WalkBlogRun

Running a Half While Sick (and the race ran out of water)

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:29:00 -0600

My second half marathon did not go nearly as well as I hoped it would. I trained for eight weeks and then of course got sick the week before the race. It was a bad cold complete with fever, aches, and stuffy nose. I knew my loss of appetite would not be good for my training (yes, I still ran during the week, but not as much as I was supposed to). I asked our Twitter and Facebook fans if they'd run if they were sick. The response was an overwhelming no. I know, I should have listened, but I'm stubborn! Plus I spent a total of $90 for registration and transportation. But much to my surprise, my being sick was not the worst part of the race. The Tyranena Half Marathon ran out of water cups at miles 5 and 10! Come to find out later, they were reusing cups. This may have been the reason why I was able to get water at mile 8. Let me back up and give more details on this excruciatingly awful race day. It was sunny, in the lower 70's, and the race began at 11:30. Race directors should have taken all of these conditions into mind and planned for more water. As mile 4.6 approached, I was in need of water. I had the dehydration head and side aches. Mile 5: Where's the water?! Finally, after running up a hill nearing mile 5.5, I saw a table...but it was empty! Needless to say I was upset. They got water out of a well and poured it into my hands to drink. What was this?! This only exacerbated my horrible feelings. The rest of the course was on a state trail. There were no first aid stations or patrol people to make sure everyone was at least alive. This worried me. Mile 10 came. No water. So I walked the rest of the race. I finished in 2:45, but I was a-okay with that. Oh, and they ran out of water bottles and bananas at the end of the race. To cap it off, there was no medical tent at the end of the race. The DJ had to ask over the speaker system if there was a doctor on the grounds. I'm glad I didn't need any medical attention. I've began training for my third half marathon. This one will be in Los Angeles. Even if it's bad conditions, just this fact alone will make it my favorite race. It already is! Have you had a bad race experience? If so, please comment below.

Music for Running: Top 10 Songs that I don't want others to know I love

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:35:00 -0600

I am a big audiophile, and loving music really lends itself to running. When running you can just drift off. I find it's a great time to listen to new music, or just let it be apart of you and the run. That being said, I listen to a lot of different things when running. One of my favorite things to do is to create a playlist of new stuff or music with a theme and run to it to see how it works for me. So you are going to be reading all about my random ten song playlists with themes. I figured I'd start ridiculous so that you can get to know my tastes. Also, if you couldn't tell, this is partially an homage to High Fidelity (such a good movie), and because I love music so much. Please post in the comments what your playlist would be for the theme. You can pretty much see me rock out to any of these songs while running. The worst part is I have a tendency to sing along while running, but not always because I'm catching my breath. My embarrassing song list

Lovefool by The Cardigans
I'm Too Sexy by Right Said Fred
Hoochie Mama by 2Live Crew
Elephant Love song medley from the Moulin Rouge Soundtrack
Barbie Girl by Aqua
Anything by Britney Spears
Since You've Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson
Fraggle Rock theme song by The Fraggles
Mambo #5 by Lou Bega
Safety Dance by Men without Hats

So there's my guilty pleasures, what are yours?

What Makes a Good Race?

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:35:00 -0600

A good race, while we all know what it means to us, is a very ambiguous term. Does it refer to the actual run, or the event, or is it only available to those elites for whom it is actually a competitive race. Can someone have a good race while running the worst time possible? Its all on your outlook and how your perceive races. A race is definitely good if you win, or pr. Races are still good if you do a good job and know you did the best of your ability. The actual race that someone put together is also important. Well organized and good scenic routes with ample room are big pluses. Good schwag is always loved, I'm a big fan of free food and clothes :) Medals and food after finishing, for the effort i put in are great too. You get out of a race what you put into it. If you dont care what the scenery is or the widths of the course, your more likely to buckle down and run a fast race while all along hoping for the flattest course ever. Which is great! Running at a decent clip is always enjoyable and leaves you feeling accomplished and strong. But if your an ambler like myself, the different aspects of race organization come into play. I don't mind hills because they give me an excuse to walk without looking too weak as well as usually providing a good view from the top. Im not going to lie I also like to race my running buddies up hills, I'm kinda a little kid like that. I am also a needy runner. I need water stations, porta potties, and (depending on the length of the course) some sort of nutrition (read FOOD).If you are for the race and nothing else, then again the race organization plays less of a part on what you want from a race. But I like being a runner because of the community and am a sociable person. So expos or after parties are a big plus for me. I like wondering about meeting new people after a race, preferably with a beer in hand. Personally my favorite races have been where ive had the mindset that I'm going to have the best race ever. Running to the best of my ability Whether i run barefoot, backwards or with as many people as possible, as long as i go into a race knowing its for fun, i will have fun. I have done all of those! Backwards running is fun because its the only time you actually get to see other runners faces unless its an out and back course.* It doesn't matter what adversity you face on the course as long as you triumph (meaning run through the pain :P ) As someone commented on our facebook page "If you can finish the race and end it still smiling it means you've enjoyed it." There are too many variants of running that I enjoy to say whether what my perfect race would be. I don't even know if i would want it be a race i have become familiar with and come to love or a new adventure to explore. All I know is, for me, there are three concrete things that will always make it a great race day for me. 1. 70 degrees and sunny. I love the warmth and you know if the suns out, my guns are out :) 2. Knowing my abilities and enjoying the runners high and healthy aspect of running. 3. Remembering why I run, and who started me running (my mumma) which will always make me smile. That's my perfect race, Whats yours? *running is backwards is never advised unless you have someone looking out in front of you.

