The desk of a marathoner.
Thursday, July 29
Dehydration
So after a nice morning run on Tuesday, we ran our 7 miler last night when it was 90 degrees and humid. The result:
Tuesday, July 27
Running through the swamp
About every three weeks in the training program, there is a drop back week. It's meant to give your legs a rest from continually building a mileage base while keeping you in the mode of running long distances. This Saturday with only a 9 miler to complete, we thought it'd be a walk in the park.
There was one slight hurdle in our running plans. We were on vacation in Fitchburg for the annual Darcy Open, so we needed to map out a new route. After planning out a run in Ashburnham, we decided it was too far from the hotel and that we'd try to find something closer.
Upon checking in, I asked the hotel front desk assistant if she had any suggestions on where we might run. To my surprise, she said "yes, we have a nice loop." In fact, she offered to get me a card that they took the time to print up with the route highlighted on one side and directions on the other. All joking aside, she handed me a piece of cardboard with a line drawn showing a path exiting the hotel, traveling a few miles down the main road (50mph speed limit, no shoulders, very curvy), and at the end, you presumably cross the street and run back to the hotel. The only part of the whole situation that made sense to me was the fine print on the card, "the hotel assumes no liability for injuries that may occur."
After a few scary mental images of diving into the woods to avoid oncoming traffic, Max and I decided to run in the Leominster State Forest which was not all that far from the hotel either. It seemed safer to run through scenic hiking trails rather than get hit by a speeding car. Excited about our decision, we hopped in the Jeep and drove down the road to the park bright and early on Saturday morning - again to beat the extreme heat and humidity that has taken over the area this summer.
We arrived at the forest and parked in a dirt pit on the side of the road. The place looked desolate with the main entrance closed off and not another human in sight. I was a bit nervous about how deserted this place was, but Max assured me that no humans OR bears would be coming after me. With that, we ran into the dense forest.
At first, the run was a bit exciting. We ran past an empty swimming hole on the left and a swamplike area on the right. Once we hit the first trail, shrubs and roots crowded the path making me feel like GI Jane watching every step. The path got a bit hilly, and softball sized rocks mixed in with the overgrown weeds and tree roots.
Within a few minutes, I realized that the biggest threat was not a bear - it was a deer fly! Swarms of bugs, deer flies, mosquitos, and all of their little flying friends began to circle us and buzz in our ears. I quickly regretted leaving the hotel without bug spray and tried to wave my hands around to annoy the bugs enough to make them leave. I clearly underestimated their persisitence. In fact, it got so bad that Max grabbed a branch and started waving it around in front of him like a giant fly swatter. He made multiple comments about how lucky I am to have the natural protection of a pony tail to scare the bugs away - but let me tell you, it did nothing for my arms and legs!
After being "trapped" in the forest for 5 miles, we finally found a way out onto a paved road in the middle of a farm. At this point, we were still miles from the car, but at least we were out of the swamp! We began running past the scattered rustic looking houses and uphill. To our surprise, the next mile was ALL uphill. The road would twist and turn, but there was no relief in sight. Luckily, the hills did finally stop... I had confidence this would happen at some point!
Sticky, sweaty, covered in muck from the forest and multiple bug bites, we hopped back in the Jeep and drove back to the hotel...
http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/trails/Leominster.gif
There was one slight hurdle in our running plans. We were on vacation in Fitchburg for the annual Darcy Open, so we needed to map out a new route. After planning out a run in Ashburnham, we decided it was too far from the hotel and that we'd try to find something closer.
Upon checking in, I asked the hotel front desk assistant if she had any suggestions on where we might run. To my surprise, she said "yes, we have a nice loop." In fact, she offered to get me a card that they took the time to print up with the route highlighted on one side and directions on the other. All joking aside, she handed me a piece of cardboard with a line drawn showing a path exiting the hotel, traveling a few miles down the main road (50mph speed limit, no shoulders, very curvy), and at the end, you presumably cross the street and run back to the hotel. The only part of the whole situation that made sense to me was the fine print on the card, "the hotel assumes no liability for injuries that may occur."
