20 Miles..In the Books!!

Thats right kiddos, I tackled the 20 miler this morning! And it actually wasn't so bad.
I didn't even have to get up at the crack of dawn to run either because the weather has been PERFECT here. It was about 65 this morning, with a little bit of a chilly breeze, so it was great for running.
I woke up around 730, strapped on my camelback, packed up some GUs, ate a cliff bar, started up the Garmin and the Ipod, and was out the door by 8!
I swear sometimes I feel like I'm bogged down with all the crap that I have to bring on long runs, but it really does make all the difference to have all of that when you are running for more than 3 hours at once.
I ran on my usual running trail, out and back. The first 10 miles were great, I started out slow and just tried to enjoy the run and before I knew it, it was time to turn back around and head for home. I stopped for a bit and stretched out my legs and ate a GU and then booked it for home.
I was planning on stopping at mile 15 and stretching again and taking another GU, but when I hit mile 15 I was still feeling pretty good so I decided to keep truckin'
I'm not gonna lie, my legs are pretty mad at me, but I still feel good about the run and feel like it was a strong run. This makes me SO excited for the marathon! Let the taper begin!
Here are the splits:

• Mile One: 9:45
• Mile Two: 9:27
• Mile Three: 9:28
• Mile Four: 9:31
• Mile Five: 9:36
• Mile Six: 9:28
• Mile Seven: 9:24
• Mile Eight: 9:23
• Mile Nine: 9:27
• Mile Ten: 9:19
• Mile Eleven: 9:14
• Mile Twelve: 9:25
• Mile Thirteen: 9:07
• Mile Fourteen: 9:08
• Mile Fifteen: 8:57
• Mile Sixteen: 9:12
• Mile Seventeen: 9:04
• Mile Eighteen: 8:59
• Mile Nineteen: 9:16
• Mile Twenty: 9:09

I feel pretty good about the splits! I don't know if I can do the sub 4 hour marathon that I would LOVE to do, but we will see! The half next weekend will be a semi-determining factor. So we will see how that goes :)
Does anyone have any Labor Day races this weekend?

Running Through the Funk

Have you ever set out for a long run and about 2 or 3 miles in you think "there is NO WAY I'm going to get through this"? or how about just waking up to the alarm at 7AM to start your run and thinking "I'm too tired to run, I think I'm going to sleep for another hour instead"?
That is the way that most of my long runs for my training have been so far. Either its the altitude change or just something purely mental. Today I set out for my long determined to change the way that I have felt about them so far.
I researched some tips online and figured out that I may be starting out too fast and burning myself out before I could finish the run. I was being really hard on myself and pushing myself too much, because my comfortable pace is a bit slower here than it was at sea level. Because of this I was pushing myself too hard and beating myself up for not being able to run at the same speed. But today was different.
Like I said, I was determined to have a good run today. Afterall, I run because I love it and it makes me feel good. I needed to get back to the roots of why I started running in the first place.
I started out this morning at 8AM ready for a 10 mile run. I kept track of my pace and decided to keep it at a moderate pace for the first half of the run so that I didn't burn myself out too quickly. And it worked! I kept at a slow and steady pace of about 9 minute miles for the first 5 mile stretch of the run. By the time it was time to turn around and come back for the last stretch, I felt great!! I decided for the last few miles I would just let myself go at whatever pace I felt comfortable with, and at one point I looked down at my watch and was running a 6:58 pace! What the heck?! I guess starting out slow really does work!
I even felt good enough to go one more extra mile and  was able to finish with a strong sprint for the last quarter mile. Todays run really gave that confidence boost that I needed. It felt great to get that long run in this week and not feel like I had just gotten hit by a bus! That being said, I was reading an article in Runner's magazine today that talked about mental tricks to use to get you through those mental blocks when running, and some of them really helped me. Here are some highlights:

1. While your running pick a spot in the distance and pick up your pace until you get there - I did this ALOT during this run and it really helped. The last quarter mile that I sprinted, I focused on an underpass the whole time and it really got me through it.
2. Pick a new route - this really helped me a lot today too. I found a new way to go on the trail that I had been running on that was a lot nicer and shaded. Plus taking in the new scenery really made me want to go further to see what was next!
3. Focus on positive things, not negative - this is something that I really struggle with. I will look down at my watch and think "what? 10 minute pace? you slow poke!" and then I will push myself too hard and burn out. Today I focused on comfortably running and not looking at my watch so much and I finished the run feeling proud, not down on myself.

Another tip that I thought worked great was timing my music with my pace. I usually listen to really upbeat music, and that makes me run faster. A lot of times I have trouble starting out slow because I just run. Today, I tried starting out with slower music and then getting up to faster beat music. This really helped me start slow and taper up to a faster pace, which ultimately helped me finish my run strong and with negative splits.
What do you do to get through the "running funk?"
Do you believe that running is more mental than it is physical?

