This is how it goes

We're back to that time of year where I need to give myself a pep talk before heading out the door.  I have stopped looking at what the temperature is supposed to be for my 5am runs - it's only going to miserably confirm what I already know:  It'll be HOT.   I simply lay out the least amount of clothing possible (while ensuring I am not arrested for indecent exposure) the night before and throw it on at 5am before heading out into the sticky, humid mess that is a Richmond summer morning.    The one upside to summer running is that I've been able to leave the headlamp at home most mornings since the sun is up so early.  Hurray!  One less thing to get soaked with my sweat.

With the kids around all day (I've got 3 of them at home now - my stepdaughter is here for the summer as well) and various activities to get everyone to and from (swim team practice, a morning camp or two for the younger ones, BodyPump teaching for me, etc.) it's been a bit more of a hectic pace this summer than last.  Yet another reason why I'm thankful to be getting my runs in super early!  Even though it's not always fun to drag myself out of bed so early, I'm happy to get it done before the day really starts.  That way, no matter how crazy the rest of my day gets, I know I've gotten my run in!  And that makes for a happier Mama.

We are now 12 weeks out from my goal race:  Erie (Presque Isle) Marathon on September 13th.  I've been steadily increasing my mileage and am comfortably back up into the high 60s.   I've been fortunate to have a few friends around the area to run with a few days a week - they've made both the miles and the humidity seem more bearable.    I've still got a ways to go before race day, but I feel like I'm entering  the portion where I need to turn on the focus, put my head down and get to work.   To give you an idea of where my training is at, let's recap the last week:

Monday:  10 miles w/10 striders (a.m.), 3 miles recovery (p.m.)  -  Yup.  The double runs are back.  76 degrees and 95% humidity made the first part of this run very sweaty.  Second run was done at 1pm in the blazing 93 degree heat. It wasn't optimal but it was the only time I had - I (predictibly) felt pretty lousy since it was so hot, but made it through.

Tuesday:  6 miles easy - Ran this one on the treadmill, nice and easy.  Taught BodyPump later in the morning.   Feel like I have a cold coming on with a sore throat and some drainage.

Wednesday:   10 miles w/5x1000m w/3 min recovery, cut down 200s (a.m.), 3 miles recovery (p.m.) - It was 15 degrees warmer this morning than the last time I did 1000s - 77 degrees at 5:10am with our normal miserable humidity. So given that, and the fact that we had to play sprinkler dodgeball at the track (we'd run a lap, then on the second pass we'd have to run into lanes 2-3 so as not to get whacked in the face by the water!), it made for a less-than-stellar run.

Intervals were: 3:50, 3:49, 3:49, 3:48, 3:41  Avg HR in the 182-193 range for the intervals. Two weeks ago (in 62 degree weather vs. the 77 degrees today) those intervals were 3:48, 3:45, 3:44, 3:43, 3:40.  I followed it up with the 200s - 37, 39, 38, 37 - They felt pretty lousy, but I think that's because the legs were shot! Thankfully the hamstring didn't protest.  Did 3 miles later in the morning at the YMCA, followed by my hip/glute exercises and my core work class.

Thursday:  8 miles, avg. pace 8:15.  Taught BodyPump later in the morning.  Still feeling the effects of fatigue from the summer cold I seem to have caught.

Friday:  4.25 miles, avg. pace 9:03.  Shortened run-turned-recovery-day since I'm still feeling cruddy due to the cold.  So glad I only had 4 miles to do - it was work just to get through those.  Drank gallons of water today and went to bed around 8:30pm.

Saturday:  18 miles, avg. pace 7:55.   Thankfully I woke up feeling a bit better!  I was up super early to be running by 5am - I knew I had to get all of the miles done before 7:40 so that I had enough time to grab a quick shower and be dressed and back at the gym around 8am for our BodyPump launch!  No one was around to run with me so ended up using the time to listen to the songs for the new BodyPump release and practice my cueing for the tracks that I'd been assigned to present at launch.  The nice thing about 18 miles is that it gives you PLENTY of time to practice.  I took it easy on myself and ran 4 of the miles on the track just so that I'd have a little bit of flat land to run on as well as access to a water fountain since it was so warm.  I finished up, grabbed a shower and some breakfast and then headed over to team teach the new release!  Our theme was "superheroes" and the members had a great time.  My tracks went well and I stayed to attend the CXWORX (core work) class and about 10 minutes of the Body Combat (kickboxing class) before I took my tired body home.    It was a busy, but very fun, morning.

