Marathon Training: Episode 2

Marathon #2 in the making!! We have 2-1/2 months to increase stamina and do this 26.2 thing BETTER, baby. Hoover Dam December 15 is what we are talking about.

Today was my first long run after Pocatello Marathon, a month later. (Two weeks ago I did a half marathon race, and last week a 5K race, both of which I placed in my division, yay!) IT FELT SO GOOD!!!!!! Aaahh I love long runs. I really prefer distance over speed runs. Something about it just makes my soul come alive. My father-in-law has mentioned how he has some spiritual time during long runs and I just think its so true. When I go out for multiple hours, I feel a certain POWER. It's not anything to do with myself or my athleticism, it's more like realizing the POWER of the Human Machine, the POWER of Dedication, Consistency, Hard Work Paying Off. It's a supernatural power because it really shows how good works pay off, how God is there to back up our goals, and just the Splendor of God's ultimate creation. I don't know if I am explaining it right, maybe this sounds really cheesy but WOW, It's just something amazing.

You can watch a lecture on ultramarathon running here where he goes into this same topic, the four levels of running; spiritul being the ultimate level to reach but it takes several hours - see, I may only see the tip of the iceberg here because I have only ever done 4-1/4 hours. What he is talking about is running for the better part of an entire day, through the night, etc.. which just amazes me. Maybe one day I would do that. Actually I believe as I write this, that this guy Michael Arnstein is doing a 132-mile run in Greece called the Spartathalon. (Rychen has ran for 10-1/4 hours and is going to repeat that 50 miler in just a few weeks!!)

But I digress.

Anyway I wanted to talk about my goals for this second marathon. Rychen and I have the same goal - under 4 hours. (we won't talk about how many races Rychen has done with that goal..heehee) We are doing the same training schedule, found here. I really like this training schedule, first of all because look at all the TALK there, before the numbers appear. Yeah that's important talk. You gotta know WHAT you are doing, and HOW to workout before you just go check-off a list of numbers, what Rychen used to do.
But what's different about this plan is (a) its 5 days a week (it actually says 6 but we are cutting out one of the easy runs so we can keep the Sabbath) and (b) it breaks up the long run into 2 days, so you are actually covering 20-30 miles EVERY weekend.

So this plan is a little optimistic for me, for both those reasons, plus the fact that there are 4 important workouts every week where I have to watch my timing and run at a certain speed. I am used to running 4 days a week, 3 days of comfortable running and just one day of pushing it. and always a rest day before the long one. Now I get to push it 3 days a week, including the day before the long run! I wasn't sure how it was going to go, and this week I actually ended up doing 3 days of up-tempo running immediately before my 16 miler... But it worked out great and it was effective - my long run felt like I was doing a marathon since I wasn't fresh.

It only makes sense to me, if you want to get better at 26.2, you have to practice 26.2.. you have to be familiar with that distance.  Well I am not reaching that long exactly in the training plan but over the weekend YES with these two runs put together back-to-back...

Anyway I am blabbing.. If you made it this far, I thank you. but in honestly I am hoping to attract some googlers and strangers to my blog, as I go into certain topics :) I need to expand my running social circle and get some inspiration.

but yeah, I am EXCITED! I love love running.

Living Through Your Children..or With Your Children?

Tales from my personal life.

So my 7 year old is taking piano lessons. He is supposed to be practicing reguarly. Meanwhile we have upteen other things going on in our daily life, including many other goals we each focus on requiring daily attention. So when it comes to my kid's piano practicing, it's usually a matter of "Go Practice" and "Did you practice?" rather than sitting and supervising said practice. Does that make sense? Of course it does, because that is the usual way, I am sure of it.

Back to those other goals... I am personally into eBay selling and running training. These are my own hobbies which I use to gain a sense of achievement and success. I have a busy schedule and I know it. I require a lot of my family and I know it. We ask a lot of our kids too. We have very high standards. Let's just say we are overachievers to the max.

I know I should limit my own activities and put my kids first. There is definitely a balance there. But it just seems so mundane checking off kids' daily tasks day after day after day. There is no personal pride in it for me. (Well, we found what motivates me.)

So today I realize, if I took an active participatory role in my son's piano practice (or schooling, or what have you) I would gain more pride from it and it would fulfill me personally such that I would be satisfied leaving behind some of my own hobbies.

But.....would that be living through my children?? This is a big no-no in our society.

Obviously there is a balance there as well. Kids need their own loves and motivation, not just acting as puppets living the dream of a parent. But it does have to involve the parent to some extent, to guide them and keep their goals on track.

So then how do you find that delicate balance -- and actively live your children's goals with them rather than living through them?

Newport Trail/Beach Half Marathon

I did this fun race today. We had heard of it before but were uneasy about the beach running. This year I said "Heck, I am gonna give it a shot." I was very unsure what to expect and did not set a time goal since I have never ran on the beach before.

 The race was 6 miles on gravel hills and then half a mile of boardwalk turns out to the beach, then 6.5 miles running on the beach.

