What Makes a Warrior?

Jumping over fire.  Add that to the list of things I might have said, "Why in the world would you want to do that?" to not so long ago.  

And while we're at it, let's add in sliding down a mud hill.

But last year, a group of old buddys challenged me to race in the Warrior Dash.  Thanks to my competitive streak, I couldn't very well say I was afraid, so into Warrior Dash Austin I went.  And I looked absolutely terrified in every.single.picture.  But at the end of the day, it was just good old play in the mud puddles kiddy fun.  So I signed up again when I found out they were bringing the Dash to Conroe and the same group of Brazoswood Buccaneers ran again.  Plus one - my husband joined us this time.

I got to thinking about Warrior Dash on my run this morning.  The first race, I over-thought it and psyched myself out.  Standing at the starting line I was really worried that the obstacles would be too hard and I would get the dreaded DNC (did not complete).  The day was hotter than the forecast had said it would be and I don't like to race in the heat.  There was the mud to get through and, having just had Lasik, I was worried about getting something in my eye. So at the end of that day, I was glad to have finished, but the fun factor was overshadowed by fear.

This time was different.  Knowing pretty much what I was getting into, I was relaxed and ready to run.  None of us really enjoyed standing at the starting line, thanks to the jerk in the airboat who kept blowing water and shoreline debris at the crowd, but we were all ready to race.  The obstacles were just as challenging, but they were more of a puzzle to figure out than something that I might not be able to do.  I teamed up with my fellow competitors to help each other out when we needed it and finished with a big fat smile on my face.

So, continuing in the line of my last blog update, it's all in your attitude.  Instead of thinking, "Wow, that looks hard.  I'm not sure I can do that," I think "Wow, what a challenge.  What's the first step?" Or as my fitness guru Cathe Friedrich says "Embrace the Challenge". You can do anything, one step at a time.

Start slow, finish strong!

Training update: Attitude is everything

35 miles.   That's what I logged in total last week, between my solo runs, Team in Training, and walking with the family. Made my eyes pop out when I uploaded my data from my Garmin Forerunner this morning.  I had to double and then triple and even quadruple check the thing, but it is correct.  35 miles in one week.

So this is the week I buy a fuel belt.  You know, those things you see people wearing around their waists with water bottles in them.  Yes, I am going to be one of *those* people.  Those people with Gu and Shot Blocks in special little pouches in their shorts, water in one bottle and sports drink in another, wearing a GPS watch and a Road ID, running along as the cars whiz by.  I never thought I would be one of those people, but my Coach has convinced me the water and the fuel are just too important in keeping me healthy and comfortable on the run.

One thing I am determined not to be is one of those runners who always looks unhappy, angry, or in pain.  As I mentioned in my last blog update, sometimes running does hurt, and that's okay.... sometimes.  But I've noticed as I run, as with life in general, if I put a smile on my face things get better. Just attempting a smile makes my feet lighter and my head clearer.  My lungs stop burning, my heart rate goes down, and my pace picks up.  I just feel better all around when I choose to be positive.

So all you angry runners - look out!  I am going to smile at you, and maybe, without thinking about it, you will smile back.  Attitude is everything!

Breaking the 10 mile mark - Gut Check Time

So today was long run day.  My half marathon is only a few short weeks away and I took the last two weeks off from long runs.  And my, oh my, my body let me know it today.  The goal was 10 miles.  Since my last long run was 9, I was thinking, "no big deal."

At first, I was right.  I sailed past the 3 mile mark comfortably, and settled into an easy run pace to the 5 mile mark.  Then the sun came out from behind the clouds and the heat kicked in. Mile 6 was okay, but I was starting to get an uncomfortable feeling in my gut.  A little queasy and rumbly. I decided to keep on pushing and at least make it to mile 7 before taking a Gu break.

