Runfessions for March

Marcia is hosting Runfessions a week early. Does this mean we have a Get Out of Jail Free card for spring break? I get to leave for Florida with a clean conscience. And that's a good thing.

I was worried that I wouldn't have anything to come up with for this month's edition, but of course, I have plenty....I live on the edge. Thank goodness she hosts this link up or else I'd have to go see the priest. Welcome to the Classic Rock version of Runfessions--see if you can guess the song and the artist. Tell me you aren't singing along. And give me a penance--for my wrongs or for putting these songs in your head. It's ok.

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Is this the real life? Or is this just fantasy? 

Oh my gosh, I was so excited after Saturday's half marathon! I'm getting a little obnoxious about it, aren't I? That's because it's done and now it's back to reality, and everyone expects me to act normal, like nothing huge happened to me. I know it's selfish and unrealistic, but is it wrong to want everyone to be as excited as me? Or at least, can't I just ride the wave of happiness a little while longer? Does this happen to you after you've accomplished something big? After I ran the Chicago marathon and had that amazing race, I had to go back to work the next morning. Everyone at work was so excited and I was flying high, telling my race story. Then BOOM! I walked into my first patients' room--3 sick kids with colds, and the mom put me back in my place. "I heard you talking about your marathon out there, and I'm sure you're really excited but you know what, I'm here because my kids are sick and you need to do something about it." She put that pin right in my big ole' balloon. Popped that thing. Coming back to reality isn't always easy.

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It's my party and I'll cry if I want to...

Ok, I have to admit to a hint of regret. Even though I had a great race, and even though I know I wouldn't have had this race in the heat and humidity of Florida, I still felt a tug and a twinge when I saw pictures of the Sarasota half marathon and the medal. That beautiful big dolphin medal. I don't normally run a race for the bling but Sarasota was a dream race for me, one I've wanted to run for the last 3 years. My husband, who I think feels really badly for me, already told me to submit my deferral so that I can go next year. He said I'm going, no matter what. So that's something. Actually, that's huge and somewhat shocking, coming from him. He's always been a little ambivalent about my running. I'm still a little sad though. But at least I have next year...

Ok, sure!

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Why don't you all just f-fade away...

I still want to run away. Is it wrong to admit that I've had it up to here with my son? Yes, my son, who, after returning to school last week, promptly got sick and stayed home 2 days. Ok, that's fine, can't be helped. But then Monday, he announced that he wasn't going to school because they were taking the PARC test. "It's not required and I'm not going", was his response. Ever the enabler, I called him off because I don't want him to have an unexcused absence after missing so much school already. Meanwhile, the heavy metal was blaring from his room all day, every day. Who listens to heavy metal when they're sick? My son, apparently. Hey, mister, it's my day off. I made him turn it off. I'm so mean. When I signed up for this parenting thing, no one told me about teenagers...I mean I was a teenager once, but who knew I'd get it back like this? Tree, meet apple...

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No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no....

I'm in the midst of a two week vacation from work. I was supposed to be in Florida for two weeks, but obviously had to change those plans. By the way, we are still going to Florida for a week with the whole family. But work knew about my change in plans and that I was going to be home this week, and they were hoping I'd give them some hours, since they're short staffed--spring break and all. I said no. I really needed this time away, after pushing through all my personal stress the last couple of weeks. And when do you ever get 2 weeks off work?

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Just call me Lucifer, 'cause I'm in need of some restraint...

I photobombed someone's pictures at the race on Saturday. Sara and I were just standing there by the heater before the race, trying to stay warm. A group of women in plaid kilts, standing behind us, were posing for pictures. I got behind them and smiled. The guy taking the picture totally knew I was there and was trying not to laugh. He took a couple of shots. Sara couldn't believe it. Sometimes that devil on my shoulder tells me what to do and I listen. Even though its wrong. Just because I can. Sigh.

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Got anything to confess? Come on, you know you do. You'll feel better, I promise! And be sure to head over to Marcia's Healthy Slice to see what everyone else is confessing. You know, misery loves company!

And since I have 5 things, I'm going to link up with the DC Trifecta aka EatPrayRun, You Signed up for What?, and Mar on the Run for their Friday Five!

Catching up...

I'm off work this week, and I'm trying to get caught up on household things. Since I'm the queen of procrastination, I haven't gotten much done, but yesterday I decided to plow through the pile of Runners' World and Running Times that have accumulated on my nightstand. I don't know about you, but I just don't read magazines anymore. I get a free subscription to Runners' World with my Chicago Area Runners' Association membership, and I subscribed to Running Times because my niece was selling magazine subscriptions for her school. Needless to say, they come in the mail, they look interesting, and I set them aside to be read later. With the internet, I look up what I need to know and read it that way. Plus, after all these years of reading Runners' World, I'm starting to feel a sense of deja vu. How many articles can you read on picking the right shoe? Injury proofing your body? Power foods? And don't get me started on all those subscription cards that fall out of every issue. I already subscribe, people! I like to read in bed and those cards just keep falling out. Sometimes, I wake up with print on my face because I fell asleep on one of them.

