VB Runner Girl

Wow, this week of running has been intense.  I took 6 days off from running due to my Achilles tendinitis and this week has been intense.  I’ve never felt so out of shape.  The 800 meter repeats and 18 miles of running on Tuesday kicked my butt.  When i woke up on Wednesday but butt hurt and I was tired.  I then went on a run with Dai Roberts and it was great.  It took me 3 miles to get warmed up and the run was quickly over (only a 5 mile run).  Then later on I did my own workout which was 4×3 mins, 3 x 2 mins (with Dennis Welch).  My legs were tired but it was a great workout.

Now it’s Thursday and my legs are still tired. LOL

After 6 days of not running the Achilles tendinitis is GONE!

This weekend Andy and I drove up to Philadephia for the famous Broad Street 10 miler.  It’s a long drive, about 5.5 hours so make sure you are comfortable and prepared.  I’m not the best traveler and I tend to complain if I’m not occupied.

Prior to this race I’d developed a calf problem.  I did something very stupid and now I have to deal with the consequences.  As athletes are body is a temple.  We treat our bodies very well by getting enough sleep, good nutrition and the right training.  We aren’t suppose to be stupid with out bodies.  But I was.  I wore the wrong shoe for too long and now I’m paying the consequences.  A sore calf and who knows what kind of damage I’ve done to my calf.  Before the race I took 3 days off hoping that it would get better.

The Expo was in the Financial One Stadium and I think some guys may play football there (lol).  The expo was small and crowded but I had no problems getting my number.  We decided to stay near the airport and I strongly recommend this for anyone who decides to race there b/c it puts you at the finish line instead of the starting line (the hotel was 9 minutes away from the finish line).  This race is a point to point race.  It’s recommended that you park at the finish line and ride the subway to the starting line.  Fortunately for me I was on the Elite Bus and we were bused to the starting line (definitely the best way to go).  Now this didn’t go as smoothly as I would have liked.  When I got to the bus I realized I didn’t have my sunglasses.  It wasn’t sunny but I like my sunglasses.  I’ve always believed that the eyes are a mirror into a person’s soul and I don’t want people to be able to see mine while I’m running.  I use my sunglasses as a shield and I felt vulnerable without them.  I tried to forget about the glasses as the bus pulled away, it was too late and I was just going to have to deal with it.

I have a friend who lives in Philadelphia and she was running the race as well.  In fact she was on the bus with me.  We did our warm up together and all seemed well with my knee.  The goal of the race had changed b/c of my calf.  I was to now go out  conservatively because of the calf and then be aggressive at the end if it was possible.  Goal pace was now 6:05.

The race started well enough.  The pace was right on and I wasn’t having any issues.  I kept waiting for the calf injury to rear it’s ugly head.  At first everything was fine.  I kept the pace which was sort of a challenge with all the damn hills (who put all these hills in here) for ever hill I went down I went up two, lol.  All was well until mile 6.  The calf starting bothering me.  At one moment it actually knotted up but it quickly relaxed.  I kept going (strong and steady) and just tried to focus on each step I took.  I know it was going to hurt like hell when I was done.  The pain is always tolerable while running but it’s the pain after I’ve stopped that’s hard to deal with.  I kept this up until mile 9.  At mile 9 I was told I was in 15th place and the girl behind me was in 16th.  I immediately realized that I was in dangerous peril of losing top 15.  If I didn’t react fast she could bump me out of that place.  Despite the calf everything else on me was fine.  I was moderately comfortable at my pace.  I was working but I wasn’t anywhere near my limit.  16th place girl also knew what was at stake and she took a stab at it at mile 9.  I knew I had a lot left and I can do anything for 1 mile so I just starting kicking.  What the hell!  I was not going to lose 15th place.  No way in hell.  I could tolerate 15th but I could NOT tolerate 16th.  I had planned this race in my schedule with the hopes of a top 10.  And I could deal with the realization that I was not going to be top 10 but I was going to be top 15.  16th place girl made the initial move with me and even countered by getting in front of me. When I saw the 1/2 mile mark sign, I made a huge surge.  I thought I am going to run as hard as I can for 800 meters.  I’m going to kick now and let it take me all the way in.  Luckily it worked and she wasn’t able to respond.

The race was over and I had kept my 15th overall place.

I’m not sure what’s up with the calf.  I have a physical therapy appointment with Lucas from Atlantic Physical Therapy.  These people have always fixed me up and they get me back in the game in no time.  I trust them with my running (which is akin to trusting them with my life) and I will know more about it tomorrow.  I don’t think it’s a tear or s stress fracture or anything like that b/c there isn’t any one sore spot.  It all hurts!  And the calf is very tight feeling.

