Careful where you step!

Despite the weather, I had a great running week last week.  I pushed through the hot, sweaty elements, had a great long run on Saturday where, when I got done, I felt like I could have done more (!).  And, finally on Sunday, I ran my first 5k in well over a year and almost PRed by 14 seconds.  It was a race where I felt strong, fast and confident, making me feel like I should stop fearing the fastness of the 5k and just do more of these things.

Yesterday was brutal.  A storm passed through and the humidity increased by thousands of percentage points.  Impossible, I know, but surely that’s what it felt like.  I started the run strong, and ended weak. I blamed it on a debilitating side stitch (true story) – which I blamed on the Fiber One bar I had eaten earlier that day. I blamed it on the nasty humidity.  I blamed it on the fact I was trying out a new breathing pattern a friend had posted a link to on FB that would enable me to run better (looks like I need more practice).  Lastly, I blamed it on the fact that before starting said breathing pattern, I used a lot of my breath laughing at a joke about a wetsuit.  Don’t ask!

Bad runs happen.  I brushed it off after, made fun of my friend who stayed back with me only to tell me he was running home after this.  To his credit, home was 4miles away, as opposed to my home, 30 miles away.  I still felt the runners high of my past running weekend anyways.

This morning, as I do most mornings, I waited in my car for the bus to arrive and take me to work.  Once the bus pulled into the park and ride, I got out and started walking towards the bus door. Suddenly, my ankle rolled to the left and I instinctively put out my arms to catch my balance.  Phew!  I didn’t fall.  But… wait, is that pain I’m feeling in my ankle?  Where did that stupid stone come from??

Even my bus driver, who knows about my running shenanigans, commented “That’ll stop you from running!” 

Probably didn’t help that I was wearing these shoes:

These babies have been with me since circa 2002 -
and I refuse to part with them.

 The whole ride in, I panicked and psychosomatically felt my ankle feeling weird.  I stretched it and twirled it around, hoping I could shake it out.  Soon as I got to my work building, I was worried sick, wondering if I would be dealing with a real, marathon training preventing injury. 

Fueling my fear is the fact a coworker was walking from her car to our building and broke her ankle not too long ago.  She stepped wrong - crack, crunch and into the hospital she went.  Out months from work, she is finally back but still hobbling with a steel plate permanently in her foot. 

I don’t need to mention why I was so scared about hurting my foot (if you need an explanation, please read the rest of my posts).  Good news is: I am happy to report that I got my lunch time run in, 3.5 miles pain free.  It just feels a little twisted but nothing serious to report at this time.

What should I do?  Obsessively watch everywhere I step from now on?  I guess.  Wear better shoes?  Well, maybe just my travel shoes – which I swear I was going to do today, but the ones I did wear (pictured above) are the only "heels" I can walk miles in.  Or so I thought until today.

So, we’ll see how the rest of this week shapes up. I’m already skipping my “long run” this weekend as my plan only calls for 6 miles and I am planning my holiday weekend around some beer, steamed clams and burgers!

Running and Relationships

Last night after a Sam Summer and an delicious cornmeal crusted catfish sandwich at our local bar, I asked my husband one of those ridiculous, insecure, stupid questions that would put any spouse on the spot.

No, I didn’t ask if I looked fat.  I asked if he would prefer if I wasn’t a runner.

He gave me the look that said “why are you asking me such a ridiculous, insecure and stupid question?”  I might as well have thrown a “do I look fat while running?” question on the pile as well.

My husband and I have a unique relationship.  While we are married, we are both very much independent. We dated 4 years long distance and survived being 200 miles apart most days of the month.  During that time, I got my masters while working full time (and sometimes with a second job!) and we always found something to do, or someone to hang out with, while we were not seeing each other.  Our natural respect, trust and understanding are the force that binds us together when we’re not “together”.  When there is us time, we give it 100%.  There are many couples who see this as red flags, that we are too independent and don’t share anything in common, but it works for us.

Greg’s farming and construction work are round-the-clock type jobs, particularly in the summer. It is not uncommon for him to work 6am until nearly midnight most days of the week from May to October.  I am the type that always wants to be doing something, so running is great in that it fills up the down time I don’t get to spend with him.  Long run on Saturday?  No problem as he is cultivating his crops.  Late night in the shop working on farm equipment?  Good chance to do some core work!

I wish it were that simple.  Yet, my recent marathon training has in its early stages already started to creep into the “taking over your life” category.  And it worries me.

Running is more than just taking yourself out on the road, logging your miles, and then going home.  For me, it has become a lifestyle and while I love and enjoy it, I get concerned.  Am I too obsessed?  Should I cut back on the running-related FB status updates?  What about this blog?  Is Greg so sick of me talking about running, something he does not do and probably never will?  Should I try to make more non-running friends?  Am I going overboard telling everyone, including strangers, that I am training for a marathon?

