Running Kids

I was pretty excited yesterday afternoon, getting to watch my oldest daughter run her first race. She's in sixth grade and running cross-country. The sixth-graders don't get to run the meets with the 7th & 8th graders, but once per season they're allowed to race over part of the home course.

Early in the race. Natalie was leading the girls, and was 4th overall.

Natalie, still leading the girls. She was passed shortly after this pic.

Natalie ended up running 7:15 for just about a mile, finishing in 2nd for the girls.

This little race did a lot to boost her confidence. When the season started, she wasn't sure she wanted to stick with it. I was able to convince her to hang tough, that her body would adapt and her fitness would improve. I know she has potential to be a good runner. After she finished, she was pretty excited. Her previous best timed mile was 9:06, so she shaved nearly two minutes off that time.

Last night, she even told me that once cross-country season ends, she wants to run with me (assuming I'm not hobbled by my foot), which we did a little of during the summer. We're going to run a local Fowl Fun Run (2 miles) next month. I want her to enjoy it, but I also want her to race it. I believe that, if she ends up finishing strongly in her age group, she'll really start believing in her abilities. I think young runners (and even us older runners) need confidence builders. So much of running is mental, and if you start having successes, they build on each other. You also need to learn how to bounce back after bad runs & races, but if you don't have breakthroughs to get excited about – especially as a kid just starting out – you're more prone to throw in the towel. That's why I nearly got choked up seeing her do so well yesterday. It was a big hurdle to clear and she did it.

With all that said, I'm not going to push her and pile expectations on her, either. It has to be fun. But a little success definitely adds to the fun factor.

So, as a parent of a new runner, I'm excited about how she's doing and what she can (and hopefully will) do in the future. And I'm excited to see HER excitement!

Week Review / Back in the Saddle / Taper Time!

Boy, last week was a roller coaster for me. I started the week with a horrible 22-mile run (documented in a previous post), followed by two days off to recover, two easy runs (one with a fast mile thrown in), then a strong 8-mile run on Saturday morning at a 7:16 clip.
Here are last week's numbers:

Runs: 4
Miles: 40.3
Time: 6:08:00
Long: 22 mi

Today, I ran my final long-ish run of my marathon training plan - 16 miles. After last Monday's fiasco, I wanted this run to end on a high note. It was warm (70), humid and windy! This was a tale of two runs. Basically, it consisted of an 8-mile warmup leading into an 8-mile tempo run. For the first 8 miles, I decided to keep my heart rate below 130 bpm. That necessitated a painfully slow 9:21 pace. However, that set me up for a fast second half...assuming I had anything in the tank. My legs felt a little flat, but I thought I'd transition into a faster pace with an 8:14 mile 9. The remaining 7 miles were as follows: 7:55, 7:46, 7:35, 7:36, 7:37, 7:27. So, out in 1:14:52, back in 1:01:36 (7:42 avg). While it wasn't easy, it didn't wipe me out, and it restored some confidence. I followed the run with the traditional 15-minute ice bath.

Something I really should have been doing all along is weighing myself before and after long runs. I did that today, and was shocked to see I was 4.6 lbs lighter after my run! To be fair, I ate pizza last night and was probably retaining a good amount of water, but that really opened my eyes to how much fluid I'm losing out there.

Now...bring on the taper!

Surprising Run!

I've had a head cold all week. I ran on Monday, then took the next three days off to rest and recover. Today, the cold is still kicking, but I needed (or felt I needed) to get out for a run, since my half marathon is coming up on Oct. 11th. I had scheduled a 10-mile tempo (or race pace) run for today. I ran my out-and-back course, with the intention of turning around wherever I thought I should (yeah, right). Of course, I got to the five mile mark before turning around. I ended up running the 10 miles in 1:17:41 (7:46/mile pace). I felt much better than I expected, although the last couple of miles were tough. And I wish I had had some tissues out there (I won't go into details, but it was a bit messy, thanks to the head cold). For the first time, I carried my Nathan hand-held water bottle...and I wasn't really loving it. I'm sure it'll take a few more runs to get used to it, but I think I actually prefer my belt. I switched hands every mile, but my arms and hands still got tired.
So...this run built my confidence, which I felt I needed going into the race - especially with this cold. Now I'll put it on "cruise control" from now until the race, doing a few more easy runs before taking the last 3 days (or so) off before the race.

