This guy...

I don't think I've ever featured a book on the blog but today I implore all of you to read this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Unbroken-World-Survival-Resilience-Redemption/dp/1400064163

I've seen a lot of runners and facebook pages ask the question: What is your favorite running book? I have to admit that I loved Born to Run by Christopher McDougall.  But if I had to pick a true favorite, I have to say that Unbroken is not just my favorite running book but one of my favorite books of all time. Unbroken, is a running book for the masses. My dad just loved this book. When I talked to my dad today, we talked about Louis Zamperini, the subject of Unbroken, who died earlier this week at the age of 97.

97 years old! Can you imagine that? Especially after the life that Mr Zamperini lived.

Unbroken is the story of Louis Zamperini, a track standout at USC who set a record of 4:08 for the mile--a record that stood for 15 years. He was an Olympic hopeful who enlisted in the Army Air corp during WWII after the Olympics were cancelled. His plane fell into the ocean and he was captured by the Japanese and placed in a concentration camp after 47 days at sea in a life raft. Did you even know there were Japanese concentration camps? Most of the stories told about WWII focus on the cruelty of the Germans but the Japanese were just as rotten to their prisoners. There was physical torture but according to Zamperini, the mental torture was far worse. His torturer was later charged as a war criminal. But Zamperini said his athletic training helped him stay strong during his internment:

“For one thing, you have to learn self-discipline if you are going to succeed as an athlete,” he said. “For another thing, you have to have confidence in yourself and believe that no matter what you’re faced with, you can deal with it — that you just can’t give up. And then there’s the aspect of staying in shape. And humor helped a lot, even in the gravest times.”

Mr Zamperini was released from the prison camp in 1945. He was married for 54 years and raised 2 kids.

His story is being made into a movie. But don't wait for the movie. Read the book--you know the book is always better than the movie. Zamperini's mental toughness, which he attributes to athletics, is truly inspirational. Courageous and spirited, Louis Zamperini was a true American hero. And the perfect subject for a post on Independence Day!

License to thrill

I came home from my wonderful weekend getaway to find an unpleasant surprise in the mail. I received not just one, but two red light camera tickets. To those of you who live in a much more civilized part of the world, red light cameras are a money making scheme in the guise of "traffic safety". If you stop for less than 3 seconds at a red light before you make a right hand turn, the camera snaps a picture of your license plate and it's guilty as charged. As you might imagine, these red light ticket cameras are a huge money maker for the towns that use them. The cameras are popping up all over the suburbs and the city of Chicago. People hate them so much that some towns around here (including the one I live in) refuse to install them. The cameras are owned by a private company, and they too make a hefty profit. The good news is that these tickets can't go on your driving record. So I've got that going for me.

But apparently, I'm hell on wheels, since I got two of them in a week, in two different towns. At $100 a piece, this is a costly mistake on my part. I need to remind myself to count one-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand every time I stop at a red light. Or I could check my phone while I'm waiting. But that's illegal! Or just not turn at all. That'll show them. Yes, I'm bitter. Can you tell?

My husband lectured me on my driving. This is what I heard:

Do you ever just tune out your spouse? As if I didn't feel badly enough. Think of all the things I could do with $200? That would have covered the entry fee to the Chicago Marathon this year! When I told my father, his response was: "those damn bastards!". My dad always says the right thing to make me feel better.

But believe it or not, this post isn't even about my leadfoot driving ways. I have been giving all of this a lot of thought. And all that thinking leads me to this:

Do you run like you drive? Or vice versa?

Are you Speed Racer?

Or are you Cautious Clay?

I drive to work on a really busy suburban arterial road. My commute is truly a test of patience. Along the way are a lot of shopping centers, gas stations, offices, and other miscellaneous businesses. People are pulling in and out of entrances along the road all the time. Going painfully slow while they look for an address or a store, slamming on the brakes, and often not signalling a turn. I find myself changing lanes to avoid people turning and pulling onto the road. Sometimes I change lanes because people are going too slow. Or too fast, when I have someone tailgating me. At times, it reminds me of an obstacle course. Or....

