Why Swimming will make me a better runner.

As you might remember, a couple of weeks ago I got a membership to the super-excellent gyms I used to work at (2006-2012 in fact). This means I have access to yoga, Pilates, spinning, (treadmills), step mills (!!!), weight training, and swimming. So far I’ve completed one extremely uncomfortable yoga class (I can’t stand on one leg, as it happens), and have been swimming a few times. Here, this happy moment will jog your memory:

flattering picture, isn’t it?

Let me start here with a disclaimer that I am doing zero (and I mean N-O-N-E) research into the sports and physiology literature to support anything I say in this post, this is just me, stringing things together.

I watched the video below the other day (Jay Johnson posted it on his blog), and then did the routine two nights ago. I’ve had more ankle twists, pops, strains, and sprains in my 31 years than I care to try tallying up, but it’s very likely these injuries (both the individual insults and the cumulative effect), are definitely effecting my running (negatively) but also might explain some of the persistent aches and pains I have.

When I finished this approximately 10 minute routine, I thought that my feet and lower legs felt similar to the way they feel after a swim.

Some history: For over a 18 months, until early 2012, I had very bad planter fasciitis. I slept in not one, but often two, night splints, and systematically went through every remedy out there, including working with an orthopedic surgeon. The treatment that finally proved effective (FOR ME) was to get in the pool a few times a week, and just kick, lap after lap, after lap, after lap.  I wasn’t even running very much, or consistently when these all developed in late 2010.

It’s Friday and I’ve only been running twice this week. And I’ve definitely not been observing my “become a fast runner” diet whatsoever. But I did supremely enjoy a swim session on Tuesday morning, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since.

So here are some reasons swimming will make me a better runner:

1. It reminds me of the first time I practiced a complex, athletic skill, over and over, and saw consistent improvement. (I was a swimmer as a kid, and in college)
2. I love flip-turns, I love that 5-10 meters when you’re underwater and moving fast.
3. It makes my core stronger.
4. It’s great breath control practice.
5. I could float, on my back, all day. Bliss.
6. Swimming teaches you how to selectively relax while uncomfortable.
7. Swimming loosens up all those things made tight from running. Increases flexibility.
8. Sometimes a break from running makes you grateful for running.
9. Moving through the water is like being on another planet, and it feels awesome, and graceful.
10. When I’m swimming I can think about running, without being able to critique my running in real-time, it makes for a more objective/rational view.
11. Swim workouts are similar in structure as marathon training workouts.
12. A great workout in the pool requires patience, as does running a great race.
13. Swimming is a skill I’m fluent in, and it’s rhythmic, so I don’t have to think if I don’t want to…it’s calming, even medicinal.
14. ……..I like it.

I think recreational runners tend to over-emphasize the importance of cross-training. The time we are able to allot to training is precious, and finite, so for us non-elites our best training tool is probably specificity. However, the emotional, and perhaps physically therapeutic effects of cross-training totally justify having a gym membership, or going to a few spin classes.

Just please, no cross fit. (I love this article, and also this one)

I’m registered for the Chicagoland Spring Half Marathon on Sunday…Before then, I’ll probably just go for another swim.

*AB

 

Two Great Run Workouts: and a Gluten Free Pizza Binge.

First, because this post will likely be a bit on the long side: Happy Mother’s Day! Today was tough knowing my mother is far away. But I’ll see her in July, and I am lucky to have her at all! Here we are at my graduation (masters)  in Chicago two years ago. Isn’t she pretty?

As this weekend closes I feel like I mostly just lazed, watched Merlin, drank my weight in Cider (w/ ginger! yuuum!), and ate anything I could find that was A) gluten free, and B) full of sugar and/or fat…Yah, I don’t know. Usually the wheels come off for the two weeks after a marathon, then I tighten it back up as I get back to training. This time the gluttony tour and the training increase are happening at the same time. I fully plan to do join the “Monday Diet” club, so that tonight I can have my third, yes third, GF pizza with in a 7 day period.

unsolicited shout-out to Udi’s pizza crust…

I actually just noticed(click image for link) that you can order in bulk directly from their website….my credit card is twitching

Jorge (who does not require nor follow a gluten-freen diet) and I use these crusts about once a week (clearly, hopefully, this week is an anomaly).

