Capital Pursuit 2007

I did Capital Pursuit today, a beautiful 10 mile run in downtown Des Moines and through the Drake University area of town. This was my first race since I began training regularly. I was a little nervous this morning, mostly because I knew this is typically a pretty fast field. The course was secured for a 12 min pace. Yikes....My paces lately have been pretty high, depending on the day, some in the high 12's, 13's and even some days I have been in the 14's with more walking. I've been joking about whether or not I needed to memorize the course. I knew I would finish with some walking, but I also wanted to have a decent race and get an official time. My husband encouraged me to treat it like any other long run and also just to have fun.

I felt pretty out-of-place at the start. I didn't really know anyone and they all looked like amazing athletes to me. I did strike up a conversation with another gal who had a water belt on -- we were practically the only ones. I felt like such a novice and joked, doesn't anyone else need water? I told her my fear was the stations would be closed when I came through. She laughed but I told her I was hoping for around 13 pace. She was so encouraging and nice and said a year ago she had 70 pounds to lose after her 4th pregnancy and could barely move. I told her she looked amazing. Then someone came by and congratulated her on her last HM pace of 8:30. GULP. I asked for her to cheer for me at the end!

Finally we got going and I felt pretty good. Most of the pack had left me by about .5 mile! The first mile seemed to take forever and I thought I must be doing a good job of conserving. 10:59? Uh oh. I kept moving and didn't seem to have any ill effects from the quicker pace. I found some other women back of the back of the packers. For the first 3 or 4 miles the course continued to be secured, and I tried to keep with the 12min cop car. I had to fall back alittle but kept it in my sights and only walked through water stations. Some gals were run-walking and I stayed with them somewhat.

At mile 5 we were all together and I saw my husband and kids. I said, "my babies!" and got a little teary. They had gatorade and a little cup of Sports Beans. They tasted awesome. I caught the walkers and each took a bean. Then I left them for good! What a boost. This was a strange part for me though. I was nearly maintaining a 12 pace, totally shocking myself (and I think my hubby too) and for all intents and purposes, having the run of my life, yet, I was behind the cop car and nearly last. I tried to tell myself not to be lonely or get down and just think of it as my normal run. It was a little hard, though, definitely humbling, but fun and I was so happy that I was running well and my body seemed to be holding up.

The water stop at 6 was out of water and packing up. After that, I struggled to stay with the pack up van! :) No problem, I had my own little crew. Hubby kept driving ahead and stopping. The kids would yell, "GO MOM GO!" Thank God, because I hardly saw anyone else!! One lady asked me, "what is this?" My smart alek reply: "the back of the pack!" I turned the corner at 7 and thought, 3 miles, all down hill, I can do this!! I continued to see my crew and then the pack up crew. I think 8.5 to 9 was maybe the hardest, but not that hard and I kept moving. I kept thinking that I couldn't believe how well I was still moving and feeling.

When I got back into downtown for the last mile, I started seeing people leaving with medals. I really was the only runner I could see looking forward. I never looked back though. I thought it might make me sad. Most people cheered and that kept me going. I could still see the cop car! I should have never looked at myself in the storefront windows, I thought I looked horrible but also was proud that I was finishing. My sweet crew was a few feet in front of the finish, they cheered me in and saw me get my medal. I walked over to the gatorade and then back to my crew. I remembered to stop Garmin at the gatorade stand and was astounded to see 2:04 for 10.24 miles ~ 12:10 pace !! I really hadn't looked that much and had originally thought I would be around 2:15 or even 2:30 possibly. I must have started Garmin a little early and of course, didn't shut it off right away, but I was still fairly amazed. ** official time** 2:00:58

We were standing there a few minutes when one of the gals I had passed (I think there were only 3 or 4!) came in, I cheered for her but I don't think she heard me. Right then, they started taking down the finish line!! It hit me then, that I should at least get an official time!! I walked back and saw Tom Green from Runner's Lounge and my shoe guy and spoke to both briefly.

For my first real race, I really don't think this could have gone any better. My hydration and energy were great and my body held up. Feet are a little sore but they were troupers. I never really was that winded, which I just can't believe at this pace. I am humbled by the 900 or so people that finished well ahead of me and wonder if I could've pushed myself a little more. I will update if/when I get an official time. My crew was the best. Thanks Curtis, Nate and Jay!

