RIP, 1st Kinvara 2's:  347 miles.  You had a good life.

This is what happens when you preheat your oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees with your Kinvara 2's inside.
Why were they in the oven you ask?  Well, I washed them yesterday and had put them in there to dry out.  I'm usually more careful... By the time I realized it was too late.

Good thing I had just bought a new pair last week. :)

Now that's what a Kinvara sole should look like!

The new and the melted old.

Afternoon Run
3 miles Easy
Treadmill

Today's run was pretty painful starting out but got easier after about a half mile.  I think I pulled my left hamstring somewhere during my Tuesday's "easy" 3.  Looking back on it, I may have started out too fast and may have pushed a little too hard on Tuesday.  I went out there pretty wired and tense from work, in a rush to get the run over with.   My left hamstring definitely bore the brunt of my hastiness and I ended up spending the better part of yesterday and all of today babying my left leg.  After I got off the treadmill today, the pain came right back so I spent some extra time stretching and am now sitting here icing as I type.

Wasn't it just last week that I posted about the benefits of a good warm up?  How soon we forget!

Tai Chi!

Yesterday's run strangely enough wasn't really affected by this.  I ran in to work and so just assumed the stiffness I was feeling was just me still waking up.   I also ran the 6 miles stupid slow and spent most of the time too distracted by abandoned dress shoes in the street and old folks practicing Tai Chi in the Commons.  Maybe I should have joined in for a bit...not sure how effective Tai Chi is for loosening up stiff muscles but the grandpas seemed to be having fun.

Afternoon Run
3.3 miles Easy
Road

FYI:  This post might get a little awkward and at times be too much information.  If you're still interested read on.

As I was musing about this weekend's runs I had a thought.  If somebody came to me and asked, "Cha, which would you prefer, running for 2+ hours in wet shoes or running 2+ hours comfortably only to find out in the shower later you had been chafing the whole time?  Cha, wet shoes or chafing?"  Which would I choose?

Call me crazy but, I would, without a doubt, go with sweat-soaked shoes every time.  Even with the threat of blisters and all the other crazy things that happen with feet, even with the reality of leaving the treadmill soaking wet after long runs or leaving wet foot prints through the city of Boston-- Did it rain?  No, that girl must have stepped in a puddle or something.  Eh, wrong!  I am the puddle...or something-- and, even though I have been on the verge of tears a few times over the uncomfortableness of it all, there is no comparison.  Chafing or "rug burn" as I will call it from here on out (chafing just sounds dirty) is no joke!

It happens a lot.  Most runners deal with it in some form or other.  I will not discuss specifics here but I will just say that if it touches fabric, it has the potential to chafe.  It's usually all good until you step into the shower and the water hits you.  Then, what was supposed to be a nice refreshing cool down becomes a mortal struggle for hygiene.  The fight or flight reflex kicks in and you bite your lip and stomp your feet to resist the urge to quit the shower entirely.  The neighbors perk up at the yelps and involuntary exclamations and wonder if there is to be a full moon tonight.  The roommates come running, startled by that initial cry for mercy.  "Ah no no...every thing's fine in here!  Just a little ah...rug burn."  The whole thing lasts about 5 minutes as the initial sting wheres off but depending on how bad it is-- the rug burn that is-- the healing could take weeks.

The only worse thing about not knowing your getting a rug burn until you get back is knowing you're getting one while you're running.  Some times you feel every bit of the grind and there's not a thing you can do about it while you're out on the road.  Sure, the books say bring extra Vaseline or Body Glide or what have you --the stuff wears off with sweat-- but REALLY?  Am I really going to stop and "reapply" during a race?  Probably not.  The only other option is you just keep running and hope there's some skin left when you stop. Gah!

Week 5 Highlights

- Hit 500 miles on Tuesday.  So pumped as my goal for the year is to run 600 miles!
- Friday's run was awesome!  14.5 miles at a good pace. Farthest yet!
- Took some extra rest this week and felt good about it. :)

Afternoon Run
3 miles Easy
Treadmill

Felt really good today.  Warmed up with about 10 minutes of jump roping (I love jump roping) and some dynamic stretching.  Learned a new routine from an article on Runner's World called A Dynamic Routine.

"Hacky Sack" is my favorite.  "Toy Soldier" my least.  All are wicked effective.

I don't always take the time to fully warm up but I'm glad I did today.  It made all the difference coming off of a really long day at work.  When I hit the treadmill it was easier to get up to speed and felt like my heart was doing less work.  It could just be a good day or it could be that warm up works!  Or, maybe I'm getting better?  Don't know.  Just thankful I was able to do this "easy" run faster than I have been doing them lately.

Afternoon Run
13.5 miles Long run
Road

Have you ever had your T pass yell at you?  I mean scream at the top of its lungs with an impressive will of its own?  No?  Carry it along on a 13.5 mile hot sweaty run.  You'll hear.

This was the long awaited Fresh Pond run.  My running bud has been talking about showing me this route for a while and finally today was the day.  Things started out okay.  By mile 9 (near Harvard Sq), however, my pass was legit burning a hole in my waist-pack begging me to stop.  Crashing miserably, I wanted to hop on the T so badly and end the madness.  Hot, drenched literally from head to toe with my form falling apart; comfortable things were beckoning from all angles.  Every bench I passed was an invitation to sit.  Every grassy spot a call to quit.  Wowee. Crazy long run temptations!  But... I made it!  I had convinced myself I'd had enough but I didn't quit.  I ended up taking frequent and increasingly longer [and longer] walking breaks but I kept moving forward.  Victory?  Victory!

Many thanks to L for slowing down and waiting for me and...for not letting me get on the T.  This is the farthest I've gone to date.  Sure, I know the long runs will only be longer from here out but I'm celebrating this one now.  Wahoo!

Morning Run
5.6 miles Tempo
Road

I woke up pretty exhausted this morning but somehow was able to keep the pace up for most of the run.  It might even be possible that this was my best run through the "Twilight zone"-- the stretch on Comm Ave. between Mass and Arlington.  I gave it the name because the brownstones lining the street all look alike and there's nothing to mark your progress but the alphabetical street names and the approaching cityscape.  Today, running that stretch didn't seem so daunting and I didn't stop at all except for red lights!  I arrived at work feeling really good.

Running to work is probably one of my favorite workouts!  Not because it's the easiest (Lord knows waking up is hard) but because it makes me feel so pumped about the day.  It's a decent distance of 5.6 or 6 miles depending on which way I go and I kill two birds with one stone: my workout's over with and I avoid yet another long crowded ride on the green line.  Is it a wonder I would take running over riding the T any day?  Why ride when you can run!?  Sometimes I run down with my running bud which always makes for good times.  Today, I went at it sola.

Rest Day

My good friend was telling me yesterday all about the elements that make a good story and in her wisdom found a way to apply it to my training.  Obviously, there needs to be a good plot and a semi-interesting protagonist.  What I never really think about is the necessity for conflict in making a good story-- something the main character is up against; over which she can and must prevail.  Who is Fodo without The Dark Lord and Mount Doom?  What is the Fellowship without the journey and the orcs?  Remove those antagonists and I'll tell you what you'd have...some boring tv.  Take away this element and you have Teletubbies (no offense, Po).

In this epic that is my 18 week marathon training I. Am. Conflicted. but I was encouraged to take heart. Closing out Week 3 and entering into Week 4 I have no kind words for the triple-threat chafing my experience.

My message to the fiends:  Humidity, it's just a matter of time before you are swept away by the cooler more pleasant air I've become so used to.  You will not keep me confined to the treadmill for long!  Excessive Sweating, I will sop you up with a biscuit and keep on running.  You too will soon be history.  And, by God's grace, Unruly Mr. Heart Rate, I will pacify you!

It is hard now but overcoming is going to feel so good in the end.

Week 3 Highlights

- 5 miles at 9:03 pace on Wednesday.  PTL! Getting so close to my 9 min goal.
- On Saturday completed 10 miles on the treadmill for the first time.  Not fun but also not as hard as I expected it would be.  Overall a good week.