In Transition

I caught a glimpse of spring on Friday. Between the melting snow, it being light out for most of my bike ride home from work, and not being cold to the bone it sure felt like spring. Then yesterday I went for a run in the snow, batting my eyelashes against big, heavy, wet flakes, watching out of the corner of my eye as one came to rest on the tip of my chilled nose. I am reminded it is still February and winter in Maine, with another snow storm upon us dumping another 8-12 inches. It’s a time of transition.

Now that I am 3000 miles away, I appreciate the mild winter running of the Pacific Northwest – maybe that is why so many elite runners call it home. I can’t imagine how anyone trains for Boston through a New England winter, but then again I have yet to accept the necessary evils of the treadmill. I have struggled getting back into a groove since running Boston. For the past year, life has gotten in the way from moving across the country to starting a new job to buying a house, but I suppose it’s easy to find excuses. I need to make running a regular part of my life again.

I spent the summer running along ocean-front paths soaking in the scenery, sun, and sweat. It was hot. And so humid. Then came fall with its cooler weather and my annual commitment to Race for the Cure, this time in Portland, Maine. I finished the 5K more than 2 minutes slower than a year earlier. I had delusions of running a half marathon but gave up, knowing I would not be satisfied with my time. Then I bought a house 10.5 miles from work and my exercise regime will never be the same. I’m still sorting out what it will look like…It’s a time of transition.

How does biking fit into a runner’s routine? Cross training, right? Does biking 21 miles a day really fall into the “cross training” category or am I to become a cyclist? Either way I’m pretty sure I need a new bike if I am to keep it up. And it needs to stop snowing every week. It took several weeks of biking to work this fall to get into any kind of shape to be able to run to work, but I did it and continue to do it once almost every week. 10.5 miles. Maybe this summer I’ll work up to running home too – for now I’m busing it home. I’ll find a way to strike a balance between running and biking. For now running in the snow is much more feasible than biking in the snow. I haven’t been able to bike much in the past month, but spring is just around the corner, right?

Oregonians, Check Out Oven & Shaker!

Oven & Shaker in the Pearl District is receiving national attention less than a year since opening. I didn’t try a sandwich before leaving Oregon, but CNN’s Eatocracy blog seems to think they are worth mentioning. I know Portland is full of amazing restaurants – I tried not to go to the same place twice because there were so many to explore. This is one I would definitely revisit! If you have like the East Side’s famous Nostrana, you’ll love it (and the price).

Jay and I went to Oven & Shaker for Valentine’s Day dinner this year and shared a sampling of reasonably priced small plates…and a pizza of course. While I don’t recall our exact selections, I do remember it was all delicious. We tried the arancine, probably the goat cheese pizza, and definitely the lamb and pork meatballs (mmm…lamb).

If you live in Portland or are just passing through, Oven & Shaker is well worth a visit.

Boston Recovery

Deschutes River Canyon. I had an amazing run along the river – no idea how far or how long. I just ran and felt like I could keep running forever because this place is so big and beautiful!

All was going well the first two weeks post-Boston: after two days of expected quad soreness and hobbling down stairs, I got a couple runs in and felt good. I even had a fleeting thought of joining a friend at the Eugene Marathon April 29th to see what I had in me. That crazy thought was gone in half a second. I just feel like I was in the best shape of my life and could have easily broken 3:30, but I didn’t get the chance to put my training to the test.

Even if my inner, unspoken goal was to PR, I still ran Boston and reached my stated goals: I finished and it wasn’t miserable. Part of me is glad the heat gave me an excuse to take it easy. I ran a smart race and enjoyed my first Boston experience rather than being in awful pain the last six miles as I likely would have been if chasing a PR (unless I dropped out from heat exhaustion first).

After my fleeting thought of running Eugene, I got realistic and started investigating fall marathons, particularly any that could be a qualifier in time for Boston 2013… What is going on?! I don’t like running marathons! I’m perfectly happy in the half! Training beyond 14-15 miles takes too much away from the rest of life! Who am I kidding? There’s another marathon in my future, maybe not this fall and maybe not another Boston (or maybe…), but now I have to prove to myself I can break 3:30, just like I had to prove I could qualify for Boston.

That being said, I haven’t run in almost two weeks. My hopes of maintaining fitness and carrying my base into a fall marathon are quickly evaporating. After two weeks of feeling great post-Boston, I started getting sharp pains in my knee forcing me to stop before my knee gave out. No, not the knee I went to physical therapy for this past winter – the other knee! This is a completely new pain that has appeared out of no where. I don’t feel it any time other than running, and then only during the first mile until it works itself out.

