Today ended week 3 (hardest week of a 4 week cycle) of my first cycle back.
Monday: 2000 yard swim, strength/core training
Tuesday: Track workout: 2.5 mile warm-up; 2k cut-down (8:40); 2 lap jog; 4 x 1200.
5:15, 5:12, 5:02, 5:12 500 meter
jog between each; 2.5 cool-down.
Total=10.5 miles
Wednesday: 3 miles AM, 6 miles PM - 9 miles = first time doing doubles in a long time!
Thursday: 2000 yard swim, strength/core training
Friday: 5 miles
Saturday: 9 mile run with 4 miles of tempo
Sunday: 12 miles
Total: 45.5 miles
Highest mileage in a while! The whole week went pretty well. I have been keeping all of my 2k swims under 45 minutes, so I am glad to be consistent with that. Not looking to do anything with those swims right now, other than to supplement my running, but I do like to try to get a little faster as I progress.
Now, to make a long story short, my tempo run did not happen yesterday. There was an issue getting out to the marked trail (I am so bad with directions), and must've missed the entrance to the trail (it's far off from the regular road) on one side (I am used to entering on the Bethesda side of the Capital Crescent and I tried to enter on the Silver Spring side, which is closer to where I live). I swear, I am not a dope - I just mess up directions and finding stuff. So, I just ran 9 miles easy instead, and said that I would include the 4 mile tempo in my Sunday run. So...
I went out to the Bethesda side today, and I swear, the weather we had this weekend was perfect running weather. Yesterday it was in the 50s and today in the 40s. God was smiling down on the runners, I'm sure - it was absolutely gorgeous. So, my plan was to run a 2.5 mile warm-up, 4 miles of tempo (starting at 7:40 and working my way down to 7:20), a 2.5 mile cool down, and then just 3 miles easy to get in 12 altogether. As soon as I started my watch for the 4 mile tempo, I felt so alive and great. There was even a big bridge (read: hill) within the first mile, and I just felt like I was flying - and I was - 7:19! This was faster than what I was supposed to finish, but I think with Saturday's bloopfest, I was so anxious to do my tempo run! Got through the second mile in 7:14, and I just felt like I kept passing people - no one was going to beat me today (even though I'm sure no one else thought I was trying to pass anyone). With 2 miles left, I knew I still had more and more in the tank - 7:00 for mile 3! As I was going down my second bridge, a biker was coming up and looking at the view over his shoulder - coming too close to me! I barked out "Look forward!" and he veered out of my way. I was on fire and that little bit of adrenaline really did it for the last mile 6:46! So, I averaged about 7:05 overall for the tempo. Was really pleased - a very solid first tempo for the year.
And the reason that I wrote that it was a peaceful tempo was that it was so quiet. Even though there were people on the trail, it was very quiet and even my head (where there is always a lot of chatter) was quiet too! It was probably the most relaxed I had felt all week, and maybe that's why it went so well!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Dealing with fear, Spamalot, track
What are you afraid of?
I'm not thinking of things like spiders or snakes, but the other things that aren't hiding under the bed, but crawling around in our heads.
I am in the very early stages of researching a topic for my dissertation. I have some ideas in mind, but no matter what, I am staring down at the starting line of a very long project. We just a department workshop on Friday to talk about the proposal - the document I have to submit (and get approved by a whole bunch of people) - and I am not going to lie, it freaked me out a bit. Because from here on out in the PhD program, things are a bit nebulous and murky. While I have goals about what I want to do and when I want to finish, it is a very imprecise and uncertain thing. And I am a big planner: I like certainty and schedules, and it is a little hard to just have to trust the process.
And I do have some fear with this - it is a tall order and it is definitely something I have never done before. I remember have some fear and skepticism with the marathon - but it was a 6 month process leading up to the big day, not years and years. Everything so far has gone on track with my program, so I should not worry too much. But I still have reason to worry - people don't just crank out PhDs.
So, I am acknowledging my fear - fear of the unknown, but I am hoping that in saying it out loud, I can manage it a little better than keeping it bottled up.
A few friends of mine who are in the program stayed at school working pretty late on Friday. When I was walking home at 10, a little freaked out from the day, I played "Find your grail" from the musical Spamalot. Not only is the song great, but the medieval references are just great - plus, it goes on an on about achieving your goals and saying "you won't fail."
Life is really up to you,
Pretty uplifting and a nice reminder that all big dreams are accompanied with some fear and doubt.
Today, our mini cold spell had broken - the ice was gone, the sun was out, and it was a beautiful day - perfect for a track workout. Quite the opposite of last week's workout: cold and rainy.
