Ashley Runs

Ashley Runs is Moving.....

2010-05-24T09:59:00.000-07:00

So I have my other blog and I thought this would happen... its really hard to work with two blogs even though I wanted this one to be only running. So I am combining the blogs... I will see all my running buddies and friends over at my

ashleyrperry.blogspot.com!!!

No News is Good News

2010-05-10T02:06:00.000-07:00

Well Like I said, no news is good news and I dont have much to blog about here in the running blog. I have been blogging up a storm in my other one though so go read some good stuff there. ashleyrperry@blogspot.com

I have managed to run here and there, but my schedule has been busy seeing the sights and soaking in the rays over here in Istanbul. I have been trying to find a good time to run since the weather is so hot all of a sudden (they pretty much skip spring over here). I can't really wake up early enough to go on a run since the kiddie are up and about around 7am. I have tried going early in the morning but it makes for one awful long and tiresome day. I can't go anytime throughout the day (unless there is a wind factor or some clouds) its too hot. So the evenings have been getting all my affection. I love and hate running in the evening here. First of all there is a huge hill that the sun goes behind so its still light but cools off very fast. This makes for a wonderful temperature for running. Then there is also a slight evening breeze along the seaside. Just perfect. The part I hate is that evenings are when there are the most people out an about along the seaside and messing around in the roads. I am not a big fan of running when being stared at but I have come to just ignore it and look like i dont care.

So there is my update blog... short and sweet, no new news... I wish I was looking forward to a race or something cause it at least gives me a good reason to run everyday.

Elliptical Finally!

2010-04-30T22:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the first day I was able to work out since the Istanbul Half Marathon on Sunday. I know it was a long time, trust me I was ready to run on Wednesday but for two reasons I didn't. The first reason being that I had some trouble with working out too soon after the Berlin Half marathon and didn't want that to happen again. The next reason being that there are 5 LARGE blisters on my feet. Two are on my toes (one was underneath the toe nail... nasty... I wont go into detail on how I dealt with it.) Then there are a couple more on the ball of my foot, one about the size of a nickel. The third reason I guess would be that I broke my blackberry and am still upset about it, I have no music to listen to.

So today my host mom took me to the gym! The Turkish one that actually super expensive to be a member at and as much as I love the stationary bike, elliptical , and the stair stepper, I refuse to pay the ridiculous price. I have not been able to use them... until NOW! It was so nice to use the elliptical for 45 minutes and watch TV not having to worry about running back home, or who was watching, staring at me.... and all that outside running nonsense. PLUS my joints and tendons are really thanking me today for giving them a rest of impact on the nasty cobble stones. I think in the future I will try and use the track paved road in Emirgan park more often.

I don't have anymore half marathons or races planned so I am feeling a bit lost.

What do you do when you have nothing (no upcoming races) to train or look forward to?

My nothing to look forward to I mean in the immediate future. I am going to start my marathon training here within the month. My first one will be Portland Oregon October 10th! Which is the day after my birthday! WHOOP!

Golden Horn Half Marathon

2010-04-27T02:44:00.000-07:00

This last Sunday, April 25th was the Golden Horn Half Marathon here in Istanbul! Here is a detailed blog about the race! Unfortunately since I run with my blackberry for music, and since I didnt bring my camera for fear of it getting stolen, I took pre race photos with the blackberry. Which I continued to then dump water all over myself (due to the heat I will get to in a minute) and therefore ruined my blackberry, leaving me picture less..but worse blackberry-less which means no more music for me....damn it. Here is a photo I just snapped of the race shirt, my bib number and my medal!

