I Am Out Running

Hi friends, V here.

I looked at the note that I had left for Coach B on the kitchen counter this morning:

"I am out running."

Pretty simple; it's a note I leave a lot. But then I looked at it again and thought, "yes, I am  out running."

I am outrunning my stress. I am outrunning poor health. I am outrunning negative body-image thoughts. I am outrunning headaches and heartbreaks. I am outrunning fears of inadequacies. I am outrunning my worries and hurries. I am outrunning things I can't change. I am outrunning poor future choices. I am out, running.

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 I will say that the streak has been outrunning me, though! I promise we've both been faithfully logging the miles. M and I will be celebrating the streak's official end with a 5k race on the Fourth! Here's a recap, in collage form:

Day 31: Day after One Run For Boston relay. One quick mile before my tattoo session...

Day 32: Little over 5K, with right arm wrapped in Saran Wrap and an arm sleeve after tattoo session #2.

Day 33: M and I ran at Pearson, I topped 1,000K on Nike+, and we saw a bear.

Day 34: One mile on Wabash Cannonball Trail, then biking with Coach B.

Checking out Perrysburg history on Day 35.

Day 36: July is chilly; only 66 degress, but great running weather!

Great run for Day 37: Like cruising through a mist tent at Lollapalooza.

Can't believe that this 39-day endeavor is coming to an end! Now the question is do we continue, or do we rest ...?

Have a great holiday! Be kind to yourself. Be kind to each other.   -- V

HAPPY NATIONAL RUNNING DAY!! Plus: Gone Streaking -- The Day 9 Recap

 Happy National Running Day everyone! We're so excited to celebrate our national holiday with all of you in spirit when we hit the road today. The holiday poses a single fill-in-the blank phrase for us: "I RUN ____" making us consider just why it is we opt to lace up our shoes and go outside or hit the treadmill. Why DO we do this? For us Sole Sisters, we have a list as long as our arms (that doesn't necessarily mean V's list is shorter and M's is longer, mind you...), so it's hard to distill it to one pithy little phrase.  So today, we run for all the reasons we already know, and for the reasons we've yet to find out -- for the truths about ourselves and each other that will reveal themselves out on the wooded trails, the sweaty dreadmill treadmills, the open roads, the long stretches of beach sand, the hard mountain paths, and beyond. Thanks for being along for the journey, runner friends. Here's to hoping your path brings you peace and truth, health and happiness.

AND  we are happy to say ... THE STREAK IS STILL ALIVE! M picks up where we last left off:

OK, so V and I made the mutual decision last night to sleep instead of blog!  This was probably one of the BEST decisions she and I have made in awhile ... Well, aside from deciding on how we are going to celebrate National Donut Day (stay tuned).

Yesterday was Day 9 of our streak and we are right on track!  I must say, this is the FIRST time that either of us have ran this many days in a row!  It was another beautiful day here in the Midwest and we both took full advantage of what Mother Nature had to offer!

I was able to get another 5 miles in right around sunset at a 7:38 pace.  Like I said, the weather has been amazing, so I wanted to soak it in!

As you can see in my pic, I horsed around with the kids on the swing set!  Those rings are no joke... A few flips and holding myself upside down and my arms were feeling it.  V says I am like a big kid and I will agree 100%!!  Once I was inside, I pumped out some push-ups and sit-ups for good measure.  Overall, a fantastic workout!!

Lastly, I need to mention to all you readers that I am officially registered for the Detroit Free Press Marathon that takes place on October 20th of this year.  This will be my fourth year running this race and my goal is to PR.  Not that me registering for Detroit is a newsflash, but what I am about to tell you next definitely is... My husband, who half the time is unwilling to run a 5k unless I threaten him with violence, has decided to run the half-marathon course that Detroit offers!! I am beyond excited about this! He will have to be dedicated to a training program, but I have confidence he can do it! If anything, I know some seriously good blog material will stem from this!

Have a great day all and remember, today is National Running Day!  Get out there and get some miles in!!

 Hey all! V here. Yep, Day 9 was a good one for me as well. I had told Coach B that I'm just going to head out for 1 ... and he said "whatever; there's no way you're just going to run a mile." Well, isn't he just the wise one. It was a gorgeous day and so, no, there was no way just a mile would do, so I stretched it out to a 5k to take advantage of the cooler temps and brilliant sunshine. Sometimes you just have to run what you feel -- some days it's best to slow down or stop if you're hurt, and some days if you're feeling good you should *ahem, pardon ME Nike* just do it. You need to learn to read the signs as a runner.

