Heaps ‘O Hell

Image via Wikipedia

Saturday’s nine mile run was rightly called Heaps ‘O Hell. This is gonna be a bitch session, Dear Readers.

So…the tale:

E and I started our run missing our other long running partner, T. We saw others on the roads, which was wonderful.

We felt the need for a warm up, which we did in the first couple of miles. The run felt normal, and we were running at my normal pace, with E being the dear that she is, staying slow so that we could chat along the way and make the miles melt away. We caught up on each others’ lives and the various shows, projects and books we’re working through. Although we were feeling a bit exhausted when we hit mile marker 2.5, in general, the time flew by.

Ok…so that was the first five miles.

Skip to mile 5.01.

Holy Shit. This is a looooong run.

Holy Shit. . . . Holy SHIT.

E and I have done long runs before. T, E and I had run 8 miles two weeks prior and felt totally ok. We were tired, which is natural, but we were ok. Looking back to my post on it, I see that we were (then) looking forward with enthusiasm and great anticipation to finishing the half marathon in April.

Not 9.

Nine is a whole new ballgame, my friends. E and I spent two of the remaining four miles discussing what this Holy Shit factor is, as it seems not only psychological, but also physiological, and not just for one of us, but both. Strongly.

So what is this joyful experience? We do not believe it’s the wall that people experience at or around mile twenty in a marathon, where one’s glycogen store is completely depleted. It’s not that dramatic.

Rather, it feels like one’s entire body aches. A lot. It’s a pain based experience, not a winded one. One’s lungs are not what feel bad, so they don’t slow you down. One’s legs ache a lot going up any incline. One’s back radiates pain up and down one’s spine that starts in the small of the back. Basically, it feels like your body is pissed at you for doing this to it and is trying to get you to stop; it’s yelling at you.

From our experience, that’s the worst of it. It doesn’t get worse the farther you go. E actually ran 10 miles; while I did 9 (she is SO amazing!!). She hurt as much as I did, and we both hurt to the end.

Once we stopped, the back pain went away, but our legs felt like jellyfish and were quite tender. We were both exhausted. The next day, we were generally ok. So this does seem to be a running-based immediate issue, rather than one that carries on after the run is over.

We hope that at some point, if one keeps running, the pain abates or goes away entirely. Regardless, we’re planning a ten mile long run this weekend. Smart? Who knows.

Have any of you run nine miles and felt/not felt this? What’s your experience? Does it get easier for the 11, 12 and 13 miles? Is this something that abates the more runs one does nine miles or longer?

Training

There’s been a tremendous amount going on since my last post. Mostly all excellent.

Regarding training, it continues and I’m seeing quite a bit of progress. With eight and a half weeks until the More Half Marathon in Manhattan, the focus has moved beyond simply staying the course to get there. Being comfortable in the midst of the process allows one to look around and appreciate it a bit more.

I’ve settled into the following weekly routine, which is an amended version of Hal Higdon’s Novice 1 program:

Monday = yoga

Tuesday = run 4 miles

Wednesday = cross train core and upper body

Thursday = run 4 miles

Friday = cross train core and upper body

Saturday = rest

Sunday = long run

Please note that cross training is still done using exergames.

This past Sunday, E, T and I ran a little over eight miles for our long run. That’s right, eight blessed miles. We were pretty amazed. That’s the longest any of us has ever run.

We felt great!

We became aware that, like, wow, we could go more maybe on another day…nine didn’t seem so out of the picture. And if nine isn’t so far out of the picture, then ten is just a little beyond that. And a wee bit farther sits thirteen. Wait; thirteen…that’s a HALF MARATHON!

All of our training thus far has brought us to this point. We are completing the distances, able to recuperate, and go and do it again…and again.

All pretty exciting stuff!

Cross Training

When I was younger, and coaches would have us cross train, we’d all just do it. It was simply what one did, not what one thought about beyond how heavy the weights could be or some other measure of endurance.

When I began working out on my own in my 20s and 30s, I didn’t bother consciously cross training. Different exercise classes were fun, so we’d try those out. Running was something to be endured on the treadmills of the world to try to keep the weight off or train for a 5K. Yoga was new and exciting, as was Pilates. But nothing stuck, per se; cross training always seemed a lark.

I hadn’t truly thought about the implications of mindful cross training until recently, upon signing up to run a half marathon in April. I’ve known and openly discussed with others that my lats begin to ache at around mile 5 whenever I run long distances. Everything else feels fine, it’s pretty much my back that hurts. In reviewing different half marathon training plans, they all suggest (but to not require) cross training, which includes core and upper body work outs, as well as stretching.   I figured, what the heck…I need something to help me and my lats get through the second 10K of the half marathon in order to finish.

