In celebration of finishing the half-marathon in a standing position, I will dispense of some wisdom I have learned:
- Don't stop training two weeks before the half. The distance you haven't run is where your body will file for divorce.
- Have friends at the end-line. Nothing beats that feeling.
- Stay in hotels with treadmills. You may hate them, but you won't need your Garmin to GPS your ass home
- After the race, eat whatever the hell you want. That's part of the reward.
- Even if there's no race on the horizon, think ahead. For me, it's likely the marathon (though I said I wouldn't, apparently I'm going to anyway).
- Remember the feeling of crossing that finish line. It will help you cross many more.
- Tell everyone your next race.
- Take one day of rest or easy exercise per every mile (not kilometer) run. I've exhausted my 13 days, so it's back to the grind.
- Really, really, really, do not use your new shoes outside. I have spent $300 on new shoes in the past three months. Two pairs. Glycerin 7s didn't work out.
- Don't be bashful when people say you're looking good or that you've lost weight. You have, even if the scale is lying to you.
- Keep writing your damn blog because it will at least keep your mind on running.
My new challenge will be getting back into cold weather running - I knew I said I love it, prefer it over hot weather running... but we'll see. Almost time to break out the YakTrax!
Oh, and fall-weather running? Blows.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Hot Weather Running
I may have mentioned how much I hate hot weather running. It turns out, I'm a little off. I hate hot, humid weather running. Sadly, in Ottawa, there is a lot of hot and humid.
The keys to running in hot and humid weather are:
1. Hydration: This can never be stressed enough. What I didn't figure out for a long time is that hydration takes a matter of days, not hours. To be properly hydrated for a run, you should really start the week before. Eight cups of water are the usual suggestion, but for runners in this weather, it should be a lot more!
2. Being sensible: Even the hardiest of marathon runners are trimming back their runs today. The Running Room group was to do 32km, but most of them stopped around 27. Myself, I was glad to do only 12km.
3. Knowing when to stop: Running in this weather is really hard on your body. Never mind the hydration, it's plain hard to do. I have heard that running in this heat is twice the effort as running on a pleasant day. So if your body is saying stop, if your calves are cramping and your vision is wavering, and you can't seem to run in a straight line, for Pete's sake, stop! The harm you will do to yourself far outweighs any benefit you could gain.
In other news, I have obtained my new shoes! I stayed with the Brooks Glycerin 7 because I had no issue with my first pair, and it was like running on a supportive marshmallow. And it seems not only do I get to run happily, I'm being environmentally supportive too - Brooks has introduced BioMoGo, to aid in the breakdown of the shoe when I send them to the Golden Shoe Closet in the sky. As long as they don't start breaking down early, I think I'm happy with that addition.
Lastly, I have signed up for two new races:
1. The U.S. 10K Classic, in Atlanta, Georgia. I'm in town Labour Day weekend anyways, so why not?
2. Run for the Cure, Ottawa, a gentle 5K in support of research on breast cancer on October 4. I figure it'll be a nice move back into running after the Army Half-Marathon! (if you'd like to donate, look me up on the website)
Go me!
The keys to running in hot and humid weather are:
1. Hydration: This can never be stressed enough. What I didn't figure out for a long time is that hydration takes a matter of days, not hours. To be properly hydrated for a run, you should really start the week before. Eight cups of water are the usual suggestion, but for runners in this weather, it should be a lot more!
2. Being sensible: Even the hardiest of marathon runners are trimming back their runs today. The Running Room group was to do 32km, but most of them stopped around 27. Myself, I was glad to do only 12km.
3. Knowing when to stop: Running in this weather is really hard on your body. Never mind the hydration, it's plain hard to do. I have heard that running in this heat is twice the effort as running on a pleasant day. So if your body is saying stop, if your calves are cramping and your vision is wavering, and you can't seem to run in a straight line, for Pete's sake, stop! The harm you will do to yourself far outweighs any benefit you could gain.
In other news, I have obtained my new shoes! I stayed with the Brooks Glycerin 7 because I had no issue with my first pair, and it was like running on a supportive marshmallow. And it seems not only do I get to run happily, I'm being environmentally supportive too - Brooks has introduced BioMoGo, to aid in the breakdown of the shoe when I send them to the Golden Shoe Closet in the sky. As long as they don't start breaking down early, I think I'm happy with that addition.
Lastly, I have signed up for two new races:
1. The U.S. 10K Classic, in Atlanta, Georgia. I'm in town Labour Day weekend anyways, so why not?
2. Run for the Cure, Ottawa, a gentle 5K in support of research on breast cancer on October 4. I figure it'll be a nice move back into running after the Army Half-Marathon! (if you'd like to donate, look me up on the website)
Go me!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
16K is far
So I've been naughty again, both with posting and with running. I haven't been doing as much of either as I should.
But today, I got back into the game, and ran the 16-km run, and boy are my knees feeling it now!
