Elizabeth Page

Now that I have completed my half marathon and had some time to assess it, I’ve devised a plan to improve.

My longterm goal is to run in the same event next year and be ready for the marathon.  Everything I do is with that goal in mind.

First I need to improve my times.  I have two more half marathons that I will run in, one in January and the other in February.  My goal for January is to be under 2 hours 20 minutes and February be under 2 hours 10 minutes.  After I can do a half marathon in less than 2 hours, I’ll enter a 20 mile event.  Hopefully that will be around May of 2011.

To actually improve my time, which means run faster, I have added bleachers to my run schedule.  That is the closest thing to hills that we have around here.  I did this for the first time a couple weeks ago and my calves were burning.  I’ll do this for 30-45 minutes 1-2 days a week. 

I’m also running farther.  I generally covered a total distance of about 25 miles a week.  Now, I’m shooting for 35 each week.  If I get 30 I’ll be happy, but I really want the full 35.

I read a story about a woman in her 70’s and within a year she had shaved an hour off her marathon time by running an extra 10 miles a week.  Her time went from being around 5 hours to 4!  That’s inspiring.

I also learned that running is more a mental game than anything.  I’m convinced that doing this takes a lot of discipline.  Most days I really don’t want to go.  It’s not super thrilling and can start to feel monotonous.  I think I really I do this for the feeling I get when I’m done.  It feels good to look back and see what you’ve accomplished. 

I’ve become convinced that anyone can be successful at running.  I started doing this after I gave birth to my first daughter.  I couldn’t even run then.  I was walking 3 miles a day.  I’ve spent several years slowly working my way up to where I am and looking back on my success really makes it worth it.  Good luck to anyone out there who wants to start, you can do it!

My first half marathon was a success! I finished the run in 2 hours 34 minutes.  Only 4 minutes beyond what my goal was, but truthfully, I just wanted to finish.

A few things I learned…

Have good directions to get you wherever you need to go.  My directions were bad…Google Maps failed me.  I got there in enough time, but being lost initially was stressful.

Know about the course you’re going to be running.  I knew this course was relatively flat and went along the Trinity River Trail.  What I didn’t know was that a good portion of it was gravel instead of sidewalk.  Had I known this I probably would have worn different shoes to help prevent blisters, because I started feeling blisters around the 5 mile mark.

Find a good way to focus on your breathing.  When I run, I normally breathe based on the sound of my feet hitting the ground.  I had a time getting a rhythm for my breathing because besides my feet there were 100 other feet all hitting the ground around me.  This made the beginning of the run difficult.

Don’t overdress.  It was cold out Sunday, but running warms you up.  By the end of the race I was dripping with sweat and I had taken my sweatshirt and earmuffs off…which means they had to travel with me during the run.  I had to tie my sweatshirt around my waist and tuck my earmuffs in my sweatshirt.  Not carrying this extra stuff would have been easier.

Don’t forget your camera…I did.  Sorry, that’s why there are no pictures.

There were drink stops, they had snacks too.  I recommend getting something.  You may not think you need anything, but I still recommend it.  After the run was completed, there was lots of food and water for the participants to help them recover.  I don’t know if all runs do this, but it was definitely nice to have.

The run itself is more psychological than anything.  You have to keep telling yourself you can do it and not to quit.  Crossing the finish line was the best part.

Just wanted to let everyone know that I completed my first half marathon yesterday, Nov. 14!  Yay, I am so excited.   I did it in 2 hours 34 minutes.  Check back so I can share everything I learned to prepare for my next half marathon and eventually a full marathon!

The time has come!  I signed up to run the Forth Worth Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 14. 

 The categories being offered for this event are the marathon, 20 miles or the half marathon.  I chose the half marathon which is 13.1 miles.  I hope I’m ready.

To help prepare myself mentally, I spoke with a marathoner a few weeks ago.  I wanted to pick her brain a bit and see what tips I could glean from her.

She told me that just about any runner I talk to will give me different tips and they all say different things are important.  Great?  This was her advice.  To make sure I get 1 long run in each week.  I told her my long runs are typically between 8-9 miles.  She said I should be fine.  Whew!  Relief swept over me. 

I’m not sure what else I could do to prepare for the run.  I just don’t know what to expect.  I know the temperature is supposed to be in the 40’s and there is a chance of rain.  I’m good with that.  I prefer running in the cold and the rain has never stopped me before.  I just don’t know what 13.1 miles is going to feel like. 

Besides the weather, here are some other things I know I can expect Sunday morning.  The run begins at 8:30.  The changes in elevation aren’t dramatic, so I know I won’t have to go up any steep inclines.  No hills! Yay!  My goal is to be done within two and a half hours.  I need to wear warm clothes. 

