Night Running

I am a creature of habit, especially during the school year. I set my alarm to the same time, follow the same routine, eat the same foods for breakfast and lunch and most dinners, exercise at the same time everyday, and go to bed at about the same time. During the summer I am not quite so anal, but during the school year it is a bit ridiculous.

Since I'm back in Iowa for a few days, I decided I wanted to mix some things up. I am running an 8k (5 mile) race on Saturday so I knew Friday would be a very light day. Today I got up and had lots of errands and other things to do, including going to the spa, and didn't get my run in. Therefore, I decided I would go running tonight, after my nail polish had fully dried. I wouldn't want to ruin a perfectly good pedicure!

I drove to my normal parking spot where I run and started out at about 9:45. I run a 5-mile out and back route along a nice street that is fairly busy. It is interesting how much I noticed at night compared to when I have run this route during the day. I learned many things...

The Good:

1. The temperature was cool - 73 degrees and, of course, the sun had already set so it was not warm at all. Perfect running weather.
2. Hearing the bugs/insects. I am not an animal person at all, but I did enjoy hearing all the noises. I usually run with my iPod, but decided not to tonight.
3. Not obsessing over my times. Since I have gotten my Garmin Forerunner, I feel like I am constantly looking at it to see how fast I am going. At night, I have to turn on the back light, which I didn't really feel like doing. So I just ran. I heard my Garmin beep every mile, which was all I needed. I didn't post a blistering fast time or anything, but it was a nice run.
4. Relaxation. My run tonight was so relaxing. I feel in such a good mood.

The Bad:

1. My stomach. I ate more food today than usual and could feel it all in my stomach during the run. Now I realize even more why races are always held in the morning. My stomach couldn't take it!
2. Darkness. I didn't really think about lighting being an issue before I ran, but it was. Some parts of the route were well lit, but about 2 miles was not. I did not want to trip on any sidewalks so it felt like I was picking up my feet incredibly high. It was also kinda hard to slow down for every dip in the sidewalk where the sidewalk meets the street - which there are many of on this route.
3. Cars. I kept feeling like I had to look around every time I crossed a street to make sure no cars were going to be in my running line, which made for multiple pauses.

I hope to be able to run again at night soon. Do you like night running?

Random Running Musings

An update on my life:

• I think the iron pills are working...yes!! This past weekend I logged 15 miles on Sunday and played 2 softball games. FYI - I do not consider softball physical activity. It just means I was out in the sun for 3+ hours, enhancing my farmer tan.
• I've been running at a forest preserve that has no trees, which I think is comical. It just has a lot of tall grass. It is relatively flat with some gently rolling hills. The path is 5.5 miles. The bad part is that there is no shade and I've been doing my first run of the day around noon, which is also the warmest part of the day. My times are getting better each day, too, which makes me very, very happy.
• I can't believe it is August already. School starts three weeks from today. I need to have my classroom set up by the 15th. I feel like my summer is basically over. Back to the real world with busy days.
• I'm going to Iowa to visit my parents/brother this weekend. I'm leaving tomorrow. On Saturday I'm running an 8k (5 mile) race. I'm looking forward to it. It'll be a PR for sure because I've never run a race that distance before. I'm hoping to run 41:00 or below.
• Have you heard of Leadville? It is a 100-mile race in Colorado in a few weeks. My brother is running it this year. When he talks about his training, and then I look at mine, I feel like such a wimp. If you've ever done Leadville, I automatically think you are amazing.
• Although my endurance is improving, I am still having a hard time running more than 10 miles at one time. Therefore, I've been splitting up my longer runs to make them into two shorter runs. For example, on Sunday I ran 7.5 before I played softball and then another 7.5 after softball, for a total of 15. I know that is the only way I'll be able to log in the adequate mileage I need right now for marathon training. However, I wonder how I'll do when I go out for my 20-miler in a few weeks. I'm nervous that I'm not training enough. Any thoughts?
• Next weekend I'm going to southern Iowa to visit my Grandma. I love going to visit her so much. She lives in a small town and there is not much to do so we just talk and eat. This year I planned on visiting her when the next town over was holding their Sweet Corn Festival race. I signed up for the 10k. My aunt might run it, too, which would be neat. I'll log another PR for this race, as I've never done a 10k before.
• Finally, a toe update: My big toenails are still holding on for dear life. I wish they would just fall off. It is so nasty. I have 3 toes that are so bruised. Thank god for nail polish. Also, I have 4 toes with blisters that just don't want to go away. I've logged a lot of miles this summer, both running and biking, and it has taken a toll on my feet.
• I'm off to run 9 miles....many happy miles to you, too!

