Therapy Run

There is one kind of trail run that I don't think any other physical activity can come close to and that is the Therapy Run. 

I can't do Therapy Swims, I lose count or I space out and don't get my flip turn timed right.  That usually results in a chlorinated sinus flush.  Ouch.  I can't do Therapy Bikes, there is a life-safety issue riding on the roads and a boredom issue spinning inside.  I do have Therapy Climbs, but for a different reason.  My current theory is that climbing engages the non-analytical part of my brain, so my Therapy Climbs are how I can turn off the "engineer button" in my head which can be pretty damn difficult to do sometimes.

Therapy Runs are different.  They usually don't happen on the road, there are too many outside distractions like traffic and people.  The best Therapy Runs are trail runs for several reasons.  

1. I run slower on the trails and I don't do paces, so I don't have to focus on my speed.  
2. There are usually very few people and no negative distractions (like cars honking or creepy men yelling "Hey!  Mamasita!!" out their low-rider window) 
3. Nature is soothing and calming.  Duh.  That's why it's called nature.

I had a great Therapy Run today.  I was in Lawrence for work so I took advantage of the River Trails, which are very smooth and technically easy trails, the perfect type of trails for getting lost in your thoughts and not really having to worry about tripping over rocks.  I saw 3 mountain bikers in my 10 miles and better yet, I saw a Red Headed Woodpecker (looking for a date, I believe). 

I'm a solo-Therapy Run kind of gal, but I know some people prefer the group therapy mentality.  There's nothing wrong with that, but as an introvert I much prefer wading through my thoughts in silence.  It's the best way for me to solve problems, come to terms with reality, or just completely analyze and accept a situation.  Anyway you look at it, it's the cheapest way for me to keep my sanity.  Besides, what therapist would let you splash through mud puddles in their office?

Swimming with the Blazers

This is how I feel about my swim skills compared to a Masters swimmer.  Most of these swimmers were competitive in high school and college and can actually do more than two different strokes.  As for me, well let's just say I was late to the swimming scene.  It's a little intimidating.

After a four year hiatus from Masters swimming, I finally bit the bullet and went to a KC Blazers practice this morning.  I told the coach that I was a triathlete with zero competitive swimming background, which is pool-speak for "I'm slow as hell and don't want to get in any one's way.  You will also have to speak slowly and explain all drills to me multiple times."

I was a little nervous, but I jumped in at the end of the group and basically followed the leader, keeping up as best as I could.  When we started there were 4, maybe 5 people in the slow lane of a 50 meter pool.  Or so I thought.  I think there ended up being closer to 8 or 9 but it worked out just fine.

We did 2400m total with several breathing, kicking, and pulling sets.  The breathing drills had my lungs screaming, in a good way.  Derek, the coach, was patient enough to explain everything to me as many times as needed.  (I think some of the other swimmers were glad I was asking questions.  I wasn't the only one that needed some extra guidance)

The best part?  I wasn't even the slowest person in the lane, which was what I was fearing.  I was no where close to the fastest, but I was nipping on the toes of a few of the other swimmers.  At least I didn't feel completely incompetent. 

We did some drills that I think will help me eventually be able to comfortably breathe on both sides (bilateral breathing) which would be a HUGE advantage in racing.  I can't tell you how many races I've been blinded by the sun or swallowed unbelievable amounts of water due to waves smacking me in the face.  If only I could have turned my head the other way...

Hey, give me a break.  It's a lot harder than it sounds.

I don't know what took me so long to go back to masters swimming.  It was the best $5 I've spent in a long time.

Miserable Run

Oh my, was yesterday's run unpleasant.  Want to laugh at the misery of someone else?  I won't take it personally if it makes you laugh.  Read on.

I knew it was probably going to be a rough day by 8 am, after making several trips to the bathroom.  I came to the conclusion that one of two things happened:

1. I ate something in the last 24 hours that had declared war on my intestines.
2. I swallowed so much pool water that the chlorine killed off all the good bacteria in my gut and declared war on my intestines.

You can see where this is headed.  Yep, a poop story.  You can stop reading if you want.

My GI tract was not settling down as the day went on.  I ate some Greek yogurt about 10 am, hoping that would help to reset my system.  I ate lunch earlier than normal, hoping to give myself at least 3 hours before I had to run.  My stomach was unsettled after lunch so I took an antacid.  That didn't help.  So an hour before I left work, I took two Pepto-Bismol.  Then 30 min later, I took two more and prayed.

I started my run about 4 and the beginning wasn't too bad.  My schedule said 12 miles, 10 at 8:15 pace.  It was really windy, so the miles into the wind were awful. But I made it through the first 4 on pace and feeling not too bad.  My stomach didn't feel great, but it wasn't horrible either. 

Somewhere around mile 5, the abdominal cramps started.  Every time my stomach would cramp, I'd grimace and hope that it was just gas and nothing more.  I'm sure everyone who drove by must have thought I was torturing myself.  It's impossible to keep good form when your butt cheeks are clenched.  Still, I kept on pace.  Even into that sonofabitch Kansas wind, nothing slower than an 8:16. 

