tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14790386037868471262024-03-12T23:36:31.287-07:00Running around the WorldLaurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15967402913068670786noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479038603786847126.post-13903777569303837492016-11-30T07:09:00.001-08:002016-11-30T07:10:29.628-08:00Turkey and Travel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After a really fun Thanksgiving weekend in New England I’m
off to do some sailing again.<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve been living and working in Newport for a couple of
years now without any big adventures and I got pretty used to having a place to
call home. I rented an apartment, unpacked my duffel bag and acquired a whole
bunch of <i>stuff</i>. Having a base and a
place to store my toys made training and playing a lot easier. Anyone who
wandered into my apartment would likely trip over a bike in my kitchen or the surfboard
in my bedroom. I love having a place of my own and found it particularly hard
to break away from that this winter when a long delivery option popped up. Sail
from San Francisco to Charleston via the Panama canal? “Yes, please!” Shouted
the world-traveler-duffel-bag-bum Laurel.
“Leave my family, friends and reasonably predictable training schedule?”
questioned the home-body-who-likes-her-comfort-zone. Hesitations or not, work is work so I booked my flight to
San Fran and didn’t think about it too much. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This past weekend I was lucky enough to be at home with my
family on Thanksgiving Day. I can count on one hand the number of traditional
family holidays I’ve spent at my parent’s house since college so I wasn’t
disappointed when another delivery was delayed and allowed me to be home for
turkey. My family is big and loud and generally agrees on political issues so
dinner was fun and delicious without any drama. As always the question of,
“what are you doing now?” arose and I found it harder to answer than usual. I
have been looking around the marine and yachting industry to try to figure out
what I want to do next. I like working with boats but find it harder and harder
to sign on for full time, on board jobs. I don’t like yachting enough to give
my whole life to it and I’m trying to figure out what else I can do. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The next day I
headed for the mountains in hopes of getting a few runs in on my skis before
sailing away. Some friends of mine rent a ski house at Sugarbush Mountain in VT
and are generous enough to let me stay with them and attempt to ski with them!
They had planned a Friends-giving for Saturday night and as we ate cheese and
cooked another turkey questions about my next trip came up. These friends know
me and the industry better than most and it’s harder to brush away questions I
don’t want to answer. For the
first time I wasn’t very excited about a sailing trip and they could tell. As
the dates for this trip got closer I had been waiting for the feelings of
excitement and anticipation to sink in and they hadn’t hit me yet. Maybe it’s
because I don’t know the boat or the crew particularly well or I’m suffering a
bit of FOMO for the upcoming holiday season or maybe I’ve just had too many
plans changed and learned not to get excited until I’m on the plane. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Now I’m on the plane.
And I am getting excited. I’ve sailed a lot of miles but never down the
Pacific east coast or through the canal. The first leg of the trip is downwind
to Mexico. It’s true that I would do pretty much anything for a good taco and
sailing a few thousand miles to get one seems reasonable to me. After that we
keep heading south and east to Panama. Hopefully, we are through by Christmas
and heading back up towards the eastern tip of Mexico. The rhumb line to
Charleston has a few road blocks and will require some wiggling around Cuba and
Florida. Roughly 6000 nautical miles, downwind, no wind then upwind. I don’t
know where we are stopping, the weather and miles covered dictates that. I
don’t generally do a lot of research ahead of time of where I’m going. Some say
if you don’t expect too much you can’t be let down but I like to think if you
aren’t distracted by expectation you can see what’s around you and appreciate
it. I use that idea when I travel and I guess it’s true of my life too. I get
caught up when I start to expect it to go a certain way. I’ve never followed
the regular path and though the unknown parts of my future are scary and
frustrating they are also the parts that make it exciting, random and fun. It’s
hard to leave something comfortable for something unknown but at least it gives
me something to blog about!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">So if
you need me I’ll be sailing and looking for tacos and thinking about what to do
next. But mostly tacos.</span><br />
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Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15967402913068670786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479038603786847126.post-50435038369563170032016-11-20T12:33:00.000-08:002016-11-20T12:33:05.580-08:00Base layers and (re)Building a Base<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
On May 31 I ran my fastest marathon yet and on June 1 I stopped running. I had registered for the Burlington marathon knowing that I had an injury to my left heel and that I may not finish the race. I know none of you are shocked that I stubborned my way through it and finished the thing. I knew I had a couple physical injuries to sort through and that taking time off was the best (and probably only) way to address them. I returned to Newport, bought a bike and started Not Running.<br />
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Throughout the summer I swam in the ocean, rode miles and miles on my bike, kited whenever the wind cooperated and even learned to surf. I truly enjoy each of these sports but none of them seem to create the same feelings as running, or the same core strength! There is plenty of debate between cyclists and runners about which sport is better for you but are there any scientific reasons that I simply just feel better after running? The strongest argument for cycling is that cycling is low impact. Low impact sports leads to fewer injuries and build sustained stamina by allowing you to go for longer. Leg muscles and stamina get built up over long rides. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Running’s leading argument is that you simply burn more calories doing it. Holding your body upright and moving it through space requires more muscle groups and more energy. Most of the other benefits of running are really just benefits of exercise in general.<o:p></o:p></div>
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-Exercise boosts serotonin, dopamine and beta endorphins which all help lower stress levels and put you in a happier mood.<o:p></o:p></div>
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-Exercise increases blood flow and the production of white blood cells, strengthening the immune system.<o:p></o:p></div>
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-Exercise increases the body’s production of ATP from glucose in our muscles and blood. This process is like a power boost to our internal batteries. <o:p></o:p></div>
Though I couldn't find any concrete evidence that running does magical things to my body I truly missed it and am pretty happy to get back to it. That being said, running after not running for 5 months hurts and I'm trying hard to focus on not doing too many miles too soon. I've been leaving all tracking devices at home and just trying to build a base back. Thankfully, it is fall and the weather has been distractingly beautiful.<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
Fall is my favorite time of year to run and train. New
England pulls out all the stops between September and November in order to
convince people that it really is a great place to live, right before burying
us in ice, snow and freezing cold temperatures. The days are crisp and cool, the trees are bursting with
colors and the sky is an insane blue. I took the summer off from running but
there was no way I was going to be able to sit on the bench as the fall weather
came in. When the leaves fall so do the temperatures and lower temps lead to a runner’s
other favorite pastime, gear! Summer running is so simple, shorts and tank and
you’re out the door. Fall and winter running requires a runner to look at the
weather and figure out what to wear. You know the expression “there is no bad
weather, just the wrong outfit?” No? Oh. Maybe I made it up. Either way it
applies when training outside in the winter. No one likes being cold
but being overdressed and sweaty isn’t great either. I use 50<span style="font-family: Symbol;">°</span>, 30<span style="font-family: Symbol;">°</span> and
single digits as delineations when deciding what to put on. </div>
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When the
temperature drops below 50<span style="font-family: Symbol;">°</span> I put on full length tights and long sleeves. </div>
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Between 30 and 50 I add a base layer
top, usually a tank top. The fabric that is touching your skin is the important
part. There are all sorts of fancy high tech wicking fabrics out there and they
are all good for the job of keeping you warm but also dry(ish). My favorites
are more natural wool, merino blends that incorporate the warmth of wool but in
a weave or combo that doesn’t itch. A friend of mine is a rep for CRAFT
sportswear and recently gave me a couple of base layers to try out. One set is
a polyester-polymide blend and the other 50% polymide and 50% wool. I like the wool blend a little better,
it’s a little more breathable but still keeps me really warm. </div>
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If it’s windy or wet outside I add a jacket that keeps the water off
or the wind from cutting through. Running jackets are lightweight and designed
to do just that, keep warmth in and nature out. Mine is from LLBean, because
who knows New England weather better? </div>
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Anytime it’s below 40 I add gloves and
something to cover my ears. I'm pretty obsessed with a pair of Hind gloves/mittens that I found a couple of years ago. They're super thin gloves with a stuff-able pocket that covers over the fingers like a mitten. The mitten/glove combo keeps my hands warm at the start of a run and then lets them breath as things heat up. </div>
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Below
30 is when things start to get exciting and the laundry starts to pile up.
Thicker tights, base layer long sleeve top, thick fleece top, hat and Smartwool
socks. All that really matters is that I'm comfortable and warm enough to let my body focus on burning energy on the selected sport, not on keeping me warm. So bundle out and get out there! It's a beautiful or cold or windy or rainy or snowy day outside! </div>
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Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15967402913068670786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479038603786847126.post-37686345356441471962016-11-08T10:56:00.000-08:002016-11-08T13:38:24.391-08:00Change is the only Constant<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I must have started running again because the urge to blog
has returned. . .<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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I spent the summer in the water and on the bike trying to
ignore the instinct to get up and run every morning. I told myself not to run
for a whole marathon training cycle and then reevaluate the foot situation. It has been 16+ weeks and the foot
hasn’t changed but the weather has and there was no way I was going to stay
inside and watch the leaves fall off the trees. Though the miles are few and
slow and my foot is still sore, this fall has been one for the books in regards
to foliage, wonderful weather and beautiful days. I don’t think anyone can be
in New England in the fall and not <i>fall</i>
in love with it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Since I don’t have my own race to report on I have a few
thoughts on the other race that is hogging all of the tv news time. NYC Marathon you say? I love you for
watching it, but no, I mean the election of our next president, senate and
representatives. <o:p></o:p></div>
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One of my best friends had a baby boy a couple of years ago
and when they moved back to Newport this summer she took a job that required
her to find daytime care for her son. No parent likes letting go and she and
her husband agonized over the decision for live-in care vs a daycare situation.
How would interacting with other children affect their son? What if he was
bullied? Would his character change? For the good and the bad the people that
we meet change us starting as a child and continuing for the rest of our lives.
Traveling and having friends all over the world throughout the past three
presidential elections has allowed me to see what some of the rest of the world
sees when we go through this process. The people we interact with, the choices
we make and the life we choose to live all add up to form the person we become.
It is an algorithm that is ever changing and adding variables. The things we do
and the choices we make, make us who we are as a person. In that respect the
things we do, choose and vote on, make us who we are as a country. <o:p></o:p></div>
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A while ago I asked my Dad why he and mom Mom had decided to
have kids. He expressed his belief that if they could raise, in their case,
four people with good morals and values that it would do some good in the
world. When my sisters started to have their children I was scared for them
because of all of the bad things that fill the news everyday. What kind of world would my nieces and
nephews grow up in? Today, however,
when my sister posted a photo of my niece voting with her, it brought
tears to my eyes. (On a bus to the airport surrounded by people, of course!).
And not because I'm scared for her future but because I'm <i>so</i> <i>excited</i>
about it. Not because "I'm with Her" or not, but because there is
change happening. There are people who face the big, bad, scary world and say,
"We can do better. I'm willing to try, it starts with me." My sisters
and friends with children are passing on ideals and values to their children.
Ideals that include; all people count and are equal, that doing a little good
can go a long way, that we can be the change we wish to see in the world.
Change doesn't happen on one day every four years. We can't blame everyone else
for the state of the country and world.
Yes, you should go vote today, but it's not just for the President. It's
for local leaders and for the people who represent you on a federal stage. All
change is made in increments. In running, learning, and most of all thinking,
nothing happens all at once. The choices we have on a ballot today are from
many, many choices we made or let happen along the way. The political situation
right now is intense, confusing, and ridiculous. It might seem like democracy is
broken but the thing this country is based on is that the people have a say.
