Stress, Motivation, and Props to Fleet Feet!

This week has been up and down for me.  Work has been busy with challenges, servers going down, project issues, etc.  It was definitely more stressful than usual.  And I have been somewhat unmotivated this week to do my Cross Training, and a little frustrated at myself on the weight loss front.

I missed both of my cross training TEAM Fitness sessions this week.  I hadn't planned on missing them but on Monday, I slept through my alarm (or it never went off).  And on Wednesday, work issues required me to be online when I would have otherwise been at the club.  What bothers me, however, is my seemingly 'whatever' attitude about missing them.  I like the program but I think that with Disney so close, I am less interested in prepping for it and more interested in just getting down there and running my races!

Another part of this whole thing is the fact that I have been somewhat stagnant in my weight loss.  For the past month, I have been pretty much maintaining my weight rather than losing.  It is good that I am not gaining weight, but I am also not losing any.  I think I know why.  Partly, it is because I am not being as consistent as I have been with making good food choices.  I have been 'indulging' more with the holidays and choosing to eat more tasty delights than I should.  I need to regain a little more of my discipline!

The other part is that with all the working out and running that I am doing, my trainer says I am gaining more lean muscle mass and losing fat -- based upon the fact that I am losing inches but not losing weight.  So this is still a sign that I am technically losing fat, but the muscle gain is resulting in my not showing any weight loss.  So, I can be happy about losing inches and being able to wear better fitting clothes.  But I still want to see the weight dropping off.  My motivation wanes a bit when the scale is not moving downward.

So thankfully, I have had several positive experiences to help balance things out.

Training Continues: The weather has eased up a bit this week.  I did my Tuesday morning speed work with it only being 35 degrees outside.  I had a good session!  1/2 mile fast segments run between a 9:20-9:40/mm pace, with my fastest pace being 8:57 for a part of one run segment.  I did all my intervals in 3.80 miles that day and everything seemed to fall into place.

(Tuesday was also a wardrobe first for me.  I usually wear running shorts over my compression pants, mostly because I felt kinda weird just wearing the compression pants.  Well today, I decided 'what the heck' and I just wore the compression pants -- like many other runners do.  And guess what?  It was just fine, and no one called the cops on me for being inappropriately dressed. LOL)

On Thursday, I went out for what turned into a Tempo Run for 3.50 miles at a 9:40 pace.  It was 45 degrees so I went out wearing just running shorts, a long-sleeved tech shirt, a cap, and gloves.  It was windy but it still felt great!  This would be perfect weather (minus the wind) for the Disney races.  We can only hope for the best on that one!

Saturday will be my last 'long' Long Run before Disney - a 12 miler.  I am planning on running it with my friend Mike.  I am actually looking forward to this last long run -- it will help cement my confidence in the upcoming Half Marathon. And hopefully, this run won't be done entirely in the rain like my last Long Run was. Haha

New Gear and Fleet Feet: So this week I did something that I know is always a bad idea for my budget.  I went to the running store -- Fleet Feet to be exact (there is one 15 minutes from my office -- not good!).  I needed to pick up a new armband thingy for my iPhone (I lost my other one somehow), a "Stick" for rolling after the Half, and some more GU gels.  I also picked up some CEP Compression Calf Sleeves.  For those who may not know what 'The Stick" is, it is a device that helps you roll out your muscles after a workout/race when you can't bring your foam roller along.  I know that I am going to need to work on my legs and glutes after the race at Disney, and I want to make sure I am in the best condition for the Half Marathon I am running 'after' Disney (the Polar Dash) on the 14th.

Speaking of Fleet Feet, I have to give them some 'props'.  Back in September, I bought a pair of compression pants (Zoot Knickers) from the Fleet Feet in downtown Chicago.  They were great and I wore them for almost every training run and about four races, when all of a sudden they started to tear!  They were brand new so I figured it was likely a defect.  I emailed Zoot about it, and they said to return them to the store where they could either be replaced or sent to Zoot (and Zoot would send me out a new pair).

I have been really busy since they tore in late October, and getting to the Chicago Fleet Feet store from my house was going to require a special 3-hour trip.  I finally had the chance to do it today (it is only an hour round-trip from my office).  I was skeptical given that I bought these things 3 months ago.  So I get to the store, show them the pants, the tear, and the email response from Zoot.  They immediately said "No problem! We will get you a new pair!"  I was so happy!  Of course, while I was there I got a cool Brooks running vest which was on sale.  I got it for $20!  So I walked out with a new pair of compression pants and the vest for my trouble.  Score!!!

Having an impact: I have had several discussions with friends, co-workers, youth/young adults about my running, exercise, and weight loss journey.  I have been doing youth ministry for almost two decades and working at my current employer for over 21 years.  So these are friends who have known me for a long while, and have seen me at my worst in terms of my weight and overall fitness.  And now, they are witnessing my slow transformation to a healthier 'me'.  I have been so encouraged by their positive comments and 'at-a-boys'!  I am not even sure they understand how much their support has meant (and continues to mean) to me!  They are such a help when my energy/drive to keep going begins to fade.

And I have been even more touched by how many people have started journeys of their own because they have seen what I have been able to accomplish.  To be a source of inspiration is still kind of strange for me because I do not always feel like I am worthy of that.  But I also know how much I have been inspired by others -- my coach, my 'running muse' Beth, my friends Mike R and Mike H, et al -- who fill me with the desire to keep moving forward.  So if I can be that spark for another person, then I am honored.

