Happy Happy Day!

Today was such a good day!  I met with Ms. Bullard this morning (more on that to follow) but I got a lot of great advice, I got into my top school, I got a prom dress that fits- finally! and I'm going to see Taylor Swift in 2 days!  Plus it's now officially spring break for me, because I'll be on a college visit tomorrow.  So, needless to say I'm happy happy happy! 

The main thing I took away from my interview with Ms. Bullard was how much she emphasized that I should do the Buffalo half.  I have officially made that decision, and I think it will be good!  I will have more time to train and she said from what she knows it's a really good race.  Plus, she said especially for my first time, it'll be nice that I know someone there because it can be kind of overwhelming and everything.  Also, I learned that you can split up the longer runs into, for example, 4 miles at one time, 4 miles at another.  Or even 4 miles one day, 4 miles the next if it is hard to find the time to do it all in one chunk.  That was very helpful to learn! 

So today after talking to Ms. Maddren about all of this I knew I was planning on going for my 8 mile run before practice.  Then I got all of this news all at once and it was so hard for me to go out into the cold (which I actually did, and right as it did it started snowing like crazy.  I stook in my driveway for about 2 minutes and said nu-uhhh).  I took what I learned from Ms. Bullard and Ms. DeBoer to heart and thought about how they said sometimes there are the days when you just can't convince yourself to go out.  Running should be fun, and that would not have been.  Now I know it would have been the right thing for me to do, especially with all this positive energy from today, but I couldn't bring myself to do that when I really just wanted to celebrate in other ways. 
That being said, I will get back to my training schedule over spring break which I am feeling better about now that I realize my cross training (rowing) is significant and I will have more time over break, and more time because I am doing the later race.  YAY!

Wonder Woman!

I just got back from talking to Ms. DeBoer in her classroom at DeWitt.  I won't reveal all the gems she provided me with as answers just yet (I need to meet up with Ms. G to discuss what do do with them) but I wanted to reflect while it's still recent.

First of all, dang!  She is so impressive!  Not only is she crazy fit, but she has completed so many awesome races, including an Ironman!  And she's extremely modest about all of it! 

I am really glad to have met with Ms. DeBoer because of both her insight and reassurance.  There will be more obvious evidence of this when I share my whole interview, but I especially appreciated a few things she said. 

One of them was just about how running should be fun.  I have noticed that I have started to kind of dread running, especially since I have gotten off of my plan recently due to sickness and rowing conflicts.  I should have known this would come up and sickness isn't something I have complete control over, but it is frustrating none the less.  I have been very concerned about being fully prepared for a half marathon in time, especially if it is on May 5th which is creeping up.  She asked me if I could run 5 miles, though, and I said yes, and she said that if I can do that I can run a half marathon.  It's about pacing, but its definitely do-able.  That was helpful for me to not get too down on myself and keep up the motivation-- don't give up.

Overall, it was a great experience and I look forward to getting other perspectives and ideas from the other people I am going to interview! 

Interview Questions

Last mentor meeting we discussed what I should do with my interview responses (which is something I still have to figure out) but we decided I should at least present my questions to any readers before hand- a goal I have set to do before my next meeting.  So, here they are!

Have you always been a runner?

What do you see as your biggest running accomplishment to date?
What is one suggestion you would give someone who isn’t the best runner to keep on going?
What is one food you couldn’t live without?
What do you find is the most important nutrition aspect in regards to your training?
Do you have a typical race day plan/ritual/tradition?
How do you find your training plans?  Do you make them yourself?
What goes through your mind at the start?

Do you see races as more of a fun event or are you a big competitor?

What kind of cross training do you find most effective?

In Class 3/25- Lists

Quick Lists:
-7 things I want to accomplish in the next week

• continue reading "First Marathons" book 
• blog post with my interview questions outlined
• talk to Ms. G. about what to do with the interview questions
• conduct interviews
• research nutrition- amounts of various food intake, what to stay away from, etc.
• run 8 miles
• check on race registrations (make sure deadlines aren't approaching)
• decide on race 

-5 people I should talk to about my project

• Ms. Bullard
• Yvette DeBoer
• Sydney Derfel
• Ms. Gergely
• My coach (about scheduling regattas and my race to avoid too much conflict)

-Supplies I need to get, etc.

