Beating the "Long Run Hobble"

Runs continue to get longer as I rapidly approach the date of my first full marathon (October 30 = TOO SOON) and my body is still adapting.  The journey over the past few months, with half marathons throughout and an increased training regimen, has threatened even my well-seasoned athletic legs with some of the worst soreness I've ever experienced, and I've had to learn to recover better and more intelligently along the way.  Compression sleeves, smarter hydration, and increased stretching have all helped keep my legs moving at a decent clip, but one of the biggest changes I've made has been paying more attention to my footwear.  Of course most runners know to have their running shoes fitted properly and many of us use custom orthotic inserts for the best possible running configuration, but how many of us pay attention to what we wear after we run?  I definitely didn't - until I heard about a company called Telic and their amazing recovery flip flops.

Too many times after a run, I just throw on my cheap crappy flip flops or whatever other unsupportive everyday shoe is within arm's reach and can handle my foot sweat (TMI? sorry).  Inevitably, the next day I would barely be able to walk, hobbling up the stairs and down the hall into my running company office to the usual good-natured but still brutally honest teasing.  Seriously, there were days when I looked exactly like this after a race:

Telic flip flops help alleviate that post-run stiffness by redistributing the weight on your feet when you walk.  Instead of putting a lot of pressure on one or two points (like the ball of your foot or your heel), the weight is more even and your muscles are able to relax, while also enjoying a very cushioned sole that reduces impact stress.  Plus, the heat-activated material conforms to the shape of your foot, and the textured soles give you a hint of massage to boot!  Or to flip flop, I suppose...  Either way, my soreness and awkward limping have been almost completely erased since I've started wearing them more consistently, leaving me feeling a little more like this:

Quick warning, though!  I started taking my Telics with me to races, so I could put them on immediately post-run.  Turns out, in the summer, this is a BIG MISTAKE!  That "heat activated" material I mentioned?  Well, it reacts to extreme heat too, like the summer weather we've been having.  My first pair SHRUNK in my car while I was running!  Telic was awesome and sent me a replacement pair, but please be careful about where you leave your flip flops, because they really do get ruined if they're left in the heat.

Paying more attention to my feet post-run is changing my ability to keep moving, which allows me to stick more closely to a training schedule.  Gone are the days when I can use the "but I can barely walk" excuse to get out of a scheduled run, and honestly, the extra training has helped me make huge gains in endurance and strength.  When you're taking proper care of your body, from head to toe, your body becomes more and more capable of amazing things!  So throw out those thin dollar store flip flops and recover properly - I promise, your feet (and legs and hips) will love you for it!

Have you tried recovery footwear yet?  What other products or techniques do you use to relieve soreness, recover faster, and keep your body healthy?  What's the wrost "whoops" moment you've had with a good piece of gear that you accidentally ruined?

Fall Race Calendar

This week's Tuesdays on the Run is taking a look at fall race calendars, and as I'm finalizing my own, it's a perfect time to talk about some of the races I have coming up, as well as some of the races I wanted to do this year but have had to postpone.

Anyone who's been reading my blog at any point in the past five or six months probably knows by now that I will be running my first full marathon at the end of October when I take on the Marine Corps Marathon.  This honestly may be a one-and-done marathon experience, but I can't imagine a better race for what might be my only 26.2 experience.  Of course, I said after my first half marathon that I probably wouldn't do it again, and that has not proved to be true at all, so it could go either way with this full marathon thing...  Today does mark the 60-day countdown, and as I just recently runfessed, I'm starting to get nervous.  Thankfully, I have a few other things on my calendar to keep me occupied and training over the next two months.

Coming up this Saturday, I'll actually be completing a different 2016 running goal: six half marathons in six months!  The Boy Scout Half Marathon in Bowling Green, Ohio, has the potential to not only earn me an extra moon over in the Half Fanatic charts, but also to be a new PR at the distance.  My recent training runs have finished with pacing faster than what I need for a PR, and I haven't really been "trying" to run that fast.  Saturday's course is being advertised as having "minimal elevation changes."  If that's true, and the day's conditions are decent (ie, NO 95% humidity, eh), I have a very good chance of shaving some time off the old PR.  My training run the other night had me completing 14 miles and taking only five minutes longer than my current half PR, so technically I alread PRed, but we'll wait until it's really "official" before I celebrate!

