First of 3

Saturdays have been reserved for my "long run" for as long as I've started doing long runs! Yesterday, I needed to get in one of my longest runs in preparation for the Boston Marathon: the big 20-miler. According to the schedule, this is just the first of three 20-milers on my training schedule. Now, most people think 20 miles is just an absurd amount of miles to run. But yesterday, it wasn't the mileage that I was dreading. It was the weather.

It can be quite challenging to get in long runs outside during these months when you live in Chicago. We still have snow accumulation on all the regular running paths. This snow has been trampled, melted and then frozen back into a severly uneven surface making it unsafe to run on. It's these times that we die-hard runners take to the streets. The streets were clean for yesterday's run, however, the longer the run, the more traffic there is to face. Most drivers do not like sharing the roads with the runners and they're all too happy to let you know it!

I fell asleep on Friday night before catching the morning's weather forecast, so I flipped on the television when I woke up. 22 degrees. Yeah, uh huh, what about that piercing windchill? So I stepped out on my balcony and quickly jumped back into the house and slammed the door. Yep, definitely a windchill factor! A further look at the news showed the windchill was about 12 degrees. This can make a big difference in how to dress properly for a run.

I rustled through the closet to find all the much-needed set of hand warmers and all the necessary layers then proceeded to the kitchen to fill up bottles for my fuel belt. This poses another problem. It's difficult to get to your drinks because of all the extra clothes. Additionally, I need to wear two pairs of gloves (with hand warmers tucked nicely inside!) to keep my fingers from freezing off, thus making it difficult to handle the bottles during the run. How DO I manage?

Next problem is that NO ONE wants to run 20 miles in this weather. I have some pretty crazy, gung-ho, die hard endurance athlete friends, yet they all seem to turn into wimps when it comes to keeping me company on such a long run (well, BC, you are excused since you ran the 17 with me last week!). Now I know that if I can't get some other sucker to come out and run with me the entire time, I won't get the required mileage in. Sure, I'll tell myself I'll "finish up" on a treadmill later in the afternoon. But that never happens.

What is my solution? Shifts. I need an early morning shift...someone to start with me at 6:30am. This is BC. This is because he can't stand to sleep in a little if he knows someone is out there running. He needs to join in. Cool, he's great company. Then we swing back for shift #2. These people refuse to get up early enough to meet us for the 6:30 start, so they show up at 7am. This group runs a regular loop (of which I STILL can't figure out myself) of around 8 miles. After 8 miles in 12 degree windchill, these people are all too happy to jump in their cars and wish me luck for the second half of my run.

Enter shift #3...Joe M. Now, Joe cherishes his sleep-in days. Do not ask him to get up early to run. If you do this, be prepared to be showered with a bunch of f-bombs and be told how crazy and ridiculous your idea is. And like perfect clockwork, shift #2 ended at 8:30am...exactly the time I told Joe to meet me. However, for the last 4 miles, I was silently hoping that Joe looked at the weather for that morning and decided to bag the run. I was cold and another 10 miles in the brutal wind was not something I was looking forward to. I started toward my car to check my cell phone praying to find a voice mail from Joe telling me he had opted for the treadmill that day.

I was just about 4 feet from my car when a happy little tap-tap of someone's horn caught my attention. DAMMIT! It was Joe! Jeez, there was no way I could get out of this run now! Alright, fine. I knew that if I didn't do this now, I wouldn't do it at all. And that certainly wouldn't be good for an upcoming marathon! We now had just 9 miles left and, though I didn't know a route that would get us that mileage, we just took off and made up the route as we went along.

Joe and I trained for the Flying Pig Marathon together a few years ago. I remember some pretty crappy runs in the DARK and cold...so at least on this day, we had daylight in our favor! The miles went quickly as we chatted about everything under the sun. I almost didn't believe we were going to be finished so quickly...but knowing what pace we run on average and the time it took us to do the additional miles, it seemed to work out.

Thanks to all the "shift" runners for helping me complete this 20 miler in such tough running conditions. I'm sure you'll all let me know when I can return the favor!

Say Goodbye

After just 4 years, I am saying goodbye to my Trek 1000. I bought the Trek about two months before my very first triathlon. It was either ride my mountain bike (which isn't really wise in the hills of Galena), borrow someone else's bike, or purchase a road bike of my own. With that, I went to the closest bike shop and bought the most entry-level road bike they had. After all, how did I know I was going to become so addicted to the sport? I didn't want to plop down a small fortune on some fancy-schmancy bike that might end up sitting in the garage collecting dust (like the mountain bike).

I bought the bike, slapped on some aerobars and was happy for two very short years. But as I started to become more involved in the sport of triathlon and started hanging around with other triathletes who had the latest and greatest bikes that money could buy, it was only natural that after nine long months of research and homework, I ended up purchasing a nice triathlon (or TT) bike. I then kept the Trek (with it's triple ring, a.k.a. "granny gear") for the indoor trainer and hilly rides.

Even still, I was not happy. I decided it was time for a new road bike. This time, a "nice" one. One that would fit. One that was smooth. One that wasn't quite the TANK that my original, yet very functional, entry-level road bike was. Well, I found it. And as quickly as that, the Trek will be no more.

Training for Boston

"How's your training going for Boston?"

It's a question I've been asked lately on a regular basis. But here's the problem: I'm not really training. Or, at least I don't feel like I'm in training. Sure, I've been trying to get those long runs in every Saturday. And I say trying because there have been more than a few long run days that I've just bagged it after about half the suggested mileage. It can be pretty hard to be disciplined enough to get in a long run when it's -2 degrees outside with a windchill of -18 degrees. But it's either that or the treadmill, and I don't know what's worse.

I'm coming off a 17 miler this weekend (thanks, BC!) and I was just looking at the program and I'm off a week...should've done 18 miles this weekend. OK, not like that one mile is going to break the bank, but it does hit me mentally a little. So does the fact that I haven't been running hills. Someone just asked me that during the run this weekend, so now I have a little paranoia going on. Not only am I not putting in the necessary miles to have a strong marathon, I'm not training for the course! Uh oh, am I setting myself up for disaster?

Did I also mention I'm not really running during the week? I've been swimming a lot. Great, I'm working on the one thing that I probably can't improve so much. I went through the stroke analysis clinic, so I've been trying to make my improvements on that (the second session was this weekend, I'll talk about that later), but I'm thinking I probably shouldn't be neglecting the other parts of my training. Yeah, I think it's time I put together a training plan...yeah, since I have a half ironman coming up in 8 weeks! Not worried about that swim, though!

I think I fall into a funk every year around this time. December/January seems to be my time off. That gets me all fired up and thinking about goals and toward the middle of January I start getting back to a plan. But here we are, about a month later and it feels like races are so far off, it's easy to lose sight of what I'm trying to accomplish. And once the weather starts to improve, then I seem to get some of that motivation back. It will be so nice to run outside again with only ONE layer of clothing instead of the 2 (sometimes 3!) layers I currently wear to keep warm.

Just a few more weeks...we change the clocks, it will be lighter out and I will start to train for Boston!

Treadmill blues

Ah, the treadmill. If you have to fit in a run on days with weather like we've had the past couple of days, then the treadmill can be your best friend. We had over 12 inches of snow in less than 12 hours. The trails are covered and the streets are slushy, not to mention dangerous.

It sure would be nice to say what the heck and just blow off any running for the next week. However, with my upcoming marathon just about 9 weeks away, well, I can't afford to blow off too much running. So I opt for the treadmill. I don't know what it is, but my pace on the treadmill is much slower than when I'm out on the open road. I typically put the treadmill on a 1.0 incline at a minimum, just to simulate the outdoors, but it always feels more difficult. Maybe it has to do with the fact that there is no wind so the sweat just drips down your face. Maybe it has do to with the fact that the faster you make the treadmill go, the harder you can hear the motor working. Or maybe it's just that the treadmill is so boring. A 30 minute workout can sometimes feel like 90 minutes! You glance away for a little while, waiting for time to pass, then look back down and see that a little less than a minute has gone by! Sometimes it feels like torture.

One nice thing, though, is that one of the clubs I belong to has 8 different televisions you can watch. You plug in your headphones and can change the channel to hear which show you'd like to watch, and that can help. Sitcoms are good to watch, although I laugh out loud at the funny parts and the people around me tend to give me funny looks. Another club has it even one step better, with individual television screens attached to each treadmill so you can watch any channel you want. Very nice. But I still get bored during commercials.

A few months back, a friend suggested this treadmill workout. Don't try this at home, kids.

Treadmill Workout

Happy Valentine's Day!

Between yesterday afternoon and some time this morning, our cozy little neighborhood was dumped on with about a foot of snow. It's not like snow is a stranger to us here in the midwest, but it makes for horrible commuting. In typical MJ-fashion, my motivation to go workout dissipated steadily throughout the day. As I watched the constant snowfall, it was easy to come up with excuses to miss my workout.

Then as I watched the evening news, the weather forecasters predicted another hellacious commute and bombarded viewers with shots of jack-knifed semis and cars stuck helplessly in ditches on various streets in the area. With that, I decided to blow off the morning workout and get some much needed sleep. I didn't find it difficult to sleep past my normal wake up time of 4:11.

