Trail Runfessions (mostly)

Well, here we are again at the Runfessional for that chance to clear our souls and our soles. Do you runfess? On the last Friday of every month, Marcia opens up the runfessional for those of us who may have strayed from the trail. There's no penance, just that feeling of cleansing and starting the next month with a fresh pair of running shoes. 

I poolrunfess... earlier this month, I went to the pool, dark and early, for my weekly pre-work pool sesh. I greeted the other 2 pool runners already tethered in and chattering away and started my workout. Not even 10 minutes later, my headphones warned me about 'low battery' and then shut off. Dammit. I left the pool to the locker room to get my backup pair but alas, they were also dead. I set my phone on the side of the pool and turned it up all the way but I could barely hear it over the racket next to me. Seriously, where's a shark when you need one?

I runfess... I have mixed feelings about trail races advertising a certain distance for a race, which may or may not be the actual distance you run. Case in point: my most recent trail race, the Earth Day 15 miler, was actually 15.76 miles when I crossed the finish line. I get it, the whole trail vibe thing is loose with the rules but still...this runner likes to know how far she has to plan for. And doesn't it kind of suck the life out of you when you think you're going to be finished at a certain distance, but when that number comes up on your watch, you don't know how much farther you have to go?

I runfess.... the ageism directed at us 'seasoned' runners by some younger runners is kind of rough. We get comments about how easy it is to BQ at our age. Or how there are so few runners in our old lady age group, that it's easy to get an AG award. An older woman in my trail race last Saturday told me the worst one yet: last year when she won her AG, a younger runner told her that she got the 'pity' award. 

I runfess... that I have to DNS my plan to pace a friend at an ultramarathon this weekend. She's doing a 50 mile race at 'my' preserve and I was supposed to run 3 loops (12 miles with her). Since I run there all the time, it was a no-brainer. But instead, it was no bueno. On Wednesday's shakeout run on the course, my left hip let me know it was not happy with the idea. Luckily, she found a replacement almost immediately. I'll be there to see her cross the finish line!

Now that the snow has melted, I've noticed the ridiculous amount of dog poop bags scattered around the preserve. I runfess... this makes me steam like a freshly dropped turd. If you're going to take the time to bag your dog's poop, then carry it out. You don't want to carry it out? Make your dog carry it out. Do what I do and tie the bag to the leash. But please DON'T leave it by the side of the trail or fling it into the woods. 

What do you have to runfess? What do you do when your headphone batteries die? How do you handle inaccurate race distances? Older runners: have you experienced ageism from younger runners? What to do about the dog poop problem?

I'm linking up with Marcia for Runfessions and with the ladies of Fit Five Friday: Darlene, Michelle, Jenn, Renee, and Zenaida.

Steady As She Goes: Pacing Yourself to a Strong Finish

I think one of the hardest things for me to do in a race or even during a training run is to run a consistent pace. I'm usually all hopped up on adrenaline and nerves at the beginning of a race, and the one thing I am consistent at is going out too fast. Initially, I think to myself that I can do it. That I feel good going this fast. And then the inevitable happens.

Fatigue. Boom. Slowing down. Crash and burn. Sometimes I even have to walk. Sometimes I've hit the wall way early than I should have. Burned up all my fuel stores. 'Cause that's how I roll.

Oops, I did it again. Stop the madness!

Are you guilty of this? When will I learn? Actually, this doesn't happen as often as it used to. I have learned a few things about pacing myself during a race. Since this week's Wednesday Word is consistency, I thought this would be a good week to share my secrets.

Truthfully, my secrets aren't so secret. Ask any running coach or running expert and they will tell you that the key to successful pacing is consistency in your training. Of course, you need a little bit of patience as well, because it's really hard to hold back when you want to go. Don't hold back too much, though. We runners all talk about negative splits but the real trick is to run consistently. All the experts agree that running a consistent pace is much easier and as effective as trying to run negative splits. Actually, we should eliminate the term "negative split" from our runner's vocabulary and just concentrate on pacing.

It's easier said than done. I'm no expert but I've been running a really long time with consistent results. So what has worked for me?

Learn to run by feel. What does this mean? I like to run fast but that need for speed has gotten me into trouble in the past. So with the help of my coach Becky, I learned to run fast, but pacing consistently by doing speedwork. Not just any speedwork, but mile repeats, 2-mile repeats, and yes, 3-mile (or 5k) repeats. To be able to hold a pace, running fast, for that length of time takes discipline and control. By doing this kind of speedwork week after week during my marathon training, I learned what it felt like to run a fast pace consistently.

Train with a heart rate monitor. I don't do this often, but I have used my heart rate monitor to help me learn how hard to push myself, especially in the heat. Heart rate training also helped me to learn to run by feel. By keeping track of my heart rate, I knew at what point I needed to hold back.

Just to clarify, some runners do MAF training with a heart rate monitor but that's not what I'm talking about here.

Use your music to your advantage. Have you ever run to music when that ONE song comes on that just kicks your feet into gear? There are apps that you can use to find music that fits your pace. Rock My Run is one that seems to be really popular, and after checking it out, I can see why! Dimity and Sarah, the original badass mother runners, really like this app and offer free mixes on their website. In the app itself, you can pick from 1000s of mixes set to the pace you want. Or you can let the app adjust the music to your pace. I've never used Rock My Run, but I totally get the concept behind it. The app is free but there are upcharges for subscriptions services. You know I love to run to music. If you don't like to run with music, I don't understand you, but you can still take advantage of running to a steady beat by using a metronome app.

When I run with music.
source: giphy.gif

Train at the pace you want to race at. During marathon training, Becky has me do at least 1-2 runs at race pace per week. Running at race pace also trains you to run by feel. It's like running on cruise control and it really makes sense. By consistently running at a certain pace, your legs and your heart will dial into that pace on race day. How do you calculate your race pace? There are plenty of race pace calculators available that will help you figure out your predicted finish time and pace you need to get you there. Runner's World has a few calculators to help you plan your training as well as your predicted finish time. You can even print out a pace band to keep you on track.

Run your own race. How many times have we heard this saying? I work just as hard on my mental fitness as I do on my physical fitness. One area where I've really grown is being patient at the beginning of a race. I'm sure a lot of that has to do with years of running experience as well. I've learned to be patients at the beginning of a race and not let myself get caught up in the crowd racing out of the corral. It really takes a lot of self-control to hold back, but the reward is in a strong finish. Just let them pass you up. Yep. Wave buh-bye. You got this. And wave buh-bye again when you pass them later in the race because they've run out of gas.

For me, this is always a work in progress. There are so many factors that we runners can't control. Fueling, the weather, or just having an off day can affect our ability to stay consistent on race day. But you just might surprise yourself. Learning to run by feel can only come with practice. That's the key.

Do you do training runs at race pace? What tricks have you found help you with pacing? 

I'm linking this post with DebRuns and Wednesday Word. Head on over to see what everyone else says about consistency!

I'm also linking up with Coaches Corner. I'm not a coach, just a seasoned runner with a little advice to give...Debbie, Lora, Rachel, and Susie are the coaches! They've always got good info to share.