The Big Day! Ramblin' Rose Half Marathon - October 21, 2013

On Sunday, I competed my first half marathon!  It was quite an experience - with a ridiculously hilly course.  http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/fullscreen/107243007/

 There were about 1500 participants, so of course the line for the port-a-potties was super long.  It was a nice chance for a photo op, though!  Note my pink sparkle skirt.  That was a special purchase for this race, though I'm thinking it's going to make many more appearances!  

We were one of the last folks to get started, but that was ok with us.  The weather was perfect; a crisp fall morning. warming up to a pleasant 70 degrees.  The sun had that golden glow that only seems to happen on October mornings.   Here's one of those ridiculous hills.  

I wish I could say this was the worst of them.  Unfortunately, that would not be accurate.  I also wish I could say that once we got past the halfway mark it got easier, but these hills came in miles 8-13.  I really think someone was trying to kill us!

Coming into the home stretch, I felt so happy and relieved.  I thought that I'd experienced all the surprises this race had to offer.  But as I approached the finish, I heard a pair of little voices yell, "Go Mommy!  Go!"  The Boy and The Girl came running out to cross the finish line with me.  Considering that I didn't think they would be there, that was THE highlight of the race.  (I take back all the junk I was talking about the Husband in the last few weeks.)  Final race time was 2:51:42.  

The end of the race was a blur.  My dear friend Karen was there cheering me on, and there were many photos. 

 On the whole this was an amazing experience.  I never dreamed I would be posting about finishing a

half marathon.  It has been such an incredible journey, and the best part about it is all the support I've gotten from my Facebook folks.  So many people have mentioned following my progress and offered encouragement.  It really kept me going, and I'm sincerely grateful for all the love you've shown.

And the journey's not over...  I just signed up for RunRaleigh on April 14, 2013.  I'm going to work on picking up speed, and finally making it to my goal weight.  Stay tuned!  There are more adventures to come.

A Certain Kind of Sadness

By nature, I am an optimist.  I tend to be able to smile through most trouble, see the best in a situation, expect things to work out ok in the end.  Most people who know me would describe me as cheerful too.  It's just the way I'm wired.  It takes way more energy for me to be sullen than it does to smile and be happy.

It's this innate cheeriness that causes a lot of trouble for me.  Unlike many of my friends, I am genuinely surprised when someone screws me over or does something really despicable.  I never see it coming!  Now, I admit that as I've gotten older and more experienced, I have started to catch on a little sooner, but I'm still really flummoxed when it happens.

Despite my cheerfulness and naivete, I am a bit prone to melancholy.  Not the deep dark pits of despair brought on by an actual depression; it's what people used to describe as "the blues."  Just a tendency to think a little bit too much about the stuff that we can't control or the inclination to poke at that sore spot - just to see if it still hurts.

When I get myself settled into a good mope, it can go on for days until I launch my "get over yourself" sequence.  Usually that involves some peppy upbeat music, a large amount of physical activity, usually a cleaning out or rearranging of my working or living space, and a ferocious bout of cooking or baking.  Usually after that, it's all good.

Except lately.

I seem to have gotten myself tangled in a loop of melancholy.  Like a CD with a skip in it, I play thorough just fine until I hit a spot and don't go any further.  Stuck.  That's a really bad feeling, because I know what's on the other side.  I know how much better I feel once all this has been process, put in it's place and worked through.  And I just can't seem to get there.

I've been on a quest to put my finger on the cause, and on this morning's run, I think I may have found it.


I have a friend who once told me if you talk about something and you feel the sting of tears, you need to pay attention to it.  Well, I can't listen to this song without sobbing.

My grandmother is currently suffering from Alzheimer's disease.  She's been lost to me for about 5 years and some change, as the song says.  And while I don't consciously think about it every day - the rawness of missing her coupled with the confusion of the fact that she is still physically here is just overwhelming.

And that's the kind of sadness that a happy playlist can't seem to overcome.

My War Against Comic Sans

At the risk of sounding like a curmudgeon, I have to say that there are a few things that I think define the dumbing down of America.  First was the rise of reality TV.  Seriously?  Do we really need to see people conniving, mating and singing badly for entertainment?  Really?  But my hatred of that particular genre will have to be the subject of another post.

Today, I'm talking about a more insidious force - one that threatens our daily lives: the super casual Comic Sans font.  You may be tempted to dismiss my concern as simple overreaction, but read on, my friend.  This threat is real!  So how did this happen?  How did we get to the point where something originally playful has turned so ominous?  What is it about this seemingly benign typeface that inspires such hatred?

