Back at it, again…

If I had a nickel for every time I said that.

It probably wouldn’t afford a tank of gas, but I don’t drive that much anymore. So, maybe I would just buy a cupcake.

My nutritional sense is coming back to me, however, along with my scattered brain and training mindset.

I managed not to binge on desserts at all this week (it’s only Tuesday) and finally reached day #1 of my restarted marathon-training plan.

But first: the lead-up.

The hardest part about this move has been controlling my unbridled desire to run when I get home from work. (OK, it's not exactly a bad problem to have.) Not only am I saving at least ten hours in the car, I totally get home with ten times the energy I had driving out to Stow. And now I have all this time! It’s incredible.

We’re still not unpacked, so I’ve been doing much of my cross-training by lifting and moving boxes all the livelong day to find clothes, shoes, kitchen stuff, vases, spoons and the DVR. It’s all worth it, though: did I mention the killer new commute?

Once I get my hands on my Felt FW40, I’m going to try to incorporate a bike ride to work every once in a while, and many bike rides after work in preparation for the tris I’ve scheduled this summer.

The Greater Cleveland Triathlon, where I’ll attempt my first international distance, is almost two months away. And we don’t want another [lack of] bike showing like last year. They might just close the course on me!

So, last week was pre-training week. I tried to tone down the sugar-rush eating and get in some miles before the real stuff begins. It was so easy to come home, run 3-6 miles after work, have dinner and hang out until bed (I forgot to mention, I get more sleep now too!).

And it was even easier to meet Monica and Ilana at Shaker Lakes on Sunday morning for an 8-miler in the Heights. I felt really smooth and fluid the whole run, which worked well on my confidence (it’s been a little shaky during my 2-week move-related training hiatus… I always think I’ll forget how to run), even if my stride is never quite fluid or smooth. Talking and trotting with the girls, however, made the time fly!

We ran 8 miles at about 10:20/mile across varying terrain, which I think might be part of a race on my to-be-considered list this Sunday: the Sunbeam 4-miler at Horseshoe Lake. But what’s more important is that Monica will race her first triathlon next week (a sprint) in preparation for her big HIM in August. Go, Monica!

What surprised me most about Sunday was that I ran pretty well and didn’t tire even though I woke up with some seriously sore legs from one kitchen paint job the previous night.

I gave myself Monday off—it was supposed to be a cross-training day—to rest and to have a Caribbean carnaval in my kitchen. And today it all began. Again.

My rejuvenated marathon training started with some “speed” work, which, again, I take pretty lightly. I mean, I’m really not going anywhere fast. Even if I’m in the car.

Instead of 5 x 1000m at 5K pace, I ran five sets of 1030-1080 meters, which was easier for me to measure out up and down my blocks. And the pace stayed pretty close to my target 5K times (they were 5:04, 5:03, 4:53, 4:52 and 5:10), interspersed with 2-3 minute recovery jogs that sometimes became strolls. My pace ranged from 7:39-7:55/mile. Not bad.

If you’re looking at my splits, you might think I was pooped for the fifth rep, but I really wasn’t. Perhaps I was giving myself too much recovery time. I felt swell going into the last stretch… until it began to pour as I kicked off into number 5. Luckily I was soaked about one minute in because I had to run right past my street to finish the distance. I was a block away from home when I was done, so I trotted home to cool down. And, apparently, to shower.

I don’t fear the rain as much as my pre-half self. Sure, it’s inconvenient and the downpour can slow you down. Most of it, though, is just state of mind. And I’ve had a good one of those lately. I just need to get that good mind into the pool... or, better yet, the lake. August will be here before I admit it.

Food (and Rest) it Up!

Last night’s 7-miler concluded my training for the week (I moved Thursday’s run to Wednesday to get an extra day of rest before Saturday’s race… even if it is just a super sprint), so now it’s time to rest and eat. Ahh, two of my preferred activities!

But I have to admit that my brain wasn’t functioning properly again yesterday. I started my after-work run and my watch, stopped it to cross a street and never switched it on again. So, I just set the world record in the 3.5-miler: 2:22. Woo hoo! I realized the error after about a mile and just tried to keep up a 9-9:30/mile pace through the first half of the run. And I think I'm finally getting a mental feel for my pace. In other words, I'm getting a pacing clue!

Since I also forgot to check my workout before I took off, I was lucky to correctly guess my plan: 6-7 miles, including 4 x 2:00 aerobic intervals and 6 gentle pickups.

