Something Completely Different
People say that when you’re training for a hard race, you should know your “why,” that intrinsic motivation that will keep you going when it gets hard. For a while I was training for my upcoming race without having a clear “why” other than, I’ve always wanted to do an ultra. Years ago, I read a book about what makes people shy. It said that shyness is really just a physiological reaction to new situations (pounding heart, dry mouth, sweaty palms, etc,) and that the reason why people outgrow their shyness is that, as we get older, there are fewer and fewer situations that are truly new. It’s true- if you’re going to a party or starting a new job, you may be a little nervous but there’s a part of you that already knows what it’s going to be like. You’ve been to plenty of parties and had plenty of “first day” scenarios, so even if you’re nervous, you basically know how you’re going to handle it. If you’re moving to a new house, that might seem like a completely new situation, but actually you’ve probably moved before. You know you’re going to pack boxes, call movers, unload everything in the new place, explore your new town, find the grocery store… and on and on. When I was pregnant with my son, I opted for a natural, drug-free childbirth, mainly because I had no idea what it was going to feel like. I knew it was going to hurt, but I didn’t want to miss out on the chance to experience something completely different. On one of my recent training runs, I realized that’s why I’m doing this 50K. I know what running is like, and I know what it’s like to run on a trail. But I’ve never done a trail race, I’ve never run on this trail, and I’ve never run 31 miles. I want to experience something I never have before… As we get older, how many chance do we have to say “I have NO IDEA what this is going to be like?” It definitely can happen, but usually we have to make it happen (or, unfortunately, it’s something thrust upon us like the death of a loved one or a serious illness.) If we don’t push ourselves to find experiences like that, our lives continue on and on in the same pattern. I love patterns! I love routine. I love my Wednesday long runs, my weekly Starbucks and Friday night takeouts. If I’m not careful, I’ll sink into a rut and never, ever get out. The times that I push myself to find something different leave me feeling exhilarated, and make life rich with days that don’t all meld together. Maybe I’ve gone completely bonkers, but that’s why I signed up for a 50K- something completely different. I’m linking up with Kim and Zenaida for their Tuesday Topics. Thanks, ladies! When was the last time you experienced something completely different? Did you have to push yourself to do it?
Weekly Rundown- Getting Back on Track
This week was all about getting my schedule sorted out- not running that race last weekend really threw everything off. I spent the first half of the week making sure I was rehydrated and recovered from the stomach virus so I could run long on Wednesday, and the second half of the week recovering from that long run. It was definitely nice to be able to eat and drink again and otherwise enjoy life! Thanks as always to Kim and Deborah for hosting the Weekly Rundown. Let’s get started… Sunday I did a cautious 2 mile run and felt fine, although I had eaten very little for the past two days. The rest of the day was spent drinking water, LMNT, and reassuring my stomach that it was okay to eat again. Monday 4 mile run! Things are feeling pretty good. Tuesday Upper body day at the gym. Bench press, seated cable rows, lat pulldown, triceps and abs. I had a flashback to many years ago when I worked with a trainer; he always wanted me to focus on triceps and abs. Hmmm, what are you trying to say??? Sigh. Wednesday On the plan: 20 mile run. Is there an antonym for “ideal?” I need that word. This run was not originally on my schedule, but since I didn’t run the half on Sunday I switched everything around to make this day my long run. I planned to hit the trail after dropping my daughter off at 8:00. School starts at 9:30, but my daughter has jazz band every Wednesday at 8 am. Every Wednesday, of course, except for this one. We got an email on Tuesday night that jazz band was canceled for today. NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! I just couldn’t start a 20 mile run at 9:30 am, on a day where it was going to get into the upper 80s. Now, I know. Somehow I’ve lost my mind and signed up for a 50K trail race in April, and it’s going to be hot AF. I KNOW. But I just couldn’t do that to myself today. Plus, I did have a couple other things that needed to get done, such as grocery shopping, and I just felt that I couldn’t start that late. So I switched to Plan B. Plan B was, get in 6 miles on the roads while my daughter ate breakfast and got ready, then take her to school and continue on to the trail where I would run 14 miles. Again, not ideal, but it seemed to be my best bet for today. The first 6 miles went well, and the timing was perfect. I got home just in time to get my daughter into the car and go straight to school. Everything went smoothly, and I was on the trail by 9:30, ready for the rest of my run. The trail that I’ve been loving lately is too far away, so I went to my nearby trail, which is okay… but there’s no shade. It was already hot, so I stuffed my sports bra with ice and started off. Other than the fact that my legs were saying “What in the WORLD are you doing? I thought we were done for the day!” I felt pretty good. I had my cooler set up in the car, and planned to circle back in the middle of the run to replenish my supplies. The only problem was, I ended up running 8 miles in this segment and somewhere in there the wheels started to come off. Did I mention there’s no shade on this trail? I could feel the sun beating down on me, and I had only brought a bottle of LMNT on this leg- which tasted great when it was ice cold, but became nauseating when it was warm. That also meant that I had nothing to pour over my head to cool myself down. I was at a pretty low point when I got back to my car, but told myself I only had 6 miles left! I got more ice and switched out the warm LMNT for ICY COLD WATER, and started again. Except I really wasn’t feeling it. I took a caffeinated gel at mile 15, and told myself to give it one more mile before making any rash decisions. But at 16.5 miles, I turned back, and I knew that would get me back to my car at 18.5. Well, it wasn’t what I wanted, but it’s still farther (by half a mile) than my last long run, and maybe I learned some valuable lessons. When I got to