Week Twelve: Status update

Furthest distance ran so far: 12 miles

Newest race time: Lake Union 10k - 53:41 (finished 11 out of 163 in my age group)

Note: This was probably one of the most amazing races that I've ran thus far. The course was beautiful, the weather was perfect, and best of all, my training really proved to be paying off. This course had some killer steep hills, but I blazed up them almost effortlessly. I used to constantly complain about hilly race courses, but this time I was taking the hills on with a vengeance! I've been consistently training on hills for about three weeks now and I'm really starting to notice a vast improvement in my lower body and core strength.

Me after 12 weeks of training.
Lake Union 10K

Height: 5' 4 1/2"
Weight: 116 lbs

Note: I'm honestly not trying to lose weight. Like I'd mentioned before, I'm eating an ungodly amount of calories everyday, sometimes up to 3100. Marathon training is one of the only programs that you can follow where you can truly eat (almost) whatever you want and still lose weight. However, even though I do consume a lot of food, I do try to keep it healthy. Eating lots of junk will cause you to feel lethargic and that's the last thing I need when I'm training to run 26.2 miles. I recently decided to completely eliminate artificial sweeteners and any food or drink that contains any type of corn syrup. I'm also trying to eat more organic and natural foods. As a result, I am no longer hypoglycemic and I have way more energy. So, between the positive food choices and running like a maniac, I've never felt healthier in my whole life. I like it.

Body fat percentage: 18%
BMI: 19.8

Only 13 more weeks until the marathon!

Week Twelve Training
8/24 - Rest day
8/25 - Run 3 miles
8/26 - Run 6 miles on a hilly course
8/27 - Rest day
8/28 - Run 5 miles
8/29 - Run 5 miles
8/30 - Long run - 12 miles

Total miles for the week: 31

Week Eleven: Extreme conditions & True dedication

Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!! That's what I was thinking on Monday afternoon when I could barely muster up the strength to run four miles, yes four measly miles! Big problem, BIG PROBLEM. How am I ever going to run 26.2 miles when I suddenly can't even run four?! Ok, calm down, breathe, there must be some kind of reason behind this. I'm not injured, so what could it be? Oh...yeah...it was 88 degrees!! Heat exhaustion clearly got the best of me.
Seattle weather can really be tough on a runner because it varies so often. Last week, although it was raining, it was a comfortable running temperature, which I think my body had adapted to. Therefore, when I went from running in 60 degree weather last week to nearly 90 degree weather this week, I think I shocked my body. I felt like a melting candle forcing myself down the trail. After I had finished that run, I literally felt like I had run a marathon even though I just ran down the street and back. Why didn't anyone who saw me call 911?? (Ok, that's an exaggeration, it wasn't that bad.)
Conclusion: the sun is a fabulous thing that I cannot possibly get enough off...except if I'm training for a marathon in it. The irony: last week I was complaining about the rain, this week I'm complaining about the sun. There's no winning! Or is there?
Since Wednesday was predicted to be another record breaking heat day and also happened to be the day where I was to do my six mile hill run, I had to come up with some kind of solution to beat the heat (other than cheating and running on a treadmill in an air conditioned gym). If I couldn't run four miles on a flat trail in the sun than there's no way in hell I could run six miles up hill in the scorching heat. So what was my solution? Run at 5:00am, yep, that's right, 5 o'clock in the morning. And I thought running in the rain was insane. Ha! Luckily, I am a morning person (even though I still consider 5:00am to be a part of the night), it wasn't overly difficult for me to pull myself out of bed and hit the road running. In fact, it was actually quite surreal. The sun hadn't quite risen yet and the sky was glowing delicate shades of turquoise and pink, and the Seattle air actually smelt fresh. There also weren't many cars on the road, I didn't have to wait at any cross-walks, and it was a perfect 58 degrees out. With these ideal conditions, I just got lost in my thoughts, enjoyed the rarely seen early morning illuminations, and ran my six miler with ease. 5:00am is the perfect time to run, except the fact that it's 5:00am. Although the experience was much more pleasurable than I had anticipated, I probably won't be making 5:00am runs a habit mainly because it's important that I get enough sleep so that I won't burn out. I have sleeping problems to begin with, so I'd imagine that cutting my sleep short on a regular basis can't be a good thing to practice while training. However, getting up and running at 5:00am has proven to me that I am truly dedicated to this sport. I have never before woken up at 5:00am for any other exercise routine, unless you count packing my suitcases to go the Las Vegas as exercise.

Only 14 more weeks until the marathon!

