I have mixed feelings about 2020. While I do not enjoy being part of a pandemic, having my business shut down or depriving my children of any semblance of socialization, I did enjoy the time we spent together.
Since we only ran a few races, we had extra time to train and I stepped out of my comfort zone. Speed training sounded like something for much younger people. Even my quarter mile intervals improved my 5k time by minutes. My last race of the year, my splits were 7:53, 8:01 and 7:55, significantly faster than any of my times last year. I didn’t necessarily run further, though I tried to mix in some longer runs with regularity.
If you want to improve your 5k time, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of speed work. I dread Wednesdays because I am a lazy runner, but I feel so much stronger when I am done.
Much like 2020, we have to get through the bad to experience the good. Here is hoping that 2021 is better for all of us.
It has been a busy week. Especially busy now that it is dark at 5 PM and I have my pajamas on by 6, so much to do in so little time.
I was having a streak, I even took some photos (terrible of course) of several from scratch pumpkin pies I made. Though I am not a good baker, I do make everything from scratch, no mixes here. I took these precious little pie pumpkins and transformed them into crust-less pies! Why crust-less? Because otherwise I will be listening to the rumblings of a certain someone in my family who avoids extraneous gluten. I don’t particularly care about crust and as I would be making it from scratch, thus increasing my chances of disaster, I am happy to skip it.
Riding high on the victory of my past pies, I flew too close to the sun and literally melted my pumpkin wings. Note to self, if your pie needs 5 or so minutes to be fully set in the middle it is not wise to step outside to do a little hedge clipping.
The scorched earth pie began simply. Microwaving chunks of pumpkin until soft. Easy, right? All went well until I decided to use my food processor not just to puree the pumpkin but to blend my entire batter. It was at this point that I realized that I do not have one of those food processors in which one can blend soups and liquids. It leaks out of the bottom. After I cleaned this mess up and poured the remains into my pie pan, I popped this beauty into the oven. After about 40 minutes, I decided it needed about 5 more minutes to fully set. So I left it in for another hour while I pruned hedges on a glorious fall day.
“Oh my god, the pie!”
Apparently, virtual school makes it impossible to smell burning pumpkin pie. My children were oblivious to the disaster as I walked into the kitchen, realizing that I had left the pie in the oven.
I didn’t realize how blurry this was until now. Probably from the steam.
The saving grace of this pie, baked for well over 2 hours, was that it was crust-less. If there had been a gluten engorged crust to this particular pie, it would have turned to ash. Instead, the custard caramelized. My son actually said he preferred my burned pie to the others. That’s not really saying much. There’s a sound bite for you, “this burned pie tastes better tha n my other pumpkin pie, follow me for more recipes!”
Breaking News, middle aged woman runs faster than she did before.
Two earth shattering things in my running world. I am wearing new shoes and I ran a 24:44 5k on Saturday, a sub 8 min pace!
The Hokas helped me recover from a foot injury, specifically a plantar plate tear. The rocker bottom allowed me to run without pressure on this healing area. On the other hand, I felt that the cushion contributed to some hip flexor/psoas pain. I have been using some Pilate and yoga strength training to work my glutes and to stretch my psoas. The Hokas helped me recover from a foot injury, specifically a plantar plate tear. The rocker bottom allowed me to run without pressure on this healing area. On the other hand, I felt that the cushion contributed to some hip flexor/psoas pain. I have been using some Pilate and yoga strength training to work my glutes and to stretch my psoas. Doesn’t that make me sound like a gym rat?
Interestingly, foot pain has been my Achilles heel. I have bunions and high arches and I have been using an arch support in my running shoes. After listening to this podcast with guest, Irene Davis, PhD and with my reading on trigger points and muscle attachments, I decided to increase my foot flexibility and strengthen my arches. After several weeks of these exercises, I took out my arch supports. The first few runs I felt like I was getting blisters below my bunion. After that, I could feel my ankles getting stronger and much more range of motion in my toes.
I ran in minimalist shoes before, the Merrell Arc 4. I was running in these when I had the plantar plate injury. Though I was running in Hokas, I believed in the mechanics of the minimal shoe. I have started running in the Altra Escalante and have been pleased with results. By focusing on proper form, especially a midfoot/forefoot strike pattern my feet feel strong. Picturing my daughter’s beautiful running form, particularly the leg extension. There is a more natural rhythm that I am falling into when I am focusing on my foot strike and leg extension which leads me to a faster pace!
