slow runners

Time Off For Good Behavior

I’ve taken about 2 weeks off from running, which wasn’t planned but seems to have been a good idea.

I planned on running yesterday, but looked outside and it looked cold and damp and I decided a day of doing nothing was preferable.

I am done with my classes and just have on final exam and one presentation standing in the way of total freedom. In the form of 40 years of work. At least, I hope so. This upcoming week I should be putting the final pieces together for a job that will start in January and keep me in Duluth! Until everything’s finalized, I’m still going to be nervous about it.

I’m ready to start running again, but my body is probably happy to have the time off, especially my hips. I had too many days in a row on the treadmill and they were a bit achy, especially the right hip. I do have a (potential goal) race that’s only four months away, so I can’t spend too much more time fooling around being a slug. I suppose a trip to a sporting goods store is in order to get my headlamp, since daylight is hard to come by.

Cold Weather Gear Wish List

I’ve been getting outside to run on the weekends, but stuck inside during the week. I’ve noticed a couple things: first, it’s cold, and second, the treadmill is really rough on me. I need cold weather gear that will help me get outside during the week, and will keep me comfortable once it starts to get REALLY cold. While the 20s and teens might feel frigid right now, they’ll feel balmy in a month or so.

The next 2 weeks are going to be light on running as my semester winds down. I am digging in on the final touches of my capstone project, and running is going to take a backseat.

High Priority:
A new pair of gloves
Heavier-weight running tights
Head lamp
Superior Hiking Trail Membership
Upper Midwest Trail Runners Membership

I need a headlamp ASAP. I looked a bit on Black Friday but didn’t buy anything, so I need to get on that like, this weekend. For the gloves, I really need is a glove-mitten hybrid, but with fingerless gloves. I want the extra warmth a mitten provides, but I need dexterity to open up food on long runs. I don’t know if such an item exists. I’ll report back. My current running tights aren’t warm enough, and I end up with frigid thighs. I need some new tights, or a super slim pair of long underwear, otherwise I’m going to be rocking the shorts-over-tights look again.

The two memberships are important because I need to stop being such a lone wolf. I need to give back to the trails I’m beating up with my feet, and I need to meet some other runners and be more social.

Medium Priority:
A new sports bra
New hose for my hydration backpack
A heavyweight running hoodie

I didn’t use my hydration backpack in the summer because I used handhelds, but in the winter I will use it because I also cross-country ski, and one cannot use hand-held water bottles and cross country ski. It just won’t work. I’m still in search of a sports bra model that I like, so I’d like to pick up another one and continue the search while cutting down on laundry.

The running hoodie might be medium-priority, but I’ve already got one picked out. I’m getting this lovely maroon one from UMD Stores for myself once I accept a job offer. Whenever that might be. Although I need to make sure it has secure pockets. If not, I need to find a hoodie with zippered pockets.

Low priority:
Another pair of shoes
New socks

I have a coupon for shoes, so even though this is low priority, I’ll probably use it. I want to try some true trail shoes. And I guess I want to try out some different types of socks to see what works best for me in winter.

You can see my summer gear wish list here, and note that some items are on both. A headlamp for all seasons, please!

Race Report: Gobble Gallop 5K

Official Results:
Time: 32:31
Pace: 10:28
Placing:
Overall: 1030/1802

App Results:
App: MovesCount
Time: 32:35
Pace: 10:27
Distance: 3.12 mi
Heart Rate: N/A

Goals:
A: 33:00
B: 34:00

Food:
What I ate the night before: Qdoba burrito bowl
What I ate on race day: 2 Starbursts
What I carried with me: Nothing

Gear:
What I wore: Hoodie, short sleeved tech tee, medium-weight running tights, buff (as headband), gloves
Gadgets: GPS watch

Discussion:
I woke up early after dreaming that I was late to the race. Actually no. I dreamed that I was with 3 of my high school friends who I’d convinced at the last minute to run the race. They needed to sign up, so we needed to get there early, and I was lollygagging around, and then we arrived too late for them to sign up. I woke up feeling like a jerk. Then I was too worried about being prepared for the race to go back to sleep. Annoying.

I need to stop eating entire burrito bowls before races, because I still kind of felt full. I mean, it was good on one hand, because I didn’t need to eat anything, but I could have maybe eaten 3/4 of the burrito instead and not felt so… uffda. The quintessential Scandinavian-American onomatopoeia is the only appropriate word for it. So I was a little worried.

I left for the race at about 9. I love the races around here, they start so late in the day! 9:30! I thought parking might be an issue, but that was dumb. It’s Thanksgiving, businesses aren’t open, their parking lots were fair game. I parked up the hill about 4 blocks. That was good thinking on my part. It was snowing but not too windy, which was nice, and the streets weren’t slick, which I was worried about. A large portion of the race was run on brick, which can get a little tricky.

I warmed up without feeling self-conscious! That was nice. I just kind of trotted around for awhile and then watched the end of the mile race. The winner of the mile race was also third place in the 5K. I hate him. Most of the runners of the mile were kids (or their parents) and most were faster than me. Some fairly small kids are really freaking fast. So now I’m jealous of 9 year olds.

