Taper time!

T-minus 4 days till the San Jose Rock 'n' Roll Half, and Taper Madness is in full swing! At least I'm in good company, though. It seems like every runner I know is tapering right now. It must be marathon season! (And, you know, half-marathon season for some of us.)

My own feelings on tapering fall somewhere between Chic Runner's relief and Morgan of Caution: Redhead Running's "tunnel vision." On one hand, it is a nice change to have short, easy runs on the schedule. The 6 x 400 I have planned for tomorrow sounds heavenly after the crazy-long interval workouts I've done over the past couple of months. It's been a challenging training cycle, and my body is welcoming the break.

On the other hand ... now I have lots of time to obsess over every. tiny. detail. Race-day weather (67 and sunny! Please don't change, please don't change, please don't change ...), what I'm wearing (black Skirt Sports skirt, one of my favorite Target tops), what to listen to (the race day playlist is almost finished--I'll post it when it is), how to pace myself (Should I rely just on my watch-timed splits? Would a pace band help? Maybe I should run with a pace team ...), what finish time I should shoot for (I'd initially hoped this fall would be a sub-2 finish, but after my lame 2:13 in June, I should probably just try again for 2:05, but based on my training I really should be faster than that ... but oh my goodness, I'm barely running at all this week, and what if I lose my endurance, and what if I can't keep up my pace, or what if I start too fast--I always start too fast, I'll probably start too fast, but what if I start too slow because I'm trying not to start fast, and I can't make up the time, and ... ) ... you get the idea. My brain won't stop, and focusing on anything besides the race is proving very difficult.

And the thing is, I know all these mental aerobics aren't helping anything. I know that the mental part of a distance race is challenging for me, and I know that I need to be calm and confident. But it's easier said than done.

... And when it doesn't

My training plan said to run 10 miles this weekend. At just a week out from the half, I felt like that was a bit much, and planned on doing 7 or 8. It was a busy weekend for us, so after a lot of discussion, we finally decided to get up at 5:30 on Sunday morning to get about 7.5 miles in.

From the moment the alarm went off, things were not good. My right calf muscle immediately cramped. Lovely. About a mile into the run, I stopped to stretch, because my calf was just so tight. I'm not sure how much it helped, but I didn't know what else to do.

About 2 miles in, we hit a big hill--the biggest hill I run on a regular basis. At the steepest point, my husband stopped to walk, while I kept going. I conquer hills. It's one of the things I'm most proud of when it comes to running, because they used to totally kill me. At the top, I stopped for a second to wait for my husband to catch up. And promptly felt ... well, like this. "Vasovagal syncope" is a fancy way to say "sudden drop in blood pressure" which is a somewhat-less-fancy way to say "fainting." Or almost fainting, as was the case on Sunday. This wasn't just a little light-headedness, it was everything but the actual passing out. Yuck. We walked for a little while, but I was still feeling generally yucky after another half-mile or so, so we ended up cutting across our route and just walking home.

So. I ran 2 miles last weekend. Total. Tapering is good and all, but that's a bit extreme. And not helpful to my already freaked-out mental state. I'm trying to convince myself that the 8-miler I ran on Thursday is close enough that I won't have lost all my endurance by Sunday. But rational thought and tapering do not always go hand-in-hand.

When everything just falls into place

I love perfect runs--those ones when everything just falls into place.

My 12-miler on Sunday was one of those runs. I wasn't expecting it to be--it was my last "race sim" run before the half, I was doing it alone (instead of with my husband), and it was a hot day.

But for whatever reason, once I got out on the road, everything was perfect. I was running in a nearby town, and my route took me through some lovely neighborhoods and out into the country, where I passed horse pastures, farmland and vineyards. Peaceful, beautiful, perfect.

It had been a tough week, and I think I needed a good run, out away from everything. Of course, my brand-new shoes (and socks!) didn't hurt, either. The sun was fairly high in the sky by the time I finished, but I didn't feel uncomfortably hot. The fuel belt, which I usually "let" my husband wear, didn't bother me (though I did discover one chafed spot on my back when I got home). The Cytomax, which I was trying out pre-race, on the hunch that lack of sodium contributed to my poor performance in June, was not exactly delicious, but did its job well. Everything just worked on Sunday.

I was pleased to discover, at the end of the run, that my pace had reflected the way I felt. My overall pace was 10:10, and my pace for the second half--the "race sim" portion--was about 9:10. If I can pull it together and keep that pace on the 4th, I'll be a happy, happy runner.

Faster than a cannonball

Today was New Shoes Day! I headed over to Fleet Feet after work, giddy with excitement over the prospect of New Shoes. (And socks!)