Greg is very supportive of my running habit.  He might not come to all my races, but he knows that doing something I love to do, with people I love doing it with, is better than me sitting home griping that he’s not around.  Still, we’ve had our moments when he has suggested to go do something fun and I back out, knowing I have a run the next day, or even later that day.  The little windows of opportunity we get in the summer are few and far between; what happens when we don’t take them?  Even though we have always had our independence and own hobbies,  I still feel guilty when running comes in the way of us, despite the fact his work may unavoidably do the same.  Thus the silly questions I posed to him (his real answer "No, why would I want that?") Sigh.

So, I wonder, how does one balance our training, our families and everything else in life?  Sure, it’s easier when both spouses are runners, but when the other is not, where does the line get drawn?  Any tips out there for the half-running relationships and marriages? 

Saturday morning cartoons

My Saturday mornings are not for sleeping in anymore, or cartoons.  That's Sunday.  Saturday for me goes usually like this:

Wake before 6am.
Eat my cereal, drink some water, maybe some coffee.  Check weather before dressing.
Drive to group run (or, have group run at my house like this morning!)
Run, talk, gossip, bitch, complain, cheer, huff, puff, laugh, smile, finish run up (most times my "long" run).
Pretend to stretch and say how easy it was.
Nevermind - sometimes stretch, bitch and complain about something that wasn't right on the run, even if it was good, or bad. ("I felt good, but, well, I coulda done better..")
Have coffee with group, or post run snack, or post run breakfast.  Or all three.
Sit for long awesome conversations with running friends.
Drive home happy.
Get on Facebook as soon as possible to post about your awesome morning, like all your other running friends' running statuses, congratulate and thank all those who held back with you on the run.

Repeat weekly :)

Should we talk about the weather?

The weather’s been getting me down this week.  So far this month, I have been luckily blessed with sun and little rain, just the heat, which I avoid by running excruciatingly early or late at night. 

This week’s been purely craptastic.  Tuesday night, I didn’t go to my usual run with the group since I signed up for my company’s Chase Corporate Challenge.  It was sunny, but super hot and the water splashed all over the pavement at the water stops along the way created geysers of sticky, sauna-like heat on top of the 80f+ temperatures.  The breeze was minimal at best. 

Wednesday morning, I was determined to do another 4:30er, so I set my alarm for 4:20.  Upon waking, I realized the semi-race from the night before left me a little tired, so I adjusted my alarm clock to allow for 25 minutes more of sleep.  10 minutes later, I saw lightening through our bedroom curtains, thankful that I listened to my intuition telling me to stay inside this morning.  It’s ok, I thought, I will just run during my lunch hour at work.  Sure enough, the rain and storms were still battling our area around the noontime hour, delaying my run once again.  As I boarded my bus home late that afternoon in the blazing sunshine, it appeared a pre-dinner run would be my only option – which I loathe because I get home late as it is, and am hungrier than a feral cat.  Still, I told myself only 3 miles.  Those 3 miles around the short block near my home were sticky, sweltering and painful.  I prayed for the rain, sans lightening, to make it’s showering return.

Thursday, another round of 4:30am storms.  Let’s try lunch again!  When I saw clouds, no rain, I was delighted.  My first few steps outside were a tad cooler than the past couple of days but I thought too soon – ½ way through my hilly run up to Thornden Park and back, the sun came out full force and it was actually cooler for me to run in, creating a breeze than to stand still.  Let’s just say I am glad my little cube area is far enough away from other coworkers, and also for freshening up wipes that cost a mere $2 at the Christmas Tree Shoppes.

Tomorrow’s plated forecast? Rain.  Lovely soaking 9 mile run (pancakes to follow!)

Being an outside runner forces me to make decisions every day on where I will run, for how long and what times during the day.  My husband watches the weather for farming purposes, mine are for running and determining if I need a pair of “travel shoes” that day so I don’t ruin my good work heels.  I have pretty much run in every weather element but there is really a small window of opportunity that I call my perfect running weather: anywhere between 32-60 degrees, no precipitation, somewhat overcast and clear roads.  The only time I don’t mind running in the rain is if it’s warm outside.  Forget ice, lightening (if it sneaks up unbeknownst) and anything below zero degrees.

Weather-wise, my most memorable runs that were, let’s just say, sucky were: 1.) The time I trail-ran in a hail and lightening storm (hail HURTS) and no part of me was dry.  2.) The time, this past winter, where I headed out in the snow –in the dark (probably 6:30pm) – where I could not see a thing in front of me except humongous snowflakes that were positively neon in the headlamp’s stream of light, and my footprints in the snow soon disappeared under yet more falling snow (I believe that run was only a couple miles, wonder why!) and 3.) A lasagna run back with ARE and Team Utopia in Albany where I was near 90F and I was very dehydrated – a long 7-9 mile loop, no water on hand, and someone offered me a Gu to help get my energy up.  90F, plus Gu, plus NO water = someone send the car to pick me up because I can’t finish this damn run. 

