7.1 down, 133.5 to go

I am so far sucking on my goal to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112, and run 26.2 by New Year's. It's been a busy week, what can I say. I hit the exercise bike at the gym during lunch the other day, and OMG, it kicked my butt, in every sense of the word. Must buy padded shorts. I found it really awkward, since those contraptions aren't built for someone 5'2", no matter how far down you can jack the seat. So I did 4 miles in just under 20 minutes. Which is slower than a lot of people can run.

I gave up my regular workout on Thursday in favor of a 90 minute yoga class, which seems like a completely insane indulgence these days. Something akin to bathing in champagne, or lighting Cubans with $100 bills. Good lord, it was so wonderful. But it just means I'm one more day down on this end of year goal. And at the rate I'm going, the bike portion is going to take a really long time.

Race Report: Turkey Trot

I did a "race for the cure" type thing when Max was 2 mos old, but other than that, I've never done a race that involved getting the both of us ready to go and out of the house at a decent hour. It was a total fire drill, and by the time we got there, all the good parking was gone and we ended up over 1/4 mi from the start. There was a brief moment of terror when Max loudly proclaimed "Max poop," but it must have been a false alarm, THANK GOD. There was no time for messy diaper changing before the start.

We started back with the walkers and baby joggers. My dad accompanied us, but got pretty wiped by the first couple of hills, so we left him behind at mile 1. This course is extremely hilly, even by Cville standards, and pushing Max up and down hills was immensely challenging. I walked most of the steep uphills, hoping to make up some time on the downhills, but keeping the stroller from dragging me headfirst down the steep hills was almost as challenging as going up. However, I still managed to run 11:30 in mile 2, my best of the race.

I felt a little crummy during mile 3, and by the time I got my second wind, we'd made the turn onto the crushed gravel path. It is narrow, and doesn't really allow for passing, plus they must have recently added a truckload of crushed gravel, and it was like pushing the stroller through sand. It was flat, but nearly as tough going as the uphills. Finally, around the sports club, and the finish line in sight, I kicked hard and crossed the finish in 42:40. Mark gave me a shout out and a pat on the back as I came through, and I saw a couple other friends as well. At the end of the chute, Max got a blue ribbon that proclaimed him a "PARTICIPANT."

The finish chute funneled me right to the refreshment tent, and I grabbed a bagel and some grapes, and headed back to the chute to keep an eye out for my dad. He kicked hard and looked springy as he crossed the finish in 51:00. I was way more beat than he was, that's for sure.

We had serious work to do, so didn't hang around for awards and prizes, but took the long hike straight back to the car. Max heard a train as we were walking and proclaimed "choo choo happy" and then "yellow truck" when he saw the yellow truck parked across from us. Hello, smarty-pants!

Athlete

Last night was the end of the season potluck dinner for the running group. After a quick workout (2 mi on the treadmill, some stretching and weights), I headed over to the shop. It was great to see everyone in regular clothes, hair done, rested and wide awake. Everyone was also wearing their medals, except for those of us who did Buck Mountain. It was neat to see all the hardware - the Marine Corps medal were enormous this year; Richmond, though they had promised a "commemorative" 30th running medal looked pretty much the same as last year's.

We ate, took a picture of the group, answered Mark's series of questions (who had negative splits? what was the worst mile? favorite training run?), and talked about plans for next year.

I felt pangs of jealousy hearing about Richmond, and the cool weather. But like IronMo said, it'll still be there when I'm ready again. Maybe next year?