(EDIT: the blisters I got on my 14-mile run a week ago are gone. Taking the last 3 days off due to my cold helped them heal. I ran in my new shoes again today, but used my old inserts...so it was the new inserts, not the new shoes, that caused the blisters. Good to know)

Long Run: Confidence (and Blister) Builder

"Wed, Dec 23, 1987: 14 miles (4 x 3.5 mile loop) in 1:45:00 (7:30/mile pace)."

That was taken from my running log back in 1987. It was my longest run ever. It only took me 22 years to match that distance...because I did it today, albeit quite a bit slower (1:59:02 - 8:30 pace). I went out slow and ran a very manageable and steady pace, wearing my fuel belt. I drank Heed 3-4 times during the run and ate a couple of Shot Blocs at mile 7. The only negative to this run was the decision to wear my new shoes (Brooks Defyance 2, same as my previous pair) with new green Superfeet inserts. I wore that same combination for 350 miles previously without problems, but for some reason, these new inserts rubbed pretty bad blisters into the arches of both feet. Hopefully putting my old inserts into the new shoes will work. Don't want to miss any training leading up to my half due to this blunder. They're pretty sore and tender right now. I'll take tomorrow off and run short on Sunday and see how they feel. Aside from the blisters, this run was a good confidence builder, as my endurance was good and I know I could have run it at a faster pace.

Speedwork Thursday

At 10:00 this morning, I ran 6 miles on the Centennial Trail in Snohomish, where it was sunny and about 68 degrees F. Instead of doing speed work on a track this week, I decided to run them as part of this run. I ran the first mile as a warm-up (8:25), then ran 4 x 1/2 miles hard, 1/2 miles easy. Times were as follows:

3:23 hard, 4:13 easy
3:19 hard, 4:19 easy
3:20 hard, 4:13 easy
3:15 hard, 12:31 (1.5 mile cooldown)

These were HARD, but I was happy with how it all played out. First of all, these were true half miles (as opposed to the 800's on the track last week), and I didn't stop and rest in between each, as I did last week. I just slowed down and ran easy half miles until the next hard one. During the last hard segment, I had a nasty side stitch. I was surprised to have run it so fast, for me, anyway (6:30 mile pace). The total time for the run was 47:01 (7:50 mile pace). I'm not currently using a heart rate monitor, but my finishing HR was 150...but that was after the 1.5 mile cooldown. Still elevated above my usual finishing HR, but post-hard segments, it was likely much higher. Overall, this run was a confidence-builder.

My plan is to rest tomorrow, then run 8 miles on Saturday morning. Next week, I'll probably forgo the formal speed work. I may run some hills instead, then bump my long run up to either 11 or 12 miles.

Great ride today!

I decided to do my first hill interval ride this morning. The total mileage was 26.4, but a good 16 (or so...didn't measure) was hills. I rode a total of 12 hills in about an hour (total ride was 1:39). It was brutal, yet extremely satisfying...and much needed. It helped my confidence immensely, especially with the crazy bike leg in the Whiskey Dick Triathlon next month. I keep learning that we can do MUCH more than we think we're capable of, and how much of our self-imposed limits are in the mind. I'm much more of a runner than a cyclist, and I'm familiar with the pain and discomfort that comes with running...but even with all the cycling I've done this year, the pain from riding hard is still something I'm learning to deal with. Today's ride was a big step toward understanding how to handle it a little better.

Right now, I'm thinking of taking tomorrow off from riding and/or running and doing some strength training. Maybe riding M-W-F this week, but all three rides being intense. As you can see, I'm not currently using a pre-written training plan. I'm trying to gauge my recovery and listen to my body right now. When I begin my half-marathon training, I'll (for the most part) abide by a written plan.

Enjoy the rest of your day!