Now it's the middle of the afternoon and I am looking for some kind of excuse to blow off yet another workout. It's too cold. The driveway isn't shoveled. I'm tired. I have too much work to do. The kitchen needs to be cleaned, yadda, yadda, yadda. I know right now, if I had been able to get up and get my workout in this morning, I would be in a much better mood (that is, if I didn't end up stuck in a ditch somewhere like the dozens of people I saw on the news).

I end up playing games with myself. OK, after you make this one phone call, you need to get to the gym. Reply to these 3 emails, and then you're free to go. Clean off this one section of your desk, then go work out. Yet, I continue to find other things I need to do and it's frustrating.

Once in a while, I get in these moods. That little trick they tell you about running...you know, get dressed, put your shoes on and go out for 10 minutes and if you still don't feel like running, then turn around and go home? But in most cases, you'll feel better by then and motivated enough to continue on with the run? It really works! I mean, after you put your workout clothes on, head to the gym or wherever it is you plan to workout, well, you might as well make the most of it.

I'm hoping that by getting this all down in writing (er, um, typing), that will help motivate me to get my butt out the door. Next thing you know, it will be 7pm and I'll still be sitting here, fighting with myself on whether or not I should get that workout in! And then if I miss the workout, I'll feel all guilty and crabby for the rest of the night.

And it's Valentine's Day! So I can't have that!!

Indoor Triathlon

What really ticks me off is that I wrote up a nice little entry on Sunday night about my experience at the indoor triathlon. Unfortunately, before I could post, I lost my internet connection as well as everything I had just typed up! How frustrating!!

The Midwest Indoor Tri-Classic Series (http://www.mitcstriathlon.org) is held about this time every year. It consists of 4 races at various premier clubs in the western suburbs of Chicago. To compete for series standings, you must participate in at least 3 of the 4 events, each of which is a 10 minute swim, 20 minute bike and 15 minute run. The athlete that covers the most distance wins.

There are a couple of problems with this format:

• Calculating total distance equally among disciplines strongly favors the strong cyclist. If you're a really good biker, you can skip the swim entirely and still win this event. Some events use a weighted formula that corrects this discrepancy.
• The bikes used are stationary bikes that cannot possibly be calibrated equally. Therefore, someone pedaling at a much higher level (i.e., gear) sometimes gets no further than the athlete who leaves the bike at an easy level, even if cadence is equal.

Then why enter an indoor triathlon, you ask? Well, it's fun. I did this series a few years ago and thought it was well-organized, the clubs they use are awesome and I thought an indoor triathlon was a good indication of my fitness. I no longer feel that an indoor triathlon is any great indicator of fitness level, but it was nice to see that I was able to run more laps this year than in years past. My favorite part of participating in the event this year was to see so many familiar faces I haven't seen in a while. I also was able to meet some really great people.

Even though I'm not a huge fan of the indoor triathlon, I do feel it's a good way for a newbie to become acquainted with the sport. I know there are some pretty strong opinions of indoor triathlons out there. Do you participate? Why? Why not? What would you change to improve them?

Body Composition Test

Last week, I was fortunate enough to be on vacation! While you people back here in the midwest were suffering through some of the coldest weather we've had here in years, I was off on a cruise, working on my fabulous tan! For anyone that hasn't been on a cruise before, the first thing you must know is that they feed you...CONSTANTLY! Well, in order to try and keep all that food from going to the wrong places, I found myself at the gym quite a bit. (yes, they have a gym on the ship)

Well, I went on a tour of the gym/spa and they tell you about all kinds of classes, seminars, treatments, services and packages and whatnot they have available to you throughout the week. In the past, I haven't really spent much time in the gym or spa, unless, of course I was actually working out. However, this time, something caught my attention. It was this "Metabolism Test".

So, I attended one of the seminars given by fitness guru, Ruben Rocha. Ruben is from Australia and has a pretty cool accent. I'm not going to go into all the details of our discussion, but we talked about the 3 basic components that affect body composition: Exercise, Nutrition and Detox.

We did a Body Composition test in which little electrodes were hooked up to my hand and foot and a reading was given to me that tells me what % of my body is fat weight vs. lean weight currently and what I should be shooting for. What was most important to me is the reading on the Basal Metabolic Rate, meaning, how many calories I need per day just to exist. It was actually much higher than I anticipated!

We discussed nutrition (he told me to quit drinking diet Coke - OUCH!), exercise and toxins, about eating organic and such things. So I walked away with a game plan of what I need to do to reach some goals. There were things we talked about that I have heard many times before, but there were also things that were new to me. Some of it was like a light bulb going on in my head and some of it was just affirming what I have suspected but never wanted to believe.

Not entirely sure I can give up the diet Coke, but I will try to cut down. Baby steps, OK Ruben?

Miami Half Marathon 2007

We flew into Ft. Lauderdale early Saturday afternoon. The airport had banners plastered everywhere advertising the Super Bowl. Made me proud to say that "my" Chicago Bears would be playing next weekend! It was about a half hour drive to Miami. We checked into the hotel, (more banners for the Super Bowl) which was within 10 minutes walking distance from the start/finish of the race. However, we needed to take a shuttle to the expo for packet pickup. This was a bit confusing and just a little stressful as the afternoon was slipping away and the expo was shutting down soon. I must admit, I've been a bit spoiled with the extravagant expos that are held at our major Chicago races. I was pleasantly surprised by the size of this expo. It was a good size, not too big, not too small. However, I was more than disappointed when the only size they had left in the race t-shirts was Large. The shirts are pretty sweet and who couldn't use another dri-fit shirt to add to their collection??

It was great to be in the nice weather, but it wasn't quite as warm as I had expected. It was mostly sunny on Saturday afternoon, but by early evening, it was a bit chilly and I didn't dare change into shorts. We had a nice pasta dinner outside, overlooking the water, at a restaurant at Bayside Market (you got it, lots of Super Bowl banners...merchants selling jerseys, t-shirts and everything you could think of with the Super Bowl XLI logo on it) just outside the Port of Miami. The food was excellent, however, there wasn't very much of it!! On the walk back to the hotel, I insisted we stop at the Walgreens to pick up a little pre-race breakfast, but also a little more food for that night...I was still pretty hungry!

I woke around 4:50am on Sunday morning. The race started at 6:10, so I wanted to make sure we were lined up by 5:40. As soon as I got up, I walked over to the balcony of our room and threw open the door, expecting to be greeted by cool air. However, it was quite warm. So warm, in fact, I decided I wouldn't even need to wear my "throw away" shirt I planned to wear until I warmed up. It had to be upper 60s already, though I couldn't be quite sure. We met some non-running friends in the lobby to walk over to the race start. Immediately when we walked out of the hotel, little sprinkles of rain began to fall. The rain was a little cool, which gave me goosebumps and made the hair stand up on my arms. Damn, wish I had brought along that throw away after all! One of my friends asked if the rain bothered me when I ran. "Not really, " I replied. "Only when it's POURING and it soaks my shoes does rain really become an issue." How ironic that statement would be....

I think that the rain began to fall steadily harder with each minute it took for us to walk to the start of the race. I was very thankful that I had decided to wear the race hat they gave us because it kept the rain from pelting me in the face. This was no longer a sprinkle, this was a solid rain now. As we lined up in the corral for the half marathon (the full marathon runners lined up in the corral to the right), the rain started coming down in full force. My clothes were already soaked through, but now I started to feel my feet getting wet through both my shoes and socks. The only dry area of my entire body was now a small part of my face that was protected by the visor of the race-provided hat. I crossed my arms in front of me and held them close to my body in effort to keep warm. I was thankful it wasn't very windy, but the rain was coming down in sheets. Some runners were yelling and cheering, getting louder when the big rain drops seemed to come down harder. Sort of like they were taunting the rain, letting it know that the rain couldn't ruin this run for them. Other runners were groaning each time the rain came down harder. These were the biggest raindrops I had ever felt! The rain was dripping off my hat, arms, shirt and shorts, running down my legs soaking my socks AND shoes! This was definitely NOT the picture I had in mind when I signed up for this race! Later, I learned our spectator friends immediately went back to the hotel when they left us. The rain bummed them out so much, they didn't even stick around for the start of the race.

For a split second, I thought about just bagging it and going back to the hotel. I was just doing this race for fun, anyway. I had no time goal in mind. I was just out there to have fun and get in a fully-supported 13.1 mile training run. However, I already got up early, was dressed and waiting to go, so I might as well just run now. I hoped that my sopping wet feet would warm up, as would my hands, already pruny from being soaking wet, once we got started.

The national anthem, the gun, and yet another race had started. The race was a nice size. Not the gigantic event the Chicago Marathon is, but not the tiny little race that the Tucson Marathon is. Kinda like the Flying Pig, this seemed to be a good, sizable crowd. The first mile did seem a bit crowded. I forgot what it's like to start running with all these people....my last few running races were quite small. And in triathlon, everyone starts out running at different times. So it was fun to run with a bunch of people again, however, it made me realize maybe we lined up too far back. I felt like we did a lot of zig zagging to get around people.