Week Eleven Training
8/17 - Rest day
8/18 - Run 4 miles
8/19 - Run 6 miles on a hilly course
8/20 - Rest day
8/21- Run 5 miles
8/22 - Run 5 miles
8/23 - Long run - 9 miles

Total miles for the week: 29

Week Ten: Where'd the sun go??

Last week I took a much needed vacation....or more like just a little break from life; a time to chill out. But of course, it being my usual luck, I picked the only rainy week that we've had all summer to take time off. Summer had completely left Seattle the instant my vacation started (and conveniently started back up as soon as I got back to work). It was rainy and gray almost everyday. This was also the week that I started my more intense marathon training. Instead of upping the miles last week, I upped the intensity of my workouts in order to build muscle while also building endurance....in the rain. Anyone who knows me well knows that I despise the rain, let alone running in it up hill for six miles! It's amazing what I'll do to avoid being rained on so it took an unbelievable amount of will-power to not just go to the gym and hop on the treadmill. (The treadmill doesn't give you the same workout as road running does though). I also had to remind myself that the Seattle Marathon takes place in November when it will most likely be raining...last year it snowed! I've never ran in the rain before, but now would probably be a good time to start getting used to it. As cars were driving by, I was imagining the people looking at me and thinking, "why is that crazy person out there in the rain running up that huge hill?" Well at least that's what I used to wonder when I would see people trudging along in the pouring rain while I was in my nice, warm, DRY car. This was before I was a runner. I now understand the madness. It's all in the name of hardcore fitness and taking any measure to prepare your body to reach the finish line of a 26.2 mile race. Not finishing is not an option with me. However, I must admit, at times when I am at mile 10 and I feel like my knee caps are about to fall off, I wonder why I ever decided that this was a good idea. That thought is merely temporary though. After my runs, I always feel fantastic, tired, but still fantastic no matter how hard the run was. Running releases endorphins; endorphins are what gives off that so-called "runners high." Therefore, exercise is a proven, natural, mood enhancer. No prescription needed. Plus, it makes your body look great, which (to me) is also a natural mood enhancer. :)

Only 15 more weeks until the marathon!

Week Ten Training
8/10 - Rest day
8/11 - Run 4 miles
8/12 - Run 6 miles on a hilly course
8/13 - Rest day
8/14 - Run 4 miles
8/15 - Run 4 miles
8/16 - Long run, 7 miles

Total miles for the week: 25

Week Nine: Pictures speak louder than scales

Sometimes you don't realize how much your body is changing until you see a picture of yourself. This is especially true if you are constantly weighing yourself or looking at your body way too closely in the mirror. The truth is, that scales are not always accurate and can vary up to 3lbs from day to day. Also, you should never look at yourself that closely in the mirror. You are only going to be checking out the tiniest of flaws that nobody, but you is ever going to notice. (Remember, nobody is ever going to be looking at you that closely and if they are, you should probably call the police.) This is why I've decided that pictures are my new mirror because they catch you from the perspective of other people's eyes.

As you know, I ran in the Seattle Torchlight 8k race a couple of weekends ago. Like I had mentioned, it was 80+ degrees outside and there were over 6,000 people racing, so when I got to the starting line, I felt like I was in a sauna! This is not a good feeling when you're about to race a five mile hilly course. So I made the very difficult decision to race just in my sports bra (and shorts, of course - this wasn't Fremont). Even though I know that my body has changed significantly for the better since I improved my eating habits and started a vigorous running program, I still feel a slight bit self-conscious about my body. When they blew the whistle to start the race, I swear, I could feel my tummy giggling with every step I took. Maybe just wearing the sports bra wasn't such as a good idea afterall, but oh well, I was already running and wasn't about to ask the sweaty guy next to me if I could borrow his shirt. However, this whole giggling thing must have been all in my head because I just got my race photos back and this is what I saw. For the first time ever, no love-handles and no thunder thighs!! I was astonished on how in-shape and athletic I looked. I have never been overweight, but I have been really out-of-shape, so seeing this reassured me that I am making great progress toward good health. Please all know, that changes will happen if you work hard enough and have the right mindset.

