Running is so much easier when you aren’t gasping for air

Ran 3.2 miles last night using my heart rate monitor. Man, that thing is uncomfortable! I hate feeling even more constricted with that thing wrapped around my ribcage, but I am really liking using the hr numbers to guide my run.



I looked it up here, and found out that my weight control zone is around 144-155, and my aerobic zone is around 155-166. So I tried to keep my heart rate within those parameters on last nights run – had to slow down, and definitely walk a couple of times to keep it low enough.

I think part of why my body wasn’t handling the mileage of the last few weeks/months is because I was running the majority of my runs at a way higher heart rate. I’d bet money I was running them in my anaerobic zone or higher. No wonder my body was like, um……NO. From what I now understand, those types of runs should happen once or twice (?) a week – think tempo, or speed work – not every day! I was trying to get faster by just running faster on every run – thinking my body would eventually adapt. Maybe that works for some people, I don’t know. But my body broke down instead. Ah well!  Now I know better.

Anyway, it was a beautiful run, and so nice to not feel like dying while gasping for air. I look forward to doing a tempo run each week, and maybe even some speed work eventually, but for my other runs? It feels like the pressure is off (self induced pressure, no doubt) and running can go back to being relaxing again.

I’m already looking forward to today’s run.

thought this was funny

As for the rest of the day……..

It’s gonna be a little housework, a little business work, maybe a little beach ‘work’. Most importantly:



this guy is coming HOME tonight. He has been out of town for work and having the house to myself is getting old.

Short term, long term, + deadlifts for life.

So remember that whole marathon training thing?


Yeah……..

Things have sorta changed around here. But it’s all good.

I’ve scrapped the marathon plan. For so many reasons, it just doesn’t fit my life right now. And while I could probably push and pull and try to make it fit, I’m not willing to. Not this battle, not yet.
When I first started running, it was the marathon that brought me in. I literally went from had never-done-any-physical-exertion-except-oh-tennis-team for-two-weeks-in-7th-grade-couch potato to marathon finisher in 4 1/2 months. It took me over 6 hours to finish the Nike Women’s Marathon, but I did it.

And it literally changed my life.

Not my first marathon, but you get the idea.

I know I’m not the only one to go from nothing to marathon in a short amount of time. I wonder how other people feel about their experience?

For me, I don’t at all regret my jump-in-headfirst approach. How could I regret an experience that has brought me so much joy and clarity? I do however,  think I’ve limited my fitness in a weird way by only focusing on the marathon. And I’m finally at a place where I think I can work on changing that. When I tried to jump back into a heavy training schedule these last few months, every sign from my body said no. I’m choosing to listen. 

So instead of marathon training this summer, I’m focusing on running shorter distances, lifting weights, building lung capacity, and getting my health under control. Focusing on overall fitness, instead of miles, with the intention that once I have a suitable fitness/health foundation, I will once again build in mileage. I want to run an ultra some day. But I’m not going to get there, if I don’t fix here first.

So what does that look like for me, currently?

• Seeing a Dr. to get my asthma, allergies, and a couple other health concerns fixed up. My breathing is a big problem in my running. My legs feel so strong, but my lungs………well, they hold me back and I feel like it’s a large part of why my speed hasn’t increased much over the past year.
• Lifting weights – focusing on correcting muscle imbalances and hamstring strength. We just bought an Olympic lifting set off craigslist and I am SO EXCITED about this. Deadlifts for life, yo.
• Consistency – I may not be logging 10 or 20 milers, but what I can do, I’m doing consistently. Walking, running, weights. Moving every day, and it feels good.

As much as I’m sure I will miss lining up at the start of the full this September, I’m excited to be doing something different. I’ll be back to the marathon eventually.

Scenes from the week:



Got my first pair of Oiselle Distance Shorts and I LOVE them. They don’t ride up, are stupid comfortable, and will be my new summer uniform.



Running upcountry. Who needs sidewalks or shoulders?



