marcia, marcia, marcia!

Sunday, December 12 - Saturday, December 18, 2010

2010-12-19T19:52:00.000-06:00

Sunday: Ashtanga Yoga, 80 minutes
Monday: Ashtanga Yoga, 80 minutes

I had high hopes for this week, and it started off with a great yoga practice on Sunday morning. Monday wasn't bad, but I just felt tired throughout the entire thing. It is nice that even when I'm tired, it doesn't seem to affect my flexibility. I may not feel as strong and my balance isn't always great, but on Monday I managed to bind on one side in Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimattanasana all by myself. Yippeeee! Of course, by the time I got to backbends, I was so wiped out that I skipped the assisted bends. This was just a precursor to the rest of the week.

I woke just after midnight on Tuesday, and I could tell I was sick. Sore throat, achy all over, swollen glands. By the end of the day, I knew I officially had The Crud. It has hung on the rest of the week, with no end in sight. Even worse, it has taken my voice, so that I can't talk at all. No yoga, no running, I can barely drag myself off the couch or out of bed. I feel awful.

I can't wait to get back to my yoga practice and back to running. Even better, Paul is finally ready to get back to running as well. So much to look forward to. But right now it's all in a holding pattern, waiting for The Horrible Crud to take its leave of me.

Sunday, December 5 - Saturday, December 11, 2010

2010-12-11T12:37:00.000-06:00

Sunday: Trail Run, 90 minutes (BCGB 360 Access, super-fun trail loop)
Monday: Ashtanga Yoga, 80 minutes
Tuesday: Ashtanga Yoga, 80 minutes
Thursday: Ashtanga Yoga, 80 minutes
Friday: Ashtanga Yoga, 80 minutes
Saturday: Road Run, 3.75 miles, 35 minutes

This week got off to a fantastic start! Sunday I did my first trail run in nearly 5 months ... yes, 5 months. For most of the summer and early fall I was focusing on road running, then for the past couple months, it was no running at all, as I just needed a break. But break time is over, and it felt like time to get back on the trail. To be honest, I was nervous. I'd begun to wonder if I still loved the trail. I think some of that was the influence of a few factors ... I hated my last trail run, out at Inks Lake. Prior to that, I had gotten burned out leading the weekly club run. And then there's the club itself, and my role as President. Since I still have several months left in this gig, I'm not going to go into detail here (and it's not all bad in any case), except to say that it's a job I will be happy to pass on to someone else come the beginning of April.

I needn't have worried. From the moment my feet hit the trail, it was like coming home. Seriously, I hit my Zen place in the first 30 seconds of the run, and it never really left me. I ran fast, I ran slow, I power-walked as the mood struck, and I just had an all-out fan-freaking-tastic run! It helped that it was a gorgeous day ... cool and clear. I got a little warm in some parts, but then would get colder in others, so very happy I was smart enough to bring gloves and a vest. I guess I worried that I would have lost my trail mojo, but that wasn't the case. I found my groove right away, and reveled in all the fancy footwork, in the hills, the winding trail. I did do one of my favorite trails, so that helped too I'm sure. I ended up going longer than I'd planned, about 90 minutes, which was not a big deal since I was having so much fun, although I did run out of water about 2 miles from the end. Anyway, the end result was that it felt great to run, great to be back on the trails, and I'm looking forward to more of it next weekend.

Monday was back to yoga (Sunday was a Moon Day, so I wasn't skipping my practice by going running. We're not supposed to practice on the days of the full and new moons. If for some reason you care at all about why that is, you can read it here.). I wasn't sure what to expect from my practice. I only got in three practices (one shortened) last week when I wasn't feeling well, and I expected to feel tired after my run yesterday. In fact, when I got onto the mat, I was feeling a little cranky, and I set my intention to leave it on the mat. Boy, did I ever! I had the most amazing practice ever!!!

My legs were a bit rubbery from my run, but let me count the ways this practice was wonderful. Seriously, I'm going to count them ...

I got both legs straight or nearly straight in Uttihita Trikonasana (triangle pose)
I was able to put one hand on the floor during Parivrtta Parsvakonasana (revolved side angle pose) instead of having to stay in prayer position
During Prasarita Padottanasana A-D, I nearly got my head on the floor and my shoulders went farther than they ever have.
To provide some balance to all the awesomeness, in the next several poses, my balance was for sh*t, although I managed to at least stay standing.
During Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana (bound half lotus), I once again grabbed my toe and bound with a little help from Mike.
During all the next several forward bends, I was able to bind my hands instead of just having to grab my extended foot.
I got to add two new poses today! Marichyasana D and Navasana (boat pose). And my core is definitely stronger than it used to be, because boats were hard, but not excruciating. I expected backbends to be brutal after doing those, but instead they felt great. And Mike had me grab his ankles while I did them, and really helped me stretch out my back.
I managed to get and stay in lotus position for Urdhva Padmasana and Pindasana, two of the shoulder stands, and then stay in lotus again for Yoga Mudra (the first pose of the closing series).

That is a whole lot of expansion for one day of practice.

Thankfully, that didn't bode ill for Tuesday's practice. I was a little worried that I'd overdone it, but Tuesday was more of the same. :) A little less holding in lotus, mostly because it's easier to maintain lotus if I'm wearing capri pants instead of shorts (the sweat factor), and my left ankle was feeling a little overstretched by the end of Tuesday's practice. But really it was just as good. I actually felt a little bit stronger during the warmup, but a little bit more wiped out by the end.

After feeling somewhat sleepy all day Tuesday after my practice, I decided to rest on Wednesday, but had another great practice on Thursday morning. Mike continued to help me with several poses so that I could go deeper ... it's become clear that my right shoulder is considerably tighter than my left (also true for my right hip - for some reason that entire side is tighter). I really got stretched out ... and I could feel it in my core, my chest, back, and shoulders all day afterward. Everything is popping and cracking and it feels awesome, but I also felt a little sore. It didn't help that I spent the last three days of the work week at a conference ... all that sitting is just hell on my body.

I didn't have time to do my practice Friday morning, so I decided to go the led class Friday afternoon. It's funny how I'm so used to Mysore practice that it feels odd to go through my practice at the pace someone else sets, with everyone else doing it at the same time. It actually made it a bit harder to focus at the beginning, although I pretty quickly settled in. Mike gave me the option of continuing the practice once I got to Navasana, but I was so wiped out by then, I decided to just wait to pick up with everyone when we got to backbends. I do like the occasional afternoon practice - my back is far more open later in the day. But I definitely have more energy in the mornings. Mike did say that he may be changing the Friday morning practice to a led class, which would give me the opportunity to try some of the later poses to see how that goes. I'm curious to see if I can handle some of those poses farther into the first series. I know I'm not flexible enough yet for all of them, but my hips and shoulders are definitely getting improving.

Saturday I decided to go for a short road run. I wasn't sure how far I was going to go, I figured I'd just head out of the house and see where it took me. It didn't take me far today. By the end of the first mile, my lower back and shoulder on my right side were cramping ... holdovers from all the work I did on them in yoga this week, I imagine. By the time I got to about the 2 mile mark, I had to take a break to walk a block and stretch. And then another 1/2 mile or so later, I had to walk another block until my shoulder settled down. My head started to hurt too. This was not one of those great runs like last weekend. There was pretty much NO zen going on today. For the last mile or so I just focused on running easy and relaxing, and I pretty much just lumbered my way home. At least that's how it felt.

Of course, when I got home, I figured out part of the problem. I didn't wear a watch today, so I had no idea how fast I was going. But I saw the clock when I got home and was really surprised to find out I'd only been gone 35 minutes. If I shave off the time I took walking those couple blocks and stretching? Well then it comes out to about 3.5 miles run at 8:30 pace. Not exactly an easy run pace for me. No wonder it felt hard. Then again, that was the pace I felt like running. So if I can keep that up and just hopefully feel better the next time, great. Since I'm not planning to do a lot of high mileage (other than a few long runs to prep for pacing Stephanie), my goal is to run my shorter runs harder. I suppose that means I'm off to a good start.

Sunday, November 28 - Saturday, December 4, 2010

2010-12-06T14:46:00.000-06:00

Sunday: Ashtanga yoga, 75 minutes
Monday: Ashtanga yoga, 80 minutes
Thursday: Ashtanga Yoga, 50 minutes

It was so nice to start off my week back at home and in my regular yoga practice. I was happy to get in a couple practices last week, but I prefer my regular routine. Even though getting used to the 5 a.m. wake-up again was a little bit painful.

Monday was just an outstanding practice. I felt strong and focused early on, and that just translated to a great morning on the mat. I guess Sunday's practice had loosened things up, because I was able to get deeper into many of my poses. The biggest moment came during Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana (one of the first seated poses). The goal is to put one leg into lotus position, with the other leg extended. Normally from there I just fold over and grab my extended foot. Lately if I can remember to bring a hand towel, I've been using it to hook around the foot of my bent leg, and reach around behind my back and bind with the opposite hand, then fold over. The ultimate goal is to be able to reach around behind the back and actually grab the foot that's in lotus. I figured I was still pretty far from that, until Monday. Mike came over and helped direct me to turn to the side as I reach around, and with a little help I was able to grab my foot! Woohoooooo! For me with my tight runners hips and ankles, this is a HUGE step forward in my practice. I was pretty slippery, so it was hard to maintain the bind, but it was awesome! I don't know if I'll be able to do this every time, but at least I have something to work toward, something that now seems attainable.

I'm still trying to be careful with the lotus position. My ankles hurt when I stay in it for too long, so I'm just trying to do it at various points in my practice, releasing it when the pain becomes strong enough that it seems like I might be doing harm. I know I can get there, but pushing too hard is not the way.

On Monday I also got into lotus toward the end of the practice, during Urdhva Padmasana and then Pindasana, part of the series of shoulder stands. I couldn't maintain it for a long time, but again, for me just getting into lotus and being able to stay there is an accomplishment.

Maybe I overdid it on Monday. I don't know, but I felt like crap on Tuesday and Wednesday. I fell asleep during my meditation on Tuesday, and missed my practice. And on Wednesday, I realized that I was fighting off some sort of bug, so I decided to listen to my body and rest. It was a tough decision ... how do you know whether a practice will work out all those aches and energize you, or just make a bad situation worse? All I can do is listen to my body, and in this case the message I got was REST. Considering that I really haven't minded the 5 a.m. alarm for the past month, I think the fact that I desperately wanted to stay in bed meant something.

I made it yoga on Thursday, and now I wonder if this "virus" or whatever was going on with me was my body's way of purging something out of my body. I was a little concerned about doing a practice ... I still wasn't feeling well, and my upper back especially was feeling very achy. I have no idea why in the past few years every random virus I get seems to settle in the muscles of my lower back. Although now I'm wondering whether there were already some toxins resting latent in my muscles, and somehow the yoga moved them to the surface. Can that even happen? Let me explain. So like I said, I wasn't sure practicing was a great idea, but I woke up on time, and I wasn't exhausted, so I figured I would at least try.

Once I started my sun salutations, I couldn't believe how good I felt! My back just opened up and all the achiness and tension in my back disappeared. If anything, my back opened up more than it has in recent memory. It's like there was all this junk that had risen to the surface in my muscles, and I needed the yoga to move it out of my body.

My balance wasn't fantastic today (although not terrible), but otherwise, it was a great practice. I came closer than ever to getting my head on the floor in Prasarita Padottanasana A. And when I got to the seated poses, and Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana, I almost managed to bind around my back all by myself. Not quite, but almost. My back felt great.

And then I just tanked. I went into my vinyasa, sat down, and hit the wall. I couldn't even get into another pose. I just laid down and on Mike's advice went straight into savasana. Weird. I didn't feel specifically bad, just weird, and I knew I was done. I took a nice long rest, and then felt great when I left my practice. I really think the yoga purged something from my system, and yet I didn't quite have the energy for a full practice.

Monday, November 22 - Saturday, November 27

2010-11-29T10:22:00.000-06:00

Wednesday: Ashtanga yoga, 70 minutes
Thursday: Ashtanga yoga, 70 minutes; Road run, 3 miles

I'M A RUNNER!!!!

I know, that shouldn't be a news flash. But after two months off, I was starting to wonder. :)

This week was a mixed bag, workout-wise. I had lots of travel on the agenda. Spent the weekend in Houston, then flew to Philly on Monday to see my sister and nephews. Time to work out was in short supply ... does trying to keep up with two 5-year-old boys count? It was as exhausting as any long run I've ever done. ;)

By the time I got to my mom's early Wednesday morning (5:30 a.m. to be exact, after a 10 hour drive through the night), I was wiped out. But after a few hours of sleep, Paul and I pulled out our travel mats and managed to get in a full Ashtanga practice. Somehow, even when I take my time, I am always faster when I practice away from the studio. I wouldn't say this was a great practice, in the sense that I was tight and tired. But my goodness did it feel fantastic! Nothing better for working out all the travel aches and kinks, and for getting my dosha back in balance. With two days of cooking ahead of me, getting in a practice was a great way to work off the travel fatigue, and put me in exactly the right frame of mind to be grateful for the time with family.

I woke up really groggy Thursday morning, and really I just wanted coffee, but Paul convinced me to go ahead and do my practice. And of course, I was so happy that I did. Definitely still some tightness and aches from too much traveling and sitting around, but the yoga helps that so much.

And after that, my sister was up, and wanted to go for a run. And honestly, I couldn't think of a better day to get back out there than Thanksgiving. My ability to run is something I am always grateful for, and it deserved to be celebrated. And who better to celebrate with than my sister? These holiday runs have become a bit of a tradition for us. It was a beautiful day ... warm, but breezy and beautiful. We didn't go far, maybe 3 miles (our own private Turkey Trot). It felt strange at first, but never bad. And as I warmed up, I really enjoyed it. I won't say I got a runners high, but I did like being back out there.

Ashtanga is still going to be my priority - and even that one run left me so much tighter afterward, so I need to watch it. But I do plan to start getting more mileage in, and see how it goes.

Monday, November 15 - Sunday November 21, 2010

2010-11-29T10:07:00.000-06:00

Monday: Ashtanga Yoga, 75 minutes
Tuesday: Ashtanga Yoga, 75 minutes
Wednesday: Ashtanga Yoga, 75 minutes
Thursday: Ashtanga Yoga, 75 minutes
Friday: Ashtanga Yoga, 75 minutes

I am so excited! For the first time ever, I did six days of Ashtanga in a row! I am so happy I have committed to making this practice my priority for the time being. I am getting so much out of it, on the mat and off. By going so often, I'm seeing some really amazing progress in a few of my poses. The rest may take longer, but I don't mind. Even small accomplishments feel fantastic, and I know I'm getting stronger even if it isn't totally translating to deeper poses yet.

I was really surprised by Monday's practice. After working so hard the Sunday before, I expected to feel tired and less flexible. Instead, it was my most flexible day yet! I still felt strong all the way through Suryanamaskara A&B, and my forward bends felt so good. My balance was even steady! Mike must have noticed too because he helped me go deeper into some of my poses, like Marachyasana A. I'm still pretty wiped out during the vinyasas by the end. Working so hard on my jumping back just leaves my upper body pretty spent by the end. But the only way it's going to get better it to keep working it, and if I'm feeling wiped out because I'm working harder, well that's fine.

Tuesday's practice was even more of a surprise. Usually, the third day in a row finds me stiff, tired, weak, or some combination of all three. But today was the opposite. I felt strong, and was the most bendy I've been in months! Mike noticed and commented on it as well. During standing pose, he pulled my leg higher than it's ever gone. And my forward bends got me positively smooshed. It felt soooo good!

Wednesday was a bit tougher. Hard to get out of bed, and I definitely didn't feel as strong as the day before. I could tell from the start, during Suryanamaskara. My practice still went really well despite that. My flexibility didn't suffer today, just my strength. And at the end of Savasana, I felt like utterly relaxed and noodley all over. :)

Thursday and Friday were about the same ... I was tired and definitely feeling all those practices earlier in the week. What I love is that even though I feel tired, and I can tell that I'm tired, once I get into my practice, I seem to just go with it. It's not that I completely ignore the tired, or that I push past it ... it's more that I acknowledge it, respect it, but then go about the business of my practice. Keeping the focus on my breathing and staying present in the poses makes all the difference. Sure, I sometimes end up flat on the floor during a vinyasa, but while I'm on the mat, I'm present and I'm committed. And that attitude seems to be coming with me off the mat, at least more than it used to.

Monday, November 8 - Sunday, November 14, 2010

2010-11-14T20:31:00.000-06:00

Monday: Ashtanga Yoga, 70 minutes
Tuesday: Ashtanga Yoga, 70 minutes
Wednesday: Ashtanga Yoga, 55 minutes
Sunday: Ashtanga Yoga, 70 minutes

I only got in four yoga practices this week, but that was the plan, so I'm still pleased and feeling on track. Monday and Tuesday were normal practices. I'm starting to get stronger, having an easier time getting through Suryanamaskara A&B at the beginning of my practice, working harder at my jumping back, and lasting longer before I have to collapse on the mat between poses.

I've been really focusing on my breathing, taking my time and trying to inhale and exhale fully with each pose and each movement. I've also been working on focusing on my Drishti, or focal points. This has really helped me stay focused inward. It also surprisingly has helped me hold my bandas (locks) better. Of course, not being able to see may have had something to do with it ... or so I thought. Monday-Wednesday I was still without my contacts, and doing yoga with utterly blurred vision. It makes an inward focus a lot easier when you're incapable to seeing what's going on around you.

Wednesday my practice was shortened, and I did it at home. I had to be at the surgeon's office just after 8 a.m. for my LASIK surgery. I still made it through the warmup, standing poses, and backbends through the finish. It was important to me to get this practice in, even if I had to shorten it. First, I knew I'd have to take off three days after the surgery, and this way I'd still get in four practices for the week. But also, I was terrified going into the surgery, and the practice helped calm me down a bit The double dose of Valium at the doctor's office helped even more. :)

By Sunday I was so looking forward to getting back to the mat. I missed it after a few days away. And my practice was amazing! I was surprised at how focused I was even though I can now see everyone in the room. I still managed to maintain my gaze at my Drishti, at least most of the time. I still kept my breathing deep and focused, and continued to work on my bandas. And today I felt the strongest yet. I made it through the warmup feeling great ... none of the exhaustion during the last few poses that I usually feel. My balance was good, my forward bends were bendier, I managed to work hard on my jumping back all the way until the last few poses ... and then I even managed to have some real strength left for my backbends. Just fantastic!

I know that as this next week progresses, I may go up and down. The first day of practice after some recovery is often the best. But I'm seeing progress after just a couple weeks, and that makes me look forward to what's to come. Even better, I'm seeing how much better I feel off the mat. And that's the real incentive.

I even think I'm ready to start running again. I had a dream the other night - I was running up Ladera Norte, and enjoying it. I woke up knowing that it was time to lace up my running shoes and get back out there, are least a little bit. It's going to be a process to get back in shape - I have no idea where I am right now. But underneath it all, I'm a runner ... and so I need to run.

Sunday, Oct. 31 - Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010

2010-11-08T18:59:00.000-06:00

Sunday: Ashtanga Yoga, 70 minutes
Monday: Ashtanga Yoga, 70 minutes
Tuesday: Ashtanga Yoga, 60 minutes
Wednesday: Ashtanga Yoga, 70 minutes
Thursday: Ashtanga Yoga, 70 minutes
Sunday: Ashtanga Yoga, 70 minutes

When I said I was going to focus more on my yoga practice, I wasn't kidding. :)

I'm not sure I've ever done 5 days of yoga in a row, let alone 5 vigorous Ashtanga practices. It has been so fantastic. It doesn't hurt that both Paul and Noelle have shown up every day as well. But the truth is, once I start my practice, the focus becomes so internal, the other people in the room might as well not be there. This is especially true for me since I'm stuck wearing my glasses for another couple days. I take them off to do my practice, which means I can't even see the other people in the room - they're all just big blurs.

Tuesday I shortened my practice. I wasn't really sore, but I definitely felt weak and worn out from the first two days back at it. I'm working really hard to get through the entire Suryanamaskara A&B without having to put my legs on the floor. I didn't make it most of the week, but had no problem on Sunday. In fact, my second Sunday practice really demonstrated the benefits of recovery. After two days off I felt so strong and flexible ... it was the best practice yet!

Some days I just ended up flattened on the floor during the vinyasas toward the end. That's partly because I'm working really hard on my transitions. I went to a workshop Mike offered a couple weeks ago, about jumping forward and jumping back. He demonstrated how to jump from Downward Facing Dog to seated pose, and then how to jump from seated pose back into low pushup. I've been doing the modified version of the forward jump for a long time now, although the workshop did give me some insight into how to push further with it. But I really learned a lot about how to work on jumping back.

I've been trying really hard to work these during my vinyasas, and the end result is some very, very tired arms, abs, and back muscles by the end of my practice. But I can already see progress in my ability to jump back, and while I can't actually do it fluidly yet, I can kind of see how it will be when I can.

Starting Over

2010-11-01T12:49:00.000-05:00

I didn't exactly go two entire months without working out ... although I came close. I managed to fit in a few yoga classes here and there, and since my last post I was running as usual. Until about 6 weeks ago, when I just hit the wall. My training was going well. I wasn't quite where I wanted to be but I was on track for a successful marathon in Philly on November 21.

And then one day I went for a run, got 1/2 mile from my house, and just said "screw it." I went home and haven't put my shoes on since. I don't think there was any one overriding reason. I just needed a break. I've been training for something ... some race, some mileage, some speed, something ... for the better part of the last 4 years. The program I'd been in over the summer was really intense, and I was sick of the weather (only now has it finally cooled off enough that I don't hate the thought of exercising outside). I'd spent the summer not just training, but trying to train AND recover from anemia. And somewhere along the way, running just stopped being fun.

Like I said, I just hit the wall. I may not have been physically overtrained, but I definitely was mentally and emotionally overtrained.

I wish I could say that it's been hard to take a break, but it hasn't. At ALL.

I have honestly just loved being lazy for a while. I don't love the fact that my body feels like jello (and is starting to look like it too), but other than that, it's been great. The time off has allowed me to focus and figure out a little bit how I got to this point. And now I'm ready to hit the reset button and get my butt back in gear ... and hopefully back into my skinny clothes.

The main focus right now is going to be on my yoga. I've been itching for a while to really commit to my Ashtanga practice and see where that takes me. But I needed to get myself mentally ready for that, and finally I am. I have a new plan, and it kicked off yesterday with a fantastic practice, followed by another one today. I'm going to go to yoga every day that I can this month, and we'll see where I am and how I feel at the end of that.

The running has been a tougher challenge. I've been itching to run as well, but I just haven't been able to make myself put on my shoes and get out there. I didn't want to train for anything, but I just don't function quite as well when I have no goal at all ... what to do?

And then universe sent me the answer like a lightning bolt from Yahoo Mail. My good friend Stephanie (whom I was just telling Paul the other night how much I missed her) decided to get a monkey off her back and signed up for Bandera 100K, and she wants me to pace her for the last 20 miles.

YES!!!!!!!

I love pacing ... it's one of my absolute favorite things in the world. It takes everything that's great and wonderful about running and wraps it up into this beautiful gift that I get to give to someone else. If you've never done it, show up at a race sometime and offer to go out there with a runner who needs it ... you won't be sorry. Even the pacers who have helped me through my own races have loved their jobs, and let me tell you, I'm no picnic. Leah still talks about Cactus as a positive experience, and she's still my friend (lucky me), and Paul ... well, he's marrying me, so that should tell you something (although you could construe that many ways).

Anyway, I gave myself a couple of hours just to make sure I had considered all the angles, but how could I refuse the chance to help one of my favorite people finish a race? Duh, I couldn't! Not only do I get to be a part of Stephanie's big race, but it gives me all the motivation I need to get my butt out the door, and back on the trail.

The yoga is still going to be primary, but I figure I can easily fit in 2-3 quality runs a week. The yoga's only going to help anyway ... all the strength, core, stability work, etc.

I am so excited I just start doing my own little happy dance every time I think of it!

As for this blog, I think here I am also going to take a cue from Stephanie. I'm going to get back to regular updates, but instead of tracking every workout individually, I'm going to just do a weekly recap. Anything more just feels too daunting right now, and entirely unnecessary.

But the point is, there will be posts, and yoga practices. And of course, running. Always the running.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

2010-09-02T16:11:00.000-05:00

Workout: Team Rogue Training Run
Course: The Turista ... Barton Springs Loop, then Stratford, across bridge to Town Lake, Lance Armstrong bike trail, Lamar, 6th, Guadalupe, San Antonio up to 21st, around to University, Speedway to Congress, Cesar Chavez to Auditorium Shores, Town Lake back to Barton Springs
Distance: 10 miles
Start Time: 5:30 a.m.
Weather: humid ... very, very humid
Nutrition: Pure Sport drink and water, electrolytes

This run was really similar to Tuesday, maybe because of the humidity. I started off feeling really tired, but somewhere in the middle of the run, I realized that I was feeling really good. Maybe because once again the run started with the uphill portion. I don't know, but I was really happy that the run didn't stay hard.

I ran with Paul for the first 2/3 or so of the run, but today he was going farther than me, so after a water stop at Gregory Gym, we split up and I headed back down Speedway toward the Blanton.

Prior to that stop, I had a new sport drink I was trying ... Pure Sport grape flavor. I used to use their lime sport drink back before they called themselves Pure Sport, started sponsoring Michael Phelps, and increased their prices astronomically. But I'm trying out some new nutrition ideas (or going back to some old ones), and they had a single serving of this at Bicycle Sports Shop, so thought I'd try it. I really liked it, so it's a contender. I also picked up some EFS Lemon-Lime (I know I don't like their grape flavor), so we'll see how that does as well. And for fun I picked up some Sport Beans, which I used to love and can't figure out why I stopped using them except maybe they didn't have enough calories for running ultras.

I also spent a little time today researching making my own sport drink powder, and I think I'm going to try that as well. I have some cool ideas, so will keep you posted on how that little experiment goes.

Back to the run ... Once I crossed MLK to get on Congress, I decided to try and pick up the pace. I've been meaning to add these (per Steve's recommendation), but have just been too busy trying to get my mileage up to worry about anything else. I did one up to the Capitol, and then only remembered to do another one during the last stretch of my run. But both went well, and I'm pleased that after doing no speed work since April, it came back pretty nicely and my body enjoyed it quite a bit. I'm still nervous about starting speed work next week, but now the excitement has started to balance out the anxiety.

I also had a nice chat with folks in the pool after my run, and was a little relieved to know I'm not the only one nervous about speed work. Even the fast people feel that way ... which makes sense because we're all going to be working hard, they'll just be doing their hard thing faster than I will.

August Wrap-Up

2010-09-01T14:55:00.000-05:00

Total Mileage: 136.5
Average Run Distance: 11.4 miles
Yoga Classes: 4

The news this month is mostly good, but lets go ahead and get the downside out of the way.

My overall mileage was about 25 miles less than last month, when I was hoping it would be more. This was almost entirely due to my taking off 10 days from running in the first half of the month. I already talked about in a previous post, but basically between the festivities for Paul finishing his PhD, and more pertinently, my major energy crash during the 2nd week of the month, my running took a big nosedive. Thankfully this new regimen of supplements seems to have really turned things around. I still get tired, but not the way I was before. And ever since starting all these vitamins, my running has really started to get back on track.

The evidence (and good news) ... Of the 136.5 miles I ran this month, 104.5 of them came in the second half of the month. Had I been feeling that good all month, my numbers would have been much closer to where I had hoped they would be!

More good news ... even though my overall mileage was down from July, my average distance per run increased by nearly 1.5 miles! So it looks like I'm handling the distance pretty well, I just need to stay healthy enough to keep up the frequency. I'm really hoping September will continue to go the way the past couple weeks have gone. Of course, we start speed work next week, and Steve has warned us that our mileage may have to drop a bit to keep up with the new intensity. So I'll have to see how that goes. But I'm really really hopeful.

Even the yoga improved a bit this month. Again, still not quite where I'd like it to be, but I averaged at least one class a week, which is a big improvement over July. I'd like to get it up to two classes instead of one, but this is progress.

So, let's look ahead and set some goals for September:

Keep my running where it has been for the last few weeks, and hope for the best as I add in speedwork.

Try to get my total yoga classes for the month up to 7 or 8.

Find a running nutrition plan that works ... this means find a sports drink I actually like, and maybe some gels I can stomach, because right now I'm doing nothing, and that's not going to keep working for me. I have been good with the recovery drinks, so I will try to keep that up.

Work on overall nutrition. For September, this means no alcohol, no fried foods (goodbye french fries and potato chips, it's time we took a break), and limited sugar. By limited, I mean I can still have whatever I need to get through my runs ... I can still use a little bit of local honey in my tea ... and I can still have one Coke on my long run days. But that's it ... no little pieces of chocolate in the middle of the day, no dessert in the evenings, no sugary foods in general. I've never had a huge sweet tooth - the french fry/potato chip ban is going to be harder - but even little amounts of sugar add up and so it's time to get myself off all of it. It's not a full-on cleanse, but sort of a modified version just to fine-tune my system a bit and hopefully add to the benefits I'm getting from all the supplements.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

2010-09-01T14:33:00.000-05:00

Workout: Team Rogue Training Run
Course: Eastside Loop ... winding up to Leona, Manor, Cherrywood, 38th, Brookview, through Mueller, back down Cherrywood, Chestnut, Pleasant Valley, 5th
Distance: 10.5 miles
Start Time: 5:30 a.m.
Weather: HUMID ... OMG SO F'ING HUMID
Nutrition: water and electrolytes

Did I mention that it was humid this morning? I usually don't care, but I guess Saturday just spoiled me, and now I want it to be Fall so badly. I ran just fine today, despite having very tired legs for the first couple miles. Somewhere along the way, things picked up a bit. Paul was really chatty this morning, and that really distracted me and helped me keep going even though I was tired.

One positive? This is the first Tuesday morning run I've made it to in almost a month! I actually woke up and got out of bed without too much agony ... yay!

I drank a lot of water on today's run. Stopped at two of the water fountains in Mueller to refill, and at the water stop on 32nd going both ways, and yet I was still almost out of water when I got back to Rogue. I just couldn't keep up with my own sweat rate. And when I did get back, I filled my bottle from the cooler of cold water, and proceeded to drain it and refill again while I stood there.

As I said, somewhere in the middle of the run I started to feel a bit better. The run along Cherrywood, and Pleasant Valley went really well. By the time we got back to 5th for the last mile and a half, I was feeling fatigued, but I still managed to continue to run pretty strong. Today was a great example of running tired, and it definitely took a lot out of me, but very glad I made it to and through the run.

