Adrienne Langelier Racing: November 2011

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Four Little Words

..."Counselor, heal thyself..." Anonymous.

In a season of change for me both personally and athletically- also throw in some admitted lapses in confidence-I rediscovered four little words on yesterday's run that have helped me in the past. To provide a brief synopsis, my workout called for descending the pace to the mid-6:00's for the middle miles of a rolling 13-miler (actually one of my favorites in The Woodlands). This particular day I was out with the speedy group in the pouring rain on challenging Terramont Dr.

I'll admit, outside elements and running in faster groups have a tendency to get into my head, but yesterday I chose not to listen to what colleague Dr. Rob Bell calls "the voice" and focus on the task at hand. I was tired from the hills before starting the "hot miles" and soaking wet, but what made a difference was remembering and repeating and using the four words that always seem to work for me; so much that I now have it written down and kept in my Brooks spike bag:

Fuel for the body + fuel for the mind = solid training runs.

...in fact, that was pretty much all I thought about during the wet, incline-laden fartlek workout. The closest thing to having an 'empty head' I've had in a long time! :)

We are to draw on our positive experiences and the elements of in order to produce new ones. I find visual cues and reminders to be helpful, such as a simple post-it. It's also good to remember that not every run will be a good one,and every athlete experience occasional dips in confidence. However, we should always look for something positive to take away from each time we lace up and keep track of "what works".

Do you use 'power words'? What are some things that you find helpful on the run?

Stay the course.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

"Running the Edge" Review

ma~ven (noun)-an expert or connoisseur.

...Although I didn't plan on timing my completion of Olympian Adam Goucher and Tim Catalano's new and insightful book "Running the Edge" to occur in conjunction with today being Globally Organized Hug a Runner Day (G.O.H.A.R.D; as initiated by the aforementioned fastie duo); it fell into place quite nicely.

I first was familiarized with Goucher and Catalano's book prior to its release date and my initial impression was "sweet, another helpful running book to add to my list". As some may already know I'm a big fan of nonfiction, especially of the memoir-ish genres; therefore it went to the top my "to-read" list for the remainder of 2011. Then I researched the book and its content a little deeper; not only was it a book about running , but it was based on the principles of Humanistic Psychology. Additionally, I'm a big Goucher fan, not only his accomplishments as a competitor but his "never say die" attitude and introspective approach. I had to read this book, and I am glad that I did, for several reasons....

My background/orientation and as a psychotherapist and sport psychology consultant draws heavily on the humanistic perspective, which centers on the individual's capacity for personal growth and potential. Long story short, if we get beyond our interval splits, weekly mileage and race times- isn't running mostly about purely seeking YOUR own peak potential? Running the Edge encourages readers to do the work in becoming both the best runners we can be and simultaneously the best people we can be. In my practice, this is something I always try and drive home with athletes who work with me. In order to perform our best, we need to know and be comfortable with who we really are and our capabilities. Period. This is where Running the Edge excels and differs from other books on the subject of running. In my opinion these guys "get it" and I had several moments while reading where it felt as if my thoughts and beliefs were in perfect alignment with Goucher and Catalano's words written on the page. Silly as it sounds, these guys could have been reading my thoughts as they put this book together!

In a concise, entertaining, and very thought-provoking manner, the authors take the reader through a series of simple exercises using running as a metaphor (or more like a vehicle) for life neatly conceptualized across 5 "life stories": education, career, family, friends, and passions (note: those not involving the run). Additionally, Goucher and Catalano challenge us to become "distance mavens" -active participants in all areas of our lives superimposed across 6 "mirrors" or attributes guiding us to becoming both better athletes and better human beings (initiative, responsibility, determination, adaptability, integrity, and person-ability).For psych nerds such as myself, Abraham Maslow's theory of self actualization and Carl Roger's concept of conrguency are highlighted and give weight to Goucher and Catalano's tretise.

Most chapters in the book contain "checkpoints" where the reader is challenged to take a look at where they truly stand on each of the aforementioned attributes. I did all the exercises in the book and I recommend the reader do the same for maximum benefit. Throughout Running the Edge, the reader is challenged to reflect on how they can improve in each area in order to actively work towards achieving our "ideal selves". The reader is informed that this is not an easy task, but as distance runners, we are as capable of anyone of bridging this gap. According to the authors, this path to self-understanding is a big part of "the way of the maven".

One of the things I liked best about Running the Edge was that it contained a variety of different stories to illustrate the Goucher and Catalano's points. Throughout the book, we hear very personal and insightful narratives from the authors. Some are quite humorous, some are quite emotional. From a psychological perspective, often the precise use of self-disclosure and modeling can be a powerful thing in teaching others. These guys aren't perfect, nor do they attest to being so; in fact, they state in black and white the "perfection is impossible". Brilliant. I found reading about a fellow distance runner's struggles, triumphs, and goals to be both enlightening and motivating. Each narrative goes along with a different topic teaching us the way of the maven. Cameos from the likes of Galen Rupp, Kara Goucher, Alan Webb, Chris Solinsky, Paula Radcliffe and other top runners also add to the conversation. We may not all run at the same level, but we all run-we are all part of the culture, or as the authors call it-"a maven's guild".

