Struggling with whether to run the Chilly Half Marathon

• 3 • 13.1 Training, My Running

I’ve decided not to run the Chilly Half Marathon this November. I’ve made this decision about five times.

It’s the right decision.

I haven’t run further than 7 miles since May. MAY. (The kids dropped out of summer camp, I got a chest cold and spent two weeks on an inhaler, my babysitter started field hockey… life happens, and this time, I didn’t figure out a way around it)

The Chilly Half Marathon is in 6 weeks.

You don’t prepare for a half marathon in 6 weeks.

That’s an insult to the half marathon distance. (Maybe this would be possible if I were doing a lot of running, but I’m running fewer than 10 miles a week right now.)

You know when that long run was in May? The Maine Coast Half Marathon. My slowest and most brutal half marathon, which I also ran unprepared, because I’d spent the 3 months prior learning to swim and road bike for my first triathlon.

I promised after the grueling 6 miles of walking I did during that race that I’d never run another half unprepared.

So, for the 6th time, I have decided not to run the Chilly Half Marathon in November.

I’m not prepared.

The problem is that my head has decided this, and my heart is drowning in sorrow and playing little violins every time I go for a run.

I went for a beautiful fall run with the stroller today, a nice tempo 3 miles in the first brisk weather I’ve had for running. It was gorgeous. It even smelled like the start line in November – cool air, chilly breeze… ahhh.

Chilly is hard for me because I’ll be there as a spectator if I’m not running. I love watching Greg, but it’s harder when it’s a race I used to be so excited to run too. A race I signed up for. A nagging little piece of my heart says “just go, you’ll make it!”

I think what I may have to do is go for a 10 mile long run and allow my body to explain to my heart in excruciating detail exactly why we are not running the Chilly Half in November for the first time in 3 years.

It’s tough love, but it may need to happen.

New running shoes! Cloud by ON Running

• 1 • My Running, Running

I LOVE these new shoes. They’re lightweight, vegan (I check using vegan8’s list of running shoes) and they are so comfortable. Cushioned without feeling heavy. They earn their name; I was impressed.

I found them the old fashioned way; I went into Marathon Sports and got fitted for running shoes. I’d been fitted a few years ago, and then just started purchasing similar shoes online. I decided (ok Greg recommended) that it was time to go back in and get advice from a professional.

And I’m glad I did. A friendly running shoe expert confirmed that I’m a neutral runner, so the shoes I’ve been buying online are fine. But she did more than that; she listened to exactly what I love about running shoes (lightweight, a little cushion, not too much drop) and suggested the Cloud by On Running.

They feel so natural and easy on my feet. I love the laces, which are no-tie laces developed by a triathlete and perfect for a lazy practical mom. They’re soft without being heavy, bright without being too fluorescent, and I love them.

They’re delicious.

Maybe that’s not a great adjective for running shoes.

Anyway, the moral of the story isn’t so much that you should go out and buy your own pair of Clouds. More that if you haven’t been fit in a while, it might be time to head to your local running store and get a recommendation tailored to you, rather than buying another pair of shoes online. Fall in love with your own pair. 🙂

-Kelly

Supporter of Hillary Clinton for President. Please vote with me this November to ensure that love trumps hate.

3 Year Anniversary!

• 6 • My Running

3 years ago today I ran my first half marathon!

Andrew was 1 and Will was about to turn 3, and I did half my training runs with the double jogging stroller.

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The kids in the stroller back in 2013. Looking back at photos, they were usually barefoot!

It was one of those “how can we do this?” kinds of things.

Looking back, it seems so crazy. That’s a lot of weight to push around on most of my runs!

I did a lot to make half marathon training work for that first race. From 5 a.m. runs to pushing 40 pounds of toddler up hills and trying to keep them happy in the stroller, I put in some effort to get to that starting line.

Looking back, I’m more impressed now with what I did than I was at the time. Back then, the running itself impressed me the most. Now, the logistics of scheduling those runs and the amount of stroller and sunrise running I did is the craziest to me!

Sometimes I miss the company of the kids in the stroller… but now I’m just chasing them while they bike and scooter instead!

Beach running

• 0 • My Running

My best attempt to capture the disorienting magic that is downward dog on the beach.

I gave beach running another shot this morning. I remember doing it on vacation once in Grand Cayman… and it was a hot mess. I ran too close to the waves trying to find a hard flat surface and my shoes and socks got soaked, it was uneven running, the sand was too soft… I actually threw out my shoes after that one. (They were ready to go anyway.)

But being in Maine for most of the summer I’ve talked to two avid beach runners who convinced me to give it another chance.

The trick is waiting for low tide, and finding a good beach. This morning I went at low tide to a recommended beach and ran in my sneakers. I would enjoy running barefoot, but you have to build up gradually so you don’t get injured. I missed feeling the sand on my feet like I do on a walk, but my ankles and knees were happy with me.

It was a little slower than running on pavement, but not the difficult sinking-in-mud feeling I remember from Grand Cayman. The sand was pretty hard, the view was gorgeous, and there’s nothing like taking your shoes off afterwards for stretching and post-run yoga in the sand.

If you’ve never done a downward facing dog with the ocean behind you, it’s mesmerizing. Seeing the ocean waves crashing in upside down is gloriously disorienting… like you’ve completely escaped reality for a few peaceful moments.

In other news… muffins.

I made chocolate chip zuchinni banana muffins this morning from this recipe using the oil-free vegan option. They’re delicious! Made with your own oat flour pulsed in the blender, they were quick to mix up and turned out wonderfully moist. I baked the muffins for 20 minutes and then shut the oven off and let them remain for an additional 10, which was my best guess for modifying her cooking times from a loaf pan. It made 9 muffins.

I love muffins in the morning, especially ones that leave me feeling energized (vs. too heavy or too sweet cupcake type muffins that make me queasy). These were great; filled with whole grain oats, zucchini and banana. I think you could reduce the amount of maple syrup by 1/2 and they’d still be sweet enough.

I’m daydreaming about starting a muffin project this fall and baking a batch of muffins once a week and freezing them so I can microwave myself a muffin any morning my heart desires. My heart desires muffins a lot.

Running

I’m doing some soul searching about running lately. I’m signed up for two half marathons this fall, but I never want to run when I have a babysitter. I want to ride my bike. But I don’t like the idea of being a non-runner. Greg wonders if I’d enjoy running more again if I buckled down and got some of my running ability back; I’m struggling with long runs and speed workouts because I spent so much time doing triathlon training this spring. He’s probably (ok definitely) right… but I’m not sure how long it’ll take me to regain that proficiency and if I want it more than I want to just stick to a few jogging sessions a week in between bike rides and swimming laps.

We’ll see.

What’s next after Tri For A Cure

• 2 • My Running

Life is smooth sailing after Tri For a Cure. (I had to.)

My parents bought a beautiful vintage 22 foot O’Day sailboat and taking her out in Casco Bay is such a pleasure.

I’ve been spending time in Maine with family and just enjoying the beautiful phase after a race where you have all this added athletic ability but a reprieve in pressure to train.

I wake up in the morning and look at our schedule and think “should I run, bike, swim or recover today?”

This morning I went for a 7 mile run because I miss being capable of running long distances and am starting to consider my training plan for the Chilly Half Marathon in November.

Yesterday I went for a 10 mile bike ride to relax before lunch.

Tomorrow I’ll probably swim if I can get a babysitter.

I love the post-race phase, and I’m thrilled that (so far) I’m not signed up for another event until October. I like the feeling that I’m in “bonus” zone, where I’m just having fun and maintaining a base level of activity. If I feel like biking two days in a row, I do it. If I want to run intervals and let some steam loose, I do that.

That said… Chilly is on my mind again. It’s been a couple years since I earned my PR in the half. I’m not saying I have the time to get back there between now and November, but I’d like to get back into running and have a better season than I did last year.

Races keep me consistent. I love living an active lifestyle, but even with a race on the calendar I have weeks where I miss 3 days in a row. Without that motivator, well… I’m just one of those people who does better having something to work towards.