Kat Ran Antarctica : Tags : training

Ohiopyle and beating the heat

Posted by DCtoPgh Jun 9, 2008

Tomorrow (June 10th) I turn 25. I'm not so excited about this birthday, in part because in terms of running it bumps me up an age bracket and that age bracket is more competitive. But, I think I made the most of the last few days of my youth:

Ohiopyle

Chris surprised me with a birthday trip to Ohiopyle for lots of hiking on Saturday. We covered about 8 miles of moderate to pretty tough terrain and had an absolute blast doing so. Seeing everyone on the bike path made me realize just how much I want a bike (we went bike shopping on Friday). There was a bike that was halfway between a mountain bike and a road bike that wasn't a hybrid and of course I can't remember the name of it, but I've been thinking about it pretty consistently since we left the Trek store. Maybe that will be my present to myself for surviving a quarter of a century (although NOT biking in Pittsburgh could really help me make the next quarter century mark). Also, there is an adventure race I'd really like to do with Chris at the end of August that will involve biking... might as well start now, right? Anyway, a picture from Ohiopyle:

Beat the Heat Sunday run

Phew, it was hot on Sunday. 92 degrees when I headed out for my 8 mile run.

What I did right:

Since I knew it was hot I ran loops in the park to benefit from the shade and water fountains
There were times where my heart rate got around 97% of my max when I was at a slow jog pace. I knew I was getting overheated and I stopped to walk when I needed.
When I got home I immediately hydrated and grabbed ice packs to cool myself down. By the time I got home I was feeling pretty dizzy and confused so knew I needed to take care of myself ASAP (things I learned from years as a lifeguard, swim coach and lifeguard/first aid instructor).

What I did wrong:

My legs were not fresh after a day of hiking which was compounded the fact that I...
Picked hilly loops. At one point you climb about 30 stairs to exit the park and my legs were so shot I had to stop to rest half way up the stairs. At this point I still had three miles to run home. Three very ugly, sweaty miles.
I didn't bring my camelback since it was only 8 miles. Point learned that it's not "just" the distance I need to consider.
I didn't bring any gu which I don't usually use on runs that length, but I think it would have helped (or couldn't have hurt, at least).

Wisdom comes with age, so maybe 25 will teach me some things to help my training. Here's to a good run in a new age bracket

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Random Thoughts

Posted by DCtoPgh May 4, 2008

I've had lots of little stuff this week, none that would be worth its own post so I thought I'd roll them into one.

Sunday Run

At Rich's suggestion, I've been biking before my long runs. Last year I did all my long runs very slowly (10 min/mile at the fastest). Today I biked 12 miles and then ran 8 miles at 9:17 min/mile pace. I'm pretty psyched I could run that fast (for me!), especially on tired legs and recovering from overtraining. I'm not sure how this will factor into the next 6 months of training and racing, but I think it's a good start.

Toys

REI is having a sale. I love REI. I love running. I love shopping. I love sales. I literally had a hard time sleeping on Friday because of my excitement of Christmas coming in May. Damage:

Garmin Forerunner 305: On sale for $165

Native Sunglasses: 20% off ($108)

Nike running shorts: On sale for $19.99

Considering that the total was less than what I would have paid for a Garmin at retail price, I consider my shopping excursion a success.

Love and Running

This months' Runner's World had a section about running and relationships. It made me consider how running has impacted my relationship with Chris. I knew that Chris being a runner was a good thing, but I had never given much thought to it. Considering we've spent our entire relationship either 400 (DC) or 6,000 (Iraq) miles apart, we don't run together a lot, but I love when we do. It's great to start or end a day running with someone I just love to spend time with. He's usually pretty quiet (or maybe I just talk too much), but he chats on runs, likely because he's slowed down to keep up with my pace while I am busy keeping up with him (sucker is fast even when he slows down).

In races I love that we compete with each other but we're not competitive. I have a better marathon time, due to some combination of my training and his lack-thereof. At one 10K he flew ahead at the start to be passed by me on a hill, after which he went on to beat me. Having him run challenges me, but we're supportive of each other and our successes. I love sweaty kisses at the end of a race or a run. I love that we know just how to motivate each other and do so well and often.

