Did I Just Do That? New (Weekly) Mileage PR

Saturday workout: 6 miles, 11:33 average, Connects

Sunday workout: 10 miles, 10:26 average, Connects

And thus we conclude a perfect month of training and my highest mileage week ever! 41.5 miles. I'm no Shalane Flanagan, but I do all right.

So does Anchorage.

It seemed it was going to be kind of a blah day outside, but obviously the weather gods were excited I was going to beat my previous weekly mileage PR, because it got clearer and clearer as the run went on and turned into a bright, sunny day!

I took y'all's advice and introduced some fuel into this run: Nuun and shotbloks. Also, side note, I must have been raised by savages because I was shocked that Anchorage shut down for Easter. I had planned to go to REI and blow my dividend, but I had the (all too uncommon) foresight to look it up before I left. Closed! Then, after my run when I wanted to go to Subway, both locations I stopped at were also closed! Quiznos? Ditto! Seems not even that creepy hamster creature works on Easter. Didn't they know I needed to reward my hard effort with a delicious sandwich? I had to settle for a boring grocery store sandwich. Rude.

Anyway, Sports Authority was open so I hit them up. Last year, a blogger sent free Nuun samples to anyone who wanted them, and although it took me a year to use twelve tablets, I liked it enough to buy more. Lemon-lime and pink lemonade. The lemon-lime was not nearly as tasty as I had hoped, but it seemed to do its job well. I didn't bother looking at the suggested water-to-tablet ratio, so maybe if I tinker with that it will taste better. Also, drinking something sweet for an entire run is too much. Towards the end all I wanted was regular water, but I was stuck with my sweet brew. I'm going to start with water next week and slip in a tablet halfway through the run (that sounds like a roofie joke) and see how that goes. I'll also bring more shotbloks - three was not enough. Strange, since I usually don't need food or water for anything 10 miles or less.

As for the run itself, it went really well! I manned up and didn't let myself run on my flat pavement route. Granted, there wasn't much elevation gain on the route I chose, but it was enough that I was able to tell myself I wasn't taking it easy. Also, I'm glad to see my elevation chart confirms that miles 7.3-8.8 (and  2.4-3.9 since I did an out-and-back twice) were all uphill. It was pretty gradual so I wasn't yelling about it or anything, but I remember wondering at mile 8.5 just how long I had been going up because it seemed like a comically long time.

I was more bored than usual (I managed to refrain from turning music on), but my energy levels were pretty solid. The only time I had that end-of-long-run-deadleg feeling was on a random downhill during the first half. The road I was running on (see here for a very basic description) ends at a rehab center where my mom actually used to work, and it seems patients were allowed to go for an Easter walk with their families because I passed a lot of groups that obviously originated from that parking lot and not the one the rest of us have to park at. They all seemed to be having a really nice time, which made me happy.

Here are some splits, just for kicks:

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How convenient that the last day of the week and month happen to fall on the same day! Here's a little roundup:

Monday: 6 miles, easy

Tuesday: 6.5 miles with 6 x 800 (at 8:30 with 400m rest) while dodging pucks

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: 8 miles with 5 tempo (9:44)

Friday: 5 miles, easy

Saturday: 6 miles, easy

Sunday: 10 miles, slightly faster than easy

Weekly total: 41.5 miles

Monthly total: 154.75

Like I said, I ran more miles this week than I've ever done before, and I feel SO MUCH better than I did after my peak week last year (which was 4 runs of 5, 10, 5, and 20 miles). Granted, I didn't run a 20-miler. But I also don't want to kill myself. I'd call it a huge win. Last year, running 10 miles meant I was done for the day (unless there was a promise of beer - these legs will always move for beer). Today, if I didn't have homework to get to (you know, after the more important task of blogging), I'd be out shoveling my deck. I'm really not that tired. And I'm not kidding when I say I think I'm in the best running shape of my life. I swear that's not just me being dramatic again.

I'm beginning to really trust these Hanson dudes. They seem to know what my body is capable of better than I do. I can't tell you how many times I've looked ahead at my plan and just laughed because there is absolutely no way I'm capable of what they're asking of me. Then, of course, I do it, I survive, and I feel great. Although my heart still sometimes starts a-fluttering when I look at what's in store for me (this coming week's 10+ - miler with 8 tempo miles, for example, or my 15-miler next weekend), my first thought is no longer "no f-cking way." Now it's more, "Well, it's not going to be easy, but I'll do it." And really, although I've worked hard these past 8 weeks, it hasn't been as hard as I imagined. I'd say it's been easier than Higdon's plan, actually [I reserve the right to take that back six weeks from now when I'm running almost 60 miles a week].

