I spent part of the week leading up to Saturday being nervous about what would be my longest run/walk yet. In an attempt to re-route my thinking, I started visualizing run/walking the 9.5 miles. This did help calm my nerves. Along with reminding myself that the actual day wasn't here yet, and being in moment needed to remain my focus as well. I got to go to sleep at a decent time Friday night which was about 11 p.m.
I woke up at about 6:10 a.m. wide awake. This is new for me. I used to hit the snooze alarm at least 3-4 times before getting out of bed on a Saturday. And now I can't even fall back to sleep for one snooze hit. I did my yoga practice as usual. It is getting slightly easier to have non-judgement about my thoughts while meditating and practicing which helps to be in the moment too.
I got my gels, water bottles, and key holder for my shoe gathered up and set out for the Cascade Valley Towpath trailhead on Memorial Parkway to meet Allison. Being nervous can make me cranky, so I'm glad Allison was chipper because it dispelled my cranky nerves. With a reminder to not go all out on the first mile, we set off north on the trail. We had just walked together on Thursday night, so it amazes me just how much we actually have to talk about.
We hadn't went very far on this trail when we run/walked it on Wednesday. So, we didn't really know where we would go or what was where as far as restrooms and water stops. This actually made me miss Sand Run trail. It just goes to show how much the familiar is comfortable just because it is familiar. I knew the trail markers, the rest stops, the scenery and the people. This trail felt like a stranger. But a stranger that I wanted to get to know.
One of the nice things about the Towpath is that it was pretty flat compared to Sand Run on the section that we run/walked. It was also nice to have new scenery, new things to discover. The Towpath ran into Merriman Road which is the road that Sand Run is off of. I got to show Allison where Blimp City Bike Shop is. That's the shop that is fixing up my mountain bike. Passed Bruegger's Bagels. We also tried our new Hammer Gel. Allison tried orange and I tried the raspberry. I had been using Clif's Shot Blok's Electrolyte Chews which are kinda like gummies. So the actual gel was an odd texture and taste. Not bad, just odd. The raspberry Hammer Gel reminded me of a less sweet, more runny version of jelly. I'm not sure that I noticed a performance difference between the two. I like them both.
Soon we got to our half way point (4.75 miles), it was so exciting. I wasn't exhausted and I didn't feel like puking. A little crazy that we had to go back the same distance that we had just come, but one step at a time we'd be able to do it. Allison had also recently realized that we hadn't come across a bathroom or a water stop. We decided to ask a fellow runner. He happened be quite a cute fellow according to Allison. He suggested that we get water and use the bathroom at Bruegger's. We walked over the grass barrier and headed into Bruegger's.
It was comforting to see that we were not the only ones who were sweating at Bruegger's. It was a hopping joint for 8:30/9 am in the morning. I just remembered that is was really quite foggy the majority of the morning. It was appreciated as the Towpath trail is not as shady as the Sand Run trail. For some reason we didn't do as much positive talk this morning throughout our entire run/walk as we have on other mornings. Saturday, it was probably about the last 3 miles.
I really ended up liking the Towpath trail. It was probably better practice for the actual half-marathon because it was more open, and it has a section that is run on the sidewalk. I also liked that because the tri doesn't have road closings for the race. The people were just as friendly as they were on the Sand Run Trail too. The last mile to mile and a half were probably the toughest. Allison feet and one knee started to bother her again. So, we tried to go it slow and steady. We definitely busted out the Miley Cyrus "Party in the USA." Laughing still makes it harder to breathe, but it helps my mood so I guess it's worth it.
We probably walked the majority of the last half mile. But we made it back to the beginning of the trail in 2 hours and 35 minutes. It was such a thrill to yet again complete another run/walk that I used to think would be impossible! My body was sore enough. I could tell that I just ran/walked 9.5 miles, but nothing particularly hurt except the side of my neck. The tendon or whatever that is in the front of my hips seemed to be the most sore thing other than my neck. Overall, I was in pretty decent shape. Oh, the last notable thing that I noticed was that I actually had sweat dripping down the front of my lower leg. I don't know that I've ever noticed that before. And it wasn't just one lone drop sliding down my leg. It was a lot of sweat on both legs. I think that I'm just fascinated that I was able to exercise enough for this to happen. Namaste.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Last Week's Tri Practice
Wednesday, I was running late to our weekly triathlon practice at Munroe Falls Lake, so I was in that rushed mood. When I arrived, I discovered that there would be just 3 of us. I missed the regulars that weren't there a lot - Laura, Gabe and the Freedom House guys. But I got to meet a friend of Cassie's. I did two laps run/walking around the lake which is probably about 2.5 miles.
