Renovating Kaeti

The Experience Life staff spent yesterday at an all-day planning meeting in Wisconsin. I always look forward to these days because they inevitably mean amazing food, great ideas, inspiration and collaboration.

During the meeting, Pilar asked us to think about what energizes us most in our lives and at work -- and what depletes us. I've been turning over this idea in my head a lot lately, and it's definitely something I'll be thinking about this weekend.

I know there are quite a few areas in my life that are costing me (screen time, toxic people, bad habits) -- and places that I want to nourish more (especially in the realm of creativity and fun).

Just thinking about what the elements in my life are actually accomplishing -- i.e., nurturing my authentic self or sucking me dry -- feels like a big step in the right direction. I suppose the next big challenge will be learning how to accomplish the necessary changes with integrity. 

What about you: When you picture your happiest and most balanced self, what is it that adds to that energy and spark? And what in your life is diminishing or distracting you from that core?

(Photo by raceytay)

After the marathon I told myself I was done pushing my body to crazy and unimaginable limits. Oh silly, naive me.

This weekend I joined 11 teammates to run 195 miles -- from Wisconsin to Minnesota -- in a little over 33 hours. Each of us ran three legs, which varied in length depending on the strength of the runner. I'll post a full race report soon, but here are some highlights.

Things I did during the 33+ hours of the Ragnar Relay:

• Ran in the middle of the night on a pitch-black, deserted country road (AWESOME)
  
• Drove a Suburban (it's like steering a dinosaur on Quaaludes)
• Conquered (barely) the most challenging hill I have ever run and then promptly threw a temper tantrum
• Talked about bowel movements with my van-mates, a lot (it's a runner thing)
  
• Wore a mullet wig (our team name was Made in the 80s!)
  
• Managed to run my three legs (18 miles total) without sleeping for 36 hours.
  

It was amazing, exhausting and unlike anything I've ever done. Now, after two years of always having an upcoming race on the calendar to train for, I am officially unscheduled. And I'm going to leave it that way -- for a while, at least.

I made it! And it was fun, impossible, surprisingly pain free, emotional and rewarding (depending on where you happened to catch me on the course). I'm taking today off to relax and recover, but I just wanted to let you all know that your good thoughts and encouragement worked. I'm overwhelmed by and so incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support I had, both on the course and virtually.

The full race report will be coming soon. For now, I'm going to sit around and compensate for the calories I burned yesterday morning!

(Photo of me around mile 23 with a lady in a banana suit, by my friend Brian Moen.)

I run my first marathon in less than three days (Sunday, May 31, 7 a.m.).

Two years ago today, I had never run more than a mile. And the mile that I did run (as part of a P.E. class my senior year of college) took me about 14 minutes to finish, and left me wheezing and near tears.

I also started at Experience Life two years ago, a day after I graduated, and if you had asked me then if I would ever run a 5K (let alone a marathon), I would have thought you were crazy and laughed right at your crazy face.

A combination of self-loathing (or at least self-estrangement), positive peer pressure and slow-building momentum eventually changed that. The first time I ran a mile without stopping, I felt like I had conquered the world. My next goal was to run all the way around Lake of the Isles (about 2.8 miles on the bike path). When I made it around for the first time, in September 2007, I was smiling for the rest of the day.

It felt great to accomplish something and to see my body change and get stronger, so I kept setting goals for myself. I ran my first 5K in February 2008, my first 10K in July of the same year, then the TC 10 Mile and Monster Dash half marathon in October. Members of my running group then pointed out that a marathon training clinic was starting up, and hey, wouldn't that be fun?

I must've been drinking some strong Kool-Aid because I decided to sign up for the Minneapolis Marathon and a triathlon this summer. And while marathon training hasn't always been fun (exhaustion, weight gain, injury), I've learned just how far my body is capable of taking me -- and when I need to ease off and give myself a break.

Two years ago I was overweight, under-exercised and very unhappy. Today I'm healthier and happier than I've ever been, and I can run at least 20 miles. Consecutively. After Sunday I hope to say that I can run 26.2.

