Training: Week 8, OMG, where have I been?

omg. Running, DUH! That's where I've been. School picked up, family came into town, we went out of town, with that and kids, our house, food, friends, love, a dog and this and that...I've been busy. Less time to write but still running strong.
I've shortened a few of the scheduled training runs- totally okay. It's a vigorous schedule and I'm doing well. It got tough around week 5. My cumulative total after 5 weeks was almost 80 miles (EIGHTY MILES). I was physically exhausted and my body needed to get used to all the steps it was taking! I'm back on track and feeling great. This week's schedule:
Day 1: 4 miles (Tuesday)
Day 2: 6 miles (Friday)
Day 3: 4 miles (Thursday)
Day 4: 14 miles (Sunday)
Again, OMG. That's 28 miles in a week for a total of 154 miles of training. Commitment.

Why am I running all these miles? Why am I training for a marathon?
The level of physical and emotional commitment it requires is huge. Each week I push myself past what I thought was possible. It's an extraordinary accomplishment that can only be done through perseverance. When it gets tough, I keep going. When I don't want to run, I keep going. When I'm tired, I keep going. And all the while I love it. Each time I push through a difficult time I feel proud of the accomplishment. Talk about a boost to the self esteem! To be able to get through 16 weeks of training, almost 400 miles and to run 26.2 miles straight is kind of special. It's a peak experience that doesn't happen very often in life. Like climbing Mt. Kinabalu or having a baby, it's special. To work so hard for something and finish it gives a sense of pride rarely felt on such a scale. I'm running a marathon because it's difficult and I'm up for the challenge.

Training Week 3: Food, Sleep & Training Partners

Week three of training has already begun! I didn't have time to organize my training schedule and mentally prepare for the week yesterday because we had such a busy weekend. I was up until 11pm on both Saturday and Sunday night. As you could imagine, I was exhausted! I'm an advocate of sleep and believe that the appropriate amount of sleep can change your life. Anyways, let's get to the mileage:
Day 1: 3 miles (Tuesday PM)
Day 2: 4 miles (Thursday PM)
Day 3: 3 miles (Friday AM)
Day 4: 7 miles (Sunday AM)
Once again, one mile has been added to the long run. Last week I changed my schedule a little bit and ran two miles on Friday and seven miles on Saturday. After I complete this week my total mileage will be 48 miles. Damn! I've been sleeping like a baby and eating like a teenager.
I'm not sure how to calculate how many calories I should be consuming but I'm pretty sure a pastrami Reuben, fries, coleslaw, an XL brownie, coke, a salad with ranch dressing, a plate of spaghetti and a bowl of cereal all after 2pm is too much. I did burn approximately 1,600 calories running last week but that is no excuse. I'm trying to do things better this week and I hope I can contain my eating after the long run on Sunday.

I would like to introduce my amazing training partners for the marathon, Rudi and Kelsey. Okay, I'm still trying to convince Kelsey to commit but I'm almost certain she will. She is a busy, working mom of two young kids and just graduated with her master's degree in social work from Pitt. Yes, she lives in Pittsburgh which is not ideal training ground in January/February. A colossal challenge? Indeed. Doable for this supermom? Absolutely.
My other training partner lives in Chicago and is Stan's best friend since their days of high school baseball at Hickman field. Rudi is diligently using the same training book (The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer) and schedule as I am. Being in Chicago, he has had to brave the snow for most of his runs thus far. He loves the snow! We are in contact daily to discuss our runs, injuries, icing, socks, shoes, routes and dinners. He has been a tremendous support for me over the past few weeks and I look forward to completing the training and crossing the finish line with him on May 8th.

I'm going to drop Lucky off at Stan's office for a daddy/son lunch so I can get that first three miles of the week taken care of...

