Category Archives: training

Apr9

Instead of being “Goofy” I am going to be “Dopey!”

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When I started this website, I talked about how my culminating race would be in January 2014, in Walt Disney World. WDW has been our family’s place and has extreme importance to me—-it was our favorite family trip. Running a RunDisney event has been on my mental bucket list for years. So, deciding to do it this year with this website and also raise money for American Heart Association and Heart & Stroke Foundation was the right thing to do. I had been set on registering for the Goofy Race & a Half, where I would be doing a half marathon on Saturday and a full marathon on Sunday! Totally Goofy! But then, RunDisney came out with the craziest idea, the Dopey Challenge which takes Goofy to the next level—-a 5 kilometer race on Thursday, a 10 kilometer race Friday, a half marathon on Saturday and a full marathon on Sunday. This is a total of 48.6 miles in four days!

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I had to register for it—-I mean, I was meant for this! Even at age 7 in 1991 I was meant to be “Dopey”. A race like this can only happen in WDW, and this is a once in a lifetime experience. The amount of tears I will be shedding all week is going to crazy—-maybe I should start a betting line on it—-and I will get to share the week with my mom, who also registered for the 5 km, and my husband, who will be doing the 5 km and 10 km!

My dad would tell me I am a crazy idiot for doing this. But he would be at every race down there bright and early to cheer me on. He would want to be at Magic Kingdom as early as possible to see me run down Main Street. And he would be smiling. And I know he still will be this January when I do it.

January 9-12, 2014. To Infinity & Beyond!

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Please take the time to read my PURPOSE and CHARITIES links above to find out more about my goals and motivation for this year

Mar17

My 28 Year Love Affair with NIKE Shoes

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Some people are very into brand names. Whether it is for every day apparel, workout clothes, jackets, vehicles, food, or whatever, people stand by products they love and trust. Sometimes, these brand-addictions go through phases. You try new things out for while, and maybe stick with the new and improved item, or maybe you go back to the brand you have always loved. Over the years I have acquired and disposed of running gear. And while I do admit that I never use to spend much money on running gear, there is one thing I have always gone back to—Nike running shoes.

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As you can see, maybe my parents conditioned me to stick with Nike. Those lovelies were my first “walking shoes.” My mom still has them in the original box down in the basement at her house. She even has the original receipt, because she is crazy. They were bought on August 1, 1985, from the Stride Rite store at Southridge Mall. They were a whopping $15! Growing up my parents always bought me Nike shoes for athletic shoes. I can picture a bunch of my favorites in my head. Even through all the weird fashion trends of the 90s-ying yangs, smiley faces, rainbows, glitter gel, snap bracelets, bodysuits, stirrups, chokers, Tommy Hilfiger, and everything else god-awful and tacky—I stuck with Nike running shoes.

Once in high school, I did have to start getting some legitimate running shoes for track, not just whatever was on sale at Kohls or Finish Line. Rodiez’s running store in West Allis was the place to go. High school track athletes got 10% off! I know that in sophomore year I had a pair of blue and yellow Adidas spikes. But, junior and senior year, I went back to my roots. I can keep telling myself now that maybe that is what got me into running the 1600 meter run and doing my best I ever had. I even proudly displayed my Nike spikes in one of my senior photos!
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When I got into long distance road races, I knew I needed a solid shoe to train and compete in. I went back to Rodiez’s while back home one time from UW-La Crosse and they recommended the Nike Air Pegasus. I have been in love ever since. My first full marathon, the Mad City Marathon 2004, I rocked these. Second marathon, also Mad City, but in 2005, I had a new pair! That race is the one where the course was closed at 5 hours and 15 minutes due to heat index issues and humidity. You can see the shoes in the sweaty photo below, and actually my full Nike outfit.
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I admit-after that race I know I switched around at some point. I don’t know why, but my and Air Pegasus went on a break. I tried some New Balance ones, but the arch was terrible and I got horrific blisters. I had a pair of Saucony too, but it just didn’t feel right. I was meant to run in my Nike Air Pegasus.

I have now owned approximately 7 pairs of Nike Air Pegasus. This might be a little low of an estimate actually. When I went into Runner’s Soul in December 2012 to purchase some new shoes, all I had to do was say to the clerk “Nike Air Pegasus, size 7.5.” Tried them on for good measure and I was in and out in five minutes flat. It always feels good to get that fresh new pair of shoes. I especially loved how these ones looked brand new. The grey and the blue is sweet. I want to go buy some crazy neon laces to put through too and make them pop. But while new shoes look and feel great, there is something about wearing these puppies in, getting them dirty, wet and bent, that feels even better.

