Recent things that made me go "Hmmmmm"

I have had several things to "Hmmmm" about this week.

Even though I sometimes think I have seen and done it all, there's always a new revelation or tidbit of wisdom that gets revealed.

Here's five recent favorite things:

***The hill repeats on the 'mill. Holy crap, they were evil. I don't mind doing hill work on actual real-in-Life hills. Doing them on a 'mill was an entirely different ball game. There was no gentle breeze blowing through my hair and the recovery runs were on level "ground" instead of a downhill grade. I usually scoff at 'mill running because it's (typically) easier than outdoor running because the 'mill sort of propels you along. Not the case with the simulated hills....there is no altering your steps (stride length or speed) unless you want to risk face planting across the room. The 'mill humbled me (again)...reminding me that (ultimately) the 'mill is in control, not the 'mill user.

Whew! There was sweat everywhere...even on the control panel....

***The realization that I may not be "respecting the distance." My recent half marathon left me feeling pretty defeated until that light-bulb moment smacked me square between my eyes (figuratively). Even though I can (pretty easily) run 13.1 miles, I have not been respecting the fact that it is, indeed, 13.1 miles. Most vehicles will not make it that far without gas in the tank, after all. Runners are not any different. 

Thankful for another 13.1 finish line

***A strong run can (almost) instantly propel you back after succumbing to a brief lull in your confidence. My negative-split run on Tuesday turned into more of a progression run.,.after a warm-up mile, my splits were 10:29, 10:11, 10:06, 9:48 and 9:33. Not bad considering miles 4 and 5 were into a head wind. Yes, I think I like running (again).

Feeling victorious after a great run

***Daily stretching and foam rolling has its benefits, even on rest/recovery days. Who'da thunk? My coach has me doing a slew of stretches, exercises, and foam-rolling...daily. And although my stubborn glutes/hammies/piriformis still get angry, I'm noticing less issues while I'm running. Crazy how this is all such common sense stuff, but yet I need someone telling me to do it in order for me to actually follow through.

Daily maintenance is necessary

***Most of us get an endorphin rush after a long run, but I'm starting to notice the traces of a runner's high following my speed work and/or tough training runs. The knowledge that I can actually (sometimes) do hard things if I just suck it up and not quit until it's finished....that's intoxicating! Even though I was cussing out loud on that %&$# indoor running-in-place torture device (sorry for what you had to listen to, Max), I felt like a badazz beast when I stepped off of the 'mill yesterday. And I don't think I stopped sweating for at least an hour AFTER my shower.

I can do hard things

So, there you have it. I've been doing this running gig for more than 11 years, and I'm still having "Aha Moments." Lucky for me....I embrace learning new things and not being stagnant in my fitness.

What's the latest lesson you've learned (or been reminded of)? Do you embrace change? Enjoy learning new things? Treadmill...yay or nay?

I'm linking up with the DC gals (Courtney and Mar and Cynthia ) for the Friday Five....I invite you to check out what everyone else is talking about!

2016 Park to Park Half Marathon recap

Some finish lines are more hard fought than others, but every finish line (none the less) is a victory. And, every race is a teacher.

Did that grab your attention?

This past weekend, I ran my sixth (consecutive) Park to Park Half Marathon (Waterloo, IA). This is one of those races I just cannot stay away from. I have had some great finish times. There have been some miserable weather conditions. And there have been days when I have totally tanked my performance. But still, I go back each year because this event is top-notch (there's also a 5K, 10K, and half marathon relay).

Ready for the start line

As mentioned, I have run this race five previous times. And, I have yet to snag a sub-2 finish time. Mind you, I have come close...my course PR is 2:00:45. And, this is the ideal course to spank a PR because it's relatively flat and it has probably 90% shade cover (no excuses, right?). But for some reason, that darn sub-2 has eluded me at Park to Park. Every. Single. Time.

But, let's back up and go back to the beginning....

My friend, Barb, and myself arrived in town the evening prior to race day, and stayed at a hotel. We went to the expo, got our goods, and grabbed dinner at IHOP (actually, it was more like breakfast...omelets and pancakes!).

Go Hawkeyes! Beat State! (spoiler alert--the Hawkeyes won!)

