solar squirrel

At seven miles, today was the highest mileage I’ve completed in a while.  Todd was going x-country skiing so I figured I might as well get my lazy butt out and try a run.  Sand Run metropark is our backyard, so I decided that was my best bet since the towpath is too snowy and I hate running on the road.  I cut over to the Sand Run multi-purpose trail via the road so that the terrain would be easier than if I took the buckeye trail.

The multi-purpose trail was still covered in snow, which made it pretty slippery to run on - but it was fairly even snow cover and I was able to run comfortably.  I wore my miracle compression strap on my IT Band.  I love it.  It allows me to train while still recovering.  I really think the reason it has taken me so long to recover is because for the longest time I refused to run or do any physical activity with my legs at all.  This was a bad move.  What I should have done was continue to cross train and include very short, slow runs to keep the blood flow and muscles active.

My pace was super slow - around 9:15 - but I felt comfortable and I figured part of the reason I was going so slow was due to the slippery factor of the snow.  My last half mile was on the road and that was closer to 8:20 pace but was at the same effort.  During my run someone said ‘Hi Amie’ to me but I was zoned out concentrating on my running gait and didn’t recognize who it was.  That’s the thing:  I think I have retrained myself on how to run since the IT band injury.  I take much quicker, shorter steps now as well as focus on keeping my legs from bowing in.  I imagine this controlled form will slowly deteriorate if I run to the point of exhaustion which is why I’m trying to keep my running slower until I can build up a better base.  I need to get ready for track workouts again!  I can’t wait!

The seven miles were pretty much pain-free.  Maybe had a few seconds of 1 on a scale from 1-10, but still felt good.

Yesterday am I got up early (5:30 am!!) to volunteer for the towpath marathon.  I figured the least I could do was go out and cheer on some peeps who were doing it since I couldn’t run it.

We had a BLAST!  Our aid station was about 1.5 miles from Boston store so we all met in the parking lot and walked on the towpath to get to our spot.  There were tables, water, heed, and pretty much nothing else.  It was hillarious because we were contemplating how to mix the heed - which seriously was NOT going well.  The guys decided to pour it back and forth into the buckets and then Frank went looking for a stick in the woods to use (we didn’t use it - Janet did a sprint back to Boston store on a bike to get items we needed).

The real fun started when the runners started coming through.  Frank was CRACKING ME UP!!!  He kept telling the runners these detailed descriptions of heed: ‘this is Heed, it’s a sports drink, but it’s not gatorade…’ and going on and on about it.  Like they care!!  I told him to just tell them it was gatorade!!!  hahahaaa.  OMG and Athena was telling people they were tigers, grrrr!  Then I had an idea to tell people they were hot and to some of the (hotter) guys I would say ‘let’s go hott stuff!!’  ahahahaaa.  Just the silly banter back and forth was way entertaining.  It made up for the fact that we were seriously in the middle of nowhere on the towpath and we were freezing to death!

Now the breakthrough.  I ran 4 miles last week, so I figured I would try 6 yesterday.  I would run whatever pace was comfortable - this is typically around 8:30 lately.  Last week I got pain at 2.9 miles, but I’ve been working on my stride and form.  I notice that if I shorten and quicken my stride it seems to help, so that’s what I did.

8:29 - no pain
8:29 - no pain
8:09 - no pain
8:04 - still no pain!
8:03 - no pain still!!!
8:19 - got nervous - but there wasn’t ANY pain at all!!!!!!!!

I am SO excited about this.  Part of this was mental, too, since I knew I was getting a massage afterwords so I didn’t care if I did experience pain - since it would get massaged and loosened up.  (I have a new hookup for massages - since Maryellen is in massage school!!!)

I’m not sure what to do for Columbus.  I’m thinking walk / run?  I don’t want to run the whole thing for fear that I will overdo it.  At the same time I want it to be a good day of training - so maybe run the first 8 and then speed walk the last 5?  Advice from my professional running friends?

This past weekend was the Akron Marathon.  For the past few years I’ve been on a team of 5, and the past couple have been all women teams.  This year Daisy coordinated an awesome team and still included me even though I am a broken out of shape joke of a runner.  (Ok, that was a bit rough)  Luckily for me this year they changed the distances a bit and the shortest leg was now 2.8 miles - a waste for any of my other team mates - but PERFECT for me, since my ITB issues have caused my fitness level to decline dramatically and my longest run this past month has been a little over 3 miles.

