Running my First 26K

Last weekend we had a strong snowfall that lasted for three days. Since I am not used to running in the snow, and I thought of all the hazards this weather condition brings along, I decided to stay home. I just did not find it responsible to run on a terrain that I do not know where I am stepping on; I could easily bend my ankle or fall. I also thought of the increase risk of cars sliding and losing control and running over us, especially when we are running on the shoulder of the road. I also thought of my feet being wet and cold for 26k (I have had them wet and cold before be never for 26k). So I decided not to go. Some of my running friends ran and some stayed home. So Today, those that did not ran last Sunday, were planning to pay for our 26k run, while the rest of the group was running just 19k.

But fate is fate and after a week with a fairly nice weather, it has to snow on Sunday again. ARE YOU KIDDING ME!

When training for a marathon it is hard to take two weekends in a row off. So, not really wanting to do it, I had to face the snow conditions today and go for my run. It was not as bad as it was last weekend though, but still, there was snow on the ground and slush on our bodies after cars that drove by threw it all over us.

After running 26k with the weather conditions we had today, I think anything else will seem pretty easy, and I mean it. It was my first time running on the snow/rain. The strides change dramatically so you feel the run faster in your legs. Going up hill (and today we had a few of those), is the hardest thing ever. My legs felt like stuck in concrete buckets and I had to move them with every stride I took. My legs were burning, my butts hurt and my back was all crunched and tensed because I kept looking down. It felt like I was not getting anywhere, like I was running in the same spot for longer than necessary.

There was just one positive thing, I had bought gore-tex runners (water proof), and so no matter where I put my feet in, they were all dry and warm. When I checked the forecast last Friday, I saw what was coming, and I knew I was not going to skip another run, so I headed to the store and got a new pair of trail-waterproof runners. Trail because they have more grip, which helps with the snow/ice conditions on the ground. Waterproof because after sticking your shoes in the snow for so long, plus the rain and the puddles, they eventually (sooner than later) get wet.

I broke all my running rules by using brand new shoes on a super long run. I was afraid they were not going to be comfortable. I should have broken them down on shorter runs first. But, luckily they were fine and served their purpose. They are not the softest runners that I have had, but at least they kept me warm and dry.

26k down in awful weather conditions. Next week’s 29k seems easy as long as Mother Nature does not decide to send another snowfall on us.

My Animal Lover Note:

My Guilty Pleasure

We always have our long runs on Sundays. We start running at 8:30am and, depending on the run, I get home around 11am. The first thing I have to do, once I get back home from my run, is taking a shower. It is the only way my body can compensate from the extreme cold it has been exposed to. Even though it is cold, and therefore I dress for the weather, after running 5 kilometers our bodies are already sweating. This sweat wets our clothes and, with the cold weather, these wet clothes become very cold.

The wet clothes don’t affect me during the first half of the run. My body is still producing a lot of heat and the temperature exchange between body-environment is still working. But when the sweat has damped my clothes, and they have become cold and wet, I start feeling colder and colder. Eventually, the heat my body produces can’t warm me up at the same rate my clothes are cooling me down. This means that by the end of the run I am cold, very cold (we are talking about running during the winter months), so this is why taking a hot shower helps me regaining that lovely, warm body temperature.

And here it is where my guilty pleasure comes: I leave the bathroom and walk straight to my bed, get under the covers and fall asleep with a smile in my face (true story, my husband can testify to it). I take a long, reconstructive, guilt-free nap. After a couple hours I wake up recovered, happy and super hungry.

I have to confess, one of my favourite things about my Sunday runs is the nap that follows them!

My Animal Lover Note

Entering a New World

Since running a marathon is a new experience for me, I have been learning so many new things. For instance, we have been talking about hydration and fuelling. We know how to handle those two things up to 22k, but from there up we are entering a twilight zone. Our water bottles, fueling blocks, and pockets can handle things up to 22k. But what do we do when we start running 25, 30, and 35 k? We will need more water, more fuelling and more storage space. So, I have been doing some research.

To solve my problems, I wanted to try a camel pack. After reading several reviews and articles, written by experienced marathon and ultra-marathon runners, I learned that camel packs are made for hikers and bikers but not for runners. The running version of a camel pack is made by a company named NATHAN. These people are experts designing running equipment. They have two hydration vests: the Intensity and the Vaporshape. These vests are designed for runners, and here is why: 

·         The way they adjust to your body does not let them bounce when running.

·         They have front pockets (front of your body), so reaching for fueling is easy; with the camel pack, you have to take it off to be able to get things from its pockets.

·         It has several front pockets: cellphone, fuelling, extra water.

·         It also has a back pocket, big enough to carry a light jacket or a shirt.

·         The fabric that they use for the vest is breathable and soft, reducing the chances of chafing.

·         It has a 2 litter bladder that is easy to take out for refilling during a race.

Of course I bought a hydration vest. I bought the Intensity one just because it was way cheaper than the Vaporshape. The Vaporshape is the newer version but both of them have great reviews, and they can both carry the same amount of liquid. Hopefully I will start using it next Sunday.

Today I also started doing something new regarding my fueling. I always fuel with Cliff Blocks, but for longer distances I know I have to add something else. When you start introducing new things in your running routine, you got to do it when you are running shorter distances. In case things don’t work, you know at least that it is a short way back home. Since today we were just running 16k, I decided to fuel with a peanut butter and chocolate chip LARABAR. Every walk break I took a bite and drank a bit of water. It was very good on my stomach, it gave me energy, and by the end of the run I did not feel so hungry (as I always do). I will keep experimenting with other food items, like homemade cookies and some fruit. Of course, this is all possible because my new hydration vest gives me enough storage room to carry my Cliff Blocks, my new fueling food, and my cellphone.

