Relating my race to how training is going...

Some additional thoughts on Derry:
It's funny, I found running Derry sort of befuddling. I really wanted to somehow correlate my pace to either my marathon pace or half marathon pace, but just couldn't do it. Then it dawned on my that I wasn't attacking the issue from the correct angle. Runners are just different. Some are really strong on a hilly course or in the bitter cold, and some aren't. As a result, it's very difficult to find the correlation I was looking for.

What I was truly looking for though, was how my training is going. I do most of my runs on the treadmill. It's a combination of being a busy mom and trying to stay injury free. But TM running simply isn't the same as running outside, so how can I tell if my TM runs are on track with what I think my MP and HMP should be? Well, I did run a workout on the treadmill two weeks prior to Derry that was meant to "simulate" Derry as much as possible. I ran 16 miles. The first 8 miles were at a 1% incline. Mile 9 was at at 4% incline, Mile 10 was at a 5% incline, and the first 2 minutes of mile 11 were at a 6% incline. Then I thought my heart was going to explode, so I paused the TM, took a 2 minute breather, jumped back on and finished the rest with no incline. My average pace for this run was 6:50 (excluding the 2 minute break). If I factor in the 2 minute break (because race clocks don't pause), then my pace was 6:57. I climbed around 800 feet during this "simulation." Derry has total climb of about 600 feet. My pace at Derry was 6:53. So my pace at Derry was a little faster than my TM run, but the climb was less too. I know it's not an exact science or an exact correlation, but it's as close I'm going to get. I actually felt a lot better running Derry than I felt running the "simulation" on the TM. (Probably because the week I ran Derry was a cut back week, while the "simulation" was during a 70 mile week.) Now, at least, I feel like I know where I stand with my TM running.


More on the tread mill:
Now the TM is interesting because I don't believe that all distances correlate the same. For example, I've broken 18 minutes in the 5K on the TM, but have only run 18:34 recently on the roads. (I don't count TM runs for my PR's.) I was running with no incline at the time, so there's that, but I also know from my own experience that as the distance gets shorter (or the faster the pace) there seems to be more "advantage" time wise on the mill (at least for me). As the distance gets longer, the times start to correlate better (for me). Last year prior to running the Hampton Half, I ran an 8 mile workout on the TM at 6:40 pace (with no incline). At Hampton I wound up running 6:49 pace, which probably seems like the TM was off by more than you'd like to see, but when you consider that the TM run was 8 miles (versus 13), and that I was incredibly sick at Hampton, I think it's probably not all that bad. This last summer and fall while training for the BayState Marathon, I did all my marathon paced runs at 7:19 pace (no incline), and did wind up running 7:19 pace at BayState.

Unfortunately, I don't feel like the TM builds confidence for me. I feel like it's "fake" running. When I input my runs into DailyMile, I feel like reporting those paces is cheating. I will admit, that once or twice I've added a couple minutes to a TM run when I reported it on DM. I know some of you are looking at my DM stuff, so 99% of the time, I am totally honest, but there have been maybe a half dozen runs over the last 2 years, where I ran a huge PR on the mill and just felt weird about it, so I added some time to the total. Part of the issue might be that I often keep one hand on the TM when I run, and I feel like that's cheating too. But running hard is sort of scary on the TM, and I've promised Nick that I'll be with him forever. Keeping that one hand on makes me feel less like I'm going to get thrown across the room if I stumble a bit. I do try to make sure that I'm not "hanging" on the machine in anyway.

I'm trying to get over my TM hangups. The truth is, that it's not exactly like running outside, but it almost doesn't even matter. It's a training tool, and there are things you can do with the TM that you can't do outside. If you have an elevation map of a course, you can sort of "simulate" that course like I did with Derry. You can train your body to know what a certain pace feels like. My workouts heavily rely on using the specific pace (or slightly faster) than what I'm training for. You can put the TM on that pace and just rely on it to maintain it for you. That's huge for me. When I'm outside by myself, it's so easy to just give in. For me, it's a lot easier to slow down outside, than it is for me to touch that minus button...It's almost like having a training partner or having someone pace you. I also found this interesting article on TM running. Basically it says running on the TM feels harder, but is actually easier due to lack of wind resistance. It was interesting to read, because most of my paces do feel harder on the TM (well all except 5K pace, 5K pace feels easier on the mill to me).

