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Must Love Dogs

I’m a cat owner, but I also love dogs. I don’t have a dog, first and foremost because I have been a renter my entire adult life, and it’s more difficult to find a rental that would be suitable for a dog. A lot of trail runners are dog owners, and trails are also a great place for regular dog-walking. I love seeing all kinds of dogs while I’m out running.

Dog owners, I don’t always love seeing, because dog owners can be irresponsible trail users.

Please pick up your dog’s poop. While trail running on Sunday, I came across large stretches where the snow had melted and there were dozens of dog droppings in a short distance. While navigating a slippery, treacherous downhill, I not only had to avoid falling down a hill, but I had to avoid falling into dog poop. Dog crap is not part of the forest ecosystem. If you don’t want to clean up after your dog, don’t get a dog.

Please leash your dog. On Monday, I was running at Bagley. I came out of the woods for the short portion that’s on the discus field (or whatever) on campus, and a man was there with his four unleashed dogs. All four of them rushed at me, a couple of them making growling noises, and they ignored his commands, jumping on me. His apologies went unaccepted. Dogs should be leashed for their own safety, the safety of other animals, the safety of other people, and to protect trails. Yes, even on remote trails. Look, the Superior Hiking Trail Association even says so. I don’t care how friendly you tell me your dog is. Leash it.

I guess those are my main annoyances. There are a lot of other things dog owners do that make me mad (driving with their dogs in pickup truck beds, leaving them barking outside for hours, leaving them in hot cars, giving them away when the dog becomes the slightest inconvenience, etc.), but not running-specific ones.

Grandma’s Marathon 2015

Tomorrow is Grandma’s Marathon and the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon here in Duluth. I am not running it, because I couldn’t complete the training. I wish I’d been able to, but I’m not too disappointed. Considering the weather report looks dire, my disappointment has abated almost entirely.

I hadn’t been able to decide if I wanted to go watch the marathon or not, since I don’t like crowds or traffic, and I didn’t have anyone to go with. I didn’t go last year, even though I hosted a couple of guys who were coming up to watch. I know enough people running that it would be nice to cheer for some people (blogger Michelle is going to run it with her sister!), but I could also watch it at home, or sleep in, or something. A friend’s husband is running the race and we decided to meet up since we haven’t seen each other in years, so I will see a little bit of the marathon, at least, while I wait with her and her daughters to cheer on their daddy.

I have mixed feelings about the marathon, because I am an intolerant townie. I don’t need to be downtown or in Canal Park on Saturday, which is good. I think it’s great we have this cool, internationally recognized marathon here, and I do really want to run it someday. I also got a little excited when I went to lunch with my boss today and we saw two elite runners eating at the same place. I must be elite now, too.

I get uncomfortable running around town on marathon weekend. I am slow, as we all know, and I’d be embarrassed to be seen running by someone whose marathon pace is half my 5K PR pace. Saturday’s plan is to get the hell out of the city and onto some trails where only the squirrels can judge me, once I am done spectating.

Welcome to Duluth, runners, spectators, various media, et al! Enjoy your races, I wish you all PRs, and please don’t throw up if I am near you.

Against the Wind

When I was driving back to school Tuesday evening, old Bob Seger came on the radio singing “Against the Wind,” and it was kind of like being trolled by my radio.

This week is a cutback week (my training plan has them every 4 weeks), so the mileage for the week is stepped down a bit. Tuesday I stepped it back even further than the plan recommended.

I felt really tired and crappy, I ate a ton of delicious but heavy Chinese food for lunch, I was having back cramps, and it was cold and windy with some strong gusts. I almost didn’t even run at all. I am pretty impressed I got out there. I made it to the hill where I do my repeats and wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to complete them. My legs were really stiff and tight, probably because of the muscle cramps I was having in my lower back, and I also felt a funny little twinge in the back of my leg during part of my warmup, since I had to sprint across an intersection. It’s this awful 5-way stop where Kenwood, Skyline, and some other roads combine. I wasn’t able to make eye contact with all the drivers and I had to just barrel across and hope everyone was letting me go. I survived, but sprinting like that with the tightness in my legs was a bad idea. The twinge didn’t get worse, but it didn’t entirely disappear, so I was a little nervous about going all out. I felt like I wasn’t turning my legs over at all, but somehow I still managed to hit similar paces to my previous hill workouts, so maybe that was all in my mind. My cramps hadn’t gone away, and I had homework to do, so after my four hill repeats (cutback week!), I headed back home, only completing 2.5 miles instead of the prescribed 4.

