slow runners

A Conversation With My Boss

Via email

Me: I ran by your house the other day!
Boss: Cool, did you see the coyote, it’s been hanging around.
Me: Um, no, but now I will be much more nervous about running on the Lakewalk!

Great. Now I’m going to feel super safe running the upper part of the Lakewalk after dark. I guess I should be thankful to her for the warning! I’m running out of reliable routes, between wild animals, unshoveled sidewalks, and poorly plowed streets. I’m starting to wonder what will break me first this winter: the cold or the monotony?

Zumbro 50 Training: Week 1

*Remember, I’m not yet committed to this race. Getting closer every day, but we’ll see what happens once the deep freeze sets in.

Monday: 6.4 mi, paved trail + road (Lakewalk + Park Point)
Tuesday: 8.2 mi, road (Park Point)
Wednesday: 6.6 mi, road
Thursday: 15.2 mi, paved trail (entire Lakewalk both ways + a little extra)
Friday: 8 mi, road
Saturday: rest (holiday travel)
Sunday: rest (holiday travel + horrible weather)
Total: 44.4 mi

Biggest running week in awhile. Probably not a good idea, I am sure, but they’re not extremely challenging miles. I haven’t run on a technical trail in quite awhile, although that’s got to change soon.

I bitched about winter running in my previous post, as it’s been affecting my runs quite a bit. Running over unshoveled sidewalks, running on busy streets because the sidewalks are impassable for a block – or more! It sucks, and it’s limiting my routes. I’m going to be so sick of the Lakewalk in a few weeks.

I have been running with my trail shoes, as they have lugs for traction on the bottom, which have been sufficient so far. I haven’t tried them on a snowy trail yet, so I may need to replace the chain grippers I had last year, but I’d prefer not to. I received some gift cards for Christmas for trail gear and shoes (from REI and Austin Jarrow, my fave local running store), so I’ll be stocking up on gear for the winter. I may or may not buy snowshoes, I haven’t decided.

My first long run in awhile went relatively well. It hurt a bit, that’s for sure, but the time really flew by. I carried a water bottle for the first time in a long time, and for awhile couldn’t figure out why I was so off balance – I thought I had vertigo. Turns out it was the sloshing of the water in the bottle. I ate gels for the first time since Wild Duluth, which went well. I was concerned my stomach wouldn’t be ready for them but I had no issues. I do have to make sure to carry them close to my body to prevent them from solidifying. Opening gels with gloves is also much more annoying than opening gels in nice warm weather with free hands. My gloves got a little sticky.

I originally planned on running 4 or so miles on Saturday before we headed down to the Twin Cities for our whirlwind Christmas tour, but my back was stiff and I didn’t want to push the miles. 44 was enough, 4 extra miles wasn’t going to have any benefit, and I was going to sit in a car for 2.5 hours.

15 more weeks to go. I haven’t set my “drop dead” date for signing up for the race. I think that’ll come after my first huge back-to-back weekend.

Things I Took For Granted

I love winter in some respects. I love the frigid days we had here in Duluth last week, with a bright orange sunrise and sea smoke in the harbor. I love watching snow fall. I love twinkle lights.

Running in the winter just sucks, though. There are so many things I took for granted this summer, that I’m realizing as winter progresses. Yeah, I ran last winter, but I wasn’t training for an ultra. I started to list them all in my head during my long run on Thursday.

