Despite beginning to run between 8 and 16 miles a week for the past 2 months, I haven't lost one pound. Not one! Can you believe it? With all this additional exercise you think my body would notice. Well, I have noticed something. I've noticed that I'm hungry ALL THE TIME. And when you combine that with a work place where all the food is free and you are never more than 500 feet away from all this wonderful food, you have a recipe for disaster.
I took my time making my way through all the information thrown at new runners. I read about not over doing it (hah!) and stretching a lot (no problem) and staying hydrated (I can confirm the frequency of bathroom visits has significantly increased). And eventually I got to the chapter on nutrition. The first sentence I read said, "Just because you're running more often doesn't mean you can eat whatever you want." What?! Are you kidding?
However, the news got better. All the sources I've read agree that one form of nutrition you can comfortable increase your intake of is carbohydrates. Now, I'm Irish and that means that I like bread. In fact I love bread. So the news that I can eat as much bread as I want is too wonderful to express. Focusing on this high point, I've made a real effort in the last week to cut down on the chocolate and crisps that I had been resorting to in an effort to calm the demanding gurgling tummy. Our micro kitchen at work has fruit, yogurts and mini packets of baby carrots that I've been munching on instead.
I feel better about these choices but it hasn't made me any less hungry. Now I'm just wondering how many carrots you have to eat before you start going orange...
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Women that Run
One of the reasons that I want to run a marathon is that I am so proud of my father for accomplishing this massive feat 30 years ago. It has always been something that he points to with pride, as a great achievement. Deservedly so. From the stories he and my Mum tell I can picture him running the route. I can picture the crowds and smell the sea air as he ran down through Clontarf past Dublin bay, past the Five Lamps to the finish line. I'm proud to say that there were women that ran in the Dublin marathon that year despite the fact that there was still not a global consensus about whether or not it was a good idea for women to run long distances.
The runners world book I have been reading has a chapter on the history of women's running. I was astonished to learn that the first time women were allowed to run a marathon in the Olympics was in 1984. The Olympic Charter stated that to be included in the Games, a women's sport must be widely practiced in at least twenty-five countries on at least two continents and it wasn't until 1984 that they agreed long distance running for women qualified in this way. I wouldn't be my mother's daughter if I wasn't outraged by this discrimination.
In the years leading up to the 1984 Olympics women fought hard to prove that there were no reasons they should not run these long distances. The Boston Marathon is one of the largest and most well known marathons outside of the Olympics. In 1966, Roberta Gibb hid behind a bush before the start of the marathon because she wasn't allowed to enter. She finished with an unofficial time of 3:21:25. Gibb had been inspired to run by the return of her race entry with a note saying that women were not physically capable of running a marathon.
In 1967, Katherine Switzer entered the marathon under the name K.V. Switzer. The officials didn't realize she was a woman until several miles into the race. They chased after her and tried to remove her race number and pictures of her team mates tackling the officials made the newspapers the next day. People were outraged and a cause was born. In 1972 women were officially allowed to compete in the Boston Marathon and Katherine Switzer became a leader in the fight to get the Olympics to create a Women's Marathon event. She teamed up with Avon to organize women's marathons around the world and these races and others (like the Dublin marathon) eventually led to the Olympic committee agreeing it was time to recognize women could run.
Today, in my experience, there is absolutely no discrimination between women and men running. I haven't noticed any difference in the reaction people have when I tell them I'm running a marathon or in the way in which the coaches at Team in Training treat me. Isn't it amazing how attitudes can change so much in such a short time.
The runners world book I have been reading has a chapter on the history of women's running. I was astonished to learn that the first time women were allowed to run a marathon in the Olympics was in 1984. The Olympic Charter stated that to be included in the Games, a women's sport must be widely practiced in at least twenty-five countries on at least two continents and it wasn't until 1984 that they agreed long distance running for women qualified in this way. I wouldn't be my mother's daughter if I wasn't outraged by this discrimination.
