Alea Iacta Est

I always have said I am like a mule, once I know a path, why to change it? If something works really well, why to do it differently? If a dish is delicious why to order some other that could disappoint me? I like to go for the sure thing... In short... Why to fix it, if not broken?

Though I adapt well to change, I only change things because circumstances that I can't control. Or, because after a thorough thought process I have come to the conclusion that change might be positive (this has happened very seldom).

As a dumb example, I had light brown hair in my teens (with some copper tones). All my friends, and family recommended me to get highlights. I wanted to do it, but was afraid of the change.  When 32, I went to the hair salon and got my highlights. It took me SIXTEEN years to go for the change.

For the last 4 years I have faced a similar situation. I wanted to hire a coach after going from a 5:54 marathon in 2007 to a 5:17 in 2008. I thought that if without much knowledge and change on training I improved almost 40 minutes, I could get heck of a help with an expert. I did some coach shopping but never dared to hire one.

In 2009 I knew who I wanted to hire, but was afraid of the change. What if? what if? what if? Then Eugene came along in 2010 with a 5:06 PR, a bone bruise kept me under-trained for a 5:10 in NY and 8 weeks after, Jan 2011, and without training, I clocked a 4:59 in Arizona... A PR.

Arizona results were the key. Though a 4:59 marathon could be a slow marathon for a lot of people, it is, age-grade calculated, a 4:00 marathon for somebody in the open division. It puts me in the 56 percentile. And because I ran without effort, I knew there is, in figure of speech, fat to lean out. A coach, I firmly believe, would be the best butcher to trim that fat out.

So, after three years I made the final decision, or... I dared to face the man. I met him last Tue, talked about what I need and asked for help to get me out of my comfort zone. Ran with his group a tempo run, felt more than wonderful, and signed "the contract".

A coach has been hired. As we say in English, the die is cast... as in one of my favorite languages Alea Iacta Est. 

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The race of the week: Run For Tina. A 5K-run in honor of Tina DeLong Griswold, Lakewood PD Officer, killed in the line of duty.

This was a Washington State tragedy that occurred on Nov 29, 2009. A man entered in a coffee shop and killed 4 police officers that were prepping for their daily work. It was our 9/11, shocking. It took us a while to recover.

The race was a success, no matter the rain!!! God bless Tina, and every Law Enforcement Officer that serves us.

BTW, I PR with a 26:43!!!! and without coaching yet...

Tina DeLong Griswold

Tina DeLong Griswold

The Taste After

There is always a taste after a marathon, about the whole experience. It could be exciting, it could be dreary. It could be sweet, it could be bitter. It could be warm, it could be cold. It could be lovely, it could be awful. It could be a dream, it could be a nightmare.

After NYCM I had time to taste many things. First taste was the taste of race results. I had a 5:10 time. For the training I did, 30 miles per week, I felt very satisfied. Especially, after age-grading the results: A 4:12 marathon time for an open division. I ran very comfortable all the course. I was never exhausted, my feet never hurt, my legs never wanted to stop. I walked three miles immediately after the marathon, went to dinner, and I wasn't sore. On Monday I wasn't sore, on Tuesday I wasn't sore, on Wednesday I wasn't sore, and I wasn't sore for the rest of the week. I don't know if the lack of soreness is due to me participating in races a lot, and having a very easy recovery or that I have a lot more in my legs that could be used. Please, feel free to chime in. My heart rate avg was 161; 84%, which is pretty much the recommendation for running a marathon (I've become a HR geek). So the general taste of my race was more than satisfactory, it was exciting.

Then I tasted a full time week ahead of me, enjoying NYC with my adorable daughter. Slept in, had coffee and cookies, went to Broadway shows, visited family and friends, stayed the last days in a nice little studio in a brownstone building in Brooklyn to have a taste of living away of exhilarating Manhattan. We enjoyed NY skylines from different points of the city. We ate and walked around holding hands. The world was at our feet. Then we kissed and said goodbye, she left to DR, I came back to Seattle. The taste was so sweet and warm.

Back home, hubby waiting for me; going back to work; my 54th birthday; lunch with co-workers, dinner with hubby and son; the day after, another dinner with son and daughter in law; some days later, another dinner with friends. A lovely taste.

