So here's the thing.
When I first started running, I joined a running clinic where I learned how to run properly, how to pace myself, how and when to use gels and body glide, how to run hills and how to do interval training on my own. They took me from newbie to half marathoner and I will be forever grateful for that.
Once I got the hang of things though, I stopped going to the running clinics. The clinic times didn't really work for me since I preferred pre-work runs rather that post-work ones and I didn't need the motivation factor since I'm pretty good at kicking my own ass into gear. Also, there was pretty much nothing they were able to teach me about how to run with diabetes so I got used to figuring things out on my own and just kept doing that.
A lot of things have changed thought since I stopped going to the running clinics. I have taken up cycling. And swimming. And duathlons and triathlons. And I've gradually pieced together my own training routine based on trying to fit all three sports into a week and making sure I was able to do the distances required. Sometimes I even tossed in a few brick workouts although I must admit that I haven't done one of those all summer.
Anyway, I'm starting to feel that I've gone as far as I'm going to go on my own. I seem to have plateau in terms of running speed and I don't think I've come close to unlocking my potential on the bike. If I want to get better at triathlons, if I want to be able to finish strong, do the distance, cross the finish line in a decent time etc etc, I'm going to have to get some training advice.
Whether that comes from a real life coach, an online coach, a really good training plan, a decent triathlon book, I don't yet know. But I think it might be time to see if I can get a little stronger and a little faster by tweaking a few things.
So I'm on the hunt for either a coach, an online coach, a great and helpful website or a useful book. And hey, if they know a few things about doing all of that with Type 1 diabetes, all the better.
If anyone out there has any advice on where to go next, I'm all ears.
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Planning My Next Race
I have 5 weeks until my next triathlon.
I want to get comfortable swimming 1.5k and do several open water practice swims between now and race day.
I want to get a bunch of longer bike rides under my belt so that I'm ready for the 40k distance. I also want to get a bunch of hilly bike rides under my belt because that route is a lot hillier than the Welland one.
I want to keep my running fitness up since I've fought so hard to get it here. I want to do some hill training to prepare for the hills and I want to do some speed work to see if I can run a little faster than I ran last weekend.
I have 5 weeks until my next triathlon.
Not enough time to transform myself but enough time that I can probably make some gains in terms of running and cycling fitness.
Any tips for how to get the most out of the next 5 weeks my triathlon friends?
My thinking?
Run three times per week. Stick to 10-15k long runs, do one speed or hill workout per week and one regular run per week (7k or so).
Cycle twice a week. One long ride on weekends and a shorter one during the week. Perhaps ride up and down the escarpment a few times?
Swim twice a week, at least once in open water. Working on endurance so that 1.5k doesn't feel like a big deal.
Taper in the last week. Watch my salt intake. Sleep well. Eat well.
Any other suggestions?
I want to get comfortable swimming 1.5k and do several open water practice swims between now and race day.
I want to get a bunch of longer bike rides under my belt so that I'm ready for the 40k distance. I also want to get a bunch of hilly bike rides under my belt because that route is a lot hillier than the Welland one.
I want to keep my running fitness up since I've fought so hard to get it here. I want to do some hill training to prepare for the hills and I want to do some speed work to see if I can run a little faster than I ran last weekend.
I have 5 weeks until my next triathlon.
Not enough time to transform myself but enough time that I can probably make some gains in terms of running and cycling fitness.
Any tips for how to get the most out of the next 5 weeks my triathlon friends?
My thinking?
Run three times per week. Stick to 10-15k long runs, do one speed or hill workout per week and one regular run per week (7k or so).
Cycle twice a week. One long ride on weekends and a shorter one during the week. Perhaps ride up and down the escarpment a few times?
Swim twice a week, at least once in open water. Working on endurance so that 1.5k doesn't feel like a big deal.
Taper in the last week. Watch my salt intake. Sleep well. Eat well.
Any other suggestions?
Friday, April 24, 2015
Triathlon Training or the Lack Thereof
Why is it that I am extremely regimented when it comes to half marathon training...
...and yet extremely lackadaisical when it comes to triathlon training?
I have had my long run distances written out for two months now. They are posted on a sticky note in my office. Every Saturday I dutifully run the distance I am supposed to run. Every Monday when I get to work I cross another run off my sticky note.
I have a triathlon the weekend after this half marathon I am training for and I won't be doing anything specific for it other than swimming at the pool and cycling either on the trainer or outside if it ever warms up enough to do so. I don't build up. I don't taper. When I swim I swim for 45-60 minutes and when I cycle I cycle for about an hour. C'est tout.
Maybe it's because a triathlon is three different activities, and none of them too long. I never worry much about finishing because I know that I can fairly easily complete each of those distances on their own. And if I slow down a bit, I have enough energy to complete them in a row.
I could never just go out and wing a half marathon. Run a few 10k runs and then somehow pull off twice that on race day. I've been running this distance for years and have never once thought it was remotely easy to do. Even the training knocks me out.
And yet every triathlon I have done has been done without following any kind of triathlon training plan. I just swim, cycle and run and then, on race day, do them one after the other wearing a special outfit.
Is that weird? Do other people religiously follow triathlon training plans the way I follow half-marathon ones?
I have an Olympic distance triathlon coming up in July. The first and only other time I have done that distance I did not follow a training plan. I just took it one activity at a time and tried not to burn out before the finish. I didn't burn out and it went fairly well.
Should I try following an actual training plan this time? If so, why? I'm open to it of course but if my triathlon goals are to a) finish and finish strong and b) have fun doing it, then do I need to do any more than what I'm doing?
I do all three sports because I like them and they help keep me healthy. I string them all together on race days and call myself a triathlete because it's fun and I really enjoy it.
Why make it any more complicated than that?
...and yet extremely lackadaisical when it comes to triathlon training?
I have had my long run distances written out for two months now. They are posted on a sticky note in my office. Every Saturday I dutifully run the distance I am supposed to run. Every Monday when I get to work I cross another run off my sticky note.
I have a triathlon the weekend after this half marathon I am training for and I won't be doing anything specific for it other than swimming at the pool and cycling either on the trainer or outside if it ever warms up enough to do so. I don't build up. I don't taper. When I swim I swim for 45-60 minutes and when I cycle I cycle for about an hour. C'est tout.
Maybe it's because a triathlon is three different activities, and none of them too long. I never worry much about finishing because I know that I can fairly easily complete each of those distances on their own. And if I slow down a bit, I have enough energy to complete them in a row.
I could never just go out and wing a half marathon. Run a few 10k runs and then somehow pull off twice that on race day. I've been running this distance for years and have never once thought it was remotely easy to do. Even the training knocks me out.
And yet every triathlon I have done has been done without following any kind of triathlon training plan. I just swim, cycle and run and then, on race day, do them one after the other wearing a special outfit.
Is that weird? Do other people religiously follow triathlon training plans the way I follow half-marathon ones?
I have an Olympic distance triathlon coming up in July. The first and only other time I have done that distance I did not follow a training plan. I just took it one activity at a time and tried not to burn out before the finish. I didn't burn out and it went fairly well.
Should I try following an actual training plan this time? If so, why? I'm open to it of course but if my triathlon goals are to a) finish and finish strong and b) have fun doing it, then do I need to do any more than what I'm doing?
I do all three sports because I like them and they help keep me healthy. I string them all together on race days and call myself a triathlete because it's fun and I really enjoy it.
Why make it any more complicated than that?
Thursday, September 18, 2014
The 20k
Saturday morning I had to run 20k. Not only did I have to run 20k but I had to run 20k on time to get home, stretch, ice, shower, eat and look bright-eyed and bushy tailed enough to run a training session at work at noon. On top of that I had to run 20k on a morning that was cold and damp and calling for rain an hour into my 2-hour run. Did I mention I was also kinda sore from CoreFit week one?
So I got up early and headed out the door lickity-split. I was 4k in when the first drops started falling. Even in my long sleeves I was chilled. Damn! Keep moving!! The drops stopped falling and I kept moving. I wondered if I should stop to drink and stretch around 8k. My brain answered before I could even process the question.
Don't you dare! Just keep moving. You can stop at 10k quickly to drink and stretch and check your blood sugar but we're talking like two minutes tops.
And I kept moving. At 10k I did stop. I drained my bottle knowing that Doug was meeting me at 13k with more. I checked my blood sugar which was a little low so I quickly ate some fruit chews. The drops started falling again and I was getting chilled so I picked it right up and kept moving.
At 13k Doug was nowhere to be seen but I was ahead of schedule and he had a few things to do before meeting me so I wasn't worried. I'm sure I could have just waited at the 13k mark for him but I kept moving. I wondered if I could get to 15k before he showed up. I sped up a bit as I ran down a long straight country road. My watch beeped 14k and no black car appeared on the horizon. Just as I approached 15k I saw his car at the corner. At exactly 15k he reached me.
