New Distances

ohhh friends. I'm in a lot of pain (makes me think of this) but I did it. I, Katie Leann Heideman, ran 9.6 miles last night. I haven't run in a full month (hang head in shame) because I responded to some significant life stress in laziness and apathy.  I knew I needed to either get my butt back in gear or give up on the marathon because it's only 3 months away and if I continue training this way, that day is going to bring a lot of pain.

In usual Katie form, I decided to go big or go home. I knew I needed something to kickstart me into running again, and I knew a five mile run wasn't going to do jack for my motivation. Plus, at this point in the timeline, my mileage should be up. 

So AJ (my 15 year old cousin who is a naturally gifted runner who is trying to get in shape for soccer but is out of shape just like me) and I ran a 10 mile loop between our two houses (we lost .5 miles due to some poor navigation haha). We agreed at the beginning that we didn't care at all about our pace... we just wanted to finish. And that we did. We held a 12 minute pace for the for the first 4 miles, 13s for miles 5-8 and back to a 12 for the last two. All in all we averaged 12.7 minute miles. I'd like to be able to run faster than this come marathon day, but I honestly don't care right now. I ran for two hours. Two hours! I've definitely never done that before.

I was nervous heading out-- AJ and I acknowledged how crazy we were-- but I managed to fend off my other cousins suggestion to "just go for 5" and AJ's mid-run question "are you sure you want to do the full 10?" We stopped twice (once at my house for water/bathroom/blister attention and once at the burger king drive through for water) but we never stopped to take a breather, to stretch or to walk up a hill (and let me tell you, our route was FULL of hills). I had a great head game headed into the run and I know that pulled me through. I'm becoming more and more convinced that where my head's at determines what I'm capable of. I had decided that I was going to finish the run even if it was the death of me and that translated into my unwillingness to stop when usually I would have.

It's a phenomenal feeling to accomplish something new. I have a terrible memory so it's difficult for me to remember whether or not I've done something before... this I know for sure is new. Up until yesterday, the furthest I'd ever run was 4.5 miles... now I've run 9.6... more than double my previous distance.

I don't have a devotional thought for you today or a motivational message... my brain is mostly mush. But I do want to thank you for reading and encouraging me. It means so so much to me. I often think of this blog and particular individuals who have expressed their belief in my capabilities in the middle of runs and it provides motivation. I need you guys... I know I can't do this on my own. Thank you. 

So, it would appear that I am still planning on running the Cape Cod. I think I can actually do it, too :)

Van Gough

phewwww (that's me letting out a BIG exhale)

It's been a while since I've posted so let me update you quickly on how it's been: a big mix of good and bad. Since the whole myshinsfeelliketheyarescreaming episode, I took to doing 50 minutes of the eliptical and elipticalstairsteppercraziness (I love that machine) after my yoga class Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Which felt great (p.s. love getting back to yoga!).

My dad recieved a call from a good runner friend who had terrible shin splints in high school and cured them forever with orthapedic inserts. So for my last two runs (last night and tonight) I ran with my dad's pair to see if anything changed. The results are inconclusive at this point (I have some pain but it doesn't feel as bad) but I'm hopeful... I'll keep you updated.

These last two runs have been glorious. We've established that I love running at night. Check. But I had forgotten how great it is to run with music (I haven't since probably mid March). I had ALSO forgotten just how good it is to run when you can't deal with the world anymore. The stars aligned and all three elements were present. I've created an awesome running mix that includes everything from tribal beats to Christian to musicals to pop to oldies to country to R&B to acapella. All I need is a prominent beat. Honestly "Unwritten" plays right next to "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy" followed by "Troublemaker." Anyone who knows me knows such a playlist pretty much sums up my tastes. Of course on nights like tonight I skip "Somebody Like You" and "Perfect Day" in favor of "Shut Up" and "Hate Every Beautiful Day" which only makes me run harder. I knew it was time for a late night run when I was so lost in my own head that I didn't even know which way was up. The combination of stress + PMS + being homesick for Gordon = major need for endorphins. I still don't feel great but I certainly feel better.