While I prefer cooler temperatures over warmer ones, my preference surprises me.  When I was a tennis player, my best matches were played in hot, dry heat.  The hotter it was out there, the better I played.  I assumed I would love running in the heat as well but the game is so different. I’d take a 20F run over a 90F one any day!

Without braving the elements, or working around them, I’d also be stuck in the gym, on a dreadmill – and that’s not a choice based on pure boredom and lack of inspiration.

So, tell me about your perfect running weather.  Do you prefer a nice wake-your-body-and-mind up cold? Or a sweltering heat?  What’s the craziest weather you’ve ever run in – and lived to tell about it?  Have you ever missed a lot of running due to a horrible weather week, or even month?

Will Run For Food too!

I am convinced if I ate everything I should, and gave my all to every single workout and run I did, I would be in the utmost condition.  Obviously.  Instead, I eat about 75% healthy and give my all to most workouts – at least the ones I don’t skip.  Take last night: It was the Corporate Challenge, a 3.5 mile race that is self timed and generally a work-team building event.  I ran pretty well, considering the asphalt temperature according to the Syracuse Post Standard was 100F! When I got done, our company’s tent had apples, watermelon, mini slider sandwiches (turkey and ham), bags of Baked Lays and a huge plate of cookies.  The coolers contained water and canned beer.  What I should have had was a bottle of water, a turkey sandwich slider (or two, they were small), and loaded up on fruit.  Instead, I had ¾ bottle of water, ¾ of a Labatt Blue Light, a turkey slider, piece of watermelon, about 5 of those Baked Lays “chips” and a huge white chocolate macadamia nut chunky cookie.  I took two cookies for the road, tempted to eat both on the way home but somehow I managed to muster enough willpower to not eat them and bestow them as a gift for my husband at home. 

I know – but I ran!  I burned all those calories!  I deserved it!  Sadly, I wish this were the case.  I truly only burned about 300 or so calories, probably ½ of those or more were contained in that one cookie.  And while I am not trying to lose a bunch of weight – just the belly fat hiding that 6 pack I KNOW is under there – somewhere!  (where are you??), I am still aware that eating crap on a regular basis isn’t going to help my endurance and speed.

What’s a gal to do?  I love food, good quality food.  I eat chocolate every single day, even if it’s just a Hershey kiss (or 5).  I drink on the weekends  I spent way too many years eating diet food or things I really didn’t want to eat just to be/stay thin and was pretty damn unhappy.  I love eating healthy, natural foods, even if they aren’t “fat free” or even healthy by healthy standards.  For example, a homemade brownie to me is OK because I know every ingredient in there as opposed to a box mix or something bought prepackaged in plastic wrap.  It’s probably why I love baking.  It tastes and makes me feel better overall.  Heck, I still lick the beaters clean like a 6 year old. 

The best part is I love knowing that I am not the only runner with a similar attitude on food.  We all want to be nutrionally sound in our choices, but tempt us with a cold lager and a cheeseburger, and most of us are running towards the charcoal grills!  I still remember my first real group runs with ARE, complete with post run cookouts.  I fully expected these cookouts to be more of a salad buffet; I was delighted to see not only salad and fruit, but cakes, burgers and other treats that people like us supposedly didn’t eat.

For us, it’s more than the attitude of merely burning off our calories.  As runners, we really enjoy life – and use running as a way to straighten out the conflicts in our lives.  Enjoying life means time with friends, family, great food and places.  Sure, we make smart, healthy choices all the time but we aren’t defined by those choices.  It’s a full circle of well being. 

I recently posted on my Facebook page and on the LE message board about hosting a pancake run. Some of my runners seemed interested and thought it was a good idea.  Something about pancakes and long runs that go together like spaghetti and meatballs (oh yum!).  I’ve seen many writers talk, write and plan running about pancakes.  One friend on my FB page commented that pancakes and running don’t seem to go together, probably because she assumed the above: you’re just eating your calories and hard work back!  Or, how can someone run on a belly full of pancakes?!  (Of course these are post-run griddles).

To her, I would say post-run pancakes are a great running tradition, like Sunday brunch, only it starts with a 12 mile warm up “around the block" J

As my friend Todd said, running is not always about the PR.  Do I want to get faster, better?  Yes, so I maybe I'll eat one less pancake!  I know if I only ate the healthy stuff every single waking moment, I might be a better runner, but I’d be a more miserable one that’s for sure. 

Morning People

By 10am this morning, I had eaten breakfast, driven 40 minutes to the sleepy village of Marcellus, run 8 miles, and spent a great post-run coffee and snack with friends and running "colleagues".

