Turkey Trot 5K Race Report

As someone that has always focused training energy on long distances, I find 5K races to be the most challenging. The hurt at the end of a marathon is much different than that of a 5K. Instead of the dull, weak ache the last ten kilometers, it is three miles of lung-busting lead legs. Thankfully it is over quickly.  I retained my typical pacing strategy from years past: go out fast and try to hold on. This year, I decided to run entirely on feel. I would have gone completely without the watch, but when 900 runners are being timed and ranked based on tear tags and not chips, it gets a bit messy. Until this year, my official finish time never been within five seconds of my Garmin time.

Can you find Matt? Y. Kim, SRRC photo.

In years past, the course made three very congested loops through Old Town Eureka and much of my third mile was spent weaving around as I lapped those walking with strollers. This year it was a single loop, including a scenic out-and-back along the Humboldt Bay waterfront. I really enjoyed the last two miles being traffic free.

Can you find both of us? It's like Where's Waldo? Matt's even dressed in those colors. Y. Kim, SRRC photo.

The morning was crisp, cool and beautifully sunny. Somehow, this race has the best weather conditions each year. Just before I lined up, the race director instructed that no children be on the starting line unless they plan to finish under a 6:00/mi average. "Anyone running an 8:00/mi or slower, should be back there by the tree," he instructed. There was plenty of room for me and I had to do very little weaving in the first mile. It was awesome!

Carson Mansion in 2010.

Quickly the pack thinned out as we climbed a small hill to the Carson Mansion.  Our first turnaround came shortly after that and I cruised back down the hill. I was pushing hard and told myself that if I had to slow later, it wasn't a big deal.

Mile 1: 6:53.

Eureka Boardwalk, near sunset after a rainy day in 2010.

As I ran onto the wooden boardwalk, I realized I was being followed so closely by another woman that I felt her accidentally step on my heels.  We traded the lead several times and I found my goal for the day: stay with her as long as I could.  Judging by her shirt, I noticed that she was one of the local college's cross country athletes. She would run this race smartly, I decided, let's stay with her.  The portion along the waterfront was probably beautiful. I don't remember. Honestly, it was a blur.

Mile 2: 7:09.

When we reached the mile 2 marker, I said to my buddy, Beatrice, I later learned, "One more to go! Thanks for pushing me today!" Beatrice replied quickly, "You too! I'm so glad I have someone to run with!"  As we were on the second out-and-back portion, my focus remained on staying there. I heard several people call out "Go Karen!", but I couldn't tell who they were. If it was you, know that I appreciated it a ton!! With each cheer, I pushed a little harder.  Beatrice and I began passing people; first two girls and then nearly a dozen guys.  When we crossed the railroad tracks and some uneven pavement, I slowed a bit to steady myself, and saw Beatrice begin to pull away.

From this point on the course, over half a mile away from the end, I could already see banner that hung over the finish line. When I found my focus beginning to wane, I reminded myself that I didn't actually feel as bad as I thought I would. In the days leading up to this race, I told myself how much it would hurt. It would suck, but it will be over in just twenty two short minutes. I put on my tough runner face and went for it. PRs don't come easy. If it feels this hard, it has to be a new PR.

Just before the finish, the club's photographer snapped my photo. I thought to myself, it is hard to smile when running this hard.  I forced a smile several times and it quickly faded to a fatigued grimace.  Somehow, Yoon caught me during one of those brief smiles.

Mile 3 and 0.1: 7:38 (6:56/mi)

I crossed the finish line, steadied myself, and paused my watch. Then I saw it, the product of my morning's efforts: a new PR by over thirty five seconds.

Y. Kim, SRRC photo.

21:42
6:59/mi (my first time out of the sevens!)
F19-29: 4/128
Female: 7/559
Overall 60/938

After a season of focusing on shorter distances, Matt saw the results of his hard work and shaved almost a minute from his own PR:

Y. Kim, SRRC photo.

17:24
5:35/mi.
Overall 8/938
3rd in his age group.

First place in each age group wins a pie.  If someone doesn't stick around for the award ceremony and claim theirs, they raffle off the remaining pies. I came up a winner: Coconut Creme Pie. YUM!

