I just can't get enough challenges!

I love me a good challenge. Which is why I love running so much - because it's so challenging. There's always another level to push yourself toward. Er. Toward which to push yourself. Ack. Technically, one is not supposed to end a sentence with a preposition, but sometimes the "correct" wording just sounds so snooty. I do not have a winter home in the South of France, and I don't own a collection of expensive artwork, so therefore I shall end sentences with prepositions if I so choose. And I would like to point out that Grammar Girl agrees with me. So now let us continue our discussion of challenges, shall we?

With running (and fitness in general) there is always the opportunity to challenge oneself. And beating a challenge is the ultimate reward for all that hard work. Whether it's finishing a marathon, or breaking a 4-minute mile, or being able to do one push-up, or 100 push-ups, or qualifying for Boston, or *insert goal here*, when the goal is finally met, the feeling of pride and accomplishment is like nothing else. And if you happen to get a shiny medal for it, even better! (Have I mentioned that I'm a sucker for a cool medal? I have? *ahem* Well, it probably won't be the last time... Just sayin')

So what are my personal challenges? Well, as you may recall, I joined the Runner's World Challenge Team not too long ago. The opportunity to take advantage of their pre- and post-race support (specifically, the private bathrooms), special training tools and online forums, and the possibility of meeting Bart Yasso, made it impossible to pass up. Is it really a "challenge" if I was already going to run this marathon anyway? Well, no. And yes. You see, yesterday I received my official Runner's World Challenge gear (see photo below). Including my official Runner's World Challenge technical shirt. Now I'm representing a team. So in a way, it adds to the challenge I had already placed on myself, because Runner's World wants and expects me to do well. And, because if I'm going to use their private bathrooms, the least I can do is finish the darn marathon.


But that's not the only challenge I have going for this marathon. Because just running a marathon isn't enough of a challenge *insert crazed laughter here*, I have also signed up for the Pump N Run Challenge. The Pump N What, you ask? Allow me to direct you here for a good explanation. Basically, it is an upper body strength challenge that can earn one a reduction in one's marathon run time. Not officially of course. In other words, I don't think the Boston Athletic Association will allow me to qualify for their famous marathon if my actual marathon run time is 5:15, but I bust out enough bench presses to get a Net Run Time of 3:45. But I am extremely curious as to just how much "time" I can shave off my marathon time.

For my age and gender class, I will have to bench press 60% of my body weight, which is really quite heavy (not because I'm particularly heavy, but because that's more weight than I would typically use for bench press - that's a weight that requires a spotter). So I'm training for the Pump N Run Challenge by lifting heavy weights (for upper body) and doing straight-legged push-ups as a substitute for heavy bench press. What is my goal for the Pump N Run Challenge? Well, I'd like to get at least a Bronze Medal (10 reps). I think I'm going to have to work pretty hard to get there, though. Good thing I still have over a month to train!

I have plenty of other challenges to look forward to after this marathon as well: Continuing my Steamboat Classic streak (this year will make the 5th year in a row I've run it). Finishing my first ever Warrior Dash. Raising money for the Organization for Autism Research as I train for the Chicago Marathon. Running a sub-5:00 marathon in Chicago (this one has me quakin' in my LunarGlides). Running a new 5k PR. Running a new half-marathon PR. I may not meet all of these challenges - they wouldn't be very challenging if they were all easily attainable.

Now, if anyone else has any other challenges to throw at me, I'm all ears. I don't accept every challenge that comes my way, especially if it's not realistic (i.e., don't challenge me to qualify for Boston 'cuz it ain't gonna happen). But I do like the opportunity to push myself. Especially if there's a cool medal involved.

Peace. Love. Train.

Spring FAST: The Musical

Tonight was the first meeting of Spring FAST. That's Fun And Smart Training for those of you who may have forgotten. Don't forget again. There will be a pop quiz.

We had our run in the cemetery today, which is the typical location for Speedwork Tuesdays. (In contrast, the typical location for Hillwork Thursdays is the monstrous Glen Oak hill - but we'll get to that one on Thursday. Patience, dear readers.) Getting back to Speedwork Tuesday... We began our workout with a little over a mile warmup, jogging into the cemetery. Then things got interesting. Bekah, one of our coaches, then led us in a series of "dynamic movements" to further warm us up. There we were, about a dozen of us, in the cemetery, doing things in unison such as sideways running, high knees, butt-kickers, and zombie walks. (Zombie walks are so appropriate for the cemetery, don't you think?) We looked like we were all dancing in a big musical number. So naturally that's when I started singing "Everything's Coming Up Roses". Naturally.

Later, one of our coaches, Bekah, informed us all that she knows the Thriller dance, and demonstrated her superior mastery of the moves for us. Interesting. Perhaps everyone in FAST should learn the dance. I would be willing to capture a FAST group Thriller dance on video and share it with you all if there's enough interest. So... if you want to see Team FAST perform Thriller, post a comment. With enough peer pressure, I bet we can talk them all into it. hehehehehe...