No, I'm not bragging.  Ok, maybe I am, but only over the irony that is my life now.  Waking up early.  Getting sh*t done.

If you asked me years ago if I would willingly wake up before 6am on any given day, let alone a Saturday morning, my answer would have been "Only if I have a plane to catch."

Now, I get up early not only for work during the week (that "long commute" excuse"), but also for my long run on the weekend.  This is mainly because the Lake Effect Run Club starts early, and I live the furthest away from their home base - must budget for travel time.  In the summer, I prefer to get it out of the way early as well before the heat becomes too much.  Even so, during those forcasted 90F days during the week, I will find myself setting the alarm at 4:20, to be out by 4:30am and get in my 3 miles before the sun is even up.

Here's the thing:  I'm not really a morning person.  It's generally not a good idea to talk to me until I've had my coffee, breakfast, a shower and a great outfit on.  Showing up at an early morning run during the warmer months with only some cereal in my stomach, a hat that makes me look funny and not always "so flattering" running gear is a recipe for social running disaster.

While I will groan and moan on that first mile or so of my run, soon enough I find myself awake and glad that I wake so early to get my run in.  My favorite thing to see on these runs are other "real" morning people up in and around their neighborhoods.  Almost everyone bids us Good Morning, or the other way around first, and there is always smile, sometimes and casual wave.  It's refreshing, yet so simple.  Most are gardening, getting the newspaper from the box, or walking their pets.  Some people are other runners, or cyclers.  Most everyone is in a "new start" mood and it catches on, even as my quads quake up the hills.

The other great aspect of running early is it sets your whole day right.  For one thing, once you're done with your run, you don't have to do it for the rest of the day!  It's like taking that huge test in high school, first period: you mind is fresh, anxiety lower than it would be during, say, the last period of the day.  Once it's over, the rest of your day is clear of testing fear.  Running is the same way.  I love knowing I can have the rest of the day to shop for shoes and go to the bar that with my husband night as a reward. Thank God I don't have kids! - sorry moms and dads.  The other thing about early morning running is I feel good the rest of the day.  Somedays I'm more sore than others, if I worked particularly hard, but for the most part, it's a great way to wake my body and mind.  It is so tempting to smack my alarm to snooze at 4:20am on a Wednesday morning, but once I drag myself out of bed and finish that 30 minutes of running, I feel alert the rest of the day.  You may have read that morning exercise wakes us up and while I can't attest to every exercise doing this, running does.

So: Give me an early morning run any day - but please have the coffee fresh and hot when I'm done please!  Running rocks, but it can't replace the coffee bean.

Five Things I hate About Running

Sorry.  I'm not trying to be all negative about running.  But I know there are some non-runners who read my blog and probably worry I've lost my mind and become a little obsessed over running (I'm talking to you, dear sister!).  Most of that is true, but to say I love running, everything about running and love it all the time would be a complete farse.

Here's what I don't quite love about running:

1.  Running is hard.  Still.  I don't struggle to complete a mile like I used to but I have to admit - those first few jogs, the first steps right off the bat of any run are hard.  Knowing all the miles, even if "just 3", that lie ahead of me weigh my legs down and I drag for a good 1-2 tenths of a mile.  After about mile 1, I feel fully warmed up under normal circumstances and then it all goes from there.  The fact that running is hard keeps many from doing it and the hardness always challenges me, which is perfect. But running is not something that comes natural to me.  It never will.  It sucks, but in the end, it makes it more rewarding.  Wait, this is all supposed to be negative stuff about running!

2.  Running makes me ravenously hungry.  I still remember the good ol' days of training for my first half marathon.  I was upping my miles every weekend beyond any distance I had run before - and burning off every guilty cookie eaten that past week.  I loved it.  I got hungry, I ate, and still look svelte in my clothes.  The thing is, when you trail off on your miles, your hunger does not follow suit.  And when you up the miles, the hunger roars back even more, despite what you're burning off!  Many people think runners can eat whatever they want - I only wish.  When my stomach quakes at 8am after already having a 2 eggs, 2 toast and coffee style breakfast, I'm screwed.

3.  Running makes you face all the elements - or a treadmill.  If you're going to commit to running seriously and train for races, you will run in the following whether you want to or not: burning sun, clouds, fog, rain, snow, hail (been there), thunderstorms, ice, wind storms, heat at 90F+, cold at -4F, traffic, other runners, other cyclists, bugs flying in your mouth and eyes, wild animals crossing the road, wild animals dead on the road, and a mixture of any or all of the above.  Should you want to avoid any of these elements, you're stuck running on a dreadmill treadmill. 'Nuff said.