It was nice to get in some of these higher intensity spurts on rolling hills. I swear if I move from this area one of the few things I’ll miss (other than the cupcake shop) will be the rolling hills. While it’s not as great on miles for my already-fuel-efficient car, it really puts some extra kick into a workout. But it also puts an extra kick into my achy left calf.

I came home from the run around 6:45 p.m., ate dinner and then iced my calf for about 30 minutes. Some non-medical advice I received recommended before/after stretching and after icing… so I’m giving it a try. Plus, I’m getting back to my morning yoga in hopes that the addition stretching might aid some of my achy problems. If nothing else, it’s a nice workout that wakes me up when an alarm just won’t.

And now it’s all about resting (I have my feet kicked up as I type) and eating foods that will power me to the finish on Saturday. As I’ve previously mentioned, I’ve decided not to compete in Sunday’s sprint tri at Portage Lakes. But my half marathon plan calls for 10 miles on Sunday—my first 10-miler since my June 17 injury. I’m coming back, baby (knock on wood)!

The Outlook is Chilly

The fact that I still haven’t taken the bike out of my trunk from Aug. 12 GCT, not a problem. I won’t be fantastic on the cycling segment (again), but I have all winter to kick butt next year. The fact that my inner left calf is still bothering me: no big deal. I’m on track with my half marathon training while giving it rest, ice and perhaps some healing.

Now, the fact that weather.com says Saturday’s high will be 57 degrees, that’s a big, cold deal! It sounds like a lovely day for running and cycling… but that whole swimming thing might be a freezing issue for this total-baby-in-the-cold-water! Can you see me inching my way in at the group start? Eek, eek, eek! At least someone would probably push me in just to get me out of the way.

I might just have to give in and go for the wetsuit. Ugh, I hate wetsuits. Just the thought of being shocked by the cold is making me shiver right now. I’m trying to convince myself that the GCT start was cold, but I’m still giving myself a reminder to bring my swimming parka on Saturday.

I’ll definitely have to get in for a warm-up and then wrap up until the start. Otherwise you’ll read in the Beacon about how a girl having a panic attack from the chill took down half the women’s triathlon with her. Brrrr.

But I suppose mugginess for the cycling/running legs trumps a few shivers at the start. This weekend, in fact, was strange with mugginess: it was pretty much room temperature here all weekend long, but with that stick humidity that fills the air and makes you feel like you’re covered with a layer of yick.

I managed to get caught up on my half marathon training on Saturday and Sunday (and I finally get to rest today!) in between drizzle and major showers—10K on Saturday and 4 miles on Sunday.

While I wasn’t lucky enough for my training schedule to coincide with a local 10K race this weekend, I measured the distance on the Nike Plus Web site and tried to run with the fury of race pace on Saturday. My legs have been a little tired—I went to pilates in the morning and pretty much ran race pace on Friday!—so I was pleased with my 53:00 or 8:31/mile solo “race.”

What I discovered between my Friday track run and Saturday’s road 10K was how much knowing my position/distance helps me run faster and maintain my pace. Duh, right? Well, I generally know what mile marker I’m approaching when I run in familiar hoods, but having a handle on each 1/6 of a mile gave me a constant gauge on my pace and any changes. Then again, the flat track and perfect conditions probably helped me as well ;-)

By Sunday I was talking myself into running—I haven’t really run three days in a row for more than 2+ miles in several months. Or, you know, ever. And I had mismarked on my training plan that Sunday called for 12 miles. Let’s just say that this body wasn’t running 12 miles for anything on Sunday and I was incredibly relieved to see that the actual training plan called for four miles. FOUR MILES! I can do that!

So, after morning yoga and the disappointing Browns game, I hit the road for four miles before night and/or rain fell. My calf was tight and my legs were still a little unhappy, but my pace felt steady and strong through the 34:40 four-miler (8:40/mile).

Today is all about resting this calf and getting over Saturday’s forecast. And rearranging my training schedule, again, to fit in some rest before this race.

Keeping Up With Myself

It dawned on me today that the Akron Women’s Triathlon is a week off and I still haven’t even taken my bike out of the trunk of my car from the GCT. While I had promised myself I would pick up the pace after I finished tri-one, I just seem to forget about that whole cycling segment. Darn it!

But at least I have kicked up my running and swimming since GCT. In fact, I hit the pool on Thursday morning for a 4,500-yard (~2.5 miles) continuous swim—my longest continuous swim since I started training again earlier this year. The best part was that I finished it in 1:14:00, which is one minute faster than the 4,200 yards I swam late last week.