After a few scary mental images of diving into the woods to avoid oncoming traffic, Max and I decided to run in the Leominster State Forest which was not all that far from the hotel either. It seemed safer to run through scenic hiking trails rather than get hit by a speeding car. Excited about our decision, we hopped in the Jeep and drove down the road to the park bright and early on Saturday morning - again to beat the extreme heat and humidity that has taken over the area this summer.
We arrived at the forest and parked in a dirt pit on the side of the road. The place looked desolate with the main entrance closed off and not another human in sight. I was a bit nervous about how deserted this place was, but Max assured me that no humans OR bears would be coming after me. With that, we ran into the dense forest.
At first, the run was a bit exciting. We ran past an empty swimming hole on the left and a swamplike area on the right. Once we hit the first trail, shrubs and roots crowded the path making me feel like GI Jane watching every step. The path got a bit hilly, and softball sized rocks mixed in with the overgrown weeds and tree roots.
Within a few minutes, I realized that the biggest threat was not a bear - it was a deer fly! Swarms of bugs, deer flies, mosquitos, and all of their little flying friends began to circle us and buzz in our ears. I quickly regretted leaving the hotel without bug spray and tried to wave my hands around to annoy the bugs enough to make them leave. I clearly underestimated their persisitence. In fact, it got so bad that Max grabbed a branch and started waving it around in front of him like a giant fly swatter. He made multiple comments about how lucky I am to have the natural protection of a pony tail to scare the bugs away - but let me tell you, it did nothing for my arms and legs!
After being "trapped" in the forest for 5 miles, we finally found a way out onto a paved road in the middle of a farm. At this point, we were still miles from the car, but at least we were out of the swamp! We began running past the scattered rustic looking houses and uphill. To our surprise, the next mile was ALL uphill. The road would twist and turn, but there was no relief in sight. Luckily, the hills did finally stop... I had confidence this would happen at some point!
Sticky, sweaty, covered in muck from the forest and multiple bug bites, we hopped back in the Jeep and drove back to the hotel...
http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/trails/Leominster.gif
Wednesday, July 21
Running the North Shore
For our long run this Saturday, we decided to break away from our typical route around Castle Island and UMASS Boston to map out a new route - with less sun. With forecasters calling for temperatures to reach the mid 90's by 10 a.m., I was a bit concerned. The humidity on Friday was so intense that merely walking was a big effort. Refusing to give in to mother nature, we packed our bags with snacks, filled up our water belts, and went to bed early in order to be up for the 5:30 a.m. alarm.
Saturday morning I did not need the alarm. Around 5 a.m., I felt a weird sensation on my face like someone was breathing on me, and I opened my eyes to find my cat leaning over me as if to check if I were alive. Maybe we are a bit crazy if even the cat has caught on! Anyway, I figured it was useless to try to fall back asleep, so I jumped out of bed and started getting ready. By the time Max woke up, I was raring to get on the road.
The drive to Endicott College was not all that exciting, even with the top down in the Jeep. We stopped at Dunkin Donuts where I scoffed down half a bagel- just enough to give me some energy without causing running cramps. Since it was so early, there were barely any cars on the road, and we made excellent time.
The run itself was amazing. I wish I had captured some of the beauty we saw - the scenic views of the ocean and islands, the clan of bicyclists we past multiple times (as they made many pit stops yet had a slightly faster pace overall), and many gorgeous houses. I was able to show Max the grocery store I used to shop at as a kid, the cafe where my mom and I ate BLTs on special occasions, the place I used to take ballet, and the beach I spent many nights hanging out with friends in high school. Thinking back on all of those times, I realized that a digital photo can never tell the story of a memory... and now I can add to those memories the time that I ran around Manchester for 2 hours with my wonderful boyfriend! Success on a 12 miler :)
Saturday morning I did not need the alarm. Around 5 a.m., I felt a weird sensation on my face like someone was breathing on me, and I opened my eyes to find my cat leaning over me as if to check if I were alive. Maybe we are a bit crazy if even the cat has caught on! Anyway, I figured it was useless to try to fall back asleep, so I jumped out of bed and started getting ready. By the time Max woke up, I was raring to get on the road.
The drive to Endicott College was not all that exciting, even with the top down in the Jeep. We stopped at Dunkin Donuts where I scoffed down half a bagel- just enough to give me some energy without causing running cramps. Since it was so early, there were barely any cars on the road, and we made excellent time.