Then I got in the water with Cassie, just the two of us, to do laps. I got in about 6 laps before they kicked us out of the lake to close. It was very quiet and serene to swim that night. Still dealing with algae that floats up, but somehow getting used to that. Have I mentioned how much I love swimming? Well, I love it! Apparently, Cassie says I make swimming look graceful. She particularly likes my backstroke. But somehow I can't swim straight while doing the backstroke. I always end up in the opposite lane and thankfully there aren't very many people when we swim.
I was seriously considering registering for the Greater Cleveland Sprint Triathlon that is held in Mentor, OH. And I had a lot of questions for Cassie. The Sprint Tri is a 600 meter swim, 12 mile bike ride and 3 mile run(run/walk.) Mainly, I was worried about whether I could do it, and if it was okay to do the tri without having done all three distances together. Cassie says that I should be able to do it no problem, and that it isn't a big deal about doing all the distances. I also wanted to be sure that if I got the mountain bike fixed up that it would be okay to use for the race. Again, she said it would be fine. Her friend that she brought had done the same tri last year. I got more comfortable about the idea.
Before we left, Cassie was set on getting me to commit to doing the tri. And I said yes! So, my first Sprint Triathlon will be on Sunday, August 7, 2011. Very excited! Namaste.
Then I got in the water with Cassie, just the two of us, to do laps. I got in about 6 laps before they kicked us out of the lake to close. It was very quiet and serene to swim that night. Still dealing with algae that floats up, but somehow getting used to that. Have I mentioned how much I love swimming? Well, I love it! Apparently, Cassie says I make swimming look graceful. She particularly likes my backstroke. But somehow I can't swim straight while doing the backstroke. I always end up in the opposite lane and thankfully there aren't very many people when we swim.
I was seriously considering registering for the Greater Cleveland Sprint Triathlon that is held in Mentor, OH. And I had a lot of questions for Cassie. The Sprint Tri is a 600 meter swim, 12 mile bike ride and 3 mile run(run/walk.) Mainly, I was worried about whether I could do it, and if it was okay to do the tri without having done all three distances together. Cassie says that I should be able to do it no problem, and that it isn't a big deal about doing all the distances. I also wanted to be sure that if I got the mountain bike fixed up that it would be okay to use for the race. Again, she said it would be fine. Her friend that she brought had done the same tri last year. I got more comfortable about the idea.
Before we left, Cassie was set on getting me to commit to doing the tri. And I said yes! So, my first Sprint Triathlon will be on Sunday, August 7, 2011. Very excited! Namaste.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
The track at the Nat
I have gone to The Natatorium in Cuyahoga Falls off and on for about 15 years, probably more. The old Nat you could run around the track basically without being seen for at least half of the track. Then it was remodeled sometime in the late 90's or early 2000's. The new facility was a major upgrade. The only thing with the track is practically everyone in the building can see you running it. Okay, maybe on everyone, but dang close. For some reason, I have had an irrational fear of everyone watching me run/walk. I think run/walking on the Sand Run trail has helped somewhat. But I decided to face this fear on Monday the 25th. It was raining, and I didn't really have running rain gear plus I didn't want to use the treadmill. I figured the track was going to be easier on my joints.
I wasn't too crowded, since it was about 8:30 am. Funny how I would typically think that is early. But in gym world for morning workouts, that is late. Most people have already been at work for 30 minutes. Anyways, it really was fine. The weird thing was not saying hello to everyone as I went around. Other than that I chose to believe that what other people think of me isn't any of my business. It was mostly people over the age of 60, at least. Have to say that that kind of helped my confidence. I apologize if that is offensive. But it is what it is. I'm sure there are a lot of older people who could out run/walk me, but they weren't at the Nat on Monday morning.
