Feeling a Bit Burnt Out

I don't know if its the summer heat, or just lack of giving myself a substantial break, but I am feeling rather burnt out.   Nik, maybe that is I did not update for a full week - my facebook feed is full of people who are always training for a half Ironman, if not a full Ironman, so it seems a bit wussy to be burnt out from doing 5Ks and sprint triathlons.

My body is not encouraging me either because I pinched a nerve in my lower back.  It either happened from not properly getting out of full-camel position, or during my nightly attempts at chin stands.  I was feeling pretty awesome about being able to do a chin stand, but just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should.  At least without learning the proper form first.

My yoga teacher used the term "over-compressed" so my chiropractor has since "decompressed" me twice.  But, my low back still feels weird.  However, when I was image Googling chin stands to find a picture, I found a bunch of other poses I want to try so clearly I have not learned my lesson.

So, the solution to feeling burnt out seems rather simple - I should just take a break, right?  But my life is so compartmentalized:  my family time - my work time - and my hobby time (with also is my alone time and my social time).  If I don't have my hobby, I have a void.

But it's not so much that I don't WANT to run, it's that I don't want to HAVE to run.

Recently, my son has been obsessed with my Garmin.  Every day, for a few weeks, he has asked for a "running watch that he can put on his bike."  I finally found a stop watch that could fit his little wrist.  It's not a Garmin, but it has stop and start buttons...the only two features he cares about.

It's not unusual for me to feel this way during this summer.  And although it has been awhile, it is not unusual for me to give my Garmin a break and run just to run.   I am considering temporarily trading watches my son.  My only hesitation is can I trust him to not put my Garmin in the toilet?

The irony in all this is I just agreed to get coached.  This was my first week and I blew off 75% of the workouts.  Even though my mind wants to be motivated, I just cannot fake it.  Or force it.

So, despite the fact I do not want to write this, I declare July a recovery month.  In August, I am doing Hood2Coast and I will end the season with one last triathlon in September.

Even though the heat has made me officially surrender, my kids are handling it better than they were a few weeks ago.  We have been having fun at the pool.

And the movies.

And Hayden discovered that if he wears his hat and his sunglasses, the sun will stay out of his eyes!

5K Summer Series, #5 FINAL

There are 5 races in the summer series.  The worst race is dropped.  For me, this was race #4 since I missed it due to the triathlon.  I also had that bad race for race #2.  Those two races balanced out my two wins - and I was tried for first place for the series.

If I won this race, I would win the series.
If I lost this race, I would come in second.

Historically, I do not perform well under pressure.
I tried to convince myself that second place was still very good, but I could not shake off something my elite runner friend/mentor said a few months ago:  Second place is the first loser.  It sounds harsh.
But it is also true.

The night before the race I was watching the Olympics' Mens 5K Final.  It is interesting watching track events because they run directly next to their competition for most of the entire race.  I usually have no idea where my competition is unless they pass me.  In the spirit of the Olympics, I decided to try something new.

On the start line, I saw the girl who was racing me for first place.  She is a nice girl, I like her.  I stood next to her and said, "I am going to run with you today."
Her response?  "Bring it."  It made me like her even more!
We friendly chatted until it was time to race.

These 5Ks always have a fast start.  And this was no exception.
I knew right away that this was not a sustainable race pace so I let myself fall behind.

But by Mile 1, I had caught up. I heard my Garmin beep - I had it set to auto-lap every mile.   I did not look at it.  There really is very little to gain by looking at the Garmin - unless it is the perfect number, it can send you into a mental tailspin.

Mile 2 included a large uphill.  Hill running is my forte and it did not faze me.

At the turn around, I realize I had a substantial lead.  Now, I just had to to sustain it on the downhill.

The downhill was relatively easy. My Garmin beeped again.

Mile 3 rehashed the rolling hills in the beginning.  At this point, I became uncomfortable.

For some reason, the balls of my feet were burning.  Perhaps my shoes were too big but this did not happen at my last race?  My stomach also started to feel alarmingly unsettled.