It was a lovely run - starting west and running a zig-zag through the Glebe, then downtown to Laurier. From Laurier, we trekked east and north east, to the residence to the Governor General's residence. We waved to the guards on duty, who properly did not wave back (though one was leaning a little!), and carried on, past some more lovely houses (well out of any price-range I could afford), and back down Sussex to the canal.
The day was miserable and rainy when I started, but when we left the store, it was a mere misting. The rain managed to hold off for most of it, and the weather was really pleasant to run in.
However, my knees ache. It's been about eight months since I bought my running shoes, and it's time I switched to a new pair.
But today, I got back into the game, and ran the 16-km run, and boy are my knees feeling it now!
It was a lovely run - starting west and running a zig-zag through the Glebe, then downtown to Laurier. From Laurier, we trekked east and north east, to the residence to the Governor General's residence. We waved to the guards on duty, who properly did not wave back (though one was leaning a little!), and carried on, past some more lovely houses (well out of any price-range I could afford), and back down Sussex to the canal.
The day was miserable and rainy when I started, but when we left the store, it was a mere misting. The rain managed to hold off for most of it, and the weather was really pleasant to run in.
However, my knees ache. It's been about eight months since I bought my running shoes, and it's time I switched to a new pair.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
I Hate Summer Running
As the title indicates, I hate running in the summer. Give me a winter run any day; at least I can warm up! There seems to be no way to cool down while running in the sun and humidity that blanket this city, except to not run. Which is sort of not the purpose.
We did 9k today, in spite of my not having done a long run in a couple of weeks and still battling the end of this cold. I did most of it admirably well, and with my trusty new Garmin, I kept pace pretty well. It wasn't until the last kilometer that I really started to feel like I couldn't continue, so I walked a lot of it. I'm just happy I was out there.
And then we went to a local pub and I had eggs benedict and totally ruined my exercise.
We did 9k today, in spite of my not having done a long run in a couple of weeks and still battling the end of this cold. I did most of it admirably well, and with my trusty new Garmin, I kept pace pretty well. It wasn't until the last kilometer that I really started to feel like I couldn't continue, so I walked a lot of it. I'm just happy I was out there.
And then we went to a local pub and I had eggs benedict and totally ruined my exercise.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Cold 1, Jelly .5
I haven't run in about two weeks now. I'm appreciating how much that sucks now.
I went home for a week two weeks ago. I got a couple of fun runs in while I was home, but one night I left the window open, having forgotten how much the temperature drops in that area.
Long story short, I got sick, and have spent the last two weeks getting better, and I don't think I'm quite 'there' yet. It started in my nose and throat, but as they say, shit rolls down hill, and the cold moved into my lungs.
Today, I tried a run, and managed to make it half-way before I gave up the ghost, due to a few things:
Insufficient nutrition: Yeah, I was dumb and didn't eat very well.
Heat: Holy hell is it hot out there at noon. Not only that, it's impossible to choose a better side of the street to run on, because the sun is right overhead.
Not enough water: Since I was only planning to do 4k out there, I didn't think it'd be so bad. Lesson learned.
Damn cold: The cough is still in my lungs, though so much lesser than it was a week ago.
Fortunately (or so I keep telling myself), we're still really early in the running program, so I am hoping to bounce back without too much difficulty.
Something that I've been wanting to do for a while, and hopefully will be able to, is running in the morning before work. The problem is that I am very bad at getting up and doing anything more strenuous than having a shower and downing some Cheerios. Maybe I'll give it a shot this week when I have more time off of work.
And last but not least, I got my shiny new wrist toy! The Garmin Forerunner 305 now clunkenly adorns my wrist, and I've got to learn how to use it. First thing: changing the miles to kilometers. Things seem faster that way.
I went home for a week two weeks ago. I got a couple of fun runs in while I was home, but one night I left the window open, having forgotten how much the temperature drops in that area.
Long story short, I got sick, and have spent the last two weeks getting better, and I don't think I'm quite 'there' yet. It started in my nose and throat, but as they say, shit rolls down hill, and the cold moved into my lungs.
Today, I tried a run, and managed to make it half-way before I gave up the ghost, due to a few things:
Insufficient nutrition: Yeah, I was dumb and didn't eat very well.
Heat: Holy hell is it hot out there at noon. Not only that, it's impossible to choose a better side of the street to run on, because the sun is right overhead.
Not enough water: Since I was only planning to do 4k out there, I didn't think it'd be so bad. Lesson learned.
Damn cold: The cough is still in my lungs, though so much lesser than it was a week ago.
Fortunately (or so I keep telling myself), we're still really early in the running program, so I am hoping to bounce back without too much difficulty.
Something that I've been wanting to do for a while, and hopefully will be able to, is running in the morning before work. The problem is that I am very bad at getting up and doing anything more strenuous than having a shower and downing some Cheerios. Maybe I'll give it a shot this week when I have more time off of work.