I'll take PT guy for $500, Alex

Very busy with work so while I am waiting for my next test to load...

• PT guy seemed to be much more thorough than Podiatrist guy
• PT guy really likes the orthotics Podiatrist guy gave me and encouraged continued use, although he added a booster to the arch
• Not only do my arches collapse but my bunions have severely restricted my toes from bending
• The restricted movement keeps me from "going off my toes" - this puts more pressure on the lazy arch and is probably the source of my pain. It's probably also reason for any hip and knee pain
• I have toe stretches to do!!
• I am double jointed and generally very loose (just not in my toes!!) - this is not attractive and I struggle with posture and taking a strong stance all the time. It's not only un-attractive, it is likely causing some problems
• PT guy gave me lots of exercises to improve strength and tone "from your butt to your toes, oh yeah, and your core, too." *jerk* :) just kidding !!
• I shouldn't have let all my great work in the gym in Jan, Feb, March go. (DUH)
• I probably should have been in better shape before I attempted this marathon schedule (DUH!?)
• I will be seeing PT guy again in about 10 days
• PT guy says the cross stuff is AS important or MORE than the running itself, TO my running. He recommends finding the right balance for me as far as how much rest between running and how much cross. He suggested I might only be a 3 run a week runner, but also that I could be BETTER if that is the right balance for me.
• None of this is really an INJURY, which stinks in a way. It is just ME, and I'm going to have to LIVE with it, but MAKE ME THE BEST ME I CAN BE. Isn't that what I am constantly working on anyway? And now, I have more direction. Just practicing my positive thinking...

He also said, "Knock yourself out at Capital Pursuit." So, Sports Fans, I am officially doing my first longer than a 5k race on Sunday. Yep, a 10 miler in beautiful downtown Des Moines with a few hundred of the fastest people around. Oh crap, what have I done???!!!!

I'll have tales from the back of the pack!!

My Old Standby Route

Today I did my old standby route, the route I have done off and on for years. I have used it to judge my readiness for 5k's in the past. It is 3.8 miles. If I can do this a few times before a 5k event, I am usually feeling pretty good! I may have mentioned that before this year, I have run very sporadically, never allowing much progress, and never staying with it for very long. By "judge my readiness" I totally mean, "get confident that I can run the whole thing." :D

I am really excited about where I am now (except for some whining that I could be further if my arches would cooperate.) I had been training for a FULL marathon in October but that has been altered to a HALF (yes, the feet) and I am doing a 10 mile race this Sunday. Hardly the same as "I hope I can run the entire 5K."

So I decided to run this route and see where I am. Thank goodness I wasn't disappointed. I can imagine all this buildup to find out I'm slower or something. I can remember past runs where I was doing good to make it to the 2 mile marker. Others, that the hill from 2 - 2.7 did me in. Today, I just ran it with confidence that I could do it, no games of "to the next corner," "to the next light pole".....

3.8 miles ~ 44:37 ~ 11:38 pace. I have used Favorite Run for quite a long time so I think I can say with pretty good confidence that my previous best for this route was 46:27.

Another milestone I noticed is that since the "onset of planned, regular running" on May 25th, I have surpassed the 300 mile mark. Having a schedule has done wonders for me!!

Tomorrow, I am visiting a sports PT to see what he thinks about my dumb feet. Wish me luck.

I Did a Night Run

I have been traveling for a couple days so I need to catch up a bit. I wanted to do a semi-long run on Sunday morning but circumstances intervened, and I wasn't able to get it in first thing in the morning. The afternoon got too hot so I waited until after the kids went to bed. My first real NIGHT RUN!! I was excited and anxious. Here are some things I learned:

1. Ice in the camelback sounds like someone is right on your tail. I've noticed this before, but it seems LOUDER at night. It sort of sounded like I had my own minion clapping coconuts like King Arthur in Spamalot! :)

2. People are not as friendly at night (shocking in Iowa). Nighttime is when you NEED them to be friendly because you can quickly rule them out as axe murderers or stalkers if they are friendly. Because they aren't very friendly, you think everyone could potentially be an axe murderer or a stalker.

3. Sticking to VERY main streets that are well lit is a good plan. Taking one, "oh this won't be that bad" street will be darker than you imagined and might scare the bejesus out of you.