Week Nine Training
8/3 - Rest day
8/4 - Run 5 miles
8/5 - Speedwork, 8 miles
-One warmup mile
-Four miles sprinting with 1/2 miles in between each interval
-One cooldown mile
8/6 - Run 4 miles
8/7 - Run 4 miles
8/9 - Rest day
8/10 - Long run - 11 miles

Total miles for the week: 32

Week Eight: Status update‏

Furthest distance ran so far: 11 miles

Newest race time:
-7/25/09 - SeaFair Torchlight Run 8K: 42:41 (42 out of 270 in my age group)

Note: I was a little disappointed when I saw my time. After seven weeks of training behind me, I thought that I would be able to beat my first 8K time. However, the course was quite challenging; it was uphill almost the entire way and there were no mile markers, so I couldn't really gauge where I was at in the race. This makes it difficult to know when to conserve your energy and when it's time to pick up the pace. The course also took you through the SeaFair Torchlight Parade route where there were, literally, hundreds of kids trying to give you high-fives as you ran by. I felt like I was suddenly in a pinball machine, dodging kids left and right. Not to mention it was 80+ degrees. So there, all my excuses for my mediocre time.

Me after eight weeks of training.

Note: I recently bought a scale that measures body fat and muscle mass percentages. It's great.

Height: 5' 4 1/2"
Weight: 117 lbs
Body fat percentage: 18.5% (Ideal body fat % for a female competitive runner is 17%)
BMI: 20

*No use in adding a new photo this week. I essentially look the same as in the last photo taken in week four. However, I am happy to say that my thunder thighs have become mini-thunders, but I didn't really want to include a photo just of my legs.

Week Eight Training
7/27 - Rest day
7/28 - Run 4 miles
7/29 - Run 4 miles
7/30 - Tempo run, 7 miles
-One warmup mile
-5 miles at a faster pace
-One cooldown mile
7/31 - Run 4 miles
8/1 - Rest day
8/2 - Long run - 11 miles

Total miles for the week: 30

Week Seven: What's up doc?

Newest race time
-7/11 - Run Of The Mill 5k - 25:24 (finished 16 out of 209 in my age group)

Recently, I have been busy. Really really busy. I've somehow managed to take on every project possibly available to me, including building two international websites for work, training my puppy, writing a chapter for a wellness book, going to college, and of course, training for a marathon (among all of the other things that go along with living life). Even though I am a little overwhelmed, everything that I've chosen to take on, is something that I enjoy, so I can't complain. Because of this massive work overload, I don't have that much time to put into my blog this week, but I'll just give an update.

I recently saw a sports medicine doctor to make sure that my body is in good working order to train for a marathon. I feel like I'm in good shape, so normally I wouldn't consult a doctor for any other type of exercise program. However, training for a marathon is much more extreme than any other exercise program that I've ever done before, so I just wanted to make extra sure that I'm not going to get injured in the training process.
Thankfully, he told me that I am in great shape to train for a marathon and he was slightly perplexed as to why I came to see him. (Aren't you suppose to consult a doctor anytime you start a hard exercise regimen??) However, he did find one tiny little clicking noise in my right knee. He said that this shouldn't be a problem as long as I take preventive action to make sure that this doesn't develop into something to be more concerned about later on. He suggested some strengthening exercises, that I now do four days a week. I haven't noticed any difference yet, but I just started doing them. He also suggested that I lose five more pounds because the less I weigh, the less pressure I will be putting on my joints when I run. Well, I don't know if he was not seeing straight or what, but I see myself as a decently lean person (unless I've been looking in funhouse mirrors for the past month) and once I reached 117bs (as of this week), I thought that I wouldn't have to lose anymore weight. An additional 5lbs would put me at 112lbs, which seems a bit low to me; I think skeletons weigh more than that! I've never gotten (or tried to get) that thin. However, I've never been a hardcore runner before either. I guess he is a doctor and I would hope that he knows what he's talking about. For now, I'm going to focus on strengthening and gaining more lean muscle to see if that helps and maybe try to lose a few pounds along the way if the knee clicking persists.
Anyway, that's it for this week. Back to work!

Week Seven Training
Note: since I'm running the SeaFair Torchlight Parade this weekend, I had to modify my training schedule a bit. Originally, there was a 10 mile long run scheduled for Sunday, but I'm afraid that my body would crash if I tried to run 10 miles after an 8k race in 90 degree weather the day before.