In October, I'll be on my beloved Towpath once again for Towpath Marathon weekend.  Obviously I'm not doing the full marathon for that one; as much as I love the trail and the people who put those races together, it's not really the pomp and excitement I'd like to have in my memory for my first-possibly-only marathon.  I will, however, be doing yet another half marathon on the trail, continuing my half streak to seven-in-seven.  And why stop there?  I'm about to add the Black Toenail Friday half in Michigan to my calendar for November, and am already registered for the Cedar Point Santa Hustle half in December!  If I can manage to keep it up, the early 2017 goal is to complete a full 12 months of half marathons by running one in January, February, and March.  Taking recommendations - ready go!

Originally, I had wanted to run the River Run half in September, which is the longest race owned by Hermes (my company).  Since we own it, though, it's all-hands-on-deck on race day, and I'll actually be working all day instead!  I also had my eyes on the Las Vegas Rock and Roll half (or possibly full, trying to become a Double Agent) but the travel and the proximity to my uncertain success at the MCM were prohibitive and I decided not to sign up.  I was also hoping to find a way to get to Tulsa OK for the Route 66 half, but once again the cost of travel and the awkward timing in November made me opt out for this year.  All three races are still on my wishlist, and I'm sure I'll somehow find a way to make them all happen, but for this year, I'm satisfied with my schedule and excited to add some new bling to my collection!

What are your running plans this fall?  What are some of the races on your wishlist?  What should I run in 2017 (and how can I make travel/costs more efficient - ie, can you hook me up)?  Don't forget to check out the host, Marcia's Healthy Slice, for the rest of the Tuesdays on the Run linkup!

August Runfession

This month, I started sticking to an actual training schedule and getting more mentally prepared for this whole "I'm running a marathon in two months" thing that's been looming over my head - and with the increased preparations, I have discovered some things I should probably runfess this month!  So here goes, my Friday Five Runfessions for my first true marathon training month...

Hosted by Marcia's Healthy Slice

I runfess that I am atrocious at keeping up with laundry.  Just terrible.  And it's worse when I'm running and cross training more frequently, because I only have a limited amount of "preferred" workout clothes, so the smelly pile gets to a certain point before I'm diving back in to find the GOOD pair of shorts to wear for my long run.  Wanna hear something really gross?  I wore shorts the other day that were still soaked from sweat (not rain, just sweat) from the race I'd run a week prior.  The shorts had been in a plastic bag in my backseat marinating for days, but they were the "good ones" and I needed them for the long run, so I held my breath and pulled them on.  It was bad.  I should be embarrassed, but they're the good shorts and this is a runfession, so...  Yeah.

I runfess that I hate morning runs - but I love them at the same time.  I'm writing this fresh off my second day in a row of waking up a little earlier and getting in a few miles before work, and I just can't see myself learning to make a habit of it.  My life has been plagued with insomnia and difficulty falling asleep even when I'm exhausted, so when I finally DO fall asleep, I want to cling to every last second of it.  Getting up to run (which then means showering and probably having wet hair all day) is completely unappealing.  But then, when I actually wake up and run, the rest of my day feels so good!  I'm more alert, feel better about myself, and more relaxed because I'm not worrying about fitting my run in after work when I want to do other things.  Supposedly, there's a way to "train" your body to be a morning person.  We'll see how that goes once I have my own place and can dictate my morning routine without bumping into my parents the whole time.  (Yup, that's just an excuse to not start right away.  Pass me my pillow, please.)