Barb and I are both University of Iowa alumni, and race day also was the day of the big football game against our inner-state rivals, the Iowa State Cyclones. Both of us brought along UofI clothing to wear for the race (and there were several Cyclone fans dressed in their gear as well).

We arrived at the race early, and had plenty of time to relax before the start time. We had been warned there would be water on the course (due to recent heavy rain) that could not be avoided. The Cedar River was predicted to crest on Sunday, so the race director had gotten the "all clear" (from the park ranger) to keep the race scheduled (we later learned that the water had risen several inches over the time span of the race. Had this race been scheduled for Sunday, it would have been cancelled).

The temps were near perfect (mid 50's), and the humidity was MIA.

My plan in getting to that sub-2 (or at the very least, a course PR) was to start out easy, and crank out a negative split (run the second half faster than the first half). My typical stiffness (glutes/piriformis/hamstrings) was very minimal, so I was optimistic things would go well.

The first couple miles felt pretty good. I remember glancing at my watch near the 2-mile mark and noticing it was showing my elapsed time (instead of my pace)...not a big deal. I probably hit another foreign button, and would have to wait until I was finished to see the individual splits/paces.

The race director told us the water was after the 4-mile mark....so when I came upon the flooded trail, I tried to veer off in the grass (only to have even more water and muddy grass to deal with). Bad idea. Thankfully, it was only for 100 yards or so (but it was ankle deep at the minimum).   Imagine my surprise when a short ways later there was another section of water on the trail. Ugh. I managed to "high-step" my way through the first crossing, but I chose to walk through the second one. The asphalt trail was difficult to see through the water and I didn't want to take a chance and face plant.

Can you believe the water? (pic from my friend,Sheryl)

Wouldn't you know? There were two more water crossings a short ways later! These were both much deeper...the water came up at least half way on my shins (and I have long legs).  Double ugh. Not only were my (pretty) shoes and (wool) socks saturated, but also my calf sleeves. And this was all before the 5-mile mark. Although it was a bit comical hearing everyone's shoes squeaking and sloshing, I couldn't help wondering what my feet and toes would feel like for the next eight miles.

The water was deep and cold! (another pic from Sheryl)

Happy to have the water behind me, I pressed on. The next part of the course is my least favorite. It's around the 5-mile mark where the course winds out of the park and onto a sidewalk along a city road, leading us to a short jaunt along the edge of a residential area. This involves a very good (bad?) hill, then another 1.5 mile or so of a flat (but curving) cement path back to the park trail. It's long, flat, boring and it feels like you are going nowhere. Just saying.

It was also about this time I could feel my mojo evaporating and my pace slowing down. Did I mention there also was a major head wind for these couple of miles as we made our way back to the park trail? Ugh. It was all I could do to not pull over and walk....my toes were already feeling sore from the wet shoes and socks, there was a dull ache developing in my tummy, and I could tell my energy was on a downward spiral. I had a Huma gel with me, but I was leery of taking it too soon (since I wasn't at the halfway mark) and I didn't have water with me (but I knew there would be a water stand near the 7-mile mark).

My watch showed I was just under an hour as I passed the 6-mile mark, so my pace was still in the game, but I would have no wiggle room and would really have to up my pace if I wanted a shot at pumping out a negative split. A course PR was still a possibility, but a 13.1 PR probably not. And the sub-2 was not looking very doable either.

I got to the 7-mile water station, gulped down the gel and drank some water quickly as I walked for a few steps. My stomach was feeling really strange, but I didn't need a potty stop. So, I pressed on. I kept hoping the gel would give me a little boost of energy, but I couldn't feel anything changing with my pace...and my gut was still a mess.

My watch showed 1:25 as I passed the 9-mile mark. Four miles (and some change) remained. Finally, I accepted the fact that I just didn't have it in me to make the sub-2 happen. On any given day, I probably could have ran those 4.1 miles in the 34:59 minutes (or less) standing between myself and that sub-2 finish time. But, it wasn't going to happen with dwindling energy and a messed-up tummy.

I'm not a negative person, but the reality of my situation smacked me in the face. I'm not one to give up, either, but at that moment in time everything was looking pretty hopeless. My stomach still ached, so I decided to pullover and take a quick potty stop...kind of a last-ditch effort to "fix" the tummy situation in hopes that I'd be able to get back in the game (physically and mentally). Except, there was only one porta pot, and it currently was occupied....by a very slow porta pot inhabitant. UGH. I'm not sure how long I waited, but it felt like an eternity.

