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May 2018 training recap

May 2018 training recap

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May was just as I had anticipated it would be: full. In the absence of racing this month, I did a lot of other high-quality stuff: lots of marathon training mileage, of course (posting just shy of 200 miles, about 196 and change) but also quite rewarding and gratifying non-running stuff, too.

While I wasn’t racing, I was instead going to the land of the mouse to celebrate my eldest’s 7th birthday, hosting my in-law(s) at my home for the whole month, doing lots of prep work for my eldest’s Girl Scout bridging (sort of like a promotion from one level in GS to the next), and helping out a lot at school with all the end-of-year stuff that comes at the end of an academic year. Add to the mix lots of freelancing again, and it felt like the month ended just as quickly as it started. Somewhere in the middle, I might have blinked. Maybe. All of that combined with raising a feisty almost three year-old and yeah, the days are long and years are short or some such nonsense. It’s all a blur. At least it’s a good blur, anyway.

not running

Really, I have zero complaints with how this month fared, especially as it relates to running. I took more rest days than I planned, simply due to our time down south at the beginning of the month, but no matter. Experience has taught me that walking around for 10+ hours for a few days in a row confers comparable benefits as does running easily for 30-60 minutes each day. (I still always bring running clothes with me, in the event that an opportunity presents itself, but I sorta assume that it’s not going to happen).

I don’t exactly know how to describe it, but I think May helped me to turn a corner on all this post-stroke stuff, too. I wrote something similar back in April, but I felt it even more in the past month. The passage of time has a way of helping with these things in that regard. I’m at a point where I can safely say that I will go for days on end without thinking even a fleeting thought about it and that, more often than not, when the thoughts do arise, it’s more a statement of fact than one that precipitates a shit-ton of anxiety or a meltdown.

Case in point: when my eldest is at swim practice, I run laps around the school campus. Coincidentally, this often puts me directly across the street from the hospital where I was admitted. I think I’ve said it in this space before, but for a while, even seeing the hospital was gut-wrenching (which was also horribly inconvenient since there’s a great Baskin-Robbins nearby). Fortunately, for the most part, nowadays when I run past the hospital repeatedly on my Tuesday and Thursday night runs, I don’t feel any different a reaction upon seeing it than I do upon encountering any of the other multitudinous businesses and establishments along my way. It’s there. That happened. Move on. It’s little, but it’s big, if that makes any sense at all. I don’t want to particularly think or talk about this anymore.

post swim night mileage. she loves her little parka she got for her bday 🙂

What, no doubt, has helped facilitate these corner-turning feelings has been my running this past month (and the continued passage of time, surely). Running is great for the cardiovascular and physiological side of things, but shit, it sure does wonders for lots of other messy (mental) stuff, too. It was sometime during the past month where I began to feel my confidence returning. Showing up and doing workouts that made me literally laugh out loud — how do I run that?! — and running hard and consistently on fatigued legs, not being intimidated by the prescribed volume or intensity, helped me regain a sense of accomplishment, pride, and really — bottom line — confidence that the stroke compromised a few months ago. I totally, absolutely, wholeheartedly get that as far as strokes go, I got super duper lucky, but that said, that doesn’t change the fact that my world got turned upside down and inside out a million times over there for a while. The mental side was rough, to say the least. Running does so much for me mentally — as it does for so many of you, as well — and I’m just elated as can be that both it and the general passage of time have helped me inch beyond everything.

from a Sunday LR with Janet in the ARP foothills above SJ. Downtown SJ is about at 3 o’clock (and nearly centered)

We do this stuff to feel strong, and regaining the feeling of strength after being robbed of it (for whatever reason) is pretty powerful stuff.

That feeling — of promise, hope, opportunity, potential, second chances, however you want to label it — is indescribable.

easy ‘hood miles are the best

The month of May, and its concomitant miles, gave me plenty of opportunities to have those feelings again and all but think to myself I AM HERE (no shame in this game).   

Where I am now is as good or better a place I would have hoped to be going into my first marathon of the year. Honestly, I couldn’t have been/couldn’t be happier.