I actually like the more technical articles in Running Times. But the editors have cut publication of that magazine to 6 issues per year.

Anyways, I read all the issues I had, back to November, and found some articles that interested me. Today I'm linking up with Amanda at Running with Spoons for Thinking Out Loud Thursday, and I figured I'd share some of what I read.

November 2014 had an article on muscle cramping. Where was this when I needed it in October? Remember that fabulous finish at the Chicago Marathon? Where I reached up to grab a snack and my legs froze up? I nearly fell to the ground but someone caught me, put me in a wheelchair, and whisked me off to the medical tent, where they offered me bananas. That was weird. I was well hydrated with my Tailwind Nutrition and to this day, I have no idea what happened. According to this article, it most likely was muscle fatigue. The author makes a good point when he says that if dehydration alone could cause a muscle cramp, then people could just cramp up in saunas, hot tubs, or even on hot days. I had this image of people seizing up at a Cubs game in the middle of July. At least, they can't blame the heat if that happens. Maybe just the Cubs...but I digress...So what works for muscle cramps? Pickle juice (yep, Mish, you were right!) and stretching, which is what I did to get myself out of that medical tent. What doesn't? Bananas, mustard, and quinine. I'm allergic to bananas, so I can feel good about turning down the bananas in the medical tent.

December 2014 had an article titled The Writer Runner, about Jamie Quatro, a runner, who writes stories, and now a book. She recently published a short story collection titled I Want to Show You More, which has been a critical sensation. Reviews by readers on amazon.com have been a little less generous. The article in Runners' World made the book sound like it was all about running but the amazon.com review describes it as "dark, bizarre, and sexual". Hmmm. Quatro seems so normal, and the best quote from this article is: "Keep a clean life so you can be messy on the page. I believe in that motto." Not so sure this book is one for the book club.

Naturally, the January/February 2015 issue had an article on resolutions. This article was interesting to me because it was more about motivation and goal setting than actual resolution making. I'm not a believer in resolutions, since it can be a recipe for failure, but setting goals is a whole different thing. I'm all about goals. I've actually written quite a bit about that on the blog, and at the end of every month, I check in with my goals for the year. There was also an article on Liz Ferro, founder of Girls with Sole, which is an organization to bring running to at risk girls. The goal of her organization is to build self esteem and fitness. Ferro, who was a former foster child, is a runner. She's written a book about her life story as well. Maybe her story will be one for the book club?

David Willey, editor in chief, writes in the March 2015 issue about the National Runners' Health Study, which is set to shut down this year due to lack of funding. This study of over 113,000 runners, has been ongoing for 19 years, has generated a lot of data, all of it showing the health benefits of running, and lots of scientific papers. There's a National Nurses Study too, looking at the lifestyle and health habits of nurses. I wonder what other groups are being studied? I had no idea there was a study of runners, and wouldn't it be a shame if it stopped? You can write to the Secretary of Energy, Dr Ernest Moniz (secretary@hq.doe.gov) to show your support for continuation of this important study.

I found 2 articles that inspired me in the April 2015 issue. One was a picture of an inspirational runner, Toni Carey, co-founder of Black Girls Run in Atlanta. Besides all the great information about her on this page, I was distracted by the cute running top that she was wearing, a Brooks Run Happy shirt. Could I pull this one off? I guess we'll see since I ordered it! On sale! Score! Just what I need. More running clothes!

The other article that inspired me was about Kathy Martin, age 63, who is breaking all kinds of Master's records for running. She recently ran a 3:10:27 marathon, setting an American record for the 60-64 age group. If that isn't inspiring to this later bloomer, I don't know what is.

And I've finished them! All right, now I'm all caught up! Maybe now I should clean out my closet and dresser....

What have you been reading lately? Do you still read magazines? What's got you Thinking Out Loud? Be sure to head over to Running with Spoons to see what everyone is thinking about.

Just breathe

Today in yoga, my instructor was demonstrating dolphin pose. The key to this pose, she said, was to melt your heart towards the mat. Yoga instructors say the funniest things, don't they? I asked her what that meant, and she demonstrated by literally melting her chest towards the mat. She also told us that the key to doing this correctly was the breath.

"Come back to the breath". "Move with the breath". We hear this a lot in yoga. We practice breathing techniques, which in yoga we call pranayama. Today, during savasana (when I was supposed to be relaxing), I thought about breathing and running. We as runners focus so much on technique, on training, on our times, our fuel...but how often do we focus on breathing?