I think it would be nice to have an mp3 player again, as mine died. I was run/walking by myself. But it was okay, I didn't go crazy being alone with my thoughts. I do like working out by myself sometimes, so it was nice. It was also nice to not have any electronics numbing my mind. I know I'm full of contradictions. Basically, it was great to face my fear of everyone watching. It really wasn't that big of deal. I am not the center of the universe or the center of the Natatorium. And today that is relief! Namaste.
I wasn't too crowded, since it was about 8:30 am. Funny how I would typically think that is early. But in gym world for morning workouts, that is late. Most people have already been at work for 30 minutes. Anyways, it really was fine. The weird thing was not saying hello to everyone as I went around. Other than that I chose to believe that what other people think of me isn't any of my business. It was mostly people over the age of 60, at least. Have to say that that kind of helped my confidence. I apologize if that is offensive. But it is what it is. I'm sure there are a lot of older people who could out run/walk me, but they weren't at the Nat on Monday morning.
I think it would be nice to have an mp3 player again, as mine died. I was run/walking by myself. But it was okay, I didn't go crazy being alone with my thoughts. I do like working out by myself sometimes, so it was nice. It was also nice to not have any electronics numbing my mind. I know I'm full of contradictions. Basically, it was great to face my fear of everyone watching. It really wasn't that big of deal. I am not the center of the universe or the center of the Natatorium. And today that is relief! Namaste.
First Magic Mile
The purpose of running a magic mile in Jeff Galloway world is to predict what your training pace and race pace should be at your current fitness level. I really should have read a little more about it before I did it, but I didn't. It wasn't detrimental. It just would've helped to know that I could run/walk at a slower pace for the warm-up mile. It was really nice to be able to run/walk 3 miles and that was what my training plan said to do! We, my friend Allison and I, were slated to do it on Saturday, but I was out at a concert and then couldn't go to sleep when I did get to bed. So, only have about 4.5 hours of sleep, I decided with Allison to postpone. We ended up run/walking on Sunday morning.
We actually ran to people that I knew and we hadn't run (pun not necessarily intended) into on the Sand Run trail previously. It was great to catch up with them. So we set out on our magic mile mission. Allison did remind me to slow down a bit when we started which helped. With all of our positive thinking/talking training combined with our physical training, we hit our second mile with some gusto. The intention was to run/walk faster because this was our timed mile. We skimped on the talking unless necessary. Yes, we may have sang a Miley Cyrus song along the way. We also gave ourselves some credit because it was probably the most humid morning that we have faced yet. I think we even still tried to say hello to people. If I missed saying hello to you during this magic mile, I sincerely apologize. I was just trying to stay focused on breathing.
One of the funny moments was when I was going to jog past the 1.5 mile marker because I was so used to running past it. Thankfully, Allison had her wits about her and reminded me to turn around. And then we got to run/walk down most of the hills that we just came up. That was nice! We were able to complete this magic mile in record time for us. 13 minutes. Yep, that was 13 minutes. We had been do anywhere from 15-16.5 minutes per mile up to this. Now, I understand that this was the whole purpose of the magic mile, but I still feel a sense of accomplishment.
We then were able to do a slow run/walk back to the beginning of the trail. This is also where I wish I read the page on Jeff's website about the magic mile. He says to walk for 5 minutes after the magic mile and then do a slow run/walk for as long is planned. This probably would have helped us recover a little before finishing that last mile. Oh, well. Lesson learned and first magic mile completed.
Our training pace for the half-marathon should be 17:54 min/mile (3:54:29) and our projected half-marathon race pace should be 15:36 min/mile (3:24:22). This is especially exciting because when I registered for the Akron Roadrunner, I had to write down a projected race finish time. Guess what I wrote down, well, typed? I put 3 hours and 30 minutes! When we started training, I did not fully believe that I was going to hit that. And here I am half way into training and that looks like it will be completely do-able. It really is amazing to be able to have not only the mental and physical benefits of training, but the spiritual benefits as well. To be able to face my fears, and train for something that I never thought I could do is just the "face-lift" I need for my spirit. Namaste.
We actually ran to people that I knew and we hadn't run (pun not necessarily intended) into on the Sand Run trail previously. It was great to catch up with them. So we set out on our magic mile mission. Allison did remind me to slow down a bit when we started which helped. With all of our positive thinking/talking training combined with our physical training, we hit our second mile with some gusto. The intention was to run/walk faster because this was our timed mile. We skimped on the talking unless necessary. Yes, we may have sang a Miley Cyrus song along the way. We also gave ourselves some credit because it was probably the most humid morning that we have faced yet. I think we even still tried to say hello to people. If I missed saying hello to you during this magic mile, I sincerely apologize. I was just trying to stay focused on breathing.
