Well, That Run Sucked

Tuesday I ran after volleyball. It was the worst run I've had in months.

Take this post with a grain of salt...I'm officially tapering.

I met Elizabeth straight from practice so I didn't stop home. I had my running bag with me, but after being away all weekend I'd emptied it out to clean things, so I was missing my headband, my phone armband, and my good running socks.

During practice, I was jogging around gathering volleyballs and felt a sharp twinge in my left knee. Then, I got a weird, achy feeling in that butt cheek.

I was wearing a pair of shorts that are kind of loose for practice, so when I got to the park with Elizabeth and realized I didn't have my armband, I had to fit my phone into my back pocket. It bounced and jiggled and basically pulled my shorts down the entire run. So I was mooning traffic for half the run. I knew this wasn't going to be a good one.

If you Google-image search "worst run ever", a bunch of race pictures come up of people who look totally fine...I'd hate to somehow find my picture with that tag!

I have a persistent knot in my back that started aching; we were going to do 5 miles and I decided to see how I felt after three.

My calves were rocks by mile two.

Then, as we were nearing mile three, I started getting sharp, shooting pains in my inner-right ankle. (I think I was overcompensating for the knot and the achy butt cheek and the bouncing phone, and ended up running with some weird gait that cause ankle pain.)

So we called it at 2.8 miles. I couldn't even finish three. I know this was just a bad day with myriad factors I can work around next tine, but taper makes me hyper-paranoid and now I can't stop thinking about every single ache and twinge!

It was also one of those runs that made me step back and go, oh right, things out of my control may happen and then this race won't...so it's time to walk on eggshells and not get cocky!

This week we have our second volleyball game, and then I'm traveling for work Friday, so I may not run again until the weekend. Maybe that's a good thing. But I don't want to taper too drastically!

Wednesday, to take my mind off it, I cooked the giant eggplant a student brought me. (Those of you who follow me on Instagram saw the picture of it on my desk. My principal - whose daughter is in my homeroom and plays on the volleyball team - got it from a friend but doesn't eat eggplant, so her daughter brought it to school for me. The kids spent all day touching it and carrying it around like a baby. Middle schoolers are weird.)

My kids' reactions were priceless, but to be fair, it is a weird thing to see on a teacher's desk!

I used this recipe (whose author, I just realized, is named Ali too. Weird) and made eggplant parmesan.

I've never made it before, and it was a hit! Matt and I are both super happy with it. It takes a ton of work, but it makes a lot and it's so yummy!

Oh hey blurry crazy-face!

Plus, all that cheese is a great comfort food while I'm emotionally crazy tapering.

Please tell me everything is going to be okay! I have 10 days before the marathon and I'm freaking out!

Thoughts on my new blog layout? I want it to look more centered, but not cluttered!
ABK

It's Time

You know what really starts to wear on you and mess with your mind? Multiple rough long runs.

While my shorter runs are finally picking up some speed, I've been fighting brand new (to me) issues on my long runs. I'm talking calf cramps, side stitches, stomach cramps, the threat of impending vomit, and the threat of...other gross issues.

Needless to say, my last two long runs have been disastrous. But hey, at least I went.

I've been doing a lot more walking than I'd like because of all these problems, and that leaves me feeling even worse about the whole situation.

 

Two slow and kind of miserable long runs.

When our bodies revolt like this, it's a sign. I'm a seasoned enough runner that I know this doesn't mean I'll never run a successful LSD again; but this is definitely a wake-up call from my body.

It's time to actually crack my calendar and get all my weekday runs done as planned so my long runs don't feel as hard.

It's time to check my eating habits. We've been eating out more often since I went back to work and since the kitchen demo, but that doesn't mean I need to eat junk. And our stove and grill both work; I should be cooking meals at home.

It's time to get back into morning runs. I switched back to evening over the last couple weeks, and that means I'm skipping more runs because time gets away from me.

Basically, I've been really slacking. I haven't been applying the knowledge I've gained over the last few years about training for races, and if I honestly have any hope of PR'ing at BDR, I need to get back on track. I need to want it as much as I keep saying I do.

