Bad Quads Good Foot!

I'm sitting here after finishing work totally tired from a lulu shift but not ready to go to bed yet. I can't believe I'm still so sore, sore from my 9.5 straight of motion capture two days ago. I literally did plyos all day long, dressed in a full body suit, covered with motion sensor markers. It was so much fun and it's pretty cool that I'm going to be in a video game but OMG it was so humbling. I feel so weak when it comes to jumping or maybe it's just that you're not meant to do these drills all day long. Whatever the case, I've never been this stiff/sore. I now completely understand why people describe lactic acid as being hit by a truck, I've been hit by a semi and I can hardly move.

Anyways, the mere fact that I was able to complete my Tuesday workout was a fantastic feat! After a 15 minute warm-up we had 5 sets of 100 (100 jog), 300 (100 jog), 100 continuous equalling 700-meters. I was in flats but I'm happy to report my foot is feeling better than it has in a couple of months! I averaged around 50 for my 300's. I don't think these slow times were so much a function of my fitness but instead speak to the fatigue in my quads and the racing flats.

All and all my overall times for the whole interval were fairly consistent and each one got a bit faster. I am so happy that my foot felt strong. This is the first time, since I can remember, that I felt hopeful instead of concerned in that that semi-concious back part of my brain that worries and serves as a constant reminder that running on a sore foot isn't sustainable.

For now, the foot is on the mend, I'm feeling stronger and I will become faster! Stanford 800 this weekend!

Drake Relays - 1500

I’m sitting on a plane heading home from the Drake Relays. It was a pretty important meet in that area, it has been going on for 101 years straight (that’s a long time).

Again, I’m pretty disappointed with my race, it was better than last week, but still not great. I felt ok going into the race. We arrived very late on Thursday night (actually it would have been Friday morning) and went to the track on Friday to do a pre-race 20-minute run and drills. Saturday was 1500-metre race day, my first 1500 in 2 years!  Since my races last week were suboptimal to say the least it’s hard to feel confident. For this race I was focusing on just racing, just trying and whatever happens, happens.

My tentative plan was to break up this long race in my mind. For the first 800 meters my goal was to stay in the pack and follow the pace. I didn’t allow myself to think about the whole distance, I was going to get to 800-metres and once I was at 600-metres I was going to give it all I could.

During the race my legs didn’t feel great but better compared to last week. This is a good sign, I think it was mostly due to a much needed quad massage and a good crack from the chiropractor. For warm-up I did some table stretching before my 15-minute run and then the usual drills/stretching. I think some light stretching before running helped me feel better while warming-up. My hips felt looser and this most definitely helped me feel more confident entering the race. This "feel better during warm-up" is relative to last week. I'll admit I did feel better and more efficient but a 4:25 1500 doesn't exactly prove my case.

Mentally this racing is very hard for me right now. I feel like I just don’t have that extra ooomph to race well yet. It’s my legs again; my hip flexors feel like over-stretched elastics. I believe that these days it just takes me awhile to get used to running at a faster pace but the hip flexor area is just so tight. My only saving grace is that I did feel like this at the beginning of indoors. One day something changed, I just snapped out of it and started to feel great again. That’s what I’m praying, a switch to flip and to just frekin’ snap out of it!

For now, I’m on the final leg travelling from Arizona to beautiful, lovely, fantastic Vancouver! At least there’s another race to redeem myself next week. Hopefully I will feel even better!

Make things happen

Just when I though my airport arrival worries were over, I received a call from Julia, who was experiencing an adrenalin-pumping race to the airport story of her own. For her, it all began ironically by arriving early. She reached for her wallet to pay the Cab driver when she realized it was sitting on her kitchen table.  It wouldn't be a typical track trip if everything went smoothly and nobody has missed their plane yet. Would Julia be the first statistic? 

While I was checking in, Julia was racing the clock. She had one hour to make it to her place and back. Time was most definitely of the essence but luckily we train to race the clock everyday. 

To help speed things along I completed Julia's customs forms and asked to leave them at the check-in counter. This is when I learned Julia had one minute to print her boarding passes. I thought she was done, but in a seemingly futile attempt I dramatically explained our situation. What would Brit Townsend do? I literally begged the ticket agent to please print her pass. The response, you need to be there in person. I immediately called Jules while again stressing the online check-in option.

By some great gift we had a very understanding ticket agent. She actually printed the passes as Julia was relaying her information over the phone. I couldn't believe it! 

