kaqphin (Super Cat's) Mentor group - CLOSED (Page 14)

hope the headache goes away.

Britt- your sprint is one day before my sprint!! Also a pool swim and its at my campus so getting there will be easy and I get to watch all the olympic distance people go in the morning before my afternoon heat. 

The transitions for my race are weird because they plan for the rain.  They have you put all your stuff in a garbage bag and put it in a tent just outside the indoor pool so that's where you change for T1.. then you have to run around the outdoor pool, and across a parking lot and into another parking lot to where your bike is. I'm leaning towards just wearing my SPD commuter shoes so I can run across the parking lot to the bike and they're warmer in winter. Then I guess my running shoes will go in another garbage bag next to my bike.

On another clothing point... I am having a hard time figuring out my running wear.  I've got the bike figured out.  But running in near freezing temperatures is proving a bit more of a challenge.  I HATE being cold but when I workout i also get REALLY hot and sweaty. My body temperature just fluctuates a lot.  I have a nice pair of tights that keeps my lower body warm, and then I wear a short sleeve top under a breathable water resistant windbreaker (at least that was the running store said) since it's usually drizzling, with gloves and a hat.  Sometimes I wear one of my cycling long sleeves tops if it's dry. So I am cold for the first 5-8 minutes.  Then feel great, but by 20 minutes I'm overheating.  I am starting to think about my running race in a month and what to wear.  Tying the windbreaker around my waste works, but it's annoying.  Any other suggestions?

"

How was everyone's weekend?

I went for a run and tried wearing a few less layers at the start and it worked good.  Still got over heated a bit from a vest I was wearing so I think I may just try to ease into wearing less at the beginning and adjust to being a bit cold at the start. Mother nature couldn't make up her mind this weekend.  Pouring rain friday, snow storm saturday morning, and the rest of the weekend was blue skies and sunshine!!

Stayed on track with my diet over the weekend too!! But the price has been paid. I'm up a couple pounds.

goals for the week:

Actually do 2 strength and core sessions this week

Drink more water!

Avoid dessert. 

Hey team, I am still out here.  Still have my cough, but it is 100x better.  I am back on my training plan.  I had a good weekend, it was really cold here in Charlotte.  There was snow, rain, sleet and sunshine.  I am doing well with my eating, I am still staying between 1,200-1,500 calories.  But, Friday and Saturday a week ago, I was really sick and didn't eat much at all, so I am paying the price for that now.  My body went into the "starvation mode" so it is hanging on to everthing.  So, I am still 5 pounds down in 2 1/2 weeks, but so far it hasn't moved since my last official weigh in last Wednesday.  Oh well, I will just keep doing what I am doing and adjust if I need to later.

Sounds like everyone is doing very well.  I am really trying to make this a lifestyle change and am still struggling with that piece.  I need to just develop a schedule for eating and working out.

This past week went pretty well.  I got my long run in yesterday and it was a really encouraging one in that it was the first time I wasn't terrified of marathon distance at the end of it and actually thought, "I can do this and not die." I really wish I could get outside on the bike, but the weather just doesn't want to cooperate on the right days.  I need to tweak my training schedule as I didn't take some things into account (like my pool being closed on federal holidays-which would be today), so that's on the to-do list.  I'm going back forth on the healthy eating--not that I'm eating horrible at all, I just have some good days and then some not so good days (no really bad eating days) where I probably have one too many snacks--but nothing too critical really, so I'm not concerned with it.  This week's goals is to continue to get my mileage in--it'll be the last big week of running before I start tapering for the Austin Marathon which is something I've literally been training for over a year to do.  I had planned to do the San Antonio Marathon in November, but that was before my unit got extended in Iraq (we were supposed to come back in August and came back in November instead)...so this has been a long time in coming and training.  This week also needs to be one where I use my time better. I'm guilty of just goofing off and not doing some of the things I need to get done...so, while not tri-training, it's something I want to focus on this week.

