36, 7, 40 (Beginning of Week 8)

Sunday was the beginning of Week 8 of my training schedule. I began week 8 by skipping my 30-minute recovery run (Run 36). This is not to say that I didn't need to recover--the hot, hilly run 35 from Saturday left me a little sore and a little dehydrated on Sunday.

I overslept Sunday morning--perhaps my body's way of saying all this running means you need to sleep more, met a friend for coffee, and I headed into the office. Yes, even after school is over and even though I no longer work retail (where weekends are required), I often work on Sundays. After work, it was around 4:30-5:00 p.m. and around 100 degrees. Not time to run. Had dinner and ended up watching the Olympic Trials,* which were amazing, but also disheartening. I watched men's and women's sprinting/hurtle events (including seeing Tyson Gay break the 100m record, even if it was wind-aided), and a bit of swimming. One of the women competing in the 400m hurtles had had a baby about 7 months prior, and she had what I guess (unscientifically) to be around 7% body fat. I have some multiple of her body fat percentage--and the only "baby" I had in the last 7 months (or, ever) was a holiday food baby. By the time it had cooled to below 80 it was about 9:30, so I skipped my recovery run. My ego was deflated to say the least.

On a positive note, I have now raised $1600 towards my fundraising goal of $4,000, which is 40%. The $4,000 is not just a goal, but the minimum amount I have to raise to even be able to run the race. The Nike Women's Marathon (and Half-Marathon) was full within 2 days of accepting entrants. The only way to get into the race now, is to be running and fundraising with a Team-in-Training team, as I am doing. Part of the exchange for my coaching, training schedules, race entry, etc. is a minimum fundraising goal, which I have to reach in order to run in my event. If I do not reach the $4,000, then all the funds are still donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, but I will either have to pay the balance or forfeit my race. So, I still need to raise $2,400 by October 6, 2008.**

The good news: training started on May 11, 2008. I am starting Week 8, and October 6 is in the beginning of Week 22. So, I am third of the way to the fundraising deadline, but 40% to my fundraising goal, so I am right on track. Remember: Every donation, no matter the size, will help.

*I am not going to watch a single moment of Olympic coverage in August because I believe China's less-than-stellar human rights record should have precluded them from hosting the event. However, I am watching some of the trials held in the U.S.

**If I pay any portion of my fundraising total on October 6 (not counting any funds I have already donated--which to date is $159), then I have a month after my race (November 19, 2008) to submit funds raised so I can be reimbursed for my additional out-of-pocket expenses. Ideally, I would prefer to donate no more than $1,000, as this would be the amount that I would likely incur to travel to and run the race myself.

Trust the Training Schedule (Runs 34 & 35)

Run 34 was schedule for Thursday (June 26). I worked a long day, so I planned on running Friday morning (even though my long run was scheduled for Saturday morning--usually Friday is a rest day). I ended up running in 80 degree heat, Friday night, battling the Hoopfest set-up crowd (which included a set of guys in matching jumpsuits who appeared to be closely watched while they worked). The run itself was not too bad, but in a desire to go out to dinner, I ended up barely stretching, and I didn't hydrate well enough post-run.

I slept later than I planned on Saturday (I was not intending to go to team practice this week), so I couldn't run through the park and downtown, as it was covered with basketball courts and around 200,000 people. So, I ran down Riverside towards People's Park and over into Peaceful Valley. The route was very hot and very hilly, and I struggled to maintain a decent pace. It was around 85 degrees. I managed to get in 54 minutes of running, according to Nike+.* I did stretch and hydrate after, but I would not count that as a quality run.

*I alternate between a pair of Asics and a pair of Sauconys. I bought two little pouches from Grantwood Technology so that I could use the Nike+ sensor with my iPod and not run in Nikes. The pouches lace to your shoes and seem to work great. They are around $6, and they are available on Amazon.

"Robin is getting faster," (Run 33)

Says Luke, as he speeds past me.