4. The main street gets darker by the cemetery.

5. The cemetery is a little creepy to run by at night.

6. Even if you turn your head and tell yourself not to look, A) the cemetery is still there; B) the cemetery is still creepy; and C) you will still peak!

7. You don't think that much about your running when you are a little nervous about other things.

8. If you aren't careful, instead of just writing your blog in your head as you run, you could start writing your obituary because you are sure you are going to be attacked by some axe murderer or stalker.

9. I thought all this might make me faster but it didn't.

10. In retrospect, the big ugly spider I found in the laundry basket AFTER the run was way worse than anything actually DURING the run. I HATE SPIDERS!!

11. My mom would shoot me if she ever read this or found out that I ran outside, by myself, after dark.

12. I will definitely do it again!! :D

7 miles with a couple .25 mile walk breaks. Monday and Tuesday off, which means, I need to run today.

Bloggin Buddies

I had a great lunch yesterday!! I met up with Tom and Amy from Runner's Lounge for the first time. We've been corresponding some and decided it was time to meet up. What fun!! We talked about all our favorite bloggers and shared stories, although we already knew many of each other's stories. It was so interesting to know so much about each other but be meeting for the first time. Wish we would have snapped some pictures...BTW, both of them looked fabulous and fit and were just super nice. I'm so excited for them to get their new Runner's Lounge up and running!!

We talked through my training a bit and I am feeling better. Both Tom and Amy feel like I have plenty of long runs under my belt for the HM in 28 days and actually encouraged me to shorten up some of my shorter runs. I was still sort of on my marathon plan for runs during the week. Should be a nice break for the feet and all the other aches and pains.

Tom is also co-directing a big race next weekend and was encouraging me to do it. Capital Pursuit bills itself as the "fastest race in Iowa." Yes, I know, I really have NO business being with this fast field. But really, what the hell? It might be fun and I already know I will probably finish last so there isn't much drama in it. I am more worried that the aid stations will be closed when I pass :D, but then again, I can take my own stuff for a 10 miler. Amy said she would love to run it with me and cross together in last place, but she's going to be out of town. How 'bout that for a fast friend?

Sounds like some other bloggers have been meeting up for runs and having a great time. I decided, there's something about running bloggers, they seem to just be really good people! I have learned so much from all of you already, I can't wait to meet more of you. Thanks for the great lunch, Tom and Amy, and for all your shared wisdom and support! I hope there will be many more meetings...

So Many Lessons

Lesson for Wednesday ~ I am NOT a skilled athletic trainer, so taping my arches was NOT a very good idea.

I ran about .4 mile to the inlaws, stopped to cut some slack in the tape. Played with the new puppy for a few minutes. Ran about 3 blocks, sat down on a rock outside some apartments and worked on giving more slack. Gutted out about .75 before I found an office complex with a nice picnic area where I sat down and removed all the tape. By this time, I have wasted so much time, that everyone is due home from work/school. Ran the mile home.

Very disappointing run. And I looked so good, too. I guess that tells you how much the outfit really matters!! :^) I think I will call this a failed experiment and try to repeat the run today. I'm really tired and achy, I hope I can get through it.

Practicing Run Walk

I was reading about how Wes ran his 5k over the weekend with 20sec walk breaks and had an awesome PR. I decided I was going to channel him and try this with my 5miler today. I went out pretty fast (for me!) and even decided to go up the gi-normous hill rather than walking up it and starting my run at the top. In retrospect this may not have been the best idea, expending myself so early, but it made for an interesting run.

11:13 - last time I tried to run 5 hard, I started at 11:51. 11:13 made me happy and nervous although I knew I was going to do some walk breaks.

11:19 - nice downhill, some *older* ladies on the path thought I was an absolute goddess. Well I WAS having another COORDINATED run, this time in beautiful shades of green, complete with yet another Bondi Band. :O) And pretty much anyone would have been a younger goddess to them. Hee hee. I think this included the first 20sec walk break.

12:08 - Getting a little more difficult. I think this included 2 - 20sec walk breaks!!

13:05 - Yikes, getting tougher, I think I did a 30 sec, and 1 or 2 60sec walk breaks. I'm starting to get addicted to walk breaks... hmmm. I am still moving along pretty well in between.

13:02 - I'm dying but I'm still moving. 2 - 60sec walk breaks but these are allowing me to run faster when I am running.

