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 little bit of running and a lot of grandmothering ...

I am just checking in.  It is a busy summer with half marathon training and grandchildren visiting.  Not much time for blogging.  I have a few minutes while my youngest granddaughter and I share a snack of cheese, crackers, and some great big ruffled potato chips.  (Don't tell her mom!) 

Our construction:  Backyard Fairy Castle

Running - One more three mile run before race day on Saturday.  I was ever so grateful that last Saturday was the last long run on the schedule! I think I'm ready to scale it back just a bit.
Grandmothering - Sadly, the grandkids will be leaving the day after the race. We have baked, camped, boated, snacked, lazed, constructed, and visited all while trying to maintain a training regimen.  It has been fun getting reacquainted.  Grandchildren are one of life's great rewards.
I will report after the race.  It may take a few days as I will have grandkids to hug and tears to dry.  Oh ... and a few sore muscles to be sure!

What Would You Walk a Mile for?

What would you walk a mile for? I grew up in a time when cigarette commercials were acceptable and common on television, long before the Surgeon General required “harmful to your health” warnings on tobacco products. The Marlboro Man was handsome and rode a horse, but more impressive to me was the ad for Camel cigarettes.  “I’d walk a mile for a Camel,” claimed the tired cowboy as he leaned back in a chair, smoked his Camel, and rested his dusty boot clad feet on a fence pole.  In my young mind, a mile must have been a very long way to have worn a hole in the sole of those boots!

In retrospect, it would have been a good idea for that cowboy to walk a mile for every Camel cigarette he smoked. We now know how detrimental to one’s health smoking truly is. We also know how beneficial it is to log a few miles on foot. Unfortunately, some of us are still convinced that a mile is a very long way and we might wear out our shoes, knees, lungs, hearts, or other body parts if we run or walk too many miles. While it is true about the shoes (See this post) most of those other things will benefit from the activity, especially our hearts!

I would walk a mile for these:

·         My heart

·         Better blood pressure readings

·         Lower risk of Type II Diabetes and Stroke

·         To manage my weight

·         Endurance

·         Sense of well-being

·         My husband, children, and grandchildren

Question: What would you walk a mile for? 

Visit A Milefor My Heart on Facebook to tell me what you did for your heart today!


Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!

Carol - aka Running Granny Green

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Will's Hill tempo run

Today’s workout was supposed to be a Tempo Run.  I’ve complained about those before.  My Smart Coach training plan said, “Tempo run including warm up, three miles at 10:06, cool down.” That adds up to 5 miles. Since I had an awesome race on Saturday at the Old Fort Boise Fun Run, I thought, “Forget about the tempo.  I did speed work on Saturday.  I will just do an easy hill workout on Will’s Hill.”  Right.

Will’s Hill is a 5 mile out and back.  Out - into a head wind.  Back – downhill most of the way! If you can do the first 2.5 miles, the next 2.5 are rewarding.  Here is how I fared.

Mile 1  – 11:00 minutes.  I was sticking with the “easy hill workout.”

Mile 2.5 – 26:23 minutes.  I had picked up the pace, uphill with a headwind no less!

Mile 4 – 40:10 minutes. That downhill-wind-at-your-back stuff is pretty nice!

Mile 5 – 50:36 minutes.  That’s a 10:07/mile average!  Five miles at 10:07 is better than three miles at 10:06 in my book. That’s pretty good for this old granny!

What have I learned?

·         Training plans really can help improve your speed.

·         If I wear a watch (and start it), I push harder.

·         My first mile is always slow.

Visit Runner’s World and try out a Smart Coach plan for yourself.  You may be glad you did!

It's a Rest/XT day!

It’s a Rest/XT (Cross Training) day so I mowed the lawn.  I am not sure that qualifies as rest.  It’s a big lawn and I don’t have a riding mower.  Someday I am going to wear a pedometer while I mow.  Then I will know how many steps I have taken and can calculate how many miles it I walked.  I am guessing, given the time it takes to mow, that it is around 2 -2.5 miles.  It’s just a guess.  Someday I will find out for sure. 

We have a few hills and I always think that difficulty should be factored into any workout.  For instance, if you go for a run in the wind, rain, or heat you should get extra points.  Not that it matters, because I haven’t ever figured out a point system – but if there was one, those things would surely count for more!

