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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Here's the linkup badge for your post/book review: 

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.....

No filter

Thursdays are for thinking out loud, according to Amanda at Running with Spoons. Here's some random thoughts from the mind of Wendy....

You can see some remaining snow behind me...

Today's run was glorious...sunshine, 40 degrees, and the snow is almost gone. I only hit one icy patch. But man, what a mess out there...mud, sure, but the crap that was buried under the snow? Do people throw this stuff from the car? How does it end up there? I saw the usual liquor bottles and fast food wrappers, sure. But last year at this time, next to the busy suburban road where I run, I saw a bunch of those airplane-sized liquor bottles and 2 pairs of ladies underpants. Someone must have been having a party, right? But how did that stuff end up by the side of the road? Imagine the conversation.."My mom will kill me if she finds this stuff in her van..." Another time I saw a big goldfish just laying next to the road. Dead of course, but how did it end up there? Did he get too big for the tank and someone just decided to fling him out the car window? Did they throw it at a runner? Always entertaining, but somewhat disturbing, running outside this time of year gives me plenty to think about...

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And a little TMI for you all, but my tummy has been understandably but horribly unreliable these past couple of weeks. I had to make a pit stop this morning on my run. Praying that it behaves itself on Saturday at my race. Imodium, anyone? I applied for that Shower Pill promotion through FitFluential but I didn't get it. Too bad. I think I'd be the perfect tester for their product. Sara may not want to ride with me after all...

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No comment needed..

Yes, I have a half marathon in 2 days. The Get Lucky 21K is my backup plan race, my replacement race for the Sarasota Half Marathon that I had to defer due to my family drama. I'm alternating between looking forward to it and dreading it. The race director changed the start location 2 weeks ago and failed to tell any of us. Luckily, I saw it on their Facebook page. Parking is still uncertain, and when I posted a question about it today on their page, they posted a picture of the weather forecast. Helpful. The other concerning factor is that the Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade is at the same time. Should be interesting. Stay tuned. I hope they have adequate portapotties.

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I've been running pretty consistent and I'm hoping everything falls into place for Saturday. I'm looking for sub-2, and a PR would be icing on the cake. My legs have been loose and strong. Pace has been good. So besides my tummy, I need to get my head in the game. It has been 5 months since my marathon. I haven't had to put on my race face since, with the exception of that Turkey Trot in November. Time to pull out the mantras. Catch that red dot!

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My husband finally went back to work this week, and Monday morning before work I enjoyed being alone in my house for the first time in 3 months. I was tempted to just run around naked, just because I could. I didn't, though. I just did yoga. Today is my day off and guess what? My oldest son is home "sick" with a cold. He's blasting heavy metal up in his room. So much for time to myself. Serenity now.

What's going through your head? Have you checked out Amanda's link up before? The posts are pretty awesome!

My racing heart...

A couple of weeks ago, I was sitting on the couch, reading, and I started to feel weird. I noticed that my heart was beating irregularly. I've had heart flutters before, and usually they just pass. It's a weird, kind of uncomfortable sensation. Have you ever felt this? This time, I did some yoga breathing to relax but the feeling didn't pass. I put my fingers on my wrist to feel my pulse, and yes, I was having irregular heart beats. I got up to get my stethoscope and put it on my chest. Very irregular.

I considered what to do. I'd been down this road before. About 10 years ago, I had something like this happen. I had chest pain and palpitations while working at the hospital. I was sent to the ER and put on a heart monitor. Of course, the act of putting me on the monitor was curative, and my heart rhythm was back to normal. I followed up with a cardiologist, was put on a 72 hour heart monitor, which was essentially normal, except for the tachycardia (fast heart rate) that occurred when I was running. Ha! I wonder what the technicians thought when they saw that!

So in light of that, I decided to ride out this episode. I felt ok, and I knew, as a medical person, that if I went to the ER, in February, which is the thick of cold and flu season, that the triage nurse would take one look at me, see a thin, athletic looking woman, and think low cardiac risk. She probably would start to judge me and think anxiety. I know how these ER nurses think, since I used to be one of them. She'd put me at the bottom of the priority list, and I'd probably sit in that waiting room for hours while they took people who were much sicker than me. That's how the ER works. Knowing all this, I figured that if I felt worse, I could always go to the ER, or I could see my personal physician the next day.

******Disclaimer: I'm not recommending anyone do what I did. If you are feeling chest pains or rapid/irregular heart beats, you need to get it checked out! I possess enough medical knowledge to be dangerous to myself. You know what they say, medical professionals make the worst patients. Do as I say, not as I do.******

The symptoms finally passed and I haven't had another episode since. Curious to find out what could have happened, I did some research. Conventional wisdom tells us that exercise is good for our heart, and puts us at low risk for cardiac issues. But some controversial studies have come out that say maybe TOO MUCH running is not good for our hearts. What happens when we run?

There's no question that endurance activities put a strain on our hearts. Your heart is a muscle, and when you train, that muscle works hard. Moderate exercise helps strengthen that muscle, and is considered "cardioprotective", or good for your heart. But what about more intense endurance activities, like marathon running or triathlons?

Over time, the heart adapts to endurance activities by increasing the effectiveness of the heart to pump blood to the body. In other words, this leads to increased muscle size of the heart and a lower pulse rate. But running an endurance event, like a marathon can lead to temporary changes in the heart muscle that indicate damage. The good news is that for most of us, everything returns to normal after 24-48 hours. And even though you do hear of people dropping dead at the finish line, those events are really, really rare.

What could be causing my palpitations? Studies show that these irregular heart beats are more common in older athletes. Actually, irregular heart beats are more common in older people in general. There can be several different types of palpitations. But for the purpose of this blog post, I'm going to focus on the 2 most common types of palpitations that occur in athletes.

In older and middle aged runners, I guess that includes me, there is an increased incidence of atrial fibrillation. This is thought to be related to changes in the structure of the heart, including the electrical pathways. Atrial fibrillation is felt like a fluttering in the chest. There can be lightheadedness, shortness of breath, and fatigue. The heart rate is elevated.

Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are fairly common in athletes of all ages. There are several different theories behind this, but commonly these beats are thought to be an "escape" rhythm felt between normal beats of the slower heart rate in the well trained athlete. Random PVCs are not usually a problem. I've had these many times, and I think that's most likely what was going on with me that afternoon.

There are other causes for heart palpitations that have nothing to do with running. Fatigue, caffeine, stress, thyroid problems, and hormonal changes (pregnancy, menstruation, and menopause) can also cause palpitations.

When is an irregular heartbeat a problem? Palpitations during a run are usually considered to be more serious than those that occur during rest. Those need to be checked out. But other palpitations? Like mine?

I haven't had any further episodes. There was no associated chest pain. Oddly, once I had a glass of wine, things settled down. I'm not sure what caused my heart to flutter. God knows I've had a lot of stress lately. The good thing for me is that I've had this worked up in the past, and everything was 100% normal. For now, I'm ok to wait.

And you know, it's still better to run than to sit on the couch and think about running.

But when in doubt, get it checked out.

To read more:
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/836064_12
http://www.runnersworld.com/health/study-30-milesweek-may-be-excessive-after-a-heart-attack
http://www.runnersworld.com/health/will-running-too-much-kill-you
http://www.runnersworld.com/health/the-supposed-dangers-of-running-too-much

I'm linking up with Femme Fitale Fit Club and Workout Wednesday! Be sure to head on over and check out all the other blogs.

Dream runner

Tuesdays are pretty fun in the blogging world. There's a couple of linkups and no matter what the topic, I am tasked to keep it light. This week, I'm linking up with Jill Conyers and Jessica Joy. The subject? Come up with 5 people we would most like to workout with.

Oh man. I imagine this is kind of like filling out one of those online dating applications. Not that I'd know anything about that. I'm married. But in all seriousness, what would I look for in a dream workout partner? And do I want it to be a runner? A yoga instructor? A crossfit instructor? A cyclist? A guru?

I decided to pick one of each. But for each person I chose, I looked for the following attributes: they needed to be a respected leader or performer in their field and they must have a sense of humor. Being a sports psychologist would be a plus. Of course, if I have the guru, I won't need the sports psychology...

Runner

courtesy ShutUpandRun.net

Who do I want to run with? You know I like to run alone...Should I pick someone famous? If I had to pick, I want someone who has been running for a long time, someone who has run all the distances (not including an ultra), who will share their experiences and knowledge about running with me, and will keep me occupied with funny stories while I try to do my part to keep up with them. There's some pretty inspirational women that I'd love to meet: Katherine Switzer, Linda Sommers Smith, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Deena Kastor, Jenny Hadfield, Lauren Fleishman, Shalane Flanigan, and Kara Goucher, just to name a few. They'd all be so much faster than me though. So if I had to pick someone to run with, just to pick her brain, and laugh a ton, it would be Beth Risdon from Shut Up and Run. I've been following her blog for several years, and she never fails to put a smile on my face with her posts. I admire her grit and tenacity as she pushes through tough runs---and doesn't mind sharing stories about "the runs". Ahem. No pun intended. I think I'd be totally entertained. Unless her running personality is completely different from her blogger personality. Stranger things have happened.  Plus I think her pace isn't much faster than mine. Win!

Cyclist

And she drinks Phaedra beer! Image courtesy blistersandblacktoenails.blogspot.com

True story. I don't know much about cycling. I just hop on my bike and ride. Last year, I took the plunge and bought toe clips and shoes for my bike. Now I feel 100% legit. Ok, not so much. Remember the flat tire incident from last summer? My husband had to come pick me up and change it for me? This is probably the area that I really need the most guidance. I don't really know any famous women cyclists either. But I do know about Chrissie Wellington, who is an amazing triathlete and Ironman. I think I could learn a lot from her, if she didn't leave me in her dust. It would be cool to meet her. But on a ride, the person I'd most like to spin with is Phaedra Kennedy, from Blisters and Black Toenails. Phaedra is a accomplished triathlete and I've been following her blog for about a year. I think she could teach me a lot. And she seems like a lot of fun. I bet she can change a tire in no time flat. No pun intended. Again. And she has a really cool bike. I hope she wouldn't laugh at mine...

Yoga Instructor

Oh, this is another tough one. There are a lot of yoga celebrities (yogalebrities?) with DVDs and videos. Rodney Yee would be awesome, but he's a little too much yoga for me. Christine Felstead also is a great instructor but she's a little dry for me. The person I'd love to do yoga with is actually famous, but she's a runner and a yogi, and I think that would be perfect. Sage Rountree has books, DVDs, a monthly online yoga subscription plan, and she teaches a lot of yoga for athletes classes. She's warm and explains things really well. She seems down to earth and normal, which is a plus in the yoga world. 

Trainer

courtesy Buckshot Images

Who comes to mind when you think about a trainer? Jillian Michaels? She scares me. I don't like that. I know very little about the world of personal training. All my knowledge comes from my weekly training sessions with Becky. I'm sure there's CrossFit celebrities, just like in any sport. But I'm going to stick with what works. I can't imagine anyone being more knowledgeable or effective than my coach. 

Guru

What the hell is a guru? And how do I find one? I imagine that a guru is someone who guides you spiritually and otherwise, through life. Kind of like a therapist, I think. Have you read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. The book is the story of her yearlong quest to find happiness. Since the publication of that book, she has written several other books on happiness. When I read her books, I thought to myself, who doesn't know all this? It seemed almost simplistic. But if you think about it, there are a lot of really unhappy people. Actually, I am a pretty happy person, but I do have this type A++ personality, and it would be nice to have someone to continually remind me to slow down, to be in the moment, to be more accepting of myself and others, to be more patient. I know what I need to do, but I'd love to have someone in my life to help me find ways to be a happier person. 

Coming up with this list was a little tougher than I thought! I'm so blessed to have so many awesome runner and workout friends in my life, that I don't know what more I need. And that's a good thing.

Who would be your dream workout partner(s)? Why?

Here's the link up! Be sure to head over to both hosts to see what other bloggers are saying!