These are our candidates because the people that we chose to represent us chose
them to represent them. It may be an outcome you didn’t envision or agree with
but it is the situation we have created. And that’s ok. This is a process. Our
country is young. Learning takes time. This country is an experiment. Change is a constant. Do try to
remember that everything we do has a consequence as per Newton’s 3<sup>rd</sup>
law. The love, hate, judgment, kindness and/or patience you express is equally
expressed by someone else. Your child, the person on whom you inflicted it or a
passer by. Your vote counts and not just as a hanging chad or an ink filled
bubble that tests your dexterity, but in the way you live your life. We “vote”
everyday. And when you really can't make up your mind, go for a run. <o:p></o:p></div>
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"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to change, it's not." Maybe Dr. Seuss wrote children's
books because he knew they are the only ones who would listen. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15967402913068670786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479038603786847126.post-87844752058435703652016-07-04T09:22:00.001-07:002016-07-04T09:22:15.087-07:00A Day Off in April<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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After my last marathon I was sure I would run another but didn't have any specific goals or ideas. 30 for 30 was great fun but what next? I slowly started thinking about qualifying and running Boston. There's a huge part of me that said; (and keeps saying) Y<i>ou're too slow</i>. <i>You're an endurance athlete, sure, all day at 10 min pace, sure. But run fast? For 26 miles? No way</i>. The other part of me (shall we call it the stubborn part?) started looking into it. For a 30-35 year old female to qualify they must run a 3:35 marathon. My PR is 3:45. What's 10 minutes? It's 20ish seconds a mile. Sounds small. The more I read into it the more I realized 3:35 wasn't going to cut it. No one who just qualified was making it in.To even be considered, runners needed to shave almost two and a half minutes off of the standing qualifying time. If I was going to do it I would have to start training to run a 3:30 marathon. </div>
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The last week in January rolled around and I felt great. I had been building my base miles and cross training like a kid with ADD in a play ground. I decided to map out a plan and go for it. Hindsight being 20/20, I went for it a little <a href="http://sailingandrunning.blogspot.com/2016/06/not-running-around-world.html">too hard</a>.</div>
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Now what? Should I try to qualify in May? Should I can the race and retrain? Push it back a month? </div>
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Epic Man</div>
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Every year for the past eight, a couple if my friends have turned the Boston Marathon into a triathlon/fundraiser/inspirati<wbr style="box-sizing: content-box;"></wbr>on mission. They call this the Epic Man. The general gist is to ride their bikes from Portland, Maine to Hopkinton, Ma overnight in time to start the marathon. Usually, they throw in a kayaking element to round out the Tri. Over the past eight years the event has grown and shrunk. Encompassing back to back marathons, trans American flights and skydiving. This year they were keeping it simple, ride to Hopkinton and run the race. </div>
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I have wanted to participate since its founding but never thought I was fit enough and had the lucky excuse that I was usually sailing in Antigua at the same time. This year I was available and fit bit didn't want to derail my training a month before my marathon. When a boat delivery got delayed and I realized my training had gone out the window anyways, I agreed to ride the first half of the ride and see about the rest. I would say anyone that knows me knew I would go for the whole thing. A piece of myself must have known when I packed warm cycling clothes and my running shoes, just in case. </div>
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Just after noon on Sunday a group of 9 riders, 3 support cars and some family and friends gathered at Flatbread Co. in Portland to kick off Epic Man 2016 with some pizza and beer. The 50 mile warmup ride to Kittery was great. Beautiful weather and a casual pace. Refuel (more pizza, more beer) and off to the crash pad for the night in North Hampton, NH. We warmed up and slept for 2 hours before hitting the road at1:30 am. Riding down route 1, through towns I usually just pass on the highway, in the middle of the night, was a pretty intense feeling. The weather was perfect though. Not a breath of wind and clear skies with a 3/4 moon. We rode for a couple of hours and took short breaks to refuel and regroup. The overnight pace was a bit faster than the day pace, to keep everyone warm, together and to get to Hopkinton on time. As the sun came up somewhere around Bedford, Ma, the lightening sky and sounds of birds reinvigorated a tired team. With little sleep and a lot of miles, the remaining 40 miles seemed pretty daunting. I only started riding last summer and my longest ride before this one was a solo 60 miler I did at the end of the fall. 70+ miles in one go, after another 70, was starting to wear. As we climbed into farm land near Maynard and Concord I started to wonder how much further we had to go. Our chase car came up and shouted an encouraging "SINGLE DIGITS!" at just the right time. As we rode into Hopkinton State Park to strange looks from the early morning volunteers, huge smiles covered our faces. We had a couple of hours before the 10am start of the marathon. Coffee, bagels, Nuun, water and even some RedBull was consumed as we chatted and changed into less sweaty running kit. The beautiful weather continued and it was going to be a warm, sunny day with a head wind throughout the race. We headed to the start on the spectator bus, swearing up and down to the volunteers that we were not there to run, just watch. We promise. For real. </div>
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There is a lot of debate in the running community over bandit running races. I understand the view of race directors and paid contestants and would never consider running a race I didn't officially enter other than Boston. Banditing Boston is a different case in my mind. The race is closed to those who have qualified or are running for charity. Historically, after all the official runners started, the start was open for anyone else to run, with the expectation that you would peel off before the finish or at least not claim a medal or any swag given to the runners. Running without a number became a <i>thing. </i>This year also marked the 50th anniversary of the first woman to run the Boston Marathon. Because of the rules at the time that prohibited women from entering, Bobbi Gibb ran as a bandit. So we watched the start of the elites and the first few waves and then casually stepped off the curb and into the race.<br />
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This year was the 120th running of the Boston marathon. The hype that surrounds Boston, for runners at least, is something palpable. It's funny to me because I have never even spectated along the route or watched it on tv. My father ran for a charity he was involved in when I was a kid and I remember watching the movie he made of the experience. (Mostly, I remember the soundtrack he used and <i>Stand By Me </i>and <i>That's What Friends are For</i> and those songs will always remind me of running). In recent years I have been in the Caribbean through April and noted it's passing through friends that were running. When the bomb went off I was sailing between St. Barths and Antigua and only found out that <a href="http://sailingandrunning.blogspot.com/2013/12/big-hills-and-boston.html">something terrible happened</a> through a text message late that night.<br />
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As I ran down the road I gobbled up the crowds along the side of the road. I had been worried about taking water from the water stations since I hadn't paid to enter the race. I needn't have worried. Spectators were giving out everything! From high five to freeze pops and bananas! The energy was surreal. Through the first 12 miles I didn't think about my hamstring or my foot. I didn't think about the 150 miles I had just put on my legs. The only thing that hurt was my face from smiling and laughing! The low point of the course passed and we started climbing the hills. You always hear about Heartbreak hill, the last big climb of the Boston course, but they don't mention that there are three others! As with most races, the middle bit is pretty blurred but as I ran passed the 20 mile marker I started looking around for an exit. The Epic Team race plan was to exit around mile 23 and finish our 26 miles at Tyler's house, a few miles from the course. The only flaw with this plan, as I discovered, was in order to keep the crowds out, there were barricades that were also keeping runners in! I wondered if I could fit through the bars, fearing that if I got stuck the gate would topple over onto a runner, be caught on someones phone and become a Youtube sensation overnight. I spotted a med tent on the right side of the course and headed for it. Jogging a block away from the course and checking my phone I realized I had exited on the wrong side of Beacon St and would have to cross it to head towards Tyler's. There was only one way to do that and I headed back to the barricade, realized I could fit through, and re-entered the race. I jogged another half mile or so and ducked out on the other side. The noise of the cheers and energy of the crowd died quickly as I rounded a corner and wove my way towards Watertown. I was done.<br />
I arrived back at the house and slowly everyone filtered in, grabbing a beer and a spot on the couch. Looking around at the people in the room, some newbies, some who have completed all 8 editions of the Epic Man, all started a journey the day before. Many of us had doubts about completing the journey but started anyways. A week before I didn't think I would join the Epic team, a week after I was sailing offshore. But those 24 hours were about a journey. Moving forward, on the bike or on foot. 176.2 miles towards a couch in Watertown.<br />
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Because what else are you going to do on your day off?<br />
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Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15967402913068670786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479038603786847126.post-69286688030017491862016-06-30T11:26:00.002-07:002016-06-30T11:26:32.146-07:00Not Running around the World<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been ages, I went pretty blog-silent during my last Oh so Frustrating Up and Down Marathon Training Cycle. I went into January a little excited and very nervous about putting a goal out there to run a 3:30 marathon in May. I've run four marathons, trained for a few more and figured that now was the time to ramp up my training and really focus on speed work. I used my previous training plan from Runner's World as a guide but also looked around for alternate speed workouts and calendars. Looking back I see that I went in too deep too fast and ended up "over training." After about a month and a half I came down with a wicked cold. Then my hamstring started acting up again after months of feeling fine. Finally, I woke up one morning to the dreaded 'bruise on my heel' feeling when I stepped out of bed. I scaled back, stopped cross training, went to the pool, I even took time off, missing an 18 and a not completing a 20 (ew.). It was too little too late and I ran the last month of my training full of doubts about running my goal pace in May.<br />
As it goes, I had to go offshore for a couple weeks at the end of April. Due to the timing I let Sugarloaf pass by and reset my sights on the Vermont City Marathon in Burlington on Memorial Day weekend. This way I could get back to land, hit it hard for a week or so and then start a slow two week taper. Honestly, I still doubted whether I would run at all.<br />
My main concerns were;<br />
1. My right hamstring would start to really bother me about 7 miles into any run.<br />
2. I had developed plantar fasciitis in my left foot and it was starting to hurt all the time.<br />
3. I wasn't sure if I had lost too much strength and stamina when I scaled back after getting sick.<br />
As the week got closer I had pretty much decided not to run. I looked up the rules for a deferral or refund on the entry fee and found you could only request a deferral over a month before the race. (Which seems pretty silly to me.) A few people and articles were pointing out that continuing to run on a foot with PF could lead to long term damage. I felt that I had probably already passed that point and that I would have to take a considerable amount of time away from running in order to fix it. I also knew that if I didn't run a race I would feel like I hadn't run a full training program and I would take some time off, possibly my foot would feel a little better, and then I would jump back into training somewhere in the middle and push for a summer race, probably hurting myself more. I figured I could either stop running now or run the race and stop afterwards, the damage was already done. I needed an end to the training I had been doing since January. Call it stubborn but I wanted some form of closure. I had had an emotional, frustrating, long few months and I needed a race to finish it.<br />
In the end I ran the race. Since then I haven't run a step and my foot still hurts. Stand by for the race recap. </div>
Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15967402913068670786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479038603786847126.post-25655151478397147562016-01-24T12:34:00.002-08:002016-01-24T12:35:19.180-08:00Winter!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Happy winter!<br />
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I know, I know. I’m the least consistent blogger ever. But
with longer runs come more time to think of things to write about. I’ve been
running and swimming and biking when I can. It’s dark and cold and all of that
and like everyone else, it takes a toll on my training and apparently on my
writing. But here’s my first post in 2016<o:p></o:p></div>
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Yesterday I got out for a long run before the wind and snow
really picked up and fell down, respectively. I had made plans to meet up with
one of the women from a local running group and as I lay in bed on Friday night
I <a href="http://sailingandrunning.blogspot.com/2015/03/sometimes.html">flashed back</a> to last year on this weekend. It was the first time I ran with
Narragansett Running Association and was my very worst long run ever. I was
pretty anxious about a repeat performance. I figured it couldn’t be as bad as
last year and if it was I could bail early, as we were meeting another member
who was only running 12. We met at the parking lot at Narragansett Beach and
decided to run north and upwind first. Route 1A runs north/south and isn’t very
busy that time of day/this time of year. We ran out for 6 and turned around and
enjoyed the tailwind back to the beach. Mary jumped in her car to get ready for
her daughters manicure birthday party and Michelle and I carried on south for
the remaining 5 miles. We turned around into a strengthening headwind and made
it back to the beach where the wind was blowing onshore at 25+ knots and the
snow was just starting to fall. It was a really fun run with two new people who
encouraged me to stick with speed training and keep trying to qualify for
Boston. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The rest of Saturday was spent holed up at a friend’s house
in a post run haze. The snow was coming down all day. Though it wasn’t the
Storm of the Century, Snowmageddon or even a blizzard, it was a good winter
storm to ease into the season of winter storms. It hit hard and fast, dropping
about a foot in just about 12 hours and it hit on a Saturday morning so it
didn’t disrupt commutes or schedules all that much. It was also followed with a
sunny, blue sky day. Rhode Island
is definitely not New Hampshire when it comes to snow removal. (I have yet to
see a single plow guy interviewed on the 6 o’clock news here!) Having Saturday
night and Sunday morning to clear the roads made them ok to drive on, impossible
to bike on and just fine to run on. Sundays are supposed to be bike and hike
days, group bike ride and Laser Frostbite sailing. Since the roads were not
clear enough to ride on I set up my new stationary bike trainer and had a ride
inside. I did an hour of interval training with a <a href="http://www.motiontraxx.com/">Motion Traxx</a> workout.