I tried on a few pairs--Adidas Supernova Sequence, which is what my last two pairs have been, Brooks Adrenaline and Saucony Omni. The Supernovas were exactly what I expected--snug and cushy and wonderful. I liked the way the Brooks were cut--a little more streamlined around the toes--but they just felt so firm after running in the Adidas for a year. It ended up coming down to the Sauconys, which were really pretty similar-feeling to the Adidas, and the trusty Supernovas, and I decided to go with what's been working. I haven't had any injuries since I started wearing my Supernovas (though this is almost certainly due at least in part to smarter training), and they're just so darn comfy! I love slipping them on. They hug my foot just perfectly.

Aren't they pretty?

Now I just need to decide whether I should risk taking them out on a 12-miler first thing tomorrow, or give the old shoes one more goodbye run and take the new ones on a short recovery run on Sunday. The latter would probably be wiser ... but the new ones feel so wonderful.

Oh ... and the title? It's because Supernovas make me think of this.

Ready or not

I'm 2.5 weeks away from my half! Eek!

Right at the moment, I don't feel all that ready for this race. I'm not sure why ... I've been putting in my miles, hitting my speeds, and I've been injury-free. My peak-mileage week was last week, with 34 miles total, including 5 x 1200 intervals, an 8-mile tempo run and a 15-mile LSD, and everything went great. So why am I feeling lazy and out of shape?

OK, I did blow off a 5-miler last night in favor of fast food (I know, I know) and an easy 2 ... but I'll make it up Friday, honest!

I think part of the strange feeling might just be that half training has gotten easier for me.

Mileage and speedwork that used to be terribly daunting are starting to feel pretty run of the mill. I wasn't even nervous about that 15-miler, and the long tempo was more of an annoyance than a stressor. (This is a major change from training cycles past. There was a time would I would start dreading my weekly tempo runs, oh, about as soon as I finished the previous week's.)

I guess I'm used to training just knocking me out and exhausting me by the last few weeks. And don't get me wrong--there have been some tough, tough workouts in the last couple of months. (1 x 2 miles @ 10k speed, 2 x 1 mile @ 5k speed, 2 x 800 meters @ faster than 5k speed comes to mind ...) But overall, I guess I'm strong enough at this point that I can handle even a pretty challenging half program with relative ease.

Hopefully all this will translate into a nice, fast half. Whether I feel ready or not, I think I probably am.

Filling in some missing pieces

I'm going through today and adding some race reports from the last couple of years. They'd been posted on a running forum I frequent, but I decided they should be here too!

These are a few of my favorite socks

So today I thought I'd post today about one of my favorite things: Socks!

I love socks. Fuzzy socks, long socks, short socks, striped socks ... I love them! My husband regularly makes fun of my affinity for socks, but really, they're just so great! There is nothing like slipping your feet into a warm, cushy, soft pair of socks. It's a wonderful feeling.

Given my affinity for socks it was inevitable that, upon becoming a runner, I would become obsessed with running socks. The first several months I ran, I wore regular cotton socks, and experienced the blisters that go along with them. Then I bought my first pair of running socks, and the whole world changed. Cushioned feet, that wonderful smooth sensation as the socks glide against my shoe, and no more blisters! (Well, aside from occasional toe-tip blisters, which lasted until I developed hardy callouses.)

The reason I'm thinking about socks today (well, more than I usually do) is that I ran in bad socks last night. Not just cotton socks, but old, rough, thin cotton socks. I threw them on because they were the first pair I found, and because I was planning on an easy 5-miler and didn't think it would matter. When my husband and I headed outside, we discovered the high-school track was free (it had been full of football players shortly before), so we decided to go ahead and do the 5 x 1200 intervals that had been on our schedule.

By about the third interval, it became clear that my socks were not up to this task. As I was pushing through the fifth interval (which I finished 21 seconds below goal time--yay!), my right heel was screaming at me. Sure enough, when I got home and took off my socks and shoes, there was a popped, bleeding blister where the edge of the sock had rubbed against the back of my right foot. Lovely.

So. Back to good socks ...

I have two favorites out of my assorted running socks. The first are my Balega Enduro Lo Cuts.



I have two pair, and they're wonderful. They're incredibly cushy, have a nice thick back that prevents nasty blisters like the one I got last night, and the top is thin and well-ventilated. I save these socks for long runs, when I really want to baby my feet, and they've always done the job.

At around $8 a pair, Balegas are a treat for me, but so very worth it. In fact, when I head into Fleet Feet later this month for a new pair of shoes, I just may throw in a new pair of my beloved Balegas.


My other favorite pair of running socks are from a company called point6.