One of the funny moments was when I was going to jog past the 1.5 mile marker because I was so used to running past it. Thankfully, Allison had her wits about her and reminded me to turn around. And then we got to run/walk down most of the hills that we just came up. That was nice! We were able to complete this magic mile in record time for us. 13 minutes. Yep, that was 13 minutes. We had been do anywhere from 15-16.5 minutes per mile up to this. Now, I understand that this was the whole purpose of the magic mile, but I still feel a sense of accomplishment.
We then were able to do a slow run/walk back to the beginning of the trail. This is also where I wish I read the page on Jeff's website about the magic mile. He says to walk for 5 minutes after the magic mile and then do a slow run/walk for as long is planned. This probably would have helped us recover a little before finishing that last mile. Oh, well. Lesson learned and first magic mile completed.
Our training pace for the half-marathon should be 17:54 min/mile (3:54:29) and our projected half-marathon race pace should be 15:36 min/mile (3:24:22). This is especially exciting because when I registered for the Akron Roadrunner, I had to write down a projected race finish time. Guess what I wrote down, well, typed? I put 3 hours and 30 minutes! When we started training, I did not fully believe that I was going to hit that. And here I am half way into training and that looks like it will be completely do-able. It really is amazing to be able to have not only the mental and physical benefits of training, but the spiritual benefits as well. To be able to face my fears, and train for something that I never thought I could do is just the "face-lift" I need for my spirit. Namaste.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
First Bike Ride In A Looooong Time
I can hardly believe that this is week 8 of my training. It definitely seems like week 8, but just looking back and seeing how far I've come. It is amazing. Tonight was triathlon group training night out at Munroe Falls Lake Park. The lake was really infested with Duck Weed because of the recent storm. I was able to swim for about 25 minutes. It would have been quite humorous to watch me do laps tonight. The algae was also increased from the storm. So here I am swimming along, wearing Laura's tinted goggles and swim cap, doing freestyle stroke, taking a breathe and putting my head back in the water. As I put my head in the water, all I can see is big black chunk of algae attacking my face. It really creeped me out. I'd jerk out of the water and either swim around or switch to backstroke to escape the algae. Laura and Cassie called me out of the water to take our bikes over to the Bike and Hike trail in Munroe Falls right off 91.
We met Gabe, Laura's husband, John and Harrison at the trail to go for a bike ride. Thankfully, Cassie had a tire pump! I learned how to use that, and that caps really aren't needed to keep air in a tire. Oh, yeah. I don't think that I have mentioned that I got a NEW to me bicycle! For FREE! It was donated to Cassie and our little group that is encouraging all the Freedom House guys to get out and exercise. It is mountain bike and I got to ride it for the first time tonight. It rides great. The gear shifting, uploader-I think, needs some work done, but other than that it is perfect for me!
I honestly never thought that I would be bike rider. I certainly never really intended to be one. But this summer, probably the whole year has been about doing things I never thought I would do. So I was becoming more open to the idea even before our Triathlon group started meeting. Going to Portland, OR this past May probably had a lot to do with be opening up to the idea. Almost everyone rides a bike in Portland and it is so bike friendly there! Anyways, my mom had a very terrible bicycle accident when she was 22. She crushed her knee and was a cast from her ankle to her hip for about 6 months. She has had problems doing stairs, not being able to hike, and overall mobility issues ever since. Not to mention her getting her knee replaced when she was 50. Yes, I understand that this may have been a lot of misplaced fear, but nonetheless I've used as an excuse for a long time.
I'm so grateful to have had the group to ride with tonight. I wouldn't have done it otherwise. I was nervous at the beginning. Hit some hills and ended up walking my bike up the first few. Then drill sergeant Cassie got on me about pedaling up them and not walking. It's funny how I don't want to hear it, but it's just the thing I need to hear to get into gear. She reminded me that I need to focus on the path in front of me, not stare at the top of the hill. Pedal one foot and then the other, and before you know it you are at the top of the hill. This is such a powerful metaphor for living in the moment, not getting caught up in the future, just doing right now. It was amazing! I could do the hills that I thought that I couldn't.