Our group spans the range of those just hoping to finish to those who effortlessly breeze through BQ times. And Mark, bless his soul, treats each and every one of us like the athletes that we are. It's taken me a year and a half to get to the point that I don't feel like a fraud when I say I'm an athlete. My only hope for an age group win is to still be running when I'm 100. I can't do 60 miles a week, my diet isn't systematically tuned to be the best fuel for my runs. But I'm out there. I'm setting goals, and sometimes I meet them, and sometimes I don't. I'm always pushing to be better than I was, to learn something new about my sports (running and swimming). I'm out to have fun, but I take them very seriously. Running and racing are not the most important parts of my life or identity, but they are woven in to the fabric of my life, and can't be disentangled from all the other threads that make me who I am. I'm a mom, a wife, I used to be an airline pilot, I'm still a current flight instructor, I'm a woman and a feminist, I've got brown hair, two masters degrees, and a sense of humor. And I'm an athlete.

So thanks, Mark, all the other runners, and the staff at the shop, for welcoming me into this community. Many times you all treated my athletic aspirations with much more seriousness and respect than I could muster. Thankfully, that attitude has finally rubbed off on me.

I'm an athlete.

1100 and yoga

A wonderful couple of days, exercise wise. I busted out 1100 (or was it 1150?) in the pool yesterday at lunch. Did it in just over 20 min, including a few laps of drill, and 25 of butterfly at the end. Go me. Mil desculpas to the folks in the other lane who were most certainly disrupted by my splashy thrashing.

And then today, a good, long yoga class. I am embarrassed to say that Max was not 2 months old the last time I went to yoga class. Things like nursing, running, and life kind of got in the way. Oh how I missed it, though. I hope I can make it a more regular gig.

Track

I hit the track this morning. I did 3 or 3.25, I lost count a little bit. I did a warmup, 3x800, with easy 400's in between, then an all out 400. Very zen, and I was considerably faster than I thought I'd be - 4:35- 4:45 on the 800's and 2:14 on the 400. Not bad for being so lazy the past couple of weeks. The Turkey Trot is in less than two weeks and while I don't expect to break last year's PR, it would be nice to be close. However, my dad is running it, and I'm considering doing it with him while pushing Max in the stroller. That would be an incredible workout, but would certainly be my slowest 5K time ever. But Thanksgiving's all about family, right? I can always try for a PR on New Year's.

Fun with toddler!

The Supportive Husband's return from Mexico was delayed, so my plans for a long solo run didn't work out. I did a couple of miles with Max in the stroller. He's getting heavier, and the stroller/baby combo now weighs about 60 pounds. Add to that the "warmup" of getting him out of the house, past his bike and his little wheelbarrow on the front porch ("biiiiiike, mama, biiiiike," tears ensued), a brief stop to examine the earthworms on the driveway, then a losing battle over the addition of a stroller cozy to the setup (he'd rather be cold than cozy, and the straps don't fit through quite right, anyway), and it was a pretty strenuous 2. I'm hoping to still squeeze in a couple more today, but it's not looking good. The Supportive Husband finally landed in Richmond, but the main road out of the airport was totally shut down due to an accident, and all the roads in the city were shut down because of the marathon.

The marathon! Yes, I am so disappointed that I'm not there. It's perfect weather - started off a little rainy, but is overcast and cool. Just perfect. I know I can break five hours, it just wasn't meant to be this year. (insert Mama having her own meltdown here)

Anyway, I parked Max in front of the TV (Wonder Pets; they were going to the aid of a puppy that needed to peepee but couldn't because he was locked inside the house. Yes, really!!) so I could shower. Then off to swim lessons. It was at the gym's other location, which I thought I'd like better, but I guess everyone does because man, that warm water pool was PACKED full of kids and senior citizens. Max had a fantastic time jumping off the edge again, and can now actually hoist himself out of the water onto the edge. Goodness! However, he kind of flipped out a little at the end of class because, like the puppy, he had to peepee. Nothing like trying to do the alphabet song while Max is grabbing his crotch with both hands saying, "peepee mama peepee diaper." I guess I've got the only kid on the planet who won't just pee in the pool.

So that was my workout today, baby in tow. Good times.

And congrats, Richmonders! But unless you were there last year, you have no idea how good you have it.

IronMama??