So for the past couple of weeks, as discussed here, I’ve been mindfully including yoga, core and upper body workouts, as well as additional cross training through walking. The intention is to get this 40+ year old body in some semblance of shape to be able to finish the 13.2 miles of a half marathon by April 2012. From what all the plans say, it does seem possible if one is mindful about one’s training schedule.

I’m not positive that it’s working, but on my last 10K (6.1 mile) long run, my back ached LESS than it had in the past. I feel that that is some sort of achievement in itself. G-d willing, additional cross training will only improve the outcomes.

Do you routinely cross train? If so, email me and let me know what you do and how it helps your performance!

What’s The Plan, Sam?

Image by marichica88 via FlickrSo, I never did a year end wrap up on weight loss and results, nor did I post specifically about this year ahead….until now.

As some of you know, the autumn was a particularly intense season for me personally and professionally, which was so jam packed with goodness that it slipped right through the holidays. In fact, due to freakish global weather patterns that have encouraged all squirrels across the globe to become obese, I have been able to not only continue to exergame, but also to run into January. I even ran today.

Which all brings me to my lack of blogging. I didn’t so much. There was simply way too much stuff going on.

Quick Year End Update:

After exergaming consistently all year, and added barefoot running for the last third of the year, I lost a grand total of 58-61 pounds. Pretty good. Could have been better and could have been worse. It even stayed off last week when I totally fell apart with exhaustion and only worked out once – a four mile jog.

I’ve lost 3-4 dress sizes and generally look better in what I’m wearing. My shoe size has remained the same.

My endurance is generally much better and I can whip off a Zumba workout, an EA Sports Active II hill workout, or a 10K any day of the week without worrying about feeling pain afterward – or even the following day.

What’s Up In 2012:

I’ve committed to, and registered for, running my first half marathon (ever) on April 15^th. I hope to run another in the fall. This means that my present training has to be fine tuned and thrown up a notch. Other than the long distance running piece, exergames, specifically EA Sports Active II, will be my only cross training crutch, at least for the first half marathon.

A lot of people ask me how I keep all the moving parts straight and get things done across platform. I generally find that quite funny. I feel that I barely keep things together and moving cohesively (and keep our family in clean clothing!), so I’ve also decided to express a year of gratitude. One has an awful lot of goodness in one’s life, and one doesn’t always think about it or write it down or acknowledge it as it’s happening. So my plan, which is totally ripping off a friend of mine, is to take a few moments each day and write at least one “I’m thankful for…” statement. I’m keeping them all together, so that at the end of this year, I can look back and see some small pieces of what’s been going on and that keeps me centered. I’ve already looked at the list a couple of times, and it does help centre oneself.

So there we have it campers! How did your 2011 projects turn out? How are your resolutions going?

Related articles

• Exergaming: Can Exercise Games Help You Get Fit? (webmd.com)
• ExerGames & Weight-loss (gamiconnection.wordpress.com)

Physical Possibility

Ok, so while doing much soul searching, hand wringing and rumpledoodle baking, I’ve come to a moment of (perhaps) insanityclarity. Actually, it was a friend, D, who pointed out today that I might be ready for my next distance challenge. That perhaps what I’m feeling is the nip at one’s heels need to train for a longer distance than a 10K. When she said it, it felt right.

What will it mean to me? Basically, I’ll have to drag my ass out of bed earlier.

If one wants to train for distance, not speed, one needs to be practical and use one’s slowest pace. My pace is quite slow. This new challenge will require running regularly (read: multiple times a week) for 1.5-2.5 hours. That is definitely something new to get my head around on a lot of levels, and to discuss with Dear Husband.

It will also require me to buy a good pair of regular running shoes. Don't get me wrong: I love my Merrell Pace Gloves. They rock. But with the amount of mileage I’m racking up, I need something with a little more cushion, as well as weatherproofing for the impending winter runs. Any runners (or running shoe companies) out there with suggestions, please let me know asap!

Cross training is no problem, as the exergames fill that slot nicely already.

The final question in this mental exercise is: what will that longer distance goal be?

So this evening, I took an Advil for my aching knee and pulled up the New York Road Runner Club site online. And that’s when I saw it: the JANUARY 22^nd 2011 Manhattan Half Marathon (it’ll probably be the 23^rd in 2012). 13.1 miles of running bliss.

I have my next physical challenge.  What's yours?