AkronRelay2009

I had the 4th leg which was conveniently located walking distance from Todd’s house on Sand Run Parkway.  I got to sleep in and walk to my relay point!  Our goal was to try to come in top 3 as we’ve done every year before (Kent State always beats us!!), but worst case was just have fun.  (Can I just repeat the fact that I am so happy to have such easy-going fun running friends?  No way would some of the people I know allow for an INJURED SLOW team mate to compete with them).  I figured my slowness would only cost us a few min. since my leg was so short.  I got to the start around 2:50 pace and got to see all the fast runners.  I saw Frank and he looked awesome.  I saw a few relay teams, but it seemed as if we were going to be in the top 3 spot.  I was a few seconds late seeing Christina because they announced the number as 296 and I was anticipating them saying the entire number.  Luckily I was watching for her so I knew it was her without hearing her number.  We had a bit of a clumsy handoff of the 80’s snap bracelette and I was off!  I felt awesome the first mile - catching the female relay runner ahead of me.  She was tall and thin and like a gazelle and I felt like a stomping elephant running next to her.  We had a pretty good pace ~6:35 for the first mile and then the hills started coming and the fact that I’m out of shape caught up with me.  I was so happy that I only had to run 2.8 miles!  The AMAZING thing is that my knee didn’t hurt AT ALL!!!!!  I slowed down and she had about 20 sec. on me when I finished.  I was excited to see Jen and I handed off to her and told her to catch the girl in front of me.  Garmin said I had a 7:34 pace which I’ll take given the circumstances.  I took the bus back to the stadium to watch the finish and had an awesome time hanging out with my running friends.  (And yes - we got 3RD PLACE!!!) How I YEARN to be back into running shape!!!  This was just the thing to keep me motivated.

The relay was Sat.; Sunday I ran my weekly Sunday run w/ Katy and my knee hurt, but not too bad.  (This was the first time I’ve done 2 days in a row).  Monday I swam and yesterday I biked.  I feel like I’m seriously on the road to recovery now.  I just need to stay focused and humble and not try to do too much too soon.  I want 2010 to be my best fitness year EVER.

It has officially been 1 week without running.  Today I am going to run 3 easy miles on the flat towpath with the new pair of running shoes that I bought yesterday.  After Bridget and Steve’s suggestion - I went to Fleet Feet and got fitted.  I was VERY impressed with their service and may start going there regularly.  The young guy who helped us was awesome!  He asked me about my training, if I had any pain, what my planned weekly mileage was, and where I ran (i.e. road or trail).  Then he measured my feet (ULTRA bonus points for not falling over laughing at my insanely WIDE duck feet) and wrote some stuff on a piece of paper, put a dot on the tops of each of my feet, and had me walk and run while he watched.  He had me do it a few times so he got it right.  I was fairly certain that I don’t under or over pronate - since the wear pattern on the bottom of my shoes is even.  He agreed and picked out some neutral shoes for me to try on.

I ended up with some Mizuno Wave Creation 10’s.  They feel AWESOME.  I can’t wait to see how they feel when I run.  They were a bit (ok - for me A LOT) pricey.  But - if they’re going to help prevent injury then they are totally worth it.

Yesterday was my sister’s Birthday so I took her shopping (and to dinner on Friday night).  I had a blast - haven’t gone shopping since before I was laid off from Philips (October).  Bought a bunch of stuff (all on sale, but still).  I can’t believe clothing sizes anymore.  I swear they’ve changed to accomodate our growing bodies.  So the number stayed the same, but the clothing got much larger.  So it gives us this false sense that we’re not getting fat.  Most of my friends are smaller, so I forget that the general population is enormous - until you go somewhere like the mall - and see kids that are pushing 300 lbs and probably have health problems that used to be reserved for 70 year olds.  I guess it’s that ‘everyone gets a trophy’ mentality that is to blame.  We’re forgetting to take responsibility for our own actions - it’s someone else’s fault - someone else’s responsibility to make me eat right, exercise, go to school, get a job, follow the law.  Someone else will take care of it for me, and if they don’t - it’s not me who is to blame - it’s someone else.  Because in today’s world, everyone wins; it’s all happy ever after; rainbows, puppy-dogs, and sunshine.