Breathing is pretty important. In fact, I joke with parents of asthmatic children in the clinic about this. Often reluctant to give their wheezing child a breathing treatment, I tell them that breathing should be their number one priority. Put it like that, and even though it sounds corny, it really makes them think twice. You can't do anything else if you're not breathing, right? When being trained to do CPR, we learn the ABCs of rescue: A=airway, B=breathing, and C=circulation. Breathing comes first. Breathing comes naturally to most of us, right? But how often do you think about your breathing when you're on the run? When you're getting tired? Running too fast? Running next to someone who sounds like Darth Vader? Would using breathing techniques, similar to what we do in yoga, help us while we are running?

and proper breathing techniques...

Running is simple, right? We put on our shoes and go. But by using better breathing techniques, we can supply more oxygen to our muscles. More oxygen equals more endurance. Have you ever been on a tough run where you noticed that your breathing was ragged? Ever get a side stitch? I had one at my race last Saturday. Oh, I hate getting side stitches. Luckily, I was able to chase it away by focusing on my breathing, taking deep, slow abdominal breaths, working my diaphragm, and exhaling on the opposite side of the stitch.

Just like everything else we do as runners, we need to learn how to breathe properly. Most runners at least use a basic breathing pattern of exhaling every 4th step. An article published in Runners World  talks a lot about rhythmic breathing. Not only does this technique help with endurance but Bud Coates, the author of Running on Air: The Revolutionary Way to Run Better by Breathing Smarter, says it can help you stay injury free. He theorizes that exhaling puts the greatest stress on the side of the body you land on. So if you continually exhale on the same side of the body, you are putting a ton of stress on those joints and muscles. He suggests an odd/even pattern, so that you land alternately on your right and left foot. Coates uses a five step pattern for easy runs and a 3 step pattern for racing. Rhythmic breathing also helps give runners a feeling of centeredness--just like we feel in yoga--and keeps you relaxed and calm. In yoga we learn to exhale stress and worry. These same principles can be brought to our runs. A relaxed runner runs better. If you are feeling a twinge or pain on the run, try exhaling deeply. It takes practice but it really works! If you want to read more about Coates' techniques, chase the link above.

Incentive to become a nose breather...

Are you a nose breather or a mouth breather? I'm a mouth breather, and my biggest incentive for trying nose breathing is to avoid inhaling insects on the run. Seriously. In June, we get those clouds of gnats that fly around, and ick! I've usually inhaled a few of them every summer. Protein, right? A few years ago, while on the run, I was stung in the eyelid by a yellow jacket. Yeah, it hurt, and my eye swelled shut. But all I could think about is what if I inhaled that bugger into my gaping mouth? I could die!  Experts say that nose breathing is more efficient, keeps your heart rate and your blood pressure lower, and helps relax you. Scott Jurek, ultramarathoner and author of Eat and Run, is a nose breather. Makes sense. He recommends breathing in through the nose and exhaling through the mouth.

I have tried nose breathing and it is hard! But I do occasionally breath through my nose when forced to, like if there's a bad smell, car exhaust, roadkill, or something like that. When I do breathe through my nose, my nose starts to run and that's a problem too. Back to the mouth breathing. I'm not a snot rocketeer and don't want to start.

I wonder if Jurek uses this app I found? The Breathe Strong app (available for download on the iPhone) was developed by Alison McConnell, breathing training expert and author of the book Breathe Strong, Perform Better. The app can be used for breathing training as well as during workouts. There's an app for everything, isn't there?

http://www.breathestrong.com/apps/

Or if you don't want to use an app or get a breathing coach, you can do what I do, and go to yoga. Besides all the physical benefits of yoga, and I've written about that, yoga teaches you to move on the breath, to become more conscious of your breathing, and to breath more deeply. There's a great article on basic breathing techniques here. But like anything else, there's no shortcuts. Breathing requires practice. Who would have thought that something so natural, so basic, would require so much thought?

Just breathe.

Do you focus on breathing when you're running? Are you a mouth breather or a nose breather? Any helpful hints to improve our breathing efficiency?

I'm linking up with the ladies at Workout Wednesday! Be sure to head over to their blogs and see what everyone else is talking about!

That voodoo that you do...

I've written before about my running superstitions...actually it was about a year ago at this time. You know, picking up pennies, not stepping on a crack, shirts that have bad juju...stuff like that. But MCM mama, Run the Great Wide Somewhere, and My No Guilt Life have a link up today with the topic of race day rituals. A little different twist on superstitions, what are some of the things that I do to get my head in the game for a race? Besides the usual race prep, like training, that is...