Gatorade teamed up with Motion Traxx a few years ago and released some free
workout downloads before Apps were all the rage. Now there is a great Motion
Traxx app that is loaded with workouts for when you just can’t be asked to
motivate yourself, i.e. on the treadmill or stationary bike. (There are
elliptical workouts on there too but I just can’t figure out why anyone wants
to use an elliptical). Go download the App, it’s great for working out indoors.</div>
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Rhode Island is not New Hampshire and Middletown is not Newport when it comes to clearing sidewalks...</div>
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As for sailing, I figured it would take awhile to shovel out
the boats so I headed down to Fort Adams early with my shovel at the ready.
Sign number 1 you shouldn’t be going sailing is that you have to take along a
shovel. Sign number 2 you shouldn’t be going sailing is the windspeed and
temperature are the same. In today’s case, 25* and 25knots. I struggle to hold
down a full rigged Laser in 20+ but the forecast had the breeze dropping off
after noon. We dutifully met and shoveled out the boats and waited for the wind
to drop. By noon it was still gusting to 30 so they called it off. (I have a
feeling a 3pm kick off for the Patriots swayed a few of the votes.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Though I was disappointed, mostly because I had already
struggled into my wetsuit, I was pretty happy to have a chance to run on such a
nice day. All of the articles and books say that recovery runs are as important
as training runs. I have a hard time going out and not pushing so it was nice
to have a wide open afternoon to sloooww dooowwnn. A great way to make myself
slow down is to run a new route and take my camera along for the run. It forces
me to look around and see my own back yard with new eyes. This area really is
beautiful and the fresh snow made it extra special today. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I wrote this while eating some recovery oatmeal and am
headed down to watch some *cough Professional Athletes cough* and have a
recovery beer. Happy weekend and don’t let the snow scare you, get out there.
There is no bad weather, just the wrong outfit.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15967402913068670786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479038603786847126.post-29480858264983350582015-11-12T18:09:00.000-08:002015-11-12T18:10:38.843-08:00Reasons to Run<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Nature has done one heck of a job with Fall in New England
this year. The colors, the mild temperatures and lack of hurricanes and
Nor’easters have kept me running, biking and grinning from ear to ear! As
excited as I am for ski season, I am very happy for the extended Indian summer
we have been given. As the days have gotten shorter, after work R&R (Runs
and Rides) have moved to sunrise R&R in order to avoid getting run over in
the dark. This fall has been more about getting out and enjoying it than anything
else. I have met up with friends to run or ride and, as my roommate pointed
out, managed to resist the urge to drop them when I got antsy! More about group
training later but for now let’s talk about reasons to run. (or ride, or hike,
or whatever, just get out there!)<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Over the last year I trained for two marathons and though I
didn’t end up running one in the spring and opted for the half this fall, I’m
taking a little break from structured running. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still
out the door at stupid o’clock on most mornings, I’m just heading out without a
plan or workout in mind. I love a solid training schedule and structured
workouts but it’s important to get back to running for fun, because that’s the
root of it. Races, miles, PRs, splits and paces are all key but running is the
thing. <o:p></o:p></div>
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People always ask, “why do you run so much?” I don’t have a
good go to reply, especially for people that aren’t runners so during each run
over the past month or so I have chosen a reason for running that day. The list
is on going but I have a pretty good start; <o:p></o:p></div>
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1. Because today I had the Cliff walk all to myself!<o:p></o:p></div>
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After
a tourist packed summer that’s pretty great!</div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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2. Because it’s a reasonable excuse to wear neon.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Safety
first.<o:p></o:p></div>
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3. Because hill repeats is the best workout you can get when
you only have 15 minutes!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sneaky
workouts are exciting!<o:p></o:p></div>
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4. Because I’m in Bermuda and the other crew haven’t done
the beach loop.<o:p></o:p></div>
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5. Because the track is empty early in the morning.<o:p></o:p></div>
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6. Because the sunsets have been epic and I don’t want to
miss one.<o:p></o:p></div>
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they
never get old…<o:p></o:p></div>
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7. Because my new shoes finally arrived!<o:p></o:p></div>
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8. Because it’s November 12 and it’s still 50 degrees
outside.<o:p></o:p></div>
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9. Because you can’t bike in the rain but you can run
anytime!<o:p></o:p></div>
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10. Because I moved into a new apartment and I have a new
local loop to explore.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So what’s your reason? Put on a reflective vest and some
long tights and get out there this weekend. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15967402913068670786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479038603786847126.post-17897292348101990742015-10-12T11:23:00.002-07:002015-10-12T11:28:52.131-07:00Ocean State Rhode Race 1/2 Marathon and Jamestown Classic Gran Fondo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's October! I haven't posted in awhile because this summer was so hot and humid that I was too sweaty to type! I don't know why it hit me so hard, I've trained for marathons in the Caribbean after all, but the humidity here in Rhode Island was a struggle for me this summer. There were times that I seriously doubted my ability to hydrate and rehydrate after relatively short distances. Needless to say I am very happy with the arrival of fall and all that comes with it! The changing season brings a new energy to running and training. I don't know if it's the need for long sleeves, the great excuse to wear neon, or the Facebook feed full of marathon news, I just know that I get a bounce in my step every year around this time.<br />
<br />
A few months ago I decided to curb my training towards pushing my half marathon pace, instead of going for another full. I have never been a particularly fast runner and finally decided to get out of my comfort zone and see what happens with more focus on speed and tempo training.<br />
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My brother in law signed up for the Rhode Island Triple Crown half marathon series this summer and the Narragansett race was the last in the series. I was out of town for the Jamestown Half so I didn't qualify for the Triple Crown but wanted to run Narragansett with him. Sunday morning arrived with perfect weather for a run. The course was windy and up and down, which is my favorite type of course, there's always something to focus on and I never get bored. For all the little ups there was a good down and there were plenty of turns to keep me entertained. The pack was small, just over 450 runners, and the front group was just my style. I had a goal time of 1:38, knowing that holding onto a 7:30 pace for that distance was going to be uncomfortable but hopefully doable. From the start I had a pair of leggy guys behind me that I wanted to stay in front of. We did some leap frogging and I put some distance on them when one of them stopped for the Porto at mile 7. (Hey, when you gotta go, you gotta go). As I approached mile 10 they caught back up and we exchanged the running equivalent to a passive aggressive high five.<br />
<br />
Me- "Oh, you're back."<br />
Them- "Yea we are, you're motivating the shit out of us."<br />
Me- "Yea, ditto, but I think I'm about to get passed!"<br />
Them-"Keep it up, we'll see you at the end."<br />
<br />
They took off and I churned through the next couple of miles trying to push negative thoughts out of my head and fatigue out of my legs.<br />
Inner dialog went something like this;<br />
Challenge to overtake people in front. Focus on passing one at a time. Focus on the girl. Ok, not catching that girl, passed another one though. Breath. 25 Mile marker for the marathon, that's 1 and a bit for me, go. 1 to go, push. There's always more left. PUSH. Hey! The fam! Finish strong.<br />
<br />
I glanced up at the finish clock as I approached the finish and for a quick oxygen deprived moment I couldn't figure out what it said. 13.820? huh? It wasn't until after I crossed and got through the tent did I process what the clock said. My watch was set to pace and distance, not elapsed time. I finished in 1:38:17 and it felt pretty good. And by pretty good I mean uncomfortable and hard the whole way, just what I wanted.<br />
<br />
My brother in law finished, completed his Triple Crown and knocked 10+ minutes off his previous time!<br />
<br />
This morning was the 40th Annual Jamestown Classic Bike Race and Gran Fondo. One lap around Conanicut Island, 19 miles. It was my first bike race in a big crowd. Being a runner and just a little stubborn I struggled with the concept of not riding my hardest the whole time. The fast pack pulled away very quickly and I ended up with some stragglers in the second group. I picked up a girl happy to have a free ride around mile 4 and carried her for longer than I was psyched about. We broke apart and I pushed the rest of the ride with two very tall men in orange jerseys. It's completely foreign to me to allow someone else to work hard and push past them at the end. I knew that I should slow down and hang on someone's hip but couldn't figure out how to do it, especially with my pride in the way! I'm sure I worked a hell of a lot harder but beat both guys at the end, and the girl from the beginning of the ride. I finished in 57 minutes and a new game to learn!<br />
<br />
All in all it was a beautiful fall weekend and now it is time to enjoy one of the other perks of fall, Pumpkin Beer!!<br />
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Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15967402913068670786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479038603786847126.post-22405553951280706552015-08-21T09:08:00.001-07:002015-08-21T09:08:09.150-07:00Just two tens...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I spent the first part of this week up in Maine. I am
incredibly lucky that my grandparents got tired of traveling around at the
Army’s whim and bought an old inn in Five Islands, Maine in the late ‘60’s at
which to spend their summers. The harbor is full of lobster boats and the early
hours of the morning are filled with gulls calling and diesels coughing, both
looking for today’s catch. At 5:45 this morning I woke up to the sun streaming
into my eyes and the gulls cackling in my ears. I knew I needed to get out
early in order to run a few hours before the hot, humid weather that has been
unrelenting this summer made it unbearable, so I crawled out of bed. Armed with
my fancy fuel belt full of water and a couple sticky Chomps I headed out the
door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Route 127 is a winding,
rolling coastal route with little to no shoulder that runs out along Georgetown
Island to the Route 1 bridge in Bath. It rolls up and down past the various
harbors, bays and inlets that connect the Sheepscot and Kennebunk River. It is
a beautiful place to run. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The first 10 miles rolled along with little traffic and a
pretty good pace. Ten miles is my favorite distance to run and to get through
today I kept repeating, “It’s just two tens…” but it’s not really. Just like
the halfway point in a marathon or any long distance isn’t really half way. As
the miles behind you increase, the remaining miles get exponentially harder.