I've had lots of thoughts churning in the ol' brain box as marathon day approaches. In some ways, it's only a day, and only a race. It's a milestone, yes, but this is only the beginning of the healthy life I'm building. But, on the other hand, it represents a lot to me: the transformation that has occurred in the past two years, my ability to make lasting change in my life, and some things that I haven't even fully grasped yet. One of these things being that I must be crazy, because really. Who pays to run 26 miles?

More than anything, I find myself monumentally grateful for the support and encouragement you all have provided as I stumbled my way through training. Without my friends, family, virtual and real-life running partners, and coworkers I would never have made it this far. So a big Internet high five and sincere thank you to all of you.

(Photo by opacity)

Marathon training is never without drama, I'll say that much.

With 11 days before my first marathon, I'm nursing an unpleasant calf injury. It had been bugging me a little bit, but it was our second 20-miler that pushed it over the edge. (Lower, inside left calf, the pain is deep in there and radiates down to the ankle.)

I've drastically reduced my running (as in, I ran twice last week, and haven't run since Sunday). My running friends assure me that I could do nothing between now and the marathon and I would still be absolutely ready for the race. And I'm trying my best to believe them.

So for now, I'm resting, icing and trying not to stress. I might try to see a PT this week or early next week. Here's hoping!

(I tried to find a picture of a leg injury to accompany this post, but searching Flickr for "injury" turned up only very disturbing things. Blech!)

I'm signed up to run the TC 1 Mile this Thursday. It's a short, crowded and fun race that starts and finishes in downtown Minneapolis.

This year's course goes straight down Nicollet Mall:

When I ran the race last year, I ran it hard. This year, I've done FAR less speed work (I've become the running equivalent of a pack mule) and the marathon is only three weeks away. Now would be a really silly time to pull a hamstring just because I wanted to see if I could improve on last year's time (which isn't likely in the first place, see: pack mule).

My plan is to take the first half at my normal interval speed (about 7:30 to 8 pace), and then see how I feel. I know, logically, that it's better to play it safe. But there's something about running as fast as your little legs will take you that provides a hefty boost in motivation and inspiration.

Have any of you had experience running shorter races with a long race in the not-so-distant future? Do you temper your speed or go all out?

I haven't always been the most positive poptart during marathon training, but there are a few things that are truly awesome about it. One of these is that on a Friday afternoon, you can decide you're going to run a half marathon the next morning -- no notice, no worries!

We had a 14 miler on the books for this past weekend, so I decided to swap the Get in Gear Inaugural Half Marathon for my long run. And I am SO glad I did.

The race started and finished in Minnehaha Park, which is walking distance from my place and made for a stress-free race morning. I got to the start in plenty of time to use the bathroom and warm up in the Pavilion for a bit, where racers were packed in like sardines. Get in Gear is the largest 10k race in Minnesota and with the other events (5k, 2k and half), it was cozy.

The line for the porta-potties was insane. I shot a quick photo with my phone:

Fortunately, I found a less-popular bathroom to duck into before the race started.

I resolved ahead of time that I was going to treat this like any other long, slow distance (LSD) run. Going in with that mindset helped quell any nerves, and I started the race feeling comfortable and mindful of my pace.

The first five miles were crowded, and a lot of people passed me right off the bat. I expected this because the 10K and half marathon course was the same for the first five and the 10Kers were naturally running much faster.

I held at my LSD pace of about 10:30 to 10:40 for the first six miles or so, but then I felt so great that I started picking up speed. I didn't even notice at first because it didn't feel like I was running much faster, but I looked down at my watch and I kept seeing 9:04 and 8:50. What?!

There's no way I can sustain this, I thought to myself. But then I figured, I feel good so I may as well keep running and if I bonk, so be it. I planned on taking it slow, anyway.

The miles ticked past in what felt like no time at all (perhaps a positive side effect of doing so many 18- and 20-mile runs?), and my pace stayed right around 9 until I reached the last mile. I walked through the last water stop and evaluated how I was feeling, and because I was still feeling strong, I decided to kick it to the end.

I passed a ton of people heading toward the finish and crossed the line smiling. In fact, I don't think I've ever finished a race feeling so happy! I grabbed water and a banana and then hung around the finish to cheer on the last of the runners.