In the years leading up to the 1984 Olympics women fought hard to prove that there were no reasons they should not run these long distances. The Boston Marathon is one of the largest and most well known marathons outside of the Olympics. In 1966, Roberta Gibb hid behind a bush before the start of the marathon because she wasn't allowed to enter. She finished with an unofficial time of 3:21:25. Gibb had been inspired to run by the return of her race entry with a note saying that women were not physically capable of running a marathon.
In 1967, Katherine Switzer entered the marathon under the name K.V. Switzer. The officials didn't realize she was a woman until several miles into the race. They chased after her and tried to remove her race number and pictures of her team mates tackling the officials made the newspapers the next day. People were outraged and a cause was born. In 1972 women were officially allowed to compete in the Boston Marathon and Katherine Switzer became a leader in the fight to get the Olympics to create a Women's Marathon event. She teamed up with Avon to organize women's marathons around the world and these races and others (like the Dublin marathon) eventually led to the Olympic committee agreeing it was time to recognize women could run.
Today, in my experience, there is absolutely no discrimination between women and men running. I haven't noticed any difference in the reaction people have when I tell them I'm running a marathon or in the way in which the coaches at Team in Training treat me. Isn't it amazing how attitudes can change so much in such a short time.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Research
In an earlier post I talked about my reputation for jumping in with 2 feet without really knowing what I'm getting myself into. That's actually only half true.
The two-feet-all-in part is definitely true. It's rare that you won't be able to find something that I'm super uber passionate about right now. Those new to these passionate exclamations though, can sometimes be surprised to learn that just because I was fully dedicated heart and soul to an idea yesterday does not mean that I will be tomorrow (or sometimes an hour later).
The part that isn't true is that I don't know what I'm getting myself into. Once something catches my fancy, the very first thing I do is buy at least 4 books about it. Books on the following topics can all be found on my bookshelves; how to negotiate, how to motivate, how to meditate, how to pick a dog breed, how to buy a dog, how to care for a puppy when you first bring him home (we haven't actually got a dog but if we ever make the decision to get one, I'll know what to do), how to knit (something that I actually stuck with), travel books for every place I've ever visited, how to pass your GMAT, how to apply to MBA schools ( I never did this either), how to lead teams, how to hack (of course), lots and lots of cookbooks and many many more.
You won't be surprised to learn that all of these books have just been joined by a few books on running. I focused initially on books targeted at women who like to run. I chose to run rather than do another sport because I won't have to compete against anyone other than myself. I find that books targeted to women focus less on the speed and the winning so decided to start there.
The first book I'd like to mention is the Runner's World Complete Book of Women's Running. The author is a would-be professional runner, which I initially found a little off-putting. She regrets not quite making the 2 hour 50 minute time needed to get her into the Olympic trials and that's not exactly something I can relate to. However, once I got past the introduction and starting reading the content (yes I'm the person who reads the foreword, the introduction and the acknowledgements in every book) I really got a lot from this book. She has a chapter for beginners, for intermediate runners and for serious runners. And just reading through all 3 made me think I could actually make it from 'beginner' to 'intermediate.' I especially like the chapter on what makes someone a 'runner' rather than a 'jogger'. She says it has nothing to do with speed (now you see why I like this woman) and is all about why you run. It's a feeling you get, when you realize that you're not lacing up your running shoes because your schedule says you should, but because you really want to run. I'm not quite there yet, but I really want to be and I don't think it's too far away in my future.
The other book I want to recommend is The Nonrunner's Marathon Guide for Women: Get Off Your Butt and On with Your Training. I can't say enough good things about this book. The author is a 25 year old self confessed couch potato. She has a wicked sense of humor and approaches the training with a huge dose of cynicism and reluctance. I flew through the book, stopping several times to read passages out loud to Sean. I am training with a group that is so whole hearted and chipper sometimes I want to slink away and cringe, so I really enjoyed Dawn's acknowledgment of the pain, self questioning and general lack of enthusiasm for moving that is also a part of this training. Her description of her marathon itself is pretty miserable though so I'm really hoping I manage to train without getting injured. I don't fancy walking the second 13 miles with shooting pain through my feet, calves, knees and IT band. With all that she still found the humor in the sign on the back of one runner that passed her. It said, "Please God, Let there be someone behind me to read this." I know exactly how she feels.
