Best Laid Plans

LA MARATHON COUNTDOWN: 1 month and 26 days

I woke up today feeling like something was missing. I ate breakfast, walked the dogs, got a coffee...what was I forgetting? Then it came to me. I realized I was so busy with training (and not training), work (and the work I wish I got paid for), and my trip to Michigan for the holidays, that the last time I wrote a blog was...three months ago! To the very day! That's no good. With eight weeks left until the big day (yikes), I vow to blog at least once a week leading up to the actual race on March 20th. For my seven faithful readers, here's an update on my training (using the 18 Week FIRST Marathon Plan) to get you up to speed.

For those of you unfamiliar with the FIRST Method, the basic idea is that you run only three days a week, at a pace related to your 10K time. This way, you won't wear out your legs before marathon day, but the pace ensures that every workout counts. Since I've never run a 10K, I decided to base my pacing on the time I'd like to finish the marathon; four hours. I had heard from other runners that the magical four hour time was what separated "real" runners from "enthusiasts". As I mentioned in October, all my research suggests a runner should have at least one year of running three to four times a week before attempting their first marathon. Not me. I'm a dreamer, a go-getter full of unrealistic passion.

I started tracking my progress only 6 weeks before officially starting the FIRST Method Training Program. In addition to your running days, the program includes two days of cross training and at least one rest day. Due to my unhealthy love of Tony Horton, I chose to use P90X workouts to cross train. This would've been a great idea, had I eased them into my running training. Instead, I jumped into both full force, injuring myself in the first week, which kept me from running the second week. Though I kept up with my two P90X workouts, I ran only once during weeks three and four, stopped cross training during the fourth week, and by week five and six, I had completely stopped training. As usual, I bit off more than I could chew. Classic Briana.

With 16 weeks to go, and two weeks of the FIRST Plan already behind me, it was "now-or-never, do-or-die" time. Mother Nature, on the other hand, felt differently and blessed me with my monthly womanly gift. Yeah. Awesome timing. I was quickly discovering what I was made of; excuses. I mustered enough strength to do one workout on the treadmill, a sweaty and satisfying Interval session. But the following week, I did nothing. I was starting to see my pattern and it wasn't pretty. I was disappointed, disheartened, and depressed. But you know what's good for depression? EXERCISE! It took me until Thursday of that week but I did a great five mile Tempo run, then on Sunday I ran my longest run to date; seven miles!

With 13 weeks to go, I packed up and headed to Michigan to celebrate Christmas with my family. I was equal parts excited and scared, since sticking to a training plan while traveling has been difficult for me in the past. I wasn't gonna let that happen on this trip. Running outside in 30 degree weather was out of the question, of course. My mom has a treadmill in her house, and I'm still chained to Bally's Fitness Centers thanks to my never ending membership, so there would be no reason not to run.

My mom and stepdad were super supportive and let me take over their living room for a 40 minute Interval run. Afterwards, they even asked me questions about why I had been motivated to run a marathon. Not only did I feel loved, it gave me an opportunity to reinforce my goal, just as this blog is allowing me to reevaluate my progress thus far. I told them how I wanted to challenge myself by setting a big goal, something that would show me what I'm really made of. This led to a conversation about their fitness goals. They've both been inspired by my journey over the last couple of years, from P90X to Insanity to running a marathon. That's when I realized that pushing myself really had set an example for my loved ones, and that reason felt better than any other to keep moving forward.

Just when things were finally looking up and feeling good, I had another set back. My monthly gift arrived again, giving my resolve a run for it's money. This time, instead of backing off, I pushed myself even harder. I wasn't going to let Mother Nature drag me down again. Unfortunately, giving it my all only got me halfway through what was supposed to be a ten mile long run. My body was weak, cramping, and more dehydrated than normal. I guess it's just as important to know when to stop and rest because two days later, my immune system was shot; sore throat, dry eyes, and full body aches. I was heading back to LA with a good old fashioned Michigan cold, one that stuck with me for three long weeks.