• None that I can think of at the moment!

-3 things I should talk to my mentor about

• interim evaluation
• plan over break
• my interview questions and what I have decided to do with them

-7 things I want or need to know more about

• race plans
• nutrition amounts (calories, etc.) for when I track my foods
• health benefits of running
• race schedules
• mid race snacks
• peeing mid race??
• what to do with my interview responses

Sickly :(

I've had a cold for the past couple of weeks and it hasn't seemed to be getting much better.  This weekend I had very little energy and was constantly coughing, sneezing, and sniffling.  Therefore, I have not gotten in my 8 miles yet.  My mom made me to go bed at 9 o clock last night and it did not seem conducive to getting better to run in the cold for an hour and a half today.  Hopefully after some Nyquil and a good nights sleep I can conquer those miles tomorrow!
Instead, I have been working on finalizing my interview questions for my interviews this week and doing some research!  Stay tuned for the results.

"First Marathons" Book

Below are some of my favorite quotes, or just things that stuck out to me in the book I am reading called First Marathons: Personal Encounters With the 26.2-Mile Monster

Although I am not running a full marathon myself, I still think it's relevant.

• "After running a few marathons I can explain to people why I run.  It calms me.  I can't imagine not having it in my life.  It helps me to sort through things.  It's like stepping outside myself and getting a better perspective of who I am.  Running helps me focus better, helps me take my life in the direction it needs to go.  It's not like I concentrate on those topics while I'm in the process of running, but running opens my mind to all kinds of possibilities and perhaps the solution is out there for me to find it.  Running takes me to that place."
• "I read an article about the three Cs of long distrance running: chow, chill, and I can't remember the other C, but I followed it and it really worked." 
• "As much as I was really into the idea of it all, it wasn't easy.  It was tough, it didn't feel good.  This was not my normal way of running; I was now in training, a different breed.  I learned to do things such as speed training, pacing, intervals, and drink tons of fluids, which was one of the factors that saved me in the end."

That's all for now, as all stories are by different people and some are better than others (and more informative, or relatable).  

Nutrition Pt. 1

I am really interested in looking into nutrition and especially for runners and athletes.  As I may have said before, I want to track the foods I eat for a week (not sure what I would do with them though...) but it would be cool to just have that log.
So I started very broad on this topic and just looked up runner's diet. 
I have found that the major constituents of a runners diet should be to:
1.  Eat seeds or food made from seeds
2.  Eat 5 different colored fruits and vegetables daily
3.  Eat plant foods with their skins intact
4.  Drink Milk and eat milk products that come from animals
5.  Eat foods that come from cold water
6.  Eat meat, poultry, and eggs from free-range or grass-fed animals.

I do very well at most of these rules, except number 5.  It suggests fish but I am really not a big seafood fan, so I should look to try to find some alternate.  Other than that, I think I eat pretty well!  I could eat more seeds and nuts, but I definitely eat my fruits and veggies and plant foods w/ skins (out of laziness more than anything else!)

Runners need 50% more protein than non runners! Chobani, Chobani, Chobani!!!

Probably next week I will be looking at the proportions and calories, etc that one should be consuming while training.  But this is a start for now, and good to know I'm on track!

Cross Training

With crew starting back up, I haven't been running as much as I would have liked this week (it's not our normal schedule...so it will be a lot easier to get back on my regular training plan when we have all morning practices).  Instead, I have been looking at the work I have been doing as cross training.  We have been doing erging, stationary bikes, ab circuits, weights, and rowing in the tanks, and I am pretty sure running will be added to the mix tonight and tomorrow. 

When I have gotten the chance to run, though, I am still recording and journaling about it both in my Runner's World Training Journal and my own personal training plan.

Ms. G. mentioned a Buffalo Half Marathon on May 26th the other day.  It seems ideal- gives me lots of time to train, seems like a well run marathon, will be recent in terms of my presentation date, but it is also the day of a race.  This race is a 2 day race, but also the last race.  So, I'd definitely be missing the last race but could possibly race in a smaller boat the day before and have that be my last.  Kinda a tough decision, so I am keeping the Binghamton one on my mind as well.  Once my coach is figured out for crew I will discuss with them my possibilities for that weekend. 

