Building New Friendships....or Running Friends are Awesome!!!!

As stated in previous posts (and I'm sure in future ones as well) I find pleasure in the solitary aspect of running.  This entire blog is based upon capturing the thoughts I encounter during solo runs.  But,  during the last several months I have started to have an epiphany about running with others.  I have recently been introduced to one of the most amazing groups of women I have ever encountered.  In the past my interactions have been limited to either easy 4 mile runs or social gatherings.  But this past weekend (27 Oct 13) I was invited to join them all for a 90 minute run.  I hemmed and hawed at the idea...I'm running 12 miles so I'm not sure our workouts will align, I don't want to slow you down, I don't want everyone to see how slow I am, blah, blah, blah!  Excuses after excuses about how I wasn't sure I would be able to make it.  After some "peer pressure" I forced myself to overcome my serious bouts of anti-social anxiety I agreed to meet up with everyone for the run at 8am.

We started the run at a pace much quicker than I typically warm-up with.  I quickly dropped to the back of the group as we started the first lap around the golf course.  As I came down the last stretch of the first lap I noticed the entire group was waiting for everyone to catch up before taking off on the second lap.  No women left behind...a nice mentality to be a part of!  We started out on lap #2...this time I hung in the middle of the group, maintaining what I thought was a comfortable pace.  Again, we all regrouped at the end of the lap.  This pattern repeated once more, where I crept farther into the front of the pack.  We regrouped one last time.  Once we were all together we headed back out to the original starting point.

Knowing I would be approximately 2 miles short of my planned distance I tried breaking away from the group saying I could just meet up with everyone back at the house.  I was tired, I felt like slowing down...I knew I could give myself a little break (cheat a bit) if I isolated myself.

"I'll finish out your run with you" I was offered by one of the runners.

"Oh...you really don't have too!  I don't want you to feel like you have to do extra," once again, I tried pushing away.

"It's not a big deal.  I would have done an extra lap at the golf course, but everyone else was heading back"

"Well, okay.  But it might be slower than you'd want to run"  I was still incapable of just accepting a running partner.  I didn't want to expose any weaknesses I might have to this group of exceptionally talented runners.  Rather than accepting help, I tried to avoid possible embarrassment.  But I couldn't just flat out say "no" and turn down such a nice offer.  So, off the two of us took adding in an additional 2 miles of out and back.

Short of breath I did my best to maintain the conversation...we talked of work, school, the stress of purchasing a house, and of course our many running goals and upcoming races.  The pace continued to quicken as we came upon the final mile.  All I wanted to do was stop, for even 10-15 seconds.  But we pushed on.

"Imagine yourself pushing down the final stretch of a big race.  You've got to push it and you'll take the win!" My running partner continued to push and encourage me.  "Almost there, we just have to make around the stop sign.  Keep going for that win!"  These kind words pushed me through the end of my 12 miles, feeling strong and accomplished.  As I checked the splits on my watch I noticed that my pace picked up every 2 miles, finishing with a solid 7'58 pace.  What started as an easy 12-mile run wound up being a progressive 12 miles that physically and mentally challenged me.  This run elevated the confidence I have in my ability to run strong over long distances.

From this run I learned the value of surrounding myself with runners who are better than I am.  Runners who know how to take their hard-earned talent and use that to encourage, push, and motivate others.  It's humbling to be able to say, "You are better than me and that's okay".  It's humbling to be at the back of the group, but if you're never at the back you'll never learn how to push yourself past a comfortable level.  It's in these uncomfortable phases that growth can occur, and I'm learning that surrounding myself with those more talented than myself will get me to these uncomfortable zones quicker and keep me there longer.  And therefore I will hopefully accelerate my development as a runner.  I still find value and joy in the aspect of solo running...it develops different areas of mental strength.  Solo running still gives me that much needed reprieve from the craziness of life; but it's nice to know that when I need it I have friends who will be there to round out my training.  Friends who wake up at 5am to run a challenging tempo with you; friends who will run that extra mile (or 2) so that you can finish a long run feeling strong.  I have learned a lot from these friends and I look forward to learning even more.  So thank you to the ladies of the Dukes Track Club for being you and for being in my life!