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So that is my love affair with Nike shoes. I still buy some Nike shirts and other apparel-my watch is the Nike+ SportWatch GPS and I am in love with that too. But I do wear other brands when it comes to outer wear gear. I have a mix of NorthFace, Lulu Lemon, New Balance, race shirts and Nike. But when it comes to my shoes, only one brand is meant for me. Nike.

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My dad was a Nike supporter too! Here he is looking so thrilled in Disney World, sitting next to the Lego man at Lego Imagination Centre in Downtown Disney. Just Do It!

Feb24

The Moral of the Story is…Don’t Attempt a 12-Mile Run When Hopped Up on Cold Medication!

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So, interestingly enough, my Sunday post for today ties into my last post. But it is a 180 in a sense, since this post shows how much of an idiot I can be. Since taking that “unplanned day off“, I ended becoming more sick. On Friday morning of our SWATCA Teacher’s Convention, I woke up feeling like a bus had run over my body after running a full marathon. My head was pounding, my sinuses were clogged. My throat burned when I coughed. I was just feeling oh-so-lovely. I half-ass got ready for convention, and made my way to the University of Lethbridge at 7:30 am. If this had been a regular school day, I would have strongly considered calling in sick-and I don’t call in sick. I went to the chairperson’s breakfast (I was chairing a secondary mathematics assessment session at 10:30) and forced down some tea and watermelon. I apologize to anyone I came in contact with that day because I either a) looked like death b) ignored looking at you c) ignored talking to you, or d) all of the above.

As soon as I dropped off the evaluations for my session, I drove straight to Shoppers Drug Mart and did a rare thing for me-bought some OTC medicine. I wanted to cure this thing fast. After talking to one of the techs, I decided to go big or go home. I bought a box of Tylenol Complete-Cold, Cough & Flu PLUS mucus relief! The bullet points on the package were made for me–nasal congestion, dry cough, headache, sore throat pain, aches, pains & chills…this would save me.

I religiously took my two capsules every six hours. I took a nap with Snoopy (the beagle is truly the best medicine!). I also made my “I am sick, feel sorry for me” dinner-two packs of ramen noodles with only half a packet of the sodium blast. I was going to these CRAZY extremes because I had a goal-to run 12 miles with marathon club Saturday.

I woke up Saturday morning feeling a ton better. My body didn’t ache (but I didn’t take into account the mass amount of drugs in my system causing this revelation). I got up at 6:30. Had some oatmeal. Hydrated. Dressed in appropriate layers. Bid my husband ‘adieu!’ and drove to Runner’s Soul. I could do this.

I had the wise idea to run with the marathon trainers today instead of the half. While I am only doing half marathons this year (my full won’t be until the Goofy Challenge in January 2014) I wanted to get 12 miles in, as my first half of the year is next Saturday-The Hypothermic Half in Lethbridge. . So, I set out with it in my head that I would do a 10-minute mile pace, drink lots of water from my Osprey water backpack, and I’d be good. It’d be that easy.

OK…any of you in Lethbridge or Alberta know how windy it can get down here. Saturday was, excuse my French, fucking ridonkulous. Any direction you turned, the wind was against you. I tried thinking positive, thinking it would get better...but that never happened. Anyway, I ran the first 5 miles pretty solid. I was feeling great. I was on pace, going slower than normal, but sticking with the plan. Honestly, after the first 4, I think I said out loud all theatrical and such “I’m a third way done!” I really had it in my head that running cures the common cold.

Then, I hit Bridge Drive. Please take a second to look at this map, though it doesn’t do justice:
http://www.runnersoul.com/admin/resources/49-1.pdf

The wind was piling in, the incline was steep, my throat was starting to burn, and my chest was hurting. I kept my head up and lifted my knees, taking smaller steps. But I had to walk. My chest was pounding so much and I started panicking. I didn’t want to quit. I basically power walked straight into the wind for 3/4 of a mile up Bridge Drive. Once I got to the top, I was going to start running again-I didn’t want to quit. So I started a slow jog, but then almost burst into tears. My body was giving up-Tylenol Complete can only do so much.

I smartly had brought my cell phone in my backpack and called my husband. I asked him to pick me up from the westside Tim Hortons. I felt defeated. When he got there to get me, I apologetically said “I’m Sorry” for no reason. What was I sorry for? Making him come get me? Being an idiot? Oh yeah-I was sorry for not listening to him….because before I left this morning, I forgot to add he said “I really don’t think you should be running.”