The two-feet-all-in part is definitely true. It's rare that you won't be able to find something that I'm super uber passionate about right now. Those new to these passionate exclamations though, can sometimes be surprised to learn that just because I was fully dedicated heart and soul to an idea yesterday does not mean that I will be tomorrow (or sometimes an hour later).
The part that isn't true is that I don't know what I'm getting myself into. Once something catches my fancy, the very first thing I do is buy at least 4 books about it. Books on the following topics can all be found on my bookshelves; how to negotiate, how to motivate, how to meditate, how to pick a dog breed, how to buy a dog, how to care for a puppy when you first bring him home (we haven't actually got a dog but if we ever make the decision to get one, I'll know what to do), how to knit (something that I actually stuck with), travel books for every place I've ever visited, how to pass your GMAT, how to apply to MBA schools ( I never did this either), how to lead teams, how to hack (of course), lots and lots of cookbooks and many many more.
You won't be surprised to learn that all of these books have just been joined by a few books on running. I focused initially on books targeted at women who like to run. I chose to run rather than do another sport because I won't have to compete against anyone other than myself. I find that books targeted to women focus less on the speed and the winning so decided to start there.
The first book I'd like to mention is the Runner's World Complete Book of Women's Running. The author is a would-be professional runner, which I initially found a little off-putting. She regrets not quite making the 2 hour 50 minute time needed to get her into the Olympic trials and that's not exactly something I can relate to. However, once I got past the introduction and starting reading the content (yes I'm the person who reads the foreword, the introduction and the acknowledgements in every book) I really got a lot from this book. She has a chapter for beginners, for intermediate runners and for serious runners. And just reading through all 3 made me think I could actually make it from 'beginner' to 'intermediate.' I especially like the chapter on what makes someone a 'runner' rather than a 'jogger'. She says it has nothing to do with speed (now you see why I like this woman) and is all about why you run. It's a feeling you get, when you realize that you're not lacing up your running shoes because your schedule says you should, but because you really want to run. I'm not quite there yet, but I really want to be and I don't think it's too far away in my future.
The other book I want to recommend is The Nonrunner's Marathon Guide for Women: Get Off Your Butt and On with Your Training. I can't say enough good things about this book. The author is a 25 year old self confessed couch potato. She has a wicked sense of humor and approaches the training with a huge dose of cynicism and reluctance. I flew through the book, stopping several times to read passages out loud to Sean. I am training with a group that is so whole hearted and chipper sometimes I want to slink away and cringe, so I really enjoyed Dawn's acknowledgment of the pain, self questioning and general lack of enthusiasm for moving that is also a part of this training. Her description of her marathon itself is pretty miserable though so I'm really hoping I manage to train without getting injured. I don't fancy walking the second 13 miles with shooting pain through my feet, calves, knees and IT band. With all that she still found the humor in the sign on the back of one runner that passed her. It said, "Please God, Let there be someone behind me to read this." I know exactly how she feels.
Pain, Pain, Go Away
Last night I had my second 'Buddy Run' with my mentors from Team in Training. For these Tuesday runs, we meet at 6pm. The sun sets shortly after 6 at the moment, so we all wear headlamps because the area in which we run has no lights at all. Running with other people makes it really obvious that I'm a slow runner. As this was a "short" run I made my best effort at pushing my pace.
When I arrived home I was exhausted. I mean, really exhausted. My whole body ached and I just put my head down on the sofa and felt like I never wanted to move again. As I lay there I could feel all my muscles seizing up. My upper body workout with John on Monday didn't help. The importance of stretching was at the forefront of my mind but I just couldn't move.