  1. Seemingly endless daylight.
    I could dawdle around the house for a couple hours after work and still get in a decent run before dark.
  2. Minimal clothing.
    I have to pile on the clothes in the winter, which means more laundry, fewer options for what I can wear, and less freedom of movement. I don’t have to wear gloves in the summer, which means I have more dexterity for opening gels, adjusting my clothes, fiddling with my watch, etc.
  3. No fogged-up glasses.
    When it’s really cold and I’ve gotta cover my face, my warm breath fogs up my glasses. So then I have to uncover my face. And then I get frostbite, which reminds me…
  4. No frostbite and less risk of hypothermia.
    Hypothermia is of course possible even on warmer days, but no one can get frostbite in 55 degree weather. My skin is miserable right now.
  5. Less mucous.
    My nose runs while I’m running in any weather, but it runs a heck of a lot more in winter. Then my snot freezes.
  6. I’m not tired and cold for hours after running.
    Sometimes in the winter, I just can’t get warm. I’ll feel fine while running, but then I get chilled once I come inside. It makes me sleepy, and then I’m basically useless the rest of the day. I feel that way right now, in fact.
  7. Trails and sidewalks are accessible.
    Certainly, after a big rain, trails get muddy or water crossings get treacherous. But some trails or trailheads aren’t reachable due to snow, roads are icy, and people don’t shovel their sidewalks. Yesterday I ended up having to run on the road on Woodland because the sidewalk near Glen Avon rink was completely unshoveled; I’d have been running in knee-deep, filthy snow. Most of the sidewalks on Arrowhead between Woodland and Kenwood aren’t shoveled; they’re passable, but it’s tough going. My route options are getting more and more limited as winter progresses.
  8. So many races!
    There are multitudes of races in the spring, summer, and autumn, but nothing in winter. Obviously because it’s cold, and clearing the course is a pain, and fewer people are interested, and there are greater liabilities for race directors; I get why there aren’t more races. But I wouldn’t mind having a tune-up race in late February/early March. It’s possible, of course, but I’d have to travel somewhere warm, and I’m not going to do that just for a race.

I’ve still got about 4 months to go before it’s warm again (and that’s being optimistic!), so I’m just going to have to deal with it, but next time it’s 90 degrees and cooler outside than it is in my house, I need to pull up this post and remind myself of how much worse it could be.

50 or Bust?

Today I’m embarking on the first week of training for either a slightly under-trained Zumbro 50, or an extremely over-trained Zumbro 17. I’m still not sure.

I hate to equivocate, but I am really uncertain about my ability to put in the mileage necessary, and to stay healthy for 16 weeks in a row. However, I do want to be transparent about what I’m doing. There’s no reason to be secretive about a goal, just because I might not make it. Of course I’m setting myself up for failure by not committing 100% to the race RIGHT FREAKING NOW, but I’m being honest. Last winter, I was sick for like 8 weeks straight. I trained through some of that, but I also had long stretches of time with no running. I ran Zumbro 17 in the midst of that illness (and on about 2 hours of sleep), but that was 17 miles. (Well, 16.7.) Running 3x that distance, starting at midnight, in who knows what weather, is entirely different.

I’m a bit concerned about ramping up the mileage after several weeks of very low mileage, but I have several days off this week, it’s warmed up considerably (I ran 5.6 miles yesterday in sub-zero Fahrenheit weather), and I am feeling pretty good. I don’t have any nagging pain, I’m not mentally beaten up from running, and aside from a bit of a runny nose and some sneezing most likely brought on by poor air quality in my house, I’m not feeling sick.

My goal was to loosely follow the plan laid out in Hal Koerner’s book. I was going to use the plan from Bryon Powell’s, but I can’t figure out where I put that book. It is probably under my bed or under my couch. I’m a slob, but I’ve come to terms with it. It prevents me from having too many houseguests, so it’s got its good points. Hal’s plan is far too ambitious for me, but I’m also hoping to just finish the race before the cut-off, not win.

I’m under no illusion that I can half-ass this training the way I did with Wild Duluth and Moose Mountain. There was a lot of winging it, mileage-wise. I made virtually no changes to my nutrition. I haphazardly did strength training. I didn’t concentrate on sleep or stress management. And I didn’t have to worry about when I ran because it was decent weather most of the time and there was lots of daylight. If I am able to successfully complete the Zumbro 50, it will be because I was able to eat well, run well, sleep well, and live well. It will be life-changing in a way that running a marathon and a 50K were not.