Last Sunday I did the Planet X sprint triathlon - I went into it knowing I was not in the best shape and would be happy with just finishing but I ended up feeling really good the whole time (except during the swim - thank goodness I brought my wet suit!!) I felt good on the bike and I was talking to people - I scared one person when I said hi to her!  Then on the run I was able to run w/ Daisy, until the end where she pulled ahead and beat me.  It was fun and the weather was perfect!  I ended up w/ 3rd female overall - with Mel and Daisy taking 1st and 2nd.  (And wouldn’t you know it - the 3 of us are part of the Akron Marathon relay - LOOK OUT!!)

This was just what I needed to motivate me to get my butt in gear and start a more regular workout routine.  After Sunday’s good turnout, I managed to get in a track workout on Tue, a trip to Westbranch for some mountain biking on Wed, spin class on Thurs, and a solid 12 miles running w/ SERC today in Solon.  Now, for many people I know 4 days of workouts is a joke - but compared to what I’ve been doing this is PHENOMINAL!  I plan to slowly get myself back to 7 days/week.  (Using my swim day as a rest day).  At least for the summer I should be able to handle this, but once school is back in session I’ll likely fall apart again.

Planet X results:

Swim (1/4 mile):  7:12
Bike (11 miles):  36:12 - 18.2 mph
Run (5k):  23:04 - 7:26/mile

At the finish - still feeling good!

Thanks Joey for the pictures from Planet X!  Someone told me they saw pics of me from it and I was thinking it had to be from Joey playing photographer!

My blog needs updates…but I’ll get to it on a day that I don’t have a million other things to do.  For now all you need to know is that my newest goal is to run a 3:30 at Towpath.  (and not die doing XTERRA this year…)

On Monday 4/20/2009 I did something I never thought I would do - I ran in (and finished) the Boston Marathon.  I remember telling Elizabeth there would be NO WAY I would EVER run a marathon.  And then, slowly, sneakily, she managed to get me to consider at least doing a trail marathon.  In my mind that really didn’t count, since it was on single track trails in the lush woods of Michigan.  So in my mind trail running doesn’t ‘count’ since you typically go slower and the wear and tear on your body isn’t as traumatic as running on the pavement.  Plus - you’re out in the wilderness with nature.  It’s natural.  To me running with thousands of people on streets that are meant for automobiles isn’t my idea of fun.  I’m not excited by crowds and pollution.  There *might* be one exception.  Just one.  I would consider doing the Boston Marathon if I ever qualified, but I knew that would never happen, so I didn’t have to worry.

Well, you see, I have this really insane group of friends who just happen to all be a part of this crazy running club - SERC that I’m a member of.  The girls in SERC are some of the best runners in N.E. Ohio, and they got it in my head that I would be able to qualify for Boston, despite the fact that I thought there would be no way.  Elizabeth and Janet informed me that the TowPath marathon was a Boston Qualifier - and it wasn’t a road race.  So I started training for it and incredibly I was able to train at a pace that would just get me qualified - 8:18.  Janet and I ran at TowPath together and both qualified for Boston, so that was it - I was in.

So began a rough training plan, which was interrupted by massive amts. of school work, getting laid off and going on interview after interview in search of a job that I wanted (and finally got!!!), getting stuck for an extra week snowed in in Oregon, starting a new job and immediately traveling, etc, etc.  Needless to say, I was not properly trained going into Boston.  But that was fine, my goal was only to finish.  Enjoy the experience and have memories of doing something that a lot of runners never get to do.

I was lucky that I was going with 2 seasoned veterans - Barb and Elizabeth - who coordinated everything from the hotel and flight to when we would go to the expo and what time we would wake up on race day.  All I had to do was follow their lead.  It was a perfect way to do Boston as a first-timer.  I didn’t have to worry about anything.  Basically the only thing I had to take care of on my own was the actual running and even that was low stress because my intent was just to finish.  I honestly didn’t care what my time was as long as I finished. 

