I love riding! Yesterday I went out with a group of women and we rode with the wind. I rode part of the same course as my twenty mile long run. I kept thinking how it was so great to be going 20+ miles/hr instead of 6. I had a grin on my face the whole time. Riding gives me a kind of perma-grin. I don't know exactly why, but I love it. It was especially great after a winter of only running.

It has been a week of mostly rest. I ran two miles and lifted on Tuesday, rode 12 on Wednesday, and then rode the 24ish (my speedometer wasn't working, but I think that was about what it was) yesterday. I am now turning my focus to the triathlon in July. I am glad I have something else to look forward to. I remember when I finished my first triathlon, I had a sense of loss. I had spent close to a year training to get ready for it, and when it was over, I kept thinking, "Now what do I do?" It was almost a let down. This time, I am already signed up for the triathlon, and am contemplating a 1/2 ironman in Sept. I might even do another marathon in October. So, I think rest time is over, I better start working.

Today I would like to celebrate something kind of different: transportation. When I ran my 20 mile long run, I couldn't help comparing how long it took me to run it with how fast I could drive it. In the time it took me to run, I could have rode to another city, I could have drove to another state, and I could have flown half-way across the country. Transportation has made it possible to travel the world, or out of the world for some. I can only imagine how hard it was when just going into town was an all day journey (okay, it still is for me, but for different reasons). Isn't transportation amazing. Thank goodness I can hop in my car whenever I feel like it, and in a few short hours, be at my cousin's house 180 miles away. This is something I have taken for granted all my life. Isn't it crazy how something like running 20 miles can affect how I look at travel. Today I think I will run a few miles, in hopes that someday I can ride my bike to my cousins; not because I have to, but because I can...it just might happen.

26.2 Miles

It is done. Saturday was the day I have been training for since January. As with any run, I learned a lot. I have reasons to celebrate, and reasons to reflect; kind of a good news, bad news senerio. I will start with the bad news, because I like to end on a positive note.

Bad news
1) I did not make my goal time . I wanted to finish in 4:30, but finished in 4:34 instead. Not too much off, but still a little disappointing. I did not have my watch, so I wasn't sure how long I had run. I really thought I was closer to 5:00, so I was surprised when I got close enough to the clock to see my time. A watch may have pushed me a little more, because I would have seen how close I was and pushed a little further. Maybe.
2) This is my biggest cause for reflection. One time I blogged about one of the lessons running has taught me. (http:/running2learn.blogspot.com/reason-to-celebrate.html) Anyway, it is basically that I start too fast in everything I do, almost give up in the middle, and walk in the end. That is what happened in the race. I started way too fast. I may have had a PR in my half, if I would have been running a half. (Since I didn't have a watch, I don't know my exact time, but was on pace for under a 1:50 at mile 9.) Anyway, then about mile 20, I almost gave up. Don't get me wrong, I still intended to finish, but I thought I might walk the rest. I didn't walk the whole thing, but I couldn't go more than about 1/10 of a mile before I walked again. I kept telling myself, "You can run at least a mile before you stop," but instead, I would just stop and walk. Finally, about mile 23ish, I decided I need a system. The trail we were on was marked in .10, so I decided I would run .3, then walk .1. I finished this way. A couple times I even went a little more, and I finished. But, although I didn't walk the last 20 yards, my time goal was achieveable, but I let other things get in my way. I could and should have been able to reach it, but kind of gave up on myself in the middle. I need to understand why I give up on myself, and change it. I am worthy of reaching my goals and bettering myself, so why do I hold myself back. I didn't train quite as hard as I should have. Was there really not enought time, or was I setting myself up for failure? The things you learn about yourself when you run are enlightening.

Good
1)I finished! That is reason to celebrate in itself. I finished a marathon. Wow!
2) I got a PR. There is a good thing about being a little slower then expected, I can get a PR next time I run also. Looking forward to that!
3) I placed tenth in my age group. Not really too bad, better than half. I place 42nd in the women overall, still better than half! Yeah for me.
4) I had been hurt for the last two weeks, really bad the last week. I didn't even know if I would be able to run on Saturday. I was determined to do the race even if I had to walk. (I had already paid, and I put in too much time training.) I did not hurt my leg any worse, although it forced me to walk several times.
5)I finished a marathon! (Did I already mention that?) Wow!