2.5 mile warm-up; 2000m cut-down (start at 7:05 pace and get faster with each lap); 2 lap jog; 4 x 1200. Aim for about 5:15 to start and cut down 2-3 seconds per interval, 500 meter jog between each; 2.5 cool-down. Total=10.5 miles
I remember when I first started working with Sarah 2 years ago, I was not always steady with the 2k cutdown. It is a nice way to start the workout, but I used to have a hard time getting a little faster with each lap. Much better this time: I did the whole thing in 8:40 (6:58 pace) and started at 7:05 pace and managed to work my way down. The 2 lap jog is always great - long enough to almost feel like you're starting fresh and hitting the reset button. I was really happy with how the 4 x 1200 went: 5:15, 5:12, 5:08, 5:02. A little too fast at the end, but I felt good, and managed to average under 7 minute pace for the entire workout.
When there is a bit of fear and doubt, a workout like that is a good reminder that things take time and I can succeed. I couldn't have done a workout at this pace a year ago, but here I am today, feeling like I could've pushed a lot harder!
I'm not thinking of things like spiders or snakes, but the other things that aren't hiding under the bed, but crawling around in our heads.
I am in the very early stages of researching a topic for my dissertation. I have some ideas in mind, but no matter what, I am staring down at the starting line of a very long project. We just a department workshop on Friday to talk about the proposal - the document I have to submit (and get approved by a whole bunch of people) - and I am not going to lie, it freaked me out a bit. Because from here on out in the PhD program, things are a bit nebulous and murky. While I have goals about what I want to do and when I want to finish, it is a very imprecise and uncertain thing. And I am a big planner: I like certainty and schedules, and it is a little hard to just have to trust the process.
And I do have some fear with this - it is a tall order and it is definitely something I have never done before. I remember have some fear and skepticism with the marathon - but it was a 6 month process leading up to the big day, not years and years. Everything so far has gone on track with my program, so I should not worry too much. But I still have reason to worry - people don't just crank out PhDs.
So, I am acknowledging my fear - fear of the unknown, but I am hoping that in saying it out loud, I can manage it a little better than keeping it bottled up.
A few friends of mine who are in the program stayed at school working pretty late on Friday. When I was walking home at 10, a little freaked out from the day, I played "Find your grail" from the musical Spamalot. Not only is the song great, but the medieval references are just great - plus, it goes on an on about achieving your goals and saying "you won't fail."
Life is really up to you,
You must choose what to pursue,
Set your mind on what you find,
And there's nothing you can't do.Pretty uplifting and a nice reminder that all big dreams are accompanied with some fear and doubt.
Today, our mini cold spell had broken - the ice was gone, the sun was out, and it was a beautiful day - perfect for a track workout. Quite the opposite of last week's workout: cold and rainy.
2.5 mile warm-up; 2000m cut-down (start at 7:05 pace and get faster with each lap); 2 lap jog; 4 x 1200. Aim for about 5:15 to start and cut down 2-3 seconds per interval, 500 meter jog between each; 2.5 cool-down. Total=10.5 miles
I remember when I first started working with Sarah 2 years ago, I was not always steady with the 2k cutdown. It is a nice way to start the workout, but I used to have a hard time getting a little faster with each lap. Much better this time: I did the whole thing in 8:40 (6:58 pace) and started at 7:05 pace and managed to work my way down. The 2 lap jog is always great - long enough to almost feel like you're starting fresh and hitting the reset button. I was really happy with how the 4 x 1200 went: 5:15, 5:12, 5:08, 5:02. A little too fast at the end, but I felt good, and managed to average under 7 minute pace for the entire workout.
When there is a bit of fear and doubt, a workout like that is a good reminder that things take time and I can succeed. I couldn't have done a workout at this pace a year ago, but here I am today, feeling like I could've pushed a lot harder!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Olympic Trials and First Track Workout of 2012
On Tuesday, I had my first track workout of 2012. First time putting on my racing flats since December 11th, and I was excited. Even though it was 40 out and pouring rain, I was undeterred - I could not wait to get back to speed workout. It always brings a big thrill, and I always get psyched for these workouts. So, this was the task of the first one (and this was a new one for me):
2.5 mile warm-up; 2 x 2 mile tempo on track. The goal is to be pretty
even for each set. So, aim to run the first 2 mile in 7:05 per mile, jog 800 meter recovery, and
aim for 6:55 per mile for the second 2 mile. 2.5 mile cool-down. Total=9.5 miles
Soaked by the time I got to the track, I changed into my racing flats. And I hopped up and down a few times on the track -- all alone, and ready to go. And with the click of my watch, I was off for the first set. I ran 7:03 for the first mile and negative-splitted to finish for 14:03. I was pretty pleased - I haven't done any long sets of spadework like that for a while. And while 7:01 pace is not 5k or 10k pace, it was a good effort. While it had poured during my warm up, it had calmed down a bit during the first set. But during my 2 lap recovery, it started pouring again - not the worst thing - I had gotten hot, and this cooled me down a little. And it stopped by the time I was ready to toe the line! When I started, I felt great but after I hit my first mile in 6:55 perfectly, I was wondering how much effort it would take to repeat or better that. But I did feel good, and it wasn't until the last half mile that I felt tired but kept trucking. And I got through the second 2 miler in 13:43 - a strong negative split! I was really pleased. While in a month or so I'll be hoping to run faster than that, this was a great rust-buster workout. Looking forward to doing many more of these this year!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Looking Toward Houston