We’re both huge pizza fans. We’re Chicagoans, who isn’t? But neither of use are fans of how pizza makes you feel. We usually make a basic cheese and sausage (turkey) with our Udi’s, and we each eat a whole one, and just feel happy and pizza filled, as opposed to grease and regret filled, after.

Here’s what our pizza’s usually look like. Clearly, this is one serving.

Clearly.

(don’t tell my father I referred to myself as a Chicagoan. He’ll cry. It won’t be pretty.)

One of these men is my dad, I’m not saying which one.

That may indeed be how I spent three-quarters of my weekend, but the other 25% was spent on some really excellent running!

I wanted to get in a decent long run this weekend, but have been thinking a lot over the past week about the intense racing schedule I’m lining up for the rest of this year, and decided I should start doing some recon for hill training.

Recon, because at some point I need to start figuring out how I’ll train for this:

This is what happens when your 6 year old nephew is the final judge in fall race planning.

Additionally, you may have forgotten, but a while ago I posted about getting into the Mt. Washington Road Race, it’s 7.5 miles, and ALL UPHILL!

Also, it’s in a few weeks.

So, I settled for 13 miles on Saturday morning, Just shy of 10 of those miles were spent going up-and-down “Big Bertha”. This is a hill that is part of the 9.5mi loop at Waterfall Glen in Darien, IL.

Most places you look, people refer to Bertha as a half mile hill that climbs 125 feet. The way I measured “her” on Saturday made her stretch to .95mi and cover closer to 160 feet. Which is nothing compared to what I’ll be climbing both in New Hampshire in a few weeks, and off the coast of California in November, but it’s a great start. It’s also measurable, and repeatable, which means I’m sure to get addicted. Here’s how my effort went (the basic metrics, I have more, but would rather you stay awake):

2mi repeats have officially been de-throned as my favorite run workout!

I had only planned on doing three repeats on Bertha, but was enjoying myself so much that I did 5. I’m confident that I can greatly improve these splits. And can’t wait to try!

The other great workout this weekend was this morning. Two of my Bootleg Runner’s Coalition ladies were running the Susan G. Komen 5k. All week my plan had been to run down and watch them finish, then hang out for a while, and run home, thus piecing together a nice recovery run. But, by Friday I was enticed, and I don’t have a 5k planned for quite a while. So I decided that if I felt decently sound of body on Sunday morning after another round of snack foods and cider for dinner, then I’d run.

This is my favorite pre-race picture! Feel free to email us for fashion tips! (Erin, Lee Ann, Annabelle = Bootleg Runner Pride!)

Run I did. And shocked myself by being pain-free until mile 2.5, I was even more surprised that I was able to run my second ever sub-20 finish!

19:56.

I’ve never run the lead of a race with a friend and training partner before (in fact, I’ve still only led a few races, period [the women's contingent anyway]) and my plan to run conservatively went away without any debate when I realized that Erin was still right in front of me after 2 miles. I know she has another gear, and was prepared to be dropped.

Racing is often about whose body is being cooperative, and whose isn’t. Erin’s been sick, and I was elated to be out front (and had ART therapy yesterday, first time, and I swear I run better already). So I kicked in the last 3/4mi and we finished 1 – 2. It was a blast! I sure hope we get to re-play a scenario like this soon, because having someone to strategize with and play off, but whom you trust, can make for an amazing run!

We danced really poorly, but exuberantly, for about an hour before getting our medals.

As a final cherry on top of some good running moments this week, the BRC grassroots and fiercely tight-knit running club has a logo. I think I can safely claim that we’re the only team that has artwork created by a talented contemporary artist.

Check this:

Credit: Alan Salabert

(hopefully I’m not offending him with the less-than-perfect quality of this image. It’s a copy of a copy…I’m still a noob at this stuff.)

*AB

Transitioning from Boston

Pre-Boston, my plan for post-Boston had been to take 10 days mostly off of running to recover, and put together a killer training program that would span from the 11th day after Boston and carry me through my last planned event for 2013: The Catalina Eco Marathon on November 9th (FYI, that’s the day after my birthday, feel free to send gifts). I have only completed a few uncomfortable runs, and have barely thought about what my training for the next 6 months is going to look like. One run worth noting, however, was the back half of a friend’s marathon, the week after Boston.