It wasn't bad! Except that I got sand in my shoes and felt strange, and had to push against the sand the whole time. So when I finished with my previous flat-course marathon time I was thrilled. 1 hr, 52 minutes.

Here I am at the finish line. What, you can't tell this is a finish line?? Neither could I.

I took 2nd place in my division! woohoo (I have never placed before)


These are our friends Brian and Ann Lacouture. Brian grew up in the same ward as me back in Vegas, and we both ended up transplanting to Oregon... Oh, and we both ended up becoming marathon runners. Who would have guessed??

Marathon vs. the 5K

10 days ago I ran my first full marathon. It was very challenging, especially because I was running on much less energy than my typical training run and the marathon experience I was expecting.

Today I ran a 5K race and made a new Personal Best record of 24 minutes, 50 seconds.

Both events were challenging and difficult to endure, and both left me feeling weak and nauseated. But they were very different from one another; and in comparison I realize that distance running is much easier for me.

The marathon was physically challenging; I felt sluggish or ill for much of it. Mentally I was fine - I was even singing silly songs and chattering with strangers. It didn't require much focus at all, only patience--patience to endure. On the other hand, racing at top speed for 3 straight miles is much more intense and requires mental and psychological strength.

For me, running fast is very uncomfortable. Not physically uncomfortable...just uncomfortable! Outside my comfort zone. Intense. Don't get me wrong, it gives me a thrill. But it takes an amazing amount of both discipline and COURAGE to keep up a fast pace when my mind is saying I can't do it, or can I just slow down, etc.. (in a marathon you can totally slow down and go at a comfortable pace) So the 5k requires mental focus and psychological endurance. For me personally it required much more mental discipline--training my mind with what I am allowed to think about, where I am allowed to look, and breaking it down into a series of 2-4 minute segments so I don't realize I need to keep up the intensity for longer than that.

Other runners - what do you think? How do you handle distance, versus speed races?

Homeschool chronicles: day 1

Day 1 of official 2012-2013 school year. Rychen P., 2nd grader and Elisabeth, kindergartener/1st grader sat at the same table and gave me their attention for about 90 minutes. We got through about 90% of what I had wanted to, including scripture, PE (sit ups, squats, lunges, treadmill), handwriting, math, spelling words, reading aloud, and science (learning about insects and beehives, even a cute little song and coloring page). Granted that is a lot to cover but I was still frustrated when the whining began at less than 2 hours in. I will say that is the longest I have gotten Rychen P. to sit in a chair and had to refocus him several times, but I am impressed. Especially with our first success at giving him a task and actually leaving the room, and coming back to find it completed. (wow! Never could do it before)...So all in all it was a success. 

This is the third year for homeschooling but before it was broken up throughout the day, in bed or in the car. Now we are really serious. Monday thru Friday, at the table, In a certain order, first priority type of thing. My incentive right now is various stickers for cooperation for tasks throughout the day/week and a $5 prize when it gets too 100 which can be redeemed for a toy or restaurant meal.

Agile and Mobile!

Taylor is a completely different baby than when we left on our trip 3 weeks ago. (I wish that meant he slept well, but unfortunately that is not the case...still...)

When we left he could kind of sit up, and he would scoot around a room. Now he is sitting easily, pulling himself into a standing position, and crawling all over the house!!! This boy is active active; he always has been. He is definitely social but he would rather be on the floor exploring than socializing and being held.

We didn't have to babyproof anything with the other two but with this one I think we may need to... he is already putting cords in his mouth, along with pretty much anything he finds on the floor, especially small things. His favorite eats are paper and plastic.

This previous week I was home most of the time "resting," not even exercising much. I was planning on going to fun places around town with my mom but we didn't go anywhere! We were so busy...doing NOTHING. Just because this crazy boy takes so much attention and I was going to bed at 8 every night recovering from the marathon. (haha! What a party pooper. Sorry Mom!)

Temple Square & Church History Museum

 We visited Temple Square with my cousins Nathan and Jennifer.

This is the actual letter handwritten by Willard Richards proclaiming the prophet's murder; and the pocketwatch that was in John Taylor's coat that stopped the bullet... what a miracle... he would be the 3rd President of the church! I love that story.

Rychen Parker Jones with a tidbit piece about his namesake, Parley Parker Pratt in the Church History Museum.

Here we are holding hands, overlooking the spot on East Temple St. where we first held hands. Awww!! <3 nbsp="nbsp" p="p">

Roof of the Conference Center...So amazing!!

Which General Authority name do you like better? "R. Andrew Jones" or "Rychen A. Jones" ??

This is a piece of paper with Pres. Hinckley's scribbled notes for a talk. Pretty nifty!! "The proof is in the pudding" - I can just hear him saying that. He is such a cool guy. (I really want to name a baby Hinckley but Rychen won't let me.)

 These next few photos are pieces of Gospel Artwork from other countries!! This section of the museum was really cool.

Clark Planetarium in SLC

We had so many choices of what to do with the kids in Salt Lake!! But Rychen P. is so interested in space right now, so we decided to go to the planetarium.

Elisabeth on Mars