The Bix 7: A(nother) Memorable Race

Saturday morning I ran The Bix, a 7 mile road race in the Quad Cities, although the race was only in Iowa. It was quite the race and overall a great time.

I went to the Quad Cities on Friday and stayed with my aunt and uncle. It was nice to see them. I had many family members running the race: me, my uncle, cousin, brother, 2 second cousins and 2 third cousins. Also, my aunt's dad ran with the race.

I got up early - 5AM - to eat breakfast before the race. The weather was supposed to be awful - steady rain all morning. We decided to leave for the race a little after 7 because we didn't want to stand out in the rain. We got down to the River Center at 7:40...20 minutes before start time.

Luckily, we were all in the 1st starting corral. The gun went off right at 8:00 and the race started. The course in INCREDIBLY hilly. The first 0.5 mile is up a steep hill, and the hills don't stop after that. Luckily, it is an out and back course, so for every up hill I knew I would get to go down it on the way back.

It rained steadily through the entire race. Actually, before the race even started my shorts were soaking wet, looking like I got them out of the washing machine. I wore a dri-fit t-shirt so it wouldn't be heavy in the rain. The temps were bad - it started out near 70 degrees and didn't get much warmer due to the rain.

I saw my parents, aunt and another cousin, grandma, 2 other aunts and 2 more cousins along the course cheering. It was so uplifting because they were at different points throughout the race. I liked being cheered for, too. I ended up finishing the race in 1:02:36, an 8:56 pace. I was pleased and hadn't run that fast in a while. After the race I felt pretty good, too. I think maybe my iron pills are starting to work. One can only hope!

After the race I met my uncle and cousin who finished before me and we were waiting around for my aunt's dad. I got soo cold standing in the rain. I didn't warm up all day.

I signed up for my next race, too. I am really excited about it. It is a 10k in Iowa on August 14th. It is in a little town about 10 miles from where my grandma lives. I try to visit her every summer and this year I wanted to run in the Sweet Corn Festival race so it just worked out. Plus, the 10k coincides with my marathon training. I'm off to go running now....

Ironman, can I have some iron?

(Sidenote: I have a hard time sitting through movies, and, therefore, have not seen many. However, I have seen both Ironman movies.)

On Wednesday I went to see my endocrinologist for a check-up. He had me get some blood work done beforehand since it had been over one year. I went to get it done a couple days before my appointment. Blood work always seemed like a waste of time to me and an unnecessary needle in my tiny veins. But I went, like a good patient.

When I was meeting with my endo., we talked about my training regimen. He gave me some advice that has helped other athletes he has worked with in the past. As we were talking, he was flipping through my blood work results. My stomach began turning when he started asking questions....

"I assume you've had low iron in the past since you are a vegetarian, right?" No, my iron has always been fine.

"Have you been feeling tired lately?" Yes. When I started to think about it, after I did a 15-miler in June, I did not have enough energy to do anything longer than 10 since. I chalked it up to just working out a lot, twice a day. However, I was told differently.

I am anemic. My iron is so low that my doctor was surprised I could run for 10 miles straight. I guess I have a lot of determination to get those runs done. He ordered more blood tests to be done since not only was my iron incredibly low, but also my white blood cell count as well. When I asked him why that was, he told me that it could me anything from not being hydrated enough while I gave blood to the iron effecting it to leukemia to a vitamin deficiency. He wanted to see what was wrong. He did give me a prescription for iron so I can have more energy again.