Last night I lasted about 15 minutes before needing to stop (I'd like to justify myself to you (and by you, I mean me) by saying that I went out really fast-- I had a lot of anxious energy pent up) and then walked for a couple minutes and ran another 7, walked 2, and ran another 5. Not impressive, but... ready for this? ...

...running felt good for the first time in a LONG time. So I'll take my stop and go pace.

Tonight I ran around each circle in my neighborhood at a really decent pace and arrived back home without looking at my time (once I look the first time, I count every passing second. Excruciating). I was literally smiling as I ran up to my driveway, thinking "I made it the whole way without stopping and I feel like I could keep going!" Well, turns out it had only been 20 minutes, so I stretched for 3 minutes (acknowledging some pain in my knee and shin) and talked myself fairly easily to run for another 20. I'm so glad I did. My pace slowed down a bit-- at one point I think I probably looked like a waddling penguin (embarrassed, I quickly picked up the pace!) but it felt like a great workout (and it was full of uphills and downhills!). The last song that played as I headed home was "Fire Burning" which naturally made me smile and run with a spring in my step, thinking of my WE staff.

For those of you looking for encouragement and not a downer-blog, here's something: You can do it. Honestly. If I can run for 40 minutes carrying around a few pounds of lard you can do whatever it is that you're up against. I have this quote on the wallpaper of my phone that reads "If you hear a voice within you saying "You are not a painter, then by all means paint... and the voice will be silenced" -Vincent Van Gough. Own that. I think it's unbelievably motivating to realize the power we have to shape the people we are. I believe in a Creator who designed us uniquely and is ultimately sovereign so I'm not an advocate of self-help salvation, but in some ways we really do control our destiny. God gave us free will and the brains, bodies, hearts, and souls to perceive what is good and the recources to chase that. How cool is that?

Casper Relay Marathon

Saturday morning I headed over to my cousins' house to meet up with my Aunt Illene and my two cousins AJ, 15, and Philip, 13. After loitering in the kitchen for a while-- filling water bottles, snacking on cookies, munching some potato chips, and chatting-- we said goodbye to the parents and hopped in the car. Armed with his driver's permit, AJ took the steering wheel and we headed north towards Casper, Wyoming. Four hours worth of Illene's favorite game "Name This Band" later, we arrived in Casper, met up with Illene's friend Mary Beth (the first leg of our relay and the woman who began this whole adventure), checked into our hotel and headed back for a pre-race pasta dinner. There we met a man from Atlanta who's goal is to run a marathon in all 50 states. He began five years ago and has run 25 so far. He plans to run 9 this year alone. I racked his brain for advice for a first time marathoner (such as myself) and he told me to make sure I was having fun. "Get your mileage in and don't worry about speed." He recommended not running more than 4 times a week lest it feel like work. After we'd had our fill of salad, bread, pasta, chicken, sausage, and fruit we headed to our hotel to watch I Am Legend (great movie!) and wento bed at 10pm.

I woke up at 5:30 Sunday morning, put on my underarmour shorts, black running shorts, my triple sports bra (strap em down!) and my bright pink Girls On The Run shirt-- in honor of Illene. (The back reads "So I run like a girl... got a problem with that?") I stood in front of the mirror for a minute or two, debating whether or not to put on makeup-- ended up siding with vanity and put a little on, grabbed my water bottle, popped a few IB profen (shin splints) and headed to the car. We found our way to the convention center-- which looked like a giant pizza hut on top of a hill-- and met up with Mary Beth. As we pinned our numbers on our shirts and our "relay" signs on our backs, I was surprised by how calm I was. I'd been telling myself this was just another training run and apparently my self-delusion was working. We saw Mary Beth off at the start and drove to her 3 mile point on the course to cheer her on. Then we headed to my exchange point at mile 6.5. It was only when I began to stretch (yes Dad- I stretched before my run) did I feel a pang of nerves. I got positioned and soon enough saw MB in her baby blue running down the hill. We exchanged a double hand high five and off I went!

