  I saw only two other people on the trails as well as a couple on a bench which they probably thought was secluded enough that no one would see them (but I am a forest ninja).  Every time I come across a couple on a secret rendezvous in a park they're almost always adults and hardly ever teenagers.  It makes me wonder if there's some secret affair going on as adults don't need a secluded area of a park to make out.  Anyway, I finished the run with no issues and without falling down this time (always a plus).

Today's Workout:
5 Mile run in 46:25 with an avg pace of 9'15"

Tempo Run For Fun

Ah, the joys of a tempo run.  Some (non-runners mostly) would think that the slow run days are the most enjoyable but that's not always the case.  Usually my favorite runs are tempo runs.  Tempo runs are really meant to be run at just below the lactate threshold but I really have to gauge that mostly by feel and by min/mile pace because I've never had my lactate threshold exactly measured in a lab setting.  You'll see a few different definitions of tempo run out there; some give you a heart-rate percentage and others a pace based off of various race distances.  For me that translates to running a pace roughly equal to my 10k race pace (9 min/mile) but for a much shorter distance (2 - 4 miles).  Today I ran 3 miles at that pace.  As you can see, I'm no speed demon.

I suppose the reason I find these tempo runs so enjoyable is that I get the chance to run at a speed I feel is respectable without killing myself in the process.  Once it's all said and done I feel that I've gotten a decent workout in but haven't had to run really fast or for very long in order to do it.  Sort of like a college class in which you know today's class time will only consist of a quiz.  You'll feel like you've put in some effort at the end of it but there's a good chance you'll get out of class early because of it.  Sounds like a win/win to me.

Before indulging in my favorite type of run though, I did a core strength training workout.  I'm on a constant mission to find abdominal exercises that aren't sit-ups as I had to do those in the Army and hated it.  I'm not a fan of crunches either.  I did bite the bullet today though and did some incline sit-ups but the bench wasn't really designed for someone 5'2".  A lot of exercise machines at the gym aren't really designed well for someone my size but I can usually make do after making some adjustments.  The sit-up bench's incline can be adjusted but that doesn't help my legs to fit well under the padded supports at the top of the bench.  Instead of my legs pressing up against the support I'm having to use some leg strength to keep my feet hooked under there in order to avoid rolling ass over tea kettle off the back of the bench.  I'm sure that would be entertaining to others but would likely abruptly end my workout for the day. Somehow, I made it work.

Today's Workout Routine

3 sets of Knee Raises on the Captain's Chair x 15
3 sets of Back Extensions on bench x 20 
2 sets of Side Extensions on bench x 15
3 sets of Incline Sit-ups x 12

Three mile tempo run on the treadmill at about a 9 min/mile pace finishing in 26:30

Strength Training For A Weak Woman

Strength training workouts are proceeding as planned!  Last week, as part of my off-season training, I made sure to concentrate more on strength training.  I did three strength training sessions throughout the week (one upper body, one core, and one lower body focus).  I ran three times during the week for a total of 13 miles and did another cardio session on the elliptical.  I've realized one important thing - I'm weak!  I really need to make sure I get these muscles working this winter.

One thing I find it hard to get away from is the mileage mindset.  I had gotten used to running 30 or 40 miles a week or more while training for the marathon and it feels like I'm hardly running at all when I put in a 13 mile week.  I realize that logically, as long as I'm focusing on cross training and maintaining some running that I'm still going to stay in shape.  I just have this fear that once spring rolls around and I increase my mileage that I will all of the sudden be unable to run.  But, to run 30 miles a week now would sort of be counter-productive to my goals.  I still have a few problem areas that need to fully recover following my first year of running races and I have the aforementioned strength deficit that I need to work on.  But I miss the feeling of accomplishment from those long runs!