1:00:49 PR !! What?? How do I PR with something like 7 walk breaks in 5 miles?? Well, the obvious answer is that I am still really slow, but this also means there is lots of room and time for improvement.

I know I am putting up a good front on letting go of the marathon because of my damn feet, but I am still pretty bummed. I was doing the miles and cardio was coming along, but my feet just can't do it. I'm sure the half is do-able since I have already done a 14. I don't know if this run technically qualifies as speedwork or some sort of intervals (I am totally ignorant in this department as I have mostly just been trying to put in the miles and don't really have a "race pace"), but I decided to shake it up and do something different. I do need to come up with a formal plan for the next 5 weeks before the half.

On the bright side, I can work on some things like this, get some more miles under my belt for more of a base and keep experimenting with the feet so that I put myself in the best light for a future marathon. Heck I might even get excited about cross-training to improve my running! :^)

You Might Be a Runner IF...

Here is the picture I promised in the previous post. Me feeling strong (and silly) with the Wild Animal Bondi Band.

Things were slightly more tame today, unfortunately. I did my long run today and was hoping to do 14 or 16 and be back on marathon schedule. I quit after 9 ~ my feet still can't take the really long distances. Disappointing since I had tons of energy and felt like I could have made it easily, but they were well on their way to a melt down. I figured why do so much damage I can't walk for a day and a half. I am quickly coming to terms with doing the 1/2 in a few weeks and just continuing to build up strength. I also might try taping my arches...

In other news, I lost my toenail from the blister fiasco. I thought I would be grossed out but when it happened, I was sort of weirdly proud. I told my husband that I thought it was kind of cool and made me feel like a true runner. Or maybe it just makes me an idiot who should have fixed the problem before it got out of hand? Oh well, I choose the former!

Things you might (?) be interested in...

Well, I liked Cornucopia of Crap better, but when I googled it, someone had already used it.

1~
A few people have asked how I got 10+ hours of 80's rockin' hits on my little iPod shuffle. Well, the short answer is have a nerdy hubby who does this stuff for me. I had him write up this explanation so I could share this tidbit with other interested bloggers who are getting tired of the same old tunes. This is his explanation:

I used iTunes to convert the songs to AAC format at a lower bit rate. This made the files smaller with little or no loss of quality. With the smaller files, more songs fit onto the iPod.

This works because the compression quality of the AAC format is better than the compression quality of the MP3 format. Therefore, a 160 bit-rate MP3 sounds roughly equivalent to a 128 bit-rate AAC, but the AAC file is smaller.

If you understand that, YOU too, might also be a nerd. That's okay, though, I obviously married one. I have always maintained that you get the coolest techie stuff when you marry a nerd. :D I love you, Curtis!!

2~
Bondi Bands are my new favorite running thingy. I discovered these cute headbands while visiting Runninmomma, Michelle's, website. I thought they were adorable (of course she is young and cute and appears to have NO wrinkles whatsoever!) She sells Bondi Bands and directed me where to purchase them. Of course, I bought 5 !!

Some of you remember my Running With My Club post where I was beating down all the uglies with my club and I posted a pic of a cavewoman in a cute little leopard print thang. I have been looking for gear ever since. As luck would have it, Bondi Bands has an orange and black wild animal print! I took a pic of me with it on, will try to insert it later.

3~
Oh yes, my run. When the Bondi Bands arrived and I saw the leopard print headband, I decided my next fiver was going to be FUN. I put on my orange tank top (it was only 55 degrees but fashion comes first!) and mixed up some orange gatoraide and threw in some orange sports beans for good measure. I felt positively strong and...well, coordinated!!

5miles ~ 1:01 (new PR) ~ 12:11 pace ~ the last 1/2 mile, I got another side stitch so I didn't quite get to finish it out like I wanted.

No 90 Year-Old Hobbling !!

Now that I have new orthotics, seems people are coming out of the woodwork owning up to flat feet and orthotics saving their lives. Well, I finally got let in on the secret!! (Feels a little like when I finally discovered Enell Sports Bras ~ thank the good Lord for that one.) Could they be just the ticket I have been looking for?? Maybe... Possibly.... Hopefully....

I have done a 5 mile run and an 8 mile run. They don't actually DO the run for you (I heard the new Garmin is actually going to!) but they do seem to be helping. Some stiffness and soreness, but no 90 year-old hobbling.