The only indicator I have had that something might not be quite right with my right knee is a crunching/grinding sound while doing one-legged squats. But those are pretty intense and it never hurt, so I didn’t think much of it. Now I am concerned it’s a problem with cartilage and rest is my first go-to solution. I’m okay with taking a break, and it couldn’t be better timed as I’m preparing to move across the country at the beginning of June. Goodbye Portland, Oregon, here I come Portland, Maine!

Any thoughts? Have you developed mysterious pains during marathon recovery? Ever felt like the cartilage in your young, healthy knee may not be so healthy after all?

Kara Goucher in the 2012 Rock ‘n’ Roll Portland Half Marathon

Kara Goucher winning the 2012 Rock ‘n’ Roll Portland 1/2 Marathon

The Rock ‘n’ Roll series made its way to Oregon for the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll Portland 1/2 Marathon May 20th. Headlining the event on the women’s side was Portland’s own Kara Goucher. She crushed the women’s field and was an inspiration to watch.

For those who may not follow the world of elite running, Kara finished third in the US Olympic Marathon Trials in January and will be representing the US in London along with Desiree Davila and training partner Shalane Flanagan. Follow Kara on her road to London on her husband’s book site, Run the Edge.

Coming down the home stretch for the win

Post race interview with her son Colt

Race Report: 2012 Shamrock Run 15k

The streets of downtown Portland were packed this morning with runners decked out in anything and everything green. The Shamrock Run marks the beginning of road racing season and there were 32,000 participants between the 5k, 8k, and 15k.

The Weather: 38 and drizzling. It’s a bit chilly for a mid-March morning here in Portland – too chilly to test out my marathon outfit, even with my recently acquired arm warmers. The cold and potential for rain dictate tights, long sleeves, gloves, and a headband, not my usual racing attire.

The Course: First 2 miles flat, then a turn uphill to a steep mile from 3 to 4 followed by a more gentle 2 miles but still climbing. The hill crests at mile 6 ending the 550 foot ascent. From there it’s a 3.3 mile long cruise back down to the finish.

The Strategy: Try out marathon pace (not sure what that is, somewhere between 7:30 and 7:50?) through mile 6 (top of the hill) then pick it up for a fast finish on the downhill. A little training for the downhills of Boston.

The Start – 7:58am. We’re delayed 15 minutes because Amtrak is late and the course crosses the train tracks twice in the first mile. Thousands of runners try to stay warm jumping, running in place, anything possible to keep moving while packed shoulder-to-shoulder. We all share some body heat I’m sure.

Mile 1 – 8:04. I go out relaxed, moving along with the crowd. A bit slower than planned, but it’s really a warm-up considering the late start in the cold. At an out-and-back I hear my name! (Like I am the only Liz on the course…) I bet it’s a friend I’ve been looking for, but I can’t find her in the crowd.

Mile 2 – 7:17. Or 7:45? There are two 2 mile markers with no indication of 15k or 8k. I either over corrected or am right on pace.

Mile 3 – 7:25. My watch says 6:59 from the second 2 mile marker, but I’m thinking the first one was for the 15k. We started uphill so I doubt I was that speedy. I see Jay and pull over to the side for a quick hello.

Mile 4 – 7:54. Here comes the big hill. I catch up with friends. What are you doing way up here? (They were shooting for 8:00 pace.) They don’t know. They’re so angry at the hill right now. I offer a few words of encouragement. (They finished with an awesome 7:39 overall pace!).

Mile 5 & 6 – 7:40 & 7:30. The hill lets up a bit and even levels out for a brief stretch. I know this route well. I just ran it two weeks ago. Almost at the top. I’m passing a lot of people. I don’t see how I could ever keep this pace up for 26.2 miles.

Mile 7 – 6:31. And we’re going down. Everyone takes off and people start flying by me. I get caught up in it and let the hill carry me. 6:31?! I’m not sure I can keep this up for 2.3 more miles!

Mile 8 & 9 – 6:37 & 6:22. Apparently I can. I keep my eye on a woman I had passed on the uphill. I think she’s in my age group. I reel her in and with about a mile to go I pass her. Fatigue is trying to creep into my legs. I have a small side cramp after the last water station, so I skip the final water stop. Everyone around me does too. We’re so close we just want it to be over. Half mile to go. I see the finish!