The trees are always fun to maneuver around, too.  We get lots of compliments on our green lawn.  There are a few tricks to keeping it lush.

§  Bluegrass.  It isn’t hardy, but it is beautiful grass.

§  Fertilizer.  Yes!

§  Water.

§  Pest  defense.

§  Alternate mowing directions.

§  Frequent manicuring every 4 -5 days.

 

That’s pretty much what it takes.  It helps to have an on site crop specialist (Hubby) as well!

That’s what I did for my heart today.  How about you? Tell me about it HERE.

 https://www.facebook.com/AMileForMyHeart

You are a runner if ...

“I am a runner.” When can one who runs confidently make this claim?  I believe it is different for everyone. This morning I ran eight miles to stay on track for half marathon training. My legs are pretty tired. Actually, all of me is quite tired! I think I can say, “I am a runner.”

I heard others refer to me as a runner long before I thought I was legit. I ran, sometimes, and not especially fast – but I did run. When I participated in my first 5K I was hysterical afterwards, laughing to keep from crying. It was hard! It rained that day and there was the added difficulty of being cold and wet. I didn’t do much of anything the rest of the day. I was busy recovering! Did that make me a runner?

I ran for four years before I could break a ten minute mile and it still doesn’t happen every day. Did clearing that hurdle make me a runner? I ran and walked a half marathon last year. Does that qualify me? I have run in the rain, the wind, and a blizzard. Runner yet?

This is what I have determined. It’s just the opinion of a granny who runs. 

• You are a runner if you run. It matters not how fast or how far. 
• Racing doesn't matter. Some runners love to race and some do not, so racing doesn’t matter. (Well, it does for those of us who enjoy it!) 
• You are a runner if you continue to run. Obstacles such as illness and injury, scheduling, and really bad weather might get in the way, but a runner will resume his sport as soon as the obstacle has been cleared. 
• Some days will be easier than others.  Some runs will be longer or faster than others, it matters not. 
• You are a runner if you run.

Run on, you runner, you!

Question: Do you have an opinion about what makes a runner?  Feel free to sound off in a comment below.

Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!

Carol - aka Running Granny Green

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Fun Run - It's not an oxymoron

Just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so too, is fun.  There are many who say that running cannot be fun so there is no such thing as a “fun run.”  I would argue that this is not so. This is why:

·         To a serious runner, it is fun to run a race and win.

·         To a recreational runner, it is fun to run a race and perform better than last time.

·         To a beginner runner, it is fun to run your first race and experience  the sense of accomplishment that accompanies it.

·         To a walker (because walking is allowed at Fun Runs), it is fun to do something healthy with other walkers.

·         To everyone, it is fun to get a T-shirt that tells the world you participated in a Fun Run!

·         Prizes are fun!  Sure, the fast guys get a prize, but race registrations often go in a drawing for things like water bottles, gift certificates, and socks.  That is always fun!

·         It is fun to hear observers cheering you on along the route.

T-shirt from Old Fort Boise Days Run 2012

The next time you hear the phrase “Fun Run,” remember it isn’t that running is fun (Well, for some), it’s that participating in a run is fun.  Don’t believe me?  Why not try it?  This one is small and low key, so you really can have fun!

Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!

Carol - aka Running Granny Green

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

The Lonely Run

It seems I’ve been training for a half marathon all year!  Actually, I began in March and hit a road block about the time I was due to run my first six-miler.  After recuperating from a couple of setbacks, I began again and reached the six-mile long run last weekend.  I had recruited a running buddy because long runs can get pretty lonely.  Unfortunately, there is a strange phenomenon surrounding the six-mile run.  Running buddies tend to disappear for six-milers.  I think I know the reasons.  It isn’t because they are wimping out (well maybe) rather they have reasons not to run six miles.

#1 – They are not training for a half, so six miles is just a random run.  It is not their goal.

#2 – Unless you can run a six minute mile (Most of us can’t) it takes a while to run six miles. Sometimes a long run just doesn’t work into your day.

#3 – Recovery.  Six miles takes more out of a body than three, or four, or even five.

This time my running buddy had something else come up and she had to cancel.  That happens, too.