I haven't posted any splits in ages because they have been so dismal, even for the slowest turtle in the pack. I could barely stand to look at them, let alone commit space and have to stare at them in the blogosphere.

I decided for the fiver that I was going to try to pick it up a bit and see if I could last through the whole run. I definitely felt like I was running with somewhat of a runners gait more so than the usual shuffling. :P These I will actually claim, but only because you people are so nice and supportive no matter how slow I am. :)
5miles ~ 1:02:04 ~ 12:24 pace

12:34

11:58

12:12

12:01

13:13 (with a 2 min and 20 sec gatoraide, stinger, walk break)

The eight wasn't as fancy, I keep getting a nasty side stitch on my long runs and it has been killing me, both on time and then by the time it is gone, it has worn me out. Anyway, I still managed 8, and I AM NOT HOBBLING. Progress is good.

8miles ~ 1:53 ~ 14:08 pace

That is where I am today.

I Have Michael Jordan's Feet :)

I went to the podiatrist today and, no, Marcy, he did not lick my toes. He wasn't creepy at all. Talkative, but not creepy. He's a triathlete, so he totally gets it.

My diagnosis: high arches that are extremely flexible, meaning they collapse. My feet and ankles can only take so much of the collapsing before it causes pain. This has been happening around 7 miles.

The good news, he really can't find anything else wrong. He said, "Michael Jordan had flat arches and he did quite well." I was wondering if I need to get a pair of Air Jordans, but he gave me stronger orthotics that should keep me from collapsing as much. He swears by them and says he got rid of custom ones because these are so good. He said they make my Brooks, "good shoes", into "awesome shoes"...

The bad news, while this should help, there is no guarantee that these will be enough to get me to the full 26.2. I'll proceed according to the schedule and see how far I can go on my long run on the weekend. I haven't given up on the full marathon, but I also have come to terms that I might need to do the half.

So, Michael Jordan's feet. I will probably be skying soon.

Information is a Good Thing

Saturday morning was quite cool. I set out for a long run after having missed last week's. The schedule says 16 but, I knew that was probably not in the cards. Between the unsolved mystery with my feet and the lingering affects of my cold, I just wanted to see if a decent, longish run was possible.

I think I ran 4 or 5 miles before even turning on the tunes. It was beautiful, and I was finally running and not feeling like crap, not needing to stop!! I was thinking about maybe still having enough time to do the marathon. If I can't get the miles up there, then I am okay with that, but it seemed possible.

I couldn't believe how little gatorade or gel I needed. What a difference a little smart prep makes and of course, being a few days further out from the cold and the cool temps made a huge difference. I felt quite strong, although my splits were even slower than usual, slower than I thought possible and to still be running :). I'm SLOOOOWW, but I'm BAAAACK!!

Around 7 miles, I was looking for ways to make my route longer than 10 or 12 and feeling like I might be able to run forever. Then, around 7.5 miles, the feet started their melt down, and suddenly I was wondering if I could do 10. In the end, I did do 10 miles, and I am pretty psyched about that. I had some difficulty with my feet but I think perhaps there has been progress with these orthotics. The damage seemed to be less and the recovery fairly quick.

In the end, I have more information than when I started. Headcold Hattie did NOT zap me so bad that I am starting over. I went 10 miles!! Secondly, I could likely fight the pain and make it through a half marathon right now, even with no more improvement. I don't think there is enough improvement just yet to try to go much further. SO, I did decide to call in the experts and see a podiatrist. I am hoping that perhaps the next step in quality of an orthotic could hold the answers I am looking for. I can only hope he isn't as creepy as this guy -------->

Beating on Hattie

Thanks everyone, for all the support you've shown me through my last post. You are certainly helping me believe and live the words that I wrote! I am just taking a day or two at a time, seeing what each day brings, and planning accordingly.

Yesterday I covered 6 miles. It was pretty ugly and hot and I still didn't have any energy. I was definitely still feeling like a phony (what happened to the girl that did 14 not too long ago?) I don't think there was much improvement over the last 4 in my conditioning, other than the simple fact that it was longer. The best part was that I made the Gatorade really, really cold!!

