18 aftermath

I went on so long about the run itself that I thought I'd talk about the aftermath in a separate post.

After SAJ and I got back to her house, I climbed in my car and headed home. I was feeling pretty dazed -- couldn't believe that I had actually just run 18 miles. I came in and went right to the kitchen to make myself a glass of chocolate milk to eat with a rice cake and a banana.

Funny about chocolate milk. I've read many times that it's a great recovery drink and I used to pooh-pooh it. But when I finally tried it, I was an instant convert. It does a great job of saving me from the awful post-run queasy feeling I am subject to after a long slog. And it also primes me to be able to eat something more substantial in another hour or so. I love it!

I only got to rest for half an hour or so -- then head to get in the shower and go to the girls' school to pick up Sweet A for an orthodontist appointment. In the shower, I started to get that yucky "I need to eat so badly that I am nauseous" feeling and realized I'd probably waited too long to eat some more food. Or perhaps the milk, rice cake and banana weren't enough. Regardless, I downed a container of yogurt and went to get the girls.

The yogurt helped and I felt OK for the first half an hour or so. Then, at the orthodontist's office, I started to completely fade away. I really should have been eating a big meal right around the time I went to get the girls, but there just wasn't a way I could make it happen. By the time Big A was done and we were heading home, I was pretty desperate. We stopped at a Taco Time drive-through (an indicator of how desperate I was feeling) and I nearly cried when I saw that there were three cars ahead of us in line. I actually said to Sweet A that I was feeling so tired and hungry that I felt like crying. True to her nature, she said, "It's OK Mommy, you can cry if you want. And we'll be home soon, then you can rest." What an angel.

After what felt like an hour but was probably actually five minutes, we got our food. I drove us home, grabbed my meal and took it straight upstairs, where I laid in bed eating and then immediately fell asleep for an hour before getting up to get ready for the arrival of my best friend SHG.

Another first: 18 miles

Yes, 18 miles! Holy crap, I can hardly believe it's true even as I type it. Even better, it was manageable. Not easy, but do-able -- and I'm getting even more hopeful about my chance of completing the Seattle Marathon next month. I haven't signed up yet, mind you ... I want to get the 20-mile run (the longest one on the training calendar) behind me first. If I complete that, I'm going to register.

It was a successful run in every way. It had been raining up the wazoo that morning and things looked pretty grim when Little C and I got in the car to go to school. But by the time I met SuperAthlete J (SAJ) at her house, it had slowed to a drizzle. We organized ourselves and started the first of our 8-mile loops. Our plan was to do two big loops, then finish with a short two miles near her house.

Hilly route notwithstanding, the first loop felt great. I think taking a rest day before made a big difference for me. I felt strong, refreshed and ready to go -- even though, as usual, I had psyched myself out the night before and hadn't slept well. Why do I always do that?

We made a pit stop at SAJ's house at the end of the first loop to use the bathroom and grab more supplies. I had decided to experiment with a mix of foods during this run: vanilla gel (not bad, tasted like cake frosting), cut-up Lara Bars in peanut butter cookie flavor (fantastic) and frosted Cheerios (super-high glycemic index and yummy too). I can't do all gels, gus, sport beans or anything that's basically straight sugar without getting an unhappily sour stomach toward the end. But I do love the quick energy they give me. So I thought I'd mix things up and overall, I was happy with the results. Nothing gave me a stomach ache, although I did think I was going to have some fun diarrhea at one point. And I didn't feel sick -- during the run or immediately after, so I must have been doing something right.

For the second loop, SAJ asked if we could use our headsets. She used an analogy she picked up from her cycling class and said the second section of the workout is about commitment (I wish I could remember what the first section was supposed to be about, but I do know the last section is supposed to be about "going for it," which made me laugh because in my mind, those last miles are more about "getting through it"). Anyway, she really wanted to focus on her running -- so we plugged in and headed back out. We did stay together and exchange a few words now and then: a few times when we got slammed with the big winds that were blowing through that day -- why did they always come when we were running uphill? -- and again when we got a glorious sunbreak and felt a little heat on our shoulders. Heaven!

That second loop went well overall, but I could definitely tell I was getting tired. Plus, I had stupidly forgotten to restart my timer at our last bathroom stop, which meant that my deluxe watch wasn't tracking distance for me. I had to rely on SAJ to tell me how far we'd gone. By the time we made it back to SAJ's house, I was pretty wiped out. As soon as we stopped, I felt my calves and hamstrings stiffen right up. But we only had a mile and a half to go. I stripped off my jacket, which I'd been keeping on in case the skies opened up again, and we kept going. SAJ took us uphill initially, which felt brutal -- but also meant that we got to do our final 3/4-mile going downhill. As soon as we turned the corner and started heading back to SAJ's house and our end point, I got a complete feeling of delight and success. I kept thinking, "I've got this, I'm going to finish!"

Knowing that I was actually going to complete the distance gave me a happy burst of energy. In perfect timing, Michael Jackson came up on my iPod (I keep it in shuffle mode on long runs to keep things interesting) and I managed a few creaky gyrations as we ran along. Without talking about it, SAJ and I both increased our pace until we were going at a full clip. We rounded a corner and ... she gave me the high sign to let me know we'd finished our 18. Amazing!