Two tens would be fantastic if they didn’t follow each other. The second ten
miles is always going to include the fatigue and strain from the first ten. We
train in order to build the muscle strength and memory required to get through
the fatigue and on to the finish. Every middle distance, midweek run is
building towards a more solid long run and the ability to finish a distance not
previously run. Increasing what we run increases what we have the ability to
run. Last week everything hurt at 13, this week it was 15. Endurance, like
anything, needs to be built up slowly.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After running my Father asked me to take the little boat
that I learned to sail on around to the boat ramp to haul it out. Though it’s
not more than 10 miles to the boat ramp the trip around runs through some
pretty strong tidal rips and narrow bays. I always remember a particularly bad
trip from when I was very young and we were sailing the boat around. We must
have timed the tide wrong and not checked the weather because when we rounded
the corner for halfway we sailed straight into a building southerly and ebbing
tide that prevented us from making any windward progress. My father was a
pretty new sailor and the weather was more than we had seen up to that point.
Thinking back now we did everything wrong. Our experience with the boat and
sailing was limited. They say there are few things more dangerous than a sailor
that knows a little! Like running, we get better at things the more we do them.
Experience is key. Just like runners need to build muscle memory, sailors need
to build tiller time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mistakes are
the best teachers. Heading out the door without enough water (for a run) or
without checking the tide (in sailing) can have a massive effect on the outcome
of the day. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Taking the boat around to the launch this time seemed like a
walk in the park. A few years, plenty of experiences and just a few mistakes
have made me into a boat captain with 80,000+ sea miles. As I rounded the
corner with a full running behind me I watched a small sail boat tacking it’s
way out of Robinhood Marine. They were not making any forward progress, the
tide was against them and the wind was light. It reminded me that there are
always going to be people who are just starting out. Starting to run starts
with a few steps, starting to sail starts with a few frustrating days on the
water. But what’s important is that we keep moving forward. In the case of
trying to make way against an incoming tide, however, move backwards, go back
to the dock and wait it out!<o:p></o:p></div>
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A 20 miler is never easy. It gets less painful with proper
training and gradual increase of miles. No matter what your long distance is
right now, it’s probably going to hurt because it is more than you have done
before. Amazingly, though, our muscles adapt and get stronger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Human physiology proves that we are
made for running. We sweat instead of pant and we have lots of sweat glands,
more than we would need otherwise. Our joints and limbs can take more impact
and shock than required for a species that just walks. The body is a pretty
incredible thing and though nothing in my body felt incredible for a day or so
after the run, it will be stronger next time. </div>
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So go a little further than usual this weekend and take in the view as you do!</div>
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Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15967402913068670786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479038603786847126.post-54713610940596542242015-08-03T05:57:00.002-07:002015-08-03T06:06:25.112-07:00Fuel belts and a Boat Full of Girls<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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So I bought a fuel belt. I avoided this moment for as long as I could. Fuel belts look uncomfortable and just ridiculous. In order to avoid the ultimate running geek purchase I bought a hand held 8oz water bottle and ran with that, refilling it when I could. Then I bought another one and ran with two. I planned my long runs around public restrooms and water fountains. Finally, after being thirsty for a 15 on a pretty average weather day (not too hot, not too cold) I decided that it was time. Thankfully a trip up to Burlington and the Outdoor Gear Exchange was well timed and I found one on the 'I thought I was going to become a distance runner but then I realized it was really hard and gave up and bought a SUP' rack. I tried it out on a hot and humid Tuesday last week. The humidity has been brutal the past couple weeks. My mileability lessened with each passing one. Intending to go out for 10 I ended up with a very sweaty 7 and appreciated having plenty of water to get me through. It wasn't too uncomfortable, surprisingly, but I still looked pretty silly. </div>
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I gave it the ol Sunday morning long run test this morning and it proved pretty essential in a 17 mile out and back. I ran my usual long route from Kelley's house to the beaches and back. Starting from Portsmouth in the morning is great. The first two miles of any run from here winds through a farm and down across a gully that has a secret path to the beach.The route runs along the Sakonnet and to the Middletown beaches. It is off the main road and so far away from the chaos of Newport in the summer. On the way home I run down Wapping Road and between Rocky's Orchard and Glen road I feel like I'm getting a wapping! It just keeps going.....and everything hurts and I'm dying.... but then I turn back onto the dirt road and through the farm once more and I'm back! A hard finish to 17 that probably should have been 20. Marathon in October?? </div>
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As for Sailing:<br />
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I sailed on this new boat/work of art in Martha's Vineyard last week. Funky stuff designed by Frank Gehry. We raced in Edgartown Yacht Club Race week which was a pretty small event. The RC insisted on starting us early each day and we sailed short windward leewards in light, shifting breeze. The boat is heavy and feels heavy especially in light air. The last day was a Round the Island race with 12-15knots of wind. We managed to put up most of our sails and had a great sail around the course! </div>
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The next weekend I made my way to Camden for the Annual Girls Team race on Sapheadra. This year we allowed one male to join the crew, Sharkbait, the boat cat. We competed in the Camden to Brooklin Feeder race and the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta on Saturday. The weather was fantastic both days with no fog and wind from 10-20 knots. It's a great race with a wonderful crew of amazing women. It is one of my favorite weekends of the year! </div>
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Early run in Camden before the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta</div>
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Sailing Sapheadra in Brooklin</div>
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Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15967402913068670786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479038603786847126.post-87352330421764429022015-07-17T07:50:00.004-07:002015-07-17T07:50:53.728-07:00Track Tuesdays <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After a pretty relaxed spring of running what and when I wanted it's finally time to get back into it. The Bristol Half was a good kick in the butt to get started. I'm trying to turn Tuesday into Track day because alliteration makes for good blog titles if nothing else. The Gaudet Middle school is a couple miles from the house and who doesn't like seeing their name on a huge sign as they pass through intervals? (Even though they use a soft T here in RI, Gaud-ehh). I started last Tuesday with a 400 ladder (4, 6, 8, 12, 16, 12, 8, 6, 4) and put in 5X1000 yesterday. Track Thursday also has a nice ring to it if you're too tired on Tuesday morning...<br />
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As for distance, I covered 15 miles on Saturday after the half and took last week off to discover the thrills of road biking. I'm loosely basing my distances on a potential full on October 11. It is crazy to think that I'm in the middle of a 16 week program for October! Where did summer go? The fight between the Newport Marathon and the RI Rhode Runner Marathon continues and they have scheduled both for the same day in the fall. Do we really have that many runners in this little state?<br />
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In more exciting news downtown Newport has a running store! It's not great and they only carry Brooks, New Balance, Asics and a hand full of Run NPT t-shirts but it's exciting none the less.<br />
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Have a great weekend! Get out there, drink water, hit the pavement and then hit the beach!<br />
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Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15967402913068670786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479038603786847126.post-68425107210645622802015-07-14T06:49:00.000-07:002015-07-14T06:49:11.782-07:00Maybe it IS about the bike...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I started road biking. Though I've been told that I would probably be a strong rider I have never taken cycling very seriously. I bike to work and back and have an old aluminum hybrid that has always suited me just fine. It is increasingly rusty because of the salt air in the yard and though I have very good intentions to fix it up the state of if has gone downhill. My roommate now used to be a bike mechanic for a bit and looks at the bike deploringly. After finishing every ride I took with a flat, he spent some time looking at the rims and bearings and decided that the thing was taking up too much room in his garage and had to go. I could trade up for his finance's old road bike as long as I took my old bike to pasture. (Don't worry, it will live out it's days as a yard bike at the boat yard...)<br />
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Kelley and I have been going to a circuit class 2 or 3 times a week and last week we decided to bike to class. It's just under 10 miles to town and usually takes me about 40 minutes. Wednesday morning we jumped on our bikes, Kel on her new fancy road bike and me on my old bike, and headed to town. And then Kel was gone. I couldn't keep up with her at all. Granted she has been riding a bit more than I have but it's mostly flat and I should have been able to hang. We made it to the gym, 10 minutes late, and she reiterated that this bike was finished. We were planning on a weekend away on Lake Champlain that weekend that included, among other activities, a lot of biking. There was a 22 mile fundraiser ride on Sunday that we had decided to participate in as a group.<br />
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Friday night was a small town 5k that I entered in and finished 3rd across the line and first female. I ran a 21:05 which I was pretty happy with. I didn't have anyone to pace against and should have pushed harder at the end but it was a nice run. Saturday morning we hopped in the ski boat and did some early morning wake boarding and skiing in the lake before getting suited up for a training ride. Ben also had a new bike that he hadn't ridden and it was my first time on a real road bike. The country up there is stunning. The wide roads run along rolling fields and picturesque farms. It was a perfect day with a little south wind that we rode into on our way back home. I was pretty nervous about riding the road bike but adjusted pretty quickly and loved the feeling of flying down the road. My GPS watch beeps when you pass a mile marker and this thing was going off every few minutes! Imagine if it was measuring in kilometers! We finished our ride in 81 minutes and covered 22 miles. A pretty solid start! That afternoon we hopped back in the boat to chase the regatta that was going on on the lake. It was pretty nice not to be sailing all day, I have to admit! After the race finished we anchored off an island and swam and sunned. I imagine this is what most people with boats do but it feels pretty foreign to just hang out on the boat, for fun, without working. We watched the fireworks that night and headed to bed to get ready for the morning ride.<br />
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Sunday morning was another perfect day. There was a 70 miler and a 50 miler that headed off early along the same route that we were doing. We signed up for the 22 and headed out in a pack of slightly less competitive riders. Our bike gang was 4 up, Ben, Kelley, Brad and myself. After following a local through town we hit the bike path and took off. The route was rolling with a few up and downs on the road along the lake. We turned around 11 miles out and retraced the way we had come. A few miles form the finished I started to pull ahead thinking Kel would come with, since she never lets me go for long! When I finally turned my head around I realized I had lost the others and was about to get back into town and about to get lost. I didn't know my way back to the hospital that was the start/finish and the signed route ended at just the wrong time! I stopped and asked for directions and made my way back, not all that directly. The others had finished, though admitted getting a little lost as well, and we had a high five and a selfie to celebrate!<br />
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We had an epic weekend and I have a new sport. This is probably not good for my social life or my wallet! Anyone want to go for a ride?<br />
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Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15967402913068670786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479038603786847126.post-26609236296590909302015-06-30T09:20:00.001-07:002015-07-06T19:40:59.244-07:00Race Recap: Bristol Half Marathon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The Bristol Independence Half Marathon was run on Sunday
morning in the tail end of a passing low that dumped buckets of rain and some
pretty strong winds on the Northeast. Just over 450 runners showed up because
we’re New Englanders, after all, and what’s a little rain? The wind had pretty
much died down by the time the race started though the rain kept up for the
entire time we were out there. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I had a total girl moment when I woke up and thought, “I
don’t know what to wear!” I had planned on running in tights and a t-shirt but
thought the rain might make my tights wicked heavy. The choice is to wear lots
of clothes to keep warm and deal with the extra weight or wear very little clothing
and hope it’s not too cold. I left the house in tights and a tshirt and changed
my mind by the time I drove to Bristol.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It wasn’t very cold out, thankfully, and shorts and a long sleeve worked
out well though both soaked up plenty of water. The sopping wet pile in my sink
after the race felt like it weighed 8 pounds! <o:p></o:p></div>
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My race plan was primarily to run with a race plan since I
haven’t done it before. I wanted to see if I could set a plan and stick with
it. Not go out too fast, drink water every couple miles even if I didn’t want
it and push harder every mile. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The course in Bristol is flat with lots of corners. I like
corners, it breaks it up. We were running around the down town area and then
out through Colt State Park and back to the start/finish. I intended to split
the race into four segments of three miles each. The first three I wanted to
run 8min/miles and try to whittle 10 seconds or so off in each of the next
segments. I ran with my Garmin watch that I’m still not totally stoked about
even after updating the firmware. It seems to read out a high end average pace
and I only get an accurate idea of what I’m running at each of the mile marks.
