Christmas time running

Having just peeked around my friend Jessica's blog (http://harristelligman.blogspot.com/) who lives in Winston-Salem North Carolina, I'm jealous of all the snow and yet relieved that I don't have to navigate my running through icy melts or, heaven forbid, do the treadmill thing.

I think the high today is 70.

This week is the first week of my new training plan that I'm not thrilled to go out and run each day. Not sure if that is a sign that the newness of my plan is wearing off, or that there are other things entering into my consciousness (i.e. Christmas), or if the reality of me not pairing up with my 3 week Orlando running buddy this upcoming weekend is setting in? Whatever it is, it feels normal, I was pretty surprised how stoked I've been each day of training, even on the sluggish days.

Sunday I was once again spoiled with Tyler's presence for my long run, 100 minutes = 12.4 miles. I was able to travel down to West Palm Beach to see my cousin's newborn twins, Jana & Steven, then head to the family's house for dad's belated birthday/early Christmas celebration. So, on my way back home Sunday, I stopped in Winter Park for a run. We ran a great route through town, and rocked it with a 8:04 min mile. The crazy part was that I felt amazing and could have run all day at that pace, which feels really encouraging. Two weeks before my long run was 9 min miles, 1 week before 8:30, then this week just over 8. I told Tyler that if I qualify for Boston I'm buying him a plane ticket. Hopefully he will qualify too, but having such a huge influence on my speed development, I want him there either way!

I think the biggest hurdle has been believing in myself, but I feel like I'm overcoming that. Surrounding myself with runners who are faster than me, who have improved their speed over the years, has been critical.

I signed up for the DeLeon Springs 1/2 Marathon on January 3rd. On my schedule that day I have a 1 hour 50 minute run or race... so I figured perfect! I'm hoping for a 1:48 time, which would put me under my Boston pace. We shall see!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah & Happy Kwanzaa friends!

Toe Drama

Apparently most runners experience toenail issues at some point in time. I was reading online and someone wrote "Getting your first one is a sign that you've moved your training into a higher level", well congratulations to me!

My two toes, the ones next to my big toes, started becoming sensitive after the OUC 1/2 Marathon. It wasn't unbearable so I kept running as usual, but did change out my shoes. After this last weekend's long run I announced to Tyler that I was definitely going to be losing some toenails.

Monday night I ran a great fast run in Haile, fastest 6.2 miles ever. There was some off road trail action, and I think this might have pushed the one toe over the edge. Monday night I could barely walk. Tuesday I hobbled around town doing errands and yet was determined to run Tuesday night (my schedule is 6 days of running this week, so a break isn't in the cards). So, I got to the UF track to do some fartlek before running with the Florida Track Club, and taped my toe all to heck.

I told Tyler "you know you are a real athlete when you start taping your toenail to your toe in order to keep running." The pain was so intense I seriously doubted this level of commitment. But, I started very slow and pushed through the pain, I think it became easier to run than walk. I was able to maintain my 8 min mile pace, which made me feel tough!

Last night I was seriously considering calling the doctor today, but this morning I woke up and it feels surprisingly good. Not normal, but not make me cry kind of painful. I think that having to pull off all my taping last night might have in some way lifted the toenail just enough that it reduced some pressure in the toe? Who knows but I'll take it!

Another weekend in Orlando

This past weekend I traveled down to Orlando again, a friend of mine was having a tough week so I wanted to spend some time with her.

It was actually a very full weekend, tears, laughter, drinking, and of course running. I did my long run on Saturday with my faithful Central Florida running friend, Tyler. We did a 90 minute out and back on the West Orange Trail, beginning at the Clarcona Horseman's Park. We ran about 10 1/2 miles at a 8:30 pace.

I didn't tell Tyler this but while I was running the last couple miles all these feelings of bitterness came up. It's interesting to me that when I'm struggling and in pain how I search out people to blame those feelings on. I'm just building the distance at which I ran keep my 8:30ish pace, so it still feels really difficult to maintain anything faster than that for longer than 6 miles. I'm confident in my training program, so I know that it will get somewhat easier as the weeks go on, but right now angry Kim emerges come the last few miles of a long run.

After we finished I was instantly grateful for Tyler's presence and with out a doubt knew that I would not have kept my pace up the last 20 minutes or so without him.

It's such an intriguing friendship to me. I find that, while at times I love my solo runs, that I crave that running time with Tyler. I love how he makes me want to work harder when I'm not around him so that when I'm with him I do better. This weekend's run was a stark contrast to the 1/2 marathon the weekend before. While it was still difficult I felt strong for 6 miles, and was definitely much more pleasant to be with! I guess the feelings Tyler brings up in me are similar to that coach-player relationship. Even if he wasn't a runner, I would still treasure our friendship, but with the athletic bond it deepens everything.