Let's catch up!

• What did you get up to this weekend? Any great runs? Any Easter fun? I've kind of ignored Easter the past six years, but since I'm home this year I guess it feels more like a holiday. I wish it came with a weekday holiday, though...
• What's your favorite Nuun (or whatever other electrolyte drink you may use) flavor? I really thought lemon-lime would do it for me; I was so disappointed!
• What do you do when you're on a long run and you start getting bored (besides listen to music - I want to save it for when I really, really need it)? Usually the scenery keeps me entertained but maybe, horror of horrors, I'm getting used to it?!

My Readers Are Too Smart

Friday Workout: 5 miles, 10:42 average, Pace Gloves

A picture you've seen a million times, this time with a truck!

So it seems no one agreed with my "good school with no funding is better than less good school with full funding" delusion. And unfortunately, you guys are smart dudes so I can't just dismiss it and go on my merry way. Why are you making me think so hard about this?!

Let me tell you a story. I'm the kind of person who, as soon as a plan enters my head, I accept it immediately without really thinking it over. For example, back in college I'd be at the bar (yes, "the") having a fantastically fun time and suddenly I would think, "Hm, what if I went home right now?" It's not that I wanted to go home, and it's not that there was any reason to go home. It was just a thought. Two seconds later, I'd be leaving. The next day people would ask, "Jeano, why'd you leave all of a sudden?" and I'd have no answer for them. I left because I happened to think about the possibility of leaving! Duh. It made no sense, there was no reason behind it, and yet that's kind of how I make many of my decisions. I wouldn't call myself impulsive, though. Maybe just crazy? Also, I lied. That wasn't a story. More of a character analysis.

Why did I tell you that? Well, your thoughts kind of made me do a 360  on this grad school situation within, literally, a half hour or so. My hypothetical situation is only partially hypothetical, and I've actually been offered full funding (for the duration of the program) from two schools. I'm waiting to hear about funding from the school I thought was my top choice, but have been told I may not hear until May (!!!), which means I can't just wait to make a decision until I hear. Meanwhile, one of the two funding-offering schools has been wining and dining me (or, just sending me a lot of emails), and the professor whose work I'm most interested in has told me he has some projects going on I could get involved with immediately. The other schools have made no such effort. This makes me think that going to a school where at least one faculty member is eager to work with me may, in the long run, open up more opportunities than being a more lowly student in a better program.

Basically, your comments made me realize I haven't given this school a fair chance, and I thank you for that. I've obviously got a lot of thinking to do, but I'm glad I could get some feedback from people who have been there. I'm going to talk to some other people in the know (hell, I work in a building full of 'em), but you guys have really blown this thing wide open. Thanks for everything!

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And now, to run six easy miles (partially) in my neighborhood and (partially) on the treadmill. Bailey's been giving me the cold shoulder for not running or hiking with her (even though I walk her twice a day, the ungrateful mutt), so I'm going to attempt to win her love back.

No questions today, enjoy your Saturday!

Let's Talk About Stress, Baby (and a Tempo Run!)

Workout: 8 miles, 5 tempo (9:33-ish), Pace Gloves

Sunny view from my office yesterday. I find that electrical wires and unintended reflections really make a photo pop. That's Wolverine on the left there!

Tempo Thursday! This one was a doozy. Did you guys know that "doozy" means both really bad and really good? How is that possible? Make up your mind, English! Is there any other word in our language with two opposing definitions? I can't think of one. Then again, I've got the lexicon of a middle schooler (evidenced by the fact that I just used "lexicon" instead of "vocabulary." Lexicon is such a middle school language arts word). So which doozy describes my run? Okay fine, neither. I just wanted to use that word. It's so fun to say! In your head, that is. Because speaking my blog post out loud would be cause for concern. I'd say I'm still about a decade/dozen cats away from that. Is this introduction sufficiently irrelevant and drawn-out yet? Yes? Fine, let's move on.

Apparently I'm someone who casually runs 8 miles now. Well, maybe not casually. Maybe more like, "If my plan tells me I have to run at least 7 miles and I'm still a mile from my car when those 7 miles are up, I'll jog the extra mile so my sweat-soaked-hair-turned-frozen-mass can thaw out sooner and I won't get hypothermia." Same thing.