Tops on my list is minimizing any...um...accidents. I've talked a lot about my GI issues. This really stresses me out, more than any other part of racing. So I really watch what I eat the week before a race. That means no beef. Minimal roughage. Low fiber diet. For this week, I'm not so concerned with nutrition as much as preventing any race day problems. I'm always trying to minimize those portapotty stops and avoiding any incidents. Especially when there are no portapotties on the race course, like at my last race. I'm really glad I didn't know that in advance! You've seen that picture of the guy with diarrhea running down his legs, right? I don't want to be a meme. And I don't want to be the person at the finish line whom everyone is trying to avoid, saying "who smells?"

It would be hard to run with these on...

But speaking of food, it doesn't really seem to matter much what I eat the night before the race. I don't carb load anymore. That never did it for me. My last race, that epic half marathon I ran last Saturday, I had cheese pizza and 2 glasses of red wine for dinner. Slept like a baby too.

Race day breakfast is always the same. Coffee with chocolate soy milk, orange juice, vitamins, and cheerios. Why mess with success, I say....and it's all easy to digest.

My race outfit is planned the night before the race. This is after religiously checking at least 3-4 weather sites for the race day forecast. I go with the majority opinion of what the weather will be like. And sometimes it's still wrong. Anyways, I lay out my clothes and pin my bib to my shirt. And never, ever wear anything new to a race. Except for my last race. That green top was new. Oops! It was all about the green...

New top, black bottoms

You can't go wrong with black, and that's what I wear on the bottom. Always. My black bottoms are like a security blanket. Yep. I see women wearing pink, yellow, and (gasp!) white shorts, and I feel a tug of envy. I could never trust myself with light colored bottoms. Last year at my Florida sweatfest half marathon, I got stuck running behind a guy wearing white shorts. And no underwear. Did I mention sweat? I know what you're thinking. I only saw his behind. But it was like the sun. You know you're not supposed to stare at it, but you can't help it, right? Let's just say that clothing did not make the man...attractive to me at all. Ick. Hairy butt. Ok, I said it. Moving on.

Now, if he looked like this...there'd be no complaining.

For a few days before the race, I listen to my playlist in the car. Hearing the songs that are going to carry me down the course for 2-4+hours really seems to get me in the racing frame of mind. Sometimes I find myself driving as if I'm racing, weaving around cars and getting annoyed when people stop suddenly in front of me. Even though it's not intentional, it's all part of my race prep, I guess. Oh and that music on race day? It's like putting gas in the tank. I listen and I fly.

Of course, she's sitting on the wrong side of the car...

Ever since last year's Chicago marathon, I've carried this good luck charm in my pocket. My coach Becky gave this to me, and it seems to have magical powers. I've carried it to 3 races, and all 3 races were PRs for me. Coincidence? I think not. I don't know what she put into this rock. But don't let me ever leave it at home. I'm afraid of what could happen.

What race day rituals do you stick with time and time again? Do you have a good luck charm?Are you superstitious?

Be sure to head over to the link up blogs to see what everyone else has to say! Sharing is caring...

Get Lucky 21K Race Report: The backup plan

This was my backup plan race. Remember, I was supposed to be in Florida this weekend, getting ready to run a half in Sarasota on Sunday. I spent most of January and part of February running on the treadmill in fleece clothing to try to simulate running in the heat. Becky did her part at CrossFit with weights and intervals. I did get to do my long runs outdoors. And then my son decided to turn our lives upside down. Once the dust settled, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to travel to Florida for that race, although we will be going later this month for a family vacation. Besides missing the race, I hated to throw all that training away, and I looked for a local race. I found the Get Lucky Chicago 21k scheduled for the same weekend, and without hesitation, signed up. I learned that my friends Sara and Karen were also planning on running it, and that made my decision all the less painful.

Meanwhile, because there was no point doing them, I stopped doing those heat runs on the treadmill and took it outside. Yes, it was cold, but those outdoor runs were therapeutic. They were also surprisingly fast. Maybe those heat runs did something for my endurance? I started to think that maybe I could PR this half. Who PRs at 52? I was quiet about my plans, because my original goal was a sub-2 half, and I didn't want to jinx myself. I'm a little quirky like that. I did tell Becky and she reassured me that a PR would be no problem for me.

Sara and I made plans to drive down together, and she purchased a parking pass to give us one less thing to worry about. After she did that, we heard rumors that the race director changed the location of the race to Soldier Field. There was no notification, and even the race's Facebook page did not give many details. Until 2 days before the race, we still had no idea about parking. Finally, they posted a link to prepay for a parking pass. But because of all this, I was really stressed about the details. The race was to be run on the lakefront path, which is a public path and shared by all. I was worried it would be crowded. That we'd be weaving around people. I kept thinking about what a disaster this race was going to be.

I slept really well the night before the race, which is pretty unusual for me. I took that as a good sign. Sara met me at my house and we headed into the city. Even though it was early, there was a good amount of traffic, and people were driving like maniacs. At one point, a jerk in a white SUV with 70.3 and 13.1 stickers on his car cut me off. I don't know how I didn't hit him or the semi next to me. Sara just about jumped out of her skin. That got my heart pumping! I laid on the horn for a good minute. There was a car next to me and that driver gave me the thumbs up. We were a little shaken after that experience, but the rest of our drive was uneventful, if not a little scary.