That’s why I found myself alone on the road with only the voices of Alan Jackson, Sarah Brightman, Roger Miller, The Beatles, David Essex, and George Jones, to name a few.  I have an eclectic taste in running music!  I chose a route I had not traveled for many moons.  Long runs are typically done at an easy pace.  Their purpose is to build strength and endurance. I think they also have a purpose for building patience – something I need to work on.

Blooming Russian Olive Tree

 I started slow.  At 1.5 miles I was still slow and tried to pick up the pace a bit. Somewhere around mile three I got lost in my thoughts.  This was strange because somewhere around mile three I realized I had a 2 mile stretch that was bordered by blooming Russian Olive trees!  Like this one.

This was a problem because those innocuous yellow blossoms have a sickening sweet aroma that wreaks havoc on my head!  I dislike blooming Russian Olives with a passion, which is unfortunate because I am trying to bridle my passions! I thought, perhaps, this 2 mile stretch would be my undoing, but I just kept moving.  I ignored the trees and focused on … I don’t remember.  I think I let my mind wander, enjoying the assorted tunes bouncing in my ears and wondering what the uphill mile at the end of the run was going to feel like.

It felt fine.  In fact, it almost felt good!  The best part was the time on my watch at the end of the run.  It was the fastest I had ever covered six miles – 10K races included!  The slow start, the Russian olives, and the uphill mile at the end, were all a part of my lonely run and they combined for success.  I was satisfied with a sense of accomplishment afterwards, yet I had no buddy to whom I could brag, but then, if I had done the run with a buddy my time would have been slower because I would surely have been chatting along the way.

Innocuous Yellow Blossoms

What's in a word?

I had a conversation yesterday with a non-running friend about participating in an upcoming local 5K.  This One. Her goal is to walk the route and that is always a worthy goal.  We don't all have to run, but we should all attempt to move!  I was reminded once again how runners have our own vocabulary. 
She asked, "Now, there is a five and a three?"
"No, just a 5K,"  I answered.
"So ... a 5K is how far?"
"Three miles."  (I thought everyone knew that. Yet, I didn't know that before I began running.)
She looked at me sideways, but seemed to accept that information as fact.  I didn't include that last .1 mile.
I am sure it's all very confusing.  We measure our races in kilometers and our pace time by the mile. We use terms like tempo and tapering, throwing them at non-runners the way educators throw acronyms (AYP, LEP, SAT) at parents. 
Maybe it isn't the running that scares them off.  Maybe it is the confusing lingo.  Running is hard enough without the challenge of learning a new language!  For the non-running reader out there, here is a short glossary.

K - Kilometer or 1000 Meters.   A 5K is equal to 3.1 miles.  A 10K is 6.2, and so forth.
Carbo Load - Eating lots of carbohydrates prior to a race for race day fuel.
Race Pace - How fast can you go for at least 3 miles or 5000 meters?
Tempo Run - A workout done just under Race Pace.
Tapering - Taking it easy at the end of your training plan in an attempt to have fresh legs on race day.
PR - Personal Record. Your fastest time at a given distance.(I once had a sibling thinking I had been interviewed about my race!  Public Relations???  I'm really not that fast!)
Refueling - Just what it says. Eat up!  You earned it by racing!

This is a SHORT glossary, but it might help next time you try to communicate with a runner.  We sometimes forget that not everyone is interested enough in running to try it.  Fewer still have mastered the language!

Non-runners Just Don't Understand!

New running shoes!

My non-running friends and family do not understand my obsession with running shoes.  I suppose neither do yours.  Ahh, the comfort of the perfect shoe!  We don't care about the color, or what world class athletes wear, or if the shoe looks fast.  It's all about the fit and performance.  Once we find The Shoe we don't ever want to stray.

If you are like me, you study the tread of your favorite shoes like a meteorologist studies a radar map, checking often for the first signs of wear.  You can almost predict the number of miles left in the shoe. You begin shopping for sales in a panic that you might not find The Shoe before it's too late!  When nagging pains begin to develop in your knees or ankles, you know you are pushing the limits and it's time to bite the bullet and go shopping.  I even brought out a retired pair of runners recently while awaiting the purchase of a new pair.

My husband and sons took me shopping for Mother's Day.

"Those look fast!"  One commented.

