Milestone (Emphasis on Mile)

Last year I ran 753 miles and change.  That was an improvement upon 2009's mileage which was 704 and change.

Today is September 17, 2011.  My year-to-date mileage after this morning seven mile run is 755 and change.

There are still over 100 days remaining in the year.

I'm in such a good mood.

Perspective

Summer training has proved to be challenging. Teaching, traveling, and participating in the fellowship of the word processor has eaten up my time and my energy. Spending all day in a classroom at UC Merced seems to be affecting my fluid intake. I just don't think that I am getting enough water for what I need. I'm spending quite a bit of mental energy writing. I have a five page paper due tomorrow, and I'm not sure that the two pages I've already composed are going in the right direction.

I took too many rest days this week. Or perhaps, I was wise to take them. I'll never really know for sure. My weekly mileage this week was only 18 miles. Eleven of those miles I ran this morning.

Disappointing.

My overalls goal was to increase my weekly miles because I felt like I ran too few miles for my marathon training. I wanted to make 30 mpw my new normal. I still do. I just find the heat to be a formidable opponent.

Instead of wallowing in the mire, I thought that I would see how many miles I ran last summer. I wanted a bit of perspective.

From June to this time in July last year, I ran a total of 21.87 miles.

During the same time period this year, I ran a total of 94.12 miles.

Clear progress.

I may not be hitting the 30 mpw that I want, but I am getting there.

Cross-Training: Rock Climbing

I've tried resistance training with little success in sticking to the program. Doing reps for the sake of doing reps was never enough motivation for me. It was all very abstract.

At least with running, I cover a concrete distance.

This is partially one reason why I loved rock climbing. Resistance training and covering a concrete distance! Progress is palpable! And like running you can sort of get in a zone and not realize how much you have ascended until you pause to look down/look back.

Here I am ascending a climb called Bake Sale; it earned this name because the rock just bakes in the sunshine and burns up your hands. I happened to take my rock climbing class on a Yosemite day that reached temps in the 90s. This is the sort of day most recreational rock climbers won't climb because the rock heats up to uncomfortable levels.

As rock climbing was new to me, I encountered struggles. As a runner, I should be no stranger to this. My instructor in trying to comfort me told me that climbing is like a hybrid of ballet and chess.

I'm comfortable with the idea of being a ballerina. I was even an adorable ballerina one Halloween in elementary school. But I lack the patience to be a decent chess player. I had to slow down and read the rock.

That is probably a metaphor for a lot in my life.

As a bonus: I aggravated/reinjured (maybe) my calf strain in my left calf. This does not dissuade me from future climbing opportunities!

Dwell

Lululemon Athletica used an Emily Dickinson quote as a status update today.

Dwell in possibility.

Upon reading that I dwelled on the word dwell. I do this often. I enjoy the fact that the word pedantic sounds pedantic. I love the fact that the word hoi polloi sounds foreign and, therefore. out of reach of the hoi polloi. A dwelling is a home; to dwell can mean to inhabit or live in a place. But we most often use it in that sense. We used it to mean to think upon a subject at length--usually something negative. The thinking is so exhaustive that it is akin to living in that thought pattern. Taking residence. In negativity.

I like the idea of taking residence in possibility.

I'm trying to dwell in the possibility that I can train better.

I may be on my way.

This week I logged over 24 miles. My long run was only 7.3 miles. I ran six out of seven days. I also did the INFERNAL ab workout from the Nike Training Club app. (I need a pre-beginner level!)

I realize that 24 miles a week isn't that spectacular, but when I look back over my marathon training, I can only count four weeks in which I logged more miles. One of those weeks was the marathon.

I deserved the time I earned with that training.

Why did I only run (on average) four days a week to train for my marathon? Because I dwelled in fear.

My half-marathon training plan that I am following for the SF 1st Half Marathon calls for six days of running with strength training following short easy runs.