mile 18, I knew I would be back at the car soon. But then I realized- I’ll be back at the car, which has my cooler with ice and another cold water bottle. If I stopped briefly, got new water and ice, could I continue on (at my now glacially slow pace) for another 1.5 miles? The answer, of course, was yes. The answer to that question is almost always yes. I stopped at the car as quickly as possible (let’s not draw this out any longer than we need to!) and put more ice in my bra, got an icy cold bottle of water, and set off again. You guys, it was not pretty, but I did it- 20 miles for the day. If I were training for a fast road marathon (ha! pretty sure those days are over for good) this run would have been a disappointment. But for what I’m training for, I’m considering it a success. There will be times during my 50K where I don’t feel good and want to stop, and I’ll have to figure out a way to keep moving forward. So this run was not fun, but it was perfect for what I need right now. Thursday After my harrowing experience on the trail, I was pretty sore and decided to give myself a break. Instead of going to the gym for the stair climber, I
February Runfessions- The Heat is On
After last month’s deep dive into Real Talk Runfessions,, this month is going to be a little lighter. As a matter of fact, some of these things are more like “things to share” rather than “runfessions.” Whatever you want to call it, I’m joining Marcia and the gang for February Runfessions. Let’s get started! Yesterday I had an especially grueling long run (details coming on Sunday!) which left me seriously questioning why I live in Florida. I mean, if I can’t enjoy a nice run in February, when CAN I enjoy it? I know I’ve grown less tolerant of the heat, but most people agree it’s getting hotter and hotter down here. I’ll put up with a hot summer, but 90s in February? My daughter has four years of high school ahead of her, but after that I’m thinking it might be time to flee. On the subject of running in Florida, Darlene rallied like a trooper on Sunday. While we were moping about missing our race, she suggested that we find a different race to run next year. Great idea! I’ll runfess that I don’t really love the Ft. Lauderdale half marathon. Yes, you run next to the ocean but other than that, it’s flat and boring. Oh, and did I mention it’s super hot? Darlene suggested the Treasure Coast half in Jupiter, or the Melbourne half. I’m up for either! Anyone want to join us? The last thing I have is a gym-fession. I’ve been enjoying my gym days, but there’s one weird thing I’ve noticed- nobody uses a towel to wipe down the equipment. Every once in a while I’ll see someone- always a woman- wipe down a piece of equipment with some paper towels, but apparently bringing your own towel into the weight room isn’t a thing. Now, I’m not a germaphobe, but last time I was there a huge, beefy guy walked past me, sweating profusely and WIPING HIS NOSE ON HIS SHIRT. I’ll gym-fess that I was pretty grossed out, and questioned my sanity in being there without a full haz-mat suit. Well… I guess in addition to strengthening my muscles, I’m also strengthening my immune system at the gym. Has anyone run a half marathon in Florida? Any ideas for us? If you go to the gym, are people good about wiping down the equipment? Or do you avoid going to the gym for that very reason?
Stomach Virus of 2023 Recap
Ha! This post was supposed to be a race recap, but we all know how that turned out. Instead I’ll share some thoughts on the recent situation here. The main takeaway is, as always, you just have to take the good with the bad. On Thursday night, while I was lying in bed feeling queasy but not actually sick yet, I kept thinking “But I have to get up at 5:45! I have to run! I can’t stay home from work tomorrow- I’m fully booked with clients!” It was causing me so much stress that when I finally got sick, it was a relief to realize that none of those things would even be physically possible. In spite of the discomfort of being ill, there was a certain pleasure in that moment where I knew I had to let it all go. My daughter had started throwing up right before bedtime, and Friday was the first day she’s ever stayed home sick from middle school. I know. How is that even possible???. She had a 100% perfect attendance record for 6th grade and 7th grade, and then so far in 8th grade she had a few excused absences for things like All-State and All-County band rehearsals, but had never called out sick. I guess a stomach virus is the one thing you can’t fight off. If my daughter and I both had to be sick, I’m glad it was at the same time. Even though she’s 14 and can stay home alone, a stomach virus is a whole different experience. I felt like she needed me to make the toast and tea, and remind her to sip her water slowly. ALSO… It seems like this should be obvious to everyone, but somehow isn’t to kids- there are good places to throw up and bad places. A good place would be the bucket next to your bed, or the toilet. An example of a bad place would be the bathroom SINK. Sigh. Kids need a little extra guidance sometimes. In other news, now I know what the cats do all day when we’re gone… ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. No wonder they’re getting so chubby! On Friday, I lay on the couch all day and my snuggly calico slept between my legs. Our other cat, who’s a little more aloof, slept on the other end of the couch. I was touched that she wanted to be near us (but not too near, of course.) Since I really couldn’t do anything else, I read two books! I thoroughly enjoyed both of these, although they were vastly different from one another. Central Places was a beautifully-written book that made me re-live my own childhood and high school years. Although I wouldn’t presume to say I know what it feels like to be the only Asian American in a small town in Illinois, I think most of us can relate to family struggles while growing up, and the feeling of being an outsider. And although I didn’t live in a small town, Illinois is my home state, and I always have a soft spot for books set in the Midwest. Without giving anything away, I also loved how in the end, Audrey focused on the truly important relationships in her life. The Paris Apartment was just fun to read. It was easy, it was interesting, and kept me happily occupied. We’re feeling better now and happy to get back to our regular lives! That’s the other thing I always realize when I’m sick- it’s kind of nice to have a break every once in a while, but my regular life is pretty good. Have you read either of those books? What do you do when you’re sick?