Daily Chronicles of an Angela

I get asked a lot about how I balance "high" mileage during the work week. Here's a glimpse into what I consider a heavy training day..... I want to preface this post by saying that I realize this routine may seem excessive to some. Remember, I'm training for a ONE HUNDRED MILER.... Also, this is not the norm. At the end of this post, I will discuss another way in which I accommodate heavier training days.

I have a super weird morning routine. I actually shower and eat breakfast BEFORE I run.

My alarm is set for 4:45 AM. Being a chronic snoozer, I'm usually up between 5 - 5:30 (the latter today).  I wake up ravenous...I cannot even fathom the fasting method. Every morning, it's the same breakfast of two toasted frozen waffles piled high with almond butter and jam (I give serving sizes the bird).  And these are just old school Eggo Waffles....Sorry, foodies. Along with breakfast, I drink two scoops of Amino Energy; this is the only sports supplement that I take regularly....Not attempting to sell anyone on anything but I've had done well with this - nice boost without a crash.

Let's be clear ....My dog is about 99 percent of the reason that I'm so disciplined about running each morning. When I don't run with him, he punishes me until redemption is earned....He will outright reject my affection even refusing to look at me. And yeah, I love my dog A LOT... How could you not?!?!

 

Yoshimi is notorious for being a distracted runner....Bushes need marked and squirrels chased...No concern about pace here. Total for this morning was 6.5 miles. Tuesdays + Wednesdays are hectic because I have double runs AND yoga... I change my clothes FOUR times on these days....This makes for A LOT of preparation!

Life is much easier when I stick with clothes that I can easily strip out of and get back into.

 

 

Horrible picture but... A simple change of shoes and I'm ready to go for a run. Seriously. Except for the boots + scarf, my entire outfit is activewear (running leggings, fleece vest, tech shirt).

 

I live just over a mile from my office so I walk to work everyday....Perfect cool-down from a run! Around 10, my stomach begins to rumble without fail. This weekend, I was ambitious and whipped up some energy bars (oats + dates + dried berries + dark chocolate chips)....I inhale one of those and my clients are saved from a hangry monster.

 

I chow lunch down at my desk during slow periods. During my actual lunch hour, I conquer my second run. Three important things to note if you're wanting to attempt this.... (1) Eat early enough to allow proper digestion to occur....at least an hour! (2) Your lunch has to be somewhat on the safe side and (3) Take a later lunch if you've ran earlier so that you're ensuring adequate recovery.

 

 

Lunch was rice noodles, scrambled eggs, peppers, broccoli, mandarin orange chk'n

 

 

5.4 miles on lunch - It always takes a couple miles to fall into a groove but I LOVE escaping outside in the middle of a workday. I should bring up that I keep a duffel bag in the back room of our office which has essentials such as deodorant and baby wipes....This is mandatory for all lunch time warriors! After a lunch run, I'm a bottomless pit... It's imperative to bring healthy snacks to keep from diving into the candy bowl. Today, I munched on turkey slices with sharp cheddar + a banana.

 

Immediately after work, I head to the yoga studio down the street for ninety minutes of hot Bikram torture. Usually, I prepare a slow cooker meal for these nights in order to save my husband the burden of dinner. Thankfully, we were stocked with plentiful leftovers. For dinner, I had a GIANT bowl of white rice with leftover salsa verde chicken (not pictured). Dessert was a bowl of Coco Puffs because I have the food desires of a toddler.

 

Wednesdays are fairly similar in terms of training - double runs + yoga. However, I structure the days differently.  In the morning, I do just a few miles (3-4) immediately followed by the Bikram Express class. Depending upon how I feel, I run another 3 - 5 miles on lunch.....and then I'm done! I'm home at a normal hour.....free to annoy my husband and hang with the hooligans.

 

 

Finding Balance

Relatively speaking, I haven't been running much....a dirty admission for someone in the heart of 100 mile training. Friends in a similar training boat are throwing down impressive miles but I'm focusing on becoming balanced. Over the last year, I've battled the high mileage trap.... Most runners fixate on miles, miles, miles....and that's all fine and dandy.... but it can really burn you out. Not to mention, you're more likely to become injured and it's not all that helpful performance-wise.