I'm still having a little tightness in my right quad/hip flexor, which has been nagging at me since the Relay, but ironically after Saturday's run it feels better. Yesterday I barely noticed it. Maybe my new neutral shoes are helping my legs to settle into a more natural form and rhythm when I run, versus the stability shoes I was sporting before. We shall see!

Dirt Roads

Someday I will post pictures of my routine running route. Sometimes I don't feel the energy to look out over the fields and take it all in, but the days I do I'm so grateful for the serenity of my dirt road running.

Today I went for a 45 minute run with some 100 meter strides in the middle. Just a quick out and back. Great run. Nice and cool, in the 40s. I had this revelation as I was running an 8:00 pace, jamming out to Kelly Clarkson (oh yeah!), that I was so fulfilled. There is a huge divide within me of wanting peace and nature and calm, and then needing that high energy intensity. For 45 minutes I get to have both. The vastness of the fields and sky met by the hard physical exertion with the soudtrack of anger and energy sums up this world to me.

So I'm going to claim that I AM fun, and I need both things, both extremes of calm and passion. I like that.

OUC 1/2 Marathon BONK

December 5, 2009 Tyler and I ran the OUC 1/2 Marathon in downtown Orlando.

Let me start with Tyler...
I met Tyler in the Tri-Cities Airport the Sunday following the 2009 Blue Ridge Relay. Tyler and his teammate John were heading back home to Orlando after running on an Ultra Relay Team (meaning they run with 6 teammates what everyone else runs with 12 = crazy runners!). Tyler noticed my race shirt (thank God for not doing laundry!) and struck up a conversation.

He is the kind of person you want to be friends with, instantly. I don't know how else to explain it. Our flight was delayed so we were able to chat it up. As we were getting on the plane, I mentioned that we had an open spot on our Florida Ragnar Relay team coming up in a couple months. Both he and John said they'd be happy to fill it and gave me their cards.

I wasn't letting this one get away...

Tyler did end up committing to fill in our 12th spot, and John found another team. Through emails, Tyler and I began our friendship, by the time the Relay rolled around I felt like I'd known him for years. He is one of the most positive, friendly, and genuine people I've ever met. Did I mention he is an incredible runner!? His average pace for the Relay was around a 7:15 min/mile.

So, when I realized that the OUC 1/2 Marathon wasn't "that far off" from my scheduled running time that day (actually I should have ran about 9 miles on Dec 5th, not 13.1), and knowing Tyler would be up for it... why not?

I traveled down by Greyhound Bus on Friday Dec 4th and stayed with Tyler so we could go to the race together the next morning. Friday night Tyler and I talked about how he wanted to help me finish in my BQ pace (which is 8:24 min/mile = race time of 1:50 for a 1/2 marathon). This made me feel extremely uncomfortable. Knowing he wanted to run at least a minute per mile slower that what he could run, just to encourage me, was almost too much for me to process. All of my issues bubbled up, the "I'm not worth it" feelings, "I will never be able to give back to you in this way" feelings, "What if you see me fail" feelings... yuck!

After sharing some of this with Tyler, I told him that he was an adult and I would let him make his decision. His decision was of course to start and finish right by my side.

The bubbling of personal issues led me to not fall asleep till around 2am, we had to wake up by 5am. Just to give you a contextual image, this race fell at the end of my first two weeks of training (a training that goes 2 hard weeks then 1 easier week). We ran the 32 hour Ragnar Relay, which I had a 21 mile piece of, 2 weeks before, and I PR'd at the Tom Walker 1/2 Marathon a week before that (with a 1:57 time).

If you are interested in the breakdown of my OUC BONK see the Running Log link on the right. But, basically I started out strong time wise, but never felt strong. I unfortunately struggled from the beginning. Around mile 7 I knew I was crashing, mile 9 was my official BONK, the last 4 were just rough.

I was embarrassed that Tyler saw me in that state, but as he said "that's what friends are for". We came in at 1:59:50, right at a 9 minute mile.

I learned so many things that weekend. Top two, I'm not as mentally tough as I think I am (working on it though!), and I have a new "treasured friend" (as Tyler put it).

Right now I've had three more runs following the race under my belt, and I'm slowly getting my confidence back. This is a tougher road than I thought it would be, but I'm looking forward to it, knowing I'm not all alone.

Boston Baby!

I've decided to start up blogging again, to document the highs and lows of Qualifying for the Boston Marathon.