This weekend, I was shocked when my phone clocked my first mile at a 7:50! I kept each mile pretty consistent and finished with a 7:53 average pace, something I did not think would ever be possible. I did this with new shoes, no arch supports and a kick ass playlist.
There is a metaphor in here somewhere. Sometimes the things you think are helping you are actually holding you back. Had I not decided to begin this foot exercise regimen and to cast aside the shoes I had been running in somewhat successfully, I would never know the glory of running like a slow motion Olympian. Sometimes you have to break it all down to rebuild it better. We are never too old to learn some new tricks.
I have heard of people becoming born again virgins. Can one have a born-again PR? Let me begin by saying that I have run in a handful of races since the “Corn Teen” of 2020.
not me
The first two were tiny and shy, unsure of what to do in this Covid landscape. One was through the ground of mental hospital on an insanely (poor taste?) hot day. It was a race to promote mental health so there is that irony. Another was the slightly chaotic, very wet and very disappointing 8k that I was unprepared for written about here.
I didn’t think I liked running in races, I am not especially fast, except compared to women of a certain age. Typically, I spend the first mile freaking out that I won’t be able to finish and that they will find me curled in the fetal position when they “sweep” the course at the end. The second mile I am cursing my idiotic ideas and vowing to never race again. “This is the last race I will ever run in, I will only run for fun from this day forth!” By the 3rd mile, I see the literal light at the end of the tunnel and I tell myself the faster I run the faster it will be over. It doesn’t help to think that when I am finishing mile 2, my much faster son has finished the race and is snacking.
Is it me or is that last 0.1 unnecessary? Is it not the longest 100 meters on planet Earth? Do the laws of physics cease to exist? I always forget about that damn 0.1.
Not running in actual races has made me slow. Not even particularly steady, but significantly slower. I thought I would be ok with this but I am not. There is still some life in this old girl yet.
Back to my PR goal of running in the 25’s for my next 5k. Well, I was looking through our local run club results and the results from the last Turkey Trot we ran in Florida and found that I have already done this, more than once! I have no recollection of this, I thought my time was in the 26 range but no, 25:10 is my PR and I see no way that I am capable of running this time in 3 days. That’s something like an 8:06 pace, a pace which is perilously close to what I consider a “sprint.”
But do I look good?
On a positive note, I have been stealing the running sunglasses my son got for his birthday often enough that he finally yelled at me and I bought my own. Like everything I do and buy, I spent way too much time analyzing and being “frugal”. Ordinarily I buy whatever sunglasses are available from TJ Maxx or Marshalls, the idea of buying sunglasses without trying them on seemed foreign. How would I know if they were distorted or if I looked like a cast member from Dynasty?
I settled on these and I love them, the Tifosi “Swank.” The matte finish is so much better for sweaty faces. Having the bright polarizing lens means I don’t have to keep pulling my glasses up and down depending on the tree canopy above, allowing me to leap gracefully over the rocks and roots on the trail. They look pretty cool, at least as cool as I am willing to look. Though more expensive then the 9.99 glasses I usually buy, they are not ridiculously expensive.
In case I didn’t like the Tifosi’s, I bought these Knockarounds. I liked these too so I am keeping them both! They are a little less fancy than the Tifosis but they are still much better than my usual sunglasses!
The pair of Goodrthat my son has are nice too, I wasn’t as crazy about the mirrored lenses but they have a great lightweight feel and ample but not overly dark light blocking.
All three of these brands, Knockarounds, Tifosi and Goodr have fun colors and remind me of the Swatch watches I so loved as a kid. I am coming full-circle, I will be the old lady trying to chase her best 5k time wearing some crazy sunglasses and checking my time on a swatch non-smart watch. Maybe a perm and bangs to complete my teen look?
We can at least all agree, I will be wearing ugly Hokas.
While I may not be able to run a 25:15, my goal is still to see a 25 in front of my time. I have been doing at least one speed workout a week, which I hate. I can feel a difference when I run faster, my legs hurt and I sound and look like Cujo on a hot day. Speed is not my friend. The one thing I have learned is to never say never, maybe I will like speed workouts someday. After my lobotomy.
Next, I will regale you with spooky tales of my pumpkin pie.
Apparently I will only run rainy races this year. At least it was cooler than the last race and I was prepared to run in wet conditions.
This time, I tried to find a course map. The link to the race page went to an email address so that didn’t quite work out for me. I underestimated the hills, my phone told me there was a nearly half a mile of ascent but my speed training carried me through!
