You don’t need to be an overachiever!

So you know I’m a type A personality.  This isn’t anything new.  So it might not come as a surprise to you that I’m always trying to map out all of my workouts, races, and yoga classes.  A few weeks ago, I sat down with my bff Google Calendar and worked out a training plan that would get me in shape to run the Philadelphia Half Marathon in September, and the next day I set out for a run.

It didn’t go very well.  It was a nice little 3 miler, but not even a mile in, I was walking.  I was huffing and puffing, even though I’d taken my medicine before I left.  You see, like many other runners, I have exercise induced asthma.  I’ve never (knock on wood) had an attack, but my lungs are awfully tight when I run.  I’ve tried to work through it, but I always end up walking while trying to suck in air.

This time I decided enough is enough.  There is a lot of pressure in the blog world to run races.  Not direct pressure, and maybe it’s all in my head.  But so many people are getting these lovely shiny medals, and it makes you want one to!  And I’ve tried. 

But even during my half marathon, I wasn’t breathing right.  I hadn’t trained enough.  And I walked.  A lot.

The other day after my wheezy 3 miler, I went back to the drawing board.  I called the doctor, and together we are working on the best treatment for my asthma.  I revamped my training plan using the Couch to 5k program, with a goal of running the 3 mile Beachpalooza in New York at the end of August. 

I can’t tell you how excited I am to run this obstacle course.  The hubs is running it with me, and it’s super close to his mom’s house, so we can just roll out of bed and head to the beach. 

After this race, I will be starting the Bridge to 10k program, with a goal of running the “Run the Bridge 10k” that crosses the Ben Franklin Bridge in Philly.  I’ve wanted to run this race for a long time, and I think it will be a great time! 

After this though… my race season for 2011 will be over.  Yes, my longest race for 2011 will be 6.2 miles, which seems to be a blog travesty!  But this brings me back to my original point…

We don’t always have to be over achievers!  Running marathons and half marathons and ironmans is great.  If you can do it, do it.  But if you can’t, there’s nothing wrong with scaling back.  I’m excited to “start over,” and hope that ultimately it will make me faster and stronger.  And maybe next year I’ll get a pretty medal  

If anyone else is in the same boat, I strongly recommend the Couch to 5k program.  I’ve used it before, and it just works for me!  There’s even an iPhone app that tells you when to run and when to walk.  It’s the best.

Do you have asthma?  How has it affected your running?  Have you ever had to “start over” with your running?

…Not as I do…

This past Friday, it was gorgeous outside!  I was supposed to take a walk to meet a friend for lunch, but our plans fell through.  I couldn’t fight the urge to get outside though, so I grabbed a Groupon I’d purchased a few weeks ago for Philadelphia Runner, and took a walk through the city. 

You see, I might have gone missing for a while on the blog, and there might be a few Time Machine Tuesday posts left waiting to be written… but a post about the running shoes I bought last fall won’t be coming any time soon.  I bought new shoes last March, as documented here… and that was the last pair of running shoes I bought.  Yes, that means that all of my training for the Broad Street Run was in these shoes… and all the training for the Philadelphia Half Marathon was in these shoes… and all the running I’ve done since then was in these shoes… and well you get the idea.  It’s not pretty.  General rule of thumb is to replace running shoes every 6 months or every 300 miles, whichever comes first.  Well – let’s just say “do as I say, not as I do,” right?

Well without further ado, meet my new running shoes:

The lovely staff at Philadelphia Runner asked me to walk a few paces without my shoes on so that they could see how badly I pronated.  From there, the sales woman selected a few stability shoes that she thought would best support my feet.  I tried on a pair of Adidas shoes (too bulky for me), another pair (Nike maybe?) that had too much support on the outer side of my foot and threw me off balance, and then finally these cuties – the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11.  I know a lot of people/bloggers that swear by Brooks, and now I see why!  These shoes are like walking on clouds.

I took them out for a test run on Sunday, and sure enough it was a great run.  With just a few stops/walking breaks to re-tie my shoes and make a few adjustments, the 4 miles felt like a breeze.  Hopefully this is a good sign for the next few months, as training for my next big race will be starting up soon!

The stats:

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention – the best part about the new shoes?  After my Groupon, they only cost $50!  I was so pumped!!

