Easton 5 Miler

Last Sunday's race was not actually called the Easton 5 Miler...I think it was the Harvest 5 Miler or something similar to that.  Whatever it was officially called, that race rocked!

My sister, sister-in-law and I got there pretty early and the weather was cloudy with hints of sun and chilly...PERFECT race weather.  Really, if you race or even run, you live for running weather like this.  In New England, we get about a month of it...maybe a month and a half, so you have to make it count.

I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous going into this race.  My long runs have been topping out at 5.7 miles and I have had few miles in between.  Really, I have basically sucked at training in general lately.  The night before the race Bill asked me what my goal was and I told him 10 minute miles.  I think I used to run 5 milers at 9:50 miles, so that seemed about right.

And I was (almost) dead on!

My sister-in-law Meri and I ran almost all of the race together, which was a treat for me because shes about 30 seconds per mile or so faster than me.  We hung out together and got to chat and race, which made miles 2-4.5 fly by.  Mile 1 was actually a little painful due to our pre-race dinner of wine and pizza...and wine.  But after mile 1, we were good to go!  We paced the first 4 miles at steady 10:10s.  I felt great!  Meri left me at the 4.5 mile mark to burst ahead and I finished strong at 50:34, which put me around 10:07 miles. 

I have to tell you all, I am pretty pleased with this effort.  The weather was beautiful, the company was good, the course was pretty and I felt like I ran a smart (if not a teeny bit conservative) race.

I also had a great run at lunch today, which leaves me contemplating my next race.  I would love to hear some ideas!  I am looking for a pretty 5 Miler or 10K...

Back To The Races

I went for a run yesterday.  It was humid and my legs were exhausted from New Rules, but I went anyway.  Why?  Besides the fact that this blog is Run, Lift, Chant, Breathe, I have several upcoming races.  I haven't been running as much as I'd like to, but I do not think I should have any problem completing the 5K scheduled for this weekend.  It may not be my best time ever, but I can certainly run the 3.1 miles.


Next up is a 10K that I am a little more nervous about as it means I will have to find the time to increase my weekly mileage.  Right now I am clocking in at about 11 miles per week (two 3 mile runs and one 5 mile run)...to get into 10K form I will need to be fitting in, at the least, one 3 mile run, one 4 mile run and one 7 mile run [Meri and Chrissy, please be aware that that 7 mile run includes you two chugging along with me - sorry].  Ideally I would like to be getting in an additional 3 mile run during that training...we will see how it goes. 

After that is the Rome Boulevard Road Race - at my high school!  No link available yet but I believe this is a 10K with a 5K option [Tammy - feel free to correct me here]. 

              And here is the correction: Tammy said...

                  "the rome blvd race is a 5 mile race with a 2 mile fun run option! :)"

Finally, there is a 5K trail run.  I have heard that this is a tough, athletic course with big competition.  Just my thing...ha!  But this race is in remembrance of some very important people, and thus I am lining up with the others and hoping for the best.  I suppose we can move our long runs to a trail in preparation for this race...but that seems like a lot of planning.


Why am I laying this out for you?  Here is the deal.  The first 5K is this weekend, the next 10K also includes  a 5K and is on Labor Day (September 6), October 3 is the Rome Boulevard Road Race and the Trail Race is on October 10, 2010.  All of these races are in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.  If you have started running, have been running, or would like to begin running and you want to sign up for any of these races, I will be there.  If you run at my pace or slower (I race at about 9:30 per mile), I will run with you.  Really.  I may even bring you a Run, Lift, Chant, Breathe swag bag for showing up.  I can get you links to training programs and I can offer advice.  I am not concerned with my overall time in these races and would rather be there to support new runners.  So there you have it.  Think it over and leave a comment or email me (email is in the "Contact Me" section) and let me know if you are ready to Toe The Line.

Stationary Bike, Lift, Chant, Breathe

A few days ago Bill suggested that I change the name of this blog to Stationary Bike, Lift, Chant, Breathe based on my lack of running and my substituted activity of peddling and reading.  And oh how true that statement was.  But as of today Run, Lift, Chant, Breathe is officially running again. 