4.  Missing just a week or two of running can undo weeks of all you've built up.  After my honeymoon in November this past year, I took my first "long run".  I got about 4 miles done and was dead.  I blamed it on too many pina coladas on the beach.  Weeks later, I was still a the 4 mile long run.  Where did my 7-8 milers go?  How frustrating!  Heck, even the weekend before my wedding I found the time to put a 6 miler in, cutting it short to attend to other serious issues like centerpieces and seating charts.  This is another reason why runners dread the injuries - the thought of not running for the healing period is bad enough; starting at square one after the healing process is downright depressing.

5.  Running is very time consuming, personally for me.  This might not hold true for everyone.  Some people just run 2-3 miles a couple times a week and it works great for them.  Me, on the other hand, blindly signed up for the marathon and now that I'm $80 in the hole, I'm forced to put aside hours a week to devote to running.  With a long work day and commute, I am gone 12 hours a day, which forces me to be creative with my weekly running.  I either have to set my alarm for 4:20, to be out the door by 4:30 to do my 3 miles.  Or, I have to bring my running clothes to work and spend my lunch hour running.  Or, I need to meet people in the city I work in, Syracuse, after work to run - and get home some nights at 8pm. Or, wait to run when I get home, hungry for dinner and energy drained from the day.  Weekend runs are fine since I usually have all the time in the world, if I start early enough that is.  When the miles really add up, I will be spending hours on a weekend morning running.  Just writing this is exhausting. 

So why do I put myself through the torture?  I love the pain!  Not really, well, maybe that is part of it.  I think you hvae to just do it to know; even I can't put it in words.

Question time! What do you hate about running?  What is your biggest excuse not to run, or skip a run?  Non-runners, do you think I'm still a basket case?

It's a girl!

I almost purchased a black running skirt the other day.  It was in Marshalls, so price wasn’t an issue ($14.99 I believe) but I ended up not getting it.  For one thing, I tried it on in the fitting room, simulated running in the enclosed square area by doing a “jog in place” and already, it was annoying me.  I could feel the hem bouncing against my thighs; loose clothing for the most part bothers me because I can feel it which is why I gravitate towards more fitted options.  So I left the skirt with the fitting room clerk and purchased a pair of shorts and bra top instead.

The greater issue at hand: I have a real problem with women’s running gear, which is strange because I love fashion and shoes just as much as the local “Carrie Bradshaw”.  I love dressing as a woman when I’m not running, but there is something too apologetic about women’s workout fashion.

For example: the running skirt.  Yes, I willingly picked it up off the rack, and yes, I even wore skirts –gleefully- in my tennis playing days from ago.  Something about the traditions and properness of tennis that allows me to feel ok wearing a skirt and I didn’t really question it.  Running is a different game, or should I say, running has changed me (understatement of the year!).  It feels grittier than a rally on the court, albeit tennis has its own challenging moves that running can’t compare.  A skirt doesn't fit with the running game in my opinion.

Clothing marketers that are trying to lure women into sports, which is a great thing, but it this the right way to go about it?  Do I need a skirt to run in? Or better yet, do I need to wear everything pink? (confession: Yes, I own a pink shirt or two!).  Or, how about those shirts that say "I run like a girl"?  Because I am a woman, and an athletic woman, must I wear coloring and clothing that screams “I am a woman!  I am athletic!  See?  You didn’t think I could do it!  You didn’t think I could keep up with the boys! But I can!  Because I’m wearing pink! THE one and only color for women everywhere!”  Each time I see a pink anything in the women’s section of Dicks or Under Armor I feel they are telling me it’s OK to be an athletic woman because they make clothes in my colors, and in “lady” shapes.  

Since when did I need permission in the first place? 

This all resembles how we dress our babies when they are indistinguishable from being a girl or boy.  Girls can wear pink and yellow.  Boys get to wear every other color, except pink of course.  As grown athletes, must we do the same?  Can I be a working-out lady and not wear pink? 

The message is yes, of course.   And, because when asked if I have a favorite color and say that I truly don’t, I wear all colors – pink, blue, safety neon yellow, black, whatever.  But only because I want to, not to validate being a running woman.  When I first started running, I wore dark colored mens Fruit of the Loom tank undershirts, mostly becuase they were cheap and I didn't have the issue wrestling with the tank's straps falling down.  Other than their slightly scratching cotton nature, it didn't make me any more or less a runner, or female for that matter.

Question time: Ladies, how do you feel about women's running clothing?  Has it opened the doors for you to be more fit because you feel more welcome?  Have you never thought about it?  Guys: Do you take a woman less seriously if you see her running in a skirt and pink shirt?  Are you too distracted oogling her long legs to notice? (don’t answer that).  

Coffee, Chocolate Milk and Beer

The runners I know love all of the above, or at least one of these beverages.  They all seem to play an integral part in our training regimens surprisingly.  The more I hang around other athletes, the more I learn about why each drink sets them on the path to success.