The Olympic Trials for men and women are on Saturday in Houston, and I am so excited. I won't there, but will be watching the recap on NBC eagerly. I cannot wait! I got into running in Fall 2008, and didn't start following professional runners until Spring 2009 with the Boston Marathon. So, the Olympics and Olympic Trials leading up to 2008 meant nothing to me - I had no idea that the trials existed. I never had favorite athletes as a child - I never followed a particular team. But in the 3 short years I've been running, I started to follow the professional sport quite avidly. I reading all of the running news daily, and I know the athletes and their stats pretty well. Needless to say, not only am I excited to watch the Olympics in London, I am excited to watch the trials. I have been reading about all of these tremendous athletes who are well known just by their first name: Ryan, Meb, Desi, Shalane, Kara, Magda, Deena. It is so hard to pick who is going to win or make the cut. I think this is one of the beautiful things about this sport - you don't root against anyone. You want these people to succeed because on some small scale as a marathoner, you understand their desire and quest. But, if I had to pick...(w/predicted times)
Men:
1. Ryan Hall (2:08:15)
2. Mo Trafeh (2:08:47)
3. Meb Keflezighi (2:10:11)
(and runner up: Nick Arciniaga)
Women:
1. Desi Davila (2:23:04)
2. Shalane Flanagan (2:25:48)
3. Kara Goucher (2:25:57)
(and runner up Magdalena Lewy Boulet)
We'll see what happens on Saturday. But I am already so inspired by all of these athletes - both those who are hoping to punch their ticket to London and those whose dream come true is to qualify for the Trials. They have put in so much time, effort, dedication, heart, sweat, you name it, into getting to this start line. I just hope they enjoy their journey to the finish!
Men:
1. Ryan Hall (2:08:15)
2. Mo Trafeh (2:08:47)
3. Meb Keflezighi (2:10:11)
(and runner up: Nick Arciniaga)
Women:
1. Desi Davila (2:23:04)
2. Shalane Flanagan (2:25:48)
3. Kara Goucher (2:25:57)
(and runner up Magdalena Lewy Boulet)
We'll see what happens on Saturday. But I am already so inspired by all of these athletes - both those who are hoping to punch their ticket to London and those whose dream come true is to qualify for the Trials. They have put in so much time, effort, dedication, heart, sweat, you name it, into getting to this start line. I just hope they enjoy their journey to the finish!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Promise in Starting Fresh
I am back in DC after a nice 3 week stint in NY. Although, not for long - I am heading to Chappaqua to visit some family over the long weekend. But I'm getting ahead of myself!
This week is off to a good start for a few reasons.
School starts again at my university, which means I am officially a PhD candidate (was a PhD student until now)! And I love the beginning of school - there is always such promise and potential in the beginning of the semester, and I love it. It was a weird feeling though - since I am done with coursework of my own, I did not go into a classroom as a student this week for the first time since I was 5. I am going in as a TA - 4th semester doing this, and for one of my professors who is great -- a class on Medieval Britain. And we got off to a good start.
Yesterday also started my first cycle of training for my spring racing season! I am going to be doing a bunch of 5ks and 10ks this semester, along with the RNR DC Half Marathon on St. Patrick's Day. So, the training will be similar to what I did this fall, but we're looking to alternate running 4 days a week and 3 days cross training, with 5 days a week running and 2 days cross training, so slowly easing back into more running. We haven't set my race schedule yet, but it'll be probably another month before my first race of 2012. My training is off to a good start. On Monday, the first thing I did was a 2000 yard swim in 43:45 - pretty good for almost a month away from swimming. I then went straight to the weight room for about 45 minutes - I am starting to up the weights that I use - hopefully this will make a difference!
And today I had a good run: the task was 20 minutes easy, 20 minutes moderate, 20 minutes harder, 20 minutes easy for a 10 mile run. I haven't done any real speed work in about 6 weeks, so this was a good get-back-into-it workout. The weather was perfect today (50 degrees and sunny - it snowed yesterday though!) and little wind. Sometimes at the 20 minute mark, I have a hard time picking up the tempo, but I did a good job - averaged 7:26 pace for 5.4 miles in 40 minutes. For the first go at speed for 2012, I am pleased. Week 1 is off to a good start!
And today - 1/10 marks one year of going gluten free. Now, there really should be an asterisk next to it - I have not been exactly perfect with my diet, and I also have learned through the past year about foods that are right for me and the foods and kinds of eating I need to watch out for. I found my post from last year on this day. I was optimistic and nervous at the same time. A year has now gone by, with some progress, but also a lot of room for improvement. I hope I can check back in a year and see more improvement.
But at the end of the day, I do like the idea of starting anew. There is hope in the sense of another chance or getting another go at something. We don't necessarily get a clean slate, but we certainly gain the opportunity to write (or re-write!) our own story.
This week is off to a good start for a few reasons.
