Creeps.

Earlier this week, I woke up to join my main running squeeze for a morning shake-out. Much to my pleasant surprise, a quick check of the weather told me I should put on a short-sleeve shirt, a decision I reserve for the 5 degree range between 50 and 55.  I often joke with my friends that there's not much use for short-sleeved running shirts: if it's warm enough to run without sleeves, it's warm enough that I want to run shirtless. My internal temperature runs a bunch warmer than most : I'm the first one in shorts in the spring and the last one into tights in the winter. A teammate still likes to tell the story of my first Hounds practice, saying "There was this crazy girl who showed up in a blizzard in shorts and a t-shirt, it couldn't have been 20 degrees out!" I still claim it was 40, and not snowing, but his point was well-taken. Maybe it's because I grew up in Montana, but I've always erred on the side of being cold rather than warm when running.

Anyway, I was really excited for a break from the muggy summer running. After meeting up with L, the temperature rose a few degrees and I decided it was time to ditch my shirt. Less than one block later, I heard an all-too-familiar sound: the sound of a car horn honking on a street with no traffic. We joked that it was the third time in a row that we'd run together and gotten unwelcome attention. L added, "And we're even wearing shirts!" As she glanced over, she revised, "Or, we were..."

Afterwards, I mentioned that the last few weeks had been particularly bad for street harassment, and L said she'd noticed a marked increase in rude shouts and honks, too. She said she'd done an hour-plus long workout the week before where two men walking on the track had stared at her for the entire workout. She felt really uncomfortable, and after she had finished, she said hi to them as she passed, hoping they'd realize that she had noticed them staring, and they'd realize it was rude to do so. Instead, one of them asked her how old she was!

I told her another story about the day before, when another friend and I were running home from practice. We were talking about our plans for a camping trip, and I wasn't paying very close attention to anything else. Someone on a bike shouted at us; I assumed that, given we were on the throughway between grad student neighborhood and school, it was a friend from school though I didn't see them as they rode down the street. I said, "Hi, how are you?" in response, not thinking about it. He then responded, leeringly, "I LIKE you!" I was clearly wrong in guessing who it was, and what he'd said to us: my friend told me he'd first yelled "Hey, sweetie!" in a tone that implied more familiarity with us than he deserved. I mentioned to this friend too that I'd been yelled at a lot, and she'd joked, "Well, you are always running in a sports bra... I'm kidding, I'm kidding."

Anyway, the last few weeks I've been yelled at a lot, even for the summertime, and it had given me ample reminders to think about how vulnerable all that unwanted attention makes me feel. L doesn't want to be stared at while she labors through her tempo run, and no one wants to be hit on by a stranger on the street. Both of my friends, who are both strong, independent, liberal women, made jokes about what I was wearing, even though they both run in the same amount of clothing when it's hot out. I do get more attention during the summer, but there are also more pedestrians to notice me. I'm sure more people notice me when I'm wearing short shorts and a sports bra than when I'm bundled up in thick clothing from head to foot, and I feel less comfortable when people stare at me. But I'm optimizing my clothing choice for physical comfort and performance, not for the attention I get on the street. And I don't think anyone has more right to yell or stare or honk or leer at me or my friends because of my clothes. Any idiot should know that yelling or staring or honking or leering at a woman you don't know, regardless of her appearance, doesn't impress her: it creeps her out and means you're a creep and a jerk. And yet, wearing less clothing is correlated with more attention from creeps. These things are at odds: the ethics of creeper behavior is independent of my clothing, but creeper behavior is strongly correlated with my clothing choice.

I'm frustrated that women have to worry about their safety more than men. I'm frustrated that anyone has to worry about their safety at all. I'm downright pissed that there are men in the world who either think it's fun or funny or cool to creep the fuck out of women for their own amusement, even if they don't have intent to actually stalk or hurt us.

I don't really know that there's a simple solution to my conundrum (wear a shirt and be even more disgusting, sweaty, and uncomfortable while training at around 90 miles a week in the disgusting heat and humidity that is Pittsburgh summer or get more attention from creeps?). On the other hand, I don't want to end this post without some thoughts as to how I intent to proceed. I think I'll probably end up wearing a shirt about as often as usual (read: almost never between May and September), partially I want people to be less shocked by a woman exercising in shorts and sports bra, and the more common that sight is, the less shocking it should become. I do, even now, choose to cover up if I know I'll be running in a place with which I'm less familiar, or by myself at night: generally, whenever I feel more vulnerable. The fact of the matter is, running without a shirt is usually a choice I make to be more comfortable, and there are situations where wearing a shirt can increase my psychological comfort level, even when it's hot out.

