First Long Run

Can you really call 6 miles a "long" run? Well for me, you can. It's been a very long time since I've been able to run well. I did 9 miles in early November then had a boot put on. The boot came off some time in January and I've done a few small runs here and there - starting with 10 min, 15 min, 20 min, etc. In fact, I think when I got into running way back when, I started much faster!

I helped arrange a preview run of the Quarryman Challenge yesterday. This is a local, very hilly run that is a really nice course and a great training venue for those going to Boston. On a Saturday morning, traffic is very light and the village helps out by allowing us use of one of their community buildings so we have shelter and bathrooms before and after the run. Last year at this time, I was cranking out the full 10 miles at - at least for me - was a pretty strong pace! Yesterday was a 6 miler that I really had no idea what pace I could hold.

But it went OK. Pace wasn't nearly as quick as last year, but that's to be expected. Last year at this time, I was coming off of the Goofy Challenge and was really kinda sick of running pretty early on in the season last year. I've decided that doing a winter marathon is really a bad idea for me - unless I have a lighter triathlon schedule, those winter marathons take it out of me both mentally and physically.

I'm hurting a bit today, but glad to get out and actually RUN more than 2 miles! Who knows what that will mean for my running this season but I'm glad to finally be able to run, no matter what the pace. Someone asked me earlier this week: what discipline would you pick if you could only do one: swim, bike or run. I still cannot really answer that. I love to swim. Biking is fine, but it takes a lot of equipment and time, and running is the most social.... This is a tough one.

Join TEAM TRI SMART as we run a course preview of the Quarryman Challenge this Saturday, February 19, 2011.

• STARTING LOCATION - We are moving the starting location of this training run to allow us access to indoor bathrooms before the run! We will beet at Safety Village which is located at 55 Stephen Street. View map HERE.


• START TIME - 7:30am Sharp! Please plan to arrive a few minutes early so we can get started right on time. Safety Village will be LOCKED while we are out running.


• FREE SAMPLE - Clif Shots will be available for everyone.


• T-SHIRT GIVEAWAY - There will also be a few Quarryman shirts given away. The Quarryman Challenge is a 10 mile hilly race that takes place on May 7th. To register for the race, click HERE.


• COURSE MAPS - The course loops around and you are able to cut the course to 6 miles, if needed. The course is marked, but you can find a map HERE.


• BREAKFAST AFTER RUN - We should be heading to breakfast around 9:30am and will be going to the Pancake Cafe, 1264 State Street, map HERE. They have a variety of breakfast specials for under $5.00. If you can't make the run, please feel free to join us for breakfast!
  

AZ Training Trip

When I say this outloud, I almost can't believe it, but I went to Arizona last weekend just to train. Sounds like I belong on the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous or something, but the cost of the trip really wasn't all that much. When I planned the trip several months ago, I figured long bike rides were going to be brutal this time of year here in Chicago and I wasn't really that far off. The weather prediction for this weekend isn't making me look forward to my last long ride in preparation for this race. Sure, there's always the trainer, but....

Of course having someone to share the experience with makes it all that much better, so another fellow IMAZ competitor (SH) flew down to AZ for the weekend also. We arrived on Friday night and, trying to keep expenses to a minimum, we opted not to rent a car and decided to walk to dinner. This was Halloween night and I am now convinced that girls in college use Halloween to get away with dressing like hoochies. We also had some drunk college student talking to us as we walked past and actually burped as he was speaking. It was impossible not to laugh.

The two hour time difference screwed with us a little, but it allowed us to get a good night's sleep before the ride on Saturday. We headed down the street to get some bagels, bananas and peanut butter to fuel for the long ride. After clearing out the couple of ice machines the hotel had, our Camelbacks and water bottles were full and we were ready to go. It was already warm by Chicago standards - a balmy 68 degrees or so.

I'm not going to give a long, detailed description of the entire ride, but know these important parts:

• The Beeline highway has a very deceiving incline
• You get hot even in a dry heat
• Wind and desert can make for a nasty combination

Though the ride was not brutal, it was tough. The drastic temperature change from the 32 of Chicago to the 97 of Tempe was hard to deal with...and I love the heat. At each stop, we filled up the water bottles and Camelbacks with ice, but our fluids never really seemed to stay cold. Biggest disappointment: I don't even have any tan lines after being out there all day.

Had my brother come and pick us up for some dinner. It was great to see him and AZ seems to be treating him well. Dinner was fabulous and we ate every bite. It was our first real meal of the day. Another early bed time.