So, the good outweigh the bad. I think the best thing was, I never once thought I would never run a marathon again. Instead, I thought about how I would change my training schedule to run better next time. Overall, it was one of those #2 days I blogged about before. (http://running2learn.blogspot.com/2010/01/why-i-run.html). I didn't quit. I can do hard things. I will do hard things. It is time to start training for my triathlon. Yeah! I love to ride!!! I will still be out running though, learning about myself on the road.

Now, my question for you...what have you learned about yourself from running? What great truths do you know about yourself because you run? How has running improved your life? Everything I need to know about myself I can learn from running. I will run tomorrow to improve me.

Tips for Effortless Running

I have had people ask for pointers on how and when to run. My last post I added a link from a guy named Seth who has just begun running. It has some great tips and pointers. Seth's post was great, make sure to check it out. (You can find a link to the right.) Today, I will add my own ideas for running.

One thing I want to clear up from Seth's post is that it is not just hard for overweight people to run, I believe it is hard for most people to run. Although there may be a few natural runners for whom running is easy, more than likely, that guy who you see running around effortlessly has put in, and continues to put in, a lot of effort to be a great runner. His effortlessness comes from hard work and determination. You get out of running what you put into it.(Wow, what did I tell you. Running is just like life). Many think I make running look easy, but most days, I still beg the stop sign to come closer so I can be finished. Running (like life) is 90% mental, if you think you can do it, you will. (More on that @ http://running2learn.blogspot.com/2010/04/long-runs.html.)

Set Goals

This is probably the most important aspect of running. Find your reason for running, and then run. I know a lot of people run to lose weight, but I would suggest to you that you need other reasons for running. Sometimes, the weight doesn't come off as fast as we want or expect. When this happens, if it is the only reason one has for running, the running will come to a halt. My suggestion, enter a race, then tell everyone you know you are running it. You will have a goal, and will be accountable to tons of people. Besides that, there is no greater reward, or motivator, then stepping across the finish line after training so hard. It is amazing, and you realize you are amazing.

Once you have a long term goal, set daily and weekly goals. The more successes you have, the more you will want to run. Make the goals accomplishments, but achievable. By this I mean, make it something that takes some work, but can be done. Remember, not every day will be a great day running (just like life) and not every goal will be attained today, but there is always tomorrow. I would suggest taking a look at my first post to get a better understanding of this. http://running2learn.blogspot.com/2010/01/why-i-run.html

Have a Routine, but be Flexible
Running must become a habit. The best way to do this is to run at the same time every day. That being said, you must be flexible. Some people (like me) are not morning people. You have all heard that person who says, "Running in the morning makes me feel great all day!" That is not the case for me. Running makes me ready to sleep. I love to run at night. It relieves the stress of a long day and makes for a restful night. I used to a run exclusively at night. Now, however, in the summer, I run in the mornings, and during the school year, I run when there is a free second. That is a benefit of running, you can be ready at the drop of a hat. Find a time that works for you whether it is morning, night, or (like me), at the drop of a hat. If you know ahead of time that you will have a conflict on a certain day, schedule a different time to run. Know that as your life changes, your schedule might also. Be flexible!

Include your Kids
This is probably more for women, but would be a great idea for men, too. Take your little ones in a stroller. It doesn't have to be a jogging stroller, I have used a big, heavy stroller for years. Although a jogging stroller is lighter and and much more jogger friendly, any stroller would work. (I would probably forgo a little umbrella stroller as they are not as stable.) There are even some benefits to a regular stroller that I like: 1) Most jogging strollers don't recline, but my big stroller does. Running during nap times is perfect for me! 2) Can hold drinks and toys close at hand. My little ones love to go with me in the stroller, and it can help you gauge if your running too fast or slow. (Should be able to carry on a conversation with them, but not sing the National Anthem at the top of your lungs.) Older kids can ride bikes with you. When my daughter was seven, she rode six miles while I ran. If they are a little older, they can circle back to catch you if you are too far behind. This gets the kids away from TV and video games, and gives you extra encouragement. (It is amazing how inspirational a three-year-old's "Go, mom, go!" chants can be.) When you register for races, find ones that have toddler and child races. Many have half-mile and mile races for kids. They can watch and cheer for you, then you can watch and cheer for them.