Pre Race- Sunday morning was a crispy fresh morning, one of those morning that just smells good, looks good and feels good. I woke up at 5:00am to the morning prayer call from the local mosque here in Istanbul. Which is the most important prayer of the day so to me this was a good omen! A good luck charm if you will for my day to come. I had some coffee, got dressed, waited for the sun to come up and light the roads then went on a short 2 mile warm up run just like I did in Berlin. I was trying my hardest to mimic what I did in Berlin since it worked so well for me last time. After the run I decided on what to wear - it was already warm outside so I picked my pink shorts, black tank top and sports bra with a pull over to keep warm until the race. Then I packed my race bag with extra clothes, shampoos, deodorant, my flip flops and other essentials. I made sure to stretch for almost 20 minutes this time. Lots of leg kicks and crosses which are my favorite. Then I had my breakfast, as I have said before its a bad idea for me to eat within two hours of a run, my stomach cant handle it so its 6:45am and I have one hard boiled egg, some Gatorade, and a banana with toast. I was listening to come calming music while doing this, sitting on the couch to try and relax my body. Then at 7am I was off to Feshane, where the race starts!

Feshane is an expo center now right at the starting point to the Golden horn. Quick bit of Info: the Golden horn is the body of water that extends inland from the Bosphorous Straight and the Marmara Sea creating the peninsula that is Sultanahmet Square where you can see Aya Sophia and the Blue Mosque as well as Topkapi palace. (Click on those links and you can see my other blogs info about those places and what I did when I went there!) Here is also a fun interactive little map that the race website had, so you can see what I mean when I describe points in the race! Click here for map!

So once at the main center awaiting the start of the race I was immediatly shocked at the amount of people who were there, I mean mouth dropping shocked.... No there was not thousands, in fact there was not even one thousand! It was so small! Only about 700 runners 63 of which were women. So see why I was shocked!! It felt empty, it felt like there was not this huge even taking place but rather a bunch of gym buddies decided to put together a show and name it a half marathon. I guess I just expected something more like Berlin.

The Race- After trying to focus my nerves and think, visualize the race, get my head in the game. I took a short lap around the parking lot, did some butt kicks, knee highs and such. Then I got into place in the start area. I was at the front.... realizing this is NOT where I wanted to be I started stepping backwards only to bump into some American Army guys who were there running and thought I was crazy (not for running but for coming to Istanbul, never having seen the place, and deciding to stay/work for 8 months) It was nice to distract my mind which was racing with nerves. Then just like that the race started and I was off running. With such small amounts of people and with everyone so spread out it was difficult to really judge my pace (compared to others.) There were the obvious athletes passing me, the ones who will no doubt finish in under 1.5 hours. Then there were the seasoned group of teams who have been training all year for such events. They seemed to pass me as well, I started to realize that my energy was missing, the music I was listening to was not helping me to run in anyway. I started to sing songs, and remember stories to distract my mind. I was able to hit some bursts of energy here and there which was supposed to be my plan to come in under 2 hours. Then we left the Golden Horn and started running along the Seaside at about kilometer 7.5.

This was the hardest part of the race, not only is it that middle part (7.5-12.5KM) but it was 75 degrees along the seaside at 10am! They had water stations for us with sponges as well (this is how my blackberry got broken, in my stress and rush to cool off I dumped the sponge all over my body before removing my blackberry from my shirt... it was soaked...) I am even a bit sunburnt on my shoulders from the sun which I wont complain about, but my nose being sunburnt I will. Its peeling a bit and it hurts! After we came out of the seaside area and back along the Golden Horn the wind really picked up, a head wind that was making me feel like I might blow over! Add this to the fact that they didn't do the best job of making sure that pedestrians stayed out of the crosswalks and I defiantly had to dodge an old grandma trying to cross the street.

The scenary was gorgeous however, we started in the oldest district of Istanbul you could still see the old Constantinople city walls. Once out of this area we hit Eminönü a lovely district with the New Mosque and the spice bazaar on out left. The sunny seaside gave way to views of the seaside wall of Constantinople and the old 6th century port gates. As well as the Aya Sophia and the Blue Mosque minarets. The end was lovely because you were facing the oldest cemetary which has the Pierri Lotti cafe at the top. This Pierri fella was a famous poet that I don't know too much about, but apparently that face is where he wrote most of his poetry. Its a huge hill and that turned out to be great motivation or me. I was thankful we didn't have to run up the hill!!!

