TIART - Three Wishes

Today's Take it and Run Thursday question, brought to you by Runners' Lounge and Chocolate Shoestrings is:

If a genie were to appear and grant you any three running wishes in the world, what would you choose? It can be anything from superhuman powers, new running inventions, race entries, shoes, you name it!

What would be your three wishes?

After struggling through a 3.2 mile treadmill run last night, I immediately thought of my first two wishes:

Wish #1: That it stayed light outside until at least 8 PM every night all year long.

Wish #2: That running on the treadmill was as easy for me as running outside

Then, thinking about all the races I want to run in different places, I came up with the following:

Wish #3: That I could do well at every race I wanted to run without worrying about them being too close to one another.

And with that, I have nothing else to report for today. Other than I can't believe I did almost half my training last winter on the treadmill. Ugh. I am NOT looking forward to that again.

TIART - The Race is the Place

This week's Take it and Run Thursday question from Runner's Lounge is as follows:

We've all discussed why we run, but why do you RACE and how do you choose which races to run?

Do you look for certain distances, swag, location, start time, or something else? Tell me how you decide where and when to race. Also, I'm currently on a quest to run a race in every state. Please tell me--and others about a particular race you've run that is not to be missed.


So, first off, why do I race? Well, I race because it gives me a goal. It gives me markers on my progress. And because it's fun! There's nothing quite like race day atmosphere.

But how do I chose my races? As I mentioned in this post, my criteria for choosing a race tend to be based on how close the race is to my house, who the proceeds go to, and, of course, the distance. Of course, I made exceptions on the "distance from my house" thing this year for both my half-marathons. I really like the idea of combining running a race with a vacation. As long as you do the race at the beginning of the trip and aren't super worried about hitting a PR.

I also try to take the course into consideration. Will it be interesting? Does it have something unique about it? Or does the race itself have a unique theme?

Let's break down the races I've run so far this year and why I chose them:

Illinois Half Marathon - The inaugural marathon/half-marathon sponsored by the club that got me running in the first place. Held in my hometown. Free place to stay and lots of family and friend spectator support. Unique finish on the 50 yard line of the football stadium as well as the chance to run through my hometown.

Chase Corporate Challenge - Builds camaraderie with coworkers. Within walking distance of my office. Free entry!

SkirtChaser 5K - Unique theme. Great swag!

Napa to Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon - Running in one of my favorite parts of the country, ability to finally meet and run with (in person) someone I've been online friends with for years. Plus, an awesome vacation and spectator support.

Rally for Autism 5K - Running with another friend and the chance to possibly place in our age group (sadly, that was not meant to be, but oh well!)

PAWS Chicago Run For Their Lives 8K - My favorite cause! Great pre- and post-race activities for people and dogs alike.

Westchester VeteRUN - The closest 10K to my house


There you go. Why I chose the races I chose this year. I'm sure next year will be a little different. Still trying to decide on a marathon and I'm pretty sure that Holly and I will be running the Soldier Field 10-Miler in May. Sometimes you just have to shake things up a bit!

TIART - Yellow Brick...Treadmill?

I'm currently out of town at a conference for work. I'm spending 5 days in lovely Orlando, Florida where they seem to be experiencing heat and humidity that is abnormal for mid-October. So, although the grounds of my hotel are lovely I decided that a treadmill run was in order. In that lovely gym pictured above, actually.

What does that have to do with today's Take it and Run question from Runner's Lounge?

Well, here's this week's question:

Scarecrow asked for a Brain, Tin Man for a Heart, and Lion for Courage. If you could meet the Wizard of Running and ask for anything, what would it be?

When your wish was granted, how would your travels down the Yellow Brick Road of running be different?

If I could only ask for one wish, it would be speed. No, not the illegal substance. I just wish I could be faster without having to do all the speedwork. I attempted speedwork today on the treadmill. It was an abysmal failure. Actually, my run was pretty cruddy overall.

See?



I think the workout summary said my average pace was 10:31. Blech.

Although, I suppose that's not too bad for my first treadmill run in months, almost a week of no running (I haven't run since last Saturday) and while traveling. Plus, the fans on the treadmill didn't work and the gym itself was kind of warm and stuffy.

At least I got a run in! Now, if I could just figure out where that wizard is hiding so I could run faster....

Take it and Run Thursday - Yoga and Running

This week's Take it and Run question is rather appropriate for my workout last night. Kitzzy asks:

I find yoga to be an excellent companion to my running to avoid
injury, improve flexibility, and help relieve sore muscles after a
hard workout or race. Tell us about your experience with yoga as it
relates to running. If you have not tried it, why not? If you have,
did it help? How often do you feature yoga in your weekly workout
regime? What are your favorite yoga poses and routines? Pass on your recommendations for your favorite yoga DVDs, instructors, podcasts, online resources, etc.