We rode from 91 to Kent Road near Fishcreek on the Bike and Hike trail. This meant that there was a short section where we had to ride on a road. I'm so glad that I was with a group, it really wasn't bad. Well, except for the really decayed skunk that was in the middle of the side of the road. But the actually riding on the road wasn't bad at all. Then we got to fly down some hills riding back. It was fun. I can see why people like riding. But my butt, sits bones and wrists are going to have to toughen up because that is probably what hurt and made it uncomfortable. I imagine that it will get better with the more that ride, just like everything else.
Another great Wednesday with my triathlon group! Thank you Cassie, Laura, Gabe, John and Harrison for making it an enjoyable night! Namaste.
We met Gabe, Laura's husband, John and Harrison at the trail to go for a bike ride. Thankfully, Cassie had a tire pump! I learned how to use that, and that caps really aren't needed to keep air in a tire. Oh, yeah. I don't think that I have mentioned that I got a NEW to me bicycle! For FREE! It was donated to Cassie and our little group that is encouraging all the Freedom House guys to get out and exercise. It is mountain bike and I got to ride it for the first time tonight. It rides great. The gear shifting, uploader-I think, needs some work done, but other than that it is perfect for me!
I honestly never thought that I would be bike rider. I certainly never really intended to be one. But this summer, probably the whole year has been about doing things I never thought I would do. So I was becoming more open to the idea even before our Triathlon group started meeting. Going to Portland, OR this past May probably had a lot to do with be opening up to the idea. Almost everyone rides a bike in Portland and it is so bike friendly there! Anyways, my mom had a very terrible bicycle accident when she was 22. She crushed her knee and was a cast from her ankle to her hip for about 6 months. She has had problems doing stairs, not being able to hike, and overall mobility issues ever since. Not to mention her getting her knee replaced when she was 50. Yes, I understand that this may have been a lot of misplaced fear, but nonetheless I've used as an excuse for a long time.
I'm so grateful to have had the group to ride with tonight. I wouldn't have done it otherwise. I was nervous at the beginning. Hit some hills and ended up walking my bike up the first few. Then drill sergeant Cassie got on me about pedaling up them and not walking. It's funny how I don't want to hear it, but it's just the thing I need to hear to get into gear. She reminded me that I need to focus on the path in front of me, not stare at the top of the hill. Pedal one foot and then the other, and before you know it you are at the top of the hill. This is such a powerful metaphor for living in the moment, not getting caught up in the future, just doing right now. It was amazing! I could do the hills that I thought that I couldn't.
We rode from 91 to Kent Road near Fishcreek on the Bike and Hike trail. This meant that there was a short section where we had to ride on a road. I'm so glad that I was with a group, it really wasn't bad. Well, except for the really decayed skunk that was in the middle of the side of the road. But the actually riding on the road wasn't bad at all. Then we got to fly down some hills riding back. It was fun. I can see why people like riding. But my butt, sits bones and wrists are going to have to toughen up because that is probably what hurt and made it uncomfortable. I imagine that it will get better with the more that ride, just like everything else.
Another great Wednesday with my triathlon group! Thank you Cassie, Laura, Gabe, John and Harrison for making it an enjoyable night! Namaste.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Week 7 - 8.5 miles
So, I guess this post is the actual end of Week 7. I woke up with my nephews at about 6:45 am. This gave me time to get them ready and get my yoga practice in for the morning. I think it might have been the first time they had seen yoga. It was really easy to try and rationalize why I didn't have time. But it only takes 20 minutes and I knew my body would thank me for it later. Then I dropped my nephews off at my mom's house, stopped at Sheetz for a small bottled water, and set off for Sand Run Trail. As a side note, I only bought the bottled water because I don't have a bottle small enough to carry while run/walking. I don't like buying plastic and usually carry around my large reusable water bottle which is not good for carrying. This means I need to purchase a small reusable water bottle for runs.
I got to the trail at 8 am. One wouldn't think that this is much later than 7:30 am. Well, what a difference a half hour makes! I had to wait for a spot to park, it was warmer, and the trail was very crowded. Also, my trusty friend Allison who is typically at the trail before me was not there. There was one morning where she completely forgot to get up. So, trying to stay positive, I just told myself that I would do the best that I could. That I would still be able to do it even if she wasn't able to join me. I think I even kept repeating. But I decided to give her a few minutes before I started out on my own. And she arrived a couple of minutes after that.
