Last Saturday morning, I ran a small, local 8K race. It was a pretty slow time for a just-under-five-mile run, because about halfway through, a blister on the ball of my right foot burst.
I am pretty religious in my application of Body Glide/Sport Block to my feet. I wear running shoes that are right for my gait/running needs/pronation/foot shape. I wear moisture-wicking, run-specific, left/right socks. I also wear stilettos.
Friday I wore a gorgeous, nautical-inspired pair of BCBG Max Azria heels. They are tenuously held onto my feet by two small rope/twine straps--one just over my toes and the other at my ankle. They are 4 inches tall, and they lack in padding, but are very well constructed. They are fine at the office, at dinner, or really any place where walking is not really involved. They are not fine for a walk home in the heat, while carrying a tote full of stuff that has accumulated at my office all week.
Bottom line: I had a quarter-sized blister on my right foot that evening, which was still there Saturday morning.
I taped the blister up as well as I could and hoped for the best. I could feel it stinging as I started the race, and I definitely felt it burst (I think I even heard it). I didn't quit; I just kept going at the best pace I could maintain, knowing that I would literally have to peel my sock off of my oozing right foot once the race ended.
I spent the weekend with a heavily-taped up right foot (which looked lovely with my black heels and black dress on Saturday night when I attended a bachelorette party), covering a now half-dollar sized blister.
And, today is Friday. I am in heels. I will not be walking home in them.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Running Therapy
Tuesdays I run "Quality" runs. These can be any kind of hill or speedwork. I overslept Tuesday morning, and I planned on a nighttime hill run. I did not plan on a stressful, emotionally-challenging phone conversation right before the run. Well, my Tuesday night hill run was the best therapy I could get at that time (and the cheapest and least destructive).* I ran what most Spokanites would know as part of the Bloomsday Run (heading west on Riverside to SFCC), but instead of heading up Doomsday to enjoy a mostly downhill finish, I turned around at SFCC to rerun the hills by the cemeteries,** and to run back up the large hill on Riverside that leads from the M.A.C. to Peaceful Valley. This is a challenging run, but I was a runner with a mission, and I easily ran up and down those hills as if I were running on a flat trail. I barely noticed my hard breathing, focusing instead on my playlist (including a heavy does of Motley Crue) and getting out of my head.***
I came home and barely got out of my sweaty running gear before passing out for the night, and this morning--no more stress. All I could think about was my morning "easy" run.****
*I'll admit that retail therapy is my favorite form of "R" therapy, but I have been discovering the benefits of running therapy. I also considered sweets therapy, carb therapy, and wine therapy. I'm glad I decided against these options.
**I don't know if these are actually separate cemeteries, or one big cemetery split by the road.
***Primal Scream is a fantastic running song.
****This morning's easy run was less than easy. My amazing and hard hill run + less recovery time than normal made it challenging, but since I finished, it was still a great run.
I came home and barely got out of my sweaty running gear before passing out for the night, and this morning--no more stress. All I could think about was my morning "easy" run.****
*I'll admit that retail therapy is my favorite form of "R" therapy, but I have been discovering the benefits of running therapy. I also considered sweets therapy, carb therapy, and wine therapy. I'm glad I decided against these options.
**I don't know if these are actually separate cemeteries, or one big cemetery split by the road.
***Primal Scream is a fantastic running song.
****This morning's easy run was less than easy. My amazing and hard hill run + less recovery time than normal made it challenging, but since I finished, it was still a great run.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Treat Your Feet
Today was long run day--as will be every Saturday between now and Portland. Running wrecks your feet. Callouses, blisters, broken toenails, dryness...and, I have heard that black toenails are very common closer to the race and during the race.* I also live in high heels.** Finally, summer has hit Spokane, and it's dry and hot.The bottom line: my feet are gross.
I will paint my toenails and put lotion on my feet (sporadically), but I kind of neglect my feet.*** Not today. Today, I received a pedicure. Pedicures are pure pampering: foot massage, scrubs, lotions, and for me, hot pink toenail polish. I rarely get them, but this might change, since my two neglected feet are getting me through my Portland Training. I have only missed 1 run in the last 4 weeks of training (if you're counting, it means that I have completed 19 training runs, as my training schedule includes five days of running). My feet are responsible for helping me meet my current and, it seems, long-term love: running. I'll be going back in a few weeks to treat them again.
