The Fair-Weather Runner

Am I a runner at all?

The past week was cloudy and rainy, yes, but even still, I felt no desire to run. I waited til the 5th day of February to run. I hadn't taken that long of a break since my 4 day running break after the Seattle Half Marathon.

Seeing Chelsea in Carousel

So it made me start to think. Can I identify myself as a runner if I don't run a lot? What defines a "runner"? Someone who loves running? Or it is just someone who runs, period? Or maybe someone who has run marathons? Half marathons? 10K? 5K? What if you only occasionally do it, vs. doing it every day? Is it frequency that determines the label? Is it other people who identify themselves as that word, and you identify with them, so you slap the same label on yourself?

getting silly at the Exchange Holiday party

I've often wondered why I've never felt the want to call myself a "runner"- that label has never rang true for me. When I'm asked (which is rare), I usually lessen it by simply saying "I run", or "I'm training for [insert race here], so, yeah, I'm running a lot right now", or "Running is free and I don't have a gym membership...." I've never said with gusto, "Oh, yeah, I'm a runner!" I felt like a fraud. I'm not fast, I've only run one marathon, and I don't do it every day. Actually, some days I really hate it.

Why do I run, then?

The collage I put together of my family's photo session

I've asked myself this question a lot. Is it so I can eat whatever I want? No, because I still usually gain weight when I'm training for a race. Is it to meet people? No, I usually run alone. Is it so I can go to races? Sometimes, but those can be annoying to maneuver and get to. Is it so I can brag that I ran x amount of miles? Not necessarily. Is it for my career? No, running doesn't necessarily help any of my hobbies. Is it for this blog? Well, maybe. Is it just something do to? Possibly.

Tech week is almost here!

So, back to my original question. Am I a runner at all? And I think the answer lies within any label creation - does it ring true to the individual? Do they identify with it? If not, no biggie. Just don't slap on that label. It's not them, for whatever reason. And that's okay. Do what makes you happy, don't do something just because you think you're supposed to, or because you think someone will think differently of you if you do or do not do that one thing. People are going to think what they're going to think, regardless of how hard you try to get them to think a certain way, which takes way too much effort anyway.

No, I don't think I'm a runner. If anything, I'm a fair-weather runner.

I think, sometimes, that I enjoy running when the weather is nice. Sometimes, I enjoy sweating it out in power yoga. Every once in a while, I enjoy weight lifting. Most of the time, I enjoy my voice lesson (if my voice is cooperating). I enjoy dancing, if my body is cooperating and I haven't over exerted myself, but I don't do it enough.

the only time I dressed up last week

February 5: 4 Miles, 9'39" average pace - cloudy, 57°.

February 6: 4 Miles, 9'28" average pace - partly sunny, 53°.

Total Miles for February 1-7: 8 miles, a 62% decrease from the previous week. Whoops.

Sure, I have flaws and things I should be working on more. But... it's all okay! Even though I didn't run a lot last week, I got to sleep a lot, still went to a snazzy party, got to dress up, and had a great time dancing. It just sets me up for an even better week coming up, right?

Do you label yourself?

Superbowl and Speed

For some reason, I keep reading back to my July-August 2013 entries and seeing how fast I was. I was running so much more than I am now, and my mile splits were almost always in the 8's. Why?!

January 26: 4 Miles, 9'03" average pace - sunny, 51°. This run felt great, but I was really pushing it because I was upset by the above statement. What has stopped me from being fast? No real effort at wanting to be faster? Was it because I stopped listening to music while I ran? Was it because I had turned off the vocal queues at each mile, telling me how fast my average pace was? Well, I turned that back on, and it may have made a difference - it may haven't. This pace is definitely the fastest I've ran this route, anyway.

January 28: 4 Miles, 8'55" average pace - sunny, 51°. Another run where I actively pushed myself to be faster, though admittedly I wanted to make the first mile much much slower than it ended up being (8'55"). I sped up progressively throughout the third mile and then took the last mile as a cooldown at 9'18", still pretty speedy. I guess the old adage "To get faster, be faster" is certainly true. I listened to music this time - Songza's playlist "Performance Enhancing Pop: Cycling" for the last two miles, and it really helped. I forgot how energizing listening to music while running is! I've gotten so used to listening to podcasts...