I swam the first 1,000 yards at a pretty relaxed pace. It’s generally during this slow, warm-up period that I’m convinced I won’t/can’t swim more than 2,000 yards today. But after 2,000 yards I picked up the pace a little more. And when I tuned into 3,000, a slightly speedy girl jumped into the lane next to me and cruised right by! Because of my recent pay-attention-to-no-one-but-myself discipline from running, my first instinct was to just let her go. She’s none of my concern. Right?

Well, that lasted about 10 yards and I had to speed up. By the end of the first lap I was on her toes, and then neck-and-neck at the middle of lap two. Then my arms really warmed to the speed and I kicked it into my next gear, passed her and then lapped her a few times before she left. Every time I cam back around, I felt like she was out-swimming me again, so I would have to pick up my pace to take her again. She must have helped cut five minutes off my time!

Unfortunately, I’m not able to run at a faster speed for quite as long. Although I could probably make it 2.5 miles… just not over an hour. Ugh. But I had a good 7-mile track run at lunch on Friday, which included:

• 1-mile warm-up at 10:00/mile
• 5 miles at 8:12/mile
• 8 gentle pick-ups (~1 mile)

I’m a day behind on my training plan and will be running Friday, Saturday and Sunday before I get to rest of Monday. Whew! And then next week I’ll have to move around my running days to make room for some rest before Saturday’s race. It’s great to have a training plan, but when your schedule gets dorked up, it’s difficult playing catch up.

And I thought I wasn’t going to play it very well today. When I started on the 1-mile warm-up, my legs were tight and fatigued, and that stupid inner-left calf muscle was whining at me again. I paused to stretch after one lap and then tried to stretch out my legs with each extended stride.

My body was warmed by the second mile, so I thought I would try to run with pace in mind. Hmm, 9:00/mile, I thought. That’s 1:30/lap at the rec. center track. After the first couple laps I was right on time, but then I started coming in 8, 10, 12 seconds ahead of my pace, so I thought I would increase it a little. So, I ran at a very comfortable (I was singing!) pace, trying to keep each lap under 1:30, and continued to come in under my target.

Still feeling pretty perky, I finished the workout with eight gentle pick-ups—I was that person hoofing it down the straightaways at the track and walking the curves. It was really fun to finish the run with that segment. It was fast, free and flippin’ fantastic. I focused on extending my legs and quickening my turnover… without turning up the intensity level to DANGEROUS. Now I’m just hoping this pep carries me through the weekend runs.

On my way home from work last night, I stopped at the store to pick up Viactiv, but came home with a wealth nutrition bars instead. I was a little put off by Viactiv’s ingredients (corn syrup topped the list), so I opted for a few treats like Luna and Kashi bars that service my sweet tooth… I mean, protein and calcium needs with natural stuff.

And if you’re looking for a good snack, try Kashi Crunchy bar. Tasty! I’m chowing the chocolate-caramel variety as I type, getting 8 grams of protein and 20% of my calcium in 150 tasty calories. Now I just have to eat ten of them to get my protein. Remember that Total commercial? It’s kind of like that.

Run, Eat, Rinse, Repeat

Ugh. I’ve been missing my protein targets for the past couple days. So when I came in from tonight’s 8-mile training run, I passed on a simple bowl of cereal (just cooking for one tonight) and went for a lump of protein instead.

For the past 2.5 weeks, I’ve been tracking my diet—and I mean everything I eat—using nutridiary.com. Ever since I upped the training ante, I’ve been concerned about my nutrition. I’m not eyeing any weight-loss goals, but I have learned that I need to eye some calcium and protein goals. Two weeks ago, it wasn’t pretty.

Nutridiary.com is a neat tool that allows you to track your mouth’s every move using data you input from your typically eaten foods, as well as a vast database of more common eats. It’s one of the most high-maintenance and time-consuming things I’ve ever done, but it’s also the most honest and enlightening.

My calcium in take, for example, is embarrassing. You can see from the Nutridiary graph of my calcium intake since Aug. 20 that aside from the Aug. 25 wedding I attended (there was a cheese tray with plenty of smoked gouda, muenster, cheddar and jack!), my calcium is shameful.

The blue line represents my targeted calcium value… which is higher than I generally get. So, I have to make my way to the store soon and get my hands on some Viactiv calcium chews. I should have known my mom was onto something when she force-fed me those things as a teen. Although I imagine I could kill two birds with a glass of milk. If only I drank milk.