Which brings us to the past few weeks. It took me almost two weeks to feel well enough to run again. When I did, I found out I hadn't actually lost that much progress. My body wasn't ready to push forward, and this time I listened. I tried not to think about how much further I "should" be in my training. I just drank lots of water, laced up my shoes, and did the best I could, averaging about 10 miles a week. This past week, I added a pilates class to my training, with the hope that it will help strengthen my hip flexors and core. It was a killer workout and I'm interested to see how pilates will help shape my body and effect my running.

That's what this journey is all about, testing my body and finding out what I'm capable of. I don't know how long it will take me to cross that Santa Monica finish line. Five hours? Six hours? I sure hope not. My new goals are to do my best, each and every training day, to finish my first marathon, all 26.2 miles, in an upright position, and to try not to die.

Stop The Insanity, Bring On The Miles

I no longer hate Shaun T. but I did have to stop the Insanity program, for a few reasons. About two weeks ago, I started to feel a dull pain in my right leg, from my ankle to my knee, similar to shin splints. I pressed on anyway. A few days later, I felt sharp pain in my ankle and had to bench myself for a week. Of course, it probably wasn't smart to workout on the concrete floors in my apartment. Then, I looked at my countdown calendar and realized I had 5 months and 3 days until the LA Marathon. My path was clear. I had to ditch the last two weeks of Insanity in order to establish a run base of at least a month before beginning my marathon training program.

On Monday, I officially began training for my first marathon! Everything I've read, all my research suggests a first time marathoner should have at least one year of running three or four times a week under their belt. I'll have 4 or 5 weeks. So...my goal (for the time being) is simply to finish the race. I'm going to train smart, eat well, and avoid injury so I can show up bright and obnoxiously early on March 20th at the starting line at Dodger Stadium. I'm going to listen to my body and let it guide me. If I feel strong during a run and want to go faster, I will. If a joint or muscle starts acting up, I'll back off. I'm going to treat this whole experience with the patience and planning that a first time event requires.

Which also means getting good advice. Don't be stingy, runners. If you have pointers on anything from rest days to race day, please let me know! I'm like a sponge sucking up all the information I can to be the best runner I can be. I've subscribed to Runner's World magazine. I purchased my first two beginning pairs of running shoes so I can alternate and make them last. I'm cross training my core and upper body to build a strong form, as well as doing plenty of stretching and yoga. I still need to gather a hydration belt for long runs, moisture-wicking socks so my feet don't get nasty, gels and fuel for long runs, sport sunglasses to protect my sensitive eyes, and a bucket for ice baths in case of injury.

I'm so excited to test myself physically and see what I'm made of, not only on race day but every day. Every time I speed up, I'll be running faster than ever. Every long run will be my longest run ever. Every time I keep going, I'll be pushing myself just a bit further than I ever have before. I have months of "firsts" ahead of me, hundreds of baby steps until the day I take home my first finisher's medal, and of course, the coveted race day t-shirt. With every run I can feel myself becoming the person I want to be; strong, grounded, successful, and happy. And very, very sweaty.

To Do and Die

It's been a month since I blogged and I realize now it's been exactly one month since I started the Insanity program. I'm so beat after these workouts that I can't even think about writing about it. I don't want to do anything but drink a protein shake and hop in the shower to get back to neutral. It's brutal. BUT...an hour later I feel amazing and when I don't workout, I feel like crap. There's only one problem; I hate Shaun T.

It's not personal. I've never even met him. It's just that his Insanity workouts are consistently more difficult than anything I've ever physically done in my life. Ever. It's the kind of non-stop cardiovascular workout that forces you to stop periodically, just so you can catch your breath and not die. Sweat seeps onto my skin from every pore. EVERY PORE! The back of my neck, my forehead, my upper lip, my arms, my legs! MY LEGS! When was the last time you ran your finger across your shin and it was covered in sweat? That has happened to me during every single workout in the Insanity program, and that's just the warmup.