On to the actual run: I got a bit of a break tonight, owing to the fact that this is a recovery week for me. So while others did 4 x 1 mile repeats, I only had to do 2 x 1 mi. I did them somewhere between 5k and 10k pace, with 2 minutes of rest between. Then I added on an extra shorter repeat just for the fun of it (and because I didn't want to stand around and get all cold while everyone else was still running). I believe my pace during the mile repeats was about 9:30-9:45-ish. Not too bad considering even the "flat" parts of the cemetery are hilly.


In other news.... Several of my FAST teammates and I have decided to run the Lincoln Memorial Half-Marathon this weekend. I was supposed to do a 14 mile training run on Saturday, so doing a half-marathon is basically just as good, so long as I don't try to race it hard. The race runs through Springfield, Illinois and passes some historic sites associated with Abe Lincoln, including his grave site. It's a race and a history lesson all rolled into one! This will be my first race since the Screaming Pumpkin last October - it will be good to pin on a race bib and a timing chip again. I can use this race to fine-tune my pre-race and race strategies. And the best part of all is that the finisher's medal is a GIANT PENNY! I'm a sucker for a cool medal.

Peace. Love. Train.

Ignoring the voices inside my head...

...can be exceptionally difficult to do when they are screaming at me to stop. I became intimately acquainted with the mental aspect of marathon training today. There's always a bit of a mental aspect to any long run - like trying to tell yourself that running outside in the freezing rain is good for you. But today's 20-miler went far beyond that.

I started the morning like I would for any other long run... Got up early and had my standard pre-long-run brekkie (oatmeal, banana and hot tea). I even used my lucky Harry Potter mug. Don't scoff. It's a very cool mug (given to me by my even cooler friend, Robin). Look what it does when you pour hot water into it:


I checked the weather forecast - it looked perfect: sunny and above freezing. I was ready to manage some mischief for 20 miles. Or so I thought.

I had planned out an extremely hilly route (over 1000 feet of climb). Not because I enjoy pain, but because of specificity of training. My marathon will be hilly. The best way to train for that is to run hilly runs. Pretty much all of my long runs have incorporated lots of hills, so it wasn't a new thing for me. I honestly wasn't too concerned about the hills. I have developed a complex technical strategy for running hills that works well for me - I slow down when going up, and speed up when going down. Okay, I didn't say it was genius. But the basic premise is conservation of energy - keep it easy on the ups, use gravity to my advantage on the downs, and be left with more energy later on.

And so this is what I did. Usually, my routes tend to flatten out a bit after about 8-10 miles. This route did not. The flattest part was the last 3 miles. By then, I was already beyond exhausted. I started to doubt myself at Mile 13, because I had basically just run 13 solid miles of rolling hills with a very stiff wind to contend with (and we all know how I feel about wind). At Mile 15, I reminded myself that I only had 5 miles to go, but it still seemed impossible. I kept waiting to get my second wind. It never came. Every uphill, no matter how small, was a battle. The wind always seemed to be against me. My legs did not want to go anymore. Thoughts of self-doubt and failure flooded my mind. I wondered how I would ever run this marathon when I wasn't even sure I could get through this 20-miler. I wondered why this run seemed exponentially harder than my 18-miler last weekend. I wondered what I had done wrong. I wondered if I would even be able to finish, or if I would have to call someone to come and get me. The negative thoughts gnawed away at my confidence, which just made me feel more exhausted.

This is the mental aspect of the marathon. There was absolutely nothing wrong with my legs or my feet. They were tired, but otherwise okay. I knew I had the ability to do this, but I would have to will myself to do it. My brain wanted to tell my body to quit, but I had to tell my brain to shut up and let me run. As the cliche goes, I dug deep. With 3.5 miles to go, I played mental games with myself, telling myself to "just get to that Stop sign up there..." and "Okay, now get to that white mailbox". With 2 miles to go, I started to see the light at the end of the tunnel. With 1 mile to go, I was finally out of the wind which instantly boosted my spirits. With 1/2 mile to go, I could physically see the end (the Tower in Peoria Heights). I did not have anything left in me for a final push. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Zero. But I finished. I won the mental battle.

I'm still not sure of my ability to run this marathon. Not after today's run. I am fairly certain there's no way I could've done another 6.2 miles today. However, I have one more chance to run 20-22 miles in two weeks. Next weekend is a much-needed recovery week, and I will "only" be running 14. I need this recovery. I think part of the reason today's run was so hard for me was because I have been steadily increasing my mileage for the last 3 weeks and, well, it's hard on the body. So bring on the recovery week, I say!

And it's worth noting that today's run wasn't all bad. Indeed, my lucky Harry Potter mug brought me much luck. First of all, I didn't trip and fall like a goon. Secondly, I saw people I knew along the way (including my husband, who was getting ready for his own run, and a coworker, who honked at me and rolled her window down and waved excitedly at me). Third, I didn't have to deal with any unusual pains or injuries - my sesamoids kept quiet. Fourth, aside from the wicked wind, it really was a nice day. And finally, I finished!

For all my geeky followers, here's my run map and data. Will I run this hilly route again? Probably. But first, I will have TWO cups of tea from my lucky Harry Potter mug.


Peace. Love. Train.