January 29: 4 Miles, 9'01" average pace - sunny, 49°. I didn't think I'd run this day (Thursday) since I had run pretty hard the day before, but this run felt just a great as Wednesday's run. I tried a new route and was inspired by the new-ness of it, I guess. I had no idea I was going so fast. I started at a "slow" pace of 9'26" and my second mile was the fastest at 8'41". The rest of the miles were in the 8s.

Superbowl fun!

January 31: 9 Miles, 9'15" average pace - cloudy, 42°. Brr. This was a cold one. My second mile was the fastest at 8'48", and the rest of the miles were in the high 9s, except for the last mile, which was at 8'57". What has happened to me?! I actually tried to actively make this a slow run by listening to podcasts but still managed to be more than 15 seconds faster per mile than last week's long run. Maybe running fast for most of the week has really helped.

Total Miles for January 25-31: 21 miles, an 11% increase from last week.

Our group on Superbowl Sunday

It was clearly bothering me that I'm so much slower than I was in 2013. I think I really enjoy running 3-4 days a week. 5 is just a little bit too much for me to handle right now, at least until I build some decent mileage. I like focusing on speed (it makes the runs go by quicker, after all!).

One thing I really wish would stop happening is for cars to stop honking at me as I run by. I know I'm not in the way, I know they aren't honking at anyone else (it always happens right as they pass me), and sometimes it's two short distinct beeps and sometimes it's one longer beep, but it's unnecessary and frankly, a form of harassment that needs to stop. I have as much of a right as anybody to run on the sidewalk, safely, and it isn't right for anyone to honk at a woman attempting to exercise. I don't care if they're actually doing it for encouragement - it's not, at all.

Anyway. I had a great week - it was filled with sunny, fast runs and it ended (started?) with hanging out with great friends. Even though we ended up losing (1 yard...!), I still had a blast hanging out with everybody.

Recognize someone? :D

Some really awesome things with theatre are happening with me, which I'll announce when I can! Basically, I've had some really stellar auditions and I can't wait for the summer. :D In the meantime, the play I'm in, Death By Chocolate, has been really fun. We open in two and a half weeks!

We'll see if I can keep up with running - but since I'm not training for anything specific right now, I think my maximum might be around 20 miles a week. It's quite a struggle to get any more, unfortunately. I honestly can't believe I ran 9 miles last Saturday! Right now I think I might focus a little more on dancing and singing... we'll see.

What's your miles-per-week "sweet spot"?

January Recap

The Beauty of Eating Carbs

I must say, the weather here has been PERFECT lately. There were only a few days that were cloudy/foggy (cloggy?), and the rest were sunny and  bright. The week ended (or began, depending on how you look at it) on Sunday at a sunny 60 degrees - is it early spring or something?!

I think it's obvious that I put carbs back in my diet this week. My paces certainly reflect the extra energy - last week I was absolutely dragging in comparison. It's really interesting to know and see with evidence that my energy level really depends on what I eat during the day. That may sound intuitive, but sometimes I forget, honestly. 

January 19th: 5 Miles, 9'24" average pace - SUNNY, 47°. I felt so energized during this run! This was right after I had an amazing audition - I have literally never before had such a perfect audition where I walked away and wasn't immediately analyzing everything - and I felt so motivated to MOVE afterwards that this run felt like the bomb.com. Do people still say that? Anywho, I felt awesome, my pace was nice and quick especially for the mileage, and it was in the sun as a bonus. I even wore short sleeves for the first time in a while! Amazing, right?!

January 20th: 3 Miles, 9'40" average pace - sunny, 45°. The humidity must have been lower than the day before because damn, I was COLD. I also wasn't really feeling this run and felt like I must be clocking in 11 minute miles, so I was pleasantly surprise when I saw my pace. I wore a lot of clothing - my Nike wide-legged pants (I usually wear these as comfy pants around the house), a long sleeved shirt, gloves, vest, and ear warmers - probably too much clothing for only 3 miles. Oh well.

