Spring Thaw

Today was my last long run before taper. It's hard to believe it's almost over! Of course, then the real fun will begin. ;)

I signed Shane and I up for the Spring Thaw 20 mile race. This race has 10, 15, or 20 mile options and attracts around 1,000 people. It's pretty large for a local race! It consists of 5 mile loops around North Park lake. This would be Shane's one and only 20 mile run and my final run of 20+ miles.

I haven't felt well the last couple days. A sore throat and some heavy fatigue left my workouts lacking. I somewhat gave in to the feelings of impending illness and cut back my scheduled mileage a bit. I figured it was better to have a good last long run than run every mile to plan and end up actually sick right in my taper.

I picked out an outfit to fit with the 40 degree temps and a breeze. My INKnBURN denim print pants and Sakura pullover with my Altra Superiors. For the exterior I had a light jacket, a hat, and gloves. I also put my Altra logo tattoos on the back of my neck since that was the only skin I planned to have exposed. And I was ready to go!

 

We picked up our friend, Chris, at 7:30 and headed to North Park for packet pick up. There was no parking at the boathouse where the race started and ended so we parked about a half mile away at the spillway and walked in. We got our bags, bibs, and shirts and I felt a little luckier when I got bib 111.

 

 

It was still pretty early so we chatted with a lot of our friends. One of our friends, Jason, agreed to run with Shane and help him get through his first 20 miler. I also ran into a few of our other friends, Allison, Louis, Mike and Michelle. Soon enough everyone started to wander out to line up. I lingered in the warmth until we were asked to line up. I lined up between the 9:30 and 10:00 pace signs.

Funny shirt

A few minutes later we took off. I started out conservatively and watched as people flew by on all sides. I had to keep reminding myself that I had to run my own race. Around 3 miles in I began to pick up the pace. Mike and his friend, John, also happened to catch me at this point. They were running around 9:20-9:30 per mile so I decided to stay with them for awhile. John was wearing a kilt and pretty soon the Scottish jokes and drinking songs were pouring out. It made the first loop very enjoyable. I crossed the 5 mile mark at 48:45.

I continued to run with Mike and John for the second loop. I don't remember much except that the pace kept falling and I was surprised I was keeping up. We crossed the 10 mile mark at 1:34:28 and Mike was done. John and I continued on our own to the third loop.

Elevation profile

The third loop things were starting to get harder. I knew that I was very close to a 2 hour half marathon and I asked John to not slow the pace until we passed the 13.1 mark. We pushed through and my watch beeped the half marathon at 2:01:2x. That's over an 8 minute PR! That accomplishment brought back some energy and I managed to keep the pace steady for the rest of the loop. We hit the mats for 15 miles at 2:21:41.

The last loop was the hardest 5 miles of my life. My brain said it was okay to slow down, my legs told me to take a walk break, but my pride said it wasn't worth it if I threw away my great first 15 for a crappy finish. I kept pushing and I could hear John struggling beside me. The cheery banter of the early miles was long gone by this point. It was all we could do to move forward.

At mile 19 we came upon Louis walking slowly. I had expected him to finish long before me. I told him to help John and I get to the finish and that seemed to perk him up. He began to jog and then to run. Soon he was well ahead of me and I was pulling away from John. All I wanted was to finish so I could stop running. Louis finished 48 seconds ahead of me and John 23 seconds behind me.

Splits

My official time was 3:10:50 although that is apparently gun time and not chip time. I am absolutely thrilled with that anyway! I was 110/152 overall and 6/8 in my age group though so I guess I still have a lot of improvement to make ahead!

Week In Review: Week 12

Only one month to go until Shamrock! One more week of training and then taper begins! Oh the madness and the doubts are about to begin!

Monday: 3.5 miles at 6-8% incline.

Tuesday: 5.25 miles on the CycleOps trainer + 30 minutes of yoga.

Wednesday: 10 miles with 4 x 1 mile at 5k pace.

Thursday: 5 mile recovery run.

Friday: 6 miles with 4 at tempo.

Saturday: Rest.

Sunday: 21 miles.

Total: 45.5 miles running and 5.25 cycling.

Sunday's long run was pretty intense. The weather was brutal with temperatures in the teens and wind chills much colder. On and off snowfall plus icy roads made for a rough day. I kept the pace exactly where I wanted it until my last 6 miles when my lips cracked, my hands went numb, and my face felt like it was on fire from the wind. I still finished though! Mental toughness for the win!

Blowing snow over the lake

 

My personal frozen hell

The Weight of the World

I've been thinking a lot about my diet (as in my nutritional intake, not some fad plan) and I know it hasn't been up to par. However, our scale went bonkers a month or two ago so I haven't been paying too much attention to anything but the fact that I can still get my jeans on.

EatSmart Products offered to send me one of their Precision Digital scales for review so I happily accepted. These scales feature 'step on' technology which basically means they zero/calibrate themselves and don't get all wacky like my old scale did. I can't do a full review yet as I just got mine today but I like it already. It's a stylish glass and metal construction with a back lit screen that makes it easy to read. And it measures down to a tenth of a pound which makes it a great tool for a numbers geek.

The only thing I was unhappy with was the number I saw when I stepped on it. It's hard to believe that I, or anyone, can run an average of 40+ miles per week and still gain weight but I'm proving it's possible. My next steps are to track my diet for a week or ten days and then consult a nutritionist or dietitian. I need a PLAN. I also need to make an appointment for a check up and make sure my body is working the way it should. I haven't had a doctor's visit in several years and it's about time I take care of myself outside of the gym too.

So here's to baby steps and making a plan to reach your dreams. What are your goals for this spring? And what are you going to do to get there?

Take a Tumble

Well, I did it. I went and made life more complicated! Endorphin Mom is now on tumblr! I guess I just love my social media. It's not like I have much time for a real social life anyway.

But I do go on some cool adventures right?! So join me at endorphinmom.tumblr.com and don't forget to follow Altra's tumblr here. There you can see my first tumblr post (it's me running on a bridge) and leave me some love so I can impress my new shoe love for Valentine's Day!

Speaking of which, here's a great video from Altra on how to break up with your old shoes. I had this conversation with mine back in October. It wasn't easy but I had to follow my heart. ;)

Week in Review: Week 11

It feels like it should have been unlucky 13. Nothing went right this week. After I forced myself to do my scheduled 10 miles on Thursday I had to work all day Friday. I worked 8am to 7pm or so and then headed home. I was supposed to run 5-6  miles that night but figured I would switch it with Saturday's rest day.

Actual schedule:
Monday: Yoga + cross training
Tuesday: 6 miles
Wednesday: cross training
Thursday: 10 miles
Friday: rest
Saturday: (5-6 miles) *ended up resting
Sunday: 12 miles

Shane finishing his 5k on Saturday

Saturday Shane was planning to run a 5k in Kittaning. I agreed to go with him to take pictures and cheer but I didn't plan to race. Looking back I should have. I would have won second place woman and at least gotten a workout in! Shane did really well, taking second place male despite the icy conditions and cold. After the race we went to lunch and then picked up a few things. By the time we got home it was almost dinner time. We decided to watch a movie and then eat. As soon as I ate my stomach began to hurt. Within an hour I had a blinding headache. It was all I could do to stay awake until an acceptable bed time. I couldn't even force myself to try to walk or run.

Shane and his trophy

I woke up today feeling fine but worn out. Shane and I had made plans to run 12 miles with some friends but by the time I dragged myself out of bed we were running late so we told them to go ahead without us. We made it to the trail and found an ice slick. Shortly after the one mile mark (which took us 12 minutes) we decided to head out onto the roads of the township. No sidewalks, small shoulder, busy roads, and no flat terrain. It was slow going but we made it an adventure and explored housing plans and communities that we've never had a reason to tour before. We ended up with just shy of 2,600 feet of vertical gain in 12 miles!

Elevation profile

In the end I finished out the week with only 28 miles. It's my lowest week of the year so far but my coach reminded me that life happens. Now to forget about the bad week and focus on getting back on my game for week 12! 

Only The Strong Survive

"I will not be forgotten.

This is my time to shine.

I've got the scars to prove it,

Only the strong survive.

 

I'm not afraid of dying;

Everyone has their time.

Life never favored weakness.

Welcome to the pride."

~Five Finger Death Punch

 

 

You may not be a fan of heavy rock or alternative or whatever you want to classify 5FDP as. However, this song went on my playlist because the lyrics SPEAK to me. I vowed to myself that I wouldn't be weak this training cycle. I swore that I wouldn't make excuses to quit or lessen the burden of training. I promised that I would find out exactly how deep I can dig and just how strong I am. I wanted to be one of those runners. You know, the ones who run in the pouring rain at 4am because it's the only time they could run? One of those runners who never gives up because life throws them a curve ball. I think they could justifiably be called a 'pride'.

So when I got called into work unexpectedly Wednesday night I had to make some quick adjustments on the fly. A planned 10 mile run got swapped with cross training. I banged out 40 minutes worth of strength training before I raced off to work the 4 to midnight shift. I promised myself that I would run my 10 miles as soon as I got home even though I had been up since 6am already. I moved 10 foot long pipes back and forth through our shop all night. I dealt with a major crisis with a radioactive source that could have proved dangerous but thankfully didn't. I wondered every minute how I could survive a run after this but reminded myself that I will feel worse at Burning River and probably have more than 10 miles to go at that point. I needed to be strong!