I finished my antibiotic yesterday and my lungs have been feeling pretty okay.  Not great, not normal, but good enough to try out a few miles.  I was originally going to stick to the treadmill but the weather today is 81 degrees with only 68% humidity - a very well deserved break from the heat wave!  So instead of hitting the treadmill, I downloaded the new Stephanie Plum book, laced up my sneakers, put on my sunglasses, filled my water bottle and hit the road for 3.5 miles.

Mind you, I was dreading these 3.5 miles.  I am not a strong runner to begin with and two weeks off is a lot of time.  I used my favorite mantra to convince myself to get out the gym door.  I suggest anyone who is struggling with a run or with running in general to embrace this saying.  Ready?  Repeat after me "You can always walk."  Yup.  You can.  For all you yogis, think of this like child's or wisdom pose.  During yoga practice sometimes your body or your mind is telling you to rest...not because you are lazy, but because that us where you happen to be that day.  When that happens, you get into a brief child's pose (or a long child's pose).  You can apply this same reasoning with a walk break during a run.

If you are really struggling in a run your breathing is shallow, your shoulders are hunched, your body is tense and you are wasting a TON of energy.  A walk break will slow this down and help you regroup, gain back some of the energy and continue on.  It is not a failure, it is listening to your body.

So I started out on my 3.5 miles.  After walking up the first hill I decided to do 4 miles...not because of guilt about walking but because there are 2 less hills in my 4 mile loop than in my 3.5 mile loop...so 4 miles it was.  I did pretty okay.  I took another 5 minute or so walk break at mile 2.5 but otherwise my lungs and legs held up.  I did have a weird metallic taste in my mouth which tells me I am still a little sick and I did suck on my new inhaler after the run was done, but over all this blog is running again.

Run, Yoga, Wine and ... Wine?

After posting yesterday about time management, I decided to cram as much into my day as possible.  I was at work early (7:10am) and put in a non-stop day until 4:00pm when I went to the gym and pulled out a puke-inducing 20 minute speed workout on the treadmill.  I then went back to the office and finished up my work day so I could get onto the fun stuff - Yoga and Wine Tasting!!

Rob from Pops Fine Wine & Liquors in Easton, MA put on a great event with Revelation Yoga in Norton, MA.  Lets start with the yoga, shall we?

Revelation put on a 30 minute sample class with 15 minutes of Laughter Yoga and 15 minutes of Hatha Yoga.  This studio is absolutely beautiful and I thought all of the yoginis were great!

I was very excited that they were conducting a laughter yoga practice - I have seen this on various schedules and have been curious.  I have to be honest, it wasn't my thing.  But that is not to say it couldn't be your thing.  The 15 minute practice we engaged in involved making eye contact and laughing - for reasons I still cannot articulate, this made me very uncomfortable.  Generally I am fine with new people and do well in a group so I cannot explain my discomfort.  Though maybe this was part of exercise?  I would love to hear some other opinions if anyone has tried it? 

The Hatha Yoga, on the other hand, was great.  There was a real focus on deep breathing and we did a really fantastic rinsing twist of the spine.  I have been obsessed with twisting postures and breathing lately, so this was right up my alley.

I am actually considering signing on with this studio - it is close to my house, which is great.  And they are running a FANTASTIC promotion through August 18 - unlimited classes for 30 days for $50.  If you have looked into yoga classes before, you know this is a great deal. My only issue is with their schedule...its a close call with my commute so I have to think about it.  I'll keep you all posted.

Onto the wine!

I apologize for this awful picture...

After the yoga session, Pops put on a great tasting.  I think I have mentioned in the past that I go to a fair amount of wine tastings?  I have decided that I'll start sharing some of my finds!  Rob picked out some tasty, affordable, organic wines.  My favorites were from the Bonterra collection, most notably the Riesling ($12.99), which was more fruity than sweet - a fantastic summer wine!  He also had out a Dona Paula Malbec ($9.99) which I thought would be a great 'fire-pit' wine.  Overall, great tasting!

I left Revelation just in time to hit up a tasting at the Swirling Vine in Norton, MA (find them on facebook).  I  ended up buying two chardonnays from this tasting, one that I tasted and loved (MatchBook) and one that was recommended.  They're pictured below along with a dessert wine I buy at the Swirling Vine that is a steal at $10 ... AND it holds at room temperature for several weeks. (bottle previously opened and enjoyed)

All that and I was home by 8:10pm!!

