November 05, 2006

So Lance Armstrong also had an painful experience running the New York Marathon yesterday, most likely because he didn't train that much for running. His longest training run was only 16 miles, and he wanted to run the marathon at a 6:55 min/mile pace, which is very speedy. He said he'd never do it again and that it was more painful than any mountain stage of the Tour De France.

Cyclists can make good runners because their cardiovascular systems are well-tuned, but all that leg muscle slows them down, and they don't have the same muscles developed for running as they do for cycling. Pro runners look like toothpicks.

Yesterday I was painfully sore from racing hard without sufficient training. My back! My hams! My quads! Farmboy worked out some of the lactic acid while I screamed in pain, and today I feel much better. But no more fast running for me. I will focus only on training for next year's cycling season.

Posted by megabeth at 05:55 PM | Comments (0)

 
November 04, 2006

Everything went well today; I finished the 10K in 50:21 or 50:22 (still waiting for the official results). Negative splits were blown to the wind in the first mile since everyone else started out so quickly. I ran the first two miles at a 7:40 pace, then the third mile around 8:40 because it was uphill, then the fourth and fifth miles were 8:20ish, then the last mile was another 7:40. And most of the race hurt, especially the last mile. It was stupid of me to think I could run the race in 50 minutes with little training at that pace.

After the race I took advantage of the complimentary massage and free food, then hightailed it out to the bike shop to meet some teammates for a bike ride. We rode for about 2.5 hours out in the Leeds area (I saw some donkeys! haha).

Back at the shop I opted not to do the lactate threshold testing considering that I had lactate thresholded all day. I am so sore. However I did get a new Polar CS200 HRM for my bike and some free coffee thanks to our sponsor. I like spending Saturday afternoons in the shop, cleaning my bike, getting training tips and drooling over pretty new bikes.

I am stubborn and it takes suffering to get me to change my mind about something. I suffered today. And after talking to my team's bike coach, I decided not to run competitively this winter because it is disadvantageous to my bike training for next year's race season. He did give me the ok to run 5 miles at a comfortable pace for cross-training. This decision has made me feel relieved, and considering that I have invested a lot into cycling, I want it to be my primary focus.

Addendum: Preliminary results are in - out of about 1600 runners, I finished in the top 24th percentile overall and the top 8th percentile in my age group. Not bad for someone who started running again two months prior to the race, but not surprising for someone who is used to suffering (see: bad relationships, workaholism, cycling with crazy men).

Posted by megabeth at 05:26 PM | Comments (4)

 
November 03, 2006

I signed up for the Vulcan Run yesterday so now I have to do it. It sounds like a great idea right now, but tomorrow during the race I will cursing my stupidity. It's a high participation race on a great course and my goal is sub-50 minutes for the 10K (an 8:00/m pace). I still have a residual cough from bronchitis and don't know if I am sick or well or whatever, but I've ignored and trained anyway. I've been back running for almost two months save for the week when I was too sick to do anything.

I am saying this over and over again today:
NEGATIVE SPLITS NEGATIVE SPLITS NEGATIVE SPLITS

I memorized the locations of each mile marker just in case they don't mark the course so that I can keep track of my NEGATIVE SPLITS.

Posted by megabeth at 09:08 AM | Comments (1)

 
October 25, 2006

I bought a couple of pairs of CW-X compression tights this summer on sale, and it finally became cool enough outside to try them out. Unfortunately, my recent weight loss has been retained and I would say that the women's smalls are no longer providing compression, but merely coverage. I may try wearing one pair over the other next time. However, the areas of fabric that cross the quads and stabilize the knee (see photos on website) do provide some extra warmth. I had a very pleasant 7 mile run yesterday. The bottom of my kneecaps were a little sore afterwards, though (strangely). Sigh. I wasn't planning on this. Most of the dress pants I wear to work are rather baggy, and I'm not sure if I should go out and buy new work clothes in fear that the weight loss is temporary. I can't say that I'm not trying to gain weight; candy jars are prolific at work, and I can't keep my paws out of them.

The benefit of this weight loss is that I have effectively lost about ten pounds on my bike; 7 lbs of body weight and 3 lbs of bike weight. That makes for an instant gain in strength.

Posted by megabeth at 03:11 PM | Comments (0)

 
October 20, 2006

Here's a few running routes I like:

Moderately hilly 10 miler starting at English Village, going thru Southside and downtown, then back again. Some of this is part of the Mercedes Half Marathon.