Okay, I just heard about this fantastic idea - the "go at your own pace" triathlon. Pick a date range (for example, Thanksgiving to New Year's) and in that time swim 2.4 miles, bike 114, and run 26.2. A great way to keep motivated and in that marathon spirit during the season of excuses.

Starting with my 5k on Thanksgiving, I'm doing this!! Seriously. I hope I can finish. But don't get too excited - I'll be doing the biking on the stationary bike at the gym.

Distance

Physical distance, just 2 miles walking with the stroller. Emotional distance, three years.

Marathoning mama victorious!

Paula Radcliffe wins NYC!! I ran 5:34 with a 10 month old, she ran 2:23. But I'm guessing that she wasn't exclusively nursing, and that running is her only job. And that she's incredibly genetically gifted as well. But, jealousy aside, go Paula! I have to wonder if the recent rash of successful post-partum athletes has any thing to do with the Title IX provisions that came into effect when I was a child. We're the first generations of moms who ever really had viable athletic aspirations. And we're finding out that childbirth and child rearing doesn't end those aspirations.

Swimming & weights

Actually, it was Max's first swim lesson. Which was not an insignificant workout for Mama. I had to lift him up over and over and over. Boy wanted to jump off the wall into my arms, and how could I say no to that. Couple that with the fact that the pool is warmer than Max's bathtub, and I was pretty wilted by the end. I'll run tomorrow, but today I'm kicking back, watching football, and heading to the film festival.

Recovery week

Truth be told, I pretty much sat around. I did do a lot of walking and go for a swim. But life is, as always, super busy, and I had a lot of catching up to do on all kinds of things.

Without any good run/workout reports, I'll leave you with some of the search strings that have led visitors (hello, visitors!) to my blog (with my comments in parentheses):

buck mountain half marathon

marathon mama

running group street cred (I love this one)

nine months up, nine months down

can I breastfeed after running a half marathon? (this reminds me of the old joke about the kid who breaks his arm and asks the doctor if he'll be able to play the violin, and the doctor says yes, and the kid says, that's amazing, I've never played before in my life)

how long is 7 miles (depends on if you're looking for an answer or a punchline)

wearing camelbak in marathon

mama marathon (of course!)

pooping before a marathon

train and run for marathon while 11 weeks pregnant (wow, her 1st trimester must shake out pretty differently from mine)

calories per roll of smarties

I'll be back in the groove next week - I've got the Turkey Trot to train for. I set a PR there last year, wouldn't it be nice to set another?

no rest for the weary

The thing about being a mom-athlete is that rest and recovery after a race are really "rest" and "recovery." Last year, I carted Max up and down the stairs within hours after the marathon. Luckily, my mom hung around long enough to lift him in and out of the bathtub. This year, no different. The Supportive Husband is a photographer, so most Saturdays he's shooting a wedding. So once Max went down for his nap yesterday, I was on my own. At least the Supportive Husband had done an excellent job of getting Max worn out, so I could expect a long nap, giving me an opportunity to put my feet up. Though that didn't quite work out - Max is adored by a little girl down the street who rang the doorbell at regular intervals to ask if he was up from his nap yet and could he come out to play.

Then as soon as he was up, it was off to the pumpkin patch. How better to recover from a race than toting a 30-pound toddler, one giant pumpkin, and two huge gourds around the local plant nursery.

But Sunday, day of rest, right? At least Max got the memo that he was supposed to sleep in! I emerged from my race-induced coma after a blissful 10 hours of sleep. I don't think I've slept that long since he was born! But once he was up, rest was over. I made a pancake breakfast, took Max on a wagon ride around the neighborhood, went to Target for diapers, grocery shopped for the week, filled the MamaMobile with gas, and hurried home so that the Supportive Husband could go meet with clients. Then, hit the ground running again. Max is learning to jump, so I did a lot of jumping today.

In some ways, I'm glad I never really ran before I had kids. I'd hate to know that in another life, I'd spent the day or two after the race lounging in the jacuzzi eating bonbons.