I look forward to the day that I can feel as comfortable lifting weights as I do running (to the point where I can give advice to beginning runners).  When I'm on the treadmill or running outside I feel a sense of comfort that comes with doing something familiar.  I may not be particularly fast nor an expert in the field but at least I feel I know a thing or two about running.  When it comes to strength training however, I still feel like a newbie.  I've been doing strength training (to varying degrees) for years now but as I'm weak I usually stick to lighter weights and work on toning.  Now that I'm trying to push myself and deal with weights that are heavy for me, I feel like a wimp.  It doesn't help that I'm struggling to do bicep curls with a 40 pound curl bar while the guy next to me is throwing up an ungodly amount of weight.  Sort of makes my efforts feel insignificant.  I'm glad my gym has a women's only section for just that reason even if I don't always use it (why should I be embarrassed?).  Luckily, I have yet to see a woman of my size throwing up lots of weight.  When I do, I'll have to ask her what her secret is.  

Today's Workout Schedule
 I start all workouts with dynamic stretches before moving into a brief warm-up


Warm-up:  Push-ups (from knees) x 10

3 sets of Dumbbell bench press - 16.5 lbs x 10
3 sets of tricep cable push-down - 50 lbs x 10
3 sets of curl-bar bicep curls - 30 lbs x 10
Should have thrown in some shrugs and/or lat pull-downs as well but was feeling weak. I'll throw that in later in the week when I workout the core.

Ran on the treadmill for 4 miles, varying my pace between 11 min/mile and 8 min/mile with the majority of the run being at a 10 min/mile, and finished in 39 mins. 

People At the Gym

Jumping rope like this guy will help you get ripped in no time

I know I've commented before on the parade of humanity one can find at the gym but as the gym is a variable menagerie I once again feel compelled to share my (un)scientific findings.  Today I observed the habits of the American hippie, what I believe to be a lesbian couple (but could also have been two teenage boys...not sure), a man whom I momentarily mistook for my husband, and a galloping horse type creature on the treadmill.  This may be one of the horsemen sent as a sign that the Apocalypse is near.

As to the man whom I mistook for my husband; that one is pretty simple.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw a man of approximately the same skin color, height and build as my husband.  I had to do a double take because he was also wearing glasses (as my husband does) and was wearing the same type of clothes that my husband would wear.  This precipitated a several seconds long stare before I could be assured that he was not, in fact, my husband.  I realize that an unintended side effect of this was that the man probably thought I was checking him out.  Well, at least I bolstered someone's ego today.

Then there was the hippie fellow.  If this were a gym in California or some other place where one often finds hippies (a Mellow Mushroom?), it wouldn't be as unusual.  A gym in suburban Georgia that's part of a well-known national chain is not a place I expect to find a hippie.  After all, aren't they anti-big business? He was wearing the usual hippie workout attire (which also happens to be the usual hippie beach attire and casual wear) of knee length frayed shorts, baggy tank top, tattoos and the gnarly dreadlocked hair along with jewelry made of some hemp related material.  He was in shape though.  I'll give him that.  I just didn't think someone who's stoned (as I assume most hippies are) is really interested in working out.

The lesbian couple is still a bit of an enigma to me.  I have nothing against lesbian couples and fully support their right to workout in a gym.  What does bother me is when I'm unable to determine if they are, in fact, lesbians because I'm not sure of their respective genders.  That could lead to many an embarrassing situation and I could only hope that they wouldn't ask me where the locker room was located as I'd have no idea which one to direct them to.  I'm fairly certain that at least one of them was female.  The problem lay in the fact that they were both overweight and had short hair.  It makes it hard to determine if they have man-boobs or for-real boobs.  To further complicate matters I had pretty much determined that they were both female as they appeared to be wearing sports bras and then I noticed that one of them had hairy legs.  Male or female who chooses not to shave her legs?  Despite all that I'm about 65% sure they were both females.  They could very well be heterosexual females but based on everything I've mentioned you can draw your own conclusions.

Finally, there's the galloping man.  Well, it was really more like a cantor.  I'm not sure....I'm no equestrian expert.  Suffice it to say, he was "running" on the treadmill with a gait I can only attribute to four legged creatures.  He was running at a moderate pace but lifting his legs much higher with each step than I would have thought mechanically efficient.  As you can imagine, he was making a lot of noise in the process.  I bet he burned a bazillion calories. In conclusion, here's a video of his kind in their natural habitat.....

     

Treadmill Workout Here I Go!

