My next book cover reveal!

Here you go! Check out the cover of my next book, The Hard Run: Painful Lessons from a Running Granny. It is on track to be released in January 2015. 

 

Can you see that little runner on the front cover?  That’s me running my first half marathon, the High Desert Trail Run! It was truly painful!

Read excerpts from the book HERE and HERE. 

You can be one of the first to get a signed copy by visiting my Etsyshop.

Happy Running!

 

Eating on the run

We all know that it is rude to just eat and run, but in the world of runners, eating while running is a must. When I began running six years ago I could eat nothing prior to a run and my stomach took some time to settle down after a run.  Even drinking water before a run was flirting with danger.  If it went down too close to run time it would most surely come back up.  I eventually learned to sip water mid-run and live.

While training for my first half marathon (read about it here) I learned that I had to eat something during longer workouts.  If I did not, my legs would quit on me.  So began the experimentation with gels and fruit snacks, protein bars and peppermint candy, and gum.  I settled on a combination of gels and fruit snacks. (Yes, regular kid tested by them at the grocery store fruit snacks.)

I have been training with a new running buddy for the Fit for Life Half in Boise on July 12. I convinced her to try eating on the run and we began experimenting again.  We’ve come to this conclusion:

Jelly Belly® Sport Beans are the best mid-run fuel because …

• They taste good.

• The packaging is easy to open.

• You can carry them in one hand and pop two or three at a time rather than consuming the whole package at a water stop.

Gatorade®Prime Energy Chews are a close second because …

• They taste good.

• They are soft and go down quickly, but …

• The packaging is difficult to open. I would recommend repackaging these before the race in snack size zipper bags.

I am still sticking with Power Bar® Protein Bars before and after the run.  My favorite?  Caramel Peanut Fusion.  Yum!

With any luck the mid-run fuel will help to carry us through on Saturday. Oh, and gum.  I can’t run without my peppermint gum!

Happy Running!

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Fit for Life 2013 – The Report

 

Ready to roll!

 

Well, here we are all pre-race smiles. We trained. We carbo-loaded.  We got up at 4:00am to eat breakfast and went back to bed for an hour.  We prayed!  I even cried a little bit at race start because I was excited to have Marie running this race with me.  I just knew she could break two hours.  It was almost like old times!

State Track 2005



Then we ran, and ran, and ran for 13.1 miles.  I could see her for awhile trotting up ahead of me while I labored along. I was ever so grateful for the shaded Boise Greenbelt because I had forgotten my sunglasses!  There was a guy ringing cow bells and I thought perhaps he was just my fan because I saw him at three different locations.  Hey Cow Bell Guy, I know you weren’t there just for me, but “Thanks for the support!”

I saw Marie again a half mile before the turn around point (my mile 6 – her mile7).  She was wearing the watch and called out my time.  Right on pace!  Too bad I didn’t drink Gatorade instead of water at the water stops.  I ran out of fuel about mile 10.  That’s when the walking breaks increased and I fell off pace.  My quads were killing me at the 11.5 mile mark.  I crossed Home Plate (finish line at Hawks Memorial Stadium) at 2:23:04.  That’s 26 minutes faster than last year’s High Desert Trail Run.  Respectable.

Marie was waiting for me with our other fans.

Some of the fans.

Some really great things happened!  Marie finished in 1:58:12!  I knew she could break two hours!  We both received finisher medals like this one.

T-shirt and finisher medal

 

And … we stayed at the after party long enough for me to win a pair of Pearl Izumi shoes from Shu’s Idaho Running Company!  A report on the shoes will follow.

My new Pearl Izumi's courtesy of Shu's!

 

The verdict is … Fit for Life is a great race!  Flat. Shady.  Friendly.  Fun!  Thanks to Jeff and the folks at BlueCircle Sports for a great time.  Thanks to Marie for running .  Thanks, especially, to Shu’s for the new shoes!

P.S.  No after photos due to a dead camera battery.  I am ok with that.  I don't look so good after!


A Run in the Sun

Ah, the beauty of a run in the sun!  The weather has been wreaking havoc on my training as of late.  I am afraid I will have to postpone my next half marathon for a bit. The cold temps and wind, coupled with a gimpy knee have really slowed me down.  Today was warm and sunny and I was determined to go for a run.  I chose to leave my watch and music home and attempt to run in tune with my body – most particularly, my knee.  Rather than attack the run (This is relative.  My “attack” compares to most runners “recovery run.”) I would take it slow and easy and pay attention to twinges so as to stop before they became full blown pains.  As I was preparing to step out the door, my Running Buddy Julie messaged me, offering to run along.  Julie has also been treating some injuries, so she made for a good partner today.

We took it easy, only running (slowly) until the first twinges manifested themselves.  Walking for a bit, we resumed running when the twinges subsided and ran again until they whispered their presence once more.  It wasn’t much of a run, but we covered a good three miles in the sunshine.  We caught up on our visiting as we hadn’t seen each other in a couple weeks.  It felt good to be outside and moving.  It is encouraging to know that the running isn’t over, it has just tapered off for a bit.  I still want to run that half marathon sometime – I really want a do over after the High Desert Half – but for today, I am happy that I can run, that the weather is nice, and that I had a buddy to run with me.  We will see what tomorrow brings.