Early morning Makawao town.



Selfie, duh.



And of course, the beach.

Thoughts all over the place, that’s just how I roll

So this past week I found out that my marathon training partner is up and leaving the island for the next 4 months.

Gah!! What’s a girl to do?? He’s the only person I know who is currently able and willing to get up at the glorious hour of 4am to get a long run in.

I’m a pretty self-motivated runner, but 18 weeks are a lot of weeks to run alone.

post not complete without a sweat-stache picture

I’ve though about starting a Maui Marathon training group. Maybe advertise on craigslist, put up flyers? I see other runners out there…..I just need to meet them somehow!

Also, now I’m really going to have to buy another garmin – since I was totally just letting him use his garmin and track our time. I am dreaming over the purple Forerunner 220……dreaming I tell you……since my current budget is leaning more towards the Forerunner 10.

I’m off to read online reviews to help me decide. And stock up on gu. And picky bars. And Nuun.

Yeah baby! Marathon training season is here! And with or without a partner, I’m excited.

Goals, Schmoals, for April

I’ve never been big into goal setting. I’m more into……idea setting. I mean…..I will set a ‘goal’ all right, but don’t expect me to keep track and hem and haw over it getting done. I prefer to set out with a loose idea of doing something, and then just…..see where it goes. Like one of those choose your own adventure books I read as a kid (remember those?!). I like re-evaluating at every junction, and being surprised by new choices and possibilities.

Yes, I think that’s it – I really like possibility.
I don’t like feeling weighed down, roped into something.

Guess I’m a hippie at heart. Free bird, yo.


(The only exception to this is training for a marathon. When I have set a marathon as a goal in the past, I have been freakishly (for me) set on completing my training program with as little deviation as possible. I think it was because of the fear of the unknown with 26.2 miles. What can I say, I’m complicated. )

Anyway…….this post is about goals ideas for April.
1. Work on regaining running fitness. Run at least 3x a week. But probably more. If I want to.
2. ‘Pick up the keys!’ This is what one of my best friends calls what I think is basically a single leg squat. And its what she suggested I do to help strengthen my left glute. Old lefty needs to muscle up because I’m feeling pretty imbalanced lately when I run. (I have a history of pelvic/hip balance issues and they lead to injury if I’m not careful). Do 3 sets of 15, 3x per week and work up from there.
3. Watch as many Julia Child cooking shows as I can. Also, make a Julia Child quote (on canvas) to hang in my kitchen. I’m thinking of using one of the following quotes, or maybe just buying this one:

source

4. Continue making progress on pull-ups & dips. Currently I can do 1/3 (that’s probably being generous) of a pull up, and 2 dips.
5. Go to the beach. 

This one is going to be so hard.

It was bound to happen.

 

My garmin has officially given up the ghost. Which is sort of not really convenient, since I’m hoping the coming months involve many runs, many miles. But on the positive side, I’m looking at it as a really great opportunity to run by ‘feel’ or ‘effort’ and not be such a slave to the data. Not that the garmin rules my runs by any means (I think I’ve actually only downloaded it’s data, um….once? In 6 years?) but I’m definitely guilty of letting it have a negative mental effect on me if I glance down and see numbers I didn’t want to see.

So running free until I score a replacement, will be great.

Also, garmins are way cuter and smaller now, which I’m looking forward to.

By the way none of the pictures in this post have anything to do with this post. I just wanted to give you something to look at. We can always use a beach picture.

And a picture of me annoying Brant. That’s always fun.

So besides that, on the running front all is looking good. I focused heavily on weight training the last 8 weeks and only ran maybe once a week or so. And I think that break has been really good for me mentally and physically. I started out hating the idea of weight training, but then I learned how to deadlift and all of that changed.

I freaking love lifting heavy things.

“Heavy’ being totally relative, right – because seriously…..a 45lb bar loaded with a 10lb plate on each side is heavy to me right now. 3 sets of 15 about do me in! My legs feel ok, but my upper body is composed of gummy worms and sprinkles and by the end of my 3rd set I can barely keep hold of the bar.