Tomorrow is another mentor meeting and I am feeling prepared!  I have gotten in touch with the people I said I would, and done some research and more reading (see next posts)

In Class-- March 18th

We are in class right now and have been assigned a few questions to answer about the gleaning from the past assignment that was due today.  At first I was really excited about the idea of this, and then when I saw the stack of paper being the journal I kind of dreaded it.  I am not too into arts and crafts myself, and it seemed like a daunting task.  But once I dove into it and started reading, I was very glad I got to read about something that I don't know much about and that doesn't interest me too much.

Real gems of the project:
-There was a journal entry from March 22nd that really stuck out to me.  It was pretty unrealated to the project, actually not related at all.  It described how the month of March was a rollercoaster for Anna and it was really cool for me to get a look into her life while seeing all that she has accomplished.  It made her project and journal a lot more personal and really put things into perspective in terms of her project and my own life. 
-Anna included many sketches, both doodles and plans for her jewelry in her journal.  I liked how it seemed to bring the journal to life more and spiced it up.  I'm not exactly sure how I would do that on my blog because it clearly isn't a written journal, but I will try to include more maps, lists, etc. to make it more interesting than just a bunch of text. 

Oops, could have been better:
-There could have been titles on all entries to know what the reader was going to be reading about and to organize the journal a bit better.  It wasn't completely horrible that headings were hardly ever present, but it could have helped the layout. 
-More actual research could have been present, as it often seemed that research was talked about (in the journal) but it wasn't too evident of how much of that was completed. 

Things I'm going to borrow:
-Pictures!! My blog needs some more life in it and I think that'll help.  It will definitely test my technology skills, as I'm not sure how to for example, take a screenshot and post it on my blog of my mapmyrun route, but I'll work on figuring it out!
-Personal!!  I have noticed on some other blogs this year that people throw in irrelevant posts just so if they look back on their blog in a few years, they can know what else was going on in their life at the time.  I will not make my posts completely irrelevant, but I think that sometimes some context of the project helps and this is a way to express different things going on in my life that could be impacting my project. 

In class today we also talked about the WISE Project Funding Proposal.  I won't be applying for a grant myself, but I would like to be on the student committee that reviews the proposals.  I think it will be an interesting way for me to get a look at other projects and I want to help out with that in any way that I can.  I'm fortunate enough that my project doesn't require huge expenses, but I can imagine if it does that would be stressful and I want to be a part of helping others get around that.  

That's all for this assignment, and the period is almost over! 

7 miler

Today I went out for my 7 mile run, which was not part of my training plan.  The reason I did this was because I wanted to see how well I could keep up if I bumped my plan up two weeks, which I would be doing if I ran the half in Binghamton instead of Brunswick (which is seeming better and better the more it's on my mind).
It definitely was a challenge, and I was kind of reminded why I am not the best runner.  I ran with music this time and I think that really helped.  I sometimes found myself slowly trotting along, cars nicely passing me.  I would start to get embarrassed when I consciously thought about my speed, etc. but then I'd just tell myself to keep on truckin'.  Towards the end of the run, about the last mile, I realized I was just a little slower than my ideal pace (10 min miles)- but hey, it's a learning experience.  It was a big jump for me to bump my training plan up like this, and it hasn't been the easiest week in terms of training.  Although I haven't had crew practice, I haven't been feeling 100% healthy for a while, and all things considered I think it's good that I could finish the run!  I thought about if this was the half marathon, I wouldn't stop, no matter how slowly I went.

...I also thought about how I cannot imagine running almost twice that amount, but I'll get there!!!

Mentor Meeting

Wow, it's been a while since I've written!!  I had a mentor meeting on Friday and it went well.  We discussed the possibility of switching my half to May 5th.  I mentioned how I thought the past week wasn't ideal, it felt more like a lot of clerical and business work than actual hands work, but I guess that's necessary.  

My goals to complete before next meeting are to:
-have finalized and completed my interview questions (which are in rough draft form currently)
-contact the people who I would like to interview and set up date/time to meet
-run 7 miles (✓!)
-talk to Ms. G and Mr. B about the possibility of switching dates to see if that seems doable
-blog post about the points I have been underlining in the "First Marathons" book I have been reading, and add that to my easybib as well
-continue research and look back through my proposal for research topics

I will continue to keep updates as I complete these goals throughout the week!