Karen, me, Sara

Parking was a breeze and we had an hour and a half to kill. Sara wanted to visit the portapotties, and we headed over to the staging area. We marveled at all the portapotties. There were tons of them. It was a runner's dream come true! This was a good omen! The wind was blowing fairly strong over the lake and it was cold. We went back to the car to warm up. Karen texted us a little while later, and we headed back to the staging area where there were warming tents to meet up with her. She was with her running group, and we got to meet all of them. As it got closer to race time, we decided to make one more trip to the portapotties. There was a short line, and it moved really fast. I stood in line next to 2 girls puffing on an e-cig box. Really? Before a race? We finished up our business and I took one last swig of my Tailwind as we headed to line up for the race.

There were no minute/mile markers, just pace leaders with balloons with times written on them in marker. Feeling optimistic, I lined up with the 1:50 pace group. The song Get Lucky by Daft Punk started blaring and we took off. I wasn't planning on pacing with a group, I just wanted to be with people running about that pace, to avoid the weaving I was so worried about. We headed south on the lakefront path, and had the wind at our back. My legs felt good, and at mile 1, I looked down at my Garmin. I saw 8:24 mins/mile and thought I should pull back a little bit. I still had 12.2 miles to go and that was pretty fast for me. I felt really good, though, and I didn't feel like I was working hard. The weaving that I was worried about never materialized, and I settled into a nice groove.

By mile 4, I was sweating a ton. I rolled up my sleeves and unzipped my top. I hadn't planned on starting my second bottle of Tailwind until mile 5, but I decided to take a sip. Good idea. I felt a lot better after a while, and kept sipping it every half mile or so. The reason I know this is that there were mile markers every half mile at this race. I don't know about you, but that made the race feel longer to me. It did help me fuel though, and I looked at it as a plus.

The race course was mostly flat with a few inclines up over some roads. The course was out and back, and I knew those hills would be tougher on the way back. My pace continued at that 8:24 min/mi pace. I was really happy with that, but worried that it might bite me in the butt in the back half of the race. I still felt good, so I continued on. I saw Sara a little before the turn around (mile 6.6),  and got a high five from her. We headed back north into the wind. Oooh, it was cold, but it actually felt pretty good, considering all the sweating I was doing. I continued to sip my Tailwind. I saw Karen a little while after that, and gave her a high five.

On the way back, I found myself running with a couple of men. I was behind this one guy who would not let me pass him no matter what. When we headed up those hills, I kept my steady pace while he slowed down. I would pass him but after the hill he'd speed up to get ahead of me. I kept laughing about it to myself. Was it the being "chicked" thing? Was it being passed by an old lady? Anyways, I decided to draft behind him, and he has no idea how much he helped me out by blocking the wind. I'm sure if he knew, he would have rethought his whole plan to stay ahead of me. And the guy next to me wouldn't look over at me. He just kept pace with me. I ran with these 2 gems men for a few miles, and lost them both at an aid station. See ya! I never stopped once. It was really nice having my fuel with me.

At mile 10, I started to think that I was going to get my PR. My legs still felt really good. I was slowing down a little bit this second half, with mile splits in the 8:30s but still really fast for me. Then my GI tract started talking to me. Oh no. I realized then that I had not seen one portapotty on the entire course, except at mile 2. Seriously. What would I do if disaster struck? Well, I thought, THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. This became my new mantra for the final 3 miles. I thought about the spare clothes I had in the car. The wipes I had tucked into my spibelt. NOT GOING TO NEED THEM. I chugged along.

Mile 12, I knew I could do it. I started pushing my pace again, but I was getting tired. I ignored that protesting from my abdomen. Sorry, I thought, not stopping now! I finished up my Tailwind and turned it up to 11. I flew across the finish line--saw that race clock with 1:52 on it!  Once I caught my breath I smiled from ear to ear. I knew I had PR'd!

I headed back to the heated tent to find Sara, who had gotten a PR of her own. We celebrated our victories, and I looked up my official time. I was shocked to see the AG placement:

My smile got bigger! It sure helps to be in the old age group, right? There was also a fun statistic on the results page, the age graded results, which gave me an age-graded finish time of 1:33:52, and put me in 49/770 finishers. I'd never seen that before, but I kind of liked it! I'm starting to embrace this whole aging thing, really. Soon I'll get senior discounts and that will be good as well. Especially if they have them on race entry fees...

Anyways, at the finish line, there was the usual water and snacks. We never did make it to the beer tent because we started to get really cold. We couldn't find Karen, and decided to head home. Later we found out she finished, but ended up in the medical tent with dehydration. She's fine now, and I'm sure had a great rest of the day celebrating her birthday! 

