Runner's High.

Albert Einstein defined insanity as "doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results." By that definition, I am insane. I ran my second marathon, and for some reason I expected it to be easy. It wasn't. At about mile nine I began thinking to myself, "Why am I doing this? I don't have to. No one is making me. This is hard. What was I thinking?" I even questioned, "If I die doing this, would this count as suicide?"

The first eight or so miles were pretty easy. It was downhill and I wasn't expecting to see any hill until mile 14 or so. I was wrong. The rolling hills started about mile 10. And that is when I hit my wall. That is when I typically hit my wall, so I wasn't too surprised. The hard thing was that I didn't get my second wind until mile 20. So for ten miles I struggled. Normally I will get a second wind between miles 15–17, but it just wasn't coming. That is when I started questioning my sanity.

Near the end however, the miles started to seem shorter. The funny thing is, that according to my handy GPS watch, the miles were getting longer. Up until mile 16 my watch was accurate. Then all of a sudden it was off. What was going on? Was my watch inaccurate or were the mile markers for the race getting off. My conclusion is that I indeed ran not only the standard 26.2 miles, but I ran also an additional .18 mile at least. Now some people might think, "Well, you already ran for 26 miles, what's another two tenths?" It's a big deal! I could have taken two minutes off my total time.

Now this is when the insanity kicks in. As soon as I crossed that finish line, I immediately thought to myself,"Well, that wasn't that bad. I think I want to do another one." Am I thinking that it is going to be easy the next time? I don't think it will ever be easy. As I get better, I will be pushing myself harder, probably making it harder than the previous. I think this is what they call the runner's high. Although I looked that up, and there seems to be some controversy about it.

From Wikipedia:

      A widely publicized effect of endorphin production is the so-called "runner's high," which is said to occur when strenuous exercise takes a person over a threshold that activates endorphin production. Endorphins are released during long, continuous workouts, when the level of intensity is between moderate and high, and breathing is difficult. This also corresponds with the time that muscles use up their stored glycogen. During a release of Endorphin the person may be exposed to bodily harm from strenuous bodily functions after going past their body's physical limit. They may be able to keep running despite pain, and thus possibly come to bodily harm from endorphin release.
      However, some scientists question the mechanisms at work, their research possibly demonstrating the high comes from completing a challenge rather than as a result of exertion.

Whatever the case may be, I still want to do another one. It's a wonder I want to do multiple considering my thoughts during the race, but once I'm done it is rewarding. I don't know when that other one will be. I think one may be enough for this year. I will apply for St. George next year and if I don't get in, then I will take advantage of the third-time's-the-charm program and run in 2011 for sure.

Are You Kidding Me?

Every day there is new evidence that I am an idiot:
A little before ten o'clock I finally started gathering the things I needed for the big race (SLC half marathon) the next morning. I looked down at the spot on the floor where I keep my running shoes. They weren't there. I checked my gym back. They weren't there either. Those are the ONLY two places I keep my shoes. For good measure, I checked my closet. They weren't there. I checked the car. They weren't there. I checked everywhere else in my room. They weren't there. The only possible thing I could think of was that I had inadvertently left them at the gym. I called. No one answered. Then I realized that the open-24-hours gym that I go to actually closes on weekend nights. I was too late; they had already closed.

In a panic and with terror, I called my good running friend for ideas or advice of what to do. We had planned to carpool down there together, but with my situation as it was, I thought that maybe I should go separately so I could stop by the gym in the morning and pick them up. We both concluded that there would not be enough time to get to the start of the race. Fortuitously, or rather through divine intervention, I had purchased some new shoes just the week before. I had planned to break them in for the next marathon in a month. But, I wanted to test them out on the treadmill before I ran outside to make sure that they would work for me. Well, I sure tested them, but now I've got to keep them.