In the last post, I mentioned that I had begun going to hot yoga (Bikram).... I am now going quite often - sometimes up to four times a week. It has radically transformed my running. After a few sessions, I began to notice a huge difference in what I call my sustainable pace; the trend has continued to the point of astonishment. A couple weeks ago, I ran six miles on lunch and was disappointed that I averaged 8:50 min / mile....I want to slap my own damn self. I'm also feeling more....bouncy? I have more pep to my step. I've also been making it a point to get on the bike trainer as much as possible....even if just thirty quick minutes after work while watching the tube. Optimally, I'd like to spend ten hours a week cross training....I'm averaging between 6-7 right now....I'm just slowing building up so that I can reach a sustainable balance. Unfortunately, I'm not farting out time over here.....I really have to figure out how I can train adequately and still you know, be a mediocre employee and ensure that my children don't starve.

Now just because I haven't been running MUCH does not mean I haven't been running AT ALL. I'm hovering comfortably in the mid-50 weekly range.....About four days a week, I run doubles which I still assert is the best way to build up mileage and endurance for an ultra.

We're now in the heart of winter over here and my little heart could explode. It's been snowing for about a week straight....and sticking!!!! Each morning, I've been waking up to glorious fresh pow pow....I'll rush out the door just so that I can prance around in it prior to plowing / shoveling. The only downside to snow running is that it's exhausting....each step is WORK. I swear that I'm feeling new muscles emerging after each run.



Stoked

 

 

Changing Seasons

I'm a huge fan of the colder seasons....it's a harsh adjustment when the weather suddenly shifts but I really enjoy Fall / Winter running. All the recreational runners retreat indoors (no offense intended) and the trails belong to me! I'm free to belt out horrendous 80's tunes without abandon and squat behind any bush that I please without fear of being caught...and subsequently listed on the sex offender registry. In hot weather, there is NO relief absent stripping down naked and finding someone that will run / ride alongside you with a hose. Cold weather just requires the proper gear and a positive mental mindset....If conditions become frigid, you just pile on another layer until you look like Ralphie from The Christmas Story.



Our first real snow!

I'm coming off three weeks of super solid performance - 76, 82 and 62 miles.... I feel like a beast! This week, I'm focused on integrating more cross training....I've begun doing something that is so far outside my comfort zone that it's downright hilarious - HOT YOGA. I've never been into yoga....I went to a class about two years ago and it was irritating to say the least....it was advertised for beginners but the poses were insane (headstands WTF) and the instructor kept telling the class to get in touch with our "inner Vishnu". I'm not the meditative type - I am just not that zen. Anyway, I keep hearing that yoga is AWESOME for runners and I have friends that recommended this studio near my office. I signed up for a beginner class and surprisingly didn't blow it off.... ninety minutes in that room was torturous.... it's probably the hardest thing that I've done in a LONG time. Embarrassingly, I was in the "resting" pose - trying not to die in a literal pool of my own sweat and tears - for the majority of the standing poses. The instructor asked me, with a concerned expression, "Are you OK?!?" no less than five times. I proved (once again) that flexibility and grace are traits that I'm sorely lacking. But like any challenge....I MUST CONQUER IT.... I couldn't make another class last week because I was battling some health funk but I made an effort to practice the poses so that I'm not a total disaster this time around. And this time....I'm bringing like five gallons of ice cold water with me (just kidding....well, maybe).  Maybe I'll become one of those people that has a profile picture of myself doing some crazy yoga pose with a mountain backdrop.....eh.....doubtful.

On that note, enjoy these token pictures of my Yoshimi playing in the leaves...

Trail of Terror

I feel like I'm finally reaping the rewards from with months upon months of hard work. Things are just clicking. I'm waiting for the ball to drop (damn pessimism). Last week, I ran 77 miles....that's my second highest mileage that did not include a race. Generally, I have a run ratio of 80 percent suck, 20 percent glorious...Last week that was reversed....And man, it was incredible.

My week ended with my FIRST 5k....My son and I ran it together....Well, for the first mile. I told him prior to the start that if he felt that he wanted to run faster than me, he should. I had put ten miles on the legs that morning and I was running with a notoriously distracted canine so... I still thought that I might accidentally push HIM too hard....HAHAHAH....

Almost from the beginning, he was eager to get in the front. In heavy wind, sideways rain....he remained undeterred....he chugged up hills, he passed the other young hooligans....even after missing the 5k turnaround (extending our 5k into a 4 mile adventure).... he WON his age group and placed within the top ten OVERALL. Of course, I'm proud but I'm more impressed than anything. Dominic came in so fast that Jeff wasn't even prepared with the camera.