The Hills is not just a bad "reality" show (Run 32)

This morning I entered the "strength phase" of my training. For the last six weeks, I have run five days per week, with long runs on Saturday mornings. The strength phase differs from the "base phase" with its addition of hill and tempo workouts. This morning was my first "hill workout."

My training materials tell me that I am to warm up, and either run an overall hilly course or add 4-8 hill repeats in the middle of my workout, and then cool down (for a total of 40 minutes). I created a "modified" version of this plan, running on a flat route for 10ish minutes, and then doing 10 short hills (running hard up and walking/jogging down). I ran short stretches of road/sidewalk between the hills, and then I ran about 8 minutes at a normal pace to finish the workout. I was moderately impressed with my own running abilities this morning, at six a.m.

I had created a specific playlist for this morning's run, which I neglected to load onto my iPod. So, I played some random tunes from my "RunnerGrrl" general playlist. This morning's hill workout was fueled by: "Put Your Hands Up," Black and White Brothers; "Battle Without Honor or Humanity," (from the Kill Bill soundtrack); "Faint," Linkin Park; "Under the Knife," Rise Against; "Knock 'Em Out," Lily Allen; "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing," Chris Isaak; "Liar Liar (Burn in Hell)," The Used; "Sabotage," The Beastie Boys; "Hospital," The Used; "Drama Queen," Switches; "Dance, Dance," Fall Out Boy; "Supermodel," Jill Sobule; "Since U Been Gone," Kelly Clarkson; "Ch-Check It Out," The Beastie Boys; and "In Da Club," 50 Cent.

Maybe you shouldn't always trust your gut? (Runs 30 & 31)

Last Saturday (June 21) marked the end of my sixth week of training, so I am approximately one-fourth of the way done with training. Saturday was another team run, and I seem to always do really well on those. I ran just over 6 miles early Saturday morning.

I tried out an interval-type training run for excelling at long runs, which has been suggested by our coaches. It consists of intervals of running and jogging or running and walking. The intervals vary based on your ability and/or desired pace. The idea is to maintain a better overall pace by giving your legs and lungs a little break every x number of minutes. Interval training is not new, but it seems counterintuitive to go from running to a slow jog or walk to increase your overall pace. But, intuition is not always right (like when my gut said that big bangs and a perm were a good idea)...

I did some ten-minute intervals of running with 45 seconds to 1 minute of very slow jogging and/or walking for Saturday's team run. As a result, I was able to run at an overall faster pace, and I was not exhausted after my 6+ mile run. My pace dropped about 45 seconds per mile faster than it was without the intervals. I'm going to continue to play with the intervals from here out.

Unlike last week, I stretched really well after the long run, and I made sure that I hydrated. I attended a birthday party for my second oldest sister, Shirley, on Sunday, and I skipped the cake (as sugar has become my enemy--I love it, but it wreaks havoc on my GI-tract during runs), so I could complete my recovery run Sunday night.*

*I almost skipped the recovery run out of laziness, but I had been watching Olympic diving trials on DVR, and after watching 18-30 year-olds with 3-5% body fat and super-defined legs, I figured I'd better get off the couch and get in some cardio.

Just When You Think the Relationship is Going Well, Running Decides Not to Call You Back

Friday night I completed run #24. I was supposed to run on Thursday, slept in too late to do my morning run, worked past the time to run with the Flying Irish, and then was "over it" and missed my run. I figured I would run Friday night (even though this was a "rest" day). It was warm and a bit breezy, and I had a great 40 minute run in the new Asics.

Saturday was our team run--our long run of the week. As a half-marathoner with a less-than-12-minute-per-mile pace, I had to run for 50 minutes. I ended up running for just under 60 minutes, and I ran just under six miles. The run was great, and I really felt the runner's high for the rest of the day.

I was pretty certain Saturday night that I had fallen in love with running. Running was always on my mind, running made me feel good, running gave me that glow, and running was all I was talking about. I thought that running and I were at the start of something beautiful and fulfilling.