I runfess that I am starting to actually like hill training!  It's surprising me to say this, but after a few weeks of tackling a particularly nasty big hill in the local Metropark, I think I'm enjoying the challenge of running up that beast.  Seeing results in my split times at my usual RPE helps me look at the elevation work in a more positive light.  Sure, it's awful to be pushing step by step up the steepest grade incline within 20 miles of home, but when you get to the top (and especially when you get to go back to the bottom), it's soooooo worth it!

I runfess that I am pushing through some little muscle and joint niggles that I probably shouldn't be.  My mileage is increasing, and I'm noticing a couple of consistent points of pain or strain that could end up causing problems.  But I'm also finally "on a roll" with training, and feeling good overall, so rather than cutting back, I am instead trying to improve my recovery game even more.  I've also switched my running strategy for the long runs, and have made friends with that old running adage "go slower to go faster."  By incorporating a run-walk strategy into my training, I'm already seeing a reduction in muscle strain.  With my six-in-six half marathon goal almost complete, and the Marine Corps Marathon shortly after my sixth half, there just isn't time to go backwards, but hopefully I am making the right adjustments to keep me healthy.

And finally...  I runfess that I'm a little scared about this marathon thing.  I don't like admitting that I'm scared, but with only two months to go before I attempt 26.2, the nerves are twitching and I'm getting apprehensive.  Seeing big numbers on my training calendar is scary too - this weekend's 14 miler will actually be my longest run ever, and they only get longer over the next few weeks.  Fortunately I have a running buddy who will join me for at least one of those super long monstrosities, and I've been feeling pretty good with most of my training lately, but it's still all so new and intimidating.  Trying to put my doubts aside and focus instead of appreciating just how much I really AM capable of doing, and hopefully that'll carry me through.

What do you have to runfess this month?  Any tricks for staying on top of laundry a little better?  How about assurances that running a marathon will NOT actually kill me?  And don't forget to check out everyone else's Runfessions and Friday Fives - click the icons to visit the linkup home pages!

Hosted by the DC Trifecta!

Running by RPE

On Sunday, I went for an 11 mile long run (the longest training run I've ever done), and I remember at one point thinking to myself "wow, this running thing isn't really getting any easier!"  Not sure what it was exactly that put such thoughts in my head, but after weeks of the most consistent training I've ever done, that's truly the way I feel when I'm running.  Then I checked my splits, and found I was running way faster than I had set out to, and I was actually running half marathon PR splits - and while it certainly wasn't feeling any easier, I realized it wasn't feeling any more difficult either.  My run felt the same as any other run, but I had spent the whole time moving faster.

There's a term for the way I run: it's called RPE, or "rate of perceived exertion", and it's an actual measurement device used by exercise and medical professionals alike to determine how hard an individual is working.  Simply put, it's how hard you feel like you are working, and can be broken down into a 1 to 10 scale as follows:

When I'm running, I'm almost always at an RPE of about 5 or 6.  At the end of a race, or even for a larger portion of some 5ks at this point, I might push anywhere into the 7 to 10 range to "empty the tank" (or whatever is left), but I almost never try to sustain a pace that feels excessively uncomfortable.  This means that every training run feels the same to me, but as my body adapts to the mileage and builds endurance, I find myself moving faster at the same level of exertion.

Running does get easier.  The problem comes when you take the easier (ie, slower) splits and stop trying to improve.  Sure, I could run 12 minute miles again and rate my runs at an RPE of 2, but running longer distances at a pace that constantly gets faster even when I add mileage is proving that my efforts are paying off.  Adding things like hill training only speeds the process, as after climbing a massive hill, any flat run goes a lot faster for the same amount of perceived effort!

The sweet, sweet view from the top of that hill.

I know there are many people who run by pace; or, more specifically, run intervals or even whole runs at their goal race pace, to slowly adapt their body to running at that faster speed.  Someday, I might try this, but until I have a much, much better base built up and feel comfortable running long distances on a regular basis, the plan is to stick with using RPE to gauge my running pace and to watch my average pace continue to drop!  When that plateaus, we'll talk about how I plan to mix it up to restart my gains...