That run was the first time since I've been home that I've run alone and so I was nervous about my pace but luckily ever since I started swimming I've had a solid awareness of pacing. All along the way my cardio vasular was decent (my one major hill was a little rough, but still fine) so that was encouraging. The only thing that went wrong was my feet. Around mile 2.5 they started to go numb and then by mile 3 I felt like there was a sharp rock stuck in my right shoe. I stopped to walk three times (once for a swig of water and twice because of the pain in my foot) which wasn't ideal but so it goes. The course was really pretty-- most of my part was running on a path along the Platte. I was so thankful to be the second leg because it was already really warm by that time (and we all know how I feel about running in the heat).

I didn't get an actual split of my time but I figure I ran about 10 minute miles with walking and all. Our team placed 7th out of 19 teams and ran the whole thing in 3:55:11... an average of about 9 minute miles. After we rested up, took some pictures and ate (I didn't mention the FEAST they had at the finish line for us), we headed back to the hotel for some hot tubbing and swimming. Then we showered and headed towards Greeley for a family reunion. The whole experience was a lot of fun and it was great to have a little experience running in a race. I'm glad I didn't take it too seriously cause it wouldn't have been worth the stress but I do have a lot of work to do between now and October. I'm pretty nervous about how my body will hold up (my shins hurt as I type this... two days later) but all in all I'm excited.

I'm gonna run that marathon gosh darn it.

ahhh Shin Splints

Dear Friends,

I have an unfortunate update: my shin splints have returned. Apparently it was the 1.5-2 weeks off of running during finals and my road trip home, and not my new shoes that made them disappear.

This morning we began the four mile square that surrounds my house (Dry Creek-Quebec-County Line-Holly) and I was feeling decently optimistic. It's a hilly route but given my success the other day and the cool weather this morning I was prepared to conquer the darn thing. With my very first steps my shins were screaming at me (I had been aware of their stiffness/sorness the previous two days just walking around) but as I continued on the pain became more dull and less sharp so I thought I'd be fine. When we stopped to stretch about a mile in, however, I was in quite a bit of pain. I'm used to training with pain (thanks to my high school swim coach) so I'm not a good judge of when I should push it and when I should stop. Thankfully my dad is a much better judge of such things, so we walked home with me wincing and limping a bit, and discussed our two options: going to a orthepedic or exploring Newton running. We'll pursue both.

To make up for my lame-o run, I headed over to Lone Tree Rec Center and did an eliptical, weights, and ab work out. Thankfully the eliptical doesn't hurt at all so that might be the best option to maintain leg strength/adjust to altitude/build cardio endurance without aggrevating my shins.

Hopefully two days off of running will be enough rest to get me through my leg of the marathon relay Sunday. We'll see.

4 miles. Check.

Friday Dad and I went for a late afternoon run. Poor choice. I hadn't had lunch, it was over 90 degrees outside, and I still can't breathe here. Needless to say, I didn't last long. We ended up walking the entire second half our three mile loop and I had a near asthma attack (sheesh, that is a scary feeling when you breathe in but can't get enough oxygen... my heart goes out to all your asthmatics!). Lesson learned: don't run in 90 degree weather on an empty stomach without being adjusted to the altitude.

Last night was a different story. We left the house at 10pm to accommodate for our late dinner and the Bachelorette (which my entire family ended up watching!) and went for a 4 mile run on the paths behind my neighborhood.  As we started out, Dad asked me if I preferred a large hill at the beginning and a gradual decline from there on out, or a gradual incline the whole way and a steep decline at the end. Is that a legitimate question? Obviously, I chose the former. 

Psalm 119:105 says "Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." I remember hearing once that the lamp the Psalmist refers to would have only provided enough light for a step or two, and that is how our walk with the Lord ought to be-- taken by faith, and not by sight. I was thinking about that as we ran last night only by the ambient light of interior house lights and distant street lights. I struggle to keep running in broad daylight, when I can see the path clearly ahead of me and can easily calculate how far I've left to run. But at night, as we run without even the light of the moon, I am only able to see a few feet ahead of me, and poorly at that. Ironically, it's easier to keep going when all I can focus on is the next step. I think the Lord knows that. He knows we couldn't handle to see the whole picture, so he reveals things little by little, piece by piece, giving us just enough information or insight to act in obedience. We'd be overwhelmed otherwise.

