What Can Make You Run Faster?

I set out on my "long" run this weekend - about 6.4 miles. At a point when I was about three miles away from home, I got a call from my husband, saying that he had managed to lock himself and our toddler out of the house. They had left for the park when I set out on my run and he forgot to take his house keys with them. Whoops!!!! Unfortunately, I was three miles away, with no way to get home quickly! I just had to run! :) At least it made me pick up the pace a little bit (that and being chased by a bee during the last mile!). What a workout! Not my longest run -- but definitely some of my quicker miles there at the end! Now if I can just do double that, I should be ready for August!!! :)

8 Miles!

Although it still seems partly unbelievable (but is true ... I have witnesses), I got up early to run EIGHT miles this morning. I woke up feeling not too hot -- but told myself I should just get out there & do the best I could. Most of the routes I've been running are there-and-back routes, so I figured if I wasn't feeling up to the whole eight miles once I got going, I could always turn back early. Not so. Once I got there I found out we were running a big loop around part of Mission Bay - through Tecolote Shores, past Sea World, up Ingraham Street and then back through PB. So once I started, I would have to finish. I expected to fall waaaaaaaay back -- but surprisingly, I was able to keep up! I was ridiculously impressed with myself! (Let me remind you that I'm the girl who, six months ago, would have balked and said "no thanks!" to any suggestion of running a single mile.) I think I owe a lot to the jogging stroller I spend most of my runs pushing. It's clearly been adding some oomph to some of my shorter runs - because I'm feeling MUCH better after my 8 mile run than I did after my 7 mile run a few weeks back (I even spent the next few hours trucking all over Sea World!). What a fun way to start the weekend!!! It feels GREAT! :)

Lake Murray Kicked My Butt!!!

I naively assumed that because I was able to run 7 miles the other weekend, that I would have no problem whatsoever with a 6 mile run around Lake Murray. Let me just say that a totally flat 7 mile run on my own is a LOT different than a 6 mile run on a more hilly course with a toddler in a jogging stroller. A LOT different. Granted, there aren't enormous hills around the lake path -- but they sure FEEL pretty enormous after five miles of running with a stroller.
The first two miles of any run aren't really fun for me. By the third mile I'm a little more into the running groove. When we hit the turnaround point in the run, I was feeling pretty good -- we'd run the whole way at a good pace (considering the uphill jags) - stopping only twice really quickly: once for me to take B's sweatshirt off & once for me to give him a juice box. The way back was pretty rough -- my legs and butt were in PAIN from pushing B up the hills (which I admit I was probably trying to do too quickly just to get to the next blissful downward turn). And I will reiterate for anyone who says the hills aren't very big and shouldn't be a problem: try it with a stroller. ALL of it. ALL six miles. Ouch, ouch, ouch. If I didn't have my jogging stroller, there's no way we would have made it. We'd probably still be sitting out there, me collapsed on the side of the path while Billy chased the ducks around.
Billy did great on the run. I think he started to get a little restless towards the end -- but it had been more than an hour of running -- so he was a GREAT little companion. The juice box entertained him for awhile - -as did all of the dogs we passed and all of the other runners & walkers out at the lake. He would wave and say "hi" to everyone we passed & everyone thought he was just adorable! We saw a few other kiddies out in jogging strollers -- and lots of little old couples going for their morning stroll, and plenty of super-fit athletes springing past us like gazelles.
I think we'll definitely attempt it again...... someday......... after my body forgives me for putting it through the agony. I had to cut my Tuesday run down from 3.5 miles to 2 miles (not all of which I ran) because my legs were still just SO SORE -- they didn't want to run.
But we did it -- last time I attempted Lake Murray my sister & I walked (with B in his regular stroller) and we turned back around the 2.5 mile marker -- this time B & I ran all the way. :)

MUST. HAVE. JOGGING. STROLLER.