Sunday:  6 miles, avg. pace 8:14.   Ran early before church.  Felt a bit sluggish on this run (most likely due to yesterday's efforts).  Taught BodyPump at noon and was very happy to be done with my BodyPump teaching obligations for the week.  Whew!   Still battling some drainage and fatigue from the cold but it seems to be improving.

And that's it!  68 miles for the week.  

I'm still guzzling water and trying to get to bed early in hopes of ridding myself of the rest of this cold.  I had a rest day on Monday which helped so hopefully I'll be back to full power soon!

Tomorrow's run is a tempo that I'm nervous about - mostly due to the lingering effects of this cold, along with the hot temps and humidity we'll have tomorrow morning.  (Triple digit temps today mean that it won't cool down very much at night...)  But I'm going to get up early and do my best.  I've got 12 weeks to increase my fitness so that I can chase down that 3-hour mark and I won't get there if I don't put in the work.   Let's do it!

Hope your week is going well!  Anyone else out there suffering from the same miserable heat and humidity as we are in RVA?    

Whole30 and Marathon Training

About three weeks ago my very speedy friend, Sage, challenged me to do a Whole30 (basically, a very strict Paleo diet).  She ran with my group in Richmond before she moved and I've always admired her strength and speed.  She's also a BodyPump instructor and was helpful in encouraging me to get my own certification to teach Pump.  It was nice to know it was possible to do that well without sacrificing fast times on the road.    In any case, when I caught up with her a few weeks ago she mentioned that she'd taken 4 minutes (!!!) of her half marathon PR - bringing her to a 1:20.  I was stoked for her - and immediately wanted to know what she felt was responsible for her breakthrough.  Her surprising answer?  Whole30.

Whole30 is a program (outlined here) that the creators describe as a "short-term nutritional reset, designed to help you put an end to unhealthy cravings and habits, restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, and balance your immune system."   You eliminate sugar, grains, dairy, and legumes for 30 days in order to let your body heal and recover from any effects those foods may be causing.

I'm not big on "diets", and I felt like I ate pretty cleanly already.  After being vegetarian for many years I now eat meat, but not a ton of it.  I try to drink lots of water and stay away from most processed foods.  So when Sage raved about this Whole30 plan I was a bit skeptical.  BUT - she's never been one to push any new fads or diets and even admitted that she herself was very surprised at how much it had benefitted her.  I did let her know that I wasn't looking to lose weight - and she assured me that while my body composition would probably change (I'd lose fat), that there was no calorie counting or weight-loss goal and I could easily eat enough to maintain my weight.   I also wanted to make sure that I was getting in carbs.  While this diet allowed some starchy vegetables (sweet potatoes), no corn or grains meant that I knew I'd have to work a bit harder to get adequate carbs to fuel my running.   But with Sage's promise of increased energy, better workouts and improved recovery ringing in my ears, I figured it couldn't hurt to give it a shot.

So, armed with my list of acceptable foods (mainly grass-fed meats, veggies, fruits, and (some) nuts), I hit the grocery store.

Week 1:

The first week was...surprisingly okay!  I swapped out my post-run smoothie (the peanut butter and protein powders were not allowed) for a banana with almond butter, followed with two scrambled eggs.  My snacks were fruit and LaraBars and I swapped out my mocha coffee for tea.   I definitely missed my mochas the most.  I was used to having them a few times during the week and one of my favorite little joys in life is sitting at my kitchen table, reading or working on the computer, while sipping my hot coffee from my Boston mug.  It's the little things, right?  Tea just wasn't the same.   I did enjoy eating healthier snacks, though I found myself eating quite a few cashews and almonds to get that "satisfied" feeling.

Lunches were pretty easy as I just added chicken and removed the cheese to my usual salads.   Dinners this week were pretty bland.  I cooked chili for my family and had to leave out the beans and cheese in my portion (blah!!) and then my beloved Friday night spaghetti was replaced with spaghetti squash.  While it didn't taste bad, it definitely didn't have the same mouth-feel as a nice plate of pasta.  I also ate quite a few sweet potatoes this week to try and make sure I was getting enough carbs.

