After taking a nice week off of running (oops), I hit the treadmill for some fast tempo miles. I was channeling Ricky “I wanna go fast” Bobby the entire time. I probably should have pushed more, seeing as tempo miles are really supposed to be speedy (read: painful wishes for death), but I felt good about them. Running 9 minute miles has (thankfully) gotten easier. I never thought it would.
Tag Archives: runner
Nine Miles and a Sunburn
Saturday, I got a sunburn.
If you’re currently in the OKC area, you will find this unconscionable due to the mass flooding going on. The OUProblems Twitter aptly described it as “our sidewalks being at high tide”.
I got a sunburn because I was out pounding pavement with my flat feet for 2 hours. 120 minutes. It’s hard to imagine what running for 2 hours is like. I’m not even sure I can give you an accurate description because I took approximately double the number of walking breaks I usually do, due to the whole heat-so-blistering-I-have-a-sunburn phenomenon.
After mile 3, my legs felt great. I felt like I had a great run in me, but my heart rate was like “No, thank you, too hot, try again next time”. My heart rate reached 180 at one point when I pushed myself particularly hard.
I wanted to run 10 miles in 2 hours, and I still think I can do that. Just on a different day. One with more water stops and more sunscreen.
For now, my sunburn and my umbrella are going on a really awkward date.
Bust
If this blog were actually the children’s show Sesame Street, the word for last week would be “bust”.
Does Sesame Street even do a word of the day/week?
Whether or not that’s an actual segment, last week was a total bust. In more ways than one.
I had to delay my long run until Sunday because I went to Dallas for an appointment and forgot a jacket to run in. And also appropriate pants. Oops. But I had more than enough time Sunday to get out there and pound out 7 miles on campus.
My plan seemed to be working perfectly during Sunday afternoon. I picked up a sandwich for lunch and then took a nice long nap before dragging myself out of bed and dressing myself in my running getup. I also remembered to bring Sport Beans that my mom had sent me in the mail. These were watermelon flavored and contained caffeine, so I thought it would be a good idea to try them out before the race. Remember, kids, never try something new on race day! And if you’re planning on wearing brand new shoes for a race, you might as well just take a razor blade to your feet because there will be blood everywhere anyway.
I ate three beans and then started my run.
Three-quarters of a mile in, things were not going well.
When you want to puke 6 minutes into a run, you can kind of guess that things may not be going your way that day. But alas, I kept going and finished my 2 mile loop in a slower-than-average time. Mostly because I was trying to self-diagnose my sloshy stomach as I pounded the pavement.
I thought I might have been hungry, so I ate two more beans and then took off on my loop again. It was at this time that the wheels really fell off the bus. I began suffering from horrible calf tightness that reckoned back to my early days of running during which my calves would get so tight that somehow circulation got cut off to my feet and they went numb. (I am not a doctor, but this happened in 3 races, and ever since I started taking walking breaks, I have not had any numbness. Riddle me that.)
So, let’s regroup. I’m trotting around an an embarrassingly slow pace, trying not to puke in the lawns of any historic homes, and wishing I could slice my calves in half because my addled brain thought it would relieve the tension.
During a walk break, I texted B about my ailments, who promptly told me to stop running. I told him I didn’t want to be a failure.
I basically just waited for him to console me with “You’re not a failure!” before I slowed to a walk completely and turned around for home.
I thought about blaming the Sport Beans, but I remembered I had a package of them before a 5k once and was fine. Those didn’t have caffeine, so maybe that was the catalyst for my misery.
However it happened, 7 miles turned into 3. A terrible, awful 3 miles that capped off a terrible, awful week filled with tears, frustration, and not a lot of running.
But it’s a new week now, and things are going better. I made myself stick to the plan and not add in an extra long run this week. I have not cried once, and it’s already Tuesday! And tonight I ran a totally respectable 3 miles at 10k goal pace.
So let’s move on with our lives now, and leave the bust of last week behind.
Total mileage for Bust Week: 5 miles
Who Can I Blame This On?
I had a scheduled run today of 3 miles, and I decided to double my 1.5 mile route. So, two loops. Super simple, right?
Nope.