*Word on the trail is that the pressure and friction of long runs can lead your toenails to turn black and sometimes fall off. I have seen it on other runners' feet. Not pretty.
**I don't want to hear that high heels are bad for me. I know they are. I don't care. I do not have very many vices. They are pretty; they make barely 5'2" me taller; they can be the pop of color a dull, conservative outfit needs; and, as someone who thinks I have great style (not me) recently said , "they are sexy." These sexy shoes are from Michael Kors, and they are shown with my pretty, prink, post-pedicure toes.
***This is in stark contrast to the amount of money and time I spend on skincare for my face. Sunscreen (every single day no matter what), lotions, scrubs, masks, eye creams...I have and use them all.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Queen of the Hills
Running teaches you things you don't know about yourself. Last summer, running taught me that if I really put my mind to it, and gave something the effort it deserved and needed, that I could do anything. Well, at least it taught me that if I kept going out, putting one foot in front of the other, worked through the pain and occasional heartache, that I could indeed become a runner.* I also learned about some of the secrets of the running life: body glide is not something you buy at an "adult" store; even a bad run can be a good run; learning how to properly spit is a necessity; black toenails have nothing to do with nail polish; not all gels are created equal (flavor wise); and G.I. distress is a frightening thing.**
Running also taught me that if you don't follow the rules--and even if you do--running might punish you. I tried to take advantage of running last summer, and I got punished with two broken metatarsals, which meant months of not running and a walking "boot" that I hated. So, while I have been seriously running since late May of last year, I probably have less than a year of real running in my legs because of the injury.
In the last 3-4 weeks, I have really become serious about my Portland Training. Giving a lot of effort to my runs, listening to my body, suffering through ice baths, watching my nutrient intake, getting more sleep, consuming less alcohol and sugar, and really focusing on the specific goals of each training run. I am a noticeably stronger runner than I was last year at this time, even though my running had been more consistent for a longer period at that point. I am definitely in worse physical shape than I was last year, but I can run harder and faster, and, unexpectedly, I have fallen in love with hills.***
Every runner knows that hills are a challenge, both uphill and downhill. The uphill challenge really needs no discussion--even the non-runner can appreciate it--but downhills offer their own challenges.**** Still, I have really been pushing myself on hill training, and I have gone from a little bit of distaste to a bit of an obsession. Hills have become Benicio del Toro or Javier Bardem or Jonathan Rhys Meyers--each of these men has a decidedly unique look, one that would not be considered conventionally attractive, but I cannot tear myself away from them. Hills are mini-reminders of how much better your running is becoming. It's great for the ego to conquer a hill today that conquered you yesterday. The fact that hills whip you into shape quickly and are great for your glutes certainly doesn't hurt either.
*I previously wrote about what a runner is here: http://runnergrrl30.blogspot.com/2008/07/running-just-might-be-pearl-izumi-ad.html
**Last summer, running made me vomit and not figuratively. My stomach was extremely sensitive about what I ate before a long run. There was a particularly nasty huckleberry pancake incident that I wrote about in a post last August. I spent quite a bit of time figuring out what fuel works for me. That fuel is definitely not GU. I would compare the taste of the caffeinated berry flavor to sucking on a cherry-cough syrup coated penny. Fortunately, the apple-cinnamon Carb Boom reminds me of the filling in an apple donut and stays down.
***I consider the first half of 2009 to be six months of excess. Coming on the tail end of recovering from the broken foot, I was set back by a broken heart. In the past, I handled heartbreak by hours in the gym. Not this time...I solaced myself with sugar and libations; late nights out with friends; not a lot of sleep; and even less gym time. This is BAD for your fitness level. The flat stomach I was so pleased about making it through the holidays with was replaced with my "break up belly." That little belly...and a little more everywhere else...is hanging on still, but my new lover running is showing it who's boss, albeit slowly.