The running went...okay.  I didn't have a ton of energy, but I did have a decent tempo workout (4 x 3/4ths mile: 6:20, 6:22, 6:17, 6:21) and you all know how the 5K race went.  So that was encouraging.  I'd read the Whole30 timeline and knew to expect a drop in energy for a bit as my body adjusted to the new way of fueling.  Perhaps it was because I was focusing on getting carbs by eating more fruit and sweet potatoes than the plan called for, but I didn't feel a huge slump - just a noticeable decrease.

Week 2:

I was really looking  forward to this week as this was supposed to be the time when all the good stuff started kicking in (increased energy!!  better sleep!!  improved workouts!!).  I kept the same breakfasts and lunches, but food boredom kicked in with the dinners and forced me to be a bit more creative.  I spent some time researching recipes (I have a love/hate relationship with Pinterest) and came up with several to try.  I ended up finding several winners, but each took a few hours out of my day to prep and cook.  While I ended up with leftovers for each to use for lunch the next day, it was a pretty big time investment that I wasn't used to having to make.   Normally we keep things pretty simple at my house and I'll cook the same meals but rotate them weekly.  It's easy for my shopping list, and helps cut down on food waste since I know exactly how much I need and often have several staples already on hand.  With these new recipes I found myself in the grocery store almost every day - and shelling out money for ingredients that I wouldn't normally buy (coconut amnios, almond flour, coconut oil...).   But despite all the time for the food prep and cooking, eating the new recipes helped me feel less deprived and happier when it was dinnertime.

The running was up and down this week.  I had a few tough runs and generally felt like I was lacking in energy, but then had a progression run that went fairly well (6:51, 6:51, 6:26, 6:13).   But the long runs....oh the long runs were tough.   With no sugar allowed I couldn't have any gatorade, or fuel ahead of time with my usual bagel and peanut butter.  I had a banana with almond butter and a LaraBar before my 15-miler but found myself starving about 5 miles in.  Very low energy on both of my long runs over these two weeks.   The timeline stated that the "tiger blood" phase of boundless energy and general amazingness should happen around 12-15 days....but I was still waiting.

After 15 days on the program I woke up on Sunday (after my low-energy long run on Saturday) and was just...not feeling it.  I went for my 6-mile run and felt so tired and sluggish.  I came back, ate my Whole30-approved post-run breakfast and decided that I think I'd had enough.  Even though I had only made it halfway through, I decided it was time to start adding back in some whole grains to see if I could get some energy back.  Lunch was still a Whole30-approved salad, but I had a roll with butter later in the day and (joy of joys!) my beloved mocha.  I threw the whole thing out the window at dinner when I had a tiny half piece of Pizza Hut pizza (to go with the leftovers from my Whole30 Pad Thai), and a little bit of ice cream at night.  But woooo boy.  Did I pay for that.  My stomach was miserable for the rest of the evening (the dairy from the mocha and ice cream?  Or the stuff that is in the Pizza Hut pizza?)  and I slept terribly.

My run this morning (one day post-Whole30) was pretty sluggish.  I went back to my normal post-run smoothie (frozen banana, peanut butter, almond milk, protein powder) plus a piece of Ezekiel bread and didn't seem to suffer any ill effects.

So what did I take away from this experience as a runner training hard and fueling via Whole30?  

The BAD:

• I learned that it's tough for me to get enough carbs to fuel the hard workouts and super long runs on Whole30 without careful planning.  And even still I felt that I fell short as my energy was lacking.  Plus, it's tough to recommend a diet that bans peanut butter (a runner staple!!). :)
• I'm still not on board with a diet that cuts out whole, unprocessed grains and beans.  I understand that gluten bothers some folks and fully support them cutting that out of their diet.  But for the rest of us, whole grains can help us get the carbohydrates we need to fuel our runs and support a healthy diet.
• Life is too short to be in a constant state of deprivation.  Part of the reason I run is so that I can indulge on occasion in delicious food.  I get lots of enjoyment from going out with friends or family to a nice restaurant, taking my kids for a ice cream on a hot summer day, or sipping a hot chocolate with marshmallows on a snowy morning.  A plan like Whole30 that doesn't allow any of that and makes it hard to be social.  Now, I realize that this is a 30-day reset and not a true lifestyle diet, but even in those 30 days there were too many gatherings and social opportunities I didn't want to miss.