I refilled, ate a banana, reapplied lip balm (which feels so damn good on a long run), waved goodbye and headed off for the last 5k. I was feeling the pressure of time, I was pretty chilled and I was also feeling the rain clouds gathering and wanted to beat them if I could.
I lopped along for the last 5k. I didn't stop. I didn't slow down. I just kept moving right along until my watch beeped about 500m from my front door. I turned it off, slowed to a walk and strolled home.
Suddenly it hit me. I just ran 20k. I ran it well. I ran it fast. I was so busy trying to do it that I didn't actually notice I was doing it. Does that make sense? It's like, where there is no time to stop and walk my body doesn't ask to stop and walk. It just keeps running because there really were no other options.
I ran 20k. I beat the rain storm by about 15 minutes. I didn't hurt during or after despite the CoreFit madness earlier in the week. And I got to work right on time and we had a wonderful training session.
Twenty-two kilometres this Saturday and then I will have already finished the longest runs of the training. Time flies when you're running well!
So I got up early and headed out the door lickity-split. I was 4k in when the first drops started falling. Even in my long sleeves I was chilled. Damn! Keep moving!! The drops stopped falling and I kept moving. I wondered if I should stop to drink and stretch around 8k. My brain answered before I could even process the question.
Don't you dare! Just keep moving. You can stop at 10k quickly to drink and stretch and check your blood sugar but we're talking like two minutes tops.
And I kept moving. At 10k I did stop. I drained my bottle knowing that Doug was meeting me at 13k with more. I checked my blood sugar which was a little low so I quickly ate some fruit chews. The drops started falling again and I was getting chilled so I picked it right up and kept moving.
At 13k Doug was nowhere to be seen but I was ahead of schedule and he had a few things to do before meeting me so I wasn't worried. I'm sure I could have just waited at the 13k mark for him but I kept moving. I wondered if I could get to 15k before he showed up. I sped up a bit as I ran down a long straight country road. My watch beeped 14k and no black car appeared on the horizon. Just as I approached 15k I saw his car at the corner. At exactly 15k he reached me.
I refilled, ate a banana, reapplied lip balm (which feels so damn good on a long run), waved goodbye and headed off for the last 5k. I was feeling the pressure of time, I was pretty chilled and I was also feeling the rain clouds gathering and wanted to beat them if I could.
I lopped along for the last 5k. I didn't stop. I didn't slow down. I just kept moving right along until my watch beeped about 500m from my front door. I turned it off, slowed to a walk and strolled home.
Suddenly it hit me. I just ran 20k. I ran it well. I ran it fast. I was so busy trying to do it that I didn't actually notice I was doing it. Does that make sense? It's like, where there is no time to stop and walk my body doesn't ask to stop and walk. It just keeps running because there really were no other options.
I ran 20k. I beat the rain storm by about 15 minutes. I didn't hurt during or after despite the CoreFit madness earlier in the week. And I got to work right on time and we had a wonderful training session.
Twenty-two kilometres this Saturday and then I will have already finished the longest runs of the training. Time flies when you're running well!
Monday, August 25, 2014
Sweet Sixteen
Half marathon training is predictable in its distances but unpredictable in terms of how the body will do on any given day.
There are all sorts of ways to train for a half and all sorts of long run schedules you can follow. I've followed a predictable training schedule for the last bunch of races and it works. Just in case though, I do a little voodoo dance, spin around twice and toss chicken feathers over my shoulder in the hopes that it keeps working.
Here's what my Saturday long run distances look like:
10k
12k
14k
16k
10k easy week
18k
20k
22k
10k easy week
20k
16k
10k
race day
Build up for two months. Get three runs in that are 20k or more. Taper back down for the last month. This routine works for me and leaves me feeling relatively confident for race day.
Race day is still a long way off so I'm at the beginning of this schedule. On Saturday, I ran 16k. It went surprisingly well. My body, my energy and my blood sugar did what I wanted them to do the entire time. I even managed to shave a few seconds off each of the last few kilometres instead of add seconds like I usually do.
As I finished the last few hundred metres, I thought to myself, 16k is my favourite long run distance.
It really is.
12k and 14k usually feel a little harder than they should as my body struggles to get used to ramping up the distances again. It's both a physical and a psychological struggle. By the time I hit 20k, I'm in survival mode. By that I mean that I have to run 2+ hours, I've been doing this for almost two months and I'm getting tired.
But 16k is that sweet spot. It's far enough to feel like an accomplishment and yet it's not so far as to feel overwhelming. In fact I could happily head out for 18 holes of golf after 16k. Nothing really hurts. A good shower and a warm lunch is all I need to bounce back and I walk around all day with a nice post-workout glow rather than a desperate need for a nap.
Seven more weeks and I get to do it again!
There are all sorts of ways to train for a half and all sorts of long run schedules you can follow. I've followed a predictable training schedule for the last bunch of races and it works. Just in case though, I do a little voodoo dance, spin around twice and toss chicken feathers over my shoulder in the hopes that it keeps working.
Here's what my Saturday long run distances look like:
10k
12k
14k
16k
10k easy week
18k
20k
22k
10k easy week
20k
16k
10k
race day
Build up for two months. Get three runs in that are 20k or more. Taper back down for the last month. This routine works for me and leaves me feeling relatively confident for race day.
Race day is still a long way off so I'm at the beginning of this schedule. On Saturday, I ran 16k. It went surprisingly well. My body, my energy and my blood sugar did what I wanted them to do the entire time. I even managed to shave a few seconds off each of the last few kilometres instead of add seconds like I usually do.
As I finished the last few hundred metres, I thought to myself, 16k is my favourite long run distance.
It really is.
12k and 14k usually feel a little harder than they should as my body struggles to get used to ramping up the distances again. It's both a physical and a psychological struggle. By the time I hit 20k, I'm in survival mode. By that I mean that I have to run 2+ hours, I've been doing this for almost two months and I'm getting tired.
But 16k is that sweet spot. It's far enough to feel like an accomplishment and yet it's not so far as to feel overwhelming. In fact I could happily head out for 18 holes of golf after 16k. Nothing really hurts. A good shower and a warm lunch is all I need to bounce back and I walk around all day with a nice post-workout glow rather than a desperate need for a nap.
Seven more weeks and I get to do it again!
Friday, August 15, 2014
Thirty-Four
Between the time this blog posts at 7am Friday morning and the time I sit down for dinner on Saturday evening, I will have put 34km on my legs.
I have not technically been training for this incredible feat of endurance but I guess I could argue that I have been untechnically training all summer.
I'm not really doing anything out of the ordinary other than squeezing in my regular stuff into a fairly tight window.
Friday, after work, we're heading to the golf course for my beloved Friday afternoon pastime of 18 holes of golf.
Enter the first 10k of the weekend.
We will get home fairly late (by my standards anyway) and I'll fall right into bed upon arrival.
Saturday morning the first item on the agenda will be heading out in the early morning hours to get my 14k training run in.
Enter the next 14k of the weekend. I'll be up to 24k by noon.
Saturday afternoon Doug and I are back on the golf course for our second 18 holes of the weekend.
A final 10k for a grand total of 34k.
Toss in a sister date on Sunday and I'll probably top 40k by the time I get back to work.
Do I get a medal if I cover the marathon distance over 2 1/2 days instead of a handful of hours?
I have not technically been training for this incredible feat of endurance but I guess I could argue that I have been untechnically training all summer.
I'm not really doing anything out of the ordinary other than squeezing in my regular stuff into a fairly tight window.
Friday, after work, we're heading to the golf course for my beloved Friday afternoon pastime of 18 holes of golf.
Enter the first 10k of the weekend.
We will get home fairly late (by my standards anyway) and I'll fall right into bed upon arrival.
Saturday morning the first item on the agenda will be heading out in the early morning hours to get my 14k training run in.
Enter the next 14k of the weekend. I'll be up to 24k by noon.
Saturday afternoon Doug and I are back on the golf course for our second 18 holes of the weekend.
A final 10k for a grand total of 34k.
Toss in a sister date on Sunday and I'll probably top 40k by the time I get back to work.
Do I get a medal if I cover the marathon distance over 2 1/2 days instead of a handful of hours?
Friday, December 13, 2013
Running by Numbers
When I was building up my mileage for my half marathon back in October, I was very conscious about not overdoing it. Not pushing my foot too hard or too fast.
So I gently added two kilometres every Saturday but I kept my weekday runs to 5-6k, twice a week. No hills. No speed work. Just enough to keep my body moving.
I survived the half, took a bit of down time and then started back at 10k to build up for my 16k race on Boxing Day.
This time, I wanted to increase my running fitness in a different way. I had noticed during my half marathon training that my 5k weekday runs never really felt good. Five kilometres is not really long enough for me to warm up and find my groove.
