Fartlek - fun to say, fun to do.

I have been trying to motivate my almost 9-year old son to run with me for at least a year. He gets tired, his feet hurt, he doesn't feel like it, he has a million excuses. This summer, we embarked (along with my almost 6-year old son) on a challenge through 100 Mile Club to run 26.2 miles. This isn't consecutive all at once miles...no, I'm not forcing my children run a marathon. It's 26.2 miles over the course of the whole summer. We do a little here, a little there and it all adds up. Mostly we've been walking, but this morning it was just my oldest and I at home and I decided to try and get him out the door with me for a run.

I told him we'd do one mile, and we'd walk some, run some. He reluctantly agreed and pulled on his shoes, and we headed out. As we began, I started to explain to him what a fartlek was. I knew he'd think the word was hysterical (and I was totally right, he immediately began saying it over and over as loudly as possible. My apologies to any neighbors still asleep!) I also thought he might like the "game" aspect of choosing a point and racing to the next. I told him we'd walk in-between, and we could take turns choosing our start and end points. To my surprise and delight, he was completely onboard. Not only was he all for it, he was excited! We had a BLAST together racing through the neighborhood. "Run to the next trashcan starting...NOW!" he'd shriek. "Hey, you got a head start, not fair!" I'd yell as we tried to outrun each other.

It totally MADE my day to run with him and see him having so much fun. I'm crossing my fingers that we can make fartlek runs a regular thing. And that he'll always find the fun in them.

Rockin' the Relay!

This past Sunday I ran the San Diego Rock n Roll Half Marathon as a relay with a good friend of mine. Not only did we kick butt, we had a fantastically good time. I swore off this race when I injured myself running the full marathon version of it last year, but was convinced to give it another try by my pal. It helped that she offered to run the first leg of the relay, which included the nasty portion of the freeway where I hurt myself before. (The camber was ridiculous!) So with a drumstick for a baton, she headed to the start line while another friend and I made our way to the relay exchange point.

What was really fun for me was getting to see all the elite runners go by. Normally, I am in a corral way back at the start line and those elites are finishing up their race almost before I get to cross the start's timing mat. Being positioned on the course gave me an opportunity for the first time to watch these athletes run by. Meb K, who you might recall is a big favorite of mine, took an early lead in the half and when we saw him he was all alone, at least 12 seconds ahead of everyone else. He didn't just run past, he floated. It was surreal and amazing to watch him run! The elite runners for the half all went past and pretty soon we saw the elite runners for the full, too. Very, very cool.

It wasn't long before we heard my team's number being called and I jumped into the exchange chute. My friend blew in and passed the drumstick, and suddenly I was off and running. The major downside to running the second leg, I found, was that everyone else had already been running a while. With my fresh legs and adrenaline pumping I was ready to GO, while others were ready to take a walk break! I spent a lot of time weaving around people, and it wasn't as easy to find a "sweet spot" where I could run unhindered. That said, we still turned in a very respectable time, a new "joint-PR" that was better than our individual bests!

I definitely recommend the relay option to anyone looking to participate in a big race with a shorter distance. It came at a good time for me with the hamstring rehab...I wasn't quite ready for 13.1 yet but wanted to push it a little at a shorter race to see how it did. (I had NO pain, by the way. HOORAY!!!!!) If you Google "half marathon relay" you'll get a TON of races back that offer relays at the half (and some at the full) distance. Check it out!

Before I go, I have to give a couple shout-outs to some of the cool booths and new stuff I saw at the race expo:

Run Pretty Far www.runprettyfar.com  SUPER cute arm warmers, gaiters, tech shirts and they carry BIC bands, which I love. It's all very girlie, though. Guys, I warned you.

Fuel Belt  These guys aren't new and if you're reading this blog you probably know I'm a big fan. However, THIS waistpack is new, at least to me. I ran with it today and I can say that I adore it. It does not bounce or slide around. Perfect for a shorter run where I don't need to lug the whole four-bottle belt. And, if it's a little longer and I do need SOME water but don't want the whole belt, this handheld is perfect. I didn't pick one of these babies up but it's on my list for sure. I liked the size and way it fit my hand, unlike a lot of bigger bottles I've tried.

Pentax Yes, this is the camera people. I got to check out a COOL new camera they've launched called the Optio. This thing is waterproof (seriously, you can even submerge it!), crushproof, sweatproof and fairly foolproof. It'd be great for runs, hikes, bikes, pretty much anywhere you wanted to take it. Now, if it could just remember to pack itself, I'd totally own one.

Brooks Again, not new. I'm shouting out because they ALWAYS give away cool free stuff at the Expos. If you are at an expo where Brooks is, VISIT THEM. Thanks, Brooks. In addition to having awesome shoes, you guys are just amazingly cool.

National Running Day is here!

Happy National Running Day! How did you celebrate?? I did 2 miles on the treadmill...I'm getting ready to run the San Diego Half relay with my good friend on Sunday and I can't wait! I think it's a little odd to have the National Day for Running on a weekday, though. That makes it hard to have any sort of race or event to commemorate it, although I suppose most of us will  mark the day with a run. How does that make it different from any other day? As a matter of fact, now that I'm thinking about it, since they decided to put this holiday smack in the middle of a week, shouldn't we runners get to have the day off to celebrate?? Hmmmm...

However you spend it, enjoy the day!!

Great Scott!

I just got back from a family vacation in Phoenix, AZ. What a great time! We spent some time over in Scottsdale and I'm super excited that I get to go back and visit again when I run the Women's Half Marathon there in November. The greater Phoenix area is absolutely FULL of bike paths, trails, parks, a canal way and runner friendly streets with wide bike lanes and sidewalks. (Case in point, check out this trail run map...crazy!! Everything I saw seemed really clean and well-maintained. Aside from the fact the the insane heat would really stymie running during daylight hours, I loved the place. I saw a little of the route I'll be running in the Fall (when it's hopefully much cooler!!) and got to check out a local running store...Sole Sports. My family was very indulgent in taking a time-out from all our vacation activities to let me check out the local running scene a little and wander around the store. The gals in there were super helpful and got me all outfitted in a pair of brand new Brooks Glycerin 9's...oooooh, do I love them. (Thanks, hon!! I have the best husband in the world!!) They also gave me a few tips about the Women's Half and the hotel we'll be staying at. Sole Sports is one of the sponsors of the race, so I really hope to run into them again.

While I was in the store, I noticed they had single serve Nuun tabs, so I picked up one in a flavor I hadn't tried. Tri-Berry was not bad! I had planned to take it out on a run around the area near our hotel, but it turned out to be much too hot outside for my taste, so I sucked it up and had a treadmill run instead. (Which wasn't even too bad because I had my new Glycerins on!) I really can't wait to go again at a cooler time of year and check out more of the great running spots I saw. Scottsdale rocks! Has anyone else been there??

Find your inner Funkalicious.

I think I've posted about jog.fm (www.jog.fm) before. Oh. My. Goodness. How much fun is it? Or is it just me that's super obsessed with "crafting" playlists? With jog.fm, you can customize playlists based on your anticipated pace per mile. You can inject faster songs in the midst of slower ones to create interval workouts, blasting fast-paced stuff for tempo runs, driving rhythms for hill repeats, whatever tickles your fancy, you can build it. For a nerd like me, this is ultimate coolness. I'm such a dork that I try to make race day mixes that correspond mile by mile with the pace I'm shooting for, based on the course elevation, finish time I want, when I think I'll hit a wall and need a lift...it's definitely not the "mix-tape" of old. This is art!! Okay, maybe it is a little like mix-tapes, but so what?? (I admit to being a CRAZY mix-tape girl back in the day. I had them for every occasion. Surprised??)

That said, my latest creation had me happily clicking away the miles this morning. I'm planning to use it as a base for the upcoming relay I'm running in San Diego in which my team is called (drumroll goes here) "Forty and Funky." So here's a peek at my Funkalicious new playlist, along with my commentary as an awesome bonus. A little bit old school, a little bit alternative funk...kind of like me. Enjoy!

Funkalicious Playlist

Beautiful Day - U2

Rolling In the Deep - Adele

Rio - Duran Duran

Call Me - In This Moment (What a ROCKING version of this Blondie song!)

It's Still Rock and Roll to Me - Billy Joel

Any Way You Want It - Journey

Don't Stop Believin' - Journey

Blow - Ke$ha (I absolutely HATED this song until they played it in the "Chuck" episode where Alexi/Hadley's mom blew up her own house. Awesome!)

Vertigo - U2

Little Lion Man - Mumford & Sons (Warning: this one has a really bad word in the chorus, so they say it a lot. Do not dance around the kitchen to it when your kids are present. Sorry!!)

The Cave - Mumford & Sons

Firework - Katy Perry (I have a love/hate relationship with this song. Sometimes I DETEST it and skip it, sometimes I love it. Today it worked.)

Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride - Jump5 (Just because it's fun and is perfectly safe to dance around in the kitchen with your kids to.)

Barbra Streisand - Duck Sauce (The absolute stupidity and banality of this song make it completely hysterical to me. Plus it has a fun little groove.)