School starts again at my university, which means I am officially a PhD candidate (was a PhD student until now)! And I love the beginning of school - there is always such promise and potential in the beginning of the semester, and I love it. It was a weird feeling though - since I am done with coursework of my own, I did not go into a classroom as a student this week for the first time since I was 5. I am going in as a TA - 4th semester doing this, and for one of my professors who is great -- a class on Medieval Britain. And we got off to a good start.
Yesterday also started my first cycle of training for my spring racing season! I am going to be doing a bunch of 5ks and 10ks this semester, along with the RNR DC Half Marathon on St. Patrick's Day. So, the training will be similar to what I did this fall, but we're looking to alternate running 4 days a week and 3 days cross training, with 5 days a week running and 2 days cross training, so slowly easing back into more running. We haven't set my race schedule yet, but it'll be probably another month before my first race of 2012. My training is off to a good start. On Monday, the first thing I did was a 2000 yard swim in 43:45 - pretty good for almost a month away from swimming. I then went straight to the weight room for about 45 minutes - I am starting to up the weights that I use - hopefully this will make a difference!
And today I had a good run: the task was 20 minutes easy, 20 minutes moderate, 20 minutes harder, 20 minutes easy for a 10 mile run. I haven't done any real speed work in about 6 weeks, so this was a good get-back-into-it workout. The weather was perfect today (50 degrees and sunny - it snowed yesterday though!) and little wind. Sometimes at the 20 minute mark, I have a hard time picking up the tempo, but I did a good job - averaged 7:26 pace for 5.4 miles in 40 minutes. For the first go at speed for 2012, I am pleased. Week 1 is off to a good start!
And today - 1/10 marks one year of going gluten free. Now, there really should be an asterisk next to it - I have not been exactly perfect with my diet, and I also have learned through the past year about foods that are right for me and the foods and kinds of eating I need to watch out for. I found my post from last year on this day. I was optimistic and nervous at the same time. A year has now gone by, with some progress, but also a lot of room for improvement. I hope I can check back in a year and see more improvement.
But at the end of the day, I do like the idea of starting anew. There is hope in the sense of another chance or getting another go at something. We don't necessarily get a clean slate, but we certainly gain the opportunity to write (or re-write!) our own story.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
8 + 4 = 12 in 2012: Resolutions and Goals
Happy New Year everyone! I spent New Years in Long Island visiting a friend from college (Holy Cross) - whom I hadn't seen a few years. We had a great time, but now that vacation is almost over, it is time to settle down and put some goals and resolutions out there.
And therefore, I present my goal of 8 + 4 = 12 in 2012.
8 = the number of hours of sleep I really need to aim for. My trainer has been trying to get me to get 8 hours for a while, and I just haven't been able to cut it. I thought I would be able to do it this fall, but, with comps, it just didn't happen. But now that the stressful semester is over, I am going to aim for 8 hours of sleep per night. At the minimum, 7. I need to cut out the computer before bed, and just hit the sack!
4 = the bottles/glasses of water I am going to drink per day. I am not great about drinking water throughout the day. Coffee yes, water, no. And I'm not saying I'm cutting the coffee, but I need to up the water!
I expect that both will help me on the road to my 2012 goals:
school wise:
Have a good semester at Mount Saint Mary's teaching my very first college class
Get my dissertation proposal submitted and approved by the fall
running wise:
*Improve on tempo runs
*Be consistent with cross training
race wise (A and B goals)
5k: B: 19:59, A: 19:45
10k: B: 40:59 A: 40:30
Half marathon: B: 1:31:59 A: 1:30:59
There is no marathon goal. I am 99% positive I will not run a marathon this year. I met with Sarah, my trainer/coach last month, and we had a long talk about my long term goals. I think I can be a lot faster than my 3:27 marathon, but most likely I jumped into the marathon too fast. I ran my first marathon at age 22 - many serious marathoners don't debut until much later. And by age 24, I had already run 6 marathons. I hadn't even run 6 halves or 10ks at that point. I really want to succeed in distance running, I need to take each distance seriously and wait a bit before stepping back into the marathon, and certainly before trying to do 2 marathons a year. So I am going to wait, and eventually when I want to return, I am going to be aiming for something like a 3:15 or better. But I am going to be patient and the marathon will be waiting for me down the road.
My next training cycle of shorter distance racing starts on Monday. Just aiming to get some decent mileage in before then!
And therefore, I present my goal of 8 + 4 = 12 in 2012.
8 = the number of hours of sleep I really need to aim for. My trainer has been trying to get me to get 8 hours for a while, and I just haven't been able to cut it. I thought I would be able to do it this fall, but, with comps, it just didn't happen. But now that the stressful semester is over, I am going to aim for 8 hours of sleep per night. At the minimum, 7. I need to cut out the computer before bed, and just hit the sack!
4 = the bottles/glasses of water I am going to drink per day. I am not great about drinking water throughout the day. Coffee yes, water, no. And I'm not saying I'm cutting the coffee, but I need to up the water!