Do you stick to the 6 month/300 mile rule?  You’d think that I’d love any excuse to buy new shoes right?

Broad Street Run 2010

SO Sunday was the big day.  No – not the wedding!  On Sunday I participated in the Broad Street Run.  But before I explain, let’s back up and look at some history.

2007:  I learn about the broad street run.  I think "damn that’s a long way to run, but it would be freaking sweet if I could do it."  I begin the Couch 2 5k program in hopes to at least run a 5k.

2008:  My favorite professor tells me about his running endeavors.  He tries to convince me to run Broad Street, and every time he asks, I have t o admit I can only run 2 miles at a time.

2009:  I see my professor at an alumni event 2 days before Broad Street.  I’m resigned to admitting that I’m still only running 2 miles at a time.

2010:  Just like all the other sports teams in Philly, I say to myself "This year is my year!"  Except I’m still running on the treadmill, and when I transition outside, my magic 8 ball says "Outlook not so good."   I resign myself to walking/running Broad Street here.

So I did it!  I met up with Vinny down at the stadiums on Sunday morning and we took the free subway ride up to Olney. I was so nervous!  And I was drinking my water the whole time, expecting there to be water coolers and port-a-potties in a location close to the subway… but no dice.  By 730 my water was almost gone (I’m a nervous drinker), and I had to use the restroom in a serious fashion.  Thank goodness for the wave start (and being in the pink/last corral!)  so I could hit the port-a-potties closer to the start line.

We hit the starting line approximately 30 minutes after the race start.

We had a few mini goals.  Mine was to finish the first mile without stopping.  Vinny didnt want to be last lol.  I’m happy to say we beat both goals!  The first mile never seemed to end, but I was proud of our two undertrained souls.  And the scenery and the people were quite entertaining.  There were a few people running together with shirts that said “In my mind I’m a Kenyan.”  And “I may be slow, but I’m faster than you.”  I loved it!

I couldn’t believe just HOW MANY people there were…

The race seemed to drag on until about the half way point.  Part of the reason was the spibelt  I bought the day before.  I had put my camera and my phone in it, and it bounced like crazy.  When I took my camera out to take pictures around City Hall, it was so much better!  I ended up running the rest of the race while holding my camera.

We hit city hall around mile 5.5, and with City Hall came Robert!  It was so so good to see his face.  I grabbed a quick kiss and kept on running.  Seeing him was so nice though, and it helped us power through.

Another major player in helping us finish were the fire hydrants that they opened to cool us down.  I haven’t mentioned how freaking hot and humid it was that day – I think the temp was 87, and was a new record for the Broad Street Run.  The hydrants were so fun – I felt like a kid every time we ran through.  I should also mention my appreciation for the water stations – the cutie little kids just filled up my water bottle whenever I was running empty.  Much better than little tiny cups!

Miles 7-9 were amazing.  We ran through South Philly which was chock full of bands and gospel choirs and water booths with girls dressed as super heroes.  It was awesome to feel so much energy.  A woman was even giving out free puppy kisses from her three dogs!

The best part of the race was a barbeque by the stadiums,where they were blasting one of my favorite jock jams. (Silly, yes, but tell me this doesn’t pump you up!)  We ran like crazy at this point until we couldn’t hear the song anymore.

With one mile left, a friendly face came bounding out of the crowd!

Despite going the wrong way on the subway, Robert found us and ran with us for the last mile.  I was so excited, and made him take a few pictures of us (and maybe some boats in the navy yard too!)

And soon, there it was- the promised land – the finish line!  2 hours, 27 minutes and 43 seconds after we started, I crossed the finish line of the Broad Street Run for the first time.  (And beat Vinny by 1 second! hehe)  Robert got one picture of us before he got chased off the course by a Marine for not wearing a bib on the course!  Too funny

It might have taken me 3 years, 2:27:43, but I did it.  And it felt awesome, even if it was hot as blazes.  I might be rocking a sweet knee brace tan line, but I was on top of the world.  What a great day!

PS: Next time, remind me of the one-mile “cool-down” walk they have you do from the Navy Yard back to your car at the Stadiums.  I wasn’t quite as excited about rawlking 10 miles after that hike!  

What’s next you ask?  Stay tuned for the details   Until then, it’s time for bed!  Goodnight loves!