138 days until the Prairie Fire Marathon

Official training begins two weeks from today

OK, I have slacked since the Oklahoma City Marathon.  Immediately after finishing it I said "I WILL NEVER RUN A MARATHON AGAIN!"  It took me about 3 days to get over that kind of thinking.  I don't think I will ever do a spring marathon again because the training does require indoor running in the winter and that is not fun.  I want redemption for my spring 26.2.  I know I can run 26.2 faster than 5:56.  The Prairie Fire Marathon in Wichita offers a flat course.  The best part about the training is that I will be once again running with a crew of people.  I plan on writing about the new people I meet in my training group.  Kathy and I will be working with beginning marathon runners.  I might not be the best person to be working with beginners (with just one 26.2) under my belt but I think others can learn from my experience. That being said I will be doing a few things different this time.

 WEIGHT LIFTING:  I am not going to lie, I hate it but know that it is a necessary component for keeping my body healthy.  I will be weight lifting three times a week Body For Life style.  For those of you that are not familiar with this method it is basically a "pyramid up" to exhaustion program.  One week you do upper body twice, lower body once and the following week you do upper body once, lower body twice.  The weight workouts take about an hour.  It also has a diet with it that uses the concept of mini meals (which is a healthy idea).  I can do mini meals on the weekends and during my vacation times, but really can not whip out a mini meal at 3:00 in front of Kindergartners.  NUTRITION: Many of us runners think that just because we run an incredible amount of miles we can eat what ever we want.  Not true.  This is especially true if you are post menopausal as I am.  This go around to help me with my nutrition and food intake I will be using My Fitness Pal I especially like how it will take into account how many extra calories that you will need to fuel a long run.  If you would like to friend me at My Fitness Pal my username is librarygirlontherun.  HEAT:  Summer running means that you must avoid the heat but you also need to embrace it.  It will be hot when we train for Prairie Fire.  It is best to avoid the heat by getting up super early and getting the bulk of your miles in before the heat of the day.  If you are going to run in the dark you should get a headlight that you can wear on your forehead.  I have one and I know that I look dorky but it works well. Some heat running is beneficial and some days in the summer the "cool" temperature might be 80 degrees.  Bottom line is that you will be running in hot temperatures.  RUN WITH A CREW:  This is probably my best advice especially when the 16-20 mile runs occur.  So much more enjoyable with runners at your side.  

RUN HAPPY

Never say never: 153 days until the Prairie Fire Marathon

     It took me about a week to get over "I will NEVER run a full marathon again!"  Simply put I have fallen in love with the whole concept of running long slow distances. I begin my training in early June.  I am debating if I should be coached (through Start 2 Finish) or just follow the Hal Higdon plan I used for OKC?  Not sure but I do know that I will be adding weight lifting to the mix and using the equipment that we have in our well stocked basement gym.  We have decided to drop our YMCA membership as we were not using it to it's maximum.  I mostly run anyway and to pay $37.00 a month for Brad and I to attend one cycle class a week is a little expensive.
     I like the fact that on Saturdays when I do my long slow distances I get a break from my life.  For those 2-5 hours I get to be my true authentic self.  I enjoy the opportunity to run with people I don't know.  It was fun getting to know Colette yesterday and when you are running with someone, the miles fly. I was thinking about my friendships and that most of my friends are runners, with the exception of Penny C.

Penny and I after East vs. West 2013

A   R A I S O N   A   S E A S O N   O R   A   L I F E T I M E

     Many of you have probably seen this poem and it is so true.  Penny is a lifetime friend.  I had graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1985 and had been teaching for 5 years when I first met Penny in an Education class at WSU in the summer of 1990.  She was in the middle of her teacher Education program and I was finishing up my graduate level hours in K-12 Library Sciences (no longer offered at WSU!) Two years later when I began my career with the Wichita Public Schools she and I ended up assigned to the same school.