Time for a treadmill workout to get back to my old running self!  Today was my first run since the half marathon on Thanksgiving Day.  I eased back into running with a simple 30 minute easy paced treadmill run in the gym.  I know there's a lot of animosity toward the treadmill among runners but I honestly don't see why.  It's true that I would rather run outside most of the year but cooler temps and dreary weather don't inspire me to get outdoors.  If it keeps me running during the winter then I'll take a treadmill run any day.  This is particularly the case since I really dislike running on roads and having to watch out for traffic or wait at stoplights.  My ideal run is on a clear trail with a few good hills spaced throughout.

I also learned a neat tidbit of information from the December edition of Running Times about the treadmill.  I had always been told that, in order to compensate for wind resistance and other factors of outdoor running, that while running on a treadmill you should always keep it at a 1-1.5% incline.  Apparently that isn't necessarily the case.  Only of speeds faster than 8mph (7:30 min/mile) does this really make a difference.  So, for those of us who spend most of their time running speeds slower than this, there is no need to increase the incline.  Although, I suppose it won't hurt you to run with a 1% incline and will actually help you in the long run.  At least I won't feel guilt anymore if I choose not to have that bit of an incline.  I will need to bump up the incline though when doing speed intervals as I will usually be hitting that 8mph threshold for those.
 

Off-Season Workout Routine

Relaxation, rest, recovery....that's what I've been doing for the past week.  Following my Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon I needed to take a break.  I've been running 4 or 5 days a week since March and steadily increasing my endurance.  I begun to notice in October though that I wasn't getting any faster and long runs were getting more difficult instead of easier.  That's a sign that you need to take a break.  I was mentally and physically worn out but I still had the Half Marathon to run.  I decided to run that race for fun without focusing too much on speed.  I'm glad I did it but it was the finale to my running season.

I'm hitting the reset button.  I decided on a week of rest followed by the start of a new workout routine to carry me through the winter. I dislike running in the cold anyway so this seemed like a logical off season opportunity to focus on strength training and flexibility while doing a combination of cardio workouts including running, walking, the ARC trainer and the elliptical.  I still need to maintain at least 10-15 miles of running a week but as I know I will never be in a position to win races I'd rather focus on my overall well being.  Once the spring rolls around I'll reduce the cross training and strength training and increase the running mileage gradually.  At least that's my plan. :)

Today I eased back into an exercise routine by doing 30 minutes of yoga/strength training.  I used The Biggest Loser Yoga Meltdown workout video on level 1.  It's a good mixture of yoga flexibility training and body weight strength training moves.  You would think that someone who has run a marathon would have no problem with a Biggest Loser workout routine, but it wasn't easy!  I haven't done yoga for about 9 months and I'm pretty weak when it comes to strength training because I've been focusing so much on cardio and endurance this past year.  If anything this has reaffirmed my need to work on my strength and flexibility.

So, I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and if you have any ideas for a well rounded workout please feel free to share!
     

Atlanta Half Marathon Recap

I successfully completed the Atlanta Half Marathon on Thanksgiving Day!  The best part is, I had fun doing it and I wasn't too overtaxed afterward to cook and enjoy a Thanksgiving meal. I didn't get much sleep the night before the race.  I had no trouble falling asleep at about 10pm but I awoke three hours later and tossed and turned the rest of the night.  It's that annoying anticipation you get when you know you have to be somewhere early in the morning and you're anxious about oversleeping. I didn't oversleep and was ready for my 5:30am wake up although I did briefly consider forgetting the whole thing and just sleeping in.  I knew I'd regret it if I didn't go and I didn't want a Thanksgiving Day guilt trip. 

My husband drove me to the race so I didn't have to stress about traffic (which I hate) and driving in downtown Atlanta (which I also hate) so I was able to eat a slice of whole wheat with some peanut butter on it as my quick breakfast.  Despite the numerous warnings about traffic and parking spots being limited we didn't have difficulty finding parking around Turner Field and we actually got a space pretty close to the start.  There were a sea of  people there.  When it finally came time for me to get into my corral (corral C) I was amazed at the mass of people in front of me and behind me.

Several minutes behind the 2 hr pace group is a good place to be

The middle of the pack. It feels good to be average.