I didn't beat you in the race, but I kinda feels like I did!! :)

Last Week: Nov 17-23

Sunday: Run 12 mi in 1:34:45, 7:53/mi.
Goal: 7:55-8:00.  I had to put off a few runs from last week in order to recover a little from the sinus infection I had. Since I know I'm not feeling 100% right now, I wasn’t sure how this last run would go. My legs felt really good, but after halfway, my lungs started to tighten up I began to wheeze a little bit. But I made it through at my goal pace despite that sinus infection, so I think if I’m a bit healthier, it will be a solid PR day. I’ll make my final race plan the week of CIM based on weather and my health, and go from there.

Monday: Run 9 mi. easy. untimed.
Matt and I chose a new route and explored a little bit.  It is funny how route possibilities are numerous, yet we stick to the same routes over and over again. For this reason, the run felt like a fun adventure.  After CIM, I'm planning on making it a goal of mine to explore new city routes more often. Also, I passed a rack of ribs on the sidewalk. No packaging and raw. I bet the neighborhood raccoons ate well that night!

Tuesday: Run 4 mi. in 45:59. 500 ft. climbing. on Shasta Spring Trail in Weaverville. 

 A gentle rain fell and we were high up enough that the views were mostly fog clouds.  My lungs felt incredible and strong the entire time.

The clay soil was soft and spongy and caked itself to my shoes so that I slipped around a lot. It was fun. Muddy trails always make me feel like a little kid splashing through the puddles. I like getting dirty.

Wednesday: Run 21 mi. in 2:57:18, 8:27/mi. on Sac River Trail in Redding.

The final run before the taper. It felt sluggish at the beginning but I ended up feeling strong at the end. Later, I ate my weight in DQ and Thai peanut chicken. Fantastic day!

Thursday: Hike 2-3 mi. (no watch, estimated) at Burney Creek Falls. 

This was pretty much a rest day. Matt and I did too much driving for how much activity we got.  The scenery was beautiful and now I'm convinced I need to do some winter camping at Lassen before 2014. More on this in a separate post. Stay tuned. :)

Friday: Run 5 mi. Sac River Trail.  43:03, 8:36/mi.
It was a beautiful morning..at least it was until I actually stepped outside. Holy crap, I'm not a fan of a constant 40mph wind. My sinuses felt like giant sails, flapping in the breeze. My ears throbbed. It was not fun. I used to think that I was just a wussy when it came to running in the wind. It is very convenient that I now have a medical condition to blame my whining on. :)

Saturday: Rest! 
I didn't feel like I needed one, but it was nice to catch up on laundry and all my housewifing duties.

TOTAL: 54 miles

Notes: My sinuses are still giving me trouble on the dry and windy days, but not at an overwhelming level like before. Now that I'm on the taper to CIM, my focus is on retaining the mental parts without constant reinforcement of successful tough workouts. I've done the work. I deserve to do well.  Just gotta believe. :)

How do you keep from doubting yourself?  Tell me your secrets! :)

A Redding Long Run

"If I'm not feeling good the first miles of the marathon, remind me of this run," I said to Matt as I glanced down at my watch. "Six and three quarters miles and I'm just now beginning to feel like I can finish this run."  Lately, many of my runs have felt this way.  My body feels sluggish to respond to the physical movements of running, especially the morning ones.

Matt and I decided on a change of scenery for our final long run and found ourselves on the Sacramento River Trail in Redding. Whenever I run long here, I always wish our area had a path like this one. Long runs that aren't broken up by a dozen or more stop lights are so nice. I can focus on my legs, my head, and the scenery without having to be fully alert like I do on the road.

Training for CIM this year has been a lot less structured. September was mostly maintaining and increasing my fitness base, October and these first three weeks of November were the "structured" portion with pace based workouts and speedwork. I've run more on feel than I have in the past and I feel good about the training, even though it is different. We'll see what happens on race day.

The weather was perfect for our run. I remembered back to the half I ran here in October where I overheated. I really love the cool and cloudy days. The fall colors were just past their peak, carpeting the path in maroon and gold. Through that inevitable fatigue and slight blurred vision of staring too long at the ground whizzing by, the vibrant colors swirled magically around like a kaleidoscope. Trippy.

Before I knew it, we were approaching 18 miles. At the beginning of the run, I had hoped to pick up the last few miles if I felt good. This time I did.

I hurled myself up and over that steep hill that I usually have to walk. My legs grew heavy and I slouched, but soon it was over and I found myself running strong. Nearing mile 20, my energy and determination began to fade.