January 21st: 3 Miles, 8'53" average pace - cloudy, with some sun peeking through, 42°. I wore three layers on top, which was probably too much, and capris - but it was GLORIOUS. It was such a fantastic run, I'm not really sure what made me feel like I had so much energy! I had some oatmeal, flaxseed meal, and a banana beforehand. Carbs, man. I really didn't want to run, either - I had been really sore the past few days - and I toyed around with moving it to Thursday but then knew I'd be screwed if I forced myself to run three days in a row at the end of the week. I'm so glad I ran that day instead of waiting!

January 24th: 8 Miles, 9'39" average pace - cloudy, 55°. This run felt AMAZING, even though it was at 7:30am. I had a full day ahead of me, but I also had food as a motivator - I had a huge meal Friday night (at Dinner Detective), and I had a huge meal planned for afterwards, at Portage Bay Cafe. It fueled me to keep up the pace throughout these 8 (8! My longest run in quite a while!) miles, and I felt great.

Total Miles for January 18-24: 19 miles, a 5% decrease from the previous week. Whoops!

This is the first week since I actively started making sure I increased mileage safely that I've skipped a planned run. I was "supposed" to run 3 miles on Friday, but I went to yoga instead, and never ended up running that day. I figured it was okay because clearly two days of rest meant one of my best long runs in a while...!

January is almost over, and I gotta say, I'm not sad about it. I'm ready for February - my show opens, rehearsals for the second show begin, my friends' shows open.. lots of stuff is going on and I couldn't be more excited about it!

Decompressing with Busy-ness

Introducing my character in Death By Chocolate, the play I'm acting in for most of February and March:

Georgia Gore!

She's a rather unfortunately named food critic, and I wouldn't wish her fate on anyone. Dun dun dunnn! Rehearsals have been going well so far - I haven't needed to be in very many, which is good considering the rehearsal space is about 30 minutes away without traffic (so, an hour away - one way - with traffic).

Other than those rehearsals, I also went to choir rehearsal, a voice lesson, a 6 hour choir retreat, and last but not least I co-hosted a Dinner Detective show.

I had to unwind a bit...

Since my friend Chelsey's birthday is on New Year's Eve, I was invited to come out with some of her girlfriends and celebrate her day of birth, just a few weeks late :)! You may remember Chelsey from last summer when we ran at 5:15 in the morning, and Larissa from the Bellingham Bay Half Marathon!

I'm so glad I had time to visit with this group of fantastic girls! I definitely need to make more time to hang out with fantastic people such as these ladies, because I certainly don't do it enough.

I also hung out with JW and my sister-in-law Rachel to watch The Imitation Game, which was fantastic. I'm trying to watch all the Oscar nominees before they air on February 22nd!

And can we please talk about THE SEAHAWKS???

YAAAS!! I thought it would take a miracle during the whole game, but what do you know!! They pulled it off!

And, finally, last week's summary of runs:

January 12th: 3 Miles, 9'28" average pace - partly sunny, 50°. Started too fast at 8'55" and slowed down almost a full minute in the second mile, then finished the third mile at 9'41". Felt pretty bleh before I ran - but of course, felt much better after I ran.

January 13th: 4 Miles, 9'48" average pace - sunny, 43°. Sun!!! Felt SO good during this run in the sun! Though it was colder (it was 33 that morning), I didn't mind it that much. My first mile was the fastest at 9'27" and then I slowed progressively (to 10'12"), and then back to 9'30" for the last mile.

January 15th: 4 Miles, 10'39" average pace - partly sunny (sunrise), 36°. So cold! So early! I did this run at 8am (so, no real fuel either) and ran on my most difficult route, with over 138ft in elevation changes. Started downhill (per usual) at 9'43" and just got slower and slower, til I bottomed out at 11'24". Yikes.

January 16th: 7 Miles, 10'05" average pace - partly sunny, 50° . Very pleased with this long run pace, compared to last week's long run pace of almost exactly a minute slower! I started fast but ended faster, which is what I always want to strive for. I was the slowest during the 6th mile at 10'36" but that's as slow as I got. Yippee!