How do you rate runs, track progress, or plan your training?  Are you familiar with RPE?  Do you use it to gauge your workouts, whether it's running, strength training, or any other exercise?

Weird PRs

My race history page continues to fill, and I keep updating my PRs at various distances.  It's crossed my mind a couple times that I have some really weird PRs - and I was reminded of this again tonight while running and thinking about a joking text I wanted to send to a couple of my fellow race managers.  We have an upcoming event that is a 4.75 mile course (and that's how they advertize it, not a five miler that they're making short), so the office conversation today was all about why races pick off-distances, and whether people actually train for something like a 4.75 miler with a goal in mind.  At the end of the day, if only one race in the country does a 4.75 mile course (or maybe a handful, though I've never heard of another), does your time really count as a PR?

NOT my PR chart.  Nor are they my delightfully rainbow medals.

There's an ongoing "joke" in the running community that anyone running their first race at a particular distance gets an instant PR.  This much is certainly true, and some people keep track of their PRs at races they repeat every year.  So I guess the odd-distance races can count as a PR, but how many people in the running community are keeping track of them?  Is a 4.75 mile PR something to post to Instagram or Twitter, or will followers be a little confused?  I actually took my odd-distance PRs off of my race history page.  I don't think I'll ever run another 10 Nautical Miler (that's roughly 11.5 miles) unless it's the same race, and though I can think of a handful of four milers off the top of my head, the one that I've run doesn't have a PR listed either.  After some internal back-and-forth, I decided to keep the 15k PR posted, but even that's a kind of weird distance that you don't see too often.

Race distances that I have posted for PRs are 5k, 10k, 10 mile, and half marathon.  I'll of course add full marathon as soon as the Marine Corps Marathon is complete at the end of October, but we'll handle that when the time comes.  I don't even see 10 mile as a tracked PR for most other runners I know!  We all know our PRs at every distance (and probably most of our training runs too) but I definitely don't see too many people posting photos of their PR boards that include random distances.

We all know Tommy was the best.

Now I certainly feel that everyone should be proud of all of their accomplishments, whether it's a one-second PR in a 5k, or a 10 minute PR in a 10-miler, or even simply crossing the finish line in an excruciatingly difficult race.  I also love the unique feel of a race that breaks the popular distance race molds, and have had great experiences at some very odd distances.  I just feel weird writing my PR for a distance I'll probably never race again!

What do YOU think?  Do you track PRs for every race distance, no matter how common?  How do you feel about races that have interesting distances?  What's your favorite odd-distance race?

Rock Hall Half Marathon Race Recap

Six half marathons in six months is a big goal.  It's been especially tough trying to find accessible races that fit my very busy schedule; throw in the six months I've picked to attempt it (all summer months) and it's becoming a pretty difficult task!  But last Sunday, I successfully completed my August half, bringing me to five half marathons in five months.  And boy did I suffer to make it happen.

My very first half marathon took place in August, and after that experience, you'd think I would have learned my lesson.  Running long races in mid-summer heat is AWFUL, especially when the humidity is through the roof.  Alas, my goal stretches through the hottest months of the year and I have been determined to persevere.  So I signed up for a pretty cool-looking August race at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame right here in Cleveland, and I prayed for good weather.

Those prayers were almost answered.  After weeks of 80+ days with way more 90+ days than Cleveland is used to, heading into the weekend we had nothing but rain in the forecast.  Torrential downpours threatened to not only cool temperatures but make running a very wet endeavour.  After experiencing every type of precipitation known to man at the Rite Aid half back in May, the rain wasn't going to bother me too much - I just wanted desperately to avoid the heat.  So when race day dawned cloudy and cool, with minimal sun OR rain in the forecast and highs only in the 70s, I thought I had dodged a big weathery bullet.