About a mile into the race, the rain subsided. Go figure. We're already soaking wet, it might as well keep raining now!! Now I just waited for the sun to come out so I could warm up a little. Before we hit mile 2, we went over the first of 3 bridges. It was still dark when we were at this point, but later, I would see this bridge we ran over and it must've looked really cool to see a bunch of runners crossing it. We ran past all the cruise ships in port and that took my mind off the run for a bit.

With the strong rain that came down in such a short period of time, there were LOTS, and I do mean LOTS of places along the course with standing water. It was deep enough to get your shoes wet, even if you didn't splash, so I had do pull off some quick maneuvers to try and get around those places without stepping in the water. But I also had to be aware of the runners who didn't care and just ran through the deep puddles, because if your feet landed near them at just the right time, the water they were displacing would cover your feet worse than if you ran through the puddle yourself! Why did I care, my feet were already soaked!! I don't know, I guess I didn't want to be any more wet than I had to be at this point. My hands were so uncomfortable and there was no way to dry them off. My clothes were soaked through. My shirt stuck to my body which made it pretty uncomfortable until I focused on thinking of other things. My shorts, loaded with Clif Shots and Aquaphor and soaked with rain, kept falling down! WTF?!!?!? This was going to be a long 13 miles....

By mile 4, I started to warm up. The sun was trying to break its way through the clouds. I tried chatting with a few other runners here and there, but it was a pretty quiet crowd. I tried to focus on keeping my turnover high, since I wasn't really worried about pace. The course was on a few busy streets, a cozy little residential section and closer to three-quarters of the way through the race, we went through the town of Miami Beach. It was the only section where there were actual spectators gathered (well, aside from the finish). I'm guessing the rain scared off many people, but by this point, the rain was gone, the sun was out and the temperature was quite comfortable. True, it was more humidity than I was used to, but back home, I would be freezing, so I wasn't complaining!

Somewhere along the line, I felt a blister developing on the arch of my right foot. Oh well, that was to be expected with the amount of water I was carrying in my sock and shoe. It was going to take days for these shoes to dry out! I tried to run on the outside of my right foot so as to not make the blister any worse, but that wasn't very comfortable, so I just returned to my normal gait and hoped for the best. I think it was around mile 12.5 where the marathon course went straight and the half marathoners turned to the left. You could hear the music and the crowd at this point and I couldn't believe it was almost over already.

I crossed the finish line and made my way through the runners to collect my medal. My clothes were still entirely soaked through, in fact, I literally wrang out my shirt. They gave us "spinner" medals, which were pretty cool. Big medal for a half marathon! I snagged a banana and half a bagel from the food line, went to have my chip snipped off and immediately wished I had gear checked a dry shirt. Within minutes, I was chilled with no way to warm up.

I found several friends from Chicago at the finish line. We shared a few race stories and everyone was smiles at the end. Though it wasn't the picture-perfect Miami weather we mid-westerners were hoping for, it was not so bad. The race was well-organized, the course was flat, however, the aid stations needed a few more volunteers. I saw several stations that had no full cups as we ran by. The volunteers were frantically trying to keep up, but their efforts were futile. The runners drank more quickly than the volunteers could pour.

It was nice to get away and run in a t-shirt and shorts in January. Might just have to make a "weekend getaway race" an annual event...

Swim Analysis

About two weeks ago, I had a swim analysis done by Brett Petersen of Petersen Performance Lab. www.petersenperformancelab.net. I've been swimming for quite a number of years, but I've never seen myself on video and I've never had any type of analysis done.

I was filmed both under water, where I swam directly toward the camera and above water, while he walked alongside the pool as I swam. All in all, the taping part couldn't have been more than 2 minutes. I didn't know what to expect as I anxiously awaited the DVD to come back to me.

As soon as I picked up the DVD and came home, I popped it into the computer. This software automatically downloaded and on my screen there is a large window where the video can be played. To the right of that, there is a comment section. Below those two windows are smaller still frame shots of various points in time during my stroke where Brett felt it was important to point out some key element. Included on the still frames are yellow markings to indicate what to look at in each particular view. If you double click on the still frame, it will pop into the large window on the left and the corresponding comments to that particular position during your stroke show up.

You can view the video all at once or in small sections. There is a drop down menu to select which video you want to see (above surface, below, first swim, second swim, etc.). Now some of the things that were pointed out are not news to me. However, by looking closely at some of the elements of my stroke, I see things that I do in the water that I never realized. You can think you're doing something perfectly correct, that is until you see it on camera!

Since I've reviewed the DVD, I've been focusing on correcting some of the flaws in my stroke. The unfortunate part of working so intensely on technique is that you cannot maintain your speed. I find myself trying to think of about 5-6 different things all at once that I'm trying to imrpove. Next thing you know, I'm being lapped by the other people in my lane!

But this is just the first session of a two-part clinic. The idea is to be taped, review the analysis and work on making improvements, and then I will be taped again in a few weeks. At that time, I will be taped again and then the two videos will be compared to see if I've been able to make any improvements.

I've realized how difficult it is to try to change something that you do on autopilot. You must concentrate on the improvements on every length until it then becomes habit. But when you've done something the same way for so long that you don't even think about it anymore, well, it's easy to be distracted (remember those hairballs I talked about during my 100x100x100 swim??). And then to keep those new and improved skills in tact while you pick up speed and/or try to sprint is even more of a challenge.

So I'm working very hard at trying to improve my stroke and I've even asked my lane mates to point out when they see I'm making some of my habitual mistakes (and they're MORE than happy to help me out with that!). The next taping is at the end of February and it will be interesting to see how much of an improvement, if any I can make. Even more interesting will be to see if I can drop my normal interval times.

14 Degrees

That was the reading according to my car as I drove to yesterday morning's long run. This was by far the coldest day I had run in this winter. As I pulled into the parking lot to wait for my running companions to arrive, I tried to psych myself up for the drastic temperature change my body was about to experience when I stepped out of the car.

Living my whole life in Chicago and running the past 3 years throughout the winter, I was prepared for this temperature. Unfortunately, I seem to have some circulation issues which make me struggle in effort to keep my toes, fingers, ears and nose warm in this type of weather. Today, I had a doubled up on my pants and socks. I tripled up on upper body coverage and gloves. Add a balaclava and a big, thick hat and I was good to go, or so I thought.

Luckily, it wasn't windy today. No matter how cold it is, you can always manage...it's that wind that sometimes will force you to cut a run short (and we all know how much runners hate that!). The first few miles were chilly, but nothing too bad. I decided that I dressed a little TOO warmly on top...should've left the running jacket in the car. And with temperatures so low, ice began to form. It formed on my pants, below my knees. It formed all over my hat. My hair had icicles around it that made it look like strings of spaghetti. And scariest of all is that my eyelashes had developed icicles on them. No matter how many times you try to wipe those away, they just end up coming back. Your best bet is to just leave them there until they melt on their own accord when you get back into the car and crank the heat!

About half way through the run, we circled back to the parking lot to "drop off" those runners who didn't have quite as far to go today. It was at that point I was offered hand warmers. These nifty little things are designed to heat up immediately when you open the package. They are about 3 times the size of a sugar packet and they fit neatly into the second of my 3 pairs of gloves I was wearing. It took about 10 minutes for the heat to restore my fingers with feeling sensation. And I just moved these wonderful little items to the front and back of my fingers and thumbs regularly throughout the rest of the run. It made my run so much more comfortable. The only thing better at that point was going to be the cup of hot chocolate I would wrap my fingers around as soon as I had the opportunity.

I was thankful this run was over. Not for the distance, but for the fact that I couldn't keep my ears, nose and toes warm in the second part of the run. It made the last 3 miles feel like 10. I immediately reminded myself that we are now toward the end of January and very soon, the temperatures will be rising. Couldn't be soon enough.

Strength Training

This is the time of year where I head back into the gym to start working on strength training. The goal of a triathlete is not to "bulk up". I don't know, never really worked out with weights enough for THAT to be a problem. According to Joe Friel, one of triathlon's experts, he recommends the following exercises: Hip extension (squat, leg press or step up), standing bent-arm, lat pull down, chest press/push ups, seated row, working one of your weaknesses, then some sort of ab crunch.

In the past week or so, CJB read some book titled "The New Rules of Weightlifting" or something along those lines. So it has completely changed up what I've known to become the "usual" weight routine.

Now the nice thing about making a change like this is that the first couple of times, you really feel it. Your mucles are sore in places you didn't even know you had. Yes, that's sort of a sick way of looking at it, but if I can feel that weight workout the next day, I feel like I've accomplished something. But here's the problem: It's boring.

Before I started doing triathlons, I stayed completely out of the weight room. Sure, I may have used a few machines here and there, but go in the room with all the free weights, mirrors and all the big, bulky, sweaty guys in their little diego T-shirts making all kinds of grunting noises? Uh uh. Ain't havin' any part of that. No way. I'd look stupid because I wouldn't even know the first thing about what exercise to do.

Well, now that has changed to be almost completely the opposite. Almost all my exercises are in the free weight room, I sorta know what I am doing, but the best part is that there are very few of those dudes that are constantly staring at themselves in the mirrors. Well, I'm sure that still happens at some clubs. And that can be quite intimidating, whether you're a female or not! And I read somewhere that if you have to make some huge kind of noise like that to lift the weight you're using, you're lifting too much weight. And now that I know that, it sort of makes me laugh at the guys that do it.

