 |
| Photo: @photoradizy onsite at Red Rock Canyon - Training in my Nike Lunarglide 7 |
Okay, so, you know how there are all of those articles out
there on what to do, how to train, what to eat? This isn’t one. No, really; I am
purely testing things out for myself. Everything - even down to my meals - has
been trial and error…and then re-trial. How does an awkward female sneakerhead
become involved in running?! Obvi, it’s gotta’ be the shoes!
My weekday routine is - shall we say, “a little crammed,”
but whose isn’t?
I have to leave my house between 5:30-6AM for the office.
Would you believe it is already 80+ degrees outside?
Typically, I get home about 6PM – keep in mind it is still
100+ degrees outside, so, I put off my run.
After 15 minutes of catching up on social media, I play with
my pup and then log on to my college courses (a lot of writing and reading goes
on here, or at least it should).
Only 2 hours pass and I have lost the day, because all I can
think is, “I need to get up at 4 if I want to hit the pavement.”
Then, I beat myself up for giving into sleepiness so easily.
I could accomplish so much more if I just stayed awa--ZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz
But, let me tell you, on the days that I make that wake-up
call, all the negativity and silly problems seem to just roll off my shoulders.
Free therapy sessions!
 |
| Photo: @photoradizy |
Therapy turned into running partners, and groups, and eventually
some healthier choices. I attended weekly
runs with my core group, Mission I’m Possible. It was at those night runs that I
made more girlfriends and saw that perhaps I too, needed to set some goals
(other than sneaker shopping, Saturday feasts, all followed by naps! Ha!). Although
I don’t make the weekly runs nearly as often as I used to (due to all of that
sleepiness, etc), I still have all of the love and support from everyone. That
kind of love is priceless. The only other non-blood related family that I can
compare it to, is my brother, Airmag.
Airmag and I traded in sneaker shopping for Nike+ and
running apps. I still go to him when I want to quit, and he continues to, uhh,
scold me if I post about cheeseburgers and hot fries on my snap or Instagram as
of lately, “That’s not training food, sis!”
 |
| NTC Tour Los Angeles with my bro, Airmag # Team909 |
My goals aren’t world class nor are they super-fast. However,
they are custom fit for me. I watched my stepmom run numerous Portland
Marathons, and she would force me to do the little fundraiser 5k’s before I moved
to Vegas. I told myself; never would I want to do what she did. Then one day I saw
a documentary; women weren’t allowed to run in marathons however many decades
ago…and it clicked. What better way to debut my first goal (to finish) than with
the Nike Women’s Half Marathon?! Of
course Mission I’m Possible and Finishline were there last year. And, of course
my brother and boyfriend came to support. I made more pals, found more
inspiration, and my world just kind of opened further. I couldn’t believe the
amazing women with which I was meeting and connecting (on multiple levels;
fashion, sneakers, MIP, running…)
 |
| photo: @photoradizy |
My goal is to
just always PR, to do my best and not give up. Last year I swore that I would
be dead last, and I wasn’t. I finished a little over 3:10, I believe. Clearly, I
was just happy to have finished if I don’t remember the exact time. This year, I want to be closer to or
under the 3hr mark, and I want to sleep the night before. Ha! I bet you thought
I was done talking about my precious sleep. I don’t think I slept but a few
hours last time – I was far too excited for those SF hills.
So – my setbacks and training – right, I will try to stay on
track for my sleepy readers (I empathize).
Setbacks: Schedule, heat, and a semi old-lady knee &
ankle
Solutions: Just do it,
just hydrate (and healthier proteins, less sugar intake), and just rest (and
ice)
Training:
My longer runs
have to be on the weekends due to
work and school. So no Friday nights out for me. I hydrate an extra amount during
the day and into Friday evening before bed (I try to eat something light but
with protein – fish and brown rice with arugula - that kind of meal). Oh, and
waking up late – trust me, I pay for it. This past Saturday I was scheduled for
at least 7 miles. 8AM was LATE, because by the last two miles there was
absolutely no shade - no reprieve from the sun whatsoever. I am telling you
that my skin and muscles were melting away from my bones and dripping onto the
concrete. You ever see Fear and Loathing? Yea. Like that. I have to be mindful
and take special care to really stretch while my muscles are still warm. I often
get sidetracked and pay for that later as well.
There is something comforting about a previously ran route;
I love them. But, on weekends, I like to explore and push myself. I will find
trails to run at Red Rock or Mt Charleston (up to 10k elevation – the fighters
run up there – it is no joke!)
 |
| Stretching at Red Rock - Photo: @photoradizy |
 |
| Shot by @photoradizy |
During the week I
keep it between 2 to 5 miles. It’s
still pretty hot out here. So, if I do run at night, I try to wait for the temp
to drop at least 10 degrees. The streets and sidewalks are still very much
heated from the day’s sun, but that I can handle. I alternate days of running
and training to work different muscle groups (or so I read that’s what it does
in one of my many fitness magazines piled about.) Seriously though, one of my
previous doctors told me that women runners often have weak core muscles and
that can lead to some serious injuries.
First thing every
morning, before I can even think of how tired I may be or how cute my puppy
looks beneath my comforter, I hit the floor. I will do Russian twists with a
medicine ball, bicycle crunches, plank walks; pretty much anything to strengthen
my core. Then I add a daily-increasing number of squats or lightly weighted
squats.
This week, I am still eating a little more sugar, cheeseburgers, and Korean BBQ than I should, but
I’m working on it.
By the end of this week and through the time the race is
over, no more super sugary frozen coffee drinks, excessive ice cream, or dare I
say, cheeseburgers…I have to ween myself from these indulgences. For whatever
reason, I thought I should have approximately a month of clean eating - veggies,
shakes, smoothies, perhaps chocolate milk after a good run, basically the opposite
of my standard diet. I replace my iced mochas with coconut water lattes, and
keep a conscious effort to calculate my water to caffeine ratio in order to
stay hydrated. This is also the time I test different meals and fuels. If
something upsets my stomach or leaves me hitting a wall, I’d rather find out
now than during the race. It is the little details that I worry about, so I get
it! And, I don’t mind sharing it with you.
See you there!