Sick Day

I have been doing a lot of WISE thinking and work on my sick day today.  I have been reading one of the books Val gave me, the one with many stories about people's first marathons.  It's very intriguing and a fun way to learn about running while hearing many different life stories.  So, I read that for a while in bed today.  I have also been charging my way through Anna's journal which I am reading for the class assignment. 

I got thinking and stressing about how I haven't signed up for a half marathon yet.  So much of it depends on my rowing schedule, but I don't have that set in stone yet, so I have to decide my priorities and make some decisions.  I was thinking the Make it a Good Day race would be good, but when looking into it more it isn't a very established race.  When interviewing Val, she told me to do my research about the size and reviews, etc.  I figured it wouldn't be as big of a deal for a half marathon compared to a full, but I am now changing my thinking.  Ms. Gergely had mentioned she might do the Binghamton Bridge race, and so that was kind of reintroduced to my thinking.  I noticed it from the start, (being significantly closer than Brunswick, NY) but was hesitant because of the timing.  It's the day after I have a race which I was not so worried about, although it isn't ideal, but it's two weeks sooner than the Brunswick race.  I will talk to my mentor, Ms. G, and Mr. B about this to see if that is do-able because it is cutting my training significantly. 

With the practice article, I was thinking about what I can do to practice rather than play while running.  I found this article on running technique that I will remind myself of during my runs to reconnect my actions and head to just check in with all these components to be actively practicing:
http://www.chirunning.com/blog/entry/10-components-of-good-running-form/

I'm feeling a bit better so I will enjoy the nice (yet chilly) weather on a run soon.

Practicing

Today in WISE, we read a short article about practicing that really relates to many WISE projects.  I had trouble finding the connection it has to my own.  It says that ""Playing" and "Practicing" are rarely synonymous."  I still don't know much about running and the proper way to conduct myself as I run, the exact foods I should eat and how to pace myself.  It was hard for me to see the difference between playing and practicing in that sense. 

When Ms. G related this to ballet, I finally got it.  That is exactly the way crew is, and I'm so used to it that maybe I saw past the connections it has in my own life.  At practice, we spend about half the time working on technique.  No one has a perfect rowing stroke, and there is always room to improve.  We practice, practice, practice, and then "play" when we do pieces. 

So, in regards to running, part of my practicing will be the mindset.  I hope to go to more yoga classes, and practice getting into my head in that way, in hopes that it translates over to running.  
I will research some on proper running technique because as of right now I just do my thing (unsure of whether or not I am running "correctly").

The article also talks about getting out of your comfort zone, which is an interesting concept for my project.  Because it is a physical project, and depends so much on my body, it is easier for me to do that while "playing" and "practicing" (my hands on work).  I can go the extra mile, and push myself to run a little bit faster.  I can choose the apple instead of the crackers and the ab circuit instead of watching Gossip Girl.  But that is mostly all within my own head, and so going out of my comfort zone will also be me reaching out the community members whom I haven't or hadn't previously met.  I will be doing this for the interviews I conduct in which I ask runners about their experiences and recommendations.

Well, today is my off day so I will focus on working through the "gleaning" assignment I have and other research I can do!

Water Facts!

• The adequate intake for men is about 3 liters (or 13 cups of beverages) a day.  Note: Total beverages, not specifically straight water)

• The adequate intake for women is 2.2 liters (9 cups) a day.

• Water makes up about 60% of your total body weight.

• Drink at least 2.5 more cups for short stouts of exercise, and even more for prolonged exercise

• Food provides about 20% of total water intake.

• It's uncommon but possible to drink too much water.  Hyponatremia occurs, and that is when your kidneys can't excrete the excess water and the mineral content of the blood is diluted.  The result is low sodium levels in the blood (not exactly sure what that leads to, but it doesn't sound too good). 

