The news up till now

Please don't hate me for being so negligent about blogging! I'm terribly sorry!



Let me tell you what's been going on up till now:

• Everyday, I've continued my training, which is usually:
• Monday: weight training & swimming (1.2 miles)
• Tuesday: run (3 miles)
• Wednesday: shorter bike ride (20ish miles)
• Thursday: run (3 miles)
• Friday: longer bike ride (30ish miles)
• Saturday: rest/yoga/walk
• Sunday: long run
• July 1st: last summer exam!
• July 3rd: 14-mile run!
• July 4th: Peachtree Road Race 10K!
• July 6th: last day of work at the library!

It's been crazy recently!



So, yes. I ran 14 miles on Saturday and then promptly ran another 6.2 at the Peachtree Road Race on Sunday. Am I insane? Why, yes! Yes, I am!

You see, I had to fit in a 14-miler this past weekend for my marathon training. First, I thought about getting up early and running 8 of the miles before the race started on Sunday, but I would have had to start running at 3:30 AM, which I just don't do. It's still far too dark at 3:30 AM for me to feel safe. Also, I wanted to be able to race the Peachtree (at least a little), so I didn't want to wear myself out with 8 miles beforehand. Then, I thought about putting in the extra 8 after the race. That plan just wasn't ideal either though because (a) it would be way too hot after the race, and (b) I wanted to relax at the post-race party afterwards! Lastly, I thought about splitting the 14 and doing 8 on Saturday and 6 on Sunday, but I wouldn't get the experience of the full 14.

Conclusion: Run 14 on Saturday and 6 on Sunday. I had to do it.

The 14-miler was good. It wasn't my best showing, and I wasn't begging for more after my Garmin beeped at 14, but I finished. I had a minor accomplishment along the way: I destroyed a hill that I thought would destroy me. We're talking a .5-mile-long, >1%-grade climb.

Can you see that mess?



Do talk to yourself (out loud or otherwise) while you're running? I totally talk to myself! All the time. I have a variety of mantras I chant to myself. Among my favorites for hills are:

• You don't have to win, you just have to finish
• Slow is smooth, smooth is fast
• Pain is temporary, quitting is forever
• I'm a warrior. I'm a WARRIOR!

I knew I'd hit the monster around the 10-mile mark, so I started psyching myself up around mile 9. I didn't know if any of my usual mantras were going to be enough to power me up the beast, so I started the pep talk early, hoping a new mantra would come to me. It did.

My pep talk started with me reminding myself about the "real" purpose of many competitions: Separating the men from the boys. Yes, it's sexist, but it worked. I had the following conversation with myself for about 5 minutes: "This hill is going to separate the men from the boys. Are you a man, or are you a boy? Are you going to be scared, or are you going to dominate? Are you a child? Are you no stronger than a child? No! I'm a man! I'M A MAN!" The whole way up the hill, I chanted to myself, "I'm a man! I'm a man! I'm a man!" Yes, the other runners and bikers moved to the other side of the path and probably thought I had lost my marbles, but it worked.

What do y'all say to yourselves to keep you going? Do you say it out loud, or just in your head?

Post-run, I iced and tried to take it easy. I was sore as all get-out, and I wanted to run some semblance of a decent race at the Peachtree. I ate all the carbs in the house! It was fantastic.

Sunday morning, I took the train up to the starting line, bright and early. I was greeted by a bevy of race photographers! Ack!



Surely someone could have told me that I had constructed the most poorly-matching, altogether-hideous running outfit ever? If you're wondering, "Did she get dressed in the dark?", the answer is yes. Of course, I did pack the day before...

Anyway, the Peachtree Road Race is the largest 10K in the country, and I ended up racing it with 55,000 of my closest buddies!




(photos from ajc.com)

It was the 41st running of the race, and it's become quite an Atlanta tradition! The whole 6.2 miles were lined with live music, spectators, and vendors. There were kids with water guns shooting us, and even the fire department was out there with their hoses! Everyone is cheering the whole time--it really helps ya keep going!