Miles 10 and 11 went alright, albeit slower than desired. I even walked a few times (in the midst of self pity). Finally, when I made it to the start of mile 12, I felt a bit of my energy renewed. Even though I ran the final two miles at (what felt like) a decent pace, the damage had been done and there was no undoing it. My official finish time was 2:14:45...not my worst half marathon, but definitely towards the bottom. And, my watch's GPS function failed...so I do not know my splits.



So, what went wrong? Looking back, I can spot a few obvious possibilities, the biggest one being my fuel (geesh, here we go again). Remember that Friday night dinner at IHOP? Well, I could only eat half of my omelet, so I took the leftovers to the hotel and ate them for breakfast on race day. And, I typically do not eat omelets on race day (I usually go with oatmeal and/or a granola bar). I also have some sort of "fuel" prior to the start line. I had some Beet Boost and PlowON gum...but nothing else (because I assumed the omelet would be enough to get me through two hours (or less LOL) of running (how's that for optimism?). What never crossed my mind (until a few hours after I finished) was that the eggs gave me plenty of protein, but not much in terms of carbs (duh!). Apparently, my tummy does not like eggs prior to running (lesson learned).

What else? Remember I waited until mile seven before taking the gel, even though I could feel my energy dissipating around the fifth mile? Well, this was not my first rodeo, but ignoring the warning signs of "low fuel" was pretty naive-like. To run a successful race, the racer needs to stay ahead of the game in terms of fueling and hydration....if you start to feel tired or thirsty, it's (usually) too late. (another Duh!)

As mentioned, having done this race five times prior, I knew miles 5-7 were my least favorite part of the course. I was already dreading them at mile four (as I trudged through the numerous water crossings). My energy was dwindling, my gut ached, and there was that head wind....and my shoes and socks were sopping wet.  Not a great scenario with almost half of the race remaining.

Anyways, the bottom line is that I should have known better. This was my 29th half marathon. I can't help but wonder if by doing so many of these races, I'm starting to take them for granted. Running 13.1 miles is no longer a challenge, so I'm not fueling (or breakfasting) as effectively as I used to. My 2:14:45 finish was very disappointing....not because it's a bad finish time, but because it's much slower than what I know I am capable of doing.  Granted, my energy was tapped, but I regret not making more of an effort to keep my head in the game.

None the less, this is a great event. The course is beautiful, the communication (regarding race day details) is excellent, there are numerous volunteers at the many water stations and a huge post-race party with plenty of food and drink. The swag, also, is top-notch...long-sleeve gender-specific tech fabric shirts (for the half marathoners), crazy beautiful medals and unique race bibs. I even won a hat (from one of the many contests via their event page on Facebook)!

Will I return for a seventh go at that (still elusive) Park to Park sub-2? Most definitely! Care to join me?

**side note** After my disappointing performance (in the final miles) at Park to Park, the old confidence (in my running shoes) took a nose-dive...but I redeemed myself with a great negative split (6-mile) run on Tuesday. My warm-up was 9:38, then the splits were 10:29, 10:11, 10:06, 9:48, and 9:33. Life is good again. 

Have you ever had a great race that derailed late in the game? Were you able to rally back? Or did it take a few training runs after the race to get your mojo back?   

I'm linking up with Deb at Deb Runs for the Wednesday Word link-up...and (drum roll) today's word is Teach.

Wrapping up another week....

Another crazy (but active) week is in the books. Plenty of miles, lots of planking, and quite a bit of sunshine had me feeling great, but also eager for some rest and recovery. Mission accomplished!

Monday began with a few easy miles with no time constraints (regarding getting to work because it was Labor Day). The temps were cool, but muggy. After spending two of the past three days in a rental truck, it felt great to be moving and shaking again!

Ugh! Am I slouching? I swear, my tummy really does not stick out like that in real life...

Tuesday was a rather early morning, with some hill repeats on the roster...before sunrise. I have a county road a couple of blocks from my house with the perfect hill for such a workout. The 30 minutes I was out there, I did manage to see 10 cars, but I had my Vizi Belt and Knuckle Lights to keep me visible as I ran back and forth (several times).