Drink Up

Like I have said before, this is a place not only for me to post about my successes but also my mistakes.  This weekend was one of those.  I have been keeping up with my running and journaling butttt about half a mile into my run this morning, I thought to myself "when was the last time I drank a good glass of water?"  I couldn't remember, but I knew I'd had milk with dinner last night and a little bit of OJ with breakfast.  I definitely felt it on my run, and I want to avoid that at all costs.  I had so carefully planned what and when I would eat this morning, but I had forgotten to drink a good amount of water before my run.  I keep very well hydrated at school, but when I'm home I seem to forget to drink even when I'm not thirsty to keep myself well hydrated.  But, lesson learned!  And what I'll do to fix it is over the weekend I will set out full water bottles in the fridge so I can keep track of how much I have had to drink and how much I need to drink to stay healthy. 
Something interesting I should look up is how much water should one drink a day?  And if they are exercising?  I feel like different numbers are thrown around all the time, so maybe I will also ask the people I interview what they find best/recommend. 

Take II

Prepare yourselves, this is going to be a looonnnggg post! 

First order of business- I had an impromptu talk with Mr. Bernstein yesterday.  Among many things, I asked him some of the questions I have come across while getting started with my training plan. 
          1.  If I am feeling up to it by the end of my run, should I continue and run more miles than indicated on my training plan?
               -No, I should stick to the plan as best as I can.  The most important thing is getting in those long runs.
     
          2.  Is it okay for me to switch the days around, for example doing my long run on a Monday (which would typically be off) instead of a Sunday, if I have a race on Sunday.
              - That's fine, and 4 days a week is a good plan for me especially with crew.

          3.  If I am capping my run at 3 miles, should I be running that fairly quickly?  Or at a pace I can sustain for a longer run?
               - Slow and steady, because I won't be sprinting the half when it comes time for that.

Second- I had my mentor meeting today and we went to meet Ms. Bullard.  She was really helpful and gave me tons of advice already, and also agreed to me interviewing her once I have the questions prepared.  She seemed very interested in helping me through this process which is awesome!  That brings me to...

Third- At our meeting today, Ms. Maddren gave me a long, letter looking piece of paper and told me I could read it later.  I read it as I was stretching after my run.  It was a lot of encouragement and helpful tips for my blogging and the whole process in general.  I am sure not all mentors would do something like this, and I am so lucky to have such an involved and supportive mentor!!!  You make me enjoy my project more and more every time we meet.  I really appreciate all you've done for me so far and I am ever so grateful that I get to work with you.  :)

Fourth-  I went back to the running store to exchange my shoes today, and it was a breeze!  I got lucky that the same girl was working and already knew about my feet, this project, and my goals.  She fitted me for a new pair of shoes.  If anyone needs any more reassurance that Finger Lakes Running and Triathlon Co. is the place to go, I hope this post is convincing enough.  They really are focused on helping the customer get what they need, and are ultimately about promoting the love for the sport. 

Finally-  My running has been going well.  I have been keeping up with writing in my training journal and I think I am finally getting the hang of forgetting about what I'm doing just enough to get in my head a little more, but still be conscious of what I am doing.  Everybody that I passed today was running with their ipods, and while I used to do that, I haven't been lately and I think that has helped.  Maybe I'll give it a trial run sometime soon to see if it makes a difference.  I have gotten some good routes down from my house, and I am now familiar with the distances and landmarks along the way.  All in all, the training is going well.  My hip flexors are a little tight, but I have been focusing on stretching really well.

Now I think that's enough for one post, if you even made it down this far, so I'll cut it off for now.  I will post this weekend about the old WISE journal assignment if not sooner with another update. 
So long!

Everyday's A New Day

This blog is for me to not only post my accomplishments, but my failures as well. On this beautiful day, I set out for a run even shorter than what I had been doing recently. I thought it'd be a piece of cake, until I got about a mile in. I have been feeling sick all day, but I suddenly felt like I couldn't stomach this run anymore. I stopped, which is very unlike me. Ideally, I would have curled up into the fetal position, right then and there, on the sidewalk. Of course I didn't. Instead, I walked it off, breathing deeply, very slowly, for about 5 minutes. At this point, I felt like I was well enough to continue.

I'm not sure this fall back was due to my lack of ability, as it was only a mile in. And considering I haven't been feeling well today, I attribute it partly to that. It was just frustrating and made me worry, god forbid this doesn't happen in my race. I wonder if there is anything that can be done while running to help stomach cramps/aches without slowing down that significant of an amount.

