The 5-Mile Rule

LISA:

One of the most common questions I get about running is, “How do y’all run that far?”  Since N & I started running together we’ve held to a simply philosophy…. run 5 miles at time.   5 miles… totally do-able.   When we do long training runs we run five miles at a time.  We run 5, then stop, knock back a gel (that yucky stuff we eat to keep our bodies fueled), grab a drink of water from our fuel belts, walk a little then set out for the next five.  At mile 10, we stop, get a gel, take a drink, walk a little then set out for the next five.  And so on.  Mentally, the 5-Mile Rule is a lifesaver. 

So at the Austin Marathon last Sunday, we took it five miles at a time.  On race days we don’t stop every five miles, we just run through them.  That’s what race day is about…. not stopping.  But mentally, we keep the same focus.  It probably sounds a little crazy but yes, runners tend to be a little crazy and play all kind of mind games.  We own it.  

The challenge with Austin, as Niki mentioned, is the hills!  From mile 3 to 6 you run up hill.  From mile 9 through 20, you run up hill.  The elevation increases about 500 feet in that 11 mile stretch.   (In contrast, the Houston Marathon increases elevation about 25 feet at any given point.)   So not only were we running A LOT of miles Sunday, we were running A LOT of hilly miles.  The five-mile rule was working pretty well for me the first 10 miles then we got into some of the MAJOR hills.  I decided to implement a strategy within my strategy.  I’ll call it the “6-Cones Rule”.  You know those big orange traffic cones they mark the courses with, right?  When I saw the first ridiculous incline ahead I told myself, “Lisa, just run 6 cones at a time.”  Why six?  I have no idea.  It’s what popped into my head at that moment.  Probably, much like the 5-Mile Rule, the 6-Cone Rule seemed do-able…. not too short, not too long.  Niki is a good hill runner, she loves running up the hills.  They don’t slow her down at all.  Actually, she picks UP speed.  So I used her as my motivation, ran my first six cones, then another six, then another six and tried to pass other runners up the hills.  Next thing I knew I was at the top of that first, big hill.  It worked!  So I kept doing it.  Next thing I knew I was at mile 15 then mile 20.   Only 2 left for our 22-mile long run.  Yeah!  

Then I started to notice the racecourse was beginning to resemble something of a runner’s battlefield.  I turned a corner to see runners splayed out on either side of the road.  Some were obviously hurt and down for the count.  Race day over.  Others were cramping and trying to stretch out problem areas like calves, hamstrings and quads.  Some had resigned themselves to slowly walking/limping.  That’s what happens when you get into those upper miles, your body can rebel and shut down.  At that moment I was overcome with a single emotion - THANKFULNESS!  God gave me a body that, up to this point in my life, has withstood the rigors of marathoning.  I believe that’s a gift and I don’t take it for granted.  So, right there on the course I started praising Him.  The next two miles felt easy as I thanked God and rejoiced.  

So, back to the original question, “How do we run that far?”  Five miles at a time with lots of help from God.  J   

Shortly after mile 22 we saw this man handing out M&Ms to runners!  You don't have to ask me twice.  :)

Finished!  

Austin Full for long run #8

Janet, Niki, Lisa & Madelyn at Galaxy Cafe for our pre-race dinner

NIKI:

Yesterday Lisa and I ran the Austin Marathon.  God blessed us with beautiful weather and an injury-free race.  Saturday the plan was to meet at Target in Bryan and ride to Austin together.  Well, there was a pleasant surprise when I pulled up, our running partner Janet was there to join us.  She chauffeured us and we got to catch up with her.  J moved to Huntsville this summer and will be moving to New Mexico this spring...so lots to chat about.  

We arrived at the expo to get our packets and Janet decided to run the 1/2.  She registered and we shopped around before heading to "Hotel Madelyn" (my sister-in-law's) then to dinner.  

Did somebody say picture?!?!?  

Lisa and I had decided to run 22 miles then walk the last 4.2.  The first 11 miles were like the good ole days.  Me, Lisa and Janet solved world problems, griped about the hills and laughed a lot.  (See photo to left.)  

At mile 11 Janet took the 1/2 marathon route and Lisa and I went on for the full.  We did run 22 miles but after walking about 1/2 mile we jogged the last few in and finished in 4 hours 10 minutes.  Not too bad for what we were trying to accomplish.  Oh, and did I mention the hills?  Running there made me appreciate our rather flat topography here in B/CS.  Madelyn and Janet were at the finish line to cheer.  We grabbed a bite to eat, took a quick shower then headed home.  So, another long run logged, road trip taken and memories made.