Relatively flat out-and-back on the Shades Creek Greenway, through Brookwood Mall parking area and onto Jemison Trail until Overbrook Road. This is a good one for solo running; you don't have to worry much about traffic. However, I hate the surface on the Jemison Trail. 8.6 miles, and if I run it from home and back, that adds another 2.5 miles for a total of 11.1 miles. Ouch.

Vulcan Run 10K route - This run is really nice. It's similar to the first one I posted that's 10 miles long and also contains some streets used in the Mercedes Marathon. The only thing I don't like about it is running on the concrete sidewalks through Highland Avenue.

Trak Shak 5-miler. This is a good 5 mile run but every time I run it, someone in an SUV or pickup truck buzzes me. The problem is that stupid idiots are speeding through Homewood neighborhood streets as a cut-through to busier roads, and the Homewood police aren't doing a damn thing about it.

Hmm. That's about all I do so far but hopefully I will learn some new routes this winter. I like running from Southside to Downtown especially during weekend mornings because Downtown is dead and oftentimes you can run in the middle of the street (this is good because roads are banked, and you can get weird aches and pains from running slightly crooked). Most of the time I just use the Shades Creek Greenway with the addition of the S Lakeshore Drive (a dead end street), which is 1.5 miles out and back. People I run with say Greenway is boring but at least I am still alive to run it again.

Have a GREAT weekend!

Posted by megabeth at 02:04 PM | Comments (0)

 
September 04, 2006

When I'm busy with work I prefer running over cycling because running packs the most punch (calories/fat burned) per minute than any other easily accessible sport. Today is the last good day I have for working on my Magnum Opus before it is released to the public on Friday (I'll post the link here too). I decided not to ride 60 miles knowing it would take until lunch, then I'd want to sleep for two hours. An entire day, gone. I headed off to the greenway for my first 5.25 mile run since April. And it felt GOOD. I enjoyed every step of it. What I missed about running is the ability to get into a rhythm or a trance and covering the miles in blissful ignorance.

So I am excited about the transition. I'll still ride, of course, but will try to run twice a week as I did last winter. I trained for the half marathon with two runs and two rides per week. It wasn't textbook, but it worked for me. This winter I want to greatly increase my time in the half, so I may need to run three times a week.

Today I tried the fancy shmancy $15 a pair Asics socks I won in a duathlon — the kind where you have a right foot and a left foot and can't switch them around. Those socks ROCK. I forgot they were even there.

When the weather cools down, I'm anxious to try out the two pairs of CW-X Expert Tights I bought for half price at a sale this summer.

Posted by megabeth at 09:39 AM | Comments (0)

 
April 25, 2006

During the winter, I used my training sessions to focus on correcting bad habits.

In cycling, I concentrated on developing a round, full pedal stroke, which includes not only a push at the front, but a pull at the back. A member of my race team complimented my pedal stroke at a training race about a month ago, so I knew I had made some progress.

While running, I focused on where my foot falls and on keeping good posture. You should try to minimally contact the ground and put more emphasis on landing on the forefoot; this reduces probability of overuse injury. I also had the bad habit of slouching when I'm very tired, which reduces off my ability to breathe deeply. I still do that sometimes, but looking at recent race photos, I can tell that I have greatly improved.

At the race on Saturday, I noticed that several runners were slapping their feet down on the pavement, making a lot of noise. It's not efficient, and it causes injury. Efficient running entails looking (and sounding) effortless. The best runners look as if they are gliding through the air.

One thing I like about running is that I can tell if someone is being taxed at their maximum capacity by the sound of their breathing. I passed a few runners during the race who sounded like they were about to hack up a lung. In that state, my competitors would not be able to catch up with me. It sounds like torture, in my opinion, to be at max HR, suffocating, for distances over five kilometers. It's better to start out at a comfortable pace, then increase pace until the end of the race. Once I started running negative splits, it became second nature to me. However, I still have some room for improvement in longer distance races.

Posted by megabeth at 01:30 PM | Comments (3)

 
April 24, 2006

Dear Megabeth 2007,

I hope you're having a good start to your racing season. You've probably done the Powerman assuming you haven't gotten yourself injured. This is a reminder from Megabeth 2006: Do NOT run the Statue to Statue 15K! Megabeth 2006 could barely walk yesterday and today; even the slightest movement is very painful and slowly executed. People at work are laughing at her for walking funny. Megabeth 2006 did all the right things; she took Endurox after her race, then stretched. She did not drink alcoholic beverages and had a good night's sleep. Nevertheless, she woke up the next day with a level of soreness she has not experienced before; we can conclude that the activity of running up and down steep hills is too damaging to the muscular system.