Got a little confused because now the time had changed. But it doesn't change in AZ. So weird, I walked around the rest of the day not really being sure of what time it was. We ran 1 loop of the 2 loop run course (or something close to it). No real challenging hills, but definitely some ramps that will probably not be all that fun come race day. It was fun to see so many other people out there - on what was Nov. 2 - outside enjoying the day. There was an Autism walk this day and had an amazing turnout! We thought about snatching some water from some of the sponsors, but decided to head over and grab some recovery food at the Einstein's on the way back to the hotel.

Sunday night brought us right back home. It was not as cold back home as I expected. Of course, I was hoping for freezing, sleeting conditions here while I was away!! This time, my bike and box made it back safe and sound (huge sigh of relief!) and now my hardest training weekend for IMAZ is complete.

20 at Chicago Marathon

Though the Chicago Marathon isn't scheduled perfectly with the 20 mile run in my training program, I decided not to waste the opportunity to get in this long run because of its convenience. How many times can you do a fully-supported long training run with plenty of company??

I arrived plenty early at the Hospitality Suite hosted by a local running group to meet up with the "gang". Little did I know this would be such a hot spot for seeing other people I knew! It was like every time I turned around, there was another familiar face! It was fun to see everyone and the room was just buzzing with energy, but I will admit that made it a bit distracting. Even though this was just a training run, I still wanted to be prepared.

Several trips to a nearby bathroom were necessary because I knew the porta potty line down near the start would be a zoo. It was very convenient and, despite my multiple trips, I never had to wait in line. Bonus! I went over and over and over all the nutrition and supplements I had brought along to get me through the race. Meticulously, I placed everything into my pockets in the opposite order I'd need them in to make for easy access while running. Donna even decked me out with one of those pace tattoo thingys.

With about 40 minutes to go, we headed out toward the start. I had already ditched my throw-away shirt because it became a little toasty in the hotel. Once outside, I didn't even miss the shirt, a sure sign of the warm day ahead of us. Of course, I had my compression socks on and wasn't even feeling self-conscious about them. This year, they had the starting chute blocked off for what seemed like FOREVER and we ended up entering in at the 13 min/mile pace. This meant we had to zig zag our way through the dense crowd to try and squeeze up into a more adequate running pace.

Once in a position where all of us agreed we should be, we joked and laughed and tried to take our minds off the upcoming run. We paused for the national anthem (GUYS - PLEASE take your hats off during this!! I was shocked at the number of men who left their hats on during the anthem!) and the crowd moved up slightly toward the start line. I don't even remember hearing the official start, but soon everyone began walking forward. Next thing I know, RT is pointing to me where the "official" start clock had been running for some 5+ minutes. Huh. Ah, it doesn't matter.

Crossing the start line is always a little chaotic. People every which way, dodging the left over water bottles athletes just placed on the ground and jumping over piles of clothes kept on to keep warm (I don't advise jumping over anything at this point). There were spectators lined across 2 bridges right away that gives you a little boost. Not much cheering this year, though, as we ran under those. Sometimes, because of the echo, people like to make a lot of noise over there. If you're lucky and a lot of people are feeling overly enthusiastic at this point, it can be deafening and motivational! Today, however, that wasn't to be.

The pace seemed to be a little quicker than I thought it should be, but I didn't want to run alone, so I stuck with BC as he dodged his way around the slower people who had lined up a little ahead of us. Within 2 miles, I was already sweating, which is very unlike me. Another telling sign of the heat to be experienced this day. NOTHING like last year, but definitely warmer than ideal marathon conditions. Another mile or 2 pass and we see JM just ahead. A couple of strategic moves and we ran up on each side of him to start up a conversation. He seems to be running well, but really just wants to listen to his tunes. We run with him for about a mile or so and press on.

The pace still seems quick, but my Garmin is malfunctioning. I keep losing the signal. I am happy I'm trying to keep splits on my good ol' Timex and note that the pace is about 15-20 seconds faster than target. I wonder how this will bite me later on, but still don't want to run alone, so I press on. A few people here and there commenting on the compression socks - then I notice they have them on too, so then I don't feel like they're making fun of me. I pass Elvis - in a very heavy blue outfit studded in gold...he's shuffling along, though!

I'm having a bit of a hard time trying to keep up my end of the conversation and wonder how much longer I'll be able to keep the pace. I think we were at mile 9 when I asked if we were coming up on mile 12. My Garmin said we had 11.23 miles in...how frustrating! My heartrate is in zone 4 and I'm concerned, but I don't want to give up. I pass Elvis again...now how did that happen?

At each water stop, I fall behind quite a bit and have to quicken the pace to catch up. It's at this time I believe I lengthen my stride and the hamstring starts talking to me. Once I catch up, though, the pace isn't slowing down. Now we're progressively running each mile faster. Around mile 15, I'm ready to slow down. Now the pace is about 25 seconds faster per mile than planned and I am struggling. Can I do this for 5 more miles? BC had pulled out the metronome and it was funny watching people look around trying to figure out what the heck it was. Better than that, it made me focus on smaller steps and made the run go by just a bit easier. Another bonus was that when we had to split up for a while, I could always hear if he was next to me or behind me - so I never had to look. Just focus on keeping that sound nearby.

By mile 18, I knew I had it. No, it wasn't getting easier, but I knew I was stopping in 2 miles. Just 2 miles! No problem. In fact, the last 2 miles were 2 of the fastest miles of the run! And though I seriously thought about continuing on to the finish, I knew that just wasn't smart training. We finished the 20 in what was one of my strongest runs of the season. The heat was a factor, but didn't seem to cause a problem. I was happy to stop at 20 and call it a day!

Compression Socks

Yes, the year is 2008 and I'm sporting those socks like I did back in grade school. Only those had the cool stripes in different colors at the top. I remember I had at least one pair in every color - an 2 pair of green striped ones because I liked them so much.

I did my first run in these compression socks on Saturday. Why, you ask? Well, compression socks are designed to strengthen and stabilize muscles, tendons and joints. They increase blood circulation therefore getting more oxygen through the blood and giving you more energy. I first saw these about a year ago during my last Ironman. As I go to events, I'm starting to see more and more people sporting these attractive little garments. I've been wearing compression shorts since I was diagnosed with the hamstring injury...so I decided to try the socks. What could it hurt?

The result? I found the socks quite comfortable! I was a little warm in them after a few miles, but very tolerable. I did find myself a tad itchy toward the end of the run, also. Could just be me not being used to having anything covering my shins when I run. All in all, my legs felt great and totally fresh for my ride the following day. Might just have to incorporate these socks in to my regular training wardrobe. Don't they look hot?

Runners are Crazy People

It was already raining when I went to bed on Friday night. Because I enjoy cool, fresh air, I slept with the windows open that night. Somewhere during the night, the rain became heavy and I rushed around closing some of the windows, but keeping the bedroom windows cracked so I could listen to the steady beat of the raindrops.

Hours later, it was still raining. Now I wanted the rain to stop. I was to be meeting up with some people to get in a long run on Saturday morning. This rain wasn't just a sprinkle, it was steady. I shot out a few emails to see if I could get anyone to commit to running....after all, I didn't want to drive all the way out to be the only goof ball that showed up! I ended up calling Sally, who confirmed that she was going - after all, it wasn't lightening, and I packed up my things (with a couple of extra towels and an extra pair of shoes) and jumped in the car.

Amazingly, there were already a handful of people there. Sure, everyone was just sitting in their cars, but the dedication of this group surprised me. I couldn't believe there were other people so obsessed with getting in their long run that they'd come out to run in this rain. I worried about my shoes and socks getting so wet that I'd develop blisters. Fortunately for us, the air temperature was around 70.

The group was not the regular size, but still a good, solid showing for this rainy day. Another positive, the trail drains quickly and we reached mile 3.5 (Turtle Pond), a place that's known for flooding, and it was free and clear. Excellent! We ran on, not a dry stitch of clothing on any of us. Thankfully, the air was warm enough that even I wasn't complaining of being cold. As we passed mile 4 or so, another runner coming the other way said the trail was flooded out at mile 5.7. OK, well, we could get to that point and just turn around if it's that bad, we discussed.

At mile 5.7(ish), there is a small bridge. For most of the year, there isn't even much water flowing through there. In fact, it's such a small bridge, it's easy to forget about. I'm not even sure how long it is, maybe 25 feet? Well, we get there and it's covered with water bursting from a higher section of the forest preserve. It's loud and rushing by us quickly, pushing broken branches up against what is supposed to be the railing. You can barely even see the railing at this point. It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen in this forest preserve.

Being the only female in our group, everyone looked at me to see if I'd go through. OF COURSE! We took off our shoes and socks and made our way across the bridge. Slowly, to make sure we didn't lose our balance, we stepped very carefully across the bridge, one by one, to the other side. The water was cool and rather refreshing! Once across, I squeezed out my socks (I can't believe how much water was in them) and waited for everyone to cross.