Maybe my watch was malfunctioning, because even though I felt sluggish and labored, and even though it took me forever to cross the street on the way back, I still hit an overall pace of 14:41 and a heart rate of 147 bpm. I am pretty sure the heart rate monitor wasn’t picking up my heartbeat correctly, but I don’t know, maybe it was. I did have to stop several times due to traffic and I did jog extremely slowly down the hill to recover after each interval. The pace just seems a little fast for me at that heart rate.

Yesterday I woke up and scraped ice off my car before going to school. I wanted to cry; it’s April, enough of that nonsense. I was tired, as I’d slept poorly, and I had a couple of homework problems left to finish that were due that afternoon. It was not a good morning.

I had planned on sitting out yesterday, not running. I was so tired, mentally and physically, it was cold, and I figured I could just scrap this week. But as I was leaving school, I realized it wasn’t as cold out as it seemed. It wasn’t windy, and it was kind of misty, but not in a chilly way. I didn’t describe that well, but it wasn’t an awful damp feeling. By the time I got home, I was resolved to work out.

I ran 4.3 miles at Hartley and it felt mentally great, although physically it was a little rough. I was tired, as I’ve written several times already, and my right calf felt a little funky. It felt like my lower right leg was shorter than my lower left leg. I don’t know if the muscle just didn’t want to work correctly or what, but it was affecting my gait a bit. It was still muddy, though not quite as bad as it was last time I was there, and I found a couple new short but really enjoyable trails. I ran an overall pace of 17:58, which isn’t groundbreaking or anything, but it’s about 2 minutes faster than my previous (excessively muddy) excursion to Hartley. It was a nice restorative run, mentally, although physically it wasn’t the greatest.

Since I have the 5K on Saturday, I will probably do my speed workout today, do an easy run Friday, race Saturday (well, not probably on that part), and then do my long run on Sunday. I do not plan on making up any of the lost mileage (I am already down 1.2 miles for the week between yesterday and Tuesday), so it’ll be a little more of a cutback week than the plan calls for, but it will also involve an additional day of speedwork (the 5K), so I think it won’t be a big deal to shorten the mileage.

Week Five Update

Week 3 was a disaster and Week 4 was my attempt to get back on track. I’m proud to announce Week 5 was a success! Despite rearranging the training plan completely AND going out of town, I managed to hit the prescribed mileage.

A quick recap:
Monday 4 miles, road
Tuesday 8 miles, road
Wednesday 5 miles, Lakewalk
Thursday 3.6 miles, paved trail
Friday 3.4 miles, trail
Saturday rest
Sunday 4 miles, road
Total: 28 miles!

I already discussed a couple of the runs from earlier in the week. I’m not exactly sure how long my Lakewalk run was, as I didn’t start my watch until I was a few tenths of a mile into the run. My watch registered 4.72 miles, and I am pretty certain I ran at least 0.2 miles before I realized I hadn’t started my watch, so I called it 5 miles.

Thursday I cheated badly. I was on a time crunch because I didn’t get up in time to run before we drove down to the Twin Cities, so I had to run after we got there and before we went to dinner. I was going to run 2 miles along the path around Medicine Lake, then turn around and run 2 miles back. The actual path that goes around the lake is apparently harder to find than I thought, so I ended up having to take a convoluted path to even get to 3.6 miles. I was really booking it for most of the run because I knew I needed to get home quickly. I ended up with splits of 13:27, 14:16, 14:30, and a 13:14 pace for the last 0.6 miles, with an average heart rate of 170 bpm. Oops.

Sunday’s run sucked. It was cold (31 degrees F) and I felt crappy. I hadn’t slept well the night before and I was feeling basically hung over without having imbibed, and then I sat in the car for a couple hours. But I ran anyway, so hooray. I felt vaguely nauseated, so I didn’t push at all and probably walked about a third of the four miles (the uphill parts). I felt a lot better during the last mile or so of the run, so I’m glad I got out and did it, since I’m trying to train my stomach to handle running better. So far so good.

Next week includes a hill workout, medium effort run, and a 9 mile long run. And school. Goody.

A Journey of a Thousand Miles

…begins with a single race registration.

RaceReg

Holy crap. I registered for a race.

