Running is slowly, but surely, starting to feel like something I look forward to again.



In fact, on Friday I spent a good portion of my lunch break researching new-to-me trails in the DMV that I could explore during my Saturday long runs. Coach Zach sent me a bunch of his old favorites, and I stumbled upon some good options in the some of national/state parks in the area.

When I woke up Saturday morning, I was so, so excited to lace up my shoes and get running.

I did my whole pre-long run routine, something I haven't done in ages. Peanut butter toast breakfast, downing a ton of water, using the bathroom a million times. The only thing I didn't do was wait around for Garmin to find satellites because I left Garmin at home.

My plan was to run long -- much longer than I have in a while, and I knew I'd need to go slow and probably take some walk breaks if I wanted to explore further up the trail than normal. I didn't want to get hung up on just how slow I was going.

And so I ran, and smiled at other runners and walkers out enjoying the beautiful weather. I hit a fork in the trail and stopped to chat with another runner about which way we should go.



I zoned out to my music and just enjoyed the sunshine and the trees and not being able to hear the  sounds of persistent DC traffic.

When I finally reached the end of the trail, I took some time to stop and stretch and relax, before turning around and heading for home.

In total, I did something close to 8.5 or 9 miles. I have no idea how long it took me or how slow I went, but I could tell that my legs weren't moving very fast and felt a little bit heavy on some of the hills.

When I got home, I wished I had the exact data from Garmin on how fast and far I went. I crave having that data. But during the run, I don't miss the constant pressure of trying to hit certain paces.


Dear Garmin, I kind of miss you

I might bring Garmin back soon, since I really do miss the data afterward, but I think during the run, I'll leave the screen flipped to just the time of day or something that doesn't give me constant feedback on how slow or fast I'm going.

We'll see. I'm still deciding. Right now, it's just important to me that running be fun again.

I remember a time when running was simple -- when I ran purely for the joy of running, even though I was slow (so, so slow -- 12 minute miles slow). A time when I didn't care about splits or pace or heart rate.

I remember when I used to wake up in the mornings, lace up my sneakers and head out my parents' front door to log the miles I needed to train for my first marathon before leaving to head to my first full-time summer internship.


Pretty views on my runs in PA

I remember spending Friday evenings driving around in my car down long and windy country roads, watching the trip counter so I could plan a route for the next day's long run because I didn't have a Garmin and I had never heard of MapMyRun (it may not even have existed back then).

I remember waking up early to go on said long runs, scarfing a peanut butter PowerBar and grabbing a lemon-lime Gatorade out of the fridge to carry in my hand. (Not in a fancy water bottle with a nice hand strap or something).

I remember my mom warning to me to watch out for skunks because in the country those are problems you might have in the pre-dawn hours.

Running was simple back then.

When I was training for my first marathon, I was so proud every time I finished a long run, hit a new distance or maybe ran a tiny bit faster.

Somewhere in the last eight years, I lost the simplicity and the joy of just running. I started taking distance running for granted. A 10 miler wasn't anything special, it was just another item I had to check off my really long to-do list.


Look at all my tech gear...Philly Marathon 2010

I struggled to find routes I loved in the city. I missed my open windy country roads with pretty scenery. There's a freedom to those roads that I just don't feel dodging angry drivers in DC.

So running lost some of its glitz and shine. What used to be my stress relieving "me time" started becoming an uninspired chore.

I wasn't running fast enough, long enough, hard enough. My times weren't improving, I was sidelined with injuries. I was running on routes I hated.


Injuries upon injuries

Everything about my running felt forced and miserable.

And all this really hit me when I was home in PA for Easter. I went out for two runs while I was there on those same windy country roads that I logged miles and miles on while training for my first marathon.

I had no Garmin, no fancy gear and I felt the biggest sense of freedom in my running that I had in a long, long time. I didn't care about pace or time or even really distance.

It felt like I was a newbie runner again, experiencing the simple joys of feeling my legs moving, my heart pumping, my lungs enjoying the clean, fresh country air.

I felt free.

And now that I'm back in DC, I've been trying to find ways to replicate that here. No I don't have beautiful country roads, but there are some nice trails, and you really can't beat the views of some of the monuments. I've been leaving Garmin at home, not worrying about pace or time.


One of many DC trails


Washington and Jefferson

Right now, I'm just trying to rediscover that simple joy and freedom I used to get from lacing up my shoes and heading out the front door.