 There were five different start waves (A-E) with staggered starts of about 5 minutes in between.  The difference between the corral A start and corral C start actually ended up being about 11 minutes instead of 10 but luckily I had my Nike+ sportsband to keep track of my time.  I wasn't going to make the same mistake I did during the Atlanta Marathon and start out too quick.  I made myself take it easy and slow in the beginning even though I really wanted to pass people.  After I got warmed up I could've started pushing myself at that point but I knew that a PR wasn't likely to happen anyway so I resolved to just have fun with it.  I stopped to use the restroom twice and stopped to walk at three different aid stations, twice for water and once for Powerade.  I had two Gu gels with me but only used one at about mile 5.

There were a lot of hills along the course which I had been prepared for after running the Marathon a  few weeks ago.  Luckily, keeping a slower pace meant that I never had to stop and walk and I didn't get any leg cramps this time.  We passed along many of the same points of interest as we did for the Atlanta Marathon.  I'm beginning to realize that I don't like urban races as much as I do trail runs or suburban races.  I just don't find the city view that inspiring.  The longest part of the race seemed to be the last mile.  I saw someone getting loaded into an ambulance at about the 12 mile mark so I hope she's okay. I saw a few guys that obviously encountered chaffing issues if the blood on their shirts and shorts were any indication.  I noticed that there were far fewer spectators at this race than there were at the Marathon.  I don't know if that's due to the holiday or because the distance is shorter or simply because the Half Marathon didn't have the "cheer zones" the full marathon had.

But, after 13.1 miles I finally crossed the finish line at 2:06 along with several other people at around the same time. The race was pretty crowded so there was always a group of runners around me.  Because of this my husband never saw me cross the finish line despite the fact that he was standing right there.  He wasn't the only spouse/relative/friend to miss their loved one crossing the finish line though so I'm really glad there were photographers taking pics throughout the race and at the finish.  As I made my way through the finisher's chute I received my finisher's medal, a bottle of water, a foil blanket, and a banana and some pretzels. The finisher's chute was so long I was wondering if it would ever end and if I would ever find the food tent which was at the very end.  I'm happy I went and I feel I really earned my Thanksgiving meal. As to whether or not I'll do this again next year....probably so.  

 

Atlanta Half Marathon 2011 Prep

 

 

 

 

 

Awesome shirt for a Thanksgiving Day half marathon!

The Atlanta Half Marathon 2011 is the day after tomorrow!  I went to pick up my race number today at the Health and Fitness Expo at the Marriott Marquis in Atlanta.  I  just browsed around quickly at the Expo because there were way too many tempting running goodies there for me to spend my money on.  But, I did get a pretty snazzy long sleeved technical shirt for signing up for the half marathon that just screams "This race is in the Autumn!".  They also had a few running seminars going on but I arrived too late for the Nutrition for Novice Runners seminar which was probably pretty informative.  I checked my race number only to find that I had a pretty cool and easy to remember number.

My lucky number? I hope so.

 
I'm taking it easy today and tomorrow and I'm only doing some stretches and a bit of yoga to loosen up for the half marathon.  I've found that I run better when I've had a couple of days of rest. So many of these running plans have short runs scheduled for the two days leading up to the race, but I find a walk and stretches to work better for me.  I just hope my legs get well rested by Thursday.  I did a strength training leg workout on Sunday and a 4 mile run which still has my legs sore.  I thought I wasn't pushing myself too hard, but apparently I was mistaken.  The soreness should be gone by Thursday though so I'm not too worried about it.  I did an upper body strength training workout and a two mile walk at an incline yesterday to get in a  good calorie burn and to take it easy on the legs.  Let's hope my strategy this week pays off.