Post race- In the end I was not able to beat my time in Berlin. I crossed the finish at 2:15:58 about 8 minutes longer then last time. At first I was a little disappointed but then I realized that I did my best, the sun was not a factor I had anticipated and neither was the wind or the hills. I made my other goal of never walking, never slow jogging, but to keep the same pace which I am very proud of. I think my body deserves a bit of a rest and some relaxation (chocolate is where I will start). One thing about the post race was my stomach did not agree with the bananas and the water I was given. I had the worst stomach ache for the next 3-4 hours and sleep was the only thing I could manage on my day off... somewhat of a disappointment again since I only get one free day to explore. Until next time!! I wonder where my next race will be.....?

Pre Istanbul Half Marathon

2010-04-20T11:46:00.000-07:00

So Its only four days away, Istanbul's Half Marathon around the Golden Horn, and I wanted to make sure that I got a good record of how I was training up till the day. As I mentioned in the last blog this Icelandic Acid rain thing has got everyone kinda freaked out and by freaked out I mean really freaked out. Although I don't really believe there is much harm that can come from it here in Istanbul, the government thinks differently. State schools were shut down today and probably other public buildings. The news was talking about how all the sulfuric ash in the sky will damage the monuments and corrode the bridges, telling people to not take their kids outside and to not darn go outside in the rain which of course it rained off and on all day.

So with all this tension over it in the air (I mean they are canceling flights and such as well.) I decided that I would not run today. (I think it qualifies for a good excuse which was a topic of a blog i read recently but I am blanking o whose blog it was.... sorry)

This means that I will run short 3-5 mile runs Wednesday (5 miles), Thursday (3 miles), and Friday (3 miles). Saturday will be my rest day as well as find the building where I am supposed to pick up the information packet day. Its crazy to me that they have this packet pick up the day before the race and only the day before, in a very not obvious place that is almost impossible to fine and even harder to get to by public transportation so wish me luck....

Speed Training like NEVER Before

2010-04-19T11:57:00.000-07:00

All you need is a somewhat nice day, your best running shoes, 6-15 boys ages 8-11 and A LOT of space! No I am not kidding. I went for my weekly English lesson for two twin boys and they didnt have much homework to do so we went outside to play. They gathered up all the neighborhood boys and we played a game called Cops and Robbers. There was a ton of sprinting involved, lots of running up hills, around corners, and even stairs as I tried to dodge the kids or catch them depending on which position I was at the time. We were in this apartment complex that was all hills, hardly any even straight patches and the boys wanted to take the scenic routes through the yards. Tons of blackberry bush dodging as well as a near fatal fall off a ledge.... it was probably the most fun I have had with that many children in a long time. We continued this game for, no joke, an hour and a half! I was so tired. The funniest thing happened to make the games actually stop, it had started to rain and since that crazy Icelandic volcano has been spraying ash all over Europe of course these kids have heard of it. They all assumed it was acid rain and wanted to go home after that. Oh well. I will be suggesting this game next week for sure! It was a great workout!

One week till Istanbul Half Marathon... I am focusing on relaxing and short runs Tuesday-Friday then all rest on Saturday!! I want to break my PR of 2:07:58!

Hypochondriac....?

2010-04-13T11:55:00.000-07:00

So first of all read my post before this, OUCH! if you have not done so already, since this is an off shoot or rather an add on to it. So I was having a hip issue that was rather scary since it was in an odd place and very painful for no reason at all. I had not gone running that day, didn't fall or otherwise injure myself. I did walk around for several hours but took breaks here and there so it was a little frightening. I did what every well educated college graduate would do.... I GOOGLED the problem. I found this article on Hip Pain, which described my pain fairly accurately and is actually part of a blog I follow. I took some great advice from some of my fellow blog friends and did some hip flexor stretches which made it feel better after a bit.

