Time's a wastin'

In the twilight hours of the morning Tuesday, I set out for an easy 4-mile run. The air was perfect - 40s and only a smidge humid - and the streets were quiet. Still.

As I wound my way through the familiar neighborhoods along the route, I forced myself to relax. Enjoy the run. Re-learn the feeling of going slow. More than anything, the goal was to go steady and never anticipate the breaks that come as roads cross. To achieve that feeling of wanting to run forever, a sensation that has been absent for far too long.

Traffic was beginning to pick up near the end of my run, as to be expected as the clock neared 6 a.m. and commuters were heading to work, and I was forced to stop at an intersection. I hit pause on my Garmin 305, which I had brought along to spice things up (as opposed to the MOTOACTV), and noticed something rather alarming. While my goal was to go slow, it wasn't to go slow and the watch said I was going slooow.  In that instant, the run went from good to gruesome as I became frustrated with a pace I hadn't seen in quite some time.

I picked up the tempo as I headed back home, hoping to salvage what I could of the run. I hit stop as I sprinted to the house and looked down. 3.77 miles, the display read. It was a number I was certain was wrong, and I sprinted faster into the house to map the route on Daily Mile and MapMyRun. Both gave me a more palatable 4 miles with my long run pace from Wisconsin.

I posted about the discrepancy on Facebook, hoping to get some validation that I was right in trusting the mapping software and discounting the GPS. But, to my surprise, most were more likely to trust the watch. I didn't think much of it, to be honest, only telling myself that I should pick a watch, stick with it and deal with what it says - no matter how much I like it.

This morning, as I felt the dirt sift through my fingers while planting ground cover, I was struck. Not literally. But mentally. What if my penchant for double-checking maps to achieve a better distance and pace was my downfall for Wisconsin?

Hear me out. I thought I was running fast, for me. Nearly half of my runs in April were sub-9 and I even had a couple near the 8:30 range. But I'm certain that for some of those paces, I had double-checked (and adjusted) the distance, altering the pace. While the runs were still speedyish, they weren't as speedy as presumed nor were they runs that were setting me up for a sub-2, much less a PR, half marathon.  And so I went into Wisconsin feeling bad ass when I should have been feeling ... well ... bad ass - just to a lesser degree.

Building on that, when I didn't have that grand, superstar finish, I should have felt satisfied that I had some remarkable splits. I should have recognized that those splits, faster than training would have predicted, contributed - at least in a small way - to my end-race bonking.

And the lesson? Well, it's what I promised myself. I need to stick to what the watch says unless the synced map is completely jacked and accept what my body is producing on a certain day but not resign myself to thinking that I don't have better in me.

Spring training: Week 17

Spring Training posts document my training for my "A" race, the Wisconsin Marathon half, on May 4.

The week, in training:

Monday: 3.5 miles
Tuesday: 6 miles +  BODYPUMP (taught)
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: 6 miles, intervals
Friday: 4 miles
Saturday: BODYPUMP (taught)
Sunday: 8 miles

◊ ◊ ◊

Holy effin shoot. It's here. The week I've been working toward for the past 17. It's been forever and yet, I'll be honest, I don't feel 100 percent ready. Like I could use another month of solid training before I toe the line for a half-marathon. 

But, shockingly, I don't have the ability to make race scheduling changes or turn back the clock. It is go time. 

And, as such, it's time to focus on what should happen. Or at least what I'd like to happen. Since I have been following the Train Like a Mother plan, I deemed it appropriate to use the book's model for setting race-day goals.

Good goals: The time ones.

• Goal C (so help me God): Sub-2
• Goal B (attainable yet challenging): Overall pace a sub-9
• Goal A (pie in the sky): Come in at 1:53:59 or faster, which would be at least a 13-second PR

When I started this training journey at the beginning of the year, it was my absolute goal to PR at Wisconsin and to PR in a big way. I was going to do plyometrics every week and nail the speedwork but time, scheduling, motivation and weather played a big factor. I spent much more time on the treadmill than I anticipated and, as such, have focused much of my speed training on effort rather than pace. Even as I am back outdoors, I'm much more concerned about how the work feels than what the numbers say. It makes me feel a bit uncertain about what I'm capable of. My long run paces of late, though, definitely point to a sub-2, if not the sub-9 pace. I feel confident in that. Only race day will tell whether I put in the work for the PR.