When it first showed up, I was completely enamored with it.  It's a FONT on the computer and when you use it, everything looks like a Charlie Brown cartoon!  How cool is that?!  Of course, I was a teenager then - not a moody, dark, sarcastic one.  I was more of a let-me-carry-a-Beauty-and-the-Beast-lunchbox-ironically kind of teenager.  I will admit to overuse in my younger years, but it was done ironically.  Really.  And anyway, I grew up.  But the evil Comic Sans did not.  Meanwhile its popularity remained, and its power grew.

As a result, this causal font has popped up in completely inappropriate places.  Over on Six Revisions - Useful Information for Web Developers & Designers, Cameron Chapman shared several examples in his post entitled Comic Sans: The Font Everyone Loves to Hate.  Here's my favorite:





Author David Kadavy probes deeper in his post Why You Hate Comic Sans,  He actually goes into an analysis of what makes this a bad font.  I found it quite interesting, because I had never probed too deeply into the design reasons why I hated the poor font.  His analysis of stroke, weight management and letterfit was very enlightening.  But it was his conclusion that resonated with me.  The overuse of Comic Sans was a result of the democratization of desktop publishing - a good thing for the masses, not so good for graphic designers - and its use is a sign of an amateur.


Why?  Why?  Why?????  It's because we are mostly lazy!  We go for the easy win.  Depending on your machine, you could have hundreds of fonts from which to choose.  It's too hard to sit and thoroughly consider the implications of each one.  (Which, by the way, if that particular task was an Olympic sport, I'm pretty sure I would qualify for the team.  Just sayin'.)  Why would Ms. Average American waste time considering font choices when she could be watching a show where a mean man makes people cry for our entertainment?

 Graphic designers get that each typeface connotes a world of meaning.  Using Comic Sans is a way for a person to declare his or her illiteracy of that concept.   It conveys to the world that while you are able to operate a computer, you don't get that there is a deeper layer of meaning to choosing type.  So c'mon! You're no dummy!  Put away that Comic Sans and spend a bit more time considering your font choices.

You can always set the DVR.

Sweat Therapy

This week sucked.  There are no two ways about it.  It was crazy busy and stressful.  There were a few bright spots - I got to reconnect with friends I hadn't seen in a while for one - but on the whole it was a terrible week.

Usually stressful stuff like this doesn't get me down, but as you may know, I was on a running hiatus this week.  While nursing my irritated IT band, I didn't get my normal morning runs in.  It had been 6 days since I'd worked up a proper sweat, and boy, that really took its toll.

I spent practically the entire week wallowing and so tonight, I decided it was time to get over myself.  I planned a pretty slow and easy run around the neighborhood, just in case I ran into trouble.  I laced up my brand new running shoes and off I went.

Now normally, I have a "Move Your Ass" playlist that I listen to on my runs, but tonight I just let my iPhone give me what it would.  Incidentally, my iPhone's name is Hermione - because she always has the answer.  Well, tonight Hermione was reading my mind.  Every song that came up seemed to be a message to my troubled mind.  Here's the playlist:

1. Urgent - Foreigner
2. Vertigo - U2
3. I'm the Only One - Melissa Etheridge
4. The First Cut Is the Deepest - Sheryl Crow
5. Pictures of You - The Cure
6. One Less Bell to Answer/A House is Not  a Home - Kristen Chenoweth and Matthew Morrison
7. Julia - Chocolate Genius
8. Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
9. Heartache for Everyone - Indigo Girls

After that does of sweat therapy, I feel like I can tackle those things that have been plaguing my mind.  It feels so good to be back!  Now, if you'll excuse me - I need to go work my plan.

Everything You Wanted To Know About The IT Band...

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been having some trouble with pain in the outside of my knee when I'm running.  Being a total newbie, I'm always paranoid about doing "permanent damage" to myself. Because of that I always jump on the internet to do some research at the first sign of trouble.  In my search, I found Digital Running Club.  This site is full of great tips and ideas - including one of the best Couch to Half Marathon plans I've seen.  My favorite feature is "Ask the Experts."  What a great resource!

When I saw it, I couldn't resist.  Being the curious person I am, I dropped an email to their expert asking how to treat this IT band ailment?  DO I rest or push through?  Here's what Run Coach Brian had to say:

The short answer is definitely to rest it. There's really no way to stretch the IT band itself because it's not a muscle. It's a fibrous band of tissue. Here's some background:
 

The IT band runs from your Illium (hip bone) to your tibia 9one of your shin bones), hence the name "Iliotibial band'. Although it runs alongside your femur (thigh bone), it is not attached to it. If you probe your knee with your fingers, you'll find that you've got a "knob" on either side of your knee. The inner one is the medial condyle of the femur and the outer is the lateral condyle of the femur. Your knee cap slides between the two. When the muscles of the hips, thighs and/or calves get too tight or imbalanced, the IT band gets pulled tight and begins to rub against the lateral condyle of the femur. This rubbing results in inflammation and pain. When the tissue gets inflamed, it begins to swell, which exacerbates the friction between the IT band and the femur making the problem worse.
 