I'm not sure what to say about this run. I managed to keep my goal pace (9:44) just fine, I was able to run on shoveled sidewalks instead of shifty powder (one of the benefits of this weekend's snowfall is that sidewalks previously covered in sheets of ice are now runnable), and I didn't experience any great hardship along the way. The only difficulty came that last 3/10 of a mile. A charming gentleman getting out of his car yelled, "Looking strong! Keep it going!" just as I hit 8 miles, so I obviously couldn't stop running until I was out of sight. Those 20 seconds blew. When you're mentally done with a run, going one more step is SO HARD. Let's not think about the fact that I'm planning to run 26.2 miles and .03 miles almost did me in.

Tempo miles were laps 3-7

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So... remember how I'm going to Norway for work? Well, I don't know how it happened, but I'm going next (next) Saturday. That's nine days from now. I think my heart just stopped. To prepare for this trip, I've been employing the always-successful "ignorance is bliss" method and pretending I'm not going. It was working really well until I realized I had less than two weeks left. !!!!!

I'm wondering how this running thing is going to work over there. I doubt I'll be able to do much of it. Fortunately, I started marathon training two weeks early, so I can pick up right where I left off when I get back and not worry about being behind. But then again, the brothers Hanson are all about "cumulative fatigue," so I can't let myself recover too much, right? I obviously need to get at least a couple of runs in to maintain what I've built up so far. I'm also spending two entire Sundays (long run days) traveling, which will require some shuffling of runs.

I know it's not a big deal, but I HATE moving runs around. I wish I were cool and could go with the flow, but I like following plans exactly. I imagine what I'll end up doing is running long the Saturday before I leave and again the Monday after I get back (assuming I'm still upright). But maybe I won't. Maybe I'll go crazy and do a long run in Oslo the day before I fly back. I'm kind of nervous about doing a long run in an area I don't know, though, mostly because of the bathroom situation (have I made it clear what a freak I am about being within two feet of a dependable bathroom at all times? In Alaska, that bathroom is "the woods"). Or maybe I'll just become a hobby walker for the week.

The other potential logistical snafu is the fact that I'm scheduled to get back very late on April 14. Most schools ask that you inform them of your intent to enroll by the 15th. Although I'm pretty certain I know where I'm going to go, I still haven't heard about funding from my top pick, AND I haven't heard from three schools yet. There is a possibility that, should I not get funding from my top pick but get into one of those three with funding, I would choose that place. If I don't have all the necessary information until I'm in Norway, I don't know that I'll be able to give the issue my undivided attention. I'm sure it will all work out, but it's still a source of stress. Like, what if my flight's delayed and my computer and phone die?!?! These are the things that keep me up at night.

Let's talk about YOU:

• Are you stressed about life choices? I assume that's what "being an adult" feels like, but I don't like it.
• What do I do about my runs while in Norway? Guide me.
• Grad school question: in the long run, it makes more sense to do what you believe to be the "perfect" (and more highly-regarded) program without funding than one you're not very excited about that's offered you full funding, right?

Random Ish Tuesday

Monday Workout: 6 miles, ~11:38 average, Pace Gloves

Tuesday Workout: 6.5 miles with 6 x 800 (8:30 with 400m rest), Connects

Wow, so much to tell you all! So many random, unimportant things. Convenient, actually, since it also happens to be the most boring day of the week. I think this calls for the monthly-ish edition of Random Shit Tuesday! It's such a sacred tradition I rarely remember to do it. Let's get right to it:

• As I mentioned on Sunday, the weather gods decided to bless us with a major snow dump. And snow it did! For two days straight. Things were kind of messy for a while there, but then the clouds receded and we were left with a perfect sunny and snowy day! Here are some photos to whet your Alaskan appetite:

You throw a shadow in a picture, Instagram the shit out of it, and you've got some high class art. Right?

This is where I study. I am only marginally productive.

Snowfall!

This is a Subaru Outback in my neighbors' driveway. I'm waiting for the roof to cave in.

Now that we've gotten the obligatory weather talk out of the way, let's talk running! My body continues to shock me. Yesterday's 6 miles didn't feel great. My legs were achy McGee. Not tired, surprisingly, but achy. It was snowing like crazy, but snowplows had done their thing so the roads were actually pretty great for running. Until I entered what is technically another neighborhood that hadn't been plowed for a while, at which point one of my Yaktrax broke. Fuuuuuuuh. Fortunately I had already done four miles so I only had to do two on the treadmill. Like I said, my legs were achy and running uphill in powder caused a strange pain in one of my big toes (probably from curling the toe under to try to get decent footing). I was not looking forward to today's speedwork. But remember how I started my story with "My body continues to shock me?" The shock came today. When I woke up, my legs felt fine. Great, even. I couldn't believe it. Running is weird.