The run itself was amazing. I wish I had captured some of the beauty we saw - the scenic views of the ocean and islands, the clan of bicyclists we past multiple times (as they made many pit stops yet had a slightly faster pace overall), and many gorgeous houses. I was able to show Max the grocery store I used to shop at as a kid, the cafe where my mom and I ate BLTs on special occasions, the place I used to take ballet, and the beach I spent many nights hanging out with friends in high school. Thinking back on all of those times, I realized that a digital photo can never tell the story of a memory... and now I can add to those memories the time that I ran around Manchester for 2 hours with my wonderful boyfriend! Success on a 12 miler :)
Thursday, July 15
Back to Normal
One of the reasons I wanted to start a blog this year was to be able to look back and see all the emotions and physical pains that came along the way as we added mileage. For me, the first couple weeks of this were a bit of a struggle. Maybe that's because of our intense "pre-training" prep work, or maybe it's because it's been about 95 degrees and humid many of our runs. Either way, I'm extremely proud that I finished an 11 mile run on Sunday, running at 7 am so that I could be on time for Kelly's bridal shower (and the mimosas bowl) at 11 a.m. I will say, I was sleeping like a baby by about 9:30 that night!
This week has probably been the best week yet for me. Tuesday, I had another post work event (bowling - woo hoo high score of 108!) Because of that, we got up early and ran. I was a bit tired at first after hosting dinner for Kelly's last night and my father's first visit to our new digs in Southie! That said, 3 miles is cake to us these days, so we zoomed in and out in the thick humidity. In fact, Max felt so good that he went to the gym to lift weights that night while I bowled, and we both commented that 3 miles felt like we had done nothing!
To sum up last night's run in a word: therapeutic. The weather was cool after raining off and on, and my legs felt fresh. I was a bit stressed after a long day on Tuesday and a crazy weekend. We took off running at a decent clip, and by the end, I was striding to the finish - 6 miles later! Needless to say, my confidence in my running ability has been restored, and my entire focus now is finding a nicely shaded run for our 12 miler this weekend.
This week has probably been the best week yet for me. Tuesday, I had another post work event (bowling - woo hoo high score of 108!) Because of that, we got up early and ran. I was a bit tired at first after hosting dinner for Kelly's last night and my father's first visit to our new digs in Southie! That said, 3 miles is cake to us these days, so we zoomed in and out in the thick humidity. In fact, Max felt so good that he went to the gym to lift weights that night while I bowled, and we both commented that 3 miles felt like we had done nothing!
To sum up last night's run in a word: therapeutic. The weather was cool after raining off and on, and my legs felt fresh. I was a bit stressed after a long day on Tuesday and a crazy weekend. We took off running at a decent clip, and by the end, I was striding to the finish - 6 miles later! Needless to say, my confidence in my running ability has been restored, and my entire focus now is finding a nicely shaded run for our 12 miler this weekend.
Sunday, July 11
Willpower
Kristen's sister Kelly has been in town this weekend taking care of a bunch of stuff for her wedding. Friday night's bachelorette party (and my time entertaining the bachelor, Adam) was enough for us to postpone our 11 miler to this morning. We spent yesterday afternoon getting our butts kicked by Kelly instead, who has taken up professional yoga instruction. For a kid who can't touch his toes it was pretty painful.
I was still feeling the downward dogs this morning when we dragged ourselves out of bed at 6:30 am, strapped on our water belts, and headed out into the humid air for our long run. Both of us were feeling a little off after the 2 week lag from our last long run (last week was a drop back week) so we were pretty nervous about being able to crank out an 11. My longest run ever was 9 miles two weeks ago, so 11 seemed a tad daunting. But, the key to marathon training seems to be willpower and a positive attitude (and/or stubborness) so we trodded on, keeping a good slow pace. We did our usual loop around the bay and headed back along Carson Beach, where the bums were still sleeping and the sun was really starting to pound. By mile 6 we were relishing in the moments of shade, and were thankful when we hit the end of UMass and started heading back. To lighten the mood around mile 8 I tried to sing Kristen's power song "Stronger" but it was difficult not really knowing the words or the rhythm. Sooo I started singing Men At Work instead, which seemed appropriate:
Ain't nothing gonna break my stride
Nobody's gonna slow me down
Oh no, got to keep on movin'
We added a few little "add-ons" to the run to make sure we would end 11 miles close to the house under the assumption that we would have little motivation so close to home. It worked perfectly and we were able to finally stop as the Nike+ hit 11.00 about a block from K street. Walking after so much running felt bizarre to me, legs all tight and tingly. Kristen and Kelly went off to Kelly's wedding shower, and I was left here to snack, sleep and watch TV. I've used up all my willpower for today.
