MBE: Lessons Learned

Monday Brain Exchange (MBE) is sponsored by Jill, who blogs at Finishing Is Winning. This week's topic is Lessons Learned.

Question: It goes without saying that anytime you challenge yourself, you learn something. What are some of the things you have learned on your own personal journey through fitness, whether it be from triathlon, running or just simply training?

I've had a long day, and I'm too sore to blog because I ran 7.5 miles without any walking this morning, then spent the day at Typhoon Lagoon where we had to climb more stairs than I should have, so I'm going to keep this short and in top 10 bullet form. I'm sure this list is not exhaustive, and in random order.

1. Nobody knows my body as well as I do, and what works for them may not work for me, so take their advice with a grain of salt.
2. I like running alone more than I think I do.
3. Don't start a race too fast or a possible PR will quickly turned into a PW.
4. There are no easy fixes; to see results you have to put in the work and it takes time. Lasting results take longer, but they are much more rewarding.
5. My body is capable of way more than I know, but I have to push my limits my own way and in my own time (because my brain is not always on the same page as my body).
6. I've run through heat, humidity, rain, and freezing temps. If I miss a run, I obviously didn't want it bad enough =P
7. Through trial and error, I've learned to tell when I'm being lazy vs when my body needs a rest day.
8. Setting goals (e.g. registering for a race) helps keep me motivated to not skip workouts.
9. Running is addictive :)
10. Always run your own race -- see #1

Race Report: Firefighter Challenge and Stair Climb

Well, I survived the Firefighter Challenge, and it was indeed a challenge. It took me 11 minutes to get through it, which was slower than I expected, but I also didn't plan on doing it in firefighter gear, so that slowed me down a lot. I wore a firefighter suit (pants and jacket) for the whole thing (plus an oxygen tank during most of the stair climb), and those suits are super warm; I was sweating the instant I put it on. Here's a summary of what we had to do:

1. sprint across the parking lot
2. pull a weighted fire sled walking backwards
3. ceiling breach and pull (pull a stick attached to the sled up and down 10 times)
   
4. pull a charged fire house across the parking lot
5. turn on the fire house and "put out the fire" (aka knock over a cone)
6. run around the parking lot to the maze (what!? why?)
7. crawl through a maze with reduce profile and save the baby
8. climb 19 flights of stairs, which I did wearing an oxygen tank for the first 12 flights 

Running in the suit was a challenge in itself. I was out of breath by the time I finished putting out the fire and began the run around the parking lot to the maze. Whose idea was it to add that to the challenge? My guess is that it helped spread out the field.

By the time I got to the maze, I was glad to take a break and crawl on my hands and knees. I thought having a baby doll in there for us to save was a nice touch, but I was basically dragging it around the maze so I am sure it wouldn't have made it out alive anyway. When I exited the maze, with the baby, I was already exhausted but kept running towards the stair well.

For a split second, I considered not wearing the oxygen tank for the stair climb (it was optional, just like the suit), but when the guy asked me I just said sure. I regretted that decision the moment he put it on, but I was determined to get the full experience. The tank was so heavy that I could barely manage to walk up the steps, let alone try to run. I was so hot with all that gear on, that I was overheating and I just wanted to stop but kept at it. I was breathing heavily and barely moving, but somehow was making progress. I wanted so badly to take off the tank, but I didn't even have the strength to do that.

When I got to the 12th floor, one of the volunteers was walking up with me and carried the oxygen tank to the top for me. That made a HUGE difference. My legs no longer felt like led, but I was so beat that I still couldn't run. I was so glad when it was over and they stripped off the firefighter suit. The guy who walked up the last few flights with me was concerned for my health and kept trying to get me to go see the EMTs, but I knew I just needed some air and water. That did the trick.