I don't know that I'll ever be able to find it in DC the way I can so easily find it in wide open spaces, but I can certainly try.

This past week leading up to the Boston Marathon has been an emotional one, and I'm struggling to put into words everything I've been feeling.



There's the sense of sadness I felt watching the tributes last week and remembering the lives lost, the way communities (both the running community and the Boston community) were senselessly attacked.

There's the pride in the strength and resilience shown both in Boston and in the international running community. Watching people pull together, organize fundraisers, pledge to run in remembrance of those who died or were injured in the attacks and being proud to be part of such a strong and amazing community.

The flood of people signing up to run the 2014 Boston Marathon, the spectators standing five and six deep on Boylston Street at the sight of the bombings, the hopes of the U.S. running community wishing and praying that this is the year an American wins Boston. Because this is the year, more than any other year, we NEEDED an American to win Boston.

[caption id="attachment_3228" align="alignnone" width="500"] Photo from USAToday[/caption]

And so those of us who couldn't be in Boston yesterday, sat around our computers, watching the live streams.

We cheered for Shalane every step of the way through the early miles -- hoping against all hope that somehow her training, grit and sheer desire to bring home a U.S. victory to her hometown in the year it needed it the most would carry her to victory.

We watched Meb pull away from the lead pack and open a monster lead. But it was early, and we worried that he was going to blow up at some point and that one of the Kenyans or Ethiopians would overtake him in the later miles.

But still we held our breath and hoped.

We felt the disappointment Shalene must have felt as the lead pack of women pulled away and eventually dropped her as they went on to set course records.

But we still had Meb. Still running strong out in front all by himself. And so we still had hope.

Maybe an American could win this yet.

As we watched Meb struggle in the later miles, the doubt began to creep in. Out of nowhere other runners started appearing not far behind him. We listened as the announcers told us Meb's lead was shrinking.

We cheered at our computers, urging him on just as the crowds in person did, carrying him past the Citgo sign, through the last turn onto Boylston Street, watching him break the tape and re-claim Boston for America.

[caption id="attachment_3227" align="alignnone" width="500"] Photo from Reuters[/caption]

We danced in excitement and cried happy tears. We were overjoyed, elated, feeling the adrenaline flowing through our own veins, probably still in some state of moderate disbelief that what we just watched had really happened.

We watched Meb celebrate, listened to the national anthem play and as the reality set in -- that after all these years, an American had finally won Boston -- we finally felt like maybe we were starting to heal.

The wounds of what happened last year will always be there -- a scar that never permanently fades, but Meb's victory was a tangible reminder that in America we rebuild and come back stronger and better than before.

We finish the race. We are Boston Strong.

When Coach Zach read my post last week about how running had been hard and miserable and just wasn't fun for me anymore, he immediately g-chatted me with a possible solution.

Here's how the conversation went down:

Coach Z: Yo dummy, listen up.
Jess: Good morning to you too.
Coach Z: Yea, thanks I guess. What's with the running nonsense?
Jess: I don't know. It's really hard to like running when it hurts all the time.
Coach Z: Yea, been there. What I'm about to propose might sound scary to you...
Jess: Well, let's hear it.
Coach Z: Ditch the Garmin.



I think I actually cringed when I read his message. I love running data so much. I love knowing how far I went, how fast I went, average pace, fastest pace, all the wonderful data that Garmin spits out.

But I know I also get into a trap of spending the whole run staring at my wrist, worrying about my pace, wondering why even though I feel like I'm working so hard my pace is slower than slow.

So last week, I started taking Coach Zach's advice. Garmin stayed at home on my runs.

At first, I thought maybe I'd turn Runtastic on so that I would still have the data and just mute her little voice coming through the headphones. But then I realized that sort of defeated the purpose.

I was supposed to be running just for the sake of running.



And will say, I did feel a little bit freer on my runs. I looked up and noticed the trees. I explored new parts of a trail I sometimes run on. I tried to embrace running just for the sake of running.

(Confession though, I did still map out my runs on MapMyRun after the fact, just so I could see how far I went.)

But it all made running a little more fun again. I still think I have a bit of a ways to go before my slump is completely broken, but there's something to be said for just going out to run and not worrying about any of the other stuff.

