Streak vs. Taper

Alt. Title: Race vs. Run

This weekend I plan to run half marathon #4 of 2012.

After injury setbacks this summer, it feels good to be comfortable again at longer distances. I'm not where I'd like to be speed-wise, but at least I'm not broken.

This weekend I also plan to break my 2011 run streak record (42 days).

I wrapped up streak day #39 this morning, and see no reason to quit now. Except... these are highly incompatible goals. This week I should be engaging in that little pre-race ritual we love/loathe: The Taper.

Normally I'd spend the week before a distance race nixing all strength training, cutting back on my mileage, and enjoying a couple of good, long, no-running-allowed rest days. Maybe I'd add a massage for good measure.

I know that I race best when my legs are rested. I know that rest is an important part of a running routine. But how do I rest while run-streaking?!

So, do I quit the streak? Do I streak and let my race suffer? Decisions. Decisions...

When I look at my goals for the year, I see:

• 5 half marathons
• 24-minute 5k
• run-streak

Did you notice that those half marathons have no time goal? Good!
I can run, skip, hop, walk, waddle, or cartwheel my way through 13.1 miles and it still counts toward my goal. Whether I race this race (which was unlikely anyway -- see injury statement above) or I Galloway this race is irrelevant. I don't need to compete in order to complete the distance.

Waddling inspiration!

Now we've got the ingredients to formulate a pre-race taper plan! I'm going to reduce my streak-day mileage to 2 miles or less each day, and I'll waddle* my way through 13.1. Conflict resolved!

*I realize that race purists are turning up their noses right now. "Why run if you're not going to be in peak form?" they'll ask. (Ok. Let's be honest. Those people probably don't read this blog.) Whether they read or not, I counter with two points: (1) I am going to try my hardest... my hardest while streaking and after taking two months off. Call it a training run. (2) Without this half marathon goal, I might not have been motivated to rebuild my distance after taking most of the summer off. Call it a motivating force.

Normally I race. This weekend I'm going to run.
And that's ok.
(I might still get that massage anyway...)

What's your normal taper routine?

Half #3 and goals revisited

Tomorrow's half: Gulf Coast Half
Marathon at Pensacola Beach

I'm resting.
I'd rather be running.
I think I have a shot at a sub-2 half tomorrow, but I don't want to get my hopes up too high. I know my training is solid, but for some reason having a firm goal time in my head just makes me anxious and cranky. I'd rather talk myself into an "I'm not worried" state, sleep well tonight, and be pleasantly surprised tomorrow.

Plus, it's supposed to be warm.*

Even if tomorrow's Gulf Coast Half isn't my best race of the year, I've got at least 2 more 13.1s in the works, which brings me around to revisiting the year's goals...

(I'm good at setting and achieving goals, I just don't want to think about goal times the night before a race...)

In January, I set a few key goals for 2012. Here's the brief version:

Goal - Run Faster:
5k in less than 24 minutes

Hamming it up at the NOLA race expo

Progress: I've only run one 5k so far, and it was a fun run, not a "race." Result: 25:48. But I've been very consistent with weekly speedwork, so I feel confident that if I truly race a 5k, I'll be ready to break my 24 minute barrier.

Goal - Run Longer:
Complete 5 half marathons
Progress: (1) Gulf Shores, (2) New Orleans, and tomorrow should make 3. I've signed up for one more already, and I'm targeting an autumn race (or two) to round out the year.

Goal - Learn New Things:
Read 15 non-fiction books
Progress: While I'm ahead on the half marathon goal, I'm a bit behind on the books. I'm almost through Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking and I finished Two Old Fools - Olé! In my defense, working two jobs has taken a big bite out of my leisure reading time... I'll pick up the pace once school is out for the summer.

Goal - Travel/Explore:
Visit one new-to-me place every month

Exhibit from the Indian Temple Mound Museum

Progress:

• January: The Gulf Shores half counted both in the race and new-place categories.
• February: Hubby and I drove to Fort Walton Beach to visit the Indian Temple Mound Museum, had lunch, and walked along the waterfront. The museum is small, but the exhibits are fascinating.
• March: March was a travel-heavy month (to places we've been more than once). On the few days that we were home, Hubby and I mostly just wanted to rest. Day trips and hiking were out of the question, so March's adventure was trying a new-to-us jazz club while we were in New Orleans.

And it turns out that I've got a new goal to add to the list... The new-to-me cross training challenge.

So - I'm making good progress on my 2012 goals!
But I still don't want to talk about pacing for tomorrow...

How are you doing on your goals for the year?
Do you get anxious the day before a race? If so, what do you do to calm pre-race jitters?

*Sorry Boston runners, I have some sympathy for you, but seriously it's always 85 and humid here in Florida... Move here - We'll train together! Hot and humid race-day weather will never ruin your race dreams again!

