Running Notes

Category Running
Cruelty is...

Imagine you decide to run 16 miles for your marathon training. You are at 15.7 miles, it is hot and sunny and you just REALLY want to get home. Up ahead you see someone's lawn sprinklers. They are sprinkling on the sidewalk. You nearly jump for joy. You know, if you could jump at that point. You laughingly think in your head that you should run faster before they turn off. But at 15.7 miles, "run faster" is not an option. So, cruelty is literally TWO STEPS before you run through that beautiful sweet water, the spinklers SHUT OFF!

I mean, really, it was almost like they were sitting inside waiting for me to run by.

Anyway, I've dubbed this run the "Suck it 16". At the halfway mark, I felt pretty good. Was even blogging in my head about how I finally believe I can run this marathon. Ha. Ha ha. Ha ha ha. Around mile 13 I started to doubt again. The good news is that I felt pretty good for 13 miles, probably better than any of the halfs that I've run. However, it all went downhill from there. Around mile 14 I just wanted to sit down on the ground and cry. Now the "great" thing is about mile 14, walking sucks just as much as running, so stopping to walk doesn't help. So you might as well keep running.

I felt absolutely hideous when this run was over. I went straight into the house, slammed down a bottle of Gatorade and ran into the shower. Sadly, my legs were SCREAMING with pain in the shower. Apparently, after running 16 miles, you shouldn't stand still. I promptly got out, laid down on the couch and fell asleep. I'm feeling much better now, but I'm really wondering how I'm going to run 26.

Posted by Kathy Brown At 12:27 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (7)

Category Running
So how do you avoid running when you just don't feel up to it? Blog about running, of course. In reality, I'm not avoiding running because of this stupid streak I've got going. When I run in a few minutes (yes, I am procrastinating), it will be day 456. Nothing momentous in that, but it is an awful lot. Especially when I am training for a marathon.

My marathon training has hit some speedbumps. Moving my home and moving my work all in the span of a few weeks has been a bit tough. And summer. I hate running in the heat. Last weekend I was supposed to be running 16 miles for my long run. I was already behind and had planned the 15 miler from the previous week. (The previous week, I only ran 12 instead of the 15). Well, instead of 15, this time I ran 13.5. This was partly due to a routing error. I had mapped out a route, with a small optional loop. However, the optional loop was apparently longer than expected. Anyway, due to the blazing sun baking my poor brain, I skipped the "optional" loop, and ended up with 13.5 miles instead of 15.

While falling short of my planned run, it was still a milestone. It's the farthest I've ever run. Prior to that, I had run a half marathon, or 13.1 miles. Hooray for me.

Anyway, the last few weeks I've been increasingly cranky about running. My knee has been hurting a bit. I tried to tell myself it was just sore, and as I build up miles, I would build up strength. I told myself I needed to stretch more. For a brief moment, I thought I might need new shoes. However, being a geek, I keep a running log, including which shoes I wore. I know that all my previous pairs of shoes got a lot more mileage than my current pair. So there is no way I could need new shoes, right?

Except that every other time I needed new shoes, I realized it when my knee hurt. Duh. So I broke down and bought new shoes. And guess what? My knee feels better. Even though there are 100 fewer miles on my current shoes than on all my past shoes.

Moral of the story, and this very boring blog post, listen to your body. Pay attention to it. Try to understand what it is telling you. And when you have an idea what's going on, don't dismiss it.

Posted by Kathy Brown At 9:26 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (3)

Category Running IamLUG
If you think you might want to run with others at IamLUG, then follow @RunningNotes on Twitter. Direct Messages sent to that account will go out to all followers, so everyone can coordinate a time to run.

It was hot and humid last year, but we still had a nice time running around the arch and chatting.

If you haven't registered for IamLUG yet, get moving! I think there are still a few slots left, but I doubt there will be for long.

Hope to see you there!

Posted by Kathy Brown At 2:14 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (3)

Category Running
I'm hot, sticky sweet, from my head to my feet.

No, I'm not a huge Def Leppard fan, I just ran 8 miles with a leaky sports bottle full of Gatorade.

It was hot and humid as hell this morning. But I finally ran my 8 miles. At the end my hands were stained red from all the leaking Gatorade, but at least I didn't stop to walk or feel naseous. Nothing impressively different from the other day, I was just much better hydrated.

Nature note: on my last 8-mile attempt I was lucky enough to see a deer that actually ran alongside me for a few feet. It was very cool, but in my miserable state the other day, I forgot to write about it. Today, a butterfly flew alongside me for a little bit, which was pretty cool. A black cat also crossed my path. And apparently there is a frog cult around here, and they all decided on mass suicide last night. I have never seen so many dead frogs on the road. Ahh, such is the life of the runner, we have a deep understanding of roadkill.

Posted by Kathy Brown At 2:35 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (3)

Category Running
Not THAT kind of walk of shame. Weirdos.

Just yesterday I blogged about a terrible run in the heat, and how I am behind in my marathon training. I also posted several tips for running in the heat. It's really too bad I don't take my own advice.

So today, I found myself in the rare situation of being home alone in the evening. It had cooled off to a mere 79 degrees from the 90+ temps we'd been experiencing. I'd been good all day about drinking lots of water. I decided to go for a run. Now I've been feeling very down that I hadn't run the 8 miles that was on my schedule for last weekend. So of course, one mile into my run, I decided to go for 8.

This was a very bad decision for a lot of reasons. 1) I've been running mostly one-mile runs, on a treadmill. 2) It was still 79 degrees, which is warm for a run. 3) In my experience, it is a VERY bad idea to UP your mileage DURING a run. I tend not to make sound decisions during a run. Add in just because I'd had lots of water today, didn't mean I'd had lots of water yesterday. Did I mention I've been running on a treadmill with a 1% incline, not the nearly pure hills of the roads by my house?

Now the beginning of this run was terrific. I was composing eloquent and meaningful blog posts in my head. I may have even discovered the meaning of life. I also stupidly chose an out and back route, which means, no matter what I will be covering 8 miles because there is no shortcut back. I hit the four mile mark and turned around. Things started to feel a little shaky at this point, but I told myself I could do it. I just needed to HTFU.

I briefly got my second wind. And I mean BRIEFLY. Like five minutes. Suddenly, I felt very sick. And woozy. And kinda didn't really know where I was. In case you aren't aware, that's not good. So I stopped. And walked. Let me repeat that. I stopped. And walked. And nearly burst into tears. Since I completed the Couch to 5k program in November 2007, I have NEVER stopped and walked.

As that realization hit me, I nearly burst into tears. Now, rationally, I know there is no shame in walking. I had after all just run a very respectable 5.7 miles. And still had 2.3 to walk home. But I have never felt so disappointed in myself. I have never stopped and walked. To clarify, that is largely because I NORMALLY pick appropriate distances for my training. To suddenly decide I could will myself to do 8 miles was stupid and unfair.

Anyway, why do I post any of this? Well, why do I blog in general? To motivate myself. To motivate others. To warn you of the idiot things I have done, so you won't do them. Or to make you feel better if you've already done them, just to see that someone else makes mistakes. The blissful beginning of the run included comparing life and running. This run is no exception to that. Sometimes we bite off more than we can chew. Sometimes we can just HTFU. Other times we need to be smart and back off. Sometimes we need to push and challenge ourselves. Other times we need to accept our limitations so we can gather strength for the next challenge.

Another parallel between running and life is what we take away from those challenges. Do I dwell on the fact that I stopped and walked? Or do I celebrate the fact that I ran 5.7 miles and walked/ran another 2.3? Do I wallow in self pity and stop running altogether or leave it behind me and run again tomorrow? I think you all know the answer to that one.

Posted by Kathy Brown At 9:55 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (9)

Category Running
No, I didn't move to Rhode Island. I missed blogging about a milestone. Today was day 401 of my daily running streak. Just for those of you that wanted to know, but were afraid to ask.

I am also supposed to be starting week 3 of my marathon training. Oops. It has been hot here. And my schedule hasn't worked out well to getting in longer runs early in the morning (which is the only time to run when it gets really hot). Today for example, it was 102 degrees Farenheit at one point. At 8:30 in the morning it was already 84 degrees Farenheit. Wah wah wah you say. Stop whining. HTFU.

Normally I'd agree with you. Except last weekend on my six mile run, I HTFU'd and ran when it was too hot, and I hadn't hydrated enough before and it was the middle of the day. And really, there is a fine line between HTFU and stupid. I was just stupid. Halfway through the run I was already feeling naseous. I run on a road that goes through murky marsh water. I was so hot that the murky water looked delicious. Of course I did NOT drink it, that would be very unwise. Anyway, that run has made me a little gunshy to run in the hot weather.

What I need to do now, is what anyone should do when running in the heat:

Hydrate - and by this, I mean the day before a long run. Drinking a giant bottle of water just before a run will just give you a belly full of water, it won't properly hydrate you for a run.
Dress appropriately - cool technical fabrics are best because they breathe, hat and/or sunglasses are a must.
SUNBLOCK - because skin cancer sucks, worse than putting on sunblock. Use a sport type, or water resistant and reapply if you're going on a really long run.
Run early in the morning or late in the day - i.e. the coolest part of the day and when the sun is weakest.
Pick a shady route
Don't push it - take breaks when necessary. A PR at the expense of heat exhaustion doesn't really make sense. And don't pick your hardest hill route when the temperature soars, save it for a cooler day.

Posted by Kathy Brown At 10:17 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (4)

Category Running
Well, that snuck up on me. Tomorrow is the beginning of my marathon training. (HOLY COW!)

I looked at a couple of programs and settled on one from The Runner's Handbook. (Incidentally, a book I highly recommend for runners. Affiliate link below.) For the first half marathon I ever ran, I trained with a group. For the second and third, I used Hal Higdon's plans. For whatever reason, this plan just looked more appealing to me. The mid-week runs don't quite get as high, but with the same mileage. It looks like I could keep the daily streak going as well just by running one mile on the "rest" days.

It looks like I'll hit my first new mileage day (15 miles) at the end of July, probably while traveling to IamLUG, so that should be interesting.

This week should be "easy", one- and three-mile runs, with a six-miler on the weekend. Part of me thinks, "wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" and part of me thinks "what the F*ck have I done?".

Posted by Kathy Brown At 6:15 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (3)

Category Running
My mother always said I was stubborn. I had no idea it would help me run 365 days in a row. Alternate titles for this post were "HOLY CRAP!!! ZOMG!!!1!!" (but that seemed a little much) and "I Did It!" (but I've used that before).

So yes, Holy Crap, I did it! I ran every day for the last year. Some stats:

Total number of miles run: 961
Longest run: 13.1 miles
Shortest run: 1 mile
Personal Records set: 3 (5k, 10k and Half Marathon)

It is an incredible achievement that feels amazing and yet, not. It has become such a habit that it doesn't seem like that big of a deal. Of course, it is a big deal, and I am still very proud of myself. However, I think anyone could do it. I don't possess any particular skill at running. Really and truly, I am just stubborn. I decided to do it, and I did it. A life lesson (or two) from this. You can do whatever it is you put your mind to. Small steps everyday can add up to big accomplishments.

So go! Do big things. You just have to be stubborn.

Posted by Kathy Brown At 9:30 AM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (22)

Category Running
Well, it finally happened. I've been running for 2 1/2 years. I've been running every single day for nearly a year. Finally, some teens tried to mess with me.

I was running down the road. It's a hot, humid day. Up ahead at the pet cemetery (yes, just like in the Stephen King novel) some teens were sitting under a tree. As I got closer, I saw one stand up, adjust his shorts and head toward the road. He was wearing a cotton t-shirt, basketball shorts, socks and sandals. Much more equipped for playing video games than for running.

Sure enough, he starts to run next to me. RIGHT next to me. Not sure what his plan was, but I looked at him and said, "How far you prepared to run?". He paused a second and said, "2 to 3 miles". I laughed and said, "Well, you better keep up."

Then he said, "Maybe 70".

I laughed again and said, "You better watch out, that's poison ivy".

He said, "Well, just to that car" and peeled off and ran back to his friends.

Heh. Punk. Get off my lawn.

Posted by Kathy Brown At 4:42 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (3)

Category Marathon Running
If there is anything I have learned from running every day for (nearly) a year, it is that nothing matters.

The clothes you wear, the shoes you run in, your diet, your hydration, your sobriety. None of it matters. It can help, but you can still run, no matter the details.

And yet, I find myself wide awake at 20 minutes after midnight, scouring the internet for marathon training plans and comparing them, trying to find that PERFECT plan. Which is really silly. My goal for my first marathon is to finish. To not die. I don't really think it matters which plan I pick. If it peaks at 20 miles, or runs 5 days per week, or has 35 mile weeks on the plan. Pick one. Stick with it. That's the plan.