As we get older, strength training becomes more important. I think I read somewhere that we start losing muscle mass steadily as we get older, IF we do not do some sort of work in the gym. This doesn't have to be some big, long weight routine that needs to be done 3 times a week. Once a week serves the purpose.

Back to my issue...it's boring. In fact, if I didn't have a buddy or two that make plans to meet me at the club for a weight session (a.k.a. Eye Candy), well, then I probably wouldn't do it. At least when you go with friends, you have someone to suffer through the workout with. And it does make it less boring. So you get to have a little social time and get your workout in at the same time. It also makes the time go by faster.

I consider myself a novice when it comes to strength training. Most times, I don't know what exercise works which muscles unless there's a little picture on the machine. Last year, it was nice to have my coach tell me what exercises to do and at what weights. But I'm flyin' by the seat of my pants a little more this year. So I don't know if the right way to think about it is "any strength training is better than none" or "You must follow this structured set of exercises or you are wasting your time" is true.

So I guess we'll just follow the book. And as long as I feel that workout in the days after, I guess I'll know at least something is going on over there!

To Shuffle Or Not To Shuffle?

For the last 5 years, around this time I struggle with the same decision. Should I enter the Shamrock Shuffle? The Shamrock Shuffle is an 8K (4.97 miles) running race held in the city of Chicago. The race is unofficially considered the "kick off" of the new running season. It is the largest 8K in the country with some 15,000 entrants. The race is well run with a very popular post-race party.

Every year, I have flashbacks of the crowds and the hassle to get through packet pick up. Same hassle finding a place to park before the race. Once again, crowded in the starting chute. Really crowded running through the 4.97 miles. More, sweaty crowds at the finish line. Trying to reunite with anyone you came down with requires strategy and excellent vision. I haven't made it to the post-race party in the last 4 years. The traffic jam of people trying to show their wristband to enter was always just too much for me to deal with.

So, last year, I earned myself a "Preferred" Start. This just means I can start a little bit ahead of the main group of runners. Those people would be first-timers, walkers and those runners that treat this race as the name indicates, a "shuffle". Not a big deal, but it sure did make my running experience there last year more pleasant! I didn't have to zig zag around a bunch of walkers or slower runners, nor did I have to try to pass those groups of 3-4 people who line up in a row like they're the linemen stepping up to the line of scrimmage.

Based on my performance last year, I believe I could register for this "Preferred" start again, which is definitely a plus. But is it enough to deal with all the hassle? And the entry fee for the race isn't exactly a bargain. These high-profile races with big perks (like the post-race party featuring a popular band) are never cheap. It's just 4.97 miles. I could put on my shoes, run 5 miles from my house, go in and take a shower and sit down to write another blog entry in the time it would take me to drive down to this race and park!

And every year, I go through this process of trying to decide if it's worth it. Sure, I love driving down with my fellow runners, hanging out with them before the race, sharing stories of each person's individual account of the race when we meet up at the finish line, and I especially love it if I end up running well, but I still waver on whether it's all worth it or not.

Now I know there are a lot of you out there that read this blog and never post...you've TOLD me this! So I'm calling you people out and would like to invite you to share your opinions on the Shamrock Shuffle and whether or not you think I should sign up for the 2007 event. I'd also like to know if any of you struggle with this decision year-to-year or do I just need to get a life!??!?!

Boston Confirmation

**Since I may never get another letter like this, I thought I'd post it to share it with you. -MJ





Dear M J,

This is to notify you that your entry into the 111th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 16, 2007 has been accepted, provided that the information you submitted is accurate.You can verify your acceptance into the field by searching the 111th Boston Marathon "Entrants" database on the B.A.A. web site, www.baa.org/2007/cf/Public/EntryLists.cfm. Additionally, an "Acceptance Card" will be mailed to you via US Postal Service mail.In early April 2007, an official Number Pick-up Card and extensive information regarding the B.A.A. Boston Marathon and related race week activities will be mailed to you via US Postal Service first class mail. If you do not receive your Number Pick-up Card (required to claim number) and brochure by April 7, please contact our Registration Office at 508-435-6905 for further instructions. All registration related inquiries may be directed to the same telephone number. All other inquires should be sent to registration@baa.org.Note that bib numbers will not be distributed on Race Day. Your travel arrangements should take into account picking up your number at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston on Friday, April 13 from noon to 6:00 p.m., or Saturday, April 14 or Sunday, April 15 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

We look forward to seeing you in April!

Sincerely,

Boston Athletic Association

New Year's Resolutions

I'm not one of those people that waits until the end of the year to try and do/change something about myself. The way I see it, why do we need to wait until the start of a new year to try and improve something? That being said, I also like to think back to the events over the last year and try to set some new goals for myself for the upcoming year.

In fact, I have been carrying around a piece of paper that had 5 goals on it. The date was 2.27.04 (as I said, I don't just make "resolutions" around the new year!). Up until this month, I had already accomplished 3 of the 5. Number 4 was qualifying for Boston. I still have to reach Number 5. What is it, you ask? It's to run a 21 minute 5K. And even as I type that, I cringe because I know how tough that will be for me. However, in all fairness, I haven't run a plain old 5K in...well, I think it was 2004! And I don't think 2007 will be the year for me to tackle this one, either. There are just too many other things I want to do. But that goal will stay on my "list" until I can scratch it off with all the others. And I will continue to carry the tattered piece of paper these goals are written on to remind me that I still have some things to do!

To recap 2006:

-Worked with a coach from Dec 2005 - August 2006
-Traveled out to California for 2 races, a marathon in Feb and the Wildflower Half Ironman in May
-Placed in my age group in two MERCRS races
-Dropped almost a half hour in my second Ironman
-Had a couple really poor triathlon performances
-Qualified for the Boston Marathon

Without a doubt, qualifying for Boston was the highlight of my year. What a bummer that I had to wait until DECEMBER for the accomplishment that made it feel like I really "did" something in the past year.

So now I've been thinking about what things I want to do/try/improve/accomplish in 2007:

1. Transfer my recent running improvements to my triathlon performance. I don't know how to translate my latest running times into triathlon at this point. There are so many variables, the biggest one being that I was dedicating 5-6 days a week to running to achieve these times. This isn't possible when training for triathlon, so I know the times will be slower. But how much slower? I can't tell. So I will set an A, B and C goal. The A goal is the best-case scenario and I'm running out of my mind; the B goal is something that isn't a specatular improvment, but it's noteworthy and still something to be proud of, the C goal will be the ever-so-slight improvment, so like going from a 54-minute 10K in an Olympic race to a 53.

2. Do some bike racing. I went into last year thinking I was going to do all these bike races. I did one...in the springtime and never looked back. The thing was, it was fun and I did well! It's just that the bike training and racing never fit into my schedule when I was working with a coach. I was tied to a pretty strict workout plan and couldn't figure out how to make bike racing fit in. I thought "after my Ironman, then I'll have time." But I was so wiped out and unmotivated after the Ironman, I didn't care about bike racing. Heck, I didn't even care about racing triathlons after that.

3. Start looking into ultrarunning. This one is going to be tricky. Ultra running is anything over a marathon. I think I'll want to start with a 50K (30 miles). If I can do 26, I can do 30, right? Then maybe eventually move to a 50 mile. I don't know. I think this is something I'd like to do once just to say I did it...well, wait, that's what I said about the marathon. I also said that about adventure racing and after this year's Scallion, well, let's just say I can see another adventure race in my future. OK, back to the ultra running...this will be hard to time. There are events in the spring and I think they have one here in Chicago in late fall. I really need to get more familiar with the sport before I can target any specific races. Actually participating in one might not happen until 2008...have to talk to some people and do some research.

4. Volunteer. I've volunteered at a few races this year. We all know our sport wouldn't be successful without the help of the many volunteers. Volunteering at this year's Ironman Wisconsin was a very rewarding experience. I'm not sure I will volunteer at that particular race again, but I will pick at least one, and hopefully several, races where I can help out. For all the racing I do and all the volunteers that have helped me out, this is the least I can do.

Well, those are the ones at the forefront of my mind. I have a few other ideas floating around in my head, but I'm not quite ready to share them. But that doesn't mean I will wait another whole year to start working on them, they just need more thinking through before I commit.

Here's to a healthy, successful, and of course, speedy 2007.
Bring it!

Rest Period

Just like everyone else, I know we need to schedule times of the year where we "rest". This means no hard workouts, no long workouts and lots of extra sleep. Well, I've got the "no hard workouts" down. No problem. I'm actually enjoying my running pace right now. It makes me wonder how the heck I went so fast for 26 miles! At this point, I sometimes feel like I'm struggling at a 10:30 min/mile pace. So, I drop back and go even slower.

No long workouts? No problem, nothing over 60 minutes. (OK, so my swimming takes 75, but we do stop and talk between sets). Most of my workout sessions at this point are 30-40 minutes.

So now for the extra sleep part. Should be easy, right? Um, no. I'm not tired. This past week, I have not been working, so I've had the last 4 days to rest, relax, do whatever I want? But I've noticed that I've been more productive (as far as household chores go) than I have in the last 6 months. I can't sit still. How do you tell someone to rest when they can't? I've noticed I can't even sit through a 30 minute television show without getting up at least 3-4 different times to....do the dishes...start a load of laundry...check my email one more time, or whatever comes to my mind.