The weekend was so fun.  We went to the expo first thing Sat. am and we didn’t have any crowds to deal with.  Unfortunately I had a terrible headache so I made Elizabeth leave the expo before she was ready so that I could find some excedrin.  We headed back to the hotel so I could rest a bit and then I was feeling MUCH better.  Let me just interject to say how altruistic Elizabeth is - seriously.  I’m sure everyone that is reading this who knows Elizabeth already realizes this, but she is such a great person.  I am so fortunate to have her as a good friend.  Ok - so after the expo and my shopping spree buying $300 worth of Boston Marathon stuff we went to lunch at Legal Seafood.  I guess it’s a tradition to go there Boston weekend and I know why!  The food was so good and the service was excellent.  We ended up having a big group because some of the guys joined us so it was a fun time listening to them talk about their expectations for the race.

Lunch at Legal Seafood

Fast forward to race morning.  We were up early and I stumbled out of the hotel room to the Starbuck’s which opened at 5 am.  Got my coffee and got dressed and the 3 of us (Barb, Elizabeth, and me) headed down to the lobby to meet the rest of the group.  We walked to the area where there were tons of busses lined up waiting to  take the racers to the start line.  For those who don’t know, Boston is a point to point race, not out and back, so you get bussed to the start.  Our hotel was at the finish, so we had to take a bus to get to where the race starts.

Once we got to the race start location we went to the *secret* church location.  Not sure how SERC found out about the church initially, but it was very convenient because it was warm and there were bathrooms without a line (and no one was there except SERC people!).  So we hung out there before it was time for everyone who was in the first wave to leave.  I left with them even though I was in the second wave - I wanted to see the elite men start!  After I left my friends I found a good spot to watch the start and I was able to see the elite men start - Ryan Hall was right out front.

Then it was time for me to line up.  They have corrals based on your qualifying time.  Because I qualified with a 3:38 I was in the 2nd wave.  (Fast people get to go in the first wave).  It was insane how many of us there were…there was some talk over the loud speaker and then we were off!  The first 10k was tough because I was trying SO HARD not to run fast.  I was getting passed left and right.  I knew not to run fast, though, because then I wouldn’t be able to enjoy it as much.  The entire time I just was in awe at the vast no. of people there were!  It was insane - as far as I could see in front of me - hundreds and hundreds of runners!  But the runners weren’t the only people - the crowds lined the course.  The cheering got so loud at one point that my ears were ringing.  When we passed Boston College (I think that’s where we were) there were students holding signs that said ‘kiss me…’ - it was so crazy!  I passed a blind runner who was tethered to a guide.  I passed a man pulling an oxygen  tank, I passed the inspirational Hoyts…  It was just one incredible event after another.  At one point there was a group of old people in wheel chairs waiting to get their hands slapped by the runners.  They were all lined up along the road watching the runners go by.  I hit all of their hands. It was so motivating.  I think I drank too much water because I had to stop 3 different times to use the bathroom, but it didn’t matter.  I was just trying to enjoy every minute of the race.  I took my gels at mile 12 and mile 17.  When I got to heartbreak hill I didn’t realize I was even there.  I think that hill is a bit over-rated.  (Though - I was running / walking super slow, I’m sure if I was racing it would have seemed challenging).  Towards the end I was getting cold.  I took my gloves off and left them and I should have kept them because the weather got colder as the day went on.  I was freezing as I neared the finish and would have been more comfortable if I would have kept them.  The last turn before the finish was great - I knew I was almost done and the crowds were out of control.  I can’t believe how many people there still were all around me running - you would think with such a slow time I would have been alone, but I was surrounded by other runners.  I finished smiling and was pushed through the crowd of other runners waiting to turn in their chips and get their medals.  We all got space blankets and it was a sea of silver crinkled masses.  I was so so so so cold by this point that I was starting to loose it.  I needed to find my bus so I could get my drop bag and then head to the warm hotel.  I had to ask 3 different times which way the Marriot was because I was so lost in the massive crowd of people.  On the way to the hotel I stopped and sat down because my feet were killing me and I was incredibly cold.  This girl came up to me with a wheel chair and asked me if I needed help.  It was so pathetic.  I told her I was fine, I was just really cold and I got up and headed back in the direction of the hotel.