Sara and me

So the race turned out great after all. There were no glitches, as far as I could see. A few comments and observations, not really complaints: No national anthem was sung prior to the race, which was a first for me. There were no photographers along the race course. I hear that Get Lucky does post pictures on their FB page, but other than that you're on your own. I think that's ok, but I do like a finish line photo. What can I say? I'll keep checking the FB page and see what comes up. And no portapotties along the course? That was a little disconcerting. I don't know where runners were supposed to relieve themselves. Thank goodness my tummy behaved controlled itself, but it was touch and go at the end of the race! The half mile markers were a little much. But the weather was beautiful, perfect really, and the scenery along the course was spectacular. For this Chicago girl, there's no better view than that Chicago skyline, set along the panorama of Lake Michigan and blue skies. I fueled perfectly with my Tailwind Nutrition, and my training from Becky was spot on.

Would I do it again? I don't know, but it's always fun to race with friends! And a PR? AG placement? I doubt that I would have had this race in the heat and humidity of Florida. Silver linings everywhere. And that makes this one a win for me!

Did you race this weekend? How'd you do? Ever have a backup plan race?

I'm linking this post with Tara at RunningNReading for her Weekend Update! Be sure to head over and see what the other bloggers have to say!

Book Review: Honey Do You Need A Ride? Confessions of a Fat Runner by Jennifer Graham

Jennifer Graham is not fat. She calls herself fat, sees herself as fat, wants to own that label, but she's really not "fat". Sorry. I've Googled her and she looks "normal". But that's how she sees herself. And even though she talks a lot about her body image, this book isn't really about being fat. It's about feeling badly about yourself. And employing running as therapy to help you through all the crap life throws at you.

I get that. 100%.

And I have to admit I've been passed in races by lots of runners who are much bigger than me. Size doesn't always matter. We need a word for that. Like how when women pass guys in a race--they're "chicked"? I'll leave that one for the readers to discuss.

Anyways. This book is all about finding yourself through running. Like so many people, Graham first started running to lose weight. She eventually discovered that body size does not make a runner and that exertion becomes joyful:

"It wasn't because of how I felt when I ran; it was because of how I felt afterward. Accomplished. Virtuous. Clean. It's like what Dorothy Parker said about her craft. She said she didn't like writing, but she liked having written. Likewise, when sedentary people first start to run, few enjoy the actual running. The reward comes later. The reward comes from having run." 

Graham is funny, sarcastic, and snarky, and I had some laugh out loud moments when I read this book. I learned that using 2 sports bras to hold the girls in place is called "double bagging". Although when I checked on urban dictionary, that isn't the definition I found. No mention at all of bras. Shame on me for googling it. Guess I should have picked up that box of condoms I found in the road a couple of weeks ago.

Back to the book. Graham talks about her first running clothing and how cotton is not a good fabric to run in. Not because it isn't wicking, but because it outlines your every crevice.  Her description of her zebra striped running outfit took me back to the 90s (I think she must be about my age) and I reminisced about running fashions during that decade. Crinkly pants and jackets? And those thong leotards...you youngsters don't know what you missed out on.

November 1991. Gotta love the high waisted shorts and matching top. That's how we did it back then...

Graham's first massage experience, with a masseuse named "Tommy", was another LOL chapter in the book.  A massage called "the Runner's Revenge"? How could something so wrong feel so right? Made me think of that Seinfeld episode when George got a massage from a guy and he feared that he "felt it move"....

Running with music? She calls it "amateur hour" but says that music makes her feel like she's dancing. But Graham says she'd never use her iPod in a race because if someone yells "look at that ectomorph go", she wants to hear it. Another 90s reference, she talks about running with a Walkman, which she describes as an "Eggo-sized" cassette player. Pre-iPod, I used to train with a Walkman, but I never brought it to a race. Nobody did. I still have mine actually. One of my friends (he's a little eccentric) still runs with his...

She talks about cross training and her attempt at horseback riding. Graham had hoped for tighter glutes and inner thighs.  She got bruises. To keep the horse company, she bought a donkey. She still has the donkey, actually 2 of them. The horses are gone, after the last one tried to kill her. 

Graham with her donkeys. Not sure if these are the escapees that are featured in the book.