So this time I decided to do something that, while perhaps not scientific, appealed to my love of numbers and patterns.
In the week building up to my first 10k weekend run, I ran 5k twice during the week. Five plus five equals ten. With me so far?
The next week, when I was planning to run 12k on the weekend, I ran 6k twice during the week. Six plus six equals twelve.
The next week, I ran 7k twice in preparation for my 14k weekend run. And the following week, I ran 8k twice - but then missed my 16k run due to a curling bonspiel - sad day.
Going from 5 to 6k at 5:30am felt way harder than it should have. Going from 6k to 7k was also a bit of a slog - plus I now had to get up earlier to accommodate the extra time I was taking.
During the 8k run week - something clicked and they were much better. I hit my stride and my body seemed to be getting used to the extra weekday distance. Instead of slogging through most of the run, I now took a few k to warm up and then enjoyed the last 5k. I didn't worry about pace. I chose a route with one tough hill and a few easier ones and I let my mind wander.
Over the past few weeks I have cut back on my swims and have skipped a long run due to fatigue. One thing I have not done is I have not tapered back down from the 8k on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I like them. A lot. Way more than I thought I might. It's a good distance for me and I come home feeling strong and ready to face the day.
Even though I'm bringing my long run distances back down in preparation for race day, I think I'll hold on to my 8k runs for a little longer. I'm not ready to give them up quite yet.
So I gently added two kilometres every Saturday but I kept my weekday runs to 5-6k, twice a week. No hills. No speed work. Just enough to keep my body moving.
I survived the half, took a bit of down time and then started back at 10k to build up for my 16k race on Boxing Day.
This time, I wanted to increase my running fitness in a different way. I had noticed during my half marathon training that my 5k weekday runs never really felt good. Five kilometres is not really long enough for me to warm up and find my groove.
So this time I decided to do something that, while perhaps not scientific, appealed to my love of numbers and patterns.
In the week building up to my first 10k weekend run, I ran 5k twice during the week. Five plus five equals ten. With me so far?
The next week, when I was planning to run 12k on the weekend, I ran 6k twice during the week. Six plus six equals twelve.
The next week, I ran 7k twice in preparation for my 14k weekend run. And the following week, I ran 8k twice - but then missed my 16k run due to a curling bonspiel - sad day.
Going from 5 to 6k at 5:30am felt way harder than it should have. Going from 6k to 7k was also a bit of a slog - plus I now had to get up earlier to accommodate the extra time I was taking.
During the 8k run week - something clicked and they were much better. I hit my stride and my body seemed to be getting used to the extra weekday distance. Instead of slogging through most of the run, I now took a few k to warm up and then enjoyed the last 5k. I didn't worry about pace. I chose a route with one tough hill and a few easier ones and I let my mind wander.
Over the past few weeks I have cut back on my swims and have skipped a long run due to fatigue. One thing I have not done is I have not tapered back down from the 8k on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I like them. A lot. Way more than I thought I might. It's a good distance for me and I come home feeling strong and ready to face the day.
Even though I'm bringing my long run distances back down in preparation for race day, I think I'll hold on to my 8k runs for a little longer. I'm not ready to give them up quite yet.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Fancy Shoes
If I'm not training for one thing, I'm training for another.
My half marathon medal is still warm and I'm already tying on my shoes to prepare for my next challenge.
Another race you ask?
Nope.
A new sport perhaps?
Wrong again.
This time I'm training my feet for an event that is taking place in less than a week. The training program is very rushed but I had to wait until I finished my race before I started the next challenge. I didn't want to mess up one race by training too early for the next.
Any guesses yet?
That's ok. I wouldn't have believed it either except I'm the one doing it.
Thursday night - wear shoes for 90 minutes and go up and down the stairs at least five times
Friday night - off for curling
Saturday night - put on fancy dress, matching bracelet and silver shoes. Try not to fall, twist my ankle, spill my wine or develop a stress fracture.
Sunday - running shoes and compression socks
Wish me luck!
My half marathon medal is still warm and I'm already tying on my shoes to prepare for my next challenge.
Another race you ask?
Nope.
A new sport perhaps?
Wrong again.
This time I'm training my feet for an event that is taking place in less than a week. The training program is very rushed but I had to wait until I finished my race before I started the next challenge. I didn't want to mess up one race by training too early for the next.
Any guesses yet?
That's ok. I wouldn't have believed it either except I'm the one doing it.
That's right folks. I'm wearing heels.
Doug and I are going to a fancy fundraiser on the weekend. I am wearing an honest to goodness dress, complete with little black purse, shiny earrings and fancy bracelet.
My running shoes, even brand new and still clean, do not match my outfit. Neither do my go to black flats that I wear when I dress up a notch for work meetings.
I don't wear heels very often. Once every year or two at most. Putting those puppies on and surviving a night of walking around a winery while balancing a wine glass and plate of gourmet food is not something I can just wing. I must prepare.
My training program is as follows:
Monday night - wear shoes and walk around the house for 30 minutes
Tuesday night - wear shoes and walk around the house for 45 minutes
Wednesday night - wear shoes for 60 minutes and go up and down the stairs at least five timesThursday night - wear shoes for 90 minutes and go up and down the stairs at least five times
Friday night - off for curling
Saturday night - put on fancy dress, matching bracelet and silver shoes. Try not to fall, twist my ankle, spill my wine or develop a stress fracture.
Sunday - running shoes and compression socks
Wish me luck!
Thursday, October 3, 2013
A Long Run Battle with BGs, Dehydration and my Dang Ears Again!
Last Saturday, I was supposed to run 20k.
I ran 19k.
And I spent the last 7k debating whether I was cutting it short because I was a lazy person or because it made sense.
The run started off ok. I was feeling good when I woke up and psychologically ready to tackle the distance. My blood sugar was 4.8 but I had a banana and a GU gel which would normally be fine for at least 12k of solid running.
I headed off. I ran past downtown where people were already lining their chairs along the route for our annual Grape and Wine Parade. I ran down a busy street, down one side and up the other side of a rather large valley and headed off into the countryside. At 6k, I reached a stop sign and stopped because of all the cars. When it was my turn to go, I ran across the intersection and felt so strange that I immediately stopped again. It felt like the earth had tilted on its axis which usually happens when I'm exercising and my blood sugar is dropping.
I checked and it was 5.1. Way too low after only six kilometres of running.
I ate a box of raisins and took off again but at a slightly slower pace. At 8k I stopped to drink. I had already drained all of my water and almost all of my Nuun (did I mention it was hot?). I started running again and the earth didn't tilt which was good. At 11k, I stopped to walk because I was overheating. I was now completely out of liquids and seriously wondering what to do. I haven't been that hot on a run in weeks and weeks. If I had known, I would have picked a different route or planted water but I didn't and the shortest route home from was 7k.
I spotted a woman heading to the end of the driveway to check her mail. I ran towards her yelling "excuse me!". She stopped. I waved an empty bottle and asked for water. She filled me up with ice cold, refreshing water and I thanked her profusely.
I could make it home in 7k if I headed straight back. I still had 9k to do and had been planning to add a 2k loop but I decided not to. I wanted to be closer to home and figured I could loop my neighbourhood a few times to make up the distance...if I felt up to it once I actually made it within site of home.
I resumed my run and stopped again almost immediately. The tilty feeling was back. I checked and I was 5.8. I had a gel and carried on.
That's about the point when my ears started plugging up. They do this sometimes on long runs. I have yet to figure out what causes it but I have ruled out blood sugar issues and temperature because it happens throughout the year and when I'm high, stable or low. It's also not my ear buds because it happens whether I'm wearing them or not. I think it might have something to do with pace and heart rate. If I'm running my regular pace and my heart rate is sitting around 165, I'm fine. If it is a little higher and won't go down even when I slow down, the ear plugging starts. It could also be dehydration.
The problem when it starts is that I can't make it go away until I stop running. Not just for a minute or two but stop the run. The longer I run once it starts, the more I plug up. Twice now I've finished a run being unable to hear anything. It's very uncomfortable and rather freaky. It seems to be connected to my ears/nose/throat area. It gets harder to breathe (like mild asthma or something) and there is no pushing through it.
So I settled on running for 10 minutes and then walking for a few seconds while I drank more ice cold water. Run, walk, drink. Repeat until I was 4k from home (and 6k from reaching my goal of 20k) and I knew my blood sugar was down again. I tested and was 6.1. I had my last box of raisins and was now completely out of carbs and quickly running out of water again.
I ran the last four kilometres without incident and wanted to just head home. My stubborn side refused and I turned right to start the first loop of the neighbourhood. I was thirsty, out of carbs and my ears were plugged.
This is ridiculous.
At 19k I called it a day. I walked the last 500m home figuring that one less kilometre during training will not affect my race day in the least. I chugged some water, stretched, drank chocolate milk and had a lovely shower. I felt great afterwards and my legs didn't complain at all about the distance. Probably because of all the rest breaks they got.