Better goals. These are the goals about how you execute the race but not necessarily from a numbers perspective. For me, for this race, my better goal is to pace myself and trust the training. It's so easy to go out too fast too early but very rarely does it work to bank time. I know that I perform much better when I run negative splits, and I need to ease into the hurt.  I also want to knock the Negative Nelly who resides in my post-partum brain straight on her ass. I am not the runner I used to be - the one who was so self assured - but I am a better one. I am stronger and more determined. And I need to remember that race day.

Best goals. The ones that, hopefully, matter most. I want to revel in the accomplishment - not just finishing but sticking out the training. I want to smile so much it hurts. I want to have a good time, soak in the scenes of somewhere new, embrace my friends at the finish line.

And, I'll apologize in advance to Kim, Kim, Bobbi, Sarah and everyone else - I'm a really stinky sweater.

T-minus 4 days.

Spring Training: Week 16

Spring Training posts document my training for my "A" race, the Wisconsin Marathon half, on May 4.

The week, in training:

Monday: 4.5 miles
Tuesday: 3.5 miles (for Boston) +  BODYPUMP (taught)
Wednesday: 6 (birthday) miles
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 6.31 miles
Saturday: BODYPUMP (taught)
Sunday: 11.36 miles

◊ ◊ ◊

I don't think it's been a big secret that I've been playing with my fueling these past few months. I've tried Honey Stinger chews (love), Sport Beans (meh) and Clif Shot Bloks in about a million different flavors but all the while I've stuck with chews. I found last year, during Columbus Marathon training, that I couldn't stomach gels. Maybe it was the unbearable heat or changes in my body but my once reliable Gu made me nauseous.

And so it was with great caution that I accepted an invitation from Kevin Sherbourne, the co-founder of Huma Chia Energy Gel, to try his product.

According to the website:

The idea for Hüma was born in the sands of Iraq. In the summer of 2009 a US Army soldier named 1st Lieutenant McCollum was charged with leading grueling missions throughout Iraq. At the time he was reading a book about the Tarahumara, a tribe of Mexican Indians who regularly compete in epic 100+ mile races as part of their culture. To fuel themselves on these ultramarathons, they use a special chia seed blend. He figured if it worked for them in Mexico, maybe it would work for him in Iraq. Hüma brings together Tarahumara tradition, sports nutrition research, healthy ingredients and great taste as our best shot at helping you enjoy your gel. 

Reading that story and learning about the company made it impossible for me to turn down the chance to sample the gels, which come in two flavors - strawberry and apple cinnamon. After all, if I'm putting work to clean up my diet, shouldn't I do the same for the fuel that powers my runs? The ingredients for Huma include fruit, evaporated cane juice, brown rice syrup and chia seeds - a far cry from the long list that you see on other products.

I decided to take one of the gels - strawberry, if you are curious - on my long run Sunday at Chain O'Lakes, along with some Shot Bloks to see how it would work for me. As I said in my post about the Indiana Trail 100, even the roads in the park are hilly and I could feel the toll on my legs early on. I normally fuel at miles 5 and 10, and I was more than ready for a gel once the watched turned over from 4.99 to 5.00.

I stopped cold in my tracks, took a drink of nuun and took out the gel. My hands, cold from the blustery April temperatures, seemed to struggle to tear the foil but once I got the right spot, it opened immediately. I took the first bite(?) a bit apprehensively but was pleasantly surprised once the gel hit my tongue. It tasted just like strawberry jam, with a similar texture is well. It went down very easily and was far less goopy than traditional gels. It could very easily be taken mid-stride if fingers aren't frozen together.

People always talk about this jolt of energy that comes from taking a gel or sports fuel but I'll be honest, I'm not sure I've ever felt that way. More than anything, it just makes me feel like not crapping out. And I didn't crap out with Huma. Same as when I took Shot Bloks at mile 9. (Fueled early because I wanted to delay running up a hill.) But the bonus, which is one of the pros of Huma, is no stomach problems. Not a one. So I literally didn't crap out.

While I don't really think one time is enough to warrant a fair review, I look forward to trying the Apple Cinnamon gel on my run this weekend. A good run will earn it a spot in my SPIbelt for Wisconsin otherwise I'll stick with Margarita Shot Bloks and give the gels a second go as I base-build for my fall marathon. But I sincerely feel like the company - and the product - is one worth supporting.