I really have appreciated the swim advice on here and have already seen it work...I realize I haven't thrown out much advice myself on my strength, which apparently is the running piece of it, and I know many of you have expressed your struggles with it...so I will share some of where I have been and where I got to where I am now...it may be a little long, but hopefully it's encouraging too. 

In High School I decided I wanted to go to West Point (the US Military Academy) for college.  I was active in sports: basketball, volleyball, softball, swimming in the summer, shot put/discus, but was not a runner.  I could run up and down the courts or around the bases, but I hated it otherwise.  I wouldn't say I was fat, but I was over what I should've been weight wise, and I'm short legged and long bodied (which doesn't make for a natural runner) and never saw any reason to run far.  The Army has a physical fitness test (APFT) that consists of a 2 mile run, 2 min. pushups, 2 min situps.  So, I knew I'd at least have to meet those standards.  At the same time, I ruptured my ACL in my right knee in basketball and my senior year of high school I had to have reconstructive surgery on it. While that was going on I was accepted into West Point and doing physical therapy and wearing a robo-cop type knee brace.  I started running and two miles was so hard...my folks kept pushing me to get out there cause I was headed to West Point that summer, I needed to run...so I got to where I could 2 miles at the Army minimum standard of about 18 minutes (I'm 17 years old at this time)...but that was on the flat land of Houston, TX.  West Point isn't flat--it's hilly and during cadet basic training runnining kicked my butt. I hated it and it hated me. I just passed the PT test and that's it.  I got better throughout my time there, but still hated running and only did it because I HAD to do it...so I wold run 3 miles at most just to get faster for the 2 miler and the fastest I could ever push 2-miles (and this is dying at the end) was about 16:15 minutes. I graduated at that speed.  That summer after graduation I knee I was about to become a platoon leader--an officer in charge of leading 30 other Soldiers and leading by example was way important to me.  I could do push ups, sit ups, other exercises forever, but my running was not so hot (in comparison to my peers and what I would need to do as an officer) and I finally got motivated.  I ran that summer, I ran and ran.  I started running by time: I will run for 30 minutes, I will run for 40 minutes, and kept just moving that time up and I got to the point where running 6 miles was easy for me because I had adapted my body to doing that, and the more I ran the faster I got.  By the time I got to my officer's basic course in the fall I had dropped my two-mile time literally 2 minutes and was running in the 14's with a little more than 7 minute miles.  That summer I beat the mental barrier--I had literally told myself before that due to my body type I would NEVER be able to run fast.  I had a friend tell me once, Britt, you'll run in the 14's some day, I'd bet on it.  She should've...once I got through that mental barrier of I can't to I think I can my runs improved INCREDIBLY, and not only that, I found that I actually liked it and made 5-7 miles runs part of my regular lifestyle and it helped me keep my times fairly good.  One of the first things I did as a platoon leader was take my PT test with my platoon--and I beat the majority of the platoon--not just the girls, but majority of the platoon.  The respect points that earned me were priceless as a leader in that job.  That only built my confidence.  No major breakthroughs in running happened between my tour in Germany, my first tour in Iraq, and coming back to the US in the fall of '06.  The breakthrough came when I deployed the second time...the first time was a great tour for me, the second time I was stuck in a stressful staff job with long hours of the same thing everyday, 7 days a week, for 15 months.  When we first got into country they were advertising for the Baghdad Army 10-miler, and I said you know what, I'm gonna do that. I have never run 10 miles, and I don't really need to run any further than that, but if anything getting a Baghdad 10 miler t-shirt would be cool.  So, in Oct '06 I did that race there in Baghdad and I finished the 10-miler in 87 minutes, just under 9 minute pace and I was happy with that...and I realized I really enjoyed it and it had been a stress reliever to train for it.  So I just started running, and running got further, and I was joined by a friend, and we both started running 10-12 miles a few times a week and it was truly therapy to run, to chit chat and vent while we ran...it was the only time of the day we owned as our own even if it was 5AM and we occassionally had to duck in bunkers to avoid mortars/rockets (seriously).  So, we decided to run a marathon--that would be the end goal of it all...and we just kept running.  People thought we were nuts, and we liked it that they thought that because we were tougher than they were, we were doing something they wouldn't attempt (can you tell egos are involved in the military).  I ran my first 1/2 Mary in May when the Indianapolis 500 Festival hosted a satellite race in Baghdad like their 1/2 Mary there.  It was the first time I'd run that far and it was great! In July, when my friend convinced me I should do triathlons when I got back to the states and I found this site and started really cross training, eating much healthier and lost weight, the time began to FALL off my runs and I could continue to do more, go farther, and be faster.  Thanks to Uncle Sam extending us, I had the opportunity to run the Baghdad 10-miler in '07--this time I did it 10 minutes faster than I had the previous year and I was thrilled.  I was sold at this point thanks to BT and thanks to the habit my body had made running.  That puts me where I am today--a running fool.  I love it, I crave it, I get a little crazy when I can't do it, and I now embrace the challenge instead of avoid it.  Running the 1/2 Mary in Houston was incredible--and I tell you what, just 1 1/2 years ago I was telling my friends running marathons that they were crazy and here I am less than a month from my first one.  I am NOT a natural runner. I DO NOT have a runner's body.  What I do have is a love for challenges and ability to set goals and go for it with all I've got.  If I was to cite the three top things that helped me improve my running it would be:
1. Conquering the mental barrier--this happened when I started running just for time and worked up to where I could run for an hour (regardless of speed--even though that got better).  This was huge. I had to get past the "I can't do this because it isn't natural for me."  When I did that, my running future became wide open!
2. Increasing distance- I was stuck at just running low mileage and this didn't really train me for anything but that distance, meaning that distance beat me everytime cause I needed to be able to go beyond it.  As you can, increase your distance, regardless of speed.  If you get to where you can do 2 miles instead of 1, I assure that you 1 will become easier and faster cause you now can pour more into that 1 cause your body is trained for 2.
3. Shedding some pounds- My time really started melting when I lost about 20 lbs between July-Nov '07...the lighter you are, the easier it is to run.  I still would like to lose some more as my legs could stand to lose some--I'm 5'3 and about 133lbs, so I'm not a stick at all.  I lost weight simply through healthy eating with a focus on whole grains and fresh veggies/fruits and watching how many calories I took in vs. how many I was expending.

