The Evolution of a Runner - Part I

Note: This was going to be one short post about how I will now admit that I'm a runner. But in writing it, it took on a life of its own. So now it is a series of posts (or maybe just two posts, who knows?) about my journey from non-runner to runner.

OK, so I mentioned in a previous post that I don't really consider myself a runner. I realize, of course, that this is absurd. I run an awful lot for someone who is not a runner. On my long run last weekend, I was trying to figure out how it could be that I don't consider myself a runner. Largely, I think it goes back to my one season stint on the track team in high school. My junior year I decided to go out for track. I had spent the previous summer, post break-up with my first boyfriend, going for long bike rides and lifting weights, a picture of Linda Hamilton circa Terminator 2 on my bedroom wall for inspiration. I decided I was so ripped I would be an awesome shot putter and discus thrower. (Stop laughing!!) Needless to say, that did not work out as planned. I didn't have a plan B. The other field events were out. I figured running couldn't be too hard. Everybody can run, right? I knew I wasn't a sprinter, so I started out at 800m. And came in well behind everyone else. The coach suggested I try longer distances, so I tried 1600m. With similar results. I don't remember if I ever ran 3200m. Possibly. Whatever distances I ran, I do know I always came in last. Except one race where I came in second to last. My teammates were always encouraging, but it was very humbling. Obviously, I was not a runner.

GPS

OK, so this morning, before going out on my 11 miler, I dug around and found the arm band for my old iPod. I managed to fit my iPhone in it, so I downloaded the Nike+ GPS app and gave it a try. I was a little hesitant about wearing this big thing on my arm for the first time (well, I had worn it with my iPod on the treadmill back in the day) on a longer run. But, while I have never really felt unsafe out running by myself, I had gotten used to carrying my cell phone last summer and feel safer with it on longer runs. So safety overruled possible discomfort.

I have to say, I really liked it. I had been going back and forth since last summer about getting some kind of GPS watch or other device to use while running. Ultimately, I just wasn't sure I wanted or needed to know my exact pace at any given moment through my run. I mapped out my runs online and wore a watch to time myself. I could figure out my average pace and that was good enough. It probably still is good enough, but for $1.99 (the cost of the app), it's pretty cool to have a little voice telling me what my time and average pace is at each mile. I kept a pretty steady pace for the first half of my run, but when I started backing off a bit I knew it and got back on pace. The app has way more functionality than I need. I don't need to broadcast to everyone on Facebook when, where, how far and how fast I'm running. I don't need people to send me "cheers." I don't need to play tag or race anyone. I haven't even begun to learn all the things I can do with my data if I sync up to the Nike website.

The couple of downsides were 1) I couldn't easily see or reach the iPhone to pause it at stop lights. I wore my watch also and paused that when I stopped, but then I forgot to stop it when I finished. I can try adjusting my arm band to see if I can get the iPhone in a better orientation. 2) A couple of times I was kind of zoning out and "the voice" startled me, but I'll probably get used to that. A couple other times I think it startled people around me. I don't listen to music when I run outside and I'm not going to wear headphones just for this, so "the voice" is audible to anyone close by. There's probably a way to turn it off, but even with my phone on silent she spoke out loud. Plus, that would kind of defeat the purpose.

I'll probably keep using it on long runs for sure and maybe on shorter ones, too. It would be a nice way to log all my miles. I had started using the Daily Mile website at the beginning of the year, but I kept forgetting to enter my workouts.

Mapping

Because I have not yet joined the 21st century when it comes to running technology and don't have a GPS watch or a GPS running app on my iPhone, if I want to know how far I've gone on a run I have to go old school and map it out online. I had been using the USA Track and Field site, but it's very labor intensive. You have to zoom way in and manually map the route, eyeballing it. A friend told me about gmap pedometer, which automatically follows walking/running paths. It is much faster and easier to map a run. But...I think it overestimates distances. I noticed this summer when I first started using it that a run I mapped at about 8.5 miles on the USATF site was about 9.5 miles on gmap. The straight-line calculations the USATF site uses would make routes map out shorter than they really are, but by a whole mile on an 8-9 mile route?

The last couple of runs I have done, if gmap is to be believed, I have run at a blistering (for me) pace. Today I ran a 3.9 mile route in 30 minutes, a 7:45 pace. I know I've dropped my pace by quite a bit over the past year with some changes to my stride and form, plus just a lot of running. And I was running faster than usual. This was the shortest run I've done in a long time and I was kind of in a hurry to finish it, get home and get on with my day. I hit a trail crossing that I usually pass at about 15:00 to 15:30 at 14:15. But I have a really hard time believing I ran a 7:45 pace.

Now I'm tempted to get the Nike+GPS iPhone app and see how it compares. But then I would need to carry my iPhone on runs. Running is about the only time my iPhone isn't within arms reach.

