Factors

I read an article yesterday about education reform, and how it's impossible to easily replicate the success of model schools when looking at low-performing schools, because there are SO many factors that impact school success (ah duh). During my run today, I made a text-to-self connection (old habits die hard?). There are so many factors that impact my/anyone's running: weather, humidity, mood, what I ate, how well I slept, my feelings, my mood, my ATTITUDE, the music that randomly plays, what I'm thinking about. While there are certainly things in my control (I'm beginning to notice an attitude theme going on here..), there are many things that are out of my control, or that at this point, I have yet to learn to control. While certain combinations make for better runs than others, it's not that easy. Some days, my runs will be harder and some days, I'll feel a little less like I'm going to collapse at the end. What I can/NEED to do is keep my head up (literally...I look down at the ground a lot when I'm run, most likely a result of the big fall back in May) and be mindful of that.

Sindy shared a quote with me when I first began training that really stuck with me, and I think captures this whole thing:

"There will be days when I don't know if I can run a half-marathon. There will be a lifetime knowing that I have." - Unknown

Today's Run in Images

I bet you have been wondering, so let me put your curiosity to rest and invite you on a run in the life of Darian Prentiss Leib.

What did today's run (more or less) look like?

I set my alarm to run this morning before the heat of the day really got going. Not very surprisingly, I woke up before my alarm even went off. I enjoy that feeling of getting ready, knowing (or being able to believeee!) anything is possible. I jump out of bed and usually, eagerly dress in my already laid out running clothes...aw.


It's never long after I start my run that I "run into" some geese. Some days I am lucky and they are off to one side of the path...but recently it has become a problem. A dangerous crossing some might even call it. Today they were split, surrounding a just sliver of path that I could call my own. Luckily, there was minimal hissing, I came out unharmed, and they were even gone when I returned....I SHOWED THEM.


As usual, my old friend, Tomato Face, was quick to appear...but lucky for me, I don't have to look at it. Sorry to those who exercise on the Tow Path. As tomato face turns from pale pink to...well, tomato red, it goes without saying that moving my body in the running motion becomes harder. It was really hard today...and I know I preached the other day about being positive and "it's all mental," but I guess I need to go back and re-read my own words (no, really...I will after this...). Even with music to attempt to distract me, it's hard to think about anything else but the act of running while I'm running when it gets that hard...which, as you can imagine, only makes it harder.

I threw myself over the imaginary finish line and made it! While the 3 miles didn't go as smoothly as I would have liked/wanted, I completely them in a timely fashion! When I emerged from the path, and came out into the sun, I was so sweaty, I pretty much looked like this:

(If for some reason you don't know, that's a vampire sparkling in the sun....LIKE ME TODAY).



I crossed the street and wished, Sabrina the Teenage Witch style, that I lived two floors below my apartment (which would bring me to ground level....not two levels into the basement). Those stairs are really one last (insert bad word here) and are inconveniently located in sunlight...always...even at night! Plus, I could have Iced Vanilla Chai Teas all the time...and I'm hoping that if I did, in fact, live there, they wouldn't charge me the big $$ they usually do.

Training by the Numbers

30 running outings.

87.07 miles ran (just 1.71m short of the distance it would take me to run from my front door to...Hershey Park! yummy!).

14.5+ hours I have spent running.

2 feet I use to run aforementioned runs.

8'43'' minutes to complete my quickest mile.

10'07'' minutes to complete my average mile.

$2,500 the average cost to send a child to camp/the goal set at the start of my training.

9 amazing donations made to support the Hole in the Wall Gang Camps.

$830 donated so far!!!! THANK YOU!

$1,670 left to reach my goal!

1 click is what it takes for you make a donation!

Cross Training

Today, after months of separation, the gym and I were reunited. I decided to take attend a class in honor of the big occasion, Total Body Workout, to begin weaving some cross training into my routine. Wikipedia defines cross training as "training in different ways to improve overall performance." Perhaps more than anything else, this class worked my mental stamina realllll hard. Here are some mental notes from the experience:

• I rarely do any type of weight training using my upper body. Obviously, continuing to not do this type of activity will allow it to continue to be very difficult. Nevertheless, almost the entire class (in MY opinion) focused on the upper body. I actually can't effectively do a "real" push-up normally....so putting myself in that position for such a long period of time was ROUGH! I was proud that I was able to hack it as much as I did (although it didn't look that way...and I did quite a few sets of eye-rolls at the instructor when he continued to rattle of exercises that required me to put myself in said position).
  