I asked Matt to tell me a story. About this same distance in my first marathon, I asked for him to tell me a story, which has turned into a wonderful tradition we share, including the same principal characters: Princess Karen and her cat, Puffball.  They go on adventures everywhere, often relating to our life in some way. This time, Puffball and Karen began a hobby farm and got some chickens.  Puffball grew impatient and hungry for a taste; just one, she begged, but Karen refused. She enlisted the help of some local raccoons.  You can imagine where the story went from there.  Matt's stories are the best with their colorful description and sarcastic humor, they are always so perfectly timed to end right as we finish a tough run.

Later that afternoon, the skies opened and pouring rain fell from the sky in buckets.  We managed to complete our long run during three of the five dry hours of the entire day. It pays to be married to the weatherman. He's got all the inside knowledge. ;)

After a long run, I like to keep moving. If I sit down for too long, I fall asleep for hours and don't sleep at night.  Instead, we took advantage of the big city (relative term, haha) shopping.  On days like this, I find myself inexplicably drawn to the pillow aisles and places like this:

That's a tent full of inflated sleeping pads. I had to decide between that and a giant pile of clearance priced sleeping bags. Torture.

I stayed awake because I knew we had saved the best for last:

Do you have anything in particular you like to do after a long run? Do you rest with your feet up or do you stay moving until bedtime?

Last Week: Nov 10-16

Sunday: Run 6 mi. easy. untimed.
After the race on Saturday, I didn't really feel well, almost like my body quit repairing itself.

Monday: Rest day!
I needed it.  Still felt off.  I also got a flu shot, not recommended during peak week. I'm pretty sure this was the tipping point for my immune system.

Tuesday: Run 9.75 mi. total.
6x1 mile @7:00.

This was basically my dream perfect day before the crash.  The last repeat felt like the last mile of a 5K does....you know, like death.  I have a good feeling about the Turkey Trot 5K on Thanksgiving day though. Hoping for somewhere under 22 min.

Wednesday: Run 5 mi. easy. untimed.
Not feeling it. Couldn't get my breathing to relax no matter how slow I went.

Thursday: Unplanned rest day.
Was supposed to be 12 miles at MRP, but I had a bad sinus headache and was too dizzy to trust myself staying upright. I really wasn't feeling it either. Boo.

Stove snuggles with Zoey.

And s'mores with the leftover Halloween candy.

Friday: Run 5 mi. very easy. untimed.
This run, I made sure to go super slow which felt blah the whole way. Then I went to the doctor and she confirmed my suspicions: sinus infection. Well then.  My MD is also a runner and asked how my half went (the one I told her was coming up when I went in for salmonella in Sept). She was super impressed, even telling the nurse in the hallway as I was leaving. It made me feel good.  Also, the antibiotics did too... I guess.  She told me to try and rest a little bit more and then laughed, "Yeah, tell that to a runner and they'll listen, huh?"  At least she gets it.

Saturday: Rest.
I was a good girl, Doc. See? :)  Within 12 hours of my first dose on Friday, I could tell I was finally on the upswing. I planted myself on the couch and sailed through 10 episodes of Desperate Housewives while I crocheted a scarf.

And tried to eat my weight in homemade pumpkin cheesecake.

TOTAL: 25.75 miles

Notes: When my body says no, I try hard to listen, even if that low mileage is a little bit of a blow to my ego. ;)  The pressure in my sinuses and ears is letting up. I'm also feeling a little stronger.  I'm planning on getting that 20-22 mile run in on Wednesday and then picking up on Thursday in the training plan.  Essentially, it will have me skipping the first half of my first taper week's mileage. Easy peasy. 

Training Rewrite

"You're supposed to feel like this right now," Matt offered, "You're so close to the taper, you're supposed to be tired, let's just go out and get a couple of warm up miles in and go from there."

I love to run. It is a rare day that I want to skip a run altogether, let alone days in a row. If that happens, it is often the first hint that I was coming down with something. So if I'm actually sobbing on the couch, muttering something about trying to decide whether I'm just whining or sick, it probably is the latter. That was Thursday.

One good thing about my doctor is that I can always get a last minute appointment if I need it.  I thought my symptoms began last week.  My doctor thought that it probably began with my allergy and breathing problems in early October. Well crap. Thinking I was being smart and proactive, going in at the first sign of problems, and she thought that all the other stuff lead to the sinus infection I seem to have now. Looking back at my blog over the last month has made me realize she's right. When that foggy brain cloud descends over me and I stop posting 3-4 times a week; It is darn near impossible to write anything more than "guhhhhhh tiiiiired."

I'm less than 24 hours into my antibiotics and feeling a lot better.

