How?

• Sat, Oct 17: (which really happened Fri, Oct 16) 7 miles, 1 1/2 hours on the treadmill.

So, apparently, when you can run 6 miles comfortably, you can follow the "advanced" calendar. I'm definitely still a beginner, so no confusion there. But 6 miles is like a magic number in my mind, and I wondered how I would handle the 6-7 miles required. Especially since 4 miles two weeks ago hurt, and I'd just managed the 5 miles this Monday (late from Saturday).

Well, this is how:
- By focusing on my breathing which, you know, is slowly improving.
- By telling myself to get on with it, because 26.2 miles is way longer than 7.
- By staring at the bumps in the beige-yellow paint on the wall that kinda look like the southern cross and trying to find "the zone"
- By imagining a line pulling me inexorably forward, a mostly red line on a road that curved ahead in the distance
- By determining that I should dig deep, and contemplating a vision of my mental "core" from which I could ... um... dig deeply
- In fact, just about anything that would keep my feet moving.

There was a minute, at about 1 hour, where a painful cramp hit and I was wondering, is this it? Is this the run where I stop? But thankfully, I tried slowing down rather than stopping and miraculously it worked. The cramp eased, the feet kept moving.

But this mental battle.... It's as bad, maybe worse, than the physical one. Because when I think about it, at an easy pace, it really isn't as bad physically as I thought. People got on, and then off, the treadmills next to me, and there I was, still running. Trying to keep it easy, trying not to fight myself, trying not to obsess about the time and the distance, trying to find " the zone". And here and there, I did have moments of mental peace. But, too brief, and the battle started again. In the end, how to keep going? How?

Fighting the good fight

• Wed, Oct 14: Effort levels, alternating E1 & E4, and the gift of nausea afterwards.

Since I'm still in Barbados, and it's hot, while my team was running in Prospect Park, Brooklyn I was running on a treadmill in a gym near my house. Actually, that's not quite right. I was trying to convince myself to go to the gym while they were running, and only managed to do it when they were done. My family urged me to go while I was contemplating today's run. Even as I was putting on my shoes, I was still thinking about it. Because, frankly, this is hard. And no one else can do it for me. I suppose I shouldn't complain, since I signed myself up for this. But it *is* hard. And I'm not pretending that it isn't.

Still, I did it. Went to the gym that is. And did the workout. I alternately ran on the treadmill for 2 mins at E4 and walked (although I think I should have been jogging) at the E1 speed. In fact, in my best showing, I ran at 7mph for 1 1/2 mins. Pretty good, if I do say so myself.

It's all part of the mental battle, I know. I'm so glad I went, so there's the reward. But the going, and the doing, I'm working in the hope that it gets easier.

And the nausea.... I've been eating anything I want at home, but I've been thinking for a while now that I need to do some research into a runner's diet (not lose weight diet, but eating right diet). If anyone knows how to help, that would be great. It comes on with long runs, but it's so much worse when there's strenuous exertion like today. Bring on the advice.

Tropical Runnings

• Sat, Oct 10: (which really happened Mon, Oct 12) 5 miles, 1 hour. Yeah!!!! :)

Home in Barbados for the week. To highlight my dedication, I'll have you know that I actually called Barbados from NY on Friday to find out what my gym options were and to decide whether to do my Saturday run on Friday night. Nice, eh? lol

Since I traveled on Saturday, I didn't do my long run then. Meant to do it Sunday, but forgot that gym hours aren't the same the world over. By the time I called just after noon, it was almost closing time! Which meant that...

Sun, Oct 11: I was running around Eden Lodge Primary School's pasture, as I have in the past. lol I got in my half hour, so that's what counts. And thankfully there were lots of other people there playing football or basketball on the field and court, so I wasn't the entertainment that I was in the past. Still, it's hot in Barbados, and I'm happy to be doing most of my running in the gym and not at the side of the road (sidewalks not always present). And no, I'm not running on the beach. I would like to associate the sea and sand with sunning and reading a good book, not working out. Besides, there's no bag watch on the beach! lol

Which brings us back to Monday and the long run. I really did 5 miles. No one to motivate me but myself, kept obsessing about the time and the distance, and yet the feet kept moving. I'm very, very proud of myself. I suppose this is the way to mental toughness - the doing of it. A bit worried about the next and the next, for those long runs will keep getting longer, but still. 5 miles? I'll take it! :)

Easy, breezy. Um, make that E-z, freezy.

• Wed, Oct 7: Effort levels. E2? E3? Wherefore art thou, E1? (See the lingo on the side if this sounds like Greek).

Sigh, it all feels like E4. Ok, it doesn't really, but it's a mental battle, this wanting to stop and convincing oneself not to. Thank goodness for Yosi, my running buddy and motivator. I swear, she has this ending kick that drives me crazy! lol I make myself run slightly ahead of her as much as I can so I can be somewhere nearby when she makes for the finish. :)

On a sensible note, I'm reminding myself that I need to wear long sleeves now and buy some cold weather running pants. Thank goodness Prospect Park has shielding trees. It was windy!! Where are those people who keep saying that winter season is the best training time?

West Side Story

• Sat, Oct 3: 4 miles along the West Side Hwy

All-team runs can be fun. This one hurt. Brooklyn, Staten Island and Manhattan groups met in Manhattan for a group run and connection to the cause event. Only thing, that required waking up even earlier and I was still sore from Wednesday.

Wanted to try for 5 miles, but went out much faster than I came back so I knew I wouldn't make it wasn't to be. Lesson learned about pacing? Still, it was 4 miles of continuous running, and I was able to work on the mental endurance (to stop, or not to stop) as well as try to figure out what to do when one starts to get a shin splint. I run too heavy. Need to work on that.

On an interesting note, I also registered to run the Nike Human 10K on October 24th. Cross fingers!

Their idea of surprise fun is different to mine

• Wed, Sep 1: Survived marathon bootcamp with Coach Jasmine

It will come as no surprise to people who know me when I say that I resist going along with the program when people say something is "fun" and it's clearly not. This week, we had a "surprise" Wednesday workout, otherwise known as Marathon Bootcamp with Coach Jasmine. Crunches, dips, pushups, plank, a "cute" move known as "the duck"...., and me complaining all the while. In fact, you should have seen me when I heard there were only two more exercises to go. I was a veritable ball of excited energy, lol.

Truth be told, Coach Jasmine is kinda great, and right this moment, several muscle groups are reminding me that I worked out. Plus, I'm not as sore as the first pre-season bootcamp, so go me. Improvement, baby! lol