(For those of you who are interested, I am picking plan 1 from "The Runner's Handbook".)

Posted by Kathy Brown At 12:22 AM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (2)

Category Running Marathon
As many of you know, I started running in 2007. I've done a few half marathons, some 10ks and several 5ks. I'm on this crazy running-every-day kick, and coming up on one year of that. The marathon is something that "would be nice". Since I started running, I thought ONE would be nice. Just to say I've done it. (Please note: I said the same thing about 5k, 10k and half marathons). Last year around this time, I started looking around just to see what marathon I might be interested in.

My dream marathon was the Nike Women's Marathon. I'm not alone, so many people want to do this marathon, that they have had to resort to a lottery system to select runners.

Now, I had no plans for a marathon this year. Or even next year. I told myself, maybe before I turn 40. However, I saw the lottery was open earlier this month and thought, "WTF?". Why not? I'll either get it or I won't. No big deal.

Holy crap, guess what? I got it. Just received my notification today. I am registered for the Nike Women's Marathon. October 17, 2010 in San Francisco, CA. So I am both completely excited and completely freaked out!

Posted by Kathy Brown At 2:43 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (8)

Category Running
Yesterday I went for a run, for the 300th day in a row.

I am very excited to have hit this milestone. 365 days doesn't seem that far away. Especially since it is the end of March. In New England, we'll still have some cold days, maybe even snow, but we are through the worst of it. The days are getting longer, too.

I won't bore with details or stats. I am just happy to say that I feel great and I really feel that one year is attainable. I love the support that you all (all five of you) provide, as well as my peeps on Twitter and Facebook. Thank you all.

Posted by Kathy Brown At 10:19 AM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (1)

Category Running
Kind of obvious from the title, but I am celebrating 9 months of running every day. It's hard to believe, and yet not hard to believe. I started running every day on June 1, 2009. It's funny, this seems less of a milestone than many of the earlier milestones. I think partially because it's just become habit at this point. Many of those milestones were such a struggle to achieve, and now, the streak just happens. I am eternally grateful to my treadmill. Without it, running through winter and a busy schedule never would have been possible.

I am looking forward to one year. Another reason this milestone doesn't seem to important, I guess. I'm really just waiting for the big day.

I am also greatly looking forward to warmer weather and perhaps a few races this summer.

So far, so good. I still feel healthy and ready to run. While I may not jump up to run at 8 in the evening just to keep the streak alive, I still love running. I still love what it does for me mentally and physically. I tell myself I just have to get to one year, and then I can take a break...we'll see.

Posted by Kathy Brown At 2:35 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (4)

Category Running Thinking
I hate winter. Every year this time of year, I hate winter. This is my third February since I've started running, and every February, I hate winter. But what is funny, is that I don't hate winter. I always think I do. But then I have some fabulous winter run in the cold or the snow or both and I realize that I love it.

Why do I love it? What makes those runs so great? It isn't the temperature, or the wind, or the snow, or lack of it. It's the thinking. I love running because I can think. And not in any coherent way. When I run my thoughts just flow, and drift, and expand, and contract, and come together, and separate. They clarify, get distilled, and become muddy and fuzzy.

On a good run, I'll think "hmmm", on a great run I'll have an "ah ha!" moment. And you can never know which during run an "ah ha!" moment will happen. And they can happen when thinking about something else entirely.

And it's never about the thing I *wanted* to think about. You have to let the thoughts tumble and weave in and out of eachother. If you want to think about something you'll find it slips away from you and you've been thinking about something else for last 1/4 mile. Even if you try to focus in, it slips away again. It's useless. Let the other thoughts pop up. While they may not be "important", they are apparently priority. You have to deal with them before you can deal with the other.

It's like soup.

(Huh?)

Stay with me, it's like soup. You make a giant pot of soup and you try to fish around in it looking for a piece of meat. But you can't. Because stuff keeps bubbling up to the top and makes it hard to see. You can't just keep stirring the stuff back down, looking for meat. It keeps bubbling up to the top. You've got to skim that stuff off and deal with it. And a few times, too. Not just once.

That's what thoughts are like while running. You have to let the stuff bubble up to the top and deal with it. Then suddenly, the soup is perfectly clear and you can see everything in the bottom of the pot.

Of course this doesn't just happen during running, you can let those thoughts bubble up and mix around, but it happens for me during running. So I don't hate winter. I need to remember that a great run is potentially waiting for me, a chance to skim off the thoughts and see clearly.

Posted by Kathy Brown At 1:20 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (6)

Category Lotusphere Running
So sadly, @RunningNotes was a miserable failure. I still like the idea, so am hoping we can try again at some future conference. It really is fun and motivating to run with other people, and to know that they'll be out there waiting for you!

Even though we didn't meet up as a group, I still managed to run every day. Without the streak, I never would have run every day. I might not have run at all, it would have been too easy to keep telling myself “I'll run tomorrow”. On the one hand, without the streak I wouldn't have been motivated to run. On the other hand, I was definitely cursing the streak a few of those days, and could have used more sleep.

Oh well, it's Lotusphere, who needs sleep, right?

Posted by Kathy Brown At 10:20 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (6)

Category Running
Just a reminder, if you'd like to run/walk/crawl/hop/skip/jump (don't want to leave anyone out!) with others at Lotusphere, then don't forget to pack your gear and follow @runningnotes on Twitter.

I'm planning to run at 7AM each morning, and we can meet at the Atlantic Dance Hall. Feel free to send a DM to @runningnotes if you'd like to join me, or if you'd like to organize a different time or location. DMs to @runningnotes will go to all followers.

See you in just a few days!

Posted by Kathy Brown At 9:59 AM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (1)

Category Running Lotusphere
Thinking about running at Lotusphere? I will be! If you'd like to join me and several others, we'll be heading out each morning at 7AM. We can meet in front of the Atlantic Dance Hall in the Boardwalk area. The loop around the "lake" is a little under a mile.

This is completely informal. Please run at your own pace (or walk!) and run as much or as little as you would like. A few of us got together at IAMLUG to run each morning, and it was very enjoyable. Please don't be shy, feel free to join us. You don't have to be fast or "good", just willing and able! I'll probably run at a "conversational" pace and hopefully get in three laps, but we'll see how much sleep I get!

Hope to see you there!

MTA: Follow @runningnotes on Twitter for updates. Perhaps we can use that Twitter ID to communicate, in case anyone wants to meet up with other runners at other times/locations!

Posted by Kathy Brown At 11:01 AM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (4)

Category Running
Or, How Running Taught Me I Could Do Things I Never Thought I Could Do
*Warning: the following is dorky, but this is my blog, if you don't want dorky, then move along.

Today I hit a big milestone. I have been running every day for the last six months. On June 1, 2009, I decided to try running every day. I started with a goal of 7 days. That moved on to two weeks. Then one month. Eventually I had a goal of 100 days. Then 150. Today marks 184 days. The longest run was a half marathon in October, in which I had a personal record and *almost* broke the two hour mark. The shortest run was 1.5 miles while I was on vacation with my family in Disney World. Most of the runs were two or three miles. To see why this is all so significant, go here to read about my running background.

In the last six months I’ve run 564 miles. My average pace in June was 10:01 minute miles. My average pace in November was 9:29 minute miles.

I’ve run during a conference, I’ve run on vacations. It’s been windy, rainy and cold, and hot and humid. I’ve run in the early morning, and once in the dark, mostly in the afternoon. I’ve run in Portsmouth, Hampton, Newmarket, Rye and Stratham, New Hampshire; St. Louis, MO; Orlando, FL; and Newport, RI. I’ve run mostly outside and a few times on a treadmill. I’ve run perfectly healthy, exhausted, even hungover! I’ve had great runs and I’ve had terrible runs (surprisingly not related to the prior statement). I have had PRs (personal records) and PWs (personal worsts).

I’ve learned a lot in the two-plus years that I have been running, and a lot of that has been learned during the last six months. When I started running, I thought I had to drink exactly the right amount of water and eat the perfect foods exactly the right amount of time before a run. Running every day means I had no excuses. It means I ran through circumstances I wouldn’t have run through in the past. It means that I learned I could do so much more than I ever thought possible. If I could run while hungover and exhausted, what ELSE could I do? What CAN’T I do?

In six months of running every day (and blogging/tweeting about it), I have had the most extraordinary experience of being told that I motivated other people to run. Or walk. Or bike. That is AMAZING! And it's the best feeling, even better than running itself. And it is incredibly motivating.

How long will the streak go? Who knows. As long as it can. My friend and co-worker pointed out that I can’t exactly tweet/blog that the streak stopped just because I didn’t feel like it. Excellent point, Jeff. I’ve said only illness, injury or ice will stop me. That has now been changed to illness or injury. My treadmill arrived yesterday! Although I hate the treadmill and have to do everything possible to distract myself when I am on it, I am grateful to have somewhere to run when it is either too icy, or too dark. So onward I run…

Posted by Kathy Brown At 9:38 AM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (11)

Category Running Lotusphere
Just noticed on the calendar that Lotusphere is a tiny bit under 9 weeks away. At IAMLUG, some of us ran together in the mornings. If you want to run at Lotusphere, you've still got time even if you don't run now!

I (and several others that I know) got started with the Couch to 5K program. The program as written takes 9 weeks to complete. Go for it and go for a run at Lotusphere!

Posted by Kathy Brown At 4:30 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (4)

Category Running
Several people have asked me what to wear when running in winter. I began running in September 2007 and ran all that winter outside and all of last winter outside. I live in New Hampshire where “winter” can be late October through the beginnin of March. The weather is also very changeable. They have a saying here, “Don’t like the weather, wait 15 minutes”. January averages a low of 15F, a high of 34F and 4.2 inches of “precipitation”, which is usually snow. So, here are some of my thoughts on winter running:

+20 – dress as though it were 20 warmer out. So if you wake up for your run and it’s 32 F out. Dress as though you were going to go outside (not running) at 52 F. This has almost always worked for me. 55 or 60 may seem cool, but once you warm up from running, you’ll be happy to be wearing shorts and a tank (or whatever it is you would wear at those temps).

Cold at the start – you should feel cool/cold when you start. If it’s a cold day and you feel all warm and toasty when you walk outside, you are going to be sweating bullets when you get a mile or so into your run.

Gloves – I personally don’t really like gloves. My hands heat up quickly when I run. That being said, some really cold and windy days require gloves. My best advice here? Get the $1 stretchy gloves at Walmart or Target. Don’t go crazy and buy expensive gloves. In my experience the cheap ones work well. And then you won’t get upset if you lose one or both. And if you’re on a long run and warm up and get sick of holding them, you won’t feel bad if you toss them.

No cotton ever – that’s it. No. Cotton. Evar. An angel loses its wings whenever you wear cotton on a winter run. Cotton doesn’t wick. You will be cold and wet and exceeding uncomfortable. And when it’s REALLY cold out, your clothes will freeze. Don’t do it.

Layers – Layers. Layers. Layers. As you warm up, you may want to cool off a bit. Layers, especially those with zip-ability are great. You can unzip a little or a lot and then fully remove a layer if necessary. Just remember the layers should be light enough that if you *did* remove them, you’d be willing to carry them. Don’t wear a giant sweatshirt thinking you’ll pull it off once you warm up, or you’ll be running carrying a giant sweatshirt.

Fleece headband – I have a couple of these and they are great for the ears. They don’t fall off like ear muffs. You may want to go with a hat, but I like the vent-ability of a fleece headband. A hat gets too hot for me and I wind up pulling it off and then my ears freeze. It can happen, I read an article about a runner who didn’t notice that part of her ear had frozen on a run. Yuck. Avoid that. Wear a fleece headband when it’s REALLY cold out and/or you’ll be out for a while.

Fleece lined running clothes – I have a couple of pairs of fleece-lined running pants from Nike, as well as some of their fleece-lined tops. Love them. So cozy and warm, yet still made to wick and are designed for running. If you are going to spend any extra money, this is the place to do it!

Sunglasses/sunblock – Just because it’s winter, doesn’t mean you don’t need these two! Trust me, when there is snow all over the ground and the sun comes out, you will thank me.

So, no reason not to run outside in winter. Just be smart and safe. I absolutely love running in Winter. Well, at least until January...

Feel free to add your own in the comments!

Posted by Kathy Brown At 1:09 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (4)

Category Running
Today I ran the Smuttynore Half Marathon in Hampton, NH. As I posted last week, I had three goals. One of which, was my super secret goal. This is the dream goal. Not the goal you actually think you will reach, but one you aspire to. That goal was to break 2 hours. My previous best time for a half marathon was 2:11.

