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.

Found and Lost

Last week, a girl named Natalie who works at Madeleine's (my daily stop for drip coffee before work) told me that my running and training for Nike had "inspired" her, and she had decided to train for a half-marathon herself. Natalie is about 21 (that's my uninformed guess) and is apparently fairly active (she plays soccer and she certainly looks fit). I certainly never guessed that I would inspire someone else to run--as I am not as fast as I would like and my gait is still a bit spazzy--but it certainly helped me find some motivation to keep training and fundraising.

Despite having "found" motivation, I got lost during yesterday's run. Literally. I was down in Walla Walla, a town with which I am not too familiar, visiting Andrew Roberts.* While Andrew was working, I went for my scheduled training run--believing that I could take a decent loop from his place and end up back there after about 4 miles.

That was a mistaken belief. I headed out--maintaining a good pace and exploring the residential portions of Walla Walla--but, after about 4 miles, I realized that I had no idea where I currently was and where my current location was in relation to where I wanted to be (back at Andrew's). I ended up running for close to 3 more miles before I finally found his place. Incidentally, I was within a few blocks of the house for the majority of the last 3 (additional) miles, although I managed to keep missing the house. At least I got in a good workout before stuffing my face with Mexican food later that night.**

*Andrew was my running partner for the "vomiting-up-pancakes run" from early August.
** I need the carbs for training. Don't judge.

The Apple Loop (Training Run 9)

Last night I ran with the Flying Irish Running Club, which meets at O'Doherty's every Thursday night at 5:45 p.m. to run at 6. They have a variety of 3-ish mile routes with everything from runners to walkers (and people with pets and children participating). There's no fee, you just have to show up and run. Apparently, if you run 6 times, you get a Flying Irish T-shirt. It is my understanding that to get "shirted" you must stand on the bar at O'Doherty's and tell a joke. I'm not sure if the joke needs to be an Irish joke or not. I have 3 runs to go until I get "shirted," so send me your jokes!

The Irish run last night was the "Apple Loop," which has to do with a program at Garfield Elementary and not the shape of the loop. It was drizzling during the run, but I kind of like that. The one drawback of the Irish runs is that they are primarily through town, so you often have to stop at corners and crosswalks to wait for traffic. So, if you're really worried about timing your pace, you'll have to take that into consideration. I treat it as a nice breather and nothing else.

9 training runs down, 115 to go! Last night's run featured the music of: Lily Allen, Duran Duran, Alkaline, Prince, Fergie, The All-American Rejects, Poison, Guns N' Roses, and Jay-Z.