I’m not particularly interested in comparing my current fitness level to that of yesteryears, but at this point, I can say that I like how I’m feeling and that it excites me. Aside from the usual workouts during the week, the long runs on the weekend — which have often been in ARP, in Janet’s and my neck of the woods — have also been tremendously helpful. Marathon runners will often say that the most important run of the week is the LR, and I’d take it one step further and say that if you’re returning to running after time away — for injury or just due to life, in general — one of the best ways to re-enter the sport, to get strong again, to up your endurance, and a whole host of other attributes, is by doing as much of your LRs on trails as possible. They are tremendous equalizers and injury mitigators and can do such incredible stuff for your mental muscle.

This feeling that I have suggests that things seem to be clicking. Workouts and long runs (the latter with or without built-in workouts) are both fun and challenging, which can sometimes be an elusive or precarious combination. I’m just thrilled to be training to do this marathon rodeo again for the 32nd time in about 8 weeks from now.

and as we get closer to TSFM weekend, it has been fun to put on my ambassador hat and go spread the love! here, with another ambassador, Jason, up at A Runner’s Mind – Burlingame at a Thursday night fun run

It may make for boring blog fodder to say that things are going well and that I’m happy where I am, but … sorry. My head’s in the ground and will be there for a bit longer, seeing what we can unearth along the way. Bear with me.

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Revelling: New category! I’m still reeling from going down to Ventura a couple weekends ago to spectate at the Mountains to Beach marathon from Ojai to Ventura. It’s a hefty drive from SJ, about five hours +/-, but it’s a hugely popular marathon and half among Bay Area runners. It boasts something like a 700’ net drop (though punctuated with some ascents along the way), and I went down to cheer on many teammates and friends who’d be toeing the line. My friend, teammate, and coach Lisa ran the half (and did great, sub 1:26, notching our club’s master’s F record); my teammate, friend, and training partner Janet killed it in her debut marathon with a 3:26 (and got a sturdy BQ in the process); and I got to see Chicago friend Erica finish her 47th marathon (and score another BQ, too). Many more teammates and friends — like Hannah (sub-3 for her debut marathon), her fiance Phil (2nd place OA), Jenn (first sub-3), Tiffany (sub-3:15 and close to her PR, earning another high master’s level marking in our club), and Melissa (first sub-3) — just killed it out there, and it was so deeply inspiring to watch. I hung out at mile 22 (after seeing Lisa in the half around mile 11) and just had a blast cheering and cowbelling for my teammates. Entertaining Janet for her final 4 miles was also a treat. It was a good day for so many people, and I love that I got to experience a little bit of everyone’s celebration. I’m grateful my sorry ass didn’t cry because these things make me emotional. YAY RUNNING.

Wolfpack and friends pre-race dinner in Ventura. Phil (front, next to Hannah) went on to place 2nd OA at the race, and our other fella, Jonathan, went 3 flat. Such a fast group of humans, holy shit!

 

of course only Lisa looks like she’s out for a fun run when she’s running a 1:26 half. NBD (from ~mile 11)

 

A fast herd of runners – Hannah in black on the left, Jenn just steps behind the group in red, and Melissa up there, too, in blue (all sub-3 and very high placing overall).

 

Tiffany looked strong AF at mile 22! She caught me so off guard that I completely spaced on her name, haha. Sub-3:15 (3:13) and posting our second fastest master’s F record in the process.

 

Running with Janet over her last 4 miles was great. I tried to do that delicate balance of being entertaining and distracting without getting her to the point of wanting to knife me. (I still got a ride home, so I think I was at least moderately successful). This is from the last 1/2 mile or so of the course as it hugs the shore.

 

always such a treat to see Chicago Erica when she’s here! I hadn’t seen her since I was about 20 weeks pregnant with G, back in 2015. Erica did great, and it was when I was waiting for her at the finish line that I got all teary. 🙂

Reading: May had a lot of good stuff. Deena Kastor’s Let Your Mind Run (recapped here) was excellent and one that I would all but implore every runner — particularly distance runner — to read. Maria Shriver’s I’ve Been Thinking was meh, not really my style. I was genuinely surprised at how much I liked Jim Comey’s A Higher Loyalty simply because after reading Hillary’s book last year, I didn’t think I’d be able to stomach anything coming from him. (If you’re even minutely interested in politics and the shitshow that is Washington right now, I’d recommend reading it. It is fascinating and at times, tragic). Michelle McNamara’s I’ll Be Gone in the Dark about the Golden State Killer was equal parts awful and fascinating to read — how are some humans capable of doing such horrible things? — and reading it just weeks after the alleged killer was apprehended — and not long after McNamara, herself, died — was borderline creepy. Bonus creepy factor: the GSK’s slayings in SJ were relatively nearby, and I’m about 90% certain I’ve run by the homes several times. (!!!!) Finally, I finished Scott and Jenny Jurek’s North and loved it; the review is in my drafts folder and is forthcoming. The running lit world is … lit (not sorry) right now.  