NOT SO.  See, there's this little thing called humidity that barely creeps into the forecast (if it makes it in at all) but can make or break your outdoor experience.  Most of this race was run in 90% humidity.  Don't know what that translates to in real-feel?  I met up with my boyfriend after the race and his first reaction was "Oh no!  Looks like it POURED on you guys, how much of the race was in the rain??"  I was soaked head to toe and looked like I had gone for a swim, but not a single drop of rain had fallen anywhere along my 13.1 mile journey.  GROSS,

Fortunately it was only the humidity; the sun stayed behind the clouds and we even had some nice breezy stretches along the course.  I started the race near the back of the pack with a girl who was running her very first half marathon.  Her goal time was 2:30 just like mine, and she'd done some actual training, so we figured my experience and her preparedness would make for a good pairing.  We took off close to the pacer for our goal time, Our first couple miles were right on track, maybe even a tiny bit fast, but her strength gave out quickly in the oppressive humidity.  By mile four, we were at about 15 minute miles, and as much as I wanted to stay with her to help her get through it, I was still feeling well enough to go much faster.  We parted, and I started gaining lost ground.

The next two miles breezed by!  But as the day got a little warmer, that humitity only increased, and with aid stations spread out every two miles, I wasn't quite hydrating enough for the conditions.  It didn't help that I had forgotten to grab the smoothie I had set aside for breakfast and was running on an empty stomach (though the energy gels provided on the course gave me a surprising and delicious boost).  Soon I knew I had to find another pacer or running buddy to get through the next few miles, maybe even the rest of the race.

As luck would have it, a woman in a Half Fanatics jersey and another woman nearby were already talking about hooking up for some run-walk intervals together, and I was able to just join them.  We had a timer going for 3 minutes of running, 2 minutes of walking, and agreed that we didn't have to stay religious about the walking periods if we were feeling up to a prolonged run segment.  Although we lost the Half Fanatic about a mile later to some GI issues, the other woman and I ended up sticking together through the entire rest of the course.  Honestly, some parts of this run got so hard that I worry I might not have finished if I hadn't established a partnership with her, and there were times I think she felt the same way.

Somewhere around mile nine, my knee gave out randomly as I put my weight on it for a normal stride.  My hamstring had been pulling a little, and with the big downhills in the later portions of the course I had probably over strained my knee joint.  It hurt for most of the rest of the race, but I hadn't gone that far just to tap out over a tweaked knee.  The old competitive spirit that kept me playing through concussions and other semi-serious injuries back in my college days, combined with the drive, determination, and encouragement of my running buddy kept me moving constantly forward.  We still took our walk breaks, but we never skipped or shortened our run intervals, and when the finish line came in sight, we ran hard and finished strong.

The clock showed me my worst half marathon time ever, but I grabbed my (absolutely incredible) medal with just as much pride as if I had PRed this race.  Tough conditions are a totally different kind of challenge.  I know I can run a half marathon in cold, dry weather.  I know I can run it in snow/hail/rain mix.  I know I can run it in mid-summer heat.  And know I know I can, essentially, swim it when the humidity maxes out.  Someone on Instagram said they weren't really that proud of their finish, but I believe everyone who crossed that line should be VERY proud: it takes an incredible amount of guts and willpower to push through adversity of any kind.  Every step forward is a million times better than standing still!

Despite the challenge of the race, I seemed to recover pretty quickly as I milled around the post-race festivities at the Rock Hall.  The race provided tons of food afterwards, including popsicles that basically made my day, chocolate milk, bananas, watermellon, fresh pizza, and buy-one-get-one Chipotle cards for later in the day.  School of Rock was on site...  I don't know if you've heard of this program, but it basically takes mind-blowingly talented kids and teaches them how to be rock stars.  And it's AWESOME.  These kids surprise me every time; they definitely fit right in at THIS venue!  There were massotherapists, but the line was kinda long so my strained hammie had to wait until I got home to my foam roller.  The plaza was big enough to accommodate all the runners, but small enough that it was easy to find all the women I'd run with for a while and anyone else I hadn't seen on the course but knew would be there, so I checked in with all my buddies to make sure everyone had made it to the end and was doing well before I finally headed for home.  Exhausted and sore, but also proud and feeling surprisingly upbeat, I wrapped up my race day with a looooooong nap and a little Netflix!