The first three miles I stuck to my guns and ran flat 8s. As I started to move
forward into mile 4 I felt pretty good and kept thinking about the phrase ‘on
the edge of comfortable.’ I felt good, could definitely maintain that pace and
could start to push it as the race went on. Around mile 6 a young girl running
her first half caught up to me and we fell into sync. We ran together for three
miles or so and it was really good to have someone to pace off of. I would have
probably slowed down if she hadn’t been right there stride for stride. We were
maintaining 7:53 or so and the rain was coming down harder. I broke away from
her just after mile 9 and told myself to push for the next 3. What’s a 5k? NBD.
You’ve got this. It was a hard push at the end and I ran the last 3 over the
edge of comfortable into uncomfortable but doable. As I approached the 12 mile
marker the guy next to me commented about the last mile. I looked up toward the
finish and it seemed like an awfully long way away! When I mentioned it he
calmly reminded me that it was more than a mile, 1.1. We started kicking in
down a flat straight bike path, neither of us letting the other get in front.
Silently egging eachother on. That’s a great part of racing, the unspoken
comararderie paired with fierce competition. He outstepped me just at the coral
but it was a good strong finish. </div>
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My chip time was 1:42:58, not quite the sub
1:40 I was aiming for. I know that I haven’t been focusing on training and have
done very little speed work so it was as I said it would be going in, a base
line for the next two this summer. I’m happy with the result, I liked how I ran
and didn’t fall into my normal trap of slowing down in the middle miles. And
since it started at 6:30 in the morning I was home and showered and ready to go
sailing by 9!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What did you do this
morning?!<br />
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Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15967402913068670786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479038603786847126.post-8034454221933412852015-06-24T18:48:00.000-07:002015-06-24T19:03:04.244-07:00The end of the VOR and the start of the Triple Crown<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">It's been a pretty cool couple of months of sailing and travel so far this spring. May brought around the launch of my boat, a run stopping injury and the return of many friends to the Newport area. The Volvo Round the World Ocean Race had a stop over in Newport which brought huge crowds of people into town to watch sailing! I love my sport but let's be honest, it's not exactly a spectator sport. Sail Newport and the VOR did an amazing job with the race village. With interactive simulators and a half hull of a Volvo 60 people could climb around and experience what life on a boat might be like. Having so many people excited about sailing was pretty neat.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br />The presence of the SCA sponsored team made up of women sailors has opened up some interesting conversations regarding bias in the sport. I've thought about this a lot and for the most part have kept my opinion off of the Internet but I'm pretty sure the only person that reads this is my Dad so I'm safe. After many conversations, articles read and drunk rantings and ramblings, I'm going to go with I don't think the issue is whether or not women as a whole are strong enough or good enough. I am concerned with wether or not I'm strong enough and good enough. I can't do anything about the lack of opportunities for women to race except try harder to get myself on race programs. Reality is that there are few positions that need to be filled and those positions are being sought after by everyone. Even if you get the job there is no guarantee that the program will last. Yachting and racing are recreations to the billionaire owners of the boats. That doesn't lead to a whole lot of security in the job field. Trust me, I've cried about how unfair it is and yelled at my teammates for not supporting girls in sailing but it comes down to the fact that it's an industry of sailors looking out for number 1. So thank you to my teammates who listened to my bitching and gave me the advice I needed. Sailing, like running, is a sport that will only carry you as far as you push yourself. Just because you have a gig doesn't mean it's going to last and just because you've run something before doesn't guarantee success a second time.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><br />Now we can talk about running. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">(See what I did there with the sailing is like running segway?)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Last week I ran my favorite loop in Palma that takes me gradually uphill to the Belver Castle along with some half mile repeats along the coast. Back in Newport on Monday I ran 10 around Ocean Drive on tired legs and I feel pretty good about my pacing. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">This weekend is the Bristol Half Marathon in Bristol RI. It's the first race of the RI Triple Crown event since I missed running Providence. Training has been pretty unfocused but it will be a good baseline for the other two races. I'm not looking at a PR this weekend, more using it as a long distance tempo training run.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">The hardest part of distance racing is the pacing and I struggle with keeping calm in the first few miles. My goal this weekend is to stay just over 8min/mile for the first 3 miles and crank it up slowly from there. I know that I can maintain a 7:40 pace for many miles but have yet to run negative splits for a distance race. I usually end up with an average pace of 8 and slower miles in the last third of the race. My friend Jillian always runs with a race plan and as yet I haven't really made one for any of my races. This is my first race this summer so as good a time as any to change some things up and see what happens. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">My math teacher in high school always said, "if you alway do what you always did you will always get what you always got." This doesn't make a whole lot of sense in math teaching because I certinly never "got" math but for running it's pretty a propos. So get out there this weekend and make a change. Do something a little differently and see what happens. Also, if you know any biionaries looking for a way to spend money tell them to buy a race boat and hire me!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Leaving Sardinia</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">It's always a good Tuesday night with the Avalanche V crew</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">12M Class start at NYYC Annual Regatta</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Palma Windmill</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Everyone needs a cannon</span></div>
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Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15967402913068670786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479038603786847126.post-58325527379271350432015-06-10T13:27:00.002-07:002015-06-10T13:27:29.716-07:00Spring, Summer, Sardinia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been a long time since I posted last. As always I've been running and sailing all over the place. I also bought an iPhone and did the very typical thing that everyone does when they do. I stopped carrying my camera and started running with my phone instead. This is a good thing for a few reasons; I run in new places a lot and am really not a details person thus I end up pretty lost by the turn around point, If I see something awesome or beautiful or interesting while running I can snap a photo and share it with you all and I can use the fancy tracking and Nike apps to improve my workouts. Now I don't take my phone with me on most runs and I don't always track my pace and progress, especially of late, but it's a pretty cool way to recap the last few months.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiesNiW0lntz2-BwvW7Ew1QOesS4xEc-OvyA4r5bF4USOyCP3uwQsrG4RUlHtQ6KYkLKwADN3ocZLjMjG4Vd1dLZrU5if3_3Rs7ndE4mpCzJsC2s87CiAZgVgcYK7HySTDtbw8UDvuZ1kbw/s1600/IMG_1941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiesNiW0lntz2-BwvW7Ew1QOesS4xEc-OvyA4r5bF4USOyCP3uwQsrG4RUlHtQ6KYkLKwADN3ocZLjMjG4Vd1dLZrU5if3_3Rs7ndE4mpCzJsC2s87CiAZgVgcYK7HySTDtbw8UDvuZ1kbw/s320/IMG_1941.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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These two cheered me on during some interval training in Newport.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNnEyaXSOihzaUPXo-jcACmAypEYiAkhUvDiXWfJsVk2N6WrIdZzBXaBCzzi3oSbrRCEY957SQyIQBL6uT_3K5o-jh1k6XpIJTmhya_FAK7YKCTsmvDwT6KG31eQzhSitAIEbO3OHW_Wu/s1600/IMG_1929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNnEyaXSOihzaUPXo-jcACmAypEYiAkhUvDiXWfJsVk2N6WrIdZzBXaBCzzi3oSbrRCEY957SQyIQBL6uT_3K5o-jh1k6XpIJTmhya_FAK7YKCTsmvDwT6KG31eQzhSitAIEbO3OHW_Wu/s320/IMG_1929.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sailing in Antigua Classics Regatta</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg44ql3THMCfKKCn0Eg_ksk4htgyfpznhR0HLhbAx0aPXyxg1DbRzq7zc0OTi9Rbn_bax8aIwJCPpguncTR5S0QakJcLxBoME6iHFWENbdenGzQGA-A1-NMJgWGzUj0im-yh5qvNoMfWbWh/s1600/IMG_1889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg44ql3THMCfKKCn0Eg_ksk4htgyfpznhR0HLhbAx0aPXyxg1DbRzq7zc0OTi9Rbn_bax8aIwJCPpguncTR5S0QakJcLxBoME6iHFWENbdenGzQGA-A1-NMJgWGzUj0im-yh5qvNoMfWbWh/s320/IMG_1889.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Run, swim, run in Antigua with some friends</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOvpzMW5Zf7sNVdscKzVKa72r2lNTtNVSllTB5WoMylGHmwbd_0lakMD8yuCfGyy7cU_dYsLhHAaS2UhxdVNQWYw4-dd_JIiqFWxP1IOhEuWQRkhZY3cR3rftvL5ZdT2wcq-WxIjXQdZS/s1600/IMG_1891.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioOvpzMW5Zf7sNVdscKzVKa72r2lNTtNVSllTB5WoMylGHmwbd_0lakMD8yuCfGyy7cU_dYsLhHAaS2UhxdVNQWYw4-dd_JIiqFWxP1IOhEuWQRkhZY3cR3rftvL5ZdT2wcq-WxIjXQdZS/s320/IMG_1891.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Sunset at Shirley's. My favorite Antiguan run</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3gi1ercGxCzBjFJ-BoHqlPRAhz06kvYywK-P4g7IYuUjrGCeLwvx2W07PHpBfaZfTrazHa3DZXdhTZr16xnyIdbPljHVO0erAJXq64eAQKRmtHk88bdNgNclXPR6zo8b4llzVFwum47k/s1600/IMG_2398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3gi1ercGxCzBjFJ-BoHqlPRAhz06kvYywK-P4g7IYuUjrGCeLwvx2W07PHpBfaZfTrazHa3DZXdhTZr16xnyIdbPljHVO0erAJXq64eAQKRmtHk88bdNgNclXPR6zo8b4llzVFwum47k/s320/IMG_2398.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDu8B2Qr5dFHyalBZXhKxewgQhxQunEyxr5WdYEtJtvHK5TcH2QkEcQUuwd3ZXDPhNHZGN9Hu2WBnUjsSPto6EQelGJitJFBmbK7o6lk3ek4W6_yAevCYnfYpsmsJZYG6-t2PVCN9MurzE/s1600/IMG_2347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDu8B2Qr5dFHyalBZXhKxewgQhxQunEyxr5WdYEtJtvHK5TcH2QkEcQUuwd3ZXDPhNHZGN9Hu2WBnUjsSPto6EQelGJitJFBmbK7o6lk3ek4W6_yAevCYnfYpsmsJZYG6-t2PVCN9MurzE/s320/IMG_2347.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
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Some Sardinian miles <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi85tluNTHkfnUkmhsyIePGQ4RRNCkHIXjrgyMJg4xtWJMLMDuoViCF2QAFhWOUTzMB-t-3uAWmR2qmNGDmw-Pdd7o_kfvjnpDrtB4Mg8cXU-UXrWN5gHTHfdfNgbxD09XX7BjxFsaPJfhF/s1600/IMG_2257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi85tluNTHkfnUkmhsyIePGQ4RRNCkHIXjrgyMJg4xtWJMLMDuoViCF2QAFhWOUTzMB-t-3uAWmR2qmNGDmw-Pdd7o_kfvjnpDrtB4Mg8cXU-UXrWN5gHTHfdfNgbxD09XX7BjxFsaPJfhF/s320/IMG_2257.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Launching my boat took up a lot of time that cut into running, but isn't she pretty?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6NnS4uOdw_AfRPPXrMZ1GMJ-fArSJLZn_ti_P5wwZqbM-EuGavAYMAiQRPbbvNHtcNFTyUmzDisXSw4-twzpRbGpw_DjSOkxgTKS7KqgrzJNBNFCntldGoQZn7hd9pgSF9OrZ9IPgLrs/s1600/IMG_2021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6NnS4uOdw_AfRPPXrMZ1GMJ-fArSJLZn_ti_P5wwZqbM-EuGavAYMAiQRPbbvNHtcNFTyUmzDisXSw4-twzpRbGpw_DjSOkxgTKS7KqgrzJNBNFCntldGoQZn7hd9pgSF9OrZ9IPgLrs/s320/IMG_2021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Do you know where your unicorn is?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTNwWfl0VwWfu4DkRpRx-SdOAeWDGytaM04DmGPhIdVnjeHdvWywSJYhd78Of-FMejvwnPN-ANhfAj8BFKQEa48Nucgk5voWPIl8Y1qIrblnIdU2794C6yZ0oA07qyxqqLijiqEucOm3L/s1600/IMG_2210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTNwWfl0VwWfu4DkRpRx-SdOAeWDGytaM04DmGPhIdVnjeHdvWywSJYhd78Of-FMejvwnPN-ANhfAj8BFKQEa48Nucgk5voWPIl8Y1qIrblnIdU2794C6yZ0oA07qyxqqLijiqEucOm3L/s320/IMG_2210.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Portsmouth, RI morning run </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9SRBFfUhZA-lHOYB8XBc3qtOd79miHNxEjy52RjtvZfiF791fPnHoG00LZBWxfHHaGTH4T8XQ9Pq8oVEPzWJ3rQlovsDskRD97GPc5q2MXpdFSvMrY7UGo-Xzs7-YBnwOUpoFxf-4WeZ/s1600/IMG_2213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9SRBFfUhZA-lHOYB8XBc3qtOd79miHNxEjy52RjtvZfiF791fPnHoG00LZBWxfHHaGTH4T8XQ9Pq8oVEPzWJ3rQlovsDskRD97GPc5q2MXpdFSvMrY7UGo-Xzs7-YBnwOUpoFxf-4WeZ/s320/IMG_2213.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Summer is in full swing in Newport and training for the Rhode Island Half Marathon Triple Crown is underway. A 7 miler tempo run yesterday boosted my confidence with an average pace around 7:45. Tomorrow's mission is to find a track and start getting back into repeat speed work. </div>
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It's a great time of year, bring on the miles! </div>
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Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15967402913068670786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479038603786847126.post-68362945881010172982015-04-14T06:12:00.002-07:002015-04-14T06:16:53.741-07:00Drugs, Set Backs and Rock and Roll<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