I expect that both will help me on the road to my 2012 goals:
school wise:
Have a good semester at Mount Saint Mary's teaching my very first college class
Get my dissertation proposal submitted and approved by the fall
running wise:
*Improve on tempo runs
*Be consistent with cross training
race wise (A and B goals)
5k: B: 19:59, A: 19:45
10k: B: 40:59 A: 40:30
Half marathon: B: 1:31:59 A: 1:30:59
There is no marathon goal. I am 99% positive I will not run a marathon this year. I met with Sarah, my trainer/coach last month, and we had a long talk about my long term goals. I think I can be a lot faster than my 3:27 marathon, but most likely I jumped into the marathon too fast. I ran my first marathon at age 22 - many serious marathoners don't debut until much later. And by age 24, I had already run 6 marathons. I hadn't even run 6 halves or 10ks at that point. I really want to succeed in distance running, I need to take each distance seriously and wait a bit before stepping back into the marathon, and certainly before trying to do 2 marathons a year. So I am going to wait, and eventually when I want to return, I am going to be aiming for something like a 3:15 or better. But I am going to be patient and the marathon will be waiting for me down the road.
My next training cycle of shorter distance racing starts on Monday. Just aiming to get some decent mileage in before then!
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Closing the Door on 2011
Everyone is recapping 2011, and it's my turn too.
I've run just over 1800 miles. My goal was to run 2000, but it became apparent at the start of the year that running 2000 miles a year may not be the best, given the ITBS that flared up at the end of 2010. So, I cut out some running and substituted a whole lotta cross training: biking, rowing, swimming, elliptical. I didn't always track that mileage, but I know that the double sessions I was doing 3x a week in preparation for Boston really added up!
I ran 12 (ish) races:
February: Freezeroo 8 miler - 57:40 First race post ITBS, and a big sign my plan for Boston was working
March: National Half Marathon: 1:34:37 - PR and qualified for NYCM
April: Boston Marathon 3:27:00 - 9 minute PR and a major triumph
May: Medved Lilac 5k, Rochester - 20:45 - PR, AG winner
June: NY Mini 10k - 46:07 - worst time in a while, but my mom ran her first 10k!
September: 9/11 Memorial 5k - 21:02 - 2nd fastest 5k, and in 80 degree weather - rust-buster race of the fall
Clarendon Day 5k 20:23 - New 5k PR
October: Boo! Run for Life 10k - 42:48 PR - AG winner, first time running a negative split
(Unofficial) 5k track race - 19:57
Marine Corps Marathon: Ran the first 10 miles, jumped out, jumped in to pace my friend Jenny to a BQ
November: Veteran's Day 10k - 41:26 - New PR
Philadelphia Half Marathon + LoopPhest: 1:32:35 - Shiny new PR
Race with Grace 10k: 42:15 - 2nd fastest 10k, and 4 days after Philly
December: Jingle All the Way 8k - 33:31
States Run in: MD, VA (and DC), NY, MA, RI, FL, CA
Races volunteered at: 5
I went gluten free in January, and am starting to show improvement in my bloodwork.
I changed topics in my research, from medieval witchcraft to medieval pilgrimage and piety.
I spent the summer as the Academic Dean of a gifted program in Santa Cruz, and enjoyed my first West Coast experience.
I finished my classes as a PhD student.
I passed my comprehensive exams - one of the biggest victories of the year.
This time last year, it felt like everything was falling apart. And in January, I took it as an opportunity to rebuild - rebuild my body, my diet, my training, everything. The first part of 2011 just felt so hard, and I just had to trust the process. I set out and made a list of goals, and wished I could achieve them - but I was definitely unsure if they were doable. I remember getting up early and walking to the pool in the dark in the morning before school, just hoping it would all come together. And I think that is why I am ultimately so pleased with how 2011 went - things happened because of hard work. I didn't win the lottery or a sweepstakes - everything I "won" came from hard, tenacious work. And that's why 2011 was a good year.
I've run just over 1800 miles. My goal was to run 2000, but it became apparent at the start of the year that running 2000 miles a year may not be the best, given the ITBS that flared up at the end of 2010. So, I cut out some running and substituted a whole lotta cross training: biking, rowing, swimming, elliptical. I didn't always track that mileage, but I know that the double sessions I was doing 3x a week in preparation for Boston really added up!
I ran 12 (ish) races:
February: Freezeroo 8 miler - 57:40 First race post ITBS, and a big sign my plan for Boston was working
March: National Half Marathon: 1:34:37 - PR and qualified for NYCM
April: Boston Marathon 3:27:00 - 9 minute PR and a major triumph
May: Medved Lilac 5k, Rochester - 20:45 - PR, AG winner
June: NY Mini 10k - 46:07 - worst time in a while, but my mom ran her first 10k!
