Last Monday I set out to do my all-time favorite run. It's a 7.5 mile loop around Caspian Lake from my family's cottage in Greensboro. In one word: gorgeous. Yes, it has a few wicked hills, but the run takes you along a mix of dirt and paved roads, past farms, historic landmarks, along fields looking down on the glacial lake, and past quaint age-old cottages nestled in the pine trees.
So as I prepared for the run last Monday, I was excited. It was early enough in the morning that the weather was not too warm, it was a nice clear day, and things were lining up for a great run. A beam of light seemed to shine down on me as I started out on the run, nothing could crush my spirit. Only it wasn't a great run. It sucked. A mile or so in my spirit was stomped flat as a pancake. My legs were heavy, I couldn't get into a rhythm, I counted down the miles, and I ran the entire loop at least 1 minute per mile slower than I did a couple months ago. There was really no explanation for it, it just wasn't my day for running. And that's how running is, you just never know. Not every run is going to be fist-pumping, high-fiving awesome. It's a bummer, but it's true.
Running can be really, really hard. But like most physical challenges, there's a purpose to the pain. What I find most interesting as a personal trainer and running coach is the physiological changes that happen when we run or strength train. Our muscles get stronger by being stressed, more specifically muscle tissues experience tiny tears. We are actually being broken down in many ways through exercise! According to Gretchen Reynolds, author of The First 20 Minutes, each time we stress our bodies with exercise, our muscle tissues tear apart and then "the tissues rebuild themselves, becoming stronger and more pliable...which happens to be the foundation of fitness." Yes! I believe this happens on an emotional level, too. Sometimes running breaks me down, tears at my confidence, humbles me. But then I run again, and I rebuild myself. I become a stronger version of myself on my next run.
And then eventually, again and again, I will have an awesome run. I will feel great, strong, free. I will be ready to be broken down again. In this way, I am always running towards my strongest self.
We are two sisters living on separate sides of the country. One of the things that connects us, beside our love of hot beverages, is fitness. We love to run and strength train, and share the benefits of exercise with others. From the sisters who created Illume Fitness, we bring you Illuminated Runners: musings on running, cross fit, strength training, family, travel, life, and some serious dorkiness in there, too. "The spirit illuminates everything."
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Getting Lost in Waitsfield
This morning I was excited to do another run in beautiful Waitsfield, VT, where we have been housesitting for the past week. I mapped out a nearly 7 mile run and I was looking forward to exploring the area a little more. I had done a shorter version of the run yesterday, and I double checked Map My Run and made sure I understood the extra loop I was adding on.
The sky was gray and cloudy, but I was sure it would clear up soon, I had checked the weather report and it was not supposed to rain. 1 mile in it was pouring, and as I wiped rain from my eyes I reminded myself, this is okay, people run marathons in rain. I'm only running 7 miles today. It's going to be a great run. And I actually felt great. It was one of those runs where I settled right into a steady pace and my legs felt strong and my mind was ready to drift away.
I headed into downtown and crossed a historic covered bridge, hung a left onto Joslin Hill Rd, then a quick right onto Brook St and the extra loop. According to Map My Run, this route had a 2 mile climb at about mile 2.5, and sure enough, I found myself heading up. At this point, I was drenched, my shorts and shirt were sticking to me with some serious suction power and I felt like I had an extra 10 lbs on me trudging up the hill. But soon I was at my turn, where I was supposed to meet up with the road I had run on yesterday. Though with rain dripping into my eyes, I may or may not have paid attention to the road sign. As I continued to climb up I had a vague thought that the scenery wasn't familiar, but chalked that up to the rain.
And, it was beautiful! The clouds hung in wispy layers over the fields and hills, and the hills backed up to mountain after mountain, the colors beginning in rich forest greens, and fading into slate gray and thick clouds in the distance. I thought of peace and beauty and poetry and soon Mary Oliver and David Budbill were running along beside me, describing the landscape to me in whispery words. I ran past farms with ancient tractors, past green meadows and windy dirt driveways heading to someone's Shangri-La.