We all ran hard, I think in part to make up for our lackluster performance at the previous race. I was most proud of my daughter, she had a PR and ran a 23:20 ish which was 40 seconds faster than her prior PR. It was an out an back course so I got to see both of my kids as they sailed through the back half!
Why did I feel so much stronger in this race? I ran 2 and 3 day streaks in a row, usually I run every other day. I also incorporated some sprints into my regular run and did a track workout with my daughter. My 5k time was 26:11 which will not quality me for any product endorsements or coaching gigs, but it it a time I am proud to tell other people!
What are my next goals?
To get into the 25 minute range for a 5k. Most of our upcoming races that have not been cancelled are 8 or 10ks.
Run some races outside of the area, I like a change of scenery, it satisfies my “wanderlust gene!”. As the daughter of an immigrant and a descendant of Mormon Pioneers, it’s strong in me.
During the quarantine I did a lot of (social)distance running. I had nothing to train for and didn’t pay much attention to my pace. Running fast makes me anxious, my body experiences the adrenaline rush as a full blown panic attack. Therefore, I prefer slower, longer runs. As mentioned before, I am still relatively new to running, I have no younger me to compare myself to aside from the forced Presidential Fitness Test mile in high school.
The competitive streak I didn’t know I had comes out during races. Intellectually I know that I am running in the least competitive age group (at least in my area) and in a smaller community, it’s not the Olympics. Spiritually, I am Flo Jo, without the finger nails.
As mentioned previously I was disappointed in my last race. Yes, the conditions were terrible but I sucked wind. I decided that my “leisurely stroll through the park” runs were not helping me improve my speed.
My kids are putting me on a speed workout plan! Today I ran 1/4 mile repeats (1 lap to me) 400’s to the track people out there.
1st lap was a warm up 9:41
2nd was 7:11
3rd lap was a slower lap at 8:02
4th was 7:30
5th 7:51
6th was a 6:47 (Flo-Jo!)
7th lap 7:30
I walked for around 30 seconds in between, my daughter also had me do some shorter sprints but I don’t know how to time them well, they were around a 6:23 pace
I felt pretty good, maybe I should run my next 5k in half mile bursts!
I also ran 3 days in a row, I will take tomorrow as a rest day, I have a feeling I will need it.
Despite my low battery and lack of image loading, I earned 25 percent off!
Thanks RunKeeper, I will stick to my free tracking, but I do appreciate the offer and the encouragement!
To be fair, I had a few fast races this month and I have been trying to do my “sprints” or “tempo runs.”
Today was cold, I do not like to run on a treadmill so it will have to be in the low 20’s for that travesty to happen. I waited as long as I could, schedule wise, to run today. This February weather for me, I was not mentally or physically prepared, but I have 2 new shoes to try out.
brrrr
Today I tried the new Hokas. I have been running in the throwback Clifton 1 one, it has been the savior of my hammer toe, documented here. The Hoka Clifton 5 were less hideous than the shoes I already owned and were on sale for a mere $99! They boasted a knit finish/body/heel? I chose a less garish color and waited for their slow delivery.
Not neon. I believe it is called lichen.
I ran a slow first mile pretty much uphill ( my house is sadly at the bottom of a half-mile hill.) I then began my “sprint” work out. I have decided to try to run quarter miles as fast as I can, pausing between each to blow my nose (it was freezing) and regain my composure. I did this for a mile and then ran the last mile at my ideal 5k pace. It was a challenging run and I definitely felt stronger on my last mile. This could be a combination of my longer, 6 mile runs and the tempo runs.
As for the shoes, I think they are very comfortable when standing, I did not care for them on my run. I think the toe box is narrower than in the Clifton One 1 (so many ones!) I found my 3rd and 4th toes were getting numbness/tingling. I also felt like my heel was slipping. The material is stiffer than the Clifton 1 Ones and wasn’t as forgiving on my hammer toe. I prefer the lighter mesh on my old Hokas, they also seem to be lighter but that may be due to the frigid temperatures numbing my appendages.
I will try to run in them again but I think I will try putting new insoles into my old Hokas. Tune in next time when I cave to husband pressure and try the Saucony Kinvera 10, a running shoe that is the perfect crayola color of seafoam green!
Back to my Runkeeper kudos, I am slightly obsessive about tracking my runs. I don’t throw out any data unless it is something really disruptive like bringing in my neighbors trashcan and forgetting that I started my run. I have two more “major” races this year. My local run club has updated the grand prix standings and I still seem to be holding on to my coveted 40-49 plaque! I am hoping that my fastest pace in a month with translate to a new PR!