I spent all morning wondering where I could do my planned intervals and finally decided it was time to return to the ice rink. It's perfect for speedwork, except that a mile is 9 1/2 laps. 9 1/2 laps?! You mean I have to count out 4.75 laps for each interval and an additional 2.375 laps for rest? AND I don't have a watch telling me I'm on pace the entire time? That sounds complicated. I decided I'd be crazy and call 2.25 laps 400 meters so each interval and subsequent rest was 7 laps. Much easier. Anyway, I'm awesome (and modest) so I obviously killed it. 800 splits: 4:20, 4:13, 4:11, 4:11, 4:13, 4:09 (I was aiming for 4:15s). Even better, it all felt easy. Too easy, really. And no aches to be found! Miraculous. It was the perfect way to cap off a hard week of running. And tomorrow, we rest!

• Back to bullets. Did anyone see this article on water replacing soda as the number one beverage in America? Have I been living in a hole? I had no idea soda was number one, and for two decades. Really?!?! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Americans are gross. I mean, soda's tasty and all, but 50+ gallons a year? That's crazy talk. I'm happy water's back on top, although I'm less than thrilled that bottled water is responsible for much of the growth (according to the article, at least). We live in America, guys! Our tap water rocks!

• When I was in the locker room after my run, I overheard a woman telling someone else that until recently, half her body was paralyzed. She was there for a karate class and was explaining that she can't do many of the exercises but is trying to regain some strength to help her move around more easily. I couldn't believe it! The class did a couple of laps around the ice rink as I was warming up (with their hands above their heads. That was confusing) and I had noticed her struggling, but she was definitely giving it her all. What a BAMF!

• Has anyone seen the movie Pitch Perfect? I know, I KNOW, it sounds like Glee the movie. It's so much more than that, though. And so good. It's not an Oscar contender or anything, but it knows what it is and embraces it. Such a fun movie. Anyway, I can't get over the fact that Adam from Workaholics is in it. And he sings!! I love that man. If you're into dumb-but-super-fun movies, you should check it out.

• I forgot to mention that hockey practice started before I finished my run. Those guys are assholes. Worse than skiers, even. They were literally shooting pucks at me to scare the shit out of me. There wasn't any risk of getting hurt because there was a thick layer of plastic between us, but they were shooting them so hard I could actually feel the sound wave or whatever when the puck hit the plastic. They were laughing about it, too. Okay, guys. At least I'm not the worst-smelling person the planet. Anyone ever walk into a room of full of dirty hockey gear? Puke.

Well, that's all I've got for RST. Thanks for playing! Let's do it again the next time I remember.

Tell me:

• What super fun but dumb movies have you seen recently? I can't get over how fun Pitch Perfect was; I need another one.
• How has your body surprised you recently? That sounds like an "Are you there, God, it's me, Margaret" question. You know what I mean.
• Do you drink a lot of soda? If so, I apologize for my mean words. What's your beverage of choice?

Teach Me How to Feed Myself

Saturday Workout: 6 miles, 11:38 average, Connects (ON A TREADMILL PRAISE ME)

Sunday Workout: 10 miles, 10:29 average, Connects

10 miles. The farthest (furthest? Someone teach me how to use those words properly. A friend once told me it's always "farther" and "farthest" when you're talking about physical distances and "further" and "furthest" when you're talking metaphorically. I could google this but I prefer to bother you fine folks about it. Way to totally disrupt the flow of your opening paragraph, Jeano) I've run since my stress fracture last year, and finishing up a 38-mile week. NBD (not really - it's a BIG DEAL). There is some celebrating going on at JJ-o headquarters (my couch). And by celebrating I mean a single beer because it seems I can't hang in the fast lane these days.

In all honesty, I was bitching about the weather this morning. Hypocrite, much? The thing is, I adore snow. I really do. However, running in powder is tiring. Once you go pavement, it's hard to go back. I think I've been semi-coasting through marathon training by switching to "easier" shoes and running on "easier" terrain, so today when I was just plain tired, I couldn't do anything extra to ease the difficulty of the task at hand.

I did what I could by putting on the Connects and heading to what three days ago was a pavement paradise. There was no pavement today.

O pavement, where art thou? This has nothing to do with where I ran, but I took it this morning and there's no pavement in the picture so my caption totally works.

Today, my plan introduced a new pace: 10:29! My long-run pace. Welcome to the family, kiddo. 10:29 isn't much faster than my "easy" pace of 10:52 (not to be confused with my "easy easy" pace of 11:38), but given that I was already dragging ass and hadn't even started running the damn thing, that was very nearly the straw that broke this camel's humps (lady lumps).