****I'll write about downhills in a later post.
Running also taught me that if you don't follow the rules--and even if you do--running might punish you. I tried to take advantage of running last summer, and I got punished with two broken metatarsals, which meant months of not running and a walking "boot" that I hated. So, while I have been seriously running since late May of last year, I probably have less than a year of real running in my legs because of the injury.
In the last 3-4 weeks, I have really become serious about my Portland Training. Giving a lot of effort to my runs, listening to my body, suffering through ice baths, watching my nutrient intake, getting more sleep, consuming less alcohol and sugar, and really focusing on the specific goals of each training run. I am a noticeably stronger runner than I was last year at this time, even though my running had been more consistent for a longer period at that point. I am definitely in worse physical shape than I was last year, but I can run harder and faster, and, unexpectedly, I have fallen in love with hills.***
Every runner knows that hills are a challenge, both uphill and downhill. The uphill challenge really needs no discussion--even the non-runner can appreciate it--but downhills offer their own challenges.**** Still, I have really been pushing myself on hill training, and I have gone from a little bit of distaste to a bit of an obsession. Hills have become Benicio del Toro or Javier Bardem or Jonathan Rhys Meyers--each of these men has a decidedly unique look, one that would not be considered conventionally attractive, but I cannot tear myself away from them. Hills are mini-reminders of how much better your running is becoming. It's great for the ego to conquer a hill today that conquered you yesterday. The fact that hills whip you into shape quickly and are great for your glutes certainly doesn't hurt either.
*I previously wrote about what a runner is here: http://runnergrrl30.blogspot.com/2008/07/running-just-might-be-pearl-izumi-ad.html
**Last summer, running made me vomit and not figuratively. My stomach was extremely sensitive about what I ate before a long run. There was a particularly nasty huckleberry pancake incident that I wrote about in a post last August. I spent quite a bit of time figuring out what fuel works for me. That fuel is definitely not GU. I would compare the taste of the caffeinated berry flavor to sucking on a cherry-cough syrup coated penny. Fortunately, the apple-cinnamon Carb Boom reminds me of the filling in an apple donut and stays down.
***I consider the first half of 2009 to be six months of excess. Coming on the tail end of recovering from the broken foot, I was set back by a broken heart. In the past, I handled heartbreak by hours in the gym. Not this time...I solaced myself with sugar and libations; late nights out with friends; not a lot of sleep; and even less gym time. This is BAD for your fitness level. The flat stomach I was so pleased about making it through the holidays with was replaced with my "break up belly." That little belly...and a little more everywhere else...is hanging on still, but my new lover running is showing it who's boss, albeit slowly.
****I'll write about downhills in a later post.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Pictures
My blog is very text-heavy. As I anticipate a serious overhaul of this blog's appearance in the near future, I hope to change that, but part of the issue is this blog is about running, and I certainly do not take Facebook-style self portraits in the early morning as I head out the door to go running in no makeup, a hat pulled down low, and sometimes matching clothes. So, I'm going to post a couple of non-running photos from time to time--and try to tie them back into running, if possible.
In the above photo (taken during my friend Heather's birthday celebration), the five girls to the right of the photo are all runners.* The girl in orange in the front, Heather, is training for the Portland Marathon with me, as is the girl in the black in the front, Melissa. We guilt each other into getting in all of our training runs, commiserate about training issues, and generally encourage each other not to quit. The girl on the far right, Lori, runs 5-6 miles about 6 times a week. She's not training for Portland, but plans on coming down to cheer for us. The blonde in the back, Liz, is a triathlete, and while she is not running Portland, she did do a 10K Trail run with Lori, Melissa, and I in May.
Please note that I am not standing in a ditch in this photo--I am actually wearing 4inch heels.
*The three girls to the left are not runners of which I am aware. Actually, I can only say for certain that Meg, the girl on the far left, is not a runner--but she is a pretty bada$$ weight lifter.
Please note that I am not standing in a ditch in this photo--I am actually wearing 4inch heels.
