"Do I really have to run six more miles?" was my first thought after finishing my 20-miler yesterday. I don't think I could have coerced, bribed or coaxed another 6 miles out of my legs. Good thing I wasn't running the marathon and good thing I still have five weeks of training. Time enough for more speed and hill training - so I can convince my legs to give me six more miles come marathon day.
A few things I learned from my run yesterday. I might need to invest in some body glide. I had a little chaffing where my sports bra rubs just below my chest. Haven't had any problems with chaffing except with my 18 and 20 milers. I guess the warmer weather and more sweating equals chaffing.
Since my water-belt got swiped from the car break-in, I decided to try a hand water bottle instead of a belt. Yesterday was the longest run I've used it on and I love it. I use this hand-held Ultimate Direction Fast Draw Extreme water bottle and since it's fairly inexpensive (not quite the price of a water belt) I won't feel bad if at some point during those last six miles of the marathon, I decide to ditch the bottle alongside the road and run without it. Sometimes, just lightening your load by a mere 4.5 ozs. gives you a lift physically and especially mentally. Although, I will remember this time to remove my car key from the side pouch.
Five weeks, ladies. It's almost here.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Could a girl with $100 get a little friendly service?
I decided to reward myself today after my 19 mile run with a trip to a local shoe store. These Nikes are still okay, but if I renew before my shoes are completely thrashed, then they still work well as cross-trainers.
I walk in with my Runnersworld magazine- asking to try on a few of the shoes reviewed in a recent issue. Worker A says to me "dont use that to pick shoes, that is one person's opinion. It doesnt mean anything"....in a voice that accuses me of being completely stupid to be bringing my magazine in shopping with me. I ask to try a New Balance brand. Worker A says "We only sell running shoes in here, New balance is not a running shoe." (Okay, I know one of my best friends loves to run in New Balance, but whatever...)
Then someone else comes into the store and Worker B takes over helping me. She brings me 2 different brands that Ive requested. One is a Saucony, and one is an Aasics. Im kind of wanting to go back to this Aasics shoe, because Ive gone through 3 or 4 pairs of this particular Aasics in the past. But then it changed, and it wasnt as comfortable, so I thought I should just try something else. I ran down the sidewalk in both pairs of shoes. They both felt great.
I come back in saying "they both feel pretty good, although nothing feels GREAT after doing my 19 miler this morning!" I make this comment thinking I might get a knowing chuckle. I am aware that everyone in this store is constantly training for something big. Theyve "been there". Now, Im not really suffering much from my run this morning, but I feel that we can share a small chuckle together over the knowledge that a 19 mile run isnt cake. But worker B looks at me with a completely straight face- blank. Okay- I shouldve realized that nobody in this store will ever admit that a 19 mile run is any different than a 3 mile run. Kind protocol is to joke about these things being challenging, even if you secretly think that it is cake. Relate to the mortals.
Worker A asks if Im training for St George. This point is for later in the story. (o:
Back to the shoes- I say that they both feel equally great. Not sure which to pick. Is there a price difference? Yes, there is. One is significantly cheaper. Well, they both feel equal to me. Maybe Ill take the cheaper one then. Worker B says "At mile 20 of a marathon, you arent going to care about price." Well, Im thinking, everything else feeling equal, how should I choose, if not by price? Flip a magic coin? I actually WANTED her to give me a reason to choose the more expensive Aasics, just cause I consider myself an Aasics girl. I ask her "Is one more durable than the other?" She replies "No". Well, then, I say...Im not sure what else to base my decision on. They feel the same to me. "Dont choose based on price" she says. "okay. Ill take the Saucony's."
Im about to check out. I ask Worker B "what are you currently training for?" She says "tsk, (eye roll- think Bella Swan) lots of things." and then adds quietly "I will be at St George". Wouldnt a friendly person have said this earlier- when finding out Id be in St George? Cool, me too???
Maybe these people deserve to be running snobs. Maybe they are so awesome that they just cant relate to the mere mortals. Maybe running is so easy for them, that they have no clue what the rest of us are doing. But maybe just for the sake of the sale, they could ignore their own Awesomeness just for a moment and be cool to me?
Will I make the drive to the other running store? I dont know. I like to support a local running business here. What do you think? Ignore the condescending attitudes? Maybe just always bring a friend in, so we can at least make fun of their snobbery afterwards, and therefore feel validated by my friends? Or drive to the friendlier running store in the nearby town? What would you do?
I walk in with my Runnersworld magazine- asking to try on a few of the shoes reviewed in a recent issue. Worker A says to me "dont use that to pick shoes, that is one person's opinion. It doesnt mean anything"....in a voice that accuses me of being completely stupid to be bringing my magazine in shopping with me. I ask to try a New Balance brand. Worker A says "We only sell running shoes in here, New balance is not a running shoe." (Okay, I know one of my best friends loves to run in New Balance, but whatever...)