They say that if you get the right shoe for your feet, you don't really need to break them in. I don't think these are the right shoes. I wore out my abductor digiti minimi muscles in both feet and have a huge blister on the arch of my right foot. It could be that I had just laced them a bit too tightly. If it weren't for the ibuprofen that I took right before I don't think I would have been able to finish. Or, I would have finished, but barefooted.

Considering the circumstance, however, I had one of the best races ever. I beat my goal time by three minutes and I took off more than five minutes from last year's time and more than 13 minutes from my time last month. I was very happy with the result. I just wonder if I would have done better with my regular shoes. Although, there is the possibility, too, that I could have done worse. Yikes.

Lessons learned:
Always have an already-broken-in pair of shoes.
Gather things sooner than the night before.
Never forget ibuprofen.
Be worthy of blessings.

Worst Race Ever.

The Canyonlands half marathon was a race to discourage me from all other races. Fortunately, I had already registered for another half and a full marathon before I had experienced this race, otherwise I may have never wanted to race again. The experiences I had with the SLC half and the St. George marathon was so pleasurable. It would seem a little oxymoronic to think of running for 13.1 or 26.2 miles as pleasurable, but I actually did enjoy it. Time when by quickly; the miles seemed short; I had plenty of breath and energy. The opposite seemed true of this race.

First of all, the race started at 10:00. I've never done a race that started so late. The latest a race had started, that I've done, was at 8:00, and that was just for a 10K. So, for the slower runners (i.e., me) that meant that we were still running at noon! It was ridiculous. On top of the late start, it was hot day. I was so sunburned! What I think happened was that they forgot to compensate for the earlier start of daylight saving time. So, compared to last year it was like we were starting at 11:00! I was not used to the heat, and with water stops only every 2.5 miles, I was dehydrated. At mile five I felt the same way I felt at mile 23 of the St. George marathon. I didn't want to finish. I wanted something to happen as an excuse not to finish. But, finish I did, but not a a good time. I was kind of humiliated with my time. It was a humbling experience. The other races had been so easy that I thought that this would be the same. I knew that if I wanted to improve my time for the SLC half, that I would have to amp up my training. Now, I know I need to push harder.

Now, I can't blame everything on the late start. I will admit that I had not trained for a certain pace. For the last two and a half months I was running at a lower intensity hoping to lose weight, since you burn fat most effectively at a certain target heart rate, which for me happened to be a slower pace. In addition to that, I had the stupid idea of donating blood a week and a half before. Before they take your blood they have you answer certain questions that will determine your eligibility to donate. During that time, I took the opportunity to ask the phlebotomist about the effect of donating on metabolic efficiency. I learned that it is the iron in the blood that carries the nutrients and oxygen to the muscles. By donating blood, I lost a lot of my iron. I knew that donating might have an adverse effect, but I donated anyway because in the past I hadn't notice much of a difference a week out. The next day is obviously a little more taxing, but usually I feel back to normal within three or four days. I also asked the phlebotomist how long it takes to recuperate the lost iron and blood. She said that the reason you can donate only every eight weeks is that doctors believe that it takes that long to replenish what had been taken. That must have played a part in the lack of energy. On top of those things, I did not start off well. The course began downhill so I started faster than I was used to. Plus, I happened to start with a friend who ran faster than I did. I felt like I needed to keep up with her. When I ran the Deseret News 10K, the same thing happened. I started too fast and I wore myself out. I couldn't make it all the way without stopping to walk for a brief time. When I did run, I ran faster, but I couldn't last as long. When I had done the other two races, I started well after the shotgun (because the lines for the bathroom were so long) so there weren't many other people around to influence my rhythm. I have learned to start well after the crowd has started and just do my thing. I think that will help me in the long run.

There were two bright spots to the experience, though. One was that the post race party was great! They had all sort of food: bananas, oranges, apples, bread, chocolate milk, cookies, chocolate, pretzels, peanuts. They didn't have ice cream, but it was still good. Chocolate milk never was so refreshing. And they actually had plenty left when I finished. (When I finished the St. George marathon, there was hardly anything left for me. I did get some ice cream though.) The other good thing was that I took advantage of the Arches National Park. If it weren't for that I would have considered it a waste of a trip. I would have like to have stayed longer, but I was please with what I was able to do.