Cross train
Running can be very hard on your joints, so cross training is essential. It also changes up your routine so you don't get bored and your body doesn't plateau. Cycling is a great alternative. It uses some of the same muscles, but without the impact. I love it! Find a riding group near you and ride with them, or take a spinning class at your rec. center. An elliptical trainer is also a great idea; same muscles, no impact. Weight training is essential. (I need to work on this!) It builds muscle, which in turn, speeds up metabolism and burns more fat. Besides, who doesn't want to see the guns instead of the drops? One to two days a week of weight training is plenty.

Rest
There may be nothing as important as rest. Rest at least one day a week. (I choose the sabbath.) Allowing your body to recover helps it to perform better later. If you are particularly tired one week, take another day off or two off (just don't make it too much of a habit).

Start Slow, but Change up a Bit
I think the two biggest downfalls of a beginning runners are they try to run too fast or too far at first. When they can't keep up the distance or pace, they give up. I started by walking, a lot. While I was pregnant with my fourth, I walked (and I am talking 4-5 mile/hr walked) 3 miles everyday. Of course I worked up to that. But when I started running, I would go a little (sometimes very little) further each day. Make sure not to increase more than 10% each week to avoid injury. However, it may be good to know that the first mile may be the hardest. Some of it is mental, but some is actually physical. It actually takes about a mile for your muscles to warm up, and more importantly, for your lungs to open up. After that mile, your body gets into a rhythm and your breathing evens out. My first mile is still my hardest for this reason. If you are running a mile, go a little farther, you may get to experience this phenomena.

Once a week, go fast. Even if it's just for a minute. I alternate between telephone polls, faster between one set, regular between the next (sometimes two or three) sets. Going faster one day will make it easier to go faster the next.

Make Running a Celebration
For so many of us, food is the way we celebrate. Make running a celebration. When you go on vacation, find a new place to run. I ran across the Golden Gate bridge while in San Fransisco and on the beach in San Diego. The great thing about running is all you really need is a pair of shoes (sometimes shoes can even be forgone). You could run in a suit or dress if you needed to. I, however, would suggest taking running clothes with you everywhere, and run when you get the chance. See a pretty sunset, run. Visit a historic location, run. It makes great memories that last longer than food. Also celebrate your accomplishments. Reward yourself for reaching those goals you set. Rewards are great motivators.

Runner's High
This is a little side note. Runner's high is an actual occurrence. It may take a while to get it or to realize you have it. People ask me all the time, "How long will it be before I love running." The answer may sound discouraging. Lots of times, I tell them that I don't love to run. That is a little misleading. I do love to run, but most days, it is a struggle to go out and run. Sometimes, there is other things I want to do, sometimes I am tired, and sometimes I am just plain lazy. One thing I have noticed is, once I start running, things change. My troubles seem to melt away, and before I know it, I am thinking, "My life is good." I get that runner's high and I feel great. An important thing to note is something my friend mentioned to me yesterday. As we run, we need to be in the moment, not thinking about how far we have to go. Realize you are doing something that you used to think impossible. Know that you are great.

Most importantly, find what works for you. I like to run without music, it gives me a chance to think. (I do take music on those extra long runs.) Some people use music for motivational purposes, and find songs that help them run faster, or longer. Do not try to run another's race. Translation, you are you, nobody else. Maybe your best friend runs 6 miles everyday, and you only run for ten minutes. Maybe your neighbor runs a 6 minute mile, and you are struggling with a 13 minute mile. Don't beat yourself up. Celebrate that you are running! You are amazing!Run today to live tomorrow!

Rock

May 9: 8 miles

This is a humorous picture. When taken, it was posted on the wall at Rock's bike shop with the caption, "What would Melanie have done without Sargent Rock to show her the way?" Rock is the owner of the bike shop, and I would call him the captain of our team. We don't really have a team, so I guess he cannot be our captain, but he is our fearless leader. During the summer, he leads a riding group from his shop on Tuesdays. For the first ten minutes or so, he weaves through the crowd, giving encouragement and tips to the new riders, and old as well. The last half of the ride, he is pushing the pack, making them work. In the winter, he is the coach (some call him Sensei). When riders are on the velodyne, he reminds the rider of their competitor's time and pushes everyone to ride to the best of his or her ability. He is a great guy.