Derry Pics:
Remember how I mentioned the the Greater Derry Track Club (GDTC) did a great job organizing the race? Well, they had Nuvision Action Image do the photography. And guess what!? You can download the full resolution image for free! No strings attached! Apparently the cost of the photography is covered with the race registration fee. That's pretty cool. Derry's registration fee was $50, and I have to say it was worth every dollar. Okay, so here are a few pics of me at Derry. Note that I looked pained AND I'm slightly heel striking (so I was probably tired too). To be fair, there were a number of pictures where I wasn't heel striking, but I didn't like them as much as these...

 My Stride is a lot longer than I thought...oh, and yes, I am wearing arm warmers over my jacket.

 Those are the CW-X tights I mentioned last time...so ugly...yet so awesome.

 So my arm swing always crosses my body, which is bad, but I can't seem to fix it...

I have a confession...

It's not always rainbows and lollipops over here at experimental running. Don't get me wrong, life is good, but I am fairly certain that I am constantly on the hairy edge of becoming injured at any given time. At first, I thought this was a reminder that I'm not a natural. And I'm definitely not a natural, but the really really talented runners are also always on the hairy edge of becoming injured. Over the summer, I read an article on the Americans running the Marathon in the Olympics, and at the time, nearly all of them had some type of injury concerns. That's when it really hit me that nothing makes you immune to injury, and getting faster means higher risk of getting hurt.

So how do I stay injury free? Well, the fact is, regardless of my routine, at some point I'll get injured (and I've been injured many times). I don't mean to sound negative, I'm just assuming that eventually I'll have to take some time off due to running a lot (a.k.a. overuse).

Though I tend not to write about it, I do have a routine "to help" keep me healthy. I'm not trying to be sneaky Raina! I just find writing about preventative maintenance a bit boring. And my husband is always telling me I shouldn't tempt fate (jinx it), by writing about it. Because now that I've written about it, next week I'll probably be posting about how my legs fell off. Stupid legs...

Anyway, I was writing about preventative maintenance. It's probably easiest if I just make a list:

1. I use the FRoller after nearly all my runs. I love it! My high school coach invented it, and really, it's great. The FRoller is a new toy that I bought myself before Christmas. It's a little like the stick, but you freeze it.  Before the FRoller, I was rubbing my legs down with 4-6 ice cubes after almost all my runs. Using the FRoller is better. It's like a cool message. I know AM! Icing might make the muscles weaker rather than stronger, but I swear by this, and I'm not even sure if you can call this icing. It's nothing like throwing an ice pack on for 20 minutes or submerging yourself in an ice bath. My legs feel a whole better since I've started it.
2. Now that it's winter time, I wear CW-X compression tights after hard runs (at night). They are expensive and ugly, but I have to say that they help. My legs always feel better in the morning. I only have one pair and I've had them for four years now, so I'd say that they're worth the cash. 
3. I do most of my hard running on the treadmill. Actually lately, because of the snow, I've been doing most of my running on the treadmill. I believe the treadmill is much more forgiving when running hard. It's definitely not fun. And it doesn't quite correlate to road times (I can run faster on the TM than the roads), but honestly the point is to get a good workout and run hard without getting hurt, so as long as I keep my expectations in check on race day the TM is a good option for me (not for everyone). Trails are also an excellent option (and trails with big hills make for a great workout), but not realistic for me at this stage in my mommy hood.
4. I take my vitamins. Yes, I have noticed a huge difference since starting to take vitamins. Besides a typical multivitamin, I take extra vitamin C and D (I think this has helped my immune system). I am much less sick than in the past. I also take flaxseed oil and glucosamine, which is something I started doing a long time ago when my knees started bothering me, and it works. (Note: Old people take glucosamine for their joints. Yeah, that's right, I'm an old lady.) More recently I started taking a magnesium supplement. I was having weird muscle aches and being oddly irritable during my last marathon training cycle. I read somewhere that magnesium might help. I sort of think that it has helped, but to be completely honest I'm not super sure. 