And I made it.... to mile 8, before I started to feel like my feet were completely disconnected from my body.  I took it down to a walk, pulled a Gu out of the fuel belt, and sucked it down.  Much better.  I walked to 8.25 miles and picked it back up to an easy run pace again.  My stomach was still not happy, but I was determined to finish.  I pushed on, going over both of the "hills" in the neighborhood (little humps in the road going over the golf cart path) and cursing the sun.  At 8.75, there was no more pretending; I needed to get home.  Thankfully that was just a quarter mile away.

I ran in and did what needed to be done, then went right back out the door for that last mile.  Uh uh.  Not happening.  I immediately cramped up and BAD.  Seriously, I was hoping a rib would pop out or something to stop the pain.  I walked, massaging my side and hoping it would go away.  It didn't.  I ended up walking .75 miles and then circling the court a few times until 10.01 showed up on the GPS watch.  I hit the stop button and went inside.

I'm not going to whine and feel defeated, though.  I made 10 miles in under 2 hours, through the pain, through the nausea, through the heat, through it all.  10 miles did not beat me, despite it's best efforts.  I put one foot in front of the other and I beat 10 miles.  Next week, 10.5 miles - BRING IT!

Training Update - Post-Vacation "Hangover"

Well, not exactly a hangover, but that same sluggish feeling that comes from too much good food and not enough serious training.  It was a great vacation, really, as a trip to our nation's capital always is.  I started the trip with 2 days getting my continuing education credits for my data privacy certification, and then  spent 3 more days seeing the sights with my husband.  It was a star-studded trip: we stood in line at the hostess stand behind Jerry Jones on Friday night at Old Ebbits, saw the presidential motorcade on Saturday, and saw several politicians over the weekend.  We visited Arlington National Cemetery, took a walking tour of Georgetown, drove over to Annapolis and took another walking tour of the naval academy and the city itself, and spent a long afternoon in the National Museum of Crime and Punishment after visiting Ford's Theatre.  In short, we walked a LOT.  But we did not run and there was no time with the iron on the itinerary.

So, I jumped right back into it the day after we got home.  Wednesday night was track practice with Team in Training and I pushed hard.  We did walk/run intervals and my running pace was around 8:45/mile.  That's fast for me and I felt it the next day.  Of course, I still have that last month of STS to finish, and that was on the agenda Thursday-Saturday.  Yes, I did the first week of Mesocycle 3 in three days.  I also ran on Friday morning and went back to Memorial Park yesterday morning for an hour's run with my Team in Training.

Sunday is a day of rest, right?  Apparently not for me.  We got up early, hooked up with some friends for breakfast, and headed to Conroe for the Warrior Dash.  For the uninitiated, that's 3.2 miles of trail running with 10 crazy obstacles thrown in.  We ran through a wind tunnel, slid down a muddy hill, climbed cargo nets, and hurdled logs in waist deep water before leaping over the Warrior Roast and crawling through mud (under barbed wire) to the finish line.  It was AWESOME!!

I am now officially cured of the post-vacation hangover. Next week will be the start of logging serious miles again as I am just 5 weeks away from the half marathon.  We'll be back to "Start slow, finish strong," soon but for this week, Start fast, finish muddy!

How about lunch?

I've been thinking a lot about this fundraising recently.  That minimum amount is really hanging over my head and it's messing with my mental state on my runs.  I know there are at least a few more people who can contribute a little to help save and enrich lives.  So, how about this?  Let's throw the notion that you have to give a lot to make a difference right out of the window.

Every dollar counts in the fight against leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkins lymphoma and myeloma.  The funds go not only to research into cures, but also directly to patients to help them with expenses.  This got me to thinking on this morning's run.  I was thinking about all those hidden expenses when someone is hospitalized or in treatment.  Parking alone can cost $10-$20 per day.  (I remember this sticker shock all too clearly when a family member was hospitalized a couple of years ago.)  And meals in hospital cafeterias are pretty darn expensive.  (And not very tasty.)