And you'd think that I could plan to sleep in and hold to that plan. Today, I actually planned out my day and wrote "SLEEP IN" at the top of the schedule so I didn't have to feel guilty that I wasn't actually doing anything for the first couple hours of what would normally be a work day for me. Didn't work. Couldn't sleep. Must get up and do stuff. But then once I'm awake and start doing the things I thought were so important, I realize they probably could have waited a few more hours while I slept in. Why is that? Stress? From what? Well, other than the fact that I need to find a job!? The holidays are over. No stress there. I don't get it.

So now I'm looking for ways to help force me to relax. I started drinking tea. Ick. Supposed to be calming, right? Just doesn't taste good to me. I don't find myself particularly relaxed after drinking a cup of tea. Reading. Great, most of my reading material centers around what good workouts to do to work on my weaknesses. Just makes me more motivated. Maybe I need to try and read a good, fiction book. Yeah, OK, I'd need some suggestions on that. Last fiction book I read was Marley and Me last year. Finished it in less than a week...hey, it's easy reading!

I'd like to know if anyone can give me some good ideas to force me to "rest". I'm afraid that by the time I figure out what works for me, it will be time for me to start building my base all over again....

Is It Too Early?

Today, just 6 days after the Tucson Marathon, I decided to go out for a nice, comfortable 6 mile run this morning. Nothing too strenuous, didn't even wear my watch. My breathing was completely comfortable for the entire run (well, except maybe the hills!).

Unfortunately, the run felt like an eternity. I mean, when I saw the 1 mile mark, I couldn't believe we were only 1 mile in to this 6 mile run. I said to K2, "I can't believe I just ran 26 miles the week before, this feels brutal!" I started to feel it in my right quad less than 2 miles into the run and I seriously thought about turning around. On all the downhills, both of my quads were screaming at me to take it easy. So I did.

But this poses a good question. How early is too early to return to running after a marathon? After my first marathon , I remember going out for a short, slow 2 mile run to "get out the lactic acid" the very NEXT DAY AFTER THE RACE! Now I know I need to take some time off, but for us type A personalities, this can be a challenge. I have felt like a complete slug this week and I was dying to put on my running shoes for this nice, short, social run.

I don't know. And the problem with not knowing is that if going out to run today was the wrong thing to do, it's too late for me. It has already been done. And if it sets back my recovery, again, I can't take it back. I seriously didn't feel like it was going to be as hard as it was. I've read article after article discussing the right recovery strategy, and the problem is, they all have conflicting information. I tend to think recovery is something very personal for each and everyone of us, so you are the only one who knows whether you are ready to get back to training or not.

So what do you do in the week(s) following a marathon? Do you think I just set my recovery back by running too soon?

Had to Share This!

While standing in my kitchen tonight, preparing dinner, I received a knock at the door. The knock then turned to POUNDING which continued until I was able to clean my hands and get to the door.

It was none other than my Wild Scallion partners, CJB and K2. They came by to give me a little gift. They were in Vegas over the weekend, so I figured it was something to do with gambling or the glitz of Las Vegas.

I couldn't be more wrong. It was one of the coolest, most thoughtful gifts I have ever received. Guys - you went above and beyond on this one and I couldn't be more moved. This will always be very special to me and I can't thank either of you enough.

Tucson Race Report

The Tucson course is, according to the elevation chart, almost all downhill and point-to-point. We stayed at the host hotel, which was at the finish. Unfortunately, this meant we needed to be at the front of the hotel lobby ready to go at 5am to catch a bus that would shuttle us up to the start line. Luckily, we were able to board a luxury bus vs. your regular old school bus. As I sat on the bus and waited for it to fill, I noticed the flags were blowing enough for them to be a perfect rectangle. I met Peter, from Virginia, who was doing this race for the fifth time.

The forecast called for a low of 38 degrees and a high of 68 degrees. I stepped outside my hotel room onto the patio before we left the room and it sure didn't feel like 38 degreees does in Chicago! Peter then informed me that this 50 minute ride to the start was all uphill and it would be significantly colder at the top. Ah! I hadn't thought of that! I put sweatpants on over my shorts and a heavy flanned on over my throw-away t-shirt. Yep, I was now nice and toasty!

We arrived at the start and it was pitch black outside. The only light came from the headlights of the dozens of buses carting the runners to the start. After using the porta-potties, we jumped back on our bus to keep warm until the start. I tried keeping my mind off what we were about to attempt.

Time lapsed very quickly and before I had too much time to get nervous, it was less than 30 minutes to go before the start. I peeled off my wonderfully warm fleece and sweatpants and stuffed them into my gear check bag. I pulled on my throw-away gloves and positioned my wind-stopper headband to make sure my ears were completely covered. One more stop in the porta-potty line and it was time for a quick warm up. No, I've never "warmed up" before a marathon before, but one of the other women I went with wanted to do it. So we did. I stopped quickly to re-adjust my right sock. A few steps and I stopped again to re-adjust my timing chip that seemed to be making an annoying "click" sound with every footfall.

The participants in the marathon was only around 1500 so we lined up what seemed to be very close to the start line. It felt like we were in the middle of the desert (wait, we WERE in the middle of the desert!). It was beginning to get light outside and you could see just how desolate the area was. The Star Spangled Banner was played and within the blink of an eye, we were off!

Mile 1: Pretty much UP hill (what!!?!?). Passed more people than we expected, I mean, we

did line up really close to the start! The first mile is always hard to pace. Split was right on.

Mile 2: Enjoying the scenery. Headband comes off...ALREADY! Still don't think it was 38 degrees out. Split faster than mile 1.

Mile 3: Some downhill, passed a house or two. Felt like we were "out at the ranch". This split was MUCH TOO FAST! Must slow down!!

Mile 4: Feeling comfortable. No one talking. Had a gel and did enough talking for all the runners around me. Feeling very good. Split right on.

Mile 5: Seems to be gradual downhill now. Split a little too fast.

Mile 6: Stomach cramping a little. Have to pee. Afraid to stop because it would put me behind schedule. Split a bit slow.

Mile 7: Met up with Theresa - local who has run this marathon several times. Brags on how many times she has done Boston. Split a little fast (blame this on Theresa).

Mile 8: Cramping went away. Still have to pee. Theresa said you should plan to run the first half of this race faster because the first half of the course is decidedly easier than the second half. Curse Theresa. Split a little slow.

Mile 9: Noticing the scenery. Pace feels very good and comfortable. Aware that it SHOULD feel good at this point and make mental note to draw on this positive feeling when it starts to get tough. Split a bit too fast. STOP doing this or it will bite you later!!

Mile 10: Still feeling the continual, gradual downhill. Perfect running temperature! Very windy the last few miles, but it wasn't a cold wind. Wished it was a tailwind. Split was right on.

Mile 11: Losing one of my running partners. This was not the plan. Doesn't feel good to push on without her, but the goal still awaits. Split much too slow. Another few of these will kill any chance I have of making it.

Mile 12: Theresa re-joins us after her potty stop. She's loud with her big pack of energy sources (Jolly Ranchers, Gummy Bears, Peppermints, Gels and whatever else she packed in her Ziploc baggie). Split a little fast, nothing to get excited about.

Mile 13: Felt like it took too long to get to this, the halfway point. Lost my other running partner. I never imagined we'd all break off so early on. My plan was that we would run together as long as we could, but it would at least be until 20. Mentally tough to know I would be doing the rest alone. Theresa still kept pace. Quads starting to hurt already. Split just a few seconds fast.

Mile 14: Valerie joins Theresa and I. She tells me she dis IMAZ earlier this year, her first IM, in 12:13. DAMN! Split too fast. Blame Valerie for this one.

Mile 15: Quads continue to talk to me. "REFOCUS, " I thought. That pain isn't going to go away. Focus on the postive. Breathing is easy and relaxed. Split almost right on.

Mile 16: Valerie is gone. Theresa breathing too heavy at this stage. Lose Theresa at next water stop. Split too fast.

Mile 17: My legs really feeling heavy. Breathing still relaxed. This MUST be the difficulty they talk about when you run this much downhill! Split almost right on.

Mile 18: Meet Chris from Seattle when he kept tailgating too close. Said he was shooting for a 3:30. "Dude, you're not even withing striking distance," I thought. Split too fast. Had to get away from Chris.

Mile 19: Just 7 more miles. My quads are aching. I try to keep my mind off the pain. Scenery continues to be beautiful. Split too slow.

Mile 20: Sweet. Only a 10K left. This is where the race starts. I've got this. Split too fast - dangerously too fast. DON'T SCREW IT UP NOW I screamed to myself silently.

Mile 21: Jockeyed with a skinny chick. Skinny chick drops me at next water station. Split a little fast.

Mile 22: Got hit twice by same girl at water station. She didn't like when I stopped in front of her, yet she stops in front of me without warning and I ran right into her. Vow to beat her. Split too fast.

Mile 23: Quads are now KILLING ME. Calves are hurting. Both legs feel like they're cramping. Forgot salt tablets. Split too slow.