Running for a Personal Record at the Tyranena Beer Run

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:49:00 -0600

I have my second half marathon coming up on Saturday. I'm running the Tyranena Beer Run in Lake Mills, Wisconsin. It's a small race- with the 1/6th marathon and half marathon totaling 1500 participants. When I told this to Adam, he said, "You could probably place!" So, as usual, this idea was put into my head. I've been jazzed about the race for a good week now, and even more so after I drove by the route the other day. I mapped it out and it's a relatively flat race, much less hilly than my first in Madison, Wisconsin. Because of this, I hope to PR this race. Can I place? I looked up last year's results. Answer: I'll place pretty much smack in the middle of everyone. Oh well, this is just my second race! My goal is to eventually get to that point where I know I have a good shot at placing. It'll be my first race for which roads are closed, I'll have to run on the left side, and run single-file. This will be interesting, but definitely a good experience. Knowing that I won't place, I now look forward to the lasagna, brewery tour, and the UW-Badger football game playing in the tent afterward!

Meet Rishan

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:42:00 -0600

As this is my first entry I thought it prudent to let you know a little about myself. I am proud to say that I am originally from Sri Lanka, a small island nation south of tip of India. I spent my formative years however living all over the world spending most of my time in Sri Lanka, Oman, California (Garden Grove represent), and Chicago. I am currently a student and have been living in Chicago for the past 12 years. Running was never something that I enjoyed unless it involved chasing a soccer ball, a tennis ball, or a cricket ball. These sports and swimming were the main things I played and were among my main interests. It would be my mum that really introduced me to my love of running. After my mum was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2005, she joined Team In Training and started training for the Chicago Distance Classic, a half marathon. She asked me to train with her, and I reluctantly agreed. Training with my mum was an inspiration, and it showed me that anything is possible if you put the work in. Both of us finished with my mum finishing two days after her first chemo treatment. My mum is now in remission and we both still share the joy of running, though at different paces. Since then I have completed the Chicago Marathon, about 7 other half marathons, and just this August the Chicago Triathlon. During the marathon last year I tore my hamstring and had to start over with my running program; hence training for the triathlon instead of the marathon. I have had a myriad of running injuries and like to think I am quite knowledgeable on the subject. I am working towards my next two goals for 2010, which are to get back down to a 9-minute mile pace for the marathon and to train for a half ironman. I also have quite a few odd running habits, but I'm sure you'll hear all about that later :)

Detroit Marathon Deaths- Should I Still Run?

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:51:00 -0600

Last week, three men died while running the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon. If you're not familiar with the story, three men, ages 26, 36, and 65, died within a 16-minute span. The 26 year old, Jon Fenlon, was diagnosed as a child with having a large heart, but was cleared to race numerous times. For Rick Brown, 65, this was one of over 50 marathons he ran. You can read more from the Detroit Free Press. Reading this story has made me rethink my new love of running and my goals to run half marathons and full marathons. I'm pretty healthy, but I'm scared of sudden death caused by an unknown health condition. Then again, we face danger each time we step out of our homes. Should I also be scared to leave my house? Running has taken over my life. If I stop now, what will I do? It's my exercise, my therapy, and my hobby. There's not much like it that can replace it. For now, I'll continue running and let my fears subside...

