Advanced Marathoning + It Only Hurts When I Breathe

I've been running for...awhile now, but I still consider myself a newbie runner, especially when it comes to 26.2.  There is just so much about the marathon that I don't yet understand, and that's probably why I keep coming back for more.  I'm that kid who would work on a story problem without coming up for air until it was solved, all nice and tidy like.

Luckily for me, I also like to read, so there is no shortage of information out there for me to learn by.  I'm also blessed to have some fasty fast friends who are much smarter when it comes to training for the 26.2 (and really just in training in general).

At the start of the year, I had skimmed through Pete Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoning as an option for Fargo training.  I was intrigued but mostly scared, and moved along to some other marathon books.  A few weekends ago, I was riding a running high, and since I couldn't go on another run (yes, I was literally having one of those days, hate me if you wish) I decided to tuck in to my book.  Danielle had sent it to me when I was originally toying with the idea of a fall marathon.  Uh hi... that marathon is like in 8 weeks.  Shhhhhhhh don't tell my brain that.

Anywhosits, I felt like I was back in school all over again, which is great, since uh... I am! ..... taking notes, marking up the book!  (Sidenote:  I had such a hard time highlighting things in textbooks when I first started college.  "A marked up book is a sad book," my grandma used to tell me.)

I found some interesting gems that I thought I'd share.  Since everyone and their dog has probably read the book, you can probably skim over this, but it doesn't hurt to re-read and re-learn info.  :)

I love all the information about heart rate zones.  After Fargo, I got a heart rate monitor (from the insanely nice Tara, thanks again!) and have been paying attention to the zones I should be in based on the types of runs I was completing.  It was interesting to realize that without paying much attention to the HRM, I tended to be right in the middle of my range for my easy runs and long runs.  I also learned at the end of an interval workout that my puke threshold matches up pretty darn closely with my max heart rate.  Good to know!

One thing I am confused/intrigued by is the long run pace.  Pfitz states that your long runs should be 10-20% slower than your goal marathon pace.  Based on a marathon goal pace of 9ish, I should be running a pace of 9:50-10:40 on my long runs.  He also says that your heart rate should be 74-84% of max.  While my heart rate is within the appropriate range, my pace doesn't fall within that range.  Does that mean I get to be a faster marathon runner?!?!?  Ok then... done.

Another note in regards to heart rate is your range for the actual marathon.  While Pfitz says 79-88% of your max heart rate, I'm guessing this is skewed towards someone who is faster than I am.  What would be a better goal/range/estimate for someone in the 3:45-4 hour range?

Overall I don't feel there was a whole lot of new information (other than HR, since I know very little about that) but was nice to reaffirm some information I learned the hard way, such as don't run your long runs at marathon goal pace!  I did this, and struggled in my first marathon after the 3 hour point because that's as long as I spent on my feet during my longest long runs.  Also, reaffirmed the statement, "you have to run slow to run fast."  Which I always thought was a bunch of hoopla.  :P

You can make a lot of mistakes in training for a half marathon and shorter distances, and still do great.  The marathon seems to be a very precocious beast that I have yet to master... maybe some of this info will help!

Any other great running/racing/marathoning books that I should read?
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This weekend I was convinced I was dying.  I went for an easy paced run Friday after work, and I thought my lungs were going to explode.  It felt like I was gasping for air and that my lungs were the size of an unblown up balloon.  Luckily after the first 25-30 minutes it let up and I was able to continue without dying.  But I still didn't feel great.

Saturday I woke up and struggled to breathe and was convinced I was sick with some sort of allergies.  I rested and missed out on seeing KK in a penguin suit at a wedding, :(  but I was determined to be healthy and ready to take on my 8-10 mile run on Sunday with 6 at tempo.  Within the first couple of miles I knew something was up.  I was doing my warm up (roughly the 9:50s) and my heart rate was hovering around 175.  To give you an idea of where my heart rate should be, I usually try to keep it below 155 for easy runs/long runs.  During my 5k RACE two weekends ago, it maxed at 177.  Uh...yeah.  That's not normal.

I decided to head for home and struggled to keep from having my heart explode (or so it felt).  I was getting light-headed and nauseous from not taking in enough oxygen.  I took a few walk breaks and brought my pace down suuuuuuuper low.

When I woke up this morning, I finally noticed a pain in between my shoulder blades.  My breathing was still messed up, so I decided to suck it up and head to the chiro.  Nothing against chiros, but my health insurance suckkkkkks so a 10 minute session is $90.  Uff.  Turns out breathing is worth $90, especially when you have a goal race in 13 days.  She checked my alignment and immediately noticed that one hip is higher than the other.  Oh hai hip/piriformis/IT band/runner's knee issues!  Next she set to putting my back in to alignment.  She flipped me over and started pressing on my ribs, and it felt like she was poking me with a burning nail.  Apparently that means your ribs are out of place.  Three ribs later and I could breathe.  EEEEEEEEE! 

As soon as I got home I threw on my running clothes and headed out for a 6 mile run.  I was even able to do some 4x100 m pick ups at the end of the run.  I did 6 miles in 55:52 for a 9:19 pace.  4x100 m. 6:59, 7:03, 6:58, 6:55.  I randomly met up with another chica who was running my pace and had company for a mile.  She's running the Sioux Falls HM too and is looking to break 2 hours.  So fun!