I started running and could tell the snow was taking a toll on my energy levels, so I told myself it was okay to keep my pace slower if need be (I live life on the wild side). After a few minutes, though, I found myself getting into a groove and my pace dropped naturally to right around 10:29. Miraculously, I was able to settle into this pace and stay right around there with little effort for the rest of the run.

Splits. So very interesting.

The farther (there it is again!) I ran, the better I felt, and I didn't even have to resort to turning on the tunes as I had promised myself I would after 6 miles. I'm pretty sure 10 miles is the farthest (!!) I've ever run without music. Score.

Overall, I was really pleased with how this went, although it underscored the one obvious weakness I've identified in Hansons' plan: namely, the difficulty of practicing race-day nutrition. Hanson's claim to fame is long runs that max out at 16 miles (in fact, they're all either 10 or 16 miles), a good deal shorter than what most plans recommend. The idea is that running longer than 3 hours does more harm than good to the body, and running 16 miles allows one to reap the same benefits provided by a 20+ - miler. Additionally, long runs are done on tired legs (today was my fourth consecutive day of running) to "simulate running the last xx miles of a marathon." So there's your background.

16-mile long runs are all well and good, but they won't really allow me to figure out this whole nutrition puzzle. I typically don't need to eat or drink anything for runs 10 miles and under (at least when it's cool out), and for 16 miles I imagine I'll be fine with a gel. So what's a girl to do?

I know, I know, I should practice fueling with these shorter runs by fueling earlier than necessary to make sure it doesn't wreck my stomach. But I don't wanna! Today, for example, I had a gel with me, but I just didn't want it. Maybe next time.

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Week seven, over and out! Here's what we did:

Monday: 4 miles, 10:47

Tuesday: 7 miles with 8 x 600 (at 8:30 with 400 rest)

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: 7 miles with 5 at tempo (9:44)

Friday: 4 miles, 10:52

Saturday: 6 miles, 11:38

Sunday: 10 miles, 10:29

Total: 38 miles

Chyeah. My legs felt achy during the first few miles of today's run, but it went away after a few miles. Apart from that, the body seems to be holding up. Also, my hunger's out of control. Like, I wake up in the morning because I'm starving/going through food withdrawal. And that's all I have to say about that.

Question Central:

• Do you have tomorrow off? I just found out it's a holiday for some people (Seward's Day? We Alaskans are fond of Sir Seward because he bought our state from the Russians).
• Anyone else get weird about eating on the run? I hate introducing any calories because who knows how this crazy body is going to process it all.
• Anyone do a long run today? How'd it go?!
• Furthest or farthest? Teach me!

Weather Fatigue

Thursday Workout: 7 miles, 5 tempo (9:44), Pace Gloves
Friday Workout: 4 miles, 10:52 average, Connects

I work over there-ish. And run over there-ish. And live up there-ish.

Thursday was tempo day! My second tempo effort. It went really well. The snow on the trail was packed down (unlike last week) so I didn't have to spend the whole time unsuccessfully searching for ice-free sidewalk. My one complaint is about my stupid garmin (love you, garmin). I had it set to display current lap pace so I could include my warm-up mile as part of the same workout but also make sure I was sticking to my goal pace once I started the tempo miles. For some reason, though, it seemed like my garmin's satellite signal reset with every mile. It would be right at 9:44 but then jump to 12:xx once the next lap started. I would then spend the next 3-4 minutes running what I believe to be much faster than 9:44 to "catch up." Frustrating indeed. I know I shouldn't be such a slave to a stupid watch, but part of me thought it was accurate and wanted to make sure I did the workout as prescribed. I finished the workout feeling great but likely more spent than I would have had I kept a more consistent pace.

At least it looks reasonably consistent

Yesterday was a boring 4 miles after work. I had forgotten how much I enjoy running at that time. It's now light until around 8:30 (how did that happen?!), so I can run pretty much whenever I want. It's annoying to have to monitor your food intake all day to make sure you're properly fed (but not over-fed) for your run, but I feel like I have more energy that time of day. "Energy" shouldn't be confused with "alertness" or "awakeness" (that's not a word). I just mean that my legs seem to move better than time of day. It always surprised me in New York how, after a long, tiresome day at work with quite a few miles on my legs (walking 3 miles to work and running around campus all day once I got there), my runs actually felt easier than they did when I did them in the morning. Running is funny.

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And now, because things have been entirely too peppy 'round these parts recently, and because I need to live up to the "Mean Jean" moniker given to me in college (it was a joke, I swear!), I present you with a rant (you've been warned!):

Guys, I've got some pretty intense weather-complaining fatigue. The interblogs have been awash with "OMG IT'S SNOWING COULD LIFE BE ANY WORSE" and it's more than a little tiresome at this point. I'm looking at you, East Coast. I don't want to get too bitchy about this (it's just the weather, after all!), but I think it's worth a paragraph or two (or twelve; brevity is not my specialty).