The GOOD:

• I learned that I was eating way too many scraps of things - the crusts from my kids sandwiches, a few chips here and there, a quick handful of chocolate chips, etc.  I was snacking a lot on random things - many that were less than nutritious.  The Whole30 made sure that every calorie I ate was working to fuel my body with healthy stuff - and I want to continue that trend going forward.  I will definitely be paying closer attention to what I choose for snacks.
• I learned that if I don't have my mocha every day, or a glass of wine each night, when I DO have those things I enjoy them more.   Moderation with those treats makes me take the time to really savor them.
• I did appreciate the fact that it made me broaden my horizons and add some delicious new meals to my repertoire.  I've also learned that sugar is in EVERYTHING that is packaged (sweet potato fries - really!?!?) and I'm even more committed now to reading labels and making my own foods whenever possible.  Despite the significant time commitment for recipe prep, eating foods that I knew were wholesome and without any additives was worth it.
• I didn't experience a huge energy boost.   That's on my "good" list because I believe it validates the fact that I was eating fairly clean to begin with.  I was hoping to use Whole30 to tighten up my diet that last 20% and so I was pleased to see that my original diet was probably "good enough".  As  runners many of us are always on the lookout for ways to improve our running - to squeeze that extra little bit out of our training.  It was worth the experiment to find out that the extra work (and lack of a social life) that Whole30 entails was not worth it for an unnoticeable gain in energy or improvement in my running.

The Bottom line: I think for now I'm going to keep things Whole30-ish.   I do plan to watch my snacking more carefully and limit treats like mochas and wine a little more.  (Perhaps as a treat for completing a hard workout that day)  And I'd like to continue branching out with recipes to incorporate more veggies and healthy proteins in my dinners.  But I'll continue to eat whole grains and beans and I'm happy to say that peanut butter has reentered my life.

And for now?  It's a good day.

 Has anyone out there done the Whole30?  Love it/hate it?  

Memorial Day 5K - Finally breaking 20 minutes!!

It's been a quiet few weeks as I've been doing my best to be a smart runner and dial it back while I rehabbed this hamstring strain.  The good news is that my patience has paid off and I'm back to running pretty consistently now - 52 miles last week.   I'll feel the hamstring on occasion (usually after doing speedier stuff) and I'm still sloooowly easing back into doing any type of true speed work.  I've been going to get ART (Active Release Therapy) and ice + stim on it once a week and that seems to be helping as well. But after feeling pretty good last week and getting the thumbs up from coach to try and bump up the intensity, it was time to put my fitness to the test in a local 5K.   Due to the hot and humid weather (70s at the start with the course in full sun), this race was run based on a combo of pace and HR.   I'd be aiming for a 6:15 pace (faster than tempo, but not true 5K race pace due to the conditions and the hilly nature of this particular course) but also keeping an eye on my HR - trying to get it up as high as possible in the last mile or so of the course to ensure that the effort was there.    So with those parameters in place I headed over to WestCreek at 7am for the Virginia Memorial Day 5K & 12K Run.

Pre-race was pretty uneventful.  I'd woken up, had a banana with almond butter, a LaraBar and some water.   Why no bagel, you ask?  My friend Sage has challenged me to do a Whole30 - 30 days of eating whole foods.  More on that in a later post.   In any case, I ate my food on the way to the race site and got there with plenty of time to pick up my packet, use the restroom and do my 2 mile warm up with strides.

This was the inaugural race and I wasn't quite sure what to expect.  There were 750 runners in the 5K and 12K and we all started at once.   I lined up at the start and looked around - I didn't see any of the usual Richmond speedsters, but wasn't shocked since the race was new and not well advertised.  I was already sweating thanks to the temps and my little warm up.   It felt weird to be standing at the very front, but there were a few fast-looking guys but also some very young children so I figured I was in the right place.