The training plan that I've adopted is from Coach Bruce, affiliated with the Royal Victoria Marathon. Weeks 1-12 are Aerobic Conditioning Training, weeks 13-16 are Aerobic Capacity Training, weeks 17-20 are Marathon Specific Training and weeks 21-23 is the Sharpening and Tapering Phase.

So, why am I doing this? It's always been an idea that seemed so ridiculous, that it is alluring. I always thought of a Boston Qualifier as being a "real runner". When I did a small series of races, called the Tour de Pain in Jacksonville this past summer I realized that I, given the right training, I could at least TRY. I ran a 1 mile run during that series in 7:12. Yeah, I couldn't have kept that pace up for more than the mile... but, if it's possible to run fast for a mile it's possible to run fast for 26.2 miles. Not long after that weekend I went for a casual run in Satellite Beach and borrowed my mom's GPS watch. I did 6 miles at a sub 9 min/mile pace and felt pretty good, that was when I knew I had to push my doubt aside and go all in.

There are moments, right now about 1 run per week, where I think I'm just plain stupid for thinking I can keep a 8:24 min/mile pace for a marathon. But, then I remind myself that I'm only in week 1 or 2 or 3 and I feel encouraged.

My friend Tyler (more on him later) recently told me that "One of the things I’ve had to learn, especially as I’ve increased speed and mileage, is how to push myself through those times where you’re struggling physically and mentally. You’re probably going to have more of those than you’re used to, but you will always get through them." Bottom line... this is going to be hard. Why else would it be such a lifelong running goal if it wasn't?

Nancy told me the other day, after I emotionally blabbed on and on about my disappointing half marathon I did recently (see next post), that I should keep a journal. So this is what this is, a journal about my emotional, physical, and mental journey. There is a link listed on my blog that has all my runs and details regarding them, so I won't spend too much time doing that here.

I hope at the end of this training, which leads up to the Vancouver Marathon in May, that Laura and I will have qualified for Boston. If not, then it will still be one hell of a ride... or better yet... run!

The complete Big Sur entry

So I've been promising to chronicle our Big Sur 2008 weekend, and now I am finally sitting at home at my computer, raring to go!

Our trip to Big Sur began with a long traveling day (including a delayed flight and a canceled flight) but finally arriving in Santa Barbara, CA the Thursday before the Marathon. There we had a chance to visit with Nicole, Lauren and Nicole's friends, as well as travel to Oxnard, CA and have dinner with my cousins and uncle (which was fabulous!).

Saturday AM we hit the road in two cars and headed north for 4 hours, arriving in Carmel about 1:30pm. Our group of 5 was the first to stop at the house we rented for the weekend in Carmel Valley. It was fantastic. 3,300 square feet of quirky house, but it had amazing views and lots of space to spread out and enjoy nature. To the right is a picture of the edge of the house and one of the many beautiful views.

After dropping off our stuff and checking out the house, we headed into Monterey to pick up our race packets and meet up with Megan, Megan's mom Jean, Laura, Laura's boyfriend Mike, and Nicole's friend Sam. When Megan informed me of my race number, I just knew the days ahead in Carmel would be spectacular, as my marathon number was the last four digits of my home phone (3011). Too cool. So, after the packet pickup we grabbed some late lunch and headed back to the house. That night we (when I say we, I really mean Jean) made a big pasta dinner and had a great time discussing plans and strategies for Sunday's events.

2:55 AM Sunday, I awoke to my alarm, and began Marathon Day. Megan, Laura, our new friend Sam and I were all doing the full marathon and needed to be at the Big Sur Marathon Bus by 3:45 AM in order to get bussed down to the start before the road was closed off for the runners. All in all it was a great pre-marathon gathering at the start line, with the exception of the near heart attack Megan and I both experienced when we were separated for about 20 minutes before the marathon started, after I took one last potty break. With only 5 minutes before the start of the race we were able to find each other at the start line, and could calm down. The reason the separation was so stressful is that we had planned on running the marathon together since we began training, 4 months prior, so it wasn't a good feeling thinking about the possibility of a "solo" marathon.

The start was beautiful, huge redwoods lining the road, perfect weather, and plenty of white doves. The four of us ran together up until about 5.5 miles, where Megan and I stopped at the port-o-potties and Laura and Sam tapped into their natural speed (Laura would go on to finish in about 4.5 hours and Sam in about 4 hours). I documented our potty stop with a photo, because it was the very first time I have ever had to use the port-o-pot during a race!