Fortunately for Megabeth 2006, this week is her recovery week after three weeks of hard effort.

Let me reiterate, Megabeth 2007, that you should stay away from quad-busting hill races like Statue to Statue. Thanks for your consideration of my advice in this matter. I have a feeling you aren't going to be any less crazy than I am, but I can always hope that you'll heed my warning.

Love,
Megabeth 2006

Posted by megabeth at 11:27 AM | Comments (3)

 
April 22, 2006

Here are the complete race results. I ran a good race, finishing in 1:16:47 at a pace of 8:15 per mile. I placed second in my age group, but I like that I was the ninth woman across the finish line. Not too shabby for someone who hasn't been participating in distance races that long.

This race is not good for those who are inclined to injury, like me. The first four or five miles were tolerable rolling hills, but then we climbed an infamous hill (even for cyclists) called Stone River. The track club coach advised me to walk up the hill. That's what I did, and other people who ran the hill did not go any faster, and they were at their max HR to boot. Once I reached the top, my HR was low and I was ready to take off again.

Next there was a gradual incline for about a mile, and right before the end, another steep hill. Track club coach advised me to run, and that was painful. But the most painful part was running a half mile down a steep hill. Ah, my quads! I was happy to see the finish line.

First place AG still evades me. My AG is a tough one. My time was enough to get me first place in other AGs, even younger ones.

I wonder if I will be able to walk tomorrow.

Posted by megabeth at 02:48 PM | Comments (4)

 
April 21, 2006

Tomorrow I am running the Statue to Statue 15K. All this time I have been thinking about how 9.3 miles isn't all that big of a deal since I've done the half marathon and also had a speedy pace for 5.5 miles at the duathlon. Figured I could crank out 9.3 at an 8 to 8:15 pace. I haven't done a long run in a while, though. So I'm probably stupid for attempting this.

I knew this race would be hilly, but I just received an email from a runner who is faster than I am. She advises to WALK up the steep hills during this race. OH, LORD. What have I gotten myself into???

And also the rumor is that this race feels harder than a half-marathon.

I am totally nuts.

It'll be good training, though, if I live through it.

Posted by megabeth at 09:46 AM | Comments (3)

 
April 13, 2006

My next race is Statue to Statue 15K (9.3 miles), which claims the title to the "hilliest race in the Southeast". The race is on Saturday, April 22. I haven't been running on hills much lately. Thus, my next interval training session, planned for Sunday, will include hill repeats. Fun. Barf.

Posted by megabeth at 03:50 PM | Comments (1)

 
April 04, 2006

The guy who heads up the track club here is an incredibly nice and generous person. He's one of those people who significantly improves the quality of life here in the Magic City for many people. Last fall, I hooked up with the 10K to Half running group midway through the training season after deciding to run the Mercedes Half, and he sent the group lots of encouraging and funny emails about our training runs. Each weekend, I ran my weekly long runs with the group. That was always social and fun, even in bitterly cold temperatures.

So, I emailed him this week and asked him to provide suggestions for speedwork. I typed up the list below from his email. He reminded me to take every fourth week off, or cut one workout in half that week in order to cut back and recover.

My goal is to do speedwork once a week this summer, most likely on Monday evenings, and when the weather gets hot, I'll have to get up early on Monday mornings. Ugh.

• Week 1 & 2: Two min fast, two min slow, times 4-6
• Week 3: 1/4 mile pace at 1:45-1:55, times 6 with 1/4 mile recovery
• Week 4: times 7
• Week 5: times 8
• Week 6: times 9
• Week 7: times 10
• Week 8: 1/4 mile pace at 1:45-1:55, times 6 with 1/8 mile recovery

And so on, with eventual increase to 1/2 mile intervals.

Ow. OW. OUCH OUCH OUCH. I did speedwork last night: four 1:45s with 2 minute recoveries. That hurt. That was the first 2.5 miles of my run (after a warm-up mile). Then I ran the last 2.5 at an increasingly faster pace, getting stronger by the end. Actually, I was wanting to quit, so the faster I finished, the earlier I could stop running.

Posted by megabeth at 03:42 PM | Comments (2)

 
March 30, 2006

I'm taking an economics class for my MBA on Wednesday nights, and the local running store in town has group runs on Wednesdays. This week, however, was "spring break", so I did not have class. I thought I'd celebrate my evening off and find a pace group to run a five mile loop.