High on Mileage

Whew! I thought for sure this spring and summer would bring about a resurgence in my blogging about running-related topics, in part due to the fact that I was happily recovering from the most annoying injury I've ever sustained (patellafemoral pain syndrome, aka runner's knee, aka the first serious running injury I've ever had. and the biggest stress on my relationship with the boyfriend and roommate and pretty much any friend, who isn't also family because I didn't want my family to realize the severity of (injury/insanity sans running/addiction to running), because I was a serious pain in the ass for two months). And yet, despite feeling as though my training has been coming along well, and regaining fitness surprisingly quickly, I haven't written much of anything about running in the past few months. I'll go ahead and blame the phase of the PhD I've entered for this, which I will fondly refer to as the "I've got so much fucking shit to write" phase. I'd imagine this is not going to lessen over the coming months, since I'm hoping to defend next summer (oh God, I just wrote that on the internet; what have I done?!), and I haven't even started writing my thesis yet.

That being said, I'm currently trapped in a flying metal tube of death, too caffeinated to sleep and too tired to work, so I figured I'd post briefly about what I've been up to for the last few months.

I trained for most of the spring for shorter distances, focusing on the Cleveland Marathon 10k in mid-May. The abridged version of the race itself was, for a race of that distance, I should probably just not wear a watch, especially at a big, competitive race. The mile markers were insanely off and I got inside my own head after seeing 6:06, 6:02, and 6:24 for miles 1, 2, and 3. If I'd just been watch-less, I'd have trusted my instincts, which were pretty sure I was running around 5:50 pace, which was what I wanted to run. Instead, I tore myself apart and slowed down, sure that I was having a terrible day. I was very surprised to see 37:30something at the finish line (6:00 pace), implying that (a) I was correct in my estimate of pace for the first few miles, and (b) that I hadn't slowed down as much as I had thought. On the other hand, I'm sure sub-37:00 would have been in the cards had I been slightly less of a nutjob.

There were, however, a bunch of positives I'm coming away with from the spring. I had a great reintroduction into hard training, and I'm feeling strong and fast after all that track work which accompanies training for not the marathon. This was the first season since high school where I trained in earnest for anything shorter than the full 26.2 (and only my 4th serious season of training since high school). It was certainly the right thing to do to work on a shorter distance, and I really enjoyed it. I liked going out and running 400s at a pace faster than I've ever run a single mile. I liked having 1000 meter repeats faster than I'd ever done that workout before, every single week. Sunday morning "long runs" of 12 miles were plenty long, and left me with a bunch of the day and energy for other things. It was fun to train with my roommate, who is beast focusing on the 5k and 10k. I liked knowing that the strength training I'd incorporated into my schedule while injured was going to be valuable for the race distance I was working on, rather than just feeling like it was a chore. And it was nice to count to 70, with satisfaction, and know I was running enough mileage for a pretty solid 10k.

 I also trained through a few 5ks along the way to Cleveland, finally breaking the 18:00 mark. Amazingly, I can break 18:00 in the height of 10k training but not marathon training. Who knew? I've been kind of gnawing on the idea of racing a flat, fast, cool, 5k actually fresh, because I have convinced myself I'm in 17:30 shape on the right day. But I've decided to let that thought percolate for now, since I'm sure I'll have more 10k training seasons in the future. I don't feel like I'm losing speed fast enough to worry about hitting that particular benchmark right this second, which is good, because

I am in serious marathon-training mode now!

The plan is to run the Chicago Marathon with my bestest training buddy, L-Sauce. It's a special race for run for both of us, since it was both of our first marathons, before we knew each other! We even ran it the same year and finished less than 10 minutes apart. Anyway, I'm stoked: I know the course,  the course is fast, I'm feeling strong, and I have 12 weeks to really build the threshold work I need. I've kept up my PT from injury in the fall and have been strength training with my awesome roommate/beast a couple days a week. I completed my base mileage period: with my weekly mileage at 80, 80, 90, 90, 82, 82. I learned that 80ish mile weeks are totally sustainable, and that I'm a total nightmare running 90. For some reason, that extra hour of running makes it impossible for me to keep control of my life/emotions. I managed to run 62 days straight without a day off... I completed the whole gamut of high mileage early this summer.

 I just had a much-needed down week of 65 miles, including a day off, which made me feel like a rock star. [This may also explain why I have energy to write about running at the moment]. My one workout last week went perfectly; L and I had a great long run where we averaged 7:20 pace for 20 miles, and I didn't feel like garbage! My legs feel fresh and ready for work. Which is good, because that's what's coming up: some serious work. Chicago will be the time to reap the benefits of what I'm sure will be a grueling buildup.