I am happy to say I'm the proud new owner/operator of an awesome jogging stroller.
I had previously been taking Billy along on my runs in his regular stroller. While it's a pretty cool stroller - it's not a jogging stroller. Since I'd already made a hefty investment in my running shoes (and super custom insoles to support my ridiculously high arches), I wanted to put off spending more money on a second stroller until I really convinced myself (and my husband) that I was serious about this new running hobby.
I was starting to get frustrated running with Billy's stroller. I felt like 4 miles with it was my absolute MAX. It was heavy, cumbersome, bumpy -- the weight of it made it impossible to get enough momentum going to actually run uphill, and I always walked down any inclines too, worried that I would trip & fall & the stroller would go flying down the hill with little B trapped inside. So it was partly an argument in favor of my increasing fitness and partly an argument in favor of our son's safety that finally won me my own jogging stroller.
Since I was a little uncomfortable spending $300 or more on a stroller that could end up being only mildly better than the one I had been pushing so far - I started checking out Craigslist to see what we could find. After a few days of searching, I found one that was decently priced that looked like a good find - and my super-nice hubby drove halfway to Arizona to pick it up for me ("halfway to Arizona" = East County).
The night he brought it home we put B in it after his bath and took a spin around the living room. Billy LOVED it. He was giggling and laughing the entire time. He spent the rest of the night climbing back up into the stroller ask asking for more rides around the house. I think the fact that he's seated further forwards in this one & the fact that it doesn't have the little tray for his snacks & toys makes him feel like he's really flying full-speed ahead -- like an "extreme" stroller ride. :)
I spent all day yesterday looking forward to our run. I had a 3.5 mile run planned on our traning calendar. It took me about a mile to get used to the fixed front wheel - but after that it was smooth sailing. And I mean SMOOTH!!! Wow. The stroller literally glided across the pavement. It was amazing. I hardly even felt like I was pushing it. It's balanced perfectly. I was truly amazed to discover that I could actually run uphill with it too..... it's so much lighter than the other stroller! It also has a hand-brake that completely enables me to control the stroller running downhill. Amazing. I feel like I've hit the stroller jackpot! The stroller even came equipped with a pedometer that tracks my mileage & my speed -- no more need to take the same familiar routes each day because I've calculated the distance on each different loop around the neighborhood. I love it. We actually ended up going five miles yesterday (well.... 5.6 if you include the trip back from the park to our house at the end). I felt like a super-star!!!
Bill told me that he got to chatting with the guy selling the stroller when he picked it up & both the seller and his wife are former Navy veterans who each served two tours of duty in Iraq. So I feel like I totally got an EXTREME stroller. How can I not kick-butt when my stroller has awesome vibes like that?!
I'm also totally jazzed because I honestly thought I wouldn't be able to do anything more than a 4 mile run with the B-monster. But with the jogging stroller I feel like I could do ten! :) Providing he doesn't get totally bored, of course.....
YAY! :)

There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly....

..... and she and I have a lot in common. While running with Binky in the stroller the other day, I was racing along and all of a sudden a BUG flew into my MOUTH (although I'm sure he'd argue that my mouth ran along and snatched him up)!!! ICK!!
My first running casualty.
I immediately started choking and spit the little bugger out! Fortunately Billy had a juice box he was sipping away on in his stroller (which I always bring along in case he gets fussy --- he loooooves juice boxes). I grabbed it and swished some juice around in my mouth to rinse out the buggy-ness (blah).... but to anyone driving by, I must have looked like some horrible shrew of a mother, stealing my son's only juice box on the side of the road.
Whoops.
:)

7 Miles! Yay!

My longest run ever (again!). I had the chance to run with some of my "serious" running friends - and I took the challenge, not quite sure I'd be able to keep up OR to keep running the entire distance. We met up at Harbor Island at 7 a.m. Saturday morning and ran along San Diego Bay into downtown. I remember being totally exhausted, keeping a lookout for our halfway point as we passed the cruise ships & docking areas .... but had to remind myself that the halfway point was just that -- HALF way -- and I still had to run all the way back.

I was seriously worried I was totally going to embarrass myself and have to stop and walk & be left in everyone's dust (not to mention the fact that I LOOKED like a total beginner with my cotton jogging clothes, my husband's baseball hat & my VitaminWater in hand).