I've already decided that this 13.1 mile race will be run for fun.  I'm not going to set a time goal or try to get a PR.  After all, my last half marathon was on a scenic course with gently rolling hills and this race will have tougher hills to manage.  Most importantly, it's Thanksgiving, so I don't want to be so worn out that I can't enjoy the holiday afterward.  Now, if I can only remind myself during the race to just have fun, everything should go fine. :D

Runner's "Gift" I Could Do Without

I just received my December Runner's World magazine yesterday because it had to get forwarded from my previous address.  I always find RW a great motivator and even more so this month because this edition is the Readers Issue focusing on the average RW reader.  It's also a good issue to look to for tips on staying motivated during the holidays.  Anyway, the real reason I was compelled to write today was because of an ad I saw in RW.  It's on the holiday gift guide page and I have to say it's a  gift that I wouldn't find a use for.

www.myswih.com

 
My apologies to the company but I just don't find this practical even if the site is called "So What It's Hot".  It is not hot and I don't ever intend to purchase this product.  It doesn't help that the video on the website features a man who is wearing too much makeup and/or someone else's face.

Yesterday's run was a good one.  I almost put it off because of the tornado watch and the thunderstorms but I decided to go to the gym during a lull in the storm.  The treadmill isn't my first choice when it comes to running but at least on a treadmill I don't have to worry about getting lost, traffic, small woodland creatures, or assailants (or encountering small woodland creatures that are assailants while lost in the woods in an attempt to avoid traffic).  I also get to zone out to music.  I wanted to do a 5 mile  run, but to make it more interesting I decided to do hill intervals varying between 0.5% for the easy/downhill portions and as much as 4.5% on the uphill portions.  The day before yesterday I had used the treadmill for a walk/run workout and varied the incline some on that too.  So, I think I'm done with hill work this week.

The Gym is for Everybody

Photo by Steve and Jemma Copley via Flickr

The gym is a fascinating place where all kinds of people come to show off their eccentricity.  From neon spandex shorts to t-shirts with the arms ripped off and workout clothes that are anything but workout clothes, people love to show off the latest fashions while working out at the gym. In a simple pair of Adidas running shorts and moisture wicking t-shirt I feel under-dressed.  I suppose my problem is that I try to avoid attracting too much attention at the gym while these fashionistas obviously want all eyes on them. 

Last week I saw a middle aged woman walking on the treadmill wearing an outfit that was the complete opposite of workout gear.  She had on a t-shirt (no problem so far), flannel shirt, ankle-length flannel skirt, white socks, and black loafers.  I didn't see the moment that the incident occurred but I knew something had happened when I saw people running into the ladies section of the gym and a little while later they came out supporting the flannel lady and leading her to a chair.  I can only imagine that she either tripped on her skirt or non-athletic shoes or she passed out.  After all, flannel is not moisture wicking. 

Today I saw a man wearing what I can only describe as a Crocodile Dundee necklace.  I would think something like that would be a safety hazard while exercising but apparently he was not afraid that his jugular may be pierced by his pointy necklace.  I also saw a man wearing the shirt he had apparently been wearing when he was attacked by a bear.  There was hardly enough material left to constitute a shirt, but I suppose something like that is a sort of trophy that you want to show off.

Look at me I'm high vis!

Looking cool doesn't mean you always have to dress like Bozo the Clown's personal trainer (isn't that Carrot Top?).  Another of today's sightings was a female in her 30s who chose a treadmill next to the wall mirror so that she could watch herself walk.  Every few seconds she was checking herself out.  Apparently she liked what she saw because she kept looking.  My main fear was that she would become more preoccupied with looking at herself than walking and end up falling headfirst into the treadmill.  This regrettably didn't happen.

I can't make fun of the self motivators though.....but I will.  Working out on the elliptical while listening to your music so loudly that you don't realize that half the time you're singing along and the other half of the time you're just uttering non-nonsensical words takes a lot of courage.  Add to that the moments of clapping or punching thin air and you've got a recipe for an extremely motivated person who needs no physical trainer to keep them in line.  It's true I've done my fair share of humming or muttering a mantra to myself while running OUTSIDE.  Doing stuff like that in a gym is alright as long as you don't mind attracting a lot of attention.  At least you can be certain no one will try to mug her in the parking lot afterward because she's sure to go ape-shit on somebody.

Photo by Cimm via Flickr

Zumba allows you to punch air and dress cool!