It was clear that these gentleman are passionate not only about running, but never settling for anything but a life of progressing in the direction towards our own best selves. To quote the authors in the final chapter (and one of my personal favorite lines)-"we are to make a commitment to break free from the curse of normal and the chains of average as we work day after day, stride after stride, to close the gap between the runners and people we are, and the runners and people you want to be." Classic. Goucher and Catalano dare us to "run the edge" of what's possible each day we have here on earth.

In short, readers of this book will laugh, possibly cry, and it open to its message, gain a greater understanding of who they are and who they want to realistically be. As a runner and sport professional, I recommend this book without reservation. If nothing else, read the intro written by Adam Goucher-it just may stop your heart for a moment. You don't need a PhD or a long line of scholarly works to write a top quality running book, you just need the heart and soul of a distance runner-I believe these two men have it. Who wants to run the edge with me?

Want a second (or third) opinion? Check out here and here

Stay the Course. And go hug a runner today!

Thanks, Adam and Tim.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Confounding Variables

Confound-to mingle so that the elements cannot be distinguished or separated. (courtesy of Dictionary.com)

Instead of a full-on race report, I thought I'd share some reflections from today's experience. And yes, this is a fairly emotional post-

Well, here's the good news: I finally completed the Rock N Roll San Antonio Half Marathon. Unfortunately, I ran it with a heavy heart. That being said, here's what I can tell you about my experience. For the record, I ran a three-minute personal worst time, however, I don't regret this race. It started out as a pilot test for how my new training plan is working out-but like the title says-there were some things that were beyond my control. A lot of them.

I consider myself a strong runner and mentally tough athlete, and these two qualities had to be summoned like never before on the humid, warm streets of the Alamo City. I knew going into this I was practically training through it but expected to go mid 1:20s, unfortunately, that did not come to be. Here's some other variables that I knew affected performance, but never fully realized how much:

Since Tuesday, I had been under considerable stress due to encountering situations that I have never dealt with-we'll leave it at that. Additionally, I get a call Wednesday afternoon that my grandmother (who has always been incredibly supportive of me) is in ICU (oddly enough in the city I was set to race in), and it didn't look good. Flash forward to Friday and I head down I-10 not thinking of the race practically at all, with the exception of do I pull out, or do I go for it? How could I when there are things so much more important than running? After a brief deliberation, I did decide to go ahead and make a go of it, but run it exclusively for my grandmother. Sure I had time goals, but this became a "big picture" race-using my gift of run to honor her.

Saturday brought more stress- so much so my left eye was noticeably bloodshot and slightly closed, and my chest had an odd tightness to it when I ran my 3-mile shake-out run in the morning. That was the first flash of somethings-not-rightness; I shook it off, though, because my legs felt decent.

by afternoon time I was feeling a little less drained and some optimism came back in. My aunt fixed an awesome pasta dinner and I was off to bed early.

After a decent night's sleep, I woke with minimal anxiety, gathered my things: gear, bagel, and Houston Blend Coffee (doesn't my San Antonio aunt have good taste?:)) then headed to meet coach and Mary at their hotel to ride together to the start. Once there, I took advantage of the VIP (thanks, Michael R.!) area where I used the non-portocan and warmed up in the convention center among the likes of Shalane Flanagan (the eventual winner), Brent Vaughn, and Desiree Ficker.

At the start, I glanced at my race bib, which had "For Nana" written across it with her initials written in Sharpie down both my arms. I never have had the opportunity to run as a tribute, so this was rather emotional for me. I thought about her a lot during the race. Especially at every mile with the exception of the first 3 when I wanted to bag it. Yep, physically I had some issues here. I know several runners who will save it for another day, but this was not one of those days I would do that.

I started out controlled, or so I thought through unusually humid conditions at 6:30 pace and held it for the first 3, but then experienced some breathing difficulties like I've never experienced before. Ever. Like my lungs just couldn't expand or I had a scarf on three knots too tight. Crap. After watching my pace slide and a little scared/dumbfounded, I chose to switch the garmin screen to total time and just ran. And never got comfortable. You see, you have to have good breathing to be comfortable. Man, I was tired-and I felt as if I was carrying things on me in this race that I have never carried before. It was ugly and beautiful at the same time. I knew I had to overcome me in order to get this done.

I had to remind myself to commit to this race and I talked myself through it's entirety. My breathing never really improved so I ran 10 miles feeling like I only had one lung. My legs, strangely enough were still okay. I had to gut it out with what breath I had, I had to manage my pace even if it felt glacial. I had to overcome this. I had to stay conscious. I had to finish. I am running for Nana. I was running to get the weight of the week and everything associated off my chest. It may have slowed me down, but it was not going to break me. While it sucked that I had to run dealing with this, I did the best I could-simply because that's all I could do in the situation.