And boy, I do want to ring that PR bell!

Ever since Sean told me about the PR bell, I've been dying to ring it!

I have a 10k scheduled for mid-October. I think focusing on it will help give me a sense of urgency that I've really lost. I'm going to keep experimenting with fueling during runs and, more importantly, eating and drinking like an athlete.

I've been complacent. It's time to step up; a marathon is a big deal no matter how many you've done, and I've only done one! I won't reach a PR without putting in some real work.

It's go time, guys. I'm feeling my determination and inherent motivation coming back, but I know I'll need your help and encouragement over the next few weeks!

What's the best way to tough it out when you're just not feeling it?
How do you keep tough runs from getting you down?

ABK

First Watch Sarasota Half Marathon

I had really been looking forward to this race! Last year, when early-bird pricing opened, Sean gave me the heads up and I snapped up my entry without really thinking about it. I knew it was a well-established race with a good reputation and it was local to my parents, which would make travel easy.

I'm glad he convinced me!

Saturday afternoon Matt and I went to packet pickup downtown. I had planned to go earlier but Matt was working on my mom's car. I was lucky to run into Mari because the line curved all the way around the block, and I was able to slip in and wait with her.

The line at Fit2Run at Five Points.

Because this was the 10th anniversary race, we received beautiful, lightweight running jackets along with our shirts. I can't wait to wear it this summer when hurricane season hits.

The jacket is a $70 value, which makes the $47 race fee even more worth it.

The race offered XS sizing, which made me very happy, and the shirt is actually cut for women, so I may actually wear this one.

We had sushi for dinner, as is my usual, and I managed to fall asleep at a decent time.

How gorgeous is that?

Sunday morning arrived, and everything was rolling smoothly along. We got to the race site and parked without any trouble. I had my usual breakfast, but my stomach was being a little grumbly so I took half an Immodium. The biggest problem of the morning was the weather; it was already 70 and humid forty minutes before the race began.

I took a picture of our formidable bridge (lit in blue, although we also ran the smaller bridge right after) as I waited to use the bathroom.

The race started about ten minutes late, and by that time I was really itching to get moving. The first mile took a  lot of dodging and weaving, and then we were at the dreaded bridge. The first ascent was fairly easy except for how narrow it was! I was bumping into people all over the place.

I saw Sean and Mari on the descent; both looked strong.

We rounded St. Armand's Circle and came right back to the bridge. The second ascent was much harder, but I told myself I would run a race to be proud of and I didn't let myself walk. I did pause at the top to snap a picture of the sunrise.

As I began the descent, I spotted Matt off to the side and made a beeline toward him. 

Finishing the Ringling Causeway.

There I go, with the bridge behind me and the city before me!

Not long after I had passed Matt, someone drew up alongside me. "Excuse me, have you heard of the Sub-30 Club?" he asked.

I looked up and there was Will, a fellow Subber I'd last seen at Space Coast! He had been taking a walk break when he passed Matt, recognized him, and said hello; Matt told him I had just gone by. We chatted for a bit and then went on with our own paces, but we would be leap-frogging the rest of the race and seeing him on the course really helped me pull through this one.

By this time, it was really warming up. The next few miles (5ish through 8) were along 41, which isn't a very pretty route and was fairly narrow at times. The volunteer support and water stations were great. There were spectators handing out frozen grapes and fresh strawberries, and a few with water guns filled with icy water.

But honestly, this part of the race wasn't fun. Usually, even when I'm dogging it in a race, I'm still enjoying it. This time, I just kept thinking to myself, This is the last half before I can take a break from long races; I just need to finish this one. If that's not a sign that I need a bit of a rest, I don't know what is.

We turned in front of the Ringling Museum and the second half of the race went through a shady neighborhood filled with twisting roads. I began to lose my stamina. I had eaten a Gu at mile 5 but the heat was messing with my stomach and I couldn't fathom eating another, even though I knew I needed it.

The wheels came off at mile 7 and stayed off for the rest of the race.