Some people bounce between running shoes like someone hot on the dating scene bounces between men. One day they wear their Brooks. The next day it's their Sauconys and for long runs, it's their Asics or Mizunos. A new day, a new shoe. Or a new dude - to keep my analogy going here.

I mean why commit to one, when you can constantly mix it up?

But I've never been that person. (In running or in dating)

In fact, I'm very much a running shoe monogamist.


Rows of Mizunos

For the past eight years, I've had a very steady and happy relationship with my Mizuno Wave Inpsires. They take care of my feet through rigorous training. They've crossed the finish line with me at every major (and nonmajor) race I've run. They are good and loyal.


Mile 25.5 of MCM in 2012


Baltimore half in 2012

And in return, I've been loyal to them, buying nothing else at the running store and ignoring people when they say I should try something new -- you know, add some spice and variety to life.



Spice and variety just means a new color

But ever since I started having my myriad of foot problems a little over a year ago, my orthopedic doctor has been telling me to go get re-fitted, to try a different shoe, to try inserts.


Remember that bone stimulator...

For nearly a year, I blew off his suggestion. I loved my shoes. The shoes were not the problem. I didn't need to stray from a relationship I was very, very happy in.

But after my plantar fasciitis diagnosis in January, doubts starting creeping in. I was wondering if my perfectly happy monogamous relationship was growing stale, and if I really did need to get myself back out on the running shoe dating scene.



So I went to Road Runner Sports to get fitted for orthotics and get some new shoes.

They did the whole gait analysis -- video taped me while I ran on a treadmill, analyzed my balance and how I distributed weight over the length of my foot. So I knew if I was going to cheat, I'd at least have some data backing it up and saying that I should do it. Something to assuage my guilt.

Eventually they printed out a reading that said I should be in a Stability Plus shoe.

My Wave Inspires are just a regular stability shoe.

So they brought me out a ton of different shoes to try. A pair of Nikes (didn't even try them), two pairs of Mizunos (the Wave Inspire and a new model) and a pair of Asics (the Kayano 20).

I tried them all on, jogged back and forth in the store, and realized that the Asics actually felt really, really good on my sore feet. I told the salesguy I felt like I was running on a cloud.

So I left the Wave Inspires at the store and took home my new pair of Asics.



And holy crap did I feel guilty.

I mean, seriously, for weeks I made no mention of the new shoes on social media, I refused to take pictures of them (which as you know is weird because I tend to take a lot of pictures in my shoes), heck I even kept them in their box in the my closet so my other Mizunos wouldn't have to see them.

Those shoes were my dirty little secret.


Note how I sort of cropped them out in this picture

I rationalized that if the Asics helped with my foot problems, then I had made the right decision, even though it felt pretty wrong.

But it turns out, the Asics -- like any dating fling -- just caused a whole bunch of problems of their own. My first run in them, an easy 5 miler, left me with a massive blister on my big toe.

My second run in them - the Shamrock half marathon - left me with an even bigger and nastier blister.



Then there was the heel sliding, the shin splints and the horrible, horrible calf tightness every time I took a step in a run over a half mile.

As of this weekend, I had enough. My dalliance with the Asics was over. The luster and shine of their newness had worn off, and I just wanted my faithful Wave Inspires back.

Thank God Road Runner Sports has an amazing return policy (90 days no matter how many miles you've put on the shoes). I took the Asics back, dropped them on the counter and asked for the Wave Inpires.

The guy brought out some other shoes too, but I didn't even bother. I knew exactly which shoes I wanted.



I went on a run yesterday in my new Wave Inspires, and everything felt right in the world again.

So the moral of the story here is don't cheat (on your running shoes or in life). If you have something that works, stick with it -- no matter who is telling you otherwise.

Cheating gets you nowhere and causes a lot of pain and heartache (and shin splints).

One of the things I've been doing to try to make my runs more pleasant is really focusing on recovery after each run. I've been known in the past to sometimes skip stretching and foam rolling because of a time crunch, but one of the biggest problems I've been dealing with on runs lately is super tight leg muscles.

So in an attempt to fix that, I'm throwing myself at the mercy of my foam roller and compression socks. It's a pretty safe bet that if its one of the days of the week that I work from home you'll find me lounging all day in my hot pink compression socks.



It's a good thing people I work with only see me from the neck up on those days because my bottom half is not nearly as styling.


Google hangout with some colleagues. Yes I was wearing my compression socks.

The other thing I've been doing is experimenting with my new foam roller. Actually, I'm not really sure I should be calling it a foam roller since it's not made of foam.



This is the enso roller from Evofit -- I was sent it recently to review since I've been so tight on runs.

This roller is a bit different because you can reconfigure it as necessary to target problem areas to get the max effect from rolling. You simple following the basic diagrams that came on the pamphlet and slide the black discs into place to hit what you want.



I've tried the back roller, which feels amazing after a long day hunched over my computer, and I've used some of the leg configurations too to target my IT bands, hips and glutes.



I'm still feeling pretty tight on a lot of my runs, but I'm hoping if I stick with my recovery plan regularly and don't let it drop after a few days like I tend to do that I'll start seeing results soon.

In case you didn't pick up on it from the title, this post is not really full of happy thoughts. I'm not in a good place with my running right now, and this post is largely a discussion of what I'm struggling with. If you're looking for chipper and cheery, this is not the place today...

My running has been less than stellar lately.

It seems like every run is slow, painful and down right miserable.

I know I'm coming off a series of injuries, and I certainly don't expect to jump right back in and be at the same levels I was before. But I've been working to lay down a solid fitness base for a while now, and my lack of progress on the running front has been disheartening.

It's making my couch look more and more appealing and making me want to cast my running shoes to the back of my closet.



Last week I ran three times -- two four milers and a six miler -- and none of them were very good runs.

Tuesday, the weather was nice and I wasn't trying to push it, but by the last mile I was gassed. My legs felt like lead and I wanted to throw in the towel and walk the rest of the way home.



My runs on Friday and Saturday weren't any better. In fact, I think they were a lot worse. Despite lots of stretching, I was so, so sore and tight the entire time I was running. The distances felt like a terrible struggle, my legs felt like bricks and everything about the runs was unpleasant and miserable. (Except maybe the weather, which was pretty gorgeous, so at least I got to enjoy being outside in nice weather.)

I posted a photo and a rather disheartened comment on Instagram after my miserable six miler on Saturday.


This photo with the comment "All my runs have been extremely sucktastic lately.

A few of you left me some nice comments back about how I have a lot on my plate and I shouldn't worry about pushing it too hard right now. And deep down I know that's true. Between work and teaching, I've definitely got a lot going on. But it's hard to find motivation to get out there and keep running when every run is a struggle.

I used to love running so much and now I feel like it's a battle every day to convince myself to get out the door. After the weeks I've had struggling to get my running mojo back, I totally understand why some people hate exercise.

Why would you keep pushing yourself to do something when it hurts, when it's miserable, when it's not fun? Seriously, my sofa and Netflix queue are a million times nicer to me right now. My running has sucked. It's been awful and miserable, and I totally understand why people wouldn't want to put themselves through that on a regular basis. Hell, I'm starting to question why I do.

In the back of my mind, I'm really hoping this is just a phase I can push through and eventually get past -- that running will become enjoyable again and I will look forward to pounding the pavement and not dread it like I am right now. That running will go back to being a stress reliever rather than a source of stress.

In the meantime, I guess I'll just keep gritting me teeth and pushing through because that is after all what I do.

(Sorry for the major downer of a post today. This whole "running currently sucks" thing is really bumming me out, but because I don't want to leave you on such a sour note, here's a picture of the gorgeous tulips that are currently blossoming in my apartment. I love the red and yellow -- it makes them look like they are on fire...or that they're Terrapin Tulips because they're red and gold.)

Ever since I posted last night on Facebook that I'm going to be starting an MBA program at Auburn University in the fall, I have gotten a million questions. (Apparently so has Emily, who has been fielding them and acting as my spokesperson...thanks Em.)

So let me clear up some of the mystery and confusion.

Are you moving to Alabama? (Asked in various tones of shock and dismay).

No. I'm not in fact moving to Alabama.

::Sighs of relief:: Oh good so how does this whole MBA thing work then?

Good question. Auburn offers a bunch of really flexible options with their MBA program, and the one that I selected is mainly virtual. So that means I'll do most of my coursework right here in DC and only go to Alabama a few times during the course of the program.

Oh that's kind of cool. So why did you pick Auburn and where else did you look?

I think the better question is where didn't I look.

Originally, I had my heart really set on the part-time MBA program at Maryland. The Smith School has a pretty great reputation, it's right in my backyard, and I seriously love all things Terps. I teach at the university, I have season tickets to football and basketball, I live and breath the black and gold. It just seemed to make sense.