Although I strongly prefer running at night, it still wasn't easy. As I wrote in my first blog post, one of my motivations to train for this marathon is to regain the discipline I lost when I quit swimming. Last night was further confirmation of the weak state of my mind. With virtually every step I wanted to quit... not for any legitimate reason... but simply because it was hard. The temptation to stop was at points overwhelming but I overcame that by reciting this phrase-- "beautiful legs, beautiful body." Sounds ridiculous, right? But it worked. Whenever I wanted to stop I said that phrase over and over and over (making it my virtual companion for the last two miles). The inspiration for the phrase came from my dear friend Amelia who gave me marathon advice a few months ago. She told me that after all the months of training that my legs would be beautiful. For some strange reason, that stuck with me. The second part is one of my deepest motivations for running at all... I want my body to be in beautiful shape.

Anyway, I made it the whole way. It was a good feeling to finally accomplish something I promised myself I would (too frequently over the last few months have I given into temptation to take the easy way out). I'm slowly on the path toward regaining mental discipline

One of my favorite standby phrases is "Rise up and do the next thing faithfully." Reciting that over and over narrows my focus and allows me to continue on in the midst of stress or anxiety and to continue on after failure. It's my hope that whatever situation you find yourself in today and always, that you would find encouragement in that the Lord only ever asks us to rise up and do the next thing faithfully.

oh heyyyy

So, let's establish something you already know:

I'm terrible at blogging.

Perhaps this blog should be named anti-blogging blogger. Bah. But here's an update... I'm at home (Colorado) and have begun the glorious task of adjusting to the higher altitude. One of the first items on my to-do list upon arriving home was to purchase new shoes. Friday morning my dad and I headed over to Boulder Running Company and found (after many trips between the diagnostic treadmill and a pile of size 8.5 shoes) a beautiful pair of pink, burgundy, and white Mizuno Wave Alchemy 9s. I've begun tallying miles on the soles (credit: Brenna Case).

My dad is following the Jeff Galloway Marathon Training Program which is a run/walk strategy to avoid injury and increase endurance. As I've asked around I've heard great things about this program so I'm in. Also, as a true anti-running marathoner, how can I say no to a program that demands you walk one out of every ten minutes during the long runs? And has you run at a barelyfasterthanwalking pace? Yes please. The only issue is that because this program is longer than the one I was previously following, I'm behind where I should be for mileage. But I'm not stressed... I'll catch up.

My first run last Friday was... unimpressive. My dad and I went out about 4pm and ran on the trails between our neighborhood and the next one over. My legs felt fine-- which was surprising because my runs during finals could best be called sporadic if not nonexistent-- but about fifteen minutes in I began to feel pretty nauseous and lightheaded and so we stopped and walked for a bit, ran another 7-10 minutes and then walked the rest of the way home. So our "40 minute" run turned into a 50 minute run/walk.

The run yesterday went much better. My dad was scheduled for his 9 miler and I am obviously not there yet so he went out for the first six with my cousin Philip and then I tag teamed Philip out and ran the last three. The weather was gorgeous-- I SO prefer running at night. The whole day is behind you, the air is cool, and something about the dark makes the time and miles go by faster. Our pace was nice and easy, so other than my dumb shoulder ache, the run was perfect. Things are looking up!

I'm so thankful to have this goal. (you might need to remind me of this later). It gives me an excuse to go to bed early, the motivation to exercise regularly, and the desire to be healthy-- I need all three of these desperately but find them all too often illusive.

Happy Ash Wednesday

Two days ago I went for a morning run/walk with Laura. We went down to the road halls, up Hull to Bringham and around back to Wilson. I forgot how lovely it is to run with someone else-- it makes the time go by so much quicker!

Yesterday Julia and I were planning on running in the morning but because I had a paper to write, we decided to go in the afternoon and by then it was snowing heavily. I really wanted to run in the snow (it sounded like so much fun!) but Julia wouldn't let me (something lame about falling down...) so we ran on the indoor track of Bennett. I don't really like running on tracks in general, especially not ones that take 10 laps for a mile, but it's better than a treadmill (does anybody else think treadmill running feels artificial?). SO we ran 1 mile, stopped to stretch, and then ran another 2. I felt pretty good, minus my face feeling like it was going to explode (it's pretty warm in there). I didn't struggle for the third mile at all, so I think I could have handled another mile or two, but I'm glad we didn't push it. My legs were tired afterwards but today I feel completely normal. And again, it was so much better having someone else to run with.