I began to take walk breaks. (Part of me was disappointed that I was resorting to this because I hadn't planned to walk - I have nothing against those who run/walk, but I'm hard on myself if I take unplanned walk breaks in a race.)

I knew that the weather was a factor and for whatever other reasons this just wasn't going to be my strongest race. Considering my racing season over the last few months, I cut myself some slack.

As I passed Will around mile 12 he shouted, "Go get it, Ali!" and I just dug in and did it.

I saw Matt near the finish twice (he had his skateboard and was able to catch me before the last turn and again right at the end) and was able to pick up my shuffle to a run and finish strong.

I'm honestly not sure why I look so happy...maybe because this was mile 12.9?

I got my medal and chugged a bottle of water. As I squatted off to the side of the finishing chute, I could feel my whole body pulsing.

My actual official time was 2:26:44.

Matt found me and we found Will and took pictures; it was seriously so nice to see him throughout the race! It's amazing what having a buddy on the course can do; I'm sure I would have walked earlier and more often if not for Will's presence.

His journey is amazing and you can follow it here.

We grabbed oranges and met up with Sean, who had been in front of the 1:40 pacer when I saw him, but he said he had had the same problem I did; he hit the wall hard and early. Still, he finished with an awesome sub-2 time.

The race began and ended at the Van Wezel, that big purple building in the background. Our medals are the size of soup bowls!

After the race, Matt and I went to meet Jenn and her fiance for brunch at Another Broken Egg. I was excited to try their gluten free pancake (it was good) and catch up after not seeing Jenn since our trip to Panama in 2011!

The pancake was good, but the bacon was fantastic.

Before going home, we made one more detour to pick up cupcakes at Gigi's and check out a huge tent sale at Fit2Run. We spent $21 and got multiple Camelbak accessories, light clips for running in the dark, a new Lija skirt (which was originally $80!), a set of three different kinds of resistance bands, and a medicine ball. I can't wait to add some new exercises to my at-home routines!

Yes, that medicine ball is only 4lbs, but it was literally $1 and I couldn't say no. I know it will be good for something!

I came away from this race resolved to never run another half after February. It's just too hot in Florida by March. But I definitely feel like it was a good end to the winter/spring half marathon season. 

The medal is so big and glittery! It's a serious contender for prettiest medal on the rack.

Now I just have shorter races to look forward to, and my legs are definitely thanking me.

ABK

Goodbye Contacts!

This week may have been really difficult work-wise, but training-wise it was on point!

Despite the craziness of work this week, or maybe because of it, I had the best workout week in a long time! 

I got in all my workouts and took one planned rest day this week. It was a great way to start the month!

Besides adding the plank workout to my weekly routine, I also added a short tabata-style workout.

Click here for the workout!

I love when an at-home workout takes 15 minutes and leaves you absolutely exhausted and covered in sweat.

Mmm, sweat!

On Saturday morning, I had my LASIK consultation. It was basically like any other eye appointment. I wasn't allowed to wear my contacts Friday to allow my eyes to rest and appear "au naturale" during the check-up.

This meant running my 8-miler with Kristin without any lenses. (My glasses are too loose to run in.) She was a very good guide; I didn't trip once.

I think my rough week made this run hard; I was dogging it the entire time, but at least we got it done. There was a time not too long ago that I would've thrown in the towel.

 Then it was off to my consultation!

Goodbye, glasses!

Matt came with me and was highly amused by my reading of the eye-chart. (I can't hate, though; his perfect vision is what earned me the chance to finally look into getting LASIK in the first place.) 

Anyway, I'm apparently a perfect candidate for LASIK. My corneas are really thick (which is a good thing) and my eyesight isn't so bad that it will cost an arm and a leg. My surgery date is set for April 2! I can't imagine waking up and not having to take the time to put contacts in, or deal with them during allergy season (which is really like 2/3 of the year for me). I've had glasses since I was in kindergarten!