Race Report: Buck Moutain Half Marathon

13.1, baby!! Woot!

The last time I ran this course was last fall during marathon training - the infamous driving rain and cold run. So I was looking forward to Perfect Weather today and actually getting to see the views I'd heard so much about.

Race registration was on a card table lit by a camping lantern. I gladly donated $20 to the YMCA building fund and got my "goody" bag, which contained lip balm, a $10 off shoe coupon, and a wooden chip with the race logo on it - don't EVEN say that's my substitute for a medal. Free or not, it's a little depressing to do a race where there's no t-shirt and no medal. Anyway, my tummy was feeling a little weird still, and I was crossing my fingers that I'd be able to do the course in 2:30. I really, really just wanted to finish, more so than any other race I've done.

We started just about on time. The first 2.5 are flat - this is the same stretch of road where I ran my one and only 9 minute mile on New Year's day. No prob. I was trucking at around 10:45/mi. Mile 5 goes up Catterton, which I can't adequately describe. Oh, shoot, sure I can. It's a huge fucking hill. There. It's over a mile of relentless, steep uphill. I did just fine going up, and it felt great to stretch out my stride on the screaming downhill following.

Then came the real butt-kicking hills. I forgot about the back side of the loop. Up and down, up and down. Crazy drivers, no shoulder, the whole package deal. I walked quite a bit.

But then back through the village of Free Union, and only 3 miles to go, along the same flattish stretch that began the race. The only training run I've ever had calf cramps on was this Free Union run in the rain last year. I chalked it up to the rain and the cold. But it really must have been something about the hills, because I must say that the last 2 miles were extremely painful. At the 12 mile mark, 2:10 had elapsed. I was hobbling a little. I knew 2:30 was going to be close. But dammit, I wanted it. I wanted it bad. With less than a half mile to go, I could see the finish.

With the cones marking the last 100 yards in sight, I glanced at my watch: 2:28. I kicked hard, entered the chute, kicked harder. Crossed the finish and hit my watch. Did I do it?

HELL YEAH. 2:29:22, baby. Awesome.

And then my legs cramped up, there was no food or gatorade at the finish (but it was a FREE race, so I can't really complain, plus I had half a banana in the car), and on the drive home I thought I might throw up. But all in all, a great race. I was by myself just about the entire time, just a word or two as I passed or got passed by other runners. So I'm extra proud of meeting my goal.

two days left...

...game on, baby, game on. The GI bug was, as promised, short lived. I did a little over a mile today and felt strong. A cold front swept through, and it's now cool, clear, and breezy. At last! I cleaned out my CamelBak, refused multiple social invitations for Friday night (damn!), and soaked my stinky favorite shirt in vinegar. Ready or not, Buck Mountain, here I come!!

3 days to go...

...and all is not well. All occupants are suffering from a low-grade day care GI illness. Word on the street is that it'll be gone in 24 hrs. I sure hope so. I went for what turned out to be a very short run today, and almost yakked about a 1/4 mile into it. I don't have a backup race, so Saturday is my one shot. Cross your fingers that this bug is gone by tomorrow night and I'm 100% in time for race day.

7 miles

My last long run before the Buck Mountain Half!! I decided not to run with the group on Dick Woods, and instead slept in and ran from my house. The plan was to run through the new development 2 miles to the high school, do a couple 800's for fun, then run back the way I came.

I woke up extremely late - nearly 8:30!! Max has been getting up between 7 and 7:30, so I had planned on getting up around then, and starting out. So I was an hour behind where I thought I'd be, not to mention I was so well rested I just felt weird. Between running, work, and Max, I'm not used to having enough sleep. My body rejected it.

So I finally strap on my CamelBak, and step out the front door, only to be greeted by a disemboweled toad carcass on the front step. That's nice, some neighbor's cat likes us enough to leave us a gift. So I grabbed some gardening gloves and a shovel, and sent the toad to his final resting place in the woods.