I am really, really excited to see what happens.

At A Standstill

It turns out while I thought I got away with running while sick, I did not get away with racing while sick. The Saturday afternoon after the race I started to feel fatigued, Sunday I was pretty lethargic, and Monday I was really unwell. So now I’ve rested for 8 days as a precaution (I was going to get back out there this weekend, but I started sneezing quite a bit on Saturday and backed off).

I’m feeling a mix of things, none of which are “good.” I know all feelings are supposed to be valid, but I’m growing tired of their effects. I would like to run Zumbro 50 next year, but my 16-week training cycle starts next week. This has caused me to feel anxious about my fitness, as well as about my health as the winter progresses. It’s colder now than it was even last week. I also feel guilty, as if I should be out running, or I should have done something differently to avoid getting sick. I also feel pretty down about my weight, which has crept up a bit over the last several months. My clothes still fit so it’s not the end of the world, but I was hoping for some more downward progress. My treadmill is still broken (for some reason dealing with it seems to be an insurmountable task, although the wheels are in motion now), so my only option is going outside, in single-digit temps. I’m going to have to invest in some serious cold weather gear this year.

There’s just not that much to be positive about when it comes to running. I’m determined to get out there tonight, in as many layers as it takes to stay warm. Then I have to make a couple pans of brownies for tomorrow’s holiday pot luck. That will certainly get my nutrition and fitness back on track!

Race Report: Jingle Bell 5K

Official Results:
Time: 29:21
Pace: 9:27
Placing:
Overall: 57/167
Gender: 35/124
Division (F 30-39): 16/46

Watch Results:
Time: 29:25
Pace: 9:31/mi
Distance: 3.09
Heart Rate: N/A

Goals:
A: 29:29
B: 29:59

Food:
What I ate the night before: carne asada skirt steak and instant mashed potatoes
What I ate on race morning: granola bar
What I carried with me: nothing

Gear:
What I wore: hoodie, tank top, tights, buff as headband, gloves
Gadgets: GPS watch, fitness tracker

jinglebell5k

Rita and me after the race. Last time we saw each other, we covered 10x this distance. At more than 2x the pace…

Discussion: Well, I did it! Finally under 30 minutes!

It’s fairly amazing that I did, since I have been sick and I have been light on training for November. This confirms my theory that I was held back mentally, rather than physically, from reaching this rather dubious milestone. But hey, I don’t care if it’s dubious, it was a big deal for me! Now I guess my goal is to never go under 30 minutes for a 5K again unless I’m wearing a bizarre costume, running on a technical trail, or running with a friend for fun/to pace them. Which, I can’t keep a consistent pace, so I should not pace other people.

I didn’t sleep that well the night before the race, and I didn’t feel super fantastic when I woke up. I had a bit of a stuffy head and a runny nose. I had planned to get up a bit earlier but hit the snooze so I could rest a little more. I didn’t need much time to get ready so I don’t know why I planned to get up early. I guess because I like to hit snooze. I love running local 5Ks because they’re so easy to get to. I was there in 5 minutes, parked right across from the Sports Garden, where I checked in and then warmed up. Yup, I warmed up! And then had a good race! Hooray! I ran at a very easy pace for about 10 mins and then returned to the Sports Garden (indoor staging area, so nice!) to meet up with my friend Rita, who ran the Wild Duluth 50K with me. We haven’t seen each other since the race, so it was good to meet up. She has done like 5 races since then, because she is a bada$$.