And last but not least, I got my shiny new wrist toy! The Garmin Forerunner 305 now clunkenly adorns my wrist, and I've got to learn how to use it. First thing: changing the miles to kilometers. Things seem faster that way.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
On to New Adventures
So I decided to sign up for the half-Marathon on September 20, 2009, for fear that if I slowed down, I would quit. According to my half-assed following of the half-marathon schedule, I think I'm right.
I started the half-marathon clinic this week, and it's a bit different from the 10K. A lot of former 10Kers have joined in, and it's nice to see the familiar faces. The group leaders (there are two now) have a different style from J - the only 10:1 pace is on our long-slow runs on Sundays, and we have a walk before we start our runs.
We did 7km today, and it felt really good. As we were closing in on the home stretch, I found my pace picking up - I don't know if it's because I was on said home stretch, or if I was finding a stride, but I felt really comfortable there. The funny thing was, I was out-distancing my pace group. I think that for smaller, sub-10km distances, that's okay, but once we start hitting longer distances, I'll be more careful.
I started the half-marathon clinic this week, and it's a bit different from the 10K. A lot of former 10Kers have joined in, and it's nice to see the familiar faces. The group leaders (there are two now) have a different style from J - the only 10:1 pace is on our long-slow runs on Sundays, and we have a walk before we start our runs.
We did 7km today, and it felt really good. As we were closing in on the home stretch, I found my pace picking up - I don't know if it's because I was on said home stretch, or if I was finding a stride, but I felt really comfortable there. The funny thing was, I was out-distancing my pace group. I think that for smaller, sub-10km distances, that's okay, but once we start hitting longer distances, I'll be more careful.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Success is 1 hour, 7 minutes, and 45 seconds
I ran the 10K yesterday evening, and got in at a very satisfactory 67 minutes and 45 seconds.
I had been hoping for 60 minutes, but due to some oversights, I'm happy that I made it through the whole course still standing.
The race was fun for a lot of reasons. For example, all the people who like to dress up for the race - someone was wearing a pair of shorts with buttocks, advertising a rendition of the Full Monty. Another thing was, as we were passing underneath the Queensway, everyone let out yells to echo through. That was fun.
I am also extremely thankful to everyone who lined up to watch the 10k'ers go by. All the adults with signs, the children with their pots and pans, and the people who would read my name off my race bib and encourage me to keep going. Even if I didn't know them, it was like each of them were cheering at least in part for me.
I did learn a few good lessons from this, though:
1. Keep water with you: I had decided not to bring my water bottle with me, because I dislike wearing it while running. However, the water stations were set so far apart that, from kilometer 4 to kilometer 8, there was nothing. I was reduced to walk two minutes, run two minutes. By the time I got to the 8km water station, I was knocking back about 2.5 cups. The sun was punishing, and I think I would have gotten a much better time had I had a constant source of water. I'm lucky I didn't seize up or faint!
2. They're not joking when they say hydrate before the run: if I had maintained my hydration level on the day of that I had the day before, lesson #1 wouldn't have been quite as much a problem.
3. If you have blisters from another sport, make sure they're cushioned: I took care of them and while they didn't really cause me that much trouble during the race, I did feel them.
And then the two things that I had known before, through common sense: who cares if everyone else is wearing the race day shirt? If it's hot and sunny, wear white; and, ice your knees after.
I do wish John Stanton's book had a bit more detail of post-race recovery. For me, I did what felt natural. I had a steak dinner, drank water, and went to bed.
I had been hoping for 60 minutes, but due to some oversights, I'm happy that I made it through the whole course still standing.
The race was fun for a lot of reasons. For example, all the people who like to dress up for the race - someone was wearing a pair of shorts with buttocks, advertising a rendition of the Full Monty. Another thing was, as we were passing underneath the Queensway, everyone let out yells to echo through. That was fun.
I am also extremely thankful to everyone who lined up to watch the 10k'ers go by. All the adults with signs, the children with their pots and pans, and the people who would read my name off my race bib and encourage me to keep going. Even if I didn't know them, it was like each of them were cheering at least in part for me.
I did learn a few good lessons from this, though:
1. Keep water with you: I had decided not to bring my water bottle with me, because I dislike wearing it while running. However, the water stations were set so far apart that, from kilometer 4 to kilometer 8, there was nothing. I was reduced to walk two minutes, run two minutes. By the time I got to the 8km water station, I was knocking back about 2.5 cups. The sun was punishing, and I think I would have gotten a much better time had I had a constant source of water. I'm lucky I didn't seize up or faint!
2. They're not joking when they say hydrate before the run: if I had maintained my hydration level on the day of that I had the day before, lesson #1 wouldn't have been quite as much a problem.
3. If you have blisters from another sport, make sure they're cushioned: I took care of them and while they didn't really cause me that much trouble during the race, I did feel them.
And then the two things that I had known before, through common sense: who cares if everyone else is wearing the race day shirt? If it's hot and sunny, wear white; and, ice your knees after.
I do wish John Stanton's book had a bit more detail of post-race recovery. For me, I did what felt natural. I had a steak dinner, drank water, and went to bed.
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