As I crested the hill and saw a busy, main road, I realized I had indeed taken a wrong turn somewhere. Oh geez. My instincts told me to turn left onto the main road, but after a quarter of a mile I realized it might be wise to do the opposite of what my gut tells me when it comes to navigation. Turning around and running the other direction on this busy road, cars whizzing past me, I was acutely aware of my wet white t-shirt. Not in a "woo-boo, Spring Break, wet t-shirt contest" kind of a way. More in the "these people driving by should not be seeing what the belly of a woman who has had 3 babies looks like with a shirt clinging to all its jiggly glory" kind of a way. And it was still pouring rain.
Here's my second directional instinct (listen up, Outward Bound folks, this could be a teachable moment): because I was on a main road, paved, with speed limit 40 mph, I felt like I would end up somewhere. I mean, roads like that don't just end up at a small dirt road, right? Now heading down the hill, I still felt great, though the couple bites of a kid's Clif bar had worn off and I was officially hungry. Soon I could see a valley below, with more houses and I was sure there would be a general store where I would stop in and give my husband an S.O.S. call. He would have to drive miles and miles to come rescue me from the far-reaches of the Mad River Valley.
Or not. Because then I saw a road sign that looked familiar. Joslin Hill Rd. And a covered bridge ahead. Wait, what? I stopped and threw my arms up in disbelief, surely alarming the locals looking out their windows, sipping morning coffee. Yep, I was pretty much in downtown Waitsfield, a mere mile away from the house we were staying at. Thanks to my inner navigational system (or luck, whatever), I had only added a few miles to my run. And it was a great run! I jogged into the driveway fully expecting my husband to be in a panic as to where I had been. But he greeted me with a nod, coffee in hand, asking me "a little wet for you?"Yep, a little wet and a lot awesome, I thought as I rode the endorphin high right to the coffeemaker.
That's one thing I love about running. It's always new. A runner is a traveler, an explorer, visiting new roads, taking in beauty, running alongside poets, and yes, occasionally getting lost. It's all part of the journey.
Exhibit A: The run I meant to do. (Isn't it a little weird how much it looks like Africa?)
Exhibit B: The run I actually did.
The sky was gray and cloudy, but I was sure it would clear up soon, I had checked the weather report and it was not supposed to rain. 1 mile in it was pouring, and as I wiped rain from my eyes I reminded myself, this is okay, people run marathons in rain. I'm only running 7 miles today. It's going to be a great run. And I actually felt great. It was one of those runs where I settled right into a steady pace and my legs felt strong and my mind was ready to drift away.
I headed into downtown and crossed a historic covered bridge, hung a left onto Joslin Hill Rd, then a quick right onto Brook St and the extra loop. According to Map My Run, this route had a 2 mile climb at about mile 2.5, and sure enough, I found myself heading up. At this point, I was drenched, my shorts and shirt were sticking to me with some serious suction power and I felt like I had an extra 10 lbs on me trudging up the hill. But soon I was at my turn, where I was supposed to meet up with the road I had run on yesterday. Though with rain dripping into my eyes, I may or may not have paid attention to the road sign. As I continued to climb up I had a vague thought that the scenery wasn't familiar, but chalked that up to the rain.
And, it was beautiful! The clouds hung in wispy layers over the fields and hills, and the hills backed up to mountain after mountain, the colors beginning in rich forest greens, and fading into slate gray and thick clouds in the distance. I thought of peace and beauty and poetry and soon Mary Oliver and David Budbill were running along beside me, describing the landscape to me in whispery words. I ran past farms with ancient tractors, past green meadows and windy dirt driveways heading to someone's Shangri-La.
As I crested the hill and saw a busy, main road, I realized I had indeed taken a wrong turn somewhere. Oh geez. My instincts told me to turn left onto the main road, but after a quarter of a mile I realized it might be wise to do the opposite of what my gut tells me when it comes to navigation. Turning around and running the other direction on this busy road, cars whizzing past me, I was acutely aware of my wet white t-shirt. Not in a "woo-boo, Spring Break, wet t-shirt contest" kind of a way. More in the "these people driving by should not be seeing what the belly of a woman who has had 3 babies looks like with a shirt clinging to all its jiggly glory" kind of a way. And it was still pouring rain.
Here's my second directional instinct (listen up, Outward Bound folks, this could be a teachable moment): because I was on a main road, paved, with speed limit 40 mph, I felt like I would end up somewhere. I mean, roads like that don't just end up at a small dirt road, right? Now heading down the hill, I still felt great, though the couple bites of a kid's Clif bar had worn off and I was officially hungry. Soon I could see a valley below, with more houses and I was sure there would be a general store where I would stop in and give my husband an S.O.S. call. He would have to drive miles and miles to come rescue me from the far-reaches of the Mad River Valley.
Or not. Because then I saw a road sign that looked familiar. Joslin Hill Rd. And a covered bridge ahead. Wait, what? I stopped and threw my arms up in disbelief, surely alarming the locals looking out their windows, sipping morning coffee. Yep, I was pretty much in downtown Waitsfield, a mere mile away from the house we were staying at. Thanks to my inner navigational system (or luck, whatever), I had only added a few miles to my run. And it was a great run! I jogged into the driveway fully expecting my husband to be in a panic as to where I had been. But he greeted me with a nod, coffee in hand, asking me "a little wet for you?"Yep, a little wet and a lot awesome, I thought as I rode the endorphin high right to the coffeemaker.
That's one thing I love about running. It's always new. A runner is a traveler, an explorer, visiting new roads, taking in beauty, running alongside poets, and yes, occasionally getting lost. It's all part of the journey.
Exhibit A: The run I meant to do. (Isn't it a little weird how much it looks like Africa?)
Exhibit B: The run I actually did.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Let the Adventurz Begin!
It's true. It looks like I stole my sister's first blog post title, but if you look closely, you'll see I added a z at the end, so technically it's not copying. ;) Okay, it is...I won't do it again*.
Anyway....I'm excited to start blogging! Especially since last night I had another running dream where I was running a 800meter race, and early on found myself at the front of the pack. Soon enough my legs started to get heavy and I slowed down. Then I realized I was pushing a heavy prowler(torturous cross-fit workout device that basically is a sled with weight on it) and everyone else was just pushing cardboard. I was losing my lead fast, and kept trying to move my legs, but they would only shuffle along."Just keep running!" I told myself as cardboard cut outs of objects being pushed by fellow racers flew by me. At this point, I willed myself awake, laughing at the absurdity of it, but also dying to search for dream analysis online....
Let me just say that it's been a crazy year for me. Last year at this time I was getting ready for my first Rwanda trip, where I went to Kigali to teach SAT & TOEFL to a group of amazing young women who applied to colleges this past fall in the U.S. I LOVED my time there, loved the adventure and when I came back to San Francisco in the fall, my life of tutoring and personal training all over the city, all hours of the day, all days of the week seemed less appealing. I needed to make a change. So when I was offered a temporary 3 month teaching job starting in January, back in Rwanda, this time in a small village at an all girls school... I jumped on it. I gave up my apartment, gave notice to my jobs...and then one week before I was set to leave for Vermont to spend the month with my family before heading to Rwanda ..... I met Karl (!!!) We had an immediate connection and, I'll make a long story very short....there were lots of visits and planes....he spent 10 days in Rwanda....and after I came back I moved in with him in Berkeley!! Yea!!
Now, I'm trying to piece together a more sane life than before, but so far am still zipping around from job to job. Also....about 6 months ago, when I was at the beginning of changing everything up, I joined two friends to start a non-profit called Give A Day Global, which pairs international travelers with daylong volunteering opportunities. It's been so exciting, energizing and BUSY as we prepare to launch in the fall.
As I write all this down... It's clear to me that amidst all the chaos is the realization that everything that's happened this year has been really amazing. I also realize that one of the things that has kept me sane and calm is running. Hitting the ground with my feet...listening to that rhythm, is my way to clear my head and to keep on keeping on.
Looking forward to continuing that rhythm and to the next few months of adventurz**!! :)
* I needed to copy once more
** But that's it!
Anyway....I'm excited to start blogging! Especially since last night I had another running dream where I was running a 800meter race, and early on found myself at the front of the pack. Soon enough my legs started to get heavy and I slowed down. Then I realized I was pushing a heavy prowler(torturous cross-fit workout device that basically is a sled with weight on it) and everyone else was just pushing cardboard. I was losing my lead fast, and kept trying to move my legs, but they would only shuffle along."Just keep running!" I told myself as cardboard cut outs of objects being pushed by fellow racers flew by me. At this point, I willed myself awake, laughing at the absurdity of it, but also dying to search for dream analysis online....