And that's what the signs were telling me on Day 9. M and I will get to run Day 10 together during the National Running Day event in Sylvania, so we'll keep you posted on that as well. Plus ... big doings are being planned for National Donut Day on Friday. We'll keep you posted.

Plus: School is OUT for the summer! So, we hope to get our Sole Children involved in the running world as well. As you can see, my whole sole family is thrilled that school is out:

Celebratory dinner marking the end of school. I think everyone got a little stir crazy.

Have fun out there, everyone!!

Also: happy to report that the streak is still going strong for Sara near Cincy and Debbie in Delaware. We have a few more jumping on the streak too -- let us know how you're doing out there!
Be kind to yourself. Be kind to each other. -- V

Scorch the Mile, Not Your Skin: Sun Protection Tips for Runners

WHEN the weather turns warmer, I just want to lace up my shoes, pop on my headphones, and run run run to some awesome, uplifting, hard-charging summer songs. You know those summer songs: the ones that come around this time every year, are super catchy, and you just can't hear them enough (until you reach that point where, yes, you actually ARE sick of "Call Me Maybe" for the thousandth time, thank you). If it's got a beat, I'm moving my feet. 

There is something any runner should do, however, before heading out to add a little shimmy to your stride under the summer sun: Slather on that sunscreen, brothers and sisters, because studies show runners have a greater risk of developing problems that stem from sun exposure. 

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, a study by dermatologists at the Medical University of Graz in Austria revealed marathoners have a greater risk of developing melanoma than non-distance runners. Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer, and develops in the cells (melanocytes) that produce melanin — the pigment that gives your skin its color. The Mayo Clinic notes that incidences of melanoma seem to be on the rise in people under 40. However, reducing your exposure to UV rays can help reduce the risk of developing melanoma.

Practice good sun safety to keep you on your feet.

The lead researcher in the Graz study noted the most obvious reason for marathon runners' increased risk was excessive exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. Nearly all of the 420 runners in the study regularly wore shorts and short-sleeved or sleeveless shirts,exposing  their legs, arms, and upper back to the sun. Only 56 percent of the runners regularly used sunscreen. A less-obvious reason for runners' higher risk involved their lowered immunity that develops with all the high-intensity exercise. Researchers say this may have left them more vulnerable to skin damage. 

If melanoma is recognized and treated early, it is almost always curable, but if it is not, the cancer can advance and spread to other parts of the body, where it becomes hard to treat and can be fatal, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Give me sand, give me sun, give me miles of beach to run.

I'm not citing these facts to scare you, really. I LOVE being in the sun as much, if not more, than the next person. I'm an August child of summer -- a beach baby. I've also had more than five suspicious moles cut off me by my dermatologist. While none of them turned out to be cancerous, I do now have scars and it did slow down my exercise time, as I had to heal from the stitches. I don't even fall into many of the "greater risk" categories that Mayo Clinic cites: I'm neither fair, light-eyed, blonde, or freckled; I don't have a family history of melanoma, and I don't live close to the equator or at a higher elevation (I have to drive to find a  hill, remember?). I DO have a lot of exposure to UV radiation and I DO have many moles (holy moly moly moly). But it's the sun exposure that is the biggest factor here for us, runner friends.

Concentrate on scorching that mile AND not getting scorched.

So, what can you do? I mean it's getting to be summer: it's HOT out there. Running in the least amount of clothing possible is generally the most comfortable way to make it through your miles. 

Here is what the Skin Cancer Foundation recommends that distance runners do to protect themselves: 

• Run during hours when the sun is less intense. Generally it is strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you train during those hours, find shady places to run.
• Put sunscreen on before your running outfit, not at the race/training site. This will give it time to soak in, and keep you from applying it less thoroughly or forgetting it altogether because of pre-race excitement. Use an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen. Look for stick formulations, sport, or water-resistant versions.
• Run in a hat and UV-blocking sunglasses. Polarized lenses help beat the glare.
• Always keep sunscreen in your race bag.
• Have a friend posted somewhere in the second half of the race to hand you a small, one-use, wipe sunscreen (or keep a small packet in your pocket), so that you can reapply it to your face, neck and arms as you run. You can do that without really breaking stride. Sunscreen starts to lose effectiveness at about the two-hour mark, or even sooner if you are sweating heavily. Sunscreen is the best protection for shorter runs, while sunscreen plus sun-protective clothing is the best bet for a long run. 
• Before post-race festivities begin, reapply sunscreen, and give yourself a quick massage in the process to help relax your sore muscles.
• Post-race clothes should include a lightweight but long-sleeve T-shirt and sweats. Darker colors offer ideal sun protection. Or opt for special sun-protective clothing. Also, when choosing the clothes you'll be wearing, both during and after the run, check out the weave of the fabric as well. If you can see through it, it's not likely to offer you much in the way of protection.