My friends (Tricia, Heidi, and Phil) and I and another group hiked up to see the Delicate Arch, the arch that is displayed on the Utah centennial license plates and on much of Utah propaganda. The sign at the beginning of the hike said it was 1.5 miles. It felt more like 2.5, but after the days activities, that shouldn't be surprising. It was a little more strenuous than I had anticipated, but I am very glad I did it. I would have missed out on one of the amazing natural creations that many never have a chance to see. And my camera battery lasted just long enough.





Overall, it was a great trip, humbling but fun.

13.1

Up until, oh, about a month or so ago, I never would have thought that I would be a distance runner. I guess I still don't really think of myself as a runner. Running to me implies a lot of speed; I am more of a jogger. But today I "ran" my first race. I remember doing the Turkey Trot with my dad when I was much younger. I think it was only a mile, maybe two at the most. It was all I could do at the time, and I think I did it just once. But at that time, I really didn't understand the whole concept of it. So, I consider this SLC half marathon my first race. And it was probably my best run ever. I would describe it as an out of body experience of sorts. I almost couldn't believe that I was doing it. I had passed races before or seen them on TV but never though of actually being in one. It was surreal.

I left my house at about 5:30, thinking that would be plenty of time to get to the start by 7:00. I parked my car right by the celebration area and took the Trax up to the starting line. There were so many people. I didn't realize that so many people did these races. Once I got there, I put my timing chip on (I could have done that before I left, but I was afraid I would lose it.) and got in line for the bag drop. That took forever, but what was worse was the line for the port-a-potties. There had to have be close to 30 or more lined up along the parking lot. But there were so many people. I got in line at a quarter to 7:00, and it took me nearly a half hour before I could go. Fortunately, with these timing chips, I didn't necessarily have to start right away to know my personal time. So, I ended up starting about 12 minutes after the countdown.

It was probably a good thing that I started later and went to the bathroom before I started. First, I wasn't under as much pressure to run as fast as the others since by the time I started there weren't too many people behind me. And second, I found that through out the whole race there were people waiting in line at the port-a-potties that were located at the water stations. Their final time probably wasn't as accurate that way.

So, I started off telling myself that it would be just like another long training run. I think that got me though a lot of it. I knew I could do it because I had done it before. The first mile was a little difficult. It was early in the morning and my body was just warming up. The second mile was fine, too, but three through six just flew by. Before I knew it, I was already coming up on mile 8. At mile 11, though, I hit my wall. It was kind of a funny feeling. It was so sudden. My heart was doing just fine and so were my lungs, but my legs just refused to moved like they were before. Up until Liberty Park, I ran the whole way. I stopped at the water stations, but I picked it up right after. But after Liberty Park I had to do some walking. I was so surprised that I had made it as far as I did without stopping. I certainly didn't make it that far in any of my training runs. But I knew my limits.

As proud of myself as I was, it was kind of disheartening when the full marathon winners passed me up just before the finish line. I averaged about a 10 minute mile, which means that to run a full marathon in the same amount of time as I ran a half would make their average around 5 minutes. That's crazy. I don't know how they do it. The advantage was that the people were cheering extra loud as I ran down the last stretch.

You can click here for a list of the results.

The after party was just ok. Nothing special. I did get a short massage. That probably helped me to get on with the rest of my day. They had water, bananas, and creamies, but I just wasn't hungry enough to really make the most of it.

All in all, though, it was a good experience. I am glad I did it, and I do plan to do another one some time.

My Sport.

