In Berlin, Germany I ran 13.1 miles and this is how it went....

March 28th, 2010 in Berlin, Germany I ran 13.1 miles and this is how it went....

One of the best feelings in my life was crossing that finish line on Sunday. Not only because I was dying and ready to stop running 6K before, but it was the fact that I had just accomplished something that people only talk about doing, most never do, and few have finished feeling as I did...strong. 

Before I tell you about my half marathon experience I want to take a moment to recognize the 43 yr. old German participant that died 500m from the finish line that day. I don't know his name but I saw the scene and can only imagine what his family is going through. I send my support to them and wish them the best that's possible at such a hard time.

This half marathon was such an inspiration for me, it made me feel like "Yes I Can!" (no pun towards the Obama campaign intended there,) but seriously I now feel like anything I ever want to do or accomplish will probably seem like a piece of cake. I now understand why people strive for more runs and much longer runs, such as the marathon, the iron man, the centennial and all those ultra marathons. Its like OK how much farther can I now go? Well this chick is seriously the happiest girl alive at the moment I cant imagine what I will feel like after a marathon! So here goes, I will try my very best to fill in all the details of my first ever half marathon, the fun, the pain, the anguish, the struggle, the achievement, the hope, the relief, the excitement and the beer. I hope you have free time to read this cause it will by no means be a short one. 

POST RUN: There was one minor detail that I was not going to freak out about (visibly anyway) and that was day light savings time. I know that those of you in the US experienced this like 2 weeks ago but for us over here in Europe that wonderful time of year where we lose one hour of sleep happened at 4am Sunday March 28th, the day of the race. I was not too worried, but in all actuality I kept thinking it might cause a problem which of course it did. I wanted plenty of time for a post morning run, breakfast, relax/pump up time, and a chance to calm my nerves. So to me 6am seemed like a perfect time to wake up, giving me plenty of time to ease myself into the events of the day until race time at 10:45am. I was under the impression my phone would not change time on its own so I woke up at 5am thinking in my head that its now 6am. Well I asked reception what time it was since it was still dark outside and they said its only 5am and then continued to explain to me the point of daylight savings time. I went back to sleep.... (If you know me then you will understand I am early for everything, I have some weird fear of being late and so I was really forcing myself to go back to sleep and that the extra 2 hours of sleep would be needed. 

7am: I am up, dressed for a 20 minute, 2 mile run I planned out the day before. I stretched a ridiculous amount and then headed out the door. My morning started off with knee pain, like the kind of pain that is caused by a pinched nerve or a too cold and too sore muscle. It shot from my right knee down to my ankle. I thought great, awesome, this is wonderful. I tried to convince myself it was just the cold (and Berlin is a VERY cold place especially in March at 7am.) so I pushed through the warm up still nervous about what the heck I was going to do with this pain. I gave myself a massage, ate a banana, hard boiled egg, water and some free coffee (the women who owned the hostel loved that there was a "girl" running the half marathon staying at her hostel). I had also picked up some PowerBar energy gel things at the expo center the day before and downed one of those.  

Side note: I liked the energy gel and I really think it worked but since the directions were in german I am not sure if I did it right... I just ate it but maybe you should be mixing it with water? I dunno...

I also took 3 IBprophrins, this seemed to do that trick and thank god the pain stopped. We headed to the race which was super close to our hostel. The entire walk was like a crazy dream for me, my stomach had about a thousand butterflies in it while my head was like on over drive with reminding myself how to breathe, what my strategy was, how to prevent my knee from hurting, what my warm up was going to look like, not to fall, what music should I start with.... etc. I wont even try to explain how fast my heart was beating but lets just say it probably broke records. The race area was packed with people, over 27,000 contestants about 13,000 women runners. The weather was freezing, gushing wind and threatening to pour (which is did but in small amounts). I began my warm up and magically my knee was not hurting anymore, I might have the medicine to thank for the warm up but probably both. I did all kinds of jogs, skips, high knees, butt kicks, toy soldiers, stretches, more kicking, more stretching, for a good 20 minutes. I got in the ridiculously long line for the bathroom and right at 10:45am decided to jump the fence and enter the race pack!!! 2 minutes later a count down started, a gun went off, and the pack of 27,000 people started moving!! RACE TIME!