But I made it! Granted - I did slow down a bit near the end - especially the last mile -- but I didn't stop & totally made it! I still can't really believe I did it (although my super-sore legs & butt remind me that I definitely did!). It feels awesome to be hitting new milestones & accomplishing new goals. It definitely boosted my confidence & made me feel like I can TOTALLY be ready for a half marathon in August! :) I'm feeling good!

Oh.... and I actually said the following sentence in all seriousness earlier this week: I only ran 2.5 miles.

I ONLY ran 2.5 MILES!!!!!

Amazing that those words came out of my mouth given than two months ago I don't think I had ever even run 2.5 miles at once! :)

I'm awesome!

I ran 6 miles last Sunday -- AFTER a day strolling around the Wild Animal Park. Personal best! Whoo Hoo!!!! What a difference running without the stroller makes! I had just enough energy left afterwards for my (also awesome) happy dance!!!!!

So, let it be known -- it's official: I'm awesome!!!

The whole time I just kept thinking that if someone had told me two months ago that I'd be out on a six mile run I would have never believed it -- not when the prospect of actually running the whole way around the block would have made me want to keel over!!!

So...... go, me! Awesome, awesome me!!! :)

On a related note: my butt hurts!!!!!!

Starting Off On My Butt

I was going to say that I was starting off on "the wrong foot" (ha ha)... but in truth, I haven't really been running that well on either foot. I took it a little easy while breaking in my new super-awesome running shoes ... and then my little running companion (my 14-month-old) came down with a fever for a few days & I just didn't think he was up for being out & about with me. So, I've been slacking off for the last two weeks. I finally got myself out for a totally un-impressive 2 miles on Thursday after work -- and then a much better 4 mile run Sunday morning. The Sunday morning run was GREAT. We woke up and I gave Billy some breakfast and we went out for a run around the neighborhood while his dad went to run an errand and grab some coffee (and a yummy iced chai for me!). The day was just warming up & the air smelled like the nearby ocean! It was BEAUTIFUL!!! I'd love to get up next weekend and go running down at the bay -- but I'm not quite sure I'm up for being among the hardcore runners out there!! I'm going to try to stick to my training schedule a little bit better this week, with a three-mile run on Tuesday & Thursday, a 2 mile run on Wednesday & a 4.5 mile run on Sunday. :) I need to step up my game!

My New Shoes!!!

It seems to be universally agreed upon that the most important decision any new runner can make is picking out the right pair of running shoes. One of my marathon-running friends pointed me in the right direction & sent me over to Road Runner Sports to get some guidance on choosing the right shoe. Like any girl, I love shoe shopping ~ but I never imagined shopping for athletic shoes could be so fun.... or so educating.

The first thing I did when I arrived at the store was get set up with my own free personal foot evaluation. I totally recommend this to everyone. It was so interesting. First they measure your feet (an obvious task for any shoe store) and ask you some questions about your running regimen (where you run, how often you run, what your goals are... etc.) and your current shoes & fitness (injuries, sore ankles... etc.). Then they have you stand on a mat that evaluates how your weight is distributed across your feet when you stand. This evaluates your arches, your balance & your center of gravity. It's pretty cool to see. They have it pop up on giant screens in 2D and 3D models for you to look at & explain it all to you as you go. I put almost all of my weight on my left heel. Seems strange.... but now that I think about it, I guess that really is how I stand. Consequently, my center of balance is way off to the left. I have super-high arches, which I've always known... but my arches & most of my toes were actually not even registering on the mat -- so funny. My footprint looked toe-less!!

After the balance & weight measurements, they throw you on a treadmill and video-tape your feet as you run. Once they have a good recording, they pull you off and you watch your stride in slow-motion (again, on giant screens) with them to pick out some further details. For example, they watch the way your Achilles tendon lines up when you step onto it and how your feet either line up, or turn inwards or outwards when you step down. Pretty cool. My feet turn out a bit. I've always known this. I've tried to run with them straighter ... to no avail. But the guy at the store said that's fine... outward turning feet are no problem and don't need to be corrected, it's just how I run. (YAY!!!)

I ended up getting fitted for some custom insoles, which was pretty neat too... they melt them down and mold them to your feet while you rock around on little cushions. Then I was off to try on some shoes.