Running...please enjoy it!

As a runner by night (or the wee hours of the morning) and a statistician by day it’s fair to label me “analytical”.  I love numbers!!!  I love what you can do with them, the information that you can pull from a string of data…plots, charts, graphs, and tables.  Oh my!  It is all very exciting to me.  Running is one of the most quantitative sports.  The data that a GPS watch can track from just one workout can be overwhelming.  Months (or years) of training logs fuel a type-A analysts analytical tendencies.  I review splits, paces, HRs, distances, and total run times with the enthusiasm most people save for watching YouTube at work (or whatever else not-nerdy people get excited about).   But not me…in my spare time I track training trends.  Are my splits improving?  Is a banana or oatmeal for breakfast best?  How much sleep do I require to perform?  How’s my weekly mileage looking?  Etc, etc, etc….

I crave the statistics that my little Garmin can provide.  It feeds the data-hungry beast that lies deep within.  If I happen to lose my GPS signal or have my battery die while out on a run I feel my heart skip a beat, my HR may even increase but I couldn’t ever tell…you know because my watch wouldn’t be working to track it at that moment. How will I ever know how good (or poorly) todays run went?  This loss of quality data provides a crushing mental blow.  By putting all this out there it’s fair to say that I’m addicted to the technology.  Aren’t we all?  We live in a society that is plugged-in 100% of the time…we can track almost anything using the various technologies available today and we may feel lost if we aren’t pulling in as much information as we think we can sort through and make sense of.   The ‘experts’, whoever they are, say to unplug for an hour a day.  Spend your time living in the present.  Enjoy the moment…temporarily release yourself from this fear of missing out.  The same goes for running.  Sometimes it’s okay to run for the pleasure of running.  Enjoy being outdoors, smell the fresh air, feel the ground beneath the soles of your feet.  Don’t be afraid that disregarding paces and splits for one hour will somehow cause you to miss out on your future goals.  I would argue that letting yourself just go [running] once in a while would remind yourself how great it is to run…and therefore increase your potential for meeting your goals.

Running, in its simplest form, is one of the easiest pleasures to lose sight of in today’s hyper-sensitive world.  Put your phone away, turn off the music…take a camera and capture this journey to share with others.  Put please DO NOT post them to Facebook until after you get home!  Slow down (or stop) and enjoy just being away from it all.  For me, being able to harness this “slow down” attitude id harder than it sounds but once I do, it serves as a reminder of why I love to run. 

This weekend I was given the opportunity to shut everything off (and out); to slow down the pace and enjoy the beauty that running delivers.  My husband and I spent this past weekend escaping to a small mountain town which sits at over 7000’ and is nestled deep in the belly of mountain ranges.

After consulting with my coach about Sundays run she advised me to turn the pace off on my watch and not concern myself with my total time or my pace.  Hills and altitude were sure to get the best of me. 

Yes....hills and elevation!!!!!  AUGH!

 It was best I enjoyed my upcoming hilly 10-miler as opposed to enduring it.  And thankfully, I was able to heed her advice and do just that.  I allowed myself to meander through the towns surrounding landscape.  I stopped several times to watch deer make their way effortlessly up the hillsides.  I sat on a rock at the top of the peak for a moment (or 2 or 5) and let the view (and not my effort) take my breath away.  I experienced what few people in our go-go-go society get to experience…complete silence.   In those moments of silence I realized how thankful I am for this beautiful earth we get to live on.  How grateful I am for the ability to get out of the hustle and bustle of everyday life.  I allowed myself to appreciate the mountain air and scenery rather than speed past it, as is all too common in everyday life.

What goes up most go down! Also...check out the fantastic views in the back. 