Back to the picture. He is actually telling me, "They are right in front of you, go catch them." (I think Rock just wants to see a good race, so he baits everyone as they go by.) As I think of this picture, I realize that we all need a "Rock" in our lives, we all need someone to point the way. Sometimes, it is difficult to know which way to go, and even when we do know the right direction to go, sometimes it is hard to keep going. That encouragement from our "Rock" allows us to believe we are capable of our destination. We need that extra push that only our "Rock" can give. And when we are almost to our goal, our "Rock" knows just the thing to say to bait us to do our best.

Today I celebrate my "Rock." I have many "Rocks" in my life. Each gives encouragement and hope when I need it the most. I hope you know who you are. You point the way for me to go and are my light in the darkness. I am a better person because of each of you. I hope I can return the favor for you sometime. Thank you Rock.

One Week

Saturday: 10 miles (4 miles warm-up; 10k race)

In one week, I leave for Boise. I am running a marathon! Wow, that is all I have to say about that. I raced last week, and felt great the first five miles. I had pulled a muscle in my calf the Thursday before, and really had troubles with it the last mile. My time was okay still. I averaged about an 8:15 minute mile. I have been running so slowly getting ready for the marathon that I wondered what my pace would be. I believe it would have been around 8 minute miles if I wouldn't have had the pain. I have tried to pick up the pace a bit lately. I realize that the marathon is not my ultimate goal. I will still run when it is over, so I have to start looking beyond the run to the future.

I posted my blog on facebook today. That was scary for me and I don't know exactly why. I am still shaking as I type. Maybe it is because writing this is very personal for me. I don't really write anything about my "real" life, but in a way I write everything about my "real" life. Maybe I'm afraid everyone will read it, and judge me, or maybe I'm afraid no one will read it, and I will judge myself. Then I realize, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. This is for me, and I enjoy it, and it inspires me. Maybe it will inspire someone else, maybe it won't, but it doesn't change me. Why are we so critical of ourselves? Or more to the point, why am I so critical of myself.

I had a birthday a couple days ago and I am old. There is a song we sing in Primary that says, "Another year older and wiser too," I most definately must be getting wiser, because I certainly am old. Today I would like to celebrate birthdays. I am older, one year older than last year to be exact. I am wiser also. We seem to think of aging as a bad thing. We think of the negatives, not the positives. I love the idea of "growing old gracefully." We cannot stop time, people have been trying since the beginnig of time. We can, however, accept the change. Each year, I may be getting a little slower, but I am also getting a little wiser. I know how and when to hold back when I run. I know when I have a little more to give. I have a friend who is an amazing runner at 51 (or 52), and I believe she will only get better. She shows no signs of stopping anytime soon, or slowing down for that matter. She is much faster than I. She hasn't given up, and she doesn't believe she is too old to run. She is not! She will not be for a very long time, maybe for the rest of her life. Infact, at the race on Saturday, the oldest person was a woman 76ish years young. I believe that we are as old as we think. When we start believing we are too old, too young, too fat, too thin, too scared, too stupid, too smart, too whatever it may be, we limit ourselves. I limit myself, you limit yourself. Remember when your mother used to tell you that you could do anything? Remeber the other day when you told your child she could do anything? What happened? You can do anything! I can do anything, if I don't limit myself. For now, my sights are set on a marathon, who knows what the future will bring. Until then, I will keep running.

One Step at a Time

April 17: 12 miles
April 24: 20 miles!!!