Finally! I hit my watch and I was off. The first mile is almost entirely downhill, which is a nice way to warm up, though I always find myself thinking about hauling myself up that hill at the end of the run. I popped through the gap in the 10 ft tall fence that shields the old neighbors from the new development, and started winding my way through the neighborhood. Much to my chagrin, the road had been paved just this week, meaning that the stagnant air was shot through with the thick smell of tar and asphalt. Not quite the bucolic run I had imagined.

When I crossed the highway to the entrance of the high school, I heard cheering. Awwww, rats. Some athletic event was going on in the stadium where the track is. So much for my 800's zen. I did a couple laps around the soccer field, and then decided to bag it since my shoes were getting wet from the dew. I headed back across the highway to the middle school, and decided to run sprints across the parking lot. However, the school is down in a little hollow, and in the still morning air, the smell of garbage from the dumpsters was more than I could handle. I decided to head home, and figured that 6 + was enough.

I exchanged garbage smells for tar smells, and headed up, up, up, and when I was less than a quarter mile from the house, I could spy the big fence. Except the hole I'd gone through less than an hour before was gone. Seriously, WTF? Workers were affixing the last few nails in the missing section, meaning that I had to backtrack almost a half mile to go out via the road. So, I ended up doing my entire 7 after all.

After having wonderful runs the past two weekends, it was jarring and demoralizing to have such a crappy day. That's what I get for sleeping in.

Midweek runs

Nothing much this week. A short run and weights on Tuesday, plus a walk with my dad in the evening. I've got him talked in to training for the men's four miler. Now I just need to get him to swap his jeans, belt, and button-down for some shorts and a t-shirt.

A quick lunchtime run today. Working from home, I got to run outside, which wasn't nearly as fun as the last time I worked from home. It's pretty hot today, actually, and the sweat was pouring off of me by the time I finished. As a concession to Mark, I did do just a skosh of speedwork - repeats of 20 sec all out and 40 sec recovery. I may try to hit the nearby high school track this Saturday instead of running with the group. I just have no desire to beat myself up on Dick Woods Road in the predawn darkness. I only need 7 - no reason to wake up at 5:30 for that. It's a heck of a lot easier to get all zen on the track in the daylight than on the soft gravel of DWR before dawn.

7 miles

The waning gibbous moon was so bright that I didn't need my headlamp even though the sun was still fast asleep. It was cool, almost chilly. After the run, I was picking up the coolers that two other runners had set out, so I waited to start until I could coordinate with and get the chalk from them to take back to the shop. One asked me if I wanted to run with her, but I declined, not wanting to slow her down. As soon as she took off, I regretted it.

By the time I started, the sun was beginning to rise, and before I knew it the day had dawned with a clear blue sky. I got to the two mile water stop, paused briefly, and just kept going. I got to the stop at 3.5, paused just long enough to take two shot bloks (1 caf, 1 decaf) and an Endurolyte. I turned back, and cruised right on past the 2 mile water stop. Overall, I averaged just about 11:00/mi, which is great. For the second week in a row, I ran every step, except for a pause at the water stops. This is almost unheard of for me. Even last year, when I was running more miles, I hardly ever ran an entire long run. But suddenly, I just feel like everything has clicked. I'm in decent shape, I'm not injured (knock on wood), the weather is relenting, and I'm clear-headed about my purpose.

I've also finally worked out a few of the small details, that didn't seem like a big deal, but really do impact my runs. Poop before a long run, no exceptions. Eat before a long run, maybe half a banana or so. Drink before a long run. Take 1 Endurolyte before a long run. Get lots of rest two nights before a long run. Take two Shot Bloks, 1 caf, 1 decaf, every four miles. If necessary, add 1 decaf at mile 6 and/or 10. Wear a hat, not for warmth or to keep the sun off my head, but to keep my hair from flopping into my face. Wear tights (short, long, or capri-length) on a long run. Wear a CamelBak and sip, don't wait two miles to hydrate. Stretch within an hour after a run.