September: 9/11 Memorial 5k - 21:02 - 2nd fastest 5k, and in 80 degree weather - rust-buster race of the fall
Clarendon Day 5k 20:23 - New 5k PR
October: Boo! Run for Life 10k - 42:48 PR - AG winner, first time running a negative split
(Unofficial) 5k track race - 19:57
Marine Corps Marathon: Ran the first 10 miles, jumped out, jumped in to pace my friend Jenny to a BQ
November: Veteran's Day 10k - 41:26 - New PR
Philadelphia Half Marathon + LoopPhest: 1:32:35 - Shiny new PR
Race with Grace 10k: 42:15 - 2nd fastest 10k, and 4 days after Philly
December: Jingle All the Way 8k - 33:31
States Run in: MD, VA (and DC), NY, MA, RI, FL, CA
Races volunteered at: 5
I went gluten free in January, and am starting to show improvement in my bloodwork.
I changed topics in my research, from medieval witchcraft to medieval pilgrimage and piety.
I spent the summer as the Academic Dean of a gifted program in Santa Cruz, and enjoyed my first West Coast experience.
I finished my classes as a PhD student.
I passed my comprehensive exams - one of the biggest victories of the year.
This time last year, it felt like everything was falling apart. And in January, I took it as an opportunity to rebuild - rebuild my body, my diet, my training, everything. The first part of 2011 just felt so hard, and I just had to trust the process. I set out and made a list of goals, and wished I could achieve them - but I was definitely unsure if they were doable. I remember getting up early and walking to the pool in the dark in the morning before school, just hoping it would all come together. And I think that is why I am ultimately so pleased with how 2011 went - things happened because of hard work. I didn't win the lottery or a sweepstakes - everything I "won" came from hard, tenacious work. And that's why 2011 was a good year.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Dreams
In dreams, we enter a world that is entirely our own. JK Rowling, Harry Potter
I don't dream about running much. A friend of mine who played field hockey in college dreams about it all of the time, but I don't dream about running. My dreams have been a lot more vivid lately, but nothing about running. I did have one dream where I got a teeny little dog - most fun one in a while, although it will be a long time before I am ever a dog owner. Because, moneywise, being a grad student with a dog would be - ruff!
Anyways, I don't have dreams about running, but I do dream about running. I don't necessarily fall asleep easily -- too much spinning around in my head. I always thought that as I picked up running and trained more, I would just crash at the end of the day. But that isn't always the case. So, in a way to relax and prepare for sleep, I think about running. But this isn't just about visualization: I fantasize about training for big races - what would it be like to stand in the same race as Magdalena, Deena, Desi, Shalane, Kara. I pretend that I am running in an attempt to break 3 hours in the marathon, or even bigger, qualifying for the Olympic trials. And all of the dreaming and imagining does the trick. Boom, asleep. I may be crazy, but it is fun to pretend. Does anyone else pretend like that?
I flew home to Rochester on Saturday night. I volunteered to get off my afternoon flight and got two free roundtrip tickets in exchange! Pretty excited about that - and I had nothing going on Saturday, so I was completely content to just sit around the airport, watch planes takeoff, read and RELAX! I even got bumped to first class for my flight home, which was fun - nice to get a little pampered.
And now I am at home for a few weeks - wahoo! I am on the schedule of easy running, easy does it. No schedule until January - just get out there, do some runs, some xt, some weights, and just enjoy the holidays! I was planning on running 10 miles on Sunday, but once I got on the road, I felt tired, so I shortened it to 7 instead. And right now - no problem! My dad and I went to the pool yesterday, and we each got in 2000 yards - felt good to get back in the water.
There is not much else to report! Just getting excited for Christmas. My brother came home from college yesterday, so my whole family is back, which is a good feeling.
Can't figure out a clever way to sign off, so ta ta it is!
I don't dream about running much. A friend of mine who played field hockey in college dreams about it all of the time, but I don't dream about running. My dreams have been a lot more vivid lately, but nothing about running. I did have one dream where I got a teeny little dog - most fun one in a while, although it will be a long time before I am ever a dog owner. Because, moneywise, being a grad student with a dog would be - ruff!
Anyways, I don't have dreams about running, but I do dream about running. I don't necessarily fall asleep easily -- too much spinning around in my head. I always thought that as I picked up running and trained more, I would just crash at the end of the day. But that isn't always the case. So, in a way to relax and prepare for sleep, I think about running. But this isn't just about visualization: I fantasize about training for big races - what would it be like to stand in the same race as Magdalena, Deena, Desi, Shalane, Kara. I pretend that I am running in an attempt to break 3 hours in the marathon, or even bigger, qualifying for the Olympic trials. And all of the dreaming and imagining does the trick. Boom, asleep. I may be crazy, but it is fun to pretend. Does anyone else pretend like that?
I flew home to Rochester on Saturday night. I volunteered to get off my afternoon flight and got two free roundtrip tickets in exchange! Pretty excited about that - and I had nothing going on Saturday, so I was completely content to just sit around the airport, watch planes takeoff, read and RELAX! I even got bumped to first class for my flight home, which was fun - nice to get a little pampered.
And now I am at home for a few weeks - wahoo! I am on the schedule of easy running, easy does it. No schedule until January - just get out there, do some runs, some xt, some weights, and just enjoy the holidays! I was planning on running 10 miles on Sunday, but once I got on the road, I felt tired, so I shortened it to 7 instead. And right now - no problem! My dad and I went to the pool yesterday, and we each got in 2000 yards - felt good to get back in the water.