Then my boss put another wrench in my plans. Two of our guys are down sick so I needed to come back in at 8am and put in another shift. That meant getting home at 1am, sleeping for 5 hours, and then going back to work. No way to put 10 miles in unless I wanted to be in a coma by lunch time. I dragged myself back into the shop and loaded all of those 10 foot pipes on a truck for our customer BY HAND because we're not allowed to touch them with a fork truck or crane. I loaded heavy castings for another customer and then started working on some different castings we had in the lab. I was exhausted. I was starving. And all I could think about was running.

I begged my brain not to give my legs excuses. I bargained with myself. "Just get on the treadmill and see what you can do." Finally, my relief arrived and I was able to head home. I stopped and picked up some fish food on the way. I puttered around the kitchen sorting mail and drinking water when I got home. I fed the fish some new food. I basically did anything to avoid putting on my running shoes. Then Shane woke up and I knew it was now or never.

I asked him to get Gem off the bus and pick up Ash so I could run and he agreed. (I'm a lucky wife, huh?) I changed and headed down to the basement like a prisoner headed for the electric chair. I popped in a movie and started out slowly. My legs protested at first but then it started to feel better. The knot of worry and stress in my chest released and I felt like I could breathe again. My stride started to loosen up and I was able to get close to the pace I was supposed to hit.

I didn't push myself to hit the recommended paces. I know that being awake for close to 40 hours with only a nap in the middle wasn't the preferred state for training. I went with the flow and even paused to grab some cookies for a quick sugar hit when I started to fade. The next thing I knew:

BAM! Ten miles done!

 

And now I know.... I am one of the strong. I will survive whatever life throws at me: job, personal, or anything else. I survived crazy work hours, a long way to run on the treadmill, and my fourth ACSM CPT class. And I'll survive working again tomorrow and whatever it may bring. Welcome to the pride!

 

 

BQ or Bust Baby!

Okay, not really. I'll never qualify for Boston (unless I keep up my current speed until I'm about 85). And raising huge amounts of money for charity isn't really feasible for most of us either. I don't mind fundraising but some of the spots for Boston charity are just outrageous! However, there is now another option!

My favorite shoe company, Altra Zero Drop, is giving away ten, yes TEN, entries to the Boston Marathon. So how do you win? The complete post is here. But here's the basics...

Facebook (4 winners):
1. Tell Altra why you deserve a spot! Tag Altra Zero Drop in the post on YOUR own wall. BE CREATIVE! Pictures, videos, or just words are all acceptable.

Twitter (2 winners):
1. Send out a tweet about breaking up with your old running shoes! Tag @AltraZeroDrop at the end of the tweet.
Ex: “Dear old running shoes: You’re unstable. We’re done. @AltraZeroDrop’s are the shoe for me.”
Ex: “Hi old running shoes, There’s someone else. @AltraZeroDrop and I can go for hours and I love the way he/she holds me.”

Instagram (2 winners):
1. Show the world what #ZeroLimits means to you!
2. Follow @AltraZeroDrop.

Pinterest (2 winners):
1. Follow Altra Zero Drop.
2. Repin the Altra Takes Boston “Pin it to Win it” graphic.

Vine (1 winner):
1. Follow Altra Zero Drop (Open app-> Click the house in top left corner-> Explore-> Search “Altra Zero Drop” on “People” tab->Follow).
2. Make a Vine showing why you deserve a Boston entry.
3. Use the hashtags #ZeroLimits #AltraTakesBoston and #Running in the description.
What’s Vine? Its a new iPhone app. Check this out.

Terms and Conditions:
-All entries are pre-qualified
-Registration fee not included
-Travel and related expenses not included
-Registration Code will be mailed upon completion of contest
-Contest will run from 12 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 7 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17
-Winners will be notified Monday, Feb. 18 2013

So there you have it! Now 9 of you go win and save the last one for me! See you in Boston!

Week in Review: Big TEN!

This has been a week of highs and lows and crazy times. I sometimes doubted myself but in the end I always exceeded my own expectations and usually had fun doing it.

Yes, I giggled. I'm still 13 at heart sometimes.

Monday: 7 mile steady state run. Ended up being a progression run because the effort felt too easy.

Tuesday: 2 mile warm up, 1 mile/800m/400m/200m ladder workout then repeat in reverse. 1 mile cool down. Total: 8.5 miles + 30 minutes of yoga

Wednesday: 8.5 mile easy run.

Thursday: 1 mile warm up, 60 minute tempo run, 1 mile cool down. Total: 8.5 miles + 15 minutes of yoga.

Friday: 6.5 mile easy run + 30 minutes of yoga + 30 minutes of core strength.