After taking a nap to give my dilated eyes some time to recuperate, Matt and I headed down to the Fish House for Meg's birthday dinner! It was too dark outside by the time we ate to take any pictures of my meal, but it was the first time I had spaghetti squash and it was fantastic. I can't wait to make it at home!

Meg's mom took this photo before dinner.

Obviously losing an hour Sunday bites; it means less time to run errands and finish grading, but I'm glad that Saturday was a good, restful day reserved for friends. And I'm very thankful that the time change was this weekend and not next because that would mean running my next half after losing an hour of sleep!

The course map for the Sarasota Half.

 Miles 1-5 are up and over the huge Ringling bridge and then an immediate turn-around. That's going to burn my legs a lot, which is why I've been diligently running the bridge here at home (which is a baby compared to this monster).

But the medal will be worth it!

Pretty!

I'm looking forward to another successful week of training! I feel like I'm on a roll!

Where do you find your favorite at-home workouts?

 Did you find time for fun this weekend?

ABK

Relentless Forward Progress

Sometimes RFP is all we can ask of ourselves. I set off Saturday morning for a three hour long run. I had hoped the run would bring me to about 15 miles, and at last week's paces it would have. But some days are tougher than others, and I finished 2 hours 55 minutes at 13.5 miles for my long, slow run. (If I'd done those last five minutes I may have hit 14 miles, but I was wiped!)

Sarah ended up being the only person who could meet me, but she stayed for the entire run when she had originally just planned to run 10. I committed a blogger faux pas and took zero pictures. The run itself was uneventful; despite having my favorite pre-LSD meal, I was more tired than I expected but I got it done. And that's all I can say about that.

Sushi is always my go-to before a long run or race.

The minute I got home, I stripped off the non-essentials and jumped into the pool. Because the run was long, it was already in the 80s and super sunny when we finished!

Archie joined me for his own little birdbath, then attempted to dry off on my head.

I enjoyed chocolate milk (am I the only one who likes to put ice in my milk to make sure it stays as cold as possible?) with breakfast, then relaxed while Matt and his dad installed a new window in the room that, once cleaned up, will be our office.

Two eggs over-easy, bacon, and chocolate milk. The breakfast of champions!

Men at work.

The other shelves Matt built a couple weeks ago. After we put up all those decorations, we discovered another box filled with books, so I have to get back up there and remove the decorative stuff so the books have somewhere to go!

One reason I like running long on Saturdays instead of Sundays is that I know I can be lazy afterward without pressure to be productive. Laundry, grocery shopping, grading...all that can wait! We spent the evening watching The Family. 

Next week my long run will be shorter, and I've already mapped out the route for my next LONG-long run. I'm feeling more confident about upping my miles again, which is good; yet I can't help but get nervous about finishing the marathon before the finish line closes. I know taper will help my legs, but right now they're just so tired! It's hard to imagine running 26.2 miles at the pace I'll need to finish in time.

Perspective.

That's a real fear; I'm putting it out there, because maybe that will help me come to terms with it and work through it.

Have you ever been worried about not finishing a race before cut-off?

What's your favorite post-run meal?

Raw sushi: yay or nay?

ABK

Highs and Lows

This past week definitely played with my emotions. 

Before I get into the details, let's review the week prior: I went back to work for teacher training and ran 2 miles...total. Readjusting to 6am wake-ups and badly timed inclement weather made for a sub-par week. 

At 6am, nothing tastes better than coffee.

This past week, I was determined to get back on track. I woke up at 4:30 Monday morning and did my 2-miler before work. My first day with students went swimmingly...I think my confidence and experience is finally paying off. I never even got butterflies. 

We start earlier this year so I've been at work by 7:15 and I have stayed late everyday to make sure my room is ready each morning. And in case you've never really paid attention to how teachers do their thing, I'm on my feet for literally 8 of the 9 hours I'm at work. By Wednesday, my hamstrings were screaming. 

Still, I was determined to prove that I can run in the mornings before work and actually get my training done. Thursday I ran hill repeats, completing four miles before I had to leave to shower and get ready for work. (I need to work on timing and maybe wake up at 4 instead of 4:30.)