Mile 24: Thought I was at Mile 25. HUGE crushing mental blow. Legs very, very heavy.
Split even slower.

Mile 25: Feet starting to turn funny as I ran. Both legs cramping. More pain in both legs than I've ever had. 'm too close, I can't let it go now. Cannot stop at water station - too painful to start running again. Start hard uphill. Split almost a full minute slower.

Mile 26: I beg Steve from Albequerque to help me finish. I'm starting to feel like I can't go on and at the same time, I'm choking up at the thought of reaching my goal. Split close to a minute and a half too slow.

Last .2: Course flattens out. Legs are in intense pain. I can see the finish line. Steve cheers me on. His dreams of qualifying for Boston today would not be fulfulled. The spectators line both sides of the finish. I'm not fighting with my legs not to collapse on me. I was falling apart. Split - ah, who the heck knows what the last .2 should have been???

I did it. I qualified for the Boston Marathon.

Day Before Tucson

I'm writing this as I sit on the plane on my way to the Tucson Marathon. In the days before any marathon, it's normal for me to feel nervous. Have I logged enough miles? Did I bring the right clothes? What will my strategy be as the miles become tough?

This race is different. For the first time, I truly have a time goal for this marathon. Sure, I had an idea of what I wanted to run my first marathon in. But I also tried to listen to the experienced marathoners who told me that your only goal for your first marathon should be to simply finish. For my second marathon, I just wanted to beat my time from my first marathon. But a nasty cold the week before the race pushed that goal to the background. In all other marathons, the object of the race was to just finish and have fun. It is true that the most fun I've had during a marathon was when I started out with friends and had no time goal in mind. So what am I doing?

I'm chasing that ever-coveted dream by all competitive runners: Boston. The reason I signed up for Tucson was to take a crack at Boston. The steadily-downhill course coupled with the timing of the race (well after triathlon season has ended) seemed to make sense to me as I completed my entry form back in July.

In the weeks and months since entering this race, not a day has gone by when I haven't thought about this ultra-challenging goal for myself. Most of my fellow triathletes know about the struggles I have on the run. It is not unusual for me to be passed on a regular basis on the run section of any triathlon. I am done with this.

To prepare for this marathon, I picked up the Intermediate Marathon Training plan by Hal Higdon just after completing my last triathlon of the season in August. This plan called for 5 days of running per week, something I haven't done since my pre-triathlon days. Back then, my longest runs were a mere 3 miles.

The schedule, though daunting on paper, really didn't seem too difficult. I put away my bike and focused on running. I signed up for the Chicago Half Marathon determined to beat my half marathon PR (also set on this same course 4 years ago). I did it. This fueled my fire into believing I was quite capable of qualifying for the Boston Marathon.

For some people, running comes easy. They go out there and tick off miles with what seems to be the least of effort at a pace in which I could only wish for in my races. They talk about how they "will do Boston again next year" the same way I talk about how I have to work the next day. Like it's expected. Like it's just an every-day occurrence. Like it's no big deal.

No, Boston doesn't mean to them what it means to me. One can only have deep appreciation for an accomplishment that they have put their heart and soul into. It's different to work for it. To pick yourself up again after missing the mark several or dozens of times. To get up enough courage, focus and determination and go after it like you've never gone after anything before. To know that to achieve this goal, you have to lay it all on the line with very little (if any) room for error.

I've calculated and re-calculated where I need to be. I entered a couple other shorter races in the last few months to throw it all out there - to see what happens and try to become familiar with those signs that tell me I'm pushing too hard. I've improved my eating habits and have dropped a few pounds. I worked on strength training exercises specifically geared to prepare my hamstrings and quads for the long, downhill course. I've told myself that I can achieve this if I work hard enough for it. I've received encouragement and support from everyone who knows I'm doing this race and knows what I'm after. They believe in me. Now it's time to believe in myself.

There's not much I can do to make things go any better at this point. I am arriving to this race healthy, injury-free, well-tapered and mentally prepared to tackle this challenge. I know this will be one of the hardest physical goals I've ever set out to accomplish. But I'm ready. I didn't run all those long runs to get down to Tucson to "have fun". I didn't do it to log another marathon in another state. And I didn't do it to turn in another MJ-the-mediocre-runner performance.

I did it to qualify for the Boston Marathon. And I will do it.

Bring it!

Burn off the Bird Recap

Yeah, OK, so I'm a little late in writing this review. But, better late than never, I guess. And I already promised a couple fellow swimmers that I'd give them the details on how this went.

I arrived at the desolate school parking lot at 7:15am. I knew this was a bit earlier than anyone else would be there, but I wanted to be sure to get in there with enough time to set up all my Luna products for the participants and leave myself plenty of time to "psyche up" for this event. After just about 10 minutes, a couple other people showed up. Thankfully, one of them had the key!

I quickly carried all my things onto the pool deck, dragged out a table and began arranging the various Clif and Luna products I brought. I also carried in the doughnuts, bagels and bananas that the Lincoln Way SeaDragons were supplying to all participants. This took nearly no time at all, so I went in to the locker room to change.

When I returned to the deck, there were already at least a half dozen people milling around. There was a little chatter, but it seemed everyone was very aware of the daunting task that lay ahead of us. I saw a few people I knew, but saw many more people whom I'd never met. Several people scoured through the snack table, stocking up on items they'd need to keep them going for the entire 100 repetitions. Some people chose to do the 50s, some the 75s and there was just a small group of people swimming the 100s. One of the best parts of this event is that it doesn't matter what yardage you choose, we all go on the same interval and all start and finish at the same time.

As I jumped into my lane (where I was to draft off one of the LW swimmers), I tried to remember to take it easy. All too often, we feel so good and energized at the beginning of something like this only to take it out too hard which causes us to suffer toward the last quarter of the distance. THIS IS NOT A RACE, I had to keep telling myself. Just do the yards. Try not to race the girl in the next lane (yes, it's a habit). Focus. Pay attention to your form. Be smooth and steady.

But, as usual, the first 2-3 100s were too fast. I knew this because I was a little winded after them. For those of you that have done a marathon, you know what I'm talking about. If you can't have a conversation, you're going too fast. Well, you can't really have a conversation when you swim, but if I hit the wall and I'm breathing deeply this early on, it's too fast. So I slow down. I try to get in a zone. I'm no where near drafting off the guy in front of me. He's too fast. Sure, if I work at it, I can keep up, but this isn't that kind of swim.

Unfortunately, this year they were unable to get the clock with the buzzer that shows what number you're on. Within the first 4 100s, I realized I had to use the bathroom. But the 100s stop for NO ONE, so I knew I had to wait until the break at 50. Unfortunately, I lost count of what number we were on before we even hit 10. I tried to think of things to pass the time, so I thought about the great race I had the day before. All the people I saw there who I haven't seen in a while, how cold it was, how hilly it was and the awesome raffle prizes afterwards. Then I thought about the rest of the day with the family. The food, conversation, teasing, relaxing and just being happy that I didn't have to work for the next few days!

Then my head started to hurt. My goggles are on too tight. This sucks. At every 100, I took them off and repositioned them on my face. It didn't seem to be helping. I didn't have time to loosen them. I wondered what number we were on. I remembered I had to pee. I thought about how monotonous this was. I tried not to race the girl next to me (who was only doing 75s anyway). I sang some songs. I wondered what number we were on. My head still hurts. When is the break? What are these guys doing? Come on, this has to be well past 50. That's it, the next 100 I'm getting out. Again? That's it, someone needs to come over and stop these guys. If I have to do one more 100 with these goggles on my head, I'm going to scream! The next rep, I swam a bit faster so I had a chance to talk to the guy in front of me. "What number are we on, aren't we supposed to stop at 50?" I asked. He said we were on 48. You've got to be kidding. UGH! Fine, only 2 more before the break, I can make it. And I did.

Everyone hopped out of the pool for a quick bathroom break and to replenish their energy stores. Just enough time to grab a bite to eat and refill your water bottle if you needed to. You really don't want to wait too long. The muscles start to stiffen up and it's always much harder to start at #51 than when you started at the beginning. Some people left after 50. (Slackers - you know who you are!) Then there were us diehards that just couldn't wait for another 50 more.

Very quickly, everyone headed back to their respective lanes to finish the last half of the workout. This time, I took one of the charts someone had printed up. It showed you what the number on the clock would be at each repetition. Cool, now I'll know EXACTLY where we are!

Almost immediately, I noticed I was swimming slower. My muscles had tightened up and my arms felt heavy. From doing this event in years passed though, I knew I could work through that. As BC has told me before my ironman races, no matter how bad you feel, the day is so long, you will get past it and it will get better. And he was right. That always happens. The problem is, it isn't always this boring waiting for that "bad time" to pass!