So when I got in, I was pretty pumped. But then I started realistically looking at the financial picture and doing the math to see just how much I'd need to take out in student loans to make that happen. And then I wanted to cry.

So I tabled Maryland and started looking in to other programs in the D.C. area (GW, Georgetown, American). They all cost the same, so I started looking at other schools with really strong virtual programs -- Kelley at Indiana, UNC, UVA (that would have been a hard pill to swallow), Auburn, stuff up in Boston.

I swear for many, many weekends this fall and winter all I did was research business schools.

My decision to go with Auburn came down to a few things:
1. Flexibility - You can take as many or as few classes each semester as you want and if you need to take a semester off, that's totally OK as long as you finish the program within six years. Also, you can take the classes on your own schedule. Sure it's best to do them when they are live, but if you have another work commitment or something else, you can tune in later and get the same benefit. That was huge for me.

2. Time on Campus - You are only absolutely required to go to campus once at the end of the program to present on your capstone project, but you can and are encouraged to go more often. I like that you only have to go once. Some of the other programs I looked at required a lot more campus trips, which can really add up in the cost department. I'm sure I'll end up going to Auburn more than once, but I like that it's all on my terms.

3. Cost- This was a big one for me. Auburn costs $775 per credit. Most other programs I looked at cost anywhere from $1200-1500 per credit. I'm not trying to dig myself a massive hole of student debt here (in fact my mentor warned me very much so to not do that), so the money thing was definitely a big consideration for me.

Turning down Maryland was hard. Like really, really hard. But I'm so excited about the Auburn program. Plus SEC football! Whoo! War damn eagle!

Time out, I didn't even know you were thinking about doing your MBA. Where did all this come from?

Yea, I will admit, I've been pretty tight-lipped about it, but I've been thinking about it for a while now. I started briefly entertaining the idea a few years ago, but the thought of the GMAT at the time was enough to make me push it on the back burner.

But last spring, I got really serious about it. I signed up to take the GMAT and sat for it last June. I did about a week of prep work for that test. Rocked the verbal part, did crappy on the math because I haven't touched geometry since high school. So overall I did disgustingly average. I wasn't happy with my score but it was good enough to get me in where I wanted to go, and I guess that's all that mattered.

So I applied to places this fall and winter and now here we are.

I figure an MBA will be a nice thing to have in my quest for world domination. (Ha, I kid...sort of).

How in the hell are you going to have time for this? When are you going to sleep?

Ummm...right, I haven't quite figured that part out yet. So I'll still be working at my current full time job, and I will also be teaching my journalism class at Maryland two nights a week, and yes, now adding MBA coursework to that as well.

My plan is to take only one class this fall to get a handle on things. I know I'm going to be busy. But it's cool. I function best that way.

And I'm keeping my race calendar light in the fall. I've got a half marathon in early September, a 10 miler and 10K in October and a 10K in November. Basically after the half, all distances that I can do in my sleep without killing myself in training.

When will I see you?

Maryland tailgates. Buy your season tickets now. I think that might be my only free time.

 

Spring just might have finally made its way to DC. I mean I don't want to jinx it or anything, but we've had two days in a row with pretty decent weather -- which made for great running and Opening Day action.

Last night after work, I decided to take advantage of the gorgeous spring day and headed to one of the trails by my house.



It was my first run in shorts for the season and my first run since the half marathon that I didn't have blister problems! Winning!



Don't mind my super pale legs. They haven't seen the light of day in months.

I didn't push it hard on the run. I mainly wanted to focus on enjoying the nice weather and managed to knock out four miles fairly easily.

I spent Monday afternoon in Baltimore, enjoying the Opening Day festivities. That city really knows how to do Opening Day right.

Police block off a lane of traffic to allow fans to walk back and forth between three of the bars right outside the stadium. Fans are decked out in all sorts of orange and black. There are people everywhere.



Two of my friends were working at one of the outside bars and they barely got two seconds in between pouring one drink before they had to crack open five beers for someone else.

And in other good Opening Day news, the Phillies beat the Rangers! It's always nice to start off the season 1-0 (though we're now 1-1 since we lost last night, sigh).

Man I'm just glad baseball is back and that maybe spring is finally here. It's nice to see the sun after such a miserable winter.