And a random funny quip, I bought Kyle a sweet Alabama shirt when I was down south, and without realizing it, I bought myself the inverse of it.  When I realized my mistake, naturally I told him the shirts would be our "christmas card picture outfits!"  JK I don't do Xmas cards, but now I want to start.  After not seeing Kyle all weekend, he showed up at my apartment to take me out on a date, and **you've guessed it** TWINSIES!!!  I was the stubborn one, and made him change into a shirt that was in the back of his truck, man I'm bossy.  (he would agree).

Why I Talk to the Animals

After my post earlier this week regarding talking to deer (and other woodland creatures), I received quite a few responses.  One that made me laugh...hard...was Evolving Through Running who commented:

Has there ever been an occasion when you had to greet a deer as foe? Any particularly rough deer gangs near you? 

To which I felt the need to respond.  But before I do, I feel like I need to explain myself a little bit.  I am possibly the queen of irrational (and occasionally rational) fears.  I didn't fly until I was 22 because I was deathly afraid (we're talking mini-panic attack the night before my first flight complete with me leaving a will with my best friend that she could take all my cute clothes and shoes, except that all those cute clothes and shoes were coming with me on that trip and would undoubtably go down in the fiery plane crash along with me).  To this day, I cower when there is lightning outside.  Yes, I understand these are fairly rational fears.

Shall we move on to the less rational?  Ok then.  When I was in high school on the volleyball team, the Varsity players would have to rotate officiating the 'C' teams games (I think most places refer to this as the sophomore or freshman team....whatever is below the JV team...ANYWAY).  When I had to be the "up" official, meaning I was the person that stood on a little stoop attached to the volleyball pole looking down on the net and the players, I would be absolutely sure that for the first time in the history of the world, that thick cable cord that was wrapped and cranked ever so tightly to ensure that the net was nice and tight would snap, fling back at me, and slice open my face.  NO JOKE.  I hated being the up official.  I would always ask to swap whenever I was assigned.

The bike path that I run on is a fairly wooded area and runs right along a river.  I see a deer or a small family of deer probably once a week while I'm running along.  There was one incident where I came up on a deer in the dark where I frightened him (giant rack on this guy) and he frightened me, and I got to thinking.....  "Hmmmm if he were to start running at me, how fast would he have to go in order to knock me out?  Could he run at me hard enough to actually kill me?"

Sidenote:  Most of my irrational fears end in my maiming and/or untimely death and/or mutilation and disfigurement.

I then spent the rest of the run trying to do the equation.  If 120 lb. girl is running approx. 6 mph and encounters an average sized deer, at what velocity would the average sized deer need to be traveling to ensure dismemberment?

I thought I could pose the question to you all.  Surely some of you are math geniuses.  Perhaps you could google the average weight of a deer if that will help with some of the missing variables.  Maybe there's a "deer average speed when frightened" chart out there.  Maybe if there's enough interest, Mythbusters could do an episode.  All I know is that for my own peace of mind I need to know.  Somehow I don't think greeting the deer in calm and soothing voices is going to keep them from ramming me to death (although in the meantime I am going to hope amongst all hopes that that is indeed the case).

I ran 6 miles Tuesday morning in 57:50 for a pace of 9:39.

I ran 8 miles Wednesday night in 1:18:10 for a pace of 9:46.

.........Zero woodland creatures were encountered.

Book Worm Inspired Photo Shoot + Boring Runs

I had taken Monday off from work, assuming that I would need some additional recovery time from racing + raging.  Lucky for me, one of my favorite people in the world, Kathryn, was in town from Michigan!!!  She has always been a huge inspiration to me artistically, especially with her photography.  She is actually part of my inspiration to start the Project 365 photo blog.  She had suggested that we do a super fun library photo shoot so she could get some more practice with her new camera.  Since I tend to l.o.v.e. the camera, of course I agreed.  I got dolled up in super cutesy, yet very Jeri clothes and we hit two of my favorite libs in town.  The future librarian in me felt right at home.

Here are some of my favorite shots she took.

My Harry Potter books and glasses taken while I was getting gussied up.  Seriously looove this picture. :)

It was super duper fun.  And of course I had to try my hand at some photography as well.  I had my little point and shoot, but it seemed to do the trick.  It doesn't hurt that Kathryn is seriously one of my most beautiful friends.  But you can see that for yourself.....yes.  Ok.

Can you tell she has a preference for b&w where as I crave the bright and bold?  ;)  To each their own.

After biking Monday with Aaron (and hauling some major ass *for me* in the middle miles of the ride), I couldn't get motivated to run on Tuesday.  Wednesday rolled around and I had planned on doing a tempo run.  Until I started running.

Dear IT Bands,
WTF?
Love,
Jerbear

They were a'screamin' fo sho.  After the warm up mile I figured I would just do an easy run, and also decided that I wouldn't do any speed work for the rest of the week to let my legs recover.  I guess I didn't factor in that even though I didn't push to the point of pain during the race that I wouldn't still need recovery time.  Ie:  I'm a dummy head. :)

I did 5.25 in 53:27 for a pace of 10:11.

Thursday I did 6 miles in 59:42 for a pace of 9:52.

I also lost a dear dear friend on Monday.  As I was exiting the wave pool at our local waterpark with Miss Kathryn, I noticed a tiny sliver of pink hanging on to my toe for dear life.  It was....my toe nail.  :'(  First I had to calm Kathryn and explain that this was a completely normal occurrence for runners.  Then I detached the toe from its tiny dangling thread and gave it a proper burial.  I said a few words, and tossed it in the trash.  RIP pinky toe nail.  You will be missed.

Black Toenail

5/16/2010-8/9/2010