The nice thing about the last mile is that you can remind yourself: It's the last mile.

Anything is tolerable for just one mile.

I was relieved when the Garmin beeped at Mile 3 but the finish still seemed far away.  I believe this course was closer to 3.2 miles than 3.1.  My feet and stomach were begging for the finish line.

When I asked my Dad (post-race) if it looked like I was running fast, he said no.

But when I turned the corner and saw the clock, I did sprint the last the few steps.

Chip time = 19:10,
Gun time = 19:13.
Mile 1 = 5:58                     
Mile 2 =  6:10
Mile 3 = 5:56
.21 = 1:35 (because I forgot to stop my watch for about 1 minute.)

In 90 + degree weather, I am proud of this performance - it was good enough to win the series.

It was also good enough for another gold medal to bring home to Brenna.  She immediately put it on and did her poses.

I promise I am not priming her for Toddlers and Tiaras.  She developed these poses completely on her own.

She is simply a natural in front of the camera.  Here she is a week earlier:

I also promise that I did not pick out that outfit.  She also did that completely on her own.

Skirt Chaser Race Report - PR (with Pictures)

I really enjoyed this event.  I am not just saying that because I did well, I am saying it because it was sincerely a  fun and unique race - with beer and wine at the end.  Even though it was relatively large (1,100 women and 800 men), it was well executed.  There was never a line to use the restroom nor confusion.  And, for the price of  the race, not only did women get a running skirt, everyone got two free drinks, free food and we were treated to live music.

Per my racing tradition, I got to the race site very early.  I wanted to park as close as possible (I hate the hassle of gear check) and avoid lines and chaos while picking up my bib.  I also managed to score a free chair massage without having to wait.

I find that I can never get to a race "too" early.  I need at least 25 minutes to warm up, 10 minutes to stretch, 10 minutes to socialize, 5 minutes to use the bathroom, 5 minutes for strides, 5 minutes to get into my race zone and at least 5 minutes to secure a reasonable spot on the start line.  I rather have too much time than not enough time because none of those things bode well with being rushed.

I stayed true to my word and ran this race without a Garmin.  Although I did technically wear one, I just kept it on the setup screen, which provides no information whatsoever.


I wanted a watch for a few reasons:
1) So I could keep an eye on the time while I was warming up
2) So I knew my time at the end

Since I didn't look at my watch during the race, I managed to forget it existed and thus forgot to turn it off at the end, deeming it useless. I think perhaps I will invest in a smaller time piece for races. Because yes - this no Garmin thing is officially my new thing.

During my warm up, I noticed two things. First, it was hot (at least to February's standards). Nearly record high temps put the air close to, if not, at 80 degrees. Second, there was that lovely wind (aka, my arch-nemesis) rustling the leaves on the trees. Usually that sound alone puts me in a mental tailspin, but since I was running this race purely for play, I did not care.

It was not until after I changed over to my racing shoes and spent minutes on the start line that I actually felt like running fast. The race adrenaline was irresistible by the time the national anthem was over.


The gun went off and I flew off the start line.
My shoes felt light, my legs felt loose and my lungs felt strong. I can run this way forever!

But one of the benefits of training too fast is that I know precisely what "too fast" feels like. I quickly pulled in the reigns and had everything under control by the first quarter mile.


Since I did not know my pace, I focused on what felt sustainable. I made sure that I was not panting, and that my heart was not beating profusely. I periodically performed 2 self checks:
- can I hear my breathing?
- can I smile effortlessly?

Keeping those checks in place, I allowed myself to race the race and pass a few people:


What followed me:


By the turn-around, I was still able to talk (okay, perhaps more like mutter) to the few ladies who were ahead of me. I enjoy out-and-back races like this because it allows the participants to be spectators. "Good Job!" I told each of them. I enjoyed the same praise from my fellow athletes as I ran opposite the crowd on the way back.

I did start to get tired on the way back but I just stayed true to myself. When spectators encouraged me to catch the woman in front of me, I smiled and shook my head. Perhaps I am not nearly as competitive as I thought, or perhaps a strong finish was simply more important to me.