So, if you don't rest it now, the problem will get worse and you'll only be in for a more extended period of rest later. Ice will help with the inflammation. When practical, ice the outside of your knee for 10-15 minutes at a time every 3-4 hours. Use of the foam roller will also help. Focus on your butt and your hips. In all likelihood, that's where the problem is originating. Of course, a visit to a massage therapist will also help greatly. Describe your symptoms and he/she should know what to do.
 

I recommend taking at least 1 week and probably 2 weeks off from running. After a week, start some strength training exercises to help prevent the problem in the future.

He even sent a link to a specific exercise - the single leg dead lift - to help get me started.   I've been starting slowly without weights with that one, just to get used to the motion.  Had my first run in a week tonight.

So, thanks Brian!  Your advice was extremely helpful, and greatly appreciated!

A Snag... A Painful One!

If there was ever a week where I needed to get some miles in, it was this one.  This week had been a rough one.  From Ken's eye surgery to the death of The Boy's new puppy, from the hectic pace of getting ready for the start of a new school year to the complex feelings I've been sifting through - this week was an A-Z tour of emotion: from Angst-filled to Zapped.  

My runs are a form of therapy for me.  Getting out on the trail allows me time to sort through what's going on in my head.  Working out those feelings of frustration is such a wonderful thing.  I'm fortunate to have found an activity that is both good for me physically and mentally.  I've come to crave the time and the exertion.

I was prepared - I'd downloaded the audio version of The Great Gatsby a few weeks ago, and was ready to immerse myself in Nick Carraway's world.  The weather was perfect - cool and a bit overcast with no threat of rain.  I was feeling good and so ready to work it out.

I got about 2.5 miles into the 10 mile course when I was seized with an overwhelming pain on the outer side of my right knee.  Every time I lifted my foot to take a step, it hurt. 

I was at first worried I'd done some kind of permanent damage.  (That's the curse of the novice runner - every tiny twinge of anything amiss is cause for worry.)  I had been reading an article about common running injuries, and this seemed to be consistent with an irritated IT band.  But at that moment in time, I wasn't concerned with the cause or the treatment.  As I walked the 2.5 miles back to my car, all I could think about about was missing my run.  

I was bereft. 

The tears started as I pulled away from the trail head.  They didn't stop until almost 45 minutes later.  (Read the bio - I can be prone to mild histrionics occasionally.  That's what would-be Drama Queens do!)  How was I going to survive without my outlet?  How could I process all that had happened this week without my run?  I needed the miles to sort through everything that was knocking around in my head!  

After a while, I pulled myself together.  (Turns out, bawling your eyes out is another effective way to deal with excess emotion.)  I got online and started to do some research.  A short email to the expert at www.digitalrunning.com - a great resource that all you running types should be checking out - and my suspicions were confirmed.  IT band inflammation.  

So it's rest for this girl.  One week of total rest, one week of stretching and strengthening, and then back to collecting the miles.  It feels good to have a plan to get back on track, but I don't know what I'm going to do with myself in the meantime.  I didn't fully realize how important this is to - now that I can't have it, I fear I'm going to go into withdrawal.  

However, I am intent on making this merely a temporary setback.  Too many times in the past, a snag like this would completely derail me.  Not this time.  It may be a pain - but it's not going to stop me.  

I've got way too much angst, and I need my therapy!

I'm Not Lazy - I Just Get Bored Easily

So, have I mentioned I'm training for a half-marathon?  I know, I know - I talk about it a lot.  It's a big deal in my universe.  I'm trying to be less obnoxious about it.  Operative word: trying.

In my training, I've been running some pretty long distances.  My personal best is 12 miles, which I've done twice.  Most of my training runs are now between 8 and 10 miles, gradually working up to a 14 miler in the weeks before the big race.  Now, when you run as slowly as I am, it takes a long time to cover that kind of distance.  Most of my big runs have been with other people: either the Galloway group or my various running buddies.  This weekend, I attempted to go it alone.

It was a beautiful morning - a bit misty from rains the night before.  The temperature was reasonable for mid-August.  The trail was completely deserted.  I could hear the chirp of the birds and the rustling of the squirrels in the brush.  There was a creek babbling under me for part of the time.  The world was peaceful, silent, tranquil.

It was torture.

As the miles went by, I found myself fighting to stay focused and in the moment.  Usually when I'm running, I get kind of a zen state where the issues I'd been turning over in my mind are cast in a different light and suddenly seem manageable.  When I run with a partner or group, there is just enough chit-chat to keep me energized and present.  When we lapse into silence, I do some serious thinking.  But it's always a pleasure to pull my head out of the clouds, shake it like an etch-a-sketch and dive back into conversation.   There's something invigorating about being able to bat around ideas and observations.  It keeps me from getting bored.