As for my running plan, I'm resting today and will resume tomorrow, hopefully to finish the last week, now extended into 10 days instead of seven and beginning a 2 1/2 week taper instead.

I wish I could have delayed illness for just two more days and finished the training cycle without a blip like this, but my body wasn't having any of that. A couple postponed workouts during this three month buildup aren't going to make a difference. I've run PRs at two distances this fall (one right after salmonella too!). Even if my physical fitness hasn't improved much this fall compared to the spring, my mental game has. That will make up the difference.

I'm also reminded of the fact that I had a similar delay in Oct. 2011, right before the taper began. I took 10 minutes off my marathon PR at that race. I'm planning on doing that again.

This is only a big deal if I let it.  Moving on. :)

Recovery Week

11/3-11/9:

Sunday: Rest!

Monday: Run 5 mi. easy. untimed.
Slow and steady. Got home just before dark. I know it's no Fairbanks with their 3pm sunsets (oh, and power outages these last couple of days from heavy snow and ice buildup) this time of year, so I won't complain until it gets THAT DARK, but it is getting tougher to plan runs during the daylight (my routes aren't really safe in the dark). Glad the taper comes soon. :)

Tuesday: Run 8.25 mi fartlek (with 12 pickups) in 1:08:32 @ 8:18/mi.
Strength: Core, Legs.
This one felt a little tough to get into. Usually I'm excited to run, but it took a few pickup sections to feel decent. My allergies are still bothering me.

Wednesday: Run 8 mi. easy. untimed.
Matt and I mapped our route for the day and left home without the watch. Just before the end of the first mile, a man ran into the street telling us we should reroute our run, he's been hearing gunshots the last few minutes. We thanked him and turned back. No reason to argue with that, right?

Well, our detour was through a steep ravine (150 ft. hills on each side, total of just over 1/4 mi of road). We usually avoid this spot because there's no sidewalk and cars just FLY through on the narrow road. Today they were doing utility work under the road and had controlled traffic. They stopped all the cars to let us run through. Matt and I joked about how we got VIP treatment and they should leave that work crew there all the time.  We did hear the worker holding the stop sign radio to his friend, "We've got some slow traffic coming through. Might be a while." Way to burst my bubble, man.

Thursday: Run 5 mi. untimed.
Strength: Core, Legs.
Nice temperature for a run. I think 45F is just PERFECT.

Friday: Rest!

Saturday: Run 14 mi. including Arcata Bottoms 3 and 8 Mile Races.
I didn't get much sleep the night before this race, I feel like I have trouble breathing easily at night and it is hard to relax enough to fall asleep.  I had a decent race and finished 3rd woman in the 8 miler.

TOTAL:  40.25 miles

Notes: Most of this week, I focused on rehabbing the sore quad muscle in my left leg. By Saturday, it felt great. I counted Saturday's races as the long run and 8MRP (or faster). Now we're headed into the last 65 mile week, we'll see how it goes.

It is worrying that we've been having a very dry fall. It only prolongs my allergy and asthma issues.  Rain, come back please!!! I feel like I need those few weeks to recover. Four weeks til CIM.

The Real Heroes

During my first year as a survivor, I was still battling the worst of the chemo brain fog, baldness, and intense fatigue.  I planned to attend the Relay for Life. I assumed that it would be the right way to begin processing what it meant to be a survivor and to celebrate it. In the end, I didn't go. I couldn't handle it. Just thinking of my mental and physical weakness the last few months of treatment reduced me to tears. I wasn't ready. I wasn't comfortable with being labeled a hero because I decided to fight a life-threatening illness and I just happened to live through it.

This summer, I decided to join the running club's relay team. Would I be ready to finally face the one thing that I was unable to before? It seems silly to believe that after all I had gone through that I could be so afraid of something that was meant to be a celebration of living. It was a good thing. My plan was to run myself into that raw emotional place brought on by a really long run. I expected waterworks and blubbering.

Around and around we went, eighty laps in all, Matt remained by my side; one of the many heroes that I had leaned on during those eleven months of treatment. Honestly, after the initial shock of diagnosis and accepting that my life would be interrupted, it wasn't too hard on me.  I know my family and friends had it worse. At least I got to experience it all through a haze of fatigue and really really good drugs. I can't imagine the overwhelming feeling of helplessness one experiences when watching someone they love suffer. They are the real heroes. 

One mile for Dad.  The night before my first chemo, he kneeled at the foot of my bed, held my hand and prayed, tears streaming down his face.  Through his sobs, he prayed for God not to take his little girl yet.