Photo op at the Mile 22 sign!

1/2 way trained for Boston.  Woohoo!

Running, Running, Running

LISA:

(Only one blog this week because Niki has been out of town.)

Last Friday Niki was out of town visiting friends so we had to run our long runs separately.  I woke up Friday morning and it was rainy and overcast and I didn’t feel like running so I texted Niki:

Me:  Still in my pjs.  Uggghhh.  No motivation!  Cloudy & rainy.

Niki:  Did 13

Well, enough said.  That was just the motivation I needed to get out the door.   Running partner accountability… it’s a good thing!  So out the door I went.  Thanks N!

N and I are in the phase of our training where we’ve dropped our speed workouts and are increasing our TOTAL mileage for the week.  That means more mid to long runs in our weekly schedule.  We’ve got to get those total weekly miles up so our bodies get used to the constant and prolonged pounding.  

So it was 12 miles for me (13 for Niki) last Friday followed by 8 on Sunday and 12 on Tuesday.  We will do a short 5 or 6 miles on Thursday or Friday then head to Austin on Saturday for the Austin Marathon on Sunday.  It’s a training run for us.  We’ll try for 20 or 22 then run/walk the last few.  The weather is going to be warm and it will be hilly.  It will be a good test. 

It will also be the 13^th anniversary of my very first marathon.  It just so happens that Austin was my first marathon back in 1999!  This is the story of how I started marathoning….

In ’98 my husband, Les, decided to get an Executive MBA.  He chose and was accepted into the Baylor program.  That meant he would work full time AND attend night classes twice a week IN WACO for TWO YEARS.  We were living in Austin at the time.  Waco is a 1-1/2 hour drive ONE WAY.  I realized that if he was going to do that for the next two years, I needed to do something too.  I was working for the Texas Beef Council at the time and had spent the last five years working A LOT and traveling for work A LOT so I thought it best not to focus on more work.    I needed some balance.

I decided on two possible paths…. I would either train for and run my first marathon (up to that point my longest run was a 10K/6.2 miles) OR I would study for and get into law school.  I found a local running program geared for the 1999 Austin Marathon and I went to the bookstore and bought the LSAT study guide (LSAT=Law School Admission Test).  I started working on both.   I studied and I ran.  I studied and I ran. 

I soon realized that while law school would definitely be a challenge (that’s what I was looking for) it really didn’t make sense in the bigger picture of my life.  I was 29, had no kids and law school would cost a pretty penny.    I would graduate with debt, still not have kids and have to work longer hours than before.    So running won!

Now here I am, 13 years later and still running.  It was the right choice for me.  It will be fun to go back this weekend.  I’m sure I’ll spend several miles thinking about all that has happened in my life these past 13 years… I’ve got to think about something while running for 4 hours!   

At the end of race day, Niki and I will have pounded out another long run and finished a good week of training.  And Monday morning we will start it all over again!

Go Girls!

LISA:

When Niki and I run Boston in April it will be the 40^th anniversary of the first time women were allowed to officially enter the Boston Marathon.  Up until the early 1970s it was thought (by mostly men!) that women couldn’t physically handle the rigors of the 26.2 mile distance.  Kathrine Switzer proved them wrong when she entered the all-male Boston Marathon in 1967 under the name K.V. Switzer.  When one of the race directors saw her on the course and realized she was a girl, he ran after her, grabbed her and screamed, “Get the hell out of my race and give me that race number!”  Fortunately friends came to her aid, freed her from his grasp and she went on to finish in 4 hours and 20 minutes.  It wasn’t until the fall of 1971 that Boston officially opened the race to women and in 1972 eight women started the race and all eight finished.  Compare that to today… in 2010, 42% of the 22,540 Boston marathon finishers were women!  Oh my, how the attitudes about and opportunities for women in running – and in sports in general - have changed in my lifetime!  Go Girls! 

 

My girls, who are 10 and just starting their “sports years”, are blessed to reap the benefits of the last 40 years.   Pioneers like Kathrine Switzer and the impact of Title IX have provided them opportunities galore.  In just the last year my girls have played on soccer, baseball (against the boys), volleyball and basketball teams.   They truly CAN DO almost anything they want to do.  And I’m glad they’ll never know different.  Go Girls!