Hill repeats before the sunrise

Wednesday was pretty uneventful. Some cross-training (bike ride) and planking. Yadda yadda yadda.

Gotta love what the funky filters can do

I did give Max a bath...does that count for anything?

Fresh outta the tub...and after several minutes of speed racing through the house

Thursday, my body simply did not want to leave the bed. I knew it was going to be a light day at the office, so I'd probably have a long lunch hour or even the afternoon off. There is nothing wrong in post-poning the early morning run in exchange for some (much) needed Zzzz's. So, I did some planking...

...then did my run after I got home for lunch. The temps were in the 80's, but the air wasn't too humid and there was a gentle breeze. But, I was trying to run my first mile at a slow pace (to warm up), and that was a bit of a fail...I ran it a good 1:15 faster than recommended. Next, I had four miles at my foundation pace...and those went a bit fast, as well. (oops) It's not that I'm a fast runner who craves speed...but, rather, a gal with long legs who has difficulty going slower than what feels 'natural.' Even after 11+ years of running, I'm still very much a work-in-progress. And, I sweated off what felt like 100 fluid ounces of salt....I was a such a sweaty mess when I finished.

too bad the pic is not highlighting all the dampness on me (or my clothes)

Friday was another day of "easy-does-it" because of Saturday's half marathon. Again, there was some planking...

planking in pink

Saturday morning was my 6th appearance at the Park to Park Half Marathon in Waterloo, IA. This is one of my favorite events every year...and I just cannot stay away. This year, there a few more challenges thrown at me in getting to the finish line. You'll have to check back in a couple days...the full recap is in the works. Stay tuned...

My mantra? Every finish line is a victory

And, finally, Sunday. Even though, it was a day of recovery (following my 13.1 the day prior), it was also September 11th. This day is worthy of a tribute. I'm a runner, so I run. That's what I do. I did a quick 9:11 mile in silence and reflection.

no filter

**side note**For those of you who have been following the family story of our daughter's recent relocation to Pennsylvania....we have excellent news! Finally, at 2:00 on Friday, she was able to close on her house. She's officially a home-owner and is outta that damn hotel for good. Although it does make things seem "real" now, I couldn't be more proud of her for entering this phase of adulthood.

In other news:

The #GoAhead #MakeMyPlank challenge is going well! It's fun to see all the peeps planking with me through September. It's not too late to join the planking party...do your plank(s), hopefully daily, and tag myself (@runningonthefly) and use the hashtags #GoAhead #MakeMyPlank and I can add you to the roster.

join the #MakeMyPlank challenge!

Have you ever planked at a tailgate party? I can check that off my bucket list now

Last of all, I gave my poor toes some TLC. After the half marathon on Saturday (and 25 total weekly miles), they were looking pretty disgruntled.

Nothing like a little pedicure magic to make everyone all better (bonus points if your polish matches your yoga mat)

How was your week? Any early morning miles? Planking? Pedicures?

As usual, I'm linking up with Holly and Tricia for the Weekly Wrap linkup. Do head over and checkout their blogs (and all the numerous others) to see what's been happening.

Hydration...from a vest

What's your experience with hydration vests?

I have long been fearful of them. Seriously. They kind of have that #badass ultra-crazy-endurance-athlete look about them. And most of them come with a tentacle-looking hose attached to a refillable water compartment. All I got to say about that is, "Ewwwww."

That said, I have been doing a lot more endurance running in recent years (hello? Three marathons and two ultras, anyone?). Even though most of my long training runs are mapped out to loop back to my house (for water, potty stops, fuel, etc.), there are times when it's so hot, though, that I do like to have water with me. I am not a fan of fuel belts (though I own several), and I detest hand-held options (but I have used those, too).

When the opportunity presented it self to be a product tester for the SLS3 Hydration Vest (check it out HERE), I was intrigued. I have tried (and, subsequently, purchased some of SLS3's other products), so I had complete faith in this being a quality product as well. And I was not disappointed.

Thus, here are my five favorite things about this awesome product:

Favorite thing #1 - it's great for running!
I have worn it for some short runs (2-4 miles), and I have used it for medium-distance runs (5-8 miles). It totally stayed in place...in other words, no dreaded bouncing! I was worried the bottles (two 9.5 oz. bottles came with it, and fit in each of the front shoulder straps) would feel heavy, but I barely even noticed they were there.