Typical elusive teen

Proof that Yoshimi is the most photogenic one in our family

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hayden Lake Marathon

The Hayden Lake Marathon is hands-down my favorite road marathon (thus far)....Granted, I have few marathon experiences for the sake of comparison but regardless, I JUST LOVE THIS RACE.... Ran along country roads, it's a scenic challenge.

Photo Credit: Hayden Lake Marathon

I always laugh when someone says "rolling hills" and the elevation gain is less than 500'. I understand that ANY hill in a marathon feels like an obstacle but still.... This marathon packs in just under 2000' of gain....You're basically going up or going down.

Elevation Profile (My Garmin)

This course definitely caters to my skillset. I've spent all year running hilly ultras....I've learned A LOT about how to pace myself so that I don't explode in the final miles. Going into this race, I was quite skeptical that I could finish. After Le Grizz, each run was horrible...and I mean UGLY. From the beginning, I battled with that end-of-race heaviness in my legs. Everything was just so tight and sore. The first 14 miles were ran on auto-pilot....I'm not a morning person so I wasn't even awake enough to understand that I was miserable.


Around mile 15, my knee began to SCREAM....I battled with the desire to quit....I really did. Going downhill on an angry knee is not what I'd call pleasurable. But I kept chugging along - I really wanted that finisher shirt, I guess. Thank goodness for the second wind that I received around mile 20.

This is what the final mile looks like....
 

I ended up placing 5th female / 18th overall / 1st in AG....I'd say that's not too shabby given that I was running with what felt like a broken set of legs.

This was a perfect way to end the 2015 racing season.


Le Grizz 50

An easy course, they said...
You'll PR, they promised...
50 miles of undulating gravel.
Ouch.

Le Grizz is one of the oldest 50 mile ultras in the United States. It's known for blazing course times and incredible scenery. Held in Western Montana in the heart of Fall, you're basically running in a postcard.

 

The course is simple.....run ten miles in one direction, turn around.....run fifteen miles in the opposite direction, turn around. Because the race was on a low-traffic rural road, your crew could follow you throughout the entire race.

 

 

 

I chugged along quite nicely for 25 miles....One foot in front of another.... A race can NEVER go perfectly. Around mile 26ish, I felt pain radiating from my groin / upper inner thigh down to my right knee. It wasn't crippling but mobility became rather limited. Jeff attempted massaging the muscles but let's just say that he should stick with engineering. At this point, I figured that I should stick with walk-run intervals....I'd walk for 1/10th of a mile and then run the rest (albeit slowly).  Yoshimi joined me for a short stretch between stations. The problem was that Yoshimi does best when running at a solid pace. Otherwise, he's far too distracted by every smell and sound. His lack of focus proved difficult so I didn't run him as much as planned....Don't feel too bad for him....He got an abundance of treats and met several new canine friends.

By mile 35, I was reduced to 50 percent run/walk intervals..... walk 1/4 mile, run 1/4 mile.... When a good jam would come on, I would attempt to run through the entire song. I cannot tell you what a boost the song, "Bohemian Rhapsody" provided.

Around mile 42, the pain had increased quite substantially and I was hobbling along SLOWLY. I wasn't even walking a reasonable pace. The pain that I was experiencing led to an altered gait which contributed to other problems (namely tight, sore hips).  Sometimes I would just run to certain landmarks that I could see up ahead (this mailbox or that bend in the road).

I DID set a PR in the 50 mile distance....a whopping seven minutes hahaha. After the race, I experienced soreness unlike anything before. I've never ran so much of a 50 miler before let alone on such unforgiving surfaces.

Fuel
2 scoops Tailwind (200 calories)
2 bottles Gatorade (320 calories)
3 small cans of Coke (270 calories)
Random goodies....a handful of potato chips, bite sized chocolate bar, a few gummies

 

A finish tastes delicious....and a bit like PBR

And now like a freaking insane person, I'm running a hilly road marathon in the morning.... 

Digestive System Woes

Since Squamish, running has been eh....At first, I was rockin' the whole recovery dealio and then BAM...I was knocked down by the flu and have yet to really make a triumphant return.

I've ran two races, both plagued with stomach issues that resulted in finish times that are not indicative of how hard that I've been working.

Three weeks ago, I ran my first road race of the year - a local race entitled The Scenic Half. Last year, I ran this race while battling a narly sinus infection....September has proven to be the month where my immune system fails miserably. I could have set my heart on a PR but running trail ultras has destroyed my speed (well...that and the fact that I choose beer over strength training more often than not). Therefore, I abandoned any time goals and intended on making this race part of a longer run. I planned on running a couple miles to the start line, running the race and then running a 6-7 mile route home.