"Yes, but they don't have the exact size."  (I run in an 8.5 while I wear a 7.5 dress shoe.) "I will lose toenails if I get an 8 and a 9 might make me trip!"  It's all very scientific and proven by personal experience.

"I like the color of those."  Wrong brand.

"These look comfortable."  Not enough stability.

My shoe of choice?  Asics Gel- Kayano. They don't match any of my running shirts, but I don't care.  My feet are happy and I even feel faster in them!

Unfortunately, The Shoe was not on sale.  Well, last year's model was on sale, but all out of my 8.5's.  Fortunately, it WAS Mother's Day, so I was pampered and got the more expensive shoe.  At least, I think I was pampered.  I'm pretty sure I got stuck paying for them!



Ten Reasons to Love Running …

1 – No gym membership dues.

2 – People think you are awesome.

3 – It can lower your blood pressure.

4 – Running can lower your weight.

5 – People think you are crazy.

6 – Increased endurance for other activities.

7 – Racing.

8 – Running gives you a reason to listen to music.

9 – Running buddies.

10 – Grandchildren.

I could go on, but you get the picture.  There are more reasons to run than there are reasons not to run!

Why do you love running or another favorite physical activity?

Happy Running!

Everybody needs one of these!

Why didn’t I know about that!

This expression often comes out of my mouth when I discover that someone else has a piece of information that would make my life better in some fashion and I feel cheated that I had not known about it sooner.  Such was the case when I recently visited friends/relatives and my friend was carrying what looked like a large hook for a hanging pot.  I paid little attention to it until a noticed she had it slung over her shoulder while sitting on the sofa watching TV.  Now I was curious.

TheraCane

“What IS that?” I asked.

Her hubby chimed in, “It’s a TheraCane.”

“A what?”

“A TheraCane … for massaging your back.”

I finally understand the Amazon smile. 
I was SO HAPPY to get this box!

I watched as she held one end of the cane and worked a knob on the other into the knotted muscles in her back. I have a pretty good massager of my own (Hubby), but his hand tires quickly and he can’t always find the right spot between my shoulders, so when she offered, I jumped at the chance to give it a try. Incredible!  I shopped Amazon and bought one of my own.  I really hate to deny Hubby the chance to serve, but it is easier to find the knot than to explain to another where it is AND I get to control the pressure. My TheraCane has become a permanent fixture in my living room this week.  I highly recommend getting one of your own.  If it doesn’t work for you, you can always use it to hold a hanging pot!

P.S.  Runners:  The shorter knobs work great for massaging arches!


Happy Running!

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Where Were You?

I use my iPod for two purposes. One is to pass the time on long airline flights (they are few and far between) and the other is to keep me running when I don’t have a running buddy along for a chat.   Some of the music is slow and I have to skip over those songs. I like Alan Jackson, The Beatles, Jason Aldean, and Broadway Soundtracks.  I use the shuffle mode because I like to be surprised when a new song begins to play.

One song that frequently tumbles in is “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?” by Alan Jackson.  (It’s an old album.) I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when the Twin Towers were hit. I was in my lab bending wires for retainers while my children were getting ready for school.  I remember it like yesterday.  So too, I suppose, shall I remember the Boston Bombings as Monday’s attack has been dubbed.

Monday morning I was very interested in the Women’s Elite race. I had been casually following Shalane Flannagan and Kara Goucher as they trained for Boston.  I had a friend visit just as the race was ending.  She isn’t a runner, nor is she an avid fan, but I forced her to watch.  Congratulations to those two American runners!

Later in the day I was once again I my lab bending wires when I received a call from my friend.

“Are you still watching the Boston Marathon?”  She asked.  She then informed me of the blasts that had occurred.  I turned on the TV and began watching the coverage.  Here are some observations:

·         Innocent people always suffer from selfish acts of others.

·         Heroes always surface in the face of tragedy.

·         There is more goodness in the world than bad.

·         The world doesn’t stop turning. Our understanding of the world changes.

·         Boston Bombings did not have the magnitude of 9/11, but for a few the pains and suffering are greater because it affected them personally.

·         Everyday people suffer tragedies and nobody knows.  The rest of us go on our merry way.

 

Boston will remain vivid in my memory as does 9/11.  I am certain I will consider both when Alan Jackson begins to croon, “Where were you when …”

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!