Then someone else comes into the store and Worker B takes over helping me. She brings me 2 different brands that Ive requested. One is a Saucony, and one is an Aasics. Im kind of wanting to go back to this Aasics shoe, because Ive gone through 3 or 4 pairs of this particular Aasics in the past. But then it changed, and it wasnt as comfortable, so I thought I should just try something else. I ran down the sidewalk in both pairs of shoes. They both felt great.
I come back in saying "they both feel pretty good, although nothing feels GREAT after doing my 19 miler this morning!" I make this comment thinking I might get a knowing chuckle. I am aware that everyone in this store is constantly training for something big. Theyve "been there". Now, Im not really suffering much from my run this morning, but I feel that we can share a small chuckle together over the knowledge that a 19 mile run isnt cake. But worker B looks at me with a completely straight face- blank. Okay- I shouldve realized that nobody in this store will ever admit that a 19 mile run is any different than a 3 mile run. Kind protocol is to joke about these things being challenging, even if you secretly think that it is cake. Relate to the mortals.
Worker A asks if Im training for St George. This point is for later in the story. (o:
Back to the shoes- I say that they both feel equally great. Not sure which to pick. Is there a price difference? Yes, there is. One is significantly cheaper. Well, they both feel equal to me. Maybe Ill take the cheaper one then. Worker B says "At mile 20 of a marathon, you arent going to care about price." Well, Im thinking, everything else feeling equal, how should I choose, if not by price? Flip a magic coin? I actually WANTED her to give me a reason to choose the more expensive Aasics, just cause I consider myself an Aasics girl. I ask her "Is one more durable than the other?" She replies "No". Well, then, I say...Im not sure what else to base my decision on. They feel the same to me. "Dont choose based on price" she says. "okay. Ill take the Saucony's."
Im about to check out. I ask Worker B "what are you currently training for?" She says "tsk, (eye roll- think Bella Swan) lots of things." and then adds quietly "I will be at St George". Wouldnt a friendly person have said this earlier- when finding out Id be in St George? Cool, me too???
Maybe these people deserve to be running snobs. Maybe they are so awesome that they just cant relate to the mere mortals. Maybe running is so easy for them, that they have no clue what the rest of us are doing. But maybe just for the sake of the sale, they could ignore their own Awesomeness just for a moment and be cool to me?
Will I make the drive to the other running store? I dont know. I like to support a local running business here. What do you think? Ignore the condescending attitudes? Maybe just always bring a friend in, so we can at least make fun of their snobbery afterwards, and therefore feel validated by my friends? Or drive to the friendlier running store in the nearby town? What would you do?
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Are You Inside?
"Are you inside?" No, I'm not inside. This is what the Garmin asked of me today as I'm waiting for satellite sync out in the clear open area behind my hotel. It's never asked me this before. So, I answer no. It proceeds to ask, "Have you traveled several hundred miles since your last use?" Why yes, yes I have!!! Welcome to O'Fallon, Illinois little Garmin! Just thought this was something to share...this hasn't happened to me yet during my California travels. I must be syncing to a whole new set of satellites here in the Midwest! :) Wondered if any of you have yet had this question from your device...?
Anyways, enjoying our trip out here. There is a nice oval running path around a small lake with a fountain here behind our hotel. 3 times around is a little over a mile. A nice path, but boy is it humid! I waited until about sundown but I was still dripping! Nice to get in some speedwork around the "track" though!
Tomorrow I'm trying to talk Tim into driving me over to the St. Louis arch to take some pics of me running in the park there (although I'm sure if he tried to get a pic of me and the entire arch I would look like a tiny spec in the photo!). He asked me, "What time are we talkin'?" When I said, "Oh, maybe 6:00 or 6:30" he just laughed. We shall see what he says in the morning. ;) We were at the arch today just to explore and take the ride up to the top. Amazing! I highly recommend! There is a nice park with lots of beautiful trees and some small lakes surrounding the arch. Plenty of runners there, so I'd like to be one of them tomorrow! Also, for Saturday I'm hoping to run in Forest Park. Huge park here that is larger than Central Park in NY. :) I'll keep you ladies posted! Enjoy your long run Saturday as well!
Anyways, enjoying our trip out here. There is a nice oval running path around a small lake with a fountain here behind our hotel. 3 times around is a little over a mile. A nice path, but boy is it humid! I waited until about sundown but I was still dripping! Nice to get in some speedwork around the "track" though!
Tomorrow I'm trying to talk Tim into driving me over to the St. Louis arch to take some pics of me running in the park there (although I'm sure if he tried to get a pic of me and the entire arch I would look like a tiny spec in the photo!). He asked me, "What time are we talkin'?" When I said, "Oh, maybe 6:00 or 6:30" he just laughed. We shall see what he says in the morning. ;) We were at the arch today just to explore and take the ride up to the top. Amazing! I highly recommend! There is a nice park with lots of beautiful trees and some small lakes surrounding the arch. Plenty of runners there, so I'd like to be one of them tomorrow! Also, for Saturday I'm hoping to run in Forest Park. Huge park here that is larger than Central Park in NY. :) I'll keep you ladies posted! Enjoy your long run Saturday as well!