Have you tried any new fuel lately? What do you take on long runs?

Disclosure: Huma provided me with samples of the gels to try at no charge but all opinions and thoughts are my own.

Spring Training: Week 14

Spring Training posts document my training for my "A" race, the Wisconsin Marathon half, on May 4.

The week, in training:

Monday: 4 miles
Tuesday: 5 miles +  BODYPUMP (taught)
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: 6 miles, tempo + BP rehearsal
Friday: 3.04 miles
Saturday: BODYPUMP (taught)
Sunday: 10.1 miles

◊ ◊ ◊

This week presented me with an interesting dilemma - I was recovering from Run the Bluegrass and jumping on a training plan (Train Like A Mother: Own It) to bring me to a strong finish at Wisconsin. Recovery and ramping up aren't two things that usually go together.

Or do they?

While the course didn't allow me to race-race the event, my legs most definitely felt terrain of Run the Bluegrass. The quads, hamstrings, calves (of all things) and core were tight and tired. The idea of even a Sunday morning walk up a hill in Cincinnati was enough to make me grimace in pain. Thankfully, family time on Easter gave me a much needed full day of rest, and the travel time was an opportunity to think about how to tackle the week.

I decided, if I early-week miles were easy, I could amend the plan to give my legs a break without sacrificing quality miles. I cut out the hill workout - duh! - and I moved Tuesday's tempo run to Thursday, allowing for another day of rest between the race and harder effort (+ four days). I was also mindful to go light on my weights during BODYPUMP. While I did wear a watch on the runs, I rarely looked down at pace and administered the talk test throughout the runs. To avoid looking completely insane, I pretended that I was talking to Denali.

When it came time for that tempo run Thursday (4 by 1 mile tempo w/quarter-mile recovery), my legs were surprisingly springy and I ran sub-9s for the intervals on the treadmill - a first - and set a PR pace, as well. And, even better, I felt like I could have gone a smidge harder.

By Sunday's long run, I felt like a new woman. I ran a surprisingly fast 10 miles - and that was with constant reminders to not race the long run. I'm going to credit the ability to wear shorts and finally some new fuel, proper hydration (mmm, nuun) and a rediscovered route.

How do you recover from a race? Do you have favorite tips?

Spring Training: Week 13

Spring Training posts document my training for the Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon on March 30 and my "A" race, the Wisconsin Marathon half, on May 4.

The week, in training:

Monday: 3.25 miles
Tuesday: 6 Week 6 Pack Abs, Level 1 +  BODYPUMP (taught)
Wednesday: 3.2-mile run
Thursday: 4.1-mile run
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon
Sunday: Rest

◊ ◊ ◊

First off, can I get a prize for respecting the taper? I totally rocked taking it easy last week!

Highlights of the week: Pretty much every thing. I really enjoyed the extra rest last week as did my legs. My easy runs seemed so slow and yet two of the runs were sub-9 averages, which is really good for me. All of the runs were outside and during daylight, and the weather was just slightly warmer. I also ran two new routes - Run the Bluegrass (race review in the works), which I loved, and the towpath trail near my dentist's office that I wasn't so enamored with.

Lowlights of the week: Pretty much none.

Moving forward: I have just less than six weeks until the Wisconsin half and between reverse taper and taper, I only have a few weeks of real work. Even though I went plan-less, sort of, for Run the Bluegrass and did well, I feel like I need more guidance going forward. Especially in terms of consistent speed work, which I decided was the difference between this cycle and the training cycle that I did when I trained for my PR in 2010. 

There are tons of plans out there, as we all know, but I really like the "Train Like A Mother" plans, and I will be following the last few weeks of the Half Marathon: Own It plan. I was drawn to the fact that it will take me up to 15 miles and and has speed work based on minutes. I will have to include more cross-training that it recommends but I'm not worried as it's been a constant in my routine.

Taking care of business: I finally created a Facebook page for Healthy Strides. It would be great for you to "like" me, and I think it will be a nice way to interact with all of y'all.

Spring Training: Week 12

Spring Training posts document my training for the Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon on March 30 and my "A" race, the Wisconsin Marathon half, on May 4.

