training an endurance geek.

runningwithguts: I realize you may be kidding because you’re...

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:08:10 -0800

I realize you may be kidding because you’re referring to a dream, but I must point out that I am not by any means naturally athletic. You can call me an athlete if you wish (weird), but it has definitely not come to me naturally.

I am terrible at organized sports, I’m a slow and uncoordinated runner, and I’m relatively weak. I’m not trying to be negative or self-deprecating, but it’s for the most part true. I realize we all have our moments, but I’ll likely never be the girl that can place in her age group at races, the MVP of any team, or particularly good at lifting or CrossFit (at least by “normal” standards). I don’t build muscle quickly, and my strength is slow to improve. My average running pace has gotten faster, but only by about a minute or so over the past year.

While I am incredibly happy with where the past year has brought me (I RAN A MARATHON), the rate of my improvements may be enough to discourage some people. Having put in so much time and effort into training, I could see how it may be frustrating not to see tangible and quantitative improvements all the time, but that’s okay with me. Mostly because I’m incredibly stubborn. And I’m pretty sure you’re mistaking my stubbornness for natural athleticism.

What I lack in natural ability, I make up for with my mental toughness (read: STUBBORN*) and high pain tolerance. I just don’t really believe in stopping. This transfers incredibly well for distance running and CrossFitting, where you just don’t stop until you’re done. I don’t care how long it takes me, all I really care about is finishing what I started.

What’s the point of racing to be a bad ass anyway.. enjoy the journey! I won’t be in the lead pack, but a vast majority of people won’t work as hard as I do.

Re-programming the body: 1st Half Marathon in the books

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:43:16 -0800

Re-programming the body: 1st Half Marathon in the books:

halejr23:

So, what did I learn? You can train but you will still be shocked! Why? Well, thats easy. If you are the normal runner you always want to go faster. That catches up to you in the last 3-4 miles. I TRIED to keep a steady slow pace for the first 8-9 miles but failed.
BUT! I kept plugging away and…

Fun times in AZ!

"In your hopelessness is the only hope, and in your desirelessness is your only fulfillment, and in..."

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:40:06 -0800

“In your hopelessness is the only hope, and in your desirelessness is your only fulfillment, and in your tremendous helplessness suddenly the whole existence starts helping you.”

- Osho (Let go of what’s holding you back!)

Sometimes you need to ignore yourself!

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:50:15 -0800

I’ve recently been re-inspired to post something about healthy weight loss.. and how it relates to mental wellness. I’m going to be brief, and I hope you might consider reblogging with your own thoughts!

I believe that a majority of the problems with obesity start in the cavity directly between your ears. The brain is a tricky thing, and has been tuned over many thousands of years of evolution to be the most complex and powerful part of the body. Sometimes you need to ignore it to reach your goals. Regarding weight loss, with a bit of practice you might find that you can get better control with a fairly simple hack.

Every single time you start to put something in your mouth, food or drink, take a few moments to ask yourself;

- Is my stomach grumbling?

- Am I stressed out?

- Do I feel sluggish, maybe its been too long since I’ve last eaten?

- Is there a more healthy alternative?

Be honest with the answers to these questions, and then eat or drink what you were about to. I think that over time you will answer these questions before you have a food or drink in your hand, and the answers to these questions will guide you to making healthier decisions.

DIY: Fix any aspect of your life.

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 07:20:12 -0800

DIY: Fix any aspect of your life.:

Quite possibly the most comprehensive list on how to fix any aspect of your life you choose. Forget new years resolutions, just read this list every other day.

Still alive and kicking {ass}

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 07:11:31 -0800

Been a little while since I added anything to my blog here.. It’s the time of the year when, historically, I would be overeating and drinking and then waking up the following morning and feeling bad for it.. only to do the same thing a couple days later. Thank god that cycle has been stopped, for good. Wendie and I were reflecting on just this in the car yesterday.. We enjoyed an impromptu party at the neighbors house on Saturday night wherein plenty of sugar and alcohol was consumed. Sunday morning, instead of giving it an iota of self loathing we killed our workout session. Wen started with about 40 minutes on the stair EFX machine while our good friend Kari, and I ran a 5k. Kari had decided that she wanted to set a new PR on the 5k distance as a birthday present to herself, and asked me to join.. and so I did.. and she shaved over 4 minutes from her previous 5k time with a new 27:32 (sub-9/mi!). After a little cool down, we zoomed back to the gym and joined Wen for an hour of circuit training which left us all grunting and sore on the gym floor! There were far too many exercises to list, it was a lot of fun.