It was a fantastic morning, and I feel like I recaptured a bit of my running mojo that had gone missing these past few weeks. It also made me think that after all this marathon business is over, my new goal could feasibly be to break two hours in the half marathon.

Thanks for your encouragement, everyone! It definitely made a difference. Now it's time to put my head down and focus because we're only four weeks out from the big race. Holy way-too-soon, Batman!

Tip No. 1: Run in costume. (Photo by wonderful local photographer and athlete Sarah McGee.)

I was leaving a comment for a friend, who asked for advice on how to make running more fun. Well, my response got to be so dang long that I figured I could spruce it up a bit and use it as a blog post!

My tips to make running more fun:

*Don't tell yourself you have to go out and run for X amount of time straight or it doesn't count. Break it up into walk/run intervals (e.g., run three minutes, walk one) and then increase the run time as your fitness builds. The easiest way to feel disappointed after a run is to pit yourself against unrealistic expectations. Instead of speed, distance or other numbers (while they do have their place), focus more on the fact that you're moving your body.

*Get quality running shoes. Go to a local running store and have them evaluate your gait to make sure you get shoes that support your specific running style. When I upgraded from my old sneakers to actual running shoes it changed EVERYTHING. Specialty running stores will do this evaluation for free, and should also let you test out shoes before you buy.

*Run with other people. Music and podcasts are fine and good, but conversation is a billion times more distracting and engaging. I also like to do a run each week with no iPod, no friends, and just appreciate the world around me.

*Bring a camera and do a photo run, like Ed does.

*Sign up for an event a couple months away. It's inspiring to have something to work toward, and it's so fun to cross the finish! I would recommend a 5k fun run to start, and then build from there if you want to increase your distance. Leave the soul-eating, body-terrorizing crapfest of marathon training for the crazies. (Just kidding! Marathon training is awesome! cough)

*Do different types of runs. If you go out every time and do the same, steady distance, it's going to get boring. Do an interval or fartlek workout once a week, run hill repeats, do tempo work. (Runner's jargon defined here.)

I'm sure you all have many more ideas, so leave them in the comments! And it doesn't have to apply specifically to running. How do you keep your favorite exercise fun?

Bonus: For even MORE, check out the article "Are We Having Fun Yet?"
 

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with local journalist Kate Levinson for a story about using social media to support your health and fitness goals. The article was published today and you can read it here. Seriously, go read it -- Kate did a great job!

Most of my portion of the story focused on how I use Twitter to connect with other health seekers and to complain about keep track of my workouts. You can find me @RenovatingKaeti if that's your cup of tea. Blogging and microblogging have both been an unbelievable source of motivation and support for me. I have lots of goopy warm fuzzy feelings for all of you. Did you ever know that you're my heeeero, and everything I would like to beeee?

OK, I'm done.

SPEAKING of tea, I think Ima gonna need to drink a few cups this morning (it's a rainy March day here in Minnesota). Hope your Monday's a good one!

(Photo by dsevilla)

Tonight marks the beginning of my favorite least favorite part of training. It's a thin -- and steep -- line between love and hate when it comes to hill repeats. Why would someone torture herself by running up and down a hill, repeatedly, until she wants to collapse?

Let us count the ways:

• It builds strength in your major leg muscles in a way that normal endurance runs don't
• It increases aerobic capacity (like any interval workout)
• Hills will help make your stride more efficient and increase ankle flexion
• Runners who do hill training maintain fitness longer when taking time off
• And we should know by now to do as the Kenyans do.

It's the psychological warfare that makes these lumps of earth so intimidating. I get butterflies in anticipation of our hill workouts, yet it's never as bad as I think it's going to be. Sometimes it's even fun. It makes me feel stronger and victorious, a sort of "queen of the mountain" euphoria. And I feel the benefits in my subsequent runs almost immediately.

If you want tips on good form for hill training, this article offers a good overview. The main things to keep in mind: run light and upright, shorten your stride, slow down, and rest in between each hill repeat.

I know I'm not the only one who has this love-'em-hate-'em relationship. Do hills make you tremble with fear, too? How do you get over the hump?

(Photo by kmonojo)