I'm not sure what to make of the ear plugging thing. I've been to my family doctor and my diabetes doctor. I was referred to an ear, nose and throat specialist who couldn't find anything wrong even after two visits. It's rather hit and miss but, when it hits, the run deteriorates pretty quickly.
If it happens on race day, it's going to be a tough slog to the finish.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Getting Stronger...Step by Step
"Running doesn't get easier. We just get stronger."
A friend of mine posted that on Facebook recently and it really resonated with me.
I've been running long enough to know that I can usually push through when I don't feel like I can. That I can usually complete the long run no matter how bad it feels in the first few kilometres. That the last two kilometres of a long run are always hard, no matter how long the run is. I've learned that 14k is hard when I have to run 14k. When I have to run 18k, the first 14k is not that much of the problem.
It's about getting strong mentally and physically.
The Niagara Falls half marathon training continues. My original plan was to train up to 18k and then sign up if I felt that I could do the distance and do it well. Well, the race is more than 85% sold out (up from 75% a few days ago) so I needed to decide and quickly.
I was scheduled to run 16k on Saturday morning so I decided that would be the make or break run. I had run 14k at the cottage last weekend and it was tough and exhausting but I did it.
So I figured I'd be ok running 14k this time but that the last few kilometres would be tough.
It was.
I was tired before I started and I didn't warm up and find my groove as easily as I would have had I been running long runs all summer. I decided to ignore my pace and stick with keeping my heart rate between 165-168. I've found that, as soon as I hit 170 bpm, my ears start to plug up and I start having trouble catching my breath. So I hovered just under that in order to be able to do the distance.
I decided to break the run up into 4x4k sections. The first 4k were laboured but I forced myself to keep going until my watch beeped 4k and then I was allowed to stop for a quick drink. The next 4k were better. I never really found my groove but I felt better. At 8k I had another quick drink break and carried on. Because I've run this route before, I knew that the 12k point was on a busy road and not a good place to stop so I convinced my legs to run 5k instead of 4. This would allow me to stop at 13k for a quick drink. It was a good psychological move because I'd be down to 3k left which would seem short after running 5k.
Running is a big mind game for me.
Sometimes I win. Sometimes I don't.
With 13k down and 3k to go, I started flagging. Fast.
I resumed my run and my ears immediately started plugging up and my breathing came in gasps. I checked and my heart rate was only 160 bpm. I walked for 20 seconds until things settled. I resumed and made it to the stop light with 1.8k to go. When the light turned green I headed off again and made it another kilometre before I walked again. I never walk in the last kilometre - it just seems ridiculous to walk when I can see the finish. But I felt so 'off' that I walked for 20 seconds and then managed to run the last few hundred metres to the end.
Running doesn't get easier. We just get stronger.
I have been running and racing all summer but 10k was the longest I have run since March. Building up the running mileage is always hard after a break. I know that and I expect it to be. By the time I reach 20k in a few weeks, 16k will be no big deal. I know that.
It used to freak me out when I had tough runs when I was training. It used to demoralize me when I struggled to do the distance.
Not anymore.
Now I know that I just need to get the mileage in. To push through without pushing beyond my limits and to slowly build my strength and my confidence. I know that I'll be fine by race day.
Trust the training. Do the work.
It will all come together.
I struggled home. I collapsed on my yoga mat with my chocolate milk and I stretched my exhausted legs. I showered and pulled on my recovery tights. I ate lunch. I sat on the couch with my coffee.
And then I signed up for the Niagara Falls half marathon.
A friend of mine posted that on Facebook recently and it really resonated with me.
I've been running long enough to know that I can usually push through when I don't feel like I can. That I can usually complete the long run no matter how bad it feels in the first few kilometres. That the last two kilometres of a long run are always hard, no matter how long the run is. I've learned that 14k is hard when I have to run 14k. When I have to run 18k, the first 14k is not that much of the problem.
It's about getting strong mentally and physically.
The Niagara Falls half marathon training continues. My original plan was to train up to 18k and then sign up if I felt that I could do the distance and do it well. Well, the race is more than 85% sold out (up from 75% a few days ago) so I needed to decide and quickly.
I was scheduled to run 16k on Saturday morning so I decided that would be the make or break run. I had run 14k at the cottage last weekend and it was tough and exhausting but I did it.
So I figured I'd be ok running 14k this time but that the last few kilometres would be tough.
It was.
I was tired before I started and I didn't warm up and find my groove as easily as I would have had I been running long runs all summer. I decided to ignore my pace and stick with keeping my heart rate between 165-168. I've found that, as soon as I hit 170 bpm, my ears start to plug up and I start having trouble catching my breath. So I hovered just under that in order to be able to do the distance.
I decided to break the run up into 4x4k sections. The first 4k were laboured but I forced myself to keep going until my watch beeped 4k and then I was allowed to stop for a quick drink. The next 4k were better. I never really found my groove but I felt better. At 8k I had another quick drink break and carried on. Because I've run this route before, I knew that the 12k point was on a busy road and not a good place to stop so I convinced my legs to run 5k instead of 4. This would allow me to stop at 13k for a quick drink. It was a good psychological move because I'd be down to 3k left which would seem short after running 5k.
Running is a big mind game for me.
Sometimes I win. Sometimes I don't.
With 13k down and 3k to go, I started flagging. Fast.
I resumed my run and my ears immediately started plugging up and my breathing came in gasps. I checked and my heart rate was only 160 bpm. I walked for 20 seconds until things settled. I resumed and made it to the stop light with 1.8k to go. When the light turned green I headed off again and made it another kilometre before I walked again. I never walk in the last kilometre - it just seems ridiculous to walk when I can see the finish. But I felt so 'off' that I walked for 20 seconds and then managed to run the last few hundred metres to the end.
Running doesn't get easier. We just get stronger.
I have been running and racing all summer but 10k was the longest I have run since March. Building up the running mileage is always hard after a break. I know that and I expect it to be. By the time I reach 20k in a few weeks, 16k will be no big deal. I know that.
It used to freak me out when I had tough runs when I was training. It used to demoralize me when I struggled to do the distance.
Not anymore.
Now I know that I just need to get the mileage in. To push through without pushing beyond my limits and to slowly build my strength and my confidence. I know that I'll be fine by race day.
Trust the training. Do the work.
It will all come together.
I struggled home. I collapsed on my yoga mat with my chocolate milk and I stretched my exhausted legs. I showered and pulled on my recovery tights. I ate lunch. I sat on the couch with my coffee.
And then I signed up for the Niagara Falls half marathon.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Olympic Countdown
Well, it's been a little unorthodox but my Olympic triathlon training is wrapping up and it's almost taper time.
A month ago I was doing the run/walk thing. In fact, on June 1st, I walked four minutes and ran six. Three times. And it was really hard.
By mid-June I was running 25 minutes straight. My foot was holding up but my running fitness was pretty pathetic and my speed was down.
Two weekends ago I did the Welland triathlon and survived a 7.5k run/walk. Technically I was only running 5k at that time.
It's been almost two weeks since that race. I resumed my running rehab after a few days of rest and built from 5k to 6k to 7k and then 8k.
I ran 8k on Tuesday and again on Thursday morning this week. Both times I ran the entire distance without stopping or walking. Both times took about 51 minutes. Not speedy by any means but I'm able to run for almost an hour straight which is much more than I was able to do on June 1st.
I will not have run 10k before the race even though I need to run 10k on race day. I also did not do any hill training even though the running route on race day is apparently hilly. At least according to the girl in the locker room who told me horror stories about the hills.
I also will not have cycled 40k before the race even though I need to cycle 40k on race day. In fact, 35k is the farthest I've gone in probably a year. I do ride a lot of hills though so I guess I'm ready for those.
I have, thankfully, swum 1.5k many many times. In fact, I swim at least 3k every time I hop in the pool so that distance is not a problem. Tonight, as a last hurrah before I taper, I'm doing my first Activ Series open water race. I'm competing in the 1.9k swim. And unlike running and cycling where I focus on pacing myself to survive to the end, I want to race. Swimming in the only sport that I feel I can push myself hard. To pass people. To sprint to the finish. To do more than just pace myself to the finish.
After tonight's race, I have a few shorter runs, a bike ride and a few easier swims next week. Technically, I've peaked in my training and should be ready to go. Realistically, I got about as close as I could safely get to the distances without re-injuring myself. I played it smart and I'm as ready as I had hoped I'd be.
Here's hoping it's enough to get me to the finish line, upright and in one piece.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Olympic Realities
Now that the Welland triathlon is behind me, I need to focus very intently on the Gravenhurst Olympic tri which is in less than three weeks.