The week, in training:

Monday: Crunch "Fat Burning Yoga"
Tuesday: 5 miles + BODYPUMP (taught)
Wednesday: 4 miles, intervals
Thursday: 5 miles + Jillian Michaels' "Killer Abs," level one
Friday: Piloxing
Saturday: BODYPUMP (taught) + 8.18-mile run
Sunday: Jillian Michael's "Yoga Meltdown," level one

◊ ◊ ◊

It's the final countdown. Five days till I toe the line at Run the Bluegrass. Five days till I gauge my fitness for the Wisconsin half marathon. Five days till I sink my teeth into a big ole Sweet & Sassy Redhead cupcake.

Don't hate - a girl's gotta have something to look forward to! And, after five days of no sugar, that cupcake sounds mighty good.

Anyway, it would seem natural in a post five days out from a half-marathon to share my goals for the race but I haven't really got any besides the basic things - run strong, have fun, don't puke at the finish. I'm really just using this as a supported training run with a beautiful break in scenery that offers the opportunity to eat Southern fare and goetta.

Instead, I'll share with you 13.1 notes about my training in honor of the 13.1 miles I'll be running.

1. I've never been more thankful for Netflix streaming than I have this winter as I have relied on it for entertainment on my treadmill runs. I've watched "Downton Abbey" (not very conducive to a sweat session), "LOST," "The Peacemaker" and, last week, "Psycho." We watched the pilot for "Bates Motel" (so good) and I wanted to get the back story. Or the front story. Whatev.

2. I will listen to music, occasionally, on the treadmill. My favorite songs right now are Christina Aguilera's "Fighter" and "Don't You Worry Child" from Swedish House Mafia. However, I mostly listen to Pandora's Cardio Dance Channel

3. Despite logging a lot of miles on the treadmill, I have been outside about half the time - or more - and I have to say this winter stunk for running. We might not have had a lot of snow (during actual winter) but I don't remember a colder or windier or just plain blustier winter in some time.

4. After eating Swedish fish throughout my marathon training, I've returned to more traditional fueling sources. I've had Honey Stinger Chews, Sport Beans and Shot Bloks. I'm the biggest fan of Shot Bloks, and I have a pack of tropical punch for the race.

5. The one thing that has been off is my hydration. I hate carrying water when it's cold outside, even with a handheld. The water freezes up and my hand is cold and the bottle throws off my balance. Unless Mark joins me with the stroller for 4 miles or I do loops, I have been guilty of doing long runs sans hydration. I definitely need to step up in this department and get things straight for Wisconsin.

6. I have made it through the plan without having to buy new shoes but my Nike Structure Triax now have 400+ miles on them, and I can tell they are ready to go. I'll be hitting the running store for some new kicks next week.

7. I also wear a pair of Nike Lunarfly 3's for lighter runs. Just so you know.

8. I always thought of myself as a 4-day-a-week runner, and I'm beginning to think that I'm more of a 5-day-a-week runner. I really like hitting higher mileage and combining a short run with some longer stretching or plyo workout .

9. Despite going to five days of running, it is still my rule not to run more than three days in a row. Hence why I only ran four times this week.

10. I have not pushed the stroller once during this training cycle. If I do a loop with the boys, Mark is a gentleman and volunteers for BOB duty. (Truth be told, I don't think he wants to deal with Denali pulling.)

11. I'm fairly certain that I have not lost a single toenail this cycle, which is incredible. I am not going to rule it out after the race, though.

12. I had been worried that I would have to give up dairy during this training cycle as I did during marathon training but everything seems to be OK. I've only had one incident, and it was after eating eggs pre-run. Not smart. Not smart at all.

13. And another thing I haven't done? I haven' intentionally carb-loaded for long runs. I probably eat enough carbs on a daily basis that I don't need to make a conscious effort to eat more.

13.1. I love running even when I don't like, and I feel blessed and thankful that I can do it.

Let's do this!

Spring Training: Week 9

Spring Training posts document my training for the Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon on March 30 and my "A" race, the Wisconsin Marathon half, on May 4.