What else, you say? Boot camp.

The past 2 weeks have been a lot of fun with me joining Wen and the “Bikini Bootcamp” group led by Amy Krahn in Corvallis. We meet for an hour and get some absolutely killer workouts.. I didn’t realize how under developed my upper body and core muscles were until I started bootcamp. Sheesh! I’m having a blast with it and already signed up for the 4 days a week bootcamp in January. I’m starting to notice some ab definition peeking out from behind the belly fat/loose skin that still remains.. I feel myself becoming a stronger runner, and I’m pushing myself beyond my limits in a way that I haven’t ever before.

2011 has been a fantastic year for me, building on the success of 2010 and sealing the deal on a re-invention of my self-concept. Its taken a lot of will power and hard work, no doubt, but I’m finding that it can be a whole lot of fun too.. so there is a purpose to the pain, and it feels good making progress. I’m looking forward to 2012, I’ve got plenty of plans set in motion and I can see a whole lot of sweat in my future. :)

May 2012 be a year for you to re-invent and refine an aspect of your life, I’m positive that you won’t regret it. Don’t wait for January 1, get started right now. Happy Holidays!

You. Are. Welcome.

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:30:35 -0800

You. Are. Welcome.

A 3am reminder..

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 06:56:43 -0800

The juice; 6.2 miles in 59:37.. started really easy and negative split the whole thing without any aches or pains. #winning

The reminders;

I really miss getting my run done at the 3am hour, its the best way to start my day and clear my head.
I need to be a little more stealth so as to not wake Mrs. Revgum.. and take the dogs out before I leave.
Paper tape on the nips is not as effective as plastic tape.. nip chafe is not fun.
A headwind is worth ~5bpm on my heart

Got my gloves out..

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:15:42 -0800

Its gonna be damn cold in the morning (3am)..but I’m going to run anyway! SmartWool tights, thermal underarmor, gloves, and beanie along with the other regular running gear.. now just to decide which direction to start my run…or maybe hit the track a half mile from my house? Decisions decisions ..

Peeled Snacks $5 discount

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 08:18:14 -0800

Peeled Snacks $5 discount:

Get $5 off, first person to use it : 5peelxdvcttax

"I really value the practice of enduring and the practice of suffering. I think its a worthwhile..."

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 07:27:06 -0800

“I really value the practice of enduring and the practice of suffering. I think its a worthwhile thing to practice, so that hopefully in real life when its not some contrived suffering that you can do it with more grace.”

- Liza Howard - 2011 Javelina Jundred Female Champ, when asked about how to deal with ‘the dark place’ while running 100+ miles

"It’s almost impossible to overestimate the unimportance of most things."

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 06:15:36 -0800

“It’s almost impossible to overestimate the unimportance of most things.”

- John Logue

"The secret is within yourself."

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 05:58:43 -0800

“The secret is within yourself.”

- Hui-Neng

Becoming an Ironman.

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:20:06 -0800

November 18th, 2012 .. Seems like a good day to become an Ironman in Tempe, AZ. 2.4mi swim, 112mi bike ride followed by 26.2mi of running. I’m registered. I’m nervous.

Tired of giving less than 100%

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:25:00 -0800

This morning I joined my wife, a few of our friends, and a big group group of ladies in a “Bikini Bootcamp” running session. Wendie had done this workout in a prior month of bootcamp and encouraged me to join and give it a go.. This morning was the OSU Beavers, “Reser Stadium Stairs”;

- 4 laps around the football field

- 5 laps of bleachers (6 flights of stairs?)

- a lap of Reser Stadium (9 much longer flights of stairs)

- 2 laps of bleachers

- a final lap of Reser..