I tried positive thinking "Each mile is a gift."  That was crap.  That wasn't helping me at all.  I felt terrible.  So I add a few words "Each mile I don't shit myself is a gift."  That at least made me laugh a little (when my stomach wasn't cramping).  After four or five of these stomach cramps, I decided I was pushing my luck and I should throw in the towel.  I finished the mile I was on at pace and then did a cool down for 9 total.  The entire last mile was a debate: do I run faster and try to finish faster or do I run slower and hope to avoid certain disaster?  I slowed down to an 8:45.

For a run with GI distress, I supposed 7 miles at pace isn't bad.  I didn't crap myself but I did spend some quality time in the bathroom when I got home.  And I'm glad I called it when I did.  If I had tried to finish out that run, I'm pretty sure I'd be looking for a new seat cover today.  The moral of the story?  Don't try to run with the runs.

Reality Check

I've been tossing around "PR" in reference to my upcoming 1/2 marathon lately.  Then I thought, even better, I'm going to try to go sub-1:40.  Why 1:40?  Back in 2009, I sold a 1/2 marathon bib to a friend since I couldn't run due to plantar fasciitis.  He ran a 1:40:13, which I thought I would never approach.  Well, I'd like my online PR to be my actual PR, so sub-1:40 goal it is.  Right?

Riiiiiiight.

My current PR pace is 7:58 min/mi.  To go 1:40, I would have to drop that to 7:38 min/mi.  That's pretty steep, not to mention really fast.  And I have this mental block when it comes to running faster than 8 min/mi.  This midwest farmer's daughter was not built for speed.  My DNA is much more efficient at carrying heavy objects.

I have another mental block, which is my failed PR attempt at Austin.  Even though I know it's dumb, the bike crash in September and DNF at Austin sent me into a bit of a tailspin that took three months to get out of.  I don't know if I want to set myself up for that kind of failure again.

But what is life if not a challenge, right?  Isn't that why we all race: to put it all out there and see what we're really capable of?  And my recent running times have been good, it's not like I'm going for a 1:40 after a month of 10 min/mi long runs.  So is there even a decision? 

No, there's not.  Tonight's workout is a 5 mi tempo run @ (gulp) 7:50 pace.  Thanks for the pep talk guys, I really needed that.

Did you notice?

If you're a regular and you have good attention to detail, you may have noticed that I updated my "Races" section on the blog.  Instead of the very pointed "none" there are now three races I have listed.  The 5k I signed up for quite a while ago.  It should be fun, but I'm not really focused on it.  With spring just around the corner, it's about time I find a race and commit.  I picked two races, both in May.

I've heard good things about the 51.5 series and we all know that I am NOT a good hot-weather racer, so when I found the KC Triathlon in early May, I thought it sounded perfect.  I also have brand new race wheels to try out.  This will be the second Olympic distance race I do, the first being Nationals last summer in Vermont.  Since I've had issues with the run on my last few (or all) 70.3 races, I think I may try the Olympic distance for a while and see if I have more fun.  It is just not any fun to suffering through a half marathon at noon when it's 90 degrees out.  Just for reference, an Olympic distance race is a 1.5 k swim, 40 k bike, and 10 k run.

Then I signed up for the Running with the Cows 1/2 marathon, which is a week before the KC Triathlon.  Since my long runs have been going really well, I think I'm going to try to PR.  I think I should be able to.  Today I ran 12 at and 8:35 average pace and that was an "easy" run.  Actually, the last 3 miles were no easy but they were also mostly uphill.  Either way, I'm already running over 10 miles at a decent pace.  I wanted to get back to 10 mile long runs at an 8:30 pace.  I think I made it.

Climbing

Kelly and I have started climbing once again and while I talk about it a lot, I've never had any pictures to share.  It seems like my hands were always too busy for pictures.  This last week, Kelly's beau came along and he just so happens to be an amazing photographer.  So here are some pictures.  If you've never done indoor climbing, I would highly suggest it.  Especially if you're in need of changing things up this winter.

Kelly checking her Figure 8 knot.  Looks good!

Me with an ATC and carabiner, getting ready to belay.



Show off!



I trust this girl with my life.  Literally.



 I hate this blogger interface.  Sorry for the stupid format.



My favorite kind of girl-time.

Hanging out in the bouldering grotto.

On the overhang!

I love the last one because the look on my face is exactly how I was feeling.  This is a 5.9 route the goes up a serious overhang that requires a good about of strength and finesse.  I started it two weeks ago and made it halfway up clean (no cheating).  This week, I couldn't get as far and I couldn't do it clean.  I was frustrated and confused.  I'll try it again this week.

Thanks Jon for the pictures!

The big 3-0

I mentioned before that I was aging up this year to the 30-34 age group and today is the day.  I'm not much for birthdays (mine, anyway) so I'll keep this brief.  I have a bunch of stuff up my sleeve for this year, but you'll have to wait. A friend made me this e-card, which is by far the coolest card I think I have ever received.

It's time for cake!