Back at the hotel I was welcomed by Barb and Elizabeth - who had both gotten PR’s.  And wouldn’t you know it, Barb got FIRST PLACE in her age group!  We were going to get to go to the award ceremony with the likes of Ryan Hall and Kara Goucher!  That in itself was worth the trip - seeing so many elite athletes was amazing.  And my friend Barb was one of them!  After the awards we went and ate some wonderful Italian food and then off to the post race party!  The post race party was a lot of fun - including free massages and a free oxygen bar.  I had never tried an oxygen bar and it was SWEET!  They had different ‘flavors’ - including peppermint and floral scents.  It was awesome!  It kind of made you feel a little light headed, but good.  We all tried it out and Elizabeth got some really silly pictures (check them out on her facebook).

It was a great weekend with a great group of people.  I just wish I wouldn’t have had school commitments - but next year I’ll be done with school so look out!!!!!!

Here’s a link to the photo’s that I took:

Boston 2009

Yesterday was a cold, rainy, yucky day.  I told myself if I went running in it I would reward myself with a new pair of running shoes (which I needed anyway - I’ve been running on the roads in my trail shoes because I didn’t want to spend any extra $).  I bought some cute pink Asics which have tons of support.  I’ll wear these at Boston.

So I forced myself to go out in the rain and run.  You know - it wasn’t so bad!  I wore shorts, technical Tshirt, and a light fleece and gloves.  I was cold for about 20 seconds when I first walked outside and then I was perfect.  The rain wasn’t too bad at all, and I was out on the towpath by myself.  I like running on the towpath when no one else is around because you can hear the river.  It sounds really neat splashing along.  Plus you can hear the birds now that the weather has warmed up a little.  I didn’t wear my watch, but I felt like I was running pretty fast.  I only ran like 5 miles because I didn’t have much time so I was running a bit faster than I normally would.

Thank you everyone for the wonderful words of encouragement and congratulations on my new job.  I’ll be posting info about it once I officially start on April 6th.  I’m so excited!

Tonight I’m going to Ray’s indoor mountain bike park.  I’m a little nervous as I haven’t been on my mountain bike for MONTHS!  Oh, well - it will still be fun!

First my training:

Monday:  Swam w/ Brian (we talked a lot but managed to do a ladder)
Tuesday:  Track workout - 2 * 800 and 4 * 400 with ~2:30 rest.
Wednesday:  7 mile trail run.  Fell hard and scraped up my knee and leg.
Thursday:  Rested after falling
Friday:  Swam w/ Kristin and Sharon
Saturday:  No working out - worked on school stuff basically all day
Sunday:  ~17 miles w/ SERC at 8:20-ish pace.  Laid tile in Todd’s basement.  Exhausted.

I need to get on the bike ASAP if I think I’m going to be doing any triathlons this year!  I am so excited about spring and outdoor cycling (road and mountain).

Now a super awesome update:
Last Sunday I got an email from the HR director at Aclara RF telling me she was in the process of putting together an offer letter for me!  This is precisely the type of job I wanted AND in the industry I wanted!  (Product Marketing Manager in the AMI - advanced metering infrastructure - industry).  I of course accepted the offer and I am scheduled to start on April 6th.  If you were wondering, no, I was not working with a recruiter to find this job.  That’s because recruiters told me that I wouldn’t be able to make a career shift into marketing.  Well, I refused to work for an industry I didn’t believe in doing work that I’m not excited about, so I went off on my own and found a growing company in an exciting industry.  I can’t wait to learn all about their products and help them become more successful.  After I ‘officially’ start I will provide more details and updates.

*It was actually 19, but I’m calling it 20.

What a great day for running yesterday was!  I planned to run w/ SERC again yesterday since Dawn showed me a really nice 20-mile route that goes out to the Polo Fields off of Chagrin River rd.  Bridget needed to get in 20 so she and I planned to run together at a pace that was comfortable for both of us.  I honestly don’t care too much about the pace when I’m doing anything longer than 12, I just want to get in the miles.  So her awesome hubby stashed gatorade and water for us at the 8/16 mile marker (that’s mile 8 and mile 16 - same spot) and we were set!