The Fitger’s 5K is April 11th, which means there will probably be a foot of snow on the ground. It is also far enough in the future that I should be a tiny bit faster. I joked to the Grandma’s Marathon Twitter account that I would be coming in DFL (Dead F**king Last), but I don’t really believe that. I looked at last year’s results and am confident that I would be able to avoid DFL. Maybe not in my age group, but overall, yes. Even running with my self-imposed heart rate restrictions, even running on the treadmill, I am above the pace of the last finishers from last year. So, that’s already checked off the list. Now I just have to figure out how to run in the morning, and how to speed up a little so I’m not in the stragglers at the back. And how to avoid chickening out and skipping the race.

Off Day

Yesterday was an unexpected day off from running. I am somewhat annoyed about it because it was another nice day, and because I want to run outside any time I can, and I cannot during the week. I woke up with a sore back and hips. My back is fine, it’s just kind of stiff, it’s definitely plain old muscular soreness and not something worse. My hips are just a little worn out, I think, but I’m concerned they feel like the Tin Man’s before Dorothy found the oil can, and I decided a break would be a good idea, even though I just had a rest day on Friday.

I felt a bit guilty about sitting on my couch watching Gilmore Girls during the time I planned for running, but after creaking around the rest of the day at a UMD hockey game and running errands, it turned out to be a good idea. This was confirmed once I started feeling chilled and overall achy in the evening. Since I sometimes write posts in the evening and schedule them for the next day (a shocking revelation, I know!), I could have come down with a full-blown case of influenza by the time you get around to reading this. Or, I’ve successfully given my body the extra bit of rest it needed to fight off whatever crap was trying to take over. With school starting this week, I’m not taking any chances.

With my level of fitness, spotty track record with commitment to running, and overall bent toward laziness, rest days worry me. Since I don’t plan them, instead choosing them based on either my schedule for the day, how I feel on a particular day, or how long it’s been since my last rest day, one rest day can very easily turn into two… or three… weeks. Or more. I hope my two-pronged formula for success this way around will work. This plan is, obviously, 1. Run at an aerobic pace so I’m not killing myself with every run and 2. Write about running publicly (while not doing anything to actively promote this writing), so that I’m forced to keep going in order to have something to write about.

I really hope I am not sick. It would not be the best way to begin spring semester.

Don’t Worry

There are a lot of excuses I make for not running and specifically not racing. The last race I ran was The Geezer Chase, a 5K put on by my former high school’s cross country team, and that was probably six or seven years ago. I ran it and came in probably last or close to last, and I don’t remember my time. If they do it again this year, I’ll probably run it. Since it’s been going on for 11 years, I feel like there’s a good possibility it’ll go on, but who knows?

Anyway, I don’t race for a lot of stupid reasons. I guess I don’t race long distances like marathons or ultras because I am not properly trained, which is a valid reason. That could have been solved multiple times by committing to developing base mileage and following a training plan, of course, but I have other excuses for not doing either of those things. I am fully capable of running a 5K right now (by fully capable, I mean it’s clear that I can run for 3.1 miles without stopping. I said running, not racing.) so that’s all excuses.

My major excuses for avoiding races or workouts, broken down into worries (excuses that stem from anxiety) and annoyances (excuses that stem from laziness):

Worries
1. I don’t want to barf.
This is one of my top reasons for opting out of running. I have a lifelong fear of barfing. If my stomach feels even a bit off, I’ll call off a run, even though most of it is probably in my head. This isn’t really running-specific, as I’ve been known to avoid doing a lot of things based on a fear that I’ll puke all over the place. I’m coping, whatever.

2. I don’t want to deal with other people barfing.
One of my top reasons for not racing: other people puking. Because of excuse #1.

3. I don’t want to get swept from a course.
This is unlikely during a 5K, but could be a reality during a trail run. To run in the types of races I am more interested in, I need to not only build my endurance, but get faster. While I know that following a training plan will get me there, I need to actually be faster before even starting the training plan.

4. I find the logistics of races intimidating.
Expos. Bib pickups. Cutoffs (see #3). Corrals. Taking a bus to the starting point. Sitting around forever wearing a garbage bag waiting for the race to start with no one to talk to. Getting lost/going way off course (I did this once in a cross-country ski time trial, so it’s not unheard of). Most of this anxiety would be assuaged by signing up for a race with a friend.