So, the race report. First I have to say what a great race this is. VERY well run. Before the race even began several weeks ago, I couldn't remember if I had registered or not. I emailed the race contact and they quickly responded. They indicated I was not registered, but tried very hard to help me, asking if there might be another name I was registered under. Turns out, I am just forgetful and hadn't registered. So, I registered. Which was good, because the race closed out and there was no race day registration.

Today marked 126 days of running every day. I had high hopes of breaking my PR, and even had secret hopes of reaching my super secret goal.

I couldn't ask for a better race start location. First, it's by the beach. I love the beach and the ocean. Secondly, my mother-in-laws house was about 1/4 mile from the start. So, I got there early, picked up my race number and timing chip and went back to her house to relax until race time. Race start was 10AM, so at 9:30, we rallied the troops and headed over to the start. My mother-in-law, husband and two kids would be there to cheer me on.

The race began and I had a little confusion as there was no starting mat that I crossed over. Usually when a race is chip timed, there is a rubber mat that you cross at the start. That is when I start my watch. No rubber mat meant I had no idea where the actual start was and no idea when to start my watch. At some point, I just assumed I must have missed it and started my watch.

The miles went by relatively easy and quickly at the start of the race. In order to hit 2 hours, I needed to run 9:09 minute miles. I was consistently running 9:09 or less.

This was a VERY interesting race. I used to live in Hampton. At the beginning of the race, I passed by a house that I lived in one winter. Another part of the race went down the road I used to drive to and from work for several years. Yet another part of the race passed by the beach I got engaged on. I passed the neighborhood where we bought our first house. A little run down memory lane.

Also interesting and fun, were my thoughts. Two hours is a long time. You think about a lot of stuff. In particular, I thought about a lot of my Twitter friends. I had tweeted before the race and many had tweeted back. Francie gave me a cheer, which made me laugh at several points throughout the race. I thought about things people have posted. Like Francie (again) posting that hilarious video where Elmo gets bleeped. Cracking myself up while running thinking of Elmo saying "Bleep you, Baby". I ran fast for you guys. I really wanted to be able to tweet that I broke two hours. I didn't tweet that, but I think my tweet may have been equally amusing.

So anyway, not sure how...according to my Garmin I hit the target mile pace for every mile, but my finish time was officially 2:01:21. A fabulous, wonderful PR by 10 minutes, but a tragic miss of my super secret goal by just 1 minute and 21 seconds.

More on how well the race was run, the after race goodies were great. FREE BEER with NO LINE. They were just lined up on a table for the taking. And pizza, and granola, and drinks, and vegetable soup. Again, all lined up and waiting for runners with no lines. AND KLONDIKE BARS!! You can't beat a race that has Klondike bars. Very well run, well organized. I would love to do this race again next year.

The stats, if you're interested:

1 - 9:12
2 - 9:09
3 - 9:09
4 - 8:54
5 - 9:01
6 - 9:09
7 - 9:00
8 - 9:04
9 - 8:58
10 - 9:06
11 - 9:00
12 - 9:08
13 - 8:55
0.35 (according to Garmin) - 3:26

Posted by Kathy Brown At 2:34 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (6)

Category Running
Today I had 11 miles on the schedule. It’s always a little hard when it comes to this point in the schedule. I have many 2-6 mile routes planned out. It’s harder to think of 10- and 11-mile runs. One thing I do is to combine two shorter routes.

The one I did today worked out really well, and provided a great idea for long runs in the future. I did most of my usual 6-mile loop, however just before the last half mile, I turned onto my usual out and back route. Because it is out and back I can use this route for anywhere from two to seven miles. I just did enough of this route to add to what I’d already done and end up back home with 11 miles.

A great thing happened. I just hit 5.8 miles when I turned on to my out and back route. Since I usually run shorter routes on this road, it felt like I was just starting a short run. It was great, it was almost as if I hadn’t run those first 6 miles. So instead of drudging along through mile seven, it felt like I was on mile one! A great mental trick for running those longer distances.

Another tip for longer distances is the out and back itself. I ran the loop first, then the out and back and it is REALLY motivating to be able to say, “One more mile and you can turn around. One more mile and you can go home.” While I like loops since they provide changing scenery, I really find the out and back motivating. I can push myself to the halfway point, and then KNOW I am running back to the start and it’s “almost” over.

It was a good run. If I’d run the full 13.1 today, going from my time on the 11, I’d have finished the half marathon in 2:10 or 2:09, which would be a PR. Hopefully, I could do that well or even better on race day. Not bad for day 111!

And since the half marathon is now two weeks away, it may be time to set some goals. My first half marathon, I came in at 2:11. Now the beauty of the first is that it’s automatically a PR. However, I felt like CRAP for several miles of this race. Which led me to have a goal of having fun and enjoying myself for my second half marathon. I ran with a friend and we came in at 2:20.

For big races, I like to have three goals: the “reachable” goal (this is the one you most likely will reach, you don’t want to aim too high and be disappointed), the “possible” goal (this you could do if all forces in the universe align, you don’t feel sick, the weather is right, etc.) and the super-secret-don’t-tell-anyone-so-you-aren’t-embarrassed goal (aim HIGH).

So…

Reachable goal – 2:11 - -> This means 10:00 minute miles
Possible goal – a PR, anything better than 2:11
SUPER SECRET GOAL (oops, blogging it isn’t exactly a secret, eh?) – Under two hours - -> 9:08 minute miles

I’ve been running 9:40-ish minute miles in training…

Posted by Kathy Brown At 6:24 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Running Darkness
I am a rational, intelligent person. Mostly.

Tonight in order to keep my running streak alive, I had to run in the dark. The last time I did that was last year with a running group. I've never run alone in the dark. Before I left, I was mostly worried about getting hit by a car. I wore a reflective strip on my arm and was prepared to jump in the bushes if a car came too close. Upon starting my run, I realized a much bigger problem would be the fact that I was running in the country. Running in the country means NO STREET LIGHTS. No street lights means it is REALLY dark, and my biggest danger was more tripping and falling into a ditch with a twisted ankle.

Once I adjusted to the dark and the fact that I *probably* wouldn't fall in a ditch, I began to enjoy the peace and quiet and lack of cars...until I started realizing I was in the middle of nowhere, in the dark, with no one around...to hear me scream. [dramatic pause]

I watch way too many horror movies...every noise I heard in the woods translated in my head into a crazed killer who has been waiting in the woods all day for some idiot like me to go running by. Needless to say, I ran very fast.

Update: I normally run 9:30-10:00 minute miles. According to the Garmin, this run was 9:09 minute miles!

Posted by Kathy Brown At 8:06 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (5)

Category Running
Today was the magical day, I had my 100th day of daily running. I went for my run this morning at 6AM. I usually run in the afternoon, but that's how the schedule worked out. It was a fantastic run. 53 degrees, cool, and perfect for running. It was 6AM, so it was very quiet out. Perfect for reflecting on 100 days of running. Normally, I don't think about running while running, but today I did.

I thought about how I first started, almost two years ago with the Couch to 5k program. Before that program, I wouldn't have run if a bear was chasing me.

So, some stats as I reflect upon my running...

9/24/07 - the day I started running with the Couch to 5k program
11/24/07 - the day I ran my first 5k - 34:40 was my time
I joined the Seacoast Series for the 2008 season and had to complete 6 of 8 races and one had to be a 10k to get a jacket. I ran 7 of the races, 2 of them were 10ks and I am the proud owner of a Seacoast Series jacket.
6/14/08 - the day I ran my first 10k
11/9/08 - the day I ran my first half
6/1/09 - the day I started running every day
27:27 - my best 5k time on 6/7/09 at the Smuttynose 5k
54:58 - my best 10k on 8/20/09 at Saunders
40 pounds - the weight I've lost since running
Month of August - had a 100+ mile month
Longest run during the 100 days was 10 miles, least was 1.88 miles
This year I’ve run a total of 533 miles and 1255 since I began

It's crazy and fantastic and I really hope goes to show that ANYONE can run. I don't have any "next" goals for the daily running, I'm just going to keep going for as long as I can without injury. My next big running goal is the half marathon at the beginning of next month. Thanks for reading along, both with this post and my running journey. Knowing that anyone is reading this blog at all helps motivate me on my runs!

Posted by Kathy Brown At 8:26 AM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (11)

Category Running
Hey running friends!

For those of you that have an iphone and don’t want to get a Garmin (although really, WHY WOULDN’T you get a Garmin? My love note to Big Red is here) check out Paul Mooney’s review of Runkeeper, an iphone app that uses GPS to track your distance.

Posted by Kathy Brown At 2:14 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Running
What a beautiful day today! After a horrible run yesterday (which was day 90) during which rain was blowing sideways into my ear, the weather was a perfect 57 degrees at the start of my run.

Today's training schedule called for a 9 miler, but seeing as today was day 91 of consecutive running, I had to go for 9.1 miles. It was a great run, too. Perfect weather. I picked a nice route with only a tiny piece that was out and back. I felt really good, too. Didn't really start to tire until mile 7 or so. AND, I came in with under 10-minute miles, which is very exciting. The half marathon I am running is early October, so still to early to make any time goals, but this was a great run and I am optimisitic.

Only 9 days to go to get to 100...

Posted by Kathy Brown At 11:22 AM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (3)

Category Running
Tonight was the Saunders 10k in Rye Harbor, NH. Last year I ran this race and came in with a then PR of 57:48. Since then I got a new PR in June at the Market Square Day 10k, coming in 57:15. Given that today was day 81 of consecutive running days, I was hoping to see a new PR. However, it was supposed to be in the 80s today, so I wasn't holding my breath for any fantastic running.

Boy, was I wrong. I got a PR by MORE than two minutes! Official finish time...54:58!! A course PR by almost three minutes and a distance PR by two.

View of the harbor near the race start...

My plan was to run 9 minute miles if possible. That would have given me a finish time around 56:00. My first mile I was close to that pace, I ran it in 8:50. The first four miles were close to the 8:50 pace. I felt good. It had cooled off as the sun went lower in the sky (the race started at 6PM). And there were hills, small hills, but hills. I love hills. I kicked into gear on each hill and really pushed up them. At two points in the race, I actually swore at myself out loud. One was somewhere in the middle when I hit a hill and DIDN'T kick it into gear, so yelled at myself to GET UP THAT HILL. The second time was just at the last turn. I looked down at my watch and new I could really smoke my previous time, so I didn't want to come in slow. A few choice words with myself and I sped it up for the final 0.1 mile.

The BEST part, aside from an awesome race time, is that the Saunders 10k only gives shirts to a certain number of people. You have to finish in the top number of people for you age group and gender. I didn't even come close to getting one last year. But, GUESS WHO EARNED A SHIRT? That's right, ME. I've gotten a lot of race shirts in the last couple of years, but THIS one is the best by far because I EARNED it.

Here are the splits (YAY! negative splits!!)
Mile 1 - 8:51
Mile 2 - 8:55
Mile 3 - 8:51
Mile 4 - 8:49
Mile 5 - 8:40
Mile 6 - 8:42
0.2 - 2.15 Update: For my gender and age group, you had to be one of the first 115 finishers, I was 97!!!

Posted by Kathy Brown At 9:32 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (9)

Category Running
Just realized I have a 10k race coming up on Thursday. The Saunders 10k in Rye, NH. I really enjoyed this race last year. It was warm, but not too hot. It starts at 6PM and part of it runs near Rye Beach. It is a little hilly, but not too bad.

Some interesting (to me, anyway) stats. My time on this race last year, 57:48. My PR at this distance (from June of this year) 57:15. Now that means running 9:15-ish minute miles. When I ran those races, my training runs were around the 10, 10:30, even some 11-minute mile runs. Lately, thanks in large part to running every day, I have been running 9:30 or 10 minute miles during training runs. Hmm, some potential there for a PR. Of course, I also seem to do my best at races when I have no expectations, so maybe I just shouldn’t worry about it!

Anyway, wish me luck. Thursday will be a fun 10k, the weather looks good and it will be my 81st consecutive day of running!

Posted by Kathy Brown At 4:45 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (1)

Category Running
Today marks 70 days in a row running. 70 days!! That's CRAZY. So I celebrated with a 7-miler. Okay, not really, that was just what was on my training schedule, but still, it was cool. 7 Miles on Day 70!

The last week or so has really been an eye opener as far as running is concerned. I used to think that you had to properly fuel your body, and hydrate it, and get the proper amount of sleep, and rest between runs. Since I was traveling last week at a conference, I neither properly fueled my body, properly hydrated it, slept or rested between runs. I was go, go, go, living on diet coke and ... diet coke. And while the runs were not the BEST runs I've ever had, they weren't the worst, and certainly I was able to get through them. And to even run while sleep deprived and in heat and humidity, I managed to impress myself!