In thinking about this, I realized one of my favorite things is our time post-run. Usually in the morning we wake up, make breakfast and drink coffee while we read the news (I read the NY Times and Washington Post, he reads military news) and share interesting things with each other. We do that post-run, too, but usually after caring for each other. The one with more energy gets water. I make him my signature protein shake (vanilla soy protein powder, milk, frozen bananas and almond butter) while he makes me his signature scrambled eggs (they are AMAZING!) We could do this without running, but there's something about earning it that makes it that much better.

I am so happy that I have a significant other who runs. I am so happy that Chris is due back from Iraq in two weeks and he'll be moving to Pittsburgh. I know that means lots of great things for us, but at the very least, it means (if I have any say at least) more runs, races, sweaty kisses and hard-earned breakfasts.

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Overtraining

Posted by DCtoPgh May 3, 2008

In my very first blog post I promised, in other words, to post the good, the bad, and the ugly. So, here's the ugly.

After the end of a CRAZY semester, I hit the ground running. I couldn't wait to get back into training. I went from monthly mileage of 20 miles (read another post about a near-amputation and pneumonia) to 80 miles in April. Now 80 miles a month isn't anything so spectacular, but I made the mistake of forgetting to put it in perspective. Last Tuesday I went for a 5 mile run and BONKED. Bonked like I have never bonked before. I ran about 2.5 miles (thankfully I was on a treadmill) and I felt worse than I did at mile 25 of a marathon. I didn't have the energy to walk or stretch. I took the elevator up one floor to my condo, I grabbed a banana and I laid on the ground. It was PATHETIC (and no, I'm not the type to be unduly hard on myself, it really was a disaster).

That day I was also the most irritable I had been in YEARS. I'm a sunshine, happy kind of person. I'm that obnoxious friend who always looks for the silver lining. Yes, some could even call me perky. But not on Tuesday. I was cranky. I was bitter. On Wednesday I went shopping with a friend (another psychologist) and as we were driving and I was cursing at drivers, she had the courage to say, "It sounds like you have a lot of anger today" in perfect therapist speak. She was right and that made me even more mad. Later that day I had the pleasure of catching up with a friend from college:

Jake: Hey! How are you?!

Me: Eh. I'm pissy. I'm in a bad mood.

Jake: What? Are you allowed to do that?!

Yes. On Tuesday and Wednesday I was allowed to do it. I did it rather well in fact. I hated being in such a bad mood, but nothing (not even running! ) could break me out of my funk. Add to this the fact that I was EXHAUSTED. And anxious. My heart was pounding out of my chest, just racing. I couldn't relax, even when I was going to sleep (and I am a champion when it comes to sleeping). I realized that for the last few days I'd been sleeping terribly, having a hard time going to sleep and waking up in the middle of the night. Well, my dear readers, my post title gave it away. At some point on Wednesday, a lightbulb went off. Decreased performance. Low mood. Fatigue. Increased resting heart rate. Insomnia. Classic signs of overtraining.

I rested all day on Thursday (after sleeping 12 hours Wednesday night!). I slept another 12 hours Thursday night. Friday I ran 5 deliberately slow miles and today I'm resting before a 12 mile bike/8 mile run tomorrow. For now I'm going to increase my rest days from one day a week to two. I'm going to reorganize my workouts so that I don't have two hard workouts together (currently following Hal Higdon's Intermediate Spring Training which has Saturday as Tempo/Fartlek days, followed by a Sunday long run). I'm also going to temporarily cut my hill workout. At this point in my training, I think mileage is more important than hills, and Pittsburgh is so hilly, I can't avoid them. Instead of having a separate hill workout, I'll just handle the hills on my regular runs.

So cheers to training, but keeping it in perspective. Happy running (notice the smile's back!)

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Resilience

Posted by DCtoPgh Apr 18, 2008

My body's resilience always amazes me. Last training season, I couldn't believe how I could push myself in races, make time for my training, and run 16 miles less than a week after a tumble made my knees look like this:

What I'm not sure of is why I'm underestimating it now. After running MCM I was so excited about maintaining my fitness, I'd put in so much hard work I didn't want to lose it. That was fine and dandy until two weeks after the race I was cutting a bagel and cut my finger so badly I was out of running for three months, had lots of PT and have permanent nerve damage (if I do anything, I do it all the way, apparently). Chris, my boyfriend, told me the other day that Baghdad is safer than my kitchen... he survived Baghdad with only a scar on his shoulder while I have permanent nerve damage! About three weeks after being cleared to run post- accidental self-knifing, I was sidelined again with pneumonia. Three weeks of not breathing and not running sucked. By this time about 4 1/2 months had passed since the marathon and I was completely bummed that I was going to need to start from scratch. Or did I?