I'm not even really sure why it matters to me. All I can come up with is that running sub-8 minute miles on a training run might do what running two marathons, two half marathons, countless other races and 1000s of training miles haven't: make me consider myself a runner.

Things that make you go "Hmmmm"

Several weeks ago Al and I wrote letters to our congressional representatives. We wrote one letter to each, but both Al and I signed it. We have now gotten responses from all three of them. However, only one of them responded to me as well as Al. The other two made no mention of me in their responses. I find that interesting. Even more interesting to me, the one who responded to me is a woman, the other two are men.

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Race Report - Twin Cities Marathon

Well, I did it! After nearly 7 months of training, the Twin Cities Marathon is complete. I had an awesome run and a really fun time.

First, a big shout out to all my friends and family who came out to cheer along the way. You gave me so much energy. I loved seeing and hearing you out on the course. It means so much to me to have such wonderful friends. A special thanks to Al who went above and beyond in supporting me yesterday and throughout my training.

On to the race...

The official start time was 8 a.m. We got to the Metrodome (or rather Mall of America Field, though no one calls it that and every time I see it written I can't figure out where they're talking about) around 7:20. We went into the Dome to use the restroom, but the line was so long we decided to take our chances with the porta-potties. I'm not sure the lines were any better. We got in line a little after 7:30 and barely made it to our starting corral by 8. But we did make it. It was a little chilly. We had decided to drop our warm clothes in a bag at the start rather than deal with shedding it later. We stood there for 5 minutes with goose bumps and teeth chattering. Slowly we made our way to the start, along with the several thousand other people in our corral. Eventually, we got to the start line. And we were off!

The first couple miles were cold and crowded. We picked our way along the outside trying to get into some open space and with people running our same pace. I lost sight of Gina within the first few minutes. I didn't feel like I was running particularly fast, but when I got to the first mile marker I looked at my watch and it read 8:32. I was planning/hoping to run 9 minute 20 second miles for a 4 hour 4 minute finish. I thought I better hold back a bit. I did not hold back as much as I thought I did. When I got to mile 2, my watch read 17:00. Somewhere between miles 2 and 3, I saw my friend Vickie. Nice to see a familiar face early in the race. I kept going at what felt like a comfortable pace, checking my watch only at mile markers. (I vowed going into the race to only look at my watch at mile markers. It's too easy to get obsessed with checking it and disheartened when less time has passed than you think.) I was consistently hitting 8:30 miles. I knew it was unlikely I could keep that pace up for the whole race, but I decided to just go with it. I was feeling really good.

After mile 6, we headed down from Lake Calhoun toward Lake Harriet. I knew I'd be seeing Al and the girls soon. I drained the bottle of electrolyte drink I had so I could swap it out when I saw them. As I came up a little hill and around the bend to head around Lake Harriet, I saw them. I stopped for a few seconds to say hi and grab my water, drink mix and an extra Gu, then got back on the road. The road narrowed at that spot and people had to slow down a little which gave me time to mix my drink. I had planned to have people give me a bottle of water and a packet of drink mix so I could decide in the moment if I wanted water or electrolyte drink. Once I got started, though, I realized I was going to want my drink mix in the bottles from family and friends and I would grab water at the water stops if I wanted water. It's not easy to take the top off a water bottle, open a packet of drink mix and pour it in while running. The first time I spilled a lot of water and drink powder. Then I forgot to make sure the valve was closed before shaking it and sprayed the girl next to me with raspberry electrolyte drink.

About a half mile later, I saw some family friends. I tried to soak in the excitement of seeing everyone between miles 6 and 7 knowing it would be 8 miles before I saw anyone else I knew. From Lake Harriet, we headed over to Lake Nokomis, the site of the YWCA triathlon in August. It was kind of fun to run the roads I had biked for the triathlon. That stretch from mile 7 to mile 13 was probably the toughest mentally for me. The scenery wasn't all that exciting. I didn't have any fans. By about mile 10 or 11, my lightning pace started to catch up with me. I could tell I was slowing down. The mile markers felt further apart and people were passing me. Around mile 12, I was really starting to feel run down. It was getting warmer and that stretch was pretty sunny. Crossing the halfway point was a huge mental hurdle. And apparently I relaxed a lot. My 14th mile, at 10:00, was my slowest of the first 20. When I saw my time I picked it up a bit. And then I saw my friend Anne who had another water bottle, drink packet, more Gu and TONS of enthusiasm for me. Anne C., THANK YOU! This is the second race in three weeks you've been there with cheers and encouragement exactly when I needed it most and pulled me out of my mid-race funk! You are awesome!

Re-energized, I continued on down Minnehaha Parkway. I maintained about a 9:30-9:45 pace right up to and through the Franklin Street Bridge and mile 19. I was still feeling really good at that point. Much better than I felt 19 miles into our 20 mile training run. Having already run one marathon, I never really had any doubt that I would finish this one. But hitting mile 19 and crossing the bridge, I knew I was going to do it. I was in the home stretch. Just 7 miles to go!