Favorite thing #2 - it's not just for running!
The vest arrived on my doorstep the Monday after my ultra (in mid July), and since I knew I would not be doing any long runs for the next few weeks (while in recovery mode), I first tested the vest out on a bike ride. I wasn't sure how it would work while in that stooped-over cycling position, but it stayed in place. There was absolutely no swaying from side-to-side, and the water bottles did not bounce as I was pedaling along.

Favorite thing #3 - it is so light-weight!

Even with both water bottles filled, I was surprised how light weight it was. I especially like the double harness straps that secure it in place across the front. It never felt tight, but definitely felt like it wasn't going anywhere.

Favorite thing #4 - lots of storage!
Holy cow, the storage on this is incredible. The left shoulder strap has a big expandable (zippered) pocket right above the bottle holder. The right shoulder strap has an elastic strap that a water hose will fit through (if you're using a bladder). Right below the elastic strap (and directly above the bottle holder) is a small expandable pocket (with a hook & eye closure).

On the left is the HUGE pocket across the back, top right is the expandable pocket on the left front strap, right middle is the pocket on the front of the left bottle holder, and the bottom right is the elastic strap and small pocket on the upper front right strap

Favorite thing #5 - it is "bladder-optional!" 
As mentioned above, I'm a little creeped out by the bladder/water hose thing you see on most hydration vests. Fortunately, this hydration vest has a big pocket on the back side that will accommodate a "drop-in" bladder for those who want that option. The hose would then come around on the user's right side and slide through the elastic strap on the right shoulder strap.

What do you use for hydration "on the road?" Have you ever used a hydration vest?

***Disclaimer*** I was given a discounted price on my purchase of the SLS3 Hydration Vest in exchange for a test and review of the product. I receive no compensation for referring anyone to their website and I receive no commission on any or all subsequent sales. I do LOVE this vest, though...all of these opinions are my own.  

I'm linking with the DC gals ( Courtney and Mar and Cynthia ) for the Friday Five link-up. I invite you to check out their blogs, as well as all the other linked blogs. ...today's theme is food and drink.

Adaptation: It's a Good Thing

I'm gonna talk about AdApTaBiLiTy. Why? Because this past week offered many fine examples of practicing this skill.

For starters, Monday. It appeared to be slightly cool (according to my weather app), so I wore a short-sleeve tech shirt for my early morning run. It wasn't until I was about 10 minutes into the run that I realized I was over-dressed (you know, when I was just far enough away that it wasn't worth turning back). UGH. Sure, I could have lost the shirt and ran in the exercise bra...but, sorry, I'm no longer in my 20's. Even though it was dark, and my abs are not scary (much), that look is not happening for me. Instead, I rolled the sleeves up & under and they stayed in place. Problem solved.

Tuesday, was another early morning. I had four easy miles on the roster, and a busy day at work so I thought it best to get the run done early. I was out of the door before the sunrise, and Momma N played nice and kept the rain away! I may have even saluted her upon returning home.

Wednesday was supposed to be a moderate day of cross-training...but we had plans to load up a rental truck with our oldest daughter's belongings (in hopes of and setting out Thursday morning for the 18-hour trek to Pennsylvania). After a long day at work (in preparation for my 5-day weekend), and a few hours of loading the truck, my energy for exercise was minimal at best. I did some stair-running and called that good.

Oh...let me jump on a tangent for a brief minute. Our best-laid plans for moving our daughter's stuff to her didn't go as we'd envisioned. She moved to Pennsylvania a month ago and has been living in a hotel while awaiting the closing of her townhouse. Her close date had been scheduled for Wednesday at 3:30...until the bank called her (Tuesday morning) and said they needed 2-6 more days to finalize some of the paperwork. No kidding. We were told to go through all the motions (of our impending trip) until we heard otherwise....and it didn't look good by Wednesday evening. Unsure of what to do, we decided to wait an extra day before making the trip there...hoping for a miracle that the closing would get rescheduled for Thursday or Friday.

With the change of plans, I decided to go ahead with the ladder workout that originally had been on my training schedule (my coach had graciously modified my training to accommodate our travel plans...not only am I adaptable, but so is she).