So, today was day 70. I ran 7 miles. Not that bad at all. The weather here was beautiful. High 60s/low 70s and low humidity. Most of my route was shady with a wonderful breeze. I kept pretty steady with 10:00-minute miles. Again, this will be interesting to watch since I am hoping to continue running every day and combine that with training for a half marathon in October. Still no goals for running everyday, I just want to keep going as long as I can. (Okay, don't tell anyone but secretly, it would be REALLY cool to hit day 100!)

Posted by Kathy Brown At 2:21 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (10)

Category Lotus Notes Running IAMLUG
Yesterday was the final day of the IamLUG conference. I attended several sessions, Eileen Fitzgerald and Jamie Magees's "Obedience for Developers", Matt White's XPages session, Michael Masterson's Plug-in and Sidebar development, Rob Novak's session covering MyDomino. I especially pleased to attend Matt White's session since I had missed it at Lotusphere.

Twitter I really *can't* get away with writing a wrap up about this conference without discussing Twitter. As many of you know, I am an avid Twitter user. And yes, "user" is appropriate in this context, as many tell me I have a problem. I don't see it as a problem at all. Thanks to Twitter, I have gotten to know many people in the Lotus community. This made meeting people and getting to know them that much easier in person. It is highly amusing the number of pictures of IamLUG attendees with mobile devices in hand. And I become the butt of many Twitter jokes. In no less than THREE of the sessions that I attended, the speaker made reference to me and my Twitter addictions. I was even made fun of in Chris Miller's closing.

Regardless, I think it made my experience at the conference that much more fun. For those of you who still hang back and aren't on Twitter, or are on, but don't participate, jump in! CAUTION: Be sure you REALLY are sending a Direct Message if that is your intent. And perhaps after having a beer or two, consider a ban on sending Direct Messages from Twitter. Just sayin'.

Wrap Up

Overall, I think this was a fantastic conference. I have been to Lotusphere twice and (obviously) it is a completely different experience. I believe attendance to IamLUG was near 200 people. That creates a much more casual atmosphere. People really get to know eachother. I never once passed out a business card. Isn't that funny? I think part of this was the casual and close nature of this conference. As I said, I already knew a lot of the people I was meeting face to face from Twitter. Judging from the number of new followers I got this week, I think any new people I met just started following me on Twitter rather than exchanging business cards. Although I think Lotusphere is an integral part of my year, I really recommend attending one of the smaller user conferences such as this one. It's a really fantastic experience. All the benefits of the big conferences, like great speakers and great content, but a more casual and open atmosphere.

HUGE kudos go to the team that organized this! Things really proceeded smoothly and had I not known that this was the first time for this conference, I never would have guessed it. I'm sure more work than we could ever imagine went into this conference behind the scenes, and I THANK YOU ALL.

Run Report

Final day for a run. I was running on empty! I'd had very little sleep, but I knew Paul, Karl and Paul would be waiting for me, so I went. We ran. I won't lie and say it was a good one, but we got it done!

[edited for a typo, I REALLY CAN recommend this conference! Duh. Why I should never write/tweet/email/really do anything when sleep deprived.]

Posted by Kathy Brown At 7:17 AM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (7)

Category Lotus Notes Running IAMLUG
Today was the official first day of the conference. The day kicked off with registration, breakfast and then the Opening General Session. Kevin Cavanaugh spoke, and I am sure what he said is covered in much more and better detail on other people’s blogs. My big take away was the new marketing campaign, “Lotus Knows”. Pretty quickly people were jumping on the hashtag #LotusKnows all over Twitter.

I attended some great sessions throughout the day, John Head’s Integration and Coexistence, Paul Steel from RIM showing development for the Blackberry and Julian Robichaux’s Free Your Data!

My last session of the day was Ed Brill’s session. Again, I am sure a lot of others covered the content a lot better than me, so on to…

The Run Report

This morning the group grew to five people and we didn’t lose anyone. A very very humid run, so an impressive run for all of us, especially since three of the runners come from countries where the humidity is less than it was today, which felt like it was about 10000%.

Running again tomorrow, meet at 7 AM at the fountain if you’re interested! (way to get people to run, hey join us, it's really humid!)

Posted by Kathy Brown At 9:30 AM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (1)

Category Lotus Notes Running IAMLUG
Sunday at IamLUG. After the run described in part 1, I went to the St. Louis Cardinal’s game with several IamLUGers. People met back in the hotel atrium for beverages, dinner at the burger place in the hotel, then we… [this entry was edited for general audiences] (I am joking, just not much happened that is blog-worthy.)

The Run Report

Johnny Noltensmeyer joined me for my run this morning, and much to my surprise, so did Paul Mooney. Despite his protestations that we would have to (and should) leave him behind, Paul managed to keep up.

Anyone else who would like to join us for a run, we’ll meet in front of the fountain at 7AM…

Posted by Kathy Brown At 4:03 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Lotus Notes Running IAMLUG
My worlds collide, a post about Lotus Notes AND running!

I flew to St. Louis yesterday. Got here in a reasonable amount of time. Checked into the hotel. The rooms are terrific, they’re all suites with a living area and a separate bedroom. Met up with some IAMLUG’ers, had a few drinks, and wound up at a rap concert of all places. Apparently they have concerts by the arch during summer. I saw that guy, you know, the one with the two CDs. Unh huh. Him. Right. Sorry, I don’t really follow rap, but I had a fun time, probably due to the excellent company.

I had to call it a day around 10:30 or so. Need to pace myself.

Up this morning and headed out for a run. Taking the advice of the front desk, I headed over towards the arch. A nice little pathway circles around the arch, making for a very nice run. There are some river views, views of the arch of course and just for @AngryJohhny there are some stairs if you’d like to run them! The surrounding park has a nice little pond, and is shaded much of the run.

I always find running in a new place an interesting way to see it. The area near the hotel is a popular spot for bars and clubs and such, so of course running there the next morning includes seeing a lot of people cleaning up a lot of um…messes.

Also watching the crews in the park taking down the equipment from the prior night’s concert.

So, a great start to what I think will be a great conference. (I was told there will be diet Coke available all day.) Looking forward to a lot more people arriving today! And heading out for a Cardinals/Astros game!

Posted by Kathy Brown At 11:33 AM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (3)

Category Running
Today marked 60 days of daily running! 189 miles!

It's hard to believe, and yet, not hard to believe. Tomorrow will be two full months of running every day. I feel great. The last few days have been a little tough due to the temperatures in the mid-80s and high humidity, but so far so good! It's better than snow, right?

I realize logically that this is a huge accomplishment, and am proud of myself. But, it really doesn't feel like it's been hard to do. I just run, every day, but still it's just running. Between two and six miles. I'm also in week three of my training for my THIRD half marathon. I am very interested to see how running every day will impact my training and my time.

I've also been doing the one hundred pushups program. I'm in the middle of Week 5 (although it's been 7 or 8 weeks). I'm feeling great with that as well. I started out only able to do 6 measly pushups. Last night's final set (of 8 sets) consisted of 40 pushups!!

I'm really looking forward to this weekend as my worlds collide! I will be going to IAMLUG, a conference for Lotus User's, and a few people have said they will be running with me! Woohoo! Running AND Notes! (God, I'm such a geek).

ETA: And I've run ALL of those miles on my chart in my Brooks Adrenaline GTS 8s! I love those shoes. I have three pairs of them!

Posted by Kathy Brown At 6:23 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (5)

Category Running
Today marks 50 days of daily running. It’s really kind of crazy since it doesn’t feel like it was a big accomplishment. If anything, running daily has been EASIER than running every other day, or even 5 days per week. It’s not a question of *will* I run today, but *when* will I run today. It’s routine. It feels fantastic! No more dragging my feet about a run. I was practically jumping out the door to get #50 finished today! I try to mix it up. Sometimes I run with my friend Jess, many times alone. Sometimes at home, mostly at work. I try to go different routes when possible, although I do stick to 3-4 routes mostly.

My pace has potentially improved. It feels easier going the same pace anyway. All of my runs have been at the “feel good” pace, not pushing it at all. I am looking forward to next month when I am running a 10k and I can push it a little and see how that feels.

This week, I also started training for my next half marathon. Yep, I’m that crazy. I haven’t officially registered, but I am now training for the Smuttynose Brewing Company Half Marathon Rockfest.

Anyway, just had to brag a little bit. 50 days seems like a big milestone. I have no real goals for the next big number, just going to keep doing what I am doing for as long as I can do it!

Posted by Kathy Brown At 4:15 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (2)

Category Running
Today was my 28th day of streaking! As I mentioned in a recent blog post I have been running every day. Today marked a full four weeks.

Some interesting observations:

I feel great. Yes, this is surprising to me. Like many runners, I really believed that rest days were just as important as running days. Now that I am running every day, and reading up on running every day, I am seeing that this isn’t exactly true. It might be true if I was training for a marathon and going really long distances, or if I was doing speed workouts. However, I mostly run short, easy runs. 2-4 miles at my “easy” pace. By “easy” I mean I can (and do) carry on a conversation. Only two of the runs were races, and incidentally both were PRs.

Lots of people seem more impressed with the fact that I am running every day, than the fact that I have run a half marathon. This is fascinating to me. Having experienced both, the half marathon was MUCH harder. So far, running every day has been pretty easy. Really no different than running every other day.

It’s surprisingly not that big of a deal. I sort of thought hitting four weeks, I would be ecstatic. Kind of like finishing a marathon or something. Instead, it’s become habit, and just “is”. Which is nice, but weird.

I expected to have some good runs and some bad runs in there, as is usual for me. However, they’ve been good runs and a couple of great runs. Something to be said for consistency, huh?

Since starting 28 days ago, I’ve lost 9 pounds. Granted, in addition to running, I’ve also returned to healthier eating. No more peanut M&Ms and Dr. Pepper to get through my afternoon stress. Go me!

A side note, but fitness related – I have completed week 2 of the 100 pushups program. I had to switch to the “alternative” pushups since every pushup made a weird crackling/grinding noise in my shoulder. After week 2, you are supposed to take the assesment test again. I re-read the description of good form pushups and tried the assessment doing regular pushups. I spread my hands out a bit further than before and HOORAY, no grinding noise. So I think I will continue with regular pushups. However, I will be repeating Week 2 due to my poor assessment test.

Oh, and here's the chart from my running log on RunningAHEAD. Isn't it purty?

Posted by Kathy Brown At 2:16 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (5)

Category Running
So I'm experimenting with daily running. I have to say, I LOVE it! The shortest run was two miles, the longest was the 10k race last weekend. Yesterday was 15 days in a row running. I feel great. I thought I would be sore, but not yet! Granted, most all of my runs are very easy, and as I said there were a couple short ones, which I'm guessing worked similarly to days off.

Daily running is a terrific motivator! There have been several days over the last two weeks, which I normally would have blown off running. Sunday is a prime example, it was 5 PM and I had a great race the day before. My arms were covered in poison ivy rashes. It was raining. Seriously, Excuse City! I would have skipped this run, except I didn't want to blow my daily running streak! So I got dressed, got out the door and ran.

I have no goals or expectations for how long I will do this. I would like to do it for as long as I can. When the streak gets broken, I want to start again and beat it. What do you think? How long can I do it?

Posted by Kathy Brown At 7:00 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (4)

Category Running
Today I ran the Market Square Day (MSD) 10k in Portsmouth, NH. Much like last week, I didn't have any big expectations for this race. I've only run two other 10Ks. I ran MSD last year. Last year, I had hoped to break 60 minutes and came in with 1 hour, 2 minutes and 3 seconds. My second 10k was the Saunders 10k last August. I managed to break the one hour mark with 57:48.

So, I didn't care about a PR, would have liked to come in under 60 minutes, but wouldn't be upset no matter what.

I liked this race a lot last year because there were a lot of spectators. The race starts in downtown Portsmouth at the start of a street fair/festival type thing (that's the official term). The course makes a quick loop around the downtown area and heads into nearby neighborhoods. The neighborhoods are the best part. People stand in their front yards cheering. Last year many many people had music playing loudly for the runners. Motivating music like Eye of the Tiger from Rocky and the theme from Chariots of Fire. This year the number of spectators seemed to be down from last year, and there were definitely fewer musical interludes. There were plenty of people holding out hoses to spray down hot runners, which was great because it WAS hot, despite a 9 AM start.

There are a few hills, which I of course swore at as I ran up them, but the course isn't too bad elevation-wise.