[updated to add: when I say East Coasters, I'm really just referring to Northeasterners: New Englanders + their friends immediately to the south. My bad]

Here's the thing: East Coasters talk incessantly about how hardy they are, but I don't think I've met a group of people that whines more about the weather. From what I can remember (which, admittedly, may be wrong), most of the East Coast didn't have any snow on the ground until at least the end of December, if not later. Remember when everyone was moaning about not being able to ski? Well, now you've got snow. It's sticking around later than usual. Snow can make life difficult, especially if you're a runner. But guys, this isn't your first time 'round the block. You seem to forget where you live. As you're always reminding the rest of us, you live on the East Coast, land of crazy weather. So when you experience that crazy weather, chill out. Two months from now you're all going to be complaining about how it's too damn hot. My theory is that East Coasters hate 90% of the weather they're given.

I am most definitely not exempt from this. I complain a lot about certain kinds of weather. Or, more specifically, certain temperatures. I don't really mind what's happening with precipitation, as long as it's cooler than 65 degrees. I am SO MEAN when it's hot out, not to mention the least productive member of society ever. But at least I'm consistent with what I don't like. Cool temperatures = great. Hot temperatures = hell. It's that simple. Find what you like and stick with it. If you can't stand the East Coast's weather, maybe you should make a long-term plan to hightail it out of there.

I should probably take the time to say that I'm not actually "angry" about this. I guess I'm more puzzled than anything else (and, as I mentioned, a little fatigued). Most of the blogs I read are written by East Coasters, and they're great. Some of their writers have occasionally complained about the weather. That's fine. I still think you're awesome people. Think of this as anthropological examination of a foreign culture (does that even make sense? I'm going to go with no). Or think of me as a mega-bitch - whatever floats your boat!

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Speaking of weather, our insane sun streak is over. OMG COULD LIFE BE ANY WORSE?! Just kidding. We all knew that wasn't going to last. It was pretty fantastic, though. Now we've got some fat snowflakes coming down. In the continued spirit of putting my training plan above my desire to run outside in conditions that won't allow me to hit my desired paces (longest link ever!), I think today's 6 miles will be done on the treadmill. I've got 10 miles tomorrow which literally have to be done outside (because when it comes to treadmills, and maybe life in general, I've got the mental fortitude of an amoeba), so hopefully my new flat happy place will come through for me.

Have a wonderful weekend, y'all!

Let's talk:

• Is there something you find yourself complaining about incessantly? I'll go first: I need to stop complaining so much about sleep. 
• Am I being too hard on East Coasters? Lay it on me, I can take it.
• Have you ever had issues with using the current lap pace function on your garmin? Have you had issues with the satellites possibly resetting with each lap?
• TELL ME ABOUT YOUR WEATHER, if you dare!

Measuring My Sleep (and Crushing Speedwork)

Tuesday Workout: 7 miles with 8 x 600 (on 8:30 with 400 rest - Holly tried to teach me proper notation and I may or may have not figured it out), Connects

Wednesday Workout: Rest!

I'm going to start this post by saying I totally crushed my speedwork yesterday. Sorry, no surprise endings here. I killed it. A+. You guys were totally right: speedwork was meant to be done outside and not on that torture device in a windowless basement.

This workout felt much more in line with what I believe myself to be capable of. Last week I was appalled by my seeming inability to hold an 8:30 pace for two minutes, and by the pukiness that resulted. As someone who has stomach-problem-phobia (that's a disease I just made up that means you're terrified of having a bathroom emergency while on a run even though that rarely happens), it had me terrified of the next one. What if it happened again? What if I was doomed to become "that girl who pukes," a la that dude on the Biggest Loser this season (did he ever stop throwing up?)? Fortunately, normal Jeano won the day.

Totally won.

I even figured out how to do interval workouts on my garmin!

I ran at my newfound flat pavement oasis. There was a fair amount of wind on one stretch of the road, but I took it all in stride (so punny).

REPEAT PICTURE ALERT

Of COURSE it was beautiful outside again. I'm going to have gross leather skin soon if this continues (please continue).

During my first interval, I assumed I was going to have to run all out to hit 8:30 so really put the pedal to the metal. Then I looked down at my watch after a minute or so and saw I was running 7:30, a full minute faster than what I was aiming for. Whoops. I didn't even realize I could run that fast (FAST FOR ME, OKAY?). All of my intervals went like this, and I actually had to hold back a lot. After my eighth interval, I felt like I had at least four more in me. I was kind of wondering if that meant I should be running faster/training for a faster marathon, but I think I'm fine where I am. I don't want to overdo it!