THE RUN: We started over by the Berlin Dome and ran at first down Unter den Linden street through the Brandenburg Gate. I knew from all my Running Buddies and their great advice that I needed to start out slow, don't try to get a head of everyone (although it was necessary to navigate oneself a bit through the crows). I was feeling wonderful, so much energy, no pain, I felt strong and ready to have a great race. Then it started to rain... It poured down rain for about 15 minutes but we all got soaked, and it was freezing... I really am surprised I did not catch cold.  So for the first 8-10K of the race I was feeling wonderful, enjoying all the scenery, all the monuments and plazas we got to pass by really motivated me to keep running, just KEEP RUNNING, it actually helped me focus on other things so running didn't seem like such a chore. I was determined to not only finish but finish strong and not only strong but without stopping, I would slow down to a jog but I refused to walk... refused!

I think that in refusing to walk it makes this experience so much more gratifying. Before I left for Berlin my boyfriend told me to make a list of goals, hide it, and look at it after the race. Well here it is....  

Finish 
Finish under 2:20:00
Finish Strong 
9 minute per mile pace
2 mile warm up/lots of stretching before and after
Stay head strong
Don't give up on the hills

I stuck this paper in my drawer at home and am looking at it now thinking... damn... I did good! The hardest part during the race was kilometer 13-19. Seriously dreaded each step, but didn't walk because I knew that all I needed to do was convince myself that we were close, I was close, I was almost there. This is where my games activity came into play. I picked a person in front of me and I made sure that the distance between me and them never changed.... assuming this person was not slowing down (actually they always seemed to me speeding up). This kept my pace up and really helped me to focus on not slowing down. I changed people often and even at one point sprinted for one or two minutes ( I started to notice a lot of people passing me and thought maybe I was going slower then it seemed.) 

There was a point between kilometer 15-17 that I was sure I was not going to meet my goal of finishing under 2:20:00. I had seen the 10K marker and the timer at that point read 1:24:00 and I to me it seemed like more then 30 minutes had passed and we were only on about 16K. Something inside me said to not give up, that if one goal was not made then at least the others could be made (Finish strong, Finish, etc...) So I pushed on. One somewhat disappointing thing was that it was not until water station 4, the last one, that I realized they were handing out tea, warm tea, and not just cold water. I took two cups and kept on running, this tea saved the 17-21K all the way to the finish for me. I think cause it was warm it was like a burst of energy. I was able to pick up speed, pass people again, and really pump out the last stretch! 

Side note: Having people cheer you on almost the entire way is the most awesome feeling in the world, I have never been one to play sports other then in high school and so I think I missed out on this feeling. It was so motivational to hear "USA" being chanted when I came around a corner early on in the race. Also they had bands playing every other kilometer, as well as crazy (drunk) fans and family members. It was so cool I felt like they were all cheering for me too which made me finish stronger then I could have imagined! 

Then there was that feeling.... that feeling when you see the finish line... it was like "OMG I am almost done, OMG run faster, get there so I can finally strop running!" Then, once I got there it was like, "OK now I can stop running!" "I finished, I am a winner!" 

Here is a cool link that is me crossing the finish line

Which is something I think is super cool! I have been showing all my family and friends the clip. I was able to finish in 2:17:24 which is what the clock above the race finish line read. I was ecstatic! I could not believe my time, really I was shocked that I did so well! I was at the point of crying, no joke! I feel immeasurably proud of myself. The realization of what I had accomplished hit me like a flash and my body was thrown into this struggle to stay calm, not shout, yell or scream (which honestly would have been except able). So you can only imagine the absolute shock when two days later I realize, "oh hey the time you were looking at was the start of the race as a whole, you were not a part of the first group that started running, but rather you were in the E group toward the back.... which means that maybe you should look at the button timer that was on your shoe... which read 2:07:58!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

2:07:58 was a time that I never imagined I would get.... never imagined that it would feel this way, to finish so strong, so great, and so proud!