So, there, in a quick nutshell--cause i surely could write more--is my running story.  Here I am, a month from my first marathon and I legitimately think it's possible for me to maybe run a 3:40--and if I do that'd be Boston Qualifying.  I ran a distance PR of 20 miles yesterday and I can't believe I can do that that!  I'm grateful for what I've discovered God has given me and found I gotta use it.  I've gone from the girl that hated running with a passion to a girl with a passion for running and is actually good at it!  ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE! 

I have picked up a lot of good running tips, techniques in this time, and never have a problem offering some specific advice, so if you have questions, I can't assure answers, but I sure can try or at least tell you what worked for me!

I think I better go get my housework done now...hope this has helped or encouraged in some way. 

thanks for that Britt.  You totally made me think its possible for me to do a marathon someday

The mental barrier is HUGE for me.  So I am looking for advice.  I have friends who have years of base as runners built up and they are quite fast.  And they hear about the number of hours of training I am putting in so they assume that I am "fast" as well. Currently my response to them when they start talking about running is "yeah, but I'm the slowest runner in the world!" or "I suck at running, but I do it"

I actually used this language this morning over a conversation at breakfast with someone much faster than I.  Then he and I had a conversation about the demoralizing effects of trying to keep up with someone who is faster. I tried to spin it positive and say that I actually enjoy it which is something I NEVER would have imaged a year ago, but I was pretty hard on myself about my running.

