Getting Back Into the Groove

Oh my goodness - staying with my training schedule is really hard with a new internship and class! I don't know how people do it without falling over! Early mornings seem too early, evenings seem too warm (mostly) and require more energy than I feel I have! I just had to whine a bit. I've been rather successful with keeping to how many times I run per week (3), but my duration each time is not steady.

Here's the schedule I've been trying to follow, thanks to Emily's magic computer training schedule maker.

2010-07-20: 0:16 fast 0:32 interval 0:48 easy
2010-07-27: 0:22 fast 0:44 interval 1:06 easy
2010-08-03: 0:24 fast 0:48 interval 1:12 easy
2010-08-10: 0:27 fast 0:53 interval 1:20 easy
2010-08-17: 0:21 fast 0:43 interval 1:04 easy
2010-08-24: 0:29 fast 0:58 interval 1:28 easy
2010-08-31: 0:32 fast 1:04 interval 1:36 easy
2010-09-07: 0:35 fast 1:11 interval 1:46 easy
2010-09-14: 0:39 fast 1:18 interval 1:57 easy
2010-09-21: 0:31 fast 1:02 interval 1:33 easy

Since I haven't been referring to it right before each run, I've ended up either running short or long for what I was doing that day. Not a good idea! I thought maybe posting it might help me stay in line.

Then there's my running again in conventional shoes. I'm waiting for my order for Bikila's to show up in early August. I sold my Sprints due to them being a little too thin for me, and I returned the Treks due to them being a little too small. My Brooks Women's Adrenaline GTS 10 were shoes I was totally in love with when I bought them, but since then have made my everyday shoes minimalist shoes, and in comparison, they feel large and heavy on my feet.

Also, here's the list of aches I have when running in conventional shoes that I don't have running in FiveFingers: knees, lower back, shoulders, bunion/toe joints.

In comparison, here's what doesn't work for me and the FiveFingers - aching feet after long runs.

At least it's localized!

Anyway - I'll contain my frustration. It's important for me to stay running and stay active, despite my schedule and the demands upon it. Now it's time to finally go to a Weight Watcher's meeting (first for nearly a month!) to try to get some control over what I'm putting into my body. It's sort of a mental reset.

Evening Run with Conventional Shoes

I managed to injure my right heel during my trail run enough to convince me to wear my Brooks Adrenaline GTS 10 for a "fast" run last night. This was my first real run after my race and hiking, back in my neighborhood.

I've decided to consider trading in my FiveFinger Sprints due to the fact that they don't keep stuff out, and they are really thin compared to other options. I think my feet need a little more protection than they've been getting. However, in my old (still close to new) traditional shoes, my feet definitely felt burdened. The plus side is the bruise on my heel didn't hurt, the downside was my feet felt hot and sweaty, heavy, and I felt two inches taller and out of touch with the ground.

The run itself felt pretty intense. It was 20 minutes long, and as intense as I could muster considering it was the end of a work day, on very little sleep. It was also warm - which really, in Seattle, is warm for an evening, but not unbearable. I can see why some people choose to run in the mornings at crazy early hours before work, vs. doing it in the evening when they get home.

My pace for the 21:45 run was 10:19, which is not my best, but also, I intentionally tackled some hills. I could have probably pushed my heart rate farther, however, I just wasn't in the mood, and even an hour after dinner, wasn't quite digested enough to do so.

I look forward to scoping out new FiveFingers and to my heel healing.

Trail Running Ridiculousness

What do I know about trail running?

1. Trails are involved.
2. Running is involved.

That's simple, right? Find a trail and run on it.

Thanks to my scuba diving training I've developed a keen sense of how any sport can be disastrous given particular circumstances. Running, at least, you're in the open air and should have a pretty good supply of air to breathe, however, there are other factors that can impact your health and well-being. Upon first telling my father-in-law my plans to just run in the suburban neighborhood in Westchester Co, NY, he let me know of a recent coyote problem in the area.

Coyotes.

Luckily, I haven't had any encounters with coyotes in the neighborhood. I didn't bother to think of the coyotes when I decided on driving out to Saxon Woods this morning to do a long run. In fact, I didn't bother to look beyond the Google Map or GPS on the car to see what kind of running conditions I would encounter. I was honestly expecting more of a shady city park, not wilderness and gravel/dirt trails.

