A Unique Perspective

I've listened to many of my friends try to strategize the optimal time to have a baby (assuming you have some control over the situation via the luck of fertility).

 All careers and life paths have issues that make it more or less optimal to have a child at a certain point in time.

But I've never thought about the professional female athlete's perspective before.

Thanks to Lauren Fleshman's honest account of her thought process on this topic, I have a very new perspective.

Interesting.

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Why, Hello!

It's been a long time since my Garmin clocked a mile (without stopping) with a 7 in the minute place on one of my runs.  But tonight's 7:59 before 2 @ ~9:20?  I'll take it, Thank you!

I checked my records, and I haven't recorded a full mile at this pace in the last two years.

Memory lane claims the last time I was in this good of speed shape was either:

1. back in June 2011, when I did 13X400 @ sub8 (including a few 7:0X paced offerings) with 200 jogging recovery each interval plus some warm-up and cool-down for a 6.92 mile workout at an average pace of 8:07/mile.

or maybe, if I 'd tried a little harder to go for an even workout, this would be the equivalent of:

2. November of 2011, when I did a 3 mile time test @ 8:22 avg. pace.

In any case, I don't have data for a mile on any run that was sub-8 for a recorded mile in the last 2 years.  And, as a middle-aged lady, I'm not gonna lie, that's seriously enouraging. Woo Hoo!  

I'm doing a FIRST-inspired training plan for CIM this time around.  I'm skeptical.  But I read the studies and the book.  Despite my doubt at the low mileage, the very targeted training segments supposedly work wonders for people like me (who can't afford to re-arrange their life around running).  That's why I picked it and scheduled it 6 months ago.

But, my doubts tell me it can't be possible that I can hit my goal of sub 4h on a maximum running mileage of less than 35 miles per week and only running 3 days per week.

I've been following the plan somewhat less than religiously (adding runs when I want them and decreasing the paces when they seem too aggressive), and even so, I'm faster than I've been in a long time in terms of my ability to just run fast and feel comfortable.

Given that comfort, I decided to try to hit 9:09 miles on my half this last weekend.  Typically, at this point in my marathon training a 2h (9:09/mi) marathon would be reasonable, but then again, I'm also usually hitting well above 35-40 miles per week in my training, whereas this time around, I've barely cleared 30.  FIRST claimed I should shoot for 13 at 9:39 and that I'd still be able to get to 4h at the marathon if I continued to follow their plan.  But, I've been so much faster on the short painful efforts, I figured I could go for 9:09, which I've hit so easily before at this point in the cycle.  Final result?  9:31/mile.

Okay, fine.  Maybe they know what they are doing.

So, I've decided to stick it out, finish their plan as best I can and see what the results show.  I'd love it if I actually broke 4 hours in the marathon on their plan (which is what I originally designed it to do).  At this point in the training schedule, emotionally, I just can't believe it would be possible.  I underestimated how strong the knowledge that I'm *always* running over 40 miles/week at this point in the training schedule would make me distrust this plan come week -7.  Everything I know about running (which is not much) says I need to run many more than the prescribed miles on this plan.

On the other hand, there are only 3 running workouts I have to do in any week, and I've noticed that I'm much more committed to making sure they are quality workouts and that I make them count, even when I'm mucking with the suggested workout (which is almost every week).

I even occasionally skip a work-out day and move the run to another day to make sure I can do it at something bordering on the suggested pace.  On other programs, I wouldn't have that flexibility, so I'd just head out and do the prescribed mileage or the prescribed time, in either event, often at much slower than the target pace.

So, I'm a doubter, but I'm curious.  I'm going to do my best to follow the FIRST (modified for my life) plan and head out with the 4 hour pace group at CIM.  Once I have my finishing time and actually true training data (because, of course, I'm me, and life gets in the way of the ideal training schedule), I'll evaluate my next steps from there. I'm leaning towards getting a customized training plan for my next marathon, but we'll see.

Either way, I *loved* seeing the 7:59 mile in the middle of this afternoon's run.  It's been a long time since I saw that type of evidence of fitness and it's helpful in encouraging me to hold on and trust the FIRST folks.

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San Jose Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon Review

The Good:

-Super fast, flat course.

-Nice black schwag/drop bag with red logo.  Tech t-shirt.  Cute cassette tape medals (many of the participants probably didn't know what they were, man I'm getting old).

-An out and back section that put me running directly opposite the leaders when they were surging and trying to jockey in miles 11 and 12.  It was very inspirational and entertaining to watch that portion of the race.  Given the time spread for the men and the women, this lets the particpants in the middle to the back of the pack see some of the action from the leaders.  Today, if you didn't get to mile six by 53:50 (8:53/mi or slower) and so long as you made it to mile 4.5 by 1:18 or so (17:33/mi or faster) then you were guaranteed to see some of the action of the top ten men's and women's finishers.
     