I was a little cocky about pre-race nutrition. I just figured that I've gotten so used to this distance that I could eat whatever the hell I wanted and be OK....Yeah, that was wrong.... Apparently, three day old leftover meat pizza is not an optimal fuel source. The morning of the race, I woke up with HORRENDOUS cramps. Locked in the bathroom for a good hour, I was freaked that I'd even catch the start...I had to sprint to the start line, managing only one mile for the warm-up. I went out WAY too fast at the beginning....When I looked at my watch, I was throwing down a five minute pace...I'm not a fast runner, I will never claim to be a fast runner and that pace is ridiculous for me. I made the conscious effort to slow down. I maintained a low eight minute pace for about seven miles (a sweet spot between challenging but sustainable)....and then the stomach rebelled....I had to slow down an extra minute per mile to keep the poop fear at bay. I finished under two hours (barely) without having to jump into the bushes but... there was no way that I was going to bang out more miles.

Following the race, I cleaned up my diet in anticipation of the Priest Lake 50k. Cleaning up my diet often entails ditching dairy and meat....I'm learning that getting older means that your digestive system becomes a rebellious, fickle asshole.....Apparently, a block of sharp cheddar is NOT an acceptable snack...WTF?!?

This race holds sentimental value for me as it was my first marathon last year....I mean, who really forgets their first marathon? Thankfully, it's a local event so I can return every year (and fully intend to).  Priest Lake is a really fun course...it's got some decent hills but completely runnable...it's not what I consider trail but it's not exactly road either and the kicker - it's BEAUTIFUL.

2014

Photo Credit: Mark Vogt Photography

In typical Angela fashion, I was sprinting at the start....When will I learn?!? I should know that if I'm in the top five runners, I need to slow the hell down. No matter how many of these I knock out, 31 miles is a LONG WAY.

See me there...lined up at the front...what was I thinking?!?
Photo Credit: Mark Vogt Photography

Even though aid stations were abundant (none spaced further than 3 miles apart), I had to carry a handheld with Tailwind....no big deal. The first 21 miles went just amazing...I heeded the advice of my husband...keep a conservative pace, take walk breaks even if you don't feel that you need them. For the first time ever, I was passing runners left and right... Other than the normal muscle fatigue, I was really feeling spectacular and on track to set a blazing 30+ minute PR....And that's when my race exploded. I came into an aid station, grabbed the nearest cup and downed it without a second thought....That's when I realized that I'd just drank Heed - an electrolyte fluid that has notoriously been my running kryptonite. Oh well....I'll live, I thought....I grabbed a couple pretzels and rushed off. Within ten minutes, my stomach began to cramp and I was overcome with EXTREME nausea....nausea so bad that I began feeling dizzy....I had to continue stopping in order to regain my composure and balance. The final nine miles were a trudge to the finish....mostly walking and whining. Everyone that I had passed long ago now passed me....I just had to focus on finishing.

Ecstatic to have finished....and that I avoided violently vomited upon cheering spectators

After comparing ingredients of Tailwind and Heed, I'm almost certain that I was having an adverse reaction to xylitol....this is marketed as a "natural sweetener" but there are a small group of individuals that cannot tolerate even the smallest of doses....it makes sense because MANY people have expressed that they've had very similar reactions after drinking Heed. I'm not attempting to shine a negative light on Heed or Hammer Nutrition BUT it's definitely something to be cautious about. Just another reason why it's critical never to drink or eat something new on race day.

Now...enough about me....My oldest son is now in XC!!! He's had three meets and I'm just so incredibly proud of him. You have to understand, he's never been an athletic dude.... In his eyes, being told to go outside was akin to punishment. He's not a competitive person, either....I was really curious to see what he would do in a race. I kind of thought he might just jog comfortably through it. During his first meet, I was quite surprised to see him kick it up a notch on the final stretch in order to pass several runners. When he got in the finishing chute, I could see him glancing sideways in order to ensure no one was getting by him in those moments. He's been working HARD....They have these kids practicing four days / week. On top of that, he has PE right before practice and then walks a mile home after. And he hasn't complained once! However....he did try to rationalize how running 1.5 miles justified two cheeseburgers, a soda and a slice of cake....I really didn't want to break his heart so early into his running career and tell him that sports nutrition just isn't that kind....And secretly, I dig his train of thought.

No way, Jose...You aren't getting past me yo!