The official results show that it took me 3:52 to complete the outside obstacle course and 7:08 to climb 19 flights of stairs. I finished 17 out of 21 in my age group, 38 out of 43 women, and 111 out of 121 overall. I'm just glad I wasn't last, but these results are a bit skewed because not everyone did the challenge with gear on so those that wore regular clothes or didn't wear the oxygen tank up the stairs could move much faster. I considered doing the challenge again without gear to see how much faster I could finish, but I was exhausted and hungry. We headed to IHOP for a well earned breakfast instead.

View more photos on Flickr.

MBE: Summer Racing and Week 20 Recap

Week 20 Recap

Not much to report this week, so I'm combining my weekly recap with my MBE post. I've been on vacation for the past 2 weeks, and that seems to have extended to exercise too as the only thing I did last week was run a half marathon yesterday. I guess we could say I really mastered tapering =P I did walk about 2 miles yesterday to the farmer's market and Publix, but I couldn't be bothered to do much else. I'm hoping to get back to my workout routine this week, and maybe get in the pool at least once before my first triathlon on less than 3 weeks. Yikes!

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MBE: Summer Racing

Monday Brain Exchange (MBE) is sponsored by Jill, who blogs at  Finishing Is Winning. This week's topic is  Summer Racing.

Question: What are your summer race plans? Are you trying anything new this year? What race are you looking most forward to?


May is my month to try new things, and so far it's gone great. I played paintball, did Muddy Buddy with Jason, and ran my first out-of-state race, the Bay to Breakers 12K, in costume. I'm going rock climbing on Wednesday, which I've done once or twice before but it was many years ago, and then on Saturday I'll be tackling the Firefighter Challenge.

I'll spend the rest of the summer ramping up millage for my next marathon in November and doing a few sprint triathlons for fun and cross training. My heart is still not into swimming or biking, but I'm hoping that I'll catch the triathlon bug after the first one in June. It won't be pretty, but I'll finish. If it all goes well, maybe I'll train for an olympic triathlon in September, but that will be a last minute decision.

This will be the first time I train for a fall marathon, so it will be interesting to see how I do with the long runs in the heat -- in previous years I didn't start running long until Sept/Oct -- but we usually start as early as 3 a.m. so it should be ok. I'll probably also do a few shorter races if I can fit them into my training schedule, and try to run that sub-30 5K. You can see my planned racing schedule so far at the top of the sidebar on the right.

How about you? What's in store for you this summer?

Race Report: LBLO + Virtual Rock Your Socks Half Marathon

This morning was the Left Behind Left Over Half Marathon (LBLOHM), which I'm also using as my run for the Rock Your Socks Virtual Half Marathon. The LBLOHM is an unofficial race put on by Track Shack's Marathonfest/Galloway training groups to commemorate the end of our winter session, and to give those of us not traveling out of state for a spring half or full marathon a goal race. Everyone brings snacks for a post-race potluck, and Track Shack provides leftover bibs, medals, shirts, and other goodies.

I woke up around 3:45 am before the alarm went off, and got dressed in shorts, my galloway singlet, and my newest bondi band purchase (pictured to the left). Isn't it the cutest? This will now be my official race day headband :) I also wore a wrist sweat band to wipe off excess sweat off my face because I knew it would be a very hot and humid race when it barely felt cool when I stepped outside to check out the weather at 4 am.

This was indeed the warmest half marathon I've ever run (previous ones were in December and February), so I'm thrilled that I managed to push myself hard and finish 13.23 miles in 2:35:38 @ 11:45 pace, which is a new PR by 3+ minutes. I hit the 13.1 mark in 2:33:41. I was really hoping to finish under 2:30, but sub-2:35 is a much more realistic goal -- especially considering the weather -- and I gave it my all until the very end. Even after learning we had run a little extra, I pushed to the finish line anyway. I started slow, using 2:1 intervals and was almost last, then picked up the pace halfway passing a ton of people, but I still couldn't speed up as much as I wanted. I won't bore you with all 13 mile splits, and although they were not perfect splits, I did negative split the two halves (as well as the each quarter and third) -- my average pace for the 1st half was 11:54 and 11:36 for the 2nd half.