Coffee

As most Americans, I rarely leave my house without a piping hot cup of joe, either already drank or in a carry-with container.  My muscles, brain and attitude will not properly function without it, particularly on early work mornings.  Knowing the diuretic properties of coffee, in the past I would never drink it before a run though.  It was just water, and maybe some Gatorade mixed in pre-workout to be on the safe side.  Dehydration is the last thing I need before a 10 miler.

Then, winter came.  I ran the winter before this one, but not too often and somehow, I got through the early morning weekend runs without coffee.  The run itself would do its job of waking me up, the endorphins leading me to a content state of mind.  This past winter, however, was more brutal – snow (tons of it) early one, cold temperatures and a slow spring.  I decided one morning within the 5am hour to take a cup because it seemed like a struggle to get out of bed PERIOD.  To my pleasant surprise, not only did I feel my normal awake as I arrived for the run, but I believe it helped me through, accident free!  Call it caffeine or routine, or needing something to warm me up initially, but it worked.  Now that warmer temps are here, and the sun rises along with me, not after, I don’t feel the need for coffee pre-run– but I sure as hell drink it after.

I was delighted when other runners shared the same sentiments about their daily grinds and the need for coffee before a run.  I even know someone who drinks a whole pot of coffee every single morning, running or not – which is extreme to me, but hey, don’t mess with what works, and what doesn’t. 

Chocolate Milk

On one of my first training runs with ARE, followed by a cookout that was a mixture of healthy, hearty and downright dangerous, I saw a ½ gallon of chocolate milk, resting in its condensation sweat right next to the bottles of water and Gatorade on the food table.  This was odd to me for so many reasons.  For one, I didn’t ever drink much milk as a kid, except in cereal and it was always white milk.  Two, the last time I saw chocolate milk outside of the grocery store in a social setting I was probably that cereal-eating kid, surrounded by other kids – not grown ups!  Then, my friend saw the jug and exclaimed “Oh good, someone brought chocolate milk.  I love chocolate milk!”  What are you, five?  I joked.  I don’t remember if she laughed at my sentiment or what she said at all, but I do remember her downing a small cup after the run.  I didn’t question it, and went for the plain old water instead.

Sure enough, chocolate milk has recently made a comeback into my running observations.  This time, I’ve paid more attention, asking why the chocolate milk? I am told the milk has all the protein to help repair muscles, thus helping to build them and the chocolate gives you the sugar to replenish glygogen, which is lost through running.  Huh, sounds like science.  I have yet to try this, weary of taking in more sugar than I already do in a given day (hello dark chocolate Hershey kisses!) but, if I do after one of my long training runs this summer, I will be honored to report back.

Beer

There’s a country song about being “pretty good at drinkin’ beer”.  Ironic; I feel I am pretty good at drinking beer, but just OK at running.  Perhaps, therein lies the reason. 

Contradicting, however, are the wise runners surrounding me claim that beer is also another good running beverage.  They describe beer consumption with the most beloved running term of all – carb loading!  In all seriousness, I know people who drink a good quality pint the night before a race and run great the next day - it's their secret.  It even happened to me onetime – not that I ran my best race the morning after, but I put in a good quality run after knocking back one or two the prior evening.  Other times, however, I wake up just feeling sluggish, even when not “over doing it”, so personally, I try to be very careful with the hops.  Easier said than done.

Now, maybe someday I should try a good long run incorporating all these elements: beer the night before, coffee the next morning, chocolate milk to follow.  Blech - Sounds nauseating if you ask me. 

Marathon - Goals

I’ve been asked what my goals are for my first marathon this October.  Well, I have plenty, and not all of them have to do with running, or are realistic or attainable.  Fun, yes?!

So, in no particular order, my marathon goals are:

1.     To simply finish the damn thing.  Time wise?  Less than 5 hours would be great, but I’m not putting pressure on myself for the inaugural ‘thon.

2.     Have that abdominal six pack show through.  I know it’s under there somewhere!  (see unattainable, above)

3.     Being able slap a 26.2 oval on my car when the whole thing is done.

4.     Not get any major injuries (like any runner does)?  Should something go awry, I hope it’s nothing serious and that it doesn’t sideline me. And if it does?  I hope I don’t get too depressed over it.  No guarantees

5.     Not to alienate my non-running family and friends too badly, seeing as I will be doing nothing eating, sleeping, breathing running until probably Christmas (I hear post-recovery is a process too!).  They already think I need mental help as it is.

6.     To have that cute white linen dress from last summer start to fit again, say, around late July/August?

7.     Hell, to have ALL my clothes fit better, all while eating and drinking whatever I please (see unrealistic, above).  I should note I am repeating my handful-grab of animal crackers out of the gallon sized storage back in my desk as I write this, in hopes of “burning it off” on tomorrow’s long run.

8.     To have a good run that day.  It sounds so simple but I would die, maybe even literally, if I was just having a bad running day.  I know it will probably come during the race, but I don’t want to start out feeling crappy and certainly don’t want this to be any more painful than it inevitably will be.