So what have I learned?  Is there anything valuable I can pass on to my friends?  Nope, so far not a damn thing.

So this weekend was full of racing and winning but it did leave me some painful memories and perhaps regrets.

I decided that I was going to race twice this weekend.  I thought, neither race would be a true race and I would practically just tempo both runs to what could it hurt.  Saturday’s Run the D.O.G started off very well.  Made it to the race on time (barely b/c the dang thing started at 0730 and that makes for an early morning).  The gun went off and within minutes I knew from the hills that I was not in Virginia Beach anymore.  First mile was a 5:35 which was faster than what I had wanted but I’d left my Garmin in the car (due to the possibility of being late I had forgotten it) which sometimes can be a good thing.  The race was fabulous and tons of fun.  The course was fast and scenic as well.  The door prizes rocked , the trophy was super nice, and couldn’t have asked for better company (thanks Greg Dawson).  And I love Williamsburg.  It’s so beautiful and the Farmer’s Market was almost too good to be true.  Would love to live there.

We then went home and I preceded to rest and recover for the next day’s Trials of Miles and Miles of Trials.  The next race was a half-marathon on the Eastern Shore.  I was determined to run this race b/c it supported the SPCA and I will do anything for the puppies.  I think they should change the name to Run for the Puppies.  People will love that.  This was the first year of the race so it’s normal to expect some glitches which I believe I always take in stride.    This was a fun race (which I will do again) but some funny things happened.  The wind was brutal and I never got a break from it.  Insane!!  Glad for all my oceanfront training.  The first water cup I got, I broke (they were hard plastic).  It was hot so on the next water stopped I was asked “Water or Gatorade”…I said “both”…this confused him and it took a second longer for them to give me the fluids.  Then on the next water stopped I confused him b/c I didn’t want gatorade at all but instead water.  Anyway, I was the overall leader (not just female leader but overall) and had already decided that this race was just going to be a long run.  Also, I believe I pulled my groin muscle on the previous days race.  I didn’t really realize it until mile 2 (which makes for a long 11 miles).  The pain kept getting worse with each step I took and I had to will myself to keep running.  The smart thing to do might have been to not run the race b/c I’m taking today off and I have an appt with Dr. B b/c this thing hurts and it could potentially hurt my training.  Was it worth it?  I’m not sure.

In the end, I won the race overall.  I was disappointed with my time and I felt sort of like a failure.  It’s easy to be mad at yourself but it’s harder to take a long look at what happened…deal with it… and move on.  After mile 2 I knew I would not push the pace anymore and to just make it into a long run but I hated doing that. I hated knowing that I showed up to a race and I wasn’t giving it my best.

But that is the beauty of running.  It doesn’t always go the way you want it to and you have to just pick yourself up and keep on moving forward.

On a side note.  What an amazing day of Running!  Happy Patriots Day.  And congrats to all the Boston Runners.  And what an amazing day for American Jason Hartmann.

I’m about to share with you guys a very special article.  It was originally written for Runner’s World and I even have a special copy that I believe I will keep for years.  But this is for you guys.

Hi, my name is [insert name], and I’m in an abusive running relationship. (Hi, [insert name].)

Her name is Boston, I’ve been infatuated with her since I was in kindergarten. She’s distant enough to be exotic, and close enough to give me an illusion of comfort. But the last time we had a date, she deserted me on the side of the road in Brookline and left me to find my own way home on the Green Line.

I disguised my interest for decades. I fooled around with other distances, trying to make myself a runner she would be interested in. As I got older, I took to visiting yearly, torturing myself by watching as she put on her best clothes and danced with others.

I tried to introduce myself through her friends. The first two—call them Maine and Marine Corps—were happy to have me, but wouldn’t introduce me to Boston. Finally Columbus gave me her number.

I should have seen it coming. I trained compulsively, even self-destructively through injuries, seeking out the hilliest and longest loops. Our date was a sunny day, and I thought I was set, but actually I was set up. She decided I was too enthusiastic, and broke me. I was left wrapped in a thermal blanket and propped in a corner of a trolley, too tired to stand, too cramped and sore to sit.

It took months to recover, and like any of you who have seen this side of her, I swore I would never return. But secretly I thought, perhaps if I had been injury free, perhaps if I had run more miles, she would like me. I tried dating her cousins, the shorter distances, again, and they seemed to like me, appreciating my efforts and sometimes rewarding me with gifts of their own.

Some of my friends tell me I should settle down with a nice, mildly challenging half-marathon. There’s a ten-miler in my area who’s available and has treated me well. Somehow they’re just not the same. Other friends, less responsible, tell me stories about their dates with Boston. One has taken her out seven or eight times now, and I can tell she’s abused him too, but he gets this hungry look in his eyes when he talks about sitting in the mud in Hopkinton, waiting for another date.