That's it. Nothing too fancy or crazy. I'm ashamed to admit that I do no strength training at all. I'm a huge advocate of core body work, but since Emily has been born I have been lazy. I also almost never stretch. I'm not against stretching. I've just never noticed a difference one way or the other. And Yoga makes me feel sick, so I don't do that either. Okay, that sounds crazy, and it took me a number of times of doing Yoga to realize it, but I get nauseous every single time I do it. I think I must have an inner ear issue, or something, really I don't have an explanation. I know it sounds ridiculous... 

Here's a picture of my new coach trying out the FRoller. She gave it her stamp of approval, and she's one tough customer to please. (Though I feel compelled to add that she used it on her head and stomach too, so she might be a bit confused as to what it's supposed to be used for.)

Do you have any recovery or "stay healthy" rituals that help you get through a training cycle in one piece? Please share! I'd love to hear what other people do!

6 months pregnant and a picture to prove it

Yup, that's right, I'm six months pregnant. Or 26 weeks, but who's keeping track? Right after I posted last week, I was ecstatic to learn that both Kara Goucher and Paula Radcliffe are pregnant too! Their due dates are one month after mine! It sounds like they're still training fairly hard too. I found this interview with Kara and she mentions doing 1 mile intervals. Not that I plan to go and start running intervals or tempos now, but it's just nice to read that their doctors have okay-ed some harder running. Also, I feel like if they can take time off from racing for their pregnancies then I don't feel so bad missing a whole year of racing. And it will just be fun following them over the next few months.

As far is running is concerned, last week was a good week. The two days I ran outside were about 50 degrees, simply perfect running weather, and I wound up doing one 8 mile run at 7:55 pace and my heart rate didn't go above 120! The other outside run was another 8 miler at 8:01 pace. It's really funny my outside runs are so much faster than my treadmill runs. I wound up running 57 miles last week the average being 8:40 pace, so my treadmill runs are much much slower. I'm not really sure why. I think my stride is shorter making it harder to run faster. Honestly though, it's probably why I'm not injured. I've been thinking about my running and I can't believe that I've been averaging more than 45 miles a week for 6 months now with no injuries! That's amazing for me. It must be the treadmill. That's the only thing that's changed in the last 6 months. Well that, and me being pregnant, but I'm pretty sure carrying around an extra 13 -14 pounds isn't helping me to prevent injuries.

This is a bit random, but running with a toddler around has become interesting. Kaylee makes all these interesting statements that are constantly making me laugh. Here are a few Kaylee quotes:

1. If she hears the treadmill slow down, I might hear "Mommy why are you slowing down, can't you go faster?"
2. If I try to pick her up after I run, I'll get the protest "Mommy you're all sweaty, you need a shower."
3. Sometimes after I run she'll say "Mommy, I smell you..."
4. More than once she's said "Mommy can you put your socks back on." (I'm missing several toenails.)
5. She'll do laps around the house and when she's done she'll say, "Phew, I just ran 20 miles."

Okay, below you can see a picture of me 6 months pregnant with my Kaylee meister patting my belly. She's super cute.



Training Journal 5/10 - 5/16
Total Miles Run: 57
Total Time Running: 8:14
Average Running Pace: 8:40

Surviving the Treadmill and Avoiding Injuries

My running week was fairly boring. There's not much to say when all your miles were on the treadmill, you didn't run any workouts, and don't have any planned races in the near future. I did get in another 47 miles though, which is good.