The week, in training:

Monday: TurboFire Stretch 40 + 3 miles
Tuesday: Unplanned rest (stomach bug)
Wednesday: 25 minutes TurboFire + 20 minutes strength
Thursday: 1 mile + led circuit class (only did cardio) + taught BODYPUMP
Friday: 5 miles
Saturday: BODYPUMP (taught)
Sunday: 9.25 miles, long

◊ ◊ ◊

I am a monster. A green-eyed, jealous monster. 

I will look at other people's training logs and lust over high mileage and intense speedwork sessions. I see how fast other people go and long to be a glimmer of what I used to be. I talk to people who qualify for Boston and silently sulk that the only way I'll ever be able to run the capstone Boston Marathon is to do it wearing a charity bib.

It's terrible. I'm terrible. And I feel terrible that I think I'm terrible. 

But, the other day, I had an epiphany of sorts. Or a cup of coffee with an amazing, radiant woman.

I write a column of sorts for the paper called What's Your Workout? and I profile area residents and - you guessed it - their exercise routines. I started it in an effort to show people that the average Joe (or Jane in this case) can accomplish amazing things with the same demands that we all face. This month's column was about a marathon runner who recently qualified for the Boston Marathon. She didn't wake up one day, decide to run a marathon and lucked out that she "naturally" runs 7-minute miles and qualify in one attempt. Instead, she worked hard, worked her way up in distance, incorporated cross training and ran FOUR marathons before coming in under 3:45.

I was completely awestruck as we talked. It wasn't just her determination but her balance in dedication to training, being a mother (you should see her face light up when she mentions her daughter's name) and raising awareness for a good cause. You see, not only is she a great athlete, she is a cancer survivor and is now campaigning for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Woman of the Year on behalf of a 3-year-old boy with blood cancer. Just as she picked a lofty goal in Boston, she has in the campaign: to raise $100,000 for research. You know I rarely talk about donating money but here's her blog and a link if you are interested in reading more.

Anyway, back to running. While we were talking, I asked her what her motivation was and how she found it in her to get up at 4:15 to work out. Her response? If you want it bad enough, you'll do it.

And that's what I have to ask myself: What do I want and do I want it bad enough to put in the WORK? (Yes, WORK earns an all caps designation here.) I can get up earlier if I want to log higher mileage. I can learn to be more uncomfortable in my runs to push harder in training. I can do more than what will get me across the finish. If I want it.

I don't have the answer to the question, and I'm really trying to think about it this week. To search that heart of mine to decide what it's craving and what it needs.

Spring Training: Week 8

Spring Training posts document my training for the Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon on March 30 and my "A" race, the Wisconsin Marathon half, on May 4.

The week, in training:

Monday: TurboFire Stretch 40 + 3.5 (very windy) miles
Tuesday: 5 miles, "tempo" + ZWOW
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: 5 miles, progression + corporate wellness class (taught)
Friday: 4.05 miles
Saturday: BODYPUMP (taught)
Sunday:12 miles, long

◊ ◊ ◊

I've whined. I've complained. I've gotten mad. All because my training wasn't where I wanted it to be, wasn't going the way I wanted to go.

And then came last week.

Though far from perfect -- because a run where you nearly get lost in a cemetery while listening to an Another Mother Runner podcast makes that nearly impossible -- the week went better. Much, much better. I added a fifth run, a "recovery" one of sorts, and got in 5-milers twice.  worked with weights three times, and I definitely felt the burn of my circuit class - even if it wasn't fun. I hit nearly 30 miles, which I'm not sure I've ever done when training for a half-marathon.

And, I had a stellar long run. Like, super stellar.

My goal of late has been to inconvenience Mark as little as possible when it comes to long runs. I've squeezed them in on personal days, gotten up at 5 a.m. to run 9 miles on the treadmill and did 11 miles during week 7 while Miles was napping. It worked out so well then that I thought I'd try it again with my 12-miler.

Of course, we all know how well Miles napped this weekend.

And so Mark and I found ourselves at noon Sunday trying to "kill" an hour until we thought we could put Miles down. I was dressed to go and the weather was nice and Mark had only had two pieces of pizza for lunch ... and well, why not go for a run as a family, I thought. Mark was a bit more trepidatious (because of the pizza) but obliged and so we set out for our first family run since Christmas.

I told Mark it would be a very slow four miles as I warmed up but we trotted along our normal route at a comfortable pace, one that should have probably worried me just a tad. However, it was so nice to have some company, to hear Miles point out the dogs and feel my legs moved that I went with it. I could always take it a tad slower when I finished up on my own.