But there was one final problem. The plan was to leave the tickets at the check-in counter. The counter that was closing and they're not allowed to leave tickets unattended.  So what to do? My only option was to wait with the tickets but then I risked missing my flight.  In one final last ditch effort we placed the tickets "by accident" in a pay-phone phonebook (first one on the left) and hoped for the best.

I went through security and stopped at Starbucks for a non-fat latte! As I meandered to the gate, coffee in hand, there was Julia beaming! She made it, we’re off to Iowa. Long story short, we chose to keep believing and we chose to make things happen for us!

Take action, choose your path or just remember your wallet ;)

Follow the plan one step at a time.

I’m still trying to catch my breath and it's not because of running. It has literally been go, go, go and this couldn’t have been more obvious than with my experience getting to the airport.

Today began with a 7:30 am wake-up call from the CCES. Thank goodness I hadn’t peed yet. It was the usual drill, I took down a litre of water and waited. At least I didn’t have to wait for long. Today was completed in 30 minutes- record time!

The CCES'ers sure threw a wrench into my day that was planned to a tee. The question was could I pull the rest of my day off and make it to my plane? The plan began as I rushed to my chiropractors appointment at 8:50. After a good crack I drove to SFU practice. I made it in time to catch the rest of the girls warming up. It was a crisp sunny morning as I ran 4 x 400 at 1500 race pace with 2 minutes rest.  I finished these in 64,64,64,66. I must admit I’m a little concerned by how my legs felt. They’re still very tight at the hip joint but I’m trying not to worry about it. The appointments I have jammed into my day are examples of how I’m doing everything I can to be my best.

After the 4’s I cooled down and ran straight back to my car to make my massage appointment. My quads sure needed it. You can always count on Rick to dig really deep. At times it felt like he was pushing so hard into my muscles he was reaching my femur. From my massage I drove back to SFU to take advantage of the shower facilities. I’m sure the people on the plane (mostly Julia) were grateful for it! I parked my car in the three-minute lot at SFU (but I was really there for 15 mins) then I drove to the airport. I was on my way and I felt good. My adrenaline has been pumping since about 7:30 this morning but traffic pending I had a good hour to get to my flight. I felt ok.

I arrived late but still before the 1-hour cut-off. I'm here I'm off to Iowa...now the question is will Julia be with me?

Mt. Sac the Races

It’s been about a week since my last article. It’s been a crazy whirlwind week of racing, travelling, repacking and travelling.  The Mt. Sac trip was only a week ago but it feels like an eternity.

There’s not much to say about my first two races of the season. My race plan was good. I wasn’t going to lead, I was going to begin conservative, starting out in 61-62ish so I would have something left for the second lap. I finished disappointed with my times, I expected much better of myself but my legs just didn’t have it. I raced in two 800’s on back to back days running a disappointing 2:08 (actually they were about .2 apart).  I don’t think I’m lacking the fitness the way these terrible race times suggest. I wasn’t keeled over in a state of exhaustion after the races, instead I was only moderately fatigued in my lungs but my legs…...  My times speak to the heaviness that consumed my legs. My quads and hips felt like blocks, it was as if each individual muscle had been glued together. Through the whole second lap I felt as if I was fighting against my body instead of working with it and racing. I believe there is a big difference between fighting against your body and working with your body to fight for a place.

There are a few reasons why I think the races went the way they did. It could have been the migraine I had the day before due to my completely stiff neck and shoulders. Or possibly the lack of race efficiency due to having a very long time between races. I have been taking a lower dose of Adviar and this could have affected my breathing without realizing it. More realistically, it was probably the last two months of modified workouts. I have had no choice but to cross train and my legs, especially my quads, have been forced to work from a shortened position. Both the elliptical and the bike seem to have forced my legs to move through a shorter range of motion and this may have strengthened them in a position that will affect my already short stride. I never realized until now the amount you extend your leg during running. This is of course compared to other forms of cross training. I think this is important to be aware of this in the future. My focus has been on keeping my aerobic base and keeping the lungs strong but I also need to be aware of how I am working my legs.

I realize that for now these races are about process…process, process, process. I am aware they’re not going to be optimal. I think it’s important to focus on trying to stay strong and stay positive! I need to try and look at each race as getting closer to where I want to be, I am racing myself into shape. My efficiency is not there but my aerobics should be. I’ve done this before. I’ll do it again!