Last night was Wednesday so that means yoga class. I also decided to run to and from yoga. I mean, it's less than a mile and a half from my house to the gym. Why would I drive?

My run was great. I really felt in the groove. I really push it on the way there because I'm always afraid of being late but I wasn't even exhausted when I got there. I was sweaty, yes, but not exhausted. I took a minute before class started to wipe off my face in the bathroom.

Here's a quick run-down of my class last night

-Laying on the mat with our eyes closed
-Two instructor-led sun salutations
-One sun salutation on our own
-Eye exercises (what the hell?)
-A few back-bending poses
-A few forward-bending poses
-A discussion of her favorite yoga book and the handouts she had for us
-Some spine twists
-More laying on our back on the mat

I'm sorry. I'm just going to lay it out there. Maybe this makes me a bad runner but I do not like yoga.

I know, I know, I should probably take more than one type of class before declaring that. But, based on this particular class, I don't like it. I do not feel centered. I do not feel stretched out. I do not feel sore. In fact, I mostly feel irritated. I tried to be open-minded. But, really, I spend most of my class thinking "what the hell", "you've got to be kidding me", or "this is such a crock of sh*t".

If you can't tell, yoga is making me angry.

So, sorry yoga-touting runners but I don't see yoga making me a better runner. I admit, I feel kind of bad saying that after only 5 classes, but I just can't see myself sticking with it. I'll probably finish out the session (it's just two more classes) but after that I think the most yoga I'll do is when I break out the Wii Fit.

Now, running to and from the gym I love. In fact, my run home from the gym last night was just as good at the run to the gym. It was dark out but there are enough street lights that I didn't even really need my headlamp to see. I was totally in the groove. I had a slight interruption when a delivery driver stopped me to ask for directions (which, amazingly enough, I knew how to give...thanks to having run past that street before!) but I like helping people out so I didn't mind too much.

Overall I did 2.39 miles at an average 9:17 minute per mile pace. Of course, there was a huge break in the middle and several stops at intersections but the actual running parts were strong. No stats today, though, because the BIM data got all screwy due to my huge break in the middle. It thinks I ran my second mile in an hour and 45 minutes! Maybe if i was a turtle!

Fuel and Fretting

Today's Take it and Run Thursday question is:

It's the morning of your weekly long run... what do you eat and why?

I'm STILL trying to figure this out. I feel like I run out of fuel so fast. Additionally, I'm a really salty sweater so I think that makes me hit the wall even with taking fuel mid-run. Typically, I eat a whole wheat English muffin with crunchy peanut butter and dried cranberries. I try to follow that up with a granola or energy bar shortly before I actually start my run if I ate the English muffin more than an hour before.

I've also tried the oatmeal with tons of add-ins (almond butter, honey, nuts, dried fruit), but it doesn't always work.

I'm definitely not one of those people who can just grab a banana and a glass of water and call it pre-run fuel. My metabolism is pretty fast so by the time I get up in the morning I've fairly well digested all of my dinner. I've tried running in the morning without eating and I tend to get cold sweats or feel super dizzy after I'm done.

So, yeah, still working on the perfect fuel.

Speaking of how things make me feel (yeah, that was a crappy segue), I took my first yoga class last night at the Y.



I'm generally a very tense person, so there were some times during the class that I felt as though I should be relaxing more than I was. Our instructor really lets us take our time in each pose, though, so I was able to attempt to relax each part of my body. We did very basic mat exercises (such as the poses above) and she indicated that this isn't a very strenuous class but that we will be working harder by the end of the 8 weeks. Sadly, I don't think that doing yoga combined with rushing home to get dinner on the table before 9PM is really all that calming or centering or whatever yoga is supposed to be spiritually.

I feel strange (and a little guilty) for not doing any cardio on Wednesday nights. I've done some kind of cardio on Wednesdays for so long that I'm not used to not ending my day by dripping sweat. Also, even though my original plan was to run Thursdays at lunch to make up for it, I don't think that's going to happen very often. Here's hoping that swimming helps make up for it.

Speaking of which, my first swim lesson class is tonight. I'm stupidly nervous. Not that I'll be bad at it or anything. It's lessons; they're not expecting me to be any good. It's just that I have to get in a pool with a bunch of strangers to do something other than splash around and be silly. Also, I'm still not sure how to actually get TO the pool at the Y or whether or not my Speedo tank suit even still fits. Will I need goggles? Do I bring a beach towel or a regular towel? Will I need a swim cap? Probably should have thought about all those things before today, huh?