My personal birthday gift to me? Dean Karnazes visit to Seattle.

LL: Dean, you are probably tired of hearing this, but you are truly an inspiration to me
DK: I am happy to hear that I can inspire you
LL: And because of you, and my friend Shirley, I decided to run 50 marathons in 50 states
DK: That's awesome
LL: But I won't do it in 50 days
DK: Why not? Well... may be you are smarter... than me?
LL: No Dean. I don't have your DNA
DK: How many?
LL: 4 (*)
DK: 4 down, 46 to go, never stop
LL: Age could be an issue
DK: How old are you?
LL: 54 yesterday
DK: I am right behind you with 48. Age is not an issue

And then I left with a decision made. A decision that I had been weighing but wanted to determine if I could run a marathon working out only 30 miles per week. I ran it. And it was New York. I tasted the dream. And here I go, with Arizona R&R next. In a couple of months.

Nothing like a savory taste after a marathon. A taste that is exciting, sweet, warm, lovely, and a dream. That was The Taste After.

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(*) Dean meant how many states, I responded how many marathons total. I really have 3... Only 47 to go.
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Dining at Quality Meats, Manhattan, with my class mate Hilda and her daughters.

Broadway

Broadway

Just having fun

At Broadway

La Cage Aux Folles.

La Cage Aux Folles. Formidable.

A gorgeous brownstone building in Prospect Heights where we stayed the last three days

A more than cozy room in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn

Drawing a skyline from Brooklyn

Walking by nice and cozy 7th Ave, Brooklyn

A beer at Water's Edge, Queens. In the back Queensboro Bridge, the worst portion of the race

Drawing Manhattan skyline from Queens

Drawing Manhattan skyline from Queens, East River

Arepas Cafe, Sabor Venezolano, Venezuelan Food, in Queens. Highly recommended. We preferred Arepas Cafe in Queens over Caracas Arepa Bar.  Arepas Cafe has better atmosphere, more variety of Venezuelan food, and better prices. And its owner, Riccardo Romero, is a a great person.

Arepas Cafe, Sabor Venezolano, Venezuelan Food, in Queens. Highly recommended. 

Caracas Arepa Bar, Manhattan. Venezuelan Food.

Dining with my adorable cousin Carol in Forest Hills, Queens. Carol, a true New Yorker, a true love.

Dining at Bistro Les Amis, in Soho

Dining at Oliva, Spanish Restaurant, in East Village with Ale's school friends

At JFK. A kiss and goodbye

Lizzie, 4 down, 46 to go. Never stop. Dean

Paving The Road To Eugene

Marathon Plan - Regressive Countdown - Week Eighteen
12/28/09 - 01/03/10
Week Total: 36.6 miles

36.6 miles sound pretty good to me for a winter week. Of course, I was not working, so I could run any given day, at any given time. Whenever I wanted. In addition, while the back east and the south are freezing we are in mid 40s and eventual sunny days. I decided it would be my week where I would start Paving The Road To Eugene.

To pave the road I needed to establish first my main goal: finish time. Answer, a sub-5. But how sub ? I went to Mc Millan to predict my time with my best 5K, 10K and Half. The 5K predicted 4:27; the 10K predicted 4:44; and the Half (a hilly one) predicted 5:02.

Checking the driving directions it was determined that from home to Eugene it will take me 4:46 minutes. So I took that number, the 10K prediction, put in a blender, divided by 2, and got my goal time 4:45 for a 10:53 pace. Scientific... Close!

The next step was to determine how many miles of asphalt I am going to pave per week. I have trained the past years with less is more (i.e.: Furman), and running only three times a week. It worked for me and my life style, and took me the first year from zero to finish. The second year, with the same system I improved my PR in 40 minutes. Not to mention free of injuries.

Then I started asking myself, if all the buzz about more is more is good for me, and found, of course, TOO many opinions and contradictions. Then I got a scientific study, that concluded that there is a poor correlation between the number of miles and the finish time for marathon beginners (They defined beginners the runners that complete a marathon above 4 hours). "Running 39 miles per week - parceled into four workouts - was just as effective as scooting 48-50 miles per week, with six weekly exertions... The [finish] times were exactly the same. "

My own conclusion, the study supports Furman. Being that said, I set up my top mileage in 40, and I'll work the week based on that max.