I can't wait for the Istanbul Half Marathon April 25th!

Berlin, Germany... Watch Out!

So I had my run today which was the best one I have had in about a week! It was the Tarabya 9.4K loop. I made a new play list and wanted to try it out. Not only do I have all the right songs for a long run but they are in the right places. I know that around kilometer 7 the incline increases till about kilometer 11 so during that time I have strategically placed some "telephone" "Pump IT" and "DJ Earthworm" to really get me motivated to keep going. 

I have stretched, made some goals (hidden them and will not look at them till I am finished with the race, recommendation from my BF). I am about to start the two hour journey to the airport! 


this was supposed to be posted when I left last Friday but obviously something went wrong.... 

AHH!!!!!! PRIZES

I feel like screaming... here is one reason why I have not been giving to much attention to this running blog but tonight I know will be one of endless sleep so I am planning on really making it look all amazing! 

On another note- I have an amazing friend named Joy! (that's her blog) and she is trying to get a job as the new Face of Fox for the local news company in New Mexico. So if you have few minutes, which I know you all do! (or wish you had that much time.) Could you please go to her blog... and watch the video she has posted on her blog... here is the link

Basically just watch the video as many times as you can... every day!

For an incentive to watch the video... THERE WILL BE A PRIZE! Just leave me a message and tell me if you watched the video...next Friday.... I will choose a winner and that person will get a postcard from me over here in Istanbul!!!

 PS- Your vote is based on watching the video ENTIRELY and you can watch it over and over again to rack up the votes!!! PLEASE DO.... if you watch it everyday for a week leave me another comment.... and you get your name added again if you join as a follower on my blog!!!

Like I Have Said Before... I Would Do This

So If you know me well enough you would know that  I love making list, organizing just about anything and everything. When I get into "that" mood there really is nothing to stop me. So in my much anticipated excitement for this race, in less then a week, I have created a schedule which I tend to stick to. 

**First of all I would like to note that keeping this schedule is highly unlikely in my circumstance since my routines and daily schedules, outside of running, are subject to change at any moment, for any reason and those changes will greatly effect my running schedule. However I was in that "mood" anyway. 

Both Saturday and Sunday were running days for me. Saturday was a shorter run, Sunday was but a bit more then the Saturday one. I dont want to injure myself, I know I need rest days but there needs to be a place to put all this energy and anxiousness I am feeling, hence I run. The plan is simple, 

   Monday- I will do a short 35 minute run but a fast one which I will time to get a feeling of my new fast pace which has been gradually increasing. 

   Tuesday- I will do a timed 4-5 mile route but not so much fast pace only a race pace. 

   Wednesday-OFF Day with tons of stretching, abs and push ups

   Thursday- Will be a longer steady race day 6 miles (Fahit Bridge and back)

   Friday- Rest day with tons of stretching (My flight is at 11pm to Berlin)

   Saturday- This day is packed full of walking so that will be a great way to keep my joints oiled.

   Sunday- RACE DAY!!! WHOOP!

I have already made a "list of materials to print" aka race confirmation and bib number, directions to place to pick up pre race packet, and directions to the race. I have made a "things to pack" list. "Things to see in Berlin" and a basic itinerary for our weekend! I hope Sarah doesn't hate me after this weekend!!!

If I forgot to mention this, Sarah, who is also here in Istanbul doing what I am doing. She is coming with me! So I have at least one person cheering me on who is actually present since I know everyone of you and my friends and family back home will be cheering me on as well!

Oh I almost forgot! I am making a USA head band to wear... so keep checking to see the pic of it I'll post when its finished!!!