Weekly roundup

A mixed bag of a week. On the up side, I completed my longest run ever (more on that to come). On the less up side, I took an extra rest day for a total of three non-exercising days in a single week -- something I really try to avoid unless I'm sick or purposefully taking it easy on vacation.

Monday, 10/19:

Full-body workout -- except abs, which I ran out of time for AGAIN!

45 minutes on the elliptical trainer in mid-zone 1 (125 bpm)

I have got to learn to stop procrastinating and get to the gym in time to complete my entire workout! As it is, many times I wait 'til the very last minute, bust down there, hurry through my workout and run out of time for abs -- which I always tell myself I will do at home and rarely follow through with. Speaking of which, I should be leaving for the gym right now so I will finish this later.

[More than 24 hours later ... and no, I didn't have time for abs at the gym but I did do them as soon as I got home with Little C. Small steps ...]

Tuesday, 10/20:

9-mile run

SuperAthlete J and I enjoyed a sunshiny, almost entirely flat run on a new route with lots of great scenery. Yay!

Wednesday, 10/21:

Upper body weights (chest/back)

Intervals on the track

Like last week, another split workout day: I did weights at the gym in the early afternoon, then met SAJ and several others at the track for intervals in the evening. Husband M came along for the second week in a row, too. I'm really starting to like this workout ... I had no idea how much I enjoy sprinting! It's definitely hard work but doesn't feel like it's on the verge of being too much to handle, like it did the first time. I also think it will really have a positive impact on my running overall. And it's fun to do track work with a group in the dark!

Thursday, 10/22:

Rest

I knew in advance that I was going to take two rest days this week. After reading up on marathon training and consulting the two books I've got on the subject, I thought it would help me to sandwich my long run for the week between two rest days -- on weeks when I'm increasing distance, that is. I was especially apprehensive about the week's scheduled 18 mile run, and wanted to prepare for it as much as I could. Although I felt guilty about missing a day of exercise, I rationalized it by saying that I was going to spend twice as much time exercising during the long run than I would have during a trip to the gym. So cumulatively, it was going to be the same amount of exercise over the course of the week. Until I took that extra rest day on Sunday, that is ...

Friday, 10/23:

18-mile run

So awesome and such a happy achievement that I must write about it in a separate post.

Saturday, 10/24:

Rest

Another on-purpose rest day and boy, did it feel needed. My legs were definitely tired after Friday's long run. Because I spent the day with my best friend SHG, shopping and preparing for a baby shower we were co-hosting for my sisters that evening, I was probably more active than I should have been. Plus, we stayed up late to talk and drink wine, then got up pretty early in the morning. Which probably explains what happened on Sunday ...

Sunday, 10/25:

Rest

I just couldn't make myself do it today. I was supposed to do full-body weights and an easy zone 1 workout (heart rate about 125 bpm) but I felt a fatigue and tiredness in my bones that couldn't be denied. And I just kind of had the blues, you know? My wonderful best friend had headed home to Spokanistan in the late morning, the rain was coming down, I was wiped out after skimping on sleep for two nights in a row, and overall I just felt troubled and lonely. I kept putting off the trip to the gym I was hoping I'd find the energy to take until it was simply too late and I had to skip it. Part of me wishes I'd just decided in the morning that I was going to take an extra rest day, instead of torturing myself with indecision all day. I'm sure it's clear that Sunday was kind of a crappy day overall. Fortunately it was the last day of the exercise week, so I could literally turn the page of the training calendar I use to record my workouts and look forward to starting fresh.

Does exercise make us sick?

An interesting article in the NY Times last week about whether exercise boosts immunity:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/phys-ed-does-exercise-boost-immunity/

In a nutshell, the author tells us that working out really hard can reduce our immunity, while moderate exercise can help increase it, and being sedentary may keep us healthier than totally knocking ourselves out at the gym.

Duh.

Isn't it kind of intuitive that you might get sick, or worsen a mild sickness you've already got, by pushing yourself really hard with exercise? I know it is for me. But at the same time, I also know that the best remedy for that "I think I'm coming down with something" feeling is to head to the gym for a somewhat-relaxed workout. It's a fine line, of course, and I'm not always perfect at walking it. If there's an opportunity to push myself too hard versus not hard enough, I'll always opt for the former. But I do think I have a good sense of when I should skip the workout and stay in bed (or take full advantage of the literal meaning of "rest day," as I did on Sunday).

One thing I did find especially interesting in the article was that, apparently, the longer and harder the workout is, the longer your immune system will be suppressed afterward. Which makes sense, but it was nice to see it quantified (take a look at the article for a couple paragraphs relating to exercising mice and their immune responses for details). And overall, it's always good to get a reminder that washing hands and keeping your distance from sick people is the first line of defense in keeping bugs at bay.

Insane rainy 12 miles, happiest ever ending

Here is me after running 12 miles in a torrential downpour on Saturday morning. I actually look pretty dry, which is because the rain finally eased up around the 10-mile mark.

How did I come to be running in the most relentless rain we've seen around here in months? Chalk it up to SuperAthlete J, as usual. A few weeks ago, she told me about a half marathon she'd read about online -- and pointed out that it was taking place the same week we were slated for a long run of 12 miles. Not only that, it was free, nearby, and would provide a change of scenery. So we signed up.