Three hours into the race, I got to mile 20. I still thought I might be able to hit my 4:04 goal. I'd just need to run 10 minute miles. Then I came to "The Wall." When I ran the Detroit marathon, I got to mile 20 feeling pretty good and immediately understood what runners mean when they talk about hitting the wall. Had it not been for someone standing on the corner blaring "Born to Run" I would have had a hard time going on. This time, I still felt strong. But they have this enormous inflatable "wall" at mile 20. It might as well have been a real brick wall. Mentally, it was so hard to look at that thing and not feel beat down. And it's at the bottom of a hill that doesn't end until mile 23. That's right, a THREE MILE hill after we've run 20 miles. (Okay, it's mostly flat from 20.5 to 21.5, BUT STILL.)

Just after mile 19, my right calf started to cramp a little. Mildly uncomfortable, but not a big deal. Until we started climbing. The hill is pretty gradual for the first mile or so, but gets steep near the top. As I worked my way up, my calf just got tighter and tighter. A lot of people were walking up the hill. I was afraid once I started walking I wouldn't be able to run again. Plus, the hill lasts longer if you're walking. So I just put my head down and kept going. As the steepest part of the climb was ending, I heard someone yell, "Ingrid!" I looked up and saw my sister-in-law, Jamie, and my mom. I stopped briefly for a swig from the water bottle I had given them. I knew then that I was almost to mile 22. The next mile would still be uphill, but not nearly as steep. In fact, I don't even remember that mile being uphill; it's only in looking at the elevation map that I can see that it was.

Once we turned on to Summit Avenue and hit mile 22, I got pretty excited. We were SO CLOSE! I had pretty much lost any chance to hit my goal time on that hill. I felt like I had lots of energy left, but my legs felt like lead. I just couldn't make them go any faster. I put any thoughts of my finishing time behind me and focused on having a good time. The fans along Summit made it easy to have fun. Both sides of the road were packed with cheering spectators. There were little kids to high five, signs to read, people pressing in from both sides. Between miles 22 and 25 I saw several people I knew, Anne C. and her dad again, my mom's cousin, Bev, and my friends Katie and Deb. I had a huge smile on my face along that whole stretch. Then came the last mile.

The last mile seems like it should be a piece of cake. I mean, after 25 miles, what's 1 more? But as we rounded the bend and headed down to the capitol, it looked so far away. I tried to keep focused, keep smiling, but sometimes I dropped my head and had repeat, "Left, right, left, right..." It didn't help that there were many fewer people along that mile than the previous three. I think it's a tough place to get to. And people who are that close to the end want to be at the finish line. Finally, I got to mile 26 and was staring down at the finish line when I felt a blister on the side of my right foot rip open (or so I thought.) I limped the last quarter mile, wincing with each step. But I made it! I crossed the finish line, smile back on my face.

The feelings of pride and accomplishment crossing that finish line are indescribable. I felt awesome! I grabbed as much food as I could carry and started eating immediately. I was STARVING. My stomach had been growling since about mile 22.

My official time was 4:12:43. I'm very happy with that. You can see my full results here and watch how my pace nose dived. I don't think I would change how I ran it. I'm not at all sure that I would have been able to run any faster after that hill had I held back for the first half.

Last, but certainly not least, big congratulations to my running buddy, Gina! This was an incredible journey. I wouldn't have wanted to do it with anyone else. I know you've heard it a lot, but you are truly AMAZING!

Thanks again to everyone who has supported me over the past months. I am so fortunately to have such wonderful family and friends!!

T-minus 16.25 hours and counting

I know my faithful readers are all anxious to hear how my ankle is doing and how I'm feeling with the start time of the Twin Cities Marathon less than 24 hours away!

My ankle is doing much better. This week of lots of rest and short little runs has been good for it. This morning, for the first time since the trail race, it didn't hurt at all. Until I carried Izzy around for over an hour at the kids' races this morning, then walked around the race expo. I could feel it swelling up a little. It seems better now. Keeping my fingers crossed that it feels good in the morning and holds up through the race.

Went to the race expo and packet pick up this morning. It's always fun to walk through the expo. One of my favorite booths was One More Mile. They have hats and shirts with fun running slogans on them.

Among my favorites:

This isn't sweat; it's liquid awesome!

Sorry, Honey, not tonight...I have a long run in the morning.

If you see me collapse, pause my Garmin.

You don't have to go fast, you just have to go.

I'm only doing this so I can post a picture on Facebook.

I also saw a mother of young children wearing one that said, "26.2 miles of peace and quiet."

For anyone who wants to follow my progress tomorrow morning, there is online runner tracking at http://www.mtectracking.com/Mtrack?raceid=27 and a live stream from the finish line on the KARE 11 website (www.kare11.com) or the TCM website (www.tcmevents.org)

Good luck, runners!