The 64 Thousand Dollar Question - Take it and Run Thursday

Today's Take It and Run Thursday question over at Runners' Lounge is:

When did you know you had become a runner? Was there a defining moment, or was it a gradual progression over time?

Interestingly enough, a friend just recently asked me this question, too!

I don't think it was one moment when I decided I was a runner. It was an accumulation of changes in my life and my attitude.

See, I didn't decide to become a "runner". I decided I wanted to try running. So many people I knew online were doing it and I always thought, "Hey, if they can do it so can I!" I tried on my own for awhile but didn't get very far. So, I joined the Beginning Women's Running Group pictured above (I'm on the bottom right with the pink bandanna on my head).

We trained for a 5K. I ran that 5K. And then something weird happened. I kept running. I made time in my schedule to run. I said things like, "Okay, but I've got to run first." I got up early on weekends to get in a run before I did anything else. I wanted to see how far I could go. 4 miles? 5 miles? 9 miles??

I stopped thinking of running as a way to lose weight and instead wanted to run to increase my distances and my speed. I stopped thinking of my gym trips as just gym trips and started thinking of them as cross-training. Instead of looking for ways to workout that would burn the most calories, I looked for options that would benefit my running.

I started planning my life around my running instead of the other way around. You know how magazine articles always say you should schedule working out just like you would a meeting or an appointment? I actually started doing that. Running took precedence. It still does.

When my friend asked me, I said another way I knew I had become a runner was when I felt guilty about missing a run. Not guilty like "oh no, I didn't work out today" but guilty like "I running have goals and I want to meet them".

But, the more I think about it, the more I think that I knew I had truly become a runner when I was able to answer "yes" when someone asked me if I wanted to go for a run.

Yes, I want to go for a run. Because I'm a runner.

Take it and Run Thursday

Today's Take it and Run topic over at Runners' Lounge is brought to you by none other than...ME!



How do you decide how far/long to run when you aren't following a predetermined training plan? I have a few short races (5Ks and 8Ks) coming up but I'm not planning to follow a training plan for them. I just finished my most recent half-marathon on July 19th and now I'm at a loss as what to do now in terms of distances, etc. I almost always run with a training plan but I'm not sure if I should now or not. Or, if I should be, what I should be looking for in one.

I’m lucky enough to live in area that has lots of options for running. I can run laps around my neighborhood for 5K distances. I can do out and backs through my town for runs between 3 and 6 miles. I can drive to the 7 mile-long bike path that starts a few miles from my house if I want to get in a long run with minimal stops. I can run along the lakefront path in downtown Chicago after work or at lunch for any distance I want. I can do speedwork on the track near my house. Or I can stick to the treadmill in my basement.

So, not only do I have the difficulty of choosing what distance to run, I have the challenge of deciding where to run. And, really, they’re all such great places, how would I ever decide? Here’s a sample:

Click here if the slide show doesn't show up.

Which leads me to what I want to know from you: How do you decide how far to run? Do you base it on a training plan? On the route? Or on something else entirely?

Last night I decided to mix it up and do 3 miles half in my neighborhood and half on my route through town. I figure I did just over 5 on Monday and 4 on Tuesday. If I did 3 last night it would be like my own little taper.

I ran the first 1.5 miles with Trinka Deu. Who, by the way, was having none of it. She lagged behind me the entire time. She wanted nothing more than to stroll along at a leisurely pace. Well, that's all fine and good, but I wanted to RUN. As it was, we did our first mile in over 11 minutes. Sigh. At least I was taking it easy? I picked up the pace after I dropped the dog off at home. I stopped the Garmin when it hit mile 3, but I actually ran a little bit after that and walked about a quarter mile more.

And now, after three days of running in a row, I'm off to rest up for my 5K on Saturday. Never fear, though, I have a fun surprise for all of you tomorrow! Stay tuned!

***************
Stats

Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 620 ft Location: Forest Park, IL Elev. Gain: -3 ft Date: 08/12/09 Up/Downhill: [+16/-19] Time: 06:20 PM Difficulty: 2.0 / 5.0   Weather: Fair   76 F temp; 48% humidity   77 F heat index; winds E 9 Performance Distance: 3.00 miles Time: 0:30:21 Speed: 5.9 mph Pace: 10' 07 /mi Calories: 353 Map   Elevation (ft)   Pace (min/mile)   Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 11' 14 +1' 07 5.3 -0.6 +3 ft 2 9' 53 -0' 14 6.1 +0.1 -4 ft end 9' 12 -0' 55 6.5 +0.6 -3 ft Versus average of 10' 07 min/mile

Posted from bimactive.com

If you had told me....

