I'm BACK, baby!!!!!!!

After taking four weeks off from running I was excited to get out there and run this morning. I didn't get up particularly early, which was a risk because after the fog and low clouds cleared up around 9, it has become increasingly hotter throughout the day. But when I finally drove down to Mission Bay around 8, it was still overcast and around 65 degrees. Perfect.

I just have to say I ROCKED IT!!!! I am so happy that I didn't lose my running. I lost a little endurance (which is to be expected) and my last two miles were tough. But I was able to run eight miles at a faster pace than I have run without being in a race (in fact, I ran the exact same pace during my 15K in July)! I think you were right, Terri, when you suggested that I might come back even faster. :-)

My hubby returned from an 8 day business trip last night. Instead of longing for quality family time, I was ready for ALONE time. *blush* I could tell I was excited to finally get out there, without kids, and run. My first mile was my fastest mile. In fact, it was one of my fastest miles EVER.

Here are my splits (not including one potty stop around mile 3):
Mile 1- 8:25
Mile 2- 8:33
Mile 3- 8:45
Mile 4- 9:17
Mile 5- 9:29
Mile 6- 9:15
Mile 7- 9:15
Mile 8- 9:16
.26- 2:18 (8:55 pace)

Total- 8.26 miles at 9:02 pace!!!!!

I did have one potty stop (darnit!) and I don't know how to find out that split with the stoppage time added in. I have no idea how long I stopped for. I am really going to have to find a way to figure out this potty thing on my runs. I did figure out one thing and I will pass on this advice: granola and almonds is NOT a good snack at 10 p.m. if you plan on running in the morning. Enough said.

My knees bothered me a bit toward the end. They don't feel injured or anything, just a bit old and creaky. I totally forgot to ice, so we'll see how I feel in the morning.

I am glad to be back. Now, I just need to find a way to stay motivated...

26 words of advice about running a marathon....

Do not be discouraged if the race does not go the way you think it will. Remember what an accomplishment it is getting to the start!

In my opinion, the biggest accomplishment of a marathon isn't necessarily the end result at the finish line (although that is a HUGE freaking accomplishment). The BIGGEST accomplishment of a marathon is completing the training to get there in the first place. Non-runners are impressed that you ran 26.2 miles (heck, runners are impressed you ran 26.2 miles!). What many don't realize is the sheer volume of training that goes along with just getting to the starting line. It is not necessarily athletic prowess that makes a marathoner..... it is determination, commitment and time (not to mention the ability to stay injury free!).

My marathon didn't go exactly the way I had planned. I had trained for 10-minute-miles and finished with over 11-minute-miles (a pace I had never done in training). My twenty miler was a fantastic success while the marathon brought all sorts of issues long before the twenty mile mark. It was a while after the marathon before I stopped beating myself up over not finishing in 4:30. Even though I had tried to tell myself that my goal for my first marathon was just to finish, it was hard not to have a time in mind when my training had gone so well.

I originally wrote "don't be disappointed..." but changed it to discouraged. It is nearly impossible to stop yourself from being disappointed when things don't go your way. However, discouragement is a much more distructive emotion. Discouragement sometimes leads to giving up. What I have learned in my journey over this past year is not to give up. Running is a process with ups and downs.

Be proud of how far you have come and celebrate it!

***This post is inspired by Runners Lounge Take it and Run Thursday. This week they are asking loungers to write how to conquer the marathon in 26 words or less.

Oh those beautiful Deltoids

Don't shoulders look good when they are nicely toned and defined? I know it is getting into Fall, but there are a few more weeks of tank top running left. Here is a great way to work out those shoulders without going to the gym and without equipment. Guys, if you want to bulk them up, just add some weights. Ladies, burning out the muscles with only gravity as your resistance is a perfect way to get those defined shoulders.

Did I mention that strong deltoids will help you pump those arms on those killer hills or as you sprint to the finish??

deltoids (anterior, medial/lateral and a just bit of posterior)--

• stand straight with belly pulled into your spine, your head is an extension of your spine and your shoulders should be back and away from your ears
• if you would like to add some intensity, stand on one foot to engage your core
• don't forget to breathe!
• raise your arms to a 90 degree angle like a goal post (elbows shoulder height)
• bring your forearms in front of your face so you are looking at your wrists, keeping your arms at a 90 degree angle
• move your arms back and forth for at least 30 seconds
• now... hold your arms straight out in front of you
• palms down, move your hands like a flutter kick, in small up-and-down motions
• do this for at least 30 seconds
• without resting, move your arms straight out to the side still shoulder height (like the Christ the Redeemer statue)
• move each hand as though you are opening a doorknob, both directions, rotating at the wrist
• again... continue for 30 seconds or so
• move your arms to the front again with no rest
• palms down, put one over the other and alternate (sort of a "hand jive" motion)
• do this for at least 30 seconds
• hands in a goal post position again, do a military press, bringing your hands over your head and back to the 90 degree position
• do this for at least 30 seconds
• if your shoulders aren't burning by now, repeat the exercises :-)

I think this is my favorite set of exercises. And if you ask me my favorite part of my body, it is my shoulders. These exercises work!

*As with any exercise, please consult a physician before starting any workout program.

Shout out to a couple bloggers on their half marathon tomorrow!!

Terri and Kristin are running in the Maine Coast Half Marathon in the morning. I am jealous! It looks like a GREAT race. It is all women (save one lucky guy picked in the lottery) and it looks like absolutely breathtaking scenery. I am sure the weather will be fantastic.

Good luck, ladies!!!! I can't wait to read all about it.

Since I am not running much right now....

I thought I would share some of my cross training exercises. I will start out with some basic ones (that most of you probably already know) and when I get the hang of writing them out, I'll post more involved ones. The great thing about these are that you don't need to go to the gym to do them.

Today, I did my fourth team teaching for Stroller Strides. It was at Sea World, so it was a treat for the kids (although they love Stroller Strides, too) and me too! We went and hung out with Shamu after class! Did I mention how much I love living in San Diego?? The class and my teaching went well and I have a good start on my new endeavor.



Here are the stations I taught today:
*biceps-- [I use resistance bands, but you can use small dumbells too. Resistance bands are super convenient and you can bring them anywhere. You can buy them for less than $10 a piece]

• Stand on the band with your feet shoulder distance apart holding each handle. Do a standard bicep curl. Do at least twelve repetitions or until you start to feel it. Keep the contraction going through the entire range of motion (UP and DOWN).
• Keep your shoulders back and down (away from your ears) and pull your belly button into your spine. Posture is important!
• If you stand on the band with one foot, lifting the other foot, you engage your core, getting more of a full-body workout.
• At any time, add the lower half of the body by doing squats. Make sure your knees are over your ankles and you stick your butt out behind you (like you're sitting on a porta-potty, something I am much too familiar with. LOL) Your back should be straight and shoulders back. Do the bicep curl on the way up.
• Change your grip to a hammer grip (just like you are holding a hammer with your knuckles verticle instead of horizontal). Do a few sets with this grip.
• To really burn those biceps try a two-step bicep curl, pausing when your elbows are at a 90 degree angle. Then continue upward to a full range of motion.
• Lastly, put your elbows at a 90 degree angle and move your hands holding the band in and out across your body on a level plane. There is no full curl here, just an extended contration of the bicep. You'll feel this burn quickly.

*triceps-- [using a bench or chair] *do not do if you have wrist issues

• Sit on a bench with your hands next to your hips. Your fingers are over the bench.
• Scoot forward a bit so your bum is hanging over the edge of the bench.
• Bend your elbows straight back, lowering your bum (sorry... habit with talking to little kids). Keep your derriere (is that more grown-up?) as close to the bench as possible.
• Make sure your shoulders are back and away from your ears.
• The further your feet are from your body, the harder the exercise. To add even more intensity, stack one foot on top of the other with your legs straight out in front of you.
• Do this for several sets.

****Thanks to all your comments regarding my running hiatus. I appreciate the kicks in the behind (yet another euphemism for booty *wink*) as well as those telling me to give myself a break. For the next week or two, running just doesn't fit with my schedule. My husband is leaving for nine days and it will be close to impossible to get out and run anything longer than three or four miles since I'll have a 2-year-old in a stroller.

I have decided not to worry about it. I will get back out there running once he gets back. I will have plenty of time before the Mud Run in November. I am pretty sure that I will be running the Las Vegas Half Marathon in December. I think that Jill and Kristin both talked about being there and it will be fun to meet. I will also be running the Carlsbad Half in January. So there is plenty to train for to keep my motivation back up there.

I am also thinking that my second marathon will be a reprise of the Rock-n-Roll Marathon here in San Diego. With two small children, a husband who works long hours and a new "job," one marathon per year is MORE than enough.

*As with any exercise, please consult a physician before beginning any workout program.

Spirit of the Marathon coming out on DVD!!

http://www.marathonmovie.com/

If you haven't seen this movie, I highly recommend it. We saw it a month or two into our marathon training and it both inspired and terrified me. I love how it doesn't sugar coat anything, yet shows how, with drive and determination you can achieve your goals. It also showed that no matter how smart you train and how much you want it, sometimes injuries will sideline you and keep you from the race.

Unfortunately, it looks like it might be a couple of days too late for those of you running marathons the first weekend in October (Terri and Coffee Betsy come to mind)


*wow... I had over a week of blog drought and now two in one day :-)

Where oh where did my running go??

I have misplaced my running, at least the motivation to actually get out there and do it. Poor running seems to be taking a backseat to the rest of my life.

On one hand, I have started to team teach my Stroller Strides classes, so at least I am getting some decent cross-training in. However, I have been sleeping in until 6:30 and going to bed late, which are bad habits for a runner.

Someone asked me today when my next race is. That's the problem. I don't really have any peak races on the horizon. I think I am going to run the Nike Women's Half Marathon virtually through my Nike +. After the great Human Race experience, I think it will be a lot of fun. I just hope Roadrunner is sponsoring that one as well. I don't have the drive that I did for the AFC, since it isn't a "real" race.