Now, I realize that running is supposed to be a deeply transformative experience that brings me to a higher plane of awareness.  (Wait, maybe that's meditation.  Yoga?  Shopping?  I get confused.)  But when I'm out there alone, the main emotion I'm feeling is...boredom.

Having music helps, but for some reason, the shuffle function was not operating for my playlist - so I was stuck with the same old tunes.  Predictability is my enemy when it comes to the long run.

So Sunday, I ended up cutting my run short.  I did 5 miles instead of the planned 10.  I started to beat myself up about it.  You know the drill, Jeez, why are you so lazy?  Don't you want to be successful?  You're not trying hard enough.  (I'm really starting to feel that that voice in my head is a mean bitch.) 

So I asked myself, Why are you doing this?  Why are you out here at 6am on a Sunday morning when you could be asleep and dreaming happily?  The answer?  Because I need to be.  I need to feel the pounding of my heart and the straining of my legs.  I need to breathe the fresh air and feel the sun on my skin.  If I don't run, I don't function properly.  I'm not running to prove anything to anyone.  I'm not running because I'm out to break any records or set a standard.  I'm doing it because it feels good.  Because I enjoy it.  Because it's fun.

And so cutting off my run a bit early because it wasn't fun seemed perfectly reasonable.  Will I pay for it later?  Maybe, but who will I be paying?  In this instance, cutting it short helped me to silence that bitchy inner voice and helped me to remember exactly why I'm pounding away on this path.

One Foot in Front of the Other

I've been working in earnest to seriously train for the Ramblin' Rose Durham half-marathon.  That means getting my behind out of bed extra early several days a week, and giving up a big chunk of my time on Saturday mornings to run.

I've almost officially joined the Galloway Raleigh group, and have been implementing the run-walk method to great success.  So much so that last week, I completed my very first 12-mile training run.  I was scheduled to 10, but at the last minute my running partner, Diane the Relentless, talked me into going for those extra 2 miles. With a large group, fuel along the way, and two lovely water stops I made it without too much ado.  So, when this weekend rolled around, it was time to do it again.

 It was a beautiful morning - a bit humid, but nothing like the heat of a few weeks ago.  I was on the southern leg of the American Tobacco Trail so the scenery was quite beautiful (if you can avoid the horse droppings.) All was well - the folks on the trail were cheerful, as usual and the company was good.

When I go out on a long run like that, I'm always a little full of myself at the beginning.  Check me out!  I'm RUNNING!  I'm a runner!  Ha!  Say what you will, but I find a little bravado fun.  That usually wears off around the middle of the course.  I start to hesitate at the end of the walk break - trying to stretch out those final moments of rest before plunging back into a run.  

At about mile 8, I started to seriously question the wisdom of what I was doing.  The doubts started to surface.  You are never going to be able to do this.  I kept going.  One foot.  Then the other.  Who are you trying to impress? More steps.  Slower, maybe but still one foot, then the next.  You know, there's no shame in just walking back to the finish.  You can make it stop so easily.  And yet the steps kept coming.  I do not deny that at every walk break, I eagerly slowed down.  Nor do I deny that when then signal came for the next run interval that I griped about starting again.  But I kept going.  First one foot.  Then the other.  Good conversation and lovely scenery helped.  And somehow, the miles slipped by.

Actually - they didn't slip by.  The dragged by.  Lumbered by.  Creeped by.  But they went.  And at the end of the trail, I was still alive.  I could barely stand up, my feet were killing me and I looked like I had just gotten my ass kicked.  But doggone it, I had done it.

And on the drive home, I started to think about what next week's big run was going to be.

Here's the Goal

On October 20, 2012, I will complete the Ramblin' Rose Half Marathon running/walking at a pace of 14 min/mile.  I will do this by training using the Galloway run/walk method of 2 short runs and one long one per week.  I will also walk 2 of the 3 non-running days.


Each day I will stretch completely and mindfully before and after my workouts.


Additionally, I will add one Yoga class to my weekly workouts at a time and place to be determined.

New Life, New Mountains to Climb

I've recently made some big decisions.  I've changed jobs - leaving the classroom after 13 years to take a position in Central Office.  Add that to the fact that in the last 12 months, I've lost 95 pounds and you get some pretty major changes.


Well since I've never been one to shy away from a challenge, I've decided to take on another biggie.  I am going to run a half marathon.  That's right!  21K!  13.1 miles!  My target date is November 11th.  My plan is to run a 5K, an 8K and a 10K in preparation for the big race.  I've enlisted the help of my neighbor, Diane, who is a very sporty chic and a great role model.  Now, it's off to the races.  


I'll be posting my progress here, so be sure to check in and leave a comment.  It will keep me honest!  




R