I was however digging deeper into the best-running-tips.com blog and low and behold this article crossed my screen, Sleeping Foot. I am not kidding when I say that I have a bad circulation problem, it starts with my fingers and only recently have my toes been going numb. I did what the fellow in the blog post did and switched everything yet it still happens.... creepy right? Well I shrugged it off and continued reading when yet again... another coincidence? Swollen Calf Muscle. Ok so I dunno if any of you remember this but a while back I wrote about THIS EXACT SYMPTOM which eventually went away without me wondering what it was but now I am so freaking curious as to if this is what I have... so you see I think I have become a hypochondriac.

On the bright side though, I have stayed off the hip and iced it and the pain is gone. Tomorrow I start my taper down since the Istanbul half Marathon is in two weeks. I am going to stick to easy 3-5 mile runs every other day or so. Nothing to serious. I think one thing that really helped me a lot was that I spend the three days leading up to the half marathon hydrating myself. I drank water like crazy! So I will do that again was well. I am getting pumped!

PS I love people who bribe me to read! Check out the 3 Changes Challenge and you will know what I mean! I have even fallen into this bribery Idea and it seems to work pretty well.

OUCH!

2010-04-12T00:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was an AMAZING day! First of all it was a no running day, Saturday I did a long run and therefore rested on Sunday. But, technically no rest was really given and today I am feeling it big time. I spent the entire day walking, uphill, downhill, under bridges, over bridges, through Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, and all over the Spice Bazaar. If you want to read more about my adventures at these places (and see the pictures) you will have to read my other blog Ashley Renee Perry

Well all this walking was probably great for me since I ate like 3 simits (Turkish form of a bagel) but it did a toll on my hip. Literally the joint of my hip is sore, like its been rubbed raw or something. I tried taking a break and stretching a bit but it still hurts this morning. Which means no running today for me... bummer. Regardless I still think that I will be able to run tomorrow I don't think its took serious just a bit sore. My fingers are crossed! Anyone know of some good hip stretches? besides the obvious hip flexor one?

Steppin up My Game

2010-04-10T21:54:00.000-07:00

Ok so two weeks to go till my second half marathon here in Istanbul. (April 25th.) Today I am off on my last long run (13+ miles to the Bosphorus Bridge and back.) Today I want to finish it as it it where a real half marathon I was running. I want to time myself and see how close to 2 hours I can make it.

There is this website I follow called Active.com and here is an article I got in my email today; 5 Ways to Run Faster I am going to focus on these things for the next 2 weeks.

Stamina, Endurance, Tempo, Speed, Power.

All words I love!

Basically the article wants you to focus on the stamina you have to finish the race, without stopping. The Endurance to make it through the middle "hard" parts of the race, the Tempo to run comfortably, Speed to get that time you aim for and the power to do this while feeling relaxed, not exerted. Pretty easy goals right? They are mine for the next race, or rather the training ones for the next race!

Anticipation

2010-04-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

In Anticipation (as well as excitement from my Berlin race.) I wanted to start running and training again so that the next half marathon (April 25th) I can run better, faster, stronger. I gave myself 3 whole rest days thinking that was enough, and it really seemed that way. Long story short the Thursday after by race I ran 2 miles, Friday I ran 5 miles and on Saturday I attempted 8 miles.

It didn't go so well. About 3 miles in to the run I got these sharp pains in my legs that made running impossible and walking almost unbearable. I was on the point of tears as I walked the rest of the 8 mile loop all the way. I hate turning around and I hate going through the same crowed of people here in Istanbul, one long mysterious stare from each person is enough from me. This pain was nothing to freak out about I had a feeling it was just too much running too soon. I dont want to drag out the details of my death walk home, I was pretty upset and my facial expression showed it.