The story behind the event is pretty interesting. It was organized by a woman who is attempting to complete 52 half marathons this year. (Yes, an average of one per week.) However, there are a couple significant dry spells in the annual running event calendar -- which meant that she needed to double up on several fall weekends in order to achieve her goal. When she was mapping out her runs for the remainder of the year, she realized that she'd need to run two half marathons on the weekend of October 17 to make her goal. No problem -- except she couldn't find one anywhere near her on Saturday. So what did she do? She organized one herself. She worked her connections at Salty's, a seafood restaurant in West Seattle, and they agreed to let her use their bathrooms at the start and finish of the event. They also offered all participants $10 off brunch after the run. She put the word out on her tiny (non-running-related) website, capped the registration at 75 runners, and waited for registrations to come in -- which they did. Less than a week after SAJ and I signed up, we found out that the event had closed. But not before my stepsister, SuperRunner K, had signed up too. Did you notice my runner's number in the photo? I've never had one with just two digits before.

Friday, the day before the run, did not look promising. It poured all day. But I told myself that there was no way that kind of rain could continue for two days. I woke up on Saturday morning -- at 4:00 am after a night of insomnia and worry, detailed in a previous post -- to calm, albeit dark skies and nary a drizzle. That all changed five minutes before I left to pick up SAJ: the skies opened and the rain came cascading down. In the car on the way to Seattle, it was raining so hard that SAJ and I could only laugh. We couldn't believe we were willingly going to go running in that weather.

Happily, the downpour had dwindled to showers by the time our run started at 8 am. In what felt like a cruel and fateful trick, the showers only stuck around until about 4 miles in, when we were fully committed to the out-and-back run. Then the monsoon began afresh. I was quickly reminded that my jacket is NOT waterproof, and discovered that my wonderful pants, which perform quite well in light rain, become sponges when it's really coming down. In about 5 minutes, I felt like I'd added 10 pounds of weight to my load (and perhaps I had).

All the same, SAJ and I kept chugging along. We both felt quite tired in the first few miles of the run and wondered (privately) if we'd be able to manage the full distance. But I hit my stride at about 6 miles and I think she did too. Between cloudbursts, we talked about how grateful we were that at least it was warm outside (close to 60º and really comfortable) and there was almost no wind. Even better, despite the rain and added weight, we were actually moving along at a faster clip than usual -- and staying in our desired heart rate ranges.

The last two miles were definitely a push, but the rain seemed to acknowledge our struggle by subsiding when the going really got tough. We were both thankful to get to the end of 12 miles and walk the final mile to the finish (even though the event was a half marathon, we both agreed that we didn't want to run any more than was specified in our training calendar!).

The happiest ever ending? I ran those 12 miles faster than I've ever run that distance before, coming in at 2 hours and 10 minutes. Had we gone the full 13.1 miles and maintained our average pace, we would have finished at about 2 hours and 22 minutes -- a full 16 minutes shorter than my time on my first half marathon two years ago. Yahoo! Even though I'm working on accepting my leisurely running pace, it is gratifying to know that all the training I'm doing is helping me step it up a bit, all the while remaining in my efficient, fat-burning zone. What a fabulous surprise and reinforcement after all my worry the night before!

Weekly roundup

This week felt completely manageable, thank goodness. It was a bit of a respite week, with a long run of just 12 miles in preparation for next week's 18. Yikes. I finished everything on my schedule with the exception of some ab work that I ran out of time to do at the gym, then forgot about once I got home. Not bad!

Monday, 10/12:

Full-body weights

40 minutes on the stairclimber in zone 1 (125-133 bpm)

Ordinarily, I'm a stickler for 45 minutes of cardio on my weight training days. But I'm working on cutting myself a little slack right now since I'm really making up for anything I miss on the long runs, which last for at least a couple hours. So I forgive myself for doing 40 minutes on the stairclimber instead of 45. (Go ahead and laugh, I know I'm ridiculous.)

Tuesday, 10/13:

8-mile run

A bit of a slog, but I got through it with the fine company of SAJ.

Wednesday, 10/14:

Full-body weights

4 miles running on the track, including intervals

I did my workout in segments today: weights at the gym in the afternoon, then intervals on the track in the evening. We started with a half mile or so of easy jogging, then did close to three miles of interval work (8 sets of one lap around the track at a sprint, followed by a recovery lap). We wrapped up with a few more recovery laps and mixed things up with skips, grapevines, sideways gallops and backwards jogging. It was a great night -- the rain had been coming down steadily all day but the skies cleared just in time for our 7pm meeting time. Even better: my wonderful husband, who hasn't been out running since I cajoled him into it when we were on vacation in August, joined us and was able to complete the entire workout. I was so impressed! And, since he is always interested in working on his short burst energy to enhance his jiu jitsu practice, I actually think he'll come back and do it with us again. Yay!

Thursday, 10/15:

5-mile run

I was anticipating an easy-as-pie run with my charming Cousin B -- and instead, found myself dragging alongside him and wondering if I could finish. Just another reminder not to get too comfortable on my high horse. And a chance to be grateful that I only had to feel that way for 5 miles instead of two or three times that. Regardless, it was a treat to run with him and catch up on what we've been doing.

Friday, 10/16:

Upper-body weights

40 minutes on the treadmill in low zone 1 (105-109 bpm)

This was the day when I ran out of time to do abs -- and didn't reach my goal of 45 minutes of cardio, either. That was probably for the best: in my efforts to stay at or around 100 bpm, I had to keep decreasing the speed on the treadmill until I was barely moving along at the ridiculous pace of 1.2 mph ... and still I couldn't get my heart rate below 105! Crazy. (Although it must be said that I had the incline set to 15%). I wasn't sure if I was overly tired or coming down with something -- or both -- but thought it best to try to take it easy for the rest of the day in preparation for Saturday's 12 miles.

Saturday, 10/17:

12-mile run

So ridiculous it deserves its own post and picture (to come).

Sunday, 10/18:

Rest

Hallelujah. I haven't felt this in need of a rest day in a while -- nor have I ever taken the term so literally. I laid in bed for a good portion of the day, alternating between reading and napping. Does it make me sound a bit less self-indulgent if I say that I felt like I was on my way to coming down with a cold? I do think the rest helped: it's two days later and I don't feel nearly as many symptoms. Cold averted? Fingers crossed.

SuperAthlete J's full-body workout

We've got a great guy doing some painting at our house this week and I've been chatting with him about exercise. He's plenty younger than me (27 to my 41) and he totally has the build of a track runner. When I asked what he does for workouts, he told me that he runs 5-6 times per week, 4-5 miles each time, pretty much as fast as he can muster. He also does 600 (yes, you read that right) pushups every day in sets of 50. Good gravy!

But all the same, he feels like he's in a rut. He wants to increase his muscle mass and work on his running endurance. (He told me that he tried to add a mile onto his usual route a while back and "almost died.") So I've been making some amateur suggestions about how he could get started. Today I typed up SAJ's full-body weight workout for him and I thought I'd post it here, too. I love it because it doesn't require any special equipment beyond a couple hand weights. If you don't have those, you can always use canned food, bricks, rocks or whatever you have handy. I posted a couple of these exercises separately a while back, but here they are in context of a complete workout.

SAJ's full body workout

Do 2 sets of 20 reps for each exercise. Rest 30-45 seconds between each set. If these weight amounts feel too small, feel free to increase them but do be slow and careful with any increases you make on the shoulder press.

1. Lunges with two 10# weights

Hold one weight in each hand. Bring one leg forward so knee is positioned directly above ankle in a straight line. Without allowing that knee to move forward (make sure you can see your toes at all times), drop your hips straight down until the knee of the rear leg is close to the floor. Rise straight back up without completely straightening the forward leg and repeat until you complete a set one on side, then switch to the other.

2. Hamstring curlups with a chair

Grab a sturdy, straight-backed chair. Lay down and dig your heels into the edge of the chair’s seat. Make sure your lower legs are parallel to the floor. Lift your butt off the floor as high as you can without tweaking your back, then drop back down without coming to a complete rest on the floor. If this feels too easy, try single-leg curlups with one foot crossed over and resting on your lifting leg's thigh; or (more difficult) one leg raised straight up toward the ceiling while the other lifts.

3. Calf lifts with two 20# weights

Hold one weight in each hand, feet directly under hips and slightly apart. Rise straight up on your tiptoes, high as you can go, and go back down without coming to a complete rest at the bottom of the movement. If this feels too easy, do single-leg lifts and while keeping your weight off the non-lifting leg.

4. Bench press with two 20# weights

Hold one weight in each hand. If you’ve got a bench, lay on it face up. Otherwise, position yourself face up on the floor with a small pillow or cushion between your shoulder blades. Raise the weights toward the ceiling until your arms are straight, then release out to the side and toward the floor until they’re in a “goalpost” position. Don't let your elbows come to a rest on the floor. Bring your arms up again but don't let your elbows lock. If you like, experiment with different counts on this one: three counts down, one count up (and vice versa).

5. Shoulder press with two 10# weights

Sit on the edge of a bench or chair with a weight in each hand. Bring your arms into a “goalpost” position, then raise them over your head until the weights gently touch together. Bring back down and repeat, making sure to keep your back straight (not arched) through the entire movement. Try to keep your shoulders from hunching.

6. Wall sit with bicep curl, two 15# weights

Hold one weight in each hand. Position yourself against a wall so your legs are bent at a 90º angle and knees are directly above ankles. Press your shoulders and elbows into the wall. Maintain this position for the entire exercise. Drop your arms until they’re straight, palms facing out, then bring them up to your shoulders. When you bring your arms back down, do not fully release the contraction at the bottom of the movement.

7. Tricep extensions with two 10# weights

Hold one weight in each hand. With a slight bend in your knees, bend forward until your back is completely flat (parallel with the floor). Position yourself so your elbows are bent at 90º, hands pointing to the floor and palms facing in. Bring your lower arm back toward your butt until it’s parallel with the floor, then bring back to original position without fully releasing the contraction at the bottom of the movement.

8. Superman

Lay face down on the floor with your arms in the “goalpost” position. Raise your legs so they’re a few inches off the floor and your feet are touching. Lift your face just far enough so your nose doesn’t touch the floor. Inhale. On the exhale, extend your arms forward as far as they’ll go so you look like Superman flying to the rescue. Really feel the stretch along your sides and back. Then inhale and go back to the starting position.

9. Crunches with tabletop

Lay on your back with your knees up and your lower legs parallel to the floor. Press the small of your back into the floor to achieve a pelvic tilt. Put your hands gently behind your head and raise yourself into a crunch. Lower back down without fully releasing the contraction at the bottom of the movement.