The ability to escape is one of the greatest gifts that running has given me.  On a regular basis running gives me a quick reprieve from the day-to-day drudgery that is adulthood…but I’m normally forced to be in a big hurry to return.  But every once in a while when I’m out traveling I am given the opportunity to be at one with nature, to escape for a prolonged period of time with no responsibilities awaiting my return.  I can let my thoughts wander every which way without consequence; I can let my pace drop as my mind takes the time to let the splendor around me settle in.  While vacationing is itself a get-away; a 2 hour run can remove you from the tourists’ world and let you explore the secret corners of your destination.  After all, the treasures of the earth (or cities) rarely lie out for all eyes to see.

But first, before I can drink in these rich experiences I have to be okay with setting aside the constant flow of data (and how analysis of such data reflects on me has a runner).  I have to be okay with slowing down.  If I can’t get to that point then I’ll speed past the trees, the animals, the horizons, the views, the small details that when witnessed give meaning to life.  I have to allow myself to be okay with sitting down on a run.  I have to allow myself to enjoy just being out for a run.  I have to settle into just being.

The beautiful wildlife!  Not sure if I've ever seen so many deer all together. 

As a runner I endure tough training sessions.  I enjoy having completed them.  Hopefully more often than not I find some enjoyment while I endure them.  I definitely enjoy the growth I gain as a runner out of working hard.  But running for pure enjoyment is a critical piece of being a successful runner; I think that goes for any aspect of life).  If I can’t find that moment of enjoyment that I am guaranteed to burn out and leave this little slice of personal heaven behind.  Modifying a quote from Gordon B. Hinckley (whoever thought I’d quote him…thanks Pinterest): let’s remember not to just endure our lives but make sure we enjoy our lives.  As a final reminder to myself and others: don’t shy away from stopping every once in a while and taking a moment to smell the flowers (or whatever else brings you pleasure).

Flying

If you run enough in life then one day you might actually take flight.  There is a quote I found by Paul E. Richardson which supports this:

"When you walk one foot is always on the ground.  When you run, most of the time you are actually airborne."

 In his book, Running is Flying, Mr. Richardson goes on to mathematically derive the percentage of time one if actually airborne during a 10 mile run.  Surprisingly, I will not share those details with you all.  This post relates more to the figurative meaning of flying one may experience during a run as opposed to diving into how frequently both of my feet are literally airborne.

Today, 29 Sept 2013, was one of those days where I felt like I had taken flight.  Today was only 7 weeks after beginning to train post stress fracture.  And I was flying...only 7 weeks in!  I felt like myself out there on the road.  I am comfortable saying that I was happier than a pig in mud (or shit).  Seven miles of pure heavenly ecstasy.  Endorphins are the best drug....EVER!

As I stepped out my door to start he cool autumn breeze reddened the apples of my cheeks with chilly kisses.  At the same time the sun beamed down, keeping me warm without ever suffocating me with heat.  The perfect day to have a perfect run.  Maybe it was the weather.  Maybe it was time to remind myself not all [fitness] has been lost.  Maybe something deep inside of me awakened with the change of seasons and that something just needed to stretch its legs. 

Whatever the cause, I felt like myself. 

I have found my stride.

While running on this beautiful day, my mind starting running again as well.  For the first time in a long time I ran like I was competing, like I was going for a personal record, like I was meeting challenges and beating them.  I believe sports psychologists refer to these imaginative scenarios as visualizations.  What I visualize on a good day of running is highly indicative of what I truly desire the most.  No matter how big the goal on a good day of running I can see myself achieving it.  There is no one around to make me doubt myself.  Too be fair and honest I don't always aim high, some days those visualizations center around the carton of ice cream I plan on decimating when I return home, and that's okay too.  But not during these 7 miles... today I was dreaming big!  I was dreaming of hitting low 1:20 half marathons...of winning the Top of Utah Marathon to earn a spot in the Olympic trials.  Today I was reminded of what it is that I want to achieve as a runner.  And more importantly that I have what it takes to achieve those goals.  As I visualized I felt my turnover effortlessly quickening.

Today I was flying.  Today I got to be myself...and it felt great!