I actually got them for free at a 5k last fall, and they're great. They're made of merino wool, which is not at all scratchy, and is surprisingly thin. (At least it surprised me--I tend to think of wool socks as big and bulky.) The really awesome thing about these socks is that since they're wool, even when they're wet they feel great, keep my feet warm, and prevent blisters. They also smell way better than my other socks after a long run--because of the wool, I guess?

The point6 socks I have retail for about $14, and I have yet to shell out the cash for another pair. They really are great, though. If I lived in a place where running through puddles was a regular occurrence, I'd probably be more quick to buy another pair or two.

About that training stuff

Since I've been terribly remiss in updating this blog, I thing a quick update on what I'm doing these days is in order.

I ran the Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Half Marathon in June. It was a PR for me, by 11 minutes, but it was nowhere near the performance I was hoping for. I started out on-pace, but just lost it halfway through the race, and finished about 8 minutes slower than I'd hoped and trained for.

There were probably a number of reasons for this. Part of it was, I think, just mental--psyching myself out and convincing myself I couldn't maintain that pace. But, given that I was clearly dehydrated and exhausted by the end of the race--so much so that several volunteers asked me if I was ok after I crossed the finish line, and I only said "yes" because I wanted to avoid an IV--there were physical factors at work as well. I thought I had hydrated well, but it was not enough. I'd also gotten very little sleep the night before, which didn't help. I don't know--maybe it was just an off day, too. All I know is that it wasn't the race I expected.

So. I took a month off from training, and just ran shorter distances and worked on speed. Then I convinced my husband to sign up for a half-marathon with me (his first!), and I picked a challenging training plan--the Ryan Hall Half Marathon Plan from Runners' World.

I'm in in Week Six of the plan now, and it's been doing its job--kicking my butt. The long intervals in weeks four and six (1 x 2 mile @ 10k pace, 2 x 1 mile @ 5k pace, 2 x 800 meters @ faster than 5k pace) were especially painful, and I'm so glad they're over!

The paces I'm running during training are based on a mile trial I ran a couple of weeks before starting the new plan. I ran the mile in 7:26, about 30 seconds faster than I ever have before. Mcmillan predicts a 1:59:02 half based on that time. Obviously, that isn't a guarantee (in case the Seattle race wasn't proof enough), but I've been basing all my training runs on those times, and have been able to keep the paces pretty easily most of the time. So, we'll see. I'll be thrilled with 2:05 or better. I know that cutting another 14 minutes off in one fell swoop is a lot to hope for. But I also know that the race in June really wasn't a good representation of my potential.

Sugar, sugar

I've been running regularly for about 2.5 years now. And while my body has gotten stronger, and my endurance and speed have improved, my diet has not always kept pace.

Let me just be honest here--I love food. I love to eat. And I especially love food that is bad for me, particularly when it is sweet.

I've always been a pretty thin person, so even when I wasn't as active as I am now, I was able to do quite a bit of splurging without it affecting my weight or waistline. Which means I've never really been forced to learn discipline when it comes to food. Work out six days a week? Sure. Say no to a cookie or brownie or Snickers bar? Are you crazy?

A few years ago, I had bloodwork done during my annual physical, and it came back with the blood sugar a tad high. Still within the normal range, but toward the higher end of the range. High enough that my doctor told me to "be careful about simple sugars." I have a family history of diabetes, so this was enough to convince me to lay off the sugar. It was then when I first realized I might have a bit of a problem. Cutting back on sweets proved quite difficult, and after a month or two, I slipped back into my normal habits. A candy bar here, a bowl of ice cream there ... it's been rare for me to go a day without eating something sweet. And really, if I kept it to one treat, I felt pretty good.

The last few times I've had bloodwork done, my blood-sugar levels have been fine, which is great, but didn't do anything to encourage me to cut back on sugar.

When I started seeing stories pop up in the last week or so about new research on the effects of sugar on heart health, I cringed a bit, considering my own eating habits once again. The clincher, though, was reading Librarianruns' blogs about her own sugar addiction and her decision to rid herself of the dependence. If she can go cold turkey like that, I can at least give it a shot, right?

So, for the past three days (after finishing a few remaining sweet things in the house over the weekend), I've been avoiding sweets. No candy, no cookies, no ice cream, no soda ... you get the idea. And so far, it's going ok. I think my sugariest meal each day has actually been breakfast--granola with plain yogurt on Monday, apple-cinnamon instant oatmeal on Tuesday, and a piece of berry coffee cake today. That's been it though, and that, for me, is a huge improvement.

I don't intend to go completely cold turkey on all things sweet. I think life is too short to spend it depriving myself of things I really enjoy. But I want to cut it back to one or two sweet treats a week--I want sugary treats to be just that. Treats. Not a part of my every day diet.