It’s been years now. I did more mileage than ever before. I shuddered when I added up the numbers in my log, and again when I saw how much I was spending on shoes, laying the worn-out ones before her like some twisted sacrifice. I was up every day before dawn, following the thin gleam of reflected moonlight on the rail of the track through my workouts. I visited with her friend Baystate a few months ago, and with some persuading, he agreed to set me up again with Boston.

She said she would be free in April, and that I should come visit, but before I could even think about saying yes, I was injured and all my work lay in dust around me. Maybe next year, I said. She must know that line from her neighbors the Red Sox. She says she’s sorry about last time, she says she’s changed, but I know she hasn’t. Just look at me now, wrecked by even the thought.

I know she’s bad for me, but I just can’t stay away. Help me, please.

[pjm] is in (physical) therapy in Northampton, Massachusetts

This is an interview that I recently did for George Banker, he is the Operation Manager for the Army 10 miler and he was going an article.  This are the questions that he asked me so I thought I would share them with you.  Enjoy.  Comment if you have any thoughts.

What strategy did you have coming into the race?  My plan for this race was to stick to the pace.  I have a hard time with sticking to the pace because I want to just run hard.  Actually when my coach asked me my strategy that’s what I said to him “To run as hard as I can and hold that pace?”  he laughed and said he liked my though process but his plan was for me to run 6 minute pace and to feel like I could just keep going at the end.

Were you able to stay with your plan?  The plan did work.  When I was finished running I could have kept that pace up for a while.  It was great.  Don’t get me wrong, I was working hard but it felt natural.

What is your PR for 10 miles?  In the Surfin Santa 10 miler in Virginia Beach I ran a 58:49.  It was a great race.  I ran with a buddy the entire way and he helped me. It was very windy that day and he kept me strong and steady.

What is more important time or place?  I think they are both very important.  And it’s important to my sponsors as well Marathonguide.com and Final Kick Sports but it’s also important to remember the goal of the race as well.  My goal at Cherry Blossom was to run strong and to feel that I had a lot left at the end.  My goal at Disney Marathon was to win.

Were you concerned about any other runners in the race?  I never try to think of the other runners.  I can’t control how good or bad their training has been or how fast they can run.  I always focus on myself and let the race happen.  If I see someone and I think I can catch them then I go after them.
Did you train any different for this race?  I have a new coach Ryan Warrenburg and he’s been great with me.  I had an injury last year before he started coaching me so he has changed my training.  It’s harder and the training sessions are longer and more intense.  He’s really taking my training to a new level.

Did you have any challenges along the way?  My injury was a challenge and it was hard to start training for a marathon without a nice base so my training for Disney wasn’t what I had wanted it to be.  I wanted more time and I just didn’t have it.  Now I feel like we have more time and it’s wonderful.

How do you balance your life and running?  It’s hard to balance everything because I have school (to be a Registered Dietitian), I’m a yoga instructor, work and running.  Running and nutrition are a priority for me and I’ve always tried to put that first and still have time for my friends and loved ones.  My friends really help me and I’ve made news ones this year who I feel will help my training.  There’s a great group of people (Hampton Road Runners) and they meet often which really helps my running  and Ryan Carroll a local fast runner in the Hampton Roads area is helping me with my speed sessions so I think there are positive things for me in the future.

It’s Monday afternoon and I have no idea where the time went.  This morning I went for a great run with Hannah, Yoga with Kallie and since then I’ve been studying and doing research for my Cupcake experiment.  Currently the cupcakes are baking and I’m excited to see which cupcakes my buddies like.  Hint:  they are both chocolate but one is different.  So while they are baking I’m taking some time to reflect on last week’s training.

Cherry Blossom was great and it was a great tempo run.  I did exactly what I was suppose to and I finished feeling strong and like there was more left in the tank.  There was one minor problem which left me with a pitstop.  Damn fiber is going to kill me but what else is a vegetarian to eat.  Maybe more chocolate?????

The mileage was great…an even 70 miles and I still ran 14 miles the next day.  Next to Cherry Blossom the running highlight was my workout on Wednesday which Ryan Carroll helped pace me through.  Wednesday’s workout was 20 mins at 6:10 pace, 15 minutes at 6:00 pace and 10 mins at 5:45 pace.  Total mileage was 11.6 which isn’t bad for a Wednesday morning before 9am.  I couldn’t have rocked the workout as much without a great pacer but hey we all know that the secret to our success is our running buddies.  We can’t break PR’s alone.

Monday was a huge day in my life as I put in my notice at work to quit and I’ve accepted a new job with Optima Health Insurance.