But after Mark and Miles retreated inside (and I making a quick potty stop), I continued on at nearly the same pace as I trucked down a semi-busy street toward a greenway trailhead. I figured I'd go with it for the next four miles and slow it down the last four.

But as I rounded into the park for the last set, I kept seeing an 8:xx pace on my watch. It was unreal. While I felt like I was pushing, I didn't think I was doing that (and truth be told, I wasn't - the MOTOACTV is a big tease) and so I soldiered on with the gusto of someone who had something to prove. Something to show herself.

As I reached my block, I was tired. I was feeling the effort of a harder 12-mile run. And, yet, I felt the urge to push. To give it one last go.

I pressed "end workout" at 12 miles on the nose in 1:52 and some change.

I walked in the door smiling - and saw two smiling faces as well - and told Mark for the first time this training cycle, I felt like maybe - just maybe - I might be able to give my PR a run for its money.

Spring Training: Week 7

Spring Training posts document my training for the Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon on March 30 and my "A" race, the Wisconsin Marathon half, on May 4.

The week, in training:

Monday: 3 miles, treadmill
Tuesday: ZWOW 44
Wednesday: 4.3-mile run, attempt at intervals
Thursday: 4.2-mile run + living room circuit
Friday: Rest
Saturday: BODYPUMP
Sunday:10 miles, long

◊ ◊ ◊

 To describe my training of late, I can use three words: sick, tired, frustrated.

I battled a sinus infection or cold for most of last week, and its remnants are still lingering in my body.

The blocked sinuses became a nagging cough, and I slept on the couch for most of last week as to not disturb anyone else's slumber.

My paces are slowing. Big time. Whatever gains I had made and saw to fruition when I PR'd the 10K in December, I'm fairly certain have disappeared. I'm running slow, heavy and out of breath.

It sucks. And I'm incredibly unhappy though resolved, if anything, to try to push through this effer of an obstacle.

Spring Training: Week 6

Spring Training posts document my training for the Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon on March 30 and my "A" race, the Wisconsin Marathon half, on May 4.

The week, in training:

Monday: 5 miles, treadmill
Tuesday: ZWOW 20 + 20 minutes of TurboFire
Wednesday: 4.64-mile run, outside
Thursday: ZWOW 7 + 5.32-mile run, outside
Friday: Rest
Saturday: BODYPUMP
Sunday: Rest (sick)

◊ ◊ ◊

It was another warmish winter day, one that made me long for the fake winter conditions of last year. It was mid-30s, clear and and the snow was all but melted. A February day I could not let slip by me - not without a run.

As Mark cleared up dinner, I threw on a pair of capris and my Brooks Nightlife half-zip. My Nikes were laced as dinosaurs took over the living room. I wrangled my watch from a pair of inquisitive hands and turned it on.

I was ready. And waiting.

At 6:55, those curious hands hugged me night-night. At 7 p.m., I was out the door, for a run. My reliable companion by my side.

Our run was nothing special. I wanted to do something "long-ish," enjoy the time on the pavement and log some exercise. I remember Denali was a bit sluggish, likely from a walk earlier that day and a lighter training schedule this winter. But he was happy to tag along and even happier to sprint to the finish.

It seems a bit odd to think that such an unremarkable outing - one I struggle to remember aside from MOTOACTV issues - will be my last with Denali for a while. Though my pooch seems to be improving at a rate far beyond our expectations, he is limited to leash-controlled bathroom breaks for seven days and subsequent exercise will likely be gentle and gradual.

When Mark and I were expecting the worse, one of my most selfish thoughts was: how can I run without Denali? I am a runner because of him. When he was an exuberant, enthusiastic puppy, I followed the Couch to 5K program because I wanted to be a good dog owner, exercising him regularly, and I figured it would be far less painful to run 3 miles in the cold than walk them. Since then, he has logged thousands of miles with me. I felt encouraged by him when I was pregnant and frustrated. I felt protected after an attack on the trail system. I am constantly inspired by his love for the run and willingness to take whatever he can get, when he can get it.

I plan many a runs when I can get him out for some exercise and I count on him for safety reasons. In fact, I am so accustomed to running with him that I often say "left" or "stop" out loud when turning corners or approaching an intersection even if I'm by myself.