I've received a number of comments and read a number of runners' blogs that have a lot of trouble with the treadmill. I'm not in love with running on it, but I don't mind it either. Obviously being outside with the wind on your face is the preferred running method, but I guess I'll take what I can get. So far, my longest run has been 11 miles, which I've done a few times. Most of the time I'm running 8 or 9 miles. My general methodology is to start slow and slowly increase the speed throughout the run. I'll start somewhere between 9:00 - 9:30 pace and slowly increase the speed until I'm running my last mile somewhere between 7:30 - 8:00 pace. The average pace is usually between 8:30 - 9:00 minutes. This is generally how I run typical training runs outside too. I start slower (although probably not as slow as 9:30 pace) and get faster throughout the run. My racing strategy is completely opposite, however, I go out fast and usually slowly drop off. I enjoy leaving nothing in the tank. ;)

There are a few advantages to treadmill running. Given that I often have injury issues, I've been doing a lot thinking about injury prevention. I've also been thinking about how I managed to run so many miles in high school and college without suffering from constant injuries. It suddenly dawned on me that nearly all of my running during those years was done on trails. Even all our races were on trails. Trails are softer. There are roots and rocks to avoid, which means you have to have a smaller stride to avoid ankle sprains and such. It wast my senior year in college that I started to run mostly on the roads. I had an odd class load that forced me to run mostly by myself, and by the end of that year I was totally hobbled. Running on the roads must have been the main contributor to my injuries. Apparently running 55-60 miles a week on the roads didn't agree with me.

The treadmill is similar to a trail in that it's soft and it seems to force me to have a smaller stride. Trails would still be preferable, but that means having to drive somewhere to run. When time is limited that can be hard. Not that I think exclusive treadmill running is the key to injury prevention. For one, if you run too much too fast overuse injuries will still occur. And obviously running on a treadmill simply isn't like running outside, which is where all races occur (not to mention being more enjoyable in general). I'm simply suggesting that if you have issues with injuries, running on trails may help. If trails aren't available for you to run on, you might want to consider supplementing your outdoor running with a couple days of treadmill running. Just a thought...

So how does one survive a treadmill run? You can listen to music, which I might do if Kaylee is in bed. We also have a TV and DVD player near the treadmill. I'll pop in a movie and watch it muted with the subtitles on. Yeah, sounds odd, but the treadmill motor can be a bit loud. Also, if Kaylee is running around she likes her music on, and she likes to talk to me while I run. I also think varying the speed helps. As nice as it sounds to run a constant pace, I'm just not sure that people were realistically meant to run that way. We inevitably vary our speed throughout a run. I imagine trying to run a constant speed on the treadmill for 11 miles is even more monotonous than changing it up a bit.

Actually, I find running on the treadmill easier than doing the row machine. Sometimes I do 10K's on the row machine and it takes an enormous amount of concentration and discipline for me to finish. I can't watch a movie while I row. I have to focus the whole time. It's exhausting, which is probably why I haven't done the row machine in a while. A shame really, because rowing is an incredible workout that I really believe helps with running performance.

Training Journal Summary (1/18-1/24)
Total Miles Run: 47
Total Time Running: 6:56
Average Pace: 8:51
Total Time on Stationary Bike: 1:03
Push ups: 7 sets of 15

Can you do pull ups or chin ups?

Last week I was all about push ups, how great they are, and how I don't do any other upper body strengthening exercises. Then I saw Michelle's comment asking if I can do an unassisted pull up, and I realized I had failed to mention the true genesis of my upper body routine.