One mile for Mom. When my white blood counts dropped to zero, my body ached down to the bones. At times, even taking a deep breath was painful. Mom spent most evenings rubbing my sore feet and back. Sometimes it was just the comfort of touch that helped the most.

One mile for my sister, Emily. One night, I felt too cold to sleep. I kept adding blankets and clothes until it eventually woke her up. It was about 4am. She kept me company, playing cards with me in bed until we went to the doctor, were airlifted from my small hometown to the one with my doctors in it. Once I was settled in the hospital room, she fell asleep on the recliner next to my bed. My oncologist asked who was with me. "That's my little sister," I said with a proud smile. As a grew weaker, she accompanied me more on chemo visits. Some days, I was allowed to leave the hospital for a few hours. Most of the time we went back to their room at the Hope Lodge and snuggled together until we both fell asleep.

One mile for my brother, Chris. He still insists that he watches certain TV shows because he let me have control of the remote when I was sick. Who could say no to my sad bald face, he argued.  He was always good at teasing and made me forget how awful reality really was sometimes.

One for Whiskers, the fluffy family cat that I'd grown up insisting was all mine. Throughout treatment, I had difficulty falling asleep. The late night hours after everyone was asleep were the worst. After her nightly check of everyone else's room, she stopped at mine. She always knew when I needed someone the most and would insist that I snuggled with her.

One mile for Matt.  There were a few times during the year where I tried to push him away. He deserved more than this.  He refused and told me how much he loved me. That's how you know you've got a keeper.

The remaining fifteen for the rest of my support system.  All my friends, doctors, nurses, and family not listed here.  The prayers and the visits. The moments they'd tell me about their problems, if only to avoid talking about how much I looked like death.  Often times, the only thing that kept me positive was distracting myself from the fact that this could possibly kill me. It didn't matter if we watched stupid TV shows together or we went for a walk--anything to keep me from heading into that dark place in my mind.

These people are the real heroes of cancer.  One cannot survive without them.

By the end of those twenty miles, the summer sun was beginning to set.  I felt a sudden lightness wash over me.  The final lap, I floated, carried by the thoughts of my loved ones. It hadn't been about me, this lack of closure. It was about them, finding my own way to honor them and say thank you.

On this day, November 11, we are eight year survivors of Ewing's Sarcoma.

Arcata Bottoms 3 and 8 Mile Races

It was one of those rare crisp, sunny fall mornings.  A light frost coated the rooftops and the grass in our yard.  Lately, this type of day reminds me of fall in Michigan.  I think back to strings of beautiful fall days just like this one with fond memories.  When I lived in the U.P., fall was my clear favorite, without doubt.  One of those days that is perfect for fast racing.  After a terrible night's sleep, I wasn't sure I wanted to race at all, let alone run the the three mile race followed quickly by the eight mile one. I wanted my bed.

The three mile race, I decided, was to be the warmup. I took it easy, breathing in the crisp air and enjoying the scenery.  The course makes a figure eight through pastureland along uneven and crumbling farm roads. It is beautiful and there's never a shortage of bovine cheerleaders mooing us on as we run by.  As the final mile came to a close, a young woman passed me.  She picked up the pace, I followed, all the while the voice in my head saying, "You're not allowed to race this one. Quit it."  I couldn't tell from behind what her age was, but last year I was beat by fifteen seconds for first place in the circuit win, I could pick it up at the end to be sure. Yeah, I should.  The voice agreed. She laughed as I passed, almost like she expected me to finally quit goofing off and out kick her.  Turns out, she wasn't in my age group at all. 25:04, and first place in my age group. Whew. :)

Y. Kim, SRRC photo credit.

Matt decided to run the three miler as his main focus today, so when he lined up with me for the eight mile race and said he'd start out with me, I was pleasantly surprised.  After about thirty seconds, he decided he wasn't finished racing for the day and took off.  Silly boy.  My goal for this race was simply to beat last year's time (1:04:44) and come in below what I hope CIM pace to be, 7:55-8:00.

Y Kim, SRRC photo credit.

I heard a voice from behind, "I just have to make sure I don't let Karen get too far ahead." It was Bob, one of the racers I always manage to finish either just in front of or just behind.  If you ever need someone to teach you a really even pace, it is him.  He's fantastic as a pace car.  We chatted a bit before he took the lead.