Runners are similar to cyclists in that they sandbag their times before the run, then overexaggerate their time after the run. For example, some will note that they going to run at an 8:30 pace when in reality, the pace will be 8:00. At the end, they will cut 0.2 miles off the end of the run but count it anyway, making their finish time look a few minutes faster. Hey! It's motivating. Can't criticize that.

So the purported 8:00 minute group ran the five miles at a 7:30 pace. I was confident I could do such a pace quite easily since I had run that quickly in Florida (alternating between 7:30 and 8). But Florida is FLAT. And Birmingham is far from being flat.

First ten minutes, I felt great. Next ten minutes: breathing hard, can't talk much, stop noticing external things in environment, heart rate is high. Third ten minutes: gave up on iPod, started to hate pace group leader, compared myself to others and felt weak, lazy and pathetic, lungs are burning, running partner keeps poking my back telling me not to slump. I gasp out a 'thank you' and encourage him to keep reminding me in monosyllabic gasping grunts. Last eight minutes: continued loss of good running form, praying to God that I will die soon, wishing someone would carry me the last half mile, continued hatred of pace group leader for making it look effortless.

Overall result: I am completely, totally humbled.

More speedwork is in order. It shouldn't be this difficult to run five 7.5 minute miles.

Posted by megabeth at 09:46 AM | Comments (2)

 
March 28, 2006

The weather at the beach was spectacular this weekend: intense sunlight and temps in the low 60s. My sister invited a college friend, who brought her Garmin GPS/HRM on run #1. That thing is WAY COOL. She updated me on pace per mile and distance throughout the run. I love instant feedback. We ran seven miles, and in Florida the landscape is flat, so they were speedy (7:30 to 8:00 pace). I ran the same course two days later. Anyhow, if you're in Destin sometime, Sandestin resort is a nice place to get in some distance miles without having to deal with traffic. However, it seems like half the resort is under construction, so I'm guessing that many people do not have a peaceful vacation, unless you enjoy the sound of tractors passing by every five minutes.

During my second run, I did beginner speedwork intervals (two minutes hard fast run, two minutes light jog, times three, with one extra minute sprint at the end for extra pain). That went well, although I was tired at the end of the seven miles. Best not to combine distance with speedwork. For some reason I can't keep myself from trying to kill two birds with one stone.

Other than those two workouts, I sat around by the pool and soaked up the rays. And I went shopping. I bought some Defeet Levitator socks at the Saucony outlet for $5 a pair and tried them out on my run. I get very annoyed by the seam that runs across the top of the toes. The Levitators don't have that seam; therefore, they rock. Wish I had bought more, already.

Posted by megabeth at 03:04 PM | Comments (0)

 
March 22, 2006

I'm going to the Florida panhandle this weekend for a mini-vacation, although the weather isn't turning out quite as desired. Low 60s will be fine for running, but not for sunbathing. And any weather is great for shopping!

I'm going to try some beginner speedwork during my workouts. I seem to be stuck on an 8:10 to 8:15 mile pace for five mile distances, and I'd like to begin moving that down to 7:30.

My bicycle is not coming with me this time. Everyone I ride with thinks that four days off the bike is a horrible travesty beknownst only to those poor, starving Ethiopians who have been denied their Powerbars by corrupt government officials. (That sounded totally wrong. Please forgive me.) Frame of reference here, folks. I can assure you that if I take four days off the bike, my race performance for the upcoming season is not shot all to hell. We must not forget that we are cyclists by choice, and not by trade.

My other best friend, however, will be coming with me. My laptop's presence is required in case I go through internet withdrawal symptoms, since there are TWO whole places with free wi-fi in the Destin area. That makes sense, though. It's a vacation spot, not a target destination for LAN geeks.

Also, I shall slap myself on the hand for deprioritizing important tasks such as filing my tax returns such that the only thing left to do before Tax Day is to forcibly remove myself from my home environment and its accompanying distractions (particularly, J) so that I will SIT down and DO the work. Since, as we know, cycling (and boy) are WAY more important than what the IRS requests of me.

Posted by megabeth at 01:19 PM | Comments (2)

 
March 14, 2006

Yesterday I put my custom orthotics back in my running shoes and headed out after work for a 5.2 mile run in the beautiful springtime weather . My legs felt pretty good, which means either that Endurox and Accelerade totally rock or that I didn't work hard enough at the bike race on Sunday. My legs were a bit sore and fatigued for the run, but I cranked out an 8:15 pace for most of the distance. My knees did not hurt at all with the orthotics in my shoes.