The first three miles weren't bad at all. They were mostly downhill, and I felt really good, despite waking up to sore legs from my Saturday run.



After those three downhill miles, it was pretty much three uphill miles. Ouch. I ran through almost all of it--only walking through the water stops--but I only ran so much because walking hurt more than running! Weird how that happens, eh? I tried to walk once on the hill Atlantans call "Cardiac Hill," but my calves started screaming, so I starting running again within a few seconds. By the end of the 10K, I was so ready to be done!

I crossed the line at 1:06:47. Also not my best showing, but I did it on sore legs! I'm an F-ing machine! I picked up my t-shirt and some grub, and then I wandered around looking for Jeff.

A lot of people run the Peachtree just for the t-shirt. There's a huge competition for the t-shirt design every year. This year, a chick from my alma mater (University of West Georgia) won! I think it's a pretty cool-looking shirt.



The t-shirts are coveted by Atlantans. They get you discounts and free things all over the city, and you can only get one by running and finishing. I used mine to get a free beer at Milltown Arms and a $4 burrito at Willy's. I wish I could have leveraged it for more, but...well...I wasn't walking so well. It sucked. I couldn't even go to the fireworks show I wanted to see! That's what I get for putting in 20 miles in 2 days, but I'd say it was worth it!

Coming up, I'm competing in the Georgia Games!



I'm doing a 32-mile road cycling race on Saturday with my friend Paul. It's going to be my first cycling race! I'm so excited!

Magnolia Run!

So, yesterday I ran the 4-mile Magnolia Run. It was awesome!



I love racing SO MUCH.

Here are my Top-5 Reasons That Racing Rules:

• It's the only way I can run at my top pace. No matter what I do, I just can't seem to reach race pace in my training runs. I need the pressure and competition from the others around me to push me harder. I always amaze myself at races and walk away proud as hell.
• I love meeting other runners. Part of the reason I keep this blog is because I don't have any runner-buddies in real life! At races, I get to talk shop with other people who share my passion and insanity for running.
• I'm a sucker for donating to charities. I don't have a lot of money to give, being a poor law student, but races give me an excuse to fork out the cash and support charities and causes I love.
• I love swag. I'll admit it. Part of the reason I love racing is to get the free stuff they offer afterwards. I love the exposure to new products and gear.
• It's such a rush! I'd do it everyday just for high alone. Finishing races is a adrenaline and endorphin rush like none other.

Now, on to the race! I had to wake up at the crack of dawn to get there. It's not that it was too far away--just 20 miles or so--but I like to get to races super-early because I'm always paranoid that I'm going to get lost or that I won't be able to find it. Jeff didn't want to get up at 5:30 to come with me (naturally!), so he gave me the keys to his car and told me to have fun. I had planned on taking the train there, but taking Jeff's car took about 30 minutes off of my transit time. You may remember from this post that I don't own a car or regularly drive.

I ate a bagel with peanut butter in the car and guzzled Gatorade, as per usual. The ride up there was a few minutes longer than I had expected, but I still got to the race site in plenty of time. I took some pictures with my new Blackberry to amuse myself for awhile.





It was pretty overcast, and the cloud cover was a god-send during the race!

While waiting at the starting line for the race to start, I chatted with a guy standing next to me who had run two marathons last month. He noticed my Garmin and asked what pace I was shooting for. I laughed and said that I just hoped I could average 10-minute miles and that speed wasn't my thing. He said that he felt the same because of just running the marathons. Then, we all started running.

Remember when I ran my first race in April, and I said that one of things I did wrong was run too fast in the first mile? I totally did that again! When I passed the first mile marker, the staffer calling out times yelled 8.8 as I passed! What on earth was I doing to myself?

I started to run out of a steam a bit when I reached the aid station at mile 1.5. I walked a bit after the aid station, talking myself into running again and reminding myself that I had permission to slow down.