I was nearly as anxious to run the twenty miles as I am to run the marathon. Oh, by the way, I signed up for the marathon on Monday! Friday the 23, the wind was blowing so hard, I decided I didn't care which way the wind was blowing, I was just running with it. I had planned to run to Malta (or nearly there) for my 20 miles the whole time, and was glad to see the wind cooperate. I was running pretty well until about mile 16, when I stopped to find some water Nate stashed for me. I looked all over and couldn't find it. I finally found it right where he told me he left it. I took a drink and tried to run again, but my body was tightening up. I did finish, but my body seemed to fight me every step. When I finished, Nate was there to pick me up (since I ran with the wind, there was no turn around. Nate was kind enough to drive and get me.) He told me I did a great job, but all I could think was that on race day, I have a whole other 10k to run. It will get done.

On my run, I thought, as I have other times, how our life is like a run. Each step we take gets us one step closer to the end. All roads lead to home. If I run a loop, each step is a step in the right direction, and is a step closer to the finish. When I run an out and back, it seems as if I am getting farther and farther from my goal, but it is good to know that at any time I can turn around and head for home. It is my choice. Sooner or later, though, I always turn around. Every step I take is one step closer to the finish.

So it is with life. Each step, for good or bad, takes us closer to our finish. Sometimes we are running a loop, and continually moving forward. Sometimes, we are running an out and back, seeming as if we are going the wrong direction. Isn't it good to know that we can turn around at any point. It is our choice. I think most of us, sooner or later, turn around. Whether we do or not is up to us. However, every step we take still takes us closer to the finish. How we finish is up to us, noone else.

Today I celebrate free agency. It is great a gift to be able to determine our own destiny, our own happiness, our own fate. We are not products of our circumstance, we are builders of our future. Sometimes things happen that are out of our control, but we still have a choice in how we react to each and every situation. Life is what we make it. I choose to make it great. I choose to love it, experience it, and help others love and experience it. Running helps me do just that. I feel great when I run. It helps me see how great my life is. I will remember and celebrate this fact on my hard runs. Today determines my future, so to make that future shine, today I will run.

Long Runs

Long run week of March 6: 15 miles
Long run week of March 13: 16 miles
Long run week of March 20: 12 miles
Long run week of March 27: 17 miles
Long run week of April 3: 18 miles
Long run week of April 10: 19 miles

I haven't logged my miles in quite some time, so I can only remember the long runs. Last time I wrote, I was afraid I might have a hip injury that would sideline me. I almost didn't run the next weekend. I went ahead and ran, and only had minimal pain. It is almost healed now. The week I ran 14 was the worst week for me. I was discouraged, maybe that is why I haven't written since. Now I am only 7 miles away from the 26, and I know I can make it. My question now is, how long will it really take.
I had a hard run again Saturday, the wind was torturous. I ran with a group in Burley for about seven miles, then headed home to Declo just as the wind started blowing. When I got to 250 E, I decided I better run South for a mile, to add a couple more miles. It was a good thing I did then, because I never would have finished if I wouldn't have. The wind got to blowing so hard, I was barely moving. The only thing that kept me going was that I didn't have any other way home, and Austin had a t-ball game at 10:00. Anyway, it nearly killed me, or I thought it would, but I made it.
I have known for sometime, but have reaffirmed the fact that running is 90% mental, (see, Joe the snowboard instructor was right). Running long is hard, but, as stated by others, if you can run a mile, you can run a marathon. Someone asked me, "How can you run 16 miles, I get tired at 4." I told them, I get tired at 4, too, when I am running 4. It is all in your head. If you think you are running four, you will get tired before you're finished. If you think you are running 16, you will feel pretty good at four, but get tired before 16. I hope if you think you are running 26, you will feel great at four, medium at 16, and not get tired unitl about mile 24. I guess if I believe that is how it will work, it probably will. Maybe I should believe I won't get tired until 26.

So, in a bold move, today I will celebrate the wind. The last few weeks the wind has blown every time I have run. And when I say blow, I mean knock-you-over, take your breathe away, blow. My friend Lisa has a great saying when she rides in the wind, "I love the wind, it makes me strong." I too, love the wind (cringe) it makes me strong. That saying is true, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Isn't it funny how those things that are the hardest, help us the most. As I run, I think about what my brothers always tell me when I inform them that it is blowing in Declo, "It never blows in Boise." See how strong I will be, I will blow by those other runners, as the wind blows by me. I will be stronger because of the wind, and for that, I celebrate the wind. That being said, I hope the wind doesn't blow when I run tomorrow.