If you're lucky enough to be in the mountains, you are lucky enough.

When something bad happens, you have three choices: let it define you, let it destroy you, or let it strengthen you.

Friday, April 04, 2008

Happenings

Dear readers, I need your help. I can't go into details - but I will later on. I need to identify a challenge for myself, a measurable one, the one where you can see results, and that should be completed by the end of June. It has to be hard, yet do-able for me, I will be keeping track on this blog of how it's moving along, and you would be able to vote whether or not I will attain the goal. I need to define this unique challenge, tough to reach but possible. There are few elements in it:

Challenge Title
Challenge Place
Distance
Time expected
Other information to specify?

Now, the timing kind of gives easier to pick - Bighorn 100M is on June 20-21. So this will be probably it. Although potentially it could be total mileage run by the date? Or speed improvement on track intervals or trials of shorter races? (Could it?) I certainly hope eventually, in those 2 months, I'll be able to do something with my scar forbidding me to run freely, with the help of ART and focus on my running technique and stretching. The problem I have with picking a 100 for this challenge is that it's a long race, and things can happen despite the best prep - like food and liquid/salt misbalance, injury, weather...you name it. So I wonder how it should be. Throw in the ideas. If you're going to offer a specific finishing time, please review my previous 100M results on the Results link on the left, as well as be aware my speed workouts are about 30 sec/mile slower these days, and I haven't even started official hill workouts. Be considered about the stride length shortened yet give me a goal to aim for. My last year's Bighorn time was 30:20, I planned to run 27 hrs and was on pace for about 65-70M until the blisters broke hell and I wlaked most of the last 20M. I will also have no pacer or crew at this race (includes aid stations and drop bags time). Hopefully, it will not be their wettest/snowest year...

I had done 2 appointments with ART specialist. I kind of liked my previous chiropractors John Foland more (this dude also does adjustments as a part of whole body finding the correct alignment) and the Bend ART guy Mark (he seemed to have dug into my points deeper, and I love the pain in a masochistic way, I always say, if a massage therapist doesn't hurt me, he is useless). Not to mention this guy charges a fortune (for me)...but I guess I'll stick with him for a month or so and see what it does. The points he works on do hurt and sore the following day, and so far my track intervals lost 15 sec/mile! That was a bad day to think about it...that was also a day I felt the "snapping" in my hammie with every step even as I walked. I had hoped that it's one of those things "it has to get worse before it gets better", and this morning somehow, despite a recovery run, my left side step was stretching out further and with no snapping! Will I see the light? Kyly, what did you do for your tear? Stacey? Anybody?

I had been keeping a food log for 10 days now (yes, including vacation time). I didn't make many changes, nor followed a specific diet, but recording the food intake allowed me to not eat mindlessly (I needed to have a measured estimate, so couldn't eat out of a can or a skillet as I often do). The result so far - 5 lbs lost (well, this morning I was up by 2 after last night's dinner out) and 1/2 inch in waist and butt. I think I might stick to this method for a bit. I don't do calories count (too much time digging the internet and figuring things out) and I didn't give up meat or whatnot, but it is an interesting experiment nevertheless. I found out I eat very often (practically every hour and half), and, of course, my main meal is a dinner - a late at that too (we come home every night after various practices for Stephen after 8:20 pm). Since it also means I just ran for an hour and half, I am starving, and no way am I skipping a good dinner for a protein shake. Funny things:)

I had been tagged by Bad Ben (thank you very much, grr) in this post. I was going to skip, but I like Ben too much:)
Here are the rules:
1) Write your own six word memoir
2) Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you want
3) Link to the person that tagged you in your post, and to the original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere
4) Tag at least five more blogs with links
5) Leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!

6 word memoir:

Happiness is a habit - cultivate it.


This picture was adopted from Dmitri's blog.

I'll give you not one, but two visuals, as I love this art work by Angie!

I'll tag Dmitri and Angie as I used their pictures for inspiration, Rob since he is going through some life challenging changes, Craig because he is very insightful, and Billy because I want to know:)

The weekend is back to "normal" - rainy!!! and we have a new (for me) route planned for a long run.

Man is on the verge of spiritual insanity. He does not know who he is. Having lost a sense what he is, he fails to grasp the meaning of his fellow-man. Heschel, "Sacred Images of Man" 1958

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'll be interested to see what kind of challenge folks come up with.

Thanks for the tag. I enjoy those almost (but not quite) as much as you. And you want me to be insightful to boot. That's going to take a while.

Donald said...

I'd vote to send you back to Bighorn again, but I'm sure others will come up with far more creative things.

I love your memoir. And thanks for NOT tagging me!

Lisa Smith-Batchen said...

and what about the other goals we are working towards...does this goal to be #1 A plus?

5 pounds, good girl.

Jon said...

Here's a challenge for Bighorn if you're interested.

Challenge Title: Making the Negative your Positive
Challenge Place: Bighorn 100
Distance: 100 miles
Time Expected: To have the second half of the run faster than the first half by atleast 10-15%. This means that if you complete the first 50 miles in 13 hours, the remaining 50 miles needs to be completed no less than 11 hours, 3 minutes to 11 hours, 42 minutes.


Of course, you could take that same challenge and apply it to distance that is less than Bighorn.

Anonymous said...

How about your 1/4 mile track splits for a challenge. You will get the mobility back into your lft leg before Bighorn and do 4x1/4mile splits at or below 99 seconds. It's a small thing but doable, I think.

TonyP said...

Love the memoir.

Here's a challenge - come to my house and take care of my 5 and 7 year old daughters for a week !

Anonymous said...

oh fun, a challenge!!! I LOVE challenges. Whatever you choose, I'm sure you'll attack it with joy and determination :)

and yay! I love getting tagged!

Sarah said...

Good luck with your challenge! Counting calories is a drag, but just keeping a journal is really helpful, and not so hard. Good to be mindful. Keep it up and hope the ART continues to help! : )

Carilyn said...

I vote for Bighorn, too. I think it's hard to get super excited just to improve on the track :) And I know how much you enjoy going to races (me too!). The issues you had at Bighorn last year are completely "fixable," so you could rock that course this year!

Scott said...

I like Jon's challenge and think Anthony's is even better!

Meghan said...

Hi Olga,

I think it should be something speed related, since that seems to be the part of you that's missing in your gimped hamstring state.

Also, it should be some sort of workout that would be beneficial for you as you train for ultra-distance events (400m intervals are great for certain types of athletes, but I'm afraid they aren't going to do too much for an endurance runner.).

I would go with something like running a 5k right now, doing a weekly mile repeat workout on the track for 8 weeks, then running a 5k again to see the time improvement. Or how about a home grown time trial event series? Run 25 minutes on a track at the fastest pace you can maintain for that time. Do this once every two weeks for two months, and record/compare the increasing distances run for each workout.

Good luck with your challenge, and I look forward to following along and learning more!

Meghan

Unknown said...

I like Meghan's idea. I know, what a cop out. I think I need to steal that challenge for myself.

Devon said...

I love the idea of soliciting a challenge! Very cool!