After a couple of hot, yucky miles, I took a hit of Gatorade. I kept drinking and thinking how awesome it tasted. I drank a ton! It tasted so good, I swear, I could not stop. Maybe if it tastes that good and you can't stop, you are dehydrated??!! I walked most of mile 4 but did get myself together enough to jog again. I was pretty sure Hattie still had a hold of me, but at least I could laugh at myself about the sudden Gatorade addiction.

Then today, I headed out for more punishment. The first mile was....different. Not fast, but steady, and I had energy. Maybe that b*tch, Hattie, is loosening her grip. I did 4.35 UNINTERUPTED MILES. Well, until my husband interupted, but in a nice way -- he found me near the end and had some ice cold Powerade. That'll work. I flexed my muscles for him as he pulled up - not quite Maria Sharapova (yes, we are all disappointed that isn't actually me in the picture) -- but this is huge. I finally had the energy to get my club out and deal Hattie a blow up side the head. She hasn't gone down yet, but she's weaving and seeing double.... I think maybe I could be on the way back. That is WHERE I AM TODAY.

I started thinking, maybe slogging through these ugly runs when I didn't have much energy will actually making me STRONGER?? Also, I think it may have been good for me to get some shorter runs in while adjusting to the orthotics. Tomorrow I plan to rest and hope to do a longer run on Saturday, a true shoe test that I have been wanting to do for a week now. Looking forward to it...

I Am Where I Am

I am not having a very good couple of running days, in fact, I no longer feel like an imposter, now it is more of a phony. Head Cold Hattie has apparently zapped me good. Yesterday I set out to do shoe test # 15 or whatever it is and only made it about 1.75 miles. Today, I set out again, this time 4 miles, but lots of walking and wondering if I have lost all my fitness in this short of time or does Hattie just zap you that hard? Or maybe I've lost my mental toughness to run through it? I can't even run far enough to have a good shoe test at this point.

So, I am left wondering exactly where I am and what this means for the upcoming marathon. Rather than continue the bawling and whining, I decided to do something about it. I am going to post something that could help me, if I choose to let it, and maybe could help someone else, too.

I am reading The Courage to Start: A Guide to Running for Your Life by John "the Penguin" Bingham. Even though it is about starting, it really is full of lessons about running in general, running for life, attitude, changing our definitions of ourselves, etc. Tons of Life Lessons, really, if you let them be. I highly recommend this for anyone who is starting, recently started, running regularly, questioning their commitment to running, basically any runner would probably enjoy this book. Look at me pretending I am part of the crowd. See, it's already good for me....

So the Penguin says something like this:

Runners everywhere want to be better. However, all of us are SOMEWHERE. WHERE YOU ARE IS WHERE YOU ARE. You can choose to accept and decide where you want to move toward or you can just berate yourself for being where you are. In fact, if you don't accept where you are and seek only to improve, you are setting yourself up for failure.

Moving our bodies is a good thing and for the most part we know this is the right thing to be doing. There is joy in this in the beginning, "I am actually doing it, I just ran X miles".... etc. However, the joy quickly fades and we get caught up in the "how far SHOULD I be going," "how fast SHOULD I be." According to Bingham, setting the stage for failure starts with "SHOULD".

He also talks a lot about the transformation from activity to lifestyle. {paraphrasing} For running to be a part of your life, it must become a part of who you are. For better or worse, being a runner must be part of your definition for yourself. There are no expectations that we can meet other than those we set for ourselves. Running can teach us that if we let it. Running can teach us to accept who we are and challenge who we are at the same time. Running can teach you how to be all of who you are. Each step will take you further from the expectations of everyone else and closer to yourself.

So here goes, don't I really want running to be part of my lifestyle, part of me? More so than stressing over this marathon? I want to be a RUNNER more than I want to run the Des Moines Marathon in a few short weeks. So, I am somebody with some foot issues, still to be worked out, who has also had a cold. Today I managed to do 4 miles. YES, 4 MILES, eventhough I've had a cold and had no energy and it was really hot out there. I choose to think that's great, and I choose to keep making running part of my lifestyle. THAT's WHERE I AM TODAY.

Head Cold Hattie Visiting

Scratchy throat and sneezing yesterday turned into full blown head cold today. I had the alarm set for 4:50am for my next shoe test. Needless to say, I shut the alarm off and decided the test will have to wait.... More when I am feeling better. :S