Speed session #2: great succes.

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Has anyone heard of the app "Sleep Cycle?" I heard about it from a friend and my initial reaction was to mock it, but it's actually the best-selling paid app (99 cents) in a billion different countries and has received 5-star review after 5-star review. Because I'm an advertiser's dream, I had to buy it.

Basically, the app uses the motion sensor in your phone to attempt to measure your sleep (you put the phone on the bed next to you, under the sheet so it doesn't fall off). Apparently certain sleep stages are associated with different kinds/levels of movement, so it uses that to determine how long you're in each stage. I've used it for five nights and am still trying to decide how accurate it really is. On the one hand, their little graphs warm my data-loving heart. On the other hand, a few nights I've tossed and turned late into the night, checking my watch periodically, and some of that time has been recorded as sleeping (light sleep, but sleep nonetheless). But although it may not be 100% accurate, I think it's done a good job of grading each night's sleep quality relative to other nights. I think it might also be learning from me and getting better over time. Creepy.

Last night was not a great night for me, but here's my graph. I actually started it at 11:00 pm but had to restart it when I changed my alarm to go off fifteen minutes later (every minute counts!).

I love that it gives you a percentage for "how good" your sleep is. Soon I'm going to need a machine to tell me whether I'm happy or sad at any given moment. Also, 1.7 days in bed?!?! That's so long!

Oh, I forgot one other thing, arguably the app's main feature. Because it can allegedly "sense" what sleep stage you're in, it attempts to wake you up while you're in the lightest stage of sleep. Basically, you tell it the latest time you can wake up, and it wakes you up sometime in the half hour prior to your wakeup time (according to the Internet, where everything you read is true, the average person goes through an entire sleep cycle every 45 minutes or so, so I think this app assumes it's got a good chance of catching you light-sleeping during that half-hour period). This morning, that particular feature was NOT helpful because it woke me up a full half-hour early. I was still damn tired so did not appreciate it one bit. I also hate the alarm song I've chosen.

This is where I tell you they paid me to say this. But not really. No one will ever pay me to pimp their free shit. I just thought it was a fun app that appeals to my sleep-obsessed self.

Now it's your turn!

• Have you ever used that app? What are your thoughts on it? Bogus? The best thing ever?
• Do you think I should speed up my speedwork a bit, or should I stick to the plan? So far the plan's been spot on, so I'll probably stick with that, but I'd be curious to hear anyone else's thoughts.

I Won a Lobster!

Did I say Lobster? I meant Liebster. More on that soon.

Workout: 4 miles, 10:47 average, Pace Gloves

Another beautiful day today. Duh. All sun, all the time here in Anchortown.

I did an easy 4 miles between class and work on the trails over by the dog park. It was a pretty average run except that I had a profound realization that made me chuckle.

When you pass people while on a run and choose to acknowledge them (because, you know, not everyone does. I'm looking at you, skiers), do you stick with a nod, do you say a full-on "hello," or do you utter a breathy, pseudo-sexual "heya?" Because that's apparently what I do. Or at least, that's what I did to a handsome young gentleman this morning. I think I can pull it off, since I can just pretend I'm out of breath from running, although I definitely wasn't out of breath this morning. Not sure where that came from. One of life's great mysteries, I guess.

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Well, it's happened: after all these months of hooting and hollering, I've duped someone into thinking my shit's worth reading. You read that right. The estimable Mountains and Miles has deemed me worthy of something called a "Liebster." I don't exactly know what it is, except that it means she's seen some questionable value in my ramblings, and also that no one reads this blog (hah, true!). Whatever the case, I wholeheartedly accept this offer (challenge?) and eagerly await my badge (there's a badge, right?).

Anyway, part of the deal is that I tell you eleven random things about myself. Had I been required to tell you eleven things about anything else, I'd be at a loss. However, I am my favorite person so this should be a breeze. Let's see...

1. I am an exceptional whistler, as long as you're okay with some vibrato. My whistling has been described by some as "average to slightly-better-than-average" and by others as "the sound they should have blasted to get those Waco weirdos out of their compound."

2. I can tell you the number of letters in a word less than a second after you say it.

3. Related to #2, I won the state spelling bee when I was in middle school. NERD ALERT. And no, I won't tell you the word I missed at nationals. It was easy and I spelled it like an idiot. On national t.v.

4. I'm a triplet (pretty sure I've mentioned this before). Two brothers and no, we aren't identical (the ultimate insult: asking a female with two triplet brothers if they're all identical).