Mile 1: 7:54
Mile 2: 7:44

For the first time in many races, I was running in a large cluster of runners.  Usually there are one or two people.  I glanced behind me. Nobody was there.  I focused my efforts on staying with the pack. "Make them do the work," I thought to myself, "Just stay right behind them."  Even though I wasn't excited about racing when the day began, I found myself enjoying it.

Mile 3: 7:46
Mile 4: 7:40
Mile 5: 7:51

After the aid station near mile five, I slowly closed the gap on two runners, eventually passing them when the road turned from fresh beautiful pavement to that crumbly farm road again. When Matt and I do our long runs out here, we start and finish right on this stretch of road.  Just as knowing where the good footing is on a familiar trail run, the broken pavement of this road allowed me to make up some time.  I found myself behind Jim and Bob, I couldn't gain any ground on them without forcing too much of a finishing kick. I needed to save that if I could. I could see other runners float along the horizon almost a mile ahead of me.  From what I could tell, I was probably third or fourth woman. Wouldn't it be cool if I could stay there?

Mile 6: 7:43

The sun was beginning to feel warm at the same time a light headwind kicked up. I enjoyed the cooling effect it was having.  The weather today could not be more perfect.  Many of the club regulars later mentioned that this race has never had nice weather. It is either pouring rain or timed perfectly with the wind before or after the front.

Mile 7: 7:48

I imagined myself during the final few miles of the marathon.  Even though I wasn't that many miles into my day, I pictured myself running this strong in downtown Sacramento. I felt the accumulating fatigue of today slip away. This is how I'm going to do it at CIM: Strong and tough.

I could see the shiny reflection of cars in the parking lot at the finish line.  Even though it was still more than half a mile away, my glance shifted back and forth from the runners pulling me along and the finish line.  After one final turn, we were back on a main road, thankfully with smooth enough pavement that I didn't have to stare at it as it passed beneath my feet. All remaining energy went into that kick. I heard a few runners cheer my name.  I know I say this all the time, but my running club buddies are the best.

Mile 8: 7:45

I crossed the line with one of those satisfied smiles that only comes with a hard run, half endorphins and half pride. My asthma has been interfering with some runs, specifically the longer MRP ones, so I was happy to confirm that my symptoms are gradually subsiding. 

Y. Kim, SRRC photo credit.

1:02:12.
7:44/mi.
Third woman, 1st in my age group.
about 2 min 30 off of last year's time.

Running both of these races played into a bigger plan for the week. Essentially, the run was 14 miles (ran the three mile course again) with the eight miles in the middle at marathon pace or faster.

Matt did well too.  Here are his results:
3 miler: 16:39.
8 miler: 51:39.

Y. Kim, SRRC photo credit.

Doubling Up the 60s

Last week was the second of two planned 65 mile weeks.  This was the first time I have ever gone that high of mileage on consecutive weeks. I prepared for it to be miserable.  I was surprised when it wasn't.

Sunday: Run 8 mi easy, untimed.
Matt and I ran a planned run with Tracy.  She was only free to run four miles, so we returned to the car to drop her off and finish the run ourselves. Just as we did so, another running friend, Paul, ran up from out of nowhere, coincidentally dressed in his running outfit. He spotted us from a gas station across the street and came to say hi.  We ended up finishing our remaining four miles with Paul. Such a happy accident to get to run with two buddies in one day!

Monday: Rest!  
On Saturday's long run, I tweaked one of my quad muscles, the vastus lateralis, and decided to rehab it back to happiness.

Tuesday: Run 12 mi., 10 at 8:01/mi. total: 1:40:01.
That morning, I went to my allergist. We discussed my options for further treatments. Since my asthma is triggered my allergies, we’ve decided that the next step is allergy shots. I’m not crazy about beginning anything new until after CIM, so I’m waiting until then to start.

I also learned that the wind itself can be a trigger, even if nothing is really flying through the air in it. I know that is a problem for me, so for this super windy day, Matt and I took my pace run to the forest. With about 80% tree cover, it was less windy, but my Garmin had a hard time. I know I did at least 10 miles at race pace (probably about .25 mi extra or more). It felt good for about a mile, but after that I had to push harder than I would have liked. Allergies, you need to go away now.

Matt rode the bike along side me, telling me stories for distraction. He also noticed how much stronger my form has gotten in the last year. “Has your form always been so vertical? You don’t slouch at all.” Between breaths, I replied, “If I slouch, I can’t breathe. It fixes my posture pretty quick that way.”