I did discover yet another running motivational tip, and that is what I dub "pre-blogging". Many athletes visualize winning races or olympic medals and they feel that helps them perform better in competitive events. I found thinking about what I would blog after the race to be my visualization. I wanted to write that I had a PR. I wanted to write that I had a great race. I wanted to write that I once again conquered hills and heat and running in general. Guess what? It worked. I finished in 57:15 (official time). A PR by more than 30 seconds!

There won't be any race reports for a little while. My next race isn't scheduled until the Saunders 10k in August. Don't worry though, I'm sure I'll post plenty of regular running post between now and then.

A post-race note: if you find yourself in a race of some sort, and you'd like to be running faster than those around you, UNLESS YOU ARE TRYING TO COME IN FIRST, don't be an a$$hole and dodge in and out of people reckelssly just to get ahead of someone by 10 feet. (And if you have any chance of coming in first, don't start at the back of the freakin pack.)

Posted by Kathy Brown At 7:41 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (4)

Category Running
Okay, maybe not by elite runner standards, but by MY standards I kicked that race's a$$.

So for a little backstory...my PR (personal record) for a 5k was 27:46 from a 5k in May. This was a GREAT time for me. I started running in September of 2007. My first 5k in November of that year was 34:40. Seven minute improvement in one and a half years isn't too bad in my book. I will never forget the 5k that I ran last year when I was THRILLED to have broken the 30-minute mark. When I first started running that had seemed impossible.

Now, I had ZERO expectations for today. I already had a PR in May. I am running a 10k next weekend. So, I figured I would just run this race and see. This course is VERY hilly. According to Big Red, 602 foot elevation increase and 556 foot decrease. Also, today was HOT. 77 degrees F with not a lot of shade on the course. You can see why my expectations for today were so low.

According to my Garmin, I ran the first mile in 8:46. WHAT?! That is crazy-fast for me. It's the hills. As I've blogged about before, I get mad. I don't slow down, and that is what worked for me here. At every hill, I just pushed myself faster. On one of the rare flat parts, I had to remind myself to pick it up a bit.

Unofficial finish time (in other words, my watch and not the official race chip time, which hasn't been posted yet) was 27:12! A 30-second PR over my last best time. WOW! That was exciting. Now top that all off with the fact that this was the Smuttynose 5k, so guess what was being served after the race? Free Smuttynose beer! W00t!

Does it get any better? Oh wait, it does! They had a live band and free pizza, chili and wings. I had a great time hanging out in the sun, drinking a beer (or two) and eating some pizza.

So while I didn't come in first or anything like that, I did completely kill my time from last year in this race (29:28, it was even hotter last year) and got a PR!!

Posted by Kathy Brown At 3:58 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (8)

Category Running
I just finished a run this morning. A run so great, I had to blog about it. Imagine that! So what was so magical about this run?

Well, I was eager to do it this morning, which is a change. Although I love running and how I feel AFTER a run, I don't generally look forward to them. While I was running, I was having fun. It was one of those great runs where my mind just wanders. I wasn't bored, or counting down the minutes, or constantly checking my pace or distance. I wasn't griping in my head about this pain or that. I was just running. Listening to birds chirp and watching squirrels. Okay, I did have to jump over a dead frog at the last minute, but still...

Anyway, so what caused this great run to occur you ask. I think I know. Are you ready for it?

I planned a short run. I normally run 3-5 miles. I occasionally plan LONG runs of 6+ miles. Today, I wanted to run, but I am running a race tomorrow, so I didn't want to run a lot. I planned to run 2 miles. Somehow knowing I was only running two miles made me ecstatic! I was excited to run, excited WHILE running, knowing it was only two miles.

Now by plan a short run, I really mean plan it. I don't think it works the same if you plan three and cut it short. It also isn't the same if you say you're only going to run two and then run three. Just not the same. I felt like running more, but I stuck to my plan. And KNOWING that this wasn't some mental game I play with myself to get myself to run is what made it so motivating!

So get out there, for a nice SHORT run! And enjoy yourself!

Posted by Kathy Brown At 8:45 AM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Running
Yesterday I ran the Redhook Brewery Memorial 5k. I ran this race last year and it was HOT. The course feels like a gradual uphill for the first mile and a half. There is no shade to be had at all on this course. Last year the son was blazing and it was hot. Did I mention it was hot last year? Last year I ran a disappointing 30:25. Disappointing because I had hoped to break the 30 minute mark. I had at a race a couple of weeks before, but the heat just killed me.

Luckily this year, it was cooler and overcast. Big Red also made a full recovery from my prior post and was there to keep me on track. This race is pretty packed, 1958 runners this year. The first 1/4 mile or so was PACKED. A lot of weaving through people and being passed. This race allows both strollers and iPods, which was an interesting combo. I saw a lot of guys pushing strollers and coming up behind people yelling "Stroller on your left" and the runner not hearing because they were wearing headphones.

Speaking of strollers, no matter how much better I do than in years past, I STILL get passed by women pushing double-strollers up hill. Very degrading.

Anyway, so mile 1, I managed an 8:52 pace, which was pretty good for me, especially since I had to fight the crowd a bit. I slowed down on mile 2 with a 9:13 pace. Mile 3 I picked it back up for 9:01. Total for the 5k: 28:31. Not a PR, but definitely better than my time last year! Almost two minutes better!!

And even more exciting to me was that my run was MUCH better than my prior run. Heading out in a few minutes for a run. Next race is June 13th, Market Square Day 10k (I think - I haven't signed up yet!).

Posted by Kathy Brown At 6:31 AM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Running
Today I was betrayed. Betrayed by Big Red. I've posted previously of my love for Big Red and today Big Red failed me. I started my run as I normally do. And about 1/4 of a mile in, I glanced down at Big Red to see what my pace was. Sadly, Big Red had gone dark. That's not a euphemism, the screen had gone dark. My Garmin Forerunner 305 was off. Despite the fact that it had just been ON. And despite the fact that I had just recently charged it. Sadness kicked in. Then panic. What will I do? How will I know how fast (slow) I've run? How far I've gone? How long it took? I contemplated stopping and going back home. Then, I realized how ridiculous that was and that I should run. I knew about how far to go for a three mile run. So what if I don't know if it was EXACTLY three miles, or long it took, at least I would have gone for a run. So I continued on.

I continued on for one of the most CRAPTASTIC runs I have ever had. First and foremost let me say that I don't like heat. I can run in below freezing temps in a snowstorm, I don't like it, but it's okay. I don't like heat. It happened to be 90 degrees out for my run today and it's 2 PM with the sun blazing. Not the best time for a run, but I have to run when I can, right? Add to that, I hadn't really had ANY water to drink today. Oops. A medium iced coffee and a diet coke. Not exactly the best hydration for a hot run.

I swear there was no shade to be had on my run either. And it FELT like it was uphill both ways. But maybe I was hallucinating.

And, some guy was out mowing his dirt patch. So I got to run through a lovely cloud of gas fumes from the mower and a ton of dirt that the mower kicked up. Boy, I sure hope he has a dog, so I could run through some pulverized dog poo.

When I stopped for my "cool down" walk back to my house, all the neighbors were out and I kept chanting in my head over and over, "Don't pass out - don't puke". Feel free to use that, if you find it motivating.

There was other brilliantly funny stuff I was going to blog about, but in my heat addled state, I've forgotten it all.

Posted by Kathy Brown At 3:51 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (4)

Category Running
While plodding today (er, um, running) I came to a realization. First however, I must explain. I am not fast. I don’t try to be fast. I don’t come anywhere near top placement in races for my gender and/or my age. Heck, 90 year olds can beat me. I’m not concerned with that. At most, I just try to beat my own time on a particular course or distance. Although that isn’t even a goal sometimes. Just last April I ran my second half marathon, my goal was not to beat my first half marathon, but to enjoy myself. So, you see, I am not fast. And I am okay with that, mostly.

A critical lesson I have learned about running, and well, almost anything in life, is that I can push through the pain. More accurately, I have learned this through running, but it’s applicable to other parts of life. I can do anything. A bad run for three miles? So what, I can withstand pain for 30 minutes. If I can withstand the pain of running for two-plus hours, I can withstand a lot.

But here’s what I realized today. “Push through the pain” for other people means Go Faster. Push through the pain and move faster. “Push through the pain” for me means Don’t Stop. A big difference. Don’t Stop works great for a half marathon, and I hope someday for a marathon, but it doesn’t do much to make me faster. I wonder if my definition of pushing through will ever change. Can I change from a “Don’t Stop” runner to a “Go Faster” runner? Do I want to?

Anyone out there ever a Don’t Stop runner that changed to a Go Faster runner? Or were you always one or the other?

Posted by Kathy Brown At 9:07 AM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (2)

Category Running
I haven't run in a week. And I don't feel like running today. But I know that I should. I know I'll feel great when I'm done. But right now I feel like a three-year-old, stomping and kicking and screaming, "I don't wanna!!!".

Suck it up. JUST GET OUT THERE AND RUN.

That's what someone needs to tell me.

The sad thing is that I regularly go through this, and yet still I let it get to me. I don't feel like running, and one day I give in to that feeling. Then the next day I feel bad about not running the day before and I don't go running again just because I'm mad at myself. That makes sense, right? The more days slip in between runs, the easier it gets to skip the run. I'm not sure if it's post race blues, or just life. Wait a second. Who cares?! JUST GET OUT THERE AND RUN.

Oh, right.

You've heard it here first. I *am* running today. I *will* feel better when I'm done. Wasn't I just dreaming about a MARATHON last week? And now I'm finding it hard to gather the energy to run three miles. Sheesh. JUST GET OUT THERE AND RUN.

Please make a comment to check and see if I went for a run. Public humiliation may be all that gets me out there today!

Posted by Kathy Brown At 1:31 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (6)

Category Running
As mentioned in my last post, I got a last minute entry into the Margaritas Mexican Fiesta 5K. Basically, my mother-in-law registered for the race and then, the night before decided not to run and gave me her number. (To be clear, she has breathing issues, she didn't just cop out). So that is how I happened to be registered for a race that I didn't know about until the night before. I was registered as a woman 50 to 59 years old. (To be clear again, I am NOT 59).

This was the first running of the Margaritas Mexican Fiesta 5K. It seemed like it would be fun. Margaritas is a local Mexican restuarant. The race was sponsored by the restaurant and Corona. Free beer and mexican food after the race - who could ask for anything more?

I got there WAY too early. There were only 450 people registered for the race, with plenty of parking. Oh well. I saw a friend that I hadn't seen since the Great Bay Half Marathon, so we chatted a bit before the start.

Before the race started, I hadn't yet decided if I was going to try and run fast, or just take it easy. I haven't exactly been training. I only ran twice this week. My next race wasn't scheduled until the end of May. The race started and a huge group of people started doing some goofy take on Army chants. You know where one guy says something, and the other people echo want he said. Only they were REALLY annoying. I decided I would try and run fast, if only to get past them. Which of course proved difficult since they were running side-by-side, at least 10 people across. Did I mention the fact that the race was small? As a result, they didn't close off any of the roads, and we ran in the bicycle lane most of the way, so only room for one to two runners side-by-side.

Once I got going fast enough to pass them, I figured, what the heck? I'll keep going. It was pretty much a slow gradual rise to the halfway point and then a couple of quick downhills to get back to the starting point. I completed the first mile in 8:56, which is pretty fast for me. The second mile I slowed down to 9:12. I got annoyed with myself (and this woman who ran so close to me, I thought she was drafting) that I stepped it up for the last mile and ran it in 8:27.

So I finished the 5K in 27:50 according to the clock time (no chip time this race). A PR for me! Yippee! I placed 210/433. Again, for me, not too bad.

A personal record AND a free Corona and Mexican food. Could this day get any better? :)

Posted by Kathy Brown At 5:29 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (3)

Category Running
So I've been daydreaming about running a marathon. I've run two half marathons now. Hey, does that count as a marathon? :) It won't be this year, maybe not even next year. But more and more I am considering running one. It used to be a "never, no way" kind of thing, but it keeps creeping back into my brain. This last half marathon wasn't so bad, hey, it was even fun. Why not?

Which leads me to wondering WHICH marathon should be my first? Conventional wisdom says your first should be flat (duh), have good crowd support, well organized and close to home. How about three out of four? Flat and close to home do NOT go together around here. While *someone* on Twitter mentioned an Anguillan triathlong, I think I'll stick to a marathon. ;) So, daydream ideas:

Nike Women's Marathon - this one just sounds awesome, Godiva chocolates, Tiffany necklaces for medals (handed out by fireman in tuxes!). Only problem, you can only get in by lottery. Oh, and I'm guessing it's a little hilly since it's in San Francisco. Ahem.