He’s sitting on the other couch right now as I type this. He told me yesterday he wanted me to title this blog as “Always Listen to Your Husband.” I won’t do that, but I will say that he was right. And I was an idiot to try to do otherwise yesterday. I came home, took a shower, and drugged myself up more. I made my same lovely “feel sorry for me I am sick” dinner, and went to bed by 8:30 pm. Yes, I even feel better today than I did yesterday, but that’s the power of these drugs-it’s hiding the fact I am still sick.
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I ran 6 miles yesterday. 6 miles sick. 6 miles I shouldn’t have even run. But, in my mind, I was supposed to run 12 miles. Initially, I was pissed I quit. This is only the second time in the past 9 years I had to stop and call someone to pick me up. . I still need to learn when it is more important to take a day off, and that it isn’t the end of the world. My legs and my body have been conditioned to this type of running over the years, so I will be fine this coming Saturday for my race–as long as I take care of myself first. It’s not like I am going out there trying to win a title or get my personal best. I am going out there to run for my dad–which is why I think I put the pressure on myself to run too soon. But, please note–if I had been able to call my dad to pick me up at the top of Bridge Drive on Saturday, I would have gotten in the car and his first words would have been “You’re a ::insert swear here:: idiot Andrea. You should have just stayed home.” And I would have responded-“You would have tried to do the same ::insert swear word here:: thing!”

In my medicated mind, this picture exemplifies how I wish my drive home from Bridge Drive had been.

In my medicated mind, this picture exemplifies how I wish my drive home from Bridge Drive had been.

Feb21

Taking an Unplanned Day Off

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When I make my training calendars, I stick with them pretty dead-on. Having the calendar to check off as I go really keeps me in line. Having what I am supposed to run on a given day written down makes it official, something I must follow. I was gone in Los Angeles since Saturday, and I even stuck with my vacation modifications. I did a solid 9 mile run the day before leaving, did a 3.3 mile run in the sand from Hermosa Beach to Manhattan Beach and back. I even went on a 2-mile run last night about an hour after getting home. I had an awesome pace going!

But, I sit here now at 3:54 pm on Thursday, Feb 21…I am suppose to run 6 miles. And I am sick.

My throat has had this draining feeling since late Monday night while in California. My ears are achy too. My body isn’t achy or sore-I am not injured. But I am scared to push myself just too far when I don’t feel 100%. Hell, I don’t even feel 70%. But then I feel like I am letting myself down by not going on this run. I know, it’s just one run. Does anyone else ever feel like this, when you are supposed to work out and then you don’t? I know the circumstances are different-it’s not that I am blatantly just avoiding it, or that I am hungover. But I am still sitting here thinking I should bundle up and suck it up.

My first half marathon for the year is one and a half weeks away. I am going to push out 12 miles on Saturday in preparation. Will taking today (and possibly tomorrow) off really hurt me in the end? What does everyone else do when they feel like a pile of junk during training time? It probably is for the best, because maybe I will just end up more sick. And my legs have the mileage already built up by now. Perhaps an unplanned rest day is the cure for the common cold…?

Feb3

My thighs will always touch…..and that’s the way it is

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This is not a diet blog. This is not a food blog. I will not be telling you how YOU can lose weight and look better. I will not be preaching on how YOU must eat.  I am not trained in those areas and do not have the proper knowledge that makes me a professional in the field.  I do have my own personal experience.  So, I may reflect on past experiences that made me feel better, or worse, and why.  You can take it as food for thought. 

As part of the marathon club through Runners Soul, I had the chance to try the “Bod Pod Composition System” at the Sports Science Institute in Lethbridge, Alberta.  It is basically one of the most accurate ways to measure your BMI and all that jazz.  I now am the proud owner of a printout that lists my percent fat, percent fat-free mass, fat mass in pounds, fat-free mass in pounds, body mass, body volume, body density, and my estimated resting metabolic rate.  There is no silly water submerging or caliper pinching. Just sit in the “Bod Pod” for 50 seconds, twice, and its all measured.

I was anxious in the pod, not knowing what to expect.  I really despise weighing myself, as I do not think that number accurately depicts my body.   Like most young women, body appearance and numbers have always been a stressful point. You want to look and feel perfect.  I realize now that since I workout, I gain muscle, and this weighs more than fat. When I was a more intense high school athletic participant, and hadn’t gone through any body maturity, this didn’t go through my thick head.  We had pom pon practice four days a week for three hours a day in the summer.  Track season started with captains practices in February.  Why was I never skinny?  Why did my thighs still touch?  I was solid, lean, muscle, working out more than most kids my age, but I didn’t feel ‘thin.’  I’ll admit-I tried to change it.  From November 2002-February 2003 of my senior year I went on a unhealhty mission.  I didn’t see it as a bad thing.  I just intensified my workouts, limited my food intake, and cut out foods which I had no need to ignore.  I got addicted.  I saw results.  But i put my body and my well-being at danger.  In late January I distinctly remember feeling so weak at the WACPC State Pom championships.  I had lost weight, but in the process lost that muscle which kept me strong and going.  Thankfully, people close to me intervened and got me on track.