Considering the spotty Garmin signal and about 800 ft. of climbing (basically having to run on feel rather than even mile splits), we’re going to call this one a win:

Wednesday: Run 5 mi easy, untimed. Strength: Legs.
Nothing exciting. Moving on.

Thursday: Run 8.5 mi. 5x1 mile (goal: 7:00).
My allergies were better for this track workout. My sore quad didn't like all the turns and intensity and tightened up very quickly after I finished. I got a massage that afternoon and it felt a lot better.

Friday: Run 8.25 mi. easy, untimed.
When I'm putting in harder miles, I really love balancing all the hard miles with super easy ones, free of my watch. Without these runs, I know I'd burn out quickly and hate running hard.

Saturday: Run 20 mi, 2:50:23: 8:31/mi. Strength: Core, Legs.
My leg was tight all week. Through some damp heat and stretching, I kept it that way. Pain crept into the run at 15 mi. One of my faster 20 milers. Felt consistently strong throughout. I took two ice baths that night and that made a huge difference.

TOTAL: 61.75 miles.

Notes: This week, with the exception of Tuesday afternoon, went by quickly. It was planned to be 65, but I constantly questioned whether I should be taking major time off for the quad.  I know my body really well and it isn't normal to have little tight spots. My normal feels really fluid and strong. From what I can gather, this level of "off" wouldn't even register as a problem for most runners. But it worried me, so I shaved a couple of miles from Wednesday and Friday.

I love higher mileage and the rhythm that comes with it. My body just adapts and goes.  Mentally, I think I'm stronger this season.  Usually I feel like 60 mile weeks are draining and a big deal. This time around, I find myself asking, "Can I run more?" My leg is already feeling better now and I've had several runs where I didn't even notice any tightness.  I just need to kick the rest of this allergy/asthma stuff and I'll be ready for CIM.

198 miles for October (2nd highest for the year) and 1652 miles in 2013 so far. Woo!

The weeks before a taper.....

remind me of the weeks before final exams in college.  I tried to cram as much studying in as I could. I ate food out of boxes while I wrote research papers at my computer. I slept more and saw friends less.

I liked to study in bed. Most of the time that was fine. The rest of the time, I woke up with spiral notebook imprints on my face.

Even now, many years later, I almost become that same person during the three or four weeks before I taper for a marathon.  With the increased fatigue of higher mileage weeks and its resulting hunger, it feels all I do is eat, run, and sleep.  My house is a mess.  The laundry piles up into great mountains which the cat enjoys sleeping on the top. Neighbors see us heading out for our run and comment, "It is getting to be that time of day already, isn't it?"  Friends show up at our door, "Your yard looks like a runner's yard."

That last one, I've at least built a good non-running excuse for: Most of the neighbors pay someone to keep their yards pretty. They're just trying to make us look bad.  I've come to terms with this and embraced it.  Now instead of apologizing to someone for my unkempt yard, I give directions based off its appearance.  "You'll find our house by our yard.  It's the only one on the block that looks like a jungle."  Nobody has missed it yet.

We've considered adding a life size yeti from the Skymall catalog, but one of our neighbors is 85 and likes to take daily strolls with her walker. I don't want to be responsible for the poor lady's death.

These last few weeks have been limited in interesting things to blog about.  I enjoy reading about how other people train, so I include a weekly recap. Beyond that, I don't want to bore you with daily training paces. If I think I'll get bored writing about it, I imagine someone would feel the same reading it.

Matt and I have been temporarily tied to our house lately, as we've expanded our family and suddenly have fifteen more mouths to feed. That's fifteen more than we want to burden our housesitter with.  He grew up on a farm and insisted that it would be no problem, but the first month with them requires a lot of checking in to see that the heat lamp is positioned correctly.

It's good you don't stay this cute or I might have trouble eating you.

I've tried to convince Matt that the chicks would love car camping with us, but after the very noisy six mile ride home from the post office (the post office didn't like how noisy the box was, so we had to pick them up as soon as the truck arrived), I think Matt has decided that was enough serenade for him. Party pooper.

"Ooooh! Is this for me?"

Since our chickens are a meat breed, they'll be with us just a couple of months longer.  If we find we enjoy having chickens around, we may invest in a breed that actually lives long enough to lay eggs before their little gluttonous hearts give out.

Their first trip outside the other day.

Does your housekeeping get neglected when you're busy running a lot? Or is that just me?