She was admittedly a bit cranky today due to a lack of sleep. And I was just happy to have my friend run/walk with me. We did our warm-up, stretches, and I took a bathroom break before we got started. Okay, if you really want to know how much of a dork I am, here goes. . . I want to know if the ammonia smell in the port-o-potties is from all the "waste" or from their cleaning supplies. It is sooooo strong. It is hard to believe that that is normal compost smell. Anyways, I need to finish my blog before I go searching about that topic.
Armed with our water and electrolyte gel chew thingys, we were off. I was pretty energetic and pumped to be setting out on our 8 mile adventure. I think I went a little fast and hard that first mile. I certainly wasn't able to maintain that chipper pace. It also seemed like people were not as friendly at 8 am in the morning or something. I think the first 5 or 6 people that I said good morning to ignored me and had no response at all. Some people may wave or nod, if talking isn't able to be done while running. But even the ones that weren't wearing head phones. I don't like that feeling when I feel invisible. But I was pretty determined to greet everyone on the trail. Because I seemed so eager and chipper, Allison deemed me the trail prom queen. The only time in my life that will ever be uttered! It was hysterical. Have I ever mentioned how hard it is run while laughing? It is very difficult!
It seemed that first 2 miles were pretty smooth. Still tough on the hills, but smooth otherwise. The section of Sand Run is pretty hilly. I hear that the actual Akron Roadrunner is pretty flat for the Half-Marathon. I liked hearing that info! We passed the 2.5 mile marker, and Allison asked me if I remembered when we thought that was exciting. I do. It was fun to be able to push past what we thought was possible!
Very grateful for the sunshine today even if it made it a little more challenging. We made it to the end of mile 3. The trail we have been using is only 6 miles round trip. So we decided to run the last half mile two times to make up for our 2 extra miles today. It seemed safest to stay on the end of the trail, so we couldn't back out of the higher miles being closer to the beginning of the trail. Doing it this way made for even more hills though. We hadn't really planned on that part. It reinforced our positive thinking/talk though. Continuing to use phrases such as; "I'm gliding", "I love the way I feel when I am done", "Every step gives me benefits", "Endorphins help me relax", etc. It does help. Also, imagining the people ahead of us pulling us forward helps.
One of the funniest things that happened today, as we were running along the trail we came around a bend. On the other side was a young girl running towards us while singing. I have no idea what she was singing. But she was singing, out of tune and enjoying every second of it. And you know what, she stopped singing just to say hello back to us! It was awesome. I think she cheered us up for a good half-mile. She also inspired us to have our own trail karaoke. Yes, it may have been Miley Cyrus's "Party in the USA", but it was upbeat, we knew the words, and it was funny as well as fun. I think we definitely got our share of funny looks, but we didn't care. We had just finished 5 miles and had 3 more to go.
I think we have become regulars. There were quite a few people who are starting to look familiar. This is pretty cool. I never really thought I would become a regular on a running trail! At mile 6, Allison's knees started bothering her, so we slowed our pace and increased our walking stints. She toughed it out and we ran/walked through mile 7. Near the beginning of mile 8, she decided she needed to give her knees a break. So we walked the rest of our route. Jeff Galloway emphasizes that it is more important to stay together than to run faster during long runs. So, I stuck with Allison to the end of our walk. And we did our cool down walk, then stretches.
I iced my knees. I also made sure I moved my legs around today while I was driving to and from Canton. Took some arnica and Ibuprofen. My muscles are somewhat sore, but not anything that is going to keep me from doing my daily life.
I don't know if I can convey how grateful I am to be healthy enough to be able to do my training. Grateful to have had all of the support, all of the experiences that have helped me get to this point, grateful to have the physical ability to run/walk, grateful that my yoga practice helps me mentally and physically be able to do everything in my day, grateful for the trails, grateful for Allison, grateful for all my training cheerleaders-Tony, Jana, Shana, Cassie, Julie, Scott and Michelle. Grateful. Namaste.