I don't like the orthotics, though. They are heavy and add quite a bit of weight to my shoes. I'm using different muscles (mostly in the glutes) to run with the orthotics. And I don't feel as if I'm getting as much 'spring' in my step. Perhaps I should train with the orthotics and race without them. Hmmm.

Also, last week I received a castoff iPod as a little gift from someone who is very nice, and it has Changed My Life. The last material item that Changed My Life was the bicycle. I visited a surgeon to have the iPod permanently fused to my body. Yesterday it accompanied me on my run. This iPod infuses more energy into my body than Hammer Gel or Gatorade. I listened to Kanye West and Missy Elliot. I pounded the pavement to the beat of the music. I ran hard because Kanye told me that Jesus Walks.

Life is beautiful sometimes.

Posted by megabeth at 10:44 AM | Comments (4)

 
February 22, 2006

I think I am going to run this 10 miler on Saturday at Oak Mountain called Adam's Heart Run. Why not? I am starting to like the mid-range distances especially after my good experience at the Mercedes half-marathon. I say that now, but Oak Mountain is a hilly course.

Waiting to sign up at the last minute to see how the weather's going to be. Since it has been COLD and RAINING for the last month. Either it's cold and raining, or just raining. Either way sucks.

There's also a winter training series at Camp Sumatanga starting this Sunday for the next three weeks; but considering that I haven't been riding on the roads much this winter and that I am intimidated by riding with a bunch of testosterone-crazed men (there is no women's category), I think I'll hold out on road races for now. However, Vulcan Tri is holding some time trials coming up soon.

Gee. Lotta stuff going on so soon, I must take one bite at a time, chew and digest it properly. I'm meeting with my favorite bike shop guy this week to take a look at bike fit and if I want to buy new pedals and shoes. My current shoes are causing my feet to be numb. I have Speedplays right now, and because they have a lot of float (20 degrees), less power is transferred from the leg to the pedal. So I'm looking at less float, more power - possibly a Look pedal. The Speedplays were great while my knee was giving me trouble, but I'm pretty much healed up now.

Posted by megabeth at 01:45 PM | Comments (2)

 
February 13, 2006

I finished 20th out of 176 in my age group. Does that kick a$$ for my first half marathon or what??!?!?!

Official time was 1:54:57. Next year I want to beat that time.

Sheesh. Addicted already.

UPDATE: The newspaper says I finished (in the women's category) at place #135 out of 1084. I love numbers.

Posted by megabeth at 01:18 PM | Comments (2)

 
February 12, 2006

I don't have the official results yet, but I finished in the neighborhood of 1:55. My goal was 2 hours flat, so I did much better than that, and I ran as my coach instructed: negative splits. That pace is around 8:45 a mile. I ran most of the race with a buddy from my running group, and that kept my mind off of pain and the cold weather.

If I had more time to train for these things, I would need to work on muscular strength in my legs. I have the endurance and the cardio to go faster, but my leg muscles can't crank any harder. Nevertheless, the training I did helped a LOT. I didn't see Jesus until mile 12.

My sweet ole Dad met me at mile 10.5 and tried to run the rest of the race with me, but by that time, I was cranking out some speed and he couldn't keep up. Still, the moral support was appreciated.

Official finish time forthcoming when they post them on the interweb.

Posted by megabeth at 02:56 PM | Comments (4)

 
February 08, 2006

Irony.

That's what happens when I avoid training in sub-freezing temperatures. Group run at 8 am in 28 degrees? I skip. I wait until the afternoon. I run alone.

The predicted low for this Sunday morning is anywhere from 23 to 29 degrees.

Oh, JOY.

Posted by megabeth at 08:47 PM | Comments (0)

 
February 06, 2006

I am going to finish the Half Marathon this Sunday in under two hours. There, I said it, so now I have to do it. I was going strong before the tooth problems - running 8 miles at an 8:40 pace. I must run a 9:00 pace to finish in under two hours.

Posted by megabeth at 08:36 PM | Comments (0)

 
February 04, 2006

"GO GO GO!!!" My two-year-old niece likes to declare.

I'm about to head out for an 11 mile run with the 10k to half group. Should be fun despite the cold weather. I'm feeling good, but not sure how I'll hold up on 900 mg of clindamycin per day.

Update: Screw the cold bath this time. I AM FREEZING. It was a good run, but I felt kind of woozy due to the antibiotics. The last 4 or 5 miles were painful.