-The event was very well organized with separated corrals (but changing corrals wasn't difficult), pace group leaders, a very easy to use bag drop, and an awesome selection of post-run refuel options, plus tons of medical, crowd, and volunteer support on the course.

The Bad:

-RNR races are notoriously big and expensive.  This one was no different.

-The Expo was an annoying maze where they had traffic control to try to force you to run the gauntlet through all of their various sponsor tents.  Grumpy runners who have time commitments don't make good consumers, guys.  Also, I can walk whichever direction I'd like unless it's against the law.  Just saying...

-The 2:00 pace group was so big and bulky that it didn't really seem to ever string out in a way that would allow its members to run the tangents.  Given the number of turns on the course, this probably cost the pace group members some time.

-No Gu except for one station at mile 9.6 and no other fuel besides Gatorade and water on the course.  I definitely could have used a Gu or other carb source around mile 6 or 7.  (To their credit, the map made this clear, so I should have brought my own.)

Overall:

Despite missing my time goal, I very much enjoyed today's race. The weather was a bit warmer than I'd ordinarily expect at this time of year, but even so, it wasn't too hot (~55F at the start and ~64 at the finish).

This is a *very* fast course, with the possible exception of the crowds causing issues with missing tangents and slowing for the aid stations.  Great PR potential, almost totally flat with a few small rollers.

My time splits show that as soon as we left the section where I could watch the elites sprint towards us and the finish, my motivation took a severe hit. If I could change one thing it would be to put a refreshment station after this corner (perhaps on the opposite side of the tangent) to encourage runners to fuel up and buckle down for the remainder of their race.

I'd never actually *raced* an RNR event, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I ran-walked a friend through the half in Seattle in 2010, but when I'm supporting friends, I don't pay as much attention to the execution of the race as I do when it's just me, so I didn't have any strong opinions one way or another. But, I had heard horrid things about last year's Las Vegas event from friends who'd done it and RNR are known for their super expensive, huge, and full of difficult to navigate crowds and marketing madness.  Since I generally prefer smaller, less commercial events, I was somewhat skeptical.

But, it's a flat local race that's perfectly timed for my CIM training schedule. So I was in.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that RNR definitely maximizes the size of the event in a good way.  Yes, this is an expensive and large event, but because of that they have an abundance of resources and they make them available to you.

The staff is professional and knows what is going on.  It's so nice to stop and ask for directions or help and to get a clear, correct answer.

They handled all of the things that can go horribly wrong with large crowds very well. They've made certain it's a well thought out course, that's well managed, with plenty of port-a-potties, parking, bag drop, and post-race fuel and rest options (I could have easily had a free 2,000 calorie lunch of awesome fruit, Gatorade, mini Jamba Juices, bagels, bars, chocolate milk, and other goodies not to mention the Miller Lite post-race beer tent, if that's your thing).

Today's race was nothing like the ridiculousness I heard about with respect to last year's Vegas event and I hope that the organization at both the San Jose event as well as the ever growing list of RNR venues only continues to improve.

Yes, this was an expensive race. But, I registered early and it was local.  I didn't have to pay for a hotel. There was free parking if you were willing to show up early enough to deal with the crowds waiting for access at HP pavillion (7 AM, as they recommended, should have been plenty of time). I wore my jacket until the conveniently located and fast bag drop off right by the corrals (by last name *and* bib number, efficient!) and then, cold, I settled into the body heat of my corral.

Roger Craig (a race co-sponsor that I sometimes see when I'm running on the trails in Portola Valley) spoke (and proceeded to kick my 2:06:27 ass with a 1:51:35).

Maybe my goal for next year should be to keep up with Roger.  In theory, it's doable, as my half marathon PR is 1:49:20.  But that was 4 years ago.  So, it may be a relic of the past...

Either way, this race did exactly what it was supposed to do.  It allowed me to run hard and as fast as I could manage for 13.1 miles without a break at this point in my training.  The data shows that I mentally wussed out a bit from miles 7-10, as I slowed there but then picked it back up and finished the last three miles much faster.  So, in addition to the much needed fitness check, this race showed me that I need to work on my mental game and inspired me to train hard for the remaining 8 weeks before CIM.

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Vacation Anticipation

I have to work today (Saturday) and tomorrow, too, most likely.  Sometimes working on the weekends frustrates me, but today, I'm comforting myself with the thought that E and I leave soon for Hawaii.

It will be a quick, but necessary, get away.  I will turn on my out of office and do as little work as possible while getting in great runs and lots of reading and beach time.

E and I have traveled together quite a bit this year.  Add in the solo travel I've done, and my existing reservations put me on track to acquire Delta Gold status for next year (despite the fact that my international travel this year wasn't eligible for Delta miles).

Traveling for vacation with E is one of my favorite things in the world.  We can leave the day-to-day stresses of our lives behind and relax or share adventures.

This year, other than a quick weekend getaway for our anniversary, all of our joint travel has been either a) related to work; b) related to family; or c) related to an out of town wedding or race.