The Chicago Marathon Spectator Experience

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 12:12:00 -0600

Cut to the end of this entry, Adam may have inspired me to run a marathon! Sunday began bitterly cold, but I figured if Adam was out running 26.2 in that weather, I could stand all bundled up and watch him! So, I bundled up, in clothes that I thought would keep me warm, and headed out to mile 8. If you were in Chicago on Sunday, you know that the city was hard to navigate through with all the street closures and crowds walking in all sorts of directions. My first "this is awesome" feeling came when I could hear roaring cheers before I could see any runners. The crowd was amazing, even in such cold weather! When I reached mile 8, I picked out a spot where my line of vision wouldn't be interrupted. I watched as the front runners passed. Wow. The following group of runners looked so ambitious. This was my second inspirational experience. I then realized that I had no idea what Adam was going to be wearing or even where he was placed in the pack. How was I going to find him? Well, I remembered he posted a picture of his marathon outfit, so I loaded it on my iPhone screen and stood there with it in hand trying to match my screen to the runners. It worked! I saw Adam as he turned the corner and I started cheering, or "quietly cheering" as Adam would later tell me! As I walked home, I felt the urge to run. I didn't, but that's not the point! I never gave the idea of running a full marathon much thought until I saw one in action. Perhaps I will do one...We'll see!

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:23:00 -0600

I wear pink for my mom: On Sunday, September 27 I ran the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was a first of a lot of things for me: first 5k, first Race for the Cure, and my boyfriend's first race. It was quite the experience, one that I'll probably do every year. This was also my first race I ran that benefited a cause as great as breast cancer awareness and research. So, as we approached the race grounds, I was in awe of how many people were participating-13,000! That, and how much pink was all around! As great of a cause that this benefits, I was unhappy with how the race officials handled the event. First,it started 32 minutes late. There's nothing like a bunch of anxious runners waiting for the start of a race! Second, there was supposed to be a separation of walkers and runners. This, however, was not the case. There were a lot of walkers in the runners' path, slowing the runners down. Personally, I wasn't running for a PR, but I feel for those who were! However, the general atmosphere of the whole morning was uplifting. As I stood waiting for the start, I realized that everyone there came in support or in memory of someone who was/is affected by breast cancer. It was a sort of supportive experience for me to know that a majority of the people that had experienced the same loss. I was both sad and happy at the same time. Strange! Me nice and sweaty after the race:

Lost Ambition and Lost iPhone (Important Read if You Run with the iPhone)

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:25:00 -0600

It's crazy what two days, well now three of five days, off from running has done to my motivation. I woke up Monday morning knowing I had to get three miles in. I didn't do it. That's not like me. I finally ran later that night, but only after I sat and watched my favorite television shows. It also helped that my boyfriend is training for his first 5k and he wanted to run, so I got up and ran with him. Sidenote: I somehow convinced him to do the Susan G. Komen 5k, which takes place on Sunday, with me and my friend. It'll be his first race, and come to think of it, my first 5k. I should backtrack and explain why I took these days off. I was out of town over the weekend enjoying all that is Las Vegas. I did sneak in 7 miles before my flight out of Chicago, though. So, come Monday morning, I was just not up to running. I do have six miles to do tonight, which I am planning on doing. Perhaps this will help me get back on track. iPhone + Running = "severe water damage": Another reason for my slip is my MP3 player situation. My iPhone suffered "severe water damage," according to the guy at Apple, and no longer works. He said it could've happened yesterday or six months ago; there's no way to tell. I had to buy a new one while on vacation. Considering how much I paid for the iPhone to begin with, I treated it like it was my baby. I don't recall it ever getting wet. Then my friend asked me, "Do you run with it?" Ah ha! I do get grossly sweaty, and so does my armnband, so perhaps this was the reason. Thus, I will not be running with my new iPhone. This presents a great problem for me. I always run with music. I've never gone with out. I do have the first version of the Nano, but this can no longer be updated, so I'm stuck with music I listened to while in college- hardly the music I want to run to! Such a conundrum.

Doing the 13.1 Series. Oh My!

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 15:53:00 -0600

Apparently I can't get enough running! A few days ago I decided to do the entire 13.1 Series. How and why did I decide to take on such a task, you ask? It all started when I signed up for the Susan G. Komen 5k. Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k. My thought process goes as such: 1)I saw that Susan G. Komen also has a marathon and half marathon component. My first step in my grand decision was deciding that I was going to run half marathons and commit to raising $250 for the organization. 2) "Well, it'll be quite some time before I can run another half in decent weather. I'm going to run somewhere warm- like L.A.!" I looked up races for the months of November through March and found the inaugural 13.1 Los Angeles Marathon on January 10. Done. 3) "Hm. Why not just do the whole 13.1 series?" And so, I am now going to complete the series. My goal is to do the eight races in about two and a half years. The series takes place in Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Miami Beach, New York, Chicago, Boston, and Minneapolis. Little did I know that when I started with WalkJogRun almost a year ago that I'd be running a bunch of half marathons... I like it! Of course I'll blog about all of these, so stay tuned!