My foot analysis put me in the "Neutral" shoe category .. although since I told the guy I was training for a half-marathon, he suggested a "Neutral Plus" shoe, which would be more durable and long-lasting and should carry me through the race in August. The store has all their shoes organized by category so that you only need to look at the shoes that are right for your foot type (which is awesome.... other stores, like Sports Chalet, don't do this... I know.... I checked). I still felt lost looking at the wall of shoes in front of me in the "Neutral Plus" category... so I picked out a few and started trying them on. I didn't want anything that looked like astronaut shoes or had those crazy details that look like they're made out of licorice (you'd know what I mean if you saw them). In the end, I was deciding between a pair of Nikes and a pair of Asics. In the end, I went with the Asics. They were more comfortable.... and I'm assuming comfort is hugely important when you get into running the longer distances!! So I'm counting on that. They gave me a 60 day satisfaction guarantee & said if I run in them for the next 6 weeks and decide they're not right for me... I can always bring them back & switch them for the Nikes (how awesome is that!?!). Before I left, the salesgirl who fitted my new custom insoles into my awesome new "serious" running shoes reminded me that I shouldn't run in them for at least 3 days - but should wear them around as much as possible to break them in... especially with all the arch support my new shoes have. Good thing she told me, because I was ready to go running!!!

So I spent the rest of the night working on breaking in my new shoes. I ran errands in them & wore them all over the house. I have to admit, the insoles did start to feel better & better the longer I wore them. I'm very excited about my new investment. I thought I was taking up a "free" hobby (running). I didn't realize the proper gear was going to set me back..... but I definitely need the right shoes! :) I'm going to take B on a quick jog to the park after work today to further break them in. And then, tomorrow.... we run!!!

Off to a Pretty Decent Start

We did pretty good this week, if I do say so myself.

I went over to Sarah's with Billy Thursday night and we did another 3.5 mile run (including a pretty big hill). Sarah came over to my house again today and we did another 2 miles. Not bad, not bad! :)

Big "running" lesson learned this week: Running uphill + running into the wind + pushing a stroller = HARD!! :)

Pedometer Website

In the words of Billy, "Oh, wow!" I just found an awesome website that uses Google Maps to track your run, mileage & estimate your calories burned. Very cool.

www.gmap-pedometer.com

I tracked my super-awesome run from Monday that I was feeling really great about & I went 3.5 miles! WOW!!! That's a mile further than I thought I ran! Very cool. I also tracked the run that Sarah & I did last week & that was a total of 2.9 miles! I'm loving this map! It has definitely been saved to my "Favorites." Love it!

I also just got some great running & training advice from a real-life marathonner (thanks, Shane!) and am totally feeling like I'm getting off to a good start. I'm heading out after work today for another run (just a quick run because my booty is still sore!). Sarah is out of town - but we're going to try to do a nice big run on Saturday!

My Best Run To Date!!! :)

So I realize that if everything goes as planned & I'm continually successful at pushing myself - I will keep having "my best run to date" on a weekly basis over the next few months--- but I'm still pretty excited about it! Right around 2.5 miles (the "official" pedometer is still broken at this point). Not bad for pushing a stroller & running on hills. I'm definitely seeing the advantage in not running every day. It felt like a hard change to make -- I feel like I want to be out there jogging & pushing myself on the "off" days -- but all the training schedules I've looked at really advocate the importance of rest days & letting your poor old legs recover after a good run, so I've backed off & am trying to get out there every other day right now. The off-day schedule definitely works. I totally see the improvement in both my endurance & my speed. I actually felt like I could run much longer - but it was starting to get cold & dark and I had little B out with me in his stroller - so I ended up sprinting the last little bit home from the park.
I'm also definitely seeing the need for a recovery day after a decent run. My butt & my calves don't seem to want to let me WALK today - let alone go for another couple mile run after work(with a push up the *BIG* hill). And I actually remembered to do some really good stretching last night.
I'm trying to put together a training schedule for us to stick to for the rest of the month. I'm excited about finding different activities we can do on our "cross-training" adventures - like climbing Cowles Mountain, doing swimming pool workouts (with little B, of course) when the warmer weather hits & throwing in some yoga & pilates for core & strength training. Oh my gosh, I hope I can do this!!! :)

Suzuri Makamoto Strikes Again!