When I signed up, back in January, I was right in the middle of half-marathon training and running well. I was swimming three times a week and swimming well. And I figured I could work on my cycling as it got closer. I also figured I would be running the Women's half marathon in June so I would have worked up to being able to sustain 2 1/2 hours of constant movement.
Now we're down to three weeks. I'm a strong swimmer and don't have many worries about the swim. I am much stronger on the bike and I figure that will be ok too.
I'm worried about the run.
Partly because I am not at my peak running form and 10k is 10k.
And partly because I won't have time to work in many (if any) long workouts. So doing a 3-hour event is also way out of my comfort zone.
Last summer's triathlons happened while I training for spring and fall half-marathons. So a 2+hour racing event actually felt like a break after all the 2+hour runs I had been churning out. At least I got to switch activities to give my body a break.
Now I can swim for 1 1/2 hours. I can cycle for 1 1/2 hours. I can run for 35ish minutes. But I certainly don't feel ready to do them one after another...without a day off in between. I think I can do it...but I don't think I can do it well. And I think that it's the run at the end that will suffer for it.
Which makes me kinda sad, a little scared, and makes me look back at last summer's running fitness with longing.
It is what it is and it will be what it will be. I'm spending the next few weeks doing what I can to build up and then taper down. I'm planning to participate in a 1.9k swim race on July 5th. I'll squeeze in a few longer bike/run combination workouts. I'll take very good care of my foot.
And I'll cross my fingers.
When I signed up, back in January, I was right in the middle of half-marathon training and running well. I was swimming three times a week and swimming well. And I figured I could work on my cycling as it got closer. I also figured I would be running the Women's half marathon in June so I would have worked up to being able to sustain 2 1/2 hours of constant movement.
Now we're down to three weeks. I'm a strong swimmer and don't have many worries about the swim. I am much stronger on the bike and I figure that will be ok too.
I'm worried about the run.
Partly because I am not at my peak running form and 10k is 10k.
And partly because I won't have time to work in many (if any) long workouts. So doing a 3-hour event is also way out of my comfort zone.
Last summer's triathlons happened while I training for spring and fall half-marathons. So a 2+hour racing event actually felt like a break after all the 2+hour runs I had been churning out. At least I got to switch activities to give my body a break.
Now I can swim for 1 1/2 hours. I can cycle for 1 1/2 hours. I can run for 35ish minutes. But I certainly don't feel ready to do them one after another...without a day off in between. I think I can do it...but I don't think I can do it well. And I think that it's the run at the end that will suffer for it.
Which makes me kinda sad, a little scared, and makes me look back at last summer's running fitness with longing.
It is what it is and it will be what it will be. I'm spending the next few weeks doing what I can to build up and then taper down. I'm planning to participate in a 1.9k swim race on July 5th. I'll squeeze in a few longer bike/run combination workouts. I'll take very good care of my foot.
And I'll cross my fingers.
Friday, February 22, 2013
How I Train for a Half-Marathon
I love the part of half-marathon training when my body had adjusted to the distance, my mind has overcome the mental hurdles and I just settle in and enjoy longer and longer runs.
My half-marathon training is a three-month process. It's one that I've worked out for myself based on training plans given to me by the fabulous Runners' Edge running club. Each month is pretty similar in that there are three hard weeks and one easy week.
During the first month, my weekday runs are usually a 6-7k run on Tuesdays and hill or interval training on Thursdays. Saturday long runs are usually 12k, 14k and 16k. They are usually my hardest long runs. My body has been running 10ish kilometre long runs for the last month or so and working up to 16k is physically and psychologically difficult for me.
Then I have my first easy week which I look forward to and am grateful for. Two easy 30-minute runs during the week and a 10k run on the weekend.
Month two is a little different. I focus on increasing my mileage and I avoid hill training because it puts too much strain on my shins and increases my chance of injury. So I run 6-7k on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Saturday long runs are 18k, 20k and 22k. I'm always nervous for the 18k run because the 12-16k runs were so hard but, more often than not, the worry is for naught. Maybe it's because my body has toughened up, maybe it's the fact that I just finished an easy week but I usually sail through 18k feeling strong. I carry that confidence into the next two long runs and they too usually work out well.
Then it's easy week again. This time, the 10k run on Saturday feels ridiculous. My body wants to head out for 2+ hours of running and it rails at having to stick to 60 minutes. I love and hate that run. I love that I feel so strong that it seems too easy and I hate that I can't spend my morning running down country roads.
Month three is taper time. My weekday runs are still 6-7k runs and my Saturday runs are 16k, 12k and 10k. I love the 16k run, particularly after struggling with the shortness of the week before. The 12k is pretty easy and the 10k feels critical because the next weekend is race day.
After the race I take a week or so off and then go back to running three times a week with Saturday long runs hanging out around 10k.
Repeat every few months and every year I add a few more half-marathon medals to our medal wall.
I like the training plan and it works well for me. But I particularly love this part of it. Twenty-two kilometres are behind me and I am full of energy. Wish me luck tomorrow - I have an easy 10k to run.
My half-marathon training is a three-month process. It's one that I've worked out for myself based on training plans given to me by the fabulous Runners' Edge running club. Each month is pretty similar in that there are three hard weeks and one easy week.
During the first month, my weekday runs are usually a 6-7k run on Tuesdays and hill or interval training on Thursdays. Saturday long runs are usually 12k, 14k and 16k. They are usually my hardest long runs. My body has been running 10ish kilometre long runs for the last month or so and working up to 16k is physically and psychologically difficult for me.
Then I have my first easy week which I look forward to and am grateful for. Two easy 30-minute runs during the week and a 10k run on the weekend.
Month two is a little different. I focus on increasing my mileage and I avoid hill training because it puts too much strain on my shins and increases my chance of injury. So I run 6-7k on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Saturday long runs are 18k, 20k and 22k. I'm always nervous for the 18k run because the 12-16k runs were so hard but, more often than not, the worry is for naught. Maybe it's because my body has toughened up, maybe it's the fact that I just finished an easy week but I usually sail through 18k feeling strong. I carry that confidence into the next two long runs and they too usually work out well.
Then it's easy week again. This time, the 10k run on Saturday feels ridiculous. My body wants to head out for 2+ hours of running and it rails at having to stick to 60 minutes. I love and hate that run. I love that I feel so strong that it seems too easy and I hate that I can't spend my morning running down country roads.
Month three is taper time. My weekday runs are still 6-7k runs and my Saturday runs are 16k, 12k and 10k. I love the 16k run, particularly after struggling with the shortness of the week before. The 12k is pretty easy and the 10k feels critical because the next weekend is race day.
After the race I take a week or so off and then go back to running three times a week with Saturday long runs hanging out around 10k.
Repeat every few months and every year I add a few more half-marathon medals to our medal wall.
I like the training plan and it works well for me. But I particularly love this part of it. Twenty-two kilometres are behind me and I am full of energy. Wish me luck tomorrow - I have an easy 10k to run.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
One One One
Last April, I ran 111km in 30 days as I trained for my half marathon. A combination of long runs, easy runs, mid-week runs and the odd hill training thrown in for fun.
This fall, I've been training for my second half marathon of 2012 (oh, and the Medtronic Twin Cities 10-miler which I am SO excited for!!). After Saturday's 20k, I entered the run into my spreadsheet and the grand total for the month popped up.
111km.
Despite skipping a long run to complete a triathlon. Despite missing a few mid-week runs in favour of resting my legs. No hill training either.
I like numbers and I love patterns.
I think it's pretty cool that two very different training months with two very different approaches to running and recovery can end up, essentially, identical.
At least on paper.
April - I was recovered from my injury and fresh after three months off and a few months of rebuilding my mileage. I was fast and frisky and ready to run.
September - I am wrapping up six months of non-stop training. I feel strong and confident - a solid runner. But I don't feel quite as fast as I did in the spring. Nor do I feel quite as bouncy. I feel like I've had a good season and I'm ready for a bit of a rest.
So, in the past few weeks, I've eased up on the number of runs as well as the distance I ran during the week - saving it for the long runs on the weekends.
I think it worked. My legs still feel good and I have no nagging aches or pains.
And apparently I still got a lot of mileage in.
One one one.
I like that number.
This fall, I've been training for my second half marathon of 2012 (oh, and the Medtronic Twin Cities 10-miler which I am SO excited for!!). After Saturday's 20k, I entered the run into my spreadsheet and the grand total for the month popped up.
111km.
Despite skipping a long run to complete a triathlon. Despite missing a few mid-week runs in favour of resting my legs. No hill training either.
I like numbers and I love patterns.
I think it's pretty cool that two very different training months with two very different approaches to running and recovery can end up, essentially, identical.
At least on paper.
April - I was recovered from my injury and fresh after three months off and a few months of rebuilding my mileage. I was fast and frisky and ready to run.