Training whilst traveling

As the steady-state of late spring finally arrives in Western Pennsylvania, I'm pleased to say I will be doing quite a bit of living at home over the course of this summer! My early spring has been chock full of travel: in February and March, I spent more time away from Pittsburgh than I did at home. Despite this, I've come back from two months off of running due to injury and gotten myself back into pretty good racing shape. Some of my friends have expressed surprised at how I managed to train seriously when I'm away from my normal life schedule. I decided that I have figured out some small things that have helped me successfully continue training away from home, which might be of use to serious and casual athletes alike, who find themselves traveling a fair bit for work.

1. Do Something
I've found that convincing myself to get dressed and start running is often the hardest part of training while traveling, since I do feel rather out of whack and feel as though my schedule is at the mercy of the Airline Gods. There will be days that you feel like you were hit by a truck, caused by that airport Chinese food you ate, or the jetlag that's caught up with you, or the noisy neighbors in your hotel watching Whose Line at 3 am, or the disturbing abuse of caffeine you have developed over the course of attempting to complete 8 hours of work in during days you fly. However, if you can manage to get your shoes on and get out the door, it's likely that a few minutes of exercise will make you feel better.

2. Prioritize quality over quantity
If you have to cut something, cut junk miles. That is, if you have a workout and an easy run, and you realize you're only going to have time for one, run the tough workout. This is a good mantra for life in general: running fast makes you fast. Slow "junk" miles are good for marathoners long-term, but not as good as key workouts. You'll get the added bonus of feeling like you managed to get in a tough workout despite a crazy schedule, rather than feeling like you "missed" the important part of your training week.

3. Food
Here, I'll give a few quick pointers to not feel like death:
- Get some cereal, fruit, granola bars, etc to have on hand in the morning. It'll save you time if you don't have to eat out every morning (which you can use to get in a few AM miles!), will keep you from crashing before lunch, and will give you added fuel if you decide to run in the afternoon or evening. Plus, what you choose at the store will almost certainly be healthier than what you buy at Dunkin Donuts. Pro Tip: even convenience stores  (7-11) and drug stores are now carrying some fruit and yogurt.
- Along the same lines, carry snacks of nuts or fruit or granola bars with you throughout the day. This will keep you from overeating at the crappy restaurants you are likely to find yourself at midday.
- When you do eat out, aim for foods whose volume is mostly plant-based. The more sauce, oil, simple sugars, and refined flour you eat, the more likely your stomach is to be unhappy later, and the more likely you are to skip your workout.

4. Bring 2 pairs of shoes
Counterintuitively, I find this more important for quick, 2-4 day trips than for week-long trips. My feet and legs feel pretty bad if I have been flying a lot, and having a few different kinds of (running and other) shoes allows me to give them some relief.

5. Double Up
Sometimes it's hard to find the time to go for a full hour in a day. Instead, break it up and run for 30 minutes in the morning, 30 minutes in the evening. It's easier to get out the door knowing your goal is shorter, it'll be less stressful to fit in the second run since it's short, and you'll find you recover more quickly from the effort when it's broken in two. If you find the time in the evening, add a few minutes on to the second run; you'll end up getting more mileage in than if you just ran once!

6. Stock up at home
I tend to try and leave home either Sunday afternoon, or midday Monday. This allows me to get in an early-morning long run on Sunday, or a solid hour of running Monday morning. It definitely helps alleviate the effects of travel on your training schedule if you can be really regimented and dedicated during the times you do find yourself at home.

7. Be Flexible
Things come up. Sometimes, your food, work, schedule, or friends are outside your control, and you  end up missing your workout despite your best intentions. Don't beat yourself up, or give up on the whole week, just move on and try again the next day.

8. Know what works for you, and stick to it
If you know you hate running in the morning, don't plan to wake up early and run every day if there's any other way to schedule your day. Similarly, if you despise running after dark, get up before work and get your exercise in early; that way, when your meetings run late, you aren't freaking out about fitting in running before dinner or contemplating skipping meals to find time.

9. Ask the locals
Use the new location as motivation to explore! I like seeing new places and sights on my easy runs. Look around rather than down at your feet or at your watch; it can turn a chore into an adventure.

10. Do some strength-work
When you find yourself too tired to do anything other than watch TV in your hotel at night, do a few minutes of planks, wall sits, lunges, push-ups, or stretching. This has multiple benefits: first, it'll help you loosen up, and second, strength work will generally help you avoid injury, which you're more susceptible to when you're overworked and underslept.

