The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak

In my attempts to maintain flexibility and balance in my running and overall health, I did a yoga video at home yesterday morning. 

You would think that yoga is one of the least injury-prone fitness activities out there.  After all, it's low impact, uses only your own body weight, and allows you the freedom to go at your own pace.  Plus, I've done yoga on a regular basis for over ten years.

However, yours truly managed to sustain some muscle tweakage yesterday during yoga.  I was in downward dog position, listening avidly to the instructor's directions to push the floor away from myself.  All of a sudden I felt a sharp pain in my upper left back, right between my left shoulder and my neck.

After consulting my handy-dandy back muscle diagram, I have learned that the muscle I pulled is officially called the trapezius.

Image obviously not drawn to scale

Due to this trapezius muscle pull, it now hurts to move my head in any direction.  I have to turn my whole body, or at least my entire torso, if I want to look beyond where my peripheral vision ends on either side. 

It's much harder than you would think to function or conduct your normal daily business when you can't move your head very well.  For example, it was challenging just to wash my hair in the shower, because it hurts to tilt my head backwards.  I had to stand directly under the water and let the rinsed shampoo stream down my face.

I used a heating pad last night, which helped temporarily.  However, what has been the most effective remedy is to apply pressure to the sore area.  I did try to use my foam roller on my trapezius.  Unfortunately it would require me to lie on the floor with my trapezius on top of the foam roller, and I couldn't hold the position.  I'm starting to consider using my rolling pin instead.

To make matters worse, when I was sleeping last night I must have slept with my head slightly angled on the pillow.  As a result, unless I hold my head in that slightly angled position today, it hurts.

Imagine how much fun it was to go to the grocery store this afternoon while having to walk around with your head in that slightly angled position.  I love the timing, too, of how today, Superbowl Sunday, is one of the busiest grocery shopping days of the year.  There's no better time to be looking horrifically bizarre when the grocery store is packed with recent college grads of the male gender trying to load up on beer and jockeying for position in the snack food aisle.

Notice the angling of the head?

By the way, have I ever mentioned how I can control the weather?  I can make it rain by washing my car, I can make it sunny by carrying an umbrella, and I can make it monsoon by going for a run.  On that note, I could not go for my weekend long run today because of this injury.  Go figure that the weather is gorgeous today (by Chicago standards) and it would have been perfect for a run.  Sigh.

Here is hoping that this trapezius muscle strain heals quickly!  In the meantime, I will enjoy an evening of injury-induced couch potato-dem while watching the Super Bowl.

I'll just have to make sure that the easy chair is set at the correct angle to counterbalance the semi-permanent angle of my head.

Racing Zeal and Race Wish List

What is it about racing that can create such obsession and addiction? 

I spend hours researching race offerings, reading race reviews, looking at race websites, and running calendar scenarios (no pun intended).  If it weren't for the cost, I would run a race every weekend!  But I am trying to be realistic and limit myself to the races that make the most sense for me from a timing, logistical, and value proposition perspective.  Although, a woman can still dream, right?

I generally prefer races that are 15K or longer because distance is more of my overall focus.  I'm not as big on 5Ks because I feel like I can easily run and time a 5K on my own.  Plus, I find 5Ks more difficult than longer races because 5Ks are pretty much a complete sprint, and I much prefer running slower paces over extended distances.  However, there are a couple of exceptions to the 15K minimum distance that will draw very strong consideration - those being the Home Team Charity 10K and the Mad Dash to Madison 5K.  (The Chicago Blackhawks sponsor both.)

