This Week's Long Run

Coach BB Wanted: 15 miles
I Delivered: 15.1 miles

Ready to Rock It!

This was the last week in my ever increasing mileage of my long runs. I had to do 15 miles and then next week it goes down to 11 miles, a step-back week. I tried to take lessons from last week and I did my extra loop at the beginning, running almost 3 miles behind my house. Trying to figure out how much I needed to run  so that I could turn around and then come back at 15 miles was a math challenge for me and definitely occupied me for several miles as I tried to calculate it. 

I heart my compression socks!

I decided to keep it simple and just run out on our main road and then turn around and come back. I find my mental capacities diminish more and more the longer I run so I didn't want to try anything fancy and get lost or run too many miles. 

Keeping my goal in mind

My main excitement this week came from the fact that I accidentally downloaded some children's music on to my shuffle and even though I have 8 hours of music on there, those songs kept coming up. I would then fumble around trying to find the fast forward button but hitting the volume button instead so Twinkle Twinkle is suddenly blasting. When I was about 11 miles into my run one of those songs came on  and I didn't get to the fast foward in time. So I was just listening to the song, So Glad I'm Here, and I started bawling. I was seriously running down the street with tears streaming down my face because the words struck me as so true. Luckily my tears blended in with all my sweat and I don't think it was too noticeable. 

Here are the words to the song:

So glad I’m here. So glad I’m here.  So glad I’m here every day. So glad I’m here.

And I’m so glad I’m here every day.

Gonna sing while I'm here. Sing while I'm here. Sing while I'm here every day. 

Joy brought me here. Joy brought me here. Joy brought me here, here today

Love brought me here. Love brought me here, here today . Love brought me here. You know love brought me here.

Love brought me here, here today

I’m so glad I’m here. So glad I’m here.  So glad I’m here every day.

It seems so simple but that emotion really hit me and I thought YES I am so glad I'm here. I'm so glad that I can run and train and get ready for a marathon. And love definitely brought me here. I couldn't do what I do without the love of my family. And joy brought me here. As much as I complain about running, it brings me such joy to hit my pace times and get to the top of hills! 

This was the best video I could find of the song

Luckily I was able to pull myself together and finish the last 4 miles of the run without any more tears. This week I have to do two 9 mile runs but the long run is shorter so that's a nice break. 

Eleanor jumped in the pool with me after my run-it was chilly!

Then we had breakfast in our pink robes. That's how we roll! 

A Tuesday Victory

                                   

This morning I decided to take on the HILL that leads up the Jardim Botanico (Botanical Gardens) here in Brasilia. It's a capital HILL because it goes straight up for two miles with no real breaks. It's gradual but awful. I swear sometimes my ears pop when we're driving up it.

When we first moved to Brasilia I said to Matt, "I want to run this hill before we leave. It will be tough but I think I can do it." I then suggested that he could drive me to the bottom and pick me up at the top. But now in my marathon beast mode, I took it on as part of an 8 mile run. That's right, I ran to the bottom of the hill (2.1 miles), then ran up the hill (another 2), then ran back down and ran home for a grand total of 8.2 miles.

It was definitely a struggle going up and my pace was approaching snail speeds but I tried to keep my head up and think about pumping my arms, keeping my shoulders down and smiling.

When I got to the top and turned around to head home, I could see the city and the lake and it was spectacular! Definitely a nice reward for all that hard work.

Then I really enjoyed flying down the hill even though I knew my quads would hate me later. And I was thinking about how this would be a great hill to train on for Boston. How when (not if) I qualify for Boston 2014, Brasilia is going to be the perfect place to get ready because it has so many hills and I can recreate the joys of Heartbreak Hill right here! (According to google translate that would be Desgosto Colina in Portuguese.) So I'm feeling motivated and getting pumped for using this Rio Marathon to qualify and put my Brasilia hill training to the test in Boston in 2014!

And that is how an ordinary Tuesday run was transformed into a motivation building, confidence boosting, bucket list checking, hill crushing VICTORY.


                                        
                     

This Week's Long Run

 Coach BB wanted: 14 miles with Fast Finish
I delivered: 14.1 miles with could have been Faster Finish

These self portraits just keep getting worse

I spent a lot of time during this week's long run thinking about Boston. Friday had been an intense day of trying to follow what was going on with the manhunt while not revealing to the kids what was going on. I was worried about my parents who were trapped in their house during the lock down because their town is right next to Watertown. I was glad they finally got the guy so I could go to bed at a reasonable time on Friday night but then Gus was sick, throwing up and then up every couple of hours so I spent too much time sleeping on the floor in his room. Luckily he was still snoozing when I took off for my run and Matt said he slept in until 8:30 which was exactly what he (and we) needed! So it felt good to be out of the house, away from the computer, and stretching my legs out and running! 

I wore this shirt with pride on Tuesday

I had a 14 miler on the schedule for this week so I decided to do my usual 10 mile route across the JK Bridge and back but I knew that would only be around 10 miles so I would need to add 4 miles either before or after. I decided to do it after and that was a mistake because by the time I was heading home I had no desire to keep going past my street and add on more miles. Lesson learned, next time I'll do the extra first. 

The weather was gorgeous-sunny and cool since "winter" is coming soon-perfect for running! My compression socks kept my legs warm and felt good during the run. As I was headed back from the JK Bridge, I looked across the lake and saw hot air balloons taking off. That was a cool sight and it took my mind off the run for a few minutes. I was supposed to end the run with a Fast Finish and I tried to pick up my feet and finish strong but I struggled up my beloved hill. Excuses excuses but that's the way it is and I need to use my mental powers to overcome it. Still working on that...

Murray and I pose for a post-run, post-swim portrait

This week I have my first solo tempo run but I feel prepared for it after doing the runs at race pace on my own. My mileage is about the same as last week-a 4, two 8s and then a 15 for the long run. I'm feeling even more motivated to try and get my Boston Qualifier time so I can run Boston in 2014! 

Eleanor wanted to go for a run together this afternoon

Love that smile! 

Boston Thoughts

 Yesterday was a big day at our house, the Boston Marathon! Patriot's Day (Marathon Monday) is always a big deal for me and it was fun to include the kids this year.  I remember watching it on TV when my parents lived in Kenmore Square and then running out to cheer for the leaders. I first ran it in 1999 as a bandit (without a number) and vowed to come back as a qualifier. In 2007 I qualified at the Rome Marathon but I had to defer in 2008 because I was 9 months pregnant with Eleanor. I finally ran in 2009.  Standing on the starting line was an amazing moment for me and I loved the race! Faithful readers of this blog know that I'm trying to qualify for Boston again and get back on that starting line in 2014.

We hurried home from Eleanor's swim lesson and then all sat on the couch to watch the women's race, a rare treat to get to watch so much tv in the middle of the day. As we cheered for Shalane Flanagan and Kara Goucher it was so much fun for me to spot places I recognized on the course or answer Eleanor's questions about why some people run way out in front or cross over from one side of the street to the other. We did puzzles and colored and yelled in Portuguese when Ana Felix, a runner from Portugal was out in front of the women's race. We even ate lunch on the couch so we wouldn't miss the last 5 miles of the race.

                          

At the end we were screaming for Shalane to stay with the lead pack and not drop off but she couldn't quite do it and came in 4th. Eleanor was heartbroken and cried for a long time. I thought those tears were going to be the worst part of our day.

When Matt called and told me to turn on CNN because a bomb had gone off at the finish line, I went into shock. I watched the images of the runners finishing and then the explosion and the smoke and chaos with disbelief. I couldn't stop putting myself in that scene and thinking I could have been there, that could have been me, my family could have been standing in front of Marathon Sports waiting to see me finish.

                                  

After I checked in and found out that my family and friends were ok and got the kids put to bed without letting them know what was going on, I watched more CNN and saw the same images replayed over and over. And I kept thinking: These are my people. I know them. I've been a runner finishing that race. I've been a spectator standing on the side cheering for people I didn't even know but who just ran the Boston Marathon and that is an awesome accomplishment. I saw myself in all the images and my heart broke for all those people who were injured or killed.

Me running Boston in 2009

Ever since I ran my first Boston Marathon in 1999, Boylston Street has held a special place in my heart. After running 26 miles, when you turn onto that street and see the masses of people cheering for you, it fills you with such joy and pride, it's hard to put into words but it gives me chills every time I think about it. All the faces that you see as you finish are people who are happy for you and proud of you, even if they don't know you. To think that terror struck those people, that those people were maimed or killed is a horrible thought for me. Boylston Street is supposed to be a happy victorious place and yesterday it turned into a scene of death and destruction.