Tip and Tricks

So last night my roommate (nonrunner) sent me a text on her way home from work that said a little something like this:
"I want to go for a run when I get home!"
Music to my ears! I just love introducing people to the wonderful world of running and helping them get more into it. Although, sometimes I'm not so good at it. The last time she asked to go on a run with me I told her we were going 2 miles and I think we ended up somewhere around 4.5. That was about a year ago and she has not asked to go for a run with me since.
This time I was not going to push it, I was going to make sure that she stayed at a comfie pace and didn't try to do too much the first time. She is active and does go to the gym a lot, just doesn't run, so I figured she could probably handle 2 miles. I told her that we would run down a path that I knew of that was pretty flat, for 1 mile and then turn around.
 source
This picture is probably exactly what I looked like (on the left). I keep giving her thumbs up, smiling, and telling her "YOU CAN DO IT!" I'm sure she probably wanted to punch me in my cheesy grinned face! haha.
The run started out great and she was shocked when I told her that she had almost ran the whole first mile without stopping! She said that she felt good, so we went another .5 miles before turning around (making our estimated total 3 miles instead of 2). After the first mile we ran an average of about .5 miles before stopping for a walk break, but those were never longer than a few minutes and then we would pick it back up. We ended up with some pretty good stats for a beginning runner. Maybe I have a marathon training partner now?!....or maybe we should just stick with building up slowly. haha

Total Miles: 3.31
Total Time: 42:35
Total Calories Burned: 253
Average Pace: 12:52
Mile One: 11:14
Mile Two: 13:05
Mile Three: 12:15

I happy to say that I think she enjoyed it a lot more than last time! When we got home she was asking me questions and I was giving her advice on things that have helped me run better. This gave me the idea for the blog, so I decided that I would put some of my little tips and tricks that I have picked up over the years with all of you!
*Disclaimer*: These are things that work for ME. Everyone is different and everyone will have different running styles and techniques. These are just a few things that I have picked up that have really helped my running. So, with that said....herrrreee weee goooo.....
Em's Two-cents Worth of Tips and Tricks for Beginning Runners:

• Always run in clothes that you feel comfortable in and that you like to wear. Having cute AND comfy workout gear always motivates me to put it on, and once its on...well, you HAVE to workout! haha.
• Set small goals and take baby steps. Starting with an over ambitious goal when you first start to run can burn you out and make you hate running. Start small and build your milage over time when YOU feel you can.
• If you set a goal of 2 miles and still feel good after you have ran that far, add half a mile or even a whole mile. Pushing yourself just a little more is what builds up your endurance.
• However, don't push yourself TOO hard, this can lead to burn out or injury. Know your body, what it can do, and what it's limits are.
• It always helps me to set smaller goals within your run. Such as "run until the end of this song" or "run until you get to that lamp post" more often than not, once that song is over, or once you reach that lamp post your fine to keep on a truckin'
• DRINK PLENTY OF WATER (DUH!)
• Pay attention to your breathing. I find it best to breath through my nose and out my mouth. If you are finding it impossible to control your breathing, it is time to take a walk break and get it back under control.
• Pay attention to your stride. Longer strides make you run faster without putting the pounding pressure on your legs that smaller strides do.
• TRIM YOUR TOENAILS! (learned that the hard way)
• Stretching before a run (before the muscles are warmed up) can lead to pulling a muscle. It is best to warm-up before you stretch, or stretch after the run.
• Don't overlook the importance of stretching! Stretching can help you become a better runner in so many ways. It helps with flexibility, keeps muscles lose, and prevents injury.

So now that I have put my two cents worth in, what are your favorite tips or tricks for running?

"Cut" Short

So today's run was cut a little short. I was running along, feeling fine when I started noticing a little pain in my toe. It kinda felt like there might be a rock in my shoe or something, but it wasn't too bad so I just kept running. After about 2 miles though I felt like it might be worse than I thought....I sat down....took of my shoe...and THIS is what I see:

Ok, Im not gonna lie, I felt sorta like a badass with a bleeding foot at first. Until I starting freaking out thinking it might be something embedded in my foot, which would mean a doctors visit. So I immediately high tailed it over to my own personal doctor, aka mom.
After cleaning it up and examining it with a flashlight and magnifying glass. (yes, we were diggin' deep for answers) we found out it wasn't a piece of glass at all. What was the culprit you ask?! Well, as my mom said "I should be embarrassed to admit it", but it was my toenail! Thats right, I may or may not have skipped a few weeks of trimming the ol' toenails. They had gotten so long that one of them was digging into the other toe when I ran! Don't judge me, I'm busy ok?! So there ya go guys and girls first running tip of the new blog...ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOUR TOENAILS ARE TRIMMED :)
This should probably be a rule for life in general as well, cause come on thats just gross!
I got the clippers, took care of the problem, and got all bandaged up.

Please excuse the freakishly long toes. So no worries, kiddos, I will live to run another day :)
Because of this little nuance, my run today kinda sucked and isnt even really worth talking about.  But her are my stats anyways. For documentation sake.

Total Time: 17:48
Total Miles: 2
Calories Burned: 152
Mile One: 8:47
Mile Two: 9:01

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better run with no injuries! Until then HAPPY FRIDAY!
<3 Em