We're lucky one of our runners, Jim M., had a cell phone on him and we were able to get this quick shot. The picture doesn't really do the water in the background justice, but if you've ever run at WFG, you might recognize this spot and have a better idea at how amazing this was. You can just barely see the railing of the bridge if you look to the right of the guy (Jason) in the orange shirt. I'm sort of surprised Jim's camera didn't fry out. You can't tell in the picture, but it was still raining hard when we took that.

We continued on through the rest of the trail with just minor little puddles to go around. We were again surprised there was no water collection just before mile 8 - another area known for flooding. The rain continued for the duration of this run (and for days afterwards!), but everyone made it through without incident.

Definitely a run I'll never forget. I've always known that I'm a little "too" addicted to this stuff and sometimes don't know when to quit. Well, the group of runners that ran outside in Chicago on Saturday morning - whether at WFG or anywhere else - are truly a crazy group of people.

Luna Chix Run

Since April, the 2008 Luna Chix Triathlon Team has been doing a run at Runners Grove in Downers Grove the first Monday of every month. These runs are in addition to our weekly bike rides at Waterfall Glen.

Last night was such a great night! The weather was awesome, we had a great turnout and we welcomed a lot of new faces into the Luna family! The pace groups worked out well and several of us headed over to Ballydoyle afterwards. Ballydoyle has a nice outdoor area and the weather was just perfect for us all to just hang out, talk about the run, triathlon, and everything else going on in our lives.

You can join us next month on July 7th. Run starts promptly at 6:30pm. Be sure to plan in a trip to Ballydoyle afterwards!

Perfect day for a run!

Well, for the first time since last July, I met up with some friends this morning to run a few miles at Waterfall Glen. The weather was absolutely perfect for a morning run, though I did have to be talked into leaving my gloves behind! I really have missed running out here.

Though the group was going the full loop (9.5 miles), I'm not quite ready for that and just ran out to the 2 mile marker and back. Surprisingly, my splits weren't too bad. And though the company, weather and scenery were just perfect, the hamstring did not feel good at all today. On Monday, it felt bad just for the first mile, but today, I felt a pulling with every step of my left leg. I don't think this problem is going to go away this year. Maybe it's time to see yet a 4th doctor....?

Running and the Hamstring

Went for a nice, short run this morning. Well, I got lost on the trails, so it was a little longer than I had planned, but the conditions were just perfect for a run. The hamstring, however, is not doing so good. I can block out the pain, but I'm trying REALLY hard to NOT block it out. See, that's what got me here in the first place! I've always said, the pain was never really strong enough to get me to quit, but it shouldn't be there in the first place. The hills really don't feel good. (not that they ever felt good, even without the hamstring issue) I am starting to wonder if I will ever be able to recover from this.

Luna Chix Run!

We just had our first Luna Chix event this year...a fun run out of Runner Grove in Downers Grove. Runners Grove even provided refreshments after the run. The weather was a little chilly, but we had a great turnout! Our new Lunas don't even have their apparel yet, but they will very soon. We will have this run the first Monday of every month at Runners Grove starting at 6:30pm. All abilities welcome!

My run, however, was not really a run...more like a run/walk. Pace was pretty slow, I fell behind everyone in a matter of moments. But the plan is to try and start slow. Even with all the physical therapy, prolotherapy, acupuncture, massage and MAT, my hamstring is not healed. It could be many, many more months. It did feel good to get out and run...for the first 10-15 minutes. Then the shallow throbbing started to take over. The pain has never been strong enough to make me quit, but now I'm trying to pay more attention and I know I'm not doing myself any favors by "tweaking" it every so often.

In fact, the day after the run, that shallow, constant pain was with me all day. Walking hurt more than it should. I had to keep shifting all my weight to the other leg while standing throughout the day. Guess I'm on a "wait and see" for this season.

Happy New Year!

Just like the last 4 years, my tradition has been to get out first thing in the morning for a New Year's Day run. We had less people at today's run than last year, but that was probably due to the challenging weather here in Chicago this morning. The snow from the night before had piled up and I didn't really see many plow trucks out this morning on my way to the run.

The snow was driving directly into our faces as we headed west. Other than that, the temperature wasn't really bad. It was the built up snow on the streets that made this a tough workout. Another runner commented that it was like running in sand. Yep, very difficult to get traction.