By about 2/3 the way through my final lap of Reser, my heart is pounding at about 160bpm, I’m leaving a trail of steam like some old school locomotive, I’ve got sweat pouring, and the cold crisp morning air is starting to burn my lungs.. Amy, the instructor, calls out that we have about 10 minutes left and to finish strong. Amy and Shawn (well, that’s how I’ll spell her name) are in the lead a little over a half of a flight of stairs ahead of me and I’ve accepted that I will not be catching them this morning.. For a moment I started to think, “I’ve got nothing to prove, I’m having fun and getting a great workout.. I’ve given a solid effort so why not coast my way through the last few flights of stairs”. And then it occurred to me that this is, fundamentally, the root of one of my problems.. My goal for the morning started with giving it 100% of my effort, finishing as close to “on empty” as I could.. and here I am settling with 90% “because I’m not going to catch the leaders”.. pfft.. that’s weak sauce.

I put my head down with a smile, and started to dig.. I don’t have anything to prove, I’m not “the best” or the “the strongest”, but this morning I am not going to settle for anything less than 100%. And I did finish strong, and at the top of my final flight of stairs into the cold sprinkling wind I let loose a roar worthy of a demon I conquered, again, this morning. My legs were wobbly and twitching, but the smile on my face tells you that I’ve started my day off the right way.

Fist bumps (with fireworks) to Wendie, Kari, Chellie, and Cheryl for kicking ass and taking names as well this morning!

A little test run, and now some swimming..

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 07:27:23 -0800

Last weekend was spent almost entirely in relaxation mode.. along with a bit of gambling (and winning!) along the coast. It was nice indeed.

After 6 days of no running (only elliptical!) I decided it was high time, on Wednesday, to test out my right leg on the treadmill. It went well overall, I had a little twinge in the achilles at first but after it warmed up everything was fine. I went 5k in just about 31 minutes.. I started off nice and super slow before kicking up the pace and did about 10 minutes at a sub-9:00/mm .. which turns out to be “too much too soon”, and now I’m sporting sore ankles. No big deal really, just typical muscle soreness that needs a couple of days.. I certainly don’t mind giving my right calf and achilles a little more time as well.

Its funny really, that treadmill run was just the quick fix that I needed.. despite the little set back.

Tonight, Wen and I are going to kick off date-night with a swim.. I’m thinking 1200 meters or so. :)

Have a great weekend!

"One who conquers himself is greater than another who conquers a thousand times a thousand on the..."

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 05:43:48 -0800

“One who conquers himself is greater than another who conquers a thousand times a thousand on the battlefield.”

- Buddha

Achilles Tendinitis and couch-time anyways..

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 08:06:00 -0800

My right calf is still a little weak from my ultra, and I don’t doubt there is a dash of achilles tendinitis mixed in there. It isn’t very painful, I’m not limping first thing in the morning but there is some pain there. My run on Monday was a little too aggressive and my right calf and achilles were starting to complain a little bit during the run.. so there is no sense in “running through it” like I kinda would like to. Along with this, I’ve got a few days of couch time prescribed as a byproduct of an outpatient surgery.. nothing serious, it’s a common procedure.

The next running goal is a “Turkey Stuffer 5k” on Thanksgiving morning.. until then I’ll be extra conservative and any running I do will be in the name of testing out my right legs progress. In the meantime, I see more biking and swimming in my future! :D

The 100-Up practice video.

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 08:48:31 -0800

The 100-Up practice video.

The Once and Future Way to Run.

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 08:34:01 -0800

The Once and Future Way to Run.:

Good article, and I’m going to start practicing the 100-Up!

The 100-Up consists of two parts. For the “Minor,” you stand with both feet on the targets and your arms cocked in running position. “Now raise one knee to the height of the hip,” George writes, “bring the foot back and down again to its original position, touching the line lightly with the ball of the foot, and repeat with the other leg.”

That’s all there is to it. But it’s not so easy to hit your marks 100 times in a row while maintaining balance and proper knee height. Once you can, it’s on to the Major: “The body must be balanced on the ball of the foot, the heels being clear of the ground and the head and body being tilted very slightly forward… . Now, spring from the toe, bringing the knee to the level of the hip… . Repeat with the other leg and continue raising and lowering the legs alternately. This action is exactly that of running.”