The weather forecast said rain. The sun outside said otherwise. The temperatures were rather prohibitive. But Kim and I were not deterred. We were going to get our 3 mile run in, but this time we vowed to go slower.

I tell you, though, something about running with another person just gets me going. Ninety-five percent of my runs are done alone but I really enjoy running and chatting with someone else.

I think that's the one thing I never knew about running. Although I started running with a group, I never really clicked with anyone there. And since it was a beginner's group, we weren't really pushing each other for speed and you never knew who was actually going to be passionate about it. Denise made today's Take and It and Run Thursday post about the fact that no one ever told her that running would bring so many wonderful people into her life. I have to agree. Becoming a runner has allowed me to have something in common with people when I probably wouldn't have before. I think if someone had told me two years ago that I would be running at lunch with someone I met online I would not have believed them. If someone told me two years ago that someone I first met online would invite me to watch the Chicago Marathon with her or drive an hour just to do a 10 mile training run I definitely wouldn't have believed them.

No one ever told me that running lingo and jargon is its own language. No one ever told me that speaking that language to someone you didn't know was a runner and watching their face light up could make your day.

And if anyone had ever told me that I would run the last mile of a training run on almost 90 degree day under 9 minutes, I definitely wouldn't have believed them.

Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 583 ft Location: Chicago, IL Elev. Gain: +0 ft Date: 06/25/09 Up/Downhill: [+118/-118] Time: 11:42 AM Difficulty: 2.5 / 5.0   Weather: Partly Cloudy   89 F temp; 51% humidity   94 F heat index; winds NW 8 Performance Distance: 3.10 miles Time: 0:28:40 Speed: 6.5 mph Pace: 9' 15 /mi Calories: 325 Map   Elevation (ft)   Pace (min/mile)   Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 9' 28 +0' 13 6.3 -0.2 -6 ft 2 9' 56 +0' 41 6.0 -0.4 0 ft 3 9' 05 -0' 10 6.6 +0.1 +3 ft end 8' 00 -1' 15 7.5 +1.0 0 ft Versus average of 9' 15 min/mile

Posted from bimactive.com

Runner's Lounge: Take it and Run Thursday

Every Thursday Runner's Lounge asks a question about some aspect of running. This week's?

Running Blogs - How and Why? Most of our TIaRT participants are also running bloggers - it's a way for them to talk about and think about their running. But we also know that about half of the runners in the Lounge aren't bloggers and many are interested in getting started but not sure how to get started, why to do it or how it can help their running. Share your tips for how you use your blog to help your running. Talk about how/why you started, what keeps you blogging and how you use it to keep you running.


I've been keeping an online journal via Livejournal since 2001 so I wasn't exactly new to the blogging scene. However, Livejournal allows you the option of filtering posts so that only a certain audience could see them. A few years ago I started a "health filter" as part of my account. I knew that not everyone who read my journal was interested in my trips to the gym or my attempt at losing 10 pounds or my running (once I started). Plus, the health filter function on Livejournal didn't allow for people without an account to read it. I thought that having a more public blog would help my non-Livejournal family and friends keep up with me. A few of my friends on Livejournal started blogs on Blogger (this website) in order to talk about just their running. I thought it was a great idea but wanted an actual reason to start one, not just start one out of the blue.

So, when January rolled around and I realized it was time to start my half-marathon training, I decided to start this blog. Originally I had no idea how often I was going to post but I knew I wanted to start each entry with a picture of some kind. Do you have any idea how many hours I've killed searching for pictures? Anyway, it turned out that I liked updating about each of my runs (so, three to four times a week) and the occasional cross-training post. Sure, sometimes it's difficult to think of things to write, but I do it anyway.

I'm not the best writer out there. Seriously, there are so many GREAT blogs (both running and non-running related) that I could never compete. But I love sharing my ups and downs with people. I don't get a lot of comments (even though I like them. Hint hint) but I know that people who don't comment are reading anyway.

As I posted in the Runner's Lounge forum, blogging keeping me accountable. It keeps me honest. It helps me make sure I did those runs and did them as well as I could.

Who knew it would give me something to think about while running? I mean, what better time to compose a blog entry about running than when you're running?

Who knew it would introduce me to so many new people who have been nothing but encouraging? Who knew it would let my friends and family get a glimpse into a part of my life they barely understand?

My running blog is my first "theme" blog. I thought it would be difficult. Turns out it's not.

However, I will say that sometimes I think blogging about my running can be detrimental. I feel accountable not only to myself but to my readers. If I skip a run or have a bad run I feel like I'm letting all of us down. I am my own worst critic, though.

Overall, I love writing about my life online. I love sharing it. I love getting feedback. I don't have a lot of people in my every day "real" life that understand my running so I truly appreciate the online community support.