Graham is also relatable. She shares her difficulties being married to, and eventually divorced from a non-runner. Relatable moment (for me at least): she never has had the experience of her children cheering her at the finish line of a race or holding a "GO MOMMY GO" sign meant for her. I remember running the Walt Disney World half marathon, and yes, my husband got up with me at 330am to eat breakfast and get me on the monorail. But none of my family were on the course or at the finish line. When I finished I called him and they were already in Epcot, waiting in line for a ride. That stung. They have been at a few races, but reluctantly, and now that I have my own tribe aka running friends, I'm over it. But I certainly understand how Graham felt about that. She talks about meeting another man who was a runner, and who became a "too-good-a-friend". While that hasn't happened to me, I can see how it could. Her husband lacked, as she called it "speed goggles". Personally, I think her ex-husband sounds like a real jerk. Missing races? Sad, but not jerk material. Making fun of her on his talk radio show? Crosses over to a**hole territory. Certainly, that couldn't have helped Graham feel good about herself.

Thankfully, through everything, she had running.

A pervasive theme throughout the book is Graham's relationship with her coaches, Dr George Sheehan, and Pre, as in Steve Prefontaine. Yes, you haven't missed a thing--both men are dead. Prior to signing on with Pre and Dr Sheehan, Graham wrote to Alberto Salazar to see if he would coach her. Seriously. She never heard back from him. When she's running, she hears Pre and Dr Sheehan quotes in her head and those quotes push her through tough runs.  Pre is by her side on the road and through the rough spots in her life. It's kind of funny and sweet how she channels them to get her through tough runs. Pre is always there with the tough love.

Graham channels Pre for this quote during her half. This where she coins the term "runicide".

The book isn't all laughs, though. When Graham talks about her life circumstances, she can be pretty dark. Like a lot of us, she uses humor to help cope with tough times. She struggles with "the reality that...she's done everything right..and still, the outcome has turned out so badly." Reflecting on the suffering of her marriage breaking up, she says she "sees no purpose in any of it--no payoff, no vision..of how this pain could be worth it...". But as she says, "Maybe sometimes going backward is going forward enough...". Graham hurts from the breakup of her marriage, and she writes about it really well. You can feel her pain as you read her essays. Thankfully, even when she's sad, she keeps the reader laughing. I found myself smiling, even as my heart hurt from the pain I felt in her stories.

In the end, she runs her Kiawah Half Marathon. She struggles, and Pre gets her through it. But she is "taunted" by the marathoners who must run the course twice. She thinks she could never run a marathon. She thinks to herself that 13.1 is "mediocre". She'll never put a 13.1 sticker on her car, because she says 13.1 means "I can't run 26.2". She listens to those voices inside her head that tell her she can't. Who hasn't done that? And then, she has an epiphany on a run after the race. She starts to feel joy. Thanks her coaches. And remembers, like we all do on a great run, why it is that we run.

I hope she feels better about her accomplishments. As they say, 13.1 isn't half of anything. Because of the word "half" in the title, the half marathon has an image issue. Maybe they should rename the half marathon. Give it a title worthy of the distance. Me, I look at the half as a gateway drug to the full. Eventually everyone wants to try it.

Oh, and yes, the title of the book? It really happened. Yes, Buick LeSabres are only driven by grandmothers. Lesson learned. Don't stop to talk to people on the run. You never know what they might have to say to you. You might not like it.

So what did you think?

Do you see yourself as a "fat runner"? Does your body image affect how you feel about yourself as a runner?

Does your partner/significant other run? If so, do you train together? If not, is he/she supportive? Do you think a marriage can survive when one person is a runner and the other isn't?

Who or what do you channel to push you through a tough run or race? Do you have a mantra?

What do you think about Graham's statement that a 13.1 bumper sticker means "I can't run 26.2"? Do you put race stickers on your car? If not, why not?

Share your thoughts in the comments below and/or link up your review! Be sure to link back to this blog post. 

And next up, just in time for the Boston marathon is Hal Higdon's 4:09:43 Boston 2013 Through the Eyes of the Runners. The link up will be open 3/14- 3/28/2015. 

Don't forget to grab the linkup logo! 

Book Club: An interview with Jennifer Graham, author of Honey Do You Need a Ride? Confessions of a Fat Runner

In anticipation of our first book club/book review on Saturday, I sent some questions to the author of our first book. I'm hoping to do this with each book. Graham did not disappoint me! Her answers were fresh, honest, and self-deprecating, just like the book. 

Have you read the book? It's not too late....The link up/review will be posted on March 14 and will stay open until March 28, right here on the blog. You don't have to be a blogger to participate. Just post your review in the comments. Of course, the comments will remain open forever! I'm so looking forward to reading everyone's thoughts and comments. Meanwhile, here's some food for thought from Jennifer Graham.

Are you still running?  And what events do you have planned for this year?

Oh, yeah, because I really have no choice in the matter, of course.  In the book I wrote about the line runners cross, after which you know you are never going back to a sedentary life, and at some unknown point I crossed it.  That said, there are periods when I don’t run very much – unhappily, I’ve been in one for a couple of months. (Moved to Pittsburgh in January, and between handling a new job and single motherhood and icy, hilly streets, it’s been rugged.) But even then, I get out at least twice a week, just for my mental health.  And I’ve been in this game long enough that I don’t worry that I will backslide.  No matter how long since you’ve run, you’re only one run away from being a runner again. 