*The three girls to the left are not runners of which I am aware. Actually, I can only say for certain that Meg, the girl on the far left, is not a runner--but she is a pretty bada$$ weight lifter.
Sometimes, All You Need is a Little Bit*
This morning, my 5 a.m. alarm sounded way too early, which was surprising, considering I actually got into bed at just after 9, and I turned off the lights and put down this month's issue of Outside magazine by 9:30. Still...I barely crawled out of bed by 6:45, which meant my plan of 4-5 miles (approx. 48 minutes) of tempo run were foiled. I contemplated skipping the run, but something in me was not having it--it's like my Asics** were calling me, begging me to to take them out for a run. So, I got ready and headed out the door for what I had planned on as a hard, 30-minute tempo run.
Well...I got a bit ahead of myself, and as I ran hard towards Browne's Addition, I realized that my pace would absolutely not be maintained for the full 30, so I turned my run into an unstructured interval run. I pushed the pace hard for as long as I could sustain it, and then slowed it up (to a walk at some points), and repeated until I was back home. The reward: the sense of accomplishment that you feel after a completed run, about 300 calories burned, a bit more speed work (which I need), and leftover blueberry-oatmeal pancakes with Adams Crunchy Peanut Butter and a blackberry fruit spread.
*As I wrote the title of this post, all I could think about was the 50 Cent song, but I couldn't bring my self to write "Lil Bit."
**I currently rotate two pairs of shoes (well, 3, but more on that later) for running. The Asics are the Gel Kayano 14's, acquired at Runners Soul. These are by far my best looking running shoes--with a bronze/platinum metallic pattern. Whatever it takes to get you on the trail.
Well...I got a bit ahead of myself, and as I ran hard towards Browne's Addition, I realized that my pace would absolutely not be maintained for the full 30, so I turned my run into an unstructured interval run. I pushed the pace hard for as long as I could sustain it, and then slowed it up (to a walk at some points), and repeated until I was back home. The reward: the sense of accomplishment that you feel after a completed run, about 300 calories burned, a bit more speed work (which I need), and leftover blueberry-oatmeal pancakes with Adams Crunchy Peanut Butter and a blackberry fruit spread.
*As I wrote the title of this post, all I could think about was the 50 Cent song, but I couldn't bring my self to write "Lil Bit."
**I currently rotate two pairs of shoes (well, 3, but more on that later) for running. The Asics are the Gel Kayano 14's, acquired at Runners Soul. These are by far my best looking running shoes--with a bronze/platinum metallic pattern. Whatever it takes to get you on the trail.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Motivation
I am decidedly not a morning person. Sure, I am not one to sleep in, even after a late night, but I am not pleasant first thing in the morning. Training for a marathon forces you to become a morning person, or, at the least, it forces you to be up early in the morning.
I recently read a small column by legendary running coach Burt Yasso in the most recent issue of Runners' World. It was about excuses and motivation. It is certainly easier to make excuses to skip a run: tired, my bed is so cozy, my high thread count sheets are so soft, feel a little sluggish, etc. It's harder to find sources of motivation.
This morning's run (4.5+ miles of "Kenyan Outbacks"*) was motivated by: shame,** a comment from someone dear to me about the positive effects of running on my...bottom line, slowly (but steadily) firming thighs, bragging rights, the other morning runners waving as they passed by in the opposite direction, the blueberry-oatmeal pancakes I would have after my run (and ice bath),*** and Billy Idol.****
*In truth it was more of a Kenyan "Outback," as I didn't do any repeats. According to Runners' World, a Kenyan Outback is a run that is quicker in the second half than the first half. This can be done by a difficult series of intervals, but it can also be achieved by running for point A to point B in the first half of your run at a steady pace and running from point B back to point A at a steady, but faster, pace. I ran from point A to point B in 24 minutes and from point B to Point A in 21:50. The purpose of the Kenyan Outback is to allow you to finish strong. I'll write more on these later.
**See my post of July 5, 2009 regarding the motivating power of shame.
***Ice baths are unpleasant, to say the least. I have not yet gone all out to put actual ice cubes in my cold tub, but I do fill the tub as high as possible with only cold water and sit in it for at least 10 minutes. Ice baths are supposed to be a great way to help your muscles recover post-hard workout. Again, as with Kenyan Outbacks, I'll write more on ice baths later.