My motivation to run, even a little, took a sharp nose-dive two and a half weeks ago. I recognized it for what it was, which was, I think, equal parts:

1. a bizarre “injury” to my right side…
2. legitimate post-PR need for rest
3. a conflagration of conflicting emotions that were a bit slow to take shape regarding the events post-marathon in Boston
4. frustration when I realized how big my goals are and how limited my resources seem (and the profound guilt at thinking that way, see #3)

The 3rd point has taken a lot of forms, but the one related to running is that it has seemed foolish to focus at all on my very self-indulgent, self-interested running goals, amidst what has happened.

I spent some time last weekend speaking with a friend who was writing an article that focuses on having ran the Boston Marathon and coping with the stark change in tone that occurred during the experience. It was a hugely therapeutic exercise that made me realize I’ve been avoiding blogging, planning my training, reading blogs/articles, and indulging in all things running, because admitting how important it is to me is uncomfortable given the recent context.

Although this is a personal blog, I still don’t want to re-count my experience in Boston here (it’s not going to add anything to what others have already written), but people have been so kind to inquire so I’ll say this: I felt safe the entire time and  was surrounded by friends. The way the bombing has affected me, personally, has nothing to do with running (Except that I will not be posting a race re-cap) and doesn’t belong in this format.

I will say this piece though: I am very disappointed in the general attitude amongst running-bloggers that it’s important to “move-on” quickly. Within 8 hours of the bombing in Boston I saw posts mentioning moving on and focusing back on your goals and training. I think that is OK, for some people, but to pressure everyone to do the same is not.

Being “Boston Strong” doesn’t mean to push ahead with aggressive defiance, it’s ok to be shaken.

If terrorism didn’t make us self-reflect, didn’t scare us, and didn’t throw us off our game for a while, then we would call it something else, and we’d be changed fundamentally, and in a way that reduces freedom.

Running is perhaps the ultimate expression of freedom.Very often my motivator to get out there when I’m not feeling like it, is to remind myself how amazingly fortunate I am to have not only the capacity to make such a choice, but the freedom to execute that choice.

So please, stop telling me that I am “entitled to celebrate” my PR.

I know that I am.

I just don’t want to.

On a happier note, although jumping right into training again hasn’t panned out, I did, last weekend make a list of the things that would help me move up another “level” in racing. I’ve got two items crossed off already: I am currently “shopping” a few chiropractor, and with help from some former colleagues, I got a membership to the kick-assingest gyms in Chicago (slight bias there). This morning marked my first swim workout in years. Which, as you can see, I was thrilled about.

Flattering picture, isn’t it?

I’m running this Sunday in Palos (First Midwest Half Marathon). Back in March I was planning on a PR effort, and to break 1:30, however, it appears I can’t maintain my marathon pace (so certainly not Half pace) for more than a mile without some pain, so I’ll be running just to soak up the environment, and the energy.

*AB

Gear!

The theme for the 30 Days To Boston Photo Challenge today is GEAR. I could post many pictures for this one…here’s a few. There’s nothing minimalist about most runners I know.

I skipped several days of this challenge for lack of creative lightning strikes…and the fact that I did exactly 30 minutes of cross training over the past 17 weeks, and all of those minutes were last week. And cross training was the theme for 2 different photo challenge days. I was set up!

This is an old picture from a rainy/snowy week:

Most used and best gear-gift ever received:

Garmin Forerunner 305! Yes, it’s an old model. It’s also the BEST model.

*AB

Take your head out of your arse and put it back in the clouds.

I sincerely apologize for my radio silence. But now that we’re officially a week out (less, if you want to be precise) from the start of the Boston Marathon. I promise you I will be present and transparent, as I usually (compulsively) am.