My Animal Lover Note:

     

Back to Official Training

I knew it! I am so glad I took it easy during the Christmas Holidays (and by easy I don’t mean I did not work out, I just ran less). I needed a change. I needed to cut down my run days. Now, with the clinic in its way, I don’t care if it is raining, or cold, or dark. It is clinic time and running has a purpose, there is a race in the horizon, and a big one. Having this in mind changes everything. If I miss a running session, I pay it back. The weather stops being an excuse to go for a run, and my cross training sessions are now geared towards my race. I really enjoy this process, the building up, the commitment, the effort. It is a process that always pays back in one way or another.

We are all training to run our first marathon. We all wanted to run one, but we were afraid of doing it. We did not want to train with the traditional marathon group. It has very fast and experienced marathon runners, and we all felt intimidated. The only way we could do this was if we could do it together, and if Ron was our leader; and all these things happened.

There is a big group of people in this clinic, around 30. The group naturally splits into 3 sub-groups as soon as we start running: the experienced marathon runners and the faster people, us (my running buddies), and the slower gang. I find it very particular that we always end up running at the same pace. We are so used to running together that none of us runs with another group.

We just started a new journey, one that is brand new for us. We are all exited and scared. But we are also happy because we have each other to share the journey with, and we are lucky enough to have the best running instructor in the world: Ron Heron.

My Animal Lover Note:

The Need of Racing

It has already been a month since my last race, and I can tell how much of a difference it makes to my running when I know I am training for a race instead of just running. Racing is what makes the difference between a jogger and a runner. Our runs make more sense when they are gear towards getting ready for a race. We runners like racing, we live for it.

When I am training for a race, I never, ever feel like not running. I simply know it is something it has to be done if I want to do well on race day. When I am off season (like this last month) I skip runs very easily (just because it is raining), and usually I don’t feel like running long distances (why would I if a 10-12k workout is more than enough?). I can say that racing is what makes me a better runner, a more committed one.

On the other hand, it would be hard on the body and the mind, to even pretend, to keep the same level of training throughout every month of the year. They would burn out. So, it is good to have these off season periods to indulge in some laziness (which it does not mean not exercising), to change the routines, and to run less. After a while, we start missing the excitement, the commitment, and the hard work that is part of training for a race.

In one more week my off season time will end. On January 7th I will start a new running clinic. This time I will start training to run my first full marathon. This running season will hopefully take me until the end of October, when I will hit the off season months again.

My Animal Lover Note:

What I Have Learned

Last Friday I was talking to some of my running friends about how running has shaped our lives. We were analyzing how running is so different from others sports or ways of exercising. When you are an endurance runner you know it is impossible to compete against others. The only person you are competing against is yourself and your own fears, and this ends up altering who you are.

Although I have never been a quitter, I can definitely say that since I am a runner I have a stronger will, I don’t whine, and I have more courage and confidence to fight until the end. Running has taught me that when you persevere and work hard you see the results; you see the light at the end of the tunnel.

A race is a reflection of what life is. During a race you experience ups and downs; there are moments where you feel high and others where you feel low. You doubt yourself but you also feel confident. There are times that you need others to cheer you up, and times in which you are alone and you have to find the strength to cheer yourself up. It is easier when you are running with someone else but this is not always possible, so you have to learn to run by yourself too. You learn that you need to work hard to see results, otherwise things won’t change. You learn to enjoy the view because if you just think about the finishing line you will miss the journey. You learn that sometimes it is just about enjoying and sometimes it is about pushing the limits.

You learn that the competition is with yourself, no one else. You understand that we are all so different (different bodies, different weaknesses, different injuries, different goals, and different thoughts) that it does not make sense to compete against each other; and here is when you learn to be happy for them. You also learn that, for this competition to make sense, you need to help others to achieve their personal goals. You eventually realize that, there will be so many times, you will need them too to get you through the finishing line.

I used to go to therapy now I run.

My Animal Lover Note:

Running Below Zero

Today I had a very interesting run. For the first time I ran with the temperature below zero. It was -6 degrees Celsius when we started running. Dressing for this kind of weather could be tricky. You want to be warm but at the same time you don’t want to overdress. I know I warm up as soon as I get running, and I hate the feeling of being overdressed as much as I hate to feel cold.

I read once that you need to dress as if the weather is going to be around 8 more degrees than what it is when you start running. So, if it is 10 degrees outside, dress for 18 degrees. This formula always work and has helped me finding the right clothes to reach a comfortable temperature when running.

I am used to running from zero degrees up. I have figure out all those numbers regarding which kind of jacket, top, pants, and gloves combination I need to wear. But today it was a new experience. I think I was able to pull it together by adding an extra layer to my upper body, leg warmers and a tuque.

Just one mistake, next time I need thicker gloves. I can’t run with my hands cold but I can’t also handle them hot, so I have gloves of different thickness to choose from according to the temperature outside. Today I chose some thicker, fluffy ones. They worked for the first half of the run, but later on, since the body heat tends to protect the vital organs when they are exposed to extreme temperatures, your fingers and toes loose heat very fast and it is harder to keep them warm. By the end of my run I could barely move my fingers.

I also had a situation with my running pants. I have a nice pair for very warm running pants. They have a layer of fleece on the inside so they feel really warm and cozy. I hadn’t worn them in a year, because they are the extremely cold weather pants, and when I wore them today and started running they started falling down! I spent all my run pulling my pants up! The good side is that this means I am leaner, and I think there isn’t a woman out there that does not get happy when she finds out she has lost some weight without dieting or putting an extra effort in it.

My Animal Lover Note: