Week 8 - Day 5 - Stats

Location: Oaks Park

Distance: 8.00 Miles

Total Time: 1:31:17

Pace: 11:25

Sound Track : Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger

Run Rating : 4

Book Rating: 3.5

Week 8 - Day 5 - 8 Miles

"Stadiums are for spectators. We runners have nature and that is much better." - Juha Väätäinen, Finland

Today's run was for fun. I got all my mileage in for the week but decided that since this coming week we will be at a music festival and I am taking it off, I might as well get one in. There will be tons of dancing and hiking all over the venue so I am pretty sure I will stay in good form. I padded my training with 2 extra weeks so that I could have some flexibility with summer plans.

My brain was funny today. At first I thought I would go 4 miles, easy-peasy, but then I got running and thinking about how long it might be before I hit the trail again and decided I could definitely do 5. As I got close to my turn-around point I thought, well the end of the trail is 3 miles so I might as well go all the way and make it 6. Then I as I got to the end of the trail, I figured 8 would be better and kept running.

I believe I am starting to get really addicted to this running thing...

Week 8 - Day 4 - Stats

Location: Oaks Park/Waterfront

Distance: 10.00 Miles

Total Time: 1:58:02

Pace: 11:48

Sound Track : Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger

Run Rating : 4

Book Rating: 3.5

Week 8 - Day 4 - 10 Miles

"You don't run against a bloody stop watch, do you hear? A runner runs against himself, against the best that's in him. Not against a dead thing of wheels and pulleys. That's the way to be great, running against yourself. Against all the rotten mess in the world. Against God, if you're good enough." - Bill Persons

Today I decided to really challenge myself and run another 10 miles. I skipped my scheduled 4 mile run on Friday to rest and had another 4 miles to run today so instead of 8 I decided to run 10. I have never tried a long run two days in a row but I was feeling strong and optimistic.

The run went great! I did the same run as yesterday and felt just dandy. I am so proud of myself! I am now completely convinced that 50% of running is mental and the other 50% of running is mental.

Week 8 - Day 3 - Stats

Location: Oaks Park/Waterfront

Distance: 10.57 Miles

Total Time: 2:14:03

Pace: 12:41

Sound Track : Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger, Kulica

Run Rating : 4

Book Rating: 3.5

Music Rating: 4

Week 8 - Day 3 - 10 Miles

"Jogging is very beneficial. It's good for your legs and your feet. It's also very good for the ground. It makes it feel needed."
 - Charles Schulz

Happy Birthday to me!! Today is my 40th birthday and I celebrated by running 10 miles!! I was actually quite happy to do it. As a kid I certainly never saw a 10 mile run as my 40th birthday present to myself, that is for sure. This just goes to show you are never too old to surprise yourself. I think that is the best part about this entire escapade, learning first hand that there really is nothing you can't do if you work hard enough.

I ran through the waterfront, such a pleasant run. For the record, I am madly in love with this city (in case I haven't been clear enough about that). I don't think I could ever live in a city that isn't split down the middle with a beautiful river to run around. Portland has spoiled me.

Tonight I will celebrate myself with good friends, drink and food. It is good to be me!

Week 8 - Day 2 - 4 Stats

Location: Jackson Middle School Track

Distance: 4.03 Miles

Total Time: 45:02

Pace: 11:11 (!)

Sound Track : Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger

Run Rating : 4

Book Rating: 3.5

Week 8 - Day 2 - 4 Miles

"Run into peace." - Meister Eckhart, 14th-century philosopher

Back at the track tonight, it's close and convenient even if a bit boring. I've been here enough lately to notice who the regulars are. There is one lady who looks to be in her 50's out there walking every night with her hipster headphones on. There is also a lady with Down's Syndrome who I see quite often. Tonight a family of Muslims joined me, both parents and 6 kids. All the girls were running in their veils and long skirts. I enjoy sharing track space with other people. I find peace in sharing a common goal with strangers, a rare thing in today's world. Well...let me restate that, it's probably not THAT rare, but the media seems to constantly divide us and has give many the impression that we are are all on opposing sides.

The most amazing part of today's run was the fact that I completed it with an average pace of exactly 11 minutes and 11 seconds. This won't matter to many but to me it is a highly significant event. I have had a freakish fascination with 11:11 for the last 20 years or so. I won't go into the geeky details but let's just say that 11:11 is a VERY good omen to me. I take it to mean, "Good job Deb!!! You are on the right path!!" This came at a great time, when I am exactly halfway through my training. I give huge props to the Universe for the message!

Week 8 - Day 1 - Stats

Location: Jackson Middle School Track

Distance: 4.14 Miles

Total Time: 51:36

Pace: 12:27

Sound Track : Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger

Run Rating : 4

Book Rating: 3

Week 8 - Day 1 - 4 Miles

"Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired." - Jules Renard

Getting out there tonight was harder than last night. Probably because I didn't get a day off, and I won't until next Monday. My long run this week is only 10 miles so that means getting my weekly mileage in with more short runs. I don't really mind, in theory, but getting out the door is another thing.

I felt better than last night at least. I waited until AFTER dinner this time and I had much more get-up-an-go in my legs. I think my metabolism is finally starting to pick up because weight is coming off. I have not really lost any weight since starting my training which has really surprised me. I am trying not to allow weight concerns to enter into this training because that is not what it is about. That being said, weight has been a huge concern of mine for my entire life. I never felt thin enough as a young girl, and being in dance clothes so much of the time, facing mirrors and other very skinny girls made it even more difficult. I have struggled with over-eating and under-eating throughout my entire life and I am ready to let it go. I know that being physical and pushing myself definitely helps me focus more on health than weight. I have to eat carbs in order to move my body this far and so I am feeling my love/hate relationship with food melt away.

I will be 40 on Saturday and I plan to spend the second half of my life being comfortable in my own skin (and cellulite).

Week 7 - Day 4 - Stats

Location: Jackson Middle School Track

Distance: 5.01 Miles

Total Time: 1:01:01

Pace: 12:11

Sound Track : Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger

Run Rating : 3

Book Rating: 3

Week 7 - Day 4 - 4 Miles

"The woods are lovely dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep." - Robert Frost

Tonight's run was a bit sluggish, my body was just not in the game. It was definitely one of those "push through" runs. I added a mile to make up for last week's fiasco and it was tough to get it done, but I did and that is always a good feeling (afterwards).

I have started to ponder what I will do after the marathon. I definitely don't want to lose momentum but I am unsure how to continue training. More marathons? Half marathons? What will motivate me on nights like this, when I really do not want to run?

Here I am getting ahead of myself again...one mile at a time and the pathway will become clear.

Week 7 - Day 3 - Stats

Location: Forest Park

Distance: 15.02 Miles

Total Time: 3:30:22

Pace: 13:06

Sound Track : Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger AND Crosby, Stills, Natsh and Young

Run Rating : 3.5 (half a point for effort)

Book Rating: 4

Music Rating: 4.5

Week 7 - Day 3 - 15 Miles

"If you run, you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run." - John Bingham

Another "personal record" run. 15 Miles.

Justin and I returned to Forest Park in the late afternoon after a mostly lazy day involving lots of Doctor Who Season 6. I was feeling quite unmotivated today, after spending a long day in Eugene yesterday at Oregon Country Fair. I could have laid in bed all day, caught up on my sci-fi while lightly snacking and perhaps drinking a cider (or 4). But alas, such a day was not in the cards.

15 miles were in the cards.

I fretted about the run for most of the day. I am realizing that the farther I get into this training, the more nervous I become on personal record runs. It must be some lack of confidence deep down that still can not quite accept the fact I am doing this thing.

On our way, Justin and I stocked up on "Power Bar" products and each ate a energy bar on the way there. I began the run feeling very strong and happily listening to my audio book and feeling more confident about skipping over the big rocks on the path. This trend continued for the next 2 hours or so until I realized that I was desperately thirsty and my tummy was uncomfortably gurgle-y. I had been stuffing a Power Bar chew into my mouth every mile for electrolytes and they are very sticky. It was also painfully aware that the energy bar was not digesting well. I was also robbed of my audio book at the half way point because I had neglected to download part 2. Fortunately I had Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young to fill my head with happy. By the last 2 miles of the run I was feeling very weak and depleted. My knees and ankles were sore and wimpy but I just kept on truck'n. I finished the run with relief and did some careful stretching. The final step in the training is to consume food within 30 minutes after a long run that has a ratio of 2 carbs to 1 protein. This helps with muscle recovery. We had, of course, bought more Power Bar products for this purpose so on the way home I unhappily chomped on the sticky and much too sweet recovery bar.

As I type I am in recovery mode from this momentous run and moving slowly on painful knees, again catching up on my sci-fi and munching on pretzels. My tummy is still a bit unhappy but I am VERY happy, basking in another goal reached. The best part of this particular goal just might be that I am now in position number 1 in our home for distance!

Week 7 - Day 2 - Stats

Location: Gabriel Park

Distance: 2.26 miles :(

Total Time: 30:57

Pace: 13:43 (scientific FACT, pain slows you down!)

Sound Track : Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger

Run Rating : .5 (half a point for effort)

Book Rating: ? (in too much pain to really pay attention)

Week 7 - Day 2 - 4 Miles

"No one ever drowned in sweat." - Author Unknown

Ugh ugh ugh. Tonight was a total failure. This run was the first failure of my entire training because I could not finish the mileage. You can read the big "4 Miles" in the title because that is what I was scheduled to run however, I barely completed 2.25 miles. I was feeling very upbeat when I began running at Gabriel Park but within the first mile I was completely taken over by a diaphragm cramp. I can usually tolerate the lower ab cramps but a camp in your diagram means you cannot get a deep breath without shooting pain behind your ribs. After giving it my best go I stopped and got on with the night. I thought I might try again later but I found that I was so disheartened I could not even think of putting my shoes on.

Geeze, dramatic much?

Really, I do understand how silly this post seems. While the emotion I am feeling is very real, I know this is just a temporary emotion and tomorrow is another day. I am not defeated because if I let 1 bad run defeat me then I haven't learned much at all during this process. I am bummed and I will probably make up the mileage I missed but I realize that I am doing very well so far and that it is much too late to have second thoughts.

I am doing this thing.

Week 7 - Day 1 - Stats

Location: Jackson Middle School Track

Distance: 4.08 miles

Total Time: 49:38

Pace: 12:10

Sound Track : Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger

Run Rating : 3.5

Book Rating: 4 (it gets a half point for a decent love scene that probably improved my pace :p )

Week 7 - Day 1 - 4 Miles

"If you become restless, speed up. If you become winded, slow down. You climb the mountain in an equilibrium between restlessness and exhaustion." - Robert Pirsig

One of my very bestiest-besties is visiting me! We are having such a great time together and fitting in a run was the LAST thing I wanted to do but I did it anyway. I woke up early and got-er-done before my friend was up and moving. A morning run is a rarity for me and I will admit there is something yummy about knowing you started the day by burning 500 calories. Even yummier is the decadent lunch I enjoyed with two of my best girlies. I cannot be grateful enough for the this visit from Miss Marianne. I have missed her very much since moving to Portland and I shamefully admit that I put all my full talents into convincing her to move here. To be honest the run is a bit of a blur in the middle of tons of giggles and hugs but the important thing is:

I did it.

Week 6 - Day 4 - Stats

Location: Forest Park

Distance: 10.14 miles

Total Time: 02:09:52

Pace: 13:01

Sound Track : Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger

Run Rating : 4

Book Rating: 3.5 (getting better...)

Week 6 - Day 4 - 10 Miles

"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement." - Steve Prefontaine

DISCOVERY!!! Forest Park has a running trail! Forest Park is an absolutely breathtaking park in North West of Portland. This park is only a few miles from the heart of downtown Portland and while you are within it, you would think you are lost in the middle of Fern Gully.

Oregon does good forests, let me tell you.