Thank you so much to those who have reached out via email, comments, and social media to check in on the status of my (runner’s) body, and offered words of wisdom and encouragement. You make me feel like this:

If you would like to track my race next Monday you can set it up via text (as indicated below) or click on the image below to sign up via email.  I won’t know you’re tracking me unless you tell me, so let me know! Last year at Boston as well as Chicago, knowing that people were following along with my progress was a tremendous help in keeping a positive and focused mindset when things got rough.

Speaking of a positive and focused mindset, I’ve not had one since the week after the Cary March Madness Half (read about it here). Very quickly post-race I went from a confirmed knowledge that my training plan was showing some seriously desirable results, to panicking and obsessing that my fitness had peaked too early and now the marathon would be a total slog.

Yes, I’m a brat. Go ahead and take a second to mutter comments in that direction.

My foot isn’t any better other than the swelling having gone down. My plan called for around 55 miles last week and I clocked 25 plus a lot of sulking. I ran 6 miles tonight, and they were slow and uncomfortable, my foot/ankle/soul wasn’t painful at all until after I stopped but I just have no rhythm and I feel like this is a new body, not the one I was training with all winter.

Again: wah-wah-wah!

I’m having a complete shoe crisis, because I bought a pair of excellent new kicks (Brooks Pure Flow 2), but now I’m worried that the former model (Brooks Flow: a fine shoe, but maybe I put too many miles on them real fast) is actually what might have caused this issue, and so now wonder if I should pick up a new pair of  Mizuno Wave Riders (which is what the bulk of my mileage was done with), and race in those next Monday. I love the Brooks Pure Flows, but I haven’t been running in the low drop shoe’s as much this year as I did last, and though I can certainly endure the marathon in them, I fear I’ll develop an injury that will then need 6 weeks to recover…or the injury is from overused Wave Riders…

The outside tongue is attached…why are all shoes not built this way?

Ach! The conflict!

Advice is very welcomed, If I’m going to go buy shoes (again) it has to be tomorrow after work (Tuesday).

But, back to what I really want to say. There are plenty of possible disasters regarding next Monday that I can mull over, but it’s time to work on my dreaming again.

I’d always rather set a potentially too high goal and joyously strive for it, than to be so caught up in limitations that I end up swirling around, miserable, and stagnant, which is where I’ve been for the last 10 days. And it stinks.

(Except at work: I’ve been extremely productive there…coping mechanisms are amazing.)

So back in the clouds I go! And I am going to keep running over my perfect race in my mind, and picture running a 3:15 at Boston.

Also, not sure if anyone else noticed but Shalane and Kara clearly want me to join their ranks, because their uniforms for Boston look very much like something I would race in:

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

Yesterday my friend Erin (who KILLED the Shamrock Shuffle in 31:10!!!) reminded me that right after the race pictured above, a woman said to me “I love your costume”.

Yup.

Not a costume.

Other than day-dreaming about keeping up with the pro-elites, I started plugging away at the list of items I need to pack for Boston tonight. Which rendered my first sincere swell of genuine excitement for the trip, and race day. I was even tempted to get my suitcase out.

My last pair of cheap glasses broke a few weeks ago after 6 years of sweat!

Did I share yet my gel epiphany from a few weeks ago? It’s hilarious and self-effacing (humiliating), you all will love it.

And with that, before I make this lumbering post more awkward than it is, have a great day and dream-on friends!

*AB

A Few Things for You

Here are a few points of (self) interest for you to kill a few minutes with:

Tomorrow (Saturday) I am going to try to recapture my best 10k to date. I don’t even know why, but I love this course. Probably because when I ran it last year it was the best I’d ever felt during a 10k, but also, loop courses appeal to me. At the short distances anyway, I suppose a 3 mile loop would suck if it were a marathon.

You can read about last years race here.

Since I can’t resist posting hilariously ugly race pictures of myself here is my submission for the photo-challenge day number 11: PAIN

I’m sure I could have made a 10×10 collage. But I think this will suffice.

The day before that, day 10, the theme was “SWEAT”. I have to say, the upside to the endless cold weather we’re having is that I can get away with re-wearing my running clothes between washings far more often than usual.

But, there is something great about being soaked through and wrung out at the end of a hard run:

This picture is from last August, I ran a “redemption” trail 10k in San Antonio to make up for one the week prior where I DNF’ed. You can read about that here.