A race course? Indeed it does. When you run a crowded race, do you start out slow, letting people pass you? Or do you zig zag between people, jockeying for a smooth patch of pavement? Do you hate getting behind a slow pack of runners, and stew while trying to find an opening so you can get ahead and back on pace? Do you get annoyed at people who are pushing your pace while they are trying to get around you? Have you ever gotten behind someone who stops suddenly and you have to maneuver to avoid slamming into them?

OMG, running a race is just like driving!

I'm sure by now you've figured out how I race. I'm so glad there aren't surveillance cameras on the course. I'd probably get a ticket. Or two. Only if I don't stop long enough when I'm turning right...

Who motivates you?

It's been a while since I've written anything on the blog. Life, it seems, has taken over. Summer is really busy...not so much for me, but for my 2 teenage sons. My oldest has a part time job, and my youngest, who will be a freshman in high school this fall, has daily football camp. Which he needs a ride to and from--twice weekly. I'm carpooling with another mom on the days that I work in the morning. So basically on the days that I have to drive, I get up early, go running, drive him and his friend to camp, come home to get myself ready for work, pick them up, bring them home, and head off to work. When I get home from work at night, they're gone with their friends. It's a new phenomena for my husband and I, and I'm not sure I like all this newfound alone time. As I write this, my husband is snoring on the couch. Living the dream, I am.

I miss my down time. But most of all, I miss my boys and all the fun times we used to have together.

But last weekend, we went off to the north woods of Wisconsin, as a family, and had a fabulous time. 

We went to my parents' summer home. We ate. And we sunned. We boated. And ate some more. But we were also really active.

We kayaked:

And we did this: Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP): 

So what does this have to do with running, you ask? And what does this have to do with motivation?

Would I be able to do all this with my teenage boys if I didn't run? Running, cycling, yoga, and lifting weights gives me the energy to keep up with them; to be able to spend time with them doing things all of us enjoy. I've always said I don't want to be that mom who is sitting on the sidelines. I want to be able to keep up with them.

Truthfully, I don't run just so I can keep up with them. I run because I want to run, because it makes me feel good. I took in a couple of beautiful runs while we were in this amazing place. I love to run. I run for me. But as my sons grow older and want to spend more time away with their friends instead of me, I need to find things we can all enjoy together. And keeping physically active allows me to do these things.

While we were paddleboarding out on Green Bay, the wind shifted. I struggled to paddle back to shore. the wind kept blowing me back and at times, I felt a little panicky. I used my mental strength, honed from years of running long distances and pushed through to get myself to the pier. Later, I asked my boys if they got a little nervous that they weren't going to make it in. My oldest just kind of rolled his eyes at me. But my youngest nodded. 

"That was tough," he said. We smiled at each other.

Yep.

Who motivates you? Or what motivates you?

Girl talk

I love bad joke eel...sorry.

One of my friends recently posted a recap of her Ragnar relay experience. She commented that was on her period during the race...which made things that much more challenging. I bet! Logistics, pain, just yuck.

Another one of my friends was running a marathon and passed out. She was on her period.

This got me thinking about running and periods. Just Google menstruation and running and a ton of blog posts pop up. This is a big topic. For women. Men, you can be excused.

So what's a woman runner to do?

In my practice as a PNP, I do physical exams on kids of all ages up to 21. With girls, starting at age 9-10, I always talk about periods. Pre-puberty, I get to do a lot of what we medical folks call "anticipatory guidance", and we talk about changes to their bodies and what to expect. Most of the girls are pretty receptive, and I'm always surprised how much these young girls already know! I try to keep the discussion positive, but let's face it, who looks forward to bleeding every month? Periods are part of life but something that women love to hate. One thing I always say is that every woman gets their period and it's a club that no one really wants to be in. Truth!

I mean look at all the nicknames for it: Aunt Flo, Flo, on the rag (hate that one!), my friend (with friends like that, who needs enemies?), that time of the month, the curse...one blogger called it "riding the crimson tide", but she's from England and I'll excuse her for that! Anyways, none of them were really positive. Because really, what is so great about bleeding for 5-7 days every month? Some lucky women have a really easy time with their periods. But I have found over the years that is the exception. Most women have pain, fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, and mood swings with their periods. It's tough for women because advertisers really stress how their products can help you take your period in stride and go about your everyday activities as if nothing was bothering you.

Full disclosure: I always had bad periods. When I did get my period (every 6 weeks if that), it wasn't heavy but I had terrible cramps. Sometimes I vomited from the pain. Luckily, ibuprofen came out around that time, and once I was able to choke down those giant pills, I had some pretty good pain relief. It wasn't perfect, but I could function. I tried oral contraceptives and that definitely helped but I didn't like the idea of taking daily medication, and after several years, I stopped taking them. For several years after I gave birth, my periods weren't too bad. They were regular, and I could get by with ibuprofen on the first day. But in my 40s, everything changed. My periods became more and more painful again. Running became difficult, and I started having trouble even running 3 miles most days because I was so fatigued. I was diagnosed with a uterine fibroid and about 6 years ago, finally had a partial hysterectomy to remove it when it became so large I had trouble urinating. 

Eight weeks after that procedure, I ran 5 miles pain free and haven't looked back. I feel like a different person. Not only do I not get a period anymore, I have so much more energy. I'm running faster and farther than I have in years. I packed up all my pads and tampons and gave them to my friend, the mother of 2 girls. We laughed about it, but she told me how lucky I was not to have my period anymore. I completely agree.

I don't advocate such an extreme procedure for horrible periods, but for me it was life changing. Many of my friends who are in their 40s who have had similar issues have also undergone a procedure called uterine ablation, which basically compresses the uterine lining and reduces monthly bleeding. If you're done having kids, why not? Quality of life is a big deal here.

Jenny Hadfield wrote a great blog post on running and menstruation. Being an elite runner, she was really concerned how her cycles affected her training. She began keeping a symptom log and found that there were some key changes to her HR and pace during certain days of the month. Typically, the last 2 weeks of the month were more challenging due to cyclical hormonal changes. Interesting, because although I no longer get my period, I do still have my ovaries and so I do go through a monthly cycle. I just don't notice the extreme ups and downs that I did prior to my surgery.  She also talks about a "cut back" week if you are one who experiences bad cramps and /or heavy bleeding. Which is a great idea unless you are training for a race or your race just happens to fall at "that time of the month". Since women bleed 1 week out of the month, there's a pretty good chance that a race may occur during your period.

Another great article was published in Competitor magazine earlier this year. The article (written by a man, I should add) is more technical but talks about the physiology behind the cycle and why women should train differently than men. Turns out that depending on what time of the month it is, your heat tolerance could be lower due to fluctuations in hormones. Women are more susceptible to heat related illness than men. The author states that training helps improve a woman's ability to tolerate hot conditions. Anemia can be an issue in all runners, but especially women who bleed heavily during their periods. Anemia can contribute to fatigue because red blood cells carry oxygen to the brain and if you have less of them, well, it just makes sense. Glucose metabolism is also affected and he advocates a high carb diet. Hooray for carbs!

Seriously?

Do you notice changes in your running related to your period? What do you do to alter your training, if anything? Do you plan your races around your cycle?

Summer Running

"Summer running, had me a blast....

Summer running, happened so fast...

I ran a race, crazy for me,

Ran a PR, look and you'll see..

Runner days, runnin' away....but oh, oh those finish times!"

What about those finish times? Who likes to run in the heat of the summer? Does anyone get a PR in the heat and humidity?

We midwesterners complain all winter about the weather. After last winter and all its brutality, I promised myself I wouldn't complain about the heat of summer. Personally, I love the heat. But I won't lie. I hate running in it. If I had my choice, I'd rather run in the cold. Last March, I ran a half marathon in Florida. Remember that recap? The heat and humidity just about did me in. I wasn't acclimated for it. And now, that weather has arrived in Chicago. Time to acclimate.....no excuses.

This morning, I set out to run 6 miles. Like any good runner, I checked the weather forecast before I headed out the door. At 6 am, it was 77 degrees and 67% humidity. In spite of calling for thunderstorms, the radar looked clear. The wind was whipping--what the weathermen call "breezy". I decided to take my chances. Anything but the treadmill!

Before I headed out, I applied BodyGlide to some body parts that had the potential for chafing, drank a big glass of cold water, took one last look at the sky--nah, no storms--, and headed out the door. I almost left the Garmin at home, thinking that I didn't even want to know my pace...but my OCD won out, I turned on it, and pushed start as I headed down the street.

I started off at a fairly easy 9:00/mile pace. Felt pretty good with the wind at my back. At mile 1, I headed into the wind. I hoped the wind would cool me, but it was so humid that I did not feel any relief. Interestingly, the wind didn't affect my pace. I took that as a good sign.

But by mile 2, my heart was calling for mercy. I didn't need my heart rate monitor to tell me that I was in the red zone. I also started getting a side stitch. Woo! I stopped to catch my breath and stop the nausea in its tracks. "This is not happening", I told myself. My intestines churned. After about 30 seconds, I started running again, albeit very slowly. Before heading out, I had promised myself I would complete this 6 and I decided no matter what, I would get it done. As I moved forward, I saw one of my neighbors out for his morning run. He started running a few years ago, lost a ton of weight, and left his wife, a friend of mine. Boo on him!

"Hey Wendy", he called. 

"Oh, hey," I said and kept moving, a little spring in my step. 

A little while later, I saw the high school boys cross country team. Most of them were shirtless. Not that this affected me in any way at all. But to be friendly and encouraging, I waved and called out to them. "Hi boys!", I said. I got a few greetings back but was mostly ignored. They probably thought "eww, it's somebody's mom". Yeah, somebody's mom who's KICKING YOUR ASS!

I saw them again as they looped around a second time. Tried again and said hi. Got a few more waves this time. Yep. Badass mother runner here. I kept moving forward. Who's old?

At the 4 mile mark, I approached the park fieldhouse and stopped to drink water. Trying to make that side stitch go away. The maintenance guy greeted me. "It's hot out there!",  he said.  A little bit. Understatement of the year! I sucked up a ton of water and headed back out. Two miles to go.

I saw the guy who walks his Eskimo dog. I see this guy all the time. The one with the dog who lunges and barks at every car that goes by. Raised my hand in a wave. 

One mile to go. That side stitch was getting pretty intense. But I kept going. Rounded the corner onto my street. Saw the guy with the Ironman license plate bracket walking to his car, heading to work. I picked up the pace, tried to look like a strong runner as I passed his house. Seriously. WTH?

Finally at my destination, I stopped when I reached my driveway. 6.11 miles, 58:09, 9:31min/mile. I'll take it. According to an article I read in Runners' World, every 5F above 60 degrees can slow your pace by 20-30 sec/mile. I think I did ok.

I have Zooma in August. Hoping that the weather then isn't like this morning. Could be a long 13.1. Or not. A couple more runs like this...in this heat? Makes me feel unstoppable.

More, more, more

When I started running, about 20 years ago, I ran to help me deal with stress and anxiety which was taking over my life. I began running with a friend I met at the health club, who was also training to be a personal trainer. She was really athletic and decided to train for the Chicago Marathon. Back then, I didn't know anyone who ran marathons. It really wasn't a common thing. I ran a lot of 5Ks and 10ks, which were really popular, but still so small, and certainly not the spectacle they are today. There were no color runs, no tough mudders! Half marathons weren't even heard of. A full marathon seemed overwhelming and out of reach to me.

As I eased back into racing, about 5 years ago, I found that the racing scene had changed dramatically. Half marathons were growing in popularity. I decided to run my first half marathon in Door County Wisconsin, a beautiful peninsula where I had spent my childhood summers. This was at the urging of my mother, who I am sure wanted bragging rights that one of her daughters ran this "hometown" race. And there's nothing better than making your parents proud, no matter how old you might be! The Door County half marathon is a pretty big deal up there, and the year I ran it was only the 3rd year for the race. I cried when I crossed the finish line, because it was the farthest I had ever run in my life. But instead of feeling content, I wanted to do more. I fell in love with long distance running.

The following year, I ran several half marathons and the Chicago Marathon. I was anxious from the moment I signed up for the marathon. Every time I thought about the marathon, I felt panicked. I carefully selected my training plan from Hal Higdon's vast selection of training plans, choosing Novice 2. I followed the plan religiously, which really helped boost my confidence and reduce my nervousness. I promised my husband (and myself) that with the marathon, it was one and done. But is was important to me to run it. I just didn't want to go through my life as a runner, without running "all" the distances.

Well, as you well know, that marathon wasn't exactly a success but I did finish and got my medal. I had bragging rights. I was a marathoner! And I never had to do THAT again. Right?

But then I started to hear about people running multiple marathons. Apparently, running one marathon wasn't enough. I saw people wearing Marathon Maniac shirts, which meant they ran multiple marathons within a short time frame. And ultras.

When did running an ultra become "a thing"? I worked with a woman who runs ultras, who one year actually was one of 2 women from Illinois who qualified for Western States, a 100 mile race. She's several years older than me. I asked her how she trained for her races, and she told me she really didn't, that she just ran a lot of marathons and long races throughout the year. I always had this perception of ultramarathoners as a little bit out there. She's really quiet and soft spoken, humble, actually. However, there is another woman who lives near me, who also runs ultras. She runs in a sports bra and short shorts all year round. It could be 20 degrees and snowing, and I see her scantily dressed, running down the street. Maybe on those days, I've seen her wearing arm warmers. I've met her at a couple of my yoga classes, and she's what my mom would call "a character". This is how I viewed ultramarathoners.

Until recently. Now on my facebook feed, I have posts appearing regularly from friends who are training for ultras. Who have completed ultras. Normal, everyday moms and dads. And I ask myself, when did this happen? When did the marathon distance not become far enough? And what if a 50K (31 miles) isn't enough? Then what? A 50 miler? When do you decide to do 100? And finally, what kind of toll does all this running take on your body?

I've been running for a long time, and I've chronicled some of the problems I've had with my feet over the past couple of years. Marathon training--my one and only--took a huge toll on my feet. I can do strength work to support my knees and hips. But my feet? My most recent injury to my foot was caused by a well meaning podiatrist, who I sought out after the marathon, and who put me in orthotics. Those orthotics directly caused the injury to my big toe due to the stiffness in the midfoot, which forced me to land on that joint. This is an injury that has become chronic and most likely will plague me for the rest of my life. I've been thinking about another marathon. That's no secret. But could my feet survive the training?

And an ultra? I have to admit that I have absolutely no desire to run that far. Even another marathon isn't all that appealing to me. But as much as I'm not one to succumb to peer pressure, reading about everyone's accomplishments makes me sort of wish I was younger...had fresher legs and feet...and could push my limits a little bit more.

For now, I have to be content with what I can do. After all, I'm still running! I also have to put it all in perspective. When I saw the orthopedic surgeon, who sorted out my whole foot injury thing, he reminded me that the amount of running I actually do is a lot. When I talk with people at work, and they ask me how far I ran, "just 4" always makes them laugh. To people who don't run, 4 miles sounds like a lot. But in the company I keep, my friends, the runners who post on my facebook feed, and those whose blogs I follow, 4 miles is a warm up.

Motherhood melancholy

Yesterday I was seeing one of my patients for his 2 year old check up. This child, who was an adorable baby, has turned into THE CUTEST little boy. The first thing he did when I sat down to talk to his mom was take off his shorts and diaper. Then he sat on the exam room couch. He took his mother's blue sunglasses and put them on, and then sat back and relaxed. "Are you all set now?", I asked. "I want milk," he said. His mom gave him a sippy cup with milk and he sat there sipping, as if he was pondering the meaning of life. Buck naked, blue sunglasses, drinking milk. I mean REALLY. I thought I was going to die, it was just so cute. I'm so lucky I work in pediatrics. I have encounters like this all day long. Of course, I do see those 2 year olds who are so terrified of me that they scream during the entire visit. So there's that...

Knowing that I have a 14 and a 16 year old, the patient's mother asked me, "do your boys still want to be with you?"

March 2014 Anna Maria Island

I stopped and thought about that question before answering her. I told her that I don't believe they mind being with me, but that they would rather be with their friends. Because that is the hard truth about motherhood.

Prior to becoming a mother, I had always been a runner. This type A personality that I have been blessed with needs an outlet. And while I was able to juggle the demands of motherhood and a part-time career, I learned after becoming a mom that I needed my outlet--running--even more than ever before. I didn't do races when the boys were little, it just wasn't a priority for me. But I always got in my runs--at least 4-5 time per week. Because my husband left for work before 6 am, for several years those runs were done at 430am. Me, the newspaper delivery men, and the skunks. But I did it. That hour on the road was my me time, the only time of day that I was alone. It was so important and I made sure those runs happened. It actually worked out well, since my boys went to bed at 8--I didn't stay up much later than that!

I never complained about having to get up early to do get my runs in. I actually looked forward to them. What I believed is that being able to run, to have my me time, made me a better and more patient mom. I had more energy to play with my boys. I wanted to be able to keep up with them--I didn't want to be one of those moms who sits on the bench and watches them. I wanted to be in there. And I have been.

But all of a sudden, or so it seems, I look at my boys, and they're big. Taller than me, my oldest has also passed up my husband. Oh, and that yummy baby smell? Replaced by a not so pleasant male odor. Which they was away with Axe shower gel. That smooth baby skin is now sprouting hair. Sigh....

They are hardly ever around. One minute they're home, the next minute, the door slams before I can even say goodbye and be careful, and they're gone. All the free time I longed for when they were little is mine. I read and finish books before they need to go back to the library. Phone conversations with my sister go uninterrupted. I go to the store alone and come home with only the things that were on my list. I can run whenever I want. I can go on a 30 mile bike, and not think twice about it.

But there's a price you pay for that free time. I miss those little boys. When they needed me--sometimes it was overwhelming! Not that my boys don't need me now, but it is usually to drive them somewhere or give them money. Hugs? "Disturbing", my oldest proclaims. Forget kisses! I always tell them I love them when they leave for school, but I don't get a response anymore. Oh, and they know everything! Apparently, I don't.

Is this wrong?

Friends who have older children tell me that they come around again, once they leave home for college. Yikes! I don't even want to think about that!

I'm so glad I have a passion, an interest outside of my family. Something for me. Running has always gotten me through so many rough times in my life. And I believe, running will get me through this too. Letting go is so hard, but it is part of life. I'm starting to pull away a little too, I think--running more races, getting more involved in the running community. I could throw myself into my career, but that isn't what drives me. Running is my motivator. Running has always made me better at everything I do.

“But kids don't stay with you if you do it right. It's the one job where, the better you are, the more surely you won't be needed in the long run.” ― Barbara Kingsolver, Pigs In Heaven