As for events, I am planning to do the Pittsburgh Half-Marathon in May.  Still looking for summer races in my new part of the world – and I’m open to suggestions!

Something we are all still talking about...unless you live in Florida...Have you been running outside this winter? How are you dealing with the weather?   The weather – as in the snow and temperatures – doesn’t bother me, but icy roads and trails do.  I’m terrified of breaking a bone, so I won’t run if there’s even the possibility of black ice.  That said, I do have my tricks.   If the snow is not too deep, I drive to a baseball diamond or football field and run around the field in YakTrax.  I feel safe there, because if I fall, at least I don’t have to worry about falling in the path of an SUV.  And since I just moved into a house with a fairly big backyard, I took a snow shovel and dug myself a backyard track in the snow!  I still use the YakTrax running on it, and have to go slow because footing can be uneven, but I can get in a good 30-minute workout with lots of bracing, fresh air.  (I consider gyms a place of last resort.)

Would you consider running a marathon?   Oh yes, it’s definitely a goal.  I cheered on the sidelines of Boston for eight years, and every single time, wished I was out there. But I respect the distance too much to do it without serious preparation, and as a single, working mom, I have not been able to carve out the time to train.  I hope to in the next decade, God willing and my knees hold up. I would like to run the Kiawah Marathon in South Carolina and (of course) some day qualify for Boston. I am fully aware I may be 90 before I can achieve a BQ though!

Does Pre still run with you?  Dr. Sheehan?  Do they have anything new to say after all these years?     Well, of course!  I am fiercely loyal to my tribe, and they to me.   But they, of course, have work elsewhere, and there are new voices I need to hear, so I like to invite others in ….the great Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius has a lot to say about power and discipline. I highly recommend his "Meditations."

Some readers have taken issue with you calling yourself fat. How do you respond to that? And isn’t it really about how we see ourselves? Has running helped you to see yourself as other than “fat”? Do you still see yourself as a “fat runner”? Yes, I know, and I’m genuinely sorry about that, because I hate to see women tearing each other down under any circumstance, but especially over something like weight, which is an issue that is a source of pain for so many of us.  I think I will probably always “feel” fat because I was overweight as a child, which can be a scar you carry with you for life, particularly if you feel unloved in other ways, too. My weight has fluctuated wildly over the course of my adult life, from 180 or so (I’m guessing, it could have been more – I didn’t own a scale then) before I started running, down to 146 when I got married, up to 226 during my last pregnancy. Right now, I weigh 157, 10 pounds from where I’d like to be. That’s the point at which my thighs don’t rub together and where I “feel” thin and I don't feel (as) embarrassed to be naked.   My inability to get there, despite decades of trying and thousands of miles of running, points to a need for some serious therapy, but who has time? Besides, I’d rather run.

I have to say that when it comes to running, body size doesn’t always matter. Plenty of times at races, I’ve been passed by runners who are much “larger” than me. When women pass men, we say the guy's been “chicked”. Can you think of any term for being passed by a fat runner?   Oh, that’s dangerous territory… terms come to mind, sure, but none that I’d want to be called, so I will pass on that!  But isn’t it great that lots of large people are out there?  That’s one reason I love running so much, because it’s the only sport in which people of all shapes and sizes can literally compete on the same field (and roads), and at the same time, as the elites. How cool is that?

Your story about the bike ride/date and the runaway donkeys just made me roar. Do you still have donkeys? And how long do you wait before you tell a guy you’re dating that you have the donkeys. Is it always a deal breaker?    Yes, I still have two donkeys, because (again) I’m fiercely loyal like that. I have suffered so much loss over the past few years that I am super-glued to everyone and everything that is still with me.  I don’t believe either people or animals are disposable, no matter how much trouble they may be.  As for deal-breakers, I wouldn't waste time even having coffee with a man who doesn't love animals.

Do you have any suggestions for running related books we should read this year? Preferably humorous… --  well, anything by  George Sheehan, of course!  Even though he was a doctor and a fierce competitor, he was really funny, and humor is laced through all his books.   A fun book I read last year was “The Lola Papers: Marathons, Misadventures and How I Became a Serious Runner” by Amy Marxkors; I’d recommend that.  And I would recommend  Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea’s  “Tales from Another Mother Runner” (subtitled: A Collection from Badass Mother Runners), which just came out, even if I didn’t have an essay included!

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Be sure to link back to the blog and visit the other posts to see what others have to say. 

If you want to get a jump on the next book, it's 4:09:43 by Hal Higdon. I picked this one in anticipation of the Boston Marathon. And following that will be the newest release from our favorite mother runners, Dimity and Sarah. 

So many books, so little time.....