January 17th: 2 Miles, 11'09" average pace - cloudy (before the sunrise), 40°. I didn't get enough sleep the night before, and I ran this at 7:40am, my earliest run in a while. I felt a little sick throughout the whole thing, and was happy when it was finished.

Total miles for January 11th-17th: 20 miles, 10% higher than the previous week.

I didn't make it out to run with the Seattle Green Lake Running Group, but that's because I had to move my long run to Friday- so, maybe this next week I'll be able to make it out??

I was pretty busy last week, but I don't think I would have it any other way - in a weird way, it helps me relax! Hopefully everybody else's week is off to a good start.

Into The Fog

It's been pretty foggy in Seattle lately, and it really hasn't helped the post-Holiday drear.

January 2nd: 4 Miles, 9'56" average pace - foggy, 38°. Started at a 9'00", and ended with 10'20.

January 3rd: 3 Miles, 9'27" average pace - foggy, 39°. New route. Started at 9'22" and ended with 9'14"- much better!

January 6th: 4 Miles, 9'30" average pace - foggy, 51°. Though the sun was peeking out through the clouds, it was still mostly foggy. Started at 9'15" and ended at 9'22" - I like these as I feel less lethargic at the end of the run.

January 7th: 4 Miles, 10'14" average pace - foggy, 43°. My most difficult route, changing over 138ft in elevation. No sun, just fog. Started downhill at 8'47" (yikes) and ended uphill at 11'19".

January 9th: 4 Miles, 10'13" average pace - foggy, 43°. Sun peeked out again for a bit, but mostly fog. New route. Almost negative splits, missed it by 4 seconds after the third mile. Started at 10'17" and ended at 10'07". I'll take it.

January 10th: 6 Miles, 11'07" average pace - misty, 46°. I woke up late this day, and had some nuts and a cheese stick beforehand, so the slow pace makes sense. Plus, they say you're supposed to do your long runs as much as 1-2 minutes per mile slower than your usual pace, so this is about right. I started at 10'35" and got progressively slower through the 4th mile, and then sped up the last two miles, to end at 10'53".

Total miles for January 4th-10th: 18 miles (10% less than the previous week- I needed this!).

It certainly looks like I've gotten slower, but considering I'm also changing my diet, it makes sense. My body is getting used to working on significantly less calories than it had during the holiday season, so it'll take a bit for me to start feeling normal.

This was also my first foray into trying my long run at the end of the week after doing consistent "short" runs, yoga, and rehearsals. I'm starting to consider half marathons I could run - I'm eyeing the Lake Sammamish Half Marathon in March, but it would be on the same day as a show, and I'm just not sure if that's a smart idea at this point.

One of my goals next week is to run with the Seattle Green Lake Running Group just once. Hopefully I'll go to bed early enough to feel rested enough to run at 7am! We shall see!

Into The Woods

I've been trying to figure out what my next "goal" should be. More yoga?

More dancing?

More races? Too many options??

As for running, I feel really strong. I know I'm running safely and barring anything weird happening, I most likely won't get injured anytime soon. But at the same time, I don't want to push it.

I think I'm going to change the way I "report" my runs - instead of a picture, I might make a summary post at the end of the week. For the last few months, it seems like my posts have been mostly those summaries, and that's honestly because I didn't really have anything to say about running.

I've been pretty busy since the official start of the New Year (which I consider Monday the 5th, when everyone went back to work), and it looks like I'll be keeping busy for a while. After I got the rehearsal schedule for the play that I was cast in, I realized I was going to be able to keep going to rehearsals for the choir I've been singing in since last September - so the first three days of the week were filled with rehearsals.

So, for the next four months, I'll be juggling the following: rehearsals for the play in February, choir rehearsals for the concert in March, rehearsals for the play in April, dinner detective shows every Saturday, weekly voice lessons, and making time to see other friend's shows. I'll also be trying to fit in yoga classes (I've decided to renew my subscription for the next year) and running during the week, as well. Whew.

Here we go...!

