Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Short and sweet

Boys and girls, we are more than half way through our training for the OKC Marathon. Runs are getting longer, days are getting longer, temps are getting warmer, but not warm enough for my taste. I hope everyone is enjoying the ride. Getting a fat medal hung around your neck on a Sunday morning will make it all worth it. Truly, seeing this group train makes the marathon seem so obtainable. For Oprah, it was one and done. She conquered, but did not enjoy the journey enough to give it another go. I know life is busy, but I could never be so busy to not run. It just gets in your blood.

I have not been able to find a lot online about Oprah's training and her race, but I did find a short blurb about Oprah's 1994 marathon. For the elites who "poo pooed" her efforts, she did run it in 4:30, and I think she was GOOD for the marathon, not a "ruin" to it like some her critics.

A glitch in my camera or camera cable resulted in more than a hundred pictures being lost from the last week or so. :-( There'll be more next week though....PROMISE!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Hey FTO! It is time for a Fun Run. This Saturday we will incorporate the RunnersWorld/TATUR Poker Run into our Saturday run ! All we are asking is for a $5 donation 'ante' for you to play and you can win great prizes! If you don't want to play you can still come to your regular training run, details (and rest of my message) below.


This Saturday, February 13 is the RunnersWorld Valentine
5 Mile Poker Run


Where: Veterans Park (21st & boulder)

When: Saturday, February 13

What time: 8AM

Why: To raise money for the Tatur's 6 Hour Snake Run and to provide snacks for the RunnersWorld training groups.Also because it is simply a lot of fun.


If you want to participate in the Poker run Just show up to your normal training run with your $5 minimum donation, ante up and we will deal you your first card. During the course of your training run, because it is conveniently on the same course as the Poker Run,you will be given 5 more cards and then your last one when you get back to the start fininsh area. Play your best 5 card poker hand and be in the running for some really great prizes.


You do not have to participate in the Poker Run if you prefer not to. Just show up and do your normal training run.


******Volunteers needed for the Poker Run**********

Excellent opportunity for family to get involved!

Brian Hoover has requested our help for this Saturday.
Volunteers/Dealers are needed to assist with the Poker Run on Saturday morning. There are three aid stations, as well as several 'card wrangler' positions up for grabs. Friends and family members are welcome to help out...if you have a friend or family member that volunteers, your $5 ante will be waived or refunded.

If you or your family members are interested in being part of the other side of a race, this is fun (and short) event to volunteer. Please email Brian: brian@tatur.org


Also, if you decide to volunteer and need to make up your run, please email me and either Ken or I will run with you (we are mileage hos) or we will get a group organized to 'make up' the seven mile run.

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** We are suppose to run 7 miles Saturday, so we can either meet early and get those 2 warm up miles in (and better parking spots) or you can make them up after the Poker Run. Let me know your thoughts!

** Don't forget to register for the OKC marathon. Congrats to Arena for taking that step!

http://www.okcmarathon.com/2009Registration/tabid/162/Default.aspx

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Joining Coach Kathy for my turn in the confessional ...

Last week I preached about, what was it? Electrolyte replacement.
We set out for our 14 mile run and I got up late, was running late, ate nothing before the run, and if you remember (if you don't, cover your ears) I was on the Atkins diet.

Holy crap?!? Why would a runner be on the Atkins diet? My reasoning, however silly you may find it :) follows: I am training for a 148 mile, 6 day stage race in June. I am trying to lose weight now to make that challenge easier. Since I did not have a race until the end of February, I thought I would try to drop the weight in Jan/early Feb. So I have been on the diet for 5 weeks and lost about 10 lbs. Not the healthiest but it has worked for me in the past and did again. This weight is now off and I can run my February 26.2/50k double easier and continue to train, with carbs, for my race in June. To make a long story short, (too late), I am now off the diet and keeping it low cal. (By no means am I endorsing the Atkins diet or recommend it for any runner.)

My plan for last Saturday was to finish the group 14 miles and head out with Jason for another 6 for a total of 20. I did my Gu at mile 4. Early but I did not eat breakfast. I ran faster many times during the course of the run since I kept stopping to talk to people and had to haul ass to catch up with Erin, Jon, Felix and Mitch. I did my Gu again at 10 or so. When I finished I did not feel that bad, but since I was so busy taking, I had not had my soy sauce yet. I decided to take it but it was to late. By the time Jason was ready to go back out my hamstrings and calves had cramped so bad I was nearly in tears. I tried another packet and while each did help, I was beyond immediate repair. I was done for the day.

So how does the cramping relate to Atkins? Why did I cramp so bad? To add more variables to the equation, my doctor prescribed for me to drink 16 liters, yes 16, of Go Lytely in the last two weeks. And that will pretty much deplete your entire electrolyte population. Since I was on Atkins, I only drank water, no gatorade, along with this concoction. So with no electrolytes, I crashed and crashed hard!! My cramps lasted most of the rest of the day. I decided to get some breakfast, take it easy and managed to run 16 miles with no problems the next day. Real life lessons learned. While these conditions were extreme, it is possible to crash on just a 14 mile run.

I leave you this week with a quote from my mother, "Do as I say, not as I do."


Again, let me know if you want to meet early to knock off those few extra miles before the Poker Run. I promise I won't crash on you.

Lisa

** In next week's email: Toenails, the importance of landscaping and What can we do to prevent blisters.