**Disclaimer: I was on a plane when I wrote this so it does go on a bit, ok it's really long, but bare with me, it's a pretty interesting issue**<br />
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With Marathon Monday just around the corner my own spring marathon goals have been on my mind. Over the last month I have been traveling to and sailing at different events in the Caribbean. The break from the cold was much appreciated and the sailing was fantastic but all that rum and sun caused my training to slip. I ran almost every day but my mileage was down and my speed training was practically nonexistent. Tempo runs were replaced with hill repeats and instead of 18-20, long distances were more like 10-12. Being hilly and hot makes Caribbean training hard, for sure, but by this time last year I had run an 18 in Antigua and two 20s in Tortola so that's not an excuse. The bottom line is I have put myself back about a month and probably won't race a full in May, as planned. I want to run my next marathon when I feel really ready and confident that I can decrease my time. I don't know how realistic a BQ really is for me but it is something to run towards and I want to run my next race with that in mind.<br />
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As for now I am turning my focus to the half marathon distance, with a race on May 3rd that is part of the Rhode Island Grand Slam half marathon series. Throughout the summer there are four half marathons around the state that count towards an extra t-shirt if you run all four of them. There is the option of running a full for the last event in Newport in October. The Newport Marathon is up in the air this year because of some drama involving the city, permits, Eident racing and sand dunes. Though it is not my favorite race, I still look forward to it because it's my home for now training ground. Eident and the City have both promised to host events, most likely on the same weekend so there will be something to run, there just aren't a lot of details yet. Obviously this has upset the people who have already registered for the series or race but since I don't believe in booking things in advance (or buying round trip tickets, or anything else that commits me to being someplace at sometime) this isn't an issue for me.<br />
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With my own training falling off the treadmill, as it were, and an injury to my sister causing her not to run, I have been thinking about goals and set backs. I'm not a goal setter, as I wrote about last year, and I'm sure, along with my unpredictable work schedule, it has a lot to do with the commitment phobia that keeps me from registering for races in advance. If you don't set goals you can't not reach them, right? But I do think it is important to set yourself up for success by setting goals that are realistic. I don't mean that whatever it is it should be easy. It needs to be something that challenges ourself that requires hard work with a big spoonful of self doubt, but something that is achievable. As fate would have it, as I was tuning over these thoughts in my head, I delivered a boat from St. John to The Bahamas and ended up reading one of the recent tell-all books about the Lance Armstrong/Tour de France/Did he or Didn't He/Is Doping Bad? affair. Though I know that it's not realistic, I like to believe that people are honest and hard working and can achieve amazing things and I'm always disappointed to hear about athletes that are striped of medals or honors because they cheated. Reading this book, <i>Wheelmen</i>, made me question my own opinions on the subject. I remember being upset to find out that Marion Jones had taken drugs to win her Olympic gold medals and was equally disappointed when Lance Armstrong admitted to continuous use of the same drugs that probably gave him cancer in the first place. I don't follow cycling and I didn't realize just how much controversy there was over him in particular and his repetitive claims that he was racing clean. It breaks the issue up in to a few different arguments; </div>
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-Why is doping bad?</div>
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-Other than the individual athlete, who is it hurting?</div>
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-Is it the cheating / lying / legality that is the issue?</div>
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-Would you do something drastic to achieve your goals?</div>
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EPO, the most common performance enhancing drug, and Human Growth Hormones are two of the big things athletes are tested for. Taking injections of these cause athletes to increase their supply of oxygenated red blood cells, produce them for longer during periods of incredible strain and to feel less strain while pushing their bodies. Honestly, it doesn't sound that bad to me! How fast could I run if my hamstrings weren't straining? Pain is weakness leaving the body, right? Sort of. Pain is our bodies way of telling us that something is wrong. Strain is different and knowing that difference is important. With pain you should probably stop. It is a sign that something isn't working the way it is supposed to. Strain is probably fixable with more training and proper stretching or recovery or whatever. Taking a drug that masks the line between the two can lead to two things, achieving incredible feats of endurance and pushing to the point of break down or death, in the case of one TdF cyclist.<br />
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Obviously, death is bad but other than the individual athlete does doping in sports hurt anyone else? The main argument in <i>Wheelmen</i> was that the bar was raised so high by athletes and teams that were taking drugs that it made it impossible to compete at that level without it, it was part of the game. Young athletes coming up were encouraged or pressured into taking the drugs, no matter what their natural ability, they wouldn't be an asset to the team if they didn't take it. Our elementary school teachers drilled into us that drugs are bad but isn't using science to reach new heights part of our culture? The team doctors that were prescribing EPO and blood transfusions monitored these athletes' levels of VO2 (volume of oxygen) and lactic acid and designed drug regimens around it. They were just increasing what the body produces naturally with exercise. Paula Radcliff holds the long standing record for the women's marathon and maintains that she did it clean. I'm inclined to believe her but after reading this book I don't know what to think! Her trainers and doctors have tested her natural VO2 levels and find them higher than most endurance athletes, who have high levels anyways. If her body naturally produces the things it needs to push harder for longer isn't using a drug or a blood transfusion that does the same thing just leveling the playing field?<br />
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The other big issue with the Armstrong case was the fact that everyone was lying and lying about lying. Again, from an early age we know lying is bad. Lance Armstrong never felt bad about using drugs to enhance his performance he was just eventually felt bad about lying about it. (Well, at least he told Oprah he felt bad about it, but I would say whatever I thought Oprah wanted me to say too …). If all elite athletes are doing it, should they at least be honest about it?<br />
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Then there is the legal side. Using these drugs is against the law and breaking the law is bad. But alcohol and cigarettes are legal and kill more people every year than EPO use. For that matter shouldn't fast food be illegal if it can lead to diabetes, heart disease and death? We're mad at the people that are trying to run 26 miles or bike over the Alps for 3 weeks faster than anyone else. People are upset that these athletes aren't good roll models for their kids or that they let us down in some way but we're perfectly happy to let those young kids become obese and 18 year olds to fill their body with known carcinogens. <br />
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We know that dying, lying, cheating, and breaking the law are all bad things and if athletes are doing these things in order to achieve their goals does that make doing anything to meet a goal a bad thing? I don't know, it all makes my head spin. It's a good argument to take on a long training run though! Thankfully, I am not an elite athlete or world record breaker and I'm pretty sure I won't ever be faced with the moral dilemma of taking EPO or HGH. I will admit to taking a strong shot of caffeine, which is a drug, before running. I hope you're all not too disappointed in me. </div>
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As for the comings and goings of this mortal runner, I managed to get home to Newport for about 30 hours this week and was very pleasantly surprised to find that the snow was gone and spring is here! I dropped my bags and turned right back around to run ocean drive, unwilling to pass up an opportunity to celebrate the change of season appropriately. I had an awesome run. All of the doubts and debate about the full were far from my mind as I crushed 11 miles and felt great. I didn't take my GPS with me and mapped it when I returned home. I was pretty happy to see that I averaged an 8:09 pace, way down from last week's 9:21 12 miler. The air was fresh and just a little bit cool and it reinvigorated me completely. Congratulations to everyone who made it through the winter in New England, get out there and celebrate this week, it's only going to get better! </div>
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Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15967402913068670786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479038603786847126.post-21588827466583299792015-04-01T07:06:00.001-07:002015-04-01T07:23:13.955-07:00Did you just call me fat?!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One of the guys that I sail with asked me the other day, "If you run so much, why don't you look like a runner?"</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My female intuition kicked in and I automatically responded with, "did you just call me fat?!" After watching him bumble around for a bit trying to dig himself out of that hole I kindly explained that I run often and I run a lot but I'm certainly not winning these marathons and am definitely not an elite athlete. I just enjoy running. It did get me thinking, though, about size and shape as well as the plateau. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">-What does a runner look like? </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">-Do genetics control our size and shape more than a work out regime? </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">-Is it a nature vs nurture argument? </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Having a consistent regime can cause people to stop seeing change in their bodies. The raving that goes on about different diets and supplement routines having near instant results is great until your body gets used to the change. As you lose weight your body burns fewer calories per the same amount of exercise or calories eaten. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">The theory behind the Cross Fit phenomenon is to keep your muscles guessing by breaking them down again and again with different activities. Running doesn't do this. Sure, we vary our training with intervals and cross training days but for the most part it's one foot in front of the other. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">My best friend has just celebrated returning to her pre baby weight 2 years after giving birth to her beautiful daughter. I'm incredibly proud of her for setting her goal and having the drive and patience to reach it. Over the past year she has focused on calories and exercise. She has figured out ways to workout while caring for her daughter full time.She maintains her caloric intake by removing tempting foods from her vicinity and she tracks her exercise and calorie burn with a Fit Bit because being a mom burns a lot of calories that are hard to track using traditional methods. I don't see 'chasing a toddler around in attempt to get her dressed: 95 calories' in any of the exercise tracking apps! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Personally, I rarely change weight. I am and have been 150 lbs since I can remember. It doesn't seem to matter if I am in full training or sailing across oceans, that number doesn't move more than a few pounds. There have been a couple of deliveries when the weather wasn't great that I didn't feel up to eating and stepped off the boat about 10 lbs lighter, but short of starving myself for a couple weeks, I don't see a real possibility of living at the ever elusive 135lbs. When I'm training a lot my body tones up in different areas and there is definitely some firming of thighs and things but no real weight change. I think I used to get stuck on the number and thinking that I needed to be down below 140 but I'm happy now with it just being my shape. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">What do you do when you plateau?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Do you have a non-traditional runner's shape and size?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Do you change up your routine? What do you do?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Here's a great article about what it will take to run a sub <a href="http://rw.runnersworld.com/sub-2/">2 hour marathon</a>, perfect conditions, boring course, cool weather and a short guy with long legs!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here's a nice view from a plateau in St. Barths</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0a9sUm7_Jbx_GJWeulE0Ejm0xcTq6Q_McA9-RJRlBngFnmk_4d-CwbOIOngv3onU3zXuAg0xEtOdY5rHIl19fKntGnrtmQfL96HWIwI2n2-fmVSMyaJ5dXk1HJUdAPSlwhHdvkrhW0U18/s1600/IMG_1636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0a9sUm7_Jbx_GJWeulE0Ejm0xcTq6Q_McA9-RJRlBngFnmk_4d-CwbOIOngv3onU3zXuAg0xEtOdY5rHIl19fKntGnrtmQfL96HWIwI2n2-fmVSMyaJ5dXk1HJUdAPSlwhHdvkrhW0U18/s1600/IMG_1636.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15967402913068670786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479038603786847126.post-50612296136675257902015-03-17T12:53:00.002-07:002015-03-17T12:54:18.994-07:00Caribbean hills and track workouts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I was able to hang up my tights, gloves and hat for a couple weeks while I sail a few races in the Caribbean this month. Winter weather training has certainly been a challenge this year and I know I have a bit more in store for me when I get back. That said, it's definitely nice to have a break from the snow and freezing temps, even if it includes very steep hills!</div>
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I was back in the BVI last week racing and running around my old turf in the North Sound, Virgin Gorda. It was great to run a couple of my old routes, out to Oil Nut and up to Hog Heaven. I snuck in an interval workout on the horse track, too, the only flat area on the island!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZ7gt4L-aea2cZNwm8wxyFog9agsHLp5M_2rB3svj9bgyqX2kuDvjW_R0bdD3jk35AHswugnlnM2NvjTiKq9gJZjoHKk-4HVC_o_XufIExBAXhzQjOZkfDfk5fC_ymjUBplB-cU43bOp5/s1600/IMG_1500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZ7gt4L-aea2cZNwm8wxyFog9agsHLp5M_2rB3svj9bgyqX2kuDvjW_R0bdD3jk35AHswugnlnM2NvjTiKq9gJZjoHKk-4HVC_o_XufIExBAXhzQjOZkfDfk5fC_ymjUBplB-cU43bOp5/s1600/IMG_1500.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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This week's track</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnZKEiPhIJnqjGl-zO2JoENRUaY2Sor0wcOUFUj5OTlrvjPTIEFtqkAsZyTakzc4eLcFhDxDLvvAdLC6AFaFwxzuZ5hIag0AHh8pfc9D6JWEJWsnU1BNzZSIrd2x9Zcr7NZz8Es445ig_/s1600/IMG_1568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnZKEiPhIJnqjGl-zO2JoENRUaY2Sor0wcOUFUj5OTlrvjPTIEFtqkAsZyTakzc4eLcFhDxDLvvAdLC6AFaFwxzuZ5hIag0AHh8pfc9D6JWEJWsnU1BNzZSIrd2x9Zcr7NZz8Es445ig_/s1600/IMG_1568.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>We had a day off of racing on Sunday and I headed out of the house without my shoes but decided to hike over Guy's Trail in my flips anyways. </div>
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Running or hiking it is good to get to the top of the hills here because the views are always worth it!</div>
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This morning in St. Barths I found a great 8 mile loop that ran along some of the quieter roads on the island. I headed down into Toiny and around the south facing side toward Saline. As I circled back into St. Jean I was back on the main road and had to play the shoulder hopping game when the big trucks came by (the roads are really small here). All in all a good run and a part of the island I haven't seen before. I think I'll head down to the beach and get in a little cross training with a swim. </div>
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Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15967402913068670786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479038603786847126.post-44327871877618720352015-03-08T06:15:00.001-07:002015-03-08T06:15:12.422-07:00Sometimes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Sometimes you go to bed early on a Friday night so you can wake up early on Saturday morning to meet up with a new running group and run your first 20 of the season. Sometimes you get up extra early to ensure you have time to eat a banana and peanut butter and drink some water before getting in your car and driving. Sometimes you aren't able to poop before leaving the house and you stop at a Dunkin' Donuts on the way to meet the group and use their bathroom even though you weren't a customer that morning. Sometimes you meet up with a group and start your run but in the back of your mind you realize that even though their pacing at the same pace you would for this distance you are struggling to keep up. And you realize that the pit stop at the DD bathroom didn't quite cover it. And your hamstrings, which are always a little tight, are starting to complain a little more than usual. And as the distance between you and the pack grows you start to panic a little because you didn't bring your phone and you are running in a new place and you don't know your way around. And the complaining from your hamstrings is starting to sound more like yelling. And even after you find a side of the road Porto to use you still can't shake your tight muscles and sore knee. And you eat your chomps and you drink your water and your pace slows to a crawl and your hambos start to really scream at you. And you check in with yourself and know that, though they're screaming they are not tearing, just tight and sore. And you go back in forth in your head about how much distance you should cover and is this an injury or just something that hurts. And you turn around so that your total distance will be just over 16 instead of 18 or 20 that you intended. Sometimes you do everything right the week before and the day before and the morning of and you still have a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad run.<br />
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Running is an amazing sport and it is as unforgiving as the road we run on. It doesn't matter if you are training for your fourth marathon or your 50th you still have to put in the miles and some of them are going to hurt. For the good or the bad of it, each run is a new day of running. The bad is that you can't bank last year's training sessions or miles, you have to run them again this year. The good is that we can start over after having a terrible run and know the next one will be better. Running keeps you honest and humble.<br />
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And sometimes, very rarely, but sometimes, you hit a runner's high. </div>
Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15967402913068670786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479038603786847126.post-24603198953815102022015-03-05T17:15:00.001-08:002015-03-05T17:15:24.711-08:00TbT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This Throwback Thursday thing seems to be, well a thing, so I thought I would do a sort of year in review. Last Saturday was the 8 Tuff Mile race in St. John and though I was at a similar elevation, this year I was skiing down a mountain instead of running over one. And as I train for another May marathon, this time in the snow, it's fun to think back to where I was last year and where I went to get to here.<br />
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8 Tuff, St. John USVI</div>
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Sugarloaf Marathon, Maine</div>
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United Marathon, Newport, RI</div>
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Element Racing NYE 10k, Las Vegas, Nevada</div>
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Belleville Pond Trail 10K, North Kingston, RI</div>
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Dear Treadmill,<br />
I wanted to write you this letter to say thanks for being part of my running/training team. I know you often end up with a bad wrap and I wanted to put out there that I really do appreciate you and I wanted to tell you about a recent workout of mine.<br />
This winter has been pretty interesting for me. I packed up my flip flops and dug out my snow boots for a few cold months in Rhode Island. I started training for a May marathon in January and it was going pretty well until it started snowing and just wouldn't stop. With snow banks rebuilding at least once a weeks the sidewalks were barely clear(ish) for any amount of time and the roads weren't much better. Though running on ice can make the miles slip by, (see what I did there? Ice. Slip) it doesn't do a whole lot for pace runs or long distance runs.<br />
The other issue we have been having is the temperature outside. Though we feel clever when we can talk about running as many miles as degrees Fahrenheit that gets old pretty quickly. Finally, it got so cold and windy that I couldn't take it anymore and I headed over to the gym at the Shipyard to pound out some miles on the Treadmill there.<br />
Before leaving my apartment I loaded up my iPod with new mixes from RockmyRun, anything to help pass the time. No offense, but workouts can get pretty monotonous when running in the same place staring out the window. As I settled in to a comfortable pace I decided on my plan to run 5 miles at a decreasing pace with a mile on each end to warm up and cool down. The first mile felt good and I decided to add in some incline bursts to each of the fast miles. Having the computer to do all the pacing work makes zoning out or tuning into my music so much easier. I am currently in a fight with my running watch and can't seem to ever get a good pace read off of it so it was nice to hit a button and know that my pace was constant. Knowing that I was running at a constant speed let me analyze if I could be going faster or pushing harder on each burst.<br />
As I got into mile 4 and mile 5 the old running buddy, Doubt, started to surface. A run on a treadmill isn't only a workout of the legs but a can be a major test of will power since the urge to reach forward and tap the speed button can be irresistible. Instead of lowering the speed I tried adding in some incline, figuring that if I could run that pace with 3% grade for 0.2 miles than it would feel easier for the rest of the mile. Though it took a bit of restraint I finished my workout with more challenge than I had set out to do. I really enjoyed being able to run at any pace I chose, and let the belt carry me forward. It was a relief not to have to worry about traffic, slush, spray, ice and snow as well.<br />
In closing, Treadmill, thank you for pushing me and my perceived limits. Though you encourage that little piece of me that says, "quit, quit!" you also push the part of me that says, "go harder! go faster!" You don't deserve all the bad press that is out there, runners know that there is a time and place for you and are happy that you exist. Though I don't see myself breaking any half marathon records by running on you for 13.1 miles (that's batshit stuff), I do see many more interval workouts in our future together.<br />
Thanks again,<br />
L<br />
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Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15967402913068670786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479038603786847126.post-35223814127171313172015-02-21T14:01:00.001-08:002015-02-21T14:01:34.314-08:00Winter Wonderland<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm procrastinating on my taxes. So far today I went for a long run, went grocery shopping, pulled the meat off a roast chicken and made stock out of the carcass. I had run out of things to do instead and had actually sat down and started my 1040 when I remembered that I haven't blogged in ages! Excellent. At this rate I can put the forms off until tomorrow.<br />
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I have gotten into the swing of running long on Saturdays. Usually my marathon training is set around my crazy work schedule and ends up with long runs whenever I can fit them in but with my very normal M-F 9-5 (ok 3:30, let's be honest, it's cold at work) winter work schedule, I have been able to meet up with the Rhode Island Road Runners for the past few Saturdays. My first 10 miler was a few weeks ago by myself down the Cliff walk and around Ocean Drive. I ramped it up to 14 last week in honor of the holiday. I met up with a couple from RIRR and we ran a great route in Jamestown from town out to Beavertail and back with a couple loops tacked on. This weekend I met up with RIRR again at their usual spot in Bristol at Colt State Park. I arrived early so that I could run a few miles before the rest of the group arrived to do 11. I wanted to run ~16 but was feeling pretty sore from this week. I fit in 3 before the group arrived and we pounded out another 11 by doing two laps of the park and a little street running. All of the runs have been great and not too cold. Saturday morning seems to be the time when the weather takes a breather. The wind dies down and the snow stops long enough to get a few miles in before it all comes back on again. The weather has been a determining factor in when and where I have been putting my workouts in. It was so cold two weeks ago when I headed out for a Friday morning 6 that I had to turn in a mile early. The next week had 7 on the docket and it was a slow, slippery, painful 7. I finally admitted to myself that I might have to find a treadmill or other workout options.<br />
I started looking around for anything other than the dreaded T. One of the local running groups meets up at URI and uses their indoor track for repeats on Tuesdays. I drove out there last week and fit in an interval workout. It was great to focus on speed instead of footing and staying upright!<br />
I also signed up for a circuit HIIT class at Pulse. I have been meaning to try their classes for awhile and was very happy I went. The class was for an hour on Thursday morning and was great! Circuits are fun and hectic and it's nice to wake up some other muscles from time to time, too.<br />
And what would winter in New England be without a bit of skiing? So I have been trying to get back into it. I've managed to fit in 2 weekends and a couple days here and there at various mountains. I haven't skied very much since middle school so I'm pretty rusty but I'm getting back into it for sure. I also haven't had a set of ski gear that was my own since high school. I didn't really ski in college, choosing to sail in the winter because I had the gear and it was cheaper, and moving to the Caribbean afterwards meant not having a lot of wintery things. The few times I've managed to be around snow I have rented gear and been pretty happy with that. Luckily I have very talented and generous friends, a few of whom have spent their winters on mountains instead of beaches. This winter a friend of mine gave a pair of K2s that were too long for her and fit me pretty well. Another friend had found a pair of ski boots at his town dump and grabbed them for his wife. Unfortunately, his wife has size 7 feet and the boots were size 10. Good for me! Finally, having huge feet has paid off! With my new skis and old boots I am rocketing down the mountain. Sort of.<br />
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All of these activities make all of this crazy snow not so bad. I would be disappointed if I spent a winter here and it wasn't snowing, honestly. They also make for very little time to do tedious things like my taxes....<br />
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Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15967402913068670786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479038603786847126.post-72727651948348639662015-02-08T09:46:00.000-08:002015-02-08T09:46:59.733-08:00Newton, New Shoes and a New Name<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Getting on a plane after a great week is not my favorite part of my job. I get incredibly melancholy on planes. Maybe its the anonymity of airports. Maybe it's coming down off of the adrenaline spike that's present in racing and traveling. Either way when I arrived back in Newport I was bummed. It was bitterly cold and overcast and seemed awfully quite after a hectic week in the islands. My first day back I didn't run. Now we all know I love running but I still run into the inevitable mental block that stops me from getting up early or out the door. I don't know why this is still an option in my brain, I never regret going for a run and always kick myself for not going. Still, I hit the big wall of excuses sometimes. Newton says an object in motion stays in motion and I completely agree and not just because of gravity or lack of friction. When I'm busy and have 100 things to accomplish in a day I will hit them all, fit in a run and love it. When I don't have a whole lot on the schedule everything seems to come to a crawl and I don't want to do anything at all. After a jam packed week of sailing, running and socializing my life in Newport seemed wide open, plenty of time to fit in some running, and yet I danced around it for the first two days. I did get out the door after work on Friday, the second day, and it was great. I just need to get moving and keep moving and when I run into doubt or excuses keep I have a list of things that motivate me near by.<br />
My list includes;<br />
-Buying new gear and trying it out<br />
-Making a new play list and rocking out<br />
-Racing or group runs<br />
-Increasing the accountability by blogging or telling a friend what I'm doing<br />
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I ran Friday as a warm up for the Trail 10k on Saturday. I have started to join some running groups, or have at least joined their facebook pages. Talking about running and running in groups is a great way to find races and other activities in this area. I have never really explored RI outside of Newport or what you can get to by boat and now that I have some wheels I have been trying to get out there and run in new places. The 10k was a great example of that, through a nature area you would never have guessed was there! It was also an interesting eye opener to the amount of running gear most people have. I have always been pretty minimalist due to packing restrictions and thus I have my running shoes until they blow out. One pair. Looking around at the ground yesterday people were wearing all sorts of trail shoes, Trax, Crampons, gaters and even the racing snow shoes. As I looked down at my very comfortable, light weight, mesh New Balances I realized I could probably do with a new pair, that had a little more shoe to them. Shoe and gear envy aside, my shoes are blown out on the toe edges and have started to feel dead in the soles. After the race I headed up to Providence to the Rhode Runner shoe store. I have seen Rhode Runner jerseys on a lot of the runners around here and they set up a few of the races and group runs and I had never been up to the store. The store has treadmills and a track for you to run on so they can analyze your pronation and what type of shoe you should run in. I already know what type of shoe I like but I seem to keep growing out of the ones I have. I loved the pair of Merrells I ran Sugarloaf in but when I went to buy another pair they were too small. I bought the next size up but they seemed too tight on my toes. Yesterday I wanted to try on some of the wide models to see what brands fit best. I tried on women's 10s and even they seemed tight in some styles so the man helping me started bringing me men's sizes. I ended up with a new pair of New Balance RC 1400s. On my way home I stopped at Marshalls to continue the credit card abuse. Middletown, Rhode Island has the best Marshalls. Ever. And on the clearance shelf because no one has feet as large as mine, was a pair of Mizuno Sayonaras in just my size! Well, I guess two pairs can't hurt!<br />
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I laced up the Sayonaras for 9 miles this morning around snowy Newport. It snowed a couple of inches last night and dusted the streets and sidewalks. It was pretty warm and I pounded out to the beaches and the bird sanctuary. I was out early enough that the roads weren't too slushy and there was minimal traffic to avoid. Well, except for the geese!<br />
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I realized that my blog is still titled 30 for 30 and that it is time for a new name. I was hoping something clever would come to be as I ran around in the snow. or on the beach. or in Europe. oh...There it is. </div>
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Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15967402913068670786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479038603786847126.post-70603633075110046102015-02-07T15:51:00.001-08:002015-02-07T15:54:08.457-08:00White Sandy Beaches and Plently of Snow<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have been a runner since my father took me out on the road in our neighborhood when we were little kids. I kept running through high school and college as exercise and stress relief. I played lots of sports and am a total joiner, I love activities! When I started traveling it became harder to be apart of any sports teams or clubs because I never knew my schedule or where I was going to be and anytime I was in one place particular I knew I would be leaving soon. Since running only requires a pair of shoes it was an easy thing to continue. It is also a great way to see new places, a 6mph pace is just about right to see a lot of things in a short amount of time. Little things you might miss if you were zooming past in a car. It has also turned out to be a good litmus test of the type of people in an area. When arriving in a new place I will head out on my morning run and wish every person I pass a Good Morning! It's shocking, since I'm from New England, but I like to greet people and be greeted as they pass. I have found some very friendly environments (the caribbean) and some snobby ones (San Fran) but mostly people smile or respond as they jog along. My running app has little tips for every day and yesterday it said, "Don't forget to smile at other runners. Most are friendly and don't care how long you've been running, just that you're out participating and enjoying their sport." It's true, we're all out there having a good day or a slow day or a first day, but we're out and that's awesome!<br />
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So last week I packed up my shoes and my sailing gear and headed south to Antigua. I took a plane this time and was there for a Superyacht Race. Superyacht racing is a special kind of racing. Not thrilling like AC72 sailing and not competitive like dinghy sailing but it's a whole other spectacle that I personally love to watch. There is a grand piano aboard the yacht I race on and we move that beast around the course just as seriously as we would any other race boat. It's just a baby grand after all. We had a good week sailing and I had a mediocre week of running. I managed to fit in a couple of my favorite runs and hiked the goat trail with some friends. Antigua is probably my favorite Caribbean island to run on. Many of the flights were canceled coming back into the North East so I used my extra day to run to Rendezvous and join up with a beach bbq.<br />
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Yesterday after work I bundled up and headed down to the beach. It was a beautiful afternoon and not too cold. The sidewalks are icy and the roads are only cleared to the yellow lines so there is no shoulder to run on. It makes for a good adventure and trying not to slip on the ice helps pass the time!<br />
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This morning I headed across the bridge for a 10k trail run, not really thinking through the fact that there was a blizzard last week and the woods are full of snow. The trail ran around a pond in North Kingston and was packed down for only about 1/2 of it! Deep snow running is actually pretty fun! Luckily it has been cold and the snow is still fluffy and thank goodness for Smartwool socks, feet are wet but still warm! Who doesn't love a little contrast? White sandy beaches one week and woods full of snow the next!<br />
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Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15967402913068670786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1479038603786847126.post-39510603130653365942015-01-20T15:21:00.001-08:002015-01-20T15:21:50.671-08:00Running, Biking and Warmer Temps<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It was above 30* again this morning when I woke up for my run. Living in New England is definitely an exercise in relativity. Two months ago I wouldn't have even considered getting out of bed when I rolled over to see my window thermometer pointing to the blue zone. These days as long as it is somewhere above zero I can't wait to get out on the road because it's 'so warm out!' There as also been very little wind the past week or so which also helps keep temps up. After spending the recent winters in the Caribbean my stock of cold weather/warm running clothes has been seriously depleted. Thankfully Jules and I took a winter hiking trip to the Grand Canyon over New Years so I had two very good excuses to go shopping for some technical cold weather kit. Marshalls came through, as usual, and I found an awesome Saucony running hat, some Nike gloves with booger thumbs and some fleece lined tights and tops, all on clearance! Buying new gear is very close to the top of my <i>ways to get motivated </i>list. Right under keeping a training journal blog!<br />
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With my new clothes and the spiking temperatures I have been celebrating the weather (or the fact that I've finally acclimatized to it) by running in the mornings and biking to and from work. The morning runs are ~3 miles with some hill work thrown in and the bike to work is 8.5 miles on pretty flat roads. Luckily my job doesn't require me to wear a business suit or to look (or smell) presentable at all so I can get away with arriving a little sweaty.<br />
Doubling up with running and biking landed me in a conversation about running vs biking muscle groups, PRE (perceived rate of exertion) and AT (anaerobic threshold). I have always maintained that biking is harder and therefore must use different muscles groups than the ones I have from running. I can run a marathon but I struggle on a bike for even a couple miles. I don't think anyone could say I have weak legs. My calves don't fit into boots or skinny jeans and my quads and butt dictate my jeans size more than my waist does! Don't get me wrong, I have always been proud of my runner's legs but what is the deal with biking? I was convinced that there must be some other muscle group that bikers develop. Apparently, I was wrong. A friend of mine tried to convince me that there was no secret biking muscle group, that you use your legs, just like running, to push a bike forward. So we both went home and did what anyone else would do to prove we were each right, GTS. According to this <a href="http://www.livestrong.com/article/374003-muscles-used-in-running-vs-cycling/">article on livestrong.com</a> the same muscles are used, just in slightly different ways. Push vs pull and four stages in running to only two in cycling. This <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19290675">abstract</a> points out that the PRE is higher and the VO2 max and AT happen earlier in biking, however, and that's why I feel so out of shape on a bike. Any cyclists feel the opposite is true when they hit the road running?<br />
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Either way, it's been a pretty great start to the week. Hopefully the weather holds through the week. Here's to lots of miles, get out there!<br />
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Laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15967402913068670786noreply@blogger.com0