8 miles... naw... 5.5 is enough

The past day or so has been a rut, I wanted to run Friday but didnt for two reasons. Reason number one was because I was super busy taking care of the kids (host mom is out of town so its pretty much an all day thing). I really had no time to run, since on top of taking care of the adorable little ones I was hosting a friend of mine who was feeling a little homesick. It was all bad timing. I should have ran when Ege was napping but didnt cause I didn't feel like it (which was reason number two). So I was going to run after by friend left but turns out she wanted to stay the night! YAY! Hence just no time and bad planning on my part. I justify it as an extra rest day which meant that today I was planning an 8 mile run. 

I woke up super excited cause the sun was out and shining, no clouds, no wind and it was hot! I put on my running shorts, and a long sleeve and ran out the door! I was really loving the run, I am diggin the Telephone song by Gaga and B. I think I had in on repeat for like 6 times in a row. I love the parts when the track jumps. At about mile 5.5 miles I got a rock in my shoe and stopped to get it out, stopping was so amazing not because I needed a rest but the sun felt AMAZING on my face. I rested there for about 10 minutes soaking in the sun rays. Then I just turned around and headed back since I didn't want to be gone too long. 

Berlin in one week! I am getting all my music ready!!! 

Game Time!

Ok so today I was feeling super guilty which was actually a motivation since in the am I was dreading the run I had planned for the day. I took yesterday off since I am trying to not over strain myself even though every ounce of me wanted to run! The sun was out and shining. Low and behold the sun hides and the rain comes when I do run.... I am only running every other day and no more then a 9.4K route which includes some whopper hills. (I might do speed work on the off days... but only like 2K its still to be determined.) Mentally I am so ready for this race! Like I posted before I feel myself getting better and stronger. I started thinking about how I will start my race day such as what foods I want to eat and when. I already know that personally I cant eat starting 2 hours before the race, my stomach is a slow digester and it makes running miserable. I have started to time my eating (before the runs) and 2 hours is perfect if its a light meal. I am thinking beagle, peanut butter and a banana with coffee obviously... lots of it! I think I will sip on a Gatorade about 45 minutes before the race as well since I have tried that and it seems to settle fine in my stomach. Here are some photos from today's run. I actually got lost, like literally lost up on the hills of Istanbul looking for my street. My great navigational skills told me I was going the right way but all of sudden the streets were unfamiliar and rather then downhill like they should have been by that point it was flat and parallel to the Bosphorus... I needed downhill perpendicular to Bosphorus.... One thing that really amazes me as how much more I know about the bus stops in this place then the people who actually live here. I asked like a dozen people "Which way to Istinye Dereici bus stop" in Turkish and everyone had this look of "WTF" on their faces. Maybe they just didn't want to tell me but I highly doubt all of them are that mean. These are just poor people walking around with nothing better to do. Regardless I figured it out and being on top of the hill made for great photos!!! 

 This photo is the starting point for the Eurasia Marathon, it runs from the Asian side to the European side. It a great milage marker!

This can be a drinking fountain, I don't think I will try it out though.

Dunno what this building is but I'd love to live here....

Same Building just the other side....remember I am running while I take all these photos... not stopping!

This photo is the reason I got lost, I had to get a good view of the chicken in the backyard of the apt building complex so I turned around and ran by it again and again.

Point where I realized I was lost, My house is down there somewhere and I should have ended up a lot closer then this... Off to the right is the industrial/business district with all the skyscrapers.

Still too high up to see my house....

Oh there is my house.... the shortest pink apartment building.. and I am still like a mile away, I need to go down the hill I am on and then up the hill the apts are on. gees....

Well that's it for now...

Easy Breezy Beautiful 9.4K

Today was a beautiful day here in Istanbul, the sun was out, there were hardly any clouds and barely a breeze. The perfect not too hot sunny day or a great new run. By new run I mean I went a different route to spice things up a bit. This one was intended to include some hills and unfortunately there was more down hill then uphill which I didn't want since down hill is stressful on my left knee. Once I got to the seaside it was all flat till I got back home though. I Google mapped the route and this is it. 9.4K  Home-Tarabya-Istinye Harbor- Home I didn't set a timer since I wanted to enjoy the run but actually I ended up doing this at a very fast pace. I had to be home by 4pm to Huma (my host mom) could pick up Ece from school. I started at about 2:45 and realized that the run was doing to put me very close to 4pm so I raced home. 