I spotted Joe, a friend of mine, and glommed onto him until race start. He is a fast runner so he of course lined up well ahead of me, but it was nice to have someone to talk to for a little bit. I lined up at the back as usual. It was a bit more of a bottleneck at the start, since the pack was wider than the start/finish gate we had to go through. The results don’t have gun time/chip time differentials posted but I think I started about 2 minutes after the gun time. At first I wasn’t even sure the race had started because it seemed like nobody moved.

Throughout the first half of the race, I had to tell myself to slow down. I kept going under 10 mins (I was looking at my watch way too much during the race, but clearly I needed to) because it felt good. I am glad that I kept reminding myself to back off because I needed that energy at the end, although I probably could have pushed a little harder. (Especially if I hadn’t eaten the burrito the night before, as I had a feeling of fullness in my stomach. Nothing more concerning than that, but it was still annoying.)

My splits were fairly even: 10:23, 10:31, 10:34. So it’s clear I started a little faster and backed off, but that’s fine. That was tempered by slower segments where I was moving around runners. Because of the delay in the start plus my overall slowness, the first runners passed me on the way back before I reached the first mile marker. So that was a little demoralizing, but it makes sense. 10:23 + 2 minutes after gun time = 12:23 with less a mile to go for the lead runners, and the winner finished in 15:36. Joe passed me going the other way relatively early on too and I yelled at him to get after it as he blew by.

The race itself was fairly straightforward, with little elevation change, although I could definitely feel those small inclines. A young girl said to one of the adults with her that she was “definitely feeling the burn.” I was, too. I tried to take advantage of any slight declines to speed up, and then dialed it back on the inclines. I knew at the halfway point that there was no doubt I was going to at least meet my B goal, based on my average pace so far. I had that set up as one of the displays on my watch so that I could see it the whole time, since I was so obsessed with setting a PR.

With 0.2 mi to go (according to Strava, I didn’t know this at the time), I started to kick, and then with about 0.1 miles to go I hit another gear and zipped in. Joe waited around to cheer for me at the end for a second, which was nice! I had a lot more juice in my legs than maybe I should have had left, so I guess I left something out on the race course. Oh well, that just means another PR next time.

Because yeah. That was a giant PR. 1:50. I clearly didn’t see that coming, since I thought 33:00 was a stretch. I am excited and happy, and I am glad to see some improvement after stepping away from racing shorter distances for four months to focus on my half marathon. I know that PRs come easy at the beginning and in a few years I’ll be happy to shave a couple seconds off a 5K time. I’m still going to soak it up and enjoy it because I did earn it, and I did work hard to get to this point, even if it wasn’t a goal race.

This is my last race of 2015. I was going to race a December 5K, but the one I had in mind turned out to be next weekend. I didn’t want to run back to back races, so there we have it. Ending the racing year on a high note!

Gobble Gallop Goals

The Gobble Gallop is tomorrow, so I guess I have some goals.

The course is really easy. It starts and ends and Duluth Running Co. and goes down Superior Street and back. It’s easier than the course for the Fitger’s 5K, which goes over I-35 and therefore has two large (for a 5K) hills. Of course I don’t mind a hill or two but this should be a faster course.

I’m not really sure about my speed right now but I’m just going to throw it out there, why can’t I shave another minute off my current personal best (34:21)? Okay, more like a minute and a third.

A Standard: 33:00
B Standard: 34:00

Why not? My treadmill repeats are faster than those paces. I’m stronger and I’m (slightly) leaner than I was back in June when I ran the 34:21. 33 minutes is a 10:37 pace and 34 minutes is a 10:57 pace. Obviously I have to run a little bit faster than those paces per my watch in order to ensure I come in at my goal times, just in case my watch is a little generous with the distance. I just need to be careful I’m not throwing down a 9 minute pace right out of the gate.

I’m fairly certain I’m physically capable of hitting my A Standard. I just don’t know if I’m mentally capable. I am more cautious than most runners, I think, or if not cautious, just unaware of how much harder I can push under certain circumstances. When I ran the Be the Match 5K, I let my cousin run ahead of me at the end because I felt like I couldn’t run any harder. She finished maybe 30 seconds ahead of me, I seriously could have hung on for that, but I let myself fall back.

It should be a fun race no matter what, although I’ll be a bit lonely since I don’t know anyone running. As long as it’s not raining and it’s not icy, I can handle it!

Building Character

That’s what I told myself while I was suffering through another boring treadmill run yesterday. It’s just making you mentally stronger, I reminded myself each time I wanted to quit. Man, I really hate the treadmill. Of course that kind of defeatist attitude didn’t help. Nor did the poor play of the Minnesota Wild.

Four days in a row on the treadmill is really taking its toll. It’s way harder on my body than trail or road running. I also think I have terrible posture on the treadmill, but I’m in my basement, not in a gym, so there isn’t a mirror to check. My lower back is stiff and my hips are kind of sore.