So, it is possible to run in the sun and reduce your risk of overexposure to the sun's harmful rays. Just practice some common sense skin safety to prevent your "Soak Up the Sun" from turning into "Burn Baby Burn" on your summer running playlist. 

Be kind to yourself. Be kind to each other.  -- V

Race Report -- V's Try-a-Triathlon

And now, for something completely different ... That's how I was feeling as I stood in the parking lot-turned-transition area set up in front of the Francis Family YMCA at 7:10 a.m. ... barefoot, and in just my tri bikini with a shirt thrown over top. Skimpy is de rigeur for triathletes, I'm told, but most present had the sense to bring A) An extra pair of shoes or sandals to avoid traipsing shoeless on blacktop and, B) Some kind of cover-up. I was standing there feeling like I was in my nightshirt at some kind of athletic sleepaway camp. But hey, it was my first time, and this was going to be a fun learning experience. The crew from the Team Toledo triathlon club was fantastic, in that they were exceedingly friendly and approachable, funny during announcements, knowledgeable, and didn't laugh at me when I asked if I should have a towel in the pool area so I could dry off before going to the bike transition area. "Um, no, you shouldn't need one. You will just get on the bike and ride away wet," said the very nice TT member, in a very beautiful accent. Oh, yes. Of course that was what I would do. After all, this is the same sport where you can pee while on your very- to somewhat-expensive bike. Silly me.

#379, ready to go! (I think ...)

 Well, I set up the transition area, with Coach B's help. Bike -- racked and facing the start, with the saddle on top of the bar. Shoes and socks -- accessible. Towels -- yes. Helmet and sunglasses -- flipped upside down in the most ready-to-go fashion. Bike shorts -- well, shorts. Bike jersey -- no, but I do have a shirt. Race number and belt -- yes, ready to go, with emergency contact information inked on the flip side, just in case.

We get last-minute instructions from Ford of Team Toledo. We check the wall for our wave assignments (I'm Wave 3, yay. Not first; not last.).  We get ready to take the plunge -- for real.

l

I'm in there somewhere, Coach B assures me.

I take my place on the wall in front of my lane and get to know my lane mate. She professes to being somewhat of a lane hog, which I don't really mind, and I told her I generally hug the lane marker. We'll get along just fine. The second wave is all out, so we hop in the pool. There is a call for 30 seconds to go. Then, 10. ("What the hell happened to 20??," I think.) Then, "GO!" Yeah! I'm freestyling/overhand crawling/what have you, and I'm going really fast. I'm going TOO fast. I'm going against well-intentioned wisdom to remember to "not start out the swim too fast!" But, the adrenaline and excitement have combined to make me think I'm Missy the Missile, not Tori the Turtle. Around Lap 5, I feel the fear. I worry about my breath and start to feel that, "Gosh, it's hot in here. Isn't it hot in here? Hello? Anyone?" I hold my own in the crawl until Lap 9, when I kick it into a breaststroke, or at least my version of a breaststroke. I had lost track of my laps (I always do), and am THRILLED beyond belief to see the lane official lower the red "last one" sign into my lane. I turn and burn as much as possible, front crawling the final length. I scramble out of the pool to applause (they told us to cheer for each other; I wasn't doing anything spectacular, but I enjoyed the support) and run to transition, peeling off goggles and cap while trying not to slip!

Transition 1, or as I like to call it, the public dressing room.

Speed laces were awesome. Really made getting the shoes on fast.

So, I find my bike and dry off my feet. Struggle to get semidry feet into socks, struggle into the Lycra shorts over fairly wet bottoms, and slip my feet into my Sauconys, sans struggle because I bought a pair of elastic speed laces. I pull my shirt on, put my sunglasses in place, and strap on my helmet. Can't go ANYWHERE without the helmet. I lift my bike from the rack and run/walk to the bike start. Once I pass the  start line, I hop on and take a right out of the YMCA, embarking on the first of two "Bedford blocks" that will total eight miles. As Ford said at the beginners' clinic the previous day, the roads were going to be rough because, "This isn't Sylvania. Sorry." That made me laugh then, and keeps me aware of street conditions as I pedal down the rather rural roads. My first act on the bike, once I'm in a decent rhythm, is to reach back into my zippered pocket of my shorts and rustle around until I find *TA-DA* chewing gum. Oh, sweet relief. I pass cheerful, encouraging volunteers, and smile and say thanks to as many as I can. I mentally assess where the roadkill is to avoid breathing in the next time around. Feeling good, I increase my speed for the second lap and actually pass a couple of people. I finish the second "Bedford block" lap and bring it on in to the Y. 

