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.