My college coach also had us lifting weights. I could bench 3 sets of 10 of more than a 100 pounds, but I still couldn't do a set of 10 push ups correctly. And to make matters worse, I was gaining weight. I am one of those people who will gain weight when lifting heavy. Once I realized this, I stopped lifting and focused on the push ups. After a while, I realized that exercises like push ups don't make me gain weight and they make your arms look great. There are a few other exercises (besides push ups) that fall into that category. For instance, pull ups and dips are incredible upper body exercises. Similar to push ups they work the whole core. Dips aren't too bad to do. In the past, I've worked my way up to 3 sets of 7-9. Pull ups, however, are wicked hard! The only way I've ever been able to do an unassisted pull up (technically a chin up) is by buying a pull up bar and hanging on it every day. I'd hang and pull and pull and pull some more. Eventually I was able to do 3 unassisted chin ups. There's no way I could one now, but I still have the bar...I'm tempted to pull it out and start hanging on it again.

Push ups, pull ups, and dips combined make for a kick butt upper body workout. The only reason I don't do dips and pull ups is primarily a lack of time (or perhaps laziness). Usually if I have a little extra workout time, I run. I do still have that pull up bar though...

Moving on to another interesting topic, have any of you heard of Athlinks? I don't remember how I stumbled upon it last week, but it's crazy. I looked up my name and it found all kinds of race results! Even a few of my college races. I'm not really sure what it's used for. Other than stalking fellow runners perhaps? It was cool to see some of my official results though. I've only been keeping track of my race times for the last two years, so anything before that I'm never really sure of. Do any of you use Athlinks? If so, what do you use it for?

I guess I haven't mentioned my training yet. Last week wasn't bad. I managed to run 47 miles thanks to my new treadmill. Say what you want about the treadmill, but I love it. Yes, it's a bit monotonous, but I can do it with my toddler playing nearby. Kaylee is so good when I run. She never goes near it while it's on, and is generally happy playing with her toys and listening to her music while I run. So yeah, it's awesome.

Training Journal 1/11 - 1/17
Total Miles Run: 47
Total Time Running: 6:46
Average Pace: 8:38
Total Stationary Bike Time: 1:35
Push ups: 4 sets of 15 (pitiful I know)

My Christmas Present!

I mentioned a few weeks ago that all I wanted for Christmas was a treadmill. I know...I don't want much, right? I also mentioned that we went to the super special treadmill store just before Christmas to order the one I wanted. It finally came on Sunday! I felt like I had to wait forever! Okay, maybe it was only two weeks, but seriously...it's cold out there.

Side note, can you believe they deliver on Sundays? Nick was talking with the setup guys and they said during the winter they're delivering seven days a week! They were delivering treadmills the day before and the day after Christmas. And in the summer time it can be so slow, they sometimes take whole weeks off.

We can officially claim that we have a home gym now. There's the weight bench (not mine). Then there's the stationary bike, row machine, and now the treadmill. I have laid claim to all the cardio equipment, although technically Nick had the stationary bike before he even met me... technically (it's really mine).

The basement is full of awesome workout equipment and toys! This is nice because it's cold outside. The cold doesn't usually bother me, but it's starting to bother me a little. The actual running in the cold is fine, but afterward I'm freezing for the rest of the day. Also, my skin is so ridiculously dry that every time I take a shower it stings. I know, I know, suck it up, right? Anyway, the cold and snow also means I can't use the running stroller so the treadmill is awesome!

Have you been wondering which treadmill we picked? Our general selection criteria was how well it will stand up to beatings. I like to really test the durability of cardio equipment. My parents like to tease me; technically, I broke two pieces of their cardio equipment when I was younger. So durability was important. Also, I don't need a lot gadgets or gizmos. Speed, incline, pace, that's all I need.

In the end, Landice came out on top. These treadmills are pretty sweet. There's a full one year warranty that includes labor, and a lifetime warranty on all the treadmill parts, ALL the parts...that's rare. There are two downsides to the Landice brand. One, there are no bells and whistles in regard to the electronics. Something I don't care about, but others might. And two, it is expensive, but these treadmills last so long that when you fill out the warranty card there's a space to name a person to inherit the treadmill warranty when you die. Okay, that sounded only slightly morbid, but still, durable. In case you're wondering, I've endowed my treadmill to Kaylee.