Plank

Plank position.  Also known as torture.  If you are: 1) following The New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift Like a Man, Look Like a Goddess; 2) read Runner's World Magazine; or 3) practice yoga, you are familiar with the plank position.  It sucks. It has a cousin called 'side plank' that actually sucks more.  Shall we begin?

You need strong abs to support the rest of your body.  This is fantastic for yoga movement, protecting your back when lifting and running form.  Here's a good article explaining the ab muscles and how/what they support. 

This link has a good demonstration of the weight lifting or runner's plank/side-plank.  The basic idea is that you get into a low push-up on your forearms and form a straight line from shoulders to hips.  Suck in your tummy.  Ready?  Now start singing Yankee Doodle in your head.  Oh, you have a watch?  Awesome - time that sucker.  If you are watchless like...ahmm...some people ... 60 seconds is approximately 5 to 6 Yankees Doodles 'sung' at medium to fast pace.  When I first started doing planks I was around 15 seconds.  I am now up to a few sets of 60 seconds.  And I am sure New Rules has some additional torture in my future.

Plank in yoga is a little different.  You have read me go on and on about high to low plank.  If you practice a flow based yoga, you are very familiar with it.  Want a link?  You got it - You start in high plank and lower into low plank.  This movement is repeated numerous times during many of my practices and helps to reset the flow - but it takes ab muscle to support the movement.  For me, this is actually way harder than a runner's plank as it requires more arm strength...I have to drop to my knees to make it to low plank.  Here is the side plank variation, which I also have yet to master.

Why this lengthy post on plank?  Because my abs feel like they are trying to rip away from my musculature system at the moment ... Thanks New Rules.  But I know that when I head out for my run this afternoon and when I (hopefully) make it to yoga tonight, all this added core support will be worth this gut wrenching pain.

Running

So I could not fall asleep last night I had so many ideas swirling in my head for the first - well second – post. Though I realize that I am basically talking (er…typing?) to myself, there is still a lot I want to say. To save the painfulness that would be this post if I tried to get it all out at once, I decided on a game plan. I am a girl that likes a plan!! So here it is: Today I will write about running; Tomorrow I will write about lifting; The post after, I will write about yoga; And the post after that, I will write about food. Then I suppose a whiny post about work – by far my least favorite aspect of my life. I warn you (if you didn’t pick up on it from the first post) that there may be a yoga thread through all of this. Maybe – that is my hope anyway. But I will get to that in a few posts.

I also want to take this time to say that I am not concerned here with proper grammar. I write properly for a living and have no interest in expressing my thoughts through conventional punctuation and capitalization. That’s the deal.

So running. I run. I am not a good runner. I never ran in high school – I walked the mile. In college I started to run, because I wanted people to think I was a runner. So I was 225 pounds pretending to be a runner. This was painful and comical…and you know what happened? Many miles and many walk breaks later, I became a runner. Go figure. Then I stopped running my senior year of college – many excuses could be made here, but lets just say that I was not strong enough to do what was right for me. Three years ago, I started running again. I started with the Couch to 5K program (want to learn to run? Do this program!). I ran a few 5Ks. I ran a few 10Ks (give or take). I ran the worst 10 miler in history. I ran a few half marathons. And now here I am, finally finding who I really am as a runner.

I have recently gotten over distance guilt. I have plodded through mile after mile thinking that, to be a real runner, I had to run long distances. I like longer runs with friends – I do. I do not like running more than 8 miles at a time. After a big inner battle, I made the decision that I was going to stick to 5Ks and 10Ks and damn the distance running. This has been HUGE – I am a much happier runner. I only run 10-15 miles a week now and I feel less pressured to be fitting in a run all the time. And I still get to do long runs with friend and catch up! Yay!

I should say here that I am not a fast runner. I race, but I rarely place…and when I do, it is by some freak accident that only a few people showed up. If I come in third, be sure that only 4 people in my age group showed up. I am dead serious here. It has happened twice. I like to race though. In general, I am a lazy runner. I listen to books on tape and plod along trying not to get hit by cars. Racing forces me to speed up – that’s it. That is why I race. I am not sure why I run. Maybe we will figure that out together.