I had to convince myself that no one was judging me. That's hard to do. I'm incredibly susceptible to peer pressure, and I was now in a pace group that was a bit out of my league.

I walked a bit more, and then got back to running, trying to ignore what was going on around me. At the second mile marker I hit my stride, and I maintained a pleasant 10-minute mile pace through the rest of the race. That's still much faster than I run in training, but it felt good on the course.

Starting at the second mile marker, some amazing things happened that reminded me why I love this sport:

• First, once I hit my comfortable pace, I was so happy! By that, I mean I was instantly in a good mood. I remembered to smile at everyone, and I thanked all the policeman who were holding traffic as we passed through. I chitchatted with the runners around me, and I sang to myself. I was just happy!
• Second, a guy passed me at the third mile marker and thanked me for pacing the group for the last mile, which covered a couple pretty lengthy climbs. My heart swelled so big! He said that some of them were struggling with the hills, and it was inspiring to have someone in front of them who going up them strong. I turned around and three runners gave me thumbs-up. I almost cried.
• Third, after the guy thanked me, I sprinted up to thank the guy who I had been (inadvertently) pacing me, and he asked me if I wanted to chat and finish the race together! More heart-swelling! We talked about my calk compression sleeves, the necessity of anti-chafing cream, and other nonsense, and then we crossed together at 38:50!

I grabbed a banana, a bagel, and some water, and I wandered around the finish area a bit.



This was the first time I actually felt like a legitimate runner, like I belonged in this group. People walked up to me left and right to talk about Team in Training (I was wearing one of the shirts) and about my Zensah compression sleeves (I was wearing those, too--I swear by them!). When I went to a local running store's tent, they wanted my advice on different products and gave me all kinds of free stuff that they weren't giving others. I felt like a rock star!

All in all, it was an amazing event. I felt so good that I woke up and ran again this morning!

After the Magnolia Run, Jeff and I walked down the street from his place to the Reynoldstown Wheelbarrow Festival. Definitely one of my favorite neighborhood festivals! It was small, but it had so much heart. I really love Reynoldstown. I have an addiction to developing communities.







We were serenaded by local celebrity General Larry Platt of "Pants on the Ground" fame.



And, I got the best post-run snack ever: Mango Italian ice. YUM.





Hope all of you are having awesome weekends, too!

Long time, no talk

Hello, readers! My apologies for my absence as of late! My schedule is just not conducive to blogging these days. Hopefully it'll ease up in August after I move (yay!)!

Maybe I do neglect the blog, but there's definitely something I don't ever neglect... Yep. It's training! Things have been crazy, and they're just getting crazier. I like sticking to plans though. It's like an addiction. Check out my recent schedule.



I've had a couple amazing runs recently! I've also had a couple not-so-amazing runs, but that just happens from time to time. As a new runner, it's still really hard for me to decide whether to suck it up and push or whether to ease my pace and relax, but I usually sort it out in my head before I'm totally out of steam.

FYI: When I say that it's really hard for me to decide whether to push harder or whether to slow down, I mean it's REALLY hard. I hate admitting weakness; I'm one of those people!

This morning, for example, I was scheduled to do a smooth 3-miler, but after biking 15 miles with my roommate last night, my legs were just not working with me. I had to walk a couple blocks around mile 1.5 and again around 2.5. As it was happening, I was so embarrassed. I never walk on my short runs. I hung my head for most of the day until I could talk to some other runners about the experience, and they were able to ease my mind a bit.

"Sometimes it happens, and it happens to everyone."
"People can't be ready to run strong 24/7/52/365/whatever."
"We're human."
"We have good days and bad days."

It doesn't mean that your training is down the toilet or that you're some sort of failure. It just means that that day is not your best and that tomorrow will be better. Keep on truckin'.

Running humbles me. Daily.

So... Let's talk about upcoming events! I have a couple races coming up, as you might have seen on the schedule above.

First, there's the Magnolia Run this Saturday.



It's a 4-mile run a few miles north of the city. Should be pretty flat and fast--I think it'll be a nice change of pace.