****Several Billy Idol tracks, including "Rebel Yell" and "Dancing With Myself," are great running tracks. I consider the Billy Idol songs a little mini-shout out to my dad, who loves Billy Idol. Please note, my father is a man in his mid-60's who grew up in the Midwest and is very conservative. If you know my dad, try to picture him rocking out (or, as he would say, "shucking and jiving") to "White Wedding" during a family car trip.
I recently read a small column by legendary running coach Burt Yasso in the most recent issue of Runners' World. It was about excuses and motivation. It is certainly easier to make excuses to skip a run: tired, my bed is so cozy, my high thread count sheets are so soft, feel a little sluggish, etc. It's harder to find sources of motivation.
This morning's run (4.5+ miles of "Kenyan Outbacks"*) was motivated by: shame,** a comment from someone dear to me about the positive effects of running on my...bottom line, slowly (but steadily) firming thighs, bragging rights, the other morning runners waving as they passed by in the opposite direction, the blueberry-oatmeal pancakes I would have after my run (and ice bath),*** and Billy Idol.****
*In truth it was more of a Kenyan "Outback," as I didn't do any repeats. According to Runners' World, a Kenyan Outback is a run that is quicker in the second half than the first half. This can be done by a difficult series of intervals, but it can also be achieved by running for point A to point B in the first half of your run at a steady pace and running from point B back to point A at a steady, but faster, pace. I ran from point A to point B in 24 minutes and from point B to Point A in 21:50. The purpose of the Kenyan Outback is to allow you to finish strong. I'll write more on these later.
**See my post of July 5, 2009 regarding the motivating power of shame.
***Ice baths are unpleasant, to say the least. I have not yet gone all out to put actual ice cubes in my cold tub, but I do fill the tub as high as possible with only cold water and sit in it for at least 10 minutes. Ice baths are supposed to be a great way to help your muscles recover post-hard workout. Again, as with Kenyan Outbacks, I'll write more on ice baths later.
****Several Billy Idol tracks, including "Rebel Yell" and "Dancing With Myself," are great running tracks. I consider the Billy Idol songs a little mini-shout out to my dad, who loves Billy Idol. Please note, my father is a man in his mid-60's who grew up in the Midwest and is very conservative. If you know my dad, try to picture him rocking out (or, as he would say, "shucking and jiving") to "White Wedding" during a family car trip.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
6 to 7 Miles of Music
Saturday's training run was "six to seven miles" at a long, slow run pace (1-2 minutes slower than your desired race pace). I almost always run with my iPod, and I take great pleasure in making running mixes. I am always asking friends for running music suggestions; it's interesting to see what motivates different runners. Saturday morning's playlist was a massive playlist called "IRunThis" (original, I know). It's an ever-growing, ever-changing list to which I always add, generally while I'm listening to a shuffle of my master iTunes library at work. Once I listen to a song from the IRunThis playlist, it gets transferred into the Used-Run playlist and deleted from the IRunThis playlist (I am really not that anal retentive, I swear). If I really love a song these days, it gets added to my slowly growing Portland Marathon Official playlist. Portland, unlike many other big marathons, actually allows and even encourages runners to use headphones, MP3 players, etc.
Saturday's run included the following:
(1) "Tick Tick Boom" by The Hives. This was formerly my previous Nike+ "PowerSong," my go to song when a run got hard, and I wanted to quit. The Hives are a Swedish band that tend to dress all the same (in black and white suits), and their front man, Howlin' Pelle Almquist, is full of showmanship, bravado, and a huge dose of (feigned?) ego. They put on an amazing live show, and "Tick Tick Boom" is a high-energy song with a chorus that includes the lines: "I've done it before/And I can do it some more." That's a long run mantra if I have ever heard one.