I do miss Tony Horton. When I did P90X, I really felt like I was working my entire body each week. Also, it was harder for my brain to get bored because every day was a different workout. I've definitely skipped some Insanity workouts simply because I couldn't bare to do another day of cardio. I miss fun workouts like Kenpo, or the grounded, balanced feeling I get after doing Yoga. Six days a week of cardio? Ugh. What I will say for Insanity is it works, and fast. I sat down yesterday to figure out exactly how many workouts I skipped during the first month of Insanity, and which workouts I actually completed. It turns out I did just over half of the workouts and I still lost about 5 lbs. Imagine the shape I'd be in if I'd done all the workouts?

So my new goal is to complete all of the workouts in the second half. No excuses, except injury, of course. If I need a minute to get some water or catch my breath, I'll pause, but no skipping. The lesson I'm learning is that these workouts are too hard to give up or do the program half-assed. I'm wasting my time if I don't give it all I've got. Just one more month! 24 more workouts and then, if I still hate Shaun T., I'll never do Insanity again. Though I have a feeling that if I commit to working harder each time, I'm gonna end up loving my body...and then I'll love Shaun T.

This'll Be The Day That I Die

It was just another Sunday night. Ice cream bars and late night network television. One more night I swore I would go to sleep at a reasonable hour, waking up early the next morning, a Monday morning, to start the week right. Yet there I was on the couch, watching American Chopper thinking, "I'll go to bed as soon as this episode is done. I want to see them finish this bike." Just when I thought I was out of excuses to go to bed, the infomercials began.

Anyone who grew up with me knows I'm a night owl and I LOVE infomercials. I've owned the Clapper, the Swiffer, the Sham-Wow, the Blendtec, and the Forman Grill all because I saw them on TV. I've even shopped in the As Seen On TV store, which is awesome, by the way. I thought getting sucked into infomercials was a thing of the past. Since I gave up my cable (and currently have only six channels), infomercials are once again my only option after 2 am. But this was no ordinary infomercial. This was INSANITY.

Just like P90X, I had heard of Insanity but I didn't really know what the routines were like. The host and creator, Shaun T, didn't seem all that special. How do you best Tony Horton? The man is a superstar, changing lives across this great nation of ours, and whipping our soldiers into tip top shape. The answer became clear almost instantly. Three words; Non Stop Cardio. Every workout had "cardio" in the title. Hmm. I do like the variety of P90X. It works all your muscle groups every week. On the other hand, the Insanity workouts are shorter, and cardio is the best way to melt all that fat. I was starting to get sucked in. P90X: six days a week for 90 days. Insanity: five days a week for 60 days. Well, well, well. Insanity promises a shorter program with shorter routines, less days a week, less equipment, and the same killer results. Let's face it, it's mostly about what you eat, anyway. Alright...SOLD!

The key to Insanity is longer periods of high intensity and shorter periods of rest. I watched the clips of people leaving puddles of sweat on the gym floor beneath them. I think we already established in my last blog how much I love to sweat. I was starting to get psyched! But was I fit enough for such a non-stop workout at such high intensity? "Maybe I should just finish this round of P90X, train for marathon, and worry about Intensity next year." But it was too late. The challenge had been extended through this infectious late night paid advertisement. I was curious to see what I was really made of.

Today. August 30th. Day 1 of Insanity. On the first day you take the Fit Test so you can track your progress. "Fit Test? You mean, I don't even workout on Day 1. Great! Sounds easy." I watched it once to get a feel for the routine. "It wasn't even 30 minutes long. Piece of cake. Wait, why is that guy sweating so much during a simple fitness test? That seems odd. And that girl is moving fast but she doesn't have the best form." I was certain that my technique would be stellar in comparison, even though that girl looked fit as a fiddle. I was wrong.

I've never worked harder in my life. After the first minute, my lungs were burning and I was gasping for air. I had vastly underestimated this program. By the end of this "simple" Fit Test, I felt as though I might vomit if I had to do one more move. Even now, I still feel "off." As Ron Burgundy would say, I immediately regret this decision. I don't know if I'll survive these next sixty days but there's no turning back now. Reality has set in, I am waaaaaay out of shape, but I've made up my mind. I took my "Before" picture. I've figured out my meal plan. I've picked out a white coat and I'm choosing Insanity.