Annual Running Breakdown AKA Running is Hard

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:58:00 -0600

Today was my annual running breakdown. I pushed my Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday workouts back one day each meaning today and tomorrow make it 5 day straight without rest. I woke up at 6am and fought the idea of running for 15 minutes before heading out. As soon as I started running I felt dreadful - dead legs and no enthusiasm at all. Usually this passes after a mile or so but today was different and a classic sign of over-training. I hit the lakefront (here in Chicago) at around 1.5 miles in and found some inspiration when I saw the sun hanging low, bright orange over the lake as it began it's hike across the sky. The usual path was too familiar so I decided to try to distract myself and took a detour along Montrose beach past the bird sanctuary all the way to the end of the pier at Montrose Point. The scenery was just perfect as the low sun lit up the buildings along the lake front and the trees at the edge of the beach. As I turned around I saw what has to be the most perfect view of downtown Chicago as the sun worked it's magic reflecting off the tall skyscrapers. The route is here "Scenic 8 miler". I reached my 4 mile mark according to my Garmin so turned around and headed back home. Instantly my mood dipped again and as soon as I hit the familiar part of my route I switched back to grumbling and complaining to myself about how hard this all is and how little fun I was having. Running the 1.5 miles along Foster Avenue back to the apartment was tough. The traffic, the traffic lights, the pedestrians, everyone was a target for my mental grumbling. It was only in the last half mile that it dawned on me - I've run around 450 miles since June so it's no wonder I'm tired! I got back and told my wife about my little breakdown and she reminded me it was this time last year at the same stage in my training that I hit the same breakdown. The spring vanishes from my step as I get one week out from the peak week of training and the visions of running through the fall and winter to hit another marathon or two disappear in negative thoughts. I looked at my logs for the 14 weeks of marathon training and got the confirmation about what I've achieved so far. I've logged 439.79 miles in 14 weeks. At a 9:14 average that's 67.6 hours of running and, for my weight, around 68,000 calories. For some perspective that translates to around 19 pounds! I've climbed over 24,000 feet based on elevation change and lost 14 pounds! If you don't keep a diary of your training, I recommend you start. Be it in a spreadsheet, a log book, online or even sending yourself emails it's a crucial training tool to remind yourself of your accomplishments from time to time. Days like today come and go and you're not alone - it happens to every runner who follows a challenging training program. It felt awesome to tell the clerk at the Drivers License renewal facility I'm 14 pounds lighter than my last license and when she said "you're turning 35? You don't look that old" I nearly kissed her. Running is hard but it's rewarding and worth every minute.

Embarassed to say

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:41:00 -0600

I took a week off after my half marathon. Well, as Adam put it, I cheated a couple days ago when I went for a 6-miler. So, after Labor Day weekend, I was itching to get back into running. Yesterday I put my gear on and set out for what had I planned on being a four mile run. Wow. At .6 miles I was aching! So I decided to just do two. Nope, that didn't work, either. So my four mile run turned into a 1.3 run. I didn't even want to log it in my Nike+ account. But then again, this time last year I was struggling with 1.5 miles at 10-minute pace. We'll see how my run goes today...

Making the marathon taper work for you

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 11:45:00 -0600

Marathon training programs typically come in a one size fits all prescription so what do you when your needs change? What if your race is postponed or you get sick in the final weeks? Adam's wife shares some tips for she found to help with her situation. The most difficult of marathon training, for me, is fitting in the training schedule to everyday life. Work, travel, and family can derail the best intentions of a marathon program - not to mention those friends who just don't understand why you'd choose not to go out on a Friday night because you have to get up and run 16 miles the next morning. This summer I've been training for my second marathon. After doing the Chicago Marathon last year in my hometown and having a really great race, I decided to try my hand at the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco. Part of the challenge this year is adjusting my training schedule from an 18 week program to a 19 week program. I'm following Hal Higdon's Novice 1 18-week program again since I had success with it last year. However, I decided to start 19 weeks before the Nike marathon in order to coincide my training with the Chicago marathon training schedule. My reasons were two-fold: First, I really wanted to do the CARA Ready-to-Run 20 miler which is a great sponsored long run along Chicago's lake front path geared towards those training for Chicago. I did this last year and I found it really helpful to be doing my longest run with so many other people (especially since most of my training runs I run alone). Second, since Adam would be doing Chicago again and I knew we'd have a few weekends out of town this summer, it kept us on a similar schedule so that we could do those out-of-town long runs together. Since training is coming to a peak and the race is drawing closer I started to get nervous about my taper. Because of when the 20 miler fits into the schedule, I knew I would have to add an extra taper week at the end and wasn't too concerned about it....until the last few days. What should I run for that extra week? Should I add in an extra long run? Increase weekly mileage overall? Is it a terrible idea to do a four week taper? I found one option in Hal Higdon's "Alternate Marathon Programs." He gives options for what to do when you find yourself with one, two or three extra weeks at the end of marathon training. For my situation, he suggests repeating the 17th week of training (weekly runs of 4mi, 6mi, 3mi with a Saturday 8 mi "long run"). I've been debating adding another week that ends with a 14 or 16 miler but Hal reassures that his program will not jeopardize my fitness (a concern of mine). Come marathon day, I'm sure I'll be ok whatever I decide to do. I really believe that most of my training is dependent on getting myself in the right mindset. As long as I think I'll be fine, I will be. I'm curious though, what are your experiences with unorthodox marathon tapering?