Posted by megabeth at 08:33 AM | Comments (0)

 
January 14, 2006

I ran 11 miles in the COLD wind this morning with the running group, and it went by so quickly. I had plenty of energy and while my leg muscles were a bit fatigued, they were still going strong. I think that doing runs at Oak Mountain State Park (which is very hilly) makes urban runs much easier. I'm stoked about the half marathon! We ran the distance in around 1:42, which makes me quite confident about running the half in under two hours.

Then I finally SACKED UP and took a cold bath afterwards (with a cup of hot chocolate to drink and a book to read). The reward that followed was a hot shower.

I've been pigging out all day. Long runs make me hungry.

Posted by megabeth at 05:53 PM | Comments (0)

 
January 05, 2006

I was talking to a fellow Vulcan Tri member last night after a five mile run. She mentioned taking a cold bath after a long run to prevent soreness the next day. Someone else had mentioned to me about marathoners taking a bath in ice water after a race. It sounds like torture, but due to my penchance for suffering, I should be able to handle fifteen minutes of it.

In college I bounced around Europe for two months. One stop was Moscow, where we were allowed access to a sauna. There was a pool of very cold water and a pool of warm water along with the sauna. The idea was to first sit in the cold pool and then warm yourself up with the heat. This gets the circulation flowing and moves lactic acid out of the muscles, if you don't have a heart attack from shock first. Heh.

The long run scheduled for this weekend is ten miles. Next weekend is eleven. I'm doing fine! Last night's pace for the five mile distance was 8:20/mile.

Posted by megabeth at 10:00 AM | Comments (1)

 
January 01, 2006

I closed out 2005 with the "End of Year Run" at Oak Mountain State Park on New Year's Eve (well, morning). Ran 10 miles at slightly slower than 9 minute mile pace. It is a very hilly course so I feel confident about the Mercedes Half in six weeks.

My knees took a pounding, though. My leg muscles are very sore today. What I noticed during the run is that I had plenty of energy (could have kept going, and felt very strong during the last two miles), but my muscles become fatigued after several miles. Maybe I need to do some strength training at the gym, or perhaps with a lot of long distance running, my leg muscles will become stronger.

It was a beautiful morning and the weather was warm enough to wear shorts. Ten miles comes a lot easier when you have company and when the scenery is pretty.

Posted by megabeth at 04:56 PM | Comments (4)

 
December 21, 2005

The Mercedes Marathon is on February 12, 2006. It seems to be a popular race and gets quite a bit of media buzz. This will be my first year participating rather than spectating. In past years, there have been some pleasant race days and some bitterly cold race days. I pray for anything over freezing. I have heard that the post-race event is a lot of fun.

The Half Training Plan is a helpful guide for training. I've been managing to get in two to three runs per week plus some rides on my bicycle trainer. I'm not exactly following the training plan on the race website, nor I am following the track club's 10K to Half training plan. I think that schedule initially intimidated me not to sign up for the race, but coach Danny convinced me otherwise. The real question is not "Can I finish?" but "How fast can I finish?" That's where methodical training pays off. Since I have not been methodical about my training, my goal to finish in under two hours is realistic.

Anyhow, if you're in the Birmingham area and are not running the race, I encourage you to spectate. I enjoyed cheering the runners on. It's especially fun to watch the front pack of runners zoom by.

Posted by megabeth at 10:44 AM | Comments (1)

 
December 17, 2005

This morning I woke up at 7 am and met a group of runners for a preview of the Mercedes Marathon course, despite the voice in my head telling me to JUST STAY IN BED... IT IS WARM THERE. The run went well for me. I started dragging during the last few miles, and the last mile uphill was a bit painful. But this is the longest distance I have ever run in my life, so I am proud of myself!

Most people talked during the run, which is something I don't enjoy doing when I am in pain. During my long, slow paced runs, my mind gets into a state of meditation. Social runs can be fun, too, and this nine mile run seemed a lot shorter due to the interaction.

When I'm in a large group of people I don't know (but they know each other), I get painfully reticent. Hopefully this doesn't appear like snobbery to others!

Posted by megabeth at 03:25 PM | Comments (2)

 
December 16, 2005

I signed up for the Mercedes Half Marathon and joined the Birmingham Track Club last night. Went for a short run (3.5 miles) and it was easy. Increasing my mileage makes running short distances so much easier. I hope that building this aerobic base helps during next year's triathlons.