The last step was to confirm what plan I'll follow. I'd thought on Lydiard's methodology but I think it's somehow complex, so I turned to a combination of Furman with RW's plan (Fit/Efficiency). Furman calls for 3 key weekly workouts (speed/tempo/long runs) and RW's calls for two (tempo and long runs). This combo gives me room to variety according to time availability, so I'll stick with it.

I am very excited to run a marathon again. I have planned several races, half and similar distances as part of my long runs, and some 10Ks for tempo work... and 5Ks because I love them!!!

Cheers, and Happy New Year!

Seattle 2009: A Summer To Remember

This summer has been definitely a gift. Sun and No Rain since June (or before???), hot days, and sun, sun, and more sun...We probably got an overdose of Vitamin D due to the lack of habit.... Every weekend we think... "this is the last weekend"... but still today, October 4th, though we raced at 42 F, the day was gorgeously sunny... We feel Fall in the air, but the sun continues shining above... and we take it and embrace it, because if there are people that don't take the sun for granted, are us, Seattleites...

During this Summer To Remember I worked for speed. Took Hal Higdon's plan and carefully followed it. It worked. My 5K times are now in the 28 minute range, with a PR of 27:38.

Summer was full of fun races. Participated in 15 and won my division in one of them (which made me pretty happy and accomplished!!!).

Now, that my "speed season" is over, I am starting an endurance season to get ready to run next spring in the footsteps of legends... EUGENE!!!

The decision has been made.

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Two races to post:

09/27/09 - Alki Beach 5K - 28:03 - Division 6/55 - Overall Female 131/729 - Overall 265/1021

10/04/09 - Issaquah Rotary Run 5K - 28:34 - Division 7/33 - Overall Female 91/457 - Overall 289/827

Speed It Is

It has been tough to make a decision this year about what to run and when. I had all the right reasons to hesitate on what to do as this year hasn't been easy at all.

Last week I knew I was close to decide if to work exclusively to improve 5K speed or to run a marathon. Because all the fall marathon's plans must start NOW, I started my week working a marathon plan for a possible marathon in the fall. Emphasis in "possible" as the decision still was floating around.

I worked my intervals, my first long run of 10 miles and my tempo (Seafair Torchlight Race *). And it was finally after this race that I made my decision.

Something clicked. I feel so good racing every weekend, I enjoy so much the racing environment and the post race parties. Seeing some of the same runners week after week, and knowing that you belong to something...

Yes, Speed It Is. And I am gonna work so hard to decrease that PR of 28:22.


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(*) 4,300 runners (between 5K and 8K). The race started at 6:45 pm and it was HOT... Upper 80's and high humidity... It was nice to go under the mist that Seattle Metropolitan Medical Team had for us. I ran good (9:38) despite the muggy day.

Division 10/69 - Overall Female 195/1007 - Overall 481/1653

The post race party was at FX McRory's in front of Quest Field and it was GREAT. When my beautiful daughter and I got in the feeling was that of a sauna. Hundred of runners all sweat in a hot night!!! But it was FUN!!!

Alea Iacta Est

This year's running has been in an on and off mood.

I started running on January 14, and proceeded with 10 miles a week. Knowing the importance of a plan to pursuit any given goal, I started without a plan. I attribute that to the high unnoticeable stress of the Seattle marathon planning.

My "plan" was to work on speed, but, again, there was no "plan" on how to get faster. So I just went and ran intervals in the treadmill until my HR was at its peak of 186 and I was about to puke. I didn't even log the events in a consistent manner.

Then I stopped for a week for no reason. Of course no plan to measure against, no remorse.

On Jan 28, on a chilly afternoon in DC I had my first outside run of the year. My out-of-a-hat plan was an easy 4 miles. Ran with my IwoJima guys and Fort Myer soldiers, and used my asthma inhaler every 3 minutes. After 1.5 miles before crossing the Potomac, I realized I forgot my gloves and my earband, and that I was dressed for a 65F weather when it was in the upper 30's. Should I return? My ears are going to hurt. No, I will not return.

