Week 2: Running Weaknesses

This week has been much better in terms of running conditions, the boiling temperatures have waned a bit allowing for a much more pleasant (and crowded) morning run.  It’s because of the more crowded trails that I realize now (or perhaps confirmed) that I recognize my weakness when it comes to running.

Before I go into details about my fun week 2, I want to give a special shout out to Kelly over at www.foodiefresh.com. As part of her awesome website, she has a great feature called “I am a runner” which she graciously allowed to me participate. You can find the feature here and get to know me a little better, along with the tons of other brilliant, amazing runners (P.S.- her recipies…kickass).

Every runner has a weakness, whether they want to admit it or not. Bad knee, weak ankles, inability to get up for the early AM runs… whatever it may be, the best way to get over that is to mentally prepare and strengthen that weakness. I discovered mine while running Wednesday and it is not your typical weakness. Sure I have a bad knee and sweat so much it is practically blinding, but these things pale in comparison to what I am about to tell you.

My parent's dog, Bailey-so cute I just want to squeeze him!

Puppies. My biggest running weakness is puppies. You can ask any person who has walked down the street with me, I simply cannot resist the adorable little fur balls. This desire to pet every puppy/dog that comes within reaching distance also applies to the trail. Perhaps it is because, while I view my trainings as serious, I don’t take myself seriously when I run. Like any other person going through the trials of training, I of course want to lower my mile splits and get a new PR but, at the same time, if I am not having fun while I run, what is the point? Running is my escape and I never feel more relax than when I am on the trail and legging out mile after mile. 10 minutes is the time I estimated I spent over the course of 5 miles playing with the plethora of puppies on the W O&D early Wednesday morning. I very easily could have fit another mile in during that time. Perhaps I should just be grateful that the Philly Marathon doesn’t allow dogs to run the race, or else I might be in serious danger of being picked up by the slow bus.

Week 1: Hot Hot Heat and the perseverance of runners.

Just in case you haven't set foot outside in the last week, the east coast is in the middle of a brutal heat wave. The hardest hit area happens to be the nation's capital, where I just so happen to live, work and train.

All over the television and internet people are warned of the excruciating heat and the need to stay hydrated and stay out of the sun. I understand the warning and the need to stay out of these conditions, but it's the first week of marathon training. The time of year that I waited oh so impatiently for, literally counting down the days until I could say I was training for my first marathon. How could I stay out of this heat if it meant putting myself behind schedule not even 7 days into the "season"?

I know a lot of people (including my mother) would suggest that I run inside on the treadmill. I understand that it would be the smart thing to do in this instance, especially considering the metro newspapers headlines feature the soaring temperatures (pre-heat index). But ever since I started running on the trail, I just can't run on a treadmill. I understand that sounds silly, but I guess I would just rather run in a really large circle than stand still. It's not the same as training outside- there is no change in elevation, no change of pace unless you change it and for me, just not as enjoyable as running outside. And if  Philadelphia is having a freak heat wave at the end of November, I will not have the option of running on the treadmill for the actual race.

I knew that marathon training was not going to be easy, I thought much better than convincing myself it would be a cakewalk. I did not, however, foresee the first week of training being quite like this. As part of my training I ran 5 miles the other day. Normally, running at 6:00am would prove to be at least a little cooler, but thanks to the increasingly bad conditions, 6:00am provided me with an extremely humid temperature of 90 degrees, steadily rising with the heat index climbing even faster. I felt like I was breathing with a towel over my face the whole time. Easily, those were the five hardest miles I have ever run. The one thing through all of it, which completely amazed (but didn't surprise) me, was the fact that despite the heat, there were still a TON of people on the trail. The faces, though a little more red than normal, are the same that I've seen week after week along the trail, still plugging away. People were still friendly and encouraging and while it seemed everyone moved just a little slower (as is the suggested way to go in these conditions) a little heat way did nothing to deter these runners. We runners are a different breed. We put ourselves through rigorous training in obscene conditions and all the while enjoy it. Other people often call us crazy, but I think sometimes, you need to be a little crazy to want to do this (For those that are looking for ways to deal with the heat and steps to take to prevent injury or worse, check out Runner's World Running in the Heat pages. It's got some great advice, which I use to help me through these tough runs).

Borrowed from: http://fightstyle.net

To supplement my running, I  plan on doing some class at the YMCA. So far I have been able to get both the Power Boxing and the Jazz Funk class in. The Power Boxing class.... it's intense to say the least. I can remember as a kid doing a wheelbarrow race and it being fun. I guess when You have to do that 30 minutes into an intense exercise the fun is masked by the pain of supporting your body on your weakened arms. Not to mention the cruel instructor throwing in 2 minutes of burpies 58 minutes into class.... Holy Abs workout batman! There is a wide range of athleticism in this class, but it's a great workout and something that I will continue for the next couple weeks, barring any injury.

The National Capital Area YMCA

Now Jazz Funk on the other hand can best be described... well as the total opposite. This class is intense, but not quite in the same way. Outside of the jazz and tap classes I took when I was much younger, I have no real dance background. However, ever since I read the description, this class has called to me. I took it for the first time this week, and it is a low impact FANTASTIC workout that brings fun to the workout. Each session, a combination of steps are created, which are a great workout for your core. The key to this class, is that while it is difficult, you are laughing and having fun the entire time. Hopefully one day, I will be able to keep up with the gracefully skill ladies in the class. Until then, I just might stick to the back.

For now, I just need to focus on staying healthy, hydrated, and getting sleep. Tomorrow is my first long run of marathon training, and in order to beat the heat, I'll be hitting  the trail at 5:00am. Perhaps I can turn into a morning person as well as a dancer by the time this whole thing is through....