September - I am wrapping up six months of non-stop training. I feel strong and confident - a solid runner. But I don't feel quite as fast as I did in the spring. Nor do I feel quite as bouncy. I feel like I've had a good season and I'm ready for a bit of a rest.
So, in the past few weeks, I've eased up on the number of runs as well as the distance I ran during the week - saving it for the long runs on the weekends.
I think it worked. My legs still feel good and I have no nagging aches or pains.
And apparently I still got a lot of mileage in.
One one one.
I like that number.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Comfortable in my Comfort Zone
Anyone remember back in the fall when I was learning how to swim?
Blog after blog about trying to figure out breathing, trying to figure out technique, trying to find the endurance to swim back and forth across the pool FOUR times before taking a break. I loved it. It was hard - it was humbling - at times it was downright embarassing - but I loved it.
I like forcing myself to do something outside of my comfort zone. I like discovering whether or not I can do it and I love surprising myself when I go further than I thought I'd be able to.
When I started swimming I wasn't sure what my goal was because swimming is different than running. When someone decides to learn how to run, it's not too big of a stretch to set a goal to run 5k. Once they've done that - running 10k is a pretty natural next step. And so on...
With swimming, I didn't know what kind of goal to set (other than not drowning - or worse, almost drowning and having to suffer the embarrassment of being rescued from a public pool). Do I set a time goal - swim for 30 minutes? Do I set a distance goal - swim 40 lengths?
Not knowing what else to do, I just kept moving forward - forcing myself to swim more lengths between rests, forcing myself to swim more lengths period. I increased from 20 to 80 lengths by adding 10 per week. It kept me in a constant state of discomfort because I no sooner got (sorta) used to a distance when I pushed it a little further.
So, here's my dilemma. I am now swimming just about as fast as I'm going to swim. Yes, yes I'm sure I can improve my technique and shave seconds off my time but it's no longer about minutes. I don't rest between lengths at all any more. I just hop in the pool, swim back and forth 80 times and hop into the shower. I can't add any more lengths to my routine because I have to get to work and I'm cutting it pretty tight as it is. So I've maxed out how many lengths (give or take one or two) that I can squeeze into the 50 minutes I have in the pool.
Diabetes-wise, swimming has proven to be a godsend. My rough calculation is that I've gone swimming between 50 and 60 times. I have never had a low blood sugar. Not one. Not even close. Even when my blood sugar is 4.0 before I hop in the pool. I eat two dates and would bet $100 that I'll be 7.0 when I'm done. I always am. It's like a gift from the diabetes gods and it more than makes up for all the crazy blood sugar battles I have to fight every time I go for a run. The biggest gift that swimming has given me is not increased fitness. Not weight loss. Not helping to heal my stress fracture. When I swim, I don't think about diabetes. I don't have to. I think about diabetes when I'm sitting in a staff meeting, when I'm driving my car, when I wake up at 2am to pee. It's always there. Except when I swim.
When I swim
I
feel
normal.
I feel normal for the first time in over 9 years. Three times a week, before the sun rises, while the rest of the world is asleep, I climb out of bed at 5:30am because I get to do something that makes me feel normal.
For the past 6 weeks I've been swimming 80 lengths three times a week. That distance has gone from hard to comfortable. But I know that I am no longer pushing my body the way I was in the fall. I love swimming but it's gone from a challenge to an easy, relaxing workout.
Problem is that I am in my comfort zone and no longer want to get out of it.
I could mix things up by learning another stroke (right now I only do freestyle). I could do drills.
Both very good options.
But, after all those weeks of struggling I'm pretty happy to just swim for a bit. I don't wanna get out of my comfort zone just yet.
I will soon though - I can feel the urge to be uncomfortable building up again.
Any tips, swimming friends, on what I should try next?
Blog after blog about trying to figure out breathing, trying to figure out technique, trying to find the endurance to swim back and forth across the pool FOUR times before taking a break. I loved it. It was hard - it was humbling - at times it was downright embarassing - but I loved it.
I like forcing myself to do something outside of my comfort zone. I like discovering whether or not I can do it and I love surprising myself when I go further than I thought I'd be able to.
When I started swimming I wasn't sure what my goal was because swimming is different than running. When someone decides to learn how to run, it's not too big of a stretch to set a goal to run 5k. Once they've done that - running 10k is a pretty natural next step. And so on...
With swimming, I didn't know what kind of goal to set (other than not drowning - or worse, almost drowning and having to suffer the embarrassment of being rescued from a public pool). Do I set a time goal - swim for 30 minutes? Do I set a distance goal - swim 40 lengths?
Not knowing what else to do, I just kept moving forward - forcing myself to swim more lengths between rests, forcing myself to swim more lengths period. I increased from 20 to 80 lengths by adding 10 per week. It kept me in a constant state of discomfort because I no sooner got (sorta) used to a distance when I pushed it a little further.
So, here's my dilemma. I am now swimming just about as fast as I'm going to swim. Yes, yes I'm sure I can improve my technique and shave seconds off my time but it's no longer about minutes. I don't rest between lengths at all any more. I just hop in the pool, swim back and forth 80 times and hop into the shower. I can't add any more lengths to my routine because I have to get to work and I'm cutting it pretty tight as it is. So I've maxed out how many lengths (give or take one or two) that I can squeeze into the 50 minutes I have in the pool.
Diabetes-wise, swimming has proven to be a godsend. My rough calculation is that I've gone swimming between 50 and 60 times. I have never had a low blood sugar. Not one. Not even close. Even when my blood sugar is 4.0 before I hop in the pool. I eat two dates and would bet $100 that I'll be 7.0 when I'm done. I always am. It's like a gift from the diabetes gods and it more than makes up for all the crazy blood sugar battles I have to fight every time I go for a run. The biggest gift that swimming has given me is not increased fitness. Not weight loss. Not helping to heal my stress fracture. When I swim, I don't think about diabetes. I don't have to. I think about diabetes when I'm sitting in a staff meeting, when I'm driving my car, when I wake up at 2am to pee. It's always there. Except when I swim.
When I swim
I
feel
normal.
I feel normal for the first time in over 9 years. Three times a week, before the sun rises, while the rest of the world is asleep, I climb out of bed at 5:30am because I get to do something that makes me feel normal.
For the past 6 weeks I've been swimming 80 lengths three times a week. That distance has gone from hard to comfortable. But I know that I am no longer pushing my body the way I was in the fall. I love swimming but it's gone from a challenge to an easy, relaxing workout.
Problem is that I am in my comfort zone and no longer want to get out of it.
I could mix things up by learning another stroke (right now I only do freestyle). I could do drills.
Both very good options.
But, after all those weeks of struggling I'm pretty happy to just swim for a bit. I don't wanna get out of my comfort zone just yet.
I will soon though - I can feel the urge to be uncomfortable building up again.
Any tips, swimming friends, on what I should try next?
Monday, June 13, 2011
Experimenting with Dates
We received our officially official marathon training schedule for the Niagara Falls Marathon.
It's a tricky thing, balancing all the runners in our group. You see, the Chicago marathon is the race of choice this fall at Runners' Edge. There is a rather large collection (a gaggle?) of runners heading to Chicago this fall for the marathon. Many are first timers.
And yet, several of us have opted out of that race and decided instead to run Niagara Falls. Many of us are first timers too.
The races are two weeks apart.
Since marathon training is all about timing (building up, resting, tapering) it became a challenge to come up with a schedule for Niagara Falls. Option one was to just take the Chicago schedule and move it ahead by two weeks. But that would mean that the Chicago and Niagara Falls groups would be on different rest weeks, doing intervals on different weeks, running their longest runs on different Saturdays. Supporting the different schedules would take a lot of coordination and people power.
So the official plan is that we are going to follow the Chicago training schedule and just add two weeks at the end. For the most part, I'm ok with that. We all get to train together which is great. The only thing I might switch is the timing of the longest run (35k). It's five weeks out from race day which feels a little far for my comfort. The Chicago gang are doing their 35k run three weeks out which makes more sense to me.
Which means that I will, once again, be doing the longest run of my life on my own.
This happened during my first half marathon training (I ran my first ever 18k down a lonely highway while camping in Killarney), my third half marathon (when we ran 22k on one of the hottest days of the summer), Around the Bay (when I ran 27k with Doug driving a support vehicle during the last 10k) and now Niagara Falls (where I will run 35k on my own).
This pattern that I'm developing certainly helps me learn how to run long distances on my own but it's no easy feat planning out a run that long when you're a lone diabetic. One option is that I can map out a short loop (10k or so) that I run several times. It keeps me close to home and lets me restock supplies. Or I can ask a loving partner to be my support vehicle so that I can run through the country rather than on city streets.