Fairly Pleasant

So I went for a nice little jog around campus today... back around Bringham, down Hull, down Grapevine and around the backside of campus. I was planning on going out dancing tonight (which failed... hence why I'm blogging right now and not out) so I decided to cut the run a little short cause we all know how killer clubbing is on your quads. So, all in all I ran for about 25 minutes and it was (ready for this?) fairly pleasant. I was adequately dressed and had some good tunes which I think makes a world of difference.

Delirium

Today was a no-run day... so designated because I was working off 2 hours of sleep and not feeling super with-it. But some of the girls on my floor and I did end up playing an impromptu game of basketball for a bit so I wasn't a complete bum... just a partial one :)

Run #?

Ooookay. So, it's been a while. Turns out writing this accountability blog has so far been an epic fail... but don't worry... I haven't given up.

Here is a synopsis of the last month-ish. I've been running. Inconsistently. This means I'm still in the stage of working on getting my endurance up because it would be foolish to start my distance training plan if I can't even schedule consistent runs. The good news is that the 26 week plan I'm on gives me 10 weeks to get in shape which means I still have 6 weeks to get my act together (at least that's how I see it).

Today I ran on the treadmill (that's my cop-out when it's too cold or I'm feeling particularly squeamish about running on ice on a non-existant shoulder of a curvy road) and did an hour of walk/jog hill intervals at an average of 12min miles. Nothing impressive, I know, but an hour of some variation of running is better than nothing, right?

In other news, I started researching marathons in October to register for. Right now I'm thinking The Cape Cod Marathon... it's described as "beautifully challenging"... lots of hills but runs along one of the prettiest stretches of coastline in America. I'll let you know when I officially pick one.

So here are my commitments:
I will write on this blog daily. Run or no run. And I will be honest.
I will be able to consistently run 5 miles in 50 minutes or less by March 15th. And will train accordingly. 

The First Step is the Hardest... right?

Run #1

I am not a natural runner. Plain and simple. Never have been and (probably) never will be, but nonetheless I am training to run a marathon fall of 2010. Why? Well, there are a few reasons:

1. I miss being an athlete. I grew up figure skating and swimming, as well as playing tennis, volleyball, and lacrosse for a few years here and there. This past winter I swam my final season as a swimmer for Gordon College, with intentions of focusing my attention and energy in other directions. While the replacement commitments have been exceedingly worthwhile, I do miss the feeling of accomplishment and discipline that comes with athleticism. While running a marathon will not replace the joy of participating in team athletics, it will help me regain the discipline and focus I lost when I quit swimming.
2. The list of 66 Things to Do Before You Graduate told me to. I'm interested in setting myself apart in either employment or grad school applications and interviews and running a marathon is one way to do so.
3. To get in shape. This college weight has got to go.
4. It's random and spontaneous and I think I'm capable. I like taking on challenges and I know this will test me (did I mention that I don't like running?). Plus, it's fun to accomplish these hair-brained decisions.

So, today was run numero uno. Although I feel like it's a stretch to call it that because right now I'm solely working on timed endurance, beginning with 15 minute runs and working up to 30min over 2 weeks. Then I'm switching to distance endurance, following a first-time marathon training schedule that starts with 2 mile runs and works up to an 18 mile run (woo!).

I lasted the full 15 minutes today. Okay, that's a lie. I ran for about 13minutes with a 2 minute stretch break a few minutes in. But you have to start somewhere right? I honestly would have lasted longer if I was dressed adequately. It's a balmy 9 degrees Fahrenheit currently and all I wore was underarmor leggings, running shorts, and a long sleeve T. Next time I'll be sure to wear my UA shirt, some gloves and maybe a hat.

Accomplishment: 13 minutes running around campus.

Lesson Learned: Running cold is really unpleasant.