Let me just say that it's been a crazy year for me. Last year at this time I was getting ready for my first Rwanda trip, where I went to Kigali to teach SAT & TOEFL to a group of amazing young women who applied to colleges this past fall in the U.S. I LOVED my time there, loved the adventure and when I came back to San Francisco in the fall, my life of tutoring and personal training all over the city, all hours of the day, all days of the week seemed less appealing. I needed to make a change. So when I was offered a temporary 3 month teaching job starting in January, back in Rwanda, this time in a small village at an all girls school... I jumped on it. I gave up my apartment, gave notice to my jobs...and then one week before I was set to leave for Vermont to spend the month with my family before heading to Rwanda ..... I met Karl (!!!) We had an immediate connection and, I'll make a long story very short....there were lots of visits and planes....he spent 10 days in Rwanda....and after I came back I moved in with him in Berkeley!! Yea!!
Now, I'm trying to piece together a more sane life than before, but so far am still zipping around from job to job. Also....about 6 months ago, when I was at the beginning of changing everything up, I joined two friends to start a non-profit called Give A Day Global, which pairs international travelers with daylong volunteering opportunities. It's been so exciting, energizing and BUSY as we prepare to launch in the fall.
As I write all this down... It's clear to me that amidst all the chaos is the realization that everything that's happened this year has been really amazing. I also realize that one of the things that has kept me sane and calm is running. Hitting the ground with my feet...listening to that rhythm, is my way to clear my head and to keep on keeping on.
Looking forward to continuing that rhythm and to the next few months of adventurz**!! :)
* I needed to copy once more
** But that's it!
Friday, July 5, 2013
The Montpelier Mile & Other Festivities
I know many of you may cringe when I say this, but the mile is my favorite race. I love it. It's speedy, it's challenging, and it's over within mere minutes. I only know of one mile race in Vermont, the annual Montpelier Mile at the start of the July 3rd parade (yep, that's how we do it in Montpelier, a July 3rd parade, 'cause we can).
The tricky thing about the mile race for me is pacing. I get so used to running longer races that I forget that with a mile I don't really need to settle in to a pace the way I do with a 10k or half-marathon. So for this race, I had focused on training with some 400s, to remember what speed feels like and to get a sense of how hard I needed to push.
But come race day, I fell into the pace trap. I found myself hanging back cautiously after the first quarter, then remembering I could push harder in the last quarter when it was just a little too late. The good news is I broke 6 minutes, my first goal, the bad news is I had way too much gas left in my tank at the finish. But that extra bit of energy was nice to have for watching the parade that followed with my 3 boys. And, there's nothing like running in front of hundreds of people to charge up your spirits. I loved hearing people cheering for me, thanks for all the support friends!
Lesson learned: run hard with a mile race, it should feel like a sprint. If anyone knows of another mile race within a couple hours drive of Montpelier, please let me know. I'm ready for my next one! And, thanks Onion River Sports for organizing my favorite race of the year!
Next race on my calendar: Caspian Challenge, a 6.8 mile race around Caspian Lake in Greensboro. I'm looking forward to this hilly but beautiful course.
The tricky thing about the mile race for me is pacing. I get so used to running longer races that I forget that with a mile I don't really need to settle in to a pace the way I do with a 10k or half-marathon. So for this race, I had focused on training with some 400s, to remember what speed feels like and to get a sense of how hard I needed to push.
But come race day, I fell into the pace trap. I found myself hanging back cautiously after the first quarter, then remembering I could push harder in the last quarter when it was just a little too late. The good news is I broke 6 minutes, my first goal, the bad news is I had way too much gas left in my tank at the finish. But that extra bit of energy was nice to have for watching the parade that followed with my 3 boys. And, there's nothing like running in front of hundreds of people to charge up your spirits. I loved hearing people cheering for me, thanks for all the support friends!
Lesson learned: run hard with a mile race, it should feel like a sprint. If anyone knows of another mile race within a couple hours drive of Montpelier, please let me know. I'm ready for my next one! And, thanks Onion River Sports for organizing my favorite race of the year!
Next race on my calendar: Caspian Challenge, a 6.8 mile race around Caspian Lake in Greensboro. I'm looking forward to this hilly but beautiful course.
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