Luckily I have the most supportive boyfriend. He cooked dinner, washed up everything afterwards and gently but firmly encouraged me to get up off my ass and stretch because otherwise I probably wouldn't get out of bed this morning.
http://bit.ly/axnxGY
When I arrived home I was exhausted. I mean, really exhausted. My whole body ached and I just put my head down on the sofa and felt like I never wanted to move again. As I lay there I could feel all my muscles seizing up. My upper body workout with John on Monday didn't help. The importance of stretching was at the forefront of my mind but I just couldn't move.
Luckily I have the most supportive boyfriend. He cooked dinner, washed up everything afterwards and gently but firmly encouraged me to get up off my ass and stretch because otherwise I probably wouldn't get out of bed this morning.
http://bit.ly/axnxGY
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Rain, Rain, Go Away
This past Saturday was one of the first tests of my dedication. Sara came to stay for the weekend and we had plans to go shopping in SF and out to dinner afterwards. I was intent on getting up early on Saturday morning to run before we left so that I could get in my long run as planned.
You know how it is with good intentions though. Events conspired against me. On Friday night Sara, Sean and I went out to a wonderful local middle eastern restaurant that I love where they make the best cucumber-basil cocktails. Oh they go down so easy. And as is usual when Sara shows up we talked and talked and talked...
Next thing I know Saturday morning shows up and when the alarm clock went off at 7am I rolled over in a haze and woke up to the sound of the rain beating hard against the window. Oh man! Talk about not wanting to get up. It took a very severe talking to, all while curled up in a ball under my covers, to get me out of bed. I am really proud that I pulled on those running shoes and rain jacket and headed out to run despite the weather and the slight hangover. And though I didn't quite make the distance or the time I had intended I'm still going to call it a win.
http://bit.ly/aaf6mJ
You know how it is with good intentions though. Events conspired against me. On Friday night Sara, Sean and I went out to a wonderful local middle eastern restaurant that I love where they make the best cucumber-basil cocktails. Oh they go down so easy. And as is usual when Sara shows up we talked and talked and talked...
Next thing I know Saturday morning shows up and when the alarm clock went off at 7am I rolled over in a haze and woke up to the sound of the rain beating hard against the window. Oh man! Talk about not wanting to get up. It took a very severe talking to, all while curled up in a ball under my covers, to get me out of bed. I am really proud that I pulled on those running shoes and rain jacket and headed out to run despite the weather and the slight hangover. And though I didn't quite make the distance or the time I had intended I'm still going to call it a win.
http://bit.ly/aaf6mJ
Friday, February 05, 2010
Pre Kick Off Training and tracking tools
Even though I signed up with Team in Training in early January, their spring training program didn't actually start until January 30th. I spent the 3 weeks leading up to the kickoff, training by myself; following their rough guide of running every second day, running for 20 minutes the first week, 30 minutes the second week and 40 minutes the third week.
It was my first experience running again for a while and I was really out of breath on that first run. Suddenly the 26.2 miles that I had signed up for seemed so very far out of reach. Sean likes to make fun of how I have a tendency to jump into something with two feet without taking the time to figure out what I'm getting into. It's not unjustified and now I was beginning to think I had bitten off more than I could chew.
But thankfully as the weeks went by and I persisted it became easier. I even managed to run 4 miles in the third week. It's true I was nearly purple by the time I finished but I made it. And what's more I really enjoyed the running. Having a very concrete goal is great motivation to want to push myself past my comfort zone. It feels really great at the end of a 40 minute run to feel like I worked really hard.
Another common trait of mine is to crave actual data which describes my progress. In my early running in New York I used a Polar watch, heart rate monitor and pace monitor to give me feedback on how far I ran and how much it took out of me. Unfortunately there is no GPS on this device and when I looked into how much one would cost it was more than I was willing to pay for this one additional data point. But then I remembered, I already have a device with a GPS. I found an awesome iPhone app called RunKeeper that records all the data I could want, and print lots of pretty graphs and maps to satisfy all my data recording needs. Check out my latest runs here http://bit.ly/cu5QQm
It was my first experience running again for a while and I was really out of breath on that first run. Suddenly the 26.2 miles that I had signed up for seemed so very far out of reach. Sean likes to make fun of how I have a tendency to jump into something with two feet without taking the time to figure out what I'm getting into. It's not unjustified and now I was beginning to think I had bitten off more than I could chew.