And my finish was dynamite - unlike so many of my previous races, I had gas left in the tank and a hop left in my step.

And my fury was even more ignited when I saw the clock was under 19:30. Even with the heat and hills, I was going to PR.


It was a 15 second PR:


Making me 5th overall and 2nd in my age group (2/230).

But all that aside, the real victory here is that I ran a smart race with a strong finish. I ran within my physical abilities AND my mental ambition. Lately, finding the middle ground between those two has been a struggle - because I have been fighting it instead of letting my body find it.

The end of the race turned into a block party. And I have the coolest friends, they volunteered to pass out the booze. This makes them very important people!


My Dad was also there to greet me at the finish.


In case you wonder how I get such excellent running photos, it is because of him.


I think this set turned out nicely, with the exception of some man-arms that I am sporting.


This has nothing to do with Dad's photography skills, but instead of the affect of having a 40-pound toddler who often refuses to walk. Like any other two-year old, he enjoys being held. And, like any other mother, I enjoy holding him.

But come on, we would ALL have freak arms if we spent our days lugging around this:

And I mean that in the most loving, endearing way.

I want to say this ends the running season for me because I have two upcoming duathlons which will assimilate into triathlon season.

But I am not going to say that.

3rd and 4th Weeks of Training, Sub-6 minute Mile

I’ve never been much of a speed demon, which is probably why I spent my pre-baby running career focusing on longer distances.  Only recently did I wake up one day and discovered that I could run a sub-6 pace.  The only time I have ran a sub-6 pace prior to this was perhaps during some random 400s, and the first  minute of a 5K.

I’ve been doing some haphazard speedwork since then (aka: What-I-Want-to-Do, When-I-Want-to-Do-It) with hesitant plans to do a 5K on February 11th.
Workout 1: 800 (2:54), 1 Mile x 2 (6:12 / 6:09), 800 (2:55)
Workout 2: 1 min “fast” (5:37 pace avg), 45 sec brisk RI x 5
                    2 min “almost fast” (5:53 avg), 90 sec brisk R1 x 3
                    3 min “less fast” (6:05)
                    2 min “5k Pace" (6:10) x 3
Workout 3: 1K x 3 @ 5K Pace, .15 RI (had to cut this short for hot yoga)
Workout 4: 1 Mile (5:54), 2 min RI
                     800 (2:58)…..and I am feeling like a stud at this point.  I recover .25, turn around to do it again in the opposite direction and BAM….headwind!  I am not talking about a crazy headwind but I clearly did my first 1.5 miles too fast, and poor little me could not handle a breeze (and yes, I realize that means I had a slight tailwind before). So instead I did 400 x 4, keeping steady at 1:32, which is my goal 5K pace.
I think, if properly trained, I could run that pace (6:10).  But because I have focused on seeing new numbers on my Garmin, really all I have done is trained myself to run 1 mile too fast – not 3.1 miles consistently and realistically "fast".  On one hand, I am happy about my first sub-6 mile. It’s worth a photo:


On the other hand, I can predict how that 5K next weekend will pan out.  I will start off too fast, run a 6:08….manage to weasle out a 6:15 for Mile 2 and then shuffle in a 6:55 minute mile for Mile 3.  That will bring me close to 20 minutes, give or take a few seconds in either direction.

I know…I know…I should simply avoid this situation by not going out too fast.  For some reason, this logic always escapes me on race day!  On race day, I often forget my limitations…until Mile 2.  Then I get a sobering reminder of who I am.

I always decide after every 5K that this distance is too short and too fast for my liking and that I will not do another one…but ah, how quickly I forget!

The babies have also had a quick turnover from their race.  After a day of recovering, they are past it and back to running.


We have also added cross-training to our repituare. Brenna has a fondness for the jump rope. She gives it a valiant effort, although it's quite a tricky sport.



Meanwhile, Hayden is discovering an inner-gymnast.


But even he has the ability to get up, he still lacks the confidence to get down:




We will work on that.