I said Wednesday was the running highlight but I can’t forget Friday’s run.  Good Friday won Fun Run of the Week which included an crazy group of runner’s doing 7 x 2 minutes on the trails.  You think we’d be serious but we managed to laugh and run our butt’s off…all before 8am.

Then in all seriousness we had a Good Friday miracle when a jet landed in our own back yard here in Virginia Beach.  Thankfully no one was injured and everyone walked around from a devastating crash.  Thank God.

The weekend couldn’t have been more perfect for running.  The weather was divine and the company was perfect.  Walks at the oceanfront, puppies getting a bath, and spending time with friends over pizza and beer (water for me though).

All in all…a perfect week.  For this week I have another workout with Ryan Carroll and then the Run for the Animals Half Marathon on the Eastern Shore.  So far, I’ve heard that quite a few people will be joining me so it should be a good time.  If you come out, don’t forget to bring your puppies.

I’ve often heard that running is a solo sport and that it’s a great sport for loners and of course there is the saying “the lonely life of a long distance runner”

But it’s not for me.  I’m the happiest when I’m running with like minded people who become great friends.  It just makes it more fun.  I love the running together, the laughing and joking, the sharing of each others pain and joys, and that without even knowing it you are pushing each other to greatness.  The life lessons that we teach each other and the happy memories that we will always share.  I love running with people who push me to become the best runner I can be, the fastest runner I can be, and the nicest person I can be.

For the past few months I’ve been very blessed…I’ve been running and training with a great group of people.  I’m the happiest I’ve been in a long time.

On Saturday Andy and I left early for D.C.  I love visiting D.C.  I wouldn’t want to live there b/c nothing is better than the beach but it’s fun to visit.

We picked up our packets from the National Museum which was so pretty.  Near it was this cool fitness center called Vida Fitness and I got the most amazing smoothie from that place called Chocolate Monkey (cocoa, peanut butter and protein)  very yummy.

We rode the Metro into the city which is so much fun.  Love the metro but there was one small problem.  I had to pee so bad that I made us get off the Metro..luckily there was an IHOP near by…and get back onto the next metro.  Made me 15 minutes later than I would have liked but I can’t control those things.

The race was amazing.  And I’m definitely doing it again.  I had a 10 minute head start with the other Elite Women.  I was a little tired during the race (not a lot of sleep which is all my fault) and my legs were a bit tired.  But it was all good.  There was only one small problem.  My GI system was a bit off and my stomach wasn’t too happy with me.  I still finished with a 60:30 and it was good enough for 18th overall female so top 20 isn’t bad especially with the field of women that were racing.  This was a great training run for me and I’m really looking forward to improving my time next time I race.  I’m going to give it hell because I know i can.

Some highlights were definitely seeing old friends (Pilot Matt) and new friend (Kris Lawrence) at the race.

I will be back next year.  Who wants to go with me?

Let me begin by saying thanks to all the volunteers.  You guys really make it smooth and fun.  Second, the Frostick’s have managed to do it again.  Another great race weekend.  Today I did something a bit different and ran the 8k. I was more anxious about this event than I’ve been for a marathon.  Running an 8k is hard work and its very challenging.  Within the first mile I was breathing hard and working it.

Also, and this sounds awful… I know, but I had a girl try to cut me off around 24th street.  I refused to move for her but and I actually stepped on her heels several times as she tried to make me slow down and allow her to move from my right side to my left side.  Nope it didn’t happen.  I consider myself a nice southern lady with proper manners but those rules do not apply to racing.

Running onto the boardwalk was challenging b/c as always the wind was there.  It wasn’t that bad though so that isn’t en excuse.  It’s amazing how vigilant you have to be in a short race with your time. The best part of the race was 27th street.  You are running fast and there’s a lot of people…you make a coo,l smooth left turn back onto Atlantic and then you are literally racing your butt off to 37th street b/c you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the end is so close you can see and feel it.

Tons of fun.  I could feel myself picking up the pace and running so hard.  The finish was fun but kind of anti-climatic because after all that effort it was just over.  5 miles….done.  And within moments I felt fine and it was off to do a cool down.  It was a weird feeling because I felt as if it was all over and as hard as I had worked…the payoff wasn’t what I wanted.  Lesson to be learned…I need to work harder on short distances.  I’ve ignored them for too long.  Denying any need to work on these distances because I am a long distance runner but obviously these are the distances that I need to work on and could potentially be holding me back from running better in the long distances.

What a hard painful lesson to learn.

Tomorrow is the Shamrock half and full marathon.  I have so many friends who are running that race.  I will be there so cheer all of you guys on.  I’m excited b/c all of you are going to rock it.

Sham Rock On!