I am running a 10K Mud Run in November, which should be fun, but it is not something that makes me feel like I have to go out and train for it. I am running with a team, so I don't really need to do speed work. I might try some trail runs to help me prepare.

Honestly, this blog is usually a great motivating factor. Every day that I don't run, I feel guilty that I am not keeping up with it and with my virtual running partners in the blogosphere. Granted, many of you are training for a marathon right now. I definitely don't have time for that. But even though I am not officially part of the Virtual Run Club, I feel almost like I am accountable to other runners who read this and I am failing.

So someone please help to kick my butt!! I need to get out there and run, dangit!

Attention Brooks Adrenaline fans...

In my earlier post this week I mentioned that my GTS 8's are being discontinued. I e-mailed Brooks to double check and received this response:

Hello from Brooks-

The Adrenaline shoe is not being discontinued. This is one of our"series" shoes, meaning it gets updated and re-released every year. This shoe will be re-released as the Adrenaline 9 in January of 2009.

It is true the Adrenaline 8 will no longer be produced once the Adrenaline 9 is released, but the Adrenaline 9 is essentially the same shoe with some design and color updates.

Thanks for contacting us-

I know that there are several of you that wear the Adrenalines (Laura, Terri, Jill) and I thought you'd like to know.

A big woo hoo for Nike and Roadrunner Sports!

I had SO much fun yesterday morning. It was quite possibly the best race I have been in.... and it wasn't even a real race! Well, virtually speaking, it was real. I decided to run the Nike Human Race at our local Roadrunner Sports. They mentioned on their website that they would be hosting a group and I thought that I would have better luck at getting a good time running with a group. I honestly expected a dozen or so people there.

There were at least fifty or sixty people there! They had a table set up for signing in, t-shirts, water etc. They even had a sports massage guy giving free massages. It was like a real race. In fact, it was better than some that I have been to! Remember, unless you are running in one of the twenty "real" races, the Nike Human Race is free. So I was a little skeptical walking up to the registration table. I asked if we had to pay. Nope. She then hands me not one, but TWO shirts!!! The red Human Race shirt is an awesome lightweight Nike dri-fit. In fact, I took off the shirt I was wearing and wore it during the race. The other shirt is a nice cotton Nike dri-weave. They also gave us a Nike nylon bag and an iTunes treadmill workout to download. SCORE (have I mentioned that I love free stuff??). EDITED TO ADD: I can't believe I forgot to mention that they had raffle prizes and I WON!! I won a FREE pair of shoes from Roadrunner!!! I just purchased a spare pair of Brooks Adrenalines that are being discontinued, but the free pair doesn't expire, so I am good for a year or so!

There were no clocks. There was no gun. There was a really friendly group of runners and a dozen or so volunteers along the course. We did a 5K loop through the industrial area around Roadrunner twice. At every turn or intersection there was a volunteer. I recognized several of them as Roadrunner employees. I was so thrilled by the unexpected race atmosphere that I turned into "Chipper Kim" (to steal a term from Jenn *wink*). I said "thank you" to each volunteer and "good morning" to a couple of joggers and walkers that we passed.

I wasn't sure how well I would do during my run. Honestly, it was hard to take it seriously as a real race, so I was WAY more relaxed than any other race. In fact, Saturday night I went to the San Diego State football game (tailgating beforehand) and then met an old friend for Mexican food and margaritas. I am now wondering if my pre-race routine should consist of a couple of beers, a Patron margarita and carne asada! I ran really well!

When we started, I took off fast. There was a bit of a hill that I sort of charged up. I did my first mile in 8:35!! When I looked at my Garmin (yes, I had both the Garmin AND the Nike +) I was shocked at the split and tried to slow down a bit. I didn't slow down much. My slowest split was around 9 minutes!

It was not too hot, but the humidity was definitely up there. I was really sweating buckets. In fact, at the end of the run, I think I was the wettest I have ever been after a run. But I have to say that the Human Race shirt dried super quickly. I can't say as much for my sports bra. Ick.

I thought my Nike+ had fixed itself. As I crossed over the finish line the first time, before starting the second loop, the lady said, "half way point." Cool. Unfortunately, as I finished up the second loop, she was telling me I had 400 meters to go as I was approaching the home stretch. Since this was an online race, I decided that my finish line had to be when the Nike lady told me I had completed the 10K. I must have looked pretty funny barrelling through the finish and continuing to sprint another 200 yards or so. Luckily, I am not the only one with goofy calibration and wasn't the only person to pass the finish line. So my Nike + time and the actual time I crossed the finish line are off by a little over a minute. Either way, I am taking it as an official PR!!!

Time (from Nike+): 55:07
Pace: 8:52
Rank: 9549 out of ??? (this is likely to change since people have until tomorrow to upload their run info)
Rank for women: 1840

According to my Garmin, I ran it in 53:53. Like I said, either way, I am THRILLED. Oh, and according to both gadgets, my last mile was my fastest! I am pretty happy about having a negative split!

All in all, a great experience. I hope Nike does more things like this. I am planning on participating "virtually" in the Nike Women's Half Marathon in October. I hope that Roadrunner Sports gets involved again. Did I mention they had orange slices, bagels and drinks at the end?