(2) "The Rockafeller Skank" by Fatboy Slim. I have no idea why this song has this title. I don't think any of those 3 words appear anywhere in the song. Most people would recognize this song as the "Funk Soul Brother" song or the "Right About Now" song. Again, high energy, this song is "electronic" or "techno" or "dance"--it was not my favorite running song, but probably the fact that the Ross character from "Friends" talked about this song (and maybe sang it?) in an episode has killed it for me.
(3) "You and Dat" by E-40. As this is a family, friendly blog, I'll leave comments about this song to myself. I will, however, mention that the "Dat" modifies a body part that benefits greatly from lots of running--definitely motivating.
(4) "Swagga Like Us" by T.I. feat. Jay-Z, Kanye, and Lil Wayne. This song is a bit too slow for running, but the song that T.I. and company raps over/samples--"Paper Planes" by M.I.A.--is a great running song.
(5) "Whoo! Alright, Yeah...Uh Huh" by The Rapture. I think the title speaks for itself. This is a running song.
(6) "U.R.A.Q.T." by M.I.A. This song is crazy, but a fun song for running. Actually, a fun song, period. The title is pronounced by reading each letter individually. I downloaded this song after reading about it on the brilliant blog "Things I Bought That I Love" created by Mindy Kaling from "The Office." Incidentally, if you like things and buying things and well, laughing, read this blog (http://thingsiboughtthatilove.com/).
(7) "You Dropped a Bomb on Me" by The Gap Band. A great 80's song. Not a great 80's running song.
(8) "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" by Dead or Alive. A great 80's song. A great 80's running song. A song that has been sampled greatly by Flo Rida to create a completely different song.
(9) "4 Minutes" by Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake and Timbaland. I love Madonna. I love Timberlake. I love Timbaland. That's all that needs to be said.
(10) "Straight Outta Compton" by NWA. Why is this on my playlist? Why isn't it on your playlist?
(11) "With Love" by Hilary Duff. I may be ashamed of walking; I may be ashamed of failure and quitting; I am not ashamed to admit I love this song by Hilary Duff.
(12) "Can't Stop, Won't Stop (Remixed Vers.)" by Young Gunz feat. Chingy. Again, it's all in the title.
(13) "Whoomp! (There It Is)" by Tag Team. Embarrassing? Yes. Motivating? Hell yes. This song was a total pick me up on the last part of my long run.
(14) "Vans (Remix)" by The Pack. "Yeah, yeah I'm in my zone." Lyrics to motivate.
(15) "Wait a Minute (Just a Touch)" by Estelle. Estelle's entire album, Shine, is great for running, save a couple of slow tracks.
(16) "Too Shy" by Kajagoogoo. See number (8), above (exclude references to Flo Rida).
(17) "This is How I Disappear" by My Chemical Romance. Loud, aggressive. Just what you need those last few hundred yards.
(18) "Whatever U Like" by Nicole Sherzinger feat. T.I. This song always gets me going, always.
Saturday's run included the following:
(1) "Tick Tick Boom" by The Hives. This was formerly my previous Nike+ "PowerSong," my go to song when a run got hard, and I wanted to quit. The Hives are a Swedish band that tend to dress all the same (in black and white suits), and their front man, Howlin' Pelle Almquist, is full of showmanship, bravado, and a huge dose of (feigned?) ego. They put on an amazing live show, and "Tick Tick Boom" is a high-energy song with a chorus that includes the lines: "I've done it before/And I can do it some more." That's a long run mantra if I have ever heard one.
(2) "The Rockafeller Skank" by Fatboy Slim. I have no idea why this song has this title. I don't think any of those 3 words appear anywhere in the song. Most people would recognize this song as the "Funk Soul Brother" song or the "Right About Now" song. Again, high energy, this song is "electronic" or "techno" or "dance"--it was not my favorite running song, but probably the fact that the Ross character from "Friends" talked about this song (and maybe sang it?) in an episode has killed it for me.
(3) "You and Dat" by E-40. As this is a family, friendly blog, I'll leave comments about this song to myself. I will, however, mention that the "Dat" modifies a body part that benefits greatly from lots of running--definitely motivating.