7/20 - Cross-training - 1 hour elliptical (6.5 miles)
7/21 - Rest day
7/22 - Tempo Run, 6 miles
-One warm up mile
-Four miles at a faster pace
-One cooldown mile
7/23 - Run 5 miles at race pace
7/24 - Rest Day
7/25 - Seattle SeaFair Torchlight Run - 8K
7/26 - Run 4 miles

Total miles for the week: 26.5 miles

Week Six: Childhood hopes and dreams - shattered & revisited

As a little girl, my ultimate dream was to be Miss America...second to that was dentist, not sure how the two compared. Anyway, my favorite gift that was ever given to me at this time (I was probably about 4 y/o) was a treasure chest full of princess-type dress-up clothes from my Grandma Eileen (RIP). I wore these elaborate outfits anytime I got the chance. Sometimes I would even find a way to put every item of clothing in the treasure chest on all at once. It was quite the fashion statement. One of my favorites things to do while dressed up was to dance wildly in my living room while blaring a Rolling Stones record (yes, an actual record) with my cat as my audience. I was in my own world; I was Miss America! This was my reality.
Being a child is such a surreal time in ones life. It's probably the only time when you are completely blind to the concerns about body image that you will later face, especially as a growing girl.

I'm going to jump further into to present....way further. When I entered junior high "the big change" hit and boy did it hit me hard. It seemed that overnight I had developed love-handles (that weren't at all lovely) and these cute little red bumps randomly sprinkled over my face. Just what every young girl dreads. I went from thinking that I was the most beautiful child in the world to thinking that I'd become some kind of teenage ogre. Ya'know how the ugly duckling turned into the elegant swan? Well, I went the opposite way. It also didn't help that the other kids made fun of me constantly because I was still extremely shy and I was the perfect target for the bully-types. So how did I cope?? I ate and ate and ate mounds of junk food. Luckily, I still had a fairly fast metabolism, so I didn't gain too much weight, but I gained enough to make my body appear totally out of proportion. This is typical for a junior-high-aged kid, but I didn't realize that at the time, nor did I want it. Plus, the only (half-assed) exercise that I was getting was in gym class, which I still despised due to all of the past bad experiences I had and continued to have during gym.
As expected, my gym class exercising got cut short when, yet another, adversity happened.
One afternoon, we were practicing field football. I was a horrible catcher (and still am to this day) and was never able to catch the ball, even from the softest of throws. Then, a miracle happened, I caught ball!! I couldn't believe it! BUT the miraculous moment quickly ended when I suddenly felt a shooting pain run down my middle finger. Yep, that's right, I broke my finger catching a football. The sports gods were against me once again! Because of this, I was pulled out of gym for the rest of the semester. The teacher didn't allow me to participate in any activities (even the ones not involving fingers) due to some kind of school policy (that they clearly didn't have in middle school). Everyday after that, I would sit in the bleachers, non-intentionally flipping people the bird because my middle finger had to be wrapped straight up. Most kids would've completely took advantage of the situation, but I was completely mortified.
So, between getting hit in the head by kickballs, skinning my knees on a gravel track, and breaking my finger by simply catching a football, I had completely given up on all things fitness related, which meant I got essentially no exercise and maintained my awkward shaped body for quite some time. I wish that I had pictures so that you could see that I am not exaggerating, but I didn't allow many pictures to be taken of me at this time for obvious reasons. I had also completely thrown out my childhood dreams of ever trying to become a model.

It took me awhile (years!) to recognize that fitness was essential for good health and that there were other ways to get in shape that didn't involve catching balls or limping around on sharp gravel tracks. When I hit my twenties, I wanted to do something about this out-of-shape body that I had spent my highschool years developing. I joined a local gym where I participated in aerobics classes and used the elliptical machines. I was still slightly timid about exercising, so I never really got the results that I wanted. When I finally got the courage to take up running (fairly recently), the results were almost instant. The weight literally fell off of my body and I was feeling more energetic (and athletic) each time I went for a run. Now, after every week of training, I notice a new, positive change in my body. This is the first time in my life that I've actually felt in good shape rather than in awkward shape.

I'm not trying to brag (honestly), but since I've stuck to a strict running regimen, my body now comes close to meeting the standards of a Victoria's Secret model (well except that I'm not tall enough, but can't do much about that). Now, I don't ever plan to pursue modeling, I have my mind set on being a runner, I am just proud to say that my childhood modeling dream was not just an obscure thought afterall. I just had work harder at it. I strongly believe that if you want something bad enough, you can achieve it with the right mindset and a hard-working mentality. Now go hit the track people!

Week Six Training
7/13 - Rest day
7/14 - 4 mile run
7/15 - 3 mile run
7/16 - Speedwork, 7 miles
-One warmup mile
-3 miles sprinting with half mile jogs in between each mile
-One cooldown mile
7/17 - 3 mile run
7/18 - Rest day
7/19 - Long run - 10 miles

Total miles for the week: 27