Today (day 13) the theme was tricky: MOTIVATE. As a behaviorist by trade, I tend to employ many different motivation tricks to get myself to do all sorts of things. But when it comes to keeping my head in the marathon training game, I keep reminders of my goal race within eyesight and arms reach all the time. Here’s the central piece of decoration in my office:

Source: Uploaded by user via Annabelle on Pinterest

Way back on day 9: DISTANCE, I made this (excuse the typo).

Source: twitter.com via Annabelle on Pinterest

Ever since I started getting fast enough to find myself typically running with more men than women during races, I’ve also had several annoying and unnerving experiences of male-runners who get pissed when a woman passes them. It’s infantile, and bigoted, and yet happens just about once per race. I believe that athletes should be treated with respect, regardless of their sex. Fortunately, here in Chicago, and the United States, that’s the typical experience, but it’s a shockingly recent development, and one that women not too far away do not yet know. 

*AB

Who accidentally runs 20 miles?

The answer, apparently, is me. I do that. I run 20 miles in one day, 4 days after a planned 20 miler, 2.5 weeks out from my biggest goal marathon of the year. I wish I could say that it was no-big-deal, that I often run twice a day and have that kind of mileage, but I don’t. Not yet anyway.

We (work peeps) are trying to organize a 5k to incorporate into an existing annual fundraiser for the agency I work for (Garden Center Services), so on Tuesday I planned to go scout out the course. What was supposed to be an easy 3mi run and a short break in the workday, turned into an 8mi shuffle into the Twilight Zone.

First, it grew to a 6mi run so that my running buddy Meredith could join me. But we couldn’t figure out where the course was supposed to be. Then, we saw some trippy birds that we thought weren’t real, or had escaped from some stoners bedroom.

We saw a flock of about a dozen and they were shockingly green. Then a mile or so later, I realized that we were not where I thought we were. At all. We were about 3 miles from there, and in a totally different direction. I decided that we’d clearly discovered a wormhole in Burbank Illinois, and on one side live Monk Parakeets. Because, I have a spectacularly infallible sense of direction. You can trust me on this, don’t ask around.

Conclusion: from now on I’m going to refer to Meredith as “Alice”, as in, “Shit, Alice, I think we fell into the rabbit hole again”.

This is Meredith: heretofore known as “Alice”

I had a series of miserable runs last week, and finally hit my pace targets again  for a tempo workout on Tuesday morning. So by the end of our misadventure, I had logged 20 miles for the day. Crap.

Instead of facing another speed workout alone on Thursday I decided to join the Boston Bound training group at Fleet Feet on Wednesday evening. 10×800 repeats. My legs felt like maybe the heaviest they ever have but after easing in for the first two I ran the rest all between 3:01 and 3:06. So a nice clean session. I think. Actually, I have no idea. But I was glad to be done with a solid workout.

I don’t really have a sound point for this post. Just felt like reaching out and saying:

HURRY UP APRIL 15TH!!!

*AB

Ultra Everything

If you’re digging the 30 days to Boston photo-challenge you can see my entries in real-time everyday by visiting my Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, or Facebook pages. I know, it’s a ridiculous amount of social-media. But the title of this post is “Ultra Everything”…so pick your poison. Otherwise, they’ll all make their way to this format as well, just not likely in order or daily.

30 Days to Boston photo-challenge day 7: Long Run

A couple of running buddies (also Boston Bound) and I took last Friday off work so that we could get our final (oh. crap.) 20 mile training run in a day early.

Susana, Cindy, and AB. Celebrating finishing the last 20 miler of the training cycle as though we just finished the actual race.

I wish I could report that after lunch (cider and chili) I went home and behaved like the dedicated age-grouper that I am and bathed, stretched, and foam rolled. But no, I headed to another bar, and fell off the Gluten Free wagon for the first time since January. And, I’m sorry, but the dirt in my teeth from the tumble tasted delicious. I thought I had made a clean “Cheat” getaway until about 36hrs later….weird. I don’t understand my body.

And let this lesson be burned into our little internet-addicted brains forever: not temporarily ditching a smart diet plan in the face of temptation is much easier than getting back on track once you’ve rolled in the green-green grass on the other side. Even with the aversive side-affects. All I want to do now is eat-eat-eat.