I loved this race/run because I felt so great afterwords. I had so much energy and good spirits which really made me feel ready for this marathon. I was feeling a bit down on Saturday when I tried to run the whole 13 miles again with as much energy as when I did it the week before, not surprisingly it was hard, more strenuous, and boring. (Hence the game I had to play). So thank god I chose a new route, I was able to see new things and places which made it enjoyable. 

I am extremely surprised at how well I am doing. I can tell that I am becoming a stronger runner, my legs don't get as tired, my breathing is not as forced, my muscle are adapting to the longer and longer runs. I can really tell that the intervals and the Fartleks are working to increase my lactose thresholds.Its amazing to me the things that  your body will adapt to once your mind gets set on something, and my mind is set on this half marathon, running strong, finishing strong, (hopefully under 2 hrs.) and accomplishing a goal!!!

Did I miss something Mr Boston?

Today was a very good day for running, at 6:30am and after 2 cups of coffee I started my warmup which I timed to make sure I am actually stretching and taking a full 10 minutes to do so. 10:25:15. Then I started my run off with a pump up song (the new Lady GaGa and Beyonce Telephone song...get it.) I did my usual route because I love running by the sea, it has wide paved side walks (mostly, sometimes it changes to cobblestone and then I move to the road.) It also means less chance of being hit by a car or motorbike. I went a whole 11.4 miles today 9.8km there and back took me 1:51:24 so just add about 20 more minutes to that and its my estimated half marathon time.

With todays run I decided to play a new game, thanks to the technology of my blackberry I can take photos while running and they come out clear rather then blurry. So I pulled it out every so often and took pictures of what I was seeing. Now usually I am the only person running but for some reason there were like a dozen other people including Mr Boston... Which is the guy in the photo above... if you can see him. I call him Mr Boston cause he was wearing a Boston University sweater... and he lapped me! He was running really fast so my first game was to see how long I could follow him (about 8 minutes) then it was bye bye Mr. Boston. He actually just disappeared so I like to think he fell in a manhole and therefore I got a head of him and won the race. When in reality he probably turned down a different street. But there were seriously a dozen other runners all spaced out, some club must have had a practice or something for the upcoming Istanbul Marathon (April 25th). My next picture was right about the time I lost Mr. Boston.... Its a Mosque and one of the older ones. I didnt get the name but if you look in the background you see the begining to my next picture. The Rumelihisari castle build in 1453 ish. I have ran by this castle before but have yet to grab a picture of it. Its important cause it marks the fall of the byzantine empire. Here are the rest of the pictures in the order they appeared to me in my run.

This next one is the Bosphorus Bridge right before I round the bend to the main road.

Next is a beautiful picture of the Asian side as the Sun comes through the clouds.

Then this one is actually from a few days ago... a stray dog followed me for, I am not kidding like 5km until I noticed he didn't have a tag on his ear indicating he was neutered and had his shots so I shooed him away.

Ok back to today's run, this one is of some flowers along the seaside followed by the final one which is so funny cause I had to take a second glance and actually backtracked to take the photo.

Ok you decide.. typo or this person lived a really really long time....

So there you have it, my fun 11 something miles and the game I played to get me through it.

Kuş Kuş Kuş!!

Kuş is run in turkish! You say it Koosh! Today was an easy run day for me. I finished off 4.5 miles in about 45minutes which left me a great cool down walk. The weather over here as been really upsetting. Lots of misty rain and strong cold winds. I bet you know what I mean when I said its no fun to run in strong winds. Its actually hard to do! I started out a little stiff mostly in my calves (which I remembered to stretch well post run.) I also notices a weird uncomfortable feeling in my feet. Could be from my new shoes (I am hoping) it wasn't a pain just weird. If it keeps up I will try and explain it better so maybe someone can help me out. I think it might have been caused my the sore calves as well. I am extremely proud of my breathing which is something I have been working the most on. I can run for one whole hour (and longer) without that "omg I can't breathe, maybe I have asthma, my lungs are screaming" feeling. So yay for me! 

Also my wonderful boyfriend suggested push ups as a way to build some upper body strength to help even more with breathing better. I hope he is proud when I say that so far, for two whole days now I have done push ups pre and post run. I can officially do nine. 

Oh and I bought some Nike dry fit socks that are awesome! Really comfy and soft. I am taking tomorrow off, and maybe even Friday so that this weekend I can do my practice half marathon again since it is the 2 week mark before my race!

Running Fartleks Thats Right I Said Fartleks

Today I did what my boyfriend (a more knowledgeable distance runner then myself,) told me to start involving in my runs. I already knew that interval running was good and have done it on a rather irregular basis mostly cause I was focusing on finishing without stopping and feeling strong rather then the opposite. But since I was recently asked about aerobic and anaerobic running I decided I should push my thresholds a bit more since I am running a half marathon here soon. 

I did these things called Fartleks here is a link as to what they are click  here. 


Basically you take 30seconds to one minute timed intervals where you run as hard as you can. Then job for a break and do it again, similar to an interval. So today I did these, I ran for 35 minutes in my new shoes which fit great, breathe great, and are so comfortable.  I set off determined to do 6 sets of these things. I had my path lined out in my head and I knew the areas where I would run hard and the ones where I would jog. 


It was a lot harder then it seemed cause out of 6 sets I only managed 4. I did run back and set a new PR for my mile run at 7:35:05. 


I also have some GREAT news. Istanbul just created a half marathon here on the Golden Horn which I am going to do at the end of April!!

Question

Ok here is one reason why I wanted to have this blog and also to have such a great network of runner friends of all stages. I have an important question! Can you run with your MP3 player while in a race? I just realized that music is a huge motivation for me and I dunno what I will do if I cant run with it? Is there some runners etiquette that makes this a faux pas? Will there most likely be others with their music? Please and thanks!

LUNARGLIDES

Ok so here is a picture of my new running shoes, I paid more then what they are worth in the USA due to import taxes which left me a little sour but I really needed some quality running shoes. I am also sour that they only had this choice of color which I like but I can see myself getting sick of sooner rather then later. They are the Lunar Glide Nike's and supposedly one of the top long distance running shoes Nike has to offer. I was excited to get the Nike+ ready shoes since I am obsessed with the Nike+ running feature (even though I don't have it yet because I REFUSE to pay 309 US dollars for an I pod Nano when you can get them in the US for 140$. So the Nike+ will have to wait. So far I like the shoes, they fit really nice, are very comfortable, and breathe great! I am praying for no more blisters though, they really are terrible little things.