I got a call yesterday from the nurse, who told me that not only was my iron low (apparently there is a range and 10 is low, but my iron count was 2), but also my hemoglobin (which should be 13-15 - mine was 10), red blood cell and white blood cell count. She said that my iron was the most concerning and my doctor will check the other levels at my next appointment in October.

I started to wonder about things....I think my iron has been low for the past month for sure. But, how did it get that low? I had been sleeping 10+ hours a night, which I know is not normal. This past week has been pretty rough and I feel like my tank is drained. Although I started taking my iron pills, I know they take a couple of days to work. My doctor said he didn't think I would be full strength again for 1.5 months.

With all the conundrum of the week, I decided not to race in the duathlon that would have been today. Honestly, I don't know if I could have done all the biking. The hills on the course were mountainous! But, I am still doing the Bix, the 7-mile road race. My runs have been slow - 9:30 pace or so - but I will complete it. The last mile is all uphill which will me I will be completely exhausted at the finish, but I don't care. I've wanted to do this race for a long time, and even though my time will be awful, I'll try my best. Life will go on, my iron will come up, I will get more energy.

Have you ever had low iron? What did you do for it? How low was it?

The Valley of Training

The summer heat is getting to me. I've been trying to train like crazy for my upcoming races (7 mile road race in 2 1/2 weeks, 5k possibly in August, marathon in late September, and a few half marathons thrown in for good measure), but this past week I've lacked motivation. I'm still doing my runs and bike rides, but I can't put my finger on what it is. I know that it is critical for me to log as many miles as possible now in order to best be prepared for my marathon, but the miles are long and hard and typically slower than I'd like.

I've started to wonder if possibly I'm over training. I've been doing double workouts for the past couple of weeks and although it has done wonderful things for my insulin absorption, it has left me feeling a bit tired. I tried to analyze my diet and noticed that I didn't get enough iron which possibly was causing me to feel tired. I've tried to add more iron-rich foods, although this is a hard change for a picky eater like myself. However, it has seemed to work as the past couple days I've had more energy.

Do you ever hit a valley in your training or in life? How do you get over it?

Like an Old Lady

Since I have been seriously training as of lately, I have felt like an old lady when I get out of bed in the morning. Is this because I am not a morning person? I don't believe so, but trust me, I really do not like getting out of bed. I guess it is good that it is summer right now. (Do you wish you were a teacher?)

My problem happens as soon as I step down on the ground after getting out of my bed. I awkwardly have to hobble around until my feet decide they feel good enough to act normal, which allows me to walk normal. I've tried to diagnose where it hurts or if it is just me being sore from a long workout the day before, but it seems to happen every single day. My right leg and foot appear to be doing just fine, although the left foot is what is causing me trouble. I had some problems with that foot back in high school and found out then that I have a tarsal coalition (two bones joined together that are not supposed to be), but have not had any real problems since then - 7 years ago. I don't really know what the problem is, or even where it hurts, but I do know that I don't want to get old and hobble around because it is not fun.

Do you know what my problem is? What should I do?

Running and Biking and Training, oh my!

I think today was my most productive day ever training. Granted, now that it is summer I have a lot of (much-needed) free time, so my schedule allows it. I'm pretty proud - I ran 15 miles under my marathon goal pace in the early afternoon, followed by biking 20 miles in the late afternoon. As I was on my bike ride, some thoughts kept pouring into my head, along with my ipod songs. Nonetheless, I created a rather dumb poem on the trail. I scratched it down when I finished, with the intent to write it on my blog later in the day. However, now the document is gone. So until I figure out how to retrieve it, pretend you read a poem about biking.

*You may know that I think biking is not very hard and a waste of time. However, I am doing a duathlon in a few weeks and have to get training. My perspective is changing about biking in the process.

MC200 Race Report

I've been neglecting my blog so much, have have continued to run more than ever. The month of May was incredibly busy for me, having to get things finished up at school, report cards done, and training for the MC200, which consisted of my double-run days. Needless to say, when June 5th rolled around, I was more than happy to see summer.