After the race, there were plenty of snacks available, but I knew I couldn't stomach any of the sweets.I settled for a banana and ice pops instead, then ate a friend egg and bagel when I got home. I also went home with some nice track shack tech shirts. This was a great way to end the winter season and get me excited for marathon training starting in two weeks. Next week I'll be tackling the Firefighter Challenge, then June 5th is the Galloway group kick off and magic mile time trail. I hope I can push myself and run the mile in under 9 minutes. We'll see.

MBE: Summer Running Tips

Monday Brain Exchange (MBE) is sponsored by Jill, who blogs at  Finishing Is Winning. This week's topic is  Summer Running Tips

Question: The heat is on its way (and for some has already made its arrival) and the summer is getting close. What are some of your tried and true summer running tips for staying safe and cool in the heat?

Like Jill, I too prefer running in the summer than the winter because it is not very motivating getting up early and spending longer bundling up in layers than it takes to complete a short run in freezing temps. Running in the heat has it's own challenges, so here is how I dealing with them.

• run in the morning before it gets too hot, or run indoors. I cannot stand the treadmill, so getting up early is my only option. I actually prefer to exercise in the mornings, so this works out well. Besides, I'm not going to be racing indoors or at night, so I need to acclimate to the heat.
• hydrate! During the winter, I can easily run 4-5 miles with no water. In the summer, I need water after 2-3 miles. Even though I hate carrying anything while I run, I use a handheld water bottle for short runs and a hydration belt for longer runs.
• wear appropriate gear aka wicking fabrics. I never run in cotton; it doesn't breath well and takes forever to dry, so it will weigh you down and make you feel hotter. You don't need to spend a lot of money on tech shirts; C9 by Champion has a nice selection available at Target for as little as $10. You can also find other brands heavily discounted at places like Ross or outlet stores. I also wear bondi bands to keep the sweat out of my eyes, and usually a hat and sunglasses to keep shield me from the sun.
• wear sunscreen. I'm really bad about remembering this one, mainly because my darker complexion means I don't get sunburnt easily. However, that doesn't preclude me from getting sun skin damage so I need to be more diligent. Not all sunscreens are created equal, so take a look this guide to help you find one that works for you.

Week 19 Recap

I've been on vacation in San Francisco most of this week, so there has been no swimming or biking for me. However, I've done plenty of running and walking, and the hills more than make up for it :) We've also been cooking most of our meals, and still sticking to a vegetarian diet, so hopefully I haven't put on too much weight. I've been eating a lot of sweets though, so who knows, but I'm having a blast and can make up for it next week. Below is a summary of some of the things we've done so far.

SF Activity Summary

• Ran down Marina Blvd with Golden Gate bridge in the background (we're planning to run ON the bridge on Tuesday)
• Ghirardelli Square (where I acquired a bag of 80 chocolate pieces that's slowly dwindling)
• Night Waterfront Segway Tour
• Tour of Industrial Light and Magic, including behind the scenes reel
• Bay to Breakers Expo (which was rather disappointing, but made good use of the stick booth)
• Saw new Robin Hood movie for free
• Visited Rodeo Beach/Cove and Sausalito
• Ran Bay to Breakers 12k

Workout Summary
See details on Dailymile

• Monday - ran 3 miles in 35 minutes
• Tuesday - packing for SF trip
• Wednesday - walked 6.6 miles around SF
• Thursday - ran 3.1 miles in 33 minutes (new non-stop 5K PR)
• Friday - around the world abs - 20 reps each
• Saturday - REST
• Sunday - Bay to Breakers - ran 7.57 miles in 1:29; walked 5 miles

Week Totals (rounded)

• run/walk - 26 miles = walk 12 miles (3x) + ran 14 miles (3x)
• bike - 0
• swim - 0
• strength/core - 12m (1x)
• yoga - 0
• exercise hours - 6.5 hrs (7 sessions)

Accomplishments

• Bay to Breakers

Race Report: Bay to Breakers 2010

See more photos on Flickr

I ran the Bay to Breakers 12K this morning, and it was awesome! We're definitely coming back next year and dressing up, but I will not wear a wig -- though it did help keep me warm in the breezy morning.