Thinking about those hospital lunches I suffered through over those two weeks gave me an idea.  On average, according to the statistics I could find, lunch costs each of us about $5-7 per day.  Would you be willing to eat leftovers for one day and donate that lunch to LLS?  There is no minimum donation amount on my donation page, so how about it?  Just $5-$7? 

Training update tomorrow!

What scares a runner?

Long distance running is not for the faint of heart.  Some of you might be wondering where that internal fortitude comes from and what might leave me a little weak in the knees.

First of all, I've never run a marathon before.  So, while I am powering along adding mile after mile to the long runs, it is a little intimidating.  That said, I once hiked the longest trail in the Muir Woods park with no training whatsoever (7 hours!!!) so I am confident in my stamina.  The physical challenge is achievable.

What is scary to me is the financial commitment.  In order to get the expert advice of Team in Training, I committed to raising $2,900 to fight blood cancers.  That's a whole lotta moolah!

Sure, I could have joined a running club, but I have a split lifestyle syndrome, with weekends at the Bolivar beaches and weekdays in the Houston metropolitan area.  That makes running clubs and their usual weekend runs a little challenging.

So, I choose to work with Team in Training.  They have both weekend and weekday workouts and they don't count it against you if you don't make every weekend training.  They are gentle and supportive and promise to help their runners finish a marathon "as comfortably as possible."  I'm all about that.

What's scary?  I'm about to need to re-commit with only 25% of my total achieved.  That's a pretty big financial commitment to make.  A 26.2 mile gut check vs. my checkbook at the beginning of the year.  No contest.

I'm a little panicked.  My stomach if flip-flopping all over the place.  So if you've made it this far, consider this: if you donate $10, I will pin your name to my shoes when I run that marathon (this includes everyone who has already donated).  If you donate $25, I will pin your name on my sleeves when I run.  How about $50?  That'll get you a spot on my hat.  $100? The front of the jersey.  $150?  The back of the jersey.  And for a total donation of $250, I will make an iron transfer and run with your name on my butt.  So many options to join me on the marathon.  You can even pace me all the way across the finish line!

Folks, 75% of every dollar donated goes directly to the fight against blood cancers.  You will not get mailing labels or special occasion cards in the mail from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  I am their advertising, and am willing to be your personal billboard to prove it.  Please, consider helping me fight cancer.  I've had it.  It's a scary diagnosis.  But more and more of us can live the rest of our lives cancer free thanks to research and new medical procedures.

Start Slow, Finish Strong!

Mona

Strength Training for Runners

I maybe the only person crazy enough to train for a marathon while doing an extreme weight training program like Cathe Friedrich's STS.  Well, a half marathon anyway.  I'll finish this 3-1/ month program a couple of weeks before the half marathon I signed up for.  After that, I'll do something a little less taxing as I build up to the longer runs before the marathon.

A lot of runners don't do any strength training.  The theory is that muscle mass will slow runners down, and that is true after a certain point.  But I'm not trying to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger, just get stronger.  And I subscribe to the theory that building strong muscle mass supports my joints, protects my connective tissue, and increases my potential power.

This is one of those hot topics in running, along with MP3 players and barefoot running.  Both sides have their arguments.  For the record, I listen to my iPod 2 out of every 3 runs and I wear regular running shoes.  And I strength train.

Like I said, I am not trying to be a body builder.  That, I think, would slow me down - just too much extra mass to carry around.  But a small, strong body gives me power.  Strong muscles make me less prone to injuries and promote a higher metabolism.  And strength training promotes muscle endurance, so it helps me run longer and farther.

But wait a minute, didn't I admit the program I am doing is a little too taxing for those training for a marathon?  Yep, you heard that right.  That's why I'm a little crazy right now.  I am doing an extreme strength building program while training for a half marathon.  I do not recommend anyone try this at home. 

What I do recommend is endurance training, and that's what I'm going back to in April. 

Since you're still here, if you haven't already, please click on the link on the right side of the page and donate to my fundraising campaign for LLS.  I'm in a race to fight cancer!

Thanks! Mona