Saturday: Rest.

Sunday: 21 mile long run.

Total: 60 miles in 10:25:01

To add to the craziness of the week our treadmill was still out of sorts. It wasn't until today that a maintenance guy was able to come to our house. It turns out Shane and I aren't exactly 'average' treadmill users. The technician was able to see how many miles are on our roughly two year old treadmill. The answer? 1,804 miles and 284 hours of use. Unfortunately the model we were sold is not up to that kind of use and beating, especially at the speeds Shane and I need to run for speed work and such. Replacing the drive belt (and possibly the motor) is a temporary solution but it's only a matter of time before our treadmill goes to an early grave. So now the hunt (and RESEARCH this time!) is on for a new and commercial-grade torture device.

Lake view during my long run

 

Another exciting event this week was Shane's first published article. I'm not sure if I've mentioned it but Shane started his own blog. He has a knack for writing apparently (though he still needs help with spelling - must be a boy thing!) and the Mon Yough Trail Council asked him to contribute an article to their Milepost newsletter. I'm very excited for my husband!

 

 

Shane's article

 

The weekend was the most up and down part of the week. From Saturday to Sunday one of my friends was running Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile Endurance Run. She is very similar to me in terms of running times and distances. However, she has trained REALLY hard in the last several months and I was interested to see what it would mean for her in terms of ultra performances. I was thrilled to see her finish with a smile and collect her first buckle. It gave me a lot of hope for Burning River in less than 6 months! EEK!

 

Another view of the lake

 

As I drove to North Park for my long run Sunday morning I was saddened to learn of the passing of a member of the running community. I decided then that the frigid temperatures and blowing snow didn't matter. I was lucky to be out there and able to run. I threw in an extra mile to honor the indomitable spirit of a women that many knew and loved. Her passing will leave a hole in the hearts of many runners.

 

Despite the ice clinging to my brows and lashes I was determined to make it a good run.

 

In all, it was an excellent week for my running and, even though I may have to suffer through the weather more often in the near future, I am blessed to be a runner. Whether I have a treadmill or not, whether I ever get that one hundred mile buckle or not, and whether I ever hit all 50 states or not.... It's been a hell of a ride and I'm glad that I've been able to share it with so many inspirational people.

Random Thoughts and Such

I really don't have too much to write about right now. As evidenced by the lack of posts lately. I have random snippets of information that I feel might be of interest, however.

Remember how I checked the calibration on our treadmill and it is way off? Well I have scheduled an appointment for Monday to have our treadmill checked over, calibrated, and any problems diagnosed. We will then have the option of buying any parts that have worn out and either install them ourselves or have them installed during a second visit. I'll keep you posted on how that all works out. I think I'll do some research into treadmill maintenance that will hopefully prevent us from getting into this situation again.

Next awesome thing.... Shane and I are adding a second race to our resumes. On August 11, 2013 at 7am runners can meet on the Yough River Trail in Elizabeth Township, PA for a 4 or 10 mile run. It will be called the P&LE Express in honor of the railroad that used to run through here. The Greater Pittsburgh Road Runners will be the sponsor and cost will be $3 for non-members and $1 for members. No shirts, no medals, etc. Just run and be timed for cheap!

The old railroad logo

 

Our second annual Boston Harvest 5k will be on September 21, 2013. This year we will also be adding a 10k option. The 5k will start at 9am and the 10k will start at 9:15am. Cost is $15 or $10 for kids under 15 and seniors over 59. Late registration will be $5 extra. Last year we were able to raise over $4,000 for Rex Timko of Forward Township. Rex has Batten's Disease which is a life limiting disease that causes mental impairment, seizures, loss of sight, speech and motor skills. All proceeds go to Rex and his family. For more infomation on Rex visit www.rallyforrex.com. We are also still in need of sponsors and donations to cover the costs of insurance, permits, and awards. If you know of a company that may be interested in sponsoring please email TeamBrunazzi@gmail.com.

 

 

 

Lastly, I'm still continuing with Graston treatments and a few people have asked me how to find a Graston practitioner. You can search for one here. As a word of caution, make sure you don't 'suck it up' if the force is actually painful. I learned this thanks to an aggressive treatment on my quadriceps tendon that led to a huge bruise that's hung around for two weeks now!

Lesson Learned. Speak up if it hurts!

 

I guess that's all for now. Work is picking back up, I'm still working through my ACSM CPT classes (over halfway!), I need to go take a CPR/AED class, and I am still running like a mad woman! I finished January with a PR 190.8 miles! So if you find yourself wondering why I haven't posted it's probably because I'm out on a road or trail (or hopefully our treadmill again soon!).

 

How was your January? Did you let the winter weather keep you from running? Did you workout indoors in other ways?