If you are running your first marathon this year, what are your goals? How about the seasoned vets out there? 

All you need is a pair of sneakers, annnd...

I forgot to bring wiht me a few essentials for my post-work run yesterday.  1.  A hair tie and 2. My Garmin watch.  Problem #1 was solved when my coworker graciously gave me her hairband to encase my locks in a “runners ponytail”.  The latter was more of an issue as I was not about to stop by Fleet Feet on the way and purchase a $300 freakin watch just because I can’t get my act together in the mornings before work and remember all the things I NEED for a run away from home.  It’s silly how two tiny things made me lose it for about 5 minutes – but how would I keep my pace, distance and hair from being sweat-glued to my face??

 

Here’s a rundown of what my running essentials are:

Every Run:

Running cap.  Ponytail holder, through hole in cap.  I never run without a full hat.

Sports bra (On other occasions, I have forgotten my sports bra and had to deal with running in a regular underwire – yuck!)

Garmin for recording pace, distance, and looking awesome.

Saucony sneakers; ProGrid Rides for road running, the trail ones (name?) for technical trails and snow.

Low cut socks, blend of cotton and polyesters.  NOT the no shows, they fall down in my sneakers and irritate the heck out of me.

Keys to car or house, in my wrist pouch or media pocket if provided in the clothing.

*Clothing! (detailed below)

For COLD runs (20F and below)

Long lined pants, matching black lined slip-over coat with arms long enough to cover knuckles; it also has a "thumb" hole which, honestly, I am not sure what it does, but it feels neat.

1-2 layers underneath, tech wicking shirts.

Special fleece hat with ear caps.

“robbers mask” – this is only for 10F and below when your nostrils freeze shut!

Fleece gloves.

Temps 30-45F

Long sleeve tech.

Leggings of some sort.
Fleece gloves, usually shed somewhere in the first couple miles.

50-60F

Capri leggings

Short or long sleeve tech

60-75F

Tank top

Shorts

75-85F+

Sport bra

Shorts

Spare tire (a/k/a belly jiggle)

90F+

Stay the hell home.  Get up at the insane hour of 4:30 am and do run when it’s only 60F and the sun is not up yet, but somewhat light enough to see.  (Should it happen to be 90F+ during raceday, I will accept defeat and go sloooowww)

Night:

Headlamp, reflective vest.

Long runs:

Water belt, two bottles each filled with half water, half grape low-cal Gatorade.  Not orange!

Gu or shot bloks, if over 10 miles.

Races:

I try to wear either my Albany Running Exchange (ARE) or Lake Effect Run Club (LE) shirts for some free advertising, but again, dependent on the weather and race..

Bib (duh)

Timing chip, wherever that may be?  Shoe, bib, if applicable.

There: now that we’ve established I have a LOT of stuff to remember when packing for a run –and true to form, I bet I forgot something in this list!.  Tell me, what are your running essentials?  What can you possibly not leave the house without, and when you do, feel lost and consider not running at all because of it?

*I must admit I’ve come a long way (pun?) with my running fashion.  When I first started running, I purchased a pack of colored men’s “wifebeater” tanks - $8 for four, paired it with whatever workout shorts I had leftover from college.  Now I’m a tech fabric snob.

Runnin' Solo

There are some runs where I am alone.  Others, I am in the company of great friends.  The latter of these runs are easier to accomplish because I love the camaraderie among all of us.  We talk between our breaths of air, complain about the hills, plan out our next races, thinking aloud about what’s for dinner that night.  It’s just like sitting at the bar with your posse, except your burning the calories off as opposed to putting them on.  Bonus!

However, there are the dreaded alone runs – those boring, quiet, long slow runs that seem to never end.  Most of the time for me, these are my short runs during the week (3-4 miles) and I am fine being by myself for just that half hour.  This weekend, I had to face my long run with just me, and in all places, farm country.  Instead of short 4-house long blocks in the city that I could seemingly breeze past, this time I could see literally a mile ahead of me, making the distance even more drawn out as I trotted past hay fields and cows looking at me like I’m some crazy person.  If you think non-runners give you the judgmental looks as they pass you, try getting the same from a cow whose sole purpose is to hang out in a field, yield milk, beef and leather for expensive purses (sorry PETA).  It’s amusing.

Knowing I had my 6-7 miles ALONE this weekend, I mentally prepared for it.  I told myself to go out, run wherever the road took me, go slow and remind myself I wasn’t in a race.  This was a training run, no need to go fast, no need show off and try to keep the sweat at bay.  It was me, the road, the cows and cloudy sky.  As long as I didn’t tell myself to stop or turn back at mile 2 – and how tempting that is on a long, lonely run.  I could do this.