Getting Lost On a Trail Run

No, this isn't a trail running story about losing myself in the moment and being in tune with nature or anything like that.  It's about literally getting lost, which I'm apparently very good at.
I went on my long run for this past week on Saturday.  I decided to go to Clinton Nature Preserve for my 11 mile run  because I prefer running on trails.  I've been trying ever since I moved here to find the entire red trail. So far I have been able to follow parts of it and to run a route only to find that it isn't as long as the map says it's supposed to be so I know I've missed a turn off somewhere.  Sometimes I'm content to just go out and explore the trails and other times I go out, map in hand, determined to find the marked routes.  Saturday I thought that surely during the course of 11 miles I could find this trail that's supposed to be slightly over 4 miles.  The problem is that there's a great deal of unmarked trails and roads throughout the Nature Preserve.

EDIT: Since writing this the Clinton Nature Preserve has marked their trails more clearly and put up maps and signage which has eliminated a lot of the guesswork. 
 
I figured that it must be down one of these that the red trail is supposed to go and that I'd probably find where the marked trail picks up further on or at the very least I'd get more familiar with the unmarked trails.  As it turns out, several of these unmarked trails lead out of the Nature Preserve and onto adjoining private property.  When there are signs posted it's simple enough to turn around and run back the way you came, but when there are no signs well....you won't know you're on private property.  On Saturday I came across a man, his wife, and his large doberman.  He said "Hun, I think the trail doesn't go this way". I thought he was a fellow hiker so I just said hi to him and looked around the area trying to find where the trail was.  He said again "Hun, I don't think the trail goes this way." So I said "Yeah, I don't see it anymore but I guess I just have to look around for another one or turn back." It was only then that he told me that I was on private property, his property, and that I had to go back the way I came.  He wasn't mean about it, but it did make me wonder why he hadn't come out and said so first thing instead of making vague comments.  I apologized and asked him where the trail leading out of his property was (as there had been a few unmarked trails all around that area), and he sounded like he wasn't even really sure. He said he had people coming onto his property accidentally from the Preserve almost every day. You're probably thinking what I was thinking at that time: why doesn't he post a sign or put up a fence?

So, I turned around and retraced my steps only to come across two women on horseback just a little ways up the trail.  They had the same dilemma as me apparently because they asked me where the trail leads and if that is the trail marked on the map.  I told them about my encounter with Mr. Vague and then one of the women said, "Well why doesn't he put up a sign to let people know that's his property?" It seems I wasn't the only one thinking that.  At this point my desire to explore had pretty much gone away because I knew that the chance that I'd accidentally encroach on someone else's property was pretty great.

If that wasn't enough, I also tripped and fell.  This is a common occurrence with me as I often run on trails and I'm uncoordinated.  Luckily, this fall wasn't my most spectacular and there was no one around to see me, but the water bottle I was holding got ground into the dirt pretty good and I scrapped my knee.  I did what I normally do in those situations which is to get angry with myself, cuss, dust myself off, and start running again.  This time there was enough blood that it was dripping down my leg and that, along with the disheveled appearance, probably made it look like I was trying to escape an attacker.  Suffice it to say, that wasn't one of my better runs. But, at least I was relieved when it was all over. I think next time I'll skip the trail exploration and stick to what I know.

Atlanta Marathon Recap

I should have started a running blog a year ago, or at least at the start of my marathon training schedule. I didn't do that and I think it was probably because, when I started running, I didn't set out to run long distances or with any particular goal in mind. I started running because I had gotten out of shape after leaving the Army and had gained 20 pounds. I wanted to lose it quickly and I knew that it would take more than a diet plan to do that so I took up running. As I have previously mentioned, I was out of shape so my first month was more walking than running. I gradually ran more and more and before long I realized that, in addition to losing weight, I was enjoying myself. My daily run gave me something to look forward to as well as giving me a sense of accomplishment. Out of curiosity I entered a local 5k, the 2011 Ashcreek 5k in Ashland Virginia, and finished second in my age group! I took this as a sign to keep running. Since then I have ran in the Richmond Xterra 10k trail run, the Patrick Henry Half Marathon, and finally the Atlanta Marathon on October 30, 2011. It was an ambitious goal for someone who had ran their first race (and a 5k at that) less than a year before, but I was determined to run a marathon before the year was out. To say that it was difficult would be an understatement. It's a little late in coming but I wanted to recap my marathon experience if for no one else than at least for myself so that I'd remember this next year if I decide to do the race again (in lieu of flogging myself).