We awoke before 5 am to get into our costumes, hopped on a bus by 6 am, and were lined up at Corral C by 7 am. We lined up at the front of the corral and enjoyed admiring all the costumes while we waited for the 8 am race start. It wasn't long before the famous tortilla toss began (you can see a blurry tortilla above our heads in the pic to the right). While we waited, a lot of people asked us to pose for photos, and Jason even got interviewed on camera about his awesome costume! How cool is that?

My main goal above all else was to have fun and take in the full experience. I initially planned to run using 2:1 or 3:1 intervals and take photos during the walk breaks, but I abandoned that idea and let the excitement carry me. I figured I'd walk every mile or so, or at the water stops, or whenever I saw a cool costume I wanted to photograph. While I know I can run this distance faster, I'm pleased with a sub-12 min/mile pace since I ran most of the 7.5 miles without walk breaks, except for the big hill and 2 water stops. I chose to walk up that entire hill, and take photos, so I wouldn't deplete my energy for the rest of the race and still enjoy myself. After a quick pause at the water stop at mile 5, I picked up the pace for the last 2.5 miles and made up all the time I lost walking up the hill.

The costumes were abundant and really creative, both from the runners and spectators. Running in costume is so much fun, and I am starting to embrace the running skirt. It is no more or less comfortable than shorts (since I had some underneath) but it sure is more fun! :) The course itself is gorgeous and pretty fast -- except for the one big hill, the course was fairly flat and the 2nd half was downhill. I wish I had taken more photos, but I think I captured the essence. You can see all the photos in my B2B Flickr Set. We intended to hang around after the race to see some of the costumes and take more photos, but we were were freezing. So after a quick photo we found Chris and walked back to the apartment for a hot shower, change of clothes, and a warm meal.

Below are my stats:

• Garmin - 7.57 miles in 1:29:15 @ 11:46 min/mile pace
• Chip Time - 1:29:13
• Overall - 10999th of 24304 (top 45%)
• Female - 4232nd of 12477 (top 35%)
• F30-39 - 1375th of 3512 (top 39%)

Friday Five: Bay to Breakers

I picked up my race packet today and was underwhelmed by the expo, but I'm still excited about the race. I plan to have a blast running with friends and taking lots of photo breaks :) So here's my short and sweet post for today, my top 5 reasons to run Bay to Breakers (subject to change on Sunday after I actually run the race =P):

1. It's a great excuse to visit San Francisco -- as if I really need one ;)
2. Running in a costume is fun
3. It's exciting being part of such a huge race (60K+ runners/walkers)
4. New distance = automatic PR
5. Hills build character

Here is another 99 Reasons to Register for Bay to Breakers.

Three Things Thursday: SF Hills, SF Run, Segway Tour

#1 I walked 6.6 miles in the San Francisco hills yesterday, and I'm a bit surprised that my calves and hamstrings are so sore. It was an incredible workout, and the last mile was carrying groceries uphill then 4 flights of stairs up to the apartment. Running Bay to Breakers on Sunday out to be interesting.

#2 I went for my first SF run this morning, and it was awesome. We ran along Marina Blvd. to an amazing view. I ran 5K in 33 minutes! That's my fastest time for a non-stop 5K and only 50 seconds slower than my 5K PR. With a little speed work, I know a 30 minute 5K is possible before the end of the year. Splits: 10:58 - 11:03 - 10:12 - 7:58 (46s)

#3 We ended the day with the Night Waterfront Segway Tour, which was awesome! After a quick training session, our small group of 4 plus the tour guide took to the streets of SF. I was surprised to learned we were riding on the streets and that it's illegal to ride on the sidewalk. This worried me a little at first, but quickly got over it when I realized it's no different than riding a bike on the street. I was a bit apprehensive of riding up hills, but it wasn't too bad. Riding downhill was a bit scarier, but you quickly get over that too. Our first stop on the tour was the pier where we could ride around on our own and enjoy the amazing view  at dusk of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the boats on the harbor, and Ghirardelli Square. Then we rode around the city while our tour guide shared fun facts. It was quite chilly, so I'm glad I bundled up. My feet were freezing and I still felt cold despite wearing a ton of layers. After the tour, we rode the bus home with a big bag of Ghirardelli chocolate squares. Yum!