Rock Hall Half Breakdown

Organization: This was the second race I've done from this organization, and though it's a competitor company for my job, I have to admit I enjoy their events.  There's always an early packet pickup (even though I've never gone), but race morning pickup was quick and efficient for this race, just as it was for the last.  Races start on time, communication is clear, and the post-race party is always solid.  Going to a race should be fun, and I shouldn't have to be any more stressed than 13.1 miles usually makes me; when race companies can run a smooth program, I don't have to worry about my experience.  This one was all smooth, no worry - at least, no worry over anything but the weather!

The Course: Minimal big turns, but a lot of little curvy bits and a couple hills, made for a simple but interesting course through Cleveland.  Heading out on Carnegie was a little scary: even though there were TONS of police officers, on alert, people at the wheel of big vehicles still like to think they have the right of way, even if there are a dozen runners in front of them.  A few intersections felt like they might be my last, but the police force responded quickly to block the path of errant vehicles, and soon I was on Martin Luther King Jr Drive.  I don't think I've ever been down that way before, but the course took us through all the cultural gardens and under some very pretty bridges.  Definitely my favorite part of the course, and the long downhill definitely helped!  We finished along the breezy marginal to finish in front of the Rock Hall.  GREAT course, tons of volunteer support, but not nearly enough water stations.  Only every other mile did we get water, and in 90% humidity that's not enough for many runners.  Any August half should probably plan for 10+ aid stations...

The Swag: Last month, I received the most underwhelming half marathon medal I can possibly imagine.  On Sunday, my bling MORE than made up for that last one!  Just like the Hill Yeah! half, the Rock Hall's medal is big, vibrant, and unique.  I love that the little guitar pick slides up and down the neck!  Another Brooks shirt for the collection, too, though honestly I feel like the color combination could have been a little more interesting.  The photo above had to be tweaked a bit so you could see the writing on the shirt, since the green gets lost in the blue in most lighting.  I mentioned before all the crazy post-race food and the Huma chia seed energy gels, all of which were very appreciated additions to the overall race experience.  Though I registered a little late, I still only paid $60 for this race and definitely believe it's a great price for the experience I had.

The Bottom Line: VERY cool race, and one I'll be keeping on my radar for next year.  As I get busier and busier on the weekends, I have to be pretty selective about which races I make time for, and this is one that would get more than a passing glance when the 2017 schedule goes around.  I'd almost consider it a definite, if it weren't for the lack of aid stations in the middle of August!  But for anyone looking for a solid summer half in Cleveland (or for a good destination race), the Rock Hall Half should certainly be high on your list!

How do you handle adverse weather conditions on race day?  How often do you run in intense humidity?  What's your favorite race medal?

Photobombed!

I'm working on my race recap from Sunday's Rock Hall Half Marathon, but the weather knocked me out a bit and I'm taking my time with finishing that post - which left me an open slot to check out what today's Tuesday on the Run linkup topic is.  It just so happens that the prompt for this week is "race photobombs", and until Sunday I wouldn't have had anything to share!

I met up with one of my runner friends after the race, and after the first couple photos we were about to get back to our much-needed relaxing, but our friend holding the camera said "no wait, just ooooone more..."  Sure enough, later that day when she posted the race photos on Facebook, we found out why that last photo was taken!  Y'know what, though?  I don't even mind - these guys are part of the reason I love the running community so much!  It's always fun and games, even after an atrociously humid race that tested everyone who stepped onto the course.  And honestly, despite that humidity and the 13.1 mile run preceeding this picture, I actually loko pretty good... ;)

Tuesdays on the Run are brought to you by My No-Guilt Life, Marcia's Healthy Slice, and MCM Mama Runs!  Click the linkup icon above to check out what other bloggers have to say about the costs of destination racing, and be sure to share YOUR views in the comments below!