As promised, the scenery was spectacular. I really can't describe it in words. It is a place where everything that is beautiful in nature comes together, mountains, ocean, green pastures, all untouched and perfectly natural. I am extremely grateful that there was one development in this natural place, the Pacific Coast Highway, so that we could experience all of it.

The first 9 miles were pretty mild, elevation change wise. We did get some downhill, which started the quad workout from the beginning. Then the very much talked about Hurricane Point climb began at mile 10. Before the climb started we took our second round of gels, expecting an extremely challenging 2 miles ahead. Truthfully, we killed that hill! It didn't stand a chance. We passed hundreds of runners walking as we ran with ease up 600 feet. It felt fantastic.

After Hurricane Point it was a downhill descent to Bixby Bridge around mile 13. We rounded the corner and came upon the Bridge as we heard 'Music of the Night' being played by a pianist on a Grand Piano. Now, as I did in that moment, tearing up, it was something that would be a scene straight out of a great movie. It was magical. Crossing that bridge I was in a wonderful state of gratitude, for my life, my body, and my friend.

Miles 15 to 19 were rolling hills and more beautiful scenery. Every time we would come upon a turn I would say "It's about to get really pretty", and Megan would respond with "Thank God, we really need some good scenery around here." Needless to say, we were having a great time! There was lots of singing and shouting and talking, never did we really feel out of breath. Although, starting at mile 18 my legs were talking, and we all of a sudden went extremely fast around mile 23 for no apparent reason, and had to slow down. Miles 20-25 had some tough last minute climbs and the scenery changed a lot with civilization approaching (although still beautiful!). We never did find that "Wall" that you hear marathoners speak of, I attribute that to our tough training schedule that we stuck to rather diligently and great pacing during the race. We started out pretty slow and just had fun! We ended up crossing the finish line in 4 hours and 51 minutes, which was an excellent finish time for us considering the elevation changes. Word on the street is that Big Sur will add 20 minutes to your normal finish time.

As anticipated, the finish was pretty emotional, as soon as we heard our fans (Bill, Nicole, Laura, Jean, Lauren, and Kat) cheering I started kicking my legs up in joy. Probably wasn't too smart to be attempting strange dance moves after running 26 miles, but luckily I didn't fall flat on my face! After crossing the finish we hung out with our friends and fellow runners, Jean ran in the 5K, Lauren and Nicole ran in the 10.6 mile race (which was the furthest distance they had ever run) and Kat ran in the 9 mile race (the farthest she had ever run). Shortly after returning to the house we ate sandwiches and took ice baths. Laura and Mike left later that day to return to Palo Alto and Sam headed home to Santa Barbara.

That evening we ate leftovers, drank some adult beverages and went to bed. Monday morning Lauren, Nicole, Megan, Jean, Bill and I went into Carmel by the Sea and ate in a super cute very yummy little restaurant called The Cottage. Afterwards we drove down to Big Sur and showed Bill and Jean our marathon route. It was amazing how different the day was, while Sunday was completely perfect weather, Monday was quite foggy and cold, we were again very grateful for our marathon weather. Nicole and Lauren continued south to Santa Barbara, as Lauren had a 6 AM flight back to Orlando on Tuesday. The rest of us got to play in Big Sur a bit and take in more beauty.

Tuesday AM came and we left Carmel and headed north to Palo Alto. Megan and Jean were flying out of San Francisco and dropped us off at Laura's house on their way. We were then able to spend the day in San Francisco, had lunch in Chinatown, pastries and coffee in North Beach, and headed to Alameda for dinner with my cousin Brian, his wife Becky and their 1o month son Brody. Afterwards we headed back to Palo Alto, stayed with Laura, and Bill left for Gainesville the following morning. I was able to spend the day relaxing in Palo Alto on Wednesday, my initial plan was to travel around San Fransisco, but I was completely exhausted and opted to lay low. I made the wise decision to get a massage that day in preparation for the upcoming weekend relay in Black Mountain, NC.

Wednesday evening, before my red eye flight to NC, I was able to have dinner with Laura. It was the perfect way to end my 6 days in California, with a great girl over a good beer. Our dinner and time together was one of the highlights of the trip.

I think I'll leave it at that... I had an amazing time with amazing people. My friends and family donated over $2,200 to Hope Runs, I am so proud of that. 6 days following the Big Sur Marathon I was able to be part of another amazing event called Blue Planet 24 - Black Mountain (formerly known as Run for Africa). That will be my next blog.

Thank you for helping me experience the most perfect marathon weekend imaginable, almost makes me want to retire from marathoning because I don't think I'll ever duplicate the excellence of last week's marathon. Thanks.