Stuck on Slow

I think I’m stuck in a rut. I’m still running – trying to get in at least 20 miles most weeks. But on each run, I seem to be stuck on slow. I don’t know if it’s the heat or not having a race to train for but I seem to be in slow mode.

Plus, I’ve been kinda quiet in the blogosphere so here’s a rundown of what’s been going on in my running life for the last few weeks:

• I’m breaking in a new pair of running shoes. I usually run in Brooks Adrenaline GTS and I like my Brooks but I won a pair of New Balance 760 in a raffle so I’m giving them a try and so far so good. They’re comfortable but the soles aren’t as firm as my Brooks. My longest run in them has been 8 miles and my feet felt fine so they’re keepers.
• I took a few trips. I went to New York/New Jersey and Michigan. The humidity and heat in the Tri-State area was pretty intense. I only ran once and I was spent by the time I had finished. My trip to Lake Michigan was great. I ran along the water one morning. The weather was perfect for it – 60s and breezy. I told my husband we have to go back. The water was beautiful.
• I started a new job. Adjusting to a new work schedule coupled with the heat changed up my running schedule. I really wanted to run in the morning but the local park and running trails don’t officially open until 7 a.m., which doesn’t allow me enough time to run and get ready for work. I told myself I was going to get up at 5:30 a.m. and run in the neighborhood but the one time I did that, I saw how dark it was and went back to bed. I don’t like running in the dark alone. I don’t feel safe. So that leaves running after work, which I do from time to time, and cross training on the days when it’s too hot to run.
• I figured out a simple solution to my sports bar woes – wear two. I’ve been doubling up for about a month and haven’t had any chaffing problems. Plus I can now run in tank tops. I should have thought of that a long time ago.
• I’ve been bike riding with my husband, although we fell off the wagon since our vacations. Our longest ride was 18 miles. Cycling is great cross training so I’m enjoying it. Plus my husband refuses to run outside of the gym so this is something we can do together.

So what am I going to do to break out of my running funk? Well my running partner, who is faster than me, is running again. She broke her foot the day before the Glass City Marathon and had to take two months off from running. Now she’s healthy and we’ve been running together. Most of our outings so far have been long runs and we run at a fairly moderate pace. We’re planning to do tempo and speed workouts but they haven’t started yet. Also several of the local running stores offer marathon and half marathon training programs to get folks ready for fall races. We’re been doing the group long runs on Saturday mornings. It’s been a great way to meet people and running with a group always pushes me.

How about you? What do you do to break out of your running ruts?

When Bugs Attack

April showers bring May flowers and bugs are definitely in the mix. All that rain we’ve experienced so far this year has provided the puddles and ponding necessary for a healthy bug population.

Lately when I’ve been running and riding, I’ve had to watch how I breathe to make sure I don’t swallow any bugs.

I had a particularly bad bug encounter last fall, about a month after I had moved to Northwest Ohio. I went running in a wooded preserve like I did every Wednesday but this time it was one day after a heavy rain. The bugs were out in full force. I had to cut my run short after a mile. I had bugs in my hair, in my eyes and all over my clothes. There were plenty of people out running but I couldn’t take it anymore. I went home and debugged in the shower. I learned my lesson and haven’t done that again.

Now that the weather has warmed up, the bugs are back. I’ve been breathing through my nose and really careful when I breathe through my mouth. If I do shallow one, at least I hear I’ll get some protein but I hope that doesn’t happen. Wish me luck.

Rock ‘n Roll San Diego Recap

13.1 miles in one of the most beautiful cities in the country – I’ll take it.

Rock ‘n Roll San Diego was a blast. While this was the first half marathon that I didn’t PR in, it was a very positive experience.