At number 70, my mind started to play games with me and I thought I had 50 more to go. Then I thought, wait, we already did 50 before we stopped, so there's no way we have 50 more. Yes, it sounds ridiculous now, but sometimes when you're involved in something this long, things stop making sense. At about #75, I wondered why I had signed up to do this again. You've got to be kidding me, we're only on #75? That's it, this chart must be wrong. Goggles hurt again. Stop racing girl next to you. She kicks a lot. Gotta find something to think about. The race yesterday, nope, already thought about that. What am I going to do the rest of the day? NOT SHOP, that's for sure. The stores are madhouses the day after Thanksgiving. I'm hungry. Wonder what we're going to do for lunch. WHAT? I'm only on #78? Someone is counting wrong. This is going too slow. My fingers are pruny. Look at that huge hairball at the bottom of the pool. Disgusting. Wonder how many people pee in this pool. Wonder how crappy that water we swim in Lake Michigan is. STOP. I'm freaking myself out. These goggles are popping my eyes out of my sockets. Come on, we can't have that many more to go.

With about 10 left to go, I once again tried to focus hard on maintaining good form. At the end of every 100, I shouted out the number we had left to do. (quiet group, no one even joined me). 4-3-2-1 and...we're done. WOO HOO! Not that bad! I think I had permanent goggle marks around my eyes for the rest of the day, but I felt a sense of accomplishment. This is definitely more mentally punishing than physically. This makes an Ironman swim seem short. But it was over. Everyone smiled, gave each other some hi-fives and quickly scrambled to the locker rooms. After a swim like this, the nice, long, hot shower is something to look forward to.

Burn off the Bird is something I'll keep on the calendar every year!

Turkey Trot

For the first time in over 12 years, I only had one place to go for Thanksgiving dinner. This meant I had a little bit of free time in the morning, so I signed up for the local Turkey Trot. This little 4 mile run has become quite popular in the short time it has been in existence.

Although the weather reports bragged of the beautiful, unseasonably warm weather we would have this Thanksgiving Day, the temperature was a mere 32 degrees when I left my house. You know, I am really getting tired of this cold weather and we really haven't even hit the cold stuff yet here in Chicago! I have a serious problem of trying to keep my fingers and toes warm, so I need to wear 2 pairs of socks and 2 sets of gloves on a day like today.

Seeing as I had already picked up my packet earlier in the week, we arrived with less than 30 minutes before the race's start. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of friends who had also shown up to race. Every time I turned around, I ran into someone else I knew. We gathered quickly to try and get a photo taken, only my digital camera was dead. What a bummer! Just after that, it was suggested that we get in a short warm-up. Well, I ususally don't do any type of warm up, however, I was extremely chilly and I thought the warm up may do me well.

We weaved our way around the crowd and headed out for a quick jaunt. Almost immediately, my face was frozen. It wasn't very windy, but the cold, brisk air was biting at every piece of exposed skin on my body (just really my face and wrists). I pulled my sleeves lower and yanked my gloves on up as far as I could. Unfortunately, I had nothing to cover my face with, so I just hoped that I'd warm up quickly. My toes, double layer of socks and all, were numb. With every step, I felt like I was going to trip over my own feet because I couldn't tell where they ended and the pavement began.

The warm up ended abruptly as we really didn't know which way was best to go, so we all headed back to the starting line so we wouldn't be late. I asked around where the starting line was. There was a white line painted on the street, but there were so many people standing in front of it, I figured that couldn't be right. I tried to maneuver my way to the front of the crowd and found someone I knew. I asked what pace he planned to run and I immediately knew I had gone too far. I now had to move my way back further into the pack of runners.

Just as I found a spot that looked like I wouldn't be in anyone's way, I turned around to face the direction the race was to start. Before I could even look for anyone I knew, the gun went off. WAIT, I'm not ready! I fumbled for my watch (stuffed deeply underneath one of my gloves that I had pulled up as far as I could on my wrist) and hit the start button. Off we went!

That arctic air was once again stinging my face and making my lungs hurt just a little. I did a little weaving around some slower runners, but given the small size of the crowd, it was quite easy to find a space to run in that was comfortable. Several young guys weaved around me (oops) and I tried to find a comfortable pace. These days, I don't even know what that pace is, other than by feel. I haven't worn a heart rate monitor in months and my times seem to jump all over the place. The main thing I was worried about was the hamstring I pulled earlier in the week.

We rounded the first corner and were faced with a pretty steep hill. It looked deceivingly easy and as I panted up that hill, I felt my heart rate rise very quickly. My breath was labored and I felt out of control and figured I'd better slow down. Almost immediately, I felt that pull in my hamstring again. It's not a drop-down-on-the-ground-and-writh-in-pain injury. It's nagging, letting you know it's there. I'm less than one mile into this race and I have no idea how many more hills there are like this on this course! And I'm not about to ruin my upcoming marathon by trashing my hamstring on a Turkey Trot! Other men were regularly passing me and I tried to stick with each one as they went by. It wasn't working.

I saw the mile 2 marker coming up ahead and I still wasn't ready to take off my headband. I was no longer cold, however, I wasn't hot enough to remove the headband NOR the second set of gloves I was wearing. The one thing I FORGOT to take off before the race started was the windbreaker I was wearing. Oops. And it wasn't a throw-away. I hoped I would see a familiar face along the course somewhere that I could just rip off the jacket and throw it and ask they give it to me at the end of the race, but that never happened. Everyone I knew was running!

Ah well, who cares how hot I get, it's only 4 miles, right? Mile 3 came up very quickly and by the split time on my watch, it was my fastest mile of the race. Home stretch, I thought. I was still very aware of the pain eminating from my left hamstring, but I really didn't want to stop. It wasn't getting worse. Let's just see if I could keep it going. Unfortunately, those nasty hills from the first mile were the same nasty hills that the race ended with. I was breathing so hard, I thought everyone around me was wondering if I was going to pass out or not. I felt like my heart was going to explode right out of my chest. But I kept pounding up the hill knowing that I would recover very quickly once I hit the downhill portion.

With just about 200 meters to go, Mel, the race director, was out there cheering for all the runners, telling us we looked great and the finish was just ahead. It was a special little touch and I smiled at him as I ran by. I definitely had no breath available to talk at this time! As I neared the finish line, several men sprinted past me. I had no sprint. I was done. Step by step, the music was getting louder and I could see the finish clock more clearly. I knew I was getting slower and tried my best to hold it together until I crossed that finishline. I saw several people I knew already finished and cheering others on. I couldn't even smile to them at this point.

And just as quickly as the race started for me, it was over as I heaved myself over the finish line and heaved a big sigh of relief. It was over. I was still standing. My hamstring was throbbing a bit, and I hoped I hadn't done any serious damage. I reunited with my friends, shared race stories, stuck around for the raffle (I didn't win anything) and awards, we wished each other Happy Thanksgiving and left. Another race for the books.

It's happiness to run on Thanksgiving morning!

Swimming workouts

Just a week from tomorrow, I will be trying to complete 100x100x100. In "normal people terms", this means 100 times 100 yards every 100 seconds (1:40). A few years ago, when I first got started in masters swimming, I did this workout with a few of my former masters swim teammates. These people are no longer on my team, yet I continue to do this workout every year. The first time I did this, I was so nervous about how my body was going to respond to swimming 10,000 without a break. And 100 yards every 100 seconds isn't exactly an "easy" pace for me.

The thing about this workout is that it sounds so crazy. It will take over 3 hours to get this done. And why do we do it? Because we can, I guess. I mean, what better way to spend the day after Thanksgiving? I could go shopping...or I could go swim over 5 miles.

I do actually have a strategy when I do this. The first 60-70 100s need to be easy. Just smooth, steady pace. If you're feeling good arounfd 70-75 and want to try and kick up your pace a bit, go ahead. It's something like when you're running a marathon. The first 20 miles are just a warm-up to what they call the "real" race, the last 6.2 miles.

Every year, I do the first 5-10 and wonder why the heck I'm doing it. I try to find someone just a little quicker than me and draft off them for as long as I can. Hey, it's not cheating! Then when I get to about 30-35 it feels like I'm in a groove. You don't really have enough time to have full conversations in between these 100s. It's more like half-sentences or just a couple words before the buzzer goes off and you're off to complete another 4 lengths of the pool. Sometimes, if your lane mate tells you something funny just as the buzzer goes off, you push off the wall and get a mouth full of water as you're laughing and end up choking for the first 25 yards.

At 50, we take a bathroom break, try to get in a little nutrition and psych ourselves up to get back in that pool and finish up the last half of this obnoxious workout. Long before this point, our fingers became pruny, but we don't have time to think about this. If the break in the middle ends up being too long, your muscles start to tighten up, so the break ends up being maybe 10 minutes or less.

I always think I'll be able to kick it up a little at 70-75, but then I second guess myself and wonder just how many more 100s I can do on the interval. As we continue to pound out the yardage, people tend to get a little silly as we realize we're on the brink of finishing THE longest workout we'll do all year in the pool. As we finish up the last 100, there are lots of smiles and everyone feels a strong sense of accomplishment. There are high 5s across all lanes and we share our thoughts of the confidence each of us lacked at some point during the workout. Many people will quickly shower, get dressed and head out to lunch to share stories from the day.

And now we get one full year to recover until we get to do this fabulous workout again!

Veterun Race Report

Well, I can't remember the last time I ran a 10K that wasn't part of a triathlon. It's not that I haven't run 10Ks before, but it has been a few years. That being said, I decided it was a little rough for me to determine exactly what pace I should have been running.

