The pleasure of finishing

Hello all,

    Now that I am getting into the deeper waters of my race training I am having a lot more time on the road with my thoughts so my blog posts will become more numerous. Hope you all are up for it. Today I want to talk to you all a little bit about how it feels when you finish your run or race or whatever. It doesn't matter if it is 1 mile or 100 miles, we all share the same experiences. This post isn't so much for my running friends because you all already know this feeling, but so many people have never been able to experience that perfect moment when you get to go inside and take your shoes off. I may talk a lot about how good it feels to be running, and sure there is a freedom and a peace that is unbeatable when you are out there just working your body as nature intended. I am not going to lie to you all though, it is tough. Damned tough! This sport can seriously kick your ass and beat you down. There is pain, blisters, and complete to the bottom of your soul exhaustion.

    I ran 11 miles this morning, to some that may seem like an unobtainable goal, and for others it is just a short easy stroll. For me, it is a challenging distance. I was pretty dog tired at the end of it, and even had to walk the last half mile or so because I was just beat down. It was hot and sweaty out there, and I lost 2 lbs of sweat despite drinking close to 2 liters of water. I wasn't fast but I left everything out there on the roads of backwoods Hammonton. Sometimes, this is not a sport for the weak of heart. After all that, I finished and unlaced my shoes. The fun wasn't over though, oh no. One moment may have ended but another perfect moment started.

     First, you get to unlace your shoes from your tired and weary feet. Its almost like you can feel them sigh in pleasure, and even more so if the run was long enough and you apply ice to them. Then you get to start refueling and replenishing. I like to have a little protein and a little sugar so today I chose a cliff bar and a iced coffee from Wawa (that last part I don't recommend though) As you sit there chewing and sipping, you can feel whatever you are eating start to enter your body. Some of it might even be imaginary but your weary muscles start to spring back to life and your mind begins to calm. You become one with your body and the inner workings of it. The endorphins haven't quite left your system yet, but the pain your body released them to combat has stopped and everything is a pleasure. Whatever you may be eating tastes like ambrosia from the gods and even the water from the purest mountain stream can compete with the taste of the tap water from my faucet after a long hot run. You are present in your body but elevated at the same time. Its like you are in touch with the best you that you could possibly be.

    Then comes the shower and the dry clothes, oh God, the dry fresh clothes. I could wax poetic about them for hours, how they feel on your skin as they slip over your head. Words can hardly do it justice for how amazing they feel. I won't though because I am getting pretty wordy here as it is. But I want to leave you with one final thought. If my talking about how good the running part feels never convinced you to lace up and join me, think on this idea. You will never get to feel how amazing it feels when you finish, and are on top of the world in mind and body. Positively brimming over with pride and pleasure. And how lucky am I, I get to do it all over again on Tuesday. Who is with me?

Slow Carb Experiment: Or how I leanred to stop worrying and love the sugar bomb

Hello all,
   As many of you know, I read the book "The 4 Hr Body" and decided to give the "Slow Carb" lifestyle a test run as it were. I believe there definitely is some merit to the diet. In the 5 days I did it, I lost about 3 lbs, which is a lot for me who generally loses 1 lb a week. That being said I just don't think it is a valid lifestyle for me. There are a number of reasons it didn't work for me. Being in training for a major endurance event is one of them. To do 10 mile runs you just need some quick carbs plain and simple. All eating beans before a run seemed to do for me was give me an upset tummy. This is especially not good if you are 3 miles away from your toilet.
    Another reason I wont be adopting it is because I just like white carbs. I have never been a depriving myself kind of girl. Sure I can do it for a few days, but in the long run I will lash out against it. For me, its good if I just try to strike the best calorie balance I can. I like having the flexibility to spend a little longer on the arc trainer and eat some ice cream that night.
     Finally I think my husband didn't appreciate the grumpy Heather he had to deal with from eating all those beans. I am unsure if the weightloss was based solely on the diet or more just  the fact I couldn't bring myself to eat more than about 1200 calories a  day of slow carb foods. I usually eat around 1700 calories and even more if I run over 6 miles. The verdict for me is, if you want to give it a shot, go for it. I just wont join you for a bean lunch tomorrow.

Lets hear it for the bad runs

    Good morning all. I have to tell you, today's run was not good. The plan was to do a simple 6 miler with my usual 4:1 ratio. Things started off well, but it was hot and humid out. I am suspecting the heat to have caused the tummy cramps that started about mile 2.5 of my run. I started adding in more walk breaks and tried to slow my pace down. I have been having some pacing issues the past few runs, where I am running much faster than I should and don't seem to be noticing I am doing it. It always seems to catch up with me after a few miles though, so it is a habit I need to work on.