This did not bode well for my choice of travel running shoes (Vibram FiveFingers Sprint) which have a very scant amount of protection on the bottom. At least my choice of heart rate monitor was well suited for the trek (Garmin Forerunner 405CX).

It turned out that the trails were not as well marked as I would have liked, and that the trails themselves were pretty rocky, both with imported gravel and the natural rocky terrain of the region. It was BEAUTIFUL on this sunny day, with many chipmunks scampering about and songbirds singing. There were only a few people on the trail, making it rather lonely - and as I got deeper into the trail, it occurred to me that maybe I was fresh meat for a coyote. Alarmist, sure - but I realized I don't know how to deal with wildlife, let alone, spot and avoid poison ivy. And did I smell a skunk? I'm pretty sure I smelled a skunk. This was enough to get me to turn around about 10-12 minutes into my run.

It all would have worked out well, too, if it wasn't for a fork in the road that I somehow missed on the way in. I ended up taking the wrong fork in the basically correct direction, leading to a bit of panic calmed by the fact that I really was surrounded by civilization (a nearby highway could be heard). This is where my Garmin 405CX comes in handy. You see, I can switch to the GPS mode and it will help me get back home. It's a wrist compass, and was basically accurate in getting me back to my starting point. To say the least, I only ran for about 15-20 out of my 45 minutes in the woods. What I basically know about survival is to not over exert myself, and to conserve resources to get out of the jam.

I was relieved to get to the car in short order - basically navigating through natural navigation, supplemented by my compass. It's good to recognize your surroundings on the way in to help you on the way out.

I think I may want to go to a trail running clinic. There is so much in Washington State to hike and run in, and it seems a waste to do all my running just in the neighborhood.

Who wants to be my buddy? (Another good safety measure, btw!)

Mt. Si and FiveFinger Treks

My friend and bad/good exercise influence Emily was in town for the weekend, which meant saucy* happenings abounded amidst barbecues and typical Northwest weather.

Emily was one of the first FiveFingers enthusiasts that I met, and this past weekend she showed me her newest acquisition,Vibram Fivefinger KSO Trek. Since we had planned on hiking during her trip, we ended up doing a pre-hike shopping trip wherein I bought my own pair of treks.

Interesting to note, the store we bought them at (REI) had most of their selection of FiveFingers obliterated - only the Treks were available due to high demand. Crazy! Luckily, they had them in my size, and we headed, late, to Mt. Si, where we did the 8 mile, round trip hike, burning more than 2000 calories each, and exiting the mountain ravenous, tired, and a little beaten up.

I loved the feeling of the ground and the rocks, and the rugged soles of the Treks served me well those first 4 miles up, and I couldn't help but run up the trail a bit. Looking out for sharp rocks and watching my footing was a bit distracting, but I may learn to compensate for my insecurity over time. :) My toes were definitely sore by the time we were three miles down the mountain, and the last mile was really rough. At one point I stumbled as my hips through ankles were starting to complain, and I don't know if it's my improved fitness, or if the Treks gave me cat-like reflexes, but I did not faceplant, but instead, deftly caught myself on both feet, not even dirtying my hands. Truly remarkable.

It's now Thursday - and the hike was on Monday - and my calves are STILL aching, while my hips and thighs are a little more tempered. It was a wonderfully brutal experience, and I look forward to taking the Treks out for another hike or trail run sometime in the near future.

*sauciness comes from letting me/me taking the liberty to update your Facebook ustatus updates. Offer not available in all cities.

Unintended Rest Days: Sick Days

For the past few days I thought I was fighting allergies. I am coming to terms with the fact that today, I'm not having an allergic reaction, I'm having a head cold. I've got the sluggish body load, full sinuses and ear pressure and a scratch throat. It's not the worst cold ever, but I'm feeling pretty icky. This article in Runner's World talks about whether or not you should run when you feel sick. The gist that I get, is that if it's a illness above the neck, you're probably generally fine to run your normal runs, but if it's below the neck, to take three days off. There is also mention that some illnesses, like sinus infections, can lead to worse illnesses, and what I gather, taking time off when you're sick might not be a bad thing.