I entered into the triathlon world as a cyclist. Cycling is by far my strongest event. But I think that I am a runner at heart, but the fear of IT band injury has made me limit myself in the sport. I'm very optimistic right now about my future in running. I think I would enjoy becoming a marathoner. I would love to run a marathon in New York or San Francisco! One of the track club coaches is going to teach me some IT band stretches next week, and I hope that keeps the problems at bay.

Posted by megabeth at 09:51 AM | Comments (0)

 
December 15, 2005

I decided this week to sign up for the Mercedes Half-Marathon on Feb. 12, 2006. I keep talking to people I know who are running in the race and I am going to feel sad if I don't participate. Plus, I feel confident that the weather is going to be in the mid 50s that day instead of the low 20s! Right???? Right!!!!

The longest road race I have run in is the New Milford 8 (in CT), so the half-marathon will be a nice accomplishment and hopefully a stepping stone on the way to a full marathon. I am going to ask my dad or younger sister to run the last three miles with me.

I'm going to get some help on IT band stretches to hopefully ward off any potential injury from increasing my mileage.

Apparently it takes a commitment to races to motivate me to train in a methodical manner.

Posted by megabeth at 08:51 AM | Comments (1)

 
December 11, 2005

I went on a search to find a book at the library to help me with my running technique. I have never been taught the most efficient way to run, and I am looking for any way possible to maximize results with as little training as possible. Call me lazy. :)

I found a good book called The Triathlete's Guide to Run Training by Ken Mierke. It's hard to explain the right way to run in just a short post. The author goes on for pages and pages about technique, and I have read just a few pages and tried to apply it to my 7 mile training run today. Basically, the most efficient stance is a slight forward lean, while minimizing up and down bobbing. Also, be sure to swing the arms an equal distance backwards as forwards, like a pendulum. This stance will also help to minimize injury. It did seem to use less energy since I felt pretty good during my run despite giving blood a few days ago. (The only deleterious effect I have noticed from giving blood is that I cannot for the life of me keep my hands and feet warm.) I wish I could be videotaped while running so I can see my habits. It's hard to tell if I am using the right technique without feedback.

School is over for me on Wednesday, and that will free up some time to work on the design for this blog. Stay tuned for a 'pretty' update!

Posted by megabeth at 04:32 PM | Comments (0)

 
December 05, 2005

I have been a sufferer of iliotibial band pain for several years now. The IT band is a tendon that runs from the side of your hip to the side of your knee. It is typically exacerbated by lots of running, especially on banked surfaces (such as a road). Weakness in the gluteal muscles and hip flexors sets the stage for IT band inflammation.

Peter mentioned to me in an email that he, too, suffers from IT band pain. So I dug up some information from my personal experience and on the web since at least one person is interested!

I went to the chiropractor and physical therapy for a while to treat my IT band tendonitis when it flared up badly and prevented me from running. It took 9 to 10 months to heal completely from two past flareups and that meant NO running for that length of time. The cause of my problems was playing ultimate frisbee, so I quit the sport in favor of less damaging activities. Cross-training activities like cycling and swimming are helpful in preventing overuse injuries like IT band tendonitis.

Stretches, strengthening exercise and massage will help to prevent IT band pain, as well as making sure that you have the right running shoes for your foot type AND keeping your running shoes fresh and updated. I wear Brooks Adrenaline because they were recommended by a pedorthist and I will not change shoes now that I know they are good for me.

Massage: Since most people cannot afford a regular personal massage therapist, there are various products available for self-massage (and I mean the clean type, thank you for keeping your mind out of the gutter). I use an ordinary tennis ball, the Happy Roller ($15 at Bed Bath and Beyond), and the Theracane ($30-$40). There's also the Foam Roller ($15) and The Stick ($30).

After a long run (and your post-run stretches), if your IT band is hurting, put ice on the source of pain for 20 minutes, then 20 minutes off. Repeat as needed. Then massage your IT band with one of the products suggested above.

Here is a good article about IT band syndrome.

This article recommends some stretches and strengthening exercises which will help the condition. These exercises are very similar to what my physical therapist recommended.

More information on ITB tightness from the Running Times newsletter:

Q: My iliotibial bands (ITBs) seized up during a hilly section at mile 17 of my last marathon. Once I got back into the flats I was able to get my pace and stride back. Any suggestions on how to deal with this ITB issue?

A: When ITBs seize up during a marathon, it is usually due to two things: stress from braking on downhills or the "bowing" effect that having to run on crowned roads has on the outside of the downhill leg.