And while many dogs can be a pain in the IT band to run with, Denali is an amazing athlete. He is focused, driven and well-behaved. He doesn't chase squirrels, bark at people or show aggression toward other dogs. In fact, I can count on one lobster claw how many problems he's caused on an outing and I would be lying if I gave him full blame for the incidents.

I already feel a bit lonely as I look at this week's weather forecast and mapping out the week's runs, knowing I'll be flying solo. But I know he'll be back in no time, and I'll have a renewed love of running with my pal.

P.S. Mark and I wanted to thank you for the kind words about Denali and the unkind words about the driver. I feel blessed and lucky to say that he is improving nearly every hour, and he is moving with little to no pain. Denali even wanted to go back to his routine of sitting in the yard, feeling the breeze blow through his fur as he stared at squirrels darting around the tree. 

Spring Training: Week 5

Spring Training posts document my training for the Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon on March 30 and my "A" race, the Wisconsin Marathon half, on May 4.

The week, in training:

Monday: 4.1 miles, outside
Tuesday: 4.78 miles; outside
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: ZWOW 31 (a.m.) + 3-mile run (p.m.)
Friday: 5 miles, intervals; treadmill
Saturday: ZWOW 22 + TurboFire 30
Sunday: 9 miles, long; treadmill

◊ ◊ ◊

My inclination is to use this sentence to wax on about the complexities of the weather but as I've done that time and time again, I thought I would spare you. Rather I will say this: Mother Nature threw me for a loop last week. A real figging loop. We had two gloriously warm (for January) days followed by another Arctic blast. And when I say blast, I mean it - wind gusts of 30 mph and just pure blusteriness.

I'm pretty sure I just made that last word up. Go ahead Merriam Webster, add it.

Anyway, back to the running ... the weather really messed with my schedule. I had been running indoors during the week, allowing me to quality control my quality runs. I did hills and intervals with set limits that didn't allow me to quit. On the weekends, I head outdoors with Denali. It was what it was, and I was settling into the groove. Or at least I had gotten in the habit of sleeping in a sports bra and shorts so I could hit the treadmill by 5:30 a.m.

With shorts-worthy temperatures, though, I knew I couldn't pass up the chance to pound the pavement ... even if it meant ditching a scheduled hill workouts. Long-time readers, or maybe even new ones (waves hi), probably know that I can be a bit stringent when it comes to following a schedule and I can get down on myself if I miss quality workouts or cut them short. And you might expect me to go on about how I'm going to suck it at Run the Bluegrass for missing the workout. But I'm not. Not this time.

I'll go ahead and spare you the annoyance of asking why and tell you that I know that other areas of my training are helping with hill work - specifically lunges and deadlifts. Today, alone, I did 100 lunges as part of ZWOW 20.

Rather than get boring and pretend I know things I don't, I'll tell you that I engage my hamstrings when I run on an incline just as I do when I perform lunges and deadlifts. My butt, too. (For real info: Read this.)

It only seems advantageous then to strengthen those hamstrings when I'm hanging out with Zuzana or doing BODYPUMP to help prepare for the Lexington half in March. I am no expert but a month+ of RAW and too much time on YouTube have introduced to me a number of variations on those exercises. These are my favorite and, again not as an expert, I think it could be worthwhile to pick two or three, incorporating 3 sets of 12 in regular resistance workouts.

• Alternating backward lunges
• Reverse curtsy lunges
• Weighted lateral lunge
• Propulsion lunge (explosive movement helps to build power; cue to 3:10 for demonstration)
• Single-Leg Russian Deadlift (Zuzana likes to add a squat with it) 
• Single-Leg Deadlif to Shoulder Press

Just a quick note - if you do a traditional deadlift, stick your butt back as you tip at the waist. I've seen some pretty wonky ways to do it when I teach BODYPUMP. So wonky I can't even explain it.  I just don't understand why you don't want to show people what you got.

Happy training.

Spring into Training: Week 4

Spring Training posts document my training for the Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon on March 30 and my "A" race, the Wisconsin Marathon half, on May 4.