5. I don’t want to be stuck somewhere without a nice, private bathroom when I really, really, really, really need one.
I’m not even going to post that meme about running marathons with the picture of the guy who has crapped himself. First of all, unless you are winning or in the contention for the win, there is no need for that. No PR or BQ or whatever other initials you might use is worth defecating yourself. Winning $150000 in the Boston Marathon is worth it. That will never be me, so I do not ever want to get to that point. I don’t even like using port-a-potties. Using one that’s been befouled by someone with runner’s trots while a line of people 9-deep waits outside is a recipe for, you know, “stage fright.”

6. I am embarrassed that I’m slow.
I really am. Trail running has helped a lot, because I’m not dragging ass along busy streets where everyone driving by will see me huffing and puffing up a hill at a snail’s pace, or even *gasp* taking a walk break. I don’t like being judged by other runners, or feeling like I am in their way. I have to remind myself I have just as much right to the trails/paths/sidewalks as they do, and all I have to do is step aside and they can prance along like a gazelle at twice my pace with zero effort and leave me eating their dust. I also avoid running on very busy paths (like the Lakewalk in the summer, or the Chain of Lakes in Minneapolis) so that I’m not encountering a lot of running/walking/biking/stroller terrorist traffic.

Annoyances
1. I don’t like getting up super early.
This keeps me from getting runs in before work/school, and also from racing. I love sleeping and I always stay up late. I also feel kind of gross in the mornings. I need to get over this, not just for running, but to become a more productive member of society.

2. I am too slow to get in a decent workout in the time I have.
It’s a vicious cycle, right? I’m too slow, so I should just not even bother? I can usually overcome this one but sometimes I feel like it’s just not worth it to devote nearly half an hour to slogging through two pathetic miles.

3. The treadmill sucks.
Notice that I don’t have “It’s too cold/hot/rainy/etc out” on here. That’s because I own a treadmill, so any weather-related excuse for not running really boils down to hating the treadmill. I am even slower on the treadmill than I am on pavement. I really just have to force myself to get on it and find a way to make it a bit interesting and worthwhile. Even if that means getting on it and walking for 30 minutes. It’s better than nothing.

I thought there would be more annoyances. There probably are, but again, I can overcome most annoyances. The worries require real work.

I don’t worry that people are judging my body when I am running. I mean, I’m sure people are, I run in tank tops and compression capris/leggings, so I’m letting it all hang out. I am a million times more worried about what people will think of my pace than about what people think of my body. I know that can be a major hangup for people of all shapes and sizes, so I’m grateful I don’t have that concern to add on top of all the other things I’ve babbled on about, and I hope I never get into that mindset. The biggest embarrassment I have about my body while working out is how incredibly red my face gets at the slightest exertion, but that’s never been a barrier to working out.

There are excuses for not running that I find acceptable. Others might not, but I think it’s important to have limits.

Valid Excuses
1. Any kind of illness.
I know some people will run with a cold, but I will not. My “colds” frequently develop into something more severe (sinus infection, bronchitis, or just overall crappiness), so I will choose rest every single time.

2. Pain I shouldn’t have.
Muscular pain is normal. My hips and lower back being cranky is normal. Anything else and I’m resting. I’m not elite, I have no physical therapist or trainer advising me, I am not going to take chances.

3. Mental or physical exhaustion.
I didn’t run for most of December, even though I hoped to, because I was feeling overwhelmed by schoolwork. An hour dedicated to running meant an hour I wasn’t studying or working on a project, and also meant I was more tired when I sat down to study. I don’t regret doing it even though it set back my fitness and I probably gained a few pounds. There are times when running is a good way to recharge, but not when I literally felt guilty about running because I wasn’t doing my homework.

4. Friends, family, and hockey.
I’m not going to miss a hockey game for a long run. I did once go to a UMD women’s game directly after a 5 mile run and I felt kind of crappy and sick for the first part of the game, but I didn’t miss the game. I’m not going to ditch out on friends or family who are in town because I need to put in a 20 miler. (Shorter runs are ok). I do hope someday I’m running some fancy race and I’ve got a huge group of people cheering me on (red face and all!), but some dumb training run can wait.

This was a very long-winded way of pointing out the importance of mental toughness. Owning up to fears and excuses gives me a way to address and overcome them, or at least shove them aside and keep on going. Expressing my priorities helps me make better decisions. Running is more important than being lazy. Running is not more important than hockey. Getting a good grade is more important than running. Sleeping super late is not more important than running but I often let it be.

This was also a very long-winded way of saying many of my running-related worries and annoyances will be alleviated by improvement, so there’s hope!