I was still feeling the downward dogs this morning when we dragged ourselves out of bed at 6:30 am, strapped on our water belts, and headed out into the humid air for our long run. Both of us were feeling a little off after the 2 week lag from our last long run (last week was a drop back week) so we were pretty nervous about being able to crank out an 11. My longest run ever was 9 miles two weeks ago, so 11 seemed a tad daunting. But, the key to marathon training seems to be willpower and a positive attitude (and/or stubborness) so we trodded on, keeping a good slow pace. We did our usual loop around the bay and headed back along Carson Beach, where the bums were still sleeping and the sun was really starting to pound. By mile 6 we were relishing in the moments of shade, and were thankful when we hit the end of UMass and started heading back. To lighten the mood around mile 8 I tried to sing Kristen's power song "Stronger" but it was difficult not really knowing the words or the rhythm. Sooo I started singing Men At Work instead, which seemed appropriate:
Ain't nothing gonna break my stride
Nobody's gonna slow me down
Oh no, got to keep on movin'
We added a few little "add-ons" to the run to make sure we would end 11 miles close to the house under the assumption that we would have little motivation so close to home. It worked perfectly and we were able to finally stop as the Nike+ hit 11.00 about a block from K street. Walking after so much running felt bizarre to me, legs all tight and tingly. Kristen and Kelly went off to Kelly's wedding shower, and I was left here to snack, sleep and watch TV. I've used up all my willpower for today.
Thursday, July 8
Cross Training in the Mountains
This past weekend, Max and I went to the White Mountains with two of our friends, Holly & Ryan. They've been hiking up there in the past and were kind enough to do most of the planning. Since a picture is worth 1,000 words, here you go.
Friday, July 2
A Mish-Mash of Runs
I tend to be a bit long-winded in my writing, so I've decided that today I will just write one comment about each of our three mid-week runs.
Tuesday - I have to say that the bootcamp class on the beach was the most entertaining part of our run for me. There was a 6 foot tall woman with a whistle around her neck and scowl on her face screaming at a group fo unsuspecting 20 something females who heard this class would give them a "bikini body" in 6 weeks. The class was almost over when we ran past, and the majority of the girls looked so tired that I'm left wondering how they made it up the three steps to the parking lot when they were finally relased from their captor.
Wednesday - For me, what I enjoyed the most was seeing Max in his element. This was a mid-length run, and he seemed so comfortable. The last mile, he was jumping up and down from the two foot wall separating the beach from the boardwalk as we ran along. I could tell that he wasn't just doing this for me - he was genuinely enjoying running!
Thursday - I was finally feeling good. We ran hills, and I felt like a little kid taking stairs two at a time and running around the monument in Thomas Park like it was some sort of game.
Happy Fourth of July everyone!
Tuesday - I have to say that the bootcamp class on the beach was the most entertaining part of our run for me. There was a 6 foot tall woman with a whistle around her neck and scowl on her face screaming at a group fo unsuspecting 20 something females who heard this class would give them a "bikini body" in 6 weeks. The class was almost over when we ran past, and the majority of the girls looked so tired that I'm left wondering how they made it up the three steps to the parking lot when they were finally relased from their captor.
Wednesday - For me, what I enjoyed the most was seeing Max in his element. This was a mid-length run, and he seemed so comfortable. The last mile, he was jumping up and down from the two foot wall separating the beach from the boardwalk as we ran along. I could tell that he wasn't just doing this for me - he was genuinely enjoying running!
Thursday - I was finally feeling good. We ran hills, and I felt like a little kid taking stairs two at a time and running around the monument in Thomas Park like it was some sort of game.
Happy Fourth of July everyone!
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