The week, in training:

Monday: 3 miles, treadmill
Tuesday: 5 miles tempo, treadmill
Wednesday: 45 minutes on the elliptical + RAW class
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 4 miles hilles, treadmill
Saturday: BODYPUMP
Sunday: 8 miles, long, outside

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Ladies and gents, I have something different and possibly fun for you today. I was feeling inspired by Theodora of Losing Weight in the City and her vlog this weekend that I thought I'd try one to recap this week's training.

Let me know in the comments if you liked this or never want to see my face on camera again :)

Happy Monday!

Spring Training: Week 3

Spring Training posts document my training for the Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon on March 30 and my "A" race, the Wisconsin Marathon half, on May 4.

The week, in training:

Monday: 5.5 miles, hill repeats
Tuesday: 45 minutes on indoor bike
Wednesday: 4.25 miles, speed (6 x 400 repeats) + RAW class
Thursday: 7 miles
Friday: RAW
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Rest

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I thought I had everything planned perfectly. I skipped a rest day Tuesday, adding in a light cardio session; got up early to squeeze in my long run on Thursday; and hit all of my quality workouts, even the ones the universe tried to thwart. All I had to do was go for a short run after Miles went down on Sunday, and I would get everything I wanted - a solid week of training, quality time with my grandma and a limited-demand trip to Cincinnati.

There was just one thing I didn't factor into this whole plan: traveling with a toddler is exhausting, especially when you go it alone.

There's the  sleeping in a different bed, and the toddler who doesn't want to sleep in his different bed but your different bed. There's also the feeling a bit out of control with food consumption and, even worse, coffee. (A big thanks to my uncle who makes coffee morning, noon and night - literally!) There's trying to see everyone and be everywhere and doing it all on a toddler's schedule.

Oh, and making sure the toddler doesn't terrorize unsuspecting nursing home patients or unplug any oxygen machines. I might have missed a steady state run but I might have managed some sprints.

I might be whining but I promise that I'm not complaining. I designed my training plan so I could miss easy days. More importantly, I feel lucky that in our short trip we managed three visits with Grandma, three meals with my brother, a visit with my godfather, lots of quality time with my aunt and uncle with whom we were staying and short visits with another aunt-uncle pair and my mom's husband. 

Miles also had a good time, discovering a play shopping cart in my brother's basement (he bought a battery) and scoring lots of high fives, a lollipop and stuffed frog from the nursing home residents. I scored lots of coffee, Panera bagels and a couple pounds (more than likely).

But the best part was seeing Miles giving Grammy kisses and him bringing her a book to read.

It's been a rough couple months, uncertain of what was going on or just how serious it was, and it did me a lot of good to see her looking well and even getting a bit sassy. Let's just say she and her new roommate will not be BFFs. She seems motivated to work hard in therapy and get home, saying that by our next visit she'll be outta there.

And on that visit, we'll have the BOB because I learned I cannot run after 3.5+ hours in the car, meal preparation and cleanup. I might have thought I would be OK for "just" 3 miles on the treadmill but I was struggling to keep my eyes open at 6:45 and was in bed by 7:30.

Party. Animal.

Last week, I solicited questions about training and exercise. I am answering them this week - Tuesday or Wednesday more than likely. If you want to know something, fire away!

Spring Training: Week 2

Spring Training posts document my training for the Run the Bluegrass Half Marathon on March 30 and my "A" race, the Wisconsin Marathon half, on May 4.

The week, in training:

Monday: 4.5 miles, hill sprints (6 x 45 seconds at 7.0, 7% incline)
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: 4.25 miles, tempo + RAW class
Thursday: 8 miles
Friday: RAW
Saturday: Bodypump + 4-mile run
Sunday: 1.5-mile walk + 25 minutes (of 40) TurboFire stretch

◊ ◊ ◊

I've written about five different versions of this blog, trying to expand on one aspect of last week's training. But my brain is tired and so is my body, especially after 5.5 miles of hills on the treadmill this morning.

Tired Kim = Bad, uninspired writer.

Trust me. I nearly wrote an ode to Dairy Queen ice cream cake and medium long runs, which, as you can see, are decidedly missing from this week's log.

So help a girl out. Get up with Miles tomorrow morning and go to work for me and I'll ... ha. Just kidding. Ask me some questions - about my training for the upcoming races, BODYPUMP, cross training, whatever.

I look forward to answering them (and being more clever next week).