There is not much else to report! Just getting excited for Christmas. My brother came home from college yesterday, so my whole family is back, which is a good feeling.
Can't figure out a clever way to sign off, so ta ta it is!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
My love affair with the pen
I took a detour from writing about running to writing about writing. This is draft one – may come back to this when I get further into the
dissertation:
I’m
in the middle of a 20-year love affair with writing. What I couldn’t illustrate with images as a child, I could
certainly depict with words. And a
tradition was born.
I
think I love writing because all of me goes into writing. My handwriting is my own and no one
else’s. It is messy, frantic, and
even sometimes illegible. “I’s”
and “t’s” go undotted and uncrossed – or dashes fly by two letters too
late. My eagerness to splash words
across the page surpasses any desire for perfect penmanship. Heaven forbid I die before my notes are
transcribed – no one will have the patience or even the capability to read
them.
When I handwrite, I must hold the
pen funny – I certainly press hard – the ink from the page collects and makes a
black mark on the outside of my right pinkie – a stain that grows throughout
the day.
As a child in the car, I always
carried books in the car to lose myself in. I ended up being so engrossed that I barely know my way
around my hometown now – because I never looked up until age 16. But I also sometimes would carry along
a notebook as well, so I could write things down – ideas, stories, lists,
anything. The blank pages
represented promise, not fear. They
promise a future, not a void. And
as a researcher now, my notebook has exploded into a set of notebooks – ringed,
spirals holing all of my thoughts.
I can read over a hundred books in a summer, but the best way to manage
my thoughts on them is to write my notes down. If there was a way to transcribe your brain, I am doing what
I can in these notebooks. And
sometimes, I clutch my computer in the same way, eager to clack away at the
keyboard. The cursor says “go”
even my brain is trying to say “no.”
My fingers fly frenetically.
My pen flies. I love
underlining, bolding, capitalizing, all ways to emphasize the bajillion
thoughts.
When I take notes, I don’t just
take notes in the margins, but I use marginalia
– truly going back to my medieval roots.
Signposting and drawing out those little or big, related or tangential
ideas.
I love the sheer idea of being a writer
– completely in the throes of writing.
Mentally, I am not here. I
am writing in a café in Paris, carefully scripting out my ideas while sipping
coffee that was brought to me by a garçon named François. As the coffee swirls, and the caffeine
stimulates my mind, my eyes gaze off into the distance, perhaps the distant
past or the far-off past. No one
else is in my head. I dictate the
rhythm and flow – sometimes to a steady beat, others more limpid and
fragmented. I salivate at the
possibility of writing in many genres: poetry, free-verse, haikus, prose, the
expository essay. I can manipulate
the words in many ways. I count
out syllables in my head for haikus: marveling how the word “refrigerator”
occupies all five syllables for a haiku line. I can rhyme and reason.
I can, I can, because I say I
can. My writing is not a recipe,
dictated by measuring cups and separating three large eggs. It is not regulated by time or limit: “must
be read by” or “ready-made in 30 minutes or less.”
My love of the pen, the scrawling,
sprawling ink, allows a multitude of vocabulary terms to describe all my
thoughts and beliefs, facts and fictions, all things fortuitous and
delicious.
Why yes, I do love writing words
like delicious, lugubrious. I have
a ravenous appetite for this stuff.
It is an insatiable, unquenchable love for being in a scriptorium, equipped with the mighty
stylos.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Double Header Race Report: Girls on the Run 5k and Jingle All the Way 8k
A little behind in blogging land. While the Philadelphia Half was my last formal race for 2011, I still had a couple races left on the calendar:
2 weekends ago, I ran as a running buddy at the Girls on the Run 5k in DC. It is a program for girls ages 8-13 who meet twice a week and prepare for a 5k at the end of the season. They have coaches and a lot of sessions about body image, girl power, and building confidence. It is a really great program, but I didn't hear about it until midway through the season. So, I signed up to be a running buddy and run alongside one of the girls. The race was really cute: they had a mini festival beforehand with music and face painting for the girls. I was paired up with a little 9 year old name Nina, who had never run a 5k before. She said she was really nervous and asked if it would take a long time. I didn't know her at all, so I had no idea how long it would take. We got into line, and then we were off! About 5 minutes in, she asked if we were almost done. I said, no, we still had a while to go (you can't lie to a child about this stuff - this not even like "are we there yet in the car" - she has to get there herself!), but that she was doing great. And she was - Nina even ran up the hills, and we talk a couple of walking breaks as necessary, and took water at the water stops. I kept cheering her along, yelling words of encouragement: anything to keep her going. After 2.5 miles, her face started to tense up and she looked really uncomfortable. "My stomach hurts," she said - and I felt so bad. But she was so close, so we walked a little bit, and then started jogging again. Right before we hit 3 miles, she asked if we were almost there, and I pointed where the finish line was - that she could actually see it, and that we were going to get there. She ran to the finish line, and we finished in about 37 minutes. It was a very fun race. Nina got a medal, and I was very proud of her. I told her a lot of people who are much older than her have never done a 5k, and that she just did it. It was a great race, a great program, and something I hope to be involved with in the future.