I got to the trail at 8 am. One wouldn't think that this is much later than 7:30 am. Well, what a difference a half hour makes! I had to wait for a spot to park, it was warmer, and the trail was very crowded. Also, my trusty friend Allison who is typically at the trail before me was not there. There was one morning where she completely forgot to get up. So, trying to stay positive, I just told myself that I would do the best that I could. That I would still be able to do it even if she wasn't able to join me. I think I even kept repeating. But I decided to give her a few minutes before I started out on my own. And she arrived a couple of minutes after that.
She was admittedly a bit cranky today due to a lack of sleep. And I was just happy to have my friend run/walk with me. We did our warm-up, stretches, and I took a bathroom break before we got started. Okay, if you really want to know how much of a dork I am, here goes. . . I want to know if the ammonia smell in the port-o-potties is from all the "waste" or from their cleaning supplies. It is sooooo strong. It is hard to believe that that is normal compost smell. Anyways, I need to finish my blog before I go searching about that topic.
Armed with our water and electrolyte gel chew thingys, we were off. I was pretty energetic and pumped to be setting out on our 8 mile adventure. I think I went a little fast and hard that first mile. I certainly wasn't able to maintain that chipper pace. It also seemed like people were not as friendly at 8 am in the morning or something. I think the first 5 or 6 people that I said good morning to ignored me and had no response at all. Some people may wave or nod, if talking isn't able to be done while running. But even the ones that weren't wearing head phones. I don't like that feeling when I feel invisible. But I was pretty determined to greet everyone on the trail. Because I seemed so eager and chipper, Allison deemed me the trail prom queen. The only time in my life that will ever be uttered! It was hysterical. Have I ever mentioned how hard it is run while laughing? It is very difficult!
It seemed that first 2 miles were pretty smooth. Still tough on the hills, but smooth otherwise. The section of Sand Run is pretty hilly. I hear that the actual Akron Roadrunner is pretty flat for the Half-Marathon. I liked hearing that info! We passed the 2.5 mile marker, and Allison asked me if I remembered when we thought that was exciting. I do. It was fun to be able to push past what we thought was possible!
Very grateful for the sunshine today even if it made it a little more challenging. We made it to the end of mile 3. The trail we have been using is only 6 miles round trip. So we decided to run the last half mile two times to make up for our 2 extra miles today. It seemed safest to stay on the end of the trail, so we couldn't back out of the higher miles being closer to the beginning of the trail. Doing it this way made for even more hills though. We hadn't really planned on that part. It reinforced our positive thinking/talk though. Continuing to use phrases such as; "I'm gliding", "I love the way I feel when I am done", "Every step gives me benefits", "Endorphins help me relax", etc. It does help. Also, imagining the people ahead of us pulling us forward helps.
One of the funniest things that happened today, as we were running along the trail we came around a bend. On the other side was a young girl running towards us while singing. I have no idea what she was singing. But she was singing, out of tune and enjoying every second of it. And you know what, she stopped singing just to say hello back to us! It was awesome. I think she cheered us up for a good half-mile. She also inspired us to have our own trail karaoke. Yes, it may have been Miley Cyrus's "Party in the USA", but it was upbeat, we knew the words, and it was funny as well as fun. I think we definitely got our share of funny looks, but we didn't care. We had just finished 5 miles and had 3 more to go.
I think we have become regulars. There were quite a few people who are starting to look familiar. This is pretty cool. I never really thought I would become a regular on a running trail! At mile 6, Allison's knees started bothering her, so we slowed our pace and increased our walking stints. She toughed it out and we ran/walked through mile 7. Near the beginning of mile 8, she decided she needed to give her knees a break. So we walked the rest of our route. Jeff Galloway emphasizes that it is more important to stay together than to run faster during long runs. So, I stuck with Allison to the end of our walk. And we did our cool down walk, then stretches.
I iced my knees. I also made sure I moved my legs around today while I was driving to and from Canton. Took some arnica and Ibuprofen. My muscles are somewhat sore, but not anything that is going to keep me from doing my daily life.
I don't know if I can convey how grateful I am to be healthy enough to be able to do my training. Grateful to have had all of the support, all of the experiences that have helped me get to this point, grateful to have the physical ability to run/walk, grateful that my yoga practice helps me mentally and physically be able to do everything in my day, grateful for the trails, grateful for Allison, grateful for all my training cheerleaders-Tony, Jana, Shana, Cassie, Julie, Scott and Michelle. Grateful. Namaste.