The late miles actually came rather quickly, although I was running at a far slower pace than I usually race at, in all honesty- what I do for long runs at some spots. I had no energy, but still I pressed forward. My self talk went a little like this: "This has no bearing on you as a runner", "this has no bearing of you as an individual", "just commit to this", "it's not always going to be this hard", and "Run with Honor". Towards the end of the race I looked at the sky, I looked at my "tats" on my arms, and I gave it effort just short of needing medical attention and staying conscious (yeah, there were a couple times I got lightheaded). I don't think I truly bonked, it just wasn't my day, considering it all. There were things bigger than Adrienne against her this day. It could have happened on a long run; it just happened to be today.

Towards the finish: ok-that ramp thing at the end of the race is just evil! I basically trudged up it and tried to give it a 'kick' towards the finish, where for the second time, I fell over after crossing. I had been without full O2 for quite a while. I felt an odd sense of pride, even if the clock read 1:39 (for prides sake, It should have been 1:36-:37ish as I said "screw it" basically and made a pit stop-another first in an attempt to get comfortable) because I ran the edge today-I gave it all and did my genuine best with what I was given on this particular day in this particular situation. Perhaps the coolest moment was meeting my parents afterward and hearing from my dad how incredibly proud of me he was for my effort. I hope my grandmother is proud of me too.

I had a nice block of training, however, there are things that I could not overcome on the day. It was reconfirmed that I am not a quitter and I have it in me to stay the course, even when it hurts. Also, it is really cool to put yourself aside for a while and let basically a singular force pull you through-ok that and God may have intervened a bit. While I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't a little disappointed, but I just have to make adjustments and stay at it. I didn't let the disappointment take over like it has in the past either. Regarding the conditions, I met another 1:22 PR runner who ran a similar time to mine today, and she confirmed the toughness of the conditions.

These experiences really do help put things in perspective. Yes, I just ran a race, but it was all part of a bigger picture. For this race, special thanks goes out to my parents, Coach Bill, Mary C. my extended family who supported me running even in these circumstances, and of course Nana-thanks for always believing in me.

It wasn't fast or pretty, but I got it done.

Stay the course.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Work Hard, Play Hard

....the title above is my manifesto for the month of November. I'm only 6 days in with no signs of slowing!

Training's remained strong and steady as I tap the mileage brakes this week to get a little rest in for my first half marathon in almost two years (really-two years!?). My how time flies.... Last month's mileage was well over the 250 mark-my highest in a looong time and I feel great, which is expected since it's mostly longish base running and 3 (yep just 3) track workouts. In all honesty, up until today I have probably been more ready for race day physically than mentally-but I got a nice dose of inspiration and impetus to focus by watching two different events this morning:live at the Oilman Texas Half Ironman Triathlon, then the New York Marathon via webcast on the vastly underrated Universal Sports' website. I guess I need to feed off that energy every once in a while.

Even though I've thought about the race plenty, but as the story goes-there's been plenty of work and life stuff going on simultaneously for this "reluctant adult", putting the race in the periphery for a while. Over the past couple weeks I have had to fill in for one of the staff members adding some extra work to my growing schedule that includes putting in some quality time with the university athletic department I am currently working with (which is a great project, by the way). This naturally means more travel and computer time that doesn't involve working on my book or this blog! So what to do when life pushes me a bit??? Easy-I push back!!

I'm not one to let work interfere too much with training and am fortunate to have a very flexible training schedule, so I have exercised a bit of creativity and ensured I got the miles in, but did not force them. For example, I once had to push my long run up from 6:30 AM last Saturday to Friday at just after 5 AM-which turned out to be a snappy little run and left me with an afterglow of feeling productive and efficient for the rest of the day. I like to be an athlete first before going in and working with them.

Another adjustment came yesterday morning as I ran a 12-miler feeling almost half-asleep. Going to an away swim meet and getting up four hours later to go meet the group did leave me thinking "what am I doing exactly??" for a moment, but I got it done-there wasn't enough coffee at Hubbell and Hudson that day to satisfy me afterward!

But in the end I completed my run, took a two and a half hour nap afterward-a new kind of personal record, and I'm now in mini-taper mode. I only have 6 miles on the schedule tomorrow morning and it feels kinda weird. I'm going to approach each run nice and easy and focus on form, a little mental prep and staying positive. I would like to run a time in the mid 1:20's. As I posted a few weeks ago, San Antonio is serving the purpose of a 'pilot experiment' for my new training approach and gathering some data for moving forward towards nailing a new PR. Also, truth be told, I have a bone to pick (no pun intended) with this event, as I have twice planned to run the event and had to pull out with injuries. Toeing the line that that morning will be a small victory in my corner. I'm also looking forward to running in a different city and just being a runner for the weekend.

As I write this out, my excitement grows. I don't know what all will unfold-but I'm ready to give it my current best. And that's whats most important. Just trying to work hard, run hard, and live life!

November, let's do this!

Run Happy!