10. Side-lying lift

Lay on your side with your legs together and knees slightly bent. Put your bottom arm straight out in front of you; cup the side of your head with the hand of the top arm. Inhale. On the exhale, raise your shoulders and knees toward each other in a sideways crunch. Try not to release all the way to the floor at the bottom of the movement. Do a complete set on one side, then switch to the other.

Pre-run jitters and insomnia

Why does this always happen?

I'm running a half marathon this morning. Rather, I'm running 12 miles of a half marathon because the training schedule calls for a long run of 12 miles this week and there's no way I'm going to do more than is strictly required!

It's not a big deal. SuperAthlete J and I both knew we needed to run 12 this week. She heard about a half marathon in West Seattle -- "Salty's Inaugural Half Marathon" -- that was taking place this weekend and, amazingly, didn't cost anything. So we signed up, along with 73 other people (the event was capped at 75 runners).

So it's going to be a small group and a normal 12-mile run through a new neighborhood. I should be looking forward to it, right? Instead, I tossed and turned all night until fully awaking at 4am with the beginnings of an honest-to-god panic attack. I came downstairs to read and calm myself down ... by the time I pulled that off, it was 5:15 and too late to go back to bed: time to eat so I can get the meal digested in advance of the run.

Why am I so wigged about it? It's just a 12-mile run. And this general anxiety isn't restricted to the hours leading up to an organized running event ... I get antsy (to a lesser degree, but still) before every long run, even those I'm doing entirely on my own.

I'd like to try and turn this into a positive and say that I'm just getting fired up for the effort to come but instead what I'm thinking is that I'm sabotaging my performance during the run and will feel completely exhausted for the rest of the day. Not the best way to start out.

Now I'm going to go get dressed and do my wet, nervous West Seattle run. Wish me luck.

Weekly roundup

Last week's exercise

A bit of a tricky week this was. I originally scheduled my workouts to include the Victoria Half Marathon on Sunday; then travel logistics got too complicated and I ended up staying home -- and rearranging my workouts again. For the second week in a row, I didn't complete everything I set out to do, but I did work hard overall and had a great reason (see below) for what I missed.

Monday, 10/5:

60 minutes on the stairclimber in zone 1 (125 bpm)

Tuesday, 10/6:

Full-body weights

4 mile run on the treadmill

Super speedy treadmill running for me! I finished 4 miles in under 42 minutes, just over 10:30 minute miles. Even better, I stayed in my fat-burning zone the whole time, which tops out at 156 bpm. I really do need to look into why treadmill running is so much easier. Is it simply because it's completely flat (to me, it even feels slightly downhill)?

Wednesday, 10/7:

Intervals on the track

A first for me, and such a hard workout. I met SuperAthlete J, along with two people from her tri-athlete group, at my daughters' school to run intervals on the track. We warmed up with several laps -- each one is about 1/6th of a mile -- then got busy with the sprints: one lap around as fast as we could sustain the whole way; then a jogging lap to recover. We did 8 sets of those for a total of just under three miles, then another four or so jogging laps to cool down.

Running intervals felt completely different from doing them on the stairclimber and my heart rate totally showed it: I went as high as 175 bpm on my first couple go-rounds. By the last few, I was so tired that I couldn't move fast enough to get my heart rate up into that range, but I was still getting to 170 or so. It's a whole different way of exercising and, as hard as it was, I really enjoyed it. SAJ and her crew are planning to meet up every Wednesday evening and I'm going to start joining them. Although these intervals aren't as lengthy as the ones I've been doing on the stairclimber, I think they'll benefit my running more.

Thursday, 10/8:

15 mile run

I felt especially good about this one -- probably even better than I felt about the 16 from the previous week -- because it was my third day in a row of running and took place just 14 hours after the intervals from the night before. The fact that I could pull off 15 miles on my third consecutive day of running gave me a good confidence boost.

With that said, it was a real slog. I hadn't planned to run 15 miles on Thursday; as I said above, I was scheduled to do my long run for the week at the Victoria Half Marathon on Sunday. (My thought was that I'd tack on two miles at the end to get to 15 miles). Then all my plans changed. Getting back and forth to Victoria was going to take so much time and cost so much money that it didn't seem worth it -- especially when I considered that I could be enjoying a luxurious couples weekend at home with my husband if I didn't go. (Our girls were spending the weekend with their grandma regardless.) So I decided to stay in Seattle, which meant I'd need to run the week's 15 on my own.

SAJ and I had already agreed to run the week's 8 together on Thursday. When I saw her at school that morning, she said, "You know, if you have the energy, you should just do your 15 today -- then you'll have it over with and you'll have company for the first 8." As tired as my legs were and as unappealing as a 15-mile run sounded, I immediately felt the wisdom in the suggestion. After all, it was a beautiful day, perfect conditions, and I knew I'd be so happy to have the week's long run behind me. I went home and got ready for the run as if I was going to do the whole 15, and promised myself that I wouldn't decide whether or not to go for it until I'd wrapped up the 8 with SAJ.

Even the first 8 were pretty challenging. My heart rate kept spiking and I felt hugely tired. SAJ did most of the talking and I was so grateful. I literally thought of her as a lifeline that I could cling to as I stumbled my way through our run. Our 8 wrapped up at her house; after a brief pit stop, I decided I could continue on my own. I was totally "in the zone" for the first 3 miles or so, then started having trouble when the route got hilly. I won't lie: I did a good amount of walking when the hills got steep. But I did finish the 15 miles and got to enjoy a much more relaxed weekend because of it.