Then, next Saturday, there's Muddy Buddy!



Oh yes, my darlings! I'm doing another mud race! This one is a bit different than the Warrior Dash because you do the whole thing with a buddy. You and your buddy have one bike between the two of you that you share throughout the race. There are 6 1-mile legs, all separated with obstacles. For each leg, one buddy runs while the other one bikes, and then you switch running and biking at each obstacle. You don't have to do all of the obstacles together, but you have to do the last one together, which is crawling through mud! Woohoo!

I'm doing the race with my friend Rusty, who recently moved to Baltimore but is coming back to do Muddy Buddy.

My roommate Jessica is doing it, too. She's buddying with our friend Patrick. Our friends Paul and Emily are going to be buddies, as well! It's going to be SO. MUCH. FUN.

Here are some pictures of the buddies. This is Paul, Rusty, and Patrick:



This is Paul, Emily, and Jessica:



There's going to be some serious craziness on the course!

Race recap, part 2

So, I learned a few things about me and racing on Sunday. Well, I learned a lot of things, but I'll just tell you about a few of them! Being my first race, I was starting from scratch, but I thankfully got a few things right!



Things I got right:

• I dressed in layers. I didn't know what the temperature would be at start time, but I knew it was going to be right on the cusp of long-sleeve temperature and no-sleeve temperature for me. I wore both and was able to make the decision at start time.
• I got a little caffeine buzz. I finished my double-dose of green tea about thirty minutes before the race started, and I felt it gave me just the right amount of jolt by start time.
• I got some good sleep the night before. The night before the race, Jeff and I went out for dinner with some friends, picked up some soy ice kream on the way home, and watched that week's episode of Vampire Diaries off the DVR. I got to sleep by about 10 and woke up at 6. I felt well-rested and ready to go.
• I picked someone who was running slightly faster than I thought I could, and I kept up with him. I needed something to keep me at the pace at which I found myself (see the third bullet point below), so I picked a dude who was keeping a pace faster than I had ever run before, but a pace that I thought I could handle. It kept me going when I wanted to slow down. There's definitely a competitive urge in my heart!

Things I did not get right:

• I ate beforehand, even though I usually don't. Ouch! I woke up about 2 hours before start time, so I thought maybe I should get something in my belly. I ate some raw oats mixed with peanut butter and raisins, which is one of my favorite breakfasts. Wow, it hurt later! I'm not used to eating before running, and I could definitely feel it. Next time, I'll wake up earlier or try eating something with less protein and fat.
• I didn't drink enough water the day before. I tried to drink a lot of water on race day, but I don't feel like I was fully hydrated from the day before. I need to drink more water. All the time. Everyday.
• I got all excited and tried to pass everyone in the first mile. When the gun went off, I realized that I was surrounded by grannies and people with strollers. Ack! I spent the first half-mile dodging the slowpokes and finding an open spot, but, when I found one, I didn't want to stay there! Passing people is addictive, and it was the first time I had really experienced it! I wanted to pass more people. Before I knew it, I was running at a much faster pace than I planned on being at, and it hurt to maintain it. Worst part? I had nothing left to give at the end, so I couldn't kick it into a higher gear for the last half-mile, which I had planned on doing. Bummer.

Anyway, now I know! My next race isn't until May 22nd, but I'm super-excited about it. It's called the Warrior Dash, and it's a 3.22-mile course with 11 obstacles.



Click here to see the course and obstacle map for the Georgia course.

It's not a very serious race--it involves warrior helmets, silly constumes, a moustache contest, and free beer at the end--but it's going to be awesome! I'm doing it with my little brother Ian, some of his fraternity brothers, a couple friends from law school, and a ton of friends from my old corporate job. I'M GOING TO BE A WARRIOR!

Alright. Back to work. I'm in the midst of a 30-page research paper on the idiocy of the Supreme Court under Chief Justices Waite's and Fuller's watches.

What races do y'all have coming up?