Runner's High

I have to face the reality that my life may never be perfectly balanced. The long term solution is to work smarter and try harder. In the meantime, I'm replacing my "bad habits" with positive ones, starting with running. As I've mentioned in other posts, I used to think of running as really fun...for about 12 seconds, but tedious for 30 minutes. Just thinking about running for any other extended period of time was excruciating.

In the last few years, as I began living a more active lifestyle, running started to grow on me. It was still difficult, but I appreciated that it was worth the work. After a while, I didn't mind jumping on the treadmill. I enjoyed the synchronization of my breath and my feet. If I had the right music, I could really get into a rhythm, and then there was no stopping me. A few days ago, I found that groove again on the treadmill and something new happened; I smiled.

I don't know what came over me. I don't even remember what songs were playing. It was a very strange feeling. Every part of my body was working together, moving forward, like a well-oiled machine. It was as though I was meant to run. I was made to be a runner. I wasn't dripping with sweat, I was absolutely covered in it! I know how dirty that sounds but it was more like swimming than running. It was refreshing. I felt like I could run forever. Unfortunately, I had done the P90X Cardio workout right before and I didn't want to overdo it and injure myself. For the first time in my life, I was disappointed to stop running instead of relieved.

There have been plenty of days when I dreaded going to the gym. I've certainly had my share of days when there was no way I was gonna get on that moving torture device known as The Treadmill. I never thought I'd see the day I longed to go running. Today was that day. It was supposed to be my rest day but I couldn't help myself. I had to chase down that runner's high I had experienced a few days before. I wanted to feel that feeling. I only went 2.5 miles, and I'm not yet running at the marathon pace I dream of, but I'm off to a great start. And I have finally found a place where I feel perfectly balanced.

Balancing Act

It's no secret that my biggest problem has always been balance. Like Billy Joel, I don't know why I go to extremes, but I do. I have this energy that lends itself to incredible feats of strength and an insatiable thirst for life. The next day, I can't get out of bed and I'm questioning the meaning of it all. I know. Very dramatic. Some call it my dark side. I don't mind it. In fact, I used to be in love with it. I wore black, smoked cigarettes, and said whatever was on my mind at any given moment. I followed my every whim, right down the rabbit hole, and always came out safe on the other side. But c'mon, I'm an adult now.

I have rent, bills, dogs, dreams that need to be turned into goals, and a huge ticking Hollywood clock that gets louder every time I allow my skin to be burned by the sun. This imbalance I possess is becoming a burden. Something I fear will continue to drag me down unless I learn how to control it, or use it for good. The most recent example is my current obsession; running. I'm still only jogging while I complete P90X, so the physical part isn't the problem. It's my access to the internet. Instead of writing, I find my mouse wandering up to the Google box, just for a minute, to search for the perfect running watch with heart monitor and GPS, or the perfect shoes for my high arches and supination, or deciding which race will be my second marathon when I haven't even run my first!

I guess we all have our issues. That's what it's all about, learning our life lessons. So I'm a work in progress. That's cool. I am getting really good at balancing my actual workouts. Well, pretty good. Last week, I decided to rest on Wednesday instead of pushing myself to workout, with the self-promise that I'd workout on Sunday (my normal rest day). Good step. I was listening to my body so I didn't get hurt. On Thursday, I felt great after Shoulders & Arms, so I really pushed myself during Ab Ripper. Bad step. It was my first time doing Ab Ripper in a year and now, four days later, I'm still sore. So I rested both Saturday and Sunday until I felt well enough to complete a good workout. Today, during Core, I paid close attention to my abs and hip flexors, making sure I had the right balance of pushing through and backing off.

Today, I started Week Two of P90X on a good step. And if I take another bad step, I'll just learn from it and move on. In the spirit of baby stepping across my tightrope, I'm also taking a day off from my running obsession, which means no Complete Guide to Running for Women, no Runner's World magazine, and no Google searches for sports bras made with sweat wicking material. Just lots of water, some laundry, some time with the dogs, and, good or bad, lots of writing. Starting with this blog...