In the first case, you are likely over-striding: landing on your heels, your foot hitting the ground way out in front of your center of gravity, your leg straight and your knee joint locked. Quads and ITBs are the usual victims of this extra stress.

Cause #2 of ITB tightness is due to the uncommon strains on the ITB from the extra stretching it has to do on each stride. The roads need to have a fairly good degree of lateral slope away from the middle for this to occur. You mentioned that your "bands" seized up, so I'm not so sure about the crowned road theory in this instance, unless you spent an equal amount of time on each side of the road.

Regardless of the cause, once you feel the tightening start, you need to stop and stretch. The best stretch targets the outside of your leg by crossing the "good" leg in front of the tight one, then raising the arm of the tight side straight up and tilting your arm and upper body toward the other side—away from the tight ITB—forming a crescent from your foot to your hand.

Posted by megabeth at 09:13 AM | Comments (1)

 
November 27, 2005

God, I love turkey trots. You start the holiday out right with some quality exercise and then go stuff yourself with turkey and trimmings. Last Thanksgiving I ran in the 2004 Dallas Turkey Trot with 10,000 other people through downtown Dallas. This year, I was in Birmingham, so I ran the JCC 10K Thanksgiving run with a friend of mine. She's training for a marathon, so she can go forever without getting tired.

I thought an 8:00 pace sounded challenging for me (for six miles), so we started out at that pace. She thinks she can't run that fast, but she's doing well. She dragged me to the finish for the last three miles for an average pace of 8:17 (total time 51:23). I am ashamed to say that is my very first 10K, so I can call that a PR. I have such a short attention span that I haven't been interested in longer races, save for one 8 miler in Connecticut when I was 21. We finished 5th and 6th out of 47 in our age group. My friend's father told her he doubted she could run that fast of a pace, so I was proud of her for not listening to him.

Anyhow, we had a blast. I'm up to six miles in my training runs as well. And I love the desolation of the Lakeshore Trail in late fall. The trees are bare, leaves rustling on the ground, and the path is sparsely populated, leaving me to concentrate on the run.

Posted by megabeth at 03:16 PM | Comments (0)

 

Found this on the web:

"Now that you've got the right shoes, use them on the right surface. Avoid rock-hard surfaces like concrete sidewalks and aim instead for grass or dirt trails. The idea, of course, is to run where the ground will absorb more shock, instead of passing it along to your legs. Try to be consistent. A sudden change to a new running surface can itself be a cause of injury. Whatever you do, though, get off the concrete. It's approximately 10 times as hard as asphalt, and is easily the worst possible running surface. Runners World agrees, as evidenced by its ranking of surfaces on a scale of 1 (awful) to 10 (best):"

Grass 9.5
Wood chips 9
Dirt 8
Cinder track 7.5
Track 7
Treadmill 6.5
Asphalt 6
Sand 4
Snow 2.5
Concrete 1

Posted by megabeth at 03:16 PM | Comments (0)

 

The shorter days of fall have hit me by surprise. I feel like I am not riding my bike hardly any at all. I have started running quite a bit more since I can squeeze in a good run in an hour's time before it gets dark outside. I've also been hitting the track at Vestavia and the Lakeshore Trail to avoid traffic and minimize the risk of running in darkness.

I did only a few training runs this summer. I realize now that if I want to run in the summer, I will have to get up at sunrise to run, and I'm willing to do that next summer.

My times in the races reflect my lack of training. I can eke out slightly over an 8 minute mile during a sprint triathlon with no training. I could potentially realize the largest time savings by working on getting faster. Over the last three weeks, I have been putting in two or three five mile runs per week, and the October 1 duathlon results proved that just that small amount of training has improved my time. Late in the summer, I ran a seven minute mile and then a second 7.5 minute mile afterwards. In the duathlon, my first three miles were run at a 7.5 minute pace. With some speedwork I think I can get my average speed down to seven minutes. My body seems to respond quickly to run training. I am somewhat diminutive in size (5'5", 125 lbs), so I should be able to use this more to my advantage.

This fall, I decided to work on running. Actually I have no idea what the correct technique is or the best way to do intervals. Running at my pain threshold seems to be helping, though.

I need to read a book on running. I subscribed to Runners World a couple of months ago.

People sometimes ask me, "How can you enjoy running? It sucks." I don't enjoy running nearly as much as cycling. It is not a social sport and it involves constant pain for most of the run. But there is something nice about it - it seems to cleanse me of my stressors. And I love making progress. Every time I can prove that I ran faster, I feel good about it.

Posted by megabeth at 03:05 PM | Comments (0)