(4) "Swagga Like Us" by T.I. feat. Jay-Z, Kanye, and Lil Wayne. This song is a bit too slow for running, but the song that T.I. and company raps over/samples--"Paper Planes" by M.I.A.--is a great running song.
(5) "Whoo! Alright, Yeah...Uh Huh" by The Rapture. I think the title speaks for itself. This is a running song.
(6) "U.R.A.Q.T." by M.I.A. This song is crazy, but a fun song for running. Actually, a fun song, period. The title is pronounced by reading each letter individually. I downloaded this song after reading about it on the brilliant blog "Things I Bought That I Love" created by Mindy Kaling from "The Office." Incidentally, if you like things and buying things and well, laughing, read this blog (http://thingsiboughtthatilove.com/).
(7) "You Dropped a Bomb on Me" by The Gap Band. A great 80's song. Not a great 80's running song.
(8) "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" by Dead or Alive. A great 80's song. A great 80's running song. A song that has been sampled greatly by Flo Rida to create a completely different song.
(9) "4 Minutes" by Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake and Timbaland. I love Madonna. I love Timberlake. I love Timbaland. That's all that needs to be said.
(10) "Straight Outta Compton" by NWA. Why is this on my playlist? Why isn't it on your playlist?
(11) "With Love" by Hilary Duff. I may be ashamed of walking; I may be ashamed of failure and quitting; I am not ashamed to admit I love this song by Hilary Duff.
(12) "Can't Stop, Won't Stop (Remixed Vers.)" by Young Gunz feat. Chingy. Again, it's all in the title.
(13) "Whoomp! (There It Is)" by Tag Team. Embarrassing? Yes. Motivating? Hell yes. This song was a total pick me up on the last part of my long run.
(14) "Vans (Remix)" by The Pack. "Yeah, yeah I'm in my zone." Lyrics to motivate.
(15) "Wait a Minute (Just a Touch)" by Estelle. Estelle's entire album, Shine, is great for running, save a couple of slow tracks.
(16) "Too Shy" by Kajagoogoo. See number (8), above (exclude references to Flo Rida).
(17) "This is How I Disappear" by My Chemical Romance. Loud, aggressive. Just what you need those last few hundred yards.
(18) "Whatever U Like" by Nicole Sherzinger feat. T.I. This song always gets me going, always.
The Motivating Power of Shame*
The 4th of July. The day America celebrates its independence from England. Incredibly hard to believe now that a tiny country that gave us Shakespeare, blood pudding, and David Beckham once controlled Colonial Americans.** Harder still to believe is that many Americans probably have no idea what year America celebrated its first Independence Day (hint: it did not involve aliens and Will Smith). Americans associate Independence Day with barbecues, federal holidays, apple pie, sunshine, and fireworks. Americans do not associate Independence Day with running.
So, it was incredibly challenging on the morning of the 4th (Saturday) to get out of bed as early as I would on a workday to run "six to seven miles" or 72 minutes.*** I slept a bit later than I would have liked (6:30 instead of 5:30), laced up my Asics, grabbed my water bottle and tucked it into my running belt, brushed my teeth, put on my sunscreen, and headed west towards downtown Spokane and the Centennial Trail.**** I felt strong on the run--pushing myself, waving at other runners, trying to maintain an easy, even pace needed for my long, slow run. I incorporate several very short walk breaks into my long runs, as long runs are supposed to be slower, their purpose being to get your body used to so much time on your feet. Allegedly, run breaks not only allow you to catch your breath and grab a little water/gel without choking and/or pouring your water/gel all over your face and clothes, but they also help pull (push?) the lactic acid out of your muscles to allow you to run longer. When I started really running just over a year ago, I felt guilty, ashamed even, of taking walking breaks. In truth, I still feel a little of that, and I will extend the time between walking breaks on long runs if it means I can run past other runners, walkers, senior citizens on bikes.*****
This walking shame is about vanity, of course. But, in reality, I am out running more miles before breakfast on a Saturday morning than most people ever run in a row, period. But, walking shame is not the point of this post...this post is about the shame of quitting, of failure.