Friday, 10/9

Rest

This truly was a rest day -- I spent most of it in the car, driving my daughters to meet their grandma in Kelso. Since I've been having trouble actually resting on rest day, this enforced inactivity was probably a great thing.

Saturday, 10/10

8 mile run

10 mile bike ride

On this day, I did the 8 that I was going to do with SAJ on Thursday -- and I got to enjoy the very fine company of Sister A for several miles of it. Wonderful! The weather was perfect and I was reminded all over again of how much I love running with Sister A: we really are ideal running partners. I so hope that she decides to train for a distance event again sometime ... I would jump right in just to have the chance to run regularly with her. I ended my 8 miles feeling totally invigorated and strong. It was a wonderful treat to really enjoy a run when so many of them lately have been hard.

Later that day, I rode my bike alongside Speedy Sister K while she ran 10 miles. She was originally supposed to come with me to do the Victoria Half, but lost her transportation when I decided to stay home. So I thought the least I could do was keep her company on a long run. She's so much faster than me, though, that I knew we could never run together. Riding my bike with her was a great compromise and another easy workout for my legs. Yay!

Sunday, 10/11

Rest

That's right, another rest day. I wasn't supposed to have one -- I should have done full body weights and 45 minutes in zone 1 or 2. But I had a whole wonderful weekend of my husband all to myself and I didn't want to miss a minute of it. When his Sunday band practice got cancelled at the last minute, I took it as a sign that I was supposed to skip my workout for the day. So we saw two movies and split a burger for lunch in between. That's the kind of thing that, in my mind, completely justifies the occasional missed workout.

But, because I love to lay the guilt trips on myself, I feel compelled to list the stuff I didn't get to this week:

• the abs portion of the one full-body weight workout I managed to do (ran out of time at the gym and forgot to do it when I got home);

• my second full-body weight workout for the week, along with the 45 minutes of cardio I would have done afterward;

• my upper-body weight workout for the week -- for the second time in a row!

I'm trying to tell myself that I'm more than making up for anything I miss with the ever-increasing amounts of time I'm spending on running ... so far, I'm not totally buying it.

A love note

Have you noticed how many of my posts mention SuperAthlete J lately? She's been so encouraging, so level-headed, so motivational ... I have to devote a post to her and take a minute to appreciate everything she's doing for me right now.

I think it's safe to say that I wouldn't be attempting to train for a full marathon if it wasn't for her. And I probably wouldn't have gotten as far in the training without her, either. Now that I'm really in the thick of it, she's more important than ever -- and the support she gives me is only growing. We're doing more and more runs together: long ones, shorter ones and tonight, for the first time, I'll join her for intervals. She encourages me to do and try things that I wouldn't consider on my own. And she's given me an even deeper appreciation for the indescribable value of having a partner to run and work out with. But she's not just any partner: she's funny and engaging and easy to talk to. She's also a veteran marathoner and naturally a stronger and faster runner than me, which really gives me a lot to reach for. This sounds corny, but she's kind of a like a marathon mentor for me. A "running angel," if you will.

When the marathon has come and gone, I know I'm going to look back and remember SAJ at the very center of it -- and I'll have so much gratitude for her, just like I do now. I hate to say it, but this does feel like one of those times when someone enters the scene at just the right moment, for just the right reason, to serve a really important purpose. I don't generally buy into stuff like that, but this situation sure fills the bill. Thanks so much, SAJ.

Super awesome new HRM

I've been using a Polar heart rate monitor for a couple years -- in fact, it's the only kind I've ever owned. But lately, mine hasn't been working as well as I'd like. I'd have to be really sweaty to get my heart rate to transmit. Even worse, the readout was unreliable when I was out running. I don't know if I was bouncing around too much or what, but more often than not, when I'd go to check my heart rate I'd see something ridiculous like "48" or, even worse, nothing at all.

Having an accurate heart rate monitor has gotten even more critical now that I'm being strict about staying in my most efficient range during long runs. And what do you know, SuperAthlete J has the best one ever. Not only does it have a spot-on HRM, it also has GPS -- which means that it will track distance while you run. And it's loaded with tons of other helpful features and measurements to help make the most of a workout.

After doing a couple runs with SAJ and enviously eyeing her fantastic gizmo, I couldn't help myself: I got one too. And here's a shameless REI plug: that's also where I bought my Polar. Last year, it stopped working -- the sensors on the chest strap wouldn't transmit to the watch. I went to the store to see if I could get a new strap, and instead they replaced everything in a straight exchange. I came away with a new strap AND a new watch. Fast forward to last week, when I went to REI to buy SAJ's HRM (hello, acronym festival). I just happened to bring my Polar watch and strap along with me, in case they'd be willing to make an exchange ... lo and behold, they did. Getting $110 in exchange credit really helped offset the $350 price tag on my deluxe new gadget. A ton of money, but in my opinion, so worth it.

It's made by Garmin and this is what it looks like:

Here's a link to its page on the REI site:

http://www.rei.com/product/767424

How I love this amazing new thing. But good gravy, I've got to figure out a way to save a little money on gear.