22K Today

Well after a very busy and at first complicated weekend I accomplished my goal of running a half marathon to actually see how it felt to run for 2 whole hours, 13+ miles, without stopping, and without much refueling. I started my weekend thinking that I was going to be able to run this half marathon practice challenge on Saturday but due to a four year old birthday part and surprisingly SNOW I was not able to run on Saturday. So when I woke up this morning at 6am and saw blue sky I jumped up and started getting ready (which to me means 2-3 cups of coffee). It was a little chilly so I wore under armor and a long sleeve shirt (huge mistake) never again, no matter how cold, will I wear this combo. I was too hot after 25 minutes and so I took off the long sleeve but I HATE tying things on my waist and I HATE carrying things so it was just a struggle the rest of the time. I had also brought my wind breaker to keep out the wind which would have been enough with the under armor (side note to self). The first half was great I really enjoyed it, I was so focused and in-tune with my body and what I was feeling that I was creeping myself out a little. At one point I thought I was actually in a meditation state. I ran the 11.1K to the Bosphorus Bridge all along the sea. It was sunny outside and a brisk windy that kept me the perfect temperature. I took one small 45 second break at the bridge to check my time, stretch and reevaluate how I felt. I think this stop was my mistake maybe. After that point I was fine for a bit, maybe another 5K, then my legs just all of a sudden had no energy. My breathing was fine, there was no cramping, not pain, nothing but this weird sense of "hey you are out of gas woman!" Really it felt like someone was talking to me (it was probably just me talking to myself like I always do). I fixed the problem by telling myself that I was fine, there was plenty of extra fuel in my thighs and butt and that my muscle should just use that, which worked surprisingly whether or not thats where the fuel came from I was able to make it back to the Fahit Sultan Bridge (5K left till my house) before I was forced to take a walking break. 2 minutes I walked before I said enough and ran the rest of the way before my designated 1.5 mile mark that I use as a cool down walk. I finished the run in 2:25:10 which I am happy with but would love to see that under 2 hours someday.

So here is a photo I took via my blackberry of my run the other day. All along the Bosphorus straight there are benches which people sit and enjoy the sea while munching on roasted nuts or seeds. I am about 3K from home and that bridge is the one I have been talking about, the Fahit Sultan Mehmet. Its the second bridge up the Bosphorus the first being called the Bosphorus Bridge. My long run which will take place tomorrow will lead me all the way past this bridge to the next one, the Bosphorus. It will be about a 21K loop back to my house which is about 13 miles. I am taking the advice of one of my running buddies Caryn, and actually doing the run so that when I am in Berlin running my motivation will be "hey this is nothing I have not already done." Great advice. The positive thing and what will keep me going on this long run is that I have gone almost all the way to the Bosphorus once before. I went about 8miles last Tuesday (14K). The senary is so pretty that at times I forget that I am running. Thanks to all my buddies for the advice about pre race jitters. Kristin I think that what you said was most helpful... enjoy where I am and what I am doing. Don't worry about times (even though I am with you Caryn and its one of those back of my head goals) just finish and feel strong!

Post Run Warm-up!

To prevent yourself from getting sick if you are like me and don't mind, actually prefer to run in the rain, wind, cold weather then here is some advice!

Oatmeal + Coffee- Yes, surprise! Coffee when drank with your post run carb filled meal actually increases (by a freaking 66%) the amount of glycogen that is replenished in your muscles. This is compared to those who don't add the caffeine and only eat the carbs. So load up on a warm bowl of oats with banana, almonds and a splash of milk for those Vit E, potassium, and calcium essentials and don't forget the Joe!

My run yesterday was an easy 5.4 miles almost to the Fahit Bridge but my knee was feeling funny and I decided not to push it which was a good idea because today it feels much better. I am taking a rest day today, I might venture out for some stair climbing but other then that I will rest it for my big run which I cannot decide if I will do tomorrow or Saturday.

I just finished signing up for my half marathon in Berlin, Germany March 28th 2010!

Bought the plane ticket, paid for the hostel reservation, got my maps all set up and now its finish out the last few weeks of training, pray for no injuries, and pray for a good time! Yes I said pray! For anyone who knows me I am not a religious person but I do believe in the power of positive thinking, involvement and people! My friend Sarah here in Istanbul will be joining me for this weekend trip (not running with me though) at least I will have someone there to take some photos and cheer me on! Now I NEED to find some new shoes this week... running and breaking in my new shoes is also a must this weekend!

Does anyone have any good advice for pre race (and I mean pre pre pre race jitters? Since its 3 weeks away and when I think about it I feel like hurling, mostly with excitement but still... )? Please help!!!

Rain Will Not Stop Me

I ran the most amazing run today. I started off not sure about how well I would run since yesterday I had a small soreness in my left knee. Thank god for the rest day because the soreness was gone by the time my warm up was finished. I had one goal in mind today, (one goal to add to my previous one which was to run without stopping) and it was to go farther then I went on my long run last Saturday(10K or 6+ miles). I did it! I went a whole 14K which is 8.6 miles and I did it in 1:29:15. So I am pretty proud of myself.