There’s this weird part of the trail that I run on that loops around the lake, but there’s like a little side path that you can take to skip the little baby lake loop. When I came up on it, I instantly forgot if that little baby lake loop was included in the path I had so carefully created on MapMyRun. Cue internal battle!
I should have just done the loop, because who complains about running OVER their target for the day? But alas, I skipped the little baby lake loop and discovered when I got home that I only ran 2.75 miles. Blast you, last .25 of a mile that consisted of that lake loop!
I mean, I’m really not that upset about it because as I came in, it started pouring rain, so if I had taken the time to do the little baby lake loop I would be soaking wet with a water damaged phone so… I’m not too torn up about it.
2.75 miles/ 26 minutes (shoulda known I ran less with that super fast time!)
Six Miles on a Saturday Night
Whew, lookin’ rough.
6 miles/ ~60 minutes (I’ve been taking a break from formally timing my long runs to keep morale up)
The first two miles were of awful-average difficulty. Especially because they begin with a huge hill (I took a picture! I’ll show you later!). After two, I took a quick water break and then did two 1.5 mile loops and planned on stopping. But I felt super great during the 3-5 mile period. I even did a sprint through the pretty wooded trail I run through.
Due to this “feeling good” phenomenon, I decided to push it for a personal distance record of 6 miles. I kept telling myself, “This is your long run! Don’t cop out now! If you stop, you’re just going to have to go through all this pain again tomorrow!” Since it was getting dark, I looped around some neighborhood streets to finish the last miles because the streets had streetlamps (duh).
29:59
Well, I did it!
After nearly a year of running, I finally ran a sub-30 minute 5K.
It was not easy.
Luckily, I had a bunch of my sorority sisters there to help pump me up!
(FTK= For the Kids, because our race benefited Soonerthon, our dance marathon event for Children’s Miracle Network!)
The race was at night, so it was a little chilly. A neon theme forced me to break out some of my favorite workout gear: blue and purple gradient leggings, purple shorts, and a lime green shirt. Also, huge blue and purple tulle bow that got lost in the frenzy. Oops!
I started out on the far left as always, directing B and K to stand on that side in my vain attempt to mug for a picture as I passed.
This never happened because I was running too fast. Small victory or disappointment? Not really sure.
I headed out at an 8 minute/mile pace (STUPID STUPID STUPID), eventually cruising into a comfy 9:15-9:30 pace for my first mile. I took a walk break as planned (I follow the Galloway method, you should try it, it saves me from shredding my calves and I love it) and then set off again.
Since I knew I was painfully close to sub-30-ing, I spent most of the race in a mental battle. I know that I recover better taking multiple walking breaks then picking up the pace rather than running until I eventually slow to a snail’s pace (and guess what? my shins are beastly by then also). But I didn’t want to walk at all, I wanted to beast mode this 5k and power across the finish in less than 30 minutes.
Luckily, I kept yo-yoing past Tonya, one of my sorority sisters. She runs way more than I do because of her epic extracurricular activities, and I was impressed that I was keeping up with her! I would slow to a walk and she would run past, yelling something encouraging, and then when she slowed to a walk, I would run past and yell something to her. It was a pretty nice setup. Chasing after Tonya really helped me stay in the game because I had the smaller goal of “keep up with Tonya” rather than thinking “WHAT IS YOUR PACE ARE YOU UNDER 30 CHECK YOUR SPLITS FREAK OUT FREAK OUT YEAH” the entire time.
This lasted until the end of the race, at which time Tonya turned up the heat and sprinted to the finish way faster than me. But I followed close behind, legs burning with pain. I could see the race clock was already a few seconds past 30 minutes, but I knew that my official chip time had to be less. I powered through, knowing that every agonizing step I took forward would pay off when I saw a sub-30 time on those race results.
And… it did.
SPLITS:
Mile 1: 9:11
Mile 2: 10:29
Mile 3: 9:50
35.37
This past weekend, I ran my third 5k!
Pre-race, of course.
My aunt and uncle from Dallas were planning a visit to Norman anyway, and they’re super fit people who run pretty much every day, so I signed us all up for the Hotter 5K in Oklahoma City (it’s part of the Hot, Hotter, Hottest Summer Race Series by DG Productions!).