More Information Less Fluff: Week 2

It must have been post run euphoria affecting my brain that produced the last blog entry. I'll try to stay away from the fluff as I outline week two of training. Following The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer for week 2:
Day 1: 3 miles (Monday AM)
Day 2: 4 miles (Wednesday PM)
Day 3: 3 miles (Friday AM)
Day 4: 6 miles (Saturday PM)
Week 2 is the same as week 1 with the exception of one mile being added to the long run on day 4. Last week I felt mostly good except on Monday after running three days in a row. That was a mistake. It is absolutely true that one's body needs time to recover. I felt that need for recovery after running 5 miles yesterday. I will try to work my schedule out to have one day off before and after the long runs, especially as they get longer.
One thing I am learning is to relax while I run. Tension can start to build up and throw my form off. When this happens the first step is to recognize it! Then I slow down a bit, drop my arms and envision my foot hitting the ground like a rocking horse. Weird, I know. Stan taught me this idea. My foot hits the ground and rolls from heel to toe in a nice fluid motion. A few moments of concentrating on getting the form back and releasing tension really helps my run go better.
This week's chapter in the book focuses on staying positive and introduces the "...but it doesn't matter." technique. It goes a little something like, "It's pouring rain outside but it doesn't matter." "My knee hurts but it doesn't matter." "I'm too tired but it doesn't matter." "I have no time today but it doesn't matter." It's essentially a way of avoiding excuses. This strategy seems handy in events off the trail as well. "My child is in a bad mood but it doesn't matter." "The person in front of me just cut me off but it doesn't matter." I don't know how effective this technique will be but it doesn't matter; I'm still going to try it out.
I also read an article in Runner's World magazine (Feb 2011) about mantras. I thought the article was great and I look forward to using some of the mantras they suggested such as, "Claw the ground," when going up a hill, or, "One mile at time," when going long distances. Eventually I would like to come up with my own personal mantra including the words "awesome","totally","survivor","run" and "fierce".

I'm drinking coffee and not running.

Well here we are, Day 4 of being snowed in and without a run! I guess Atlanta is kind of old fashioned in that we wait for the sun to melt the snow and ice on the roads. The roads have not been drivable and the trails are certainly not runnable for a rookie like myself. I would hate to risk injury. My Northern running friends (especially Rudi and Kelsey, perhaps cousin Brad) must think I'm a complete and total slacker and I do feel guilt for not braving the conditions to get in a quick jaunt (never thought I'd say something like that). I never thought I would crave the endorphin releasing runner's high. Which brings me to my brother...
He is a 200 lbs, cigarette smoking, beer drinking, video game playi...you get the idea. He told me yesterday that he is interested in running! If he could get a runner's high, I'm sure he'd be addicted in no time! I'm thrilled to hear about his interest and I'm hoping to get him hooked.

How did I start running?

When I was a kid I had vivid dreams about a park. It was a park in the woods with a long, wide trail. In the dream I would be walking down the trail and arrive at a certain point where the trees draped over the trail making a beautiful, shady space. As an adult walking down a long, wide trail in Atlanta, I reached that space. I'm not kidding. It was so familiar to me and I knew the very first time I was there that it was the place I dreamed of. It's a 5K balloon trail along the Chattahoochee river north of Atlanta.
I started walking there pushing Lucky in his stroller when he was a few months old. I would listen to This American Life on my ipod and spend an hour shuffling along. I walked there pulling Lucky in a wagon when he was a year old. I started to jog a 1/4 mile at a time. Eventually, I worked up to jogging the entire 5K. I was motivated to run!
A year ago, I ran my first 5K race and I loved it. The energy of the other runners, the mutual participation in such a healthy endeavor so early in the morning was inspiring to me. I've run a total of three 5K races and a 10K race. My longest distance is just over 6 miles and I've distanced just over a hundred miles since September.
Most of my training for the marathon will be done at the park along the Chattahoochee. It was meant to be.

I'm training for a marathon?

I've never been a "runner". You know, one of those people who have been running for years. They are super fit, healthy, dedicated commitment types who eat oatmeal and oranges for breakfast. They've been running since track in fifth grade and have the latest running gear. No, that's not me. It took me six years to get through undergrad. I'm kind of a commitment-phobe and have trouble finishing things. I get to the very end of a movie and turn it off, read three quarters of a book and set it down, wash the dishes and leave a spoon and a cup for later...
I'm ready for change. I'm ready to make a big commitment and see it through 26.2 miles down the path. I'm running the Kalamazoo marathon in Michigan the weekend of my 30th birthday.