Your story reminded me that I am already shooting myself in the foot before I even put my running shoes on.  I actually am enjoying running- I usually feel like I can conquer the world after and I feel good doing it alone,  but when I talk about it with other people I am using really negative language and just building that mental block higher.

So how do I spin these conversation with other people who have years of running experience and the speed to match?  That yeah, I train really hard but don't have the speed... yet

 And it's a beautiful day in vancouver so I think I'll go run!!!

Wow Brit - thats a great story about achieving more than you dreamed... and look a tthe distances you are now training for! Awesome!!!

Jeni - I hear ya on the negative talk... most serious runners will just think it is great you are getting out there so just be honest. Tell them what speed you can run and how youve improved nad how you are training to get even better!

Dont say 'I only run..." simply say "I run.." they wont make any judgements!

Running truly is my nemisis.  That's why I do tri's, it is more than just running.  LOL  My run times are 12-14 min miles.  I know that is really slow, but I struggle to just do that much.  I still have to stop and walk as well.  As I run, I keep telling myself "one day this will be easier, one day this will be easier".  I am SO ready for that "one day".  LOL  It is hard to break through the mental barrier.  I am now just telling myself that I am doing this for the rest of my life as a healthy lifestyle.  I will either improve or I won't, but I won't ever stop.

Thanks for the story Brit, I hope to have a similiar story....someday. 

It always amazes me what a difference a word can make :-D

I am currently mentally prepping myself for my group run tomorrow morning.  Yay mental training. 

Always remember this.... if you run for just one second more than you did last time.... you did more than last time!!! (and i know you can do one second more!)

celebrate the small victories... they make journey easier and more enjoyable!

Im sure youll have a lot of fun!

My relationship with running was always i feel great... when its over!!!!!

After reading some responses, I'm going to lump together some thoughts I had when reading them-

Addressing the negative talk- that actually does make a huge difference, or so I noticed.  Even now, after reading one of KathyG's post about the fact that she now says " I GET to run" instead of "I have to run" rings true in my ears and with every long run leading up to this marathon I have mentally made sure I said that--I get to do it.  That helps increase the enjoyment--and Jeni, that's huge--that you enjoy it is part of the mental barrier breakdown process.

I hated running with other people, and still prefer to run on my own.  When I really struggled with running, running in groups just made me hate it more.  I played college softball, and occassionally we'd run up a ski-slope there--it was brutal.  Not only did I hate running, but I hated hills even more, just looking at them crushed me.  To make it worse, when I was one of the last ones, if not the last one and people were coming back to help me, it de-moralized me more.  Running on my own I is when I overcame the mental barrier, and I slowly was able to start running with others if they were the same pace or totally let me set the pace.  Of course, this isn't one size fit all, but I had to get through it on my own by setting and beating my own personal goals and not against someone else.

Everyone's bodies are different, but I do totally know that my speed increased as my distance increased.  My speed for the farther distances didn't necessarily get faster, but say I needed to train for a 5K, I would practice at 10K distances because if my endurance could take me to 10K, then I could use all of that energy in a 5K at a faster pace, and I mentally thought about it that way and it helped.

It's a gradual process, and definitely not quick--it's taken me 9 1/2 years to get where I am, and I had the "luxury" (haha) of 15 months in Iraq with LITERALLY nothing else to do...without that, I know I wouldn't be where I am.  I wish there was a quick and easy method to it, but it's diligence, positive thinking, celebrating the little victories, and gradual increase in what you can do.  Don't short yourself on your goals, be it time or mileage (barring injury of course)...if you have planned to run 2 miles, then run 2 miles, if you have planned to run for 30 minutes, run that time frame and gradually increase, even if it's just a minute or tenth of a mile.  As with every discipline, each further push further trains the body.  You may not be faster in that 31 minutes than the 30 minutes, but the victory is you went 31.