Here are the races I've already signed up for this year along with some races that I am considering (considerations are denoted in italics):

• March 18 - Get Lucky Half Marathon.  This is an inaugural race and they are still finalizing the details.  The timing is good, though, so assuming the registration fee and course are reasonable, I am about 90% sure I'll sign up for this.
• April 22 - Home Team Charity 10K.  Expensive, but by far the most fun I've ever had at a race.  Last year I got to meet Tony Esposito and Grant Mulvey (Hawks legends), saw the White Sox and Bulls championship trophies in person (unfortunately no Stanley Cup), and got my picture taken with South Paw (White Sox mascot)!  Benny the Bull and Tommy Hawk (Bulls and Blackhawks mascots, respectively) were also there but Adam is wary of Tommy Hawk after an incident from a Hawks-Penguins game last year (NOTE: said incident occurred at approximately 3:15 PM that day).

 Adorably fuzzy White Sox mascot!

• April 28 - CARA Lakefront 10-Miler.  Hopefully Cricket Hill won't bury thy flatlander.
• April or May TBD - Chicago Spring Half Marathon.  They have had trouble setting a date due to the G8 Summit in Chicago.  However, this is a comparatively affordable race and I wanted to redeem myself after last year's weather disaster.
• July 22 - Rock N Roll Chicago Half Marathon.  My first RnR race ever.  I was able to take advantage of an 11.11.11 registration discount otherwise this race would be too expensive for me.
• September TBD - Mad Dash To Madison 5K.  I'm 50-50 on this because of its timing in proximity to the Chicago Marathon, but it's part of Blackhawks Training Camp Festival!
• October 7 - Chicago Marathon.  No further words necessary.
• November 3 - Really Big Free Marathon and Half Marathon in Henderson, NV.  I'm signed up for this but am not sure if I'll maintain my registration due to the travel involved.  The course is extremely hilly.  But you can't beat free registration, right?
• November 9-10 - Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon.  Even though it's on the expensive side and requires travel, I would love love LOVE to run this race.  Food, running, and Disney are three of my favorite things and this race combines all three!  Last year this race took place the week before the Chicago Marathon, so I thought I'd have to make a choice between the two.  I was thrilled when they announced the later date this year!
• December TBD - Rock N Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon.  This is a stretch due to the travel required and because it's so expensive, but it would be an awesome experience to race on the Strip!

Don't even get me started on my complete list of dream races and on international races!  OK, OK, if you insist (in no particular order)...

• Any of the Disney races
• Honolulu Marathon and really any race in Hawaii
• Big Sur
• Pittsburgh
• San Diego
• Domestically, I obviously wouldn't turn down the opportunity to run New York, Marine Corps, or Boston (though I will probably never qualify for Boston).
• Paris
• Le Marathon du Medoc (southern France)
• Sparkasse 3-Laender (you run through Austria, Switzerland, and Germany!)
• Midnight Sun (in Norway)
• Vancouver
• Any race in Italy
• Honorable mentions: Dublin, Berlin, Munich, Vienna, Portland, Victoria, Prince Edward Island, Edinburgh, London. 

HAVE PASSPORT WILL TRAVEL TO RUN!

OH WAIT...

Allright.  In a valiant attempt to avoid getting any more out of control than I already am (a foregone conclusion, I know), I'll just stop here. 

In other words, I'll keep dreaming beyond comprehension...but I just won't put any more of it in writing!

(For now.)

Pulling the trigger

Registration for the 2012 Chicago Marathon opened up yesterday at noon CST.  I set up a calendar alarm notification to remind me so I could be on the website repeatedly hitting refresh for the two minutes prior.  (I do the same for things like Southwest flight check-ins and when Blackhawks tickets go on sale.)  However, I've been thinking about this day for many months, so truly no notification was needed.

The Chicago Marathon sells out quickly, but it's not like some marathons that sell out within hours or are on lottery systems.  However, I was still anxious during the registration process because I figured you never know what accidents, mishaps, or computer implosions might occur.  I ZOOMED through the questions, just wanting to get my registration confirmation.

The process reminded me of last year when I took the NPDP (New Product Development Professional) exam.  The exam is administered electronically so you get your results within just a few moments of completion.  Those few moments, of course, feel like eternity. 

I remember hitting the "Submit" button on the NPDP exam and bracing myself for impact... only to then be asked "a few survey questions before you get your results."