We arrived about an hour before the race start. It was a chilly morning, but there was little or no wind. The sky was overcast and I wondered if I had dressed properly for this race. See, for the last few years, my runs of 6 miles or less have either been much slower or in much warmer weather. Now, I know how to dress for an 18 or 20 miler, but with just 6 miles, I wasn't sure how quickly I was going to start sweating.

I saw many familiar faces before the race and tried to keep my mind occupied on catching up with friends rather than focus on the race we were about to run. I don't know why, but I was nervous. That familiar feeling of nausea and thoughts of "why did I sign up for this again?" wouldn't go away easily. Of course, I wanted to have a good race, but I try not to pressure myself. After all, it's difficult to do well at both the shorter distances (5 and 10K) and longer distances (half and full marathon). And right now, my focus is my upcoming marathon, not this little ol' 10K. Right?

The mayor of Westchester was lifted up over the crowd in a bucket truck at the starting line. He said a few words and without much hesitation, he pulled the trigger to the gun that started the race. Within the first 200 yards, we were already passing people. Now, for me, this is unfamiliar territory! Although there were many people I needed to move around to get passed, I was enjoying being the passer instead of the passee. For a split second, I wondered why I lined up that far back. At the time, it didn't seem like I was lined up all that far from the starting line...

The race started just in front of a park, wound through the neighborhood and before the first mile marker, we were already on the trails in the forest preserve. I was a bit shocked when I realized my first split was much quicker than I had anticipated. Was I taking this out too fast? I've never held this quick of a pace in a 10K before. But I tried to focus on my breathing and heart rate and decided that I felt pretty good, there should be no reason why I should slow down at this point.

The next mile, split was just a few seconds slower. OK, good. I was still passing people. Now we're back on residential streets and passing the first water stop. I decided that in this weather, I didn't need to stop for a drink in a race of this length, so I moved to the other side of the street, away from the volunteers. I was gaining some ground on the woman with the blue fleece on. At mile 3, I had the same split as mile 2. Sweet! Can I really keep up this pace?

Soon, I would realize I could not. As I checked my split for mile 4, I wasn't surprised as I saw this mile was almost 20 seconds slower than the last two. My blue fleece rabbit was slowly gaining ground on me. I passed a few guys here and there and just before mile 5, I overtook what looked to be a kid in his early 20s with a race singlet on. As soon as I passed him, I heard his footsteps quicken. I'm sure he didn't like being passed by an old lady!! And, of course, my competitive spirit would not give up so easily and I increased my leg turnover to get away from him. I just needed to get away from the sound of his footsteps.

Here we are now at mile 5, just a little quicker than the last mile. Blue fleece is still within my vision, but I was now very tired. I knew the end was near and I tried to stay focused and steady to finish up this race. Singlet-wearing 20 year old passed me with about a half mile to go. Punk. Another couple guys I had passed near mile 4 were now passing me. This was the scenario I was used to...being passed. And I sure don't like it. But I was now paying the price for taking this race out too quickly.

One last right turn and you could see the finish chutes up in the distance. I was busy calculating my projected finish time in my head and I kept getting confused. It's funny how your mind plays tricks on you when you're in the middle of a race. Now I knew I was going to PR, but I couldn't figure out by how much. "Forget it, just focus on finishing!" I thought. The closer I got to the finish line, the more tired I became. I heard some people yelling for me to finish strong, but there was honestly nothing "strong" left! I just hoped I wouldn't trip over my own two feet at this point. I just needed to get across that line.

Before I knew it, I was done with the best 10K race I've ever had. Then again, when you don't really run 10K races, I guess it's a little easier to break your own record!! The course was flat and fast. It was well marked with mile splits at every mile. What a great race! There was an awards ceremony and several raffle items. Winners needed to be present to win, which sometimes can take forever, but they did a good job of keeping things moving along. There were plenty of bananas, apples, oranges, yogurt parfaits and hot dogs for all participants. The best part was the hot chocolate! This race is definitely worth going back to.

New Shoes!

Like a little kid anticipating playing with all the new toys he will get at Christmas, I look forward to putting on a brand new pair of running shoes. Even though there was no run on my schedule for today, the clean, bright new pair of Mizunos were sitting in my closet...calling me, pleading me to take them out of the box and out on the pavement.

Similarly to the child who rips open his presents, I tore the laces out of those shoes to put in the Yankz speed laces that I've come to love. Ever since I discovered these elastic-type laces that NEVER come untied while you run, I've never run with a regular pair of laces in my shoes. I could never remember to double knot my laces before a run, so I was always that running partner that would have to ask you to stop in orter to re-tie my laces while you sit there and roll your eyes wondering why I just didn't tie them properly before we started.

I went to the door to get a "weather report". Earlier in the week, I thought today was going to be a great day for a run as the experts were calling for a high of 70 degrees! As I opened the door, the blast of the crisp autumn breeze hit me in the face and I immediately slammed the door shut cursing those weathermen for being wrong again! It was probably around mid-40s. Not terrible for a run, but I much prefer something in the 60s.

I have had countless pairs of new running shoes, but the feeling I get when I get to take new shoes out for that first run never gets old. It's something similar to taking your new car for that first ride or wearing some new outfit that you know you look great in. They always feel so "fresh", cushy and comfortable. With the right combination of socks (don't get me started on SOCKS!), your feet feel like they could run forever.

So my first run in these new Mizunos wasn't quite as comfortable as I had planned. I carefully put my orthotics in before the run, yet I seemed to feel little lumps on the bottoms of my feet near the base of the toes. This must be the socks. New shoes never feel this way. But it's to cold for me to stop, straighten out the socks and continue on, so I just kept running and trying to focus on the feeling of the rest of the shoe. Nice. The pair I've been running in recently have been a little roomy in the toe box and these Mizunos just fit me like a glove. Ever since I've had to start wearing orthotics, Mizunos have been the shoe for me. No matter how badly I want to buy a different brand, and I've tried them all on in the store, the Mizunos always seem to fit the best.

Overcast and windy isn't my favorite weather for a run. Even less of a favorite when I plan the route to run INTO the wind on the way back! However, outside is just more fun than a treadmill and I'm trying to break these new shoes in so I can wear them for my upcoming marathon. Now there are no more new pairs of shoes beckoning me from the closet...this only means I see a trip to the running store in the near future.

Running For Kicks has been my shop for a few years now. Mel Diab, the owner (and super nice guy), is very customer-focused and he and everyone that works there runs. The entire staff is knowledgeable about gait, what to look for and will make you run a few times in 3-4 different shoes so you can decide what feels best for you. And I've never felt rushed or pressured to buy anything there.

I love new running shoes.

Long runs

NOTE: RAYOR results are now posted on Chicago Athlete.

Since the end of June, most of my Saturdays have been designated as "Long Run" Saturdays. CARA started their training for the Chicago Marathon in late June. This meant that every Saturday that I wasn't either racing or preparing for a big race the following day, I was out there with the group, helping pace other runners in preparation for the Chicago Marathon.

Now the Chicago Marathon has come and gone, yet I need to continue to get out on Saturdays for those long runs to train for my upcoming marathon which is a mere 5 weeks away. The weather here in Chicago has been less than optimal for the last few weeks. It has been unseasonably cold and windy which makes these longs runs something I haven't been looking forward to. I have worn shorts for every marathon I've ever run, yet I'm not wearing them in training right now. And we all know how you're supposed to train in what you plan on wearing. I feel like if I would have worn shorts yesterday, my legs would have been numb within the first 3 miles!

One of the things I continue to struggle with is the pace at which these long runs are supposed to be done. Some experts say your long run should be 1-1:30 minutes/mile slower than your planned race pace. Others believe you should run these long runs within a certain heart rate. Yet there is even another opinion that you should do these runs at the pace you expect to do in the race. So which is correct?

Well, I've tried running at the pace I plan to race at. Still came in slower than expected. I've run a minute slower than race pace and came in almost at the same time as when I did the long runs faster. And I've run it according to a heart rate monitor and did about 10 minutes slower than running it according to the other plans. At this point, I can't tell which works best. I know there is a chance of injury when you try to do your long runs at race pace and they say it breaks your body down too much. However, I've run my fastest marathon time when I've trained the long runs at race pace. But how many more times would I be able to do that before I sustained an injury? Who knows? I think it's a very fine line and one that is very individual to each person.

As I volunteered at the Chicago Marathon just a couple of weeks ago, I found myself wishing I had signed up for Chicago instead of Tucson. I knew many people running Chicago and I'm envious of the fact that they are now done with their marathon and are now enjoying a bit of rest and relaxation.

One thing is for sure, I've pushed just a little harder for this marathon than the past couple marathons I've done. I am also feeling little nagging pains here and there which are warning signals to me that if I continue to try and push harder, I may be setting myself up for injury. So why do I continue to push? To see improvement. I am not running nearly as fast as I was hoping I would be at this point in my training, but I do know that I haven't ever trained as hard for a marathon before. I'm trying to find what my limit is. I may be expecting too much too soon.

Yesterday's run was brutal. I think I took the first half too fast which made me miserable and very slow for the second half. But it's all about time on your feet, right? I have a hard time buying that. I don't see how running for a long period of time at a slow pace will make you run fast during the race. Sure, there are speed workouts you can add, but I still haven't been able to make that work and starting now won't help.

We shall see.