Smiling, because the best part is coming up -- time to RUN.

I'm so happy to start the final leg -- the 2 mile run. I dismount at the transition line, run the bike back to my rack spot, and load the bike back up ... in the most awkward fashion possible. 

Uh, so just back it in here? You mean, make the bike go backwards and then somehow
get the saddle to rest on top of the bar?

Well, after a time of wrestling with it some, I finally park my bike in a stable position. Helmet comes off, race number is spun around to be in the front, and, in a last-minute decision, I decide to go sans shirt and just run in my tri bikini top. This proves to be a good move -- it is pretty warm. I take off and try to remember just where that run course starts. 

Oh, that's right. I'm supposed to run by the rehab place. I get my bearings and start my run. We run by the Dumpster (as Ford promised), and then turn left onto a lightly wooded, large-stone path. This feels great, but am actually glad it's just 2 miles. I pass a couple of people, circle the ball diamonds at Indian Creek Park, and loop back out onto the large-stone path. I say "mahalo" to fellow runners coming in for no discernible reason, and then I can hear cowbells and cheering, and charge for the finish. I have enough left to sprint (so I should have worked harder somewhere), so I tear it up and make my way to the inflatable "Finish" arch. 

Almost done!

I am medaled, watered, bagel'ed, banana'ed, and happy. I just basically "speed-dated" three sports in under an hour, and I really had a great time doing it, even when I thought I might be the last person out of the pool. The triathlon is definitely an event to be respected, no matter what the distances are. Thanks to Team Toledo (ahem, you are all now my teammates -- I hope you don't regret this...) and the Francis Family YMCA for a great first tri experience. I'm in. 

I eat triathlons for breakfast, ROARRR! Not really; I eat peanut butter bagels ...

Sunday's Stats: 

Victoria Dugger Wave 3

Bib #379 

250 yard Swim: 5:34

T1: 2:08

8 mile Bike: 29:17

T2: 1:03

2 mile Run: 16:15

12th overall/53 participants

6th overall woman/36 women

4th fastest run

13th fastest bike

25th in swim

T1  -- 22nd

T2 -- 23rd

We Interrupt This Running Blog for a Multi-sport Post ... V Takes on a Tri

Hey all! Sole Sister V here. Well, this weekend, the Sole Sisters are taking aim at separate goals, with separate races, in separate cities. I might have separation anxiety. So, while M is pounding pavement at the Cleveland Marathon (go girl, GO!), I am dipping my toes into uncharted waters. I'm trying a teeny, tiny triathlon at the Francis Family YMCA in Lambertville, Mich.,

I know how to swim. I know how to bike. I know how to run. I don't know if I can really do all three, in that order, without any breaks. But, I do love a challenge, and so the teeny tiny tri is up my alley to see how I do. There are no age group awards; just like elementary school these days, we'll all get a medal. Woo! Give me a medal and a T-shirt, and I'm in.

So, today was the expo and beginner clinic. I learned all kinds of things. But I think the point that I will never forget is that really good competitors pee on their bikes while they are riding, rather than stopping if nature calls. Seriously. This is not a joke. Chrissie Wellington, Ironman champion from New Zealand regularly does this. Oy. Luckily for me, this is only an 8 mile bike, so I will not be whizzing while I'm whizzing by. (So, come out and see me! LOL.)

And this isn't even all the stuff that I will be taking with me...

So, I'll be doing 10 lengths in the YMCA pool (lengths? laps? I'll swim until they put the red flag at my lane, telling me I need to do one more then get out of the pool.), then run outside (barefoot!), get to my previously set up swim-to-bike transition area, put on my sunglasses, then helmet (securing the strap), dry my feet, put on socks, put on shorts, put on race belt, put on shoes, walk/run my bike to the bike start, and then ride 8 miles. (Without peeing on myself, thank you very much.)

What my transition area will look like, minus crazy-expensive Specialized bike.

Then, I'll hop off my bike (carefully), run/walk it back to the transition area, take off my helmet, re-rack the bike, spin the race belt around so my number is in the front, and then take off for a 2 mile run. Sounds like a blast!!! (Except that it starts at 8 a.m., and I'm working until 1 a.m.! This might be a zombie-teeny-tiny-tri....)

I can't wait to let you guys know how it goes!   --- V.


Saturday's Stats:

Distance:	9.07 mi  (6.5 biking, 2.5 running
Time:	45:15
Avg Pace:	4:59 min/mi
Elevation Gain:	150 ft
Calories:	847 C