Resolutions for 2015

2014 Running Recap:

Please ignore the fact that those numbers don't add up to 600.3- but I've been promised by Nike+ staff that 600.3 total is correct. :P

9'39" average pace

133 runs with an average distance of 4.5 miles

I looked over my resolutions for 2014 and realized that I made way too many. I mean, I even made a post of revised resolutions in mid-January because I knew there were so many.

The resolutions I achieved:

• Run at least 3 miles a week (meaning Sunday-Saturday): CHECK. This one was hard to accomplish! There were weeks where I ran 1 mile on Sunday and didn't run the remaining 2 miles until Saturday. There were other weeks when I ran 3 miles on Saturday night at 9pm. I'm happy I made this resolution, because it kept me motivated even during the month and a half of vacation.
• Go to more dance classes: Strictly Seattle included 10 contemporary classes and 3 ballet classes, 5 ballet classes at PNB, 2 contemporary classes at Velocity, and 11 tap classes at Premiere Dance Center. Check!
• Have a fantastic wedding day/honeymoon and try not to stress out about it too much: Check!
• Get financial stuff nailed down for a possible house purchase at some point: I'll do you one better. We bought a house! Ultra check!

And that's good enough for me! I don't know why I tried to make like, 70 resolutions. Less is more.

Resolutions for 2015:

• Run at least 4 miles a week.
• Drink at least 60 oz of water a day.
• Clean up and decorate the house and make it feel like our house!
• Get cast in a musical, and keep going to as many auditions as possible.

And that's it! I could add a bunch of general ones like be happier, be healthier, go out more, etc. - but it would be too much. One other resolution I'm also toying with is running another marathon this year... we'll see. :)

The Last Runs of December

In my last post, I had mentioned I needed to run 15 miles by the end of the year to reach 600. 5 Miles a day was my goal, and I had 3 days to do it. If I missed a day, that meant running 10 miles in a day. Eek!

I ran on Monday, and it was awful. 

I felt so tired and sluggish, and like I was ready to throw in the towel. I couldn't believe I had to do this again for the next two days.

Well, the next day was our travel day - I thought about running in the morning, but I just couldn't get up and force myself to run before 8am, so I didn't, thinking I might once we got home around 4. I would have about 30 minutes before the sun went down, and I figured I'd run as long as I saw fit, and then just do a long run on New Year's Eve.

We landed in Seattle and I felt so tired, (I even slept on the plane a little!) so I figured that I'd run 10 miles on New Year's Eve, just like last year. 

In the morning, I checked my mileage for the year on NikePlus, and it said 589.3. Um. 589.3??? That meant I had to run 10.7 miles...! No way was I going to run almost 11 miles. Why did I think it was 9.7 that I had left? For whatever reason, 11 seemed so much longer than 10. I slowly settled with the fact that I wouldn't hit my goal of 600 for the year, 

A few hours later, I refreshed my page and saw that my mileage had jumped to 595.3. What!? That meant I only had to run 4.7 miles - I could definitely do that! I decided to send an e-mail to the Nike support team just to be sure. The response I got:

I would like to explain why the total miles have adjusted. Sometimes during site outages, runs that are synced sometimes do not apply to the total mileage. When I recalculated your account, one of your runs that wasn't applied to the totals, was just applied, hence the jump from 589.3 to 595. This may have been 1 or 2 runs, but I assure you that this mileage is in fact accurate. 

I hope this shed some light on why everything changed so suddenly! You are so close to 600 miles! Ill give you an early congratulations. That is awesome.

Please feel free to email me back if you need anything, Hayley. I am happy to help.

Sincerely,

Benjamin Nike+ Support

How awesome and supportive is that?! I got a surge of energy from knowing that the random dude at Nike+ Support was cheering me on. Nike rocks. I immediately went out and ran the last 5 miles of 2014.

It felt great! And even more awesome was the fact that I hit my goal of 600 miles for the year (let's ignore the fact that that number was originally 300 miles higher at the beginning of the year).

I'm happy that December ended on a positive note. In my next post I'll analyze the year in detail and post some resolutions!

December Recap