My bridge, long before sunrise.

I had paused to stretch my hamstrings on the bridge when Adria ran by me and stopped briefly to say hello; she's way faster than I am and we don't train together, but she's running the same marathon, so it was an awesome morale booster to see her!

6 repeats in the bag!

The week finished well, but this is where I hit a snag. Matt had a SUP race scheduled for Saturday, and I was due to run 16 miles. I decided to go super early so I could still make it to the start of his race. 

We didn't get into town until 11pm. In the back of my mind was an article I'd read earlier in the week; it said that when marathon training, if you take a week off for illness or whatever, the week after should be a little easier to help you ease back in. 

It wasn't a good thing that this piece of advice was rattling around in my brain when I started out for my 16-miler because I think it gave me an excuse right off the bat. My calves and feet were tight and cramping with the first step, tired from the week, I'm sure. My Fuelbelt felt ridiculously heavy even though I only had two bottles in it. Despite the slightly cooler morning, I was covered in sweat by the first half mile - stupid humidity. 

This is not the face of success.

Basically, I got about six miles in before I called it quits. 

Back at the house, I felt torn. I wanted to go back out and at least do one more 5-mile loop, but while the desire was there, the ability wasn't. My legs were shot.

I know beating myself up won't do me any good. It won't make me a better runner. I need to build a bridge and get over it, use the disappointment to fuel my runs next week...And I need to shake this weird mental block I have going on all of a sudden in regard to my long runs. I think the humidity has kind of scared me into thinking I can't complete them, even though just two weeks ago I did 12 with little trouble.

So, the highs of the week included a renewed sense of dedication and ability in that it proved I can wake up early and fit my runs in before work; but the low - not completing my long run - has got me pretty down. 

Next week I intend to foam roll and stretch every day to try to ease up my leg muscles. Standing and walking all day is rougher than running, I swear!

How do you deal with mental blocks?
 Does it still feel like summer where you are?
What were your highs and lows last week?

ABK 

The Definition of Failure

Last night's run was a failure.

I was due for a 5-mile tempo run with the middle three miles at 9:43. I ate dinner at 6:30 and went to run at 8:15. By the end of the first mile, I was covered in sweat from the humidity and suffering those rolling chills you get when your body wants to expel what you ate and is deciding which avenue would be best to get rid of it.

I immediately slowed down, determined to get five miles in even if they weren't at tempo pace.

By the halfway point, I was in agony. I texted Matt, who was at the gym, to take a specific route home so he'd pass me. He picked me up at just a little under 4.25 miles.

Sulking in the car, blasting the AC to bring down my core temperature, I mumbled, "I'm a failure."

To which he replied, "No, you're not. You got out there and tried. You can't be a failure if you try."

I have a couple opposing views on failure myself. On the one hand, failure's not a good thing; but on the other, we learn from it, and we can't grow or change without it. I tell my students this all the time, and I would be a hypocrite if I didn't apply it to myself.

So yes, my run was a failure, but I can concur with Matt that I, myself, am not.

I've reflected on the run and taken three important lessons from it. 

1. This is the second speed-workout that I did at night and got sick during. I need to do hard-effort runs in the morning.

2. I can't get cocky and expect that hard runs will be easy during the summer. I have to anticipate and plan for speed-work to be tough.

3. I hated to cut the run short and I feel stupid for doing it, but it was for the best based on how dizzy and sick I felt. It doesn't count as quitting if you plan to get back out there.

I won't let this one failed run ruin my week, and I plan to be much smarter and more dedicated to getting all three of my runs done in the morning next week. I can't bounce between evening and morning - I have to be consistent. I usually love tempo runs and I'm not going to let this one jade my feelings toward speed-work.

Spot the apostrophe error and win...pride in being able to tell when an apostrophe is being misused!

I've decided to learn and grow from this run and call it a mental workout. I've decided not to let it beat me.

How do you define failure?

Do you avoid risks (and failure) at all costs?

Tell me about a time you failed and learned from it.

ABK