Listening: No new music that I can remember in the past month, but a couple podcasts stand out to me: the longest shortest time’s interview with Cecile Richards and sounds like an MLM but OK’s special episode related to NXIVM. The former, with Richards, was really interesting and made a traffic-riddled drive bearable, and honestly, the latter, about NXIVM, was just weird AF. I have so many questions.

Watching: With my MIL staying with us for the entire month, C and I have had more date nights than we’ve had in a while (hooray!), and somewhere in the mix, we got to see a Deadpool 1 & 2 double feature. I won’t elaborate on my opinion about the new movie, in an effort to avoid spoilers, but I’ll admit we had a good time.

and that thing is still in my pencil pouch purse, unopened. I just noticed that person behind me putting her (his?) down into the t-shirt, hahaha

Anticipating: Once school ends, the girls and I will be heading to the midwest to see family for a few weeks, which will be great. While I’m there — in the thickest part of SF training — I’m planning to do a couple races, too. Change of scenery is always fun! *cough don’t get lost cough*

mother’s day 2018 = an excellent morning long run with Janet followed by most of the day in pajamas. yes, please

Writing: Lots of freelance stuff this past month but not much in this space, unfortunately. Between EOY obligations at my daughter’s school and her GS troop, my writing here suffered. I should perhaps consider committing to a post-a-day challenge or something. Maybe…

Dreading: Nothing comes to mind right now, aside from annoying insurance issues. All that BS I talked about last month is still up in the air and will be so until late July, until my “investigation” gets “finalized” er whatever (and in the interim, we started receiving collections notices, blerg). At the end of last week, I also finally had that super obnoxious test done that my GI ordered, the one that necessitated me eating only plain white rice for 24 hours before the test and then fasting for 12 hours the day of the test, all before going to the actual appointment, sitting around for more than three hours, not drinking or eating anything (and not being allowed to nap), and getting my breath analyzed every 20 minutes. Who the hell knows at this point. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

May was great, and I’m looking forward to all that June has to offer. 

yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaw 

2018 Inaugural Food Truck 5k Race Report – San Jose, CA

2018 Inaugural Food Truck 5k Race Report – San Jose, CA

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The first race in my inaugural SV Half marathon weekend was Saturday’s Food Truck 5k, scheduled for 3pm on Saturday afternoon, beginning in the Arena Green area very near the SAP Center. An afternoon start time typically all but promises GI catastrophe for me, so I tried not to worry too much about it and figured if nothing else, this was a no-pressure event for me; more than anything, it would be a fitness check. Lisa suggested that I race the 5k to see what was there, to see how my fitness was coming along in the 4 ½ weeks of running that I had been doing post-stroke, and then on Sunday, I’d take the half easy and use it more as a glorified long run. This approach jibed well with me, and when Saturday afternoon presented with glorious 80-degree, sunshiney temps — perfect for life, less than ideal for racing a 5k —  I just hoped for the best.

this is what the medal looked like. (src)

Because my six year-old was coming with me to run the kids’ race later that afternoon, and because we had barely made it to the starting area on time (after coming from a morning birthday party), my warm-up was virtually non-existent. Again: no pressure, no matter. I rendezvoused with the lovely Paula, who’d be hanging with A during my race, and after some hellos and pictures with the rest of the RR ambassador crowd, we lined up at the start and waited for go-time.

birthday party in the morning, race in the afternoon. A wore her racing gear all morning 🙂 (PC: Esther)

 

a slew of the RR ambassadors in front of the “We Run San Jose” sign pre-race. (PC: @pavementrunner)

 

and in front of the start/finish banner. Not sure why it was printed backwards. (PC: @pavementrunner)

Never before have I begun a race by chasing after an ice cream truck, but at the inaugural Food Truck 5k, I absolutely did — and it was as fun as it sounds.  We began the race situated pretty squarely in the middle of Arena Green, and as soon as the race began, we made a couple quick turns on the streets before picking up the Guadalupe River Trail and heading north.

thanks for the free pics, Amazon!