I don’t have much to say about the race itself, because I sorta no longer see the point in a mile-by-mile discussion of a 3.1 mile race. I started out kinda quickly, at a pace that felt good, but it was hard to hold it. And there were certainly times when I looked down at my watch and realized I was not holding it, and I thought the race was out of reach. I had planned to try to run a race based on actually completing 3.2 miles in under 30 minutes, because I ran this same course back in October and my watch measured 3.18 miles so I was thinking I was on pace and I was not. I noted, however, that the turnaround was slightly closer this time than it was last time. Not .09 mi closer, no, but it was strange not to have the exact same spot. The finish line might have been slightly farther back, or the course marker could have taken a slightly different route (there are a few spots where the most direct route isn’t exactly clear, as there’s an open space to cut through and then there’s no set spot to jump off the boardwalk portion of the Lakewalk onto the paved portion). Not a big deal. I’m sure GPS error accounts for most of the difference.

Next time I’m really trying to PR in a 5K, I need to get up early enough to eat something that’s going to actually have time to kick in. I ate a granola bar, yes, but while that prevented me from a growling stomach, I don’t think it had time to break down and get converted into energy.

I’m pretty sure I’ve prolonged my illness by running this race, since I’m feeling tired and listless, but we’ll see. Not good if I have, since I have a work trip and long training all week, and there’s nothing worse than sitting in a training listening to some boring lecture with a foggy head.

That’s it for racing for 2016. I’m happy to have ended it on a high note!

Sick Of Myself

I’ve had a bit of a cold for the past couple days, which normally means I don’t run. I’ve been trying over the past year to be cautious and rest whenever I’m sick, rather than running through an illness and prolonging it. But that’s resulted in quite a few long breaks, and I only ran twice last week, so clearly time off from running didn’t help me stave off this latest cold.

Tuesday, I was attempting to do a tempo run, kind of like last week’s: 1 mile at 11:36 pace, that went ok, and then I was trying to do 1.1 miles at ~10:30 pace followed by 1.2 miles at ~9:30 pace, but during the second interval, I realized it wasn’t going to happen. I had no energy and was struggling to keep the pace, so I knew there was no way I could run the third interval. I decided to slow down and make the rest of the run an easy run. I cut it a little short, too, since I was attending my friend’s first game on the Marshall JV hockey team.

The next day I woke up sneezing and with a bit of a cough, plus a generally foggy head. Surprise, surprise. But I’m running this dumb 5K this weekend, I’d taken a gorillion days off in November (I didn’t even run 100 miles!), and I’m still reading Racing Weight, which is making me feel badly about myself, so I decided to run.

And I didn’t die! And I didn’t wake up yesterday feeling worse! (I felt the same.) And then I ran yesterday, too! Amazing.

So, I made a calculated decision and it paid off. I could have just as easily woken up feeling like donkey crap, and screwed myself over for this 5K that I don’t even want to run but I couldn’t drag my sorry butt out of bed on Thanksgiving so now I must. I’m glad that it worked out but I was really tempting fate.

I’m sick a lot. I’m not 100% sure why, but I have a few hypotheses:

  1. I eat like crap. Ok, trying to fix that. Entirely my own fault
  2. I don’t always get the best sleep. Sometimes this is my fault, like if I stay up too late reading. Sometimes it isn’t, like when I’m stressed or my stomach’s upset or I’m in an uncomfortable bed (like a pull-out couch, or a cot).
  3. When my allergies are triggered (by dust, pollen, cat dander, or some other unknown substance), they tend to open the door for a cold. I try to take an antihistamine but sometimes it’s too late. I take a preventative one when cleaning!
  4. I have had pneumonia and a couple of cases of bronchitis that seem to have done some lasting damage. I didn’t get sick nearly as often before my first bout of pneumonia about 10 years ago, nor did I get sick in the same way. I used to get a sore throat and a stuffy nose but was able to power through. Now I get a foggy head, labored breathing, and break out into a sweat when I have to walk more than ten feet. I was lucky this last little illness didn’t turn into that (it could have easily!), and I would not be running if that was the case, I’m not an idiot.

I ordered this list according to how much control I have over each potential cause for the frequency with which I get ill. Since I’m planning on improving my diet, and I guess now I should be planning on improving my sleep, I will have to see if that makes enough of a difference that I can stave off or minimize my next encounter with a yucky bacteria or virus.