Waiting frantically for the moment to pass

Are you kidding me?  Who wants to answer survey questions when your professional livelihood and all that you stand for as a card-carrying member of the Milky Way Galaxy are on the line?!?!

OK, maybe it's not that dramatic.  But at the very least, who wants to be answering survey questions when your test results will determine if you can:

A) Report back to your boss with triumph!

OR

B) Skulk back to your boss like a dog with its tail between its legs.

I ended up answering those NPDP survey questions with as much dartboard-like lightning accuracy as I could muster.

Some people keep a wall of rejection letters while they are seeking employment.  
In my time, my rejection letters could have covered the Great Wall of China.

(In case you were wondering - very thankfully I did pass the exam on the first try, and yes, I enjoyed my opportunity to gallantly exercise Option A.)

I felt very much the same with the marathon registration.  I felt as if I needed to do it quickly, as if someone could come take it away from me at any moment.

Once I did receive my confirmation at exactly 12:03 PM CST, the nerves really started to hit.  Despite everything I had said about feeling confident in the days leading up to registration, all of that went out the window after pulling the trigger.  I really didn't think I would experience any paralyzing fear in those immediate moments afterwards, but I did.  And those moments also felt like eternity.

Waiting frantically for the moment to pass

Afterwards, I did what anyone would do in this situation and I went onto Facebook and Twitter to check on the state of the Milky Way Galaxy.  It was great to see so many other people - friends, coworkers, people I've never met - also buzzing about registering!  I was amazed to find out how many people I know that are registered.  It feels like an instant bond between all of us and it'll be terrific to see so many familiar faces on the big day.  I love the great moral support just from knowing that all of us are collectively working together to achieve the same goal.

A few weekends ago I had gone out for a run in the slush on a miserably overcast and dreary day.  It was fairly early and the streets were almost completely devoid of pedestrians, but I passed by one woman waiting at a bus stop.  We smiled at each other and said good morning.  She said, "You're running on a day like today?" and I said, "Yes, I'm trying my best!"  She asked me how much longer I had to go.  I told her (about a mile and a half).  She said very assuredly, "You can do it.  You'll make it!"

(For illustrative purposes only.  The woman I met didn't actually flex her biceps.) 

The entire exchange took less than 20 seconds and was about as simple as can be, but it really did make a difference.  The encouragement felt so good, even from someone I'd never met before and will probably never see again.  I ran the rest of the way home feeling uplifted.

Similarly, during the beginnings of my marathon journey, I have already received such wonderful support from dozens of friends, family, coworkers, and strangers.  (Special mention to Adam, who has already had to listen to me talk incessantly about this journey for months.  Little does he know what he's still in for between now and October 7, 2012!)  I am truly humbled and grateful and I can't express my heartfelt appreciation enough for everyone's encouragement - it means more to me than I can ever say.

They say that the crowd at the Chicago Marathon is terrific, and that the crowd will carry you to the finish line.  Thanks to the amazing support I've already received from so many while I'm just in preparation/training mode, I think I am now starting to really understand what they mean.  It is incredibly inspiring!

Bring it on, Chicago.  =)

What's in your MP3 player?

I've heard two schools of thought on your mindset while running, the first being to really concentrate on how the running is feeling, and the other being to dissassociate yourself from your running by distracting yourself by thinking of other things, etc. 

I am definitely one that prefers to distract myself with music.  Music is a big part of my running regimen.  It makes the time go by much more quickly, it really helps me to think, and I use it to set my mood. 

My musical tastes are pretty eclectic.  I thought I'd share a sampling of the more frequently-played songs from my MP3 player when I go running.  These are in no particular order.

80s Songs
Living on a Prayer by Bon Jovi
Sweet Child of Mine by Guns and Roses
Don't Stop Believing by Journey
Dancing in the Dark by Bruce Springsteen

Songs that remind me of my beloved Blackhawks and their games at the United Center:
The Show Goes On by Lupe Fiasco
Let It Rock by Kevin Rudolf
Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis (I would lose all credibility as a Hawks fan if I didn't include this)

This isn't on my MP3 player, but I just couldn't resist...