So, this upcoming trip to Hawaii will be the first time in a year where we're getting on a plane to escape and the only purpose is for us to enjoy ourselves.

The last time we did this, it was a almost a year ago.  Also to Hawaii.  Kauai has become our go-to guaranteed relaxation and restoration location.

And I'm excited.

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Zoom Teeth Whitening Part 2

I went back for more.

Despite the unpleasantness last time, I felt the benefits were worth it.  Also, I'd paid for it.

So I used Sensodyne every day since my last appointment and I took 2 aspirin before heading in.

This time, I made it through 2 full 15-minute sessions (and finished the movie I'd started the last visit).  The zingers were not remotely as frequent as the last time during the treatment.  Whether that is due to the deep cleaning, the Sensodyne, the aspirin or some combination, I have no idea.  It didn't hurt that I had experience on my side and I knew that the zingers typically only lasted 3 or 4 seconds.  I could count through them.  I did, on several occasions towards the end of the second treatment.  Thankfully, even the dental assistant recommended stopping, saying "Look how white they already are!" 

And it's true.  My teeth are noticeably whiter (enough so that I'll actually follow the directions and skip the coffee for close to 48 hours, which is a huge weekend sacrifice on my part).

After the aspirin wore off, I definitely have been experiencing intermittent zingers.  Now, almost 12 hours later pain-med free (I didn't take any more after the initial dose, perhaps this was an error?), I can say that two sessions definitely cause more residual nerve pain than just one.

Even so.  I like my white smile.  I'm pleased.  And most importantly, I'm dead-set on avoiding the dentist at all costs for at least 6 months, and likely more, because I'm a procrastinator like that.
 

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Happy Friday

We had friends over for Mandarin night last night and I was able to catch up with L and G.  It felt like I hadn't seen and caught up with both of them for a very long time.  I'd missed them both.

While the end of the evening was a wonderful feast of Thai Food, the start was less than stellar.  I made a calendar mistake and left G sitting on my porch while I raced home from a client to open the door -- I'm a terrible hostess.  Thankfully, she likes cheese and avocado, which I immediately plied her with in an effort to apologize for my mistake.

This morning, I woke up to an empty email inbox despite doing my last check at 6:40 PM last night (before frantically speeding home).

Even better, our weekend looks like a fun collection of gardening, a birthday dinner for a friend and the San Jose Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon for me.

Happy Friday!

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Goals: The Signposts of Life

How is it already October? Also, what is going on with the weather?

Everything feels like it is moving entirely too fast for me.  Like I can't keep up. And yet...

I'm actually doing fairly well when it comes to my arbitrary goals for the year.

I've written about this before -- I strongly endorse the setting and adherence to goals for their own somewhat arbitrary sake. The structure they create builds life experiences and character (particularly when you realize you don't even have the space to own or acknowledge meaningful goals while you are trying to set them), and if nothing else, they make for great stories.

Of course, sometimes, I don't meet the goals I set at all. Fluent in Spanish? Hah!  Good one!  Right angles in the house I live in? What did I think I was going to be, a gadgillionaire?

But this year is different.  This year has moved so much more quickly than any year I've ever lived.  This year, my goals are filling more of a time-keeping role than I'd historically realized.  While the majority of my social cohorts have children with life-development milestones to mark their days, I have things like *pages read* or *words learned* or *miles ran* or *places or people visited.*

So here I am (as compared against the goals I'd set in January):

On reading and books, I killed it.  I have already read 9,356 pages of self-elected not-required reading, blowing past my goal of 9,000 pages this year (and the total doesn't even include my new addiction to audio books, which, in my opinion is totally cheating because I can multi-task, but I still can't help but include the audio titles when I think about my year as a whole because I feel as if I haven't been this *well-read* in any year since before law school).  Back to actual visual reading... This is the high point of page count since I started keeping track (meticulously, because I'm insane about data like that, in 2005).  What do I think this says about me?  I think, for one, when I look at the historical graph, it says that reading for pleasure is becoming more and more important to me as I age. Goal, met and vanquished.

My Chinese study is going extremely well.  I am thankful to live in such a multi-lingual environment and for all of the locally based native speaking people who are willing to indulge me in my studies.  I love that I can say basic things and even read a bit.  This goal is returning tons of value in terms of day to day pleasure.  I can't wait for our trip to China next year.

Race weight:  Well, let's just say this one is not going well.  I'll check back in after CIM, but without some major lifestyle modifications in the next 9 weeks (which are unlikely to occur), I'll have to acknowledge this one as a bit of a failure.  Over the course of the year, the numbers have been going up, not down.

2 Marathons:  1 down, 1 to go. On track. 

52 healthy days with E:  As predicted, this is where I've fallen the furthest behind.  It should be interesting to see if I scramble to meet this goal or abandon it.  I like the idea of staying with it, but I also like the idea of a spring marathon in 2013 after CIM, which if I want to do it well will require strong lifestyle sacrifices and I'm not sure I have the marital clout to prevail on both accounts... only time will tell.

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