My Ideal Day Off

Working at lulu has created a new found balance in my running world. Yes, I find myself talking about my training quite often but somehow the focus is different. At work it’s as if my Mario Cart shadow self is discussing the workouts that someone else completed. When I’m at work I can focus on fashion, luon and new friends. I feel like I belong, it has taken awhile but it’s like my love for clothes and social media has carved out a non-runner niche that I really enjoy. This fantastic balance has got me thinking about my life in such a positive way. It’s not like I was sad before but finding something fun to do on the side without becoming consumed by running has made me realize how great you can feel when you're sleeping well and relatively in control.

This morning, thanks to lulu, I came to a very amazing realization.  I was taking in the fresh ocean air after my 30 minute run along the seawall . Yes, it was short run due to my foot injury, but I was so happy to be running. It was 13 degrees, the perfect running temperature. The ocean was gently splashing against the seawall and the sun was reflecting off the surface making these amazing beams of sparkle. It was beautiful. I was living my ideal day!  

This random burst of positivity all dates back to our lulu staff meeting two days ago where we were discussing our “ideal day off.” We all sat in a circle and shared our ideals, when it came to me I didn’t really know what to say or how much detail to go into.  I think it was because I didn’t want anyone to think I was gloating. Since nobody likes a bragger I wimped out and said my ideal day began with making a batch of my weekly granola (refer to earlier posts for the recipe) and would only go up from there. What I could have said: get up mid-morning after a great night’s sleep, make tea and eat some granola, have a kick ass practice, enjoy a non-fat mocha and a muffin, blog while surfing the internet, workout again, hangout while watching the news, have dinner and then if I allow myself dessert I would finish my day off with tea and chocolate covered ju-jubes. 

I could have shared all this or I could have said that I literally live my “ideal day off” every single day! I know some people would find my ideal day totally boring and yes there are other areas of my life that drastically need improvement but I'm absolutely in love with my routine.

It’s so easy to look at negative things, to worry about long-term careers and to feel behind. I'll admit it can make me feel a little insecure trying to explain to people saving for a down payment that I run in circles for a living. For now,  I love running in circles world!

I’m choosing to run and because I’m choosing to run I am choosing to live this life. I am actually living what I think is my ideal day, days which I take for granted too often. You can't ask for much more and I am so grateful for this life!

Mt. Sac Round 11

Well it’s that time of year again. Racing season! I’m sitting on a plane heading to California for the 11^th annual, yes I said it, my 11^th year attending the Mt. Sac relays. I don’t really know what to think of this, 11 years is along time to do the same thing.

As runners we are creatures of habit and this is most definitely proven by attending the same meet year after year. For me it doesn’t feel like I've been doing this for too long, it doesn't feel like a slog. It feels so normal, so familiar. Maybe it's because my racing experiences have been so different year to year that it doesn’t feel like the same meet.

I have experienced so many highs and so many lows at this meet. I have defined my running career by times I’ve run at this meet. I know this is the best place to stock up on cheap spikes, I know I will never make it to 9am no-toast breakfast and I know the Starbucks is in walking distance of the Shilo Inn. Here I ran my personal best time four years ago. A mark I’m still trying to achieve and I believe I will surpass.  This meet has taught me amazing things can happen, even when you feel inferior, and even when you least expect it.

I am optimistic. I'm not finished. I feel like in the back of my mind in the semi-conscious area (definition: a bit above the subconscious) I am able to run fast. I am not nervous, well at least not yet, mostly because this is my first race of the year. I’m feeling a little inefficient due to the cross training that has defined my last few weeks but I feel strong through my core and in my mind. I’m looking forward to this season! 

"Running"on a rat wheel

I can't resist another post! What's wrong with me? Maybe I'm just bored or maybe I'm experiencing so much mental crossover between running and writing that it's becoming addicting. I'm realizing writing is like a muscle you have to exercise it to make it stronger. So essentially I'm just working out...whatever.

I want to share my cross training thoughts. First, let me just say I hate cross training. I feel like I'm a rat moving in circles on a rat wheel. I hate how it feels to be forced onto machines. To go nowhere while watching time slowly tick away. Your progress is only marked by the calorie counter that is totally incorrect and the growing puddles of sweat.  So why do I do it?

I don't think of all those negative thoughts when I'm on the machine.  I can't, it would be cross training suicide. I think it's this or nothing and any type of training is better than nothing. Believe it or not I'm actually quite positive. I have a new approach to cross training and I believe it will help me keep my fitness better than past attempts anyways. Unfortunately, it's not enjoyable the plan is to go for longer than I ever have before. A hour has become common place and 90 minutes is what I strive to reach. Cross training and running are not exchangeable minute for minute (I see it sort of as time and a half).