Boston Marathon - this one would just be cool for the history sake of it. Of course there is NO WAY I would qualify, so I would have to raise money for charity. Not a problem, just being clear that I would never qualify. :) And it's in April, which would mean the majority of my training would be in snow and cold temperatures. Oh yeah, and a little thing called Heartbreak Hill.

Dublin Marathon - I have no idea what the terrain is like here, or the crowd, but I've always wanted to go to Ireland. And I've heard this is a good race. However, that is kind of far to go for a marathon.

Walt Disney World Marathon - I know it's Goofy. Ha ha. But I think this would be a lot of fun. However, it's in January. Training in freezing New Hampshire weather and then running in possibly hot Floriday weather does not sound like a good idea. It is pretty flat however and has marginally good crowds. No crowd support in the parks, though.

Cape Cod Marathon - reasonably close by and sponsored by Dunkin Donuts, what more could you want? I've heard it's pretty hilly though.

Other considerations:

I've heard the Marine Corps Marathon is a great first marathon. However, it doesn't really spark any excitement in me. And if I'm going to train 4-6 months, I think I need to be excited, don't you?

I've also heard the Chicago Marathon is another good one. Again though, no spark.

Hmm, this actually sounds like I'm considering this doesn't it? Any thoughts?

Oh yes, and the surprise 5k I mentioned in the title. Someone I know registered for a race and can't run it tomorrow morning. So, I'll be running the Margarita's 5k Fiesta in her place. Wish I'd run a bit more this week.

Posted by Kathy Brown At 4:45 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (11)

Category Running
[Originally posted on my prior blog]

Psst. Wanna know a secret? It’s about running. And, it’s a little crazy.

I hate hills.

That’s not the secret, that’s the set up. I would guess that most runners dislike running up hills. It’s hard work, your legs burn, your lungs burn, it sucks. You want to slow down, or walk. But I don’t. And it’s not because I’m a great runner, or really strong or any of that. It’s because I’m stubborn. I refuse to walk. I refuse to slow down. It really is mind over matter. That is the biggest lesson I have learned from running - what you decide, is what you can do. (Consider that a bonus tip since that isn’t the main tip in this post).

Back to hills. My secret is to get mad. Here’s where the crazy comes in. I get angry at hills, especially big hills. My run at home includes a lot of hills. Here's the elevation graph from my Garmin.

Some are long, some are short, some are steep, some are not. In my opinion, the short, steep hills are easier. You can see the top, it’s not that far off. You can push and once you get up there, you can recover. Long hills, on the other hand, are mentally *and* physically tough. You can see just how far away the top is, and you know it’s going to be a while before you get to recover. You can’t just sprint up the hill. Especially if you hit a hill with what I call a false peak. You *think* you’re at the top, but there’s just a little dip and then more hill. F%$&ing hills.

A long hill mentally and physicall defeats you. So I get mad. I refuse to let that hill beat me. I look at the road (I try not to look up to the top of the hill) and I think, “Screw you hill. You won’t beat me. I will kick your ass.” And I run. I warned you, I said it was a little crazy, but it works! I’ve sworn at hills. Whatever it takes, just get up that hill.

I am not a fast runner. I am not a great runner. I am a middle-of-the-pack runner. I don’t win races, or even my age group. I don’t even come in top 10 or 20. BUT, I get compliments on my hills. I’ve passed many people on hills and had them catch up to me later and compliment me on getting up that hill. So get out there, run those hills and GET MAD!


[Comments posted on my prior blog]

japerk57 said...
I think that hills are a good reason to go running. Especially if that helps you to get out your frustrations. That way you are less likely to take out you anger on your co-workers.
I tend to try to daydream my way up hills. If I don't think about how far away the top is it helps me to remain on task. You know your body can do it but the question whether your mind can do it.
Keep pounding on those hills kjbrown13.

Posted by Kathy Brown At 8:37 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Running
[Originally posted on my prior blog]

Oops. I ran the half marathon on Sunday, April 5th...and haven't run since. I took training easier this time so I wouldn't get burned out. I don't think I did. I didn't run on purpose for the first few days. Then, I just got lazy. It was too cold, or too rainy, or too windy. Basically, I needed to HTFU.

So, today, I am running. In about an hour. It is a sunny and windy 49 degrees out. I am looking forward to it, which probably means it is going to be a terrible run. But, I am okay with that.

I've only got a few 5ks and a couple of 10ks planned this summer, so I'm thinking I may try to increase the number of days I run, rather than the distance. Three miles/5 times per week, with a 10k thrown in once a week. Sounds good.

The Redhook Memorial 5k is my next planned race. I had a pretty slow time on it last year. It was hot, and I realized I run my slowest on the flats, and this race is nearly pancake flat. I've done a lot more running this year than last year, so hopefully I can have a better time. I'll never be fast, but I like to beat myself! (that doesn't sound right, but you know what I mean)

ETA: Just back from run. That was horrible. My legs hurt from my hips to my feet. Bad combination of half marathon last weekend, no running for over a week, eating horribly the last week, not hydrated and brand new shoes. Starting to get a migraine now...ugh. But the weather was really nice. :)

Posted by Kathy Brown At 8:16 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Running
[Originally posted on my prior blog]

Some of you Lotus peeps might know Tim Lorge, well he Tweeted this:

Wanna read a great running story? My GFs friend ran the 6 day 156 mile Marathon des Sables in Morocco. http://sportsrlife.wordpress.com/

Her story is phenomenal. Parts 1 and 2 are up now and it is an amazing read! Check it out.


[Comments posted on my prior blog]

Marie Scott said...
What an amazing adventure! Thanks for sharing!
April 10, 2009 4:04 PM

Posted by Kathy Brown At 8:01 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Running
[Originally posted on my prior blog]

The forecast kept changing from 56 and sunny to 47 and rainy and back again. I woke up Sunday morning to what looked like a sunny day. I decided to wear my running capris and a long sleeve shirt, but bring a running skirt and short sleeve shirt just in case.

Jess and I got to the Newmarket high school (which was the finish of the race) at 9:30. The race website warned that it would be hard to find a parking spot after 10AM and they were right, I think we got the last one. Well, actually it wasn’t a parking spot, but Jess parked there anyway!

It was really windy. I mean really windy. The flags on the flagpole were fully outstretched due to the wind. So, I think it was 50 degrees, but it felt cooler with the wind.

We jogged over to the elementary school around 10:30 AM. Race start was supposed to be at 11 AM. I think the race started a little late, but we were off! Our plan was to take it easy and run about the same pace as our training runs, which was around 10-minute mile pace. We took a left and hit our first hill. First of how many you ask? I have no idea because there were soooo many of them. Thousands. I think. That’s how it felt anyway.

Hill after hill after hill. Did I mention there were hills? Don’t think I’m just a wimp. My neighborhood is essentially at the top of a large, but gradual hill, so every run I go on involves quite a few hills. This *is* New England, not Nebraska. Even so, this course was pretty hilly. According to mapmyrun.com (since for some reason my elevation data is missing from my Seacoast Half Marathon entry), the Seacoast Half Marathon that I ran last fall had a total 197 foot ascent and 194 descent. The Great Bay Half Marathon had a 253 foot ascent and 249 descent. YIKES! It really WAS hilly.

It was a pretty course, too. We had some nice views of the bay through the trees at one point. However, it was during the second half of the race, so I can’t really say that I enjoyed the views. I was too tired and focused entirely on the pavement in front of me just to get up the GIANT hill at mile 8.

There was some interesting course entertainment. At mile 2 and again just before the end there was a guy playing bagpipes. There were some guys in their driveway around mile 9 just jamming, a couple of guitars and drums. They were a great pick me up. Two folk singers at one point with a guitar and an accoustic bass (I think). A female barbershop quartet. And strangest of all, belly dancers at mile 10. I promise I was NOT hallucinating, there were belly dancers. Had to be the strangest course entertainment I’ve ever seen.

Jess and I took turns feeling good. Not on purpose, it just seemed whenever she got her second wind, I was lagging and whenever I perked up a bit, she lagged. It worked out. We had some fun smiling and waving together whenever we saw a photographer. So no matter how we felt, I think we looked good in the pictures!

So the mile by mile pace breakdown:

1 10:10
2 10:01
3 10:35
4 10:20
5 10:19
6 9:53
7 10:11
8 11:27 – I SAID there was a BIG hill.
9 10:27
10 10:42
11 11:07
12 11:16
13 11:12
0.1 9:41 (pace)

Finish time-2:20:18

And a bad cell phone picture taken right after the race (in other words, I look like crap)…


[Comments posted on my prior blog]

Tim Lorge said...
Great Job!!! Congrats!!!
Although ... I really have to believe you were hallucinating with the entertainment! ;o)
April 6, 2009 5:01 PM


Kathy said...
Thanks Tim! I swear I wasn't hallucinating. I'll have to see if the race people post a pic! :)
April 6, 2009 6:16 PM


marcusfoerster said...
Congrats again! Didn't even know they entertainment at 21k races
April 7, 2009 12:25 AM

Posted by Kathy Brown At 7:46 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Running
[Originally posted on my prior blog]

Eek. 6 days left. Weather forecast for 56 and Sunny. Just a few "short" runs between now and then. Deep breaths. I need to figure out what I'm going to wear. Not so much from a fashion standpoint as from a comfort and the weather standpoint. I *am* going to be wearing these clothes while running for two+ hours!

And there WILL be professional photographers there. Let's just say last half marathon, I looked like I felt. :P

Posted by Kathy Brown At 5:37 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Running
[Originally posted on my prior blog]

So I suddenly realized today that the Great Bay Half Marathon is 9 days away. That’s coming up quick! It’s close enough that there are weather forecasts! Not that they’ll be accurate, but still, there are forecasts! (High of 50F and “Few Showers”, if you were wondering).

This will be my second half marathon. My first was the Seacoast Half Marathon, last November. My time was 2 hours, 11 minutes, 45 seconds. I way overtrained for that race. It was much warmer than expected that day. I only drank the water I brought, and none from the water stations. I made the BIGGEST newbie mistake, I drank a cup of Gatorade even though I had never had it during a training run. RULE #1: Don’t try anything new on race day. I knew that, and in my dazed state at mile 11, did it anyway. I felt horribly sick the entire last mile of the race. Anyway, excuses aside, even though my time was right in line with what I wanted to run that day, I felt like CRAP. It wasn’t enjoyable. Mile 8 I think I started hallucinating. Mile 10 to the end was terrible.

My goal this race is simple: enjoy it. I am going to run slow. I am going to drink lots of water. I am NOT going to try anything new on race day. I am going to run with my sometime running partner, which should really help in the enjoying myself category. I will probably have a slower time than last race, and I am completely fine with that.

That all being said, it doesn’t mean I won’t panic between now and 9 days from now! :)


[Comments posted on my prior blog]

Tim Lorge said...
Have a great time at the race ... and I mean that in more ways than one! LOL Good Luck!
April 2, 2009 3:55 PM


Kathy said...
Thanks! I hope to beings that I didn't last time. :) Sorry, couldn't resist. Heh heh.
April 2, 2009 4:07 PM


Tim Lorge said...
HEY ... You aren't from Jersey. You can't say that!! I think I might just friend you on FB!! LOL
April 2, 2009 5:09 PM

Posted by Kathy Brown At 4:40 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Running
[Originally posted on my prior blog]

I think I've mentioned this before, but prior to September 2007, I HATED running. Really. I wouldn't have run unless a bear was chasing me. So, now I'm running half marathons. Lots of people ask me, HOW?

I think a HUGE part of it is starting slow. A few times in my life I've tried to take up running and hated it. I got stitches in my sides, couldn't run more than 1/2 mile without feeling like dying and just generally felt miserable.

This time I started with a program called the Couch to 5k. The program starts you out with just 60 seconds of jogging. Anyone can do that! Especially if you take it slow. I ran sooooo slowly. Seriously, I'm pretty sure little old ladies in walkers could have walked faster than I was running. I started off around 12-minute miles (or 7:30 kilometers, I think if I did that right). It seemed really slow, but that is what allowed me to complete the program.

The program works you up to running a full 5k in 9 weeks. I took 10 weeks, but who is counting? :) The program works by building up your confidence and your stamina. Knowing you can do it is almost (maybe even more) as big a part as physically being able to do it.

Also, I think a huge part of my success this time was stubbornness. Yes, I know that sounds strange, but I really wanted to do it. I didn't want to quit. I realized that a few minutes of discomfort wasn't really that big of a deal. I picked a 5k race to sign up for and there was NO WAY that I was going to miss it. There was also no way I was going to walk. See, I told you. Stubbornness.