Doing my own research ahead of time has helped to calm my nerves.  The less surprises I have, the better I think that I’ll do. 

I’m hoping to take a lot away from this event.  I really like running.  I’ve found that it’s a good way to stay in shape.  I know that if I have goals I’m more likely to continue running.  My goal is to have a marathon under my belt by the end of 2011.  I see this as a stepping stone towards that goal. 

Wish me luck!

It sounds so simple, but amazingly enough, you can do it wrong.  This week I went out on Sunday and Monday and covered a distance of 12.5 miles.  Both days were great.  I was zipping along, not a care in the world, thinking to myself that 13.1 miles is gonna be a piece of cake. 

I took Tuesday off and then Wednesday, Thursday and Friday all went the same way.  I couldn’t even get through the first mile because I had horrible cramps in my stomach and my side.  I would have to stop and stretch like every half mile.  It was ridiculous.  I gave up and ended up walking all three days. 

So, I need to figure out what in the world I’m doing that causes these awful cramps.  They don’t happen often, but when they do, they really end up beating me down.  It’s when I have to stop and walk that I question whether or not I can actually do 13.1 miles. 

Here’s what I found out.  There are 3 types of cramps.  Side cramp, stomach cramp and a muscle cramp. 

The first 2 are often caused by not breathing correctly.  I thought about this and I think it’s probaly true (besides the fact that Dr’s say so.)  I can remember times when I was running I felt cramps coming on and I changed my breathing.  I took deeper longer breaths and was able to run through the cramp until the discomfort subsided. 

The stomach cramp could also have to do with eating or drinking to much.  Apparently when you have to much stuff in your tummy it’s hard to get a good deep breath.  A stomach cramp could also be caused by not breathing properly.

Muscle cramps almost always are caused by dehydration.  Drink lots of water!

I think it sounds dumb to say you’re not breathing properly.  I’m alive right?  I must be doing something right…but here’s how you’re supposed to breathe when you run. 

Put your hand on your stomach.  When you take a deep breath your stomach should rise and fall.  Sometimes when you get nervous, that can cause you to take shallower breaths.  If you focus on your breathing, eat right and are well hydrated you should be able to make it through your run.  Good luck!

As my half-marathon nears closer, I find myself thinking about how to increase my time.  I am by no means fast.  I don’t try to go fast.  I am generally more concernced about finishing and actually running the entire time.  I have this idea in my head that if I had to walk at all, I failed.  Dumb?  Absolutely!  But that’s what happens in my head.   Anyway, back to making better time. 

I started asking some of my runner friends (hardcore runners, who ran cross-country in high school and college) what they did to increase their time.  Here’s what they told me.

Intervals.  Go to the track sprint 100 meters, then walk 100 meters then do it again.  This is what intervals are.  They are short bursts of fast running followed by a nice easy pace to allow for recovery.  You can do them with 200, 400, 800 meters, whatever feels comfortable to start.  When you sprint your body is expending a lot of energy.  But beware, if you’ve never done this before you will hurt.  When we sprint we use some different leg muscles, we stretch our legs out much further and require a lot more oxygen.  Make sure you stretch before and after.

Hills.  I hate hills.  Hills are like torture.  But they come highly recommended by my brother, Mark,  who used to do a mile and a half in under 8 minutes.  When he gives me little hints, I take them.  Running up hills is not fun.  If you’re exhausted going down can be pretty tough too!   Mark likes to say explode up the hill.  Take bigger strides, pump your arms and get to the top.  The more you do this, the better you’ll get.  I recently read an article that said one of the top reasons people don’t complete marathons is because of adverse conditions.  Hills are included in adverse conditions.  But not every course is the same and hills are to be expected.  When you go down a hill be careful as well.  You’ll feel it in your quads.  Your body is going to be doing whatever it can to keep you from tumbling down the hill, so go slow.  Also be aware that when people run down hills they have a tendency to stamp their feet.  Try not to do this, you’ll save your knees.

And of course rest.  It is so important for recovery.  I find that I run my best times the day after I’ve come off a rest.

Pain is not a bad thing!  Pain is how our bodies communicate to us that something is wrong.  So when this happens listen. 

This was a weird week for me.  I was having knee pain and lower back pain.  So I chose to take 3 days off.  Took some advil and put my legs up! I have a fairly high pain tolerance, but just because I can handle it doesn’t mean I should ignore it.  It could be nothing, just my body needing rest.  It could be something, I’m not one to speculate though.

Running is alot of impact on your knees and ankles.  If everything is not in the correct alignment, body parts may start to hurt.