Favorite Musicals
The Music of the Night from Phantom of the Opera
Memory from Cats

Movie Soundtracks
The Last of the Mohicans
Jurassic Park
The Cider House Rules (used in those beautiful "Pure Michigan" commercials and in my wedding)

Classical
Pretty much anything by Beethovan or Chopin. Favorites include:
Beethovan - Piano Concertos #1 and #3, and his Appassionata:

Chopin's Fantasie Impromptu, his Polonaises, and his Piano Concerto #1:

Other Sports
The Superbowl Shuffle by the 1985 Chicago Bears (so funny!):

Intro by The XX (reminds me of the 24:7 Penguins/Capitals series on HBO.) 

By the way, for you hockey fans out there, this series is an absolute MUST SEE.  Here's one of my favorite scenes from the first episode:

Travels
Blue Moon by Elvis Presley (reminds me of Hawaii)
Soarin' (from the ride at Disney's Epcot)
Reflections of Earth (from the fireworks show at Disney's Epcot)
Claire de Lune by Claude Debussy (reminds me of France)
Volare by Dean Martin (reminds me of Italy)
Mambo Italiano (also reminds me of Italy)

Some Randoms
Pretty much anything from The Eagles (one of the greatest bands ever, in my opinion)
Many songs from The Beatles
Lots of songs from Frank Sinatra
Strange Condition by Pete Yorn

What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?

First things first, unrelated to running, I enjoyed being able to say hello to my alma mater this past weekend.

I got home from UIUC yesterday afternoon and decided to go for what was intended to be a semi-long run of 6 miles or so. 

Up until yesterday I had taken a a 2-week hiatus from doing long runs, and the weekend had been tiring.  Therefore, I wasn't optimistic about how the run would go.  However, I had done two fartlek workouts in the previous two weeks, and I could immediately feel the difference!  My endurance was stronger and I was able to maintain a faster pace more easily.

I ended up doing the easiest 10-mile run I've ever done in my life.  I had dreamed about someday being able to say that I did "an easy 10 miles" and mean it, so I was very happy about this accomplishment!

Now, shifting gears a bit...

Adam says he can see when my mental gears are cranking, although it doesn't look
quite like this.  I, for one, don't have a protruding bump over the top of my forehead.

What is starting to become a much bigger obstacle now is the mental preparation.  The thought of my long runs now taking upwards of two hours or more is getting more intimidating than the actual run itself.  That's the length of an entire movie!  The flight time between Chicago and New York!  Enough time to bake 2.67 Chicago-style deep-dish pizzas!

I do believe that mentally, the hardest part is just getting out the door and getting started.  Momentum plays a very big factor.  Usually once I get going, it's pretty easy to keep going.  But that first 10 minutes or so can be really brutal, especially in the wintertime.

What usually works for me is to give myself permission to just do a little bit and then stop.  I'll tell myself, I am just going to go out for 3 miles, and if I'm not feeling it then I can stop there.  Most importantly, I tell myself that thou shalt not feel any guilt if thy chooses to stop early.

Thinking this way takes some pressure off, because it's much more palatable to work on an incremental basis.  Best of all, once I get going, I rarely cut things short.

In general I know it's best just to take things one day at a time, whether it be marathon training or any big goal.  Looking too far ahead can be terrifying.  But in all seriousness, how does one consistently do these long weekly training runs over several months without being overwhelmed?  I have the luxury now to do whatever works that particular day.  Once marathon training is underway, though, I am not experienced enough to be that flexible unless I risk potentially undercutting myself - and that by itself is daunting.

This always helps.

There's a great question, "What would you do if you knew that you couldn't fail?"  The fear of failing has certainly held me back on numerous occasion.  I can think of a dozen things off the top of my head that I would have done differently if I wasn't worried about failure.  But failure is frequently much more about how we personally perceive things - failure to one person may be a great achievement to someone else.