Or maybe I just have issues. I probably have issues.

Anyway, the motivation behind moving the long-run to Friday was that we could then be available on Saturday morning to support three other running buddies as they ran the Lakefront 50k.

Multi-run-talented friends: David, Violeta, Nico.

I’ve gushed before I’m sure, about how impressed I am with the runners and friends that surround me. But seriously, an Ultra-marathon. Different animal. Counter to what you may expect, the atmosphere throughout this event was amazingly calm.

I was more worked up about my pacing duties for the final 10 miles than any of the competitors were during the whole dang 31!

For example, my girl Violeta, throwing the peace sign here: took 3rd overall.

Photo credit: Three Run Two

The 50k course consists of 3 loops just over 10 miles each. Which though tedious for some runners, provides others with easy milestones to tic off, and it’s a spectator and support crew dream. I jumped in to run with my buddy Nico just before the 21 miles mark. He was going totally fresh and strong even that far in. I’m not sure you could call what I did “pacing” so much as I was just along for the ride, hitchhiking on Nico’s rollercoaster car already in motion. The last 30% of any distance race is hard (at least in my experience). That’s the time when you have to stay focused  while your body and attention span are fatigued.

But the last 30% of a 50k, I can only imagine seems like  never-ending grind. But David, V, and Nico didn’t give that away for even a second. I am so totally impressed.

I also provided the service of intermittently yelling whatever random mantra I could think of. Here we are about 600 yards from this guy scoring a nearly 10 minute PR, I think I was saying something that actually wasn’t very nice, was super dorky, and probably annoying like, “Slowing down is not an option” or something.

Photo Credit: Three Run Two

I wish I could run the end of other people’s races everyday. Is that a job? Because it would be a dream one.

Sometimes it’s also nice to be the one being run-in to the finish line. My nephew is an expert at it, here he is on July 4, 2011 (4 years old) running me to the finish line of a 10k in California.

30 Days to Boston photo-challenge day 8: Loved Ones

Do you think he’ll be allowed to run me across the finish line at the Catalina Eco Marathon in November? I sure hope so, I’m going to need a hand.

*AB

March Madness Half Marathon: new prep strategy, new PR, same love of Hills.

Last weekend was a great one. Nearly everything I did was related to running. Saturday morning I ran to Soldier Field (which is just shy of  8mi from my apartment). 8 of my running buddies ran the Get Lucky Half Marathon and 1 ran the 7k version.

I have to say I was totally grateful I wasn’t running, the conditions were definitely less than ideal, with  steady and strong headwind for the entire second half (it was an out and back course). But neither wind nor hail can stop a Bootleg Runner on a mission and we posted several PR’s!

And Shelly can cross half-marathon number 2 of 13 off her list for the year! (and now so can I!)

I said I was swearing off alcohol until after I cross the finish line in Boston next month. As it happens, I lied. Because I now am on a mission to replicate the happy results of drinking whiskey the night before a race. Which surely means I must now drink it the night before long runs, and maybe even before a morning strength run.

Anyone want to meet me up for a nightcap the night before Boston?

I was at the bar post-race on Saturday for about 9 hours. Yes, nine. I had two square meals and didn’t have a drink until about hour 4.5. I attempted a Whiskey-sour, and hated it, it just made me pine for beer even more. So I ordered a whiskey-on-the-rocks, which I love. We had two rounds of shots, and I ordered a second drink.

Then on Sunday, I took 4 minutes off my half-marathon PR.

So, I have been wondering all week. Would Jameson be interested in sponsoring this runner? Nuun, Oiselle, and many others have already turned me away. And anyway, let’s be real, my temperament is far better suited for a liquor company.

I’m totally serious. Anyone have a marketing in?

On to the March Madness Half Marathon:

This event is wildly popular and this year sold out in 18 minute! As near as I can figure from the results there were just under 1,100 runners. I felt extremely lucky to get in. I was boarding a flight home from San Antonio when registration opened. My father volunteered to get out of bed before dawn on New Years Eve to register me. He’s my biggest fan (I assume so anyway).