Penny took this picture of me at mile 9

 Our friendship really bloomed after I left the school that we worked at together. If you are a teacher in a large district you need a friend that you can professionally vent with. And for me Penny is that girl.  As I moved into running longer distances Penny has been a great cheerleader.  She was so proud of my first half marathon that she bought me a red apron from Williams Sonoma.  That girl loves that store and I think the clerks in there actually know her by her first name. Another race a few years ago she asked me, "Where do you want me?"  I said, "Mile nine."  Well there she was and she took this cute picture of me.  Last year she came out to Victory in the Valley and watched her son run but also watched me run.  Penny you are my Lifetime friend. Some of my other friends are "season" those people that come in and out of your life. Those that have been put there because for some reason you need them at that moment.  I am hoping that some of my new "season" running friends become "lifetime" friends.  I wonder if they know how much they lifted me up during some very tough times? The thing I love best about running is that it seems that there are not cliques. No one is excluded. there have been times in my life where I have often felt like "I am on the outside looking in."  But not with running.

Workouts for the week of 5/12/14
Monday: Lower Body Weights
Tuesday: 3 mile run
Wednesday: 5 mile tempo run
Thursday: mile run
Friday: Upper Body Weights
Saturday: 8 mile LSD Run

Run Bitches Run!

This weeks blog entry will mostly be a photo essay.   Last week in Oklahoma City it was all about me, this week it was all about my girl Helaine.  She has REALLY come far in her running. Brad took this nice picture of us before the Prairie Fire 1/2 Marathon this last Sunday.  Since I won't be "training" again until June 1st, I want to simply enjoy running for the beauty of it.  It was especially fun to be a spectator and a cheerleader at last Sundays race.  Lisa, Barb, Tameka, Annie and Michelle were all trained and ready for their first half marathon.  I was one of the helpers this past spring with the Start to Finish program that GoRun offers to runner.  I felt like a proud parent as I was going around and taking pictures. It was so much fun to see the excitement of the runners through their eyes.  Look how cute Carrie was before her race! The two Stacie's were ready to go too (did any of you see them on the news, I did!)  Nancy was running her first 1/2 Marathon and so were Monica and Mary Ann.  I had heard on dailymile and facebook many thanks for the support during the race and that for some my running with them just a little bit and/or being "right" in the place they needed support really helped them.  All I can say my runner friends is to return the favor.  Annette N. is one of my biggest cheerleaders and seems to say what I need to hear and when I need to hear it.  Shawndra has paced me in a race and she returned the favor on Sunday to a first time half marathoner.  Sometimes the best place to be is on the sidelines.  After the race officially started I took off in the opposite direction.  I had planned on doing my cheering aka yelling "RUN BITCHES RUN!"  at the 9 mile point.  Why 9 miles?  For me 9 miles in the half was always the hardest part.  So I ran back and forth and eventually joined Barb. Kathy had joined Abi to help run her in.  Now for an ethical question.  Was I a bandit?  Technically no as I did not run the entire course and I did not take any water/gu on the route.  As Barb and I headed to the finish-line I left her to cross the finish-line alone!  Some might feel that I was a bandit but I just felt like I was a coach helping a runner along.  I ask you now all to return the favor.  I am going to start volunteering at races.  I am cutting down to just 4-5 races a year.  I know for sure I will do the Prairie Fire Full Marathon, a fall half marathon (leading up to PF), a spring 1/2 Marathon (Helaine wants to do OKC!) and the East vs. West 5K (Victory in the Valley was so good to my Mom).  I will be volunteering at The South Side Scorcher and other upcoming runs.

Helaine and I before the Prarie Fire Half Marathon.  !

 Lisa, Barb, Tameka, Annie and Michelle before the race

Cute, cute Carrie before the race.

Stacy x 2 before the race

Angie and her husband at mile 9

Nancy before her first 1/2 Marathon

Monica and Mary Ann before the race

Barb and I after the 1/2 Marathon

The beautiful Shawndra running with a friend. 

Annette my hero (in the orange).