A MUCH Needed Update. . .End of Week 7!
I just looked and saw that I haven't posted since June 29! Time seriously flies by when you are living in the moment. Since the last time that I blogged, I was cleared by a doctor to keep training. He actually told me to continue to be active and that I looked good. I also completed 6.4 mile run/walk which was completely exhilarating. I went out of town for work and was only able to maintain my yoga practice. But I was able to resume training after being back for 2 days which brings us to this week. . .
Tuesday, I met my friend Allison for some run/walking. We did about a half hour run/walking then another half hour walking, to rest her leg that was giving her problems. Then Wednesday, I got to do my fun cross-training at Munroe Falls Lake park! It was fantastic. I swam 800 meters all together in about 35/40 minutes. Had a break, then Laura and I run/walked about 1.25 miles. After that we got to hear from Mickey who is super knowledgeable about Triathlons. He told us about the rules and what are the most common disqualifiers and penalties. It really got me thinking about trying one. Also, fabulous news. . .Cassie has scored me a free bicycle that someone donated to the group! I'm so excited. I get to pick it up tomorrow.
I was thinking about doing another run/walk on Thursday, but decided to let it slide for the week. Especially since I had just done everything at the lake the night before. I did go for a 30 minute easy walk with Allison though in the evening. Sometimes it is hard to slow down and do an easy walk, even though I do enjoy it.
Friday was supposed to be a rest day. I say supposed to because I had planned to watch my 8 and 5 year old nephews that day and have them spend the night. I have a very small efficiency and really didn't want them to get bored at my place. So, we swam which involved - Marco Polo, diving races, water tag, and throwing them around the pool. We went the fountains at downtown Cuyahoga Falls, walked to the library and gas station then back to my apartment. It was great fun, but a little exhausting. The good kind of exhausted!
I did make sure that I did my yoga before they came over at 7:30 am. I also took some arnica, and ibuprofen. Thankfully, I was so busy I didn't really have much time to obsess and worry about my 8 mile run/walk that I needed to do in the morning. I knew that I could probably do it. I was only a mile and half longer than my last long run. But it sounds daunting. . .8 miles. 8 M-I-L-E-S. Seriously, I didn't think I could 3 miles a few weeks ago! Enough of that. By now I've learned, I just need to show up and I will be given what I need when I get there. I hope. Namaste.
Tuesday, I met my friend Allison for some run/walking. We did about a half hour run/walking then another half hour walking, to rest her leg that was giving her problems. Then Wednesday, I got to do my fun cross-training at Munroe Falls Lake park! It was fantastic. I swam 800 meters all together in about 35/40 minutes. Had a break, then Laura and I run/walked about 1.25 miles. After that we got to hear from Mickey who is super knowledgeable about Triathlons. He told us about the rules and what are the most common disqualifiers and penalties. It really got me thinking about trying one. Also, fabulous news. . .Cassie has scored me a free bicycle that someone donated to the group! I'm so excited. I get to pick it up tomorrow.
I was thinking about doing another run/walk on Thursday, but decided to let it slide for the week. Especially since I had just done everything at the lake the night before. I did go for a 30 minute easy walk with Allison though in the evening. Sometimes it is hard to slow down and do an easy walk, even though I do enjoy it.
Friday was supposed to be a rest day. I say supposed to because I had planned to watch my 8 and 5 year old nephews that day and have them spend the night. I have a very small efficiency and really didn't want them to get bored at my place. So, we swam which involved - Marco Polo, diving races, water tag, and throwing them around the pool. We went the fountains at downtown Cuyahoga Falls, walked to the library and gas station then back to my apartment. It was great fun, but a little exhausting. The good kind of exhausted!
I did make sure that I did my yoga before they came over at 7:30 am. I also took some arnica, and ibuprofen. Thankfully, I was so busy I didn't really have much time to obsess and worry about my 8 mile run/walk that I needed to do in the morning. I knew that I could probably do it. I was only a mile and half longer than my last long run. But it sounds daunting. . .8 miles. 8 M-I-L-E-S. Seriously, I didn't think I could 3 miles a few weeks ago! Enough of that. By now I've learned, I just need to show up and I will be given what I need when I get there. I hope. Namaste.
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