Paint It Black - The Rolling Stones

Woman - Wolfmother

Here in this Moment - Beckah Shae

Jump in the Line - Harry Belafonte (A strange addition? This song carried me through a nasty spot at mile 19 of a marathon when I thought I would NOT make it. I must've kept it on repeat for at least 3 miles...)

Assassin - Muse

You've Got the Love - Florence + the Machine

Something Nuun.

I am not sure why it is that this happens to me, but it seems like everytime I start to LOVE something related to my running, the manufacturer either changes it or gets rid of it altogether. I've talked about this issue before. It's as if they test market something on me, discover that I like it, and immediately must get it off the market. Take Luna Splash, for instance. Luna, by Clif bar, came out with an electrolyte drink made especially for women. It had added calcium, iron and B-vitamins, was organic and had a fabulous pink grapefruit flavor that I loved. It was out about 5 minutes, long enough for me to declare it the ONLY thing I'd drink, and then it was gone. Just like that.

You see, I am notoriously picky about my electrolyte drink. I can't stand anything overly sweet and sticky. I get that I need carbs, but drinks with too much sugar make me feel like my throat is closing up on me. Besides, I like to deliver my carbs in the form of gel, so my sports drinks need to just back off. I also hate anything with TOO much flavor or that comes in an unnatural shade of neon. Sorry, but I don't want that much artificial color and flavor in my body when I'm pushing it to it's limits.

When Luna Splash went away, I started trying every electrolyte drink I could get my hands on in an effort to find a replacement. It's been almost a year and I've FINALLY found something I like, perhaps even better. Hold onto your hats people and get ready to buy it up in mass quantities in case they stop making it, too...it's Nuun! No sugar, just electrolytes, and the tabs pop right into your water bottle so there's no messy powder to mix.  The original Citrus Fruit is not bad, but I'm especially jazzed about the brand new Strawberry Lemonade. It rocks. The flavor is light and NOT overpowering, AND, since there's no added sugar, I can be in charge of what carbs I want to take (or not take) along.  Which means if I want to Roctane myself into orbit, I don't have to worry about upsetting my stomach with cross-carbtamination from my sports drink. Cool.

In case you're wondering, I am in no way affliated with Nuun or any other product manufacturer that I talk about on my Blog. Hardly anyone sends me free samples to review, so I'm not even swayed by freebie insanity. I just happen to like sharing when I find awesome stuff.

Oh, and PS, I am notoriously picky about my gels, too. If the GU people get wind of this post and decide to stop making Roctane since I mentioned it, I will freak out. So, shush! Keep that on the down low. 

Note added 5/25/11: For a short time, you can get 54% off Nuun at Schwaggle. It's a great deal and you can check out four different Nuun flavors. Look for it here: http://schwaggle.active.com/deal/1433/54-percent-off-special-nuun-electrolyte-hydration-package/national 



Life at light speed.

I totally WISH I could say that I have been running so fast that things are blurring by at light speed. Unfortunately, that is NOT the case. It has been so busy here between scouts and baseball games and school events, birthday parties and baseball practice, and oh, did I mention baseball? I feel like I get shot from a cannon most mornings and I don't stop until I collapse into bed at night. Still, I have been getting my runs in good and regular these days, and have even worked up to about 7 miles in long runs. My tendonitis still bothers me, but I've adjusted (slowly) to the pain as a regular part of getting older as a runner. I ice and take my NSAIDS, massage, and just keep going. It's all I can do and it's bearable. I have runs where it doesn't hurt at all and runs when it's quite uncomfortable, and I'm grateful for both. One reminds me that I'm still able and the other reminds me to be extra thankful I still have the ones where it doesn't hurt. Life goes on! Light speed or otherwise, it goes.

I went back to my "running roots", so to speak a few weeks ago and ran the very first race I ever participated in...the one where I got my first taste of the endorphine rush that made me want to do it again and again. The Run with the Panthers 5k is a local event, very low key and small, and it was the perfect place for me to make my debut in the "Masters" class. Masters, for those of you who don't know, is the nice way to refer to the group of runners that would otherwise be called, "Old Farts" or "So Old They Probably Ought to Give it Up Already But They're Too Stubborn." Wait, that's not entirely true. There are some incredible runners out there in the Masters category...Joan Benoit Samuleson, for example. She's still kicking butts.

Anyway, I am happy to say that even post hammy problems, I beat my inaugural time at that race by quite a lot. And I had a lot of fun with a lot of friends. It was a good run. Next up, is the San Diego Half Marathon Relay on June 5th! Can't wait! Off and running...