After my first race, I was hooked. I also knew I had to sign up for more races, so I would stick it. I signed up for, what else? A 10k. After a couple of 10ks and several 5ks, I decided to sign up for a half marathon. The great thing about running 13.1 miles is that a 5k seems a lot smaller! Of course, I still have bad days. I still have runs where I just have to force myself out and tell myself how great I'll feel after. I still have spells where I don't run as often as I'd like. Races really keep me motivated.

Just like anything in life, I think you have to find what works for you. Some people like to run with music. Even though I love music, I personally can't stand to run with music. Some people like the convenience of the gym or a treadmill. While I would love to get out of the snow and cold of New Hampshire, I hate the treadmill. I would never run if that was my only choice. Some people like to run with a group, and that is what I did for my first half marathon. I also started the Couch to 5K program with a friend. I also have a GREAT running partner that I run half of my runs with. HOWEVER, I love running alone, too. It's my me-time, my "inbox back to 0" like I mentioned in my last post. You just have to find what works for you.


[Comments posted on my prior blog]

Tim Lorge said...

Congrats on that Kathy!!! Running is an awesome thing. I used to run all the time but fell out of it in recent years. My girlfriend, a marathoner and tri-athlete, has been encouraging me to get back into running and the "Couch to 5k" link above looks like a great way for me to do that.

If you haven't seen this site, MapMyFitness.com is another really good site to check out various routes users put together for runs both close to home or if you are on the road.

Good luck with the half... When is it? You'll keep us up to date, won't you?
March 16, 2009 3:55 PM


Kathy said...

Yes definitely! It's April 5th, the Great Bay Half Marathon. I have seen mapmyrun, is that the same?
March 16, 2009 4:06 PM


Tim Lorge said...

Very cool and yes it is. :o)
March 17, 2009 12:47 AM


Anonymous said...

I agree that couch to 5K is the way to go. I had tried running in the past and would only get frustrated and quit. I decided that I was just not a runner. Then, someone told me about couch to 5K and I followed it exactly, not wanting to let myself down. I did it and just passed the one year anniversary of running my first 5K. A couple of weeks ago, I ran my first half marathon.

Good luck on your upcoming half. :)
March 17, 2009 3:30 PM


DoubleJ said...

Kathy, I agree also... starting slow and easy IS the key. Worked for me after many failed attempts at making a comeback to running after 8 years off...Frustrating and full of pain and misery... part of me was thinking I could just dive back into it like old times...but the body was saying NOOO... Even though it's hard, easing into it slowly was the eventual answer... Best of luck this Spring! Good to see more and more people coming onto the running scene and back from a long winter... If I can shake my hamstring/hip/back issues I'll probably be doing Eastern States and then Great Bay as workouts for Boston... Fun stuff!!
March 19, 2009 8:17 PM

Posted by Kathy Brown At 10:36 AM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Running
[Originally posted on my prior blog]

I ran nine miles yesterday. My thoughts right now as I try to write this are all a jumbled mess. I want to type out as quickly as I can a thousand different things that all have to do with running, but none of the thoughts are in order. Or would make sense to anyone but me.

There is something about running nine miles (or an hour and a half), that takes you from jumbled thoughts that scramble through our brains a million times per minute to ... nothing. It sounds silly, but I love when I hit that point in a long run in which the thoughts just shut off. I'm just me, just running, just putting one foot in front of the other. I'm not thinking about work, or people that annoy me, or the thousand things that need to get done, or money, or cleaning the house, or anything. I'm just running.

Plod, plod, plod, car, plod, plod, plod, pretty tree, plod, plod, plod, dog, etc. That's all there is. In our crazy busy lives when we're all working on ten different projects at once and we need tools to manage our to-do lists, it's nice to think about nothing for a while. It's like getting my mental inbox to 0. A clean slate to start from, when the thousand thoughts come flooding back.


[Comments posted on my prior blog]

Paul Mooney said...

I really wish I could do that. I go to the gym a lot, and can cycle / row / cross train etc, but running just seems to kill me. 5 minutes of running and Im dead to the world.
Any tips would be really really appreciated!
March 15, 2009 5:37 PM


Kathy said...

That was me before September 2007 (well, not the cycling/rowing/cross training, but the running killing me part). I despised running! I was thinking about a post on how I got started this time and why it's different - guess I'll do that now! I'd be happy to chat anytime about running!
March 16, 2009 9:04 AM

Posted by Kathy Brown At 10:32 AM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Running Garmin
[Originally posted on my prior blog]

Big Red, of course, being the nickname I’ve given my Garmin Forerunner 305. I’ve had it over a year now and I love it. NOTE: I get nothing in return for writing this entry. I simply love my Garmin and can’t live without it. I recommend it to all of my running friends, and wanted to share that with all of you (you know, all three of my readers).

For those that don’t know, the Garmin Forerunner 305, is a watch-styled GPS for runners. It tracks location, distance, pace, heartrate, time and probably 50 other things. The really cool thing for geek runners is that you can upload all of the data to your computer.

I love to have a running log, but I have a terrible memory. Before Big Red, I would always try to remember to write down all of my runs, try to remember the time and the distance. HA! I would forget have of the runs, or forget one or two important details.

Not just that, but in order to figure out distance, I had to either drive the route beforehand with my car, or try to use Google maps. Google maps can have a lag however, and I often found I was running on roads that didn’t exist according to Google maps. I also had to run to particular points (such as road crossings) that I could easily remember (there we go with that memory thing again) in order to plot them later on. And forget being spontaneous. If I wanted to run a particular distance, I had to run the route I planned, no matter what. I couldn’t change my mind and run a different route, unless it was one I had already plotted.

Then came Red. Now, I can run wherever I want and know exactly how fun I have run. Not only that, but I can see my pace while I’m running, not just after. You can set the Garmin to “auto-lap”, which means every mile (or kilometer, your choice), it marks a new lap. Then when you view the uploaded data, you can see how long each lap took.

Red also tracks elevation changes. Really nice when you see mile 3 took you the longest, and oh, look at that, it’s because there is a giant hill at mile 3. I found out some interesting tidbits about my running that I never realized before Big Red. I run faster uphill than downhill!

Different models come with different options, mine is the 305, so mine came with a heartrrate monitor. I wore the strap in the first six months or so of use. It was very useful for seeing how much farther I could push my running than I was at the time. Now, I’m not so into pushing, so haven’t been wearing the monitor, but it is a nice tool to have.

When I first got Red, you could upload your data to www.motionbased.com, Garmin’s site. Now you can upload your data to www.runningahead.com, my all time favorite running website, which has a really cool running log and great forums.

The Garmin Forerunner 405 is the latest model. Although it is a little smaller, I have heard some complain that it is too small, i.e. it’s too hard to read while running. People always ask me if it bothers me to wear Big Red. NO! I am very finicky about what I wear while running, too. I hate to even wear sunglasses and usually skip them, unless it’s a bright sunny day after a big snowfall and the snow glare is so bad I’ll go blind. So even though sunglasses bother me (and headbands and gloves), Big Red doesn’t bother me at all. It did take some adjustment, but I don’t even notice it now.

Anyway, I love my Garmin. If you are a runner, I recommend getting one. If you are a runner and a tech geek, then I HIGHLY recommend you get one. :)

[Comments originally posted on my prior blog]


Anonymous said...

I agree 100%. I got a 305 about a year ago after agonizing about whether I'd be happy with the next-to-latest model. Now that I have it, it's awesome and I can't do without it. I love the auto mile feature, the heart rate monitoring, and the ability to know your distance even when you run a random path. But for me the biggest thing is to have great data on past runs because I love seeing progress over time, even if it's only a tiny bit. Before I was too lazy to keep good timing data and I never had a way to keep heart rate. The size when running is absolutely no problem - I like having a big screen so I can see everything I want to see. It makes me more motivated to run.
- Brian (a 49 year old Notes dev geek and runner) March 9, 2009 11:17 AM


Anonymous said...

Hi Kathy

I couldn't agree more! I've had my 305 for nearly two years now and love it. I don't know what I did before I had it. I also use it for recording the walks and cycle rides I do.

I don't like uploading my training data to public websites so I use SportTracks (http://www.zonefivesoftware.com/SportTracks/)for keeping a log and analysing my runs. For my needs, its great - so much better than the software Garmin ship with the watch.

Julie March 9, 2009 11:24 AM


Lady Sterling said...

Is this good for biking or walking? Or is it really just designed for running? It looks really cool but I am not a runner, but love speed walking and biking. March 9, 2009 11:38 AM


Kathy said...

It would be excellent for walking. I'm not sure about biking. I know Garmin sells one specifically for biking, but it may just be that it's bigger since it's on your bike, not on your wrist.

I forgot to mention that it's great for trails, too. While it doesn't show trail maps, if you do get lost, you can at least back track using the Garmin. I know someone that did it! March 9, 2009 12:06 PM


Yancy Lent said...

How about tree coverage?

I had one of the original's, the Ironman GPS that had a unit that you velcro'd to you arm, it was awful for running under trees.

Either way, this does sound like a very nice addition to my gadget family. The auto-lap or auto-mile is priceless, I didn't know such a feature existed and has me now Really wanting one of these. March 9, 2009 12:30 PM


Kathy said...

I haven't had any problems with trees and I live in rural New Hampshire. I don't do any trail running, but I do know some people that do and they haven't had any problems that I know of. I've also run in downtown Boston, and was worried about the buildings, but no problems.

I had heard someone ask about snow, but again, I've never had any problems.

The only problem occurs in one spot in the town I work in, it just takes a little bit longer to get the satellite. Holding still when you first power it on really helps.

I honestly don't know anyone that has purchased it and disliked it. And I've convinced a lot of people to purchase one! :) March 9, 2009 1:09 PM


John said...

I got my 105 over 4 years ago (wanted a replaceable battery and don't want to know my heart rate!). It will 'guess' while you are under trees until you come out, and is pretty accurate. Mine has a mode where I can set it for biking or running (because of the guessing thing). Adds a whole new dimension ro running! March 9, 2009 4:46 PM

Posted by Kathy Brown At 8:11 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Running
[Originally posted on my prior blog]

Holiday Inn. I'm not sure, but I think that must translate in some language to "Really Awful Shower". My only choices were boiling hot or freezing cold. Poor water temparature control + low water pressure + crappy massage shower head = boiling hot water shooting out at me every 5-7 seconds.

Anyway, since I am in the lovely city of Woburn, MA at a Holiday Inn, my running choices were a bit limited. I had to resort to the DREADMILL. The lovely Holiday Inn "fitness room" was being renovated, so the temporary fitness room consisted of a treadmill, a stairmaster, a stationary bike and a 27" TV. I got on the dreadmill with plans of running three miles. It was painful. I put on the TV, flipped channels. Mind you, there was no remote, so I had to pick my channel and volume prior to getting on the treadmill. I chose ... wait for it ... American Idol Results Show, which is redundant for boring on a good day. On a treadmill that is so loud, you couldn't hear a jackhammer let alone the TV, the American Idol Results Show is pure torture.

I started playing games with myself. Ooh, it's a commercial, can I guess what it's for before the product is shown? Hmm, let's see...a girl, playing, in the trees, ooh orange trees, it's a commercial for orange juice! Wait, no the mom is sneezing, allergy medication! Nope, Nyquil. Oh well.

Did I mention my view consisted of a brown door three feet in front of the treadmill? Really, captivating.

Posted by Kathy Brown At 8:35 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Running
[Originally posted on my prior blog]

I just ran 6 miles today. It's been a loooooooooong time since I've done that. It didn't really feel that bad either! My time was 1 hour, 2 minutes, which is the same as my first 10k RACE last June. I feel pretty good, that an "easy" 6 mile run today came it at the same time as a race I ran last year. Last February I was only running 3's and 4's, so I'm ahead of the game, which is great.

As I've mentioned, I signed up for the Great Bay Half Marathon in April. I don't have any time goals since it's the beginning of running season. Finishing would be great!

I'm thinking of repeating some (if not all) of the Seacoast Series races. They were a lot of fun, and it will be fun to see my times improve (hopefully!).

For me, I need to sign up for races in order to motivate myself to run. And I really need to run. For health reasons of course, but I really find that I am a lot nicer and a lot more tolerant when I run. It's either that or start drinking. :)

Posted by Kathy Brown At 8:25 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Running
[Originally posted on my prior blog]

Woohoo! Ran the scheduled three on Monday. Was supposed to run 3-5 today, my running partner and I ran 4. I didn't even feel that bad, especially given how long it's been since I've run any more than three miles!

Posted by Kathy Brown At 5:04 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Running Excuses
[Originally posted on my prior blog]

Okay running schedule for this week, 3 today, 3-5 on Wednesday, 3 on Thursday and 6 on Saturday. It's been a looooooooooong time since I've run 6. Maybe last November? I'll take it slow, really slow. Really really really slow. The forecast this week is for upper 30s and mostly sunny. I think there is supposed to be one day of "wintry mix", but I've just got to get out there and run. I've already fallen behind my running partner. She ran 5 yesterday and I skipped it. No more. There isn't enough buffer in this running schedule for me to skip the weekend "long" runs.