If you read my blog you will notice a theme: hills. Pittsburgh has LOTS of hills. You can't avoid them. Long hills that are deceptive in that over a mile their elevation will creep up a few hundred feet. Short hills that are so steep you can't run down them, you need to walk down them. And lots of hills in between! So today when I set out for my 4 miles, there was one of those long deceptive hills that I had to conquer. To give you perspective on this hill, Chris is a fit guy, a natural athlete. He ran a marathon with ONE "long" run of 8 miles and no other training. Just winged the sucker. Last Fall we went running together and I told him we'd just do four miles and I'd pick a pretty easy route... just so happened it included this hill. Half way up the hill, Chris was panting, and if he wasn't such a gentleman to me, he would have been cursing (he still reminds me of this run). The hill put him in his place- he made it because he's a tough guy and a great athlete, but it reminded me that "easy" routes in Pittsburgh aren't always so easy.

So I haven't run that particular hill since probably October 2007 and today I was a little nervous about it. I gave myself a pep talk. Reminded myself that in the past I've found it hard, Chris found it hard, and whenever I run it, I always see people walking it. Then I went out to conquer the sucker. To my surprise and delight, no problems, I coasted up the hill, finished my run and felt good the whole way. No panting, no cussing, no walking. I think getting back into my training, this was a really awesome reminder of how resilient my body is. After depriving it of running for about 5 months it (I) can still tackle running in Pittsburgh

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You Know You’re Training for a Marathon When…

Posted by DCtoPgh Apr 12, 2008

Still early in the season, but I’m already having symptoms of marathon training. I find that being a runner, especially someone who runs endurance events, just changes your perspective. I find that the further I get in my training, the further my perspective is from everyone else’s. The other day I ran to class to get a short 4 miles in. I start talking with a classmate who’s also a runner and I mentioned I have about 60 miles left on my current shoes and I’m looking forward to breaking out a new pair. Another classmate overheard this conversation: “60 miles?! How long will it take you to run 60 miles?!” When I told her I’d need the new shoes by the end of the month she just stared at me blankly. When you train for a marathon, “long” distances are redefined.

As part of accruing that 60 miles I had my “long” run of 6 miles last week. It was beautiful out and I ran to the park. On Tuesday I saw a classmate who said that she and her boyfriend had spotted me running. I love that as my running and distance picks up, I’m spotted all over the city. Last year I came back from a run and saw my building manager while I was stretching outside. He did a double take and kind of stared at me blankly. I asked him what was wrong and he said he must have been confused…. He thought he saw me in Squirrel Hill 15 minutes ago, then he saw me in Oakland 10 minutes ago and now I was back at my condo in Shadyside. Yep, that was my route that day. It makes perfect sense to me that I’d run through 3 distinct neighborhoods to get my miles in, but he thought it must have been a mistake. The funny thing about training is that as the distances get longer, the world gets smaller.

One of the things that I was most proud of this week was just finding time for my runs. Finals are coming up and this week was the week of meetings. Tuesday through Thursday I was up at 6 am and home at 8 or 9 pm, and I was booked straight through. When I told my mom how busy I was, she asked what I was up to. “Well, I had class, clients, meetings, consultations. I had a lab visit, a lab meeting, brown bag and coaching. And then I was running either first thing in the morning or last thing at night.” “You were running with all of that?!” Of course I was running! I have a marathon to train for! Would it have been easier to sleep in? Yes. Did I need those hours for other things? Yes. But, I am happier and more balanced when I run. I think better, I sleep better, and I like that I am working towards a goal. (Note: graduate school also working towards a goal. The path to that goal, however, is significantly less rewarding). When you train for a marathon, running is no longer optional, it’s just part of what you do and you love to do it.