I don't think any of this is really making me that much faster, but it sure doesn't hurt. Long runs are just so much more pleasant. I'm not completely wrecked for the rest of the day, and it doesn't take as long to recover.

12 miles on Sunday

This blog entry is a little delayed - I ran on Sunday, and that totally threw off my weekend groove.

Jim and I met up Sunday morning for a run along the Rivanna Trail starting at Riverview Park. Great little 2 mile flat, paved stretch of trail down along the river. We did 3 out and back. It was very peaceful and zen. We saw little frogs, hot air balloons, and a period Korean war campsite set up behind the VFW. Everything clicked for me on this run. Maybe it was the flat, maybe it was the company, maybe it was running on Sunday. But I was in the zone, and ran every step (except for stopping for water at the turnarounds) and didn't even feel tired till about mile 10. Our pace was somewhere around 10:45 or 10:50, which is way better than my goal of 11:00.

I had more happy news this week - I've lost 2 pounds since instituting my hardline "no food after 8:30 pm" rule. I am no longer at my heaviest weight ever. Phew. I must resist the urge to celebrate with cookies.

My program has me doing 6 miles of speedwork midweek this week and next, but it just ain't gonna happen. Sorry, Mark. I just can't do speedwork with a toddler in the stroller. But meanwhile, I'm hitting the treadmill at lunch, and taking long stroller walks before dinner. And hey, with just 2.5 weeks to go, shouldn't I be tapering?

3 miles and a big decision

I think I was supposed to do 4, but I'll do another 2 briskly walking with the stroller tonight to make up for it.

A power outage at my office meant working from home. So rather than scooting to the gym, pounding out something lame on the treadmill, and then racing back to work, I got to step out my own front door at lunch time, and do a nice 3 miles on my usual, peaceful route. It is simply glorious weather here, and I was in a great mood. My mind wandered around to the topic of Richmond, and possibly running it this year. At the beginning of the summer, I sort of felt that hey, I'm no longer nursing, it should be so much easier to train this year than last. Training for a half will be a breeze, I'll feel great about the whole thing, and while I can't commit to Richmond right now, once the cooler weather rolls around, I'll be feeling so wonderful about my running that I will finally bow down to all the spam they've been sending me and sign up for it. I'll run it in beautiful, seasonal weather (unlike last year's record-setting scorcher) and come in under 5 hours as the awesome culmination to all the awesomeness I've been feeling all summer.

Ummmm, not so much. My niggling little injury has finally cleared up, but I simply haven't put in the mileage or the quality that I really need to be marathon ready in 7 weeks. I am soooo seduced by the promise of a PR, of running the 30th, of having special 30th anniversary finisher's schwag. But seriously, I'm just not there. I thought that not committing to it at the beginning of the summer would keep me from burning out. But what it did was keep me from preparing.

I'm a little bummed, but I feel like I can just get on with the next 3 weeks until my half-marathon, and start planning for the future. Instead of fixating on this one race, I can think about where I really want to be with respect to running in one year, in five years, in ten. And even with that forward-thinking, I am so much more in the moment than I have been all summer. Instead of "if/then" and "what if", I can be in the realm of right now. And isn't that a large part of why I run? To have time to be focused and clear, without distraction?

It reminds me of this run last year. You spend a long time constructing a fantasy about what the perfect run/race/training program is like, yet when they don't live up to your expectations, you just take a breath, take what you're given, accept them as they are, and keep putting one foot in front of the other. On that day, I ran because that is what I woke up in the morning to do. I remember spending hours the night before fretting about the weather, making plan B and plan C, packing and repacking, setting out infinite combinations of clothing and gear. But when I stepped out into the rain, it just washed away, and all I was left with was the run.

And now, letting go of Richmond this year, all those contingencies are washing away, and I finally just get to run.