Weekend wrap-up

It's taper weekend. Hubby and I ran a beautiful and sunny 7 miles this morning. I felt fantastic at the end of the run - like I could have easily kept going for another hour. If I'm not ready for next weekend's half marathon now, I never will be.

So, with a short run on the schedule, what did I do with my extra time today?

Well... since you asked...

I worked on updating my course content for the final weeks of the semester. Today's upbeat topic: sexuality and cultural influences on transmission rates for STDs. (April is STD awareness month!)

Previewing documentaries on the history of the HIV/AIDS epidemic is decidedly not the most pleasant way to spend a Sunday. In fact, it's a total downer.

So I also...

Started work on an article about a local chapter of Girls on the Run for Examiner.com. (That non-profit's work is a much happier story, but more on that later this week...)

Baked multi-grain pumpkin pecan muffins (recipe here).

Multi-grain pumpkin pecan muffins

I firmly believe in being realistic about the problems in the world, but dwelling on those problems won't solve them. So I put my energy into being a good teacher (including teaching the not-good-news topics). And then I bake/run/read/garden/write-about-other-stuff when the serious topics threaten to get overwhelming.

How do you balance bad news or unpleasant tasks?
What exciting adventures (or lazy days) did you have this weekend?

Gloomy day?

I started to write a "gloomy day" post about how my sunglasses haven't come out of their case in almost two weeks. (It's amazing how much of a difference sunlight makes in my energy level. I should never try to live in Alaska in December...)

Yellowstone Lake on a cloudy morning (2010).

And it's mid-semester. The 12-hour teaching days are finally taking their toll...

Plus it's taper-week, which usually makes me a little crazy anyway...

How Peanut gets to spend the day. / How I want to spend the day!

But I figured that was all just going to sound whiny.
Because it IS whiny.

"Wah! I'm tired!"

So I poured a second cup of coffee and started re-writing:

• Cloudy days mean cooler weather for running.
• 12-hour days mean I have a job (two, actually - and most days I enjoy both of them).
• Taper week means my body gets to rebuild for the race. I should embrace this, instead of being bummed that I miss a 2-fer Tuesday. At this point, no additional training will make my 13.1 any better, but I sure as hell can screw it up royally if I try to run like it's not a race week.

So I'm going out for a walk.
Maybe some sunlight is filtering through the fog...

How do you deal with low energy days?

New to me (cross training challenge)

It's pre-race taper weekend in the i run like a girl household, which means that Hubby and I spent the day doing anything but running (...or even leaving the house. Heck, it's 6pm and I'm still in pajamas gym clothes!)

But don't let the pajamas clothes fool you. It has not been a lazy day.
We did our taxes and budgeting for the year. Washed laundry. Cleaned closets and bathrooms. (Now you know why I didn't bother getting all gussied up into grown-people clothes...)

With no 2-hour-long training run + brunch + post-run-nap this weekend, knocking items off the To Do List seemed sensible. Showering and changing into real clothes, however, seemed totally illogical.

Speaking of To Do Lists, Kim at (Just) Trying is for Little Girls reminded me that February is drawing to a close and I hadn't yet mentioned any cross training for her New 2 U Cross Training Challenge. Last month I tried burpees for the first time (not a fan, but at least I tried).

This month, well... begin argument in my own head that goes something like this:

Um... about that. Does Speedminton count?
No because I've done it before?
But the last time I played was years ago. And we went to a new park. I've never played there before!

Could I really count Speedminton as new-to-me cross training? Notsomuch.

So Hubby suggested cardio kickboxing.
Yep. I totally missed that fad in the 90s, so it counts as "new to me" even if the concept is more than 20 years old.

YouTube got us started with this video:

Honest assessment: The trainer makes it look easy, but with 20-something moves in a row (jab, jab, hook, back push, march, front push, right left, right left, dribble, hook 3 times, whattheheckareyousaying?) I spent more time jittering like a Mexican jumping bean and laughing at my lack of coordination than I did working out.

At one point, I was pretty sure that by the end of the 30 minutes - in the confusion of the kicks and hooks - either Hubby or I would end up with a poorly-placed jab to the eye. Try explaining that black eye at work on Monday: "We were doing cardio kickboxing in the living room. Seriously!"

This video would be great for a more coordinated kickboxer or for someone who has the patience to watch it a few times to pick up the steps, but I won't be going back anytime soon.

When that video ended, brilliant YouTube suggested some other kickboxing videos.

Enter Jillian Michaels.
Those of you who are Biggest Loser fans are probably going to laugh at what I'm about to say, but...
Holy hell, her videos are FANTASTIC.

How have I been living under a rock for so long?


(Then again, I did mention that it took me 20 years to try cardio kickboxing...)
So thank you Kim - for your challenge - which has brought me up to, oh... 2004?

Anyone else a fan of Ms. Michaels?

Staying in pajamas all day to get housework done: the height of efficiency or something I should never again admit in public?