I realized that if I tried to change and alter my body type, it would have to be under extreme and unhealthy measures.  I have always lead a healthy active lifestyle.  I generally eat healthy, always eating breakfast to start off my day.  But…I’m 5’3″.  I have a mixture of my mom and dad’s build. There’s no way I would ever be a stick.  I have come to accept that.  Throughout the years, the number on the scale sometimes still gets me down.  But I remember back to my 18-year-old self at my lowest adult weight.  That number can mean so many things, and at that point it meant weakness.

What does my typical week day look like, food consumption wise?  Well, I have a cup or two of coffee and either a bowl of oatmeal or a cereal like Cheerios.  I pack a lunch for work, and it usually includes a sandwich with free-range ham, cheese, onions, and lettuce.  Oh, and hot sauce.  I LOVE hot sauce.  I also have fruit and veggies.  I drink as much water as possible during the school day, but not too much, since the staff bathroom is inconveniently located what feels like MILES away from my classroom down in skid row.  I’ll snack on triscuits or tostitos after school (tortilla chips are my downfall).  Dinner is something usually homemade with free-range beef, a starch and veggies.  I have a beer or two or a glass of wine each night.  I feel like I eat healthy, but allow vices in moderation.  And this is important.  I recognize the effects too much cheese has on your body.  It’s bad for me!!!!  But, I’m from Wisconsin and if I was lactose intolerant, I might cry.  I am trying to cut back-cheese is my drug.  But, will I ever cut it out completely?  NO.  Moderation….mod-er-a-tion.  Craft beers and wine tasting are a pastime and hobby for my husband and I.  Yes, my body would overall be healthier if I cut these out completely.  That dreaded weight number would possibly decrease.  But it’s something we enjoy.  With proper moderation and exercise, my body can still be healthy while enjoying these things.

Back to the Bod Pod.  What did it say?  I’ll admit the key details all right here:

Resting Metabolic Rate-1287 cals/day

% Fat-25.8%

Body Fat Rating-Moderately Lean

Fat Mass-36.331 lb

Body Mass-140.625 lb

Do I feel 140?  No.  Do I feel like I look 140?  I don’t think so.  I was surprised this was the result.  I’ll admit that this ‘weight number’ hit me like a rock.  It always does.  But, I took a step back and breathed.  This isn’t the end of the world.  I am older than I was when I was 18 (duh).  My body has changed.  And all my clothes still fit.  If I tried to make myself any less than 140 it would have to be under extreme measures.  And is this worth it?  Hell no.  As long as I keep running and doing what I do in the kitchen, and even enjoy my pints of beer, I have accepted that it’s OK if my thighs touch.

Lead an active, healthy lifestyle and be proud of who YOU are.

Jan26

On a group run, you can’t avoid the hill…

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In my years of running, I will admit to not doing much, if any, hill runs. I hate hills. I try to avoid them. If I go out on a training run, I usually stay on as flat of a path as possible. Maybe once a year I get the wise idea to go do a steep hill. It usually ends up with me swearing out loud to myself during it. Grandad’s Bluff in La Crosse, Wisconsin…that was a hill I did maybe three times. It sucked every time. You get to the top, feel such a relief, then going down is almost as painful, since you feel like you are basically rolling down the bluff as you decline. Whoop-Up Drive in Lethbridge is comparable in pain, due to the fact EVERYONE driving sees you and thinks you are a complete idiot. It feels like that hill never ends!

My dad gives us his opinion of being on top of Grandad’s Bluff in LaCrosse, WI…this was his famous ‘finger pose’ when he didn’t want his picture taken.

Then, there is the trail from the river bottom up to Scenic Drive in Lethbridge. I always saw it when I’d drive down Scenic Drive, but since its on the south side, I never ran it. I live on the West side of town. Lethbridge is split into two pieces by the Oldman River, so anything on the South/North side is more of a pain to get to. I usually just do my runs in the neighborhoods and parks close to my house, so I don’t have to drive anywhere. This allows me to avoid this hill.

My first time up this hill was this past October, 2012, when I did the Bare Bones Half Marathon. I didn’t train for this run ahead of time, stupidly registering for it a few weeks prior after hearing about it from some teachers at school. The run was put on by Runner’s Soul and it benefited the Lethbridge SPCA. The race started in Softball Valley, heading south along the river, and at about mile 4 or 5 we hit the hill up to Scenic Drive.