16 mile addendum

I can't believe I completely forgot to mention that last week's 16 miles took place almost entirely an a very steady rain -- some may even have described it as a downpour. Doesn't that make the milestone seem even more macho? And also explain my need to shop for a waterproof jacket and moisture-wicking pants?

The winning hydration contraption

A few weeks ago, I posted about my search for the perfect thing with which to carry water on a long run. I bought something that totally didn't work and even injured me (see my post re: not trying new equipment on a long run).

I'm happy to say that I've found a wonderful water-carrying device that is not only comfortable and bounce-free, it also offers space for the other little things I like to carry when I'm running long distances:

• My phone in case I get hurt or, my not-so-secret fear, am subject to a sudden diarrhea attack;

• A washcloth for my sweaty brow;

• My fuel of choice, which I am still experimenting with -- last week I did cherry-flavored sport beans, which were yummy but had my stomach feeling a bit sour and unhappy by the end of the 16 miles;

• My iPod, if I'm doing some of the run with a partner and some alone;

• My written route instructions, in case I can't remember them.

This is what the winning contraption looks like:

It's made by North Face and I got it at REI. Here's a link:

http://www.rei.com/product/780005

Man, I love it. It fits snugly, but not tightly; it doesn't bounce at all (I know I said that already but it bears repeating); the water is easily accessed with a fun "bite and suck" tube that snakes over my shoulder, handily tucks under a strap and attaches to the front with a magnet so it doesn't flop around; and it holds 50 ounces of water, the perfect amount for my needs and the low end for packs like this.

I've worn the pack twice now -- on a 7-miler to try it out (learned my lesson, don't you know), and then on last week's 16 miles. Heaven all the way. Now I can cross that piece of gear off my list. Next up: waterproof jacket; after that, moisture-wicking pants.

Barefoot running?

Super-interesting article in the New York Times this week, inspired by the book "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall. Here's a link to the book:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307266303/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1/191-4245017-5502047?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_r=1CZHSGFJ2ET93809CWBK&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_i=0739383728

Why are Amazon's links so long and complicated, while others are so nice and simple? Here's a more understandable and substantially shorter link to the article:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/05/the-roving-runner-goes-barefoot/

I haven't read the book but really want to (my cousin Crazy B bought it a while back and said he'd pass it along; I wish he'd hurry up!). My understanding, in a nutshell, is that it talks about the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico, who became known for running long distances on foot. McDougall posits that running shoes aren't good for us, encourage bad form and can even lead to injury. He thinks we should all be running barefoot instead -- or using "gloves for feet." The people that use those seem to be all about a product called "Vibram Five Fingers." Here's what they look like:

I think they're kind of cute.

The article describes how the author went for a barefoot run through Central Park (on pavement, not grass) with McDougall, who wore the Five Fingers. Thinking he wouldn't be able to go very far in his bare feet, the author carried his shoes with him. But before he knew it, they'd covered 6 miles and he felt great. His feet never started hurting, although he did admit to some soreness the next day -- but it was muscle soreness, not pain. He didn't injure himself at all in the way you might think: cuts, blisters, stuff like that. Amazing.

The comments on the article were really interesting to read, too. Almost all of them came from people who endorse barefoot running. Someone even mentioned that it's helpful to lift weights barefoot. I'd love to give that a shot, but I don't think it would go over well in my gym. Maybe I'll go in really late some night, when no one else is in the weight room, and sneak in a barefoot workout.

All this really has me thinking about giving barefoot running a try. But, as one of the commenters mentioned, doing that while in deep training for something is a mistake. So I'll have to save my experimenting for after the marathon in November. I hope I remember. In the meantime, I'm going to bug Crazy B for that book ...

Uncharted territory: 16 miles

Holy crap, I did it. I went 16 miles last week.

Notice how I said "went" instead of "ran"? That's because I can't fully say I ran the distance. Since I'm now abiding by the rule of the heart rate -- staying within my most efficient range even if it means slowing to a walk -- I couldn't run the whole time. The route was hilly, so there were times I had to walk a bit even in the first five miles. And by the last three, even a slight incline spiked my heart rate. But I never had to walk for more than a minute or two. And regardless, I covered the ground. I finished. That's the farthest I've ever run in my life (insert self-undermining comment here re: "I didn't really run the whole thing.") Prior to that, the farthest I'd ever gone was 13.5 miles, when I was training for a half marathon last spring and wanted to be sure I could manage the whole distance with a bit to spare.

It's too bad that my purist's definition of running doesn't allow me to totally own and celebrate my milestone achievement last week. I'm working on that. Of course, it would be my preference to run the whole thing without stopping. But everything I've read says that's not a reasonable expectation. For heaven's sakes, even star marathoners stop to pee, hydrate or fuel up. And for my first marathon, if I can just get to the finish knowing that running was my primary method of locomotion, I think I'll have a lot to feel proud of. I hope I'll let myself.

But back to the issue at hand: 16 miles, and the looming Seattle Marathon on November 29. Finishing that distance really, for the first time, gave me a glimmer of hope (and dare I say confidence?) that I will have what it takes to complete the full 26.2 miles. Incredible. And that, bar none, will be the farthest distance I have ever covered on foot at a single go -- including walking. When I did the Breast Cancer 3-Day walk the year before Little C was born, we did 24 or 25 miles the first day. I can't remember exactly. It may even have been 26 miles. But I know it wasn't 26.2.

