new work out regimen

Summer is long gone, and so are my swim days....or so I thought. I felt so strong during the summer, when I managed to swim a great deal in the open reservoir nearbye. I notices a clear difference when I stopped swimming, not only in how my body looks - my arm muscles, gone, my defined abs, gone - but also in how my body felt - strenght, much of it gone, and in my mood - I missed the meditative componenet of swimming, where you are alone with your breath, counting the laps, back and forth, back and forth, you, your breath and the water.

So Chris and I decided to join the YMCA. You see, I have a husband who also enjoys swimming, which is great. My plan is to swim Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and run Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. I'd like to run 10-12 or at least 1:30 min on Saturdays, to keep that as a long run. As of now, I ran on trails on Mondays, around the Arlington Reservoir, and I'd like to make it to the Fells on Saturdays about 2/months. Will see how that will work out. I want to try to work on speed Wednesday/Thursday, maybe even get back to the track on Thursdays, since Fridays I don't run. I also need to make sure I strength train, alternating leg days with arm days, and aiming for 200 sit ups 3 times a week at least. My left rotator cuff is painful but definitely getting better, so I can start on that soon.

So that's the plan. It worked out well last week. The only trouble with swimming? I get super hungry after, OMG. Oh, and another problem, it gets pretty busy there -today I had to share a lane with 3 people, and actually got hurt by one of the people from THE OTHER lane, who was sporting a lot of gear that somehow made contact with my R knee a couple of times.

Maine 1/2 marathon

Last weekend I ran the Maine 1/2 marathon with my friends Carlene, Jenny and Kim. I spent the entire previous week in Chicago for work, arrived Saturday night, and so my expectations were very low for a Sunday race and a prerace almost 2 h drive. The race ended up being a great experience. I ran the entire race with Carlene, who is super strong and manages to talk non stop through races. We started out at a 9:30 min/mile pace, which was rather scary for me, because I usually start at 8:30 and push faster the second part of the race. But this was impossible during this race, because the road was narrow and packed the first couple of miles. However, the course was beautiful. Almost flat, with a couple of short and not to0 steep hills, and views and smells of ocean and freshness. We finished in 1:50, not a PR, but a great enjoyable race, that left me feeling great the rest of the day - not the usual headache, fatigue, nausea that I normally experience after racing.

The morale: it is oh so OK to run a race sometimes for enjoyment and not for a PR, chat with your friends and have a chance to take in the view. I'll try it more often.

what's been happening

A pretty bad cold kept me from running good quality mileage, such that I don't feel as prepared for the Maine 1/2 on Sunday 9/21. My longest run in preparation for this race was a 10 miler at 8:04, done last Saturday, during which I struggled to keep up with my friend B., who seemed to just be flying. This week I am in Chicago for a conference, and I did manage to do 3 5 milers, 8, 8:05, and 7:55 min/mile. Not even close to where I was in May, before taking time off for my stress fracture.

But, still, my running is improving. I remember getting back to running sometime in June, after 3 weeks off, and how running 10 min miles was so tough, and how any distance longer than 6 miles seemed to be dragging on... This is good. I still feel some pain when running, but it does go away, and it is not too bad. I keep thinking I should try to get to the root of the problem, e.g., why did I get the stress fracture given that I am healthy, eat well, don't run more than 4 days/week - but life gets in the way. Funny thing, I am stoic when it comes to myself, and so empathic when it comes to my patients.

Back to running - really beautiful to run on the shore in Chicago. I miss the trails, though, and am hoping to take Chris with me and do Skyline on Monday am. As far as the Maine 1/2goes, I will not beat my PR, 1:44:50, but I hope to run strong. I also have to figure out how not to get so dizzy, lightheaded and off balance after mile 10. I will try a banana with pb and salt before the race, and have some electrolytes with water during the race, along with the jelly beans. It's just a race, and a learning experience. Shall be fun!!!!

Wapack 17.5 2008

Being a psychologist I have a keen interest in the human mind and perceptions, and am frequently using myself as a case study. I have had a tough time since Wednesday when I heard about the stress fractures. Although I have been back to running comfortably for over 1 month, since I have learned about the stress fracture I actually felt some pain or achenes in my left pubic bone. Yes, psychosomatic. And yes, truly amazing, the nociceptic mind-body interaction. Kinda interesting and scary. I also had foot pain, but this miraculously went away by Friday. I, on the other hand, went back and forth between doing and not doing the race. I am not squeamish about the pain, but was horrified about having the experience of collapsing in the middle of the woods and having to wait there for help. By Saturday I have made up my mind. I would do the race. Reading Murakami's new book on running has also helped made up my mind.

Friday I did a short 5 mile run around the reservoir, followed by a short swim, and Saturday I swam for 1 hour. My legs felt rested. I also ate more than usual the entire week. I did not sleep well the night before the race, too worried, too worked up. I was glad when it was time to go. Ate some cereal, drank some coffee and was ready to go. I had planned to do some visualizations the night before, but just could not do it.

I got excited while in the car. Chris was worried about being late, I was partly hoping we would and we'd miss the race. I really don't have much confidence as a runner, maybe bc it is a sport I picked up late in life, and also bc I am still new to racing.

Once we got to the start up line, I got excited. The shirt was awesome, the course intimidating. People were great, very friendly. M and C showed up a bit late, and I was nervous they won't make it on time. We took pictures. We peed. We lined at the start line, back of the pack. The race director gave a scary speech about his hopes we are in shape, about the tough and technical course, about stopping 1/2 way, about getting disqualified if not getting to the 1/2 point in less than 3 hours.

Then we started running. There were a bit of flat, and then people started walking when we got to the first climb. I wanted to run, but there was no room. Eventually we started running, but the pace was slow. I felt great. In retrospect, I should have started going faster, but I wanted to run with C and M. Eventually, I started going faster. The first 1/2 I felt v strong (first 8.5 miles). I met lots of people and had great talks. I got to the 1/2 way point in 2:00. I waited for C and M and had a sandwich and water, kissed my boys. C arrived at 2:05, and I really wanted to go. At 2:07 C and I started going back, but C decided to wait for M. I left alone. I caught up to some people and was happy not to run alone. We had a huge climb which went fine, than a 3 m iler of mostly flat. I felt strong up to mile 13, when I started having wabbly legs. I fell and scraped my leg and knee. Mostly, I was alone and worried about getting lost. I kept waiting for the guy behind me to make sure I was on the right path. Still, the time was good and I hoped to make it in less than 4 hours. At mile 15, another killer climb, and I felt dizzy and light headed. At mile 16, a bunch of guys that I had previously encouraged passed me and encoruaged me this time. I kept telling my mantra "Can you hurt more?", and it helped. I counted my steps, go to 50 and then get a drink. At mile 17 I felt much better, started running faster, and than I saw C's husband, and I heard cheers, and saw my boys and crossed the finish line, 4:15! Not to bad. C and M followed.

It was an amazing experience. Pushing myself, being alone in the woods and finding my way, taking the risk, feeling the pain and getting close to hallucinating (yes!)...

What helped: food, eating a lot pre and during. Salt and water and sports jelly beans.
What didn't: too slow of a beginning, too long of a break 1/2 point, feeling worried about leaving C and M behind, getting lost and waiting for those behind me to ensure I was not getting lost, not knowing that a bunch of rocks on top of each other is an actual marking:)

next year: under 4 h.

Oh, and I was 5th woman overall!!!