I have only been in part of the park previously for hiking and the trails I encountered were not smooth enough for running unless you are quite skilled. However, I just learned that there is another trail that is gravel and quite wide that was intended as a roadway but was never finished. This trail is 11 miles long through the heart of the forest via a series of gentle switchbacks, plenty long enough for my long (and getting longer) runs. I took the trail with Margaret, Sean and Justin, switched on my audio book and began my journey.

The run went well for the most part. While the path was less smooth then I would like it to be it was still an absolutely gorgeous experience and my body felt quite strong. I will admit my legs were worn out by the end but I finished, smiling. I will never tire of the lovely trees covered in furry moss, the electric green leaves, the fiddlehead ferns, the clover. I do believe I have found heaven. I think often about all the sights I have seen in the last 6 weeks alone while training and realize the I am always a tourist, gazing upon new discoveries with wonder and true delight. I believe these experiences are as vital to my happiness as air is to my lungs.

Week 6 - Day 3 - Stats

Location: Wilson High School Track

Distance: 5.17 miles

Total Time: 01:03:27

Pace: 12:17

Sound Track : Soulless (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger

Run Rating : 4.5

Book Rating: 3 (It's good but not THAT good)

Week 6 - Day 3 - 5 Miles

"There are as many reasons for running as there are days in the year, years in my life. But mostly I run because I am an animal and a child, an artist and a saint. So, too, are you. Find your own play, your own self-renewing compulsion, and you will become the person you are meant to be." - George Sheehan

I tried a new track on this run, the Wilson High School track. This is the high school my kids will attend, my oldest will be running on this very track next year in fact. It was a nice feeling to get to know this place that will be the place of so many important experiences for my children. I remember when I was a kid and used to ride my bike to the high school and ride through the halls (outdoor halls in LA) and think about the day I would be old enough to attend. It's so odd now, one week from my 40th birthday to think that my own children will soon be old enough to begin the experience that is High School.

I tried something new on this run, an audio book. I enjoyed it very much because more then anything in life, I do enjoy a good story. It's almost as if I am not running when I am engrossed in whether or not the heroine will get the better of the werewolves and vampires. The run was just a bi-product of a really good hour of entertainment. I shared the track with my honey Justin and my two friends who will also be running the marathon. In fact it was these particular friends who talked me into it in the first place. It was nice to train together and think about the big day. It was also nice to share a drink with them afterwards. They bought me a very cute running skirt with a ruffle butt for my birthday. I love it and also bought myself a running jacket at the same store. I spent much more then I should have but I felt that I had earned a good jacket, made for the runner, to get me through the winter. No regrets!!!

Week 6 - Day 2 - Stats

Location: Spring Water Corridor

Distance: 5.01 miles

Total Time: 59:30

Pace: 11:53

Sound Track : Indigo Girls

Run Rating : 4

Music Rating: 4

Week 6 - Day 2 - 5 Miles

"The only reason I would take up jogging is so that I could hear heavy breathing again." - Erma Bombeck

All my runs are starting to "run" together in my mind. I guess that means running has become a firm habit which I couldn't be happier about. I ran the Spring Water Corridor again, always a good time, with beautiful scenery and a nice flat trail. I've noticed that the time it takes to warm up and feel weightless is getting shorter and shorter. At first it was 3 miles, now it is down to about half a mile. This is the time it takes me to NOT want to turn around and go home. Once I am in the groove I feel like I am walking, there is no pain or drag in my legs and my chest is loose and relaxed. I didn't think it was possible to reach this sort of comfort when running. For people out there who think they "can't" run, I have news for you, I said that for the first 38 years of my life and it was simply not true. I believe my body craves movement and I seldom feel irritable any more. I believe that our lives have become sedentary and while our bodies are full of energy we give them little opportunity to move. That excess energy then invades our brains and stirs up trouble. Sure I have no scientific proof of this theory except for my own experience. And yet, that being said, I totally understand the urge to move as little as possible. I do not understand why I always want what is bad for me, unhealthy food, unhealthy habits. Sometimes I think we are set up to fail, or perhaps it is better to think we are born to learn how to push ourselves out of our own inertia.