The Finish: I bet that woman is in my age group – I’m going to pass her! People around me start picking it up. Time to push it into the finish. Woohoo! I’m tired, but not too tired. That felt good. And the last 5k is the second fastest 5K I’ve ever run! Granted it was downhill…

1:07:16 (7:13 pace) PR by 2:35!
22/593 age group
54/3232 female
362 overall

Boston Training: Week 6

Thank goodness this was my easy week. Being sick and worn out was the story of this week. I blame it on the cold, dry New England air last week, but after breathing in dry, stale airplane air for six hours, my system went into shock and the effects took hold. I am still recovering, but my throat is thankful for the wonderfully humid Portland air. Needless to say, my schedule needed some adjusting.

Workouts:

Wednesday – “Easy” 1 mile
That’s right – I only went a mile and it was hard. It was on a treadmill at physical therapy. I am not a fan of treadmills.

Thursday – 7 miles with 5-mile tempo at 7:15 pace
I watched the sunrise this morning…while running into a headwind.

Saturday – “Easy” 5 miles
Another not-so-easy day. I’m exhausted.

Sunday – 8 miles with 5-mile tempo at 7:50 pace & fast-finish mile in 7:00
Believe it or not, today was easier than yesterday. I couldn’t find my pace during the tempo on a hilly course but tried to for a consistent effort. I am skeptical I’ll ever be able to keep up this supposed “marathon effort” for 26.2 miles!

Highlight:

Watching the snow-covered peaks of the Cascades glow orange in the setting sun as an enormous full moon rose during Sunday’s run. It’s amazing how much you can see from Forest Park without leaves on the trees!

Boston Training: Week 2

It has been so cold here in Portland and unusually dry, not that I’m complaining.  This was the week of seeking medical attention for my knee.  I cut a few miles off my planned total for the week, but it doesn’t seem to have made a difference.  The physical therapist’s response to my question if it’s okay to run was, “Start out with 10 to 15 minutes and if that feels okay, you can add 5 minutes at a time.”  It’s not even worth getting bundled up for a 10 minute run.  And she told me I need to work on changing my form (a big no-no in many people’s books) because my knee turns in ever so slightly.  We’re talking about the form that has carried me thousands of virtually injury-free miles.

Workouts:

Tuesday – Easy 3 miles with 10×25-second pickups

Wednesday – 2×1600 at 6:40 pace
Late night track workout.  I cut it down from three 1600s and it still felt like the longest mile repeat ever.  I’m having trouble getting out the door these days in the cold.

Friday – Easy 2.5 miles
My knee was sore after my first visit to the physical therapist yesterday.

Saturday – Long run 6 miles, 8:20 avg pace
Frosty, icy morning run through a very cold fog.  The first 3 miles felt awkward as I was clearly compensating for my knee.  I finally settled into the run, but overall it was discouraging.

In Conclusion:

I’m beginning to wonder if I’m going to be able to kick this injury without taking significant time off.  Sorry, it was kind of a bummer of a week – I’m off to a great start.  Any thoughts, words of wisdom or motivation?

Saturday Brunch… and Dinner!

What a great day for food!  I don’t take nearly enough advantage of the Portland brunch scene.  All the restaurants are amazing for dinner, so why not brunch?  I have been meaning for go to Byways Cafe for some time, but it’s tiny and the line’s always out the door – a sure sign of a great find.  Blue corn pancakes.  A large omelet selection.  Next time I have to try the Amaretto French Toast.

And then there was dinner and a holiday party at Paragon.  After such a large brunch, I wasn’t even hungry by dinner time, but I proceeded to eat everything put in front of me.  Butternut squash tart with puff pastry and bacon (because bacon makes everything tastier).  Salmon with garlic mashed potatoes and wild rice pilaf.  Apple crisp for dessert.  Too much small talk with people I only see once a year and too much food.  I slept well… and woke up hungry.

Staying Happy & Healthy… & Sleeping

Or perhaps “Getting Happy & Healthy & Sleeping” would be a more appropriate blog subtitle.  After the Run Like Hell half marathon at the end of October, my plan was to take November easy to make sure I was injury free and rested before starting training in December for Boston.  I was only running three days instead of my normal four, logging a mere 10 to 12 miles a week.  I was sleeping wonderfully.

After just two weeks of taking it easy, my knee started hurting.  I thought nothing of it at first.  I felt the same pain after a few of my long runs last spring, and it was always gone the next day.  Then I got a head cold for the first time in a few years.  I guess it’s true that running boosts your immune system, and I just wasn’t running enough!

Two weeks ago I had an awesome 6-miler along the river.  I stuck in a 2 mile tempo to help keep up my aerobic capacity.  I came through the first mile in 6:55, shocked at how well I had apparently maintained fitness the past few weeks.  Since I didn’t want to overdo it and had been aiming for 7:20 pace, I slowed down to what felt like a snail’s pace but still ran the second mile in 7:10.  Granted I was pretty worn out by the end, but it felt great…