I then took another 3 days off. I also tried out an ice bath (which was really just cold water in the tub). I stretched a lot, walked a lot. Yesterday I ran again, 6 miles and it went fine so we will see what today brings!

Ok So I started this post, then ran, and am now adding my run for today... another 6 miles which I am tempted to just say is really like 5 miles. Google earth might be off cause I sure can finish it faster then I should be able to. Who knows maybe I am improving drastically but I really doubt it. I can do the whole "6 miles" in 40 minutes... so ehh.... Regardless I felt fine and I even finished up with some intervals.

I have been looking for a good Marathon training program to start to follow and this is what I have found. So far I like it... tell me how do you train for a marathon? Remember this is my first one and its in October 2010.

The Winner is....

2010-04-02T00:03:00.000-07:00

Kristin!!

Keep watching the video of Joy and her interiew for Fox... here is the link again...or rather the link to my blog that talks about Joy and her interview which also includs the video to watch!! Watch it as much as you can so she gets as many votes as possible!!! Thanks again guys!

Kristin shoot me an email of our address so I can send you a super cool awesome post card from Istanbul! ashleyreneeperry@gmail.com

So a quick review of my first run post half marathong, It was great... no problems, not one soreness or cramp... couldnt have asked for a better 2 mile run after such an amazing race. Training continues starting today with a 5 miler (hopefully this afternoon if not in the evening). Oh and I found an awesome forest type trail with track turf paths so I will be using that a ton since its so much nicer on my knees!!! Keep reading and tell your friends and family!

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

2010-03-31T12:46:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-03-30T12:16:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-25T10:08:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-22T02:45:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-20T11:45:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-03-17T08:43:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-15T07:31:00.000-07:00

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?

2010-03-13T09:17:00.000-08:00

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!!

2010-03-10T04:25:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-09T11:41:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-08T18:30:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-08T01:00:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-07T08:15:00.000-08:00

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.

2010-03-04T23:35:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-03-03T01:32:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-02T09:51:00.000-08:00

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

2010-03-01T09:27:00.000-08:00

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!

10K Today!

2010-02-27T01:15:00.000-08:00

So I woke up to a bright sunny, not to cold Saturday morning. It was a wonderful way to start by day since I knew I had a long run a head of me. At 7am I left the house, new music pumping through my blackberry and began my goal for the day.

My goal was to finish the 10.6 kilometers from my house to the Fahit Sultan Mehmet Bridge and back without stopping. I was not trying to challenge my time (however I will do that soon) I simply wanted to finish without walking for even a second no matter how slow I had to jog. Guess what!!!??? I DID IT! The feeling when I finished was so gratifying, it overwhelmed the exhausted and actually gave me a boost of probably the last bit of adrenaline I had. I thought this was going to be a pretty high set goal. I mean I have ran long distance before but whenever I was tired I would stop and walk a bit, then run again. I went 10.6 Kilometers (6.58 miles) without stopping and actually I feel like I could have gone farther. I timed myself and finished sooner then I thought I would at 1:02:55. This is very impressive for me. Its about right too since my 5K time is 27minutes and this run involves two hills both about 100 yards up then 100 yard down again. This makes me optimistic because I want my half marathon time to be under 1:45:00 which seems doable to me at this point. I mean I was not running I was jogging and it only took a little over an hour. I think a couple more times of simply finishing without walking then I will actually try to start improving. One month till the big half marathon!

Here is a great beginners page for anyone else who wants to start training!

Energy Whatsits?

2010-02-26T01:44:00.000-08:00

So as I was browsing through the web looking for pre running tips, do's and don'ts. I came across something called an "energy gel" its I am assuming some form of liquid tablet that you carry with you while running and take at a refreshment station. Does anyone know what these are and if they are worth a try?