So let's apply this consideration to my marathon training.  My worst case scenario with the marathon is that I won't finish because of injury or lack of endurance.

My level-headed response is:

There are many marathons every year and there will always be other opportunities.  If I can't finish this one, I'll still make the most of it.  I will enjoy the experience, no matter what.

Basically, my goal is to not think about the marathon as a binary success or failure.  This is in the hopes that thinking about it this way will make achieving this goal less intimidating.

I will definitely train hard for the marathon, but I am telling myself that I will not pressure myself to do more than I am safely capable of doing.  I am giving myself permission to stop short if I really need to with the marathon, both in training and during the race itself.  Obviously my goal is to finish and to finish strong, and I believe that I will.  But if not, it's okay because there will be other opportunities - and no matter what, I will be proud of myself for putting forth my best effort.

In summary, there really is no failure in working towards any of our goals.  It's more about the way we approach our goals, and the anticipation of seeing what can be accomplished when we know we cannot fail.  My intention is to approach the marathon with exactly that kind of fearless perspective in the hope that it will allow me to break through my mental barriers, which loom much larger than the physical barriers.

Knowing that we cannot fail is the first step.

Randomness du jour

Mizuno Wave Rider 15 Review
I took these out for their maiden voyage run today!  These shoes are great - I love these shoes!  They are very responsive and supportive with an incredibly smooth toe-off.  They feel very lightweight and flexible, and the cushioning is spot-on.  I can definitely understand why people are huge fans! 

FAQ: Can I go out and buy another three or five pairs of these for future use?
Answer: An emphatic NO.  I swore off any new running shoes for a long time.  I'm a woman of my word.  Reluctantly.

I-L-L I-N-I
I'm headed to the dear old University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, my alma mater, for a MAASU retreat this weekend! (For those of you that aren't familiar, MAASU stands for Midwest Asian American Students Union, and I serve on the board of advisors.)

Over the weekend, all of us advisors and our new executive director will be staying with one of the advisors, Shane, who works at UIUC. The funny thing was that as we were working out the logistics and determining what to pack, you could easily tell which of us are the runners.  One of the other advisors, Julayne, and I both immediately asked Shane about his treadmill and the runnability of his neighborhood.

By the way, I thought "runnability" was a word that I had just made up.  But for all you competitive Scrabble players out there, it is a real word in the dictionary!

CARA Lakefront 10-Miler
I signed up to run this race, which is organized by the Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA) and takes place on April 28. This race is promoted as a fast, flat course, and many have said it's a great race to get a PR.  So imagine my surprise when I get an email saying that this race has now become the hilliest race in Chicago.  Apparently there is one giant hill in Chicago called Cricket Hill, and the course had to be rerouted to go over it because of construction on the original course.

How does this happen to the most flatland runner known to woman kind (that would be me)?

D-Day
Registration for the 2012 Chicago Marathon opens next Wednesday (February 1)!

Surprisingly, I'm actually not very nervous about pulling the trigger on what will be by far the most expensive, challenging, and training-intensive race I've ever run.

However, I AM visualizing staring at a computer screen that says, "Are you sure you want to register?  Are you really sure?  Is someone triple-dog-daring you?"

Give a girl the correct footwear and she can conquer the world.

The above is a quote from Bette Midler.  IT IS SO TRUE. 

I won't get into the specifics of all of the different types of footwear out there.  But to Bette's point, I always wear heels when I have important meetings or presentations.  The added stature gives me some extra confidence.

I used to chuckle to myself at the people who would walk around downtown in their business suits and sneakers.  But as I've gotten older, I've gotten less tolerant of uncomfortable shoes and I am now one of those goofs that will prioritize comfort over fashion.

Sometimes when I'm in the office, I'll wear my sneakers or flats while sitting at my desk, and will only put on my heels when I need to get up to see someone or go to the bathroom or kitchen or printer.  Then I might change out of the heels as soon as I get back to my desk.

Up until several months ago, I've always worn Nike running shoes.  I've actually heard some mixed reviews on Nikes.  In general, though, I think that no one brand works for all, and that everyone just needs to figure out what works for them individually.  So I was excited to experiment a little bit with different brands.

I got professionally fitted for running shoes for the first time in my life last November.  I specifically indicated that I would like to try something other than Nikes, so they gave me a pair of New Balance shoes and a pair of Asics to try.  I like a lot of cushioning and support (I'm not into the barefoot running craze) and I went with the Asics - the Gel Cumulus 13.

Speaking of barefoot running, I shudder at the thought of wearing things like these.

Seriously!?!?!?

The Asics have been really great so far and I was recommended Superfeet Berry insoles to go along with them.  I was told that I need neutral shoes, but that the specific neutral shoes were less important than the insoles. 

At the time of my fitting, I already had a pair of Nike Air Citius 2+ shoes with only 10 miles on them, and they are neutral shoes.  I went out and bought a second pair of insoles to add to them, and have been rotating them with my Asics.  The jury is out on the insoles because I sometimes experience a bit of foot numbness while wearing them.  However, the insoles certainly do offer great support.

I do have two other pairs of old Nikes that I have now downgraded to junk status, i.e. I will now only wear them to run in gross slushy snow or other circumstances where I don't care about what happens to my running shoes.  Speaking of which, I went out for a slush-ridden run this past weekend in one pair of the junk shoes and I paid for it with blisters the size of Saturn on both feet.

"Give a girl the wrong footwear and she can run herself into the ground."  - Me

Beyond this, all has been well and good in my running shoe world.  However, as most women will understand, you can never have too many shoes.  I was particularly excited to try Mizunos, as I've heard glowing accounts of them.  Descriptions like "They felt like an extension of my foot" seemed very common.   So I've really been wanting to try the Mizuno Wave Rider 15:

I monitored them on all of the online running stores for months, waiting for them to go on sale, even though I knew that the last thing I needed was another pair of running shoes.

Lo and behold, I finally found them on sale this past weekend for 33% off, no sales tax, no shipping cost.  (I LOVE AMAZON!)  Only, I wanted to be able to try them on before ordering. 

The Mizunos come in a limited-edition red color. 

Unfortunately, the red only comes in average widths - but I wear a wide.  I was disappointed because I would have loved to get the red!  However, this actually did work a bit to my advantage when I went to try on the shoes in person at the running store this past weekend.  I didn't have to face any sales pressure to buy the shoes at full price when the reds don't exist in my size.  But, I was still able to try them on in other colors for the right fit.

All in all, it turned out to be very worthwhile to try the shoes on.  My Asics are a half-size bigger than my normal shoe size, and based on this I had been recommended to get Mizunos a full size bigger than my normal shoe size.  However, it turns out that the Mizunos in the half-size up did fit the best.  I ordered them from Amazon in the white color above.

The Mizunos arrived yesterday in the mail!  As soon as I got the phone call that they were in the mailroom, I darted downstairs to pick them up.  I had already gone running yesterday morning, but was so excited to try the Mizunos that I considered going for a second run in the same day.  Ultimately I didn't (but running twice a day is fodder for a later discussion).  I have my improv class tonight after work so unfortunately I won't have time to go tonight, but I'm very excited to take them out for a spin tomorrow!

My kind of science laboratory.

It was a big self-indulgence for me to get these Mizunos when my Asics and my newest Nikes have a combined total of only 112 miles on them.  Therefore, I am now swearing off any more new running shoes at least until after the marathon this fall.  SWEARING!

Although, one must realize that none of my current shoes can stand up to precipitation.  NONE of them!  And running friends Molly and Julie have now gotten me thinking about Gore-Tex running shoes.  You see, Gore-Tex running shoes, on the other hand, are waterproof and therefore CAN stand up to precipitation...

Just sayin'...