Taper distractions

Less than 6 days left until my first half marathon of 2012... The headcold that attached itself to me two weeks ago hasn't let go yet, so if I'm going to be healthy for the race, I have to really rest this week. Early bedtimes. Hydration. Relaxing. Little running.

In short...
I'm losing my mind and it's only the beginning of the week!
Why is it that when we're not supposed to run, the only thing we can think about is running?

As a distraction, Hubby and I went for a nice, long walk on the beach.

I started power walking.
Hubby reminded me that we were supposed to take a leisurely stroll. (I don't need to risk pulling my calf muscle again.) Relax.
I kept racing ahead, like there was some finish line farther down the beach.
I found myself glaring jealously at runners who passed by.

I need to get over this. Tapering is part of training.
I am confident that my running base is solid. I need to remind myself that I have a better kick when my legs are rested, and that if I run too hard this week, I risk screwing up what could be a very good start to this racing year.

And, in the final analysis, I have to admit, the beach was gorgeous.
Empty of tourists.
Mid-60s temperatures.
Beautiful sunset.
No reason to rush...
Relax.

What is your favorite leisure activity (especially for your pre-race taper days)?

Race plan: do everything wrong

T-minus 2 days and counting to my first half marathon in nearly two years. (My goodness. Has it really been that long?)

This is not to say that I haven't been racing. I have! But my races have been shorter distances - half a dozen 5ks (placing in 2) plus 10k and relay races. I spent two years focusing on speedwork. Then I got smacked with a Florida summer and barely kept my running head above water. I only really started building my distance back up two months ago.

All of this means: There is no way Sunday will be a PR. I wasn't training to make it a personal record kind of day. I signed up to get my butt motivated for Sunday morning long runs. That goal has been thoroughly accomplished.

This also means that I have no real race goals or ego issues for Sunday's run. But... Perhaps I've taken my lackadaisical attitude a bit too far, because I plan to race in brand new shoes.

I know. I know. Every running rule book starts with: "No new shoes or new clothes for your race!"
Hell, my own rule book starts with that rule!
But look at that broke-a$$ pair of shoes on the right. They have almost 700 miles on them. I should have started breaking in the new Mizunos sooner. I admit my error there. But for my feets' sake (and for my hip!) I refuse to race 13 miles in the old pair. So instead, I'll be racing in a pair of shoes I've worn for... wait for it... 6 whole miles!

At this point, the brand new shoes issue is so ridiculous that I've started plotting what other race-day "no no's" rules I can break and use this as a sort-of science experiment... I mean: how many races will I have in my life when I don't care what my pace is as long as I finish?

So... Should I:

• Get a last-minute massage from a therapist I've never been to before? Oh wait... I've got that appointment in a couple of hours!
• Leave my watch at home? This is mighty tempting...
• Buy new shorts at the expo and run in those? Also tempting!
• Run without Body Glide? Because that worked so well last time...
• Celebrate the night before the race with a bottle of champagne, a pack of cigarettes, and some spicy Thai food? Because, you know, I'll wake up Sunday morning feeling GREAT for the race with a hangover, hacking cough, and port-o-potty "issues."
• Do a track workout right before I go to the race expo? I can test myself to see how much of a beating my quads can really take!
• Run my 5k pace for the first couple of miles to build up some "banked time?" Ha! That never works! All the more reason to try it...

What race-day rules have you always wanted to break?
Have you ever raced in brand new shoes?

Extra time

I have all the time in the world!
This weekend I slept an extra hour thanks to the ol' turn-the-clocks-back trick. I saved another hour thanks to a super-short Sunday run (pre-race taper), and I gave my students a quiz last week, rather than a paper, so my grading took much less time than usual.

I should be thrilled with all this extra time, right?
Right?
Oddly, I woke up feeling blue and bored.
(Maybe I've got taper brain? Is that even possible for a half marathon? I've never noticed it before...)
My recalcitrant hip is still not on board with the idea of running a half marathon next weekend, so I'm sure that has an influence on my state of mind...

But, as much as I wanted to, I wouldn't let myself sit and sulk.
I grabbed my To Do list and started checking items off.

• Vacuum house: check
• Nail loose boards on fence: check
• Pull old tomato plants out of garden: check
• Rake leaves out of driveway: check
• Grade papers: check
• Update blog format: check

I didn't feel any better by dinnertime, but I did complete several tasks I've been neglecting for weeks. And this morning... seeing the yard in better shape, the house clean, and a stack of quizzes graded... I think I'm starting to feel better.

I also spent some time researching January half marathons. I will do my best on Sunday, but I can stop being anxious about my hip if I know I have another chance to "prove myself" in a couple of months.

And now... I'm also going to take myself for a walk on the beach. After all, it's 7am and the sun is shining! I have three hours before I need to be at work!

What did you do with your extra hour this weekend?
What do you think of the new blog format?
Any suggestions for further changes?


Photos courtesy of healingdream / FreeDigitalPhotos.net and someecards