The course has 6 “significant” hills and a bunch of rolling ones throughout. I love it. I love hills. They have a start and a finish and you can focus on them and really feel like your making progress, flat courses are far more daunting to me. All of my PR’s, except for the marathon (which I hope will change in a few weeks!), were achieved on courses with significant hills. I also usually rank overall better on hilly courses, because most people don’t share my affection for them.

The steady distribution of the 6 big hills makes this race especially popular with runners who are Boston bound. Another thing that makes me a fan of this course is the distribution of the turns. They all seem to land right about where you need them, which is right about when you’re getting bored, or overwhelmed with how far is left to go. Usually there are some spectators gathered at turns too, which always gives you a boost in spirits for at least a quarter-mile.

It felt unreasonably cold when we arrived at the race location, and it was hilarious how weather-and-clothing-centric most conversations were. It took me until my final trip to the bathroom to finally pull the trigger on what layers to wear. You’d think after running in cold weather nearly everyday for the past 4 months we’d all have a handle on this. But you’d be wrong.

I did only a 1 mile warm up (had planned to do 2, but spent too long in the potty lines), and from that point on didn’t feel cold at all. Win.

I went into this event having no idea how I was going to feel, but ready to consider running anything slower than a 7:15 average pace, unacceptable. This would translate to a PR, but also I haven’t been feeling super confident or comfortable at my marathon goal pace lately so I felt like a strong run was absolutely crucial in terms of what it added to my Boston training.

None of that is in any way scientific. totally all emotional.

The first mile was like the first mile of every race, jockeying stupidly for a position to settle into, accelerating and hitting the brakes every couple hundred meters….and so on.

By mile 5 I felt sure I could get close to a 1:30 finish. And I really wanted to speed up and see if I could BREAK 1:30. But it was so early, I was afraid that if I got greedy, instead of a happy PR, I end up with a miserable shuffle for the last couple of miles and perhaps end up with a new worst time.

Ayuh, yet another fairly ridiculous race outfit…I need help.

So I told myself, “Self, stay as relaxed as you can, enjoy the scenery, hug some hills, hold 7′s, and if you are in a happy place at mile 10, then you can kick it up.”

Here I am, probably discussing the options with myself. That expression is referred to as “The Shirley Lip Press” in my family. We all do it.

So that’s what I did. The last 5k was actually a pretty joyous experience, which sounds annoying, I’m sure.

Here I am so relaxed I decided to do the Macarena…or something.

Well, not the entire last 5k. The last 800 meters hurt. But it hurt in a totally worth it even in real-time sort of way.

I am extremely satisfied with the entire experience.

I ran a negative split, only by almost exactly one minute, but even that is a margin I’ve never achieved. Not ever. I’m not sure negative splits are as indicative of a strong performance in a half marathon as in a marathon, but I’m choosing to feel awesome about it. (seriously though, if you know something about this topic please share!)

As I shared before, my run buddy/carpool to the race buddy and I both finished in the top ten.

Hello snuggly green hoodie…I love when races venture away from the t-shirt model.

I love adding new items to my running memorabilia collection that Jorge won’t allow in operation-redesign-the-bedroom:

And with that, I must get to bed, I’m running the last 20-miler before Boston tomorrow morning!

*AB

Gluten Free Snacking is Not Difficult: Photo 5

I am going to post a recap of Sundays race, I promise. In the mean time here is today’s 30 Days To Boston photo: SNACK

Thursday’s I work late so I may not have dinner until 9pm, but even so, this is a pretty typical days worth of snacks I pack to take with me to work.

The times are fairly approximate, I’ve been trying not to snack when I’m not hungry. And when I’m hungry I  a snack. Pretty straightforward. Some days I go through all my food, and other days I panic before it’s time to head home because I’ve run out of snacks.

The term “panic” is, sadly, not an exaggeration.

I wouldn’t say that I’m a “grazer”, I don’t have a deliberate plan to manipulate my metabolism but timing my food (with the exception of snacks that are around training runs or races of course). I’ve tried the whole “6 small meals per day diet” but it inevitably turns into the “eat everything all the time everyday diet” within a month.

Does coffee count as a snack?

*AB