But thankfully as the weeks went by and I persisted it became easier. I even managed to run 4 miles in the third week. It's true I was nearly purple by the time I finished but I made it. And what's more I really enjoyed the running. Having a very concrete goal is great motivation to want to push myself past my comfort zone. It feels really great at the end of a 40 minute run to feel like I worked really hard.
Another common trait of mine is to crave actual data which describes my progress. In my early running in New York I used a Polar watch, heart rate monitor and pace monitor to give me feedback on how far I ran and how much it took out of me. Unfortunately there is no GPS on this device and when I looked into how much one would cost it was more than I was willing to pay for this one additional data point. But then I remembered, I already have a device with a GPS. I found an awesome iPhone app called RunKeeper that records all the data I could want, and print lots of pretty graphs and maps to satisfy all my data recording needs. Check out my latest runs here http://bit.ly/cu5QQm
Deciding to run a marathon
When I lived in New York a friend of mine introduced me to the past time of running. I remember being quite astonished at just how hard it was and how soon I turned into a red panting tomato. I was lucky enough to live close to the park though, and soon I started regularly heading out with my iPod to make my way around the reservoir, running for as long as I could before I ran out of breath and was forced to walk. I started with a run/walk split of about 3 minutes/ 2 minutes.
I found that running is very rewarding for a beginner. With just a little bit of persistence it wasn't long before I could run without having to stop to walk. I gradually increased my distance until I was running the full 6 mile loop around the whole park, albeit somewhat slowly. My average pace was 12 minutes a mile. I started to dream of some time completing a marathon and cheered along at the New York Marathon, imagining myself being among them at some point in my life.
Well, my life was disrupted. I moved to California and a new job and new surroundings absorbed my attention for a few years. This Christmas however, the Marathon dream returned. I decided this was the right time to really try for it, so I've signed myself up to run in the Seattle Rock'n'Roll marathon in June. I haven't really run at all in the last 2-3 years so it's going to involve getting back to where I was when I stopped and a whole lot further.
I thought that I could probably use a little help with achieving this goal and knowing that I do well with a bit of structure I decided to join Team in Training. This is an organization that provides you with coaching in exchange for your efforts in raising funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It's a great cause and if I can combine my efforts training with doing some good, then it works for me.
I'll continue to blog about my experience on this endeavor over the next few months. For more information about my fundraising - check out this page http://pages.teamintraining.org/sj/rnrseatl10/cmd
I found that running is very rewarding for a beginner. With just a little bit of persistence it wasn't long before I could run without having to stop to walk. I gradually increased my distance until I was running the full 6 mile loop around the whole park, albeit somewhat slowly. My average pace was 12 minutes a mile. I started to dream of some time completing a marathon and cheered along at the New York Marathon, imagining myself being among them at some point in my life.
Well, my life was disrupted. I moved to California and a new job and new surroundings absorbed my attention for a few years. This Christmas however, the Marathon dream returned. I decided this was the right time to really try for it, so I've signed myself up to run in the Seattle Rock'n'Roll marathon in June. I haven't really run at all in the last 2-3 years so it's going to involve getting back to where I was when I stopped and a whole lot further.
I thought that I could probably use a little help with achieving this goal and knowing that I do well with a bit of structure I decided to join Team in Training. This is an organization that provides you with coaching in exchange for your efforts in raising funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It's a great cause and if I can combine my efforts training with doing some good, then it works for me.
I'll continue to blog about my experience on this endeavor over the next few months. For more information about my fundraising - check out this page http://pages.teamintraining.org/sj/rnrseatl10/cmd
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