   I seriously was considering cutting it short. Around mile 3 on my 6 mile loop there is a place I can cut through the woods and be home in a couple minute. I have used that cut-through on a couple of really rough runs in the past. I thought about doing it and almost had myself convinced to do it, but I didn't. I didn't make the turn and just kept running. Even if I ended up walking most off it, I really wanted to get the 6 miles in today. So I ran, then I walked, and then I ran a little more, and walked a little more. I am not going to say it  got any easier, but my personal satisfaction started growing. I was feeling proud of myself for sticking with it when giving up was so easy. When I was about a mile from home a flock of wild turkeys ran across the road in front of me. There were a few baby turkeys in the pack that were really cute. I wouldn't have gotten to see them if I had given up, or if I hadn't had to add in all the extra walk breaks. I would have been long past that area when the turkeys crossed the road. So something good did come out of the bad run. I sort of appreciate the bad run in a strange kind of way.

    I certainly didn't enjoy it while it was happening, but looking back on it now that I am showered and sitting in front of a fan I think some positive learning experiences presented themselves to me in this run. I think it really has driven home that I need to work on pacing and taught me a little lesson in self efficacy.

Come run with me.

    I thought it was about time I took you all on a little photographic tour of some of the places I run. These were all taken from my 9 miler this morning. It was a little overcast but a nice run all around. I love springtime, everything is so green. That is one of the great things about running, especially running as slow as I do. You get to really see all the sights. 


    The photo at the top of the page is of a strange  tractor thing I always pass. For some reason a lot of people in the town I live in like to decorate with rusty farm equipment. The picture to the right is of a pretty typical street I spend most of my miles on. Its nice to run in a fairly rural area because I don't have to contend with a lot of traffic.










 These two are of a horse farm I run by, the horsies were being anti-social today as were some pigs I also run by. I tried to get a picture of them, but they refused to leave their little pig houses. The other one is a wetland area. It is really pretty back in that area but very swampy.

    The last picture down at the bottom of this page is of the ubiquitous blueberry farms, you really can't leave my house in any direction without passing them. During the summer there is a lovely blue haze that covers the branches as they are weighted down with ripe berries. On more than one tun I have considered sneaking over there and a grabbing a couple to munch on.

  Well thanks for joining me in my virtual tour of my long run today. Any time any of you want to join me in real life you need only ask.

Those who push you when you wont push yourself

   I can't tell you how different it is having a running partner to run with. It is so easy to let the lazies kick in when you are just by yourself. The little voices of "I'm tired" or "My legs hurt" can talk you out of preforming the best you can. That is where the delightful power of friendship kicks in. If you are responsible to someone else you don't want to mess up their workout with you slow and lazies. So you in turn run a little faster than you would alone. Its easier to treat others well than it is ourselves. I can't recommend running with a friend enough.

   I also wanted to share a little mini victory with you all. I ran my fastest mile ever. It wasn't fast by anyone's standards than mine, but it means I am getting better as this little sport I have chosen. I have had a few false starts in the past but I have never in the shape I am in now. I can actually see myself doing well in some major distance races. If you can see it, you can do it. So I know I will do well in my future of this sport.

Seriously F'ed Up

    Wow time really slips by when you are procrastinating something. I have tried to write this post a few times, but not sure I could do it justice. This isn't going to be much about running and more about some heavy realizations I have come to.   I have finally gotten healthy enough mentally and physically to realize something: I am seriously fucked up. That's how fucked up I am, I resort to curse words to illustrate a point. Now I know some of you are rushing to defend me, but wait, you might change your mind in a moment. You are seriously fucked up too. Everyone I know is f'ed up. This entire country is thriving on it. We are all buying things we don't need on credit we can't pay back just to give the illusion we have it all together. In reality no one has it together, but we are trying so hard to present this illusion that everything is ok.

    I have been trying so hard to be perfect I was ripping myself apart, and I know I am not the only one. I know suburbia moms who are addicted to painkillers and mother's whose children drive them crazy. I have friends with eating disorders and others who quietly cry themselves to sleep. I think that is why we love shows like Real Housewives, because these are people who all look perfect on the surface but we see how messed up they are underneath. I am no better or no worse than anyone. Why can't we all just admit we are not perfect and lend our support to each other? If we could all just accept we are messed up it might actually help our healing. If we aren't all comparing ourselves to the faces other people show but to the real person behind the mask, it could help everyone's self esteem.

    Who will join me in telling the truth and asking for help when we need it? We all need help and only when we ask for it can we move past our issues. You could have a friend , family member, or neighbor who has just what you need to get past your problems and they have no idea you need them because you are trying to look perfect. If any of you need someone to go for a run with and tell you silly jokes I am here for you, as always.

Running with friends

   I have a new running buddy. It makes me really think about the changes in my life. I have a friend who I spend time with by doing active things together. How awesome it that? Usually I just get together with my friends to eat things. A year ago, if any of my my friends suggested doing physical activity as a fun bonding thing I would have giggled at them. Its pretty fantastic to have another running friend, and she is slow like me too. She doesn't want to run faster than me. Everyone wants to run faster than me. It just proves it is meant to be. I love how life provides exactly what we need when we need it.