My first summer weekend was spent in Iowa for my grandma's birthday party. I then came back to the 'burbs on Monday to clean out my classroom. I got everything done by Tuesday afternoon, which left Wednesday and Thursday morning to pack for the relay. I was getting worried that it was not enough time for me to get everything ready, but, I made it.

The MC200 is a 200 mile race from Madison, Wisconsin, to Chicago, which goes through Milwaukee as well as many other small towns. Most teams consist of 12 runners, unless you are on an ultra team of 6 runners. The legs are broken down randomly - I was runner 9, so I ran legs 9, 21, and 33. I though I was prepared for the relay going into the race. My brother has done it a couple of times and was giving me advice about things, and I knew I was in good enough shape. However, things did not exactly work out the way I thought...

My team went to Madison Thursday night to stay over because we had a 7am start time on Friday. Since I was runner 9, my team (runners 7-12) got to sleep in and just go to the 7 check point spot. Since I like to sleep, this worked out well. I ended up eating a light breakfast (mistake #1), got in the van and went to the exchange spot.

My first run was 8.4 miles and started at 1 p.m. I ran on country roads that had rolling hills, past game farms. The smell was less than desirable. It was also 95 degrees with 95% humidity. Great running conditions, right!?!? I told my team to meet me 4.5 miles into my run, before I turned to run on a trail. They did and I thought I might die right then and there if I did not get water. (mistake #2 - I was not hydrated enough).

I finished the run in a dismal time, averaging a 9:20 pace. I was mad at myself, but happy that I at least finished. I didn't see one person when I was running, which was hard. My next run was 6.5 miles through South Milwaukee. I started this run at 1 am. I was excited to run in the darkness because it was so much cooler, but also scared. I saw one homeless man on my run, but other than that, it was just me and the roads. (did you see me? we had to wear reflective vests, led flashing lights in the front and back, headlamps, course map, and I also carried my cell phone, ipod, shot blacks, and insulin pump - so much stuff). My pace this time was 8:25, and I felt good on this run. It was very refreshing.

My last run was interesting, to say the least. It was a nice 5.8 mile run at 10 a.m. The first 4 were on a trail and the last 2 were through a northern 'burb. I told my team to meet me at the end of the trail. While I was running, the sky was getting darker and darker, but it was not raining. When I got to the end of the trail, my friend met me and told me that they were not allowing runners to start the next leg of the race due to severe weather conditions. She asked if I wanted to finish my leg, or wait it out. Without hesitation, I said I wanted to finish. I gave her my ipod and in turn she gave me my rain jacket. I put it on, said that I'd see her in a few miles, and left. As soon as I left her, it began to rain - not just a light drizzle - a sheer downpour. It remained like that for the rest of my run and I was never so happy to finish. I was cold, wet, and frankly, miserable. But, happy to be done. I wanted to put on dry clothes, but there were no bathrooms at this stop so I had to wait in the minivan in my wet clothes until we found somewhere where I could change.

In all, it was a very unique experience. I only knew 1 person on my team so being around 5 unknown people for 36 straight hours was interesting. I learned some valuable lessons: hydration is key and I needed to drink a lot more water before my first run; even if I am not hungry after a run, I should still eat something (I did not eat nearly enough for the amount of exercising I did - I lost 5.5 pounds from the start to the end), and I needed to be stronger mentally. I only saw the homeless man in south Milwaukee and one other runner during my 21 miles. It was far different from a race, where there are not only fans, but also tons of other runners. I was not prepared for that.

Overall, it was a good training run for my marathon in late September. To change things up a bit, I think I might do a duathlon on mid-July. I have a 7-mile race at the end of July and want to do some 5ks just for fun. This weekend I'll be doing 14 miles in preparation for the big day. Hopefully all goes well.

(on a side note, I think I might be close to losing my toe nails - and it is rather disgusting!)