5. I was in a 7.9 earthquake in Iquique, Chile in 2005. I was standing on the top floor of a mall on a platform suspended from the ceiling by cables when it happened. It ruined the only road out of the city and knocked down many of the churches we had spent the previous day visiting out in the desert. It was terrifying.

Here's a partial picture of broken glass snapped when we were lead back through the mall. Not sure why it's cut off.

Desert! Full disclosure: that's not actually me. But I took the picture.

6. I'm the fastest typist I know. My average speed is somewhere around 120 wpm but I did clock in at 162 wpm once. You don't believe me (no one does until they see proof), but it's true. That's why my posts are so long - it hardly takes me any time to write them! That, or I can't stop myself.

7. Despite having spent 20 of my 25 years in Alaska, I've barely seen any other part of the state. This is common for us "city slickers" here in Anchorage, and a shame.

8. I was on the crew team for a year and a half in college. I hated every second of it but refused to quit because I didn't want to be a quitter. I'd like that year and a half back, please...

So pissed.

9. I once handed Hugh Jackman a program at a lecture he attended. This may have been the most exciting thing that happened to me while living in New York, and I won't shut up about it. He came to a work event with his wife. They were lovely. He was carrying a small cooler with all his meat in it because he was beefing up for a Wolverine movie that ended up getting postponed. Bummer.

10. The first time I ran five miles, my roommate had lied and told me our route was only three miles. It didn't feel hard, I was ecstatic at having run five miles, and so a star was born! Or, a totally average hobby jogger.

11. We started with a music tidbit, so we'll end with another one: I've been playing the oboe since I was 10. My first paychecks came from playing with our local symphony and opera while in high school. I've still never actually seen the Nutcracker, despite having played in it three times.

Is this stuff I want on the internet? I dunno, maybe not. But whatever, I aim to please.

And now I answer Logan's questions! Are you sick of me yet? Because I am.

1. If you could have any job in the world, what would it be? Paul Krugman. I don't mean a New York Times columnist, I literally mean Paul Krugman. Love that man. Very short in real life.

2. Do you have a bucket list? If so, what are some things on it? Aye. This is hard. I don't like bucket lists because then I get down on myself for not doing anything on them. My bucket list is to be awesome.

3. Favorite book (right now or ever)? So hard! I loved "A Confederacy of Dunces," but it's definitely not for everyone. I was also obsessed with "I Know This Much Is True" (Wally Lamb). I dunno, you probably don't want book advice from me. "Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives of North Korea" was also a good read.

4. Favorite place you've traveled to? Also impossible to answer. I loved the first trip my dad and I took to the Sierras a couple of years ago. I'd say Alaska, but I live here! Suckers.

Okay, fine, I upped the contrast on this photo. IT HAS BEEN ALTERED.

5. Dream trip? Norway!!! Where, *brag*, I'm going in a few weeks. Although I'd probably go to a different part of the country. Funny that I choose a place that (from what I can tell) looks remarkably similar to Alaska.

6. Favorite distance to run? No idea. I hope it will be a marathon, but I've yet to make it that far. I'm also aware it will suck until I've done it a few times.

7. What race do you really want to do in the future? Dreaming big, and it'll never happen, but the Leadville 100 sounds insanely awesome.

8. Favorite season? This may be obvious: winter! Or an Alaskan fall.

9. What is your favorite snack? Any sort of salami/pepperoni/sausage product.

10. If you could live anywhere, where would it be? I'm going to go with Sitka, Alaska. Granted, I've never actually been, but I know I'd love it.

11. Sweet or salty? Salt. When in doubt, the answer is always salt.

Wow, this is really dragging on, isn't it? Sorry, dudes. I'll try to wrap it up. I think I'm supposed to "tag" some other people for this thing. I nominate the following, with ample assurances that I won't be offended if you choose not to participate (or if you never see the nomination):

Griselda Mood, who makes me lol incessantly.

Run With Holly, a coach who graciously lets me (and others) mooch off her considerable knowledge of running. Not sure her readership qualifies her, though; popular lady.

Green Girl Running, although it seems she's been chosen by someone else! Seems blogland is going Liebster crazy.

Writing While Running, an educated lady who recently ran the Austin marathon and always has thoughtful things to say.

Running With the Sunrise, a recent addition to my blogroll!

I'm the laziest person ever so I'm going to suggest these ladies answer Logan's questions. Or not. You don't have to answer any questions if you don't want to! Congratulations for being awesome!

Phew. All done. I've got only one question for you because I'm tired:

• What do YOU do when you pass someone while running? Do you pull a Jeano?