Finished My First Half Marathon!

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:01:00 -0600

Today I ran the inaugural Madison Mini Marathon in Madison, Wisconsin. I was pretty excited the whole week leading up to this event, and I couldn't sleep most of the nights! Race Start: I started with the 2:20 group. While I was standing there waiting for the start, I began to get really nervous. Finally it was my turn to cross the start line, so I started my Nike+ Sportband and I was off! My goal was to finish before at two hours exactly, despite my Runnersworld.com training schedule having me finish at 2:05. I'm from Wisconsin, but I had never done a long-distance run there. I've been training on the flat, even surface of the Lakeshore Drive path in Chicago. I soon remembered how hilly Wisconsin is! A summary of my thoughts throughout the race Mile 3: "Whoa, ten more miles?!" Mile 4: "Why is my Nike+ .3 miles off?" (This would soon stretch to .8 miles off. Not fun!) Mile 6: "Well, only seven more to go." Mile 7: "Sweet, more than half way done!" Mile 9: "Alright, only four left." Mile 10: "Now it's just a 5k!" I picked up speed, and switched my iPod to play a bunch of power songs in a row. Mile 11: "I'm at 1:43. I can do this!" Mile 12.9 "The finish line!" I got a surge of adrenaline and started sprinting. I had no one around me, and I felt like I was the only one running the race! I crossed the finish line at 2:02:03. Nice! I got my finishers medal and was all smiles! I will definitely do this race again. There were so many people cheering us on all along the route. Photos were taken on Madison's famous gigantic Memorial Union chair, which if you're familiar with them, was really exciting! My results: There was a total of 2453 runners. I came in 1435th place, and 579/1278 for women. I was quite happy! I'm ready to sign up for my next half!

Armour for my 8-miler

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:00:00 -0600

Just finished what I would call the worst run of my running career. Today in Chicago it's supposed to reach 90 degrees, so I figured a run at 10 am would beat some of that heat. However, perhaps I'm exaggerating, but by the end of the run, I thought I was feeling the beginnings of heat exhaustion. Don't worry, I'm fine! As I headed down to the Lakeshore path, I heard what I thought were the planes practicing, which they've been doing all week, for the air show this weekend. Well, they weren't practicing, the show was actually going on! Once I hit the path I saw hundreds of people. It was too late to turn back as I already planned my 8-mile route on WalkJogRun. So I braved the unrelenting crowd as people decided not to move over for runners or bikers, stop in the middle of the path, and also have their little kids zig-zag across the path. This brings me to my next point: I did not wear a shirt over my sports bra today, thinking I wouldn't be seeing this many people. I'm hoping I didn't offend anyone, but then again, there were many girls dressed as I was. And plus I was on the beach, where there were bikinis galore. I did wear my most modest bra though, which happens to be my favorite. Read on. Favorite Sports Bra: The Under Armour Endure I've tried out a fair amount of sports bras, and as my runs got longer, I started to buy the expensive specialty ones that gave super support. My first one, which I still like, I bought from Fleet Feet for $40. It's the Moving Forward brand, but I'm unsure of the style. I first liked it because it has an adjustable band with bra hooks. The only down fall of this one is that it's low-cut. If I simply wear a tank over it, I'm definitely putting on a show Then I hit the jackpot when I decided to splurge and spend $50 on the Under Armour Endure. Pros: high cut so no cleavage is shown, lined so nothing else inappropriate is shown, and a cris-cross back. Cons: Well, I've had it for a couple weeks and the only con I can come up with is that it only comes in black and white. I would like to add a little more color to my runs!