But, running decided to play hard to get. Sunday was supposed to be an easy, 30 minute recover run. I didn't hydrate well on Saturday post-run or Sunday morning/afternoon. It was about 65 degrees around 7 o'clock Sunday night when I head out to run. I was fine for about 8 minutes until every muscle in my legs decided to tighten up and every step felt as if I were running through hardening concrete. I stop and stretched lightly, and I tried to run again to no avail. Running was not going to spend time with me Sunday. I ended up walking for another twenty minutes or so, heading home to ice my legs, take an ibuprofen, and pout.

I have another date with running tonight. I am hydrating and hoping that Run 27 is more successful.

Carb Bomb, Carb Boom, Car Bomb--Apparently there's a difference

My favorite sports/nutrition gel is Carb Boom. I have been calling it Carb Bomb and Car Bomb of late. Those are two totally different things (especially the last).

Tough Ladies

It's not a secret that I am running, in part, for Jan Giesa. Jan is currently in remission after an aggressive course of chemo to treat non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Since TNT works to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (which works to eradicate blood cancers), it made sense to run for someone who had successfully battled a blood cancer. Her treatments were the result of years of advancement and research, funded in large part by the efforts of TNT participants like me, who have raised $850 million in 20 years.

The treatments, medicines, and therapies LLS has created through the years have helped significantly in the battle against other cancers as well. So, I am also running for my Aunt Alice Haave, who successfully battled breast cancer a few years ago; and for Kitty Janssen, a sassy lady who also beat breast cancer in the last few years; and for my sisters Jennifer and Wendy who have taken on and beaten cervical cancer. I am also running for my late grandmother Mary Lesniewski, who passed away after a battle with breast and brain cancer and for my Aunt Shirley Lesniewski, who lost her battle with ovarian cancer.

I don't know anyone who hasn't been touched by some kind of cancer. When you donate towards my $4,000 goal, I'll gladly run for your family, friends, and loved ones as well.

A Great Playlist (Run 23)

The road racing world has been shaken up a bit by the issue of wearing headphones while running. Some races have outright banned the use of headphones while running. The reasoning behind the ban varies, but includes safety. Sure, safety while running solo can be affected by how loud your music is (you can't hear cars as well on city streets, you may not hear the roar of a cougar barrelling down on you, etc.), but in a huge race--such as the Boston Marathon, I doubt wearing headphones raises as much of a safety concern--roads are shut down to traffic, it's highly unlikely there will be a wild animal on the lose, everyone's an experienced runner (as you have to qualify for Boston). I've heard that the issue is more one of insuring a race v. actual safety concerns. Several organizations are re-visiting the issue.

I cannot imagine running for any considerable distance without music--and given that every road race of any notable size has music playing from speakers or actual bands along the course--I am not alone. Why shouldn't I be able to choose what I listen to while running? Of course, I always have music playing--at work, at home, on car rides, etc.

I am always searching for the right running music. While I love R.E.M., for example, it doesn't make for good running motivation (except maybe the "Monster" album). On the other hand, "Appetite for Destruction" has quite a few run-worthy tracks. This is what yesterday's playlist included:

(1) "Put You On Game," Lupe Fiasco. Lupe is one of my favorite hip-hoppers of all-time. While many of his more creative tracks are a bit too slow for running, this song is a great warm-up track.

(2) "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)," My Chemical Romance. MCR's theatrical sound translates well into running. Considering many people think going out and running for 13.1 miles (or even 1 mile) is crazy, this song is perfect.

(3) "Don't Stop The Music," Rihanna. Sure, this song is nothing special or original, but it's a good, dancey track that keeps you moving.

(4) "Feedback," Janet Jackson. I'm not a huge fan of Janet, but the beat of this track really powers you through the middle portion of a run.

(5) "You Give Me Something," Jamiroquai. Jay Kay of Jamiroquai sounds like a young Stevie Wonder, and 95% of their songs are great dance tracks with a pulsing, steady beat. Perfect for any cardio workout.