Suzuri Makamoto is the name Sarah has given both to Billy - and to an imaginary Japanese man trying to curse her (based on some strange dream she had last weekend, in which Billy revealed himself to be a wizened old man disguised as a toddler).

Anyway ~ we were supposed to be going out for our second run together this afternoon - but Sarah has come down with a horrible eye affliction (yet again) ever since our first run. I've been forbidden to share the pictures of her suffering in any public forum (this awesome blog included) but, in her own words, "Ever since our run, my eyes have been swollen near shut & I have been plagued with a terrible rash around my eyes." She just left the doctor's office & has been diagnosed with a severe allergic reaction (to something.....???) and has to visit an allergy specialist next week. Thankfully the doctor DID recommend EXERCISE! Whoo Hoo!!! Exercise & steroids -- ha ha -- I guess she'll be running 13.1 miles in no time! (She'll need the extra speed to stay one step ahead of Suzuri Makamoto - who seems to have armed himself with a good dose of poison oak!)

So we'll keep up our running... just not today! :(

Our First Official Training Run

Sarah came over to my house after work on Wednesday for our first official training run (because we're awesome)! :) Running shoes - check! Stretchy jogging pants - check! Pedometer - check! Motivation - double check!!!

We were off!! We set out with little B bundled up in his stroller, babbling & waving away as usual. We kept a pretty good pace & went my regular route around the neighborhood - including a grueling climb (even worse for whoever ends up pushing the stroller) up the Hill of Doom - a near vertical incline that feels almost insurmountable with both gravity AND Billy's weight working against you - but with a great view of Mission Bay as a lovely reward when you finally reach the top! Merciful Heaven knows there are days when I need the quick respite, especially when I climb the hill at the END of a good run - when I can take a break to "admire the landscape" or to bend down & try to point out to Billy the spot on the landscape below where mommy & daddy got married (I have my pride and can't let the neighbors in the big, hilltop homes see me looking too exhausted after tackling the hill).

Once we'd conquered the day's Everest - we jogged back down around to Tecolote Park so B could play & expend some energy of his own. I kept pushing Sarah on, saying, "Just jog to the corner. Now to the end of the passway. Now to the park. We're almost there." She was being hysterical, crying "Swing low, sweet chariot!" as we finally clammored up the walkway to the playground with B. She was such a sport -- either that or she's WAY more fit than I am - because I could NOT have done that jog on my first day out running!!!! We checked our "stats" when we had Billy swining away on the baby swing -- 1.45 miles. Woot! Not a huge amount - but definitely not bad!! Not bad at all - considering we're just starting out & were running on hilly terrain.

I'd love to know how far we went altogether - after we looped around the Tecolote Park baseball fields, up by the wilderness center (where Sarah claims to have spotted a creepy man heading off onto the hiking trails near dusk with a ski mask in hand), and back up around to the store for some celebratory Propel waters (Sarah: "I always enjoy a beverage treat!") and back to my house ---- BUT when I got home I realized my pedometer had broken! Curses!! The back & the batteries were totally missing. Too bad. Bill asked me if I re-traced my steps to find it & I told him I was exhausted & he was crazy -- no way was I going back out in the dark to scour the park for missing pea-sized pedometer batteries! And since he didn't gallantly volunteer to go back for me, we'll have to acquire something new..... although knowing Bill I'll end up with the old pedometer somehow held together by some concoction of duct tape and/or mechanical adhesive.

All in all - our first run together was a big success & we're now working on putting together our training schedule -- since we have more than 5 months until the big race (or "semi-big" race since it's a half) I'm confident we'll be able to conquer it!