                                         

Those spectators are also the people who make it possible for those of us who run to put in all the miles and train for such a big event. They carry the bags and give out the cheerios and make the signs and stand in the cold and they try to get as close as they can to the finish line so they can see us at that moment when we accomplish our huge goal. We would never have gotten there without them. My cheering section has been there for me at all my races. They hold their Go Mom Go sign and wait excitedly for me to go by.  It's a dream of mine for them to be there on Boylston to see me finish the Boston Marathon, just as I'm sure many of the people hurt were there fulfilling the dreams of their family.

I didn't sleep very well last night, I was tossing and turning  until 5 am when I got up, put my shoes on and went for my 8 mile run. I felt sad and frustrated and helpless and didn't know what else to do. I cried as I was running in the dark for all the loss and the injury and the heartbreak that happened at what had always been for me such a happy place. But as I got to my turn around point, I looked up and saw that it was finally getting light and the sky was a beautiful combination of pink and blue. It was a moment of beauty and it reminded me that the light will always come out after the darkness.  I can't do much from here but I can put on my shoes and run.



"If you're trying to defeat the human spirit, marathoners are the wrong group to target."

This Week's Long Run

Coach BB wanted: 13 miles
I delivered: 13.1 miles

Compression shorts!

This week's long run was one of those ones where things just seemed to keep going wrong. I tried out my new compression shorts and for some reason my iPod wouldn't stay clipped on them and kept slipping off. I didn't want to stop to fix it so I kept trying to clip it different places (my shirt, my visor, my watch) and none of them worked. I must have looked ridiculous running along trying to mess with the stupid long cord and the iPod flying around. I ended up just carrying it in my hand which was a pain but better than it slipping off every couple of minutes.

I also had a near run in with two drunk guys walking along the road. Luckily I saw them up ahead trying to kick the tires of passing cars (brilliant!) and I crossed the street and got as far away from them as possible. I guess they were more amused by the game they were playing than bothering me so I was able to scoot by them without any problems. I did notice my pace definitely picked up and I was breathing much harder than normal once I got by them, all that adrenaline!

The run was supposed to be 13 miles so I did what was basically the course of the half marathon I ran at the end of February. It was hot and humid out and I was a sweaty mess when I got back (see pic below). The jump into the pool felt soooooo good, the cold water was just what I needed! I'm slowly working my way up to ice baths.

This week my mileage goes up a little bit-my Monday runs go up from 3 miles to 4 and my Tuesday and Friday runs go up from 7 miles to 8. On Wednesday I have my first solo session of 800s. I've been trying to scout out a new location for them so I don't have to drive all the way over to Coach BB's house which is where we were doing them before. It's actually hard to find a flat stretch here in Lago Sul where we live, it seems like everything has a slight incline. I'm determined to hit all 7 of these at the time I need (3:35) and to show myself that I can keep the pace on my own. It's going to be hard but I've got to learn it, it's all up to me now!

Aaahhh, the ice water I had been dreaming about! I'm a hot sweaty mess! 

Each step brings me closer to this goal...

Yesterday we booked our flights and hotel for the marathon weekend! As Matt said, now I definitely can't get injured! I definitely felt nervous about clicking that Confirm button but I'm confident that I can make it to the start injury free and ready to run my race. 07.07.13! Maratona do Rio!!!

My Morning

I heard Gus way too early this morning and was scared to see what time it was...

4:50

Oh my Lord! I went out and he was standing in the hall outside his room talking. I put him back down in his bed and when I went to shut his door he started crying.

5:00
I go in to ask him to please whisper because his (very grumpy when woken up) sister is still sleeping. I try to impress on him that it's way too early to be awake. I show him the darkness outside the window. I change his diaper hoping that will help him go back to sleep. Nope, he wants to put his clothes on.

5:05
Gus fully dressed playing in his room, talking, singing, coloring.

5:20
I give up on the dream of sleeping and get dressed to go running.

5:30
I open the door to let the dog out and see that it's pouring outside.
Awesome.

5:45
I head out into the rain to run hills.

This doesn't really seem like a big deal but I used to HATE running in the rain. As in I would take off my shoes and go back to bed if I opened the door and saw it was pouring. So it's a HUGE step for me that I don't let it stop me. I've now done enough rainy runs to know that once I'm wet, I'm wet and it's really not that bad. It's actually a lot worse once I stop and my clothes start to stick to me and I notice how squishy my feet are.

Running these hills without Coach BB went ok. I was trying to push myself and not just show up but I felt like it wasn't quite enough. I'll call it room for improvement and move on to the next workout. I faithfully did my butt kicks and my high knees and my grapevines but then for the last one I did something new. I'm calling it a Happy Hill and I just tried to run hard and enjoy it. I smiled (something I've been trying to do more while running) and put my shoulders down and felt grateful.

Thank you for hills and strength for climbing. 

I'm not quite at a gratitude point with Gus's early rising. We are trying different things but hoping to break this cycle before it becomes the new normal. Any suggestions from my loyal readers would be appreciated! Tomorrow it's a 7 miler at race pace with my beloved hill. Bring the pain!!

Gus and I doing our crunches and agreeing to disagree about what time to wake up

This Week's Long Run

Coach BB wanted: 12 miles

I delivered: 12 miles 

Pre-run

For this week's 12 miler I decided to do my favorite uphill run! It involves running out the main road and instead of turning off for one of the bridges and crossing the lake, just keep going up and up and up and then turn around and come back down. Seriously, the hill is one mile long. I wish my Garmin altitude charts would show up on here because you could totally see the line creeping up and up. The uphill goes from mile 4 to 5 and for me it's just put your head down, turn the music up and try not to stomp too much. 

So that part of the run was fairly painful but then I turned around at mile 6, got a spectacular view of the city, and headed downhill from mile 7 to 8-bliss! And even though my shuffle had been heavy on the Britney, it actually came up with the perfect downhill song: Dog Days are Over by Florence +  the Machine. 

Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father/Run for your children all your sisters and brothers/Leave all your love and your longing behind.You can't carry it with you /if you want to survive. 

When I got back I jumped in the pool and then ate bacon pancakes! And all was right with the world...

Compression socks were working hard for me again-I kind of love them!

Aaaaah! Best way to end a run!

Tomorrow I have a 7 miler and then Wednesday is my first solo hill workout so I'll have to really work on pushing myself and not just showing up. 

Farewell to Coach BB

Coach BB and I in our usual workout attire

Today I had my final workout with Coach BB, she's leaving this weekend to move back to the US. We did a 35 minute tempo run finishing up the hill and it ended in classic Heather/BB fashion with her screaming at me to stop knocking my knees and stop crossing my arms and get my shoulders down and all of her favorite topics. She has really been trying to get me to correct my form and has had little success in that area. I tried to convince her that it was my "signature style" but she pointed out that there are no runners who share my style and run fast. Ok, point taken. We were scaring a few people walking to work up the hill but now I'll remember that every time I run up that hill.

I'm really grateful for all the help she has given me and I'm going to miss having her around for the rest of my marathon training. But not to worry, Gus has started getting up at 5 am so I think I can recruit him to do the speed workouts with me. I'm pretty sure he can run a 3:35 800 but the question is can he do it and yell at me at the same time? That might take some work...

Here are the highlights of what I've learned from Coach BB:

-Yoga!!! I remember the first time we met and she told me she wanted me to start doing yoga once a week and I was soooo skeptical and afraid of making a fool of myself. But I started with an easy DVD and have been working away at it and am slowly getting better. I definitely think it has helped me stay injury free (knock on wood!) for over a year-lots of good deep stretching for the old hip flexors and IT bands.

-Form. As in mine is terrible and I'm never going to get better unless I stop hunching over and scrunching up my shoulders and knocking my knees. I know she's right but it has been hard for me to change even though I know it pains her to see me run so inefficiently. 

-Mind over miles. Coach BB called me out on my just show up and check the box attitude. She was constantly setting expectations higher because she knew that I could meet them and she believed in me when I doubted I could do it. 

-Abs. She has encouraged me to start building up my core because she tells me it will help me improve my form (see above). If I actually have muscles in my abs, I guess they'll be able to hold up the rest of me so I don't hunch over and run like a troll. So I have embraced planking and crunches and I keep telling myself it will pay off in the end. 

So I'm going to miss her but I feel like I'll be able to take what she has taught me and move forward towards my goal-BQ at Rio!