• A very important practice stressed to teachers: MODEL. The instructor was just fine listing the ridiculous arm exercises he expected me to do as he walked around the room...with his arms dangling at his sides. WHAT? Validation for the aforementioned eye rolls, I'd say....
  
• Nevertheless, he did say one big thing that really stuck with me: For one exercise, he asked us to grab our weights, and, being far enough into the workout that I was fading, I took my lighter set (notice I will just use comparative words, not give the specific weight amount...). Almost as if he caught me, he reminded us we can always switch to a lighter set if we need to once we start...and surprisingly enough, I listened to his advice and switched to my heavier weights...and I was able to do the exercise with them!

Learned lesson of the day? A larger % of "it" than I'm usually willing to admit is actually mental. That...and sometimes it's much easier to just push through than to stop and try to start again. Surprisingly enough, I may even attend next week!

Opposites Attract

When I first committed to running this half-marathon, one of the biggest reasons was that I wanted to commit to something BIG, that would require time and persistence, and follow through. It may sound basic....just stick with it, but it's much bigger than that for me.

I am all done with school on Friday, meaning today marked my final morning run! Weeks ago I made a plan: Run Tuesdays morning. I stuck to my plan. I feel really good about it!! I am pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed them and while I'm okay with taking a break from them, it's really good to know I can do it....and like it! A teeny part of me may even miss them, considering they were the perfect excuse to run x amount of minutes and not feel guilty about not changing that...!

big day!!!

On this day, June 12, 11 years ago (barf), I had my bat mitzvah, and, in the eyes of the Jewish community, became a woman.

Today, June 12, 2010, two new milestones in my running have occurred (all before noon!). After a grueling long run last weekend with Alyssa Jill Glasser, world-famous tri-athlete, which featured good conversation, running up a terrible hill, and walking down the Manayunk wall (which was very difficult following all she had put me through!), I was dead. Despite her encouragement, I was unable to finish my intended distance. This whole elevation thing is definitely something I need to work on, but I'm fairly certain it'll be a small issue regarding my race (I will confirm a knowledgeable source before I get too pumped about that).

All that being said, today I ran 5 miles, officially the longest distance I have ever run! Overall, it was good, but no surprise that any slopes up in the road made me very angry. I was able to recover though, and luckily the last 3/4 mile was flat, so I was able to get my pace back to where it was, and then finish contently.

The other big news of the day is that following my run, I registered for the half-marathon I will be running in September!!! I had originally wanted to wait until I hit 6 miles to check out the website in detail, hoping that I'd feel less like I wanted to throw up, but a $$off code expiring this weekend was thrown my way...and who can deny a good coupon? Last night, I spent time exploring the website and I took a look at the course (which is actually still listed as last year's, but I'll assume it will be relatively similar?) and, surprisingly, managed to hold down the chips/salsa/guac/margs that were consumed (in excess) at dinner. Another milestone, I'd say!

AND....Relay for Life today! Go Lime Kiln LS!

hot hot hot!

I was recently asked about my thoughts on how running in the summer would play out. I purposely chose to run my half-marathon in September so that I could use my summertime to train, but apparently, when I made that decision, I hadn't remembered that summer was, in fact, the warmest season here in the US. I ran this morning before work and it was HOT. Just another milestone, I guess, but if you can't run at 6AM, when can you run!? Since I didn't get to run with my running buddy this week, here is a picture for her (and everyone else) of what I look like lately following a run:

In other news, I have a 4.5 mile run planned for this Saturday. Despite my warm weather concerns (although who are we kidding..my run will be sadly likely to take place in the early AM hours...womp), I am really looking forward to it! Part of it is uncharted territories, and we saw how well that worked out last weekend....but I am optimistic! I'm slowly, but surely making my way up in distance. I've been running about 2.5 miles 2x during the week, and then increasing my weekend run slightly each weekend. It's funny how many things related-to-but-not-about-running I can manage to write about. Sometimes I like to throw some fast facts out there.