One Green Thing: Air Travel

We flew to San Francisco today, and I have to admit that the thought of green travel didn't even cross my mind when we planned this trip. It seemed like the perfect topic for today's blog post, so I sat in the airport in Dallas during my lay over researching it. I know it's a little late now, but maybe I can apply some of what I learn to the return trip, or be pleasantly surprised at what we may have already done without trying.

As a general rule, flying is not very green because of the huge amount of carbon emissions planes produce. However, there are a few things we can do to reduce the impact on the environment. I'm going to use this article from Planet Green, 5 Ways to Green Your Flight, as a guide for the rest of this post.

Book a Direct Flight

You don't have to tell me twice! I would obviously opt for a direct flight when available for a reasonable price, but now I have another reason to make this a priority next time. I had no idea that about 50% of the carbon emissions released by airplanes come from the takeoff and the landing. So having a lay over on your flight increases the impact significantly, not to mention the extra fuel burnt while idling on the runway. Our flight had one stop in Dallas, Texas. I didn't book the flights, so I am not sure if a non-stop flight was an option. We often can't control this, but I'm going to look into all the extra costs (both financially and environmentally) of both options the next time I book a flight.

Choose a Green Airline

We flew on American Airlines, who has apparently just introduced 76 new greener jets to their fleet that get about 28% better gas millage than their older jets. I don't think that we flew in one of these planes, but it's good to know they are taking a step in the right direction. We also had e-tickets, although we still got a printed boarding pass upon check-in. It would be nice if it was completely paperless -- letting me check-in online and pull up the boarding pass on my iPhone to get scanned at the gate.

Buy Carbon Offsets

I didn't even know this was an option, but I'm looking into it and will certainly be buying my share to offset this flight as well as the impact of our car. The idea is that you calculate the carbon emissions produce during your flight and pay that money to fund a project that reduces greenhouse gases. I'm still doing a lot of research on this, and will likely write a future post about it, but I was astonished to learned that 1 flight can produce more emissions than a car does for an entire year. Of course, driving to San Francisco would not have been feasible or practical, but we can still do our part to offset our impact.

Don't Use the Airplane Bathroom

I had no idea this had such an impact, consuming about six miles worth of fuel. I never look forward to using these anyway, and when you have to go you have to go, but I'll be more mindful of going before I board from now on.

Pack Less

We packed one big bag for the both of us that weighed 53 lbs, and we each have a carry-on backpack. Despite our best efforts, I think we could have packed less. I have to admit, I think I packed more workout clothes/gear than every day clothes because weather is unpredictable. I initially packed even more than I brought, but I managed to downsize some at the last minute. I never thought traveling as a runner would prove to be more complicated, but I'll learn efficiencies and streamline it as I travel now.

Additional Tips (of things we tried): 

• go paperless as much as possible: e-ticket, phone receipt, etc.
• bring an empty water bottle in the carry-on, and fill it at a water fountain after going through security instead of buying overpriced drinks on the plane and contributing to the use and waste of plastic cups
• pack snacks to eat on the plane and at destination instead of buying overpriced and unhealthy food at the airport/plane
• go grocery shopping at destination and cook instead of eating out -- this may not always be possible if there is no access to a kitchen, but even keeping healthy snacks around can help.
• walk, rent a bicycle, or take the bus for transportation instead of driving
• plan ahead to reduce spending on one-use items

Resources

• Should You Fly or Drive?
• 5 Ways to Green Your Flight
• One Bag - The Art and Science of Traveling Light
• Top-Rated Carbon Offset Companies
• Choose a Green Airline
• Book a Direct Flight and Reduce Emissions