I set out in the muggy but cool air, wearing my running belt and Lake Effect Run Club shirt, therefore the group was there with me in spirit.  I ran the slow first mile to Greg’s farm, stopped to say hi as he was repairing yet another broken piece of farm equipment.  He told the miles doesn’t count if I stop.  Thanks honey.  Like you know!

Back on my merry way, about a mile in, I hung a left at the end of our farm’s road and decided to run far as I felt like it, knowing there would be a side road to cut over and make a loop back home.  Maybe it was the mental preparation I spoke to earlier, or the hidden slow decline (gotta love those!), but it felt great to be out there alone and for once, I was content with it. It was quiet, very quiet, even at a later-than-usual 11am hour.  There was no music.  No facebook in the palm of my hand.  No TV, and people wise?  Other than having a few cyclists pass me with a “good morning”, there was no one around to say anything, encouraging or otherwise. 

Think about it: how often does that happen?  We all say we would love some peace and quiet from the kids, the spouse, from work - but when we do get even those 10 minutes, we always end up engaged in something else pretending that it is solitude, whether it is the TV, or internet.  Even reading a book, you are lost in another world, distracting from yourself.   It’s perfectly welcome to unwind with this way, but I would argue solo running is on another planet.  Forget about pace and mileage, it’s the only true time I personally get back to basics – earth, mind, body.

Now that we’re all feeling zen, I should mention that, oddly enough, thinking all this while running helped me go further in my run itself.  My strides felt just right – not too long and not too short, and before I knew it, I was at a part in the road where I could see the lake over the green valley.  My house is situated a good 6-8 miles each way between two finger lakes so to find that cut-over road was overlooking the lake from afar was majestic.  I ran the next mile and half, continually glancing over my right shoulder to view the great Cayuga Lake. 

The next turn back to my house was an expected gradual uphill, and my quads started bitching, but it didn’t matter (it’s a training run!)  Next, a light rain shower fell upon me,  but one must deal with the elements when you’re 3 miles on foot from home.  I started to forget the rural landscape around me and went into pep-talk mode to get me home up the incline.  Just get home! 

When I eventually arrived at the final destination 9.6 miles later, I felt nicely exhausted, damp from the rain and sweat, but calm.  I had survived my first solo long run in months and did a ton of thinking.  Scary, to hear your own voice and nothing else for 91 minutes, but where else would I think of blog post ideas?  Or day dream about lands far away?  Salivate at the thoughts of a French-pressed coffee as a post run-post-shower treat?  Everything is much clearer on a run, and as the t-shirts say, it’s way cheaper than therapy.

Obligatory first posting/introduction!

As you see, the title of this blog is “will run for shoes”.  It’s absolutely true (we’re not just talking my favorite Saucony ProGrid Rides either – though I will run a LOT more even, if they bring back the first edition of these babies!).  I will also run for wine, beer and tons of yummy food but not to sound like an alcoholic or food junkie as well, you get this title.  Also, blogspot has a ton of other catchy running titles already taken and, if you know me, this seems most appropriate.

So, what about me?  I’ve been running semi-seriously for 3 years now.  I love fashion (hence the shoes..).  I love that running and fashion go so well together.  The more I run, the better I look in skinny jeans, and the better I think I look in running shorts.  I, along with my husband, love that all those early weekend hours spent logging extra mileage, and recuperating after, has saved me money simply because I am not shopping.

In my past life (college and before), I was a writer.  I mainly wrote poetry and other (pitiful) tales and have since left that behind.  I still write tons, for work and a few dabbles on facebook “notes” but nothing I consider writing as I know it.  The urge hasn’t struck in a long time, and the former poetry awards I won seem to sit in a corner and collect dust from the past century.  It wasn’t until a friend of mine, a writer himself, a few months ago asked if I still wrote.  When I frankly told him my bachelor’s thesis in poetry zapped all creativity and flow from my writing and that I haven’t since touched the pen to paper (I’m old fashioned), he encouraged me to just write something. 

Truth is, I left my writing outlet and gained a new one – running.  I always attempted to be one of “those runners” but failed every single time.  A lap around the tennis courts (the sport I used to play), was enough to leave me panting for days.  It wasn’t until after the summer of 2008 when I had a breast reduction that the possibilities became more real, physically.  With less weight on my chest, I gave it a serious try.  After a few months of upping my treadmill running time from 10 minutes to nearly an hour, I joined a running group with my friend Laura – the Albany Running Exchange.  I became an official member in April 2009 and by that October, I had run my first half marathon.

Fast forward to now – I live in Central NY, in the Fingerlakes, with my terrific husband, Greg and our freshly built log cabin in the woods.  I am officially training for my first marathon, much with the help of my new running group, the Lake Effect Run Club.  Many of them are triathletes as well.  As for swimming and biking?  They can have it.  I’ll spend the rest of my time at the outlets.

So, welcome, to my blog, to as I attempt to marry my old writer self with the new one – the runner and, as always, the fashionista.