Accountability and Deep Thoughts...A Welcome to my Blog

Currently there are two contrasting reasons that together have led me to the decision to sit down and type.  The first and more simplistic reason for joining the blogging community has been my current decision to begin pursuing running and competing at the elite level.  This was a decision that I did not easily arrive upon as I am sure that most of the journey will be an uphill battle of early mornings, conquering physical/mental pain, overcoming injuries, and possibly performance let downs.  But I have decided to begin training in spite of these possibilities to see how far I can go, how good I can be, and to dare myself to understand what I’m really made of.  To find success will require two non-physical attributions…honesty and accountability.

This blog will be my outlet as I experience the highs and low of striving to be great.  My goal of sitting down every week and writing down something regarding the progress I’ve made towards becoming elite will require honesty.  My experience in this world has shown me that honesty with oneself can be an intimidating feat and it’s possible, and even easy, to lie to ourselves.  By coming to a safe place and sitting and writing I hope to be honest in answering the following questions which I feel are important to reach my goals.  Does my work ethic this week reflect my desire to achieve this goal?  Are my priorities in line?  What sacrifices have been made, and are they worth it?  

Being able to come back to these questions at different times throughout training and give honest answers may be challenging at times.  Maybe I skipped a workout with no real reason.  Maybe I chose to stay out late one night and that resulted in a sup-par training run.  Maybe I’m giving too much to trainingand my life has fallen out of balance.  If I ever find myself lying to make sure that the answer appears as I wish, then I need to spend some time doing personal reflection.  I need to spend the time (and keystrokes) evaluating why I’m still pursuing this goal.  I believe that this level of honesty will translate into medeveloping into a better runner.  I will have a record of trends in my attitudes towards training and over time learn how to quickly identify and adjust any negativity before it becomes all-encompassing while at the same time learning how to foster positivity.

The final and really end all be all point of blogging as I chase this dream of elevating my running boils down to accountability.  Can I be accountable to myself?  My coach?  My family? And those who have chosen to follow this blog?  Being faithful to this blog will bring me one step closer to being fully accountablewith myself.  Accountability for me is simple to sum up, show up and do the work that is necessary to get where I want to go.

The second reason that I have chosen to start up “Running on Sundays” is because in the past I have run…a lot.  And a lot of that running occurred on…DRUM ROLL PLEASE…Sundays (shocker, I know).  In typical fashion, my long runs have 99.99% of the time been scheduled for Sunday.  These long runs became very long runs back in 2012 when I trained for my first marathon, the Top of Utah.  Several years ago I put away the headphones and gave up listening to music.  So that leaves me running by myself and with no music.  Hours of solitude…something that is truly a rare treat in these days of constant connection.  Minimizing external distractions forced me to go within to pass the hours, minutes, and seconds.

Several people ask how I can run for 2+ hours without music to distract from my own thoughts.  To that I reply, “It allows me to search the corners of my mind which are typically forgotten, areas of thought that we subconsciously shut down.  I get to know myself in the realest (and sometimes rawest) of ways during those hours.”  Some of the paths that my mind takes me down are motivating & encouraging while others have taken me to dark & lonely places.  Coincidentally these thoughts physically manifest themselves in the quality of my run…mind over matter, I suppose.

Coming full circle to how all this relates to blogging…a year after starting marathon training I still have journals filled with monologues that I have generated over the course of 100’s of miles of solitude.  While my current training is focused on half-marathons that does not keep me from logging hours of time alone and continuing to soul search.  I am finally ready to share the thoughts of past runs and whatever thoughts come up in future runs.  I am ready to be vulnerable by exposing who I am and what I’m made of.  As time (and training) progresses I will share these monologues from previous long runs and current long runs with you all.

I am looking forward to finding the courage to open up to everyone who is out there.  My hope is that each and every one of you will find your own benefit from “Running on Sundays”.

 

October 2013 Running Log

Week of 29 Sept 2013
Sunday (+):
       AM (830): 7 Miles @ 8'41.  Great run, felt like myself out there
                         Nutrition: Pre - Banana/.5 Granola Bar;
                                          Post - Protein Waffles
                         Sleep: 9.5 Hr; napped 1.5 hrs
Monday: Strength Trained/Yoga
               Sleep: 8 Hrs