I ran the six days this week and it wasn't what I feared it would be. For nearly four years, I've followed a pattern of resting (or light cross-training) the day before and after a long run. I didn't think that you were allowed to run the day after a long run. Hal Higdon says I can and I should. Even though my long run was only 7.3 miles today, I am looking forward to an easy run tomorrow. I won't have a rest day until Thursday.

I hope that this round of training will amp my mileage up to where it needs to be. I'd like 30 mpw to be my new normal. I love the fact that I have the power to change my normal. I like dwelling in that possibility.

I also like dwelling in a good nap. The sort of nap where you curl around your body's exhaustion satiated with the knowledge that you are repairing the fatigue and the ache. Six days of running after a week of total rest meant a superb nap.

I just now need to dwell on the possibility that I can run in the heat once it arrives. That's a challenge.

I can't believe I do this for fun.

Pre-2007: I was large. Technically I was extra-large. After the birth of my son in 2003, I had to venture into Lane Bryant to purchase an outfit. This was only once. I somehow skinnied down to be able to fit into the largest size in regular clothes (most likely vanity sized clothes).

Then one day in the summer of 2007 I had lunch with my Soul Sister from middle school and high school. She is the girl who understands when I reference Pink Lemonade Snapple and purple sunglasses. She understands and can analyze any alarming dream that I have. She gets it. The people who truly knew you when you were fourteen are powerful and wise. You can't lie to them; they can't lie to you. The relationship is too old to deal with those sorts of shenanigans. She and I need to have lunch soon. Adulthood often interferes with plans like those.

That day at lunch upon parting I told her that I had parked a couple blocks away. I made an off-hand remark that I needed to start walking to lose weight. She reminded me that I said that last year. I had said it. And I never acted on it.

But that summer I did. I struggled through 60 second intervals of running sandwiched between 90 second or two minutes of walking. I can't remember exactly, but I remember thinking how hard it was. I proceeded through the very popular Couch to 5K program. I can remember my dread at imagining running a five minute interval; I can remember my delight when I accomplished five minutes of running.

Repeat that pattern of dread and delight for the next four years as I progress to 20 minute runs, 30 minutes runs, a 10K, a 10 miler, my first half marathon, my first 14, 16, 18, 20 mile training run, my first 21 miler, and my first marathon. And I took delight in every new shopping trip as I slimmed down size after size after size.

Now that I've shown to the doubting me that I can cover the distance, I need to refine my training in so many areas.

Area #1: Speedwork and Tempo Runs. I'm actually going to run the tempo runs at true tempo speed this time around. I've promised myself that I would. No more cheating myself. I'm not sure I am ready for track workouts though. Ugh.

Area #2: Hills. My "hill" isn't long enough. I plan on taking advantage of my four-week fellowship at the University and run the hill from the parking lot up to the library multiple times in the 3 pm summer heat. It will be awesomely painful.

Area #3: Long Runs. I need to run them slower. This is actually hard.

Area #4: Cross-Training. I'm weak when it coming to doing anything other than running. I'll use the elliptical, but if I were being honest with myself I would realize that I am essentially running. I have a rowing machine, but I am just continuing to strengthen my legs. I need to work on my core and arms.

My gams are smokin'.

Nike helped me with the initial foray into running. I used that Nike+ system for two and half years religiously to record my mileage. Somehow that data was motivating to me. It still it. I know that I have logged over 2,800 miles since starting running in 2007. I like knowing those numbers. I am looking forward to hitting 3,000 miles because that is essentially the distance between San Francisco and New York City Halls. I like imagining that. I dumped Nike for Garmin; Garmin is a better training partner. I just have to use it more wisely.

But Nike just might be my savior yet again. They have this free iPhone app called Nike Training Club. I just tried it out today. I did the 15 minute Ab Buster workout.

Oh.

My.

Goodness.

That was bloody hard.

Clearly, I have no strength. I am a wobbly mess. Running for three hours straight seems easier than those fifteen minutes.

Clearly, this failure and weakness is extremely motivating for me because I will conquer these damned workouts. I will.

Clearly, I have a twisted version of what to do for fun.