I had some really "good" excuses this weekend. I think I saw on the Runner's Lounge, they had a forum going about good excuses for not running. So, what's yours? And what do you do to get over it?

Posted by Kathy Brown At 2:22 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Running
[Originally posted on my prior blog]

So I ran again on Wednesday. This is a big deal. As pathetic as that seems.

I ran a half marathon last November, so WHY would it be such a big deal that I ran yesterday? Well, while I was training for the half marathon, I ran 102 miles in October. I ran the half midway through November and only ended up running 46 miles in November. I took a little break, okay?

But then, December? Only 21 miles. And worst of all, January...8.7 miles. Total. That's for the WHOLE month of January. I think this happened for a few reasons. First, I burned out overtraining for the half. I was training with a group, and was following their intermediate plan. It was a LOT of miles. Possibly, too many. Then, winter hit. Hard. This has been a very cold, very snowy New England winter. Excuses, excuses.

Now I am back at it. I've signed up for another Half Marathon, and am going to train for it. But, hopefully, not too hard.

So, it's a big deal that I ran yesterday, and last Monday and last Sunday. It's only February 12th and I've already run more miles than last month!

Posted by Kathy Brown At 2:18 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Lotus Notes Motivation Running
[Originally posted on my prior blog]

It worked! Both professionally and for running.

Yesterday, I ran again! I also uploaded all of my runs since December and realized I was being much harder on myself than I deserved. I haven't been running a LOT, but I have been running some, which is better than nothing.

Anyway, thanks to the four questions from yesterday's post:

I went running.
I made up a running schedule to get me to the Great Bay Half Marathon in April.
I convinced my friend and running partner to also do the Great Bay Half.

I also cleaned up my desk, cleaned out my emails, organized my to-dos for the many development projects I am working on, and knocked out quite a few of them.

The four questions really can be applied to anything...

What would I like to have happen?

I would like to finish the Contact Management System I am developing in Lotus Notes this week.

What needs to happen to finish?

I need to get the specs on a couple of reports that the users want. I need to finish up the remaining requirements.

Can I?

The specs are up to someone else to create, so we'll see if I get those. I can finish my stuff while I wait.

Will I?

Yes.

See? The beauty of the questions is that you can see what is realistic for a goal. Then you can readjust. For example, I may not get the specs, but rather than be disappointed at the end of the week that I didn't finish the CMS, I know that I can do the rest and that part may or may not happen. Realistic expectations = happiness!

Posted by Kathy Brown At 2:17 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Running Life Motivation
[Originally posted on my prior blog]

While Mondays can be really depressing (Ugh, I have to go to work!), I also find that I am my most motivated on Mondays for things like running schedules, new work projects and eating plans.

Yesterday I was able to attend a seminar for work that happened to also throw out some good motivation tips.

My favorite came in the form of four questions. (I sadly do not have the materials in front of me, so cannot quote the source, but will as soon as I get home). These four questions need to be asked in their exact format as they were created in such a way to be motivational and NON-accusatory.

What would you like to have happen?
What needs to happen?
Can you?
Will you?

For example:

Q: WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE HAPPEN? This question puts the desired outcome into specifics, making them easier to achieve.

A: I would like to stick to my running schedule this week.

Q: WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN FOR YOU TO STICK TO YOUR RUNNING SCHEDULE THIS WEEK? This forces the respondent to really think about what specific steps need to be taken by the respondent or by others.

A: I need to make a reasonable schedule, i.e. three days rather than five. I need to make sure I have appropriate gear for the weather. I need to enlist the aid of my running partner, so I won't wuss out.

Q: CAN YOU DO THOSE THINGS? This is a reality check. Are you actually able to do the things that are necessary? If one of the answers had been "I need to run 15 miles on Saturday", that wouldn't actually be possible. The respondent would need to rethink either the outcome or what is needed.

A: Yes.

Q: WILL YOU? Another reality check. Just because you CAN doesn't mean you WILL. The respondent may commit and feel motivated to accomplish the tasks, or may respond with "I'll try", which may require a look over the needed tasks to determine which response will elicit a YES to this question.

A: Yes.

I'm looking forward to trying these questions out in various scenarios. Hope they might help you!

Posted by Kathy Brown At 1:56 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Running
[Originally posted on my prior blog]

I ran again. It wasn't exactly as soon as I would have liked, but at least it wasn't two weeks after my last run. It was in the mid-40s this morning, I had NO excuse. I ran a little over three miles and it definitely wasn't as bad as last Monday.

I'm thinking I may try to gut it through until Spring and then keep my eye out for either a sale on treadmills or a good used one for sale. Magazines and online sites seem to have a lot of recommendations for Sole treadmills, I have yet to talk to anyone that actually owns one though. Anybody out there have one? Like it? Hate it?

I hope we have more warm temps. And by warm temps, I mean anything above freezing! A lot of snow and ice melting today, that should make the roads easier to run on. Gotta get out there again tomorrow!

Posted by Kathy Brown At 1:29 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Running
[Originally posted on my prior blog]

This weather is really getting me down. I ran on Monday and posted about it. And...haven't run since. Tomorrow is supposed to be in the 40s, as is Sunday. I've really got to get out there.

I noticed that I've been in a really bad mood lately. I thought it might just be stress at work, but then Monday afternoon and evening the mood had lifted. I felt great. Same work situation, but I had run. Stress crept back in over the course of the week. And now, I'm back in a really bad mood.

It's frigid today. Somewhere in the teens, and lower than that with windchill. Portsmouth is horrible about plowing, so the roads and sidewalks are covered with inches of ice. Even if I could stand the cold, I just don't want to risk the ice.

So, anyone have any treadmill recommendations? :)

Posted by Kathy Brown At 1:27 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Running
[Originally posted on my prior blog]

Whew. I did it. It wasn't easy and it certainly wasn't fast, but I ran. Three measly miles, but the first time in TWO WEEKS. It was 38 degrees however, so I had NO excuse. I also enlisted the help of my sometime running partner and we agreed yesterday that we would run today.

It was great weather for running. Not windy, not too sunny, not too cold, just right. I, however, sucked. Wind, that is. Well, it wasn't really my lungs so much, but my legs. My knees, and then my shins, and even my feet hurt! Seriously, I think I felt better running a half marathon than I felt today. At one point I thought cars might start pulling over to see if I needed medical assistance.

Now the key thing is, I must remember how this feels. I must remember to keep running consistently so I never have to feel this feeling again!!!

Posted by Kathy Brown At 1:24 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Running
[Originally posted on my prior blog]

A running what now? Oh yeah, a running schedule. Seems like I made one up in preparation for the Great Bay Half Marathon that I am supposedly running in April.

Hmm, now what did I do with that schedule? Oh yes, I promptly forgot all about it. I had fabulous visions of running at least three times while I was in Florida for Lotusphere 2009. Ha! I brought all of my cute little running skirts, expecting 60 or even 70 degree temps. Try 30s and 40s. I ran once and froze. I did not get a chance to run again. Or rather, I was not willing to wear a running skirt and short sleeve shirt in 30 degree weather.

So, what is on tap for me now? Well, according to my running schedule, I am supposed to run Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, between 2 and five miles depending on the day.

Judging by the upcoming temps...that may be tough.

Jan 26 - 21°/8°
Jan 27 - 26°/12°
Jan 28 - 27°/23°
Jan 29 - 27°/18°
Jan 30 - 33°/15°
Jan 31 - 28°/17°

Where did my motivation go? I seriously need to just HTFU and get out there. Anyone want to come here and kick my butt?

Posted by Kathy Brown At 10:10 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Lotus Notes Running
[Originally posted on my prior blog]

I am a Lotus/Domino Developer and a runner. So get it? Running Notes? Notes on running and running (Developing) Notes? Wow, I am so clever, right? Hey, what can I say? The good titles were all taken.

About me:

My running background - Prior to 2007, I was a sloth. Seriously. I was 40 pounds overweight and wouldn't run unless a bear was chasing me. I had tried running a few times before in my life and despised it. Why would anyone want to torture themselves like that? Then, in September of 2007, I decided to try the Couch to 5K program. Literally taking people from couch potatoes to running a 5k in 9 weeks. With the program, I took it slow. I mean SLOW. Like old-ladies-passing-me-slow. And in November I ran my first 5k. Slowly. 34:41. BUT, I RAN it. The whole thing.

Then, I was bit by the running bug. I loved it. Kept running all winter. Keep in mind I live in New Hampshire, so that actually means something. I ran in 24 degrees with snow blowing sideways. I built up my mileage and signed up for several races in the Seacoast Series. I ran my first 10k in June 2008.

Then, I really did something crazy. I signed up for a half marathon. So it was that just over a year after I started running, I ran my first Half Marathon in November 2008.

I've cut back since then and really need to get back into a consistent schedule. Especially since I *may* have signed up for another Half in April...

My Lotus Notes and Domino background - this one is a little longer. I started out post-college as an Actress in Music Theatre, living in New York City. After I got tired of that and wanted a "real" life, I moved to New Hampshire. I had intentions of taking a temp job and possibly becoming a web designer (I had some experience with some technical temp jobs while trying to support myself as an actress). I got a temp job in 1999, which was data entry-ish at an Investment consulting firm.

I moved up through the firm from temp job, to permanent job (Data Analyst) to Performance Analyst, to Investment Analyst. It was a small firm, so while I did the investment side, I was also part of the "Tech Team". Part of my duties on the tech team were to perform some of the junior duties of a Notes/Domino System Administrator. I was also involved in hiring and managing an outside consultant who developed an internal application for our firm. Managing the consultant involved learning the design of the application in the event he was "hit by a bus". He wasn't hit by a bus, but he did move back to India.

It was shortly before that I was made a full-time IT person. Still performing junior system administration tasks, and also maintaining and developing Lotus applications. When our consultant left, it was trial by fire. I had to learn everything about development and learn it quick.

Not surprisingly, development soon became my sole focus. So, I've been involved with Notes since R5 and a full time developer for the last several years. I am both self taught and IBM trained. I am officially an "IBM Certified Advanced Application Developer - Lotus Notes and Domino" for 7 and 8. I've attended Lotusphere 2008, Developer2008 and Lotusphere 2009. I completely feel that Lotusphere is THE best way to learn anything Lotus related.

Thanks for reading if you made it all the way here.

Posted by Kathy Brown At 10:03 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Running
[Originally posted on my REALLY old blog, which is now defunct]

I have to give a big shout out to my friend Jess. We run together occasionally. Sometimes very consistently (twice a week for several weeks), sometimes sporadically. She is the perfect running partner. She runs at whatever pace I need to run that day. If I've had a bad week and need to run slow, she slows down with me. If I'm having a good week, well she still slows down to run with me because she's faster than I am. :)

She runs until I tell her (or more accurately, my Garmin tells her) that we've gone the distance. She never has her own agenda, her own running requirements, she just goes along with whatever I need.

She's a lot like that in "real" life, too. She's a terrific friend, and I just want to say thanks! I'm very lucky to have such a great running partner!

Posted by Kathy Brown At 1:35 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)

Category Running
[Originally posted on my REALLY old blog, which is now defunct]

I had my best run ever today. I started off not even sure if I would do three or six miles. It was very humid and 70-something degrees out. It was due to thunderstorm at any moment. It's Saturday, so I could do my six either today or tomorrow. I figured I would go out and see how I felt.

I have a 10K coming up in two weeks, and I would really like to run it under 60 minutes. That is a challenge for me, I would have to run 9:40 minute miles, not something I generally do. I got out there and just decided, what the heck, I'm out here, might as well run the six. I might as well try to run them at 9:40 for as long as I can, just to see what I can do.

During the second mile the skies opened up on me. It was like running in the shower. However, since I was on the only open spot of my route, I was a little afraid of lightening, so my pace was all the way down to 9:24. I figured the fastest was home was to run, so I kept on. The rain eased a bit and I kept going.

I slowed down considerably, especially mile 4. My route has a 1200 foot elevation gain, and a 1200 foot elevation loss. I am sure you can guess what was happening during mile 4.

Made it up in the next mile, going 9:16! Can you tell the rain had started up again?

Anyway, came in 6.2 miles at 59:55!!! It was hard, but it certainly wasn't make you puke hard. I am so thrilled and happy with myself. I had a fun time, too. I love running in the rain.

Posted by Kathy Brown At 1:43 PM Location Portsmouth, NH | Permalink | Comments (0)