Jogging Stroller Sessions #3 and #4

This is my first time using Blogger's new interface. So excuse me if I get a little excited over some of the NEW things that I can do without having to bust out my college HTML book.

Jogging Stroller Session #3: Speed Intervals (800/1200/800/1200/800/400x2), 7 miles
800 #1 - 3:22 (still warming up)
1200 #1 - 4:55 (6:34 pace)
800 #2 - 3:15
1200 #2 - 4:57 (6:36 pace)
800 #3 - 3:16
400 #1 - 1:36 (6:24 pace)
400 #2 - 1:35 (6:24 pace)

I need a sub 6:42 pace in order for the kids to PR.   So on paper, these paces look spot on. But in my head, I feel rather done. Tired. Burnt out.

I want to train. I like training.
But the pressure to constantly do better is exhausting.

So I took a different approach with Session #4: Hills.
I have gotten into this very nice routine of doing playdates on Thursdays at this adorable place called Toy Town. It's very similar to Imagination Ave (aka the Imaginarium) except that it has very cool rules:

It's kind of nice to have other "mom" friends. And the kids play independently for hours.  Hayden loves the train-set:

and Brenna loves being a 1950s housewife.  Trust me, she has never seen me in the kitchen wearing high heels!

The icing on the cake is that Toy Town hugs the base of South Mountain.  After the kids get worn out, I put them in the jogging stroller for lunch. It's perfect.  But it's hilly.

One nice thing about the Garmin is that you can choose what information you want to see, and what information you dont want to see.  If you are like me and enjoy intervals, sometimes its nice to just use the stopwatch and not stress about your pace.

It still records that information if you want to look at it at the end. And yes, that is sparkly text!

Anyway, here the workout:
12 minute warm-up
4 min @ tempo pace x 4 (1 min RI) up a long gradual hill
5 min of hill repeats
2 min @ 5K pace x 4 (20 sec RI) of rolling hills
10 min cool down
= 55 minutes, and 7.2 miles...not too shabby for a bunch of hills and a slight breeze!
and I must say, I loved doing the whole run without knowing my pace.   I see more of these in my future.

As for Blogger's new interface, I cant say that I love it.  But then again, I never love change.

Addiction.

I always believed that I was a Garmin user, not an abuser. After all, I love just hitting the trails with a naked wrist. It's so easy to get caught up in all the numbers that I forget sometimes why I run - it's not to be fast, or hit XX miles a week...it's because it makes me feel good, and it makes me feel like me.

But then this morning I woke up for my 430am Monday speedwork and MY GARMIN WOULD NOT TURN ON.

Dont worry - I have backup for these kinds of situations. I busted out my old Garmin. It looks a bit beat up but it works.

I warm up and stretch.
This is going to be fun!

I run to Papago park to do some 800s on the hills. The first 800 feels so good I make it a 1200. The next 800 is slower, but uphill. My legs feel lose. I am flying!

I start the third 800 and look at my watch. It has turned off!

I turn it back on.
It turns itself back off.

I remain calm...Just enjoy the run I tell myself.

I do some unmeasured fast runs up and down the hills as planned, all the while wondering what I am going to do about my 5K this Sunday. Will I be able to run it without a Garmin? How will I pace myself? I wont know my splits!

By the end of my run, I was in panic mode. This is when I realized that I dont train with a Garmin, I depend on a Garmin. I am a Garmin addict.

Luckily, there are hundreds and hundreds of other Garmin addicts out there, so I was able to learn how to fix my Garmin in the total of 1 minute. In case this ever happens to you, simply hold down the Mode button and Reset button at the same time for 5 seconds. Then turn on your watch. Crisis diverted!!!

So sure, maybe I dont run only to be fast or hit XX miles a week - but lets be real - the numbers are fun. Well, at least on good days. Perhaps this entire post would have been different had my Garmin died on a bad day.

It's such an extreme difference from when I started running in high school. Back then, we wore cotton sports bras, carried Walkmans and thought that GPS was a punk band.

Ah, to be young and clueless!
(This one is so clueless she can't even match her running shoes)