I have a few months to figure out the details for that particular run. In the meantime, I'm going to be spending the first two months of this training figuring out what food/energy works best for my tummy and my blood sugar. Right now, I"m leaning towards dates. Easy, portable, tasty and high in carbs. They're going to get their first test run next weekend. My plan? Check my blood sugar every 10k (no more, no less) and eat a date every 10k (unless my sugar is really high) to keep my energy up and my blood sugars stable.
Stay tuned for updates on the great date experiment.
It's a tricky thing, balancing all the runners in our group. You see, the Chicago marathon is the race of choice this fall at Runners' Edge. There is a rather large collection (a gaggle?) of runners heading to Chicago this fall for the marathon. Many are first timers.
And yet, several of us have opted out of that race and decided instead to run Niagara Falls. Many of us are first timers too.
The races are two weeks apart.
Since marathon training is all about timing (building up, resting, tapering) it became a challenge to come up with a schedule for Niagara Falls. Option one was to just take the Chicago schedule and move it ahead by two weeks. But that would mean that the Chicago and Niagara Falls groups would be on different rest weeks, doing intervals on different weeks, running their longest runs on different Saturdays. Supporting the different schedules would take a lot of coordination and people power.
So the official plan is that we are going to follow the Chicago training schedule and just add two weeks at the end. For the most part, I'm ok with that. We all get to train together which is great. The only thing I might switch is the timing of the longest run (35k). It's five weeks out from race day which feels a little far for my comfort. The Chicago gang are doing their 35k run three weeks out which makes more sense to me.
Which means that I will, once again, be doing the longest run of my life on my own.
This happened during my first half marathon training (I ran my first ever 18k down a lonely highway while camping in Killarney), my third half marathon (when we ran 22k on one of the hottest days of the summer), Around the Bay (when I ran 27k with Doug driving a support vehicle during the last 10k) and now Niagara Falls (where I will run 35k on my own).
This pattern that I'm developing certainly helps me learn how to run long distances on my own but it's no easy feat planning out a run that long when you're a lone diabetic. One option is that I can map out a short loop (10k or so) that I run several times. It keeps me close to home and lets me restock supplies. Or I can ask a loving partner to be my support vehicle so that I can run through the country rather than on city streets.
I have a few months to figure out the details for that particular run. In the meantime, I'm going to be spending the first two months of this training figuring out what food/energy works best for my tummy and my blood sugar. Right now, I"m leaning towards dates. Easy, portable, tasty and high in carbs. They're going to get their first test run next weekend. My plan? Check my blood sugar every 10k (no more, no less) and eat a date every 10k (unless my sugar is really high) to keep my energy up and my blood sugars stable.
Stay tuned for updates on the great date experiment.
Friday, April 29, 2011
One Step at a Time
Week one of my pre-marathon training training is almost at an end.
The goal: get used to running 5 days per week so marathon training is not such a shock.
Here's how it went.
Saturday was my regular long run and I did 10k. Felt pretty good despite (or perhaps because of) having just come off a week's vacation.
Sunday we went cycling. We survived the cold, rain and wind and I'm fairly sure my legs were thankful for the cross training but they couldn't actually tell me that because they had gone completely hyperthermic.
Normally, I would run Tuesday and Thursday evening and then the cycle would resume on Saturday. In an attempt to get a head start on marathon training, I started increasing my mileage and the number of days I run.
This week, I ran 5k on Monday, 8k on Tuesday and 5k on Wednesday. Not much more mileage than I'm used to but more days on my feet than I've ever done before.
Monday felt fabulous. Tuesday felt pretty damn good too. Wednesday my legs told me in no uncertain terms that they had enough. I did a very very slow 5k with the goal to just keep moving and warm them up. But my shins and feet were acting up and there was just no energy left in them.
Thursday I did not run. I went to see my chiropractor who made my shins feels a whole lot better. Today, Friday, I will not run but this afternoon is my regular massage which should limber things up a bit.
Oh, and I walked around in my Vibrams for about two hours every day. They feel wonderful and I have to force myself to take them off. I'm just super-paranoid about overdoing it.
All in all, not too bad for week one.
The plan for next week is run Saturday (12k), cycle Sunday, run Tuesday (10k), Wednesday (5K) and Thursday (8K). Despite how it may seem, I do not always have the luxury of having a chiropractor AND massage therapist work on me every week. Most weeks, it's just me and my legs taking on the world. So far, they're motivated to perform and not too overwhelmed by what I'm asking of them.
So far...
The goal: get used to running 5 days per week so marathon training is not such a shock.
Here's how it went.
Saturday was my regular long run and I did 10k. Felt pretty good despite (or perhaps because of) having just come off a week's vacation.
Sunday we went cycling. We survived the cold, rain and wind and I'm fairly sure my legs were thankful for the cross training but they couldn't actually tell me that because they had gone completely hyperthermic.
Normally, I would run Tuesday and Thursday evening and then the cycle would resume on Saturday. In an attempt to get a head start on marathon training, I started increasing my mileage and the number of days I run.
This week, I ran 5k on Monday, 8k on Tuesday and 5k on Wednesday. Not much more mileage than I'm used to but more days on my feet than I've ever done before.
Monday felt fabulous. Tuesday felt pretty damn good too. Wednesday my legs told me in no uncertain terms that they had enough. I did a very very slow 5k with the goal to just keep moving and warm them up. But my shins and feet were acting up and there was just no energy left in them.
Thursday I did not run. I went to see my chiropractor who made my shins feels a whole lot better. Today, Friday, I will not run but this afternoon is my regular massage which should limber things up a bit.
Oh, and I walked around in my Vibrams for about two hours every day. They feel wonderful and I have to force myself to take them off. I'm just super-paranoid about overdoing it.
All in all, not too bad for week one.
The plan for next week is run Saturday (12k), cycle Sunday, run Tuesday (10k), Wednesday (5K) and Thursday (8K). Despite how it may seem, I do not always have the luxury of having a chiropractor AND massage therapist work on me every week. Most weeks, it's just me and my legs taking on the world. So far, they're motivated to perform and not too overwhelmed by what I'm asking of them.
So far...
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
More Than I Can Chew?
You never know unless you try right?
My running career started October of 2007. I had stumbled upon a 5k race while vacationing in Ottawa and immediately fell in love with the idea of running. I headed home all gung ho and immediately went to buy a new pair of running shoes at Runners' Edge. There were no running clinics starting until the spring because, as the extremely helpful staff said: "nobody is crazy enough to want to learn how to run in the winter!".
So I asked him for a few pointers. I was told to keep my head up, keep my arms down and start slow.
No problem!
I began setting my alarm extra early on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I started by walking for five minutes, running for two, walking for five and going home. I added two minutes per week.
Here is what I learned in the early days.
1. I could power walk faster than I could run.
2. Two minutes is a really REALLY long time.
3. Monday runs were awfully hard, Wednesday runs were tolerable and, by Friday, I felt kinda like a runner.
I did this for three months and, in a fit of ambition (or insanity), I signed up for the Robby Burns 8k run at the end of January. Four months after I started running - I did an 8k run.
Silly girl.
I learned that pacing is something I should really start thinking about. Just because some people can run fast doesn't mean that I can too. I learned that 8k is really far. And I learned that I can indeed finish something that seems impossible.
I also decided to sign up for the spring running clinic which was the best thing I could have done and it has, without a shadow of a doubt, changed my life.
I started in April of 2008 and worked my way up to 10k by June. In another moment of insanity, I figured I might as well sign up for the half marathon clinic that was starting. I trained all summer and learned several important lessons:
1.Injuries happen - DON'T ignore them (thank you Janice!)
2.Chaffing is the WORST (Glide is my friend).
3.Investing in a good sports bra is absolutely critical (thanks Al for helping me find a good one and sorry for any embarrassment that may have caused)
4.Water belts are REALLY heavy so get the smallest one possible (two years later runners are still talking about my humongous water belt from that summer!)
I ran my first half marathon 11 months after I started running.
Then I plateaued for two years. Plateau in the sense that 1/2 marathons became my distance of choice and I just kept training for and running them. Take a few weeks off and start training for the next one. I did a total of 6 in two years.
Running the 2011 Around the Bay 30k was a big step for me but one that I finally felt ready for. Obviously I was because I did it and am walking around two days later hardly feeling the effects of running for almost four hours.
While I certainly survived the distance, I am not comfortable with it the way I am with 21.1k. The sensible me should stick with 30k for a while. Train for a few more of those until they go from overwhelming to just plain hard.
But I'm feeling another bout of insanity coming on...
...and I might just try for a fall marathon.
A group of Runners' Edgers are going to train for Chicago in October. I don't want to do that race but there is one in Niagara Falls two weekends after Chicago. It's pretty tempting actually. Do the training all summer with my friends and see if I have what it takes to do 42.2.
Niagara Falls would a great race to try because it's local and it's an easy course to access on a bike. Which means I could perhaps convince some of my support team to be there on the route. Running that distance is a huge challenge for any runner but running that distance with diabetes is downright scary. Having people out there on bikes with juice and other supplies would make all the difference for my mental health.