Who knows what the future holds for women in sports.  Maybe one day they’ll change the name of the epic Ironman triathlon competition to Ironwoman???  Just a thought!  J But here’s what I do know… if my girls have kids (thus my grandkids) how cool will it be that I can tell those grandbabies that their GRANDMOTHER ran marathons?!?! But then again, by then there will be a whole generation of grandkids whose grandmothers have run marathons… and that’s awesome.  Go Girls!    

Photos: Niki and I are currently coaching our girls’ City Rec basketball team.  Every game we have a different “theme” to help us remember that sports are FUN as well as competitive.  Crazy Socks/Crazy Hair/Crazy Bandanas!  

Perspective

NIKI:

20 miler done!  Hard and hot...this weather is so unpredictable.  For this run we were planning on running 2-10 mile loops.  I really dislike running loops but we rarely do them so I figured it might be a nice change.  On top of running 20 miles and running loops I had been thinking and praying all week about what I might write about for this entry.  I must confess...I'm not a writer!  I actually dislike writing more than running loops!!!  So I've been asking God to give me something to write about with one condition...no more suffering or tragedy...I just wanted Him to give me something meaningful with no strings attached.  HA--I laugh as I write this at how ridiculous I am giving conditions to the Creator of the universe!!!  Well, He came through...of course with me suffering while running the loop...I am such a mess.

At mile 10 we were not quite back to our starting point so we decided instead of continuing forward we would turn around and run the loop backwards.  As we turned around I realized that we had just run down a long hill with the wind at our backs and now we had to run back up it with the wind in our faces.  At that moment the word "perspective" came to my mind (it's funny when you are running that downhills never seem so "down" until you turn around and run them UP nor do tailwinds feel like wind at all until you turn around and have headwinds in your FACE) and immediately these verses from Romans came to mind, 

"33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? 35 Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN ? 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen"  

I was reminded of my limited perspective while struggling up the hill with the wind in my face...this same hill I had just run down.  And I reflected on how this compared to my life, my everyday life, my life to this point and my limited perspective I have in this life.  My life is not at all what I would have planned--widowed at 31 years old with 2 young children!  But I also wouldn't have agreed to turn around if I would have known that I would be running into the wind and uphill!  I had to laugh as I was struggling up that hill.  I had a smile on my face and a song in my heart.  I was smiling because He did what I asked...gave me something to write about.  And singing praises to Him in my heart for doing it His way...His unfathomable way.  So I praise Him for teaching me about perspective, for reminding me that mine is limited and for getting Lisa and I through another long run.

Starting our 20 miler

Still happy at 5 miles

Niki happy, Lisa no so happy at 10

15 down and 5 to go

Done!

Think of Us

LISA:

Tomorrow we run 20 miles.

When you’re on your way to work or are taking the kids to school, think of us.  Feel free to say a little prayer for us.  Safety is always a good thing to pray for.  Running 20 miles in a town where 40,000 college students live and DRIVE can be dangerous.     

When you’re on your second or third (or maybe fourth) cup of coffee tomorrow, think of us.  We will STILL be out there running.  Feel free to say another prayer for us.  Health is a good thing to pray for.  We need our bodies to stay injury free as we continue on our road to Boston. 

When you go to lunch (that is if you’re more of an early luncher than a late luncher) think of us.  We should be just about finished.  Another prayer would be much appreciated… a prayer of thanks that God got us through all the miles. 

Tomorrow we run 20 miles and we are EXCITED you will be thinking of us and praying for us along the way!

(Below is a flyer Niki and I received last Spring.  We ran the Tyler Rose Marathon in October 2010 as a training run for the Dallas White Rock Marathon. Afterwards, as we like to do, we were hamming it up for the race photographer.  To our surprise, they used our photo for their promo flyer for their 2011 race!)  

3M Half Marathon

NIKI:
For long run #5 we headed to Austin to run the 3M 1/2 marathon.  We arrived in Austin on Saturday afternoon (L and I coach our daughters' City Rec basketball team and we had to squeeze in a practice before we left town).   We went by the race expo to pick up our running packets then headed to my sister-in-law Madelyn's house (where we decided to channel our middle school days when you and your friends decide to dress alike on certain days of the week and we all wore hats).   Next was on to Macaroni Grill for dinner (thanks Texas Beef Council). We ended our day back at Mad's for nighty-night.  Sunday was up and out early for our 6:45am race start.  Lisa and I needed to get 16 miles in on this run so after crossing the finish line we added on 3 more miles.  God blessed us with beautiful weather, travel safeties, meaningful conversations and pretty good run times.  I want to send a thanks to Madelyn for hosting us and driving us around this weekend...love you Mad!  Check out the attached pics and our first post-run video clip!