My protein chart is even more tragic, so I took down a serving of organic kidney beans, mixed nuts (pepitas, pine and almonds) and a sweet potato. Granted, the sweet potato isn’t exactly packing the protein, but it tastes good! Unfortunately, I was packed with the rest of my vitamins today, so I didn’t require the 438 percent Vitamin A in that baby.

Despite feeling more ready for an all-night nap when I came home from work, I put on some running clothes and headed out. It has been a little warm for the past couple days, but not prohibitively muggy as in past weeks.

Tonight’s 8-miler was a doozy:

• 3 miles on 9:30/mile pace
• 2 x 2:00, 2 x 2:300, 1 x 3:00 aerobic intervals (AI) ~ 3 miles
• 8 gentle pick ups (GP) ~ 1 mile
• ~1 mile cool down on 10:00/mile

My legs didn’t take as long as usual to warm up today, but by the second AI, I felt beat. I kept repeating to myself that AIs are meant to push me a little past my comfort zone and to make me feel more comfortable within my normal pace… and, of course, that I would thank myself for doing them on Sept. 29. Or maybe it was the prospect of getting to speed-walk a bit during the GPs at the end. That was nice.

The middle three miles may have been a killer, but they rocked pretty hard too. I ran the set in 24:33 (that’s 8:11/mile), which is pretty speedy for me right now. Sure, I’ll complain about the AIs, but I think I’m feeling the beginnings of their benefits. I’ve been a good girl—not running these sets at too high intensity or verging on injury like I used to—and hope to reap the benefits.
What good is all this training is my bones and muscles are going to crumble at the end of the day? Perhaps I should go have another calcium-fortified protein bar or something.

Weekend Update: 26 Miles Down for Week 2 Half Training

After work on Friday I picked up my car from the shop and headed to Heinen’s to buy a shut-in’s worth of produce, including Italian plums, strawberries and a boatload of super juicy peaches.

Aside from my recent focus on my diet, the trip has little to do with my training, but I didn’t want to start off on a bummer note about not being able to swim on Friday. New-but-old car duties call. But at least now I have a safe ball joint… and some day I might understand what that means.

Friday did, however, serve as a pleasant and much needed day of rest. It’s been a high-intensity couple of weeks on all fronts. Plus classes start on Monday! Neil and I took a slow, pleasant walk on Friday evening, but the rest of the day was all about kicking my feet up and letting my legs rest.

Saturday, on the other hand, was all about straight shooting. I woke up at 7:30 a.m. and headed right out the door for my 4-mile run. I’ve been sticking to my neighborhood and the community across the street lately because it offers some variation of terrain—plus I know my distances at most points. Saturday morning was a great time to run and an even better contrast to the hellish conditions from Thursday evening (I can just feel that slick humidity sheen forming on my skin just thinking about it).

The only problem was a couple of tired legs and still-tight calf muscles. When I first kicked off from my front door, I felt the tightness and took a few more minutes to stretch, but they really only started to feel better once they were warmed. Right around 3.5 miles!

It was a mid-range training run, which I took around 9:00/mile. Then I came inside, took a shower, did some light weight training, ate breakfast, dressed myself up for a party and then headed to my friend’s wedding in North Canton. My friends and I danced for a couple hours (I’m all about the sprinkler, lawn-mower, q-tip, and that dance Olive does at the end of Little Miss Sunshine), which I think made for some bonus aerobic training. And laughing that hard is better for abs than any crunches I can do.

We visited friends after the wedding. While Neil and his buddies watched the Browns, I chatted with my tri-friend Fran, who will be racing her first triathlon at the Akron Women’s Triathlon on Sept. 15. It was a blast to share my first experience stories, as well as the things I wish I had known or considered before my first race (i.e., bring extra shoes for after your transition area is set up, have a pan of water available to quickly clean the sand off your feet, getting kicked in the face doesn’t really hurt too much).

My sleepy head didn’t hit my pillow until 1 a.m., so waking up this morning wasn’t as pleasant as most days. On the bright side, I have noticed a sleep pattern over the past several months: if I go to bed at midnight or later, I will wake up groggy regardless of how many hours I have slept.

Does that sound silly? If I get to sleep within or before the 11 p.m. hour, I can wake up and feel refreshed at almost any reasonable morning time (say, 5 a.m. or later). But if I get the same number of sleep hours after getting to bed later, it just feels all wrong. Sigh. I suppose I’m not a college student anymore.