My favorite part of marathon training is dreaming. I literally dreamed that I PRed last night. There was a dispute about whether I ran a 4:22 or a 4:27, not a particularly blistering pace, but one that I would be happy with. My dream was clearly inspired by my friend who ran a 4:27 last weekend at the Dallas marathon and took 3^rd in her age group. The great thing about training is that it allows me to test my capabilities and see if my dreams can become a reality. I remember last year I ran a 10K in June and clocked a 8:45 pace. I was thrilled, I never knew I could run that fast! By September, I ran a 10K at 8:15 pace. I never knew I could do that and because I apparently underestimate my abilities, I’m not sure what else I have in me. A BQ? An ultramarathon? I have no idea, but I do know that training, and training hard, will get me closer to my potential.

One step towards maxing out on my way to Antarctica, is really stepping up my training this year. Instead of just doing the miles (which got me across finish lines last year) this year I really want to maximize my miles. I’m including speed work and hills. I’m running 6 days a week and when I do those runs I’m incorporating tempo run and fartleks. Today I ran hill repeats on a quarter mile hill with a 16% grade. My thighs burned and my calves were shaking when I stopped, but I know that the hard work I put in now will pay off later. I’ll keep you posted as it goes.

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Introduction

Posted by DCtoPgh Apr 4, 2008

Never done the blog thing before, so let's give this a try.

About me: I'm Kat, a 24-year-old graduate student. I'm originally from DC but have been transplanted to Pittsburgh to get my Ph.D. in clinical and developmental psychology, specializing in the development of substance use disorders in adolescents, particularly those with behavior problems (ADHD, CD, etc.). I take tremendous pride in my career and the fact that I'm a runner. I wouldn't have called myself a runner a year ago, but a lot can happen in a year.

How I started running: I'd always wanted to be a runner. The runners I knew (marathoners in particular) were kind, accomplished, driven, and generally awesome at all that they did. There was only one thing stopping me from becoming a runner: I hated running (or so I thought). One night I was out with my boyfriend, Chris, and his cousin Sarah (one of my friends) and we started talking running. "Hey, registration for Chicago opens soon, wanna do it?" "Sure, I'm in... Kat, are you in?" Silence. Could I run a marathon? I didn't know. And I hated that I wasn't sure if I could accomplish something. I'm a do-er. The family joke is that most people find their way in life.... I bulldoze mine. I held off on signing up for Chicago, and secretly started Hal Higdon's spring training program. Less than six weeks later, I signed up for the Marine Corps Marathon (by then, Chicago had closed).

32nd Marine Corps Marathon: I put my nose to the grindstone and my feet to the pavement, and I trained for Marine Corps using Hal Higdon's novice program. I liked that training was simple- the best advice I got was just do the miles. I liked the way I felt when I accomplished something- who knew I could run 16 miles? 18 miles? 26.2 miles!? Every Sunday run I did something new, exciting and challeging. I started to love Sundays. I was healthier, happier, I ate better. By this time, Chris had deployed to Iraq and training helped me cope with the worry and stress of him being away. Bottom line: I liked running (really!), I loved being a runner, and I loved everything that came along with it. I finished MCM in 4:42:18. I missed my primary goal of finishing under 4:30, but I beat my secondary goal of finishing under 4:45. Above all, I ran a marathon! I finally really understood the saying "Pain is temporary, pride is forever."

Antarctica Marathon 2009: Chris and his buddy, Matt, love challenges. Adventure races, marathons, you name it, they'll try it. Why NOT (insert crazy thing here)? They were the first to sign up for Antarctica. A few months later Sarah was in and I was the last to join. I'd caught on to their mentality... why NOT run a marathon in Antarctica? I'm young, I don't have kids, my school obligations are flexible... if I'm going to do it, there will never be a better time.

Training: I officially started training for Antarctica this week (yes, about a year in advance). I want to make sure I have a strong base. I'm starting with Higdon's intermediate spring training program and continuing his intermediate marathon training. I'm planning to run MCM 2008, take a two week break, and start Jenny Hadfield's Antarctica program (yes, there is a training program!). Then, it's Antarctica in March 2009! Eventually I'd love to run a marathon on all seven continents. Again, why NOT when your third marathon is Antarctica?

Why blog?: I'm always learning from my training triumphs and mistakes, so I'll post those here so maybe other people can learn from them too. I've also found the internet is an amazing tool for training- finding programs and support. I give a lot of credit for my running successes to the friends I've made through the Marine Corps Marathon message board. From training tips to personal support, they've been wonderful. My family and friends are also amazing and since we're all so busy and spread so far apart I thought this would be an easy way for people to track my progress.

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