Schedules are Hard to Follow

2010-02-25T07:38:00.000-08:00

Well I tried to follow a schedule but it seems life just wont let me. What was I thinking? I guess that since today was just such a busy day that I couldn't get a run in I will be moving my rest days on Saturday to Thursdays. I think not having a rest day on the weekend makes more sense because I work doing the week and I don't have regular hours so sometimes (as this week has proven) its hard to follow a schedule.

I ate wonderfully today though. I got some fish oil pills, with vitamin A&D and a vitamin D. I also didn't snack at all and was able to eat probably one of the healthiest dinners I have had since we were in France living off avocados, potatoes and vegetables for a month. My dinner if you were wondering was 2 cups of veggies with some plain Turkish yogurt on top. Yum! For desert I had jello with half a banana and nutella on top!

Also today I used the Google maps to figure out how many kilometers I was running and turns out from my house to the Fahit Sultan Mehmet Bridge and back is about a 10K which is more then I thought it was. I will start my day tomorrow with that run to make up for the lack of one today.

Istiyorum!!! (I want... in English)

2010-02-24T10:25:00.000-08:00

I really want one of these!!!

Nike sportband!!!

Nike sports band, logs your run time, miles, and even calories burned!! (Also comes in cool colors) they are only about 60 dollars!

Week One is going Great and Strong!

2010-02-24T03:25:00.001-08:00

This morning I really wanted to get up and run with the sunset, well I got up but it was pouring down rain, so I fell back asleep only to wake up to a bright sunny sky!

So far I have kept up the pace and energy, its now Wednesday and seeing how yesterday I was not able to run (busy with the the kiddos), I went on an extra long one today and included some intervals and hills. I ran from our house to Istinye harbor, then up hill toward the Bosphorus, and once there decided to loop back and run uphill (one mile!) to Istinye Park. I did the same thing the other day when I ran to the Fahit Sultan Bridge but only the other directions. I finished all this in about an Hour with some walking intervals included. Check out my running long to see the times I managed to do this in!

For my after run snack I had half a banana and a cup of mixed unsalted nuts with of course coffee!

Officially Week One, Bir, Une, Uno.

2010-02-20T20:53:00.000-08:00

After two weeks of slowly seeing how my body would react to running again I am ready to take the plunge and start real training. I have three goals associated with my overall goal. One is to keep a running log or journal so I can track my progress, hence the online blog. Two is to be consistent with everything from what I eat before and after to what time I wake up and the routes I take. I foresee some challenges with this in the future but that's what the logs are for, too see what worked and didn't. Three is to time myself, not just look at the clock when I left and look at it again when I return but to actually see how far I went in what about of time... and get better the next time.

One thing to remember is that you should always have a pre run snack. Mine is half a banana today and 2 cups of coffee. I am a believer in coffee before a run, simply because my human phys professor told me he did it before runs. Good enough excuse for me!

What to eat and why to eat before running? Choose something high in carbohydrates and lower in fat, fiber, and protein. Such as a bagel with peanut butter; a banana or a energy bar; a cup of milk. So this 30 minutes before the run.

Pot Run: Finished, here is how I feel great! I went on a 30 minute run today because its my adventure day and I will be walking around the Sultanahamet area and didn't want to tire myself out too early.
To Istinye Harbor- 15:30 minutes 3K one direction. I stopped to enjoy the sun rising over the harbor then ran back in 15:11 the same distance 3K. I then felt like a little more exercise was needed so I ran up the 200 stairs to our apartment building. In all accourding to Self.com I burned 405 calories in 30 minutes. Now off to my adventures in Istanbul... after a cup of joe.