So Niagara Falls? Want to be my first marathon? Want to be a permanent fixture in my heart, soul and dreams for the next 7 months?
I will if you will...
My running career started October of 2007. I had stumbled upon a 5k race while vacationing in Ottawa and immediately fell in love with the idea of running. I headed home all gung ho and immediately went to buy a new pair of running shoes at Runners' Edge. There were no running clinics starting until the spring because, as the extremely helpful staff said: "nobody is crazy enough to want to learn how to run in the winter!".
So I asked him for a few pointers. I was told to keep my head up, keep my arms down and start slow.
No problem!
I began setting my alarm extra early on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I started by walking for five minutes, running for two, walking for five and going home. I added two minutes per week.
Here is what I learned in the early days.
1. I could power walk faster than I could run.
2. Two minutes is a really REALLY long time.
3. Monday runs were awfully hard, Wednesday runs were tolerable and, by Friday, I felt kinda like a runner.
I did this for three months and, in a fit of ambition (or insanity), I signed up for the Robby Burns 8k run at the end of January. Four months after I started running - I did an 8k run.
Silly girl.
I learned that pacing is something I should really start thinking about. Just because some people can run fast doesn't mean that I can too. I learned that 8k is really far. And I learned that I can indeed finish something that seems impossible.
I also decided to sign up for the spring running clinic which was the best thing I could have done and it has, without a shadow of a doubt, changed my life.
I started in April of 2008 and worked my way up to 10k by June. In another moment of insanity, I figured I might as well sign up for the half marathon clinic that was starting. I trained all summer and learned several important lessons:
1.Injuries happen - DON'T ignore them (thank you Janice!)
2.Chaffing is the WORST (Glide is my friend).
3.Investing in a good sports bra is absolutely critical (thanks Al for helping me find a good one and sorry for any embarrassment that may have caused)
4.Water belts are REALLY heavy so get the smallest one possible (two years later runners are still talking about my humongous water belt from that summer!)
I ran my first half marathon 11 months after I started running.
Then I plateaued for two years. Plateau in the sense that 1/2 marathons became my distance of choice and I just kept training for and running them. Take a few weeks off and start training for the next one. I did a total of 6 in two years.
Running the 2011 Around the Bay 30k was a big step for me but one that I finally felt ready for. Obviously I was because I did it and am walking around two days later hardly feeling the effects of running for almost four hours.
While I certainly survived the distance, I am not comfortable with it the way I am with 21.1k. The sensible me should stick with 30k for a while. Train for a few more of those until they go from overwhelming to just plain hard.
But I'm feeling another bout of insanity coming on...
...and I might just try for a fall marathon.
A group of Runners' Edgers are going to train for Chicago in October. I don't want to do that race but there is one in Niagara Falls two weekends after Chicago. It's pretty tempting actually. Do the training all summer with my friends and see if I have what it takes to do 42.2.
Niagara Falls would a great race to try because it's local and it's an easy course to access on a bike. Which means I could perhaps convince some of my support team to be there on the route. Running that distance is a huge challenge for any runner but running that distance with diabetes is downright scary. Having people out there on bikes with juice and other supplies would make all the difference for my mental health.
So Niagara Falls? Want to be my first marathon? Want to be a permanent fixture in my heart, soul and dreams for the next 7 months?
I will if you will...
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Eload Overload
It's confession time folks.
Today I ate 8 chocolate easter eggs and had a glass of red wine. It's an absolutely delicious red wine. I may have a second glass before the night is out. And no, I'm not alternating between a sip of wine and a sip of water. Just wine thank you very much.
Did I mention that we've only got three sleeps left until I run the longest run of my life?
With my glass of wine in one hand, I'm going to explore the topic I touched on a few days ago: the ridiculousness of races.
For the past four days I have been drinking water like a crazy woman. I have been dutifully sipping eload throughout the day. I have been eating my crazy breakfast shake and making healthy food choices at every turn. My stomach does not know what to do with all the good stuff I keep tossing in there and I am getting rather tired of the taste of eload. Seven days of this for a 30k run is a wee bit tedious.
When I ran 15k a few weeks ago I had steak and fries for lunch the day before. I had pizza and wings (with two glasses of red wine) for dinner the night before. And I had a fabulous run.
When I did my 25k and 27k runs, I did not sip eload every day, drink water like a madwoman and eat salad and healthy carbs for a week. I did my regular thing, went to bed, woke up and ran.
So what's the deal about the extra 3k? Enough already!!
That's why races are ridiculous. If I had a 30k long run on the weekend, I would not be doing all this stuff. Tack on the word 'race' to the activity and I become a crazy health nut who sprinkles chia seeds on everything and is singlehandedly lowering the water level of Lake Ontario.
I've changed my battle plan. We're going to try for a bit of balance rather than a week of extremes.
I promise that I'm going to continue to drink my water and sip my eload. I'm also going to have a glass of wine. I'm going to eat my healthy food and enjoy some chocolate eggs. I'm going to have grilled cheese for dinner tomorrow if that's what I'm craving (with some Franks on top of course) but I'll add some veggies on the side.
Deal?
You ok with that oh mighty running gods? Because the alternative is that you're going to have an über hydrated, electrolyte overloaded, crankypants little runner on your hands on Sunday morning.
Any nobody wants that now do they?
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
180 Degrees
Four sleeps. And counting.
Time to stop focusing on the race ahead. Instead, I'm turning around 180 degrees and looking backwards.
Back, back, back to Tuesday, January 4th. A cold and snowy night no doubt although, truth be told, I have no recollection of what the weather was. It was night #1 of the Around the Bay training. I knew I was in for a challenge when I read that we had to run 13k on the first night. I remember when we used to have to build up to that distance. Now it was a prerequisite. It was a brave new world I was venturing into.
During the past twelve weeks, we have run through snow storms, wind storms, whiteouts, downpours, ice, slush and mud. My glucometer has frozen, my pump battery has died, my ipod and Garmin have stopped working. I've had to learn how to blink so that my eyelashes don't freeze together during snowstorms and I have run without being able to feel my legs despite having two pairs of pants on. I have logged 183k on Saturday morning runs and roughly 100k on Tuesday night 13k runs. That doesn't even include Thursday night hills and speed training. Over 300k in 12 weeks through the harshest weather that Mother Nature can throw at us.
And I loved it!
I loved the wild and crazy weather. The beautiful early morning runs. The runs that intimidated me and the runs that made me cry. The runs that humbled me and the runs whose asses I kicked. It's the journey that keeps me coming back for more.
This race on Sunday is a culmination of all of that. It's a celebration of what we've been able to accomplish. The medal we're going to get on Sunday isn't for crossing the finish line. It's for having the strength and the guts to do the training it took to get there.
I have the training schedule posted on the wall by my desk as work. It seemed pretty intimidating back in January. Now it's full of memories and stories and is surprisingly comforting to look at.
When I turn back around 180 degrees to stare down that finish line, I take courage from the road that stretches out behind me. It got me this far. I'm confident that it will carry me the rest of the way.
Time to stop focusing on the race ahead. Instead, I'm turning around 180 degrees and looking backwards.
Back, back, back to Tuesday, January 4th. A cold and snowy night no doubt although, truth be told, I have no recollection of what the weather was. It was night #1 of the Around the Bay training. I knew I was in for a challenge when I read that we had to run 13k on the first night. I remember when we used to have to build up to that distance. Now it was a prerequisite. It was a brave new world I was venturing into.
During the past twelve weeks, we have run through snow storms, wind storms, whiteouts, downpours, ice, slush and mud. My glucometer has frozen, my pump battery has died, my ipod and Garmin have stopped working. I've had to learn how to blink so that my eyelashes don't freeze together during snowstorms and I have run without being able to feel my legs despite having two pairs of pants on. I have logged 183k on Saturday morning runs and roughly 100k on Tuesday night 13k runs. That doesn't even include Thursday night hills and speed training. Over 300k in 12 weeks through the harshest weather that Mother Nature can throw at us.
And I loved it!
I loved the wild and crazy weather. The beautiful early morning runs. The runs that intimidated me and the runs that made me cry. The runs that humbled me and the runs whose asses I kicked. It's the journey that keeps me coming back for more.
This race on Sunday is a culmination of all of that. It's a celebration of what we've been able to accomplish. The medal we're going to get on Sunday isn't for crossing the finish line. It's for having the strength and the guts to do the training it took to get there.
I have the training schedule posted on the wall by my desk as work. It seemed pretty intimidating back in January. Now it's full of memories and stories and is surprisingly comforting to look at.
When I turn back around 180 degrees to stare down that finish line, I take courage from the road that stretches out behind me. It got me this far. I'm confident that it will carry me the rest of the way.
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