Today was no different. I woke up at 8:30 a.m. and then snoozed until 9:30 a.m., which is oftentimes almost the middle of my day! I ate some breakfast and lugged around. By 11 a.m. I was thinking there was no way I would get any running done. So, I did some weight training, thesis reading, Indians baseball watching and napping until 6 p.m. rolled around.

Fortunately for me, my laziness annoys me. I felt irritated by sitting around all day, so I grabbed a few bites of a Think Thin Crunchy Peanut Butter bar (it was yum!) and headed out for an undecided distance.

My training plan called for 8 miles today—the conclusion to a 26-mile second week of my half marathon training—which I didn’t think I could complete. But when I stepped out into the lovely day, I was hooked. It was sunny and breezy with light air and temps in the lower 70s. Ahh. Plus, our neighborhood Ninja Warrior was practicing his nunchucks in a nearby parking lot… and what’s cooler than that?

My warm-up was laid back at 10:00/mile for the opening two miles of the run with one stop to stretch these tight calf muscles. I felt a little looser by mile three and ran miles 3-6 around 9:30/mile. My pace was a bit off today, but more so from my daylong lethargy than the fatigue I felt on Thursday. Or perhaps I’m still recovering from that fiasco!

I briefly spoke to Ninja Warrior as I circled the mostly empty parking lot that is his training space. He has a shaved head, an Eastern European accent and the cheerful demeanor that you wouldn’t expect from a Romanian Ninja Warrior. He mentioned that he would like to add some running and endurance training to his regiment soon, so I invited him to run with me around the neighborhood whenever he was ready. But now I’m wondering whether he’ll be carrying the nunchucks as he runs. I just don’t think our sidewalks are wide enough for that type of action.

As I finished mile six, I was finally feeling warmed up, loose and ready to take off. It’s been a while since I had that refreshed-after-several-miles feeling. Since mid-June, to be exact. In fact, today’s 8.25-mile run was the farthest I’ve run since I stumbled over my sciatica. I’ve missed reaching that threshold at which your body kind of forgets what it’s like to not be running, so your breathing, pace and effort just feel normal (credit to Landon for that description).

So, I stretched out the last couple miles at about 9:00 pace and carefully strode home. I took a cool shower and ate dinner… all with my fingers crossed that I could please stay healthy this time.

Rough Thursday is OK

I’ll admit that I’m weather-finicky if and only if we can get a respite from the heat. Sure, I didn’t like the nonstop rain, but some balance in the weather force would really make for a more pleasant winding down of summer—and better runs.

While my will power had an all-star day on Tuesday, I wasn’t expecting a repeat performance today. I ate a Think Green chocolate chip bar with a pint of water around 4:45 p.m. and then jetted (or shall I say Jetta-ed) home for my next run.

The ride home didn’t bode well for the workout ahead: I was breaking a sweat just sitting in the car with the windows down. And not only was it hot, it was super muggy. I had a few moments in which my mind fought back and forth about whether I should run, sleep or yoga, but I stopped thinking, got dressing and went running.

Right away I noticed that my calves were tight, which is strange for me because my calves are never tight and they felt fine all day long. I stretched for a bit and then started my opening 4 miles r-e-a-l-l-y s-l-o-w-l-y, about 10:30/mile. After the first quarter, I picked it up to about 9:00/mile for the next half mile around my neighborhood. I pushed it up some slight hills and tried get some kick into my run, but the sun was taking it out of me. And by the end of 1.5 miles, I started wheezing. I hate wheezing.

So, I took my pace down around 9:30-10:00/mile and finished the rest of the 4 miles before I headed inside. It was just too darn hot and my body just wasn’t having it. Not only was my breathing all wrong, my hands and feet were swelling too. Ugh.

I ate a protein-rich dinner and chowed an apple with cinnamon until the sun chilled out around 8:15 p.m. It felt like I was cheating on my workout—taking a little over an hour break—but I would have felt worse if I just didn’t finish it at all.

Then I took to the streets again to start my 4 x 1:30 aerobic intervals… but not before a half-mile warm-up. Again with the tight calves. Still I pushed through the warm-up and then built up to the intervals, which were much more difficult tonight than the past week and a half. My pace on the intervals and the 6 pickups that followed was probably double an good night’s pace, but I took everything my body was giving.

I guess all nights can’t be gems. Nevertheless, I finished my total 7 miles for Thursday’s training and am ready for a Friday of rest.