After I came back home, took a shower and put some nice, warm clothes on, I looked out the window and wondered what the heck I was doing out there running in the first place. It's COLD and nasty out there! But there was little that could've stopped me from getting out there this morning. It just feels like the right way to start out the new year.

Happy New Year!

Indy Marathon

Before all you psychos start freaking out on me, I did not do the Indy marathon. I was simply there to support him! And I figured, while I was there, it would be a good chance for me to get in a bit of a longer run.



I don't have time for a big ol' long post, but suffice it to say that the day was absolutely beautiful for a marathon. The start of the race was a cool 57 degrees with not a cloud in the sky. I was a bit chilly as I stood in the start corral wearing shorts, long-sleeved shirt, throw-away long-sleeved shirt (that came down past my shorts!), shorts, gloves, hat and sunglasses. I had goosebumps on my legs and I was bummed I wouldn't be starting soon. See, I was going to just hop in with him when he got to Mile 3. He was feeling good, but was really quiet as he typically is before long runs.



The entire field (marathon, relays and half-marathon) was about 4500 people. A very nice change from the ridiculous 35000+ at Chicago! Someone told me there were only 600 people signed up for the full marathon. Wow, that would be a lonely course! Fortunately, that was false and it was over 1000 full marathoners.



After a short delay and the singing of the national anthem, I jumped out of the corral and over to the start line. With such a small field, meaning a small group of spectators, it was easy for me to step right up to get a great view of the start of the race. Watching everyone head out on what was such a great day bummed me out that I wasn't able to run the full race. After all the runners passed by (about 5 minutes), I hopped over to the mile 3 mark and started chatting with another spectator.



Within several minutes, the lead runner was coming by. Huh? Mile 3 already? How can that be? But I didn't start my watch, so I wasn't really sure how much time had passed. I scanned the crowd for him so I could jump in. It was easy to find him and he told me we weren't at mile 3...it was mile 1.5. Well, now that made more sense! That Mile 3 marker must've been for the 5K they were having later on in the day! Oh well, I ran alongside him and we talked. He was keeping a very steady pace for the several miles I ran with him. I let him set the speed as my shin hurt with every step. I was very disappointed that this pain never went away throughout my entire run. It didn't get worse, but it was there enough to remind me to slow down on the downhill sections.



Finally, he tells me to go on ahead, he's going to slow down. I need to pick up the pace anyway, so I run off telling him I'll see him near where I need to split off. It's fun to start slower and pick up the pace as you run by people. My heart rate shot up quickly, so I backed off. We went onto this little bike path and I wished I had a camera with me. The colors of the trees and surrounding forest was beautiful. However, this section that circled a small lake was also kinda hilly! It didn't last long, maybe 2-2.5 miles, and we were back out on the roads. By now I was finished with the time I had scheduled for my run, so I just stepped off to the side and started walking, waiting for him to catch up to me. I was happy to be done to stop pounding on the shin.



He caught up, I started running again with him and he said he was still feeling very strong, but then the split came. Full marathoners to the right, half marathoners to the left. He said he wanted to turn left. Oh no, I reminded him. You didn't come down here to do just 13 miles. He was in good spirits and I headed out towards the half marathon finish. It was a bit humiliating, people telling me I was "almost there" and that I was "doing good!" as I walked by. I just smiled and kept walking reminding myself to stick to the plan.



The finishers turned right and I went left to walk to the car. I changed, drove over to the CVS for 2 cold Diet Cokes and some ice. One I would drink now and one for him, should he need one at the finish. I then looked at the map and drove on out to what I thought was mile 21. Within 15 minutes, here comes the Saint, doing very well, according to my watch! I snapped a few photos and got in and ran with him again. He was struggling a little, but I could tell by watching, he was still going to finish. He looked fine(well, maybe a little salty!), it was a mental struggle for him at this point.



I got back in the car, parked as close to the finish line as I could get, and headed out to find a good spot at the finish line.

I sat down close to the finish and cheered in the runners. Most looked great and finished with smiles on their faces. There were a few people walking it in, cramping up so badly, they could barely pick up their legs. The crowds were small and easy to navigate through. My legs felt a little tired and I had to move around a bit, but all in all, it was a great day for a run.

He finished, not as well as he would have liked (don't we all say that?), but he was able to get in the full 26.2...and without a trip to the medical tent! It bummed me out that I couldn't run the whole thing, but with the upcoming IM, I wouldn't have done it anyway. It just seemed like such a great race...I think I'll have to put in on the schedule in the future.