A few other reasons that I am proud of this run is that I was having doubts about being able to run for 2 hours straight. Especially since I have yet to do it since my trip started last September. During this run I really focused on my running form, I thought about the muscle groups being used, how each muscle should be working and at what points in my stride. Every once in a while my legs would feel tight or sore and I would refocus on where the pain was coming from, why it was happening and then I'd adjust my stride and muscle movement groups and poof... pain gone. This was successful not once but several times. Including my breathing. I concentrated on the air coming in and out, pulling in with my torso and tummy rather then my chest, exhaling a little longer then normal to release all CO2 possible. This too worked, each time I did it I was able to get a burst of energy. One energy burst even helped me sprint up a short hill, and then my breathing concentrating helped me focus on calming down my breathes so that I didn't have to take a walking rest. My goal is for my long run to be 10 miles this weekend with out stopping and under 2hr. Then I will move on to speed training a bit since I want my half marathon to be under 2 hours and right now I am looking at (using my mile averages calculated in my head) about 2:22:00.

The rain in my title is in reference to the fact that it started to POUR down rain in the middle of my run, I was dripping wet but it felt great even if the little voice in my head was saying.. "hope you dont get sick becasue of this"... Its a little different to be a runner in Istanbul, first of all there are not as many runners, its a somewhat new fad. Of the few runners out there I have yet to see another girl, and I have yet to see another person in what I call running outfits. I wear capri black running pants or shorts with a t shirt or long sleeve wind breaker with my Northface rain Jacket (which I did not bring with me on this rainy day!) Everyone else is wearing clothing I would sweat 50 pounds in hence why I don't wear it. I get made fun of a lot, but I see it as other people being jealous. Once a bunch of school kids laughed and pointed... the next day was my rest day. Another time some kids mimicked me running as I passed... ouch. I don't really take it to heart for more then a second or two though.

Also I made a new playlist which might have aided to making this run so great because Tik Tok by Kesha Ft. P. Diddy came on right when I needed it to, as well as Sexy Bitch by David Guetta. My most favorite at the moment is Run this Town by Rhianna, Jay-Z, and Kanye West its my motivational Quote at the moment. When that part of the song comes on I really run as hard as I can.

Rest day = Complain day

So I have a HUGE complaint and I am the type of person who is honestly considering taking this to whom ever will listen (whether they want to or not). So Nike and Apple better watch out (Or whoever is incharge of Import taxes for Nike and Apple. For the past week I have been obsessing over the Nike+ sports program and am determined to get one for its fun and easy features to log my hours ran, distance, and calories burned. In order to do so I need a new I pod. I looked online and decided on the Nano. Next I need Nike + shoes, I have chosen LunarElites and LunarGlide, two shoes I feel would most be comfortable with my style of running.

All I needed to do was go to the appropriate stores and make the purchase. Having looked at online prices I was expecting to pay about 100$ for the shoes, 150$ for the Nano. Right? Reasonable? WRONG!!!!!!

So even though the price is obviously in Turkish Lira I will write it in dollars for you. Over here a 8GB Nano is 310$ RIDICULOUS. While my shoes where not sold in the Nike store here and to order them online was around 200$... eww... yuck... and no thank you.

So I called Nike (of course I would do this) and asked if I could order them online and get them shipped to me. The answer was no, but I was able to find another LunarGlide provider who will ship to Turkey and the shoes are only 89$ which made me feel a little better. I need the shoes more then the Nano or the Nike+ So unfortunately it will have to wait till I get back to the US of A. Am I sour about this though? Yes. Since today was my rest day I thought about this problem and disappointment a lot, but since I am practicing being a positive person I am letting it go in hopes that by the time I return there is a better product for cheaper that I will want rather then the Nano, which is likely so there!