Mile 1: 6:24  The gun went off and we took off down a fairly good incline.  I made a mental note to prepare myself to run back UP that thing at the end.  (start and finish were in the same place)  Even within the first half mile I was having a hard time holding 6:15 on my watch - I knew I didn't want to go out too fast but I was bummed that the pace felt so challenging so early!  The hills and heat were quickly proving that this wouldn't come easy.    Towards the end of this mile I found myself in 3rd place behind two faster guys.

Mile 2: 6:27 Another guy pulled up alongside me at this point and we exchanged a few out-of-breath words about the twists and turns of the course (we were zig zagging all over the place - even went through a small roundabout!).   Somewhere around here I got so frustrated at seeing the slower pace on my watch that I just switched it to heart rate mode and kept an eye on that.  I was already in the 190s (my max seems to be 202 or so) so I knew I was giving it the appropriate effort despite not having the pace to show for it.   I had a few moments of "why did I sign up for this - 5Ks are so hard - oh my goodness this sucks" but then I heard some friends cheering and that boosted my spirits.  I managed to drop the guy that had pulled up next to me so that was encouraging as well.  I told myself to keep pushing.

Mile 3: 6:26, 6:20 (last .1) About a quarter of the way through this mile we went through a hillier section and then hit the 5K/12K split where the 5K folks turn around and the 12K folks went ahead.  I was looking forward to this for two reasons: 1) I could see how far ahead the guys in front of me were when they turned around and 2)  I'd get to turn around and therefore be heading for the finish!   I charged up the hill and prepared to take the turn - but to my surprise the two guys in front of me went straight.  They were doing the 12K!!   I didn't have too much time to think about it as I focused on getting around the turn, but when I looked up, I had a bike escort.  I was suddenly leading the 5K.    I definitely had one of those "oh, crap" moments where I thought to myself, "Ok...it's okay.  You'll be okay.  Just don't screw this up".  I was tiring badly and had no idea how close anyone was behind me.  I wanted this to be over.  The bike guy kept far enough ahead that he wasn't talking (which was fine by me since I couldn't manage a word at this point), but folks along the course were cheering even louder once they realized that a women was leading the whole thing.   I tried to listen to hear when the next set of cheers would come (was the person behind me close?!) but eventually just focused on getting my legs to move as fast my body would allow.   Heart rate was through the roof (hovering around 200) and I was willing the finish to appear.  I hadn't looked back at my pace but I was really, really hoping I'd at least manage to break 20 minutes.  (Did I mention I'm terrible at 5Ks?) I finally hit the last hill to the finish and snuck a peek at my watch - 19:xx and counting - Ugh!  You gotta move, Jen!!  Bike guy peeled off and it was me on my own up the hill to the end.  Lots of folks cheering - and shouting "You go, girl!!" - and I was all smiles as I crossed the line in 19:44.   I'd finished and managed a win - my first ever - and even sweeter was the fact that I'd won it outright.  Beat all the girls AND all the boys.

Now before you think my head is swelling up a bit too much, let me tell you that I know that this was a local, brand-new race - and that I lucked out in that none of the usual Richmond area speedsters were there.  I would never have won if any of those folks had come out.  And if those two guys ahead of me had been doing the 5K I wouldn't have won either.  So I know this "win" comes with a bit of an asterisk.  But I'm still tickled pink to have won, and to have a shiny new 5K PR that is under 20 minutes!!

My favorite part was getting my medal placed around my neck by three US military veterans and getting to meet them.  The race benefited the Families of the Wounded Fund, which provides financial resources in support of family members/caregivers of military service men and women who have either been wounded in combat operations, or injured as a result of line-of-duty activities.   Standing on the starting line and listening to the national anthem I felt so grateful for the freedom I get to enjoy in this country, and I was happy that the money from the race was going to such a worthy cause.

If you are in the Richmond area, I'd happily recommend this race to you.  The race director did a great job.  There was plenty of parking, the course was clearly marked and there were plenty of course marshals to help guide runners along the way.  It was definitely a challenging course at times with some turns and hills, but all together this was a well-run, well-organized event.

Up next?  It's more base-building training with hopefully a bit more speed as the hamstring gets stronger.  15 weeks until Erie!!