So what do I think, how do I make it though the torture. I start off with a really good playlist filled with songs I love and allow myself to start off as easy as I want. This is just my trick to get me on the machine;) I start out  by closing my eyes and singing along, I try to make it enjoyable. My first hard mental effort is to get to half an hour. When I'm at 15 minutes I think sweet, half way there and at the same time I tell myself I'm pretty much almost at 20. When I'm at 20 I think wow, only 10 minutes until I'm at 30 and 10 minutes is nothing  just 3 really good songs. With all this thinking and planning ahead sometimes I get to 30 without even realizing it. and once I've made it to 30 I feel like I'm committed.

I try to spend the next 30 minutes breaking the workout into intervals. Something like, 5 minutes at one level and then 5 at another while making sure to keep my heart rate up. There's no slacking after 30 minutes, it's committed and focused. If I'm exhausted after an hour I'll stop but if I'm questioning being fatigued I will commit for 90.

Today I committed to 90 minutes because I only worked out once. I worked in 5 minute intervals on the bike because I didn't have my trusty elliptical. My first two 5 minute intervals were weak, I realized I was almost slacking. I told myself you're fit and you know it. I told myself this is way easier than running will ever be so I need to push it and start breathing harder or I'll regret it when I'm back on the track. I pushed it after that and did 5 mins hard, 5 mins a little easier until the time read 90-mintutes. OMG I did intervals for an hour without even realizing it. It's funny how repeating 201 in your head and picturing that as you're sprinting down the track can really get you going.

I've realized working in intervals and mini-goals is the best way for me to make it through these cross training sessions in an enjoyable way. For now, I am optimistic about coming out 100% healthy on the other side.

Sure was a Good Friday!

Happy Easter Weekend! I'm on beautiful Bowen Island for the weekend. The sun is shining, a mere facade of the storm that was yesterday. This storm was possibly the worst and most entertaining daytime storm I've witnessed in years. It wasn't the rain or the temperature drop than made it impressive but the sheer force of the wind that made it remarkable

When all was said and done we spent 22 hours without electricity, placed 7 logs on the fire, experienced 5 tormenting power flashes, sipped 4 cups of wood stove tea, witnessed 3 trees crumble, snuck 2 early easter eggs and enjoyed 1 fantastic french toast dinner.

This post has little to do with my running world in fact I used the storm as an excuse to take a rest day. (This is the first one in two weeks so I don't feel that bad about it) I could write about how frustrated I am with my foot or how proud I am that I have the mental strength to bike for 90 minutes straight but not today. Today is about the storm.

The power of wind storm was my sole entertainment for the day.  It was beyond astonishing, who needs TV when you can watch the wind force tress so far past their breaking point you stare in amazement as they bounce back when the wind changes directions. It's like a chess game tress versus wind. The wind advances, shows it's ugly teeth and the trees answer back. When you think there's no possible way the tree will survive it's like the wind losses their knight and lets up on the advance.

It didn't always work this way, if we're keeping score by number of trees down it would be 3-0 wind but I don't know where that leaves the tress when you consider all the ones that withstood the force.  Watching the carnage was my favourite part, is that weird?

There is this tree you can see from our living room window it's distinctive and when I was little my creative juices were clever enough to name it "tree-ey." Well since I've been galavanting on the mainland four alders have grown up to match half the height of tree-ey. I was watching the wind throw them side-to-side limp, like a rag doll and while laughing to myself at how funny it would be if they fell. I feel like my mental energy was the final push that allowed one of the alders to succumb to its fait. As I pointed this out to my parents I notice where there were three trees only two stood in place.  Another man down I guess.

As the day went on I spent way too much time trying to understand the storm from every window and every angle. It was incomprehensible to watch a seemingly powerless force prove to the seemingly perfect example of strength, set in it's ways for well over one hundred years, who had control. When you lye on your back and watch trees rock back and forth you wonder how they became gigantic, did mother nature allow them? What would happen if they were to fall?

On a smaller scale I found out. I watched in disbelief as part of a huge evergreen broke apart and fell onto the roof of our neighbours house. I quickly learned it's not funny, funny isn't really the best word. It's a combo of shock, amazement and disbelief that something so strong can fall so quiclky, it comes out in a laugh but it's actually kinda scary.

Today I realized how much I miss trees. Living on the 26th floor of a downtown apartment you forget what it's like to be encased by the power of mother nature. Today was about trees, nature and the power of that force, not about running. Today was nice, creative, resourceful and so was the french toast made by candle light. Today was a great day.