(6) "I Can," Nas. This song about working hard for your dreams helps with the motivation during the last portions of your run when you want to quit.

(7) "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," Michael Jackson. Old school MJ is classic.

(8) "Steve McQueen," Sheryl Crow. Clearly, my musical tastes are everywhere. Crow's track is a great way to end a workout.

The Treadmill is My Enemy (Run 22)

Given that it was all of 47 degrees in Spokane yesterday (and it snowed in Airway Heights), I was forced to do my 40 minute training run indoors at the gym. I haven't run on a treadmill in months, as the cardio wall in Oz Fitness has several tvs (with the closed captioning turned on) and as I am never without my iPod, I figured it couldn't be that bad.

It was awful. The actual running was fine. I made sure to up the pace and incline to better mimic an outdoor run, but the 40 minutes seemed like forever without a change in scenery. I found myself staring blankly at "30 Minute Meals" with Rachel Ray. She is considerably more palatable with the sound off, and not once did the closed captioning read "E-V-O-O," or any other Ray-ism. However, it was still torturous watching her make the least appetizing mac-and-cheese I had ever seen that did not originate in a box.

Still, I got the run done, and even tried a new gel--the ClifShot. I didn't need the nutrition for a 40-minute run, but I am testing them for the actual race, when I will need the carbs. So, I downed one with water 15 minutes before the run. The flavor was fine, and I didn't notice any GI stress during my run. However, my stomach was upset for most of the evening after my run, so I may not be having any more ClifShots. So far, Carb Bomb is the clear favorite.

Asics, Carb Bomb, Running Shorts, Anonymous Donors, and Power Songs (Runs 20 & 21)

Week 4 of training is officially done. I now have 19 more weeks until my race (October 19, 2008). So, I'm basically 1/6 of the way done, and as of today, I am just over 1/5 of the way to my fundraising goal of $4,000. So, I'm right on track.

I had previously mentioned my acquisition of a new pair of Nikes (in my spastic runner post). After two test runs, I had to take them back. The shoes just felt too big and bulky and awkward as I had Clydesdale's hooves instead of little running feet. So, after a bit of harassment from Cory at Runner's Soul and 6-8 pairs of shoes tried on, I settled on the Asics Gel Kayano 14. They are less bulky than the Nikes and less "motion control" than the Sauconys that I've put close to 200 miles on (I acquired those BEFORE I started training for the Nike Half-Marathon). I tested them on Run 21 (an easy, recovery run), and they felt pretty good. I'll test them again today on Run 22, which is a 40 minute training run. If these don't work, I'm just going to get a second pair of the the Sauconys.

On Saturday I did Run 20, which was a long run of around 5 miles. This was the first run where I tested any kind of nutrition product. I have been pretty leery of sugar pre-run, so at the recommendation of Cory at Runner's Soul, I tried the Apple-Cinnamon Carb Bomb Gel. I had about 1/2 of the packet at the 40-minute mark of my run. It tasted like the filling in an apple donut, so I liked it. I also liked that my stomach didn't feel upset while I finished the run. I'm going to test the Hammer Gel, Clif Power Shot, and Gu gel in the next few weeks to see what I like best and what my stomach tolerates. I ran in the rain on Saturday, which was pretty great actually. People stare at you as if you are a pretty hardcore athlete when you are running in the rain. While that may not be true, I liked the feeling of being hardcore. Fake it 'til you make it, right?

I have also been testing running shorts. As I am barely 5'2" (or, not quite 5'2"), the shortness of running shorts isn't an issue, but rather the length of the rise. To put it bluntly, many of the running shorts that I've tried seem to have an extra-long crotch. While I guess that could be handy for storing nutrition gels, I don't need to look anymore awkward than I already do while running. I have found that the Nike Sister Tempo Shorts have a lower rise and a more flattering fit on my short self. However, pretty much everyone sells the Nike Tempo shorts, but not the Sister Tempo shorts. The regular tempos have a long inseam and look generally ridiculous on me.

In addition, all the running shorts that I've tried have what I like to call the running diaper. This is the built in liner that I assume is comparable to what is inside a pair of men's swim trunks. The only plus to the "diaper" is that it has a key pocket. Other than that, it feels and looks as if it belongs over a pair of depends. I am not so concerned about my race pace that I need to wear adult diapers when I run. So, I am also going to be testing the Patagonia "body line" of workout gear to see if it's a better option. At the least, it looks better (like girl's swim bottoms).

Finally, I received another "anonymous" donation the other week for $100. I have a hunch who it is from, but thank you anonymous donor.

[Also, my current "power song" is "Tick Tick Boom" by The Hives--just what I need when that run gets a little too hard.]

The Mission--Step Up

Most of my posts have been about running, but I am not just running to be a runner, get in shape, complete a half marathon, get smaller thighs and flatter abs, etc. I'm running and training to raise money for Leukemia and Lymphoma Research.

Leukemia and Lymphoma encompass a broad range of blood cancers. My training for the half is with Team-in-Training (TNT), which has raised over $850 million in the last 20 years for blood cancer research, financial aid for cancer patients, cancer patient support, clinical trials, and many other things. This year, TNT is hoping to hit the $1 billion mark. Think about it. $1 billion. That $1 billion ($1,000,000,000) has and will be raised by individuals who have decided to train for endurance events and donate their efforts and time to seek donations. These are people writing letters to friends, having bake sales, and telling everyone they know about the cause. These people get rejected in their solicitations, but they keep going, as the cause is a worthy one.

I am one of those people. I have to raise $4,000 by October 6 to be able to run the Nike Women's Half-Marathon, which I have been training for for almost 4 weeks. If I don't raise the money, I have two options--quit or pay the remainder myself. If I quit, I will still have gotten good training, raised some money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and tried. I have already donated $114 towards my own goal. I don't want to work and quit.

I know that solicitations for money are unpleasant, but I'm not asking you to fund my Nordstrom habit or to buy me a gift. I'm asking you to help end blood cancers. The government is not doing as much as it should or could to end them, so individuals have to step up. Any donation helps. You even get a tax deduction for making the donation, because the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is a non-profit organization.

So give up your latte today, skip lunch out, avoid the MAC counter, have one less martini and make a donation. I'll even send you a stamped, self-addressed envelope in case you want to send a check, money order, or cash--just let me know.

Donations in check/money order form should be made payable to: LLS. Give them to me, and I'll send them to the right place (you'll get a receipt mailed to you for tax purposes). Or, go to my fundraising page (second link on the right) and donate using your bank card or credit card (and you'll get an immediate receipt).

If you have questions, shoot me an email: rlhaynes@reedgiesa.com. If you want to read more about the cause and program, check out the Team in Training and LLS links to the right. Also, check out my first blog entry about why I am running--more great info on the program.

Spastic Runner? (Run 18)

In my desire to acquire more and more running toys and products, I ordered a pair of Nike Air Structure Triax running shoes online, so that I could use the Nike+ technology. Nike+ is the fusion of iPod and Nike that tracks pace, mileage, time, etc. of your runs. It works through two sensors--one in your shoe and one attached to your iPod Nano. Your iPod Nano, when using the shoe sensor, gives a visual read out of time, pace, and distance, and you get verbal feedback periodically as well. You can upload all your run data onto nikeplus.com. There are a few other things it can do, but that's the gist of it.

Prior to the purchase of the Triax shoes, I was logging my routes after I ran on either runnersworld.com or mapmyrun.com, so I could check distance (and therefore, pace). You can track your route on an actual map of where you are running, but of course, it's not exact. I wanted more info, but was not yet ready to drop $300+ on a Garmin GPS-type watch that does all these things. So having a Nano and knowing I would need new shoes before the race in October, I ordered the new shoes and the Nike+ kit ($29). Unfortunately, the new shoes didn't feel right just walking in my living room, so I didn't even try to run with them.