On the course, before getting onto the GRT, I encountered some of my Wolfpack teammates serving as course volunteers and monitors, which was great. I’ve run on the GRT roughly a bajillion times, allowing me to know exactly where we were at any given time and where we were (likely) going, for better or for worse; sometimes I think it’s almost more helpful to not know where you’re going because you’ll be less tempted to zone out. The course stayed on the GRT and turned to return south before too long, and with the way the course was structured, inbound runners could (somewhat) see those outbound, at least when the tall grasses weren’t blocking the view.

party on the GRT (PC: WRC)

I tried hard to pace myself with the 5k, after basically doing no speedwork or even remotely fast running yet in my fitness build-up post stroke, and I’d say I failed pretty miserably at this valiant attempt. My paces crept catapulted upward, and when it got hard — which of course it did — I just tried to stay mentally engaged. I mean, seriously, I’ve been reading so much about mental fortitude lately; it was high time to apply that shit!

smiling because it makes my RPE easier. it’s science.

Somewhat miraculously, I never felt like I was going to start dry-heaving from the morning’s birthday festivities (I was all but convinced that the morning’s cake and pizza would make another appearance), nor did I embarrassingly shit myself mid race, so as far as the bodily harm realms were concerned, I did pretty well. I tried to smile through the discomfort, the feeling that I was no where near the shape I’d like to be in (which, newsflash, of course I’m not going to be there right now, given recent life events… c’mon, self; be realistic!), the randomly hot 80 degree afternoon, everything. Again: so much running lit I’ve consumed recently all talk about the effects that simply smiling during hard efforts can have on one’s rate of perceived exertion, so it’d behoove me to do it, even if it was all a fascade.

but then sometimes I’d forget to smile and my furrowed brows break the fascade. it’s ok. racing and running and getting into the shape that you want to be is hard (gratifying) work.

At the very end of the race, once we hopped off the GRT, as I saw another group of my teammates, one mentioned that he thought I could go get the third woman. Hearing those words — despite feeling tired, and hot, and everything else — apparently lit a fire under me momentarily. Sure enough, right after he said that, I was on the heels of the third woman, and with just shy of 10 seconds to the finish line, I somehow outsprinted her (Garmin says that 8 second sprint was a 4:33 pace!!). Isn’t that bizarre? Seconds earlier, I felt so tired and so hot and so out of shape and so this, that, and the other, but in the (literal) final moments of the race, I found another gear and pressed it mercilessly. This is what Endure and so many other books I’ve read recently are all talking about; we all have another gear, even when we’re sure we don’t. We do. We always do. 

I’m surprised our arms didn’t collide because we were both seemed on the verge of falling over.

Post-race, A and I hung out for a while, chatting with lots of other runner friends and milled around before the start of the kids’ race. For my effort — third female, 21:30 finish — I earned a Sports Basement gift card (adding to the one that I won in a random draw at the Meb event earlier in the week, woot!), which was totally unexpected and quite generous. I liked the participant shirts and medals — a detail that, admittedly, I typically don’t pay a lot of mind — and I look forward to actually wearing this race shirt on my training runs.

podium! or stage, same same (PC: @representrunning)

I had a blast at the Food Truck 5k, and I think it’ll be an event that just gets better each year. I thought it was impressively organized and well-run, and I expect the community interest will increase in coming years, too. I’m super grateful to have been able to participate in its inaugural iteration and to race it with whatever I had in my tank on race day. The community and SJ vibe was spot-on with this race, and I’m excited to see the event grow. 

My eldest and I had a blast chatting with new and old friends and checking out the many food and beverage trucks, in addition to the band and various vendor tables. It was a fantastic afternoon with beautiful (albeit warm) weather, and it looked like the community turnout was solid and enthusiastic, too.  I didn’t cool-down at all, save for sitting in the shade for a bit before the kids’ race, and before too long, it was A’s turn to run.