Injuries! Ugh!

 

I try to be patient.  I really do!  It isn’t something that I was blessed with.  All of the patience I ever exercise requires effort.  That’s why I struggle when exercising requires patience!  Last week it was my back.  This week it’s a knee.  It is hampering my half marathon training and I’m beginning to worry that I may have to reschedule.  I don’t want to do that!  Last time I rescheduled until the half marathon available was this one! I would rather opt for a road race this time. 

Fortunately, the weather is nice enough to bike (easier on the knees), so today I donned my biker gal gear,

 

, grabbed my buddy Julie, and we hit the road.  I couldn’t believe how green the pastures are already!  We saw lots of black beef calves, some kind of brown geese, and water in the ditch.  Ah, life in the country!

 

 

It wasn’t the six mile run I needed to do, but it was good to enjoy the scenery, hang with my friend, break in the bike muscles.  The bike seat, however, I could do without!

 

 

Training for a half marathon - The beginning.

Today I begin training for the Famous Idaho Potato Half Marathon in May.  It is sunny and there is no wind, so it’s a great day to start. I plan to smash my time logged at the High Desert Half last summer.  Read about it HERE.

If a half marathon scares you (and it should!) there are 5K and 10K race distances at the Famous Idaho Potato, or you can just go for it and run a full marathon!  Visit the registration page.

If you have been thinking about running a half, but haven’t quite committed, there is no time like the present! Today’s workout is an EASY three mile run. 

EASY just means “slow.”  Running is never easy.

I do it for my heart.

Running out of year ...

This running granny is running out of year!  The holidays (I am not being politically correct.  I am simply including Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and my birthday!) have been tough on this runner.  Too much celebrating and not enough running, but things will begin to settle down - maybe late next week!
I thought it mighthelp if I listed the running accomplishments of the past year.
January - No races. However, I kept running through the cold weather.
February - Some days were two-a-days.  I ran in the morning and took Mom too the track for a half mile strol in the afternoons.
March - I began training for my first half marathon.
April - I visited Erie, PA and ran with my daughter and granddaughter.  The three year-old made it nearly a mile!
May - Beat the Coaches Fun Run in Parma - track team benefit.
June - Ahh, June!  Old Fort Boise Days Fun Run.  I finally broke a 30 minute 5K!  Then I almost died in the High Desert Half Marathon.  Read about it here.
July - Spudman Triathalon in Burley with my good buddy Paulee.  We took first place in our age group!
August and September - Cross Country. Running with the kids!
October - The Color Run with Tami and Karli.
November - A lazy Turkey Trot with my hubby (just the two of us) on the hills in Cache Valley.
December - Bust Your Bells Fun Run!

That feels better.  I can see that I did, indeed, keep on running all year - injury free!  I expect I will do the same in the year to come.   I will, however, find an easier half marathon!

Distracted Training

After recovering from the High Desert Trail Run, it was time to gear up for the Spudman Triathlon in Burley this weekend.  I only have to do the 10K run leg.  My high school buddy and forever friend, Paulee, will be swimming and biking.  I figured I could handle the 10K after doing half marathon training – I just needed to scale back my training and keep at it.

I’ve had a few distractions. 

I opted to do elevation training last week.  I packed my running shoes and even my road bike for a trip to McCall.  What is my definition of elevation training?

Lounge around for a few days at a higher elevation than where you normally train. (I never laced up those shoes nor did I hop on my bike.)

That’s about the size of it.  I did run Will’s hill on Saturday, but now it is time to taper before the race this Saturday!  I thought about extending my two-mile run to three this morning, but talked myself into following the training plan.  That doesn’t make a lot of sense, since I didn’t follow it while my company was here!  However, I had my first running induced nosebleed at the end of two miles, so I guess the training plan worked.  I think the dry weather is actually responsible for my nose, but it sounds more exciting to say I ran so hard I made it bleed.

The distractions left yesterday and that is sad. I have another 3-4 mile run planned for Wednesday and then it’s back to hydrating and carbo loading.  I hope I can hold up my end of the deal in Burley …

I'm Alive!

It took me a few days to know for sure, but I am definitely alive and none the worse for wear - finally.  The High Desert Trail Run half marathon nearly did me in!  My time was pathetic.  I believe that had something to do with the great amount of hiking I did when I should have been running.  I just couldn't.  A 1700 foot climb over 6.5 miles after running 6.5 miles was just too much!  I ran the downhills - what there was of them.  Did I mention it was nearing 90 degrees? 
Combining my first half marathon with my first trail run may not have been my smartest move.  I was smart enough, however, to recruit Susan and Kali.  Without them I may not have made it home.  Thank you, ladies, for your company!
Four(4) days after the race I quit wincing with every step.  My quads have never been so sore for so long in my life! Two days after the race I quit guzzling fluids.  I was finally rehydrated.  One day after the race a fever blister popped out on my lip, but thanks to my friend, Dr. T, I had medicine to halt it.  Seven days after the race I am looking for a training plan for my next challenge.
I know, you think I'm nuts.  Maybe I am, but I have lots of friends who are nutty, too!

Enjoy the pics!



With Susan before the race.

Before the pain.

Oh, lonesome me!



Kali and Susan indulging in chocolate milk.



It's finally over!