Here’s some causes of sports injuries.

Stress: It takes it’s toll on our bodies, can cause us to not sleep well, become more prone to illness, and leave you feeling fatigued.  To avoid injury when life is stressful, plan out your week in advance, including your workout sessions.  Then you’re already mentally prepared ahead of time for what you are going to be doing.

Over training: Sometimes we push our bodies to hard, beyond their limit.  You have to be in tune to your body to know how much is to much, but when you’ve reached your limit stop!  And when you’re overloaded, have the good sense to cut back.  This was the hardest thing for me to do this week.  I really love running and that is my hour to have to myself.  Not running for three days in a row, was a hard choice, but I believe I made it for the right reasons.  When I go back out on Saturday, I’ll see how my body responds to what I’m doing.

Having the right shoes again is super important.  Pay attention to your arches and your insteps.  Get shoes that support your feet.  And if you should happen to choose the wrong shoe, don’t run in it just because you bought it.  Save it for mowing the grass, and buy shoes that will be comfortable and supportive for your feet and your whole body.

Here’s my runs this week:

Sunday 5 miles

Monday 5 miles

Tuesday 5 miles

Weds-Fri- OFF

Who doesn’t love buying shoes?! Shoes are my favorite thing to shop for and that includes my running shoes.  You have to be smart when you do it though.  Their are so many different brands and styles out there it’s easy to get overwhelmed and disheartened.  But fear not!  I will offer some tips on getting good reliable running shoes.

First off, don’t buy them at Wal-Mart.  I have nothing against them, but if you’re going to buy a good pair of shoes you have to be willing to spend a little extra on quality.  I suggest going to a sporting goods store and trying on as many pairs as you can.  Everyone’s feet are different and you have to find what is comfortable for you.

Next, buy them a half a size to a size bigger.  This may seem odd, but what happens when you run is your feet slide forward in the shoe.  Your toes will get squished in the front of your shoe if they don’t have some extra room.  Plus, it’s just more comfortable when your shoes aren’t tight.  I wear a 10, but all my running shoes are 11’s.

Third, e-Bay baby!  My shoe is Nike Shox Navina.  They retail for over $110 at the store.  I pay between $50-60 on e-Bay.

Last, have more than one pair at a time.  I always have at least two pairs of running shoes.  Breaking in a new pair isn’t always comfortable.  So, I might need a good pair of shoes to fall back on.  Likewise when I have an older pair that I’m not ready to give up.  And if you have more than one pair that you’re using they will last longer.

A good shoe should get you at least 500 miles.  That sounds like a lot but I did the math and that’s about how much I run in 5 months.  Having a comfortable shoe makes all the difference and makes running a lot more enjoyable.

My runs this week:

Sunday- 5 miles

Monday- 5 miles

Tuesday- off

Wednesday-5 miles

Thursday- off

Friday-

Saturday

Eating right is so important before you run. I am not saying you can’t eat what you want, but you have to watch what you eat.  For instance today, I snacked on junk food all day and didn’t actually eat real food that had nutritional value.  When I went out to run tonight, it didn’t go well.  In fact it didn’t really go at all.  2 miles into what suppose to be an 8 mile run, I couldn’t run because I was getting awful cramps from the crappy food I ate today.  I know better than to do this, but it makes a great example of why you have to be vigilant of the fuel you’re putting in your body.  You only can only get out what you put in.  If you put junk in, then expect a bad workout.  I like food a lot…so here’s how I try to eat.  I try to get a meal in at least an hour before I run.  I don’t eat anything with a lot of fat either.  No chicken fried steak with gravy…you’ll feel like you have a rock in your stomach.  If you want to eat ice cream, cake or anything else heavy do it hours before you run.  If you run in the morning, just eat a bowl of oatmeal or something light like that (you need carbs, especially in the morning).  If you’re like me and you typically run in the evening eat your junk earlier in the day.  Make sure you get in good healthy meals as well as lots of fruits, veggies and whole grains.

Here’s my runs for this week:

Sunday-3 miles

Monday-5 miles

Tuesday-2 miles

Wednesday-5 miles

Thursday-Off

Friday-4 miles

Saturday-5 miles

Let me start by saying I really tried!  Saturday was great weather, a little wet, but cloudy and mild.  Perfect weather.  But I did something dumb… That 6 mile run I did on Friday, I did at 9 that night…I started my 10 miles (which ended up being 9) at 3 Saturday afternoon!  I was burned out.  I did not let my body fully recover from the 6 the night before. Lesson learned?  Yes, this week Friday will be an easy day and Saturday, I’ll try again!