A Perfect 100, x2

As I posted about on my previous post, this past weekend was filled with some non-running athletic activities. Friday was the faculty vs. student basketball game at my school. We played the 8th grade team of mixed boys and girls. I played basketball for a long time, however, that was not the case for all other members of my team. We had trouble getting the ball past half court. I tried not to show any frustration, but it was hard not to be when my teammates turned the ball over almost every possession. But, I had a good time and the students beat us, just like it should be.

Saturday morning I got up early to get in a short run of 5 miles. I had ran Friday in the late afternoon but wanted to log a few miles before my canoeing trip later in the day. I ran at a fairly slow pace, but it was so nice to just jog along and not worry about how fast I was running. I think I need to do this more often...it is good for the mind and the body!

Saturday afternoon I met my friends and we drove up to where we were starting our canoe adventure. I started was in a canoe with 2 other people and got to sit out the first shift. It was nice to look at all of the beautiful homes along the Fox River. They were all so big and many had docks that led out to the river. It was very picturesque. There were 2 other canoes as well - one that held 3 people and another one that held 2.

After the first switch, I took over the front position in the canoe and stayed their for the remainder of the trip. We stopped a few other times, though, so it wasn't like I did not ever get a break.

We stopped at a Mexican restaurant along the way to eat some food. Most of us were hungry and wanted to refuel our bodies for the remainder of the trip. I took out my meter and tested - 100. I am never 100. The girl that was sitting next to me was impressed (she is in grad school for sports nutrition). After our short meal, we continued on.

We canoed for 12 miles on Saturday. Now when I think about it, 12 miles does not seem like a far distance; however, in a canoe, it is very far! We did it in about 4 hours or so, arriving at our destination just as dusk was approaching. My muscles were tired from canoeing so many hours and my arms felt like wet noodles. However, it was all worthwhile because it was such a fun adventure.

Saturday was my first time canoeing and I could definitely feel the result of the exercise in my muscles when I got up on Sunday morning. I have fully recovered today, and even got another 100 blood sugar reading this afternoon. Maybe canoeing is very good for my blood sugars?

MC200 + more

The past week I feel like I've been going nonstop, always with more things to accomplish and less time to sleep. Even right now as I write, I keep thinking about everything else I should be doing, like grading papers, entering grades, preparing report cards for 3rd quarter, planning lessons, registering for races, stretching...the list goes on and on. But that is mostly because things are busy for me as a teacher right now.

My "big news" is that I am running MC200 this year! I am beyond thrilled and excited to do this. It is a race from Madison, Wisconsin to Chicago and is 200 miles; hence, MC200. You do it with a team of 11 other runners and run in shifts three different times. I am either doing an 18 or 19 mile shift. They are broken up differently, though. The 18 mile shift is 6, 6, 6 and the 19 mile shift is 3, 7.5, 8.5. One of my friends wanted to run and there was an open spot on her team and she asked me. Apparently we are not going to be competitive, which is okay, but I know I'll be competitive with myself.

One reason why it will be hard not to be competitive is because my brother has run this race 2 times before. Although my brother is a pretty good runner (Boston qualifier multiple years and is running it this year and is training for the Leadville 100 mile race = craziness), his team won the relay one year. I'm sure he remembers their time and will be interested in knowing what my team's time will be. He'll probably tease me about my shift time and how slow I am. But, although I'm competitive, I just love running so it will be fun no matter what.

Monday and today I ran 8 miles in 1:04-1:05; however, I feel completely out of shape. Maybe it is because I am so tired? I know I'm not getting enough sleep at night which hurts my running a lot - this week I've averaged 5 hours which is not good. This weekend I plan on sleeping a lot, or at least hope to. Tomorrow I'm playing with other staff members in a basketball game vs. the 8th graders at school for a fundraiser. Hopefully I'll still be able to make shots - I haven't played since the fall. Saturday I'm going canoeing all afternoon. I am excited to do it since I've never been canoeing. I'm hoping to run some serious miles tomorrow and during the weekend as well. Don't you love active weekends, or is it just me?