I wasn’t planning on four treadmill days in a row, of course. It rained Monday through Wednesday, but yesterday it was snowing so I figured I could get outside. When I was walking to my car at 5 (which is now well after sunset around here), it was slippery enough that I changed my mind. I don’t have a headlamp yet, and the streets around here are really dark, so I didn’t feel safe.

I’m taking today off from running as a result of these aches and pains, although I will probably do some strength training and a little yoga (which I’ve completely given up on since I don’t have abundant free time like I did this summer), so it won’t be a true rest day.

After today, I’ve got to get back outside. I have six days until my Gobble Gallop 5K, and I can’t be going into it with back and hip soreness. I plan on hitting some trails in the city limits this weekend (to stay safe from the deer hunters) and then I’m not sure, maybe the Lakewalk on Monday and Tuesday. I still have high hopes for a PR in this race, despite no actual proof that a PR is possible. Still, why not be wildly optimistic?

How I Get Back on My Feet After a Bout of Laziness

I feel very virtuous right now because I’m back in the habit of running again! And by that I mean I ran a whole two days in a row. On the treadmill both times, due to the dismal weather we’ve been having lately. This is my punishment for laziness over the weekend, when it was nice out both days.

The longer the layoff from running, the harder it seems for me to get back in the habit again. What’s one more day when I’ve already skipped five?

Here are a few ways I’ve successfully overcome this completely ridiculous, purely imagined obstacle.

  1. Start small
    Don’t expect to make up a whole week’s volume in one day. I’ve run as few as two miles at times, just to get back in the habit, if that’s all I can fit in. If you’re tired or you’re busy, it’s easy to let another day slip away, but that’ll just make things harder the next day. (If you’re really, truly tired, then take another day.)
  2. Start big
    This is the exact opposite of what I just said. I don’t know if it’s a smart idea, but I have been known to go out and run 12 miles on a Sunday after not running all week. I had the time, and it felt great to at least get to double-digits in mileage for the week.
  3. Don’t sit down
    Monday I came home, fed my cats, and immediately got into my workout clothes and got my butt downstairs to the treadmill. I didn’t sit down and turn on the TV, or check 8 different websites, or even get a little homework done. When I do that, I waste time and have to shorten my workout to get done before dinner. Or  I don’t do it at all.
  4. Incentivize the workout
    Don’t run the same boring route. Pick a new route, or pick your favorite route. Pick the easiest route, or the toughest route, depending on what will make you feel better at the end. I did repeats on the treadmill to mix it up. In better weather, I pick a great trail or a road route that has some great views. Of course, I live in a beautiful city on a great lake, so that’s easy for me to say. Bring music, promise yourself candy at the end of the run, whatever gives you a sufficient kick in the butt.
  5. Ignore the scale
    (Just bypass this if you’re one of those people who thinks running for any other reason besides the love of the sport somehow cheapens and denigrates it. Just bypass this whole blog, in fact.) This advice is kind of dependent on how long the layoff is. At some point, if I haven’t run in awhile and haven’t been eating well either, I do have to face the music. But I don’t see a point to doing a weekly weigh-in when I haven’t run in 5 days. It’s only going to further discourage me if I’ve gained a pound or so. I’ll just wait til the following week, when I’ve already gotten back on my feet. This applies to people in maintenance mode, too. If you don’t normally weigh in, don’t assess the “damage” of your time off. I don’t really know if people do that, as I’m not in a position to be so laissez-faire with my weight.

Those are just a few ideas that have worked for me that I thought I’d pass along. I’m sure I’ll need motivation again someday soon (like when it’s -20 F, the streets are covered in ice, the sidewalks are unplowed, and I’m facing another treadmill slog), so send any other tips my way.

Energy Drain

I haven’t run since Monday, which is not that great. It’s not terrible, the world isn’t ending. I’ve been really tired and low on physical and mental energy. My week went like this:

Monday: run
Tuesday: felt sick most of the day
Wednesday: SO tired
Thursday: extremely long day
Friday: cold-like symptoms
Saturday: lazy

I have new shoes (same as the old shoes, they were on super sale again), I just got a new charging cable for my watch so I can use it again finally, and the weather looks decent for the next few days. It’s still deer season so I’m not able to get out on any of the real trails safely, and during the week there’s just no time to get out on the trails. I’m not running in the dark on the trails just yet. The streets around here are dark enough.

I want to start planning my races for next year but my future is uncertain. I graduate next month and haven’t found a job yet, so I don’t know where I’ll be living. I don’t want to sign up for races I won’t be anywhere near, or won’t be able to attend due to an unpredictable work schedule (that does happen in engineering, it’s not all 40 hrs/week office work). But I also want races to look forward to and plan for! Yes, I have this 5K on Thanksgiving, but it’s not a goal race, more of a way to gauge if I’ve improved.

I need a nice long run tomorrow to get back on track, and then some easy medium length runs and some speed work to get my legs in shape for the Gobble Gallop. Turn the page, right?