Running, Tapering, and Looking Ahead

Saturdays are usually my Long Slow Run day.  Today was no exception, other than the fact that it was a cutback week so my schedule showed only 3 miles.  3 miles?  Hardly a 'long' run.  And, it was 9 degrees outside. Brrrr!!!  So I decided to run at least a 5K distance and then add in my warm-up/cool-down mileage on top of that.  And, I figured since the distance was low, I would pick up the pace.

So I ended up running for 3.3 miles and with my warm-up/cool-down mileage, the whole 'run' totaled 3.87 miles.  I ended up with an average pace of 9:37/mm which I am very pleased with.  No way I could run an entire Half Marathon at that pace, but it would be pretty cool if I could run the last 5K of the race at that pace (assuming I have enough 'in the tank' to ramp it up for that long).  Either way, it was a good solid run!

I have one final 'normal' training week remaining.  I am scheduled for a little over 20 miles next week, including my final 'long' slow run of 12 miles on the 17th with my buddy Mike.  After that, I will start tapering off my workouts, shortening my Interval Runs and reducing my Long Runs to 6 and then 3 miles.  And before long, I will be at Disney, walking through the Expo, and preparing for my races.

Tapering

I wonder if I will feel any of the 'taper madness' I have heard about.  But first, a definition.  "Tapering" is a phase in your training for a race.  Some will say it is as important as any other aspect of race preparation.  It is the 1-3 week process (depending upon the race distance) where runners begin to wind down their training to allow their muscles to heal (from all the high mileage activity) and recharge themselves with glycogen and nutrients.  It is also a time for getting rest (yes, more sleep!) and relaxing before the big day.  Each week sees a reduction in the miles being run, and the pace of those runs are supposed to be very easy.  No speed work, no hill work.

For me, running 20+ miles a week, it sounds both relaxing and worrisome to be cutting back on training leading up to a race.  I have to go from 20 miles a week to 14, and then the following week down to 10? And either cut out my TEAM Fitness workouts, or severely reduce those workouts the first two weeks of tapering (and VERY light cross training -- 15-20 minutes tops -- on the last week).  Wow!

Some runners experience what's called 'taper madness' -- the phantom pains, panic attacks, depression, and much more that plague some runners during this three-week period of decreased training just before the race.  I do not think I will have that problem, but it does happen (mostly for marathoners and ultra marathoners).  I think my biggest issue will be dealing with the anticipation of the race, the trip preparations, the excitement of meeting my racing team friends, and the anxiety about how I will perform on Race Day.

I found a pretty decent article about Tapering on Runners World.  Check it out here.

Looking Ahead

I have been doing a lot of thinking about this journey that I am on, and where it might lead me.  What happens when I reach my goal weight?  What happens after I run my first Full Marathon?  Will I be able to maintain my healthy habits?  Am I going to continue to run and enjoy it?

My weight loss has been slowing down, almost at a plateau for the past month.  Part of that is because with all the workouts and running, I am developing more lean muscle mass and muscle weighs more than fat.  So while my weight is not drastically going down, I am still losing inches off my body.  So I know things are still happening that are positive.  But at some point, I want to see the pounds start to fall off a little faster (like in the beginning).  I know that it is not realistic to maintain that kind of high weight loss profile, so I need to adjust my expectations and be happy with a 3-6 pound monthly loss.  I really wanted to reach my weight loss goal by next summer.  I think that is still possible.  Then, I will have to work to maintain the weight.  That can be its own challenge.

As for running, right now I plan to continue to set short and long term goals for myself (as long as my 51-year body, legs, and knees are up to it).  I already have a race schedule set for 2012 which I am happy about and believe is reasonable.  I plan on running the Disney Marathon in 2013 and possibly the Chicago Marathon that same year (depending upon how I feel about full marathons after Disney).  After that, I have no race plans.

I am praying that I will continue to be able to run 3 days a week just for fitness and fun every week for as long as I live.  I have this dream that perhaps once a year, Christi and I can go on a trip and run somewhere exotic -- Hawaii, Jamaica, London, Greece, Africa -- or maybe take a "runners" cruise like the one John Bingham and Wendy Hadfield offer.  Just for the fun of it!

This week, I was listening to an episode of the podcast "The Marathon Show" by Joe Taricani, and he was interviewing someone who plans and chaperones "running vacations" all over the world.  She was talking about the Kilimanjaro Marathon/Half Marathon event (at the base of the Kilimanjaro in Africa) that she takes a group to every year.  Oh would I love to go out there and run that race!  And while there, you can optionally go on an African Safari, and even climb the Kilimanjaro!  Now wouldn't that just be the best vacation ever?!!!  I think so!

I was talking to a friend on FaceBook last night, whose husband has run several marathons and other races.  They just got back from Negril, Jamaica where he ran the Raggae Marathon.  This race has 10K, Half, and Full Marathon events and is located by one of the best beaches in Jamaica.  Her photos were amazing!  The next one is on December 1st, 2012.  I am telling you right now, I am really interested in running a Half Marathon there!

So I guess, as long as there are ways to keeping running fun and exciting, and the body stays healthy, and I can afford it, then I am going to keep on running! I might start to really increase my swimming too (perhaps there is a aquathlon -- swimming and running -- in my future).  I am still shying away from the triathlon... :)