I always tell people that I am afraid of two things--aging and failure. In reality, I just hate both of them. My type-A(+) personality cannot deal with failure very well. So, while I, like most Americans, do not associate Independence Day with running, I do associate a missed long run as a failure on a small scale that could mean failure on a large scale (not being able to run the Portland Marathon in October). Certainly a portion of that fear is related to feeling as if I have let myself down, but it's more about the shame associated with telling people that I missed too many runs and therefore cannot run the Portland Marathon this year because, as anyone training for any big race knows, everyone knows about it. Everyone. Friends, family, co-workers, ex-boyfriends, the person who sells you coffee on weekday mornings. I cannot handle the shame associated with telling people that I am not running Portland because I quit or was lazy or just could not commit to the training. I ran Nike last year with a broken foot, partly because everyone knew I was training for it.
I am not hard core. I run because I am ashamed. And, I am not ashamed to admit it.
*I know I have not really been updating this, but please check back, as I will be filling in some of the gaps here soon (between October and now).
**One of these is not a good thing.
***My current Beginner Marathon Training Plan has all of these runs of between x and y miles.
****While a running belt resembles a fanny pack, it is not one. It is not worn by tourist to hold camera and currency; it holds in place a water bottle (think about running and holding a water bottle for miles in the heat) and tends to have pockets for keys, gels, phones, tissues, etc. that you might need on a long run. Okay, so it's totally a fanny pack.
*****This last one will be the subject of a later post.
So, it was incredibly challenging on the morning of the 4th (Saturday) to get out of bed as early as I would on a workday to run "six to seven miles" or 72 minutes.*** I slept a bit later than I would have liked (6:30 instead of 5:30), laced up my Asics, grabbed my water bottle and tucked it into my running belt, brushed my teeth, put on my sunscreen, and headed west towards downtown Spokane and the Centennial Trail.**** I felt strong on the run--pushing myself, waving at other runners, trying to maintain an easy, even pace needed for my long, slow run. I incorporate several very short walk breaks into my long runs, as long runs are supposed to be slower, their purpose being to get your body used to so much time on your feet. Allegedly, run breaks not only allow you to catch your breath and grab a little water/gel without choking and/or pouring your water/gel all over your face and clothes, but they also help pull (push?) the lactic acid out of your muscles to allow you to run longer. When I started really running just over a year ago, I felt guilty, ashamed even, of taking walking breaks. In truth, I still feel a little of that, and I will extend the time between walking breaks on long runs if it means I can run past other runners, walkers, senior citizens on bikes.*****
This walking shame is about vanity, of course. But, in reality, I am out running more miles before breakfast on a Saturday morning than most people ever run in a row, period. But, walking shame is not the point of this post...this post is about the shame of quitting, of failure.
I always tell people that I am afraid of two things--aging and failure. In reality, I just hate both of them. My type-A(+) personality cannot deal with failure very well. So, while I, like most Americans, do not associate Independence Day with running, I do associate a missed long run as a failure on a small scale that could mean failure on a large scale (not being able to run the Portland Marathon in October). Certainly a portion of that fear is related to feeling as if I have let myself down, but it's more about the shame associated with telling people that I missed too many runs and therefore cannot run the Portland Marathon this year because, as anyone training for any big race knows, everyone knows about it. Everyone. Friends, family, co-workers, ex-boyfriends, the person who sells you coffee on weekday mornings. I cannot handle the shame associated with telling people that I am not running Portland because I quit or was lazy or just could not commit to the training. I ran Nike last year with a broken foot, partly because everyone knew I was training for it.
I am not hard core. I run because I am ashamed. And, I am not ashamed to admit it.
*I know I have not really been updating this, but please check back, as I will be filling in some of the gaps here soon (between October and now).
**One of these is not a good thing.
***My current Beginner Marathon Training Plan has all of these runs of between x and y miles.
****While a running belt resembles a fanny pack, it is not one. It is not worn by tourist to hold camera and currency; it holds in place a water bottle (think about running and holding a water bottle for miles in the heat) and tends to have pockets for keys, gels, phones, tissues, etc. that you might need on a long run. Okay, so it's totally a fanny pack.
*****This last one will be the subject of a later post.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg)