A nice fall run.

A scene from my run this morning:

Such a perfect fall morning! I've said it before and I'll say it again: fall running is the best.

Since the 10 mile, I haven't been running much more than I was before (not like that was a lot to begin with...). But I signed up to run a 10k on Thanksgiving and I'd like to have a good race, so I am going to try to get a long run in on the weekend. You know, like most runners do. Today I planned a route of about 8.5 miles, but during my run I needed to take a .5 mile detour to use the restroom, so the run ended up being 9 miles even in 1 hour 4 minutes (7:05 pace).

I made a rookie mistake and overdressed for my run. It was about 35 when I left, and I knew the day was only going to get warmer, but I still was a wuss and wore two long sleeves plus a fleece headband. About 4 miles in, I was really regretting that second layer. 

My hip felt pretty good the whole run, but afterwards it tightened up. I have an evening of icing & stretching planned...along with watching the Packers game!

Cutest Packers fan ever. 

Running plans for this week:

Monday: 5 miles
Tuesday: 5 miles
Wednesday: Workout (6x800 m @ 2:50-3:00)
Thursday: 4 miles
Friday: 6 miles

Plus hip stretching/strengthening exercises each day (AM & PM).


The mileage seems low,  but since I haven't been the queen of consistency I think it's better than nothing.We'll see!

TC 10 Mile Recap

So today I ran the TC 10 mile for the 5th year in a row. The race is billed as the "shortcut to the capitol"and is held in conjunction with the Twin Cities Marathon. The course is truly beautiful- it starts in downtown Minneapolis and runs along the Mississippi into St. Paul, and then on Summit Avenue before finishing by the state capitol.

The crowd support for this race is absolutely incredible. There are very few places along the course without people cheering runners along, and there is a great feeling of support the whole way. 

Earlier this week, the weather forecast did not look promising. I think I saw rain, wind, and cold (35 degrees) on tap for Sunday. Fortunately, that was not the case, and it was perfect running weather. Cool (45 degrees at the start), no wind, no rain, in fact, there was hardly a cloud in the sky!

Like most major races with a point to point course, there are shuttles to take runners to the start line. Last year I took the shuttle and remember that it was a pretty quick and painless ordeal. This year my company offered a shuttle for employees, plus free parking near the finish line. I signed up for the 5:15 shuttle and pretty much had the whole bus to myself!

The loneliness of the long distance runner....not sure what that spot is!

The bus dropped me off at the metrodome, which is open for runners to hang out in before the race. There weren't many people there at 5:30 so I found a nice spot near a women's bathroom. And then, the most backwards thing ever happened. Race officials TURNED IT INTO A MEN'S ROOM. They covered up the "wo" and put up big "men" signs. So that meant there were three mens restrooms in a row. I lost track of how many poor women headed towards the bathroom only to realize it was not what they expected.  Of course the women's rooms on the main level had insanely long lines, but something to keep in mind is that there are bathrooms on the second level! So that is my tip of the day- go upstairs. There might be a little line but nothing compared to the ones on the main level.

Wow that was a long paragraph about bathrooms. But, as you might have noticed, the bathroom situation at races is an important factor to me (and probably to most runners).

Anyway. I headed towards the start with about twenty minutes to go. I had a long sleeve on over my tshirt, and I had planned to take it off and give it to Meg to hang onto for me at about mile three. I also had a cheap pair of gloves on, and my white "Dave Wottle" hat. I have to admit, my outfit choice was pretty spot on for the temperature. I saw some people in sport bras and shorts and others in spandex pants and winter hats! Only in MN, right?

So. The race. Here is a link to the course map:

https://www.tcmevents.org/_asset/xf7kg5/10-Mile-Course-Map.pdf

Miles 1-5 (7:22, 7:03, 7:13, 6:40, 6:57)
 
As I mentioned in my last post I have not been doing great training this summer so I wanted to go out a little modestly. The first mile is always pretty crowded and there are a couple sharp-ish turns. But it is also downhill! So that is nice and makes it easy to run easy. The second mile continues on the river road, and isn't too exciting. Mile three is kind of annoying, including up a pretty long climb up to Franklin Street, where you cross the river. There is always a huge crowd of spectators on the top of the hill and on the other side of the river. Once you cross the river you hit mile four, which is pretty uneventful. I honestly can't remember much of this part of the race. While mile four is uneventful, mile five is kind of a pain in the ass. There are two pretty long steady hills during this mile, one right after the other. Once you are at the top of the second hill you are at St. Thomas.

Miles 6-10 (6:52, 6:49, 6:37, 6:33, 6:11)

Mile six starts pretty close to St. Thomas, and at this time the course turns right and then left onto Summit. Again, such great crowd support here to the end of the race, which is great. Summit does not seem to be a hill when you are driving it or doing an easy run, but at this point in the race you can definitely feel the incline, especially as you approach Snelling Avenue. If you look at the course elevation chart, you are basically running uphill from miles 5-7. Mile 8 starts right around Hamline Avenue (Mr. B was out cheering here! Yay!) and is another slight uphill to Lexington.There is a little hill by Dale but it is worth it because the last mile is the best- Summit turns left and starts going downhill to the finish. Once you pass the St. Paul Cathedral you can see the finish line and all the crowds lining the streets. That sight, plus the downhill, plus the adrenaline of being almost done, is enough to get you to the finish!

Total: 1:08:21, 6:51 pace (my mile splits only add up to 1:08:17 so I must have hit the start button too late or the stop button too early).

I am actually really surprised by my time. I felt pretty relaxed the whole time until miles 9 & 10. There was a guy running exactly my pace the whole race, and I always find it is easier to run with someone. We briefly chatted after the race and he had run the 5k and 10k the day before...so a pretty lazy weekend for that guy. When I got to mile 9 I could not believe how quickly the race had gone by! It was so much fun- I really think this is a great event and would highly recommend it. From the volunteers to the spectators to the challenging yet fun course, it is just wonderful.

Organized Chaos- heading to the bag check & shirts. Shiny space blankets galore!

This picture is included to prove that the weather was perfect, and because PUPPY!! Races should randomly award puppies to runners.

 My leg/butt/hip didn't bother me at all while running, and I came home & stretched/iced/rolled like crazy.  Despite this, it is still aching pretty bad right now, to the point where I am leaning towards a little pain medicine just to ease it a bit. Then of course tonight I'll stretch/ice/roll/drink beer/watch football, and be cured, right?!

2011 vs 2013

The race medal for the Twin Cities 10 mile has always been nice & simple. I usually throw the ribbon part away and glue a magnet to the medal so I can actually use it. This year's is nice and light, compared the behemoth medal from 2011 (it needs two magnets to stay on the fridge and can maybe hold up a small receipt).

Have you ever run any of the Twin Cities weekend events? 
Would you rather....get a race medal or a beer after a race? I like race medals but have a lot. They should hand out beer in commemorative mugs.
Do you take those shiny heat blankets after races? I don't...they freak me out. I think it is the crinkly texture.

Chiropractors & Creepers

Do you know what helps running? Getting professional help for an injury. Since May 18, I have been dealing with this sore hip/butt leg thing, and since I was cheap/stubborn/in denial, I figured I could just run through it or treat it using advice from the always accurate Google and web md. Now in some cases, that might actually work. But this pain wasn't going away (but, thank goodness, not getting any worse). So I finally bit the bullet and made an appointment with a chiropractor.

I chose a chiropractor for a couple of reasons. 1. I had never been to one before and like trying new things 2. This one was really close by and in my network for insurance 3. She was also an athlete so would *hopefully* understand that I wanted to keep training 4. Chiropractors typically cost less than a PT and I have a small deductible on my insurance plan.

So. The chiropractor was much different than I thought. I was expecting a 20 visit treatment plan and getting cracked and adjusted all down my back. Not quite the case... I had to do some lunges, walk on my toes, get my legs moved around, etc. The verdict? I have a crazy tight hip flexor and weak glutes. She gave me a bunch of stretches and strengthening exercises to do, and also adjusted my low back/hips. I've been there three times, and have one last appointment this Friday. So, fingers crossed that with some consistency with the stretching/strengthening, the pain will go away.

My favorite of the exercises:

Single leg squat

Hip flexor stretch

pigeon stretch

Because of the leg/hip/butt thing my running has been sporadic at best. I've been doing about 5 miles a day, 3-5 days per week. The Tuesday Track workouts have all but stopped since my workout buddies have been busy and I've been dealing with this pain. I'm really optimistic that my leg will feel good enough to get some good quality running in by the ten mile in October.

Non running related:

Mr. B and I put in a Pet Peek for Rodgy! He loves staring at the other dogs on their walks. What a little creeper.

Also, our new house is just two blocks away from a delicious, family owned and (best of all) cheap bakery. Mr. B surprised me one morning with some goodies:

I was too excited by the treats to care about taking a good picture. 

Well this one has snuck up on me...

So, the Gary Bjorkland 1/2 marathon is this Saturday. Whaaaaaat???? How did it sneak up on me so quickly? I feel like just yesterday I got my confirmation email and now...there is no going back.

I would say I'm about 80% prepared for this race. Sure, I've been doing long runs and track workouts (my 400 meter repeats will totally help me sprint the last mile). But mentally? I'm so not there. I think it is because I don't have a serious time goal in mind. My plan is to run with my sister to pace her to sub 1:40 and just enjoy the day- I think it is supposed to be nice out. So we'll run the race, relax, and then enjoy the evening festivities!

My hip/butt pain has not gone away. I have been stretching and everything but it is still bothersome. I'm thinking of seeing a chiropractor. I have never gone to a chiropractor before- my only experience with them is through my job (I'm in health insurance) and all the ones I deal with seem a little shady (maybe that is why they are out of network?). But I've been researching some local options and think I have found one that might work.

Oh- one last running related note. Last week Meg, Larissa & I ran 11 x 400 (plus meg and I did a bonus 200 at the end while Larissa engaged beast mode and did the full last lap). It was SO MUCH FUN. There is something about running 400 repeats...they are long enough so you aren't sprinting but short enough that you don't struggle mentally/feel annoyed that you are running so many laps on a track. We started at 90 seconds and worked down to 78. I just can't get enough!

***
 We finally got some sunshine in Minneapolis this weekend! My friends & I took advantage and enjoyed some rooftop/patio bar hopping.

@ Lyndale Tap House

 At our last stop....we saw a guy dressed like a tomato!! He and the other guys with him (tomato wranglers I guess) were promoting the Midwest Tomato Fest. I have never been but it looks disgusting yet fun.

 

Tomato man dancing.

Tomato man scrunched up in the tomato, preparing to jump.

So yeah. That is about it. I'm taking a half day on Friday to drive up to Duluth and *hopefully* avoid the mad rush getting up there at 5. We'll see how it goes!!

Have you ever been to a chiropractor? Thoughts on this type of treatment?
Favorite patio/rooftop bar in your area?
- I really like moto-i and amore victoria. They are nice and low key compared to some others around here.

Oh hey there

I'd like to say that my now random posts are because I'm out running all the time...but mostly the lack of posting is caused by a bunch of other, non-running but equally awesome things!

Running life:

Still low key due to left hip/butt pain. Many days of stretching/strength without running. Of course, I am still doing track workouts. Last week we did 2x1000, 2x800, 2x400 at 5:55 pace. This one did not feel good. In fact, we had planning on running 5x1000 but after the first two Meg, Larissa, and I agreed that we needed to cut down. It was a good idea, and we still got a good workout in. Are the 400s really going to help for a 1/2 marathon? No, but they are so much FUN to do (seriously, I love them; that statement is not intended to be sarcastic!).

This past Saturday I ran with Meg and her husband Ben. We did 12.5 miles, part of it through Hidden Falls, a beautiful wooded trail. For the first time ever, I tried using fuel during the run!

When I worked at the Running Room, I was always amazed by those people who would come in and buy a case (!) of their favorite gels/chews/powders. I mean, you have to have a serious allegiance to that crap to spend $40 on the same flavor. I have no such allegiance since I had never used anything but water (or whatever sport drink is on the course) during a run. I knew I didn't want a gel so I figured something that was fruit-snack like would be my best bet.

 

My two options.

I settled on the cranberry apple chomps (with 1x caffeine, whatever that means) and the mountain berry chomps. We only tried the chomps during our long run. I think I had one at 6 miles and 9 miles. The didn't make me feel sick, but they didn't make me feel awesome either. So...I think the jury is still out for me.

Non Running Related (NRR):

Mr. B and I rented some Nice Ride MN bikes to get ourselves up to Grand Old Day in St. Paul.

Figuring out the system.

This was fun and it was nice to avoid dealing with the parking, but DAMN those bikes are heavy and I was a huge wimp and had to walk my bike part way up the Kellogg Street hill (I didn't want to be all sweaty walking around the festival!).

Dairy Queen sells smores blizzards! They are pretty delicious. In my opinion, the mini size is plenty...

The graham cracker chunks are the best.

Do you use fuel during your runs? What distance is long enough for you to use it? Does it help for real, or is it a placebo effect?

Have you tried the s'mores blizzard? Thoughts?

Real LIfe: 1 Julia: 0

It has been one of those weeks (or one and a half weeks?). I feel pretty much zapped of all energy after a crazy week at work, plus some crazy stuff going on in my non-running/work life...does this mean I'm a "grown up"?? So this post is going to reflect the disjointed nature of my thoughts. 

• I mentioned that during the Athleta 10 mile race I tweaked something in my left buttcheek area. This is still bothering me- not quite as bad as before, but it is a mild irritation. It might be piriformis syndrome (yep that is a wikipedia link- everything on wikipedia is true, right?)...so I have been rolling and stretching like a maniac.
• Because of this, I have kept my running to a minimum. Except for track workouts.   
• Wednesday I met up with Meg and Larissa to run some 1200 repeats. We ran them slightly faster than 6:00 pace. I believe we did 4 total with about 2:00 recovery between each. This workout actually felt okay until we decided to run the 3rd repeat clockwise on the track. That made it flare up a bit.
•  To try and avoid worsening my leg, I took it pretty easy the rest of the week- short runs of only 4 or so miles. 
• Sunday I did 10.5 miles from my house, including some wicked hills. My butt felt okay. 
• Tuesday: Track workout- 2x400, 2x800, 1x1200, 2x800, 3x400, at 5:55-6:00 pace, with 90 seconds recovery (plus some bonus seconds recovery after the 1200).
• I wore heels to work yesterday and I think that cured my butt pain. 
• My sister Kit moved to Seattle for the summer so I have to go to estate sales on my own. 
• Mr. B and I put an offer in on a house...and it was accepted! I'm cautiously excited... I've heard horror stories of things falling apart at the last minute. Fingers crossed that doesn't happen to us! 

This weekend I'd like to get two solid long runs in, or maybe a long run and a race. We'll see.

How was you past week or so? Is anyone else crazy busy?
Favorite ice cream flavor? 

And to avoid this being a boring words only post:

 

Get this. You'll thank me later. 

A delicious Odell Cut Throat Nitro from the Groveland Tap.

At least someone like the mud from all the rain.