My Pedometer & My Moment of Truth

So, I've been really thrilled with how far I've been jogging lately -- usually returning from a run, describing to my husband with grand gestures just how many blocks B & I ran around - both before & after our usual stop at the park.
I wanted to figure out exactly how far I've been running. My brainstorm idea was to go out in my car and drive around our usual route, tracking it on the odometer. Bill suggested I just use my pedometer. (Darn it -- I hate it when he clearly has the better idea!!) We had pedometers issued at work last year when they started a 10,000 Step-A-Day program for the employees. It was fun - but no matter how hard I tried I never won (I secretly suspect some employees set their pedometer settings too sensitive & were getting credit for their bumpy commute to & from work each day). I scrounged around in my desk drawers yesterday & found it! My old pedometer! The batteries were still working & everything! Yes! I felt like this was my first step towards becoming a *real* runner!!! I was going to put the pedometer to REAL use!
Despite having done a pretty decent run on Sunday, I came home from work Monday afternoon and harnessed B up in his stroller (a.k.a. chariot), put on my running shoes, snapped on my pedometer (feeling so much like a jogging pro) and set out...... we ended up going not quite as far as our usual route. It was a little extra cold. I wasn't "feeling it." We'd done a big run the day before (including a BIG hill) and my calves were hurting a bit. Excuses. Excuses.
We got to the park & I had B in the swing & took a second to check my pedometer while he smiled & waved at the other kids. Moment of truth........... 1.08 miles!!! 1.08 miles?!?! MOTHER EFF!!!!! How in the heck do people run marathons?! At that point, if you told me I had 25 times that to do I would have died. I would have just flat-out died right there in the park!!!
We had plans later that night - so we didn't even have time to take the long way home. A grand total of 1.45 miles. Sucktastic!!!!!

The Quest!!!

I've always been the kind of person who hates running... hates running... absolutely loathes running. I told my husband the other day it's probably because I grew up in Canada and was occasionally forced to run around the block in gym class during the most chillingly frigid weather, barely surviving the 1.1 k, slipping and sliding around on the ice in the freezing, icy cold! I dreaded it! Every inch of me would end up numbingly cold. And I hated it. Every single, horrible, frozen, frost-bite inducing second of it.
I have friends who run. I have friends who have always loved to run. I remember days spent at summer camps when they woke up early to jog around the lake while I slept in - snuggled up in my cozy bunk bed, praying for them not to be mauled by bears or victimized by wandering murderers or lurking molesters. I've never, ever understood the love of running. I even have friends who run marathons. Crazy, crazy, crazy marathon-running friends!! I've always personally been of the opinion that since the first ever recorded marathon runner immediately dropped dead, it's probably something that should be avoided. At all costs. I've always respected runners ~ but I've never understood it -- or wanted to be involved.
Fast forward a couple years - through a decade of anti-running. I'm not claiming I've been too lazy or incredibly un-fit. I love yoga, pilates, weight training, bicycling... anything but running!!!!!! Well.... now I presently find myself with a rambunctious little one-year old. As a working mom, I never (EVER) have a spare moment to myself. Well... that's not entirely true.. I have about a half hour every day after my son goes to sleep before I exhaustedly climb into bed - but I like to use that time to shower. :) I started taking him on walks when he was born. It was fun for him & great exercise for me -- just what I needed - a little bit of a workout that I could do with my son! Gradually that turned into a long walk, then a more aggressive walk - up bigger & better & more challenging hills. Then it turned into a jog. The first time I went jogging I didn't think I could make it half a block.... and I hardly wanted to try given my absolute loathing of running.... but I did. The next day I went further... and the next day further. The faster & further I went, the more fun my B (my baby boy) would have - tucked into his stroller, chattering & waving away.
Suddenly I'm loving the run! I'm shocked beyond comprehension to find myself looking forward to getting home from work, throwing on my running shoes & some stretchy pants and getting B out and about for a good run. It feels great. And we have fun. A year ago I would have rather drank poison than gone for a run (although... drinking poison might sound tempting to any mother of an 8 week old). But today I'm having fun. Each day going further & pressing harder! I'm proud of myself & setting new goals & challenges & looking good too!! (or so I tell myself - ha ha!!)
Today I may have successfully persuaded Sarah (my sister) to train for a half marathon this summer with me. I'm looking forward to the goal & looking forward to the challenge. Who knows what we've gotten ourselves into!!! We'll see what happens.... I might have to teach B how to dial my phone in case we end up collapsed on a roadway in sheer exhaustion somewhere. We'll see how far we can go!! :) (And if you get a cell phone call from B anytime soon.... immediately dial 911 & send a search & rescue team out to find me!)