I ended up finishing the run alright, but taking it nice and steady. I added on about half a mile to my route to make up for the time I spent walking.

Well, I guess what I learned from this is that it is hard to compare one day to the next cause your body does funky things, and everyday is a new day.

Barnsong

Today in class we watched a video that a previous WISE student had made as his project.  It was interesting because it followed another WISE student's project, so it encompassed aspects of both. 

First of all, I admire the guy who was building (and did complete) his own barn.  It's amazing that he literally built it from the ground up- chopping down his own trees for wood even.  It was nice that it showed he did not complete his anticipated final project in time for his presentation, but rather a few weeks later.  But, he clearly learned a lot through the process that he underwent with this goal in mind.  It was a good reassurance that as long as you are learning and putting in the time and effort during the time, it is okay to have wrongly estimated the time the project would take.  Now this hopefully won't happen to me, but I think it helped show the project from a different aspect for me, as I have been set on my final product or goal, being the race, this whole time.  I also thought it was interesting how closely the boy worked with his dad and how he was really honest about it.  I could have chosen either as my parents as mentors but I did not because of this reason, thinking it'd be very hard to work on something I am so invested in with them.  I think it would be hard to have a good, working relationship, despite anything else going on that is involving our lives.  The bit of separation with a non family member mentor is very helpful because it is easier to be honest and critical without creating harsh feelings. 

We also received the journal, bibliography, and narrative of an old WISE student's project today.  I hoped I would get Valerie's because she wanted me to look at her journal anyways (but she, I, and her journal are all in different places).  I guess it will be good to learn from another student's project because it will provide a new, creative, perspective that I haven't really exposed myself to yet.

I'm off for my 3 mile run now- as week one of my actual training plan says!

Class Postponed

Ms. Gergely was out sick today (feel better!) so I will not be writing my weekly class entry today (Monday) but rather tomorrow, after our postponed class.  I was reading people's blogs from other classes and it looks like if we are doing the same thing, reading old WISE student's journals, then I'll have a post about that tomorrow.  That sounds like fun and will hopefully provide me with some inspiration or insight I hadn't thought of.

Also, what's new is the nice little gift I received on my front porch when I came home from school today! My dad had run into Valerie's mom yesterday morning and then she came over for breakfast.  Although I had talked to Val about my WISE project, it wasn't brought up with her mom yesterday.  But, her mom dropped off some of Val's old marathon books (in both English and German!) for me to use which is AWESOME!!!

Yay for new resources and good friends!

snow, snow go away!!

          So I recently realized how quickly WISE is already going and I really need to get to my training plan.  I will be using one that I found online and today was day 1 of that.  I really just wanted to go for a baseline run today to see how far I can go, and about what my pace is, and I hope to just build off of that.
          Despite it being a chilly 22 degrees, I dragged myself out the door and into the snow for just over a 5 mile run in just under 50 minutes.  I was pleased with it, considering I don't expect myself to just be able to run 10 miles without specific running training (which I haven't really been doing).  I also felt like once I was done, I was capable of more. 
          Because of one way, windy, and hilly roads, I was sometimes forced to run on the sidewalk.  That was pretty rotten because it definitely slowed me down a lot because I was being very cautious (most were not shoveled).  So, I can't wait for this snow to go away!!  As much as I love the white fluff covering the trees, it's making my running less desirable! 
          Also, since it was so chilly today I went to put some thicker socks on to run in and realized that my shoes are way too small.  I hadn't broken them in yet so I am hoping they can still be returned.  The socks I tried them on in the store with were very thin and probably not what I'd be running in anyways, so that was a mistake on my part.  I will go to the running store before the end of this week to try to exchange my shoes.  Until then, I am just using the shoes I use for crew which I am completely happy with so that's not a problem really.
          On a side note, I was at a dinner with my neighbors last night and one of their sons was there (who is grown and moved out now).  He asked me about high school and all that, and then asked if I was taking WISE.  He spoke really highly of it, and what's interesting is that both he and his brother ended up going into careers that related to their WISE projects.  They never would have guessed it as seniors in high school, but it ended up leading them to where they are more than ten years later!  So that's pretty cool. 

I'll be writing again after class tomorrow!  I'm excited to see how everyone else's projects are going, and I miss being in there 2nd period! :)