Then this past Sunday, I ran in the Jingle All the Way 8k. This race (in its 7th year) had been a 10k for the first 6, but now that so many people were involved, it couldn't be held in West Potomac Park anymore, so it got shortened to an 8k and moved to Freedom Plaza in downtown DC. I have a special place in my heart for this race. Not only was it my fourth consecutive time running it, but this race as a 10k was my first race ever in 2008. I ran 55:04 back then, and was definitely an inexperienced runner - was jumping onto the sidewalk trying to jockey for some space, wore my Mickey Mouse watch instead of a stopwatch, all the markings of a newbie. So, I like to return to this race each year, in part because it's fun (they give you jingle bells to tie to your shoes), and to reflect on how far I've come in just a few short years.
But since the race wasn't on my formal calendar, I didn't give it much prep. I did a short workout on Tuesday to just remind the legs of some speed, but that was it. Even went to a Christmas party Saturday night and had no problem enjoying some Christmas spirit(s) too. Which is funny, given that I just wrote about my "dry" rule. But, I was just going out with no big expectations in mind. I was hoping to just run sub 7:00 pace. I did my 20 minute warm-up, and while it was cold, the sun was out, which was nice (there was really nasty weather the past 2 years). The new course had a lot of hairpin turns, so I thought that those would slow me down a bit. There was a 20 minute delay with the start, so I actually ran into a Barnes and Noble to stay warm. And then they had everything ready, and we were off! I went through the first mile in 6:38, and I was like, whoa, that is really fast (faster than 10k pace), and I don't know if I'll be able to hold it. Things spread out fairly quickly, and again, I was amazed just how many people were ahead, clocking a really fast pace. The second mile was in 7:02, which had included a couple of those hairpin turns, which felt like I was grinding to a halt trying to go around a cone. Okay, try to find a happy medium. Then I hit mile 3 in 6:30 - my goodness, can I make up my mind on this? There were 2 girls about 50 or so yards in front of me, and I really wanted to pass them. I had almost 2 miles to catch up to them. Then, mile 4 in 7:03 - this was not an in and out workout (Hard/easy) - what was this?! I was starting to get closer to those two girls, and had passed some guys as well. Finally, I was able to pass them fairly aggressively and was determined to just go fast enough that they wouldn't be able to react. I covered the .98 mile in 6:20 (at least I knew how to keep picking it back up, right?), and crossed the finish line very happy about my overall performance.
33:31 (6:45 pace)
25/3024 women
8/832 age group.
I have made significant progress in my running in just 3 short years, and this race was certainly a testament. It was also a testament to what you can do when you don't get too worked up about it either. It was all about going out and having fun, and I did. It was a great way to end my 2011 racing year. Will start dreaming about 2012 soon enough!
But since the race wasn't on my formal calendar, I didn't give it much prep. I did a short workout on Tuesday to just remind the legs of some speed, but that was it. Even went to a Christmas party Saturday night and had no problem enjoying some Christmas spirit(s) too. Which is funny, given that I just wrote about my "dry" rule. But, I was just going out with no big expectations in mind. I was hoping to just run sub 7:00 pace. I did my 20 minute warm-up, and while it was cold, the sun was out, which was nice (there was really nasty weather the past 2 years). The new course had a lot of hairpin turns, so I thought that those would slow me down a bit. There was a 20 minute delay with the start, so I actually ran into a Barnes and Noble to stay warm. And then they had everything ready, and we were off! I went through the first mile in 6:38, and I was like, whoa, that is really fast (faster than 10k pace), and I don't know if I'll be able to hold it. Things spread out fairly quickly, and again, I was amazed just how many people were ahead, clocking a really fast pace. The second mile was in 7:02, which had included a couple of those hairpin turns, which felt like I was grinding to a halt trying to go around a cone. Okay, try to find a happy medium. Then I hit mile 3 in 6:30 - my goodness, can I make up my mind on this? There were 2 girls about 50 or so yards in front of me, and I really wanted to pass them. I had almost 2 miles to catch up to them. Then, mile 4 in 7:03 - this was not an in and out workout (Hard/easy) - what was this?! I was starting to get closer to those two girls, and had passed some guys as well. Finally, I was able to pass them fairly aggressively and was determined to just go fast enough that they wouldn't be able to react. I covered the .98 mile in 6:20 (at least I knew how to keep picking it back up, right?), and crossed the finish line very happy about my overall performance.
33:31 (6:45 pace)
25/3024 women
8/832 age group.
I have made significant progress in my running in just 3 short years, and this race was certainly a testament. It was also a testament to what you can do when you don't get too worked up about it either. It was all about going out and having fun, and I did. It was a great way to end my 2011 racing year. Will start dreaming about 2012 soon enough!
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