I headed to Runner's Soul yesterday to get a second pair of shoes, figuring I would either just continue with the close approximation of pace or I would buy a pouch that apparently let's you use the Nike+ sensor without Nikes. As instructed, I brought my Sauconys in so that the fitter/sales rep could see my wear patterns and make sure that I had the right shoe. Noting that the wear pattern was quite even, he brought out several different models for me to try. I asked him about why he selected the shoes he did, and I then learned that I wear a "stability" shoe that borders closer to "motion-control." Basically, my arches aren't very high, and I tend to roll my ankles in when my feet strike the ground while running and walking. Bottom line--I run spasticly without the help of the "motion-control"-type "stability" shoe to keep my alignment right and fix my heel-strike. Of course, the sales rep at Runner's Soul did not tell me that I run like a spaz. He just said that these were the shoes that would fit.

Well, turns out, the shoes I liked best were a different pair of Nikes--the Air Zoom Equalon 2--which is like a stability+ shoe. It is HIDEOUS-looking. Worse than the Sauconys. However, they felt good on my feet (after I learned a new way to tie my laces to make sure they don't slip when I run), and they were compatible with my new Nike+ gear. And...fantastically, my pace was faster than I had been estimating it at prior to the integration of Nike+ into my running.

So, I'm going to buy the pouch so I can use the Nike+ with my Sauconys...and see if there's any more gear that I need.

What goes down (Run 17)...

Yesterday morning was a forty minute training run--one that was supposed to be easy. I headed out down Riverside (on the start of the Bloomsday route) with Chad just before six in the morning. The start of the run was an easy downhill. Somehow while running downhill, I did not consider that on the way back, I would have to run uphill.

We headed east towards the Centennial Trail, crossed the footbridge, and had to run uphill on the looping trail as it makes its way to the Hamblem (Hamlen?) Conservation area on the hill directly across the river from the hill we just ran down. The uphill run was a pretty decent climb, but I focused on keeping upright and keeping my arms low to conserve energy and power my run up the hill. The trail loops back and forth for a good distance, all the while on an incline. I remember yelling "flatten out," as my quads really started to burn. However, I rocked that hill and we ran a bit on the flat portion before it was time to turn around and head back.

Downhill on the winding portion of the trail was a nice break. Of course, every time I run downhill I think of an article I read in Runner's World about Lance Armstrong's marathon training. Lance asserted that cycling downhill was a pleasure while running downhill was work. In the same article, Lance also claimed he could "phone in" a half-marathon. Now, Lance is unarguably one of the best endurance athletes on the planet. I don't expect to be able to phone-in my half-marathon, but I am a bit disheartened when I think about his position that running is so much more work than cycling. If Lance thinks it's hard work, I might be doomed.

Crossing the bridge after the downhill, winding trail, the Riverside hill loomed before us. Another steady climb, that, after the previous hill work, required a brief walk break. I did manage to finish strong, after completely close to four miles of hill running before 7 in the morning. However, I am relegating this running route to the back shelf until hill work actually appears in my training schedule.

Lazy Sundays...(Run #16)

Sunday evening I completed run 16. I have somewhere around 100 runs to go before the big day (October 19). Sundays are easy, "recovery run" days. The runs are around a half-hour, and they are designed to help my muscles recover from the long runs on Saturdays.

I ran with Chad on the Centennial Trail from the fountain downtown out east past Gonzaga and back. It was a nice pace, but I had to stop briefly by WSU-Spokane. There was some kind of landscaping work going on and the smell of gasoline and chemicals made me lightheaded.

I have completed three weeks of training, and I am starting to notice small advances in my pace, endurance, and overall fitness. Being a new runner, it's motivating to see the changes. However, I am still stuck in that competitive mode, and I either work harder than I should or I get a bit disappointed in myself and my performance because I think I should be better.

However, I am starting to fall for running. I subscribe to Runner's World magazine, and I spend time on runnersworld.com every other day or so. I think if I learn more about running, I will be able to use that knowledge to improve.