Steve started talking about our speed work, which will begin next Thursday. I have to say, I'm a bit nervous and worried that I am not prepared for it. I am going to try to schedule a one-on-one with Steve just to talk about my progress and where I am and how realistic my goals are at this point. I may wait until after we start speed work, just to see how the first workout or two go, but I'm a little concerned and more than a little anxious.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

2010-08-30T16:57:00.000-05:00

Workout: Road Run
Course: 51st, Guadalupe, 45th, Duval ... then Caswell to Park, Red River, 38th, Cherrywood, Mueller trail, Antone, Zach Scott, more Mueller Trail, Maplewood, 38th Red River, Park to Caswell to home
Distance: 9 miles
Start Time: 7 a.m.
Weather: mid 70s and sunny
Nutrition: water and electrolytes

Today was a bit tough ... certainly not like yesterday. And it's my own stupid fault. After the awesome run yesterday, I got a massage from the Advanced Rehab guy who was set up outside Rogue. Because of my ankle, I had him work on my lower legs, which were tight although not bothering me at all. And work he did ... it was excruciatingly painful. I should have made him stop as soon as it hurt. I know better. I know that my body does NOT respond well to the kinds of touch that cause pain. It just makes things worse. And so it did in this case. I soaked my lower legs in the ice bath afterward, which was great, and then I was fine the rest of Saturday.

But this morning when I woke up, I could hardly walk due to the pain in my heel and my inner shin. It's the worst it has been in ages. I should know by now that just stretching and doing yoga and getting it worked on by someone who doesn't hurt me (namely Jason) is the best remedy.

I limped out the door at 7 and started down the street, seriously doubting whether I could get through the run. The plan was to do a few miles on my own, then meet Paul back at my house to do another 6 or so. Thankfully things had loosened up by the time I got through a few miles, but I still didn't feel great. My legs just felt a bit tired, and my lower legs were still sore.

Paul wasn't having a great day either, so we took it pretty easy. The route was nice, so that helped. After another few miles, I realized I hadn't taken electrolytes back at my house, so swallowed a couple of those and started to feel better soon after. I was still a bit tired for most of the run, but it went pretty well considering.

This was mostly just one of those runs that I had to get done. But I'm pleased that I did get through all 9 miles, bringing me to 50 miles for the week. That's two good weeks in a row. It's encouraging to finally feel like I'm at a good point in my running ... especially since I start speed work soon. I wish I had more time to just get used to this mileage, but at least I'm not still building.

I'm going to drop down a little this week ... shooting for 40 miles or so. Which isn't really low, but it will be a scaled back week in terms of the distance for each run. I'm not sure I can count on any cold fronts this week, but hopefully I'll continue to be able to get up in the morning. That has been a nice change.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

2010-08-30T15:55:00.001-05:00

Workout: Rogue Long Run
Course: From Rogue ... Waller, Town Lake to Congress, around Capitol, then continuing along rest of Town Lake back to Waller/Rogue
Distance: 14 miles
Start Time: 5:30 a.m.
Weather: OMG Pure Bliss!!! mid to upper 60s and low humidity at start of run, maybe low 70s (if that) by the end
Nutrition: water and electrolytes

Today I felt not like Forrest Gump, but rather like Lieutenant Dan ... with Magic Legs. :)

It's absolutely amazing what a slight drop in temperature can accomplish. When I woke up this morning at 4:40 a.m., I checked the weather on my PDA and was astonished to learn it was only in the mid 60s outside. Despite the early hour, I was excited to hit the road in this kind of weather. I had laid out all my running gear the night before, and had even pre-made my recovery smoothie, so it took me no time to get ready to leave the house. I even threw on a warm-up jacket for the drive down, and was glad I did. It was chilly - hooray! I was pretty early getting to Rogue, and there were few people around at that time. It turns out the other training groups were all starting at different times today.

My enthusiasm waned when I saw the route for the day ... Town Lake. I groaned inwardly (and possibly outwardly), and after a few minutes of thought, I decided to forgo my planned 18 miler in favor of doing 14 with Paul. I figured I'd need the company to get me through the mental boredom of the route. I think everyone else felt the same way ... no one seemed excited.

Paul and I went ahead and took off right at 5:30 ... might as well get it done. One positive note was that by starting so early, we'd be more than halfway through the run before the sun came up, which would help with the boredom factor. Much to my surprise, the boredom never kicked in ... but my legs sure did. I felt just fantastic on this run! I didn't even think about how much the cooler temps would affect my run, but I seriously felt like a new person ... one who loved to run and did it well. :)

The first part of the run, I will admit I wasn't moving too fast ... trying not to kill myself navigating Town Lake Trail in the dark. It's a pretty smooth trail, but in the more pitch black sections, it's still possible to trip and fall, so I was a little more careful. In no time we were winding our way up Congress and around the Capitol, where we were treated to a very loud serenade by the gentleman singing at the top of his lungs in Spanish from the scaffolding surrounding the Capitol dome. I suppose if he had to work by himself up there before 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning, he had every right to keep himself (and us) entertained.

After that, well the miles really just flew by. I kept waiting to feel tired, but I really just felt great. I do need to work on my nutrition after the two hour mark, but even then I still finished really strong and feeling like I could do more. I hadn't run the far section of the Town Lake loop in ages, but that flew by as well. Once I realized that I was feeling good, I pretty just relaxed and let it all flow ... and it felt awesome.

I know the weather won't stay like this, but it is a preview of the coming months. And it really helps me look forward to all the hard work I'll be doing this fall. It may be soul-sucking (or so I hear), but at least it won't be hot. :)

Friday, August 27, 2010

2010-08-30T15:50:00.000-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 6:30 a.m.

I'm still not getting to yoga quite as often as I'd like, but I am improving. This month I've managed to make it on average once a week. I'd like that to be twice, but this is at least progress.

All told, today's practice went pretty well. I didn't push too hard, and definitely had to take care of my ankle in a few poses, but overall I was pretty pleased. I could definitely feel some soreness when I first started my practice, but as it went on, I was pretty surprised at the poses I could still do. More specifically, my hips have opened up enough that I can get my left leg into lotus position without it affecting the turn of my ankle! Yippee! That means I require far fewer modifications than I expected. I was very conscious of any pain, and did skip a couple of poses as a result (I also totally forgot to do Purvattanasana).

I did skip the assisted backbends today, just because I had to finish my practice and get to work, but I'm so glad I made it at all. Definitely a good way to start what would turn out to be a very busy day!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

2010-08-26T13:11:00.001-05:00

Workout: Team Rogue Training Run
Course: Barton Hills (same 14 miler I did with Amy a few weeks ago) ... including Barton Hills, Barton Skyway, Lamar, Bluebonnet, Cinnamon Path, Oltorf, 5th, Cumberland, 1st, Live Oak, Travis Heights, Riverside, Town Lake, Lavaca, 10th, Rio Grande, 4th, Cesar Chavez, Town Lake to Mopac, Stratford to end
Distance: 14 miles
Start Time: 5:30 a.m.
Weather: mid 70s, not quite so humid
Nutrition: water and electrolytes

Well, this run didn't start off well at all, but thankfully it ended up being great. As soon as we got onto Robert E. Lee, I was trying to find a space where I didn't feel crowded (there were a whole bunch of us together at this point), and I stepped off the sidewalk and twisted my left ankle. It hurt like a bitch, but I just kept running ... I really didn't want to bail this early. And I figured since I was on the road, if I could run it off, it would probably be okay. Which is exactly what happened.

I had some mild pain periodically, and I could tell I definitely strained it a bit, but pretty soon, we were heading up Barton Skyway, and the hills became a much bigger focus than my ankle. And today I had a full plate of running buddies ... Paul for the first 9 or 10, and Amy and Rick for the whole shebang. There were a few times where the pace felt a little fast for me, but that feeling always seemed to pass before I felt the need to slow down or say anything. And thanks to Amy's prodding, we kept up some nice conversation the entire time. She really got us talking especially when we were all getting tired.

I was pretty happy with how I felt on the hills today, and that I was the one pushing us to do the entire 14. Granted, Rick was worried about his calf/achilles, and when that felt fine he had no problem doing the full distance. It's easy to want to cut it short at Auditorium Shores, but I'm trying to really keep my mileage up now that my vitamins seem to be kicking in. And that short trip up Lavaca was over just as quickly as last time, and then it's all downhill back to Town Lake. We stayed on the north side and went all the way to Mopac before heading back along Stratford, and I definitely felt tired the last mile or so. But Amy kept us talking, and we finished strong.

I am once again pleased with how things are going. I just hope I can get through another 18 miler this Saturday feeling strong.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

2010-08-26T12:59:00.000-05:00

Workout: Road Run
Course: From my house down Duval to 38th, 38th to Speedway, down to 30th, over to 29th, 29th to Jefferson, left on Bull Creek to Hancock, down to 49th, to Lamar, up 51st and Duval to home
Distance: 8 miles
Start Time: 10 p.m.
Weather: around 90 degrees, not humid
Nutrition: water and Accelerade

Oh I loved this run!

I don't know if it's the heat, but I just could not get out of bed this morning for our scheduled Rogue run. Fortunately, neither did Paul, so we decided to run together tonight after we got back from a friend's birthday shindig. My calves were indeed pretty sore from the run in my VFFs, but I hoped I would do okay once I got warmed up. I don't remember the last time I did a run at night on the road like this ... but from the start I just had a blast.

My calves were fine as soon as I started to run. The running stride doesn't seem to impact them much. I did have a little tightness when we did the gradual climb up from 45th on Duval. But that stretched them right out and then it was no problem. I decided on this route in this direction so that we could get the hills out of the way early on. We had some nice downhill along Speedway and 29th, and the climb up 29th Jefferson was just not big deal.

It seems that the expected cold front had started to come through already, because even though my car said it was 90 degrees not long before we headed out, the weather just felt awesome! The night was so peaceful, with a full moon, a breeze, low humidity. And traffic was generally at a minimum.

I felt good along Jefferson and Bull Creek, and just before we got to Hancock, I realized that I had just been feeling great the entire time. And now we were more than halfway done. The short climb on Hancock was no issue, and neither was short one up to 49th St. This whole thing just felt awesome. I was truly on a high by the time I got home.

I don't know that I would have done this kind of run at night by myself, but I may suggest it more often. It's a great alternative to the 5:30 a.m. runs, but so much easier than trying to go out in the horrible peak heat of the day right after work.

Monday, August 23, 2010

2010-08-26T12:49:00.000-05:00

Workout: Road/Trail Run
Course: Paul's neighborhood trail
Distance: 5 miles
Start Time: 6:45 a.m.
Weather: the usual
Nutrition: water

So despite feeling much better lately, I still slept in on Sunday until nearly 11 a.m. (well, till 10 but then I laid in bed listening to This American Life), so I needed to make up a run today. Paul and I decided to do the trail in his neighborhood, and I pulled out my Vibrams just for a change of pace. It felt a little weird to have them on after so long (last run I did with them was Jan/Feb), but not in a bad way. We had about 1/2 mile run on the road to get to the trail that runs behind Paul's house ... it's kind of crushed rock/dirt. And the trail itself runs for about 1.5 miles, so we did out and backs, doing the long side twice.

I guess I'm getting used to all the mileage, because this run went by fast. My legs felt good, although we'll see how my calves feel over the next couple days. Hopefully they'll be fine, but even a surface like this is enough to make them tight when my stride changes.

Nutrition Note

2010-08-26T12:42:00.000-05:00

I meant to add this to one of my other run posts, but instead I'll just add it here. After the fiasco with my health a couple weeks ago, I decided that more needed to be done. So I made an appointment with a new acupuncturist. I was perfectly happy with my old one, but Craig (new guy) also specializes in Ayurveda/Yoga, the use of herbs, and just has an entire holistic medicine practice. I just new I still needed some help, and with all the reading and study I've done on Ayurveda in the past year or so, I thought he might be a good person to treat me and teach me a few things.

We had a very long appointment when I got back to town on the 18th. He did do an acupuncture treatment on me, focusing mostly on my lower legs ... and it was a little bit painful at the time. Not the needles, but the muscular and nerve sensations as the needles found the right channels in my body. I was even achy for a few hours after the treatment. But WOW did I feel better later. This was hands-down the best treatment I've ever had.

We also spent a lot of time talking about my health and various issues. When Craig asked me about what went on with my anemia, I told him about all my symptoms, principally the overwhelming exhaustion I felt. When he asked about my monthly cycle, I told him about my recent headache, but how my primary problem is needing extra sleep and general fatigue ... in other words, exhaustion. Then he asked me about my allergies, and I talked about how my primary symptom is ... exhaustion. We talked about what happens when I get ill, and how usually my only really consistent symptom is ... exhaustion. Anybody else starting to notice a pattern here?

Somehow, even though I know I struggle a lot with being tired, it really never sunk in with me before that exhaustion is really the only thing I consistently struggle with. Because it occurs under all kinds of guises ... my cycle, my allergies, a random virus, anemia, etc, I just never put together that exhaustion is really the thing that needs treating with me. Thankfully this slightly comical Q&A put it into perspective.

So now I have a whole new vitamin regimen, and I have to say, it is definitely making a difference. I am still taking my multivitamin with Iron, and my B-Vitamin liquid supplement. But I am also taking a therapeutic dose of a special iron supplement that's more readily absorbable and doesn't cause me any problems; liquid Vitamin D (about 2.5 times the regular daily dosage); Omega-3 (about 4 times the daily dosage); and Iodine. All told it's two liquid supplements and 14 pills a day. Oh yeah, and a serving a Beetroot powder. Craig even recommended a new electrolyte to take when I'm running, which seems to be working just fine.

It's a lot of vitamins, but he thinks given what happened to me a couple weeks ago, that therapeutic doses are called for to get my levels back to where they need to be. And then in a few months I may be able to back off some. But the truth is I feel great. Even the iron isn't having any of the negative side-effects it can apparently have with some people ... a sign I think of how much I need it. I still would like to make some tweaks to my diet, and I'm not planning to go veggie or vegan again, but Craig does think that this regimen will mean I need to eat less meat, which would be good from a cholesterol/heart standpoint. And given my family history, that's important.

So we'll see how it goes, but so far I am feeling really good, and my running seems to be reflecting it.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

2010-08-26T12:21:00.000-05:00

Workout: Team Rogue Long Run
Course: Out-and-back run ... 4th to Congress around Capitol to MLK, down to SanJacinto ... SanJacinto and Duval to 56th, around to Avenue F, F to 39th, 39th to Ave. B, back up to 46th, over to Guadalupe, Guad to just past Koenig, and then reverse back to Rogue
Distance: 18 miles
Start Time: 5:30 a.m.
Weather: same as it ever was ...
Nutrition: water, Powerade, a few Gu Chomps, electrolytes (2 prior to run, one at every water stop)

Woohooooo! This run was long but it went really, really well. I am so pleased ... especially since I ran much of it by myself. I started out with Paul, but he only planned to run 12 miles, so I knew I would lose him pretty early on. Still, it was nice to have the company while I could get it. I really do love having company on these runs, although it has occurred to me that doing some solo running is also a good idea. When it comes to marathon day, it will be all me ... and I need to be able to deal with that and dig down and not be dependent on other people to distract me from my pain and exhaustion. Thankfully, today was a good day to practice this.

This route is pretty flat, and most of the climbing takes place in the early miles. In some ways this is good ... but in other ways that means boredom can be a challenge, especially when running solo. Paul was great company for the first 6 miles, and those miles went by quite easy. The entire first half of the run went great, in fact. I felt strong, my legs felt good, and the miles just flew by. I did have to make one pit stop ... but I had planned for that. I brought a key to my house, and when we got to 49th Street, I hustled down the block and did my bizness at home. Very nice! It's actually one of the only times I've run down my own street to my house. Usually that's my cooldown treat. :) But this wasn't my cooldown, so I had to run.

Close to Koenig I caught up with some other Team Rogue runners, but they turned around at Koenig. I knew the 9 mile marker was still a little bit down the road, and I really didn't want to cut my run short, so I just decided that my mileage was more important than company, and I kept going. Somewhere along Avenue F heading back up to Duval, I started to feel some road fatigue. This section was pretty long and flat and not especially interesting. But I kept myself occupied by trying to keep my pace easy, but seeing how many runners I could reel in and pass. I don't usually focus on that much, but today it definitely kept me moving!

Along Duval (5 miles and less to go) some of the other Rogue groups that had gone out later starting running past in the other direction, and that definitely perked me up ... at least I was almost done! I kept focusing on maintaining my pace and seeing how many people I could pass. Just after 45th St, I passed a couple people, and a few minutes later, one of the guys caught back up to me. He's also in Team Rogue, and so we chatted for the next mile or so. But after a while I realized that he had been going slower before because of his running partner, and now we were doing a sub-9 minute mile ... way too fast for me to maintain at the end of this long run. So I let him go on ahead a bit ... although I still kept up a pretty good pace. Another girl and I traded places a few times heading into the Mile 16 water stop. And here I also caught back up to the folks I had caught at Koenig and the guy I had just run with. That was a good feeling.

I took a few seconds to refill my water, and then I was gone. Everyone else seemed to be taking the water stop to rest, but I wanted to be done. Once I got the Capitol, it was all downhill. I used the folks behind me to motivate me to keep up my pace ... for some reason this solo run brought out my competitive spirit and I didn't want to get passed! So I kept pushing, and I stayed ahead of all of them. All the way down Congress and then along 4th back to Rogue. I was so happy to be done, and so satisfied that I had done this distance, with no issues and mostly by myself! I hope I can keep up this kind at attitude as we head into our speed work in the coming weeks.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

2010-08-26T11:46:00.000-05:00

Workout: Team Rogue Run
Course: Barton Springs across Mopac Bridge, Lake Austin and Exposition, 35th to Jefferson, Windsor to Lamar, 12th, Rio Grande, 4th, Guadalupe, and Town Lake back to start
Distance: 10 miles
Start Time: 5:30 a.m.
Weather: warm and humid
Nutrition: water and electrolytes

This run went pretty well. I had a work meeting this morning, so I decided to cut my run down to 10 miles to make sure I would make it in time. I can't pass up my stretching or those precious few minutes in the pool after the run so I had to find some time somewhere! Paul and I did part of the run with Amy and Rick, and then split off when we got to Jefferson. Doing just 10 miles made this much easier today. Exposition was the same as always, and the best surprise was when I realized at the corner of 24th and Lamar that I didn't have to climb that hill! I've gotten pretty good at it, and it always feels like an accomplishment when I get to the top, but I was still happy to skip it today.

From there it was mostly downhill back to Town Lake, and for once I ran those miles on the trail not feeling exhausted. Hopefully taking it a bit easy today will leave with some much-needed energy for Saturday's long run.

Monday, August 16, 2010

2010-08-26T11:34:00.000-05:00

Workout: Road Run
Course: Philly Marathon Course ... 30th St. to Market, 34th to Lansdowne through Fairmount Park, MLK out and back ... West River Drive trail to Art Museum ... Kelly Drive trail past City Ave. and back to Art Museum, Spring Garden and 32nd back to 30th St.
Distance: 16 miles
Start Time: 8:15 a.m.
Weather: warm and sunny, probably 80 at start and high 80s by end
Nutrition: water, Gatorade, Salt Sticks

This run was a great chance to check out the Philadelphia marathon course. I'm pretty familiar with the early miles of the course that run through the city, but I really wanted to check out the last miles. Paul and I had originally planned on doing 18 miles, but after a long break from running (even longer for him), it became clear once we headed out that 18 was going to be pushing it.

I can't believe I've gone 11 days without a run. I just got so wiped out, once again. And then this weekend was my Dad's 70th b'day party at my sister's house, and I have to admit, family time took precedence over running. I am not at all sorry about that. I am usually very committed to my training, but this was totally worth the break to catch up with everyone. The past few years I've hardly gotten to see my stepsisters and other nephews/neice other than at Christmas, when everything is just so chaotic. So an extra visit was a luxury I wasn't going to miss.

Anyway, by Monday most everyone had gone home, and I didn't want to pass up the chance to run the course ahead of time. So Paul and I got up early and took the train down to 30th St. Station. This actually worked out really well. 30th St. is huge with lots of facilities. If you haven't been there it's the really lovely train station that's in the movie Trading Places.

So we headed out from there and picked up the course a few blocks away. It was great to run through Drexel University, past the zoo, and up to where we enter Fairmount Park. This was also the only really significant hill we had to climb, which bodes well for the actual race, where we'll hit this around mile 10 or 11. I figured this hill was part of it, but after some of the hills we've done during our training runs with Rogue, it didn't seem bad at all. And then of course, we had the lovely downhill back to West River Dr.

From here we pretty much stay along the river for the rest of the race. So today we headed back to the Art Museum, passing the waterworks and I got to show Paul Boathouse Row from the far side of the river. It's not as cool in the daytime as it is at night, but it's still pretty neat.

Once we got to the museum, we took a short pit stop just before Boathouse Row and got more water. From here we had a looooong out-and-back. And somewhere in here, I started to get tired. I didn't want to say anything because Paul seemed fine and I figured I could tough it out. But thankfully, somewhere after City Ave.m only about a mile from where we'd turn around during the marathon, Paul asked if we could stop. It was comical how relieved we both were to find out we were both exhausted.

The return trip was tough ... it was late morning, it had gotten pretty warm and sunny, and we were beat. We stopped at a convenience store at the Falls Bridge to refuel ... the Gatorade gave me some much needed calories. And then we started running back. After a while the run turned into a run/walk and then just walk by the last couple miles. Not an exceptional run, but I did get out of it what I wanted, which was a nice preview of the course. I look forward to doing it when the weather's cooler, I'm better trained, and I'll have all the other runners and spectators to motivate me toward my goal.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

2010-08-26T11:06:00.000-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 5:45 p.m.

Yes, it's been an entire week since I had any sort of workout. The first few days were a break to celebrate Paul's dissertation defense. A very BIG deal, and one that merited much celebrating ... which came at the expense of running. Not sorry about that at all ... it was a great weekend, complete with a pool party, and anyone who knows me well knows that POOL is one of my favorite things. :)

But by the end of the weekend, things took a sharp downhill turn. Apparently my new vitamin regimen was working well, until I hit THAT time of the month. I won't go into detail, but let's just say that the extra energy I require during that time and the extra vitamins I apparently need threw my poor body into a tailspin ... a three day headache, no energy, constant sleep. I just felt awful. So today was the first day I felt up to doing anything physical, and yoga seemed like the right choice.

This was a good practice. My arms got tired from the sun salutations and vinyasas, but I held me own and got through my entire practice. I even pushed myself a little during Marichyasana B and almost bound! My ankles started to hurt and I'm not here to prove anything, and I don't want to get injured, so I backed off, but it was awesome to see that kind of loosening in my hips and ankles. Despite all the road running, I think the stretching I'm doing afterward is having a positive effect.

I also went ahead and did all my backbends today. My back is usually much looser in the evenings than the mornings, so where I have lower back pain during my a.m. backbend series, I have no such issues when I practice in the evening. It felt great to do all of those, especially the assisted ones where I go all the way back.

Friday, August 6, 2010

2010-08-06T11:30:00.000-05:00

Run aborted ...

I'm only writing this one down because technically I got up, got dressed, and left the house for my run this morning. But about 4 blocks in, I started feeling violently ill, and barely made it home before I got really, really sick to my stomach. Bleah.

I don't think this was about what I ate last night ... although I do think I'm either going to have to start eating tiny dinners or eat much earlier in the evening on the nights before my morning runs. This one I think was nerves ... and not for myself.

So it looks like I'm only getting in four runs this week, which is disappointing. But I did try, and I needed to note that. Sometimes things just go wrong.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

2010-08-06T11:28:00.000-05:00

Workout: Team Rogue Training Run
Course: Barton Springs Pool, over to Mopac Bridge, Lake Austin, Exposition, 35th to Jefferson, 34th, Guadalupe, 38th, Jefferson, Windsor/24th, Speedway, MLK, Lamar, 12th, Rio Grande, 4th, Guadalupe, Town Lake back to Barton Springs
Distance: 14 miles
Start Time: 5:30 a.m.
Weather: hot and humid
Nutrition: water and Salt Sticks

The run itself went well today ... post-run, not so much.

I headed out with Carolyn and ended up running with her and a few others for most of the run. Because she's tapering for her race, the pace was pretty slow, so this run took a lot longer than it has the past couple weeks when I've run with Amy and Rick. But I didn't mind, because easy pace is the point, and I enjoyed myself. Another upside was that at that pace, I really never got tired. Even at the end on Town Lake, I felt as good as I did at any point during the run.

I ran all the hills with no problem ... Exposition, 24th St, MLK, it was all fine for me. I had to make one emergency pit stop at Starbucks at 38th and Guadalupe, but that just allowed to get in one hard interval, as I ran fast all the way down 38th to catch up with the group at the corner of Lamar. Steve had told us we could do a couple fartleks during our runs now ... I don't think this is what he meant, but it worked out well.

My only issues came after the run. I was running late, so I only spent a few minutes in the pool (I couldn't pass it up entirely). And then on the way home, I realized I left me shoes at the pool and had to go all the way back to get them (thankfully they were still there - who wants my wet, stinky running shoes anyway, even if they are pretty new?). By the time I got home, I didn't have time to stretch ... a big no-no. I'll have to make sure to get in a really good session after my next run.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

2010-08-06T11:16:00.000-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 6:40 a.m.

When I got to the studio this morning, I thought maybe I had missed something with the new schedule. There was one person already there, but 2/3 of the way through the practice. And that was it. I have no idea what was up, but Sarah smiled at me, so I figured it was okay to start my practice. Toward the end a couple more people showed up, but mostly it was nearly a private Mysore practice.

I was pleased that my sun salutations weren't too hard today ... they were hard, but not as bad as I'd expected given how sore my arms were after Sunday's practice. In fact, this practice went very much like Sunday's. My back was a little bit tighter since it was first thing in the morning (and I didn't run prior to my practice), but overall I felt good. I'm hopeful that getting back into a regular practice, even if it's just 2-3 times a week, will help me feel better in my running (even though that's been going pretty well), and help me progress in my practice. I'm grateful that I'm not really behind where I was before I had to take a break, but I want to continue to grow in this, and that requires regular attention and practice.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

2010-08-03T10:51:00.000-05:00

Workout: Team Rogue Training Run
Course: From Rogue ... 4th St., Congress, MLK, San Jacinto, Duval to 54th St., and then reverse back to Rogue
Distance: 10 miles
Start Time: 5:30 a.m.
Weather: upper 70s and humid
Nutrition: water and Salt Sticks

I am so surprised by how good I felt today! I was feeling stiff and sore when I woke up - leftover from the some hard workouts this weekend - but all of that faded away as I started to run this morning. Rick and I headed out together, and at first my lower legs were a bit stiff, but that had loosened up by the time we got past the Capitol.

One note: I had talked to Ruth and Steve after Saturday's run about my heel issues and my suspicion that my Nike racing flats were just a bit too minimal for all the mileage I'm starting to run. They both agreed, and Ruth suggested that I consider the Saucony Kinvara, their ultra-minimal performance shoe - but one which still has more support that the Nikes. So I went down to Rogue on Saturday afternoon and tried them ... and I love them! I bought a pair, and this was the second run I've done in them. They are super-lightweight, with a low profile heel and very little cushioning ... just what I like. But the sole is a bit wider and has more support than the Nikes, and it makes all the difference. My feet feel so much more supported, and it really helped my heel pain.

We took the pace fairly easy on the way out. This out-and-back route is pretty flat, but there is some net uphill on the way out, mostly along Congress and then Duval between Double Dave's (water-stop) and 35th Street. And then as I know from the hundreds of times I've run it, from 45th to 49th is a slight uphill grade as well, although I'm so used to that one I don't even notice anymore. By the time we got to the water stop at Duval and 54th (the turn-around point), I was feeling pretty revved up. So without really trying, we picked up the pace on the way back. I originally had 12 miles on my schedule for today, but after the weekend mileage, I decided to just shoot for ten today. I'm glad I did, because that's still some good mileage, and it was great to feel so good on a run.

Things got even faster as we got down toward San Jacinto, but that was because I urgently needed a pit stop and was trying my best to get to Jester before things went terribly wrong. Thankfully, I made it ... this is what I get for eating a bit too much junk yesterday. French fries AND some potato chips AND Lobster Bisque (oh the dairy!) ... not all at the same time, but still. Not exactly a winning day for nutrition.

After the quick detour to Jester, we picked right back up and headed back to the Capitol. As we crossed MLK, a couple of faster runners caught up to us, and we started to chat. When we got to the Capitol a couple blocks later, I realized that I was running nearly their pace in my attempts to keep going with the conversation. Not a good idea. I dialed it back a bit so that we were back at more comfortable pace ... although by this time we were down to the last mile or so, and all downhill along Congress and flat along 4th. So Rick and I just kept running at our slightly faster pace ... it just felt great. I even commented more than once about how surprised I was at how good I felt. We finished strong, and I couldn't be more pleased. This is the way I wish more of my runs felt.

Rick also had a suggestion about sports drink that I may check out. It's called Zip Fizz ... it's similar to Nuun in that it has few calories, but it's loaded with vitamins, electrolytes, and a few other things. I'm not sure yet if I'm going to try it or not. I feel like I need something with calories, but I also wonder if I might get more results from taking something like this without the carbs, to speed up my body's absorption. I really would like to find some of the Luna Pink Grapefruit sport drink, but it appears they don't make it any more. That makes me sad, it was my favorite flavor now that I seem to have officially gotten sick of Accelerade. I need to figure something out for my longer runs. All my old standbys just don't appeal anymore, but I'm going to have to get calories from somewhere. Food for thought ...

Sunday, August 1, 2010 - Part II

2010-08-02T16:43:00.000-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 10 a.m.

This was the other big piece of the training puzzle that fell into place this week ... my return to yoga. I have been craving some yoga for a while now. Even more than running, I think yoga is a key to both my fitness and my sanity. I love to run, and it is a part of who I am. But it's my regular yoga practice over the past several years that finally smoothed some of my rougher edges, calmed my more manic tendencies, and just generally gave me some sense of peace I hadn't had for a long, long time. And that doesn't even begin to cover the physical benefits I get from it, and how the strength and flexibility it imparts benefit my running.

I've begun to notice on my longer runs how bad my back feels when I'm not practicing regularly. And yet I've been struggling to get to class. Sometimes when my life is crazy and I feel out of balance, Ashtanga seems a little too intense for me ... to describe it in Ayurvedic terms, the intensity and heat of Ashtanga can aggravate my Pitta, which is something I have to be careful about since my Pitta nature is already dominant.

But in the past week or so, since I've added in the vitamin supplements and focused on getting more protein, I've been feeling so much better. So I decided that today was the day I got back to my practice.

Before I even started, I had a short chat with Mike about why I hadn't been coming ... my health issues, and my concern about the intensity of the practice. He was great about it, and had some good advice about seeing how the standing series went, and only deciding at that point if I would even try the seated poses today. He also suggested walking back and forward rather than jumping into the vinyasas as a way to make it more gentle. Finally, he suggested that during the seated poses, I try holding them for more than 5 breaths, so that I could settle into the poses a bit more and not have quite so much constant movement.

This all turned out to be excellent advice, and made for a great practice that went far better than I expected.

As is often the case, the sun salutations were the hardest part of the practice. I was drenched and nearly panting by the end. One thing I also did today that really helped though, was that I kept the focus on my breathing, especially on the inhalations. This always makes for a better practice, and today was no exception. Even so, it felt like such a treat when I finally got to the standing series.

This all went pretty well. I was surprised that I haven't really lost any flexibility. If anything, the stretching after my runs has kept my hips more open, and my ankle has been feeling much better, so some poses were actually easier. I managed to balance through Utthita Hasta Padangustasana, which surprised me, although my legs were shaking like crazy during the final balance. And then in Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana, I had no trouble getting my leg into lotus and bending over ... again, the whole hip/ankle thing made this one easier than usual!

At the end of the standing series, I thought about stopping, but I was really enjoying my practice, and I felt good, so I figured I would start the seated poses and just see how things went. I have to say, taking those extra breaths during each pose made all the difference. I could get my heart rate down a bit and keep things a bit calmer. And then my easing myself back into pushup position kept me from expending too much effort during the vinyasas. Eventually, my arms got tired enough that I was even letting my legs hit the floor as I transitioned into upward dog. I also stopped to take an extra breath or two during downward dog. All of that combined really helped to keep the intensity to a manageable level for me.

As a result, I did my entire practice today. I mentioned earlier how my hips were pretty open today, but the biggest surprise was how open my back was. I really expected it to be so much tighter, but I had no problem with moving my shoulders, doing twists ... I don't seem to have lost any flexibility, and my strength was good if not quite where it used to be. I will say that the final backbends were really hard, and I skipped the assisted ones entirely ... just not up to that yet. That final forward bend felt so good though, and even with all the running, my hamstrings have not tightened up appreciably at all.

And of course, that final savasana was just heavenly! Even so, I'm not going to get too ambitious just yet. My goal right now is to get to two classes a week. If I have the time and motivation to fit in a third class, terrific, but I need to be realistic about what I can do, especially as I'm also still just getting my running mileage up to the where it needs to be. Even two classes per week would be a big improvement, and I think give me enough of the physical, mental, and spiritual benefits I need right now. Plus I just miss it. I am going to continue to do what I need to do to manage the intensity of my practice. If I feel great and like I can push myself, that's fine. But I feel so much better knowing that I have the tools to dial it down a bit in the event a need a kinder, gentler practice. :)

This was a great way to finish off a really successful training week ... not to mention a terrific way to start the new month. I can only hope the rest of August goes so well.

Sunday, August 1, 2010 - Part I

2010-08-02T16:12:00.000-05:00

Workout: Road Run
Course: Start at Mopac Bridge ... Stratford, Redbud, Lake Austin, Scenic, Pecos, 35th, Exposition, Lake Austin back to Town Lake
Distance: 8 miles
Start Time: 7:30 a.m.
Weather: warm and humid
Nutrition: water and Clif Shot

Perhaps this route was not the wisest choice after 18+ miles of hard hills yesterday ...

I had a great time on today's run, but my legs were just completely dead on the big hills. Right from the start ... and on Stratford you begin to climb right from the start ... I found myself having to walk up the longer and steeper section of hills. I had no gas in the tank, and thus no air in my lungs. Paul and Henry were very sweet about waiting for me ... I know I held them back quite a bit.

I had forgotten just how hilly Stratford is. Even some climbs that weren't that bad had my legs just collapsing and my breathing labored. I joked that I finally understood what all those Austin Marathon runners meant when they complained about the "big hill on 49th St." It's amazing how when you are that tired, even the smallest incline looks like a mountain.

Thankfully, I knew I just had to run easy and get my miles in, plus it was a beautiful morning and I was still feeling the high of getting through yesterday's run. So even though I was exhausted, it wasn't hard to keep myself going. I definitely walked some significant portions of the bigger hills along Stratford, Redbud, Scenic, and 35th. But I ran a lot more than I walked, and once I got to Exposition, somehow everything just sort of came together. I had to make a pit stop at the first Randall's - both for the pit stop and to get more water - and after that I managed to run in the rest of the way, even the hills. Once the hills smoothed out a bit (and I hope I never complain about Exposition because after some of the other hills I climbed this weekend, Exposition was a real treat!), I didn't have any problem running. Apparently, my issue was only with the bigger climbs.

Even so, I was happy when we hit Lake Austin and then finished up at Town Lake. This run was the culmination of a big running week for me (as my most recent posts describe in greater detail), and it felt really good to get it done and feel like I am getting back on track with my training.

July Wrap-Up

2010-07-31T14:00:00.000-05:00

Total Mileage: 161.4 miles
Average Run Distance: 10 miles
Yoga Classes: 1 :-(

This was quite a month! Excluding Cactus Rose, this was my highest mileage month in over two years. Even better, my average run distance is up 3 miles per run over last month. So not only am I starting to improve my frequency, my distance is taking off as well.

And that's even after having a tough start to the month. Struggling with exhaustion (which turned out to be anemia) really put a damper on increasing my mileage. Technically, I should be close to 60 miles per week by now. This is week 8 of training, and after tomorrow I will have run over 52 miles this week, so I'm getting close to where I need to be. But until this week, I hadn't even hit 40 miles yet. I've had a couple weeks that came close, but I would just get so exhausted, I couldn't quite clear that 40 mile hurdle. So getting past 50 feels pretty fantastic. I'm going to have to be careful not to do too much, but since the distance per run hasn't a problem for me, just getting in all 5 of my runs each week, I'm hopeful that I can stick to my schedule without a problem.

My body seems to be adjusting well to the road. The issues I had been having with my outer hip/thigh area seem to have mostly gone away. I'm struggling with a little bit of heel pain, but I think some different shoes will take care of that.

The biggest change has of course been getting my nutrition back on track. Getting the anemia diagnosis was so helpful, and the supplements have already made a huge difference. I really feel like myself again for the first time in a long time.

Next up ... adding some yoga back into the routine. I was just too tired this month to handle the intensity of Ashtanga, but I've paid for it with tight calves and added tension/fatigue in the upper body. I have to start getting back to my practice and I'm shooting for just twice a week for now. Anything more would be overly ambitious I think. I had high hopes for a while there, but right now if I can get in my five runs each week (which will continue to be in the 60 mile per week range) and two Ashtanga classes on top of that, I will be more than satisfied.

All in all, I went into July doing pretty well but quickly succumbing to fatigue, so I'm really happy to be ending the month on such a positive note. Here's hoping that August will bring continued success!

Saturday, July 31, 2010

2010-07-31T13:38:00.000-05:00

Workout: Rogue Long Run
Course: Run From Hell (not my title) ... including Northcross, Shoal Creek, Mesa, Mountainclimb, Knollwood, Mount Bonnell, Cat Mountain, Far West, Ladera Norte, Valburn, Greystone, more Far West, Mesa, etc., Adirondack, Hyridge, more Mesa and Greystone, Far West, Shoal Creek
Distance: 18.5 miles
Start Time: 5:30 a.m.
Weather: upper 70's to low 80's, humid, clear and sunny once the sun came up, nice breezes
Nutrition: water, Powerade, ShotBlocks (1 pack), GuChomps (1/2 pack), Salt Sticks (7-8)

I loved this run! It was soooo hard but soooo awesome!

It also capped off a few milestones for me ... Longest single run since January 17th ... first 50+ mile week (that didn't include a race) since June of 2008 ... highest mileage month (excluding Cactus Rose) since May 2008. Let me tell you ... it feels great.

I was looking forward to this run. I knew it would be hard and my longest run in months, but I've run these hills plenty of times, so I knew what to expect. And I knew I didn't have to worry about my pace, so that took a lot of the pressure off.

Before we even got started I hooked up with Carolyn (who is in the last few weeks of her Leadville training), Holly (her pacer), Jen, and Tracy (? - ugh I think that's right, and I hate that I'm blanking on names here, we ran several miles together but my brain is just not functioning). I knew their pace would be pretty reasonable, and since I wasn't interested in speed, I really decided to focus on the company.

As a result the first several miles flew by. It was dark out, and we didn't hit any major hills right away. It was interesting to do the route in this direction ... we hit most of the hills I used to do at the end of our 10 mile loop starting at Lakewood, and in the opposite direction. So it was down Mountainclimb, up Cat Mountain, etc. We walked occasionally on the steeper sections (well, I walked but my power walk is still as fast as most people's slow jog). After an hour or so, Tracy split off to go home (she and I had moved ahead by ourselves a bit), and I hooked back up with the girls as we headed over toward Far West. And then I couldn't help myself ... I had to bomb Far West. Jen decided to match me stride for stride, and we passed a bunch of folks as we ran totally out of control to the bottom ... so FUN!

We took it considerably easier up Ladera, and at the top Bobby was there with an unofficial aid station complete with ice and orange slices ... sweet! The only problem with my downhill bomb was that it aggravated my heel issue ... there are some new shoes in my future today. I talked to Steve and Ruth after the run, and they both agreed I probably just need a bit more cushioning for these longer distances. Fortunately, it hurt but not enough to stop me.

After the real water stop at Valburn/Greystone, Jen and I took off together, and stuck with each other through mile 16, where she went to finish her 20 and I stuck with my 18. I know I say this after every run, but I just love the folks in Team Rogue. I feel like I'm making new friends every week, and they are just so great ... and more often than not already friends with other people I know, as the Austin running community is large but still a small world. Today was a perfect case-in-point.

Somewhere around mile 14-15, I started to get tired. I had originally considered doing 20 with Jen, just to have the company, but it became clear around this time that I was pretty worn out and that 18+ was going to be plenty of mileage for the day ... especially on a course as tough as this one. So when we got the Far West/Hart, I split off on my own for the last couple miles. I pretty soon caught up with Maria, who was struggling a bit with some cramping, and seemed grateful to have company. She'd been injured and out of commission for almost two months ... so getting in 18 was pretty amazing. I was in no hurry, so we talked each other through the last couple miles.

Getting back to Northcross felt like a big victory. This was some big distance for me, capping off my biggest week in a long time, and it went pretty well. Even better, I had a great time. I've got more big miles to look forward to in the next few months, but this week is the first time in a long time that I feel like I am really where I need to be and on the right track. And that feels awfully good.

Friday, July 30, 2010

2010-07-30T10:29:00.000-05:00

Workout: Road Run + strides
Course: Duval, 51st, Guadalupe, Central Park Trail loop, the winding through neighborhood from 38th and Guad back to 49th and Duval
Distance: 4.3 miles + strides
Start Time: 6:55 a.m.
Weather: mid 70s, humid
Nutrition: water

Nothing special about today's run, although I did enjoy it. Just an easy-paced run around the neighborhood. At some points early on I felt a little sluggish ... likely due to the fantastic massage I had last night that left me all noodley. :) But by the mid point I was warmed up and felt great.

The best part? The strides at the end. I did 5 of them, and the last two I really sort of discovered a kick I didn't know I had. It made me feel like I was being propelled forward effortlessly, and really seemed to ramp up my speed. So fun!!!!

Thursday, July 29, 2010

2010-07-29T16:45:00.000-05:00

Workout: Team Rogue Training Run
Course: La Turista ... Barton Springs loop around Zilker & Columbus Rds, Stratford to Mopac Bridge, Armstrong Bike Lane to Lamar, 6th, Guadalupe, 12th, San Antonio, all around and through Campus, Duval, 31st, Speedway, back through campus, Congress, 6th, Trinity, Town Lake, Stratford, back to Barton Springs
Distance: 14 miles
Start Time: 5:30 a.m.
Duration: 2hrs, 19 min
Weather: not so hot (mid 70s) but really, really humid
Nutrition: water, Salt Sticks, Gu Chomps (2/3 pack)

I loved today's run! I think mostly because of the company. Today I had both Amy and Rick with me from the very start, and it just made the whole thing so enjoyable. It wasn't quite as warm today ... but every bit as humid. Not only were my shirt and shorts drenched, but somewhere in the last few miles I realized my shoes were feeling squishy from all the sweat that had made its way down my body and saturated even my feet. Ick.

This was a crazy run that wound past a whole bunch of Austin landmarks ... similar to our Moon Tower run from a few weeks ago. These runs definitely require reading the map, but it's fun and keeps things interesting.

We kept the pace easy, and I think did a great job of pushing each other to keep going but not pushing the pace beyond what was comfortable. Amy even asked me at one point if we were going too fast, because I was a breathing a bit heavy today ... just allergies, and I was fine, but really nice of her to check in like that.

Amy has so much experience, Rick and I just asked her all kinds of questions about how she prepares and recovers from her races, how she races, that sort of thing. And I am really, really serious about working hard on this whole easy-pace thing. I've been pretty good about it, but after hearing about how Amy ran 3:28 at her last Boston Marathon (wow!) and how much she attributes that to running her easy runs very, very easy ... well, I'm sold. So much so that I from now on you will no longer see the duration stat on my runs. That's right, I am going sans montre (without watch), ideally through the rest of my base building phase, but maybe even throughout the rest of this program. A bit of an experiment to be sure, but so is racing my first marathon, and it feels like the right thing to do. Especially since Saturday's long run is going to be a doozy ... 18 miles on some serious hills (more on that after I actually get through it).

Back to this run ... I am going through a ton of water these days. At one point we refilled at Jester, then returned to Jester about 2.5 miles later ... and I had nearly drained my bottle. I didn't run out at all, thank goodness, but at our last water stop at Auditorium Shores, I went ahead and drank about 1/4 of my bottle and refilled it again before we took off. I was worried I'd make myself sick to my stomach (and I did a little bit) but I was SO thirsty. Not dehydrated though, thank goodness.

My legs felt really good through most of this run. I got a bit tired in the last few miles, especially along Town Lake ... I really think that's as much mental as anything else. One nice note ... after the run and getting a nice dip in the pool, I really didn't feel as stiff as I often do after these runs. I was tired, but no old lady walk for me.

Runs like these are the reason I signed up for Team Rogue, and a great example of why I'm so happy with this program. Great routes, great support, great people.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

2010-07-29T16:26:00.000-05:00

Workout: Road Run
Course: From home ... Caswell, 38th, Cherrywood, trail around Mueller, Berkman, Simond, Aldrich, Cherrywood, 38th, Caswell, home
Distance: 7.25 miles
Start Time: 5:30 p.m.
Duration: 1hr, 10min
Weather: hot
Nutrition: water and Zico, Salt Sticks, Gu Chomps (1/3 pack)

I didn't manage to get up for my Team Rogue run this morning, so I had to head out when I got home this evening. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to get in my scheduled 12 miler, but right now I'm just hoping I can get myself back on a 5-times-per-week running schedule. If I don't hit the mileage goals exactly, I can live with that, but I really need to get my frequency where it needs to be.

This run went pretty well. My lower legs felt stiff and tight, but nothing really hurt, and it all loosened up about halfway into the run. The route helped keep it interesting ... this is only the second time I've run around Mueller and it was a nice change from my normal route around Hyde Park. I need to remember to head over here more often.

It was definitely pretty hot, but the lack of humidity late in the day has made these last couple evening runs easier than I expected. I think I'm still expecting my runs to feel like they did last summer, when it was a good 10 degrees warmer out and so I dread them in advance, when in reality it's not so bad. I still like mornings better ... it's nice to have the company - and even more importantly, the water stops. But since some days I just can't make it out of bed at 4:45, this is a good alternative.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

2010-07-26T12:19:00.000-05:00

Workout: Road Run
Course: 51st, North Loop, Grover, Woodrow, North Loop, 51st
Distance: 7 miles
Start Time: 3:50 p.m.
Duration: 1hr, 5 min
Weather: hot but not quite so humid, alternating sun with period of clouds and wind
Nutrition: water and Luna sport drink, 3 Salt Sticks

Today was a better day. I didn't quite get in the 8.5 miles I was hoping for, but not because I didn't feel up to it. No, this run got cut a little short by the incessant thunder and lightning that started midway through my run and only continued to get ever closer as I headed toward home.

I had no idea how I would feel after the awfulness that was last night's run. Thankfully, I guess cutting it short was the right thing to do, because I felt pretty good today. I kept my pace pretty easy (although I still averaged well under 9:30 pace for the run), and I ran strong even though it was pretty hot going out in the middle of the day. I started out along 51st, then cut over to North Loop and then Grover. I figured I'd do that section of the long run Paul and I did last week, heading all the way up Grover until it ends at Woodrow, and then come all the way back down Woodrow. It's not the most exciting route, but it kept me moving pretty well.

My legs felt good, no cramping today ... I just was in a better place physically. And having just gotten off a Skype video chat with my sister and nephews before my run, wherein we spent 45 minutes telling stories, making faces, and playing with funny voices and accents, I was in a really good mood. I also had a great celebration dinner with Paul to look forward to after the run ... lots of good things to keep me going today.

Coming back down Woodrow, the sky started spitting down a handful of giant raindrops. I honestly wasn't sure at first if it was rain or maybe a bird ... but then the wind picked up and the thunder and lightning started. I wasn't anxious to get caught in some horrible storm (and nothing ever really came of it as it turned out), and as I got closer to North Loop on Woodrow, the thunder and lightning got closer and more frequent.

So when I hit North Loop, instead of continuing on to 49th and Sinclair, I turned onto North Loop and headed for home. So I didn't quite get my 40 miles this week. But I think I made the right decision ... the weather was just kind of scary and unpredictable. And I got in nearly 40 miles, which makes this one of my higher mileage weeks. And overall, I'm feeling a lot better. Even my tiredness on Saturday night was not the same kind of tired I've been feeling the past few months. I think it was more a product of my last two runs before the race.

I'm looking forward to the coming week ... trying to stay on schedule, get in some yoga, and see if I can come close to my mileage goals.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

2010-07-26T12:04:00.000-05:00

Workout: Inks Lake 30K Trail Race (DNF)
Course: 10K Loop at Inks Lake
Distance: 12.5 miles (two loop of the course)
Start Time: 7 p.m.
Duration: 2hrs, 40 min
Weather: warm but not too humid, and nice breeze at lots of points along the course
Nutrition: water, Accelerade (2), Sharkies (1 pack), (6 or 7 Salt Sticks)

Well this just sucked. I need to remember the next time I think about doing this race that while Inks Lake is very pretty, I have NEVER enjoyed a run out here. Tonight was no exception.

I was tired all day before the race ... I just wanted a nap and I wasn't looking forward to the race at all. Once Paul and I got there, I tried to perk up and was happy to visit with friends, and decided to approach the run with a positive attitude. It didn't last long.

And the thing is, I really tried. I didn't want to hate this run. But my body just felt weighed down, I cramped almost from the start (back, abs, and quads), and I just felt tired. The early section of jeep-road-like trail I could almost get a rhythm going and start to settle in a bit, but then the second half of the course was lots of rocks ... very pretty but it just made me tired. I'd say the problem was about 60% physical and 40% mental. I definitely felt bad, but I also didn't have the mental energy or determination to suck it up and push myself through all the yuckiness. This was just supposed to be a training run, and I didn't feel like going through 4+ hours of hell just so I could say I finished ... I honestly didn't care.

I finished the first loop right around where I expected, in about 75 minutes ... fine for an easy pace run. But I was in a crappy mood and felt awful. I really had no intention of going back out. But I didn't actually drop at this point. Shannon came over to check me out, made me take more salt, talked me through what I was feeling. I chatted with Henry a bit, mostly just me complaining. And then about 15 minutes in, out of nowhere I just decided to go back out. I just instantly knew that I would be mad at myself if I only ran 10K today. If I did one more loop that would least put me at 40 miles for the week, and give me a good 2.5+ hour run ... enough that I would feel like I had done what I needed to do.

Shannon refilled my bottle, I grabbed some Sharkies, and after a nice 20 minute break I grudgingly headed back out onto the course. The second loop was much like the first. I felt about the same, so I guess that was good news ... at least I didn't feel worse. And I had two things to make me feel better ... the first was the gorgeous full moon rising in the sky as the sun set. I was totally worth going back out just to see that. The second was that every time I thought about how much I hated this run, I could console myself with the thought that this was my last loop. Pathetic, but there you have it.

Unfortunately, I also had the misfortune of running out of water on this loop. I was a good 15 minutes from the finish line when I drained the last bit from my bottle ... and this was after conserving what water I had for quite while. I tell you, I was so happy to see that finish line. I was barely across it when I told Kyle I was dropping. Several people tried to convince me to keep going ... John Sharp even offered to go back out with me. But I wasn't having any of it. I can't really explain it, and I'm not exactly proud of it, but today I just did not want to run (physically and mentally). In some ways this run was a failure ... I didn't finish after all. But considering that I wanted to quit practically from my first steps, getting even 12.5 miles feels like a bit of a victory. Not much of one, but I'm happy I was able to at least push myself that far.

Friday, July 23, 2010

2010-07-26T11:45:00.000-05:00

Workout: Road Run
Course: Hyde Park Loop ... North Loop, Shoal Creek, 45th, Duval
Distance: 5 miles
Start Time: 6:30 a.m.
Duration: 50 minutes (maybe a little less, wasn't really paying attention)
Weather: Warm and humid
Nutrition: water

Oh the ~~humanity~~ humidity!

Seriously, this run was just a sweatfest. I was already covered in sweat less than a block after I turned onto 53rd/North Loop! This was also just a get-it-done run. It faded from memory so quickly it took me a while to even remember the route for this post. I felt fine ... not great, not bad. Ran a comfortable pace and the miles just passed by easily.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

2010-07-22T16:53:00.000-05:00

Workout: Team Rogue Training Run
Course: Barton Hills for Breakfast - the extended version ... Barton Hills, Barton Skyway, Bluebonnet, Cinnamon Path, Thornton, Oltorf, 5th, Cumberland, 1st, Live Oak, Travis Heights, Riverside, Town Lake, Lavaca, 10th, Rio Grande, 4th, Guadalupe, Town Lake to Mopac, Stratford to Barton Springs
Distance: 14 miles
Start Time: 5:30 a.m.
Duration: 2hrs, 21min (including stops)
Weather: same old - same old (hot and humid)
Nutrition: water, Zico, 3 Salt Sticks

Booyah! Take THAT, anemia!

I know that technically I couldn't possibly be better yet, but I have to say, I think the vitamins I've been taking for the past few days are already making at least a small difference ... and after the past few months, even a small difference feels just amazing.

Don't get me wrong, when my alarm went off at 4:45 this morning, I did NOT want to get out of bed. But I really need to start getting my mileage back on track, so no time like the present. I filled my bottle with 1/2 Zico, 1/2 water - figured the electrolytes couldn't hurt (which was good since I forgot to take my Salt Stick prior to the run), and headed down to Barton Springs.

I was one of the last ones to head out this morning, but even running easy, I passed a whole bunch of people in the first 1/2 mile of the run. I worried that I might be running too fast, but honestly, I felt fantastic. And I can't remember the last time I felt fantastic. I've had good days and bad days, but a fantastic day? Can't even remember what that feels like. So I decided to just go with it.

Somewhere along Barton Hills, I caught up with Amy, who I had just met before the run started when she gave me an extra Ziploc bag to hold my map. The route was similar to the one we did a few weeks ago through this neighborhood, but with an extra four miles today. When I caught up to Amy, her pace seemed like a good one for me, so I settled in next to her and we did the rest of the run together.

As a side note, this has become one of my favorite things about Team Rogue ... the really great people I have met just by spontaneously doing our runs together. I don't mind running alone, but making friends on these runs is just such a wonderful side benefit of my training! Turns out Amy is a coach for Rogue (and was my friend Leah's Ironman coach), and I really enjoyed our conversation throughout the run, punctuated by periods of silence where we drew on each other's energy but let the miles go by in peace. We both agreed that we really liked these kinds of runs ... where you have company and someone to talk to, but you don't feel the need to talk the whole time.

That fantastic feeling I started with persisted for the entire first half of the run. As the miles wore on, I definitely got more tired, and we were both dragging the last couple of miles. Even so, I still ran really well. I didn't seem to need as much water today. I still drained my bottle between water stops, but overall I didn't feel as thirsty as I have on some of my other runs lately. This might be because I took a little less salt today ... one Salt Stick at each water stop instead of two. I think this might be a better dose for me, so I'm going to try that from now on.

I do think I need to start bringing gels or some food on my runs, or at least eating something before the run starts. I think that's part of the reason why my energy is flagging on most of my runs right around the time I hit the 2 hour mark.

One more thing ... again I attribute this to the extra iron and B vitamins I've gotten this week. No pit stops on today's run! My stomach was fine throughout. Such a relief after the way things have gone lately. I don't know if today was a fluke or not, and I definitely feel a bit tired and stiff after the run. But I feel tired in the "I ran far this morning" kind of way, not in the "OMG I am just so exhausted I can't function" sort of way. And this way feels a whole lot better.

Finally ... Some Answers

2010-07-21T14:29:00.000-05:00

Once again I missed several runs this week and made it to yoga exactly never ... because I was just too exhausted to get out of bed. The past few months have just been a constant battle with stress and exhaustion. The exhaustion I can trace back to its beginnings in early March. It's gotten better periodically, but really never gone away. And the stress that began back at the end of May has just made the last two months really, really difficult.

I am so out of balance. One day I'll feel fine, but then the next I'll be exhausted again, and the day after that. And then after days of sleeping (one night I actually went to bed at 7 p.m. and slept till 8 the next morning - on a Wednesday!), I'll feel great again for a day or so, and it just cycles like this continuously. Some days I feel like I just cannot cope. Seriously, almost everything about me is out of balance ... my concentration, my emotions, my appetite, my digestion, my energy levels, my sleep cycles (and this one really makes me mad because as I have said many time, I am usually a champion sleeper).

I tried giving up the vegetarian thing, and it helped a little bit, but not enough. So Monday I finally went to the doctor. Let me just say here how much I love Dr. McCarty. She is so fantastic, and it made me feel so much better to have someone take me seriously and let me know that something is definitely wrong. I have a tendency to just suck it up and feel like I shouldn't have these issues - like it's some personal flaw and I should just be tougher. But after we went through a long description of all the issues I've been having ... having it laid out like that made me realize just how bad things have been. So I had them take blood to run a full workup, which ended up being the smartest decision I have made in quite a while.

As it turns out, I'm anemic.

Both my iron and B-12 levels are extremely low. And when I look at the symptoms of anemia, it pretty much explains everything that's been going on with me. So I consider this really good news. I'm not happy that I'm anemic (it's borderline, so it's not that bad), but iron-deficient and B12-deficient anemia are really easy to correct. I have to start taking a multivitamin with iron and then a B vitamin supplement on top of that. She doesn't think I need a separate iron supplement at this point. There's also good news in that all my other levels (like Vitamin D) are just fine. We'll give this new regimen 3 or 4 months, and then do some additional blood tests to make sure things are where they need to be.

And I will definitely NOT be worrying about limiting my meat consumption anymore. Apparently, all those read meat cravings I have are trying to tell me something. I still want to be careful with my diet ... so I need to cut out a bunch of junk that isn't serving me. But meat and fish are here to stay. And hopefully if I can start getting all the vitamins I need, I will stop feeling like I need to eat all the time.

Hopefully this will also help me get my training back on track. The supplements won't fix things overnight, but if I can start getting what I need nutritionally, and start getting myself on a more regular schedule (my sleep patterns need some adjustment regardless of what's going on with my vitamin deficiencies), then hopefully over the next few weeks things will start to improve, and I can get where I need to be before we jump into speed work. I really want to get back to running 5 days a week, and start getting in 2-3 yoga classes as well. I'm going to have to really watch my diet to make sure I stay healthy enough. But now that I know what to watch out for, I'm hopeful that I can do the right things nutritionally, and start, finally, feeling more like myself again.

Friday, June 16, 2010

2010-07-21T13:55:00.001-05:00

Workout: Long Run
Course: Crestview Loop ... including Duval, North Loop, Grover, Woodrow, 49th, Sinclair, Shoal Creek, 34th, Rio Grande, Congress, 4th, Comal, Lafayette, 38th
Distance: 16 miles
Start Time: 5:45 a.m.
Duration: 2 hrs, 46 min (including stops)
Weather: The Usual ... warm and ungodly humid
Nutrition: Water, Zico, Accel Gels (2), Salt Sticks (6)

I was utterly beat by the end of this run, but it went pretty well overall. Thank goodness Paul and I did this together though ... 16 miles on the road by myself would have been tough. This is the run the rest of our group would do on Saturday, but I had to go to McDonald Observatory for a meeting, so Saturday was out for me. And today just seemed more appealing than Sunday (and ended up working out really well). Of course, the only issue with running today was that I was supposed to run 12 miles yesterday. Steve said it was fine as long as I ran easy. But then yesterday I once again felt too crappy to get out of bed, so I missed the run completely. It made today's miles easier, but I really need to figure out what's going on with me. I'm not having trouble with the distance of my runs, but I am having trouble mustering the energy to run 5 days a week. And yoga has pretty much gone out the window ... just not enough energy to get in all my workouts. I'm struggling, and I really hate it.

Fortunately, Paul and I got an early start this morning, heading out before 6 a.m. We had already dropped water near Shoal Creek (at the 6 mile mark), and we'd be able to get more at Rogue (11.5 miles in). These group training runs have me spoiled with water stops ... now when I have to run on my own I have to remind myself to drop water. It used to be part of my routine, but now I'm having to remind myself that one bottle only lasts me about 1/2 hour in this heat and humidity. Is there an animal that's the opposite of a camel? Because that would be me. I swear I drink 3 times what Paul goes through in the same amount of time.

Anyway, the beauty of the route for this long run is that it went right up Duval. So rather than start at Rogue, we could start from my house and do the exact prescribed route, just in a different order. It worked out perfectly. It wasn't the most exciting route to start out ... North Loop, then all the way up Grover to the end and back down Woodrow to 49th ... that was the first 6 miles. But I felt really good this morning, so that made it much more enjoyable. Things were pretty uneventful until we got back to 49th St. I had dropped water prior to the run in some bushes, and it was perfect timing to refuel. I also needed a pit stop (I am so tired of this as well happening on all my runs lately), so the bushes came in handy ... it helped that it was still before 7 a.m. so no one was around on the side streets.

After refueling, we headed down Sinclair and started winding our way over to Rio Grande, then Congress and around the Capitol. I was still feeling pretty good, but getting more tired. This section is largely downhill though, so the effort level was easier. We still had the net uphill grade to deal with in the last few miles though.

We hit Rogue just before 8 a.m. and things were pretty steamy. This next section was tougher ... not really tough running, but somewhere around mile 13, I just started to feel really tired. This is when I was so glad that Paul was with me. And apparently he felt the same way ... we really helped each other through without even knowing it. It was weird to run this section during daylight. Since we usually start at Rogue, we cover these miles a lot, but almost always in the dark as they're the first miles we run. The nice thing is having run them so often, it's pretty easy mentally to get through them. If I do them all the time, I can do them today.

The whole run went by pretty quickly, considering we were out there for over 2.5 hours. This time I didn't stop my watch when we stopped for water, and the time was still not bad. We definitely averaged under 10 minute miles. I know it's not supposed to matter, and on hot, muggy runs like these, I have to be grateful just to get done, but still ... anything over 10 minutes feels really slow to me. So as long as I can keep it under 10 for now, I feel pretty good.

I was pretty stiff stretching afterward, although not as tight as I expected to be, so that was nice. I ended up wearing my compression socks for the rest of the day, partly for recovery but also because I was flying to El Paso. They really, really helped this time.

This was also the longest distance I've done since I paced Paul at Nueces (over 4 months ago). It really feels good to be getting my base back up to where it used to be. Now I just need my stamina to get up there as well.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

2010-07-14T16:33:00.000-05:00

Workout: Road Run
Course: Tour of Texas (Paul's Neighborhood Route)
Distance: 4 miles + strides
Start Time: 6:30 a.m.
Duration: 39 minutes
Weather: warm and humid
Nutrition: water

Ugh ... I was just exhausted this morning. Thank goodness this was a short run. I ran fine and had no problem with the strides afterward, but I just felt wiped out. I told Paul that it was days like today when I wonder how I ever ran 10 miles, let alone 50 or 100. My stomach didn't help matters. I was really sick before we left for the run, and got sick again as soon as we got back. And I almost threw up right when we started the run. So all in all, not a great morning for me. It was nice to check out Paul's neighborhood route. He's created a nice windy route that runs through a bunch of his neighborhood streets (with Texas names like Kerrville Folkway, Shiner, Amarillo, etc - hence the name of the run). It's mostly flat with a few little uphill and downhill grades. Thankfully it's pretty easy - don't think I would have been up for much more today.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

2010-07-13T16:15:00.000-05:00

Workout: Team Rogue Training Run
Course: Party at the Moon Tower! Okay, this is my name for it, but this windy, crazy route took us by every moon tower north of the river. Nice!
Distance: 11.6 miles (I had some bonus mileage)
Start Time: 5:30 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour, 54 minutes
Weather: once again, warm and HUMID
Nutrition: water, Salt Sticks (6)

Is there an animal that's the opposite of a camel? Because that's what I am. I went through nearly 80 ounces of water on my run today.

This was a crazy route today, passing by all the moon towers north of the river ... so much fun, but it required really using the map because there were all kinds of turns, especially in the first 5 miles. I kept my pace easy, and just enjoyed the route, and the fact that I felt MUCH better today. I was still kind of sore and tight from my weekend runs and yoga, but that all loosened right up when I started running (except for my left heel which has been bothering me consistently lately - mostly when I'm not running. I know it's from tight calves, but I can't seem to make it go away). I found myself running on my own pretty early on, and just focused on the map. I did pick up Robert at one point (we run near each other frequently), and we navigated the streets running near each other but not quite together for a couple miles.

But as we got toward 38th Street, I realized I was going to have to make a pit-stop. After trying a couple of gas stations (unsuccessfully), I ran into the Coffee Bean at Hancock (thank goodness we were running in my 'hood so I knew where to go!). I should also have refilled my bottle while I was in there, because once I got to 42nd and Speedway, I realized that I was almost out of water. I had gotten my first refill about 40 minutes into the run, and now it was only 20 minutes later and I was almost out ... WTF??? I know I was sweating buckets from the humidity, but sheesh!

I tried to conserve what water I had and just kept following the route. Finally, at 29th and Guadalupe, I ran into the Chevron, and the guy working there let me fill up my bottle from the sink. Whew! From there I headed along 29th, and realized I needed to take more salt. I only mention this because while getting out my Salt Sticks I completely missed the turn onto Rio Grande, and didn't notice until I got all the way down to Fino. Oops ... oh well, bonus miles for me. I headed down San Gabriel instead, and just wound my way back over until I got back on the right route.

Down Rio Grande, and near 15th I found Steve with the water. Good, because once again I had nearly drained my bottle. Thirsty girl! It also gave me the chance to talk to Steve about my plans to move my long run to Friday this week. I have to go out of town for work and can't run on Saturday, and really wanted to do my long run on Friday instead of Sunday. But that means I will be running 12 miles on Thursday and 16 Friday, which is a lot. Fortunately, Steve said it's fine as long as I'm easy about it. And it turns out that since I did almost 12 today, I think I will take his advice and do closer to 10 on Thursday, to make it easier.

Anyway, back to the run ... turned at 13th up to the Capitol and through, then down Trinity all the way back to 4th and then to Rogue. I was really glad when I got home and realized how far I'd run, because I couldn't believe how long it took me! But I'm not complaining, because I felt good today ... and I needed that. My legs felt strong, my breathing was good. I was drenched for most of the run, and clearly in need of much hydration, but I handled it all, and was really pleased with the run.

Monday, July 12, 2010

2010-07-13T15:55:00.000-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 6:30 a.m.
Duration: 70 minutes

Finally, back to Ashtanga! I can feel in my back and the rest of my body that I have been woefully neglectful of my yoga practice. Time to fix that.

This was my first visit to the new studio, and I like it! It's also much faster to get home afterwards, and I like that very much.

I tried to focus this morning on my breathing, and focus on my form but also on being somewhat gentle with myself. I have been so stressed out lately, and with all the running I've been doing, I sometimes feel like Ashtanga might be too much right now. So I may not try to get to 4 classes a week, and maybe try just 2 or 3. I need it, but I also need to take care of myself and not push TOO hard.

And yet, even after being so absent from my practice, I am consistently amazed at how much I can do. I remember when I couldn't even get all the way through the Sun Salutations without having to rest my legs on the ground. And now I can get through that plus all the vinyasas and still maintain my form. Some of that is attention to correct form, which helps manage my energy. But some of it is just gains in strength, which I love. I wasn't super loose today, but not particularly tight either. My balance was good too.

My lower back felt pretty tight (and was bothering a little bit during yesterday's run), but I still managed to do all my backbends at the end and still got into full sandwich during the forward bend afterward. :) And my back has felt MUCH better ever since.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

2010-07-13T15:47:00.000-05:00

Workout: Road Run
Course: Hyde Park and Shoal Creek Loop ... 51st, 49th, Shoal Creek, wind through Rosedale, 38th, Duval
Distance: 6.3 miles
Start Time: 7:45 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour
Weather: same as yesterday, warm and really, really humid
Nutrition: water, Salt Sticks

Today's run went better than yesterday's, but I was definitely still tired and feeling the effects. Paul and I ran together today, and I made an effort to run a little bit harder to not slow him down as much (thankfully he was tired from yesterday too). But somehow, that didn't translate to my running any faster, since it still took an hour to run fewer than 6.5 miles. Oh well, easy pace right?

We did my normal neighborhood loop, which somehow I still haven't gotten tired of. I do vary the streets I run through Rosedale a bit, just depending on my whim, but still, I just enjoy this loop.

Not much to report here ... we got it done, and it does feel good to be on the upswing and back in my routine.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

2010-07-13T15:40:00.001-05:00

Workout: Long Run
Course: Out-and-back Rogue to Town Lake (I-35 to Mopac), Lake Austin, Expedition, 35th to Pecos, and return
Distance: 14.4 miles
Start Time: 6 a.m.
Duration: 2:29 minutes (not including several pit stops)
Weather: 80s and OMG HUMID!!!
Nutrition: water, Powerade, Salt Sticks (8), 1 Accel Gel

This run just sucked. No other way to describe it. It was a tough week ... travel back from Virginia, horrible club meeting Tuesday night, and family stress, all of which brought on a two-day bout of migraine & exhaustion. As a result, I ended up taking the whole week off to rest, and although I felt mentally and emotionally better by today, apparently I was still physically suffering the effects of a long, hard week.

I started to cramp in my lower abdomen in the first two minutes of the run, and it really didn't let up at all, for the entire run. It was mostly tolerable, and while the cramping moved around some (stayed in my abdomen, but also hit my shoulders, hips and calves at various points throughout the morning). My GI system was definitely not happy, and I had to make several pit stops throughout the run (thank God for the Randall's - both of them - along Exposition and the bathrooms at Mopac Bridge).

I ran mostly by myself, which was fine, because I wasn't much up for conversation. Did have a few short hello's and chats with other runners as we passed each other. Despite how crappy I felt, I did a lot of passing. Mostly because I would hit a Randall's, come out and slower runners would have caught up to me, and then I would run past them again. This happened several times. I have discovered that one of the things I love about Team Rogue is that even though I do a lot of my runs alone, I don't get that mental road fatigue because I don't feel like I'm out there by myself when there are so many other people running at the same time.

My pace was pretty slow, but nothing too terrible. The miles that I ran (all but one), I averaged about 9:45 per mile. This run was like two separate courses ... almost entirely flat along Town Lake for the beginning and ending miles, and then all hills in the middle along Exposition and 35th.

One bottle barely sustained me between water stops, and when I got the halfway point, I decided to go for Powerade, figuring the extra salt, calories and electrolytes couldn't hurt. One more Randall's stop on the way back along Exposition, then another at the Mopac Bridge, where I also stopped for a few minutes to chat with some friends I ran into. Just to give you an idea of how unbelievably humid it was today ... while I stood chatting at Town Lake, I also was just wringing water out of my skirt. Just dripping sweat ... totally saturated.

I think that break was good for me though, because coming up to Mopac, I was completely ready to walk the entire way back along Town Lake ... I felt that bad. But after a pit stop and few minutes rest, I was able to notch it up to a slow jog. That lasted until the Congress Ave. Bridge, when I really felt like I might collapse. Seriously, the only reason I held out that long is that the Lamar, 1st, and Congress bridges are so close together, I just managed to mentally convince myself to keep going to the next one. But by Congress I just couldn't do it anymore. The cramps were overwhelming. So I walked a mile. Passed another friend and his dog and chatted, got passed by a sympathetic Rogue.

One last water stop before I-35, then decided I'd do all I could to run in the rest. Passed the Rogue who had gone by me earlier, and managed to stumble back to the finish nearly 2.5 hours after I'd begun (more like 2:45 or 2:50 with all the stops). Bleah. Just sucked.

But y'know, it's always good to have runs like this. They provide the mental toughness necessary to get through those races. Because in a race, if you're pushing yourself, it will always suck at some point. And it's so important to draw on those past experiences and know that you can get it done.

Post-run was not bad at all. Did my stretches (ouch), got a nice little massage from Michelle, got in the ice bath for a few minutes. And then earned myself a nice afternoon on the couch.

Sunday, July 4th, 2010

2010-07-13T14:52:00.000-05:00

Workout: Bishop's 5K Race (plus 1 mile warmup prior to race)
Course: Orkney Springs .... around the circle, out-and-back on 610, Orkney Grade, out-and-back on Happy Valley, back to start at hotel
Distance: 5k (4 miles total)
Start Time: 8:30 a.m.
Duration: 26:10
Weather: 80s, very humid
Nutrition: water

Considering I ran 12 miles yesterday, and that I ran this 5K more as a hard tempo run than a true race, I'm pretty happy with how this went. 26 minutes is over a minute slower than my PR, but this was a hilly course. I did a pretty good job managing myself ... I would have loved to have been faster, but I haven't worked on speed in months, not to mention that the heat is not exactly my friend.

A pretty good number of people showed up to do this race. We took off with a few folks heading out to an early lead ... Steve, Yogi, Anne (who ended up finishing in that order as well). I tried to run hard but not too fast. I am happy to say only one person passed me the entire time ... the woman who came in 2nd. I think this means I handled my pacing pretty well, since I didn't slow down a lot (and I know a lot of other people did). It got pretty hot on the road pretty quickly and like I said, this was a hillier route than I think people expected.

Fortunately, after yesterday's run, I knew exactly what to expect. Except for the first 1/4 mile or so, I had run every inch of this course yesterday at some time or another. So I knew the first part headed uphill along 610, and that I needed to take it a little easy along here. Of course, once I got to the turnaround, I got to bomb the downhill, and passed a couple folks along the way. After that we ran a slight downhill along Orkney Grade, and then turned onto Happy Valley. This was mostly downhill out and uphill back, so I allowed myself to push the pace, but reserved plenty of energy for the return trip.

On the way back, I was enjoying myself, but I was honestly a bit tired. I also noticed that there wasn't anyone else anywhere near me. There had been one guy following pretty close behind me, but he must have stopped at the turnaround/water-stop, because not long that after I turned around and he was nowhere in sight. I passed pretty much all the other runners on this stretch back, but no one close enough to worry about getting passed. And the person ahead of me was too far ahead for me to catch. So I just decided to keep up a reasonable tempo pace and not kill myself.

Pretty soon made the turn into the home stretch ... one more short climb on Orkney, then straight ahead to the hotel. Nice to have so many friends out cheering! Crossed the line in just over 26 minutes. Like I said, considering I haven't been working on speed at all, and really have been just building my distance and trying not to suffer too much with the summer heat and humidity (and today felt like Austin here in VA), this was a pretty good run.

I'd like to see how much faster I get at shorter distances doing speed work for the marathon ... whether that long-distance speed translates to short-distance speed.

And next year, watch out. I may actually really race this the next time!

Saturday, July 3, 2010

2010-07-12T17:05:00.000-05:00

Workout: Long Run
Course: Shrine Mont ... Route 610/Happy Valley Road Loop ... Out and back on Orkney Grade ... Revers Happy Valley/Route 610 Loop
Distance: 12 miles
Start Time: 10 a.m.
Duration: 1hr, 51 min
Weather: upper 70s, breezy but sunny, not too humid
Nutrition: water, Salt Sticks, 1 Accel Gel

The original plan was to get up early and start this run in order to be done before breakfast, but a late night catching up with friends put the kibosh on that plan. Instead, I got up in time for breakfast, then waited until Jolly and I found a friend to take the boys to the pool, and the two of us headed out for the first part of my run. I had mapped out my route ahead of time, and thankfully it was easy to follow.

We started out on 610, heading past the Orkney Springs campground, and running uphill for most of the first mile along the paved road. The weather in Orkney Springs was about the same temperature at 10 a.m. that it usually is when I head out at 5:30 a.m. The humidity wasn't too bad ... humid but not as much as early Austin mornings have been lately. But we were in full sunshine, so we were pretty happy when we hit tree lined sections of road. After the first uphill, we had an equally long and lovely downhill, and at the end of that we turned onto Happy Valley Rd., which it turns out is a dirt road. It is also pretty deserted, and we didn't see a car the entire time we were on this section. Okay not too surprising, this is pretty much the middle of nowhere, but still ... nice to have such lovely, uninterrupted running time. A very loud barking dog at one point - who we heard but didn't see - but otherwise it was pretty quiet.

At one point we stopped for a minute in the shade, and spotted a red fox crossing the road back where we had come from ... beautiful!

About 2/3 of the way through this 5 mile loop, the road turned paved again, and we headed back toward Orkney. Pretty good uphill along this section, much of the way back to the hotel. At that point Jolly called it a day and went to join the boys at the pool. I refilled my bottles and headed out along Orkney Grade for the out-and-back section of my run.

I encountered a lot more cars (and just as many motorcycles) along this section, although it still wasn't too bad. I only mention this because there's no shoulder and this is narrow (albeit) paved country road, with a fair number of curves. But people were great about giving me room. This section was also pretty hilly, not too steep in most places, but just long climbs - with equally nice downhills in the other direction. I ran for time on this section (since going all the way to the store would have been more mileage than I needed), and it worked out perfectly.

When I got back to Happy Valley Rd, I headed back for a reverse loop. I should note that I brought my iPod along for the Jolly-free section of my run, and I was happily running along, just me and my music and the beautiful scenery of the country road, when I came to a hill along the dirt road (about halfway through the loop). At the top of the hill was some sort of hound dog, who barked at me and I realized it was the one who Jolly and I had heard on our way past before. I had no idea if this dog was friendly or not. I stopped and she continued to bark but ran a little ways away from me. I hoped that if she would keep her distance I could get past the house, so I tried walking toward her, telling her to go home. Once again she kept barking but ran a little ways ahead. This continued all the way up the hill to the house, but each time she ran ahead, she stayed a little bit closer to me. Until when I got to the driveway of her house she stopped just a couple feet away from me - and kept barking at me. Damn. I really didn't want to get attacked by a dog today.

I didn't particularly want to go back the way I had come, but that was looking like my best option. So I started to head in the other direction ... and she started following me back down the hill. At this point I was actually relieved, because now I figured out that she wanted to run WITH me. She was indeed a sweet and friendly dog. So I decided to keep going on my original path, up the hill and past her house. She stayed with me all along the dirt road, and all the way onto the paved portion. I was a little worried, but I had tried to yell for her owners at several points back at the house, and no one seemed to be around, so I hoped that she knew her way around this area and this was just a normal outing for her.

I figured if she followed me all the way back to Orkney, I would just load her up and drive her home. But about 1/2 mile down the paved road, another dog came down to the end of its driveway, and my running companion took off into the nearby field. I really hoped she would be okay, but there wasn't much I could do, so I just continued on. One last big uphill, and then smooth sailing all the way back down to the hotel.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

2010-07-01T13:09:00.000-05:00

Workout: Team Rogue Training Run
Course: Barton Springs Pool ... over to Stratford and across Mopac Bridge, Lake Austin, Exposition, 35th, Jefferson, Windsor/24th, Rio Grande, 4th, Guadalupe/1st to Auditorium Shores, Town Lake to R.E. Lee cutoff, back to pool
Distance: 10.5 miles
Start Time: 5:30 a.m.
Duration: 1 hr, 41 mins
Weather: low 70s, not as hot but really, really, really HUMID
Nutrition: water, Salt Sticks (5)

Whew! It was huuuuuumid out there this morning! But unlike yesterday, I really enjoyed this run. I guess eating dinner does help. :)

Started out at the Barton Springs pool, heading right across the road and over to Town Lake, where we quickly headed up to Lake Austin. I was feeling a little sluggish at first ... not bad at all, but I knew I needed to warm up slowly today. Paul seemed to want to give it an extra gear, so when we turned onto Exposition, I sincerely wished him well and sent him on his speedy way.

Exposition made me a little nervous ... we were supposed to follow it all the way to 35th, which includes a lot of uphill. But I just took it easy and started to make my way along. I think sometimes it helps to do these sorts of hills in the dark. It's not like on the trail where I can't see the top, but somehow running in the dark is just peaceful and it seems easier to not struggle. Somewhere pretty early on, one of the other runners caught up with me. I've seen her before, but never run with her as I think she's a lot faster than I am. But she didn't blow by me, and so we started chatting. I tried to pick up the pace just a little to hang with her, and we ended up sticking together all the way up Exposition, along 35th, and down Jefferson. It was so nice to have the company and get to know another runner in my group. She's even an HCTR member, so we talked about trail running, road marathons, all kinds of stuff. We stopped for water briefly at 34th and Jefferson, took a second to chat with Steve and pet his dog, and I had to restrain myself from gulping a gallon a cold water. The humidity had me sweating buckets and I wasn't really dehydrated, but I was definitely hot and thirsty!

Once we got to Windsor Christine veered off to head back, but that's also where I caught up with Rick, my running buddy from last Thursday. We just picked up where we left off last week, heading up Windsor and keeping a nice rhythm together. The toughest part of the run was probably the hill heading up 24th St. between Lamar and Rio Grande. It's a big one ... not too steep, but not that gradual either, and long. I just tucked in and took it easy and had a little internal celebration when we got to the top.

From there it was mostly flat and downhill to Town Lake. And thankfully so, because I was nearly out of water again by the time we got to Auditorium Shores. From there it was just a quick jaunt along Town Lake ... although I don't know if it's because we were close to the end, or just something inherent in Town Lake, but something about that trail just tends to make me a little tired. It's mostly mental, and with Rick for company, it passed pretty quickly. Pretty soon we were at the bridge where we got to shortcut up the hill to Barton Springs Road, and from there it was just a short jog back to the start.

This time I was prepared for my soaking in the pool ... in fact this is already turning into such a treat for me! It may be good for my legs, but it's also the reward I looked forward to for the entire run. And this time I went all the way in. I figured I was so sweaty it wouldn't matter if I soaked myself more. Just heaven!!! Other people couldn't believe I could just walk right in and dunk myself, without getting used to the temperature ... but after a long hot run, that pool is the perfect antidote to all the excess Pitte. :)

Next up this weekend ... running in the mountains of Virginia. This will be mostly road I think, but the temps are supposed to be a lot cooler than here, so will be fun to see how that goes.

June Wrap-Up

2010-07-01T12:44:00.000-05:00

Total Mileage: 99.8 miles (so close!)
Average Run Distance: 7.1 miles
Yoga Classes: 7

All things considered, this month was pretty good. I didn't even get started until June 7th, so all of these numbers are really for 3.5 weeks of work. I can't believe I came less than a quarter-mile from hitting 100 miles for the month! I blame Paul ... I wanted to run farther yesterday and he didn't. If we'd done the 5 miles I wanted to, I'd have hit it. Of course, I felt like crap for that run, so maybe this is all for the best anyway. I could also blame myself quite easily ... skipping Sunday's run is the real reason I didn't hit 100 miles. But all in all, the mileage is still the highest it's been since March ... and it's about to get a LOT higher. My mileage will continue to grow throughout July, so next month's numbers may be nearly double this month's.

I do wish I had gotten in more yoga practices. I'm going to have to start doing better about scheduling these at times when I will actually go. I did get in an average of two classes a week, which isn't terrible, but it really needs to be at least 3. I'd love to do 4, but I'm starting to think that's unlikely given the demands of my running schedule. At least the practices I had were really productive ones. I do love Ashtanga, and as of July 1, we're moving to a new studio, where I think there will be more room for all of us ... no more yoga in the kitchen! I have noticed my back tightening up on my more as my running mileage goes up. My back will still move and crack, but the regular yoga really helps keep me from getting too tight, so really need to keep up with it better. Not to mention that it is not cheap, and I hate paying for classes I don't use.

As for my running ... I am really, really happy right now. Joining Team Rogue was a great decision for me ... I like it more with each passing week. I think Steve and Ruth are great coaches for me, and I'm slowly meeting more and more people in the group, and I really like all of them. Paul and I are doing some of our runs together, others apart as he leaves me in the dust :) ... but even when we run separately, we're still pursuing the same goals and doing the same runs, and that's a really nice things to share.

And the running itself? Well, it's Summer in Austin, but I don't seem to be minding it at all. Being in a base-building phase helps ... it's so much easier on my body and my psyche to know that I just have to try to keep up a comfortable pace. And the weather helps ... it's hot and humid as opposed to dry but really, really hot, and this way seems to suit me more. Part of it is the early start times. I can't believe I don't mind getting up at 4:45 a.m. to run at 5:30, but I find myself looking forward to each run. Some days are harder than others, but as I see my mileage increasing, and my stamina and physical conditioning along with it, it's all so rewarding there's just no question that it's worth it. I honestly can't wait to see how I feel a month from now writing my July Wrap-Up. As long as I can stay healthy, I think there are lots of good things to look forward to!

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

2010-07-01T12:24:00.000-05:00

Workout: Road Run
Course: Hyde Park Loop ... 51st, Guadalupe, Central Park Trail, 38th, Duval
Distance: 4.3 miles
Start Time: 7:05 a.m.
Duration: 40 minutes
Weather: 70s and HUMID
Nutrition: water

Bleah ... glad this was a short run. Not only was I just kind of tired from this very long week (how is it only Wednesday???), but I forgot to eat dinner last night, so my energy level was really low.

Paul came over to meet me, and we just did a short loop around Hyde Park, throwing in the path around Central Park just to add a little bit of mileage. We kept up a pretty good pace overall, but the second half of then run I just felt like my energy was flagging (which is when I remembered the no-dinner thing).

It also was much more humid than it has been, which also made the run a little tougher. I don't know if it's the storms that are moving through, or just the fact that we started later than usual. These days, by 7a.m. I'm nearing the end of my runs, not just beginning.

This was definitely one of those just-get-it-done kind of runs.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

2010-06-30T16:03:00.001-05:00

Workout: Team Rogue Training Run
Course: EastSide ... 5th to Comal, up to Manor and Lafayette, Edgewood, Hollywood, 38th, Duval to 34th, Guadalupe to 21st, Speedway, Congress to 4th, back to Rogue
Distance: 8 miles
Start Time: 5:30 a.m.
Duration: 1 hr, 17 min
Weather: low to mid 70s, humid
Nutrition: Water, Thermolytes

Ended last week a little behind, as I decided to forgo my Sunday workouts ... should have done an easy 4 miler and some yoga, but honestly it has been a rough week emotionally and I just needed to sleep and rest and let myself recharge. I think it was a good decision.

Today's run felt pretty good. I was a bit tired at the start and didn't really feel like I had much of a rhythm going, but thankfully that didn't last very long. Paul and I ran together today, and I had to work to maintain my own comfortable pace instead of pushing too hard. Based on my time I did pretty well at sticking to what's comfortable for me.

Today felt less humid than usual, but I think it was just cooler from last night's rainstorms. And judging by how soaked I was when I got done, it definitely wasn't less humid. I've eaten some rich foods the past couple days, and I made it to Jester just in time for a much-needed pit stop.

Other than that, I maybe felt a little tired (and I felt really sleepy in the hours following my run, so I clearly was more tired than I realized because afterward I felt more like I had done a looong run). But I like that my mileage is slowly getting up there and an 8 mile run is already not feeling all that long to me. I have a long way to go in building my distance, but my body seems to be responding pretty well.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

2010-06-28T13:37:00.000-05:00

Workout: Team Rogue Long Run
Course: Rogue to Town Lake, Town Lake from I-35 to end, then Lake Austin Blvd. to Redbud, and return
Distance: 10.75 miles
Start Time: 6 a.m.
Duration: 1 hr, 41 minutes
Weather: warm and humid (upper 70s)
Nutrition: water and Thermolytes

It's funny that my long run was about the same distance as my Thursday training run. And if anything, this was an easier run, since Town Lake and Lake Austin Blvd. is pretty much a flat course, and Thursday's run had lots of hills. I did manage to do this run a few minutes faster than Thursday's, but again, I pretty much attribute that to the lack of hills.

The bad news about today's run is that I was in a pretty bad mood for most of it. Just too much going on in my world right now, and I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all, and I just had a bit of a meltdown and felt like I really couldn't cope. And I took the opportunity to get pretty angry about some things, and used my run to stew over them for 100+ minutes. I could argue both sides about how productive this was ... but usually my runs clear my head, so if I'm still pissed at the end of a 10+ mile run, then I really am just pissed and need to deal with it (which I did).

The good news about today's run is that my mood didn't seem to have an adverse effect on my run. I still managed to enjoy the running itself, and if anything, my mood just fueled me. I ran nice and steady ... easy pace, but whatever was going on with me kept my energy level high. Even at the end I didn't feel exhausted. I was ready to be done, but I felt fine.

My body felt pretty good today too. Still having that weird tingling in my hip. It really started to feel at one point like something was sticking to me. I checked my skirt, and then realized that the feeling was on the inside. A late-day massage with Jason confirmed that we think part of my issue is that stuff is actually stuck together: my quad seems to be sticking to my IT band, and one of my glute muscles seems to be sticking to something as well (maybe also my IT band). Jason really helped me work some of that out, and I'm just going to continue to stretch and keep an eye on it, and try to start using my foam roller and TP Massage Ball to work out some of whatever's going on in there.

Friday, June 25, 2010

2010-06-25T10:37:00.000-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 7 a.m.
Duration: 30 minutes

No excuses. I just felt lazy today. It was hard to get out of bed. I did it, but then I just felt really half-a**ed about my yoga workout. This is one reason why it really does matter that I have an instructor and a studio to go to. My motivation level on my own is inconsistent. Some days - like when I was in NOLA or at Paul's last weekend - I go through my entire practice just as I would if Mike was there. But then there are days like today ... when I'm not feeling it, and being at home alone gives me all the excuse I need to slack off.

I did my sun salutations, and then I did the standing series, followed by the closing. So it's not like I did nothing. I still managed to drip sweat all over my mat. The poses I did, I actually worked hard at them. But I wasn't feeling very focused. Even my breathing was off ... I kept finding myself focusing on my exhales, rather than my inhales, and so I really wasn't breathing properly the whole time. Or rather, I was doing ujjayi breathing, just not as deeply as when I focus on my inhalations.

I guess some days are like this. The end of week has caught up to me, as have the early mornings. I'm looking forward to the weekend, when I can work out hard, but still have time to rest and regroup.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

2010-06-24T16:43:00.000-05:00

Workout: Team Rogue Run
Course: (Barton) Hills for Breakfast ... Started from Barton Springs Pool, including Barton Hills, Barton Skyway, Lamar, Bluebonnet, Oltorf, 5th St, Cumberland, 1st, Town Lake to Mopac, Stratford back to start
Distance: 10.8 miles
Start Time: 5:30 a.m.
Duration: 1 hr, 45 mins
Weather: upper 70s, humid
Nutrition: water, 6 Thermoyltes

After yoga last night, I was a little concerned about this run. I was mostly afraid that I would just be worn out. And by the end, I was. But it really was a pretty good run, all things considered ... with bonus mileage.

The route was 10 miles, starting at the Barton Springs Pool. It looks like this will become our regular starting point on Thursdays, as our runs on this day get longer and longer (we'll be up to 14 miles this time next month). Lots of hills from here, but I really enjoyed myself. Especially the end (more on that later).

Paul and I started out together, which was great, but by the time we got to Robert E. Lee, it became apparent that he needed to let off steam and run faster than my pace, so off he went. I don't begrudge him this at all ... he has every right to run his own pace, and I'm just grateful for the days when he feels like keeping me company. At the same time, I suddenly had 10 long miles ahead of me, all by my lonesome. Not that big a deal, but it means I have to do a better job of shaking off my own mental fatigue. Okay, I can do this.

Once on Barton Hills, I realized I was going to be doing a good bit of climbing. So I just took it easy and tried to stay relaxed up the hills. No problem so far. By the time I got to Barton Skyway, I was feeling good ... and then I turned the corner and stared up that hill. *gulp* Okay, I can do this ... just tuck in, form relaxed, breathing easy ... and don't look up.. The hills are always easier if you don't look up to see how far you have to go. Gaze just ahead, on the ground, and the hill flies right by. I pass a guy who went by me a while ago, on Robert E. Lee I think. He's taking a break, but starts running behind me soon after I pass. He stays right behind me all along Barton Skyway, and then stays with me on Lamar and the turn to Bluebonnet.

Finally, I decide to introduce myself. He's Rick, and we just start running and chatting. We hit the water stop, then try to figure out where the heck we're supposed to go. One of the turns is not on the directions, and we go a good 1/2 mile out of our way before we figure it out. Oh well, no big deal. And on our way back we save a few other people from making the same mistake.

Along Thorne and Oltorf we chat away, mostly about trail running. I don't feel like I have to sell HCTR to people, and yet I can't seem to help myself. Anyone mentions they're interested in trail, and next thing you know I'm giving them the full court press about the club. Talking about our running histories and goals keeps us occupied along 5th, Cumberland, and all the way down 1st to Town Lake.

Once we hit Town Lake, I start to feel fatigued. I forgot electrolytes at the last water stop, so I wolf down a couple. They don't help much ... I think I'm just tired and ready to be done. I think we both are. I'm even more grateful for the company now. We are both tiring, but we don't really slow down. Just keep it easy and relaxed. And pretty soon I realize I totally missed going by the Lamar bridge, and we're already almost to Mopac. Yay! Head over to Stratford, and then before I know it we're back at the pool. Almost a mile extra, and my legs are tired, but I feel pretty good. And I made a new running friend ... can't beat that.

And now for the best part ... getting into the pool up to my waist and just letting that nice, cold water soothe my legs. There was a whole crowd of us, just chatting and cooling off. Good for my legs, good for my psyche. If this is how all our Zilker runs end, then count me in. Totally worth all those miles to have that reward at the end.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010 - Part II

2010-06-24T16:07:00.000-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 5:45 pm
Duration: 70 minutes

Wow ... this practice kicked my a**, but not in the ways I would have expected.

Before I started my practice, I had a chat with Mike about the weird pain I've been having on the outside/back of my left side (glute/hip/leg). He suggested I go a little easier in my practice. Not exactly what I wanted to hear, but I grudgingly had to admit it was probably the right thing to do. So during my sun salutations, I kept my legs bent rather than trying to straighten them during the forward bends. To my surprise, this worked out really well for me. I did feel less strain on the back of my legs, but I made up for it in my breathing and using my back to really work on having great form. So it wasn't easier, just different.

I also didn't try to force my leg into lotus during any of the poses. It's not that hard anyway ... my left hip is the looser one, which makes the pain all the more surprising (and not just to me ... everyone I've talked to about it kind of goes "huh" when I say that it's my looser hip).

Instead of pushing to open up my hips, I followed Mike's advice and really focused on my breathing. I also really focused on my form ... and as a result I worked the hell out of my core. Wow. I usually feel my practice in my core ... but not like this.

Sweet.

The trade-off makes me feel better about going easy on my hips for a while. If I can get rid of this pain, and strengthen my core even more along the way? I'll take it.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010 - Part I

2010-06-23T15:24:00.001-05:00

Workout: Trail Run
Course: Forest Ridge
Distance: 4.5 miles
Start Time: 6:10 a.m.
Duration: 54 minutes
Weather: same as it ever was ... warm and humid
Nutrition: water and Thermolytes

This was a great run ... if you don't count the flies and the spiders. It was a beautiful, quiet morning on Forest Ridge, and Paul and I got started right at dawn. The run itself felt really good. We just kept it nice and easy, but steady, and my legs really responded. As technical as FR is, I felt good about my footwork ... I really like the NB trail shoes. I took it easy on the downhills, but I wasn't too tentative.

Really the most notable part of the run was the inability to stop because the flies would just attack me. They hovered the rest of the time, and tried to bite once or twice, but generally as long as I was moving, it was okay. But then there were all the spider webs I cleared ... a couple with the spider and its prey still in the web. Ick. I was covered in tiny gnat and insect residue by the end of the run. Even after my shower, I still felt like things were crawling on me.

The good news is even with my crappy eating yesterday, I ran fine. Had one brief stomach cramp at the start of the jeep road, but otherwise this was a great morning on the trail!

A Brief Word About Nutrition

2010-06-23T15:18:00.000-05:00

I was supposed to go to yoga last night ... but I forgot to eat anything after lunch (which I ate early yesterday). As a result, by 5:00 I was starving. So not only was I too hungry to do yoga (it's good to do yoga on an empty stomach, but not one that's growling like mad and threatening to eat itself), but I was so hungry that I made a poor choice for dinner last night. This sets up a vicious cycle of just generally feeling yucky, and thankfully I seem to be on a better path today.

But that brings me to my point ... that sometimes making the right food choices is hard. And sometimes the right food choices aren't necessarily what you want them to be. In my case, the right food choices mean that I have decided to give up being a vegan. It just doesn't work for me. I wish it did, because I really would like to live an animal-free lifestyle. But this is the third or fourth time in the last 3 years that I have tried to make the change to veganism, and it just doesn't work. I feel great for a few months, and then, like clockwork, I start to feel awful. I make all the right choices, and yet I have no energy. I start eating too much, because I can't seem to get whatever it is my body craves. And then I realize ... what my body needs is meat. And once I start feeding it the right way (for me), my body responds in all the way I'd hoped for. It sucks, but there you have it. My body doesn't want to be a vegan athlete. And I'm not willing to be a vegan couch potato.

And this has been true for me my whole life. I have always had meat cravings. It's weird. I would never crave sugar growing up ... but I'd have days even as a teenager where I'd have sold my first born for a steak. I think it's just my body. I just function better with whatever it is I get from red meat and fish.

Like now ... I'm getting up between 4:30 and 5:30 a.m. almost every day, and yet I'm not exhausted (or not any more than is normal for me). My running is going great, especially considering it's summer. And I just feel better. I would like to drop some weight, but it's weight that I started putting back on when the vegan diet wasn't working for me and so I started eating everything in sight trying to regain my equilibrium. If I can get my diet back on track, primarily eating fruits, veggies, meat and fish, and whole grains ... and limiting dairy, sugar, and fried foods ... I know it won't be a problem to get my weight to where I want it to be.

What really sealed the deal for me was this interview I read with Devon Crosby Helms, a formerly-vegan female ultrarunner. Her experience is so similar to mine ... exactly the same issues. And I found it so interesting that the author said he had found a number of formerly vegan female athletes. I've noticed for a while now that whenever people tout vegan athletes, they are almost always male. It made me wonder if there was something about being a female athlete that made veganism harder to sustain. This interview also answered that question for me.

And so I decided to do what my body clearly wants me to do .. go back to eating meat. I'm still trying to make smart choices ... choosing organic, grass-fed, humanely-killed, sustainable, cruelty-free (etc) products whenever I can find them. Again, it's all about being healthy. After that damn bout of hives brought on by pesticides on some strawberries (yep, turns out that's what it was ... organic strawberries and I get along just fine), I am definitely committed to remaining diligent about this. We'll see how this all goes. I would like to limit my meat consumption, but ultimately, it's all going to be determined by what my body needs. All I can do is listen closely to my body, hear what it's saying, and respond in kind.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

2010-06-23T14:51:00.000-05:00

Workout: Team Rogue Run
Course: Southside Loop ... Waller to I-35 Town Lake Crossing, Riverside, Travis Heights, Live Oak, Eastside to Oltorf, back down Eastside, Monroe, Travis Heights, Riverside, back across Town Lake and back to Rogue
Distance: 6 miles
Start Time: 5: 30 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour
Weather: upper 70s, humid
Nutrition: water and Thermolytes (prior to run)

I am loving the whole easy running thing! Summer is not my best time running-wise (although I am feeling pretty well acclimated to the morning heat and 80% humidity), and aside from the physical challenge, it can be hard to psych myself up mentally for a hard run that I know ahead of time is likely to suck. So having Steve's instruction to run easy is a big help. He reiterated that again this morning ... EASY running. This doesn't necessarily mean slow running ... although it might. It means easy, whatever that is for me on any given day. So one day that could be a 9:15 pace, or it could be 10:00 pace like today.

But knowing ahead of time that all I have to do is get my miles in at whatever pace feels good? It really takes the pressure off and makes me look forward to my runs. Don't get me wrong ... I know that in a couple of months I will be hitting some HARD quality workouts. And I'm prepared for that (and looking forward to it). But for now, getting back into a routine and building my mileage feels like enough, and being able to enjoy my runs by doing what feels good is really making the whole process a joy for me.

Today was no exception. I had Paul for company again ... I know at some point he will be taking off and leaving me in the dust, but I'm enjoying the time with him while I've got it. :) It helped to have him along, because somehow this run ended up being uphill in both directions. Okay, not really, but it did feel a little bit like that.

Once we got across I-35, we had to go up Riverside, and then Travis Heights just begins a long gradual climb. There was one downhill, but mostly Travis just climbs and climbs. And since there was no street sign for Monroe on Travis, Paul and I missed all the flat on Eastside and just continued to climb all the way to Live Oak. I was pleased that I felt fine. I've been feeling for a while now like I'd lost all my uphill skills, but the past week or so it seems to be coming back. The road hills we've done lately haven't been an issue.

Anyway, once we turns onto Live Oak (nowhere else to go), we got a nice downhill to Eastside (although not for very long), and then all along Eastside to Oltorf and then back to Monroe, it was pretty much flat. So I missed out on all that nice downhill I would have gotten on Travis Heights. And then Monroe was another climb! So my only downhill was the tail end of Travis Heights ... which is why the run felt like uphill in both directions.

Still, I felt good the entire run. The pace wasn't fast at all, but considering all the climbing, it's fine. And of course, time isn't supposed to matter ... although I still insist on keeping track, just for my own reference.

Sunday, June 20, 2010 - Part II

2010-06-21T16:55:00.000-05:00

Workout: Trail Run
Course: Spyglass to creek crossing and back
Distance: 4 miles
Start Time: 9 a.m.
Duration: 45 minutes
Weather: 80s and humid
Nutrition: water

This was a really nice recovery run, and doing yoga first didn't seem to make any difference. Jason has been posting this run for a while, but today was the first day I could make it. And as it turned out, we all wanted to do the exact same distance, and not push the pace, so it worked out really well.

Paul took the lead since he's the fastest, but he ran easy, and it was easy for me to just tuck in and follow him. We stopped at the fences and at the creek to wait for others to catch up, but never for very long. It was really just a very nice easy run. Nothing very remarkable to mention, just very enjoyable.

One note: my hip was really bothering me this afternoon, and it finally occurred to me that the pain could be some inflammation. So I took a couple Advil ... and pain ALL GONE! :) Duh ... can't believe I haven't tried that sooner. It doesn't mean there's nothing wrong ... but if it is inflammation, it makes sense that the Advil took care of it (and it didn't come back later). As long as I'm not overloading my body, I'll continue to try this and see if it helps.

Sunday, June 20, 2010 - Part I

2010-06-21T16:49:00.000-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 6:45 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour

I did my practice at Paul's this morning. I wanted to get it done early, and if I'd waited till after my run, I wouldn't have finished until noon. By doing the yoga first, I ran the risk of having a crappy run, but this way I'd be done a lot earlier. And my run was going to be short and easy, so how bad could it be?

My yoga practice was nice. I went through everything, although I probably didn't work quite as hard as I have been lately. My left leg was a bit tight during Revolved Triangle, but not a problem and the two poses stretched it out nicely. It hadn't bothered me during the night, so it really does seem to be confined to seated pain. I also noticed just how much looser my backside is these days (adding to my theory that this pain is about working out longstanding tension) ... in my final forward bend after the backbends, I was able to get about as flat as I can when I have Mike or Sarah on my back. Nice.

Other than that, I just paid a lot of attention to my ankle and hips. My other theory is that part of this pain is somehow related to my ankle still healing and the residual stiffness in my lower left leg. But my ankle felt good today, as did my hips. I just have to keep an eye on this and make sure it doesn't worsen.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

2010-06-21T16:43:00.001-05:00

Workout: Team Rogue Long Run
Course: EastSide Loop ... Navasota, Leona, Cherrywood, Brookview, through Mueller, Cherrywood, Chestnut, Pleasant Vally, 5th
Distance: 10.5 miles
Start Time: 6 a.m.
Duration: 1 hr, 43 minutes
Weather: upper 70's, low 80's and humid
Nutrition: water, a little bit of Powerade at mid-point water stop, several Thermolytes

I took it nice and easy today, and really enjoyed myself. Paul ran all but the last mile or so with me, so I'm sure the company helped. :) Even having him along, I still did a good job today of running at a pace that was comfortable for me.

Not long into the run, it became readily apparent that this was Juneteenth ... the smell of BBQ was already wafting through the Eastside neighborhoods. Guess you got get those pits going early to satisfy all those hungry folks later in the day!

Heading north in the early miles meant a lot of gradual uphill, so I was really good about taking it easy, just getting into a comfortable rhythm. Paul and I had plenty to talk about at this point (conversation would dwindle in the later miles). The first 25 minutes or so - to the first water stop - went really quickly. I made sure to get water at every stop today. I do think that making myself drink more is really helping me.

I have also noticed that I seem to prefer the humidity to the heat. Maybe it's because of all those Virginia summers growing up ... I'm just used to hot and humid (as opposed to just really, really hot). I've had a few people mention lately that they would rather run later in the day, when it's hotter but the humidity has dropped. Not me ... running late in the day when it's hotter but dryer just makes me feel like I'm baking. I MUCH prefer my current schedule, where I run while it's still in the 80s. The extra humidity I can handle ... and nothing like a serious sweat-fest to make me feel cleansed, inside and out.

Once we got past Cherrywood, we ran through the neighborhoods until we hit the park just south of Mueller. Then we crossed Airport and I finally got to check out the trail (more of a path really) through the Mueller development. It was a nice jaunt through the neighborhood. I was in a really nice rhythm throughout most of this run. The faster folks stayed just close enough that I could follow them ... although I'm glad I checked out the route ahead of time, because they did make a couple wrong turns. And a few folks tucked in behind Paul and I and followed us for a number of miles.

After Mueller we headed back down Cherrywood, and after the water stop at 32nd Street, we split off from the folks doing bigger miles. From here is was just down this road till it turned into Pleasant Valley, and took that all the way down to 5th. This was a loooong section. I didn't mind it. Lots of gradual up and downs, passing the parks where everyone was setting up for Juneteenth ...but after a while I was really getting ready to be done. Paul was running a bit ahead of me, so we weren't talking. And it just seemed to take forever to get to 5th Street. Even the blocks seemed to repeat ... we passed the 800 block, then hit another 800 block 1/2 mile later. Ugh.

Finally, we got to the turn. We still had a good mile to go from here, but it was all flat and at least I knew it was the home stretch. I was mentally ready to be done ... but my body felt fine. Maybe a bit tired, but my legs held up great today, as did my breathing. I could feel a little stiffness toward the end, and the stretching afterward took care of that nicely. Some of this is just getting used to all those road miles again. But I'm so happy to not be feeling the road fatigue I did with my previous training program. Maybe part of it is that I'm enjoying my group this time. I like the people, and I love training with Paul. Even when we're not running together, I feel like we're in it together, a team.

One thing I am paying attention to ... I am having some weird pain in my left hip and thigh. This started a few months ago, around the time I started doing Ashtanga. It doesn't hurt when I run, or when I do yoga. Instead, it hurts when I'm just sitting around. Sometimes at work, today at Paul's house. It's not quite my IT band (or not entirely), and it's not quite my hamstring, or my piriformis. It might be originating in my glutes, but it hurts sort of around the side and down the back. And again, only when I'm sitting around. It doesn't seem to be affecting my running, and the only time I feel it in yoga is during Triangle and Revolved Triangle (although I am currently getting deeper into both of those poses, so it's not holding me back there). Not sure what it is, and not quite ready to go see someone about it, since it's not affecting my performance. My theory is that I'm working out some long-standing tightness in my hips, glutes, and hamstrings, and the pain is just from inflammation caused by all the stretching. We'll see.

Friday, June 18, 2010

2010-06-18T12:18:00.000-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 7 a.m.
Duration: 70 minutes

Today was a nice surprise. Normally the Friday morning yoga is a led class, and I was prepared for that, even though I would've really preferred a Mysore practice. But I couldn't go after work yesterday due to a work commitment, so this was my only option. But then only two of us showed up, and Sarah said that some people are apparently on vacation, so Mike has said that we could do Mysore if we wanted to. Well, I wanted to. :)

Another day where I was drenched by the time I got through with my sun salutations. My left hip had been bothering me yesterday, but it wasn't that tight in the triangle poses. I think that my body just doesn't like sitting in an office chair for long hours where I can't open my hips, because the rest of the time I'm fine.

Nothing too remarkable about today's practice. I was remembering today how when I started I couldn't even straighten my arms all the way in Utkatasana (Chair pose) and Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I), and now I have no trouble straightening and am even working on getting my legs deeper to get more stretch throughout my torso. I'm also continuing to be able to bind in the seated poses. Today my lower back was still a little tight, but I went ahead with all the backbends, and they felt great. Even better was the seated forward bend afterwards. Honestly, this might be my favorite part of the practice ... when Sarah or Mike gets on my back and just pushes me all the way down. I was always so bad at the forward bends, but now that things have loosened up, and I can actually lay flat against my legs ... well, I can't believe how far I can bend, and how incredibly good it feels.

This morning I was a little bit tired from staying up to watch the NBA Finals (Go Lakers!), but I think the biggest surprise this week is that I haven't been as exhausted as I expected to be. The early mornings are not exactly easy, but I think between getting more exercise, going to bed earlier, and how much I'm enjoying my workouts, it's all not nearly as hard as I expected.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

2010-06-17T14:42:00.000-05:00

Workout: Team Rogue Training Run
Course: Sadie's Loop (included, Chicon, Manor, Harris Park, Duval, 35th, Speedway, Inner Campus Loop, San Jacinto, Congress, 4th St.)
Distance: 8 miles
Start Time: 5:45 a.m.
Duration: 1hr, 13 min
Weather: 70s and humid
Nutrition: water, 3 Thermolytes (2 prior to run, 1 during)

Interesting ... I made an effort to run easy today, to run by myself and at a pace that felt steady but comfortable. This run was the same distance I ran on Saturday, but on a hillier route ... and I finished 4 minutes faster. My best guess as to why? I think when I run by myself I naturally adjust my pace to feel comfortable ... this means that I run slower when I need to, but also that I speed up when I feel good. Not a lot, but just enough to maintain my comfort level. When I run with other people, I think I adjust my pace to theirs, so sometimes I push when I would otherwise back off, and then I get tired ... which means at the times I would normally pick up the pace, I'm too tired to do so. Just a theory.

It could also just be that I felt better today. I don't think I'm quite acclimated to the heat yet, but I think it's getting a bit better. I also took an extra electrolyte on my run. And something else I think might have made a difference ... I drank a lot more water today. I had to stop at both water stops to refuel. In this humidity, I sweat a lot, and I have wondered on my last couple runs if I was drinking enough or possibly letting myself get a little bit dehydrated. So today I just made myself drink more. My stomach felt a little sloshy at one point, but other than that I really felt better today than I have on my previous runs.

This is even more surprising since we started the run with a fair amount of uphill, along Chicon and Angelina. Of course, I just ran comfortably, so that by the time I got to Manor, I was still feeling fine. My breathing was better on the hills this morning, and that persisted throughout the run. The morning was dark and quiet, and I just enjoyed the solitude, only punctuated by the occasional runners who passed me (I did pass a couple people, but not many). I kept waiting for the uphills to bother me, along Harris Park and Harris as I headed to Duval ... but it never happened.

I got water at 35th and Duval, and knew that from that point on, I had lots of downhill to look forward to. One small uphill on Speedway, and then I could cruise easily all the way to campus. As I approached campus, I spotted a familiar red shirt up ahead of me ... I though I must be moving okay if I can even spot Paul (of course he'd gone a few blocks too far on Duval, so that's why). I was too far away to catch him or even call to him, so I just tucked back in and kept up my rhythm. Up the hill to the Campus Inner Loop, then around to Guadalupe and 21st. I could still see Paul, and a few others as well. They all got ahead of me when I stopped for water at Jester ... once again I was low.

I wound around San Jacinto feeling good, knowing that I had one more hill ahead, up MLK and then Congress just before the Capitol. The sun was up by now, but downtown was still pretty quiet ... not even very many cars around. As I wound around the Capitol, I did have one guy mention how hot and humid it was ... it was, but I didn't really mind it today. Pretty soon I was at the Capitol gates ... looking at the wrong building and wondering where the road was. Oops ... went the wrong way and came out the wrong side. Did another 1/4 loop, and finally made it to Congress. From here it's just a nice downhill all the way to 4th ... and unlike last Thursday, my GI system was still holding up. A fast runner passed me along Congress ... fine with me, I'm just feeling good with where I am.

Pretty soon I was on 4th, and realized that I had picked up my pace a bit ... excited to be done I suppose. I'm happy about that ... if I have enough energy to pick it up at the end without it feeling like push, that means I did indeed run easy and didn't go out too hard. I was nice and sweaty when I got back to Rogue, and really surprised to see my time. When I set out on this run, I had hoped I just wouldn't be too much slower than Saturday ... and instead I was faster. 9:14 min/mile is not bad for my easy pace.

I could feel the road had beat me up a bit. I noticed it in my right leg even during the run. Nothing painful, just an occasional twinge (that's even a strong word for it). So I made sure to stretch really well today, and it felt awesome.

10 miles on Saturday. I'm actually looking forward to it. It feels so good to be back in a regular routine, and to have my body remember what it feels like to really train. This program, along with the yoga, really feels like the right place for me right now.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

2010-06-16T15:58:00.000-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 6:30 a.m.
Duration: 70 minutes

Whew! I wore myself out today. I don't know if I was just tired from my double run yesterday, or if it was doing a morning class for the first time in a while, but I just felt beat by the end of my practice.

I was in a full, dripping sweat by the end of the sun salutations. The standing poses went well ... my legs were shaky during some of the poses, but I didn't have any problems with my balance. And I'm now able to bind my hands consistently in most of the seated postures.

But by the time I got to backbends, I was just wiped out. I barely finished my third one. And then when Sarah came over to help me with my assisted backbends, I got through the first set fine, but then on the full backbends, I started getting this weird twinge in my lower back, so I cut those short and only did three out of my usual five. I love love love backbends, so for me to forgo any of them, you know I have to be really tired.

This all makes it sound like it wasn't a great practice ... and that couldn't be further from the truth. I have been feeling really focused since I've been back, and if anything I feel stronger every day. So even though this practice whipped me, I still loved it and can't wait to go tomorrow.

Time for a Change - Tuesday, June 15, 2010 - Part II

2010-06-16T15:35:00.003-05:00

Workout: Tuesday Club Run
Course: BCGB from HOL ... Rudy's Loop, across Sculpture Falls, HOD, Bologna shortcut, East Key, Shady to Bluff, across Dam, up HOL
Distance: 5.5 miles
Start Time: 6 p.m.
Duration: 1 hr, 20 min (this is a guess, I wasn't really paying attention)
Weather: 90's, humid
Nutrition: water

This run wasn't really all that memorable, except for one thing ... it's my last run as host of the HCTR weekly club run. I've been hosting the run for over a year and a half ... it started out as a way to make sure I had company on my runs after dark, and then it just took on a life of its own. I loved it ... I loved hosting, showing people the trails, picking out the routes, seeing how my running varied depending on who showed up to run with me. Watching in amazement as we grew to 20+ runners in the summer heat last year. And then my interest started to wane a little. Last fall I tried to let go a bit and bring in other folks to host, but that didn't really work, and I found myself back as the sole host after a month or so. I didn't really mind ... at the time I still felt a real sense of ownership (and little possessiveness) about the run.

But over the past several months, it's slowly begun to change. I think taking on my position as President of the board has had a lot to do with it. I feel like I'm doing plenty for the club right now, and I don't need to run to prove my involvement. Also, with all the stuff I've had going on in my personal life, and with the way my training schedule has shaped up, trying to host the run every week was starting to feel a bit like a burden. When Gordon agreed to take over, I knew it was a done deal. And I knew it was the right thing to do, because once it was done, my overwhelming reaction was one of happiness and relief ... definitely the right choice.

The run itself seemed to mirror my feelings about hosting ... I was tired and lazy tonight. Tired from my run this morning and from the heat, and just not feeling like pushing myself. I ran fine, but I just wasn't interested. We had a great group, so that helped. But when we got to the turn to the Bluff, instead of finishing on Shady, I decided to go ahead and shortcut and get it done a little faster.

I may still come out for the run once in a while ... when I feel like it. But I love that I'm now free to run where I want, when I want. I've got enough scheduled runs with my Rogue program (which is awesome), so having the freedom to make my trail runs more spontaneous just feels like the right thing for now.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010 - Part I

2010-06-15T11:49:00.000-05:00

Workout: Team Rogue Training Run
Course: Waller and Town Lake
Distance: 4 miles
Start Time: 5:45 a.m.
Duration: 36 minutes
Weather: 70s and humid (is this the constant forecast from now on?)
Nutrition: water (took 2 Thermolytes 45 mins before the run)

Today was our first run with Steve back in town. He talked to us for a bit before the run, breaking down some of the elements of our program, and really emphasized the stretching. After last week, I'm a believer. I used to be great about stretching, and then really slacked off on it when I started trail running, but with this much road, I know I need to be diligent about it. And with the results I got last week, not problem.

We ran Town Lake today, and while I was tempted to do 6 miles instead of the prescribed 4, I decided to stick with my plan. I will be getting to some high mileage pretty quickly, and there's no reason not to take it easy on my easy days. In fact, I had a long chat with Steve after my run, and he told me that this would be critical ... to get used to running long, easy miles. Okay, 4 miles isn't long, but you get the point. Use my base building time to really build and be gentle, and then hammer the speed later in the program when it's time.

If anything, I ran too hard today. Paul kept me company, and I run a little faster when he's with me, because I don't want to slow him down. This might be good for him because he's running easy ... but while I love running with him, I think we may have to start doing less of that. We have different goals, so even if we're running the same distance, our paces are not the same, and we need to be able to stick with what's best for us. Doesn't mean we can't ever do these runs together ... I just need to be sure we're both getting what we need.

Thankfully today was short, so I could run a little harder and still felt fine. I even was able to keep up conversation ... so maybe my perceived effort is harder than my actual effort. I think a lot of this is the humidity. It makes me feel drained even when I'm running fine. But effort is what I need to use as my gauge, at least somewhat.

Still, it was fun to be out on Town Lake in the dark, just getting nice easy miles in. Had a great chat with Steve afterward, and got in my foot drills and stretches. So far I really like this group. It just feels like a good fit. I'm definitely not the fastest, definitely not the slowest, and the build up seems about right so far. And I really like having Steve and Ruth coaching me. Their style works for me. And as long as I can stay focused on my goals, I think I might actually enjoy training in the summer (but don't quote me on that).

Sunday, June 13, 2010 - Part II

2010-06-15T11:32:00.000-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 10:30 a.m.
Duration: 70 minutes

I was concerned about how tired I'd be today, going straight to yoga from running, but I loved it. Again, not as out of shape as I thought I was (I will stop commenting on this soon, I promise). The room was so full I was relegated to doing my practice in the galley kitchen ... which actually was pretty fun. I could only see the rest of the class when I was standing upright, and as a result, I was really focused on my practice. It will be nice when we move to our new space next month, because we have definitely outgrown Mike's apartment, but for today this was fun.

One thing I will say about the new training program ... I have been following the Rogue recommended stretching routine, and it is working. Today was the first day in ages that I have been able to mostly straighten my left leg during Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana). Who knew my running would help my yoga? :)

Everything went really well today. Them most notable moment for me? Utthita Hasta Padangustasana (Standing Big Toe Pose). Mike was busy helping other people, so I was on my own for this one ... and I did it!!! I got my leg up, holding it by my big toe ... I bowed down and didn't lose my balance, I pulled my leg out to the side, brought it back and bowed again. And then I did even better on the other side! Woohoooo! I just wanted to jump up and down and cheer when I was done. I have never been able to balance that well before. I may not be able to do it again anytime soon, but I just love that it happened at all.

Today Mike let me go back to full backbends. It's funny ... he can tell how much I love them. I'm not sure how it shows, but it does. And I do love them. Backbends make me feel free and open. And afterwards, I was just totally flattened in the forward bend.

This past week makes me so happy to be back in training. It's hard, and I have a long road ahead of me. But this week was a great way to begin.

Sunday, June 13, 2010 - Part I

2010-06-15T11:20:00.000-05:00

Workout: Trail Run
Course: ~~Ken's Loop~~ Bull Creek ... since there is no loop anymore :(
Distance: 4 miles
Start Time: 8 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour
Weather: upper 70s and humid
Nutrition: water

I hardly ever do the Sunday Club Run anymore. This was the second time I've done it recently, and I think I've figured out why I avoid it ... I still miss Ken's Loop. Every time I get to Snot Rocks, I think about my favorite trail up to the cliff, and then winding along to Bike Ramp, and it just makes me sad. I know the owner of that property had every right to keep us out of it, and I love that with the lower switchbacks, there's still plenty of trail out there and still a way to make it a loop ... but I'm still nostalgic for the trail that I loved.

Anyway, that being said, this run was fun and I'm glad I showed up. I almost didn't. I was going to run Forest Ridge by myself ... I just wasn't sure if I was up to running with the group yet. The past few weeks have really drained me and left me feeling a bit antisocial, but that period seems to have come to an end. So when Paul decided he wanted to go, I decided I would too.

We had a great group ... it was so good to see Joe, Joyce, and the Dianas. That alone made me happy I showed up. I had every intention of taking it really easy ... last time I was out here I did a fair amount of walking, and I decided I'd do the same today.

But when I got to the top of the hill and took off, I just kept running. At that point I was with Joe and we were just talking away, and so I just tried to push it until I felt like I couldn't anymore ... and thankfully that kept leading me right to the intersections where we were stopping anyway. So, as I mentioned it my last post, not that out of shape apparently. :) And since Joe was following me, I didn't just push it on the uphills, but I went ahead and tried to let go more on the downhills too. All the road running definitely helps with this, oddly enough. And I think after over a year of being careful, I've just gotten a little tired of not letting go. I'm not going crazy-balls-out or anything, but I am trying not to slow myself down.

One note: Kinesio tape sucks. I bought some to try on my ankle, and it is hardly sticky, comes off really easily, and doesn't hold my ankle nearly as tightly as the tape I get from Phil, my PT. It's a lot more comfortable, but it just doesn't do the job.

I did start to get a little tired as we headed to the switchbacks, so I eased up a little and headed back in the group a bit. I was still letting myself go though, and was running along the switchbacks with Diana H., just chatting away, when I totally bit it. It was actually the third time this morning that I had tripped, but this time I really went down. Scraped up both knees pretty good, and managed to fling my bottles so my hands got it too. Thankfully I landed in mostly dirt, so I was largely unscathed but completely filthy. We weren't far from Snot Rocks, so I kept going and then tried to rinse off a bit from my bottles once we stopped.

At that point everything was stinging pretty badly. I knew I wasn't injured at all, but I also just didn't want to take on the lower switchbacks at this point. So I took the back way down the switchbacks to shortcut to the levee (or whatever that is) and back up to the main trail back to the start. I ran most of it, walked a little, and then totally slid in water up to my waist before I got back to the car. Not quite the way I had planned to rinse off, but it worked.

It looks like my hands are fine ... they stung the worst right after the fall, but by the end and after I rinsed them off, you couldn't even tell I had landed on them. My knees are definitely scraped up, but you know what? I don't mind at all. I've always said that if you never fall down on the trail, you're not trying very hard. And this fall was partly from being tired, but also largely because I am just pushing harder and letting go a bit more. I don't want to get injured, but I also don't want to be so careful that I don't improve and suck the fun out of my runs.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

2010-06-15T11:01:00.000-05:00

Workout: Team Rogue Long Run
Course: Shoal Creek (out and back)
Distance: 8 miles
Start Time: 6 a.m.
Duration: 1 hr., 17 min.
Weather: 70s or low 80s and very humid
Nutrition: Water and 2 Thermolytes

How can I sum up this run? Yay! ... and Bleah. Yep, that's about right.

I am SOOOO happy to be back in training, but I am also SOOOO reminded of how much my body does not like to run in the heat. Thankfully, the happy running is winning out.

Paul did this run with me, and having company helped a lot, because it was just really, really humid this morning. It seems like that's our trade-off for not having triple digit heat yet. Basically, we're having an east coast summer here in Austin. I'm confident that I will start to acclimate over the next few weeks, and I'm grateful that I'm in my base building phase so easy runs are what's called for, because for now, I am just not a very good runner.

The schedule today called for 7 miles, but since I knew where the 4 Mile mark was, it was just easier to do 8 miles. And while I'm generally happy to stick to my schedule and let my mileage build the way it's supposed to, I also am going to be one run short this week, so I figured adding a mile was no big deal. Besides, my training run on Thursday was 7 miles ... so my long run should at least be longer than that, right?

We had a big crowd today ... at least 3 different Rogue groups all going out on the same route, so the beginning felt like a race start. But I worked really hard to just settle into a comfortable rhythm, trying to keep up a decent pace for Paul's sake, but not really pushing it. We passed a lot of folks, and eventually got to a point where we weren't crowded and could just run comfortably. The route wasn't very exciting (Shoal Creek is just long and mostly flat), so the company was a good thing. It didn't seem to take long before we were up to Foster and ready to turn around.

My legs were a little sore before the run started, so I was really happy that all the soreness wore off in the first mile. My legs felt great. My breathing got a bit labored as I got tired, but given the heat and humidity, this is totally expected and probably something I can look forward to for the rest of the summer.

I finished just as strong as I started ... nice to know I'm not TOO out of shape. :)

Thursday, June 10, 2010 - Part II

2010-06-11T14:15:00.000-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 4:30 p.m.
Duration: 70 minutes

Ahhhhhhh ... Ashtanga, how I've missed you!

I was actually a bit nervous going back to yoga today. It's been a long time - nearly a month - since I did a full practice. I had no idea what to expect. It got off to a great start when Mike came and gave me a big hug to welcome me back, and I was reminded of why I love coming here. I had e-mailed Mike before to let him know why I hadn't been coming to practice, but it was so good to see him ... and everyone else who came to practice today. Although I don't really know most of the other students, there's just such a welcoming and supportive energy here, and I easily slipped right back into my practice. I think even Mike was surprised, since he asked me at one point whether I had done a certain set of poses ... guess he thought I might have forgotten. I wondered if I might forget as well ... but it turned out to be like riding a bicycle. From the first minute I stood in mountain pose with my hands in prayer, my eyes closed, and I started my ujjayi breathing, it all just flowed. In fact, the month off from running may have helped, because I was relatively loose today. And stronger than I expected.

I got through the entire warm up series (A & B) without a problem - I was worried that I would be exhausted like when I first started my practice. And from there I just started moving through the standing poses. I had some tightness in my left leg, but it's the same tightness I've been working with for months, and it's all running related (and ankle related, even though the tension is up in my hip area). I was pleasantly surprised during Prasarita Padottanasana C, that my shoulders opened up as much as they did and I could move my arms behind my back as far as I went, especially without Mike pushing my arms for me. And then during Parsvottanasana, I got my hands easily in prayer behind my back and was able to keep my palms flat against each other then whole time without pain.

It was all a pleasant surprise ... my forward bends during all the seated poses were strong, and I was able to bind my hands behind my feet in poses where I haven't before. I figured all the recent stress would have made my shoulders tight, but that doesn't appear to be the case.

I even felt strong during backbends ... tired, but strong. And during my final seated forward bend, with Mike on my back, I just relaxed and turned myself into a total sandwich ... it felt awesome.

Even better was the way I felt after Savasana ... like myself, finally. I've been a little lost with everything that's gone on lately, and while I was concerned that Ashtanga might leave me feeling worn out, instead it left me feeling relaxed and peaceful, but with more energy (physical and emotional) than I've had in a while.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

2010-06-10T16:02:00.000-05:00

Workout: Team Rogue Road Run
Course: The Roguette (4th St, Congress, Speedway, 38th, Duval, San Jacinto, 11th, Congress, 4th)
Distance: 7 miles
Start Time: 5:40 a.m.
Duration: 65 minutes
Weather: upper 70s and ungodly humid
Nutrition: water

My first run with Team Rogue, and all I can say is I have a loooong way to go. I feel so out of shape after the past month, and trying to ramp up during the summer, where if it's not crazy hot it's crazy humid ... well, it's not my favorite. Didn't I swear I wasn't going to train in the summer anymore? What the hell is the matter with me?

Thankfully, the training runs start at 5:30 or 6:00 a.m., so the heat isn't such an issue ... although today the humidity was just oppressive. And the 4:45 wake-up feels a bit uncivilized. But even with all of that, I am really happy to be in this program.

We took off from Rogue not long after 5:30, and I realized pretty quickly that I was going to be doing most of this run by myself. I don't really have a problem with that, but in the future I will try to remember to bring my iPod. There was another girl near me for the first part of the run, but she stopped for water at Jester, and I didn't see her again for the rest of the run.

I tried not to go out too quickly. I know most of these folks are faster than me, and this is the base-building phase of the program, so speed is not a big deal yet. Plus, between not being acclimated to the heat/humidity, and having taken a 3+ week break due to various skin rashes and personal issues, I need to get my body back in some semblance of shape before I worry too much about how fast I'm going. I'm still struggling ... just yesterday I bailed on yoga or a run in favor of a 3+ hour-long nap. It has just been a tough few weeks, compounded by having very little time to myself, which is how I recharge - my "introvert time." Even though things have improved, I'm only now realizing that I have not had a chance to rest and come down from it all. Hopefully the next few weeks will give me the time I need to both be alone and to get plenty of workouts in ... my two coping mechanisms, both of which have been sorely missed.

Back to the run ... I was pleased that I finished this run in 65 minutes, since I didn't really feel great today. The humidity was sucking the energy right out of me, my breathing felt labored, and even my body got tired before the end. It started with my abs, then my arms and shoulders got tired of holding the water bottle, and finally, about halfway through the run, my legs started to feel like Jello. But I kept running, and managed to maintain a decent pace in spite of all the issues. It helped that much of the last couple miles were either flat or downhill.

Even though it wasn't an easy day for me, I still enjoyed it. It feels good to be back. I don't think I'll really start feeling like myself again until I've been at it a few weeks ... enough time to make up for all the time off. But two runs this week (and a yoga class later today) and two more coming up this weekend feels like a good start.

And So It Begins - Monday, June 7, 2010

2010-06-10T14:50:00.000-05:00

Workout: Trail Run/Hike
Course: Royal Arch, Boulder CO (Bluebird Mesa Trail to Royal Arch Trail and back)
Distance: 5 miles
Start Time: 4:15 p.m.
Duration: 90 minutes
Weather: warm ... 80s and humid but breezy, mostly sunny
Nutrition: water

Back in training ... it's about time.

Today marks the beginning of my new training season. Tomorrow is the first group run with Team Rogue (although I won't be there because I'll still be in Boulder), but today is the first day on the training calendar, and so I consider this the start of my new season. After the past few weeks, I could not be looking forward more to getting back into a regular training routine.

And now I am finally training for the marathon. This winter was good in a lot of ways, but I think my goals were too undefined, and so I wasn't as successful as I wanted to be. Actually, that may not really be true. Even though I didn't enjoy the group I was in at Rogue, I had some good success with the workouts. And had I not sprained my ankle at The Loop, I probably would have had a good race at the RoundUp. So the fact that my final goal race wasn't what I wanted it to be shouldn't negate an entire season of hard work. I also had two good races at The Maze and Hell's Hills ... so the winter/spring season was not a total loss.

Still, I'm happy to be training for the race that has really been my goal all year ... the Philadelphia Marathon on November 21st.

This is my first trip to Boulder, and while I'll only be here for about 24 hours, I couldn't pass up the chance to hit the trails. The place I'm staying - Chautauqua - backs right up to the mountains and miles and miles of trails. Unfortunately, the Ranger station was closed by the time I got there, so I had to wing it and just head for a trail that looked good. I decided to climb up to Royal Arch ... it started off as a trail run, but pretty soon this was enough of a climb (about 1000' of elevation gain) that it became more of a power hike, with short bursts of running when the trail flattened out. It took me nearly an hour to go just over 2 miles.

It was absolutely beautiful ... after a short run up the hill in full sunshine, I entered the woods with rolling hills and small boulders that made climbing steps. The trees provided some lovely cooling shade. As I entered the trail to Royal Arch, the incline increased, as did the size of the boulders. This is when the altitude started to hit me. Somewhere between 6000-7000' ... which meant my heart rate stayed high and my breathing was definitely a bit labored. This was only exacerbated by the giant boulders and steep inclines I had to climb in some parts. But overall it was so pretty and so much fun to be back on the trail, I didn't really mind. I just tried to find a steady rhythm and keep climbing.

After a while I came to what I thought was the peak, but then I immediately turned and had to do some downhill climbing. This led to another 1/4 mile or so of the steepest climbing yet ... and in some of these parts I was actually climbing ... hands and feet involved. Pretty soon I came around a curve and I could see what all the fuss was about ... a beautiful rock archway at the end of the trail. I climbed out on the rocks to sit underneath the arch, and I could see all of Boulder down below. Wow ... just incredible. I only wish I could have stayed longer. But I had a dinner to get to, and limited water.

Based on the climb up, I wasn't sure I'd be able to run back down, but it turned out to be easier than I expected. A lot of what I did was more like rock-hopping, but it did allow to me to keep up a running-like pace most of the way down the mountain. And the last 1/3 or so, I was actually able to RUN. Took me 20 minutes less time to get down than it did to get up. The altitude was still an issue, so I couldn't run that hard, but it was fun to let go a bit.

I can't believe I have done so little running the past month or so. Being out here reminded me of how much I love to run, especially on the trail.

A fitting start to a new journey.

The Universe is Conspiring Against Me

2010-06-03T10:48:00.001-05:00

The poison ivy finally subsided. I was still itchy, but the steroids had done their job. I was finally ready to get back in the swing of things. And then last Tuesday morning, just as I was getting up to go to yoga, I got the phone call ... my mother had had a stroke. Next thing I new I was on a plane for North Carolina, where I would end up spending the next 8 days. Thankfully, my mother is doing better, moving to rehab, and we have every reason to hope she will make a full recovery.

I knew I might be out of town for a while, so in my frenzied packing, I threw in a couple running outfits and some yoga clothes, figuring staying active would help a lot during a very stressful time. And the one run that Jolly and I did on Thursday morning felt great. We took it easy, but ended up running a pretty decent pace for just under 4 miles. It was god-awful humid, but the sweat felt cleansing. I was looking forward to several more runs like that, a great way to shake off those long days at the hospital.

And then the next morning, I woke up ... covered in hives.

They started on my torso, but eventually covered every inch of me (except below the knees ... not sure how my shins got so lucky). Itchy, bumpy, and unbelievably uncomfortable. One night the only way I could sleep was with an ice cold washcloth covering my entire chest up to my chin to help stave off the unbearable itching. Benadryl couldn't touch it. On the second day I tried a super-strength hyrdocortisone cream, and that brought the itching down to a manageable level, and eventually cleared the hives up entirely. But it took several days. And in the meantime, exercise - or anything that would make me hot - was out.

To add insult to injury, the hives also seemed to reactivate the P.I. It's not so much that I got it all over again, but the places where I had had poison ivy also got the worst of the hives. My poor legs may never look right again. :(

But now that it's been a week, I think I may finally be ready to try yoga or running again. I have no idea what I'll even be able to do ... this has been a really long break. I'm not even going to bother with a May Wrap-Up because there's so little to summarize it's not worth it. I just hope I'm not TOO out of shape at this point, because I have a LOT of work to do.

I have changed my training plans again. I was happy with the plan I had worked out, but I've decided to switch gears a little bit. I've signed up for Team Rogue, and I am really, really excited about it. Steve S. is the coach ... I really like Steve and his coaching style, so having him as the coach was a big draw for me. The program entails 3 days a week of group runs (5:30 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 6 a.m. on Saturdays ... I am going to have to adjust my sleep cycle for this one!), with two other runs on my own. I start out at 25 miles the first week, but by the end of July I'll be up to 60 miles per week, with my long running increasing to 18 miles. That's higher mileage than I've ever done on a regular basis, but that's the key to the program, and I'm excited to see how it works for me.

To handle that kind of mileage every week, I'm going to have to be diligent about stretching - Steve insists on it, which is good. I'm happy to try the Rogue recommended stretching routine. Steve also encourages strength and core work, and when I asked him, he said the Ashtanga I've been doing is fine for that. So I don't need to worry about doing the yoga as well. Three of four days a week of that will only enhance the running. And the other two runs a week that I do on my own can be on the trail, so I don't have to worry about that. I could never give up the trail, so it's good that I'm not expected to! (this didn't surprise me, it's not like Steve isn't a fan of trail running)

After the mileage building phase (it's weird to be at a point where I really do need to build my mileage ... but I do), then in August we start working on more quality workouts to go with the distance. It's going to be hard, but I can't wait. And hopefully the goals I've set for myself are reasonable.

I'm tempted to shoot for something even faster, but for now, I'm sticking with my Boston qualifying time for the marathon as my goal ... 3:50. If in a few months I realize that it's not hard enough, I can always get more ambitious, but after the trouble I had in 10K training, I think shooting for 3:50 will provide me with plenty to work on. I don't want an impossible goal, I want one I can actually achieve.

I'm still a bit nervous about doing the group thing, but I have some added incentive ... Paul signed up for the program with me. :) We'll each have our own goals ... he's gotten a lot faster than I have, and even though he offered to run my marathon with me (which I appreciate), I think it would be better for us to each have our own goals to train for. We can do our easy runs together, and we'll still be in the same program, but this way we each have something of our own to motivate us.

Are we there yet?

2010-05-20T11:50:00.000-05:00

My new training plan is not off to a very auspicious beginning. I had high hopes for this week, but the poison ivy pretty much put the brakes on all exercise. No yoga, no running, nothing that might make me hot and irritate the PI and make the rash that much worse.

Thankfully, after a visit to the urgent care center Tuesday evening, things are looking much better (well, actually, it's looking pretty disgusting, but I know that when my PI starts to turn ugly red and then purple, that means it is on it's way OUT). Two steroid shots, a 6 day course of steroid pills, and a 10 day course of antibiotics, and I am on the mend. Still a bit itchy, but otherwise much improved.

It might still be a couple more days before I'm in a position to train, but I do hope to get in my long run and a yoga practice over the weekend.

I'm really excited about my training, but I have to wonder if the universe is trying to tell me something. First there was March and April with the worst allergies I have had in years and I was just exhausted all the time. Then my twisted ankle midway through April. And just when I was feeling ready to ramp it back up ... the poison ivy. It's not like I feel as though there's some conspiracy to keep me sedentary ... not quite, anyway. Just interesting to look back and see what a weird couple of months it's been.

If nothing else, it's made me look forward to jumping into training at a time when I never thought I would ... right as summer is heating up in Austin. Yet another factor that will force me to go easy on myself and not push too hard. It's so hard to find that balance between pushing your limits and doing enough but not doing too much.

Does anyone ever figure it out?

Dear God Make It Stop!

2010-05-18T11:09:00.000-05:00

Aaaauuuugghhhhhh!

This poison ivy is killing me! I'm covered and itching like crazy. It's uncomfortable to sit because it's all over the back of my legs. I'm having real trouble dressing for work ... it's hard to look professional, but also be comfortable enough to deal with the rash ... and the seeping. Ick. :( I refuse to wear my nice clothes and have them ruined. It's all so disgusting.

Not to mention how hard it is to sleep when the itching keeps waking me up. Thank god for my massage last night! It relaxed me so much that I basically passed out, and even though I was supremely uncomfortable, the tired won out and I managed to keep going back to sleep.

I did not, however, make it to yoga this morning. The thought of putting on yoga clothes, getting hot and sweaty, and trying to put my body into those positions with this rash everywhere was just more than I could handle. I miss my practice, but I need the poison ivy to subside a bit before I try to practice.

I'm planning to do the club run tonight ... but I have no idea how that's going to go. This is the worst case of poison ivy I have had since I was 12, and it is seriously hampering everything in my life right now. I know I sound like a drama queen, but it's really that bad. It looks like someone gave me 20 lashes with a poison ivy whip. And Paul has it even worse than I do ... I don't know how he's even functioning.

The Summer Plan

2010-05-17T11:56:00.001-05:00

It's time to look forward. I finally got my blog caught up with all my workouts for the past month, the Trail Series is over, my ankle is pretty much better ... and so it's time for a new plan and new goals.

This Spring didn't turn out quite the way I'd hoped. I did get faster, just not as fast as I'd hoped. Although truthfully, I'm still not really sure how fast I am. It all started off well with good performances at The Maze and Hell's Hills, but then it all just fell apart after I twisted my ankle at The Loop. My goal 10K, the Texas Round Up, was a week later, and my body just was not up for the challenge. I made it three miles at goal pace and then my ankle was in so much pain I just started to walk. I managed to run again ... and I even PR'd, albeit several minutes slower than my goal. And even since, I've just been taking it easy, trying to make sure my ankle heals and stays strong, working out this fatigue in my core from all the yoga. The yoga is going great ... my hips and shoulders are really opening up, and I'm enjoying the entire process. But right now it is really f*cking with my running.

The Bend this past weekend was the best run I've had in a while. My legs are feeling great, and if I can adjust the pace to minimize the cramping in my core, then I can still have a lot of fun. That being said, I'm not going to let this adjustment phase my body seems to be going through keep me from training.

So I sat down this weekend and worked out a new training plan, one that will take me from now through the beginning of September, with a focus on the three 30K Dark Side trail races. My long run will start next weekend at 14 miles. Given that 13 was no problem last weekend, and I had a great 15.5 mile race in early April, this seems like just the right place to start. I'll be building my mileage back up to about 20 miles, which will put me in a great position to start marathon training at the beginning of September. At that point, I'll be able to work on speed and getting used to the road, without having to build my distance.

I'm adding in back-to-back weekend runs, so my body starts to adjust to running tired. Those Sunday runs can be either road or trail, whatever I want.

I'll keep doing the Tuesday Run, and may add in a Thursday Walnut Creek recovery run.

Wednesday will be quality days, and I'm still working out exactly what those will entail, but I'm thinking a mixture of road hill repeats, tempo runs, and intervals. I also think I'm going to throw in some of the Summer Stampede 5K races at Town Lake. What a great way to get in some speed work!

And of course, at least 3-4 yoga classes a week, mostly on days that I'm also running, so that will give me several double-workout days. This is important to me, because this way I actually have days that are entirely rest. I need at least one, and sometime two of those per week. Right now my training schedule has nine workouts per week ... the goal is to do at least 7 of those, with the long run and the quality run being the mandatory workouts. This gives me some wiggle room if I need to back off or get busy, but has plenty of workouts for those weeks when I feel ready to push.

I know the heat will be an issue for me, but hopefully I can get acclimated and stay that way. And I'm hoping that doing less distance than I have in past summers will make things easier. I'm excited to start training again ... and excited to have a little bit more focus on trail for a while. I'll still be on the road, but not quite as much. I'll have to pick that up again in the fall, but for now I can enjoy myself and just get back to being a trail runner.

Catching Up Part II: May 1 - 16

2010-05-17T11:33:00.001-05:00

Date: Sunday, May 2
Workout: Road Run
Course: Hyde Park
Distance: 6 miles
Duration: 1 hour

I was feeling lazy, but thankfully Paul talked me into doing this run not long after we landed back in Austin. It really helped shake off the travel fatigue. Of course, I nearly twisted my other ankle on a giant piece on concrete sitting in the middle of the sidewalk!

Date: Tuesday, May 4
Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Duration: 70 minutes

Date: Thursday, May 6
Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Duration: 70 minutes

Date: Saturday, May 8
Workout: Trail Run
Course: BCGB from 360, superhighway to favorite new trail, Hidden Loop, Mopac crossing, backward Rudy's Loop, Dam Run, Superhighway back to 360
Distance: 13 miles
Duration: 3 hours
Weather: really nice, in the 60s and 70s
Nutrition: Two packs of Sharkies, Zico and water, 1 Honey Stinger gel

This run went great for about two hours, and then I started having cramps in my ab muscles. For the last hour, it was a combo run/walk and I ended up cutting the run short, doing 13 miles instead of the intended 15. I think this is because I've been working really hard in yoga and my core is just tired. My lower legs are also stiff and tight ... partly from my ankle which is doing well but still recovering, but also due to new shoes. This was my first trail run in 3 weeks, and my first run in my New Balance 100s. They are lovely and minimal, but my stride is different and it's working my lower legs differently.

Date: Sunday, May 9
Workout: Trail Run
Course: Ken's Loop
Distance: 5 miles
Duration: 90 minutes
Weather: 70s and humid
Nutrition: water

It felt good to do a nice back-to-back run. It's been a long time and I think I need to add this back into my routine. I hung at the back to force myself to go slowly. My abs were better when I didn't push the pace, and toward the end I got a burst of energy and went by a few folks and kicked it into a higher gear. I hadn't run at Bull Creek in forever. I love this trail. I don't know how often I'll do this run, but definitely may add it back in more often.

Date: Sunday, May 9
Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Duration: 75 minutes

I worked really hard today. My focus is back and strong, and I can really feel myself going deeper. It's messing with my running for the moment, but it's so good for me, and I can tell that it will ultimately benefit me. I just need to try to be patient with my running while this all works itself out. Thankfully, I love this yoga so much that's not hard to do right now.

Date: Monday, May 10
Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Duration: 75 minutes

Date: Tuesday, May 11
Workout: HCTR Tuesday Club Run
Course: BCGB from HOL ... Dam Run to Fox Run Extended, across the Dam up the Bluff and 2nd shortcut to Shady, up to Middle Road and right to Moon Pad, Outer Loop to Bologna, Bologna to HOD, Sid to lower dam crossing and back up HOL
Distance: 6.5 miles
Start Time: 6 p.m.
Duration: 1hr, 35 minutes
Weather: Hot, upper 80's and humid
Nutrition: water and Zico

Wow I was really beat today. Again, a great yoga practice left my abs totally worn out, and they just cramped during the run and I had to walk. The good news is my legs feel good. I just need to go easy while I'm in this building phase. Nice to be back at the Tuesday run though. I missed it.

Date: Wednesday, May 12
Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Duration: 70 minutes

Date: Thursday, May 13
Workout: Trail Run
Course: Walnut Creek
Distance: 5 miles
Start Time: 6 a.m.
Duration: 90 minutes
Weather: very nice, 60s or low 70's, humid
Nutrition: Water and Zico

This was a great run, nice and easy and my abs didn't bother me until the very end. But this run is especially notable for giving me the worst case of poison ivy I have had since I was 12 years old. Auggghhhhh! I would really like to do this run again, but I am going to have to take super-duper precautions from now on.

Date: Sunday, May 16
Workout: The Bend Trail Race
Course: Pace Bend Park
Distance: 10K
Start Time: 7:30 a.m.
Duration: 1hr, 9 minutes
Weather: 70's and humid but nice
Nutrition: water and Zico

My ankle is still not quite up to racing, and given how my body's been doing lately, I decided that having fun was my goal for this race. I treated it like a training run, and managed to stay just below the pain threshold for most of the run. My legs felt great, so I can't wait to see how I feel once all this core stuff resolves itself. The trail was beautiful ... very much like Rattlesnake and Bologna, with a few hills, but mostly flat and rolling and rocky. I'm not unhappy with my time considering I worked very hard not to overdo it and push myself. It is a little bit frustrating that when I run at the pace my legs want to go, I have trouble breathing and my abs hurt ... but when I slow down, my legs are itching to run faster. I know it will get better, just have to be patient. In good news, I lovelovelove my New Balance trail shoes, and my legs seem to be adjusting to the new stride. My ankle is still stiff when I start my runs, but loosens up in the first mile or so and then is fine.

Catching Up: April 13-30

2010-05-17T11:07:00.001-05:00

April Mileage: 59.5
Average Run Distance: 6.6 miles
Yoga Classes: 14

I had great intentions to catch up and post my workouts individually, but I got so behind that I'm just going to do a summary. It was a weird month. Started off great with Hells Hills, but then I hurt my ankle at the Loop and it just went downhill. I was tired, I hurt my ankle, I was traveling. April was my lowest mileage month in a long time ... November was lower if you take out the mileage from Cactus Rose, but since I was recovering from a 100 mile race, that made sense. I have no good reason for this month, other than I think I just needed a break. And then getting even a little bit injured made me take a step back and just relax and let myself heal.

Date: Tuesday, April 13
Workout: HCTR Tuesday Club Run
Course: BCGB from HOL
Distance: 5.5 miles
Duration: 1hr, 15 mins

Date: Wednesday, April 14
Workout: Trail Run
Course: A Trail That Shall Not Be Named (because I'm not supposed to run there)
Distance: 6 miles
Duration: 1hr, 10 mins

Date: Thursday, April 15
Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Duration: 75 minutes

Date: Friday, April 16
Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Duration: 75 minutes

Date: Saturday, April 18
Workout: The Loop 10K Trail Race
Course: Emma Long Park
Distance: 3 miles (DNF)

I twisted my ankle about 50 feet from the aid station. It wasn't horrible, but bad enough that continuing the race seemed like a bad idea. Thankfully, it's not bad. I went to Phil, my PT, and my ankle is strong. I just need to work through it, stretch my lower legs, tape my ankle, and be careful.

Date: Sunday, April 18
Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Duration: 1 hour

Date: Wednesday, April 21
Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Duration: 70 minutes

Date: Thursday, April 22
Workout: Road Run
Course: Hyde Park
Distance: 4.3 miles
Duration: 40 minutes

Date: Thursday, April 22
Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Duration: 70 minutes

Date: Saturday, April 24
Workout: Texas RoundUp 10K
Course: Texas RoundUp Course, including Guadalupe, Dean Keeton, Comal, 11th St.
Distance: 10K
Duration: 54:59

This race started off great, then my ankle forced me to walk/jog the last 3 miles. And somehow I still managed to PR, even if this was several minutes slower than my goal time.

Date: Sunday, April 25
Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Duration: 80 minutes

Date: Sunday, April 25
Workout: Town Lake Run
Course: Town Lake Mopac to I-35 Loop
Distance: 7 miles
Duration: 65 minutes

Date: Tuesday, April 27
Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Duration: 75 minutes

Date: Thursday, April 29
Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Duration: 70 minutes

Did this from my hotel in New Orleans. The first time I've done my Mysore practice outside the studio. There's something to the energy at the Austin shala, but this was a great workout. It really helped shake off my travel fatigue, and it's nice to know that I can do my practice anywhere if I need to.

Date: Friday, April 30
Workout: Road Run
Course: Garden District, New Orleans ... St. Charles, Napoleon, Coliseum
Distance: 6 miles
Duration: 1 hour

Paul and I had a great time just checking out the neighborhood. It was humid, but I just have to work out when I travel. Being at a conference makes me feel so stiff, and this was the much-needed antidote. Not to mention I needed something to compensate for all the food I ate. :-P

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

2010-04-13T14:17:00.002-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 6:30 a.m.
Duration: 70 minutes

One thing I noticed yesterday and today ... even though I am being very deliberate in my practice right now, and trying to really get my form right and maintain strong breathing, my practice is still taking less and less time.

It looks like the progress I felt during yesterday's practice was not a one-time thing, because today felt very similar. My legs and back were a bit tighter (always true in the morning), and my balance in standing pose (Utthita Hasta Padangustasana) was definitely not as good as it was yesterday ... but otherwise it was another fantastic practice!

I'm still having issues binding in Marichyasana A, which is weird. I have no idea what has suddenly tightened up. But I'm not worrying about it. I can still do the pose, it's just harder. And it may be my body opening up in other areas. Whatever, I'm sure it will all balance out.

But the sun salutations went very much like yesterday. Once again I didn't feel completely exhausted at the end. My body just feels like it is opening, ever so slowly, but perceptibly. I love it! I can also see myself getting stronger.

I had been a bit worried lately about putting on a couple of pounds. I was trying not to freak out about it, but just watch myself. At the same time, I couldn't really figure out where the weight had come from. So in the past day or so I decided to try on some of my smaller clothes ... and they all still fit. I know that the Ashtanga is making me stronger, but apparently it's adding some muscle weight as well. I still think I need to keep an eye on the scale, but I'm so relieved that this recent jump is not me getting fatter. I wouldn't mind dropping a few pounds, but I can live with where I am as long as the scale isn't going on the wrong direction.

Monday, April 12, 2010

2010-04-13T13:51:00.002-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 4:30 p.m.
Duration: 70 minutes

After doing a double workout Friday (yoga and then the midnight run), I once again succumbed to the twin evils of allergy and laziness. I had planned to do a double workout on Sunday, and instead stayed in bed until 11 a.m. And it was awesome. :) I'm all for working hard, but I'm all for resting as well. And my allergies have just kicked my a** so badly lately that I have finally decided to stop fighting my body's need for rest. It's inconvenient, but pushing is only going to make me more tired. It doesn't mean I do nothing. It just means I can back off a little if it means I get the rest I need to feel better.

And on that note, I slept in this morning and skipped my normal 6:30 a.m. practice. The extra sleep meant I had more energy, and I still got to work earlier than usual. So I decided to take advantage of both of these things, and I left work a little early to do an afternoon practice instead.

I have to say this was one of my best practices ever. I guess all that rest was worth it.

I started off my practice very focused on my breathing and my form. I noticed right off the bat that my forward jumps have gotten softer, and I'm landing right between my hands with my feet together. That's excellent progress for me ... a great example of how being patient really pays off. I've been trying to do the forward jump for a while now, but just doing the best I could and not worrying about it at all or trying to hard to do it. And it just came. How nice!

I also was stunned to find myself on the last of Suryanamaskara B, and not completely worn out! I've been doing pretty well for a while now getting through all of these and maintaining my form, but usually by the last one or two I am just dying. Today I was happy to move on to the next poses, but I could have done more. Again, so encouraging to see progress where I didn't expect it!

All of this really got my practice started off right, and so I endeavored to continue with the focus on my breathing and form throughout my practice. My legs were tight during Triangle (Utthita Trikonasana A) ... funny how for years when I practiced on my own just as stretching after my runs (when I ran FAR less mileage) this was one of the easiest poses for me. And now it's really hard ... my legs do not want to open up in that direction! But I just keep working. Revolved Triangle (Utthita Trikonasana B) is so much easier for me, and I've always loved it.

Did the standing balancing poses by myself today, and I was surprised at both my balance and the flexibility in my hips and legs. This one goes back and forth ... maybe doing this in the afternoon when my legs and back are looser helped.

The seated poses went so well. With my back and hamstrings a bit looser, I was able to really get some nice forward bending, and my transitions were so smooth. One odd note was that I had trouble binding in Marichyasana A. This is usually pretty easy for, so something has tightened up. Mike came over and helped me and it was fine, but just unusual.

I did work really hard in my backbends (Urdhva Dhanurasana) today. I tried really hard to breathe slowly and stay in for the full count, and I really pushed my body upward. I was rewarded with the BEST forward bend afterward. When Mike came and pressed on my back, my entire body was sandwiched, and my face was way down between my legs. Best yet!

I've reached the point where some of my improvement is very incremental, at least in terms of how to describe it. But this was just a fantastic practice, and really felt like I reached a new level.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

2010-04-13T13:31:00.003-05:00

Workout: Trail Run
Course: Forest Ridge
Distance: 6 miles
Start Time: 12:10 a.m.
Duration: 65 minutes
Weather: upper 50s, clear night sky
Nutrition: water

So in my mind this was really a Friday night run, but since I technically didn't start till after midnight, I'm dating it as a Saturday run.

After work today, I went home and got busy doing the 5 loads of laundry I have not been able to keep up with for the past few weeks. Workout clothes get washed because I'd run out otherwise, but everything else just sort of piled up. I knew Paul was busy finishing a paper, and figured I'd be up late waiting to hear how it went. Somewhere over the course of the evening, I started thinking about how I really didn't want to get up in the morning to run. Not that I didn't want to run ... I just really wanted the option of sleeping in.

I also started thinking about what a nice night it was. I blame Mer for this ... she talked to me last week about a night run, and I think it just stuck in my brain. So when Paul texted me sometime during the evening, I threw out the idea of going for a night run on Forest Ridge after he finished the paper. He went for it, and that's how we found ourselves quietly entering Forest Ridge at Jester sometime just after midnight.

It was a perfect night for a run! Clear skies, cool temps but not cold, just beautiful out. I honestly didn't feel fantastic ... my breathing was not the best (stupid allergies) and my left ankle was tweaky (this was my first run on FR since I twisted my foot here back in February) ... but it was a terrific run in spite of those things. And I ran pretty well even with my issues.

The only place I didn't run quite the way I wanted to was on some of the downhills. It was dark, and with my ankle feeling weird, I just didn't want to risk twisting anything, so I was m ore careful than I might have been otherwise. But I ran strong along the jeep road, down from the ridge, and Paul and I threw in the extra loop just to add some mileage going both ways. Before I knew it we were at the other entrance. I hiked back up the first bit ... there are so many rocks on the first climb of the extra loop that it's not worth running it. But after that I picked up the pace and ran a bit harder.

We took the lower trail back up to the ridge. When I got to the climb where I usually start walking, I decided that I felt good enough to keep running, and I continued to run for a good 1/4 to 1/2 mile of the uphill that I usually walk. I certainly didn't run all the way up the ridge, but I did run a good section that I never have before. It felt good to finish strong, even if I didn't feel great.

Paul and I didn't even talk much on this one. It was a great night to just be absorbed in the silence, with our thoughts and the sounds of nature for company. Thankfully we heard a few animal sounds, but nothing very scary.

The entire loop ... 6 miles+ ... only took us just over an hour. So while I may not have felt great, I apparently ran okay. Part of it may have been my own perception. I followed Paul on the outbound section ... and he's currently running a LOT faster than I am. So trying to keep up with him, even on an easy run, is going to have me pushing my own pace. Which is great! If I want to get faster, there's no better way than to run with someone faster than I am! And our speeds are not so far off that it's awkward for either one of us. I'm not so slow that it hinders him to run with me. And he's not so fast that it kills me to try to keep up ... at least not on training runs. :)

This was a random spur of the moment idea that worked out just beautifully!

Friday, April 9, 2010

2010-04-13T13:24:00.003-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 7 a.m.
Duration: 75 minutes

I'm afraid I spent the last couple days succumbing to my allergies. Yoga the other day helped, but I have just felt wiped out. So no quality workout on Wednesday, and then I was in Houston for work on Thursday, and a 15 hour workday doesn't leave much time for a workout. But I just couldn't stand another day of doing nothing, and yoga pretty much never makes me feel worse. Today was not an exception.

This was the led class with Sarah. I could tell I was tired, but my practice still went well. The achiness I had earlier this week is gone. I felt a bit tight, but overall it was nice to get the kinks out, especially after traveling all day yesterday.

Wish I had more to say about this practice, but the truth is I'm writing this 4 days after the fact, and not much stands out at this point other than being so happy I made myself get up for this.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

2010-04-07T07:59:00.002-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 4:30 p.m.
Duration: 1 hour

I felt so bad this morning, I elected to sleep in rather than do my yoga practice. But I hated to miss today ... I have to take off tomorrow and Thursday due to my schedule, so I hate to miss three days in a row. I figured out that if I cut out of work a little early, and did a slightly abbreviated practice, I could get done in time for the HCTR meeting tonight. SO happy that I did.

I still felt pretty crappy all day today. Yesterday's massage - as painful as it was - did help work out some of the tension in my back and chest. But I still hurt, and I was still exhausted. I figured yoga was unlikely to make me feel worse. If this really is allergy-related, I would probably feel better. And if I'm sick, well then at least I'd find that out. I let Mike know that I was feeling poorly, just so he'd understand if I had to cut things short, or if I did something bizarre like pass out on my mat.

Thankfully this was a really great practice. As much as I prefer to do my practice in the mornings, I am so much more flexible in the afternoons. My forward bends were so much deeper right from the start of the sun salutations. And despite how awful I had felt all day, I had no issues with my strength ... no problem with pushups or upward dog, and my forward jumps were really good today. I was dripping sweat before I got done with my sun salutations, but that was probably good for me to sweat out some of the sh*t that's been making me feel bad.

I got some nice extension in my side bending postures, and my forward bend sequence was really good today. Again, my hamstrings just tend to be looser in the afternoons. I was surprised that my balance was as good as it was today. I guess I expected that to suffer, but it really didn't at all.

The best was the seated poses. My forward bends here were so deep. I really got some great extension in my back and hips. And after my back bends (still so hard!), during my forward bend with Mike's assistance, I got my face not just on my legs, but smooshed down in between them with my entire front side laying on my legs ... farther than I've ever gotten. I only had to cut out two poses to finish in time, although I did rush through my closing sequence just bit. Next time I think I'll have to cut one or two more poses if I need to keep my practice to an hour.

And I felt SO much better afterward. I'm so glad I decided to squeeze in this practice. It definitely loosened everything up, and also significantly improved my mood, which was suffering from exhaustion along with the rest of me.

Monday, April 5, 2010

2010-04-07T07:48:00.003-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 6:30 a.m.
Duration: 70 minutes

Today's practice went well, but it also kicked my butt. I think I'm having some serious allergy issues ... at least I hope that's what it is, because the symptoms are strange. But I don't know what else it could be. I woke up this morning feeling very tight and sore across my upper back and through my chest area, especially my ribs.

It didn't have too much of an effect on my practice, thankfully. My breathing sounded hilarious at certain points throughout the practice. Ujjayi breathing normally sounds a bit like Darth Vader ... I sounded like Darth Vader with allergies. :) Or maybe Darth Vader in the throes of death. It made focusing on maintaining my breathing a little tough, but I managed pretty well.

My legs were pretty tight to start ... not too surprising after my race on Saturday. I loosened up pretty easily, although not as much as I would have liked. Everything just felt a little bit locked up today. My chest still felt very tight during upward dog, and during chair pose and warrior I (too lazy to look up the Sanskrit names today) it was really tough to get the extension I usually do. I did it, but it really put a strain on my core. And I paid for it after class ... my chest and back hurt pretty badly all day long.

I went for a massage at lunchtime. I can tell that my body overall has loosened up so much over the past month, and yet today I was as tight as I have ever been. What I had hoped would be a nice hour of relaxation was just excruciatingly painful, as Katie tried to work out the unbelievable knots in my back. She didn't even get to my front side. Allergies are the only explanation I have for why I feel like someone beat the sh*t out of me. Either that or I still haven't gotten rid of that virus from a couple weeks back and it has settled in my muscles. But overall I don't feel as bad as I'd expect to feel if this was viral. I'm tired, but that's always my most prominent allergy symptom. And apparently today we've seen a big spike in the pollen count to the worst all year ... and the past few weeks have been pretty terrible. I guess that's the reason I just haven't felt like myself for about the same amount of time.

Fortunately, as is usually the case with my allergies, I can still exercise. In fact, it almost always makes me feel better. That's how I can tell I'm not sick. Although that's small consolation when I feel this craptacular.

Hell's Hills 25K Race Report

2010-04-04T19:51:00.003-05:00

Course: Hell's Hills 25K course at Rocky Hill Ranch, Smithville, Texas
Distance: 25K (15.5 miles)
Start Time: 7 a.m.
Duration: 2:43:31
Weather: mid 50's at the start, mid to upper 60's by the finish, sunny and a bit humid
Nutrition: water (60 oz.), Honey Stinger gels (3) Sharkies (1 package), Thermolytes (6)

This was a great race ... I felt good, I had so much fun, I paced myself well, AND I set a PR!!! :)

Okay, full disclosure ... I really tied my previous PR set last year at Doogie's Run. But Hell's Hills is a much harder course than the one at Warda, so to run the same time means I really ran significantly better.

I honestly don't know how I could have improved on my performance today. At some points early in the race I was afraid I was taking it TOO easy, but the last few miles of the race were HARD for me, so had I pushed myself to run faster earlier, I'm not sure I could have maintained my pace later on.

But back to the beginning ...

I went into this race a little bit nervous about the distance (I can't believe I'm saying that!), but for me, right now, 15+ miles is a long run. I haven't covered that much distance very often in the past couple of months, and when I have, it's been at a pretty slow pace. But I figured my mental game could overcome any physical issues, because mentally, 15.5 miles is not a big deal for me.

I really didn't know what kind of time goal I should have for this, but I figured that trying to tie or beat my previous 25K time was a good place to start ... as I mentioned before, this is a significantly tougher course, so running the same time would mean I had improved my speed and strength quite a bit.

Paul and I decided not to camp out for this one. Since Smithville is less than an hour from Austin, and since the 25K race didn't start until 7 a.m., it was really easy to just drive out the morning of the race. The drive was smooth ... we missed most of the fog that blanketed the roads for those driving out for the 50miler and 50K ... and we arrived at Rocky Hill Ranch around 6:15. Checked in, got my bib number, made a couple of pit stops ... my stomach was apparently nervous even though the rest of me felt okay ... made sure I had my waist pack and bottle, talked to a few friends, and then lined up for the start. The sun started to rise just before the start, so no lights needed.

Right at 7 a.m., we were off! I hung back a bit in the beginning ... I was really determined not to go out too fast for this one. I had already decided that I would rather go out too slow than too fast ... it's the only way I'm going to learn to pace myself. So I tucked into the line of runners and just took it nice and easy. I felt a little stiff for the first 1/2 mile or so, but as we started to enter the woods, with some rolling hills both smooth and rocky, I got into a nice rhythm. I passed a few people, and was passed by a few others, as we all tried to settle into our own unique pace. Pretty soon I was running with Brenda, and was happy to chat and have the company. I figured if I was running at a nice conversational pace that I was going slow enough, but if Brenda (who is much faster than I am) didn't mind the pace, then I wasn't going too slowly either.

Before I knew it we hit the road where we veer off and enter the really fun part of the course. So much of this course is windy, rolling, soft trail, that meanders through the woods, with nice pine and dirt floor, punctuated by occasional rocks and roots. I LOVE it! At some point along here, Brenda decided to go on ahead ... I wasn't surprised. As I said, she's a lot faster than me, but I had to run my own race and go the pace that was working for me.

Throughout this section, my biggest concern was that I was running too slowly. I only had a couple people go past me, and I went by several people myself. I was itching to run faster, but at the same time, my pace felt really good, so I just told myself to hang in there and see where I ended up at the first aid station. When I came to an uphill - most of them really gradual in this section - I eased up and tried to maintain my breathing. But I kept running. And when I was on the flats or downhills, I just maintained my effort level and ran steady. Pretty soon I finally wound my way into the first aid station. I didn't take the time to chat here ... I gave Naresh my bottle (I had almost drained it by this time!), bent down to tighten the laces on one of my shoes, got my bottle back, said thanks, and took off again. Short and sweet. And I was exactly one hour into the race.

I decided that for this next section, I would still try to hold something back for the final miles, but I let myself pick up the pace just a bit. Even though I had spent less than a minute at the aid station, several people who didn't stop at all passed me. I tried not to worry about catching anyone, just kept telling myself to run my own damn race and keep up the pace that felt right for me.

This section was really fun. In the first half mile, I passed 4 or 5 people, which was just a nice boost. At one point I passed a guy who then tucked in behind me. I offered to let him pass me, but he said he'd rather just follow, if I didn't mind. I was happy for the company and told him so. A couple minutes later, I turned around and he was gone ... so much for company. I ran most of this section by myself. Chatted briefly with a few people as I passed them, but otherwise I just enjoyed the alone time, with my music and the beautiful trail.

The best part of the day started just before the field. I came to a small patch of grass on my left that was filled with bluebonnets. It was SO beautiful! All I could think was that this entire race was worth it just to see that gorgeous sight. But it just got better. Shortly after that, I came to the field. This is historically not my favorite section ... I got chased by a couple of bulls here back in 2008 when I was clearing the course. And sometimes these long, open, flat sections are mentally draining for me. Not to mention that even though it wasn't even 9 a.m., it was starting to get WARM. But today I felt great, and when I hit the field, I immediately passed two or three people ... and then I saw the bluebonnets ... everywhere! It's a wonder I could keep running, it was just so beautiful. A sea of vibrant purply-blue as far as I could see. It just made me so happy, and put even more of a spring in my step. Even better, I knew the next aid station was not far after I entered the woods. Sure enough, pretty soon I saw the tent up ahead. I filled my bottle, dumped some trash, downed a couple of electrolyte capsules, and I was off in a flash.

I always try to get in and out of aid stations as quickly as I can ... depending on the race distance that can vary from 30 seconds to 10 minutes. Thankfully today fell into the 30 second category. I managed to get ahead of several people this way. Even better, this section had only taken me 50 minutes! I was pretty sure that if I could maintain my pace, I could finish somewhere between 2:40 and 2:45.

This section has a few of the bigger climbs on the course. They're still not huge, but hills like the Wall and the Grind are steep enough that running them isn't necessarily the best use of energy. And so in this section I walked for the first time all day. Here's the thing with me and hills ... the steep ones are hell for me. They mess with my breathing like crazy, and there's nothing I can do about it, no matter how much I work on them. All I can do is just try to find a manageable pace and maintain my breathing. But the more gradual ones ... I can run those forever. I just go by instinct, trying to gauge the grade and determined whether to walk or run accordingly. Whenever I could, I ran. For much of the first couple miles of this section, I followed the guy in front of me. He pretty much ran the sections I thought were runnable, and he walked the steeper stuff as well. By running some of the more gradual climbs (even the longer ones), I passed even more people, and only one guy got by me.

But after a couple of miles, I started to finally get tired. I knew I didn't have that far to go, so I just tried to maintain a pace that felt hard, but that didn't completely compromise my breathing. I walked the steeper hills, but I refused to let myself walk anything else, even though I really wanted to stop. This is where those tempo runs really started to pay off. I knew I could handle this feeling for at least a few miles. Doing those runs at that threshold pace, where it's hard the whole time but where I can still maintain it, has really helped me learn just how to push myself, and the difference between too hard and just hard enough.

Even so, between the fatigue and the increasing heat, I was really ready to get it done. Somewhere in the last mile or so, someone passed me. It was the same woman I ran with at Nueces. I had enough kick to stay ahead of her there, but knew I couldn't hold her off for a mile today. That's okay, it was nice to see a friendly familiar face and I just focused on keeping myself steady. I was starting to worry that I wasn't even going to make it in under 2:45 ... this last bit was taking forever! But finally, I hit the gate and I knew that meant I only had about 1/2 mile to go. Still, I didn't know how much I had left and whether I could make it in time. At the same time, I looked back and saw Gabe and at least one other person had started to catch up to me. I didn't really have it in me to pick up the pace, but I was at least determined to not slow down. If people passed me here because they had enough left to go that much faster, then fine. But I wasn't going to get passed because I gave up.

I wound my way down the road, back into the grass, and around the bend toward the finish. Again, this is where my training has really helped. When I realized I had about 200m to go, I knew I could manage to pick it up and run it in hard. I even passed one more person just before the finish. I saw the clock and it hit me that I had just managed to do it ... 2:43. I had tied my PR! Yet again, I just managed to meet my goal. :)

I celebrated with some Gatorade (I was really hot and thirsty out there today!), followed by a nice shower, a veggie burger and a Coke, and of course the chance to hang out spend time with friends. It was a beautiful day, and I really don't know when I've enjoyed a race more than this one.

A few afterthoughts ...

I really don't know how I would improve on this race. It might have been nice if I'd been a little bit faster, but then again, I always want to be faster than I am. But after three months of speed work, I am definitely seeing some real improvement, and that makes me very happy. It encourages me to keep working hard and pushing myself.
I think I paced myself perfectly during this race. I was worried that I was going out too easy, but by holding back in those first 5 or 6 miles, I had enough energy to maintain my pace in the final miles. I was incredibly steady during this race. I think my fastest miles were during the middle section, and this was certainly when I felt the best and had the most fun. But because I held back during the first section of the race, the last 5 or so miles were hard, but not miserable.
I think I managed my hydration and nutrition pretty well today. I almost ran out of water between each aid station, but thankfully, one bottle turned out to be just enough, and I never really had to conserve water. I took gels or Sharkies every half hour or so, and the timing of the calories really worked.
I did notice something interesting today. Every time I ate, I would immediately experience an energy slump, and my breathing got more labored. I suppose that was some of my energy going toward digestion, leaving me with less for my running. It would pass after a few minutes, and then the energy from the nutrition would kick in and I would feel even better. It was just interesting to notice it so clearly as it happened. This is helpful to know for future races.
As at the Maze, despite the winding nature of this course, my hips and lower legs felt fine today. The strength training I had done previously, and all the recent work I've done in Ashtanga, have really paid off in terms of strength. It's so nice to not be sore in areas where I used to have issues!

I don't really know what else I can say about this race. It was just fantastic, from start to finish. A beautiful day, a fun course that I always love, a good race performance, and time with my friends. What I'm mostly left with is just this overwhelming feeling of gratitude. So many people are never lucky enough to know how this feels ... to have this wonderful thing in my life that I get to share with people who mean so much to me. It makes the not-so-great runs worth it, and it makes days like this, when things go right, even more special.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

2010-04-02T15:29:00.003-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 6:30 a.m.
Duration: 75 minutes

I was so exhausted last night after my double workout, and then I only got about 5 or so hours of sleep ... so I really had low expectations for my practice this morning. But it was awesome, and really helped shake off the tightness and the fatigue!

Once again, today I generated a LOT of heat. I don't know if it's how hard my body is working, or if it's that I'm actually doing better at maintaining my bandas and my ujjayi breathing ... but once again, I was dripping sweat before I even finished my sun salutations.

Most of my practice went well. I did have a pretty major dizzy spell during the second standing balancing pose. As soon as I got my foot in place and started to bend forward, the room started to spin and I had to lay down. But once it all calmed down, I was able to get back up and do the pose ... I just eased into it a little more slowly. I think this is an allergy-related thing, so I'm not worried, but it is annoying.

When I got to the seated poses, this time, when I got to the pose where I have to bend my leg back, I decided to try doing both sides without using a towel to prop up my hip ... and I did it! I have MUCH room for improvement, but I did it! On my last seated pose, Mike came over to help me get more twist in my core ... it felt amazing! I told him when I finished that this is so much better than the chiropractor ... and even more effective!

Backbends were tough, although I am trying to draw out my breathing a little bit longer each time, so the fact that I'm making it through all three definitely shows improvement, since that means I'm doing it just a bit longer each time.

I did notice that I was still tired when I got into savasana, and almost immediately just went into total relaxation. I managed to stay awake, but it was a challenge.

This was my last workout before Hells Hills this weekend. Here's to fast feet and lots of endurance!

March Wrap-Up

2010-04-02T14:40:00.002-05:00

Total Mileage: 107 miles
Average Run Distance: 8.25 miles
Yoga Classes: 16

This was quite a month! My running mileage didn't go up a whole lot ... only about 15 miles more than last month. But my average run went up by about 1/2 mile. I'm not running any shorter, but I am running a little less. I only ran 13 times in March, which comes out to about 3 times per week. That mileage would have been higher still, except for a couple of bad runs where either my breathing or my attitude were an issue. But overall, I'm pretty pleased with how things went this month, because March involved a major transition for me.

I really committed to my Ashtanga practice this month, and the results have been phenomenal! 16 yoga classes this month!!! I think the most I've ever done before is maybe 8 (which was this same month last year), so this represents a HUGE change in my fitness routine. As a result, I think it was good that I didn't increase my mileage a lot ... one thing at a time.

My body is definitely still adjusting to all the yoga, although almost all the adjustments have been positive ones. I am dealing with some occasional fatigue ... largely due to the time change and new sleeping patterns as I am getting up earlier in the morning several days each week. The one time I thought the yoga gave me dead legs it turned out to be a virus, and overall my practice really doesn't seem to be hurting my running at all. If anything, I think it's already helping.

I'm positively addicted to my practice now, and keep trying to find ways to add in even more classes. But as long as I can manage 4 days a week, that's fine. More would be great, and some weeks I may be able to manage that, but 4 seems to be giving me excellent results.

My running is improving ... maybe not as quickly as I'd like, but again, with the addition of the yoga, I think I need to be patient. I am definitely seeing gains in speed, and deciding for the time being to do my workouts on my own seems to be the right way to go. I still want coaching (although I may look into a different group), but for now I'm going to stick with what works until I feel more comfortable, and until I know my breathing is under control.

I had two successful races this month! 3rd place at Nueces, and then finally breaking an hour at The Maze! Again, I'm not quite as fast as I'd like to be, but I've definitely made significant gains ... and that's translating to trail as well as road, so I am very, very pleased.

I'm looking forward to April ... I can hardly believe how far I've come in my Ashtanga practice in just a month, and so I can't wait to see what happens during April. And I have three more races coming up ... Hells Hills 25 this weekend, The Loop 10K on April 18th, and then the Texas Roundup 10K on the 24th ... a road race, finally. It will be interesting to see how they go. I'm nervous about the distance at Hells Hills. I can't believe I'm saying that after some of the ultras I've run, but it's been a while since I've run that far, and certainly longer since I've raced that far. I really hope I have fun, I hope I pace myself well, and I would just love to have a great race out there. We'll see.

Lots to look forward to, but for now I am just so grateful for the month I've had.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010 - Part II

2010-04-02T14:17:00.002-05:00

Workout: Quality Workout
Course: Hyde Park and Shoal Creek area
Distance: 9 miles
Start Time: 5:45 p.m.
Duration: 90 minutes

Warmup 2.25 miles
8 x 200 in :54 (7:12 pace) with 8 x 200 recovery jog
2 x 800 in 3:45 (7:30 pace) with 2 x 400 recovery jog
2 x 200 in :52 (6:56 pace) with 2 x 200 recovery jog
1 x 200 in :46 (6:08 pace) with 2000 recovery jog
1 x 200 in :44 (5:52 pace) with 200 recovery jog
Cooldown 2.25 miles

Weather: upper 70's, lower 80's ... sunny and pretty warm, but windy
Nutrition: water and Zico

This run was a little bit of a mixed bag, but I'm happy to report that I don't think doing Ashtanga in the morning had much of an adverse effect. Maybe a little bit ... because I was completely worn out after this workout ... but overall the run went pretty well, so I think doing the yoga was not a bad decision.

I felt okay on the warmup, but when I got near the street I had mapped out to do my repeats, I realized that I was going to have to start my 800s running up a hill for about 3 blocks. This is likely the explanation for why my repeats ended up being about 7 seconds slower than I was shooting for. I still ran them at 7:30 pace (the goal was 7:15), so it's not like they sucked, just not as fast as the goal. And I found those two longer repeats much more exhausting than the shorter ones. Makes sense since I was really trying to run the same pace, just 4 times farther.

The early set of 200 repeats went fine. I hit the mark exactly every single time. I will admit that I took my recovery pretty easy during this entire workout, walking and jogging instead of just jogging. Not really ideal, but I don't know how much difference it made ... my walk and my slow jog are about the same pace anyway.

The surprise for me came after the 800s. I was pretty worn out from those two. But my next 200 came in 2 seconds faster than I had run during the first set. And then I did the same thing on the next one. I intentionally ran much faster on the next two, and was pleasantly surprised at just how fast I managed to run them. I know it's only 200 meters, but hitting sub-6 minute pace at the end of my workout is pretty cool for me! :)

But I think that about used up what energy I had, because the run home was just drudgery. It didn't help that the entire way I ran into a 20 mile per hour headwind. Honestly, if I didn't need to get home because I had to be somewhere later, I would have walked it back. And I was pretty shattered for the rest of the evening. The intervals were hard, but I'm guessing that post-run exhaustion was probably due to the double workout.

I may or may not make Wednesday yoga a regular part of the routine, but I am glad to know that it didn't leave me with dead legs. I like having the option. And I know the stretching from the yoga is helping my running, so maybe it all balances out in the end.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010 - Part I

2010-03-31T15:39:00.002-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 6:30 a.m.
Duration: 70 minutes

Today was a bit of an experiment for me, and I'll report the results later this evening. For some time I avoided doing yoga on the days that I run, because in the past I found that it made me way too tired to run well. But my experience the past few weeks with the Tuesday run has made me rethink this approach. Lately, I seem to run just as well, if not better, on the days when I do yoga in the morning. This could be for a couple of reasons. First, I may just be getting stronger from all the yoga. Also, it could be that by doing the Mysore practice, I am not wearing myself out as much as if I was trying to get through an entire primary series, and thus I have more energy left for my run.

In any case, I have still been avoiding doing yoga on the morning of the day I do my quality run ... until today. We'll see if I have any gas in the tank for my intervals this evening. But this morning's yoga practice was soooo fantastic, that I'm not sorry I did it, even if it makes my run suck later.

Today marks one full month of Ashtanga practice for me. And so this morning I decided to really try to stay focused and centered in my practice, as an expression of gratitude for the beautiful gift that this practice has been for me. And in return, my body decided to reward me with probably the best practice yet.

I worked up a sweat today that rivaled Sunday's practice. Seriously, I was drenched and dripping by the end of the sun salutations! I really tried to go deeper in my forward bends, and I worked extra hard on using my feet to transition into upward dog, and then really going farther into that position, before using my core to pull myself up into downward dog. I also managed to jump back into pushup as softly as I could, and then managed to jump forward every time as well. All the while of course trying to maintain my ujjayi breathing. It's such a change for me to focus on the inhalation (when all my running and VCD work has me purposely avoid thinking about inhaling but just letting it happen), but for the ujjayi breathing, I see how much more I get from the breathing when I do focus on the inhale. And I think this gentle inhalation through my nose is also helping me in my running, as I've started using it to calm my breathing when it feels labored.

I got some especially good twists during Utthita Trikonasana, really focusing on twisting my core and keeping my hips stationary. During Prasarita Padottanasana, I can really feel my legs opening up. I can't get my head on the floor yet, but today was the closest I've come.

I'm really noticing the biggest change in my forward bends in general. My hamstrings and hips are really loosening and it's allowing me to go deeper in so many poses. Both of the standing balancing poses went well today ... balance is off a bit, but I'm really working on my foot placement so that's why. But I did better than I have been.

During the entire seated series, I couldn't believe how much I was able to fold forward during all the poses. But I think the most exciting moment of all came during Triang Mukhaekapada Paschimattanasana. This is one of the hardest poses for me to do, and I always have to put a towel or block under one buttock in order to fold the other leg back properly. Well today, I definitely saw improvement when I had my right leg folded back, but when it was time to fold my left leg back ... I didn't even need the towel! Woohooooo!!! I think this is due to greater flexibility in the front of my ankles and in my hips, but I was just so happy to be able to do this pose properly without aid. Just unbelievable.

Backbends were a little bit easier today ... and I felt like I got more curve today. That might not make sense, but it felt like I got my midsection higher in the air. I might not have made this up, because after my prep exercises, Mike came over and started me on assisted backbends for the first time. Basically this entails him standing facing me, with his hands on my lower back to keep me from falling as I bend backwards, and then to pull me back up. I love backbends, so this is just awesome for me. For some reason, backbends have never caused me a lot of anxiety ... not the way some of arm balances do, or headstand did. It's a little scary going over, but I really really like it. :)

And then after that when I went into my final seated forward bend, when Mike came over to press me down farther, he actually complimented my breathing. Yay! I guess that means I'm doing it correctly. It felt right, but I wasn't sure until today. I also got some major fold today. I got my head on my legs even before Mike came over to push me down, and afterward I was positively smooshed against myself. :)

One thing I have noticed is how quickly I'm getting through my practice. Today only took 70 minutes, and that was with the extra backbending. I'm not sure I spent as much time as usual in savasana, but even so, I'm getting through this quicker and quicker. I'm not rushing at all ... it's that I'm more fluid in my transitions. But that's fine with me. I'm looking forward to the backbends, but I realized this morning that I'm not anxiously awaiting new poses. If Mike wants to give me more, well I trust his judgment. But right now my practice is so fulfilling - and challenging - that I am completely content right where I am.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

2010-03-31T15:19:00.002-05:00

Workout: Tuesday Club Run
Course: BCGB from HOL ... Rudy's Loop with variation, across Sculpture Falls, up HOD, Bologna, Outer Loop to Moon Pad, Middle Road, East Shady to Indian Cutoff, across Lower Dam and back up HOL
Distance: 6.5 miles
Start Time: 6:10 p.m.
Duration: 90 minutes
Weather: 70s and sunny ... really nice
Nutrition: water and Zico

No yoga this morning ... Moon Day. So this run was my only workout. I felt a little tired going into it. I was at a conference most of the day, and on top of that my allergies have been kicking my butt a little bit lately and I forgot to take two of my meds today. So I was a sniffly mess. But if anything, the run seemed to help my allergies. Not sure how that worked out, but I've felt better ever since.

I was hoping to take it easy tonight, hoping some slower folks might show up ... but sadly that didn't happen. Thankfully, my pace seemed okay to everyone, so I guess I wasn't too pokey. I decided to mix things up a bit tonight, and start with Rudy's Loop. I ran easy, but I was kind of surprised that I felt better than I expected once I started running. Even on the road portion and the section around the powerline on Rudy's, where I normally feel my energy dip, I felt surprisingly good tonight.

After the power station, we skipped the jeep road and took one of the other ways down ... I didn't feel like dealing with the mud slalom, and I really liked taking this other way. I've only ever gone up this way, and it's fun going down. May keep this as a regular part of the route.

I was a bit clumsy crossing at Sculpture Falls, but managed to not fall down. Then over to Hill of Death, where I didn't even try to run up it. I kept up a good power walk, and I was pretty surprised that Gordon was the only one who ran up the hill ... everyone else seemed content to walk as well. I decided to tackle Bologna this evening ... it's been a while, since we've had enough rain to keep it slippery and I didn't want to run this trail in the dark when it was slick. That's just asking for someone to take a bad fall.

It was nice and dry and lots of fun. It's a workout though. By the time we got to the rock pile, I was ready for a rest. Not for too long though, and again I felt surprisingly good running from Bambi out to the outer loop and the Rock Tree. I also usually get tired on the largely uphill stretch from Rock Tree to the Moon Pad, but again I felt better than expected. It's not so much that I wasn't tired ... I just kept expecting to feel more tired than I did.

Maybe it's the daylight, but I swear Middle Road gets longer every time I run it ... and in either direction. By contrast, Shady is always so much fun I'm kind of sad when it's over. And I haven't been on Indian Cutoff for a while (too much water to risk the lower dam crossing in the dark), but it's one of my favorite little section to really run fast and work on my downhills. Thankfully, the lower dam wasn't too deep and the current wasn't too strong, so we all got across safely and pretty easily. And again at Hill of Life, no one seemed interested in running up it, so we hiked up as a group. It's unusual for all of us to finish together, but tonight we did.

This was a really fun run ... a new person, another who hasn't been for a long time, and some of the regulars who I always like to see. And I ran better than I expected. Can't get a lot better than that.

It was weird to miss a day when I usually do yoga, so my plan is to go tomorrow. Two days off in a row feels like more than I can handle. :)

Monday, March 29, 2010

2010-03-29T16:52:00.002-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 6:30 a.m.
Duration: 75 minutes

Guess all the work I did yesterday caught up with me. This was the hardest practice I have had in a while. My body was just tired. Things went well during the sun salutations, and pretty much as usual during the standing series. But when I got to the seated poses, I really noticed how fatigued I was. More specifically, during the vinyasas between each seated pose, I noticed my fatigue. My upper body, and mostly my right shoulder, just got so tired that supporting myself became really tough. I even did a few half-assed vinyasas toward the end of my practice, putting my legs on the ground to go into both upward and downward dog. I even had trouble binding in Marichyasana, although I managed. I managed to do everything ... it was just a lot harder than usual. And maintaining my breathing became tough as well, since I felt so worn out that each pose took more effort.

I'm not discouraged at all ... just like with running, some days are better than others. And with yoga in particular, the important thing is just to do my practice. Mostly, it's just interesting. I've improved so much in the past several weeks, but even so, fatigue can really affect things. I'm actually pleased that my practice went as well as it did. I guess it's kind of like when I run tired, but that doesn't necessarily make me slower. Today I did my practice tired, but it didn't really make me weaker or less focused.

Sunday, March 28, 2010 - Part II

2010-03-29T16:38:00.002-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 10:45 a.m.
Duration: 75 minutes

It was really interesting to do my Ashtanga practice after a run ... after a race, to be precise. In many ways, it was a really great practice, and I was far less tired than I expected to be. Most of my body was much more limber as a result of the run, so that really improved the practice. One major difference I noticed was how HOT I felt during practice today. Paul said he didn't think the room seemed any warmer than usual, so apparently it really was me. I was drenched in sweat by the end of my sun salutations!

My allergies were also clearly in evidence after the race ... my breathing was definitely loud today. But I did a pretty good job trying to maintain it and breathe correctly, focusing on my inhalations. As I mentioned, my body was really limber after today's race, and it really made the practice enjoyable. I was able to get into several poses more fully than I sometimes do, or at least more easily. My back and legs opened up from the start. My balance was pretty good as well.

I will say that by the time I got to the backbends, I was pretty beat. But I finished my practice nice and strong. And I really enjoyed savasana today. :) I was ready for a rest.

The Maze - Sunday, March 28, 2010

2010-03-29T15:45:00.002-05:00

Workout: The Maze 10K
Course: Walnut Creek
Distance: 6.2 miles
Start Time: 7:30 a.m.
Duration: 59:59
Weather: mid 50's, sunny, really nice
Nutrition: water and Zico

I really know how to hit my goals! I had no idea how this race was going to go, but based on my race last year, I set myself a goal of finishing in under an hour. I had hoped I might be faster, depending on how I felt, but an hour seemed reasonable. Well, I did it ... with one second to spare. Actually, since my goal was to finish in under an hour, technically, I had NO time to spare. :)

I can't say that I managed myself all that well during the race. I went out too fast, hoping to get ahead of the crowds at the water crossings. Well, I had no trouble at any of the creek crossings, but I did set too fast a pace for myself. I didn't feel fantastic ... my breathing was a little labored because my allergies were awful. And my lower legs felt a bit tight for the first few miles. But I didn't feel bad, and I think I ended up running pretty well. This course is fun, with lots of winding trails. The hills are small and rolling, which means everything is completely runnable. Of course, one thing I always forget about this course is that all the rolling really keeps my heart rate up, and so I always feel like I'm working.

After the aid station, I decided to ease up just a bit. I didn't want to completely bonk before the finish. I don't know that I really slowed down all that much, but I did seem to get into a better groove on the second half of the course. I will say that I didn't get passed much after the early miles of the course. And some of the folks who passed me, I ended up passing them again. Especially at the water crossings. Lots of people were very tentative trying to cross dry. Considering that the water at the dam on Tuesday was nearly up to my rib cage, getting my feet wet wasn't a big deal at all, and so I just flew through all the water. At the last water crossing, I passed a bunch of people, and stayed in front of them for the rest of the race.

This was one race where it helped to have other people around me. When I needed to ease up, I would just stay behind the person running in front of me, and then if I got a burst of energy, I would pass. This happened with at least three people throughout the race ... and I ended up in front of all of them. The two women, I passed on some sections with more downhill, and the guy I passed going uphill.

Even though I was in a better groove on the second half of the course, that last mile or two just seemed endless. This section just winds and winds and winds ... and I enjoy it, but I was getting nervous about how long it was taking. Finally, I hit the turn that led to the final climb. I passed another guy walking up the hill. I remember last year wanting to walk this, but knowing that it was the last climb before the finishing stretch. This year, I wasn't even tempted to walk. It still sucked, as did the final 400m or so to the finish. But I knew I was so close to my goal. I actually didn't look at my watch, but I saw the timer as I approached the finish line. I thought I was fine, but it's a good thing I didn't slow down, because one second more and I'd have been over my goal. Whew!

Just a few notes about this race ...

While I'm not that pleased with how I managed myself, I am pleased with my overall result. Maybe I could have run it faster, but my time of 59:59 is 3:28 faster than I ran this same race last year. That's over 30 seconds per mile faster. Considering I was working on speed somewhat last year as well, this is a significant improvement since I've been doing dedicated speed work.

I took a look at my race report from last year, and I'm surprised by how different my experience was this year. For one thing, last year I thought I ran the first half easy and this year I thought I ran it hard, but I hit the aid station at the exact same point in my race ... 28 minutes in.

This also means that all of the gains in time I made over last year came on the second half of the course. That really surprises me! Not because I felt slower ... as I mentioned above, I didn't think I slowed down much. And maybe I slowed down a lot last year. Not sure, but compared to last year I made up 3.5 minutes in just over 3 miles. Not bad at all. That helps explain how I managed to pass a number of people over the last couple miles.

I also noted last year that I was alone for most of my race, and that was also not the case this year. I didn't really chat with people a lot, but I had a whole host of people in sight all through the race. To give some perspective, this year, 18 people finished within a minute of me ... last year, there were 7. I don't know that that means anything, but it's interesting to me.

Overall, this was a fun race. I didn't run quite as well as I'd have liked, but I'm happy with the result. In fact, I'm happier with the result knowing that it wasn't my best race ever. Unlike last year though, it didn't suck the entire time. In fact, there were plenty of stretches where I felt pretty good, and I really focused on running relaxed as much as possible.

Only 3 weeks until The Loop. As with last year, I'd love to run the same time I did for this race. Not sure that's feasible, but I know I'll have fun out there.

Friday, March 26, 2010

2010-03-26T22:03:00.002-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 5:15 p.m.
Duration: 75 minutes

Today was another led class, but Mike did things a little bit differently today. He had everyone do their practice up until the point where each of us would normally stop, but then we waited as others went through the rest of the practice, and then we all did from backbends on together. It made for an interesting class.

My focus today was on my ujjayi breathing, and really trying to do it correctly. I won't say I made it through the entire class without ever losing it, but I was pretty successful for most of the practice. And it made a difference in my practice. It might also have made a difference doing a class at the end of the day. I was tired before we started, but I seemed to be a bit looser as well. The warmup went very well. Maintained my breathing, worked all the transitions, and didn't feel totally exhausted. My jumps (both back into pushup and into standing) went very well throughout all the sun salutations. I think maybe I'm adjusting a bit to the led class and working at someone else's pace, because today it worked fine for me.

The standing poses all went as usual ... no major issues or breakthroughs today. But definitely made some progress in the seated poses. In Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimattanasana, Mike told me not to use the towel to pull my foot into lotus, and I was able to hold it in the position it normally is with the towel. I'm not all the way into lotus yet, but as I've said before, I'm slowly getting there. When we got to Marichyasana, Mike let me go through A-C (instead of just A, so two new poses). I can't do B all the way yet, but this was the best I've ever done and Mike showed me how to modify it so that I can do it and gradually work into it farther.

After that I just sat there watching the rest of class, as people gradually stopped and other kept going. At one point, I started doing the vinyasas between poses, to stay warmed up. But I guess I'd recovered quite a bit, because I started to get vertigo when I would go into downward dog. This happened more than once, and I had to be really careful to avert a full-blown attack.

Once we got to Urdhva Dhanurasana (backbends), I rejoined the others. This was HARD. I knew it would be. Having someone else count made them last longer and I couldn't quite finish out the 3rd backbend. Shoulder stands were hard too, when my legs were compressed ... I had trouble breathing and my stomach was cramping when it was all squished up. This isn't usually a problem, but I haven't done these in a while.

During Sirsana (headstand), Mike came over and held my legs so I could go up. I loved it! It's hard and it really works my lower core, but I so enjoy that inversion. And today I'm pleased to report that I wasn't scared at all this time.

Considering that I really wanted to just skip class today and go sit on my porch, I am so glad that I resisted that impulse. I knew that even though I felt tired, that I would enjoy the class, and since I'm not doing anything tomorrow, I knew I would feel better getting in one more class. And of course I did.

Thursday, March 25, 2010 - Part II

2010-03-26T09:21:00.004-05:00

Workout: Tempo Run
Course: Hyde Park and Shoal Creek area
Distance: 7.75 miles
Start Time: 5:30 p.m.
Duration: 64 minutes

2 mile warmup at 8:30 pace
4 mile tempo run at 7:45 pace
1.75 mile cooldown at 9:25 pace

Weather: upper 60s, sunny, breezy, and just gorgeous
Nutrition: Zico and water

Oh, this run soooo made up for yesterday! And it appears that doing yoga on the same day as a quality workout is not necessarily a bad idea. :) Whatever the reason, I am just so happy that I had a good run.

It was a gorgeous evening, and I definitely felt more motivated than I did yesterday. But when I started my run, I can't say I felt good. I felt sluggish and slow and tired, and I really was concerned about how the run would go. But I just told myself to keep going, and if it was too hard, I could just run easier. Thankfully, there was no need for that!

About a mile in, I started to loosen up and felt much better. I tried to run my warmup pretty easy, so I'm surprised that I averaged an 8:30 pace for those first couple miles. But that second mile I was definitely feeling better. When I got to the intersection at Burnet and 49th (the end of my warmup) I picked up the pace, and it felt really good. Maybe slow running just leads to feeling sluggish ... I don't know. But I focused on trying to run a hard pace, one where it would be too tough to have a conversation, but one that I thought I could sustain without killing myself.

I was feeling a little bit winded as I hit the intersection of Bull Creek and 45th, but it got easier on the next stretch, heading down toward 38th St. When I got to the uphill grade on 38th heading toward Lamar, I just focused on keeping my effort level steady rather than trying to maintain exactly the same pace. Then after that it was downhill to Guadalupe, and then I only had about 8 blocks to go. I definitely got tired doing this run, but that's kind of the point, and I'm happy with the results. I really had no idea what kind of pace I was running. I was hoping it was around 8 minute miles, so I am very excited that I managed a 7:45 pace for those 4 miles.

To increase speed, it's certainly helpful to have pace goals. But what I'm really enjoying about this process is focusing on how my body feels at those various paces. My goal all along has been to learn how to pace myself, and unless I want to be wedded to a Garmin (which I don't), going by how my body feels and learning to closely monitor my perceived effort level is really the only way to figure out how to do this.

One of the things I've been wondering about is how my speed this year differs from my speed this time last year, when I was also working on getting faster, but just doing things on my own, without a real targeted plan. Just by way of comparison, this time last year I ran a sub-25 minute 5K. And I was really, really satisfied with that. On this training run at a 7:45 pace for 4 miles, I would have covered 5K in about 24 minutes flat. So based on today's run, my training pace right now is faster than my race pace last year.

My next run is the Maze on Sunday. I hope I have a good day, and I'm very curious to see how this goes. I'm trying not to put too much pressure on myself, but I am excited to see what I can do.

Thursday, March 25, 2010 - Part I

2010-03-25T10:48:00.002-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 6:30 a.m.
Duration: 75 minutes

I really didn't want to get out of bed when my alarm went off this morning. But I knew I'd feel better if I went to yoga, and since I plan to run after work, I couldn't do an evening practice. So I got up ... and of course I'm glad I did.

It was a tough practice today ... I feel like I have so much to work on! And while I love that, it does require a lot of focus, which is tougher when I'm worn out. But I was pretty happy with how things went today. My main concern for today was to really work on doing my transitions correctly, going from pushup into upward dog using my toes to propel me up and forward, and then into downward dog, moving my feet simultaneously and using my core to lift me. I managed to do this for all of my vinyasas today! :)

My legs were pretty tight throughout the warmup and through the first couple poses, but they gradually loosened up and I was much better going into the sequence of Prasarita Padottanasana. My balance is still off, but it got better today with some focus. When my right foot was the standing leg, I fell out almost immediately when I tried to straighten my foot, but once I got back in, I held it well. But I really, really felt it in my right hip. This area definitely needs more strengthening, and I haven't been doing my lateral band exercises at home. Might be worth doing more of these and seeing how that helps my practice.

I did Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana again today, bending over and keeping my leg in lotus (or as close as I can get. It's really not that hard, and my leg is slowly getting used to going closer into lotus.

During Utkatasana and Virabhadrasana A, I really focused on keeping my arms straight and extending out of my core, and not worrying so much about how much I bent my legs. I could really feel how much this stretched out my midsection, and how the strength to do this extension really comes from my lateral core.

I'm little by little getting more flexibility in my hips and ankles. The seated poses all went well today. Even in Triang Mukhaekapada Paschimattnasana, I still have to put my hip on a towel so I can bend my other leg underneath me (and I'll probably have to do this for a while), but it's getting easier every time, and I can see the day down the road when I might be able to do this unassisted.

I really focused in Marichyasana A on using my breath to set myself up for the pose, and I really had a much easier time binding today. Mike came over and pushed me farther into the pose, which felt great!

Afterward, Mike came over to give me some advice on working on my ujjayi breathing. Mine seems to be stuck in my nose, and I need to bring it down into my lungs more. The trick here, though, is to bypass my throat, so that I don't tighten my vocal cords. I did a few practice breaths, and I think I get it. Now I just need to work on it.

Another area of improvement ... Utpluthi is still tough, but I am definitely getting better at holding myself up for the full 25 breaths. Still have my feet on the floor, but again, I am starting to see how I am building strength that will one day allow me to do this all the way.

I mentioned yesterday that I may add in another practice on Wednesdays, and see how it works with my quality running workout. We'll get a taste of that this evening, when I try a tempo run to make up for last night's crappy workout.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

2010-03-25T10:10:00.002-05:00

Workout: Quality Workout - 12 x 400 intervals
Course: Hyde Park
Distance: 4.5 miles
Start Time: 6:30 p.m.
Duration: 45 minutes

Warmup 12 minutes
6 x 400 intervals in 1:48 (7:15 pace) with 6 x 400 recovery job in between
Cooldown 5 minutes

Weather: rainy and upper 60's
Nutrition: water and Zico, Honey stinger gel 20 minutes before run

Well, this run just completely sucked. Wasn't up for it physically, wasn't into it mentally, and so it just .... sucked. Sucked enough that halfway through I called it quits. I'm not proud of that, but I think it was the right decision.

I almost didn't even go today. The weather was crappy, and I was tired. Plus, I just didn't feel like it. But that last reason always feels like a poor excuse, and I didn't know if I'd feel any more up for it on Thursday, when the weather was supposed to be better. Around 6:30, there was a break in the rain, and I figured I could deal with just drizzly. I had also mapped out a 400 stretch closer to home, which I hoped might motivate me better. Unfortunately, when I mapped out my interval stretch, I then forgot to switch my mapping program back to miles when I tried to map out my warmup. I knew it seemed short, but I figured maybe the roundabout route I'd chosen was longer than I thought. Halfway through the warmup, I realized my mistake, and so my warmup was 1.25 miles instead of the 2 miles I had intended.

After that auspicious beginning, it didn't get a lot better. I am pleased that the intervals I did, I managed to complete at my goal pace. But it took a LOT out of me to do those, and by the 6th one, I was really tired, and I was just soooo not into it. My left ankle felt weirdly tight, I was more winded than usual, and I was just hating every minute of it. I just could not envision getting through 6 more of these. So I decided to call it a day.

My plan is to try to run again tomorrow evening, but do a tempo run and see how that goes. I don't know what's going on. I think a simple explanation is that I'm still tired from earlier in the week. I also need to remember that this is only my 4th week of Ashtanga, and my body is still adjusting. Just because I feel fine during some of my running workouts doesn't mean my body isn't going to occasionally have hard days.

I think I'm also just having road fatigue. I wrote in a least one other post about my concern that I'm going to have battle my own boredom with the road. I think this is a perfect example. I'm not at all ready to give up on my marathon goals, but I think this could be a hard road ahead. I'm just a trail runner at heart, and I'm not sure this road running is ever going to get more enjoyable.

Also, I've been avoiding going to yoga on the day of my quality workouts, but I may not worry about that anymore. It hasn't seemed to affect my Tuesday runs negatively, and it might be interesting to see what happens if I try to do yoga and then a quality run in the same day. If it doesn't work, fine, but if I can fit in more yoga, that would be awesome.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010 - Part II

2010-03-24T13:29:00.002-05:00

Workout: HCTR Club Run
Course: BCGB from HOL ... upper Fox Run with Fox Run extended, to Dam Run, across the Dam, up Cedar Chop, down Ridge, through Mud Hollow over to the Bluff and the Overlook, out to Shady, then West Shady back to Mud Hollow, back across the Dam and up HOL
Distance: 6.5 miles
Start Time: 6:10 p.m.
Duration: 1 hr, 23 min
Weather: low 70's, really nice
Nutrition: water and Zico

I was pleasantly surprised by tonight's run! With how exhausted I'd felt the past couple days, and then after yoga this morning, I expected to be completely worn out for this run. And I did feel a little tired ... but I didn't run like it.

The 6.5 mile route took 83 minutes, which is pretty good on its own ... still comes out to sub-13 minute miles. The first 6 miles (taking out HOL at the end) took 74 minutes, and if you subtract the time we were just hanging out at intersection, then we really ran for about 65 minutes. That means our pace on most of the run was under 11 minute miles. For those sections of trail, that's pretty fast for me ... and I mostly ran easy.

We had a pretty fast-paced group tonight, so I tried not to take it too slow, but everyone seemed okay with the pace. Started off easy on Fox Run. I noticed pretty early on that my lower left leg and foot felt very tight and a bit sore (both lower legs really, but the left was worse). I think that's a result of all the yoga really working on strengthening that area and also creating more flexibility there. The lotus from this morning I'm sure had much to do with it. I also noticed that I was kind of tentative on the downhills, so tried to consciously relax and let my legs go a little bit.

Once we got to the extended trail, I let go a bit more, and this flowed pretty well. It's nice and rolling, and I managed to pick it up to a faster-but-still-comfortable pace. Mostly here I focused on maintaining my pace and effort level, regardless of whether we were climbing or going downhill. By the time we got to the dam, I was feeling better than I expected. A little tired, but the dead legs I was expecting never materialized.

After a VERY wet dam crossing ... water above my waist! ... I decided to see just how tired I was, and I decided to try running up Cedar Chop. Mike had already taken off, and as soon as I started to climb, Paul blew past me, but I just tucked in and focused right in front of me and tried to run steady. I got tired, but I ran all the way up without too much problem, and at a pretty good pace. In fact, Gabe made a comment that if this is how I run when I'm sick, maybe I should get sick more often. :) In truth though, that climb wiped me out ... although it didn't seem to show in my pace.

Fortunately, from there we had some easy running ahead. Flat trail to the Ridge intersection, and then more flat and downhill on Ridge all the way to Mud Hollow. I managed the downhills on Ridge pretty well, not slowing my speed down a whole lot. And by the time we had to climb again up to the Bluff, I was pretty recovered.

We stood around and chatted at the Bluff and the Overlook, so I didn't have any trouble running the uphill grade out to Shady. And then that section of trail on Shady from the West Key back to Mud Hollow is just one of my favorite trails ever, so I always love to run it. Again, didn't try to go too fast, but kept the pace steady and tried to maintain it whether climbing or descending. I was really pleased when we got to the bottom of HOL and I realized what good time we had made. If anything, I'm underestimating how much time we hung out (and how long it took to cross at the dam both times), so our running pace might have been even faster.

I'm so happy with this run. I had a lot of fun ... Stephanie was also back tonight, and it was great to catch up a little bit! And I ran better than I expected, so really there was just no downside at all.

I am curious about two things. I have another quality workout tomorrow, so I will be interested to see how that goes. It's the same one I did two weeks ago, and I don't really know what to expect. I also can't wait to see how things go at the Maze this weekend. This will be the first race where I have any frame of reference as far as speed goes. I'm trying not to be too ambitious with my goals ... and I'm considering not wearing a watch so that I can really focus on how I feel ... but I will be very interested to see how the results turn out. Last year I was also working on speed when I ran the Maze, so it will good to know how this year is paying off vs. last year when I was doing it one my own with no real plan.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010 - Part I

2010-03-23T11:07:00.004-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 6:30 a.m.
Duration: 1 hr, 20 mins

I don't know what is going on with me, but it appears I'm fighting off something. Maybe it's still the virus I had a couple weeks ago, rearing its ugly head again. These things do sometimes go dormant and then resurface. Whatever it is, I am utterly exhausted. I had planned to make up my tempo run on Sunday evening, but I fell asleep on the couch around 5 and didn't wake up until nearly 8. And then, after sleeping another 9 hours, I woke up Monday morning still feeling totally exhausted. So I stayed home from work, didn't go to yoga or for a run, and just laid around and napped all day. And then still went to bed at 10 o'clock last night.

This morning when my alarm went off for yoga, I was still tired, but by now I was worried it might be lethargy taking over, so figured a good Ashtanga workout would shake off the Kapha that had built up. And if it wasn't lethargy, then I'd find that out soon enough, but either way, I needed to do something.

This was a great practice, but it really left me completely shattered energy-wise. I could barely lift my arms to use the hair dryer this morning. But I got to work on some new things, and I really enjoyed that.

As I expected, the warm up was considerably easier going at my own pace. I paid special attention to my right shoulder, which has been bothering me the past few days. I think I might have overextended it in one of my practices last week, so need to keep an eye on that until the pain goes away. But it didn't hurt during practice, and the one posture where it might have been a problem, I was careful (more on that in a minute).

I could tell pretty early on in the practice that my body was still tired. I was tighter than usual during Utthita Trikonasana (triangle and revolved triangle). I did fine during most of Prasarita Padottanasana, but during C, with my hands clasped behind my back, when Sarah came over to pull my arms back, I intentionally resisted going back too far. I think this is where my shoulder got a little overextended. In fact, unless it feels a lot better on Thursday, I'm going to ask that no one help me on this for a few classes, to let it calm down a bit.

Once again, I started off Utthita Hasta Padangustasana (standing balancing pose) on my own. I'm getting pretty good at the forward part, and was able to hold it and bend forward today. The side version throws off my balance, but I'm getting there. Mike came over to help me when I got to my left side. I was able to really focus on keeping my standing foot aligned correctly ... on this side it always turns out for balance, and I need to get it stronger to keep it lined up, so having him assist me was helpful.

Next, I did Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana (the next standing balancing pose). I usually just hold each foot, trying to get my foot higher and more turned out each time, and trying to hold my arm behind my back. But today after I finished, Mike had me do it again, this time getting my foot into place, and then bending over. I was surprised at how easily I could do this! My foot stayed in place better than I expected, and I really like getting to advance this one! It will likely be a long time before I can get into lotus and hold that foot with my opposite hand, but this is a great start for me!

Mike came over again to help me in Utkatasana (chair pose). He pulled my arms up straight, which for some reason really activated my core today. It was hard but it felt great. This also stretched me out for Virabhadrasana A (Warrior I) and I was able to keep that extension in my arms today. I didn't bend my legs as deeply, but really focused on the extension of my core and arms. It felt great!

Went through the seated poses, and for some reason again today I had trouble binding in Marichyasana A. Mike came over to help me, and it did give me insight into how to get farther into the pose, and I was able to bind with no problem, but I think the issues I was having on my own are mostly due to how tired I am.

After Urdhva Dhanurasana (backbends), Mike came over again to show me an exercise to help prep my body for backbending. It involves bending at the knees to activate my legs, and then bending backwards to start the bend. I did this 5 times ... and I need to remember to ask him whether I should continue to do these after my backbends, or do them before.

And then Mike came over again ... this time to work with me on standing on my toes. I had no idea why, but of course I did it. And then he showed me how this lift onto my toes is really how I make the transition from pushup position into upward dog ... without hurting my toes. Which is really helpful, because that has been as issue for me lately, as I've progressed in my transitions. After that, he showed me how to use my core to lift into downward dog, so that I don't flip one foot and then the other, which over time will create an imbalance. So now I have lots to work on even throughout my practice, without adding anything new. And finally, in Yoga Mudra, the first pose of the closing sequence, I was able to get my legs into my baby lotus position, and hold it there the entire time!

This is one of the things I love about yoga. No matter how experienced you are, there's always more to learn. Even within the simplest postures, there's always room to improve. It's not always about adding poses ... sometimes the best work you can do is to push farther and deeper into the poses you're already doing. Or finding a new way to better do those poses.

It's probably good that I have an early meeting tomorrow, or I'd be tempted to go to class again. Especially since I missed yesterday (although for good reason). But with a run tonight and my quality workout tomorrow, I think it's best that I stick with my normal plan and wait until Thursday.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

2010-03-23T10:49:00.002-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 9 a.m.
Duration: 1 hour

Today was another led class, and I was really looking forward to it. I ended up missing yesterday's run because of the weather ... Paul and I were going to run Walnut Creek in the morning, but the storms came in right when we were planning to go, and WC gets really yucky when it's wet. I wouldn't care about mud, etc, but the whole point of this run was to preview the WC course for next weekend, and to get in some tempo miles ... not possible when it's all muck out there. So opted to sleep in instead, which was lovely. But I definitely was ready for some yoga by this morning.

Once again, I found the sun salutations to be more difficult when doing them at a prescribed pace ... but I do think this is good practice, to break out of my own pace and do things a bit differently. I wouldn't say I had any issues with my practice today, but I did feel tired and it seemed to take a lot out of me. My balance was better today though ... I made it much farther in Utthita Hasta Padangustasana than I have before. I only fell out once during the portion with my leg out to the side. My form can certainly improve, but my balance is slowly getting there. And this is such great work for strengthening my arches and feet!

The best part? When I got to the end of my practice, Mike had me go ahead and do Marichyasana A. He asked if I knew it, and I of course responded that it was one of my favorite poses. Right as I said that the guy next to me accidentally whacked me in the nose as he was getting into the pose. Mike asked if I liked getting hit in the face ... so I joked back that it was the best part of the pose. :) This was definitely a class where Mike's sense of humor came out.

I haven't done Marichyasana in a while ... it actually was kind of hard to bind today. But I did it, and it was a great way to end my practice and move into backbends. I think this combo of doing Mysore practice with a led class or two each week might bring even greater benefits to my practice. I look forward to seeing how that goes in the coming weeks.

Friday, March 19, 2010

2010-03-19T10:42:00.003-05:00

Workout: Ashtanga Yoga
Start Time: 7 a.m.
Duration: 1 hr, 10 min

After nearly three weeks of doing Mysore practice, it was a little bit odd to be in a led class again. Even though I was essentially doing my own practice, I did find it harder to follow someone else's timing. At the same time, it was an interesting challenge to try to focus and really concentrate on my own practice, when I had an instructor talking and other people around me doing the exact same practice.

I realized during savasana the parallels between this and my issues with my quality running workouts. Normally during Mysore, there are other people doing their practice in the room at the same time ... usually more people than the three others who came to class this morning. But during Mysore, I rarely find myself distracted by what other people are doing. Partly because we are all practicing at a different pace, doing different postures, etc. And then also because in order to guide myself through my practice, I just have to focus more. So this morning I really had to work to stay focused on myself and the things within each pose that I need to work on. I was able to do this, and I ended up really enjoying the practice.

What I need to do is bring that same ability to focus to my quality runs with my training group. If I can use the focus I have in yoga to work out with my training group, but really concentrate on my own pace and doing what I need to do the way I need to do it, then maybe I can find a way to enjoy those group workouts. I'm not quite ready to try it yet ... I still want to take a week or two more doing the runs on my own. But I think this was an important realization, and a great way to try to approach doing these workouts.

As for the yoga practice ... again, it was definitely a little bit different to follow someone else's timing for my practice. But it gave me a chance to see how much I've grown in my practice in just the past few weeks. The sun salutations were tougher than usual - I may have just been a little tired today - but I was pleased with how I got through them. Jumping back into pushup, transitioning to upward and downward dog, jumping forward ... all things I couldn't do three weeks ago.

My back is loosening up so much more quickly these days. In fact, before practice started, when I was just doing some gently stretching on my mat, I could feel my back and shoulders popping and opening ... something that never used to happen that easily. And in all the standing forward bends (Pandangustasana, Pada Hastasana, and Prasarita Padottanasana A-D), I am definitely starting to bend further, get my legs straighter, get my shoulders more open, etc.

My balance was a little bit better today during the standing balancing series (Utthita Hasta Padangustasana). I really focused on the line of my body, extending my legs, keeping my shoulders back, and most of all keeping my weight balanced on my standing foot. And boy did I feel it! In the next pose, my feet almost cramped up - I was working my arches really hard! But that's how I'm going to get better at this, and strengthening my arches even more is only going to help my running too.

I'm glad I came to class today. It's nice to get in another day of yoga, and there was definitely some benefit to having Sarah lead me through some things ... reminders about breathing and transitions, etc. But it also really made me appreciate the Mysore practice. Being able to pace myself and really focus on my own practice, while still drawing on the energy of the others in the room, is really just the best of all possible situations for me.