In other news, Christmas went well, but my workouts fell off a bit. Not so much because I couldn't fit them in, but more because I didn't feel well. Saturday I had actually laced up one sneaker and was beginning to lace up the other, when I decided I was too tired and opted to take a nap instead. This is very uncharacteristic of me, but for whatever reason I was ridiculously tired. I did get in one good run last week. I did a nine miler, started at 8:34 pace, worked my way down to 7:00 pace, and wound up averaging 7:59 pace. The rest of the week was pretty much a flop.

Training Journal 12/21-12/26
Total Miles Run: 16.6
Total Time Running: 2:17
Average Pace: 8:15
Total Time Stationary Bike: 4:10

Training 12/07 - 12/13

Running last week went fairly well. It was tricky with the snow. Last Monday the snow was melted enough that I was able to run with the running stroller, but then on Wednesday we got slammed with another eight inches of snow. The fuzzy photo to left was taken with my phone mid Wednesday morning. Thursday it was about 40 degrees, but there was too much snow to run on my narrow busy road. I wound up driving to a wide quiet back road and used the stroller there.

My days of running stroller use are numbered. I've been lucky that there have been a few warmer days. I don't feel comfortable running with Kaylee if it's under 40 degrees. Without the stroller, it's hard for me to run much more than 28 miles a week, but...we went treadmill shopping last week! I'm excited to report that we ordered a treadmill. I knew which one I wanted before we went to the store. I called ahead of time to make sure they had a floor model to look at and run on. And I ran on a few others too just to make sure! I'm crossing my fingers that it will be in before Christmas, but not holding my breath.

I know as runners the treadmill is a last resort, but where I am in my life without a treadmill my running is going to be severely limited. I'm really excited to have one. I've been slowly trying to make my up to 40 plus miles a week, but the weather, lack of stroller use, and early darkness are getting in my way. It's ridiculous because I'm not training for anything right now, but thinking about how I'll get in my miles actually stresses me out.

Do you get stressed if you can't run the miles you'd like to (even if you're not technically in training)?

Training Journal Summary
Miles run: 36.4 (14 with the stroller)
Time running: 5:19
Average pace: 8:45
Time on stationary bike: 4:00
Pushups: 4 x 20

Winter Running

This was the view from our kitchen window on Sunday. New England is so crazy. The fall has been so temperate that I forgot winter was coming. And boom December comes in with some snow right away! This particular storm was fairly mild. We only had 3 or 4 inches, but it was that wet heavy snow that stuck to everything. I did go running on Sunday. It is hard to run in the snow. The streets were clear, but people drive like lunatics, there aren't many sidewalks where I run, and it's slippery. So there you have it...not my favorite for running. What really irritates me, though, is that once it snows the running stroller isn't safe to use. I did manage a run on Monday with the stroller, but only because most of the snow had melted. Now without the flexibility of the running stroller, my running becomes trickier. Sigh.

If it weren't for the snow (leading to my inability to use the beloved running stroller), I would love running in the winter time. The way I see it, you can always put more clothes on when it's cold out, but there are only so many you can take off when it's hot. But alas, I can't control the weather (shakes fists at the heavens).

So what's a running girl to do? This running girl has asked for a treadmill. I used my sweetest voice and said, "I would really like to get a treadmill and here are my completely logical and sane reasons for needing wanting one...blah blah blah." It might interest you to know that somehow I included less likely to get injured on my list. To which Nick replied nervously (because one must be delicate with a running fanatic), "Ah, really? Because I thought that running less would lead to less injuries." Silly man! "My logic is sound," I replied. "I don't disagree with your logic...it's just that sometimes, you, ah, have control issues when it comes to running." I smiled, "Don't worry about that! I'll make sure to increase my mileage appropriately. And it's all I want for Christmas!" Ultimately, he agreed. So it looks like we'll be adding a treadmill to the basement to go along with the row machine, stationary bike, and weight bench!

Oh, and look at that...it's snowing again. I wonder if I can get that treadmill before Christmas...