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Heather Daniel: Run n' Blog About It

Run to Eat

The Perfect 18-MilerNovember 23

Anatomy of the Perfect Long Run:

Yesterday’s long run didn’t start out perfectly. I woke up tired. Tired and groggy and very lazy. I rolled around in bed for at least a half an hour before I could even muster the courage to get up. When I did, and when I finally peeked through the curtains I saw cold, gray skies.

Do I really want to go running?

I looked at my running shoes. I looked outside. I looked at my running shoes. I looked outside again. And then I shuffled to the kitchen. I made coffee.  And then I took out the garbage. And then I took a shower and ate breakfast. And then I puttered. I read a book. I called my mom. I positively dawdled away the morning. Then it was 11 AM, the sun was just beginning to peek between the clouds and finally running didn’t seem like such a bad idea anymore. So did I run?

No.

I dawdled.

I plugged in Phil (Garmin 405), made another cup of coffee and thought about where I could run. Mostly I stick to long trail runs. It’s great and the trails have given me powerful but gigantic thigh muscles (I call them my Sequoias). Running on the road is a different animal. It’s faster, but harder on my body. I weighed my options and decided on a 18-mile road route that was relatively flat, but that had some rollers at the beginning and the end. It would be a good last training run before CIM. I lazily got out my running gear. I put on some Tupac Shakur. I danced around my apartment. I tuc

Après Marathon: Lithia LoopNovember 13

After 7 miles of sustained uphill running: still smiling

Lessons learned from the marathon:

1. Always wear two watches. Phil (Garmin 405) refused to function after 2.7 miles. I was thankful I had a backup watch strapped to my other wrist.

2. Handheld water bottles are THE best. But they are only useful if you remember to drink regularly. Don’t forget the salt/electroltye tablets too. I recommend Hammer’s Electrolyte tabs. They made a gigantic difference for me.

3. The only thing better than hand-held water bottles are arm warmers. They rule. I love the practicality of arm warmers. They provide coverage, but you can pull them down if you get too hot. You can stuff them in a pocket. They are also handy for stashing GUs.

4. This is embarassing, but I chaffed in my armpits - gross! I think my arm warmers were to blame. Or maybe my furious arm swinging caused the rub. Either way, I’ll be bodygliding those areas in the future. I guess I keep relearning the same sacred lesson: You can never have too much BodyGlide.

5. Socks. Socks. Socks! I ran this race in DryMax socks and they rocked my trail running world. My feet were shot coming down t

I Heart Green RunnersNovember 13

Oh Thursday, you can only mean one thing: It’s time for Runners Lounge “Take it and Run” Series. This week they ask: Are you a green runner? How you make your running habit green? (i.e. environmentally friendly.)

hmmmmm… (thinks for a minute or three)

I live in Portland, arguably the most environmentally conscious city on the west coast. Being green isn’t really an option. At my office we have five recycling containers in the communal kitchen, most of my friends have compost piles, and biking/taking the bus is normal for many. If you happen to dump a recyclable bottle in the wrong receptacle, well, then, clearly you’re from out of town.

The question is what do I do personally to make my running green?

1. I am carbon conscious. I rarely use my car to go running. With so many great places to train around town, I find I don’t need to drive somewhere to run. In fact I’d rather not. I save fossil fuels and reduce carbon emissions by only using my car to travel to races or for special weekend trail running adventures.

2. When on trail runs, I don’t throw my used GU packets on the ground. I stuff them in my shirt pocket and carry it out. It usually makes my pockets sticky and usually I forget they’re in there, but no big deal. I’d rather be a sticky runner than a litterbug.

3. Although not strictly associated with running, my diet is pretty green. I don’t eat

Lithia loop trail marathon race reportNovember 10

Lithia Loop Trail Marathon: Look at those hills!

The Lithia Loop Trail Marathon was my fifth and most challenging marathon. It was a fabulous race and I’ll say it now: this race report will be long. So bring a GU, get a glass of water, find a comfortable chair and read on. And if you can’t read the entire thing, I’ll go ahead and spoil it by putting the results up front:

Lithia Loop Trail Marathon

Location: Ashland, Oregon

Time: 3:36:28

Average: 8:15 min/mile

9th place woman, 24th overall.

Pre-Race: Let’s talk about pre-race jitters. In the weeks before a marathon I get anxious, I doubt my abilities and I make stressing a full-time job. It’s not good.  My mission in the days leading up to this race was to NOT freak out. However, I chose a very challenging marathon and decided to forgo tapering so were plenty of reasons to stress. I coped by giving pep talks to my legs in the shower,“Hi calves. Hello hamstrings. Let’s talk about the race coming up. It’s going to be great. I know you might be nervous about the eight miles of uphill and 4,700 feet of elevation climb, but I’m sure you rockstars can handle it. Just take your time and be strong.”

Day Before The Race: I arrived in Ashland in good spirits. My mom (who is fantastic)

Lithia Loop Trail MarathonNovember 9

Lithia Loop Trail Marathon Results:

Even a 4,700 elevation climb and three miles of very steep and technical single track couldn’t keep me from establishing a new personal record for a marathon: I finished in 3:36:28, a new PR by about a minute!

I’ll follow up with a race report soon.