Me, B, uncle and aunt. Yeah, I don’t know how my aunt and I are related. She clearly got all of the gorgeous genes!
The course was an out-and-back starting at Wheeler Park in OKC, meaning we ran into the sun along the Oklahoma River for 1.55 (hot) miles and then turned and ran 1.55 (still hot) miles back.
I had been planning on running this race for a while after I axed the idea of the Color Me Rad run since it was in the afternoon in the Oklahoma heat (we’re talking 100+). This race was at 8 pm and there was a breeze! Only 92 degrees when I crossed the finish line.
(Yeah, I know. ONLY 92. Welcome to the Great Plains in July. Here’s a bottle of water, you’ll need it.)
Me and B post-race. Not cute.
I had lots of time to prepare for this race, but about three days before, I came down with some sort of mysterious cold-like illness. Sore throat, coughing, runny nose- the works. My Google medical degree said that it wasn’t strep or mono, so I decided to fight it out at home- no doctor visit. Running the race wasn’t terribly difficult while sick, but I felt especially exhausted afterwards. Breathing was easy for the first 2 miles, but the third mile was a struggle with my stuffy nose.
I ran the first two miles, then limped along during the third mile because my feet went numb (again). This is becoming a common occurrence that might need a doctor’s attention. Big frowny face. But about a quarter mile out, a nice lady running ahead of me called out to me to keep going. We ran together until the finish. Thanks, nice lady in the Red Coyote shirt! You helped tons.
Down, but Not Out
I seem to have done something extremely tragic to my knee.
And it’s really, really, superbly depressing.
“Why is it,” I tell my friends on the phone, “that when I finally do want to exercise, my stupid knee stupidly fails me?”
They respond “maybe you should have stretched more.”
It hurts on the side and behind my right knee.
Any diagnoses, audience? All contributions, even silly ones, will be referenced in a future post.
Fashionably Fit
So, I told you guys last week about my love affair with running. Now it’s time to show you how I do it while still looking fabulous.
A Nike hat is a good way to keep your inevitable flyaway hairs under control. I recently got bangs again, so to save time I usually just sweep my bangs to the side and tuck them in this hat (with the rest of my hair in a ponytail). The dri-fit fabric keeps your head from getting too sweaty as well. The width is thankfully adjustable; I usually get headaches from wearing hats for longer than 10 minutes, but no pain with this one! It is essential. I would buy one in two colors, which I will describe more later.
Creative and colorful running leggings are a must. I bought these at a TJMaxx for $13 and they just happen to be Nike. Score! This leads me to one of my fitness + fashion principles: buy everything in two very different colors. For example, I bought these blue/purple leggings and a pair of plain black leggings with pink/orange accents. If you have pieces in these bright colors, you can always accent with black or white or go all out and have a fully coordinating workout ensemble. Also, DO NOT think you can just buy a pair of $8 Target leggings and think that they will be effective. The fabric that running leggings are made out of keeps you warm (when running outside. You also won’t have to pull them up constantly (a problem I occasionally have with normal leggings) if you buy the right size.
Good layering pieces are another piece of my workout wardrobe. Dri-fit fabric won’t make you sweat if the sun comes out while you run, and it will keep you nice and toasty when you must run in 30 degree weather (which I do often)! Again, purchase these in your two key colors. I have one black Under Armor top and one pink one. I usually throw a semi-baggy t-shirt on over my base layer because the undershirts tend to have short hems.
That’s all for today! Look back next week for a piece on my favorite sorority girl standard, Nike Tempo shorts (“norts”).
My New Love Affair
…with running.
I never thought I would say this, but I really enjoy running. It’s actually (gasp) fun for me. It took me a while to grasp the concept of running through soreness, but then when you do?
THE SORENESS GOES AWAY.
It’s magical.
Running also allows me to eat delicious carbs all of the time. I can justify that baked potato I’m about to eat because “I’m going running later!”
I’ll post this week about what I like to wear when I run. I got all my name-brand running gear for like $10 a piece and of course I’d love to share it with you!