First – it was in San Diego. I love San Diego. The weather is great. The scenery is picturesque. There is plenty to do and see before and after the race and I tried to do it all. I went to Coronado. I went wine tasting. I went shopping. Need I saw more…

Second – my girls were with me. The ladies who initially helped shaped me as a runner. The ones who encouraged me to run with them even though I couldn’t keep up. The ones who told me I could run a 10K and they were right. The ones who told me I could run a half marathon and they were right again. I owe a lot to these women. We ran together every week for more than a year when I lived in California and did a fair share of races side by side. This was my first race with them since last year’s San Francisco Marathon – 1st Half. It was nice to share this experience together.

Third – it was my first Rock ‘n Roll race and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Overall it was well organized. The expo was great (although I was disappointed Race Ready wasn’t a vendor – I was hoping to purchase a pair of capri's). The start went smoothly. The finisher’s village was nice with a beer garden and food by P.F. Chang's.

Now back to my time and not setting a PR. I missed my goal by two minutes but I wasn’t disappointed. The last three half marathons I did, I shaved 4 – 5 minutes off my time during each race. I figured it was a matter of time before I hit a plateau. This race was 6 weeks after my last half marathon. Now that I look back, I don’t feel like I trained as hard as I could have. I did several tempo runs but only one speed workout. I had a few low mileage weeks due to work commitments. I did feel good on race day. A friend decided to run with me to help me get to my goal. We went out strong but I ran out of steam around mile 11 and really had to push to get to the finish line, one minute slower than my PR. This race was definitely a learning experience – I got some pointers on my stride that I’ll have to try.

After resting for a few days, my plan is to change up my training routine. I want to cycle two days a week, have a weekly long run, a weekly tempo run and alternative weekly easy runs and speed workouts.

I don’t know what my next race will be. There are a lot of options and I’ll figure it out eventually. In the meantime, I plan to enjoy the journey. Happy running!

This is the last post in the Marathon Mondays series. I hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoyed sharing them with you.

Mind vs. Body

By: Black Girls RUN!
Special to RunDivaRun

My mom says that I have a delusional image of myself as a type of super hero with supernatural strength and ability. It’s true…Even in elementary school, I was queen of the playground - jumping off the highest monkey bars and tackling the biggest boys in class. My super hero delusion carried over to the soccer field and basketball court as I challenged anyone who dared to step to me. So, it was pretty difficult for me when I was preparing for my first half marathon, ING Georgia Marathon and Half Marathon, and I couldn’t see an opponent standing on the opposite side of the field. If I’m a super hero, I need a bad guy or opponent to defeat, right?

With no opponent in sight, it slowly felt as though I developed my own internal competition. It was my body versus my mind. It was as if they were battling it out to see who was bigger, stronger and all around more badass. When my body felt good during my long runs, my mind was telling me to stop or that I was too bored to make it through the next seven miles. Conversely, when I was mentally prepared I would develop some sort of nagging body ache or pain. Despite my best efforts, this competition lasted up until race day. I finally sat down and took some time to meditate before the race. Through this meditation, I was able to unite my mind and body on the same team. Once that happened, it became me against the course. My body ran smoothly and injury free and my mind kept it motivated and going.

How do you manage mental and physical preparation for a race? Does your preparation start when you are training or on race day?

Fall Back But Not Off

It’s getting colder. It’s dark when you get off work. There’s snow and ice on the ground. The wind is really whipping out there. My bed is really warm right now. These are just some of the possible excuses you will use to convince yourself not to run. The challenge is not to give in to them.

Winter is a tricky time for runners. All of the above is true, especially the part about your bed being really warm. But you’ve worked too hard all spring and summer long training for your fall race to let it all go to waste. I have listened to several friends complain about how hard it was to start running again after taking three months off after a half or full marathon. They felt like they were starting over. Why do that to yourself? It makes no sense to let the elements keep you from progressing as a runner.

I will admit I’m not a big fan of running in the cold or in the dark. I especially don’t run in the dark alone for safety reasons. So with the weather getting colder, I am forced to wear more layers when running outdoors. And with the time change, I’ll be doing more workouts indoors.

I refuse to stop running and neither should you. Soon I’ll share how I get through treadmill workouts and offer ideas for running outdoors in the winter. How will you get through the winter months?