It feels amazing.

Palm trees and Whole Foods. If you look closely, you can see there was a hula show going on.

So anyway…….I’m going to keep lifting heavy things, just less frequently, as it’s time to ramp up the running once again. I’m excited to see how strength training changes my marathon season. Yep, I’m calling it a season, even though I’m not technically signed up for a race yet.

I have eyes on the Kona marathon in June, Maui marathon in September, and/or maybe a fall marathon somewhere on the mainland. Who knows?

It feels exciting. Hopeful.

Salty coconuts hopeful.

Home sick, with nothing to do but dream.

 

I’m home from work sick today. Blech. All of this laying about on the couch and not-running, has me thinking about big races.

I have several running related goals, two of which are:

1. Break 5 hours in the marathon, and
2. Run an ultra.

Now, in my mind, I want to run a 4:xx marathon before an ultra because I’m currently in the mindset of running a bit faster than I have previously. And in my mind it makes sense to build a faster base for an eventual ultra.

However, I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t just look up plane tickets to a 50k race on Feb 1st 2014.

Hahahaa, yeah……..Hawaiian Airlines thwarted my ambitions by tickets to Vegas in less than a month being way out of my price range. Probably a good thing, seeing how my current ‘long’ run is 7 miles.*  Whatever!

This is the race that got me all stirred up:

Antelope Canyon 50 – near Lake Powell in Page, AZ.  You get to run on Navajo land, through slot canyons. No race has ever been run here before – according to the site, and “Navajo guides will be posted along the route, as travel on tribal lands requires their presence in order to visit the sacred sites.”

Are you kidding me with that opportunity??? How could I NOT at least check on plane tickets??

Alas, it’ looks like I will have at least another year to save and build mileage and hope they have a 2015 race. Sigh.

Another race I’m adding to my bucket list is

 

It’s in Switzerland.

You get to run through the Alps. No big deal.

Nothing to see there, obviously.

I figure since I’m named after a family friend from Switzerland, it’s pretty much mandatory that I do this race.

 

*Yes, 7 miles is measly when you are talking 50m or 50k, but here’s the thing: you bet your booty if I had the opportunity to run 50k on Feb 1st I could do it. I have an endurance base already – and I certainly wouldn’t be running my 7 mile pace. It would hurt, and it might not be ‘smart’, but dang straight if I couldn’t pull it off. I believe I can fly, yo.

There are no festive holiday photos in this post.

We had a fantastic Christmas. I have no real photographic proof so you’ll just have to take my word for it. One of the very best things was that about a week or so before Christmas, Brant landed a full-time, salaried job. After a year of awesome, yet sporadic part-time work, we are REALLY excited about this new opportunity. And to make it even better – it’s in his chosen field (solar/operations management) and with a company that’s doing really exciting stuff in the solar industry. We are so grateful.
Also, I learned to make cinnamon rolls from scratch this Christmas. I used the Pioneer Woman’s recipe and they turned out great! Her recipes are amazing. Haven’t had one let me down yet. The recipe made 9 pans of rolls!

I didn't eat ALL of them. But almost.

Someone gifted us a Costco sized box of Reses Peanut Butter Cups, so between those and the cinnamon rolls (and gingerbread cookies at work) I am riding a sugar high I’m terrified to come down from. Today is my first day off the sugar wagon. My goal is just to not eat any candy bars today. Or pancakes.  If you don’t hear from me again, you know what happened.
There hasn’t been a whole lot of running happening this past week or so. I busted my buns (literally) with some hills/sprints and had to take almost a week off to let things settle down. But I’m back to normal and ran an easy 4 on Saturday morning with Gordon. 

I know this post is full of randomness, but that’s what I have today. Here’s some more:

Sunset from our house.

Beach Day!

 

 

Christmas Rainbow