So, Thursday morning, I was out the door early (before day light) to tackle the ladder workout. The first split (is that what it's called?) went fine, and the recovery split, too. About halfway through the second "speed" split, I hit the "light" button on my watch display and (apparently) hit something else by mistake. The screen went blank. WHAT??? So, I estimated my remaining time left and once I hit that time (approximately), I stopped for a few seconds and tried to figure what wrong button I'd pushed on the watch (No Luck). I hit "start" and ran my recovery split and just eye-balled the time on the watch (instead of stopping/starting over). As I was running the third "speed" split, I heard my watch beep (which it had not done before). I glanced down and saw the screen was blank again. REALLY??

No doubt, this was frustrating. I had been pushing so many random buttons on the watch (in various random sequences), so the menus were all whacked. The best I could do at that point was to estimate my running time for the remaining ladder splits. It was not ideal, but it was manageable once I let go of the "watch accountability."

And, since we were not riding across the country to Pennsylvania (yet), I decided to go into work that afternoon. We kept waiting for an update from the bank on the closing, but nothing was able to get scheduled. Finally, that evening, we decided to leave the next morning and take her stuff anyways. This was the only opportunity we'd have the time to get it to her, after all, so we'd arrange for a storage unit to stash all of her stuff for the next week or so until she would be able to get into her new house. Again, not an ideal situation, but doable. Adaptability 101.

Friday arrived with a 3:15AM wake-up. Our plan was to be on the road by 4:00AM, thus arriving around 10:00PM at her hotel. I did a quick plank before jumping in the truck with the husband, younger daughter, and our dog, Max.

How do I feel about road-tripping? I'm not a fan. My piriformis, hamstrings, and glutes have been a little grumpy lately (so I brought my foam roller along), and I slid on some compression sleeves to keep my legs happy. Truthfully, my body feels much more achy after several hours of sitting than it does after running a marathon. Every couple hours, we stopped either for gas, potty breaks, food, or to let Max do his business. And every time we stopped, I did some stretching and as much walking as possible.

After a very long day in the truck, we pulled into the hotel parking lot where the daughter had taken up residency. We were able to secure a room, and we unloaded most of the stuff out of the bed of the truck (and locked it in the cab of the truck, or in the daughter's car, and brought the rest of it into our room). By this time, it was well past 11:00, so I did a few minutes of planking and crashed.

I had hoped to go for a run Saturday morning, but my aches and pains (glutes and piriformis) from the 18-hours of riding were crazy. Also, our hotel was situated on a busy highway with no sidewalks. There wasn't a fitness center, either, so I improvised and did some squats, lunges, planks, and push-ups to start my day (and the achy body felt much better when I was done).

We got everything unloaded into the storage unit and spent the day exploring some of the Amish countryside. Surprisingly, my glutes, piriformis, and hamstrings felt much better, probably due to the constant motion (and not constant sitting).

Sunday morning arrived with another early morning wake-up (4:00AM EST), and we were on the road by 4:30 for the trek back home. I may have even done a plank at one of the rest areas, alongside I-70 in West Virginia (I have never planked in West Virgina, so I can check that off my bucket list).

After another long day (and evening) on the road, we made it back to our driveway around 9:00PM.
I have run three marathons and two ultras, and none of them have anything on this crazy road-tripping adventure we did (to Pennsylvania and back in three days). I actually felt more exhausted after (almost) 18 hours of sitting still than I did after any of those long races. Even though it wasn't on my training plan, I headed out for a very slow and easy 1-mile run after we got home. My legs, body, and mind all needed some "shake-out" action. And I slept like a baby Sunday night.

So, that's my take on AdApTaBiLiTy.

Also, there's a planking challenge happening this month. Care to join me and several other fabulous peeps? We're all planking! Post your planking pics on Instagram and/or Facebook and use the hash tags #GoAhead #MakeMyPlank. If you want to be included in the tagging, tag me (@runningonthefly) and I'll add you to the roster.

Do you consider yourself blessed with AdApTaBiLiTy? When life gets in the way, have you ever had to adapt your goals? plans? workouts?

I'm linking up with Marcia and Patty and Erika for the Tuesdays on the Run link-up. Head over, checkout the blogs, and see what's going on!