Saturday, August 22, 2009
I recommend hovering
We went to Las Sendas today, knowing we had a "cut back" week- shorter distance so that we could handle some hills.
It was an enjoyable run. Kind of humid, but I didnt think it was too hot. I felt way better off than my sweat level would have indicated to passers-by. Do people sweat more as they age?
It was Cynthia, Lisa, Karen and me. At one point, Karen and I took a small detour to get into the community pool and use the community bathrooms. There were a few swimmers out doing laps, and luckily for us, someone had left the gate ajar. I always line the public toilets with tp before sitting. I prefer tp over the crinkly paper covers sometimes offered. The tp was a BIG mistake today. The tp was completely stuck to my skin when I stood up. I had to roll it off in little balls. Im sure Karen was wondering why I was in there so long! Note to self: when sweaty, hover, dont sit.
At one point some bikers passed us and asked "Is this a running club?" We proudly replied "Why yes, the Islands Running Club". I feel like our little club is getting so official! Dan the running store guy knows of us, and now some people in Northeast Mesa know of us too. It just somehow feels funner to consider ourselves a club :)
I think we were annoying Karen because we kept saying how great it was to have such a "short, easy" run today- only 13 miles. Karen's longest run thus far has been 13 miles. But trust me, I would only consider 13 miles "short", while in the thick of marathon training! I still think Karen is the toughest of us- doing the majority of our runs with us, even though she is not training for anything.
Anyhow, 13 miles was clearly not enough, because I never even got around to asking Lisa how her anniversary date went last night???
And now I better get to the dishes and the mess that I left last night in order to go to bed at 9:00. Which I also highly recommend, when setting the alarm for 4.
It was an enjoyable run. Kind of humid, but I didnt think it was too hot. I felt way better off than my sweat level would have indicated to passers-by. Do people sweat more as they age?
It was Cynthia, Lisa, Karen and me. At one point, Karen and I took a small detour to get into the community pool and use the community bathrooms. There were a few swimmers out doing laps, and luckily for us, someone had left the gate ajar. I always line the public toilets with tp before sitting. I prefer tp over the crinkly paper covers sometimes offered. The tp was a BIG mistake today. The tp was completely stuck to my skin when I stood up. I had to roll it off in little balls. Im sure Karen was wondering why I was in there so long! Note to self: when sweaty, hover, dont sit.
At one point some bikers passed us and asked "Is this a running club?" We proudly replied "Why yes, the Islands Running Club". I feel like our little club is getting so official! Dan the running store guy knows of us, and now some people in Northeast Mesa know of us too. It just somehow feels funner to consider ourselves a club :)
I think we were annoying Karen because we kept saying how great it was to have such a "short, easy" run today- only 13 miles. Karen's longest run thus far has been 13 miles. But trust me, I would only consider 13 miles "short", while in the thick of marathon training! I still think Karen is the toughest of us- doing the majority of our runs with us, even though she is not training for anything.
Anyhow, 13 miles was clearly not enough, because I never even got around to asking Lisa how her anniversary date went last night???
And now I better get to the dishes and the mess that I left last night in order to go to bed at 9:00. Which I also highly recommend, when setting the alarm for 4.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Run Hannah Run!
Hannah, I'll be thinking about you tomorrow morning as you run your Hobble Creek Half. Here's hoping your legs feel strong, your mind is determined, you have a great race and most importantly you have fun! Don't go bananas and kill yourself. Meaning - take it easy especially while you're healing from your injury - you've got a marathon in October, young lady. Can't wait to hear the report.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
More Shoe Talk Leads to Curiosity...
What brand and type of shoes do YOU wear? Do you have just one pair, two pairs of the same that you alternate, one road pair and one trail pair...?? Also, who uses custom orthotics or after market insoles? What kind? I need some good ones for my hiking boots because I don't want to overuse my custom ones or get them torn up from rocks and dirt while hiking. ;) Just curious...
Me:
One pair for the road - Brooks Aeriel (Motion Control)
One pair for the trail - Brooks Cascadia (Trail - these aren't profiled as "stability" shoes, but they are comfy, protective, and they have a good grip so I like them quite a bit for trails...can't wait to use them more when it gets cooler!)
And yes - I have custom orthotics from eSoles that have helped my knee pain tremendously! :)
Me:
One pair for the road - Brooks Aeriel (Motion Control)
One pair for the trail - Brooks Cascadia (Trail - these aren't profiled as "stability" shoes, but they are comfy, protective, and they have a good grip so I like them quite a bit for trails...can't wait to use them more when it gets cooler!)
And yes - I have custom orthotics from eSoles that have helped my knee pain tremendously! :)
Not quite enough...
Last night's workout left me wanting a bit more. It was sprints with core exercises worked in. We would run on the football field, one end to the center. Get down in the grass (itchy!!!) and do a core exercise. 5 on each side/leg for the majority. Then run from the middle of the field to the other end and get down for another exercise, repeat. Me having a bit of a pilates passion, I just didn't think the small number of reps was doing much for us and it seemed like the run distance was short each time. Still, it was cool to get out there and do something different, but I hope if we do that again we can improve it a little. :)
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