Lets Get Down to Vitamins

2010-02-20T12:08:00.000-08:00

I started to wonder what type of vitamins I should be taking if I am going to really embark on this hardcore serious running. No more fooling around with a jog here and there that never really gets logged in my journal, never timed, never challenged. All that's changed now, which means I better make sure my body is in tip top shape! So as my boyfriend would tell you, looking things up via Google is my favorite past time and that's what I did. Basically every morning these are the vitamins a women 20-30 should be taking.
-Multi-vitamin
-Vitamins C and E, with a selenium
-Iron
-Vitamin D
Now if you really really know me you would say "Ashley take pills? sista please!" I don't like poppin pills because there are natural ways to enrich your body with the above vitamins (and its cheaper then buying all those supplements).

For Vitamin C- this ones easy just eat broccoli, bell peppers, strawberries, oranges, lemons, cauliflower, and my favorite Brussels sprouts. Basically this one vitamin does the following in short terms; helps your cells protect from free radical damage which lowers cancer risk.
For Vitamin E- load up on almonds, and spinich as well as blueberries. Vitamin E does wonders for your skin by protecting it from ultraviolet rays so if you tan you especially need this. It also helps your cells to communicate with one another!
High Selenium- This is found in mushrooms, cod, tuna, and salmon, what it does is help your thyroid produce the thyroid hormone you body needs.
For Vitamin D- start eating salmon, shrimp, milk, and eggs! There is a whole slue of disease's this helps to prevent, as well as keeping bones and teeth strong. It does more, it regulates cell growth and reduces inflammation.
Iron- this one is a bit harder especially if you are a vegetarian cause there is lots of Iron in meats but you can also find it in spinach, broccoli, lentils, asparagus and thyme. Iron helps enhance the oxygen distribution throughout your body, which duh has to happen in order to get those muscle the O2 they need to make you run. Iron also helps produce the energy your muscle use, and keeps your immune system healthy.

See that was easy, and if you have any questions ask, or Google them.

Day of Rest

2010-02-20T03:25:00.000-08:00

One of the hardest parts about running for me is that once I get into a good motivating groove its hard for me to stop and realize my body needs a break. My first reaction is always, "If I stop now my motivation will die." Then I think, "If I don't take a break... my motivation will die!" So if you leave my blog with any more then this tid bit you are in great shape already.

So what to do when you know you need to take a day off but you are in the middle of such a great groove you think, "bring the marathon now!"? I tend to take breaks on the days when I know I already have a lot planned. For example my Saturdays are great days to take breaks because not only do I still work in the am on Saturdays but I teach English for 2 hours, then usually walk down to the market, then explore as much as I can of this wonderfully vast city! Not only am I taking a break from running which is allowing my muscles to rebuild and strengthen which means my running only IMPROVES but I am still burning calories since my entire day is full of walking (and Istanbul is not flat let me tell you...). So its really a win win for me.

Here is an article on why its so important to take a break
http://www.therunnersguide.com/rest/

So today is Saturday and its my rest day. My rest days are never scheduled but I always have at least two a week. For me rest days make me feel guilty like I SHOULD be exercising if I am not sore which is why its important for my rest days to be active days and I plan them accordingly. Today I will walk down the hill to the market which is about 2 kilometers long, walking and shopping. Then I will walk up another hill to Istinye Park mall and do a little shopping there. Not only have I given my glutes a great workout but I might find some goodies for myself!

Would I Dare?

2010-02-19T12:30:00.000-08:00

Yes I would, start a new blog all about my own fitness and running skills... Basically I wanted a way to express how I feel about running and exercise in general. I also got sick of reading all those magazine blogs and in the end thinking two things, either that type of exercise is unrealistic for me, or wow that's not helpful. So in this blog I will bring up those topics and much more!

I also will be talking about my own personal goal to run a marathon (or more) within the next year. My most recent burst of energy has pushed me to be realistic about this and start a training and workout log, something I have done but never really felt it did anything for me. Things have changed now and I have a real goal.

I want people to read this and think about their own fitness, lifestyle, and most off stop REALLY believing those magazine that are just chalked full of trendy "fads" and useless information unless you are filthy rich and have the time and money to spend on fitness.

So I'mma get real... :)