I crossed the Memorial Bridge, said hi to Abe, and turned back. I was freezing. I wanted to stop and take a cab, but, NO!! I had to finish my 4 miles, so I did. Got a very hot shower and after 30 minutes my hands were still feeling the cold effect. (1) See below: Raynaud

Then I ran another 4 miler on Feb 2nd, and that has been the last time I've run. The week after, ALL our Seattle project team got sick including myself. Fever and a lot of coughing. Of course asthma followed. Another week passed. And another, and another.

So I am right now here back in DC thinking, Am I a Serious Runner? Am I Running Seriously? None of the above? What am I doing?

Well, I know what I am not doing. The Master Geek of Project Management wants to get faster without a plan, wants to have a 5K PR soon, but just because fast means shorter mileage, and 5K is way less than 42K it doesn't mean that plans are discarded...

When Ale and I started this journey we read together 101 Kicks in the Butt - Tips to get you motivated. The Number 1 was: CREATE A BLOG. And I was feeling that Chris, Petra, Shirley, Maddy, Jeff, Kevin, Michelle, Craig, and all my blogger friends could be saying: What's up with this woman? Thailand is over, the first month of the year is over, the second is about to be over, what is she doing?

Then I re-discovered America: I don't only need a plan but also a goal. Petra pulling strings for Chicago. Should I go? I don't think so. Last Sat I received at home the Seattle SeaFair Marathon information. Should I go for it? Not sure. Not sure??? What I am affraid of?

I am affraid to commit. That's it. Therefore, I am committing. And, before my blogger friends. I have 18 weeks to prepare. Plenty. As I want to improve speed and shape, I'll do the half.

I regret I didn't cross the Potomac this week. However, I crossed the Rubicon: Alea Iacta Est.

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(1) I learned later that I got Raynaud's phenomenon (RP). RP is a condition resulting in a particular series of discolorations of the fingers and/or the toes after exposure to changes in temperature or emotional events. Skin discoloration occurs because an abnormal spasm of the blood vessels causes a diminished blood supply to the local tissues. Initially, the digit(s) involved turn white because of the diminished blood supply. The digit(s) then turn blue because of prolonged lack of oxygen. Finally, the blood vessels reopen, causing a local "flushing" phenomenon, which turns the digit(s) red. This three-phase color sequence (white to blue to red), most often upon exposure to cold temperature, is characteristic of RP. Raynaud's phenomenon most frequently affects women, especially in the second, third, or fourth decades of life. WEIRD!!!!!!!!!!!

We will run alone, but together. The decision is made

In the 90's I loved to run. At 41 yo, back in 1997, I ran my first race ever, the Clinica Avila 12K, in Caracas, Venezuela. It was easy for me. I did 1:07:00 for a pace of 9:00. Impressive, I can say today. I used to run daily 6 miles (9.6 Km) and hike 3-4 times a week very steep mountain hills. Then, I moved to the US and I stopped running. A bunch of excuses followed. The cold wind, the snow, the mud, the rain, etc.

In 2005, my adorable daughter Alejandra (18 at the time) and I, ran 5K in the 2005 Spokane River Run. It was on the month of April, and it was cold. After we registered we found out that "the run was on a 100% dirt trail, some rocks, roots and possibly mud, but no asphalt. The course winds through thick pine forests set against basalt cliffs and ends with a tight twisty single-track next to the roaring Spokane River."

We were making fun of ourselves and put music to this phrase: "Lizzie and Ale running down the trail, falling down the hill..."

We ran together, and crossed the line holding hands together. As the clock could not put us both at the same time, the results were:

41	0:36.54	11:35	Lizzie Lee	5K	Female	40 - 49
42	0:36.55	11:35	Alejandra Moreno	5K	Female	13 - 18

We were both out of shape, but that didn't matter, because we did it together. Also, our minimum goal was 12 min/mile, thing we achieved. We had a lot of fun, and we collected many memories of the event.

Two years later, today (05/19/2007), we decided to run together again. Several differences, though:

1) Alejandra is currently serving in the Peace Corps in Thailand. I am living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, 20 miles north of Seattle. The distance that separates us is 11,987 kilometers or 7,448 miles.

2) We are not going to run 5K but 42.195 K: A MARATHON.

3) Ale will run a Marathon in Bangkok on November 25, 2007.

4) I will run a Marathon in Seattle on November 25, 2007.

We are going to run a marathon alone, but together. The decision is made.