I have decided to make running my sport. I never really considered it a sport before. I just used it as a means to stay healthy. But after thinking about it some, I realized that it really is a sport. There is a lot that goes into it. I guess I figured that sports were automatically team oriented and more competitive. Yes, running is quite the event when it comes to track and field, and especially during the Olympic season, but it doesn't get as much acclaim as say basketball, or football, or baseball, or even tennis. I mean, how many marathons are televised from start to finish? That would be quite boring if you ask me. Now, I suppose, if people consider golf and bowling sports, then certainly running should be one too.

Looking back, I wish I had played sports more. Maybe I shouldn't say more and just put the period after sports, because I didn't really play any at all. School work and music were the emphasis of my youth. It is unfortunate because there are valuable skills in playing sports. Sure, you can play music well into your retirement years, whereas sports skills may not be as useful, but developing a habit of physical activity is something that will be a benefit later on. Sports is a social opportunity as well. A friend's 70 year old mother plays on a family soccer team. That is a good thing to do as a family—you get exercise, interaction, unity, bonding, etc.

Well, because I never really learned to play team sports, I thought I might as well do an individual one. I can play team sports, and I enjoy them quite a bit, but I do not feel like I can play them well enough to play with people who do know how to play. I will admit for everyone who is too afraid to admit it that playing sports with someone who doesn't really know how to play isn't much fun. It slows the game down and increases the chance of losing. And no one wants to lose. It's even the case when people play "just for fun."

After talking to an experienced running friend, I decided I would get serious about this. I started by buying some shoes. It was recommended by this friend, as well as a couple of other people, that I have my gait analyzed. About five months back, I was due to get some new running shoes. I tried several different brands but never found one I actually liked. Some of them even gave me pain from my ankle to my knee to my hamstring. I finally decided on some Asics, which I had never used before. They were the best of what I tried. But with my increased running in preparation for the SLC half marathon, I started getting pain again. And I was due again to get new shoes. So, I went to Runner's Advantage. I believe it is now the Salt Lake Running Company.

The guy put me in some neutral shoes to do the analysis. I ran for about 30 seconds on a treadmill while a camera recorded my feet. The guy then played it back in slow motion and showed me what was happening. There is a term called pronation which means "to turn (the sole of the foot) outward so that the inner edge of the foot bears the weight when standing" (from dictionary.com). Ideally you want to be neutral. Underpronation is when the weight is borne on the outer edge of the foot and overpronation is when the weight is borne too much on the inner edge. Neutral, then, would be evenly distributed or flat. I overpronate quite badly. He recommended some stability shoes. But the ones I had before were actually appropriate for my gait. With that, he said that I should try some arch support insoles. After testing out a few different brands of shoes and different insoles, I decided to get a pair of Brooks. I went back on the treadmill and he recorded me again. This time, with the new shoes, my feet were aligned properly. There was a night and day difference. I wish I could have kept a recording to show the difference. I was amazed. Apparently my arch is just really weak. Oh, and it was confirmed that I am supposed to get shoes a full size bigger than my regular shoes. I was in disbelief when I first learned that.

With the new shoes, I was pumped for my first run. Unfortunately it was the day my mom came into town, so I didn't have a chance to really test them out like I wanted. I went on the treadmill and struggled to keep up my normal pace. Midweek runs are always much harder for me. I did have a few concerns, though. My feet moved around too much. I was worried that they were indeed too big for me. But, I thought I would give them some more time. Saturday came around and I was determined to have a good run. I laced up the shoes a little tighter this time and set out. It was a good run, and there was no pain...and no blisters.

Last week I was in SLC so I decided to run around Decker Lake. The week before that I ran into Farmington. This time I mapped out a 5.3 mile square (to run twice) just around Centerville. I went down Main Street and saw so many other runners. And let me tell you, they were all so friendly. Some would wave from across the street, and with those on the same side, we would exchange morning salutations. I realized that there are quite a few runners. I felt a sense of unity, but without competition. There were several runners who passed me, but that was ok; I was running for myself. I didn't have to worry about letting anyone else down. I felt really good after I was done and was excited to make this a consistent thing.