Firsts

I've been thinking for awhile that I wanted to write a blog post about injury prevention, or strength training, or training seriously while traveling > 50% of the time. Somehow, though, I haven't been quite inspired to sit down and write for fun in quite awhile (this is unsurprising: there's been a lot of writing associated with my current PhD status: almost ABD). Today, though, I had a fun idea for a quick post. Between my recent trip home and my recent  recent realization that I've managed to get back into some kind of shape again, I've been reminded of a bunch of running "firsts" which I imagine some of you might enjoy.

- Realization that distance running was my thing/running my first uninterrupted mile (2005?)
At some point late in high school, a suppressed memory of mine resurfaced. I remembered doing lap after lap after lap on the dusty path behind my elementary school, and getting a ribbon because I was the only first-grader willing to do four whole laps around the school. I assumed this was gym class of some sort, but after sifting through old boxes of junk, I later found some ribbons which say "Track Meet" on the back of them. I don't think we ever practiced; I only have memory of two races (in both of these, I was the only participant).

- My first actual track practice (2001)

- My first pair of real running shoes (Spring 2002)
I can't remember at all what they were called, but I know exactly how they looked. They were white and blue with lime green Swooshes on them. And they were wonderful.

- My first pair of actual running shorts (Summer 2002)
I ran middle school track in board shorts, that were blue and lime green and matched my first pair of running shoes. How this didn't cause chafing, I can't tell you; I'm going to assume it was because I only ran about 10 miles a week then.

- My first cross-country race (Fall 2002)
Libby, Montana. It was hot. And hilly. I ran 25:30something. I cannot believe I still remember that course, but I do.

- My first entirely varsity cross-country season (2003)
The tight red uniforms were awesome. So was winning state (for what was the 3rd consecutive time our team took home the title). So was the boys team singing "We are the champions" at the top of their lungs when we went up to get the trophy.

- My first 10k (2005)
It was the summer before senior year when I first made the foray into longer races than the 5k. I loved my first 10k (the Whitefish Lake Run); I even ran the second 5k faster than I'd ever run a 5k alone.

- My first marathon training season (2006)
I trained for Chicago the summer after I graduated from high school. Unfortunately,  getting mono 2 weeks from race-day squashed my plans for glory and a 4:00 marathon

- My first marathon (2008)
I ran my first marathon under someone else's name. I remember running by a bank thermometer that read 85 at about 7 miles in. A bunch of my friends in college were planning on running together for a 4:00 pace or so. Together, we hit the halfway mark at around 2:00. When I stopped to tie my shoe, we got separated. I ran the second half in ~1:41, just above the qualifying time for Boston (though I told myself it didn't matter, since the bib wasn't mine anyway).

- My first BQ marathon (2009)
I ran Chicago, with my own bib this time, in a year that was as frigid as the previous years had been sweltering. The waterstops were slick with ice, and I wore a cheap UChicago sweatshirt throughout most of the race. After I finished, someone told me it was still below freezing. I had been hoping to run a 3:30 or so, but I felt so good in the cold that I managed to stumble deliriously into a 3:24. I hadn't had beer in over a month, so when a volunteer offered me Goose Island in the finisher's chute, I happily took the beer and finished it as I walked through the rest of the line. I took one step out of the chute before my body made me aware it was not ready for such shenanigans, and the beer resurfaced onto the pavement. A horrified volunteer asked if I needed a medic. I calmly assured her that the vomit was only from the ineptly timed boozing, not from running.

- My first sub-6:00 mile (2011)
I might mention that I did not run track or cross country in college, and only ran track 2 of 4 years in high school. I didn't do any real speed workouts after high school, so when I stepped onto the track to see what I could run without any work, and managed a 5:52, I was ecstatic. I did a workout today (2014) where the first mile was 6:00, after which I took 1:00 of rest, and proceeded to complete another 3 miles worth of speedwork at a much faster clip. I realized it hasn't been very long since I realized I could even do one mile at that pace.

- My first Hounds Practice (2010/2011)
It's not clear if I should count the first time I showed up (when I met three of my favorite male hounds and went for an "easy 9 mile run" at roughly 7:00 pace, in the dark, which one of them fondly refers to as "5 degrees out and she's wearing shorts and a t-shirt"; I'll stick to my claim that it was more like 20), or the first workout I did with the hounds (up at the Oval a few weeks before the 2011 Great Race, where I met several people who would become my best friends). Either way, these people have made my running life a total joy, have taught me so much about running, and showed me how much a great group of people can mean to growing as a runner. Thanks, guys! Love you all.