It's just that I already have slacked off due to my two races, two weekends in a row!

I, however, prefer getting better to getting sicker, and I have a big weekend of fun (a friend coming in from out of town, possible hiking, definite BBQ'ing) and am starting classes (and maybe even an internship) soon.

It's hard not to feel the pressure to run, even though I feel dragged down. How do you cope with sick days and exercise?

Terra Plana Odette

A new friend, a few weeks ago, updated his Facebook status that he had been shopping for minimalist shoes, and landed on Terra Plana shoes with their Vivo Barefoot technology. He's been looking for minimalist shoes that masquerade as good work shoes - so I had to look myself. Not because I'm a crazy, minimalist shoe enthusiast, but because I've been looking for a simple, casual women's flat shoe that doesn't have crazy bumpers that make it look like I'm going off-roading. I totally love being in the Northwest, and the Northwest aesthetic - to a point - however, I don't want to wear shoes that make me look like a poster-child for REI. Sometimes I want to look as fashionable as New York, but as comfortable as Seattle. And I don't want to break the bank.

I was lucky that I found Terra Plana Odette Ballet Skimmer Endless/Amazon had a sale on one of the more casual styles, and I went for it. I ordered a size smaller than I found I should, however, the size I picked is still comfortable enough to wear EVEY DAY. I am still ridiculously in touch with the ground, but feel like I'm wearing slippers. They're super-cute, too. It's a shame they don't sell them in stores in the US (that I can tell) - because they have some great styles, even outside of their minimalist designs.

Many blogs say they fit a bit smaller than listed - and I would definitely recommend going by whatever your size is in European sizing, not what the website converts as the US sizing. I should have gotten a 39 (which is what I wear in most of my shoes these days), and not a 38 (which is what I wear in Vibram Five Fingers Sprint. The thing is, with the Sprints, they're supposed to be fitting like a glove. I really think the Terra Plana's are meant to have a bit more space at the toe. I'm not receiving any ill effects from having them snug, but I will be ordering future pairs at a EU 39.

I'm pretty excited. I like comfy shoes. I love walking. I love the idea of having a cute shoe, that's work appropriate, that won't break the bank and won't make you look like you're going on a hike. Why is this so hard to find? I've heard great things about Jimmy Choo flats, but I can't say my budget quite affords that $500 gamble. The Terra Planas, even without a sale, don't cost much more than your average pair of Earth, Keen, Privo, Ahnu, or Dansko shoes. They have less clunk, a little more style, and in the Odette, a lot of comfort.

Consider these shoes highly recommended.

Still Recovering: Long Slow Run

Today I did my first long slow run for recovery since my two weekends in a row of racing. Let's just say my body is still not quite up to where it was. I don't think I'm going to do two races in a row like that again!

I'm still running in my Five Fingers Sprint(36, Slate/Palm/Lichen), and loving every minute of it. I did have some funky minor blister/bruising after my race last weekend, but it cleared up in short order. I have to say that my dress shoes in the same amount of time are more hell on my feat than running in the Sprints!

My run today was a short 33 minutes and change. I cracked just under 12 minutes a mile, and kept my heart rate at around 140, give or take. I had to go pretty slow to start off to keep my heart rate from getting too high. I tried to do some more hills, but it turns out no matter which route I take in my neighborhood, I'm not equalling the elevation I saw around Seattle Center for the LIVESTRONG Challenge. I might need to find a hillier place to train.

I canceled my gym membership this week in order to seek out alternative cross-training opportunities. Should I do the climbing gym? Maybe get back into yoga classes (this is most likely)? There are definite possibilities out there. I may rejoin a gym once the cold/dark season comes back, but for now, I'll enjoy the freedom.

It's funny doing two races and realizing I'm a very small minority of runner with the minimalist shoes. I would have thought they were all the rage - I hear so many people talk about them, even just an aside at a bus stop when I'm not even wearing them! So many people I know are converts, and I'm definitely noticing benefits of my own - but I'm curious as to why this isn't catching on like wildfire. I mean, they're light, washable, packable and fun! What's not to love?

More on my minimalist shoe fetish in the next post.