For The Haters

It turns out not everyone is excited for my marathon goal. This past week, I ran into my first Negative Nancy who called me crazy for wanting to run 26.2 miles. What could possibly be the purpose of this insane, useless feat? At first, I was shocked. I'm sure many people have had this same negative reaction but they kept it to themselves. Of course, I prefer my friend's honesty over a polite smile-and-nod. I guess I expected the same cheerful, positive, and supportive response I'd been getting since I signed up for the LA Marathon a couple of weeks ago. Then I remembered how I used to feel about long distance running. The old Briana was the mayor of Downer Town. It's all about perspective.

Which is why I immediately headed to the nearest Barnes & Noble for a third dose of running Inspiration. Where would I find more books on running? Hmm...biographies, perhaps? Those are mostly of political figures or old, alcoholic movie stars. Oh, maybe Health & Fitness. Nope. Just rows of books dedicated to the latest fad diet or "dance yourself thin" book, complete with DVD and inflatable balance ball. Where the F were all the running books? Was "Born To Run" a fluke? Something I found out about only through watching the Daily Show? Finally, my journey was complete. A section never before perused by a former Miss Understood Teen USA; the Sports section. Riiiiight. Running is a sport. Of course.

I scanned the shelves for the best possible purchase. One book was endorsed by some running association, another book written by the former editor of this running magazine. Two books both claimed to be the Complete guide to running for Women; how would I choose? That's when I saw "50/50". The guy on the cover was NOT smiling in a sun-lit color-coordinated outfit, wind blowing through his hair. He was a real guy running a real race. Fifty real races, actually. Dean Karnazes had a dream. To run fifty marathons in fifty states...in fifty days. It sounded absolutely nuts! There had to be a catch of some kind. I didn't recall anyone with that name dying recently so maybe he had actually accomplished his insane goal. His dream became a reality and then he wrote a book about it. I just HAD to read it.

It's an amazing story of an average guy who just happens to be in the kind of shape where he runs 26 or 27 miles both Saturday and Sunday, every weekend, as his normal workout. He'd already run two hundred miles in one run and every year he runs a 100 mile race in extreme environments. No biggie. He also started a foundation called Karno's Kids, with the goal of teaching kids the value of running in order to fight child obesity, an enormous epidemic among America's kids (pun intended). As I read the stories of teacher's across the country following his Endurance 50 races, building lesson plans for their students, and the runner's who were inspired to drive hours to run in the Endurance 50 marathon closest to their hometowns, it became more difficult to keep my eyes from gettin' all misty.

It was Chapter Six, United We Run, that I found the inspiration I was looking for.

"I love to interact with people when they are most exposed -- when every layer of pretension and vanity has been stripped away and left strewn along the pathway. The marathon mercilessly rips off the outer layers of our defenses and leaves the raw human, vulnerable and naked. It is here you get an honest glimpse into the soul of an individual. Every insecurity and character flaw is open and on display for all the world to see. No communication is ever more real, no expression ever more honest. There is nothing left to hide behind. The marathon is the great equalizer. Every movement, every word spoken and unspoken, is radiant truth. The veil has been obliterated. These are the profound moments of human interaction that I live for."

THIS is why I want to run. Sure, I could toil away on the treadmill for the rest of my life, like a good little hamster, until all my fat melted away. Or I could run like I mean it. Isn't the choice obvious? I guess if you're naturally thin, exercise doesn't even occur to you. But when you've lived life a bit harder, tried whatever was put in front of you, and came out the other side lazy and lumpy, the time comes to step it up a notch. Get back to basics. And other cliches that only exist because they are true. That's what I want. Radiant truth. My starting line? Dodger Stadium, March 20th, 2011. I invite all the Negative Neils and Debbie Downers to come on down and see what they are made of. Or maybe you already know and don't need a marathon to show you the way. If so, you're lucky. I'm only at the beginning of my journey. And I won't stop until I'm living my life with honesty, stripped of my vanities, for all the world to see.