Long Run Musings

Our city twenty mile route is the best.  With so much to look at, I often find myself on wondering how we got to the last few miles so quickly.  I thought I'd change up my weekly long run post this week by posting some of the highlights instead:

The good:

1. I woke up to a heavy rain beating on the window. First real rain of the season. By the time Matt and I were fed, it had slowed to a drizzle. About five miles into our run, it stopped and the clouds cleared out.  Running in the gap between the rain and the wind behind the front is the most ideal time for my allergies. I had no issues and felt so energetic for the first time in weeks!

This is the actual model prediction for today. Note they use the word "firehose". HAHA. Too awesome.

2. Most people still had out their Halloween decorations. In one yard, a Jack-o-lantern had a wine bottle hanging from his mouth.  His friend sitting next to him was puking out his pumpkin guts. Most people wouldn't think this was as funny as we did because they weren't jazzed on endorphins. I almost feel sorry for them.

3. We ran with Matt's Soleus watch and the display is a lot harder to see than my Garmin. I ignored the watch completely and ran on feel.  The splits were pretty consistent for the most part. I enjoyed that.

4. About 11 miles in and back on a main road, we spotted a shady looking guy at the bus stop.  He saw us coming and quickly gathered up his jacket to walk away (always a good sign, yeah?).  As he did so, he dropped something on the ground and frantically looked around, finding his missing item and quickly dashing away.  It was a quart baggie full of pot.  I'd be a little panicked too if I thought I'd lost that much weed.

5. So we're cruising along down a sidewalk near mile 14 and I spot three beer bottles lined up on the edge of the sidewalk. No big deal, it's a Saturday morning.  But they were full and unopened!  It might have been another hallucination like last week's flute player or it might have been the best beer aid station ever!  People are weird here, so I didn't think grabbing one for the next stop at a traffic light was a good idea.  If it smells like a trap, we decided, it probably was. We imagined scenarios of someone trying to chase us down and get their beer back.

See? Gentle downhill at mile 14! :) YAY.

The bad:
1. Should have brought a camera for all the fun sights today!

2. On last week's long run, I felt a sudden sharp pain in my left quad. The pain quickly dissipated when we moved to more even running surface and I finished the run without a peep from my leg.  This week, it has felt tight and I've been rehabbing it and asking my massage therapist what to do about it. It had been a dull tightness but never pain...until about 15 miles into today's run. With a little massage, the pain went away, just the tightness remained. 

3. Since we were still 5 miles from home, it was a huge struggle to decide whether to send Matt for the car or to run it out.  In cases like this, I'm very glad that I've got a buddy that knows me well enough to help make solid decisions.

4. I'm not one to push through REAL pain, even if it is still slight enough to run on, so I'm going to take a little time off and see if I can't kick this altogether.  The muscle affected is the vastus lateralis. My massage therapist thinks it might be a slight strain since it came on suddenly on uneven downhill terrain. She said that as long as it isn't painful, I can keep running on it. She added that it might be best to stay active to keep the blood flow moving through the area (though I don't think she had 20 milers in mind).  I'll hit the ice bath this afternoon and alternate moist heat and ice for the next couple of days (per therapist suggestion). Of course she's not a doctor, so I'll see one next week if too if it comes to that.

Have you seen anything interesting on a run lately and want to share a story?

Winter Trail Season Race

Since races are filling up more quickly than ever, we're finding it necessary to plan our next race before we've finished training for the current one. We've been going back and forth on which trail race to run at the end of our off season: sometime in the January-February range.

Matt has been growing a beard since we were in Utah last month. For the race we chose, staying warm is the biggest key to success. So he's already got a head start on that one:

I spent most of a week researching new races, I really did.  Cold weather racing seems to be becoming more and more popular and I was able to find several other races in that time frame including Beast of Burden in NY, Yankee Springs in MI, and Tuscobia in WI. After the last few winters of inconsistent snowfall, particularly in the Midwest, we knew that those races could potentially be without much snow at all.  They also are lacking a real wilderness aspect, weaving through residential areas or alongside highways.

We fell back on a race we ran two years ago, almost entirely on snowmobile trails, where snow and wilderness are a sure thing:

I'm looking forward to training specifically for this race and planning out my gear list.  It has been a long time since we've trained on the beach and sand dunes, so shaking things up a little and heading back to the sand sounds very appealing right now.

Who else wants to come?
February in southcentral Alaska isn't as terrible as it sounds, I promise.  It is often like January in the Upper Midwest, just a little bit less daylight.  Only difference is it's a lot prettier cuz it's Alaska and Black Spruce trees look darn pretty in the snow.