So on marathon day, no matter how much walking I've had to do when I reach the finish, I'll know I've just crossed a big threshold for the very first time.

Superman back exercise from SuperAthlete J

Another fab find from SAJ's workout!

Superman back extensions

1. Lay face down on the floor, legs straight.

2. Lift your legs a few inches off the floor with your feet touching.

3. Put your arms in a "goalpost" position (bent at 90º) with palms facing the floor.

4. Lift your face just a bit -- enough to get the tip of your nose off the floor.

5. Take a deep breath in. On the exhale, extend -- and I mean realllllllyyyy EXTEND your arms straight forward, just like you are Superman flying through the air. Reach reach reach!

6. Bring your arms back to goalpost on the inhale. Do two sets of 15 reps and you will really feel the goodness in your entire back and all the way down to your firming and more booty-licious rear end!

Awesome bicep exercise from SuperAthlete J

As promised, here's one of the fab exercises that I learned from SAJ last week:

Wall Sit with Bicep Curl

1. Grab a couple hand weights. I used two 12 pounders, I think SAJ used two 7s. If you're doing this at home and don't have hand weights, you can use cans of soup or anything you can do a bicep curl with that offers some heft.

2. Get in position. Scoot down the wall with your back flat against it until your legs are bent at a 90º angle. Make sure your feet are directly below your knees. Put your shoulder blades and elbows against the wall and keep them there at all times.

3. Bring the weights (or soup cans, or whatever) down until your arms are straight, then curl them back up to your shoulders. Stay in that chair sit position! Do two sets of 20 reps and you will feel like a total rock star -- plus, you won't know what muscles you worked harder: your biceps or your quads. Awesome!

Overdue weekly roundup

Hoo-wee, life has been a little hectic lately. Thankfully, not so busy that I've had to scale back on exercise (with an exception, see Friday) -- but the one ball I've had to drop has been updating this blog. Prepare for Blog Deluge 2009, starting with this entry...

Last week's exercise

Monday, 9/28:

20 minutes on the elliptical in zone 1 (125ish bpm) for warmup

Intervals -- 3 sets of 2:00 in zone 2 (144-156 bpm), then 10:00 in zone 4 (165-174 bpm)

Tuesday, 9/29:

Superfun new full-body weight workout with SuperAthlete Jane

4 miles on the treadmill in zone 2 (144-156 bpm)

Wow, this was a great one. SuperAthlete Jane (SAJ) has been working with a trainer and got a challenging but fun weight workout which she kindly shared with me. I loved a couple of the exercises so much that I'm going to include them in a separate post.

After our weight workout, SAJ talked me into running on the treadmill instead of hitting the elliptical as I'd planned. Sneaky thing, she said she was going to do 3 miles and then increased the distance to 4 when we were within half a mile of being done. Fine by me, because we were having a lovely conversation and I felt like I could have kept running along forever. Treadmill running -- such a luxury! I also noticed that I could totally bust ass over my usual pace and easy-as-pie stay in my most efficient heart rate range. Interesting, and more on that later.

Wednesday, 9/30:

7-mile run

Once again, that wily and charming SAJ enticed me into doing something I wouldn't have done on my own: a beautiful yet hilly loop from Ballard, across the Locks and into Magnolia, around the bluff and back home. Gorgeous! My legs were tired and I wasn't feeling particularly motivated about doing so many hills, but in the end (of course) I was really glad I did.

Thursday, 10/1:

45 minutes on the treadmill, 15% incline and 1.5mph, superlow zone 1 (105 bpm)

I'm still loving this -- it feels like the perfect way to prep for the next day's long run. Have I typed those exact same words before? I suspect I have; I'll doublecheck in last week's roundup.

I was also supposed to do upper body weights but totally ran out of time. This was the one element from the week's schedule that I couldn't complete. All in all, not such a bad one to miss -- but I did give myself a major guilt trip over it nonetheless. I keep remembering what I've heard about the necessity of weight workouts three times per week in order to maintain (or is it increase?) muscle mass. Maybe twice per week is for maintenance, three times is for increase? I'll have to look it up. Another subject to dedicate a post to later.

Because I love to lay on the guilt, I stupidly promised myself -- even wrote a note on my hand -- that I'd do upper body weights after my long run on Friday. Did that happen? No it did not. I'm making peace.

Friday, 10/2:

16-mile run

Yes, you read that correctly. I ran 16 miles last week -- a milestone that deserves its own separate post (to come).

Saturday, 10/3:

Rest

Oh thank heaven. Although I probably didn't rest as much as I should have. My legs were really tired, not surprisingly, and there were several moments during the day that I thought, "I probably shouldn't be doing this." So far, the lack of actual "rest" on rest day doesn't seem to have made a bad impact on my subsequent workouts. But I can't help but wonder if I'd come away stronger if I honored the idea of rest a little bit more.

Sunday, 10/4:

Full-body weight workout

45 minutes on the elliptical in zone 1 (125 bpm)

Phew, I didn't really feel ready to go back to the gym. My legs were still tired and I was generally a bit sore. But I made myself go and it wasn't bad. Knowing that I was starting off slow, doing zone 1 cardio, helped a bit. I also got lucky with the weight workout -- I have about 6 that I rotate through, and the one that came up on Sunday wasn't a doozie. All in all, a somewhat gentle re-entry to exercise and good preparation, I hope, for the week to come.