I was really impressed with our pace - which was sub-9 almost the entire time.  We had intended on 9:30’s but seemed to get into a groove at about 8:50 so we stuck with that.  I felt awesome until a little after the turn around.  It could be because we stopped for a while - had gu, drank water, used the bathroom, stretched - I think for next time I need to keep my rest time to about 3 min.  When we started back up I felt like I had stopped for too long and it was hard for us to get back into a rhythm.  (That was ~mile 12).  By the time we were at the top of the hill at 91 I was DONE.  Sore legs and super super super super SUPER hungry.  I was dizzy I was so hungry.  When we were back at the bagel shop I realized I had only done about 19 but at that point I either stopped and ate something or passed out.  Bridget had another mile in her and she kept going!  She’s out of control!!!!  She set out to do 20 and that’s what she intended to do!

I need to remember - one gu for 20 miles isn’t enough.  I need something w/ protein like a cliff bar or I just can’t do it.  Also - thank goodness for the water/gatorade that Steve left for us.  It helped break up the run because we used that as a target to get to.  My legs feel great today - no muscle soreness at all - just a little stiff in the ankles when I got out of bed.  (Which reminds me I have to buy some road shoes…I’ve been running in my trail shoes because I am trying not to spend any extra $, but road shoes are an essential item so I will maybe buy some today - and I may have some super exciting news about a job - you’ll have to stay tuned for that!!!!)

I also have some great news about my ENTP project.  I’ll save that for another post - check back soon!

Sunday was our SERC running club banquet and the Youngstown Half marathon.  Last year I did pretty well - finishing 10 min faster than the year prior.  I approached this year knowing that I would probably be slower due to the fact that it’s been difficult to get a regular running routine down since being laid off.  I know that doesn’t make any since at all, but it’s really hard when each week is different than the last.  I’m balancing an incredibly intensive course-load this semester - 3 classes that all require TONS of work outside of class.  Adding to that are random interviews, career fairs, networking events, etc. that require prep. time and travel time.  I never know what my schedule is going to be from week to week.  It makes it difficult to plan a regular workout schedule.  I’ve been putting tons of miles on my car driving back and forth to school, interviews, networking events, presentations, lectures, class group meetings, class interviews, and class presentations.  My time on the phone has also increased.  I had to increase my monthly minutes from 450 to 900 because I’ve been on the phone so much trying to nail down things for my class projects and getting tons of calls from recruiters who I wish would not bother me.

Side note on recruiters:  I hate you all.  You don’t care one micron about helping me find a career - you only care about getting your freakin’ money.  You are worthless and don’t understand software.  You mispronounce industry terms and don’t say acronyms correctly.  You are totally and completely without credibility or tact.  You are nothing but a poorly trained telemarketer who is lacking social skills and industry knowledge.

Anyway - needless to say I’m having issues staying focused on training.  Sunday at Youngstown I was reminded that I need to start putting more miles in.  I was only a few min. slower than last year - but I was really sore afterwords.  I’m still sore today - 2 days later.  My finish time was 1:47:13 (8:11 pace).  I’m not too terribly disappointed with this, but I would have like to have been faster or equal to my time last year.  In order to do that I need to run more - but I DREAD running by myself.  I just can’t do it.  I’ve only gotten better as a runner because of running with others.  Running alone is like running on the treadmill - I don’t like it one bit.  I used to religiously run Tue and Thurs with work friends at lunch.  I don’t have that anymore and boy do I miss it.  I can’t tell you how much I miss it.  It’s like a part of me is missing.  Ugh.

So here’s the good news:  It’s going to stay bright later now that the time has changed so I can start going to the track again Tue nights.  I’m planning on going tonight.  Bad news is that I’m moving out of Solon because I don’t have an income and my sister and I both don’t have jobs.  Solon is a great place to live if you’re a member of SERC because that’s where the Sunday runs are and we do track workouts at Solon High School.  What am I going to do in April when I don’t live there anymore?  I guess I’ll just enjoy these next weeks that I have while I still have them.  Hopefully I’ll get a job near solon so that I can at least still do track workouts after work without a long drive.  I know I won’t do them if I don’t have anyone to do them with.