It's worth noting that my birthday is on October 29. So, I guess I can blame that on the fact that I didn't hydrate the day before the race as well as I should and I didn't eat as well as I probably should have either. At least I had the presence of mind to avoid alcohol. I know there are plenty of people out there who can drink the night before the race, eat fast food, and get four hours of sleep and then run a 3 hour marathon. But honestly, everyone hates those people. So for the rest of us lowly humans hydrating and eating properly before a marathon is a good idea. That may have been mistake number 1 for me. I did get plenty of sleep though, about 7 hours, and ate half a peanut butter and honey sandwich on whole wheat an hour and a half before the race. When I arrived at Atlantic Station it was chilly but at least it wasn't freezing. I decided on compression pants, a tank top and a long sleeved Nike shirt as a top layer, and a baseball cap. I had not ran in this particular outfit before. That may have been my second mistake. I did not do any dynamic stretches (unless you count hopping up and down because of the cold) because I didn't want to give people the false impression that I knew what I was doing or planned to run fast. That may have been my third mistake. I was in Corral D with the slow people (but not the slowest people so at least I had that). It wasn't long before the race was on.

I had every intention of pacing myself. I had the 4 hour pace group in front of me and the 4:30 pace group behind me. For about a mile or so I was content to just go with the flow but then my competitive nature got the best of me and I started to pick up the pace. After all, I was feeling great! I started passing a lot of people and could tell that I was gaining on the 4 hour pace group. Before I knew it I had passed them and then caught up with the 3:55 pace group so I passed them too. That may have been my fourth mistake. Actually that was probably my biggest mistake. I was feeling alright for several miles. I started to feel a little fatigued in the legs so I slowed down to the 4 hour pace group's pace for a bit. I'm not sure exactly where it happened but somewhere around the halfway point I realized my legs were cramping up. I had passed the 13.1 mile mark at about 2 hours 1 minute. My first thought was "Great, I'm doing better than expected!", followed by "Oh shit, I'm going to regret this.". Sure enough I struggled from that point on. I had arranged for my husband to meet me at the 16 mile mark. It was the closest spot to the Start/Finish line so he shouldn't have any trouble getting there and by that point if I was warm enough I could hand off some of my extra clothing to him. I was looking forward to seeing him because I had taken the hat off at about mile 6 and hooked it to my equipment belt. Mile 16 became a goal for me where I could see someone I knew, after miles and miles of nothing but strangers, and hopefully receive some encouragement. Well, when I reached mile 16 he was nowhere to be found. Nor did I see him again until after I crossed the finish line. That had an enormous affect on my motivation. More than I expected it to have. After that my pace slowed considerably as I struggled with "the wall" mentally and my cramping legs physically. I had to stop several times to stretch and I had no qualms from that point on with stopping to walk on hills or taking bathroom breaks. I even considered quitting but where would I go? The quickest way to the car was to finish the marathon anyway so I just kept going. I was mad at my husband from mile 16 to about mile 21 where I encountered a fellow sufferer who was on his first marathon, had went out too fast, and was now dealing with leg cramps. Somehow that camaraderie encouraged me and after a brief conversation with him, I set off running again with a better attitude about the whole thing.

After all, no one was forcing me to do this. I was doing it for fun and to succeed at this goal which most people will never reach. I started paying more attention to the motivational signs held by the spectators or posted on the side of the course. I was by no means fast, but the last 5 miles where at least mentally pleasant even though physically my body was rebelling. I had to take it with a grain of salt when the 4:30 pace group passed me. I made it to the finish line in 4 hours and 40 minutes. Not bad considering how often I stopped to stretch, take bathroom breaks, chatted with fellow runners, and took copious walk breaks. It turns out my husband had somehow gotten lost and couldn't find the mile 16 marker. He swears he didn't fall asleep in the car but I still have my doubts. At least he was there at the finish and to drive my weary body home. I now have a nice finisher's medal to show for my efforts but most importantly I have a wealth of knowledge and experience regarding marathon running that I didn't have before.