Since I was at race pace, I really did not want to slow down. It was extra tough to keep moving since there were not many half marathon runners in this race to keep you pushing. You start with an incline that looks roughly 60 degrees, then it flattens out. You hit the last incline of about 45 degrees, then you are on Scenic Drive. Your legs burn like hell, but at least you’ve made it.

Today, with marathon club, we did this hill. I realized the hill was part of the run when looking at the Runners Soul webpage last night. http://www.runnersoul.com/admin/resources/4.5mile-7.2km.pdf  I almost missed the run today too, because I’m an idiot and set my alarm for 6:45 am…only to then realize at 7:35 am it was set for ‘weekdays only’. I bolted out of bed, got ready in ten minutes, and made it to Runners Soul on time for the run. If I had just stayed in bed and tried to tackle the 6.5 miles on my own today, I wouldn’t have gone and done that hill. This forced me to do some hill training.

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The sign greeting runners before descending down into the river bottom

It was my second meeting with this monster. For the training run today, we headed down 10th Ave to the top of the hill, descended into the river bottom, only to immediately turn around and head back up. I now know that this hill is 0.6 miles, at least according to my Nike+ SportWatch GPS.  Also, in looking at the elevation map after uploading my run, it looks like the river bottom elevation is 2742 feet above sea level, and Scenic Drive is 2962 feet ASL. That makes it a 220 foot climb in elevation in the 0.6 miles. And it burns the whole way.

The whole route today was 4.5 miles.  I needed to do 6.5 for my own training calendar, so after getting back to Runners Soul and having a water break, I made the lonley trek to Henderson Lake and did a 2-mile loop.  It was flat.  But it was boring.  I kind of wished I had been back at Grandad’s Bluff for revenge….kind of….

Jan22

Training is 10% Talent, 90% Mental (these stats are made up by me at 10 PM on a Tuesday)

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I posted this week in regards to me joining a marathon club for the first time ever in my running ‘career’. I talked about my training style and how I hardly ever run with music. I also talked about how I usually always run alone. But I haven’t discussed how even after years of longer-distance road-running…getting going on a training calendar has its highs and lows.

I am the type of person who works better with a checklist, a calendar, a to-do. So as I prepped this craziness I have occurring the next year, I started making my first training calendar for my first half of the year, the Hypothermic Half in Lethbridge, Alberta. Planning out each day leading up to the race, I make sure my mileage increases appropriately, with proper rest days & long runs, and that I hit my peak distance at the opportune time. It gets me excited to run again! (Even if it is the death of winter!)

I get into a weird addiction cycle. Even though this ‘calendar’ is just a iPad created document with a stylus and Penultimate, I have to follow it. I get home from work at a decent time, get changed and done up for my run, and out I go. Before the training calendar comes into play, I find excuses to not run, stay at work longer and talk myself out of running…but the calendar gets me going! My long run this past week was Saturday-I ran 5.5 miles. I pumped it out in 50 minutes 17 seconds. i had a 9:08 pace. And I felt awesome. Then, Sunday, I got up at the ass-crack of dawn (at least as far as Sunday mornings go) and did my first Runner’s Soul Mararthon Club run. 4 miles-felt great! 39 minutes 12 seconds and 4.22 miles. Awesome pace for me on a training day!

Went into the work week feeling like the best athlete ever! Oh yeah-I felt like competing with my 18 year old self. But today, on my 4 miler, my legs felt like cinder blocks. It wasn’t windy, but I couldn’t get a good stride. I did exactly 4 miles, not a tenth more, in 38 minutes 24 seconds. And I was grumpy. I took a shower, put on pajamas, and have been sitting at the table marking papers, sitting on the couch watching “Parenthood” and crappily-wonderful HGTV shows, and sitting with my legs crossed. And they hurt even more. Point is…some training days are going to be incredible. They are going to make you even more excited for the insanity you are preparing for. Lets be honest… more often than not, you have these mediocre, blahhhhhhh training days. And those are the tough ones.

The ones that make you dread your run tomorrow in fear of it feeling even worse.

But that’s when you have to power through and focus on the reason WHY you are doing this. I am specifically doing these crazy runs this year in memory of my dad, and that keeps me going…but i also have to remember that i am doing these runs for me…to make me better, more complete, more disciplined. Not every day is going to be a record-breaker…more often than not, the days are disappointing, frustrating, cold, dreary and tough. The pain truly is temporary. Making it though the painful days makes the end even more rewarding.