Tag: inclusive running

Blog

putting the #350project on pause?

koribarnum
Home Trails – Shevlin Park
image: Kori Barnum

I’m not saying twice is a trend, but for the second time in two years during the month of May I find myself harboring deep thoughts and reservations about my training goal. Last year I was registered to run what would have been my first 50 mile trail race in Southern Oregon on my birthday in July – what could be more perfect? Completing a new trail race distance for the first time on my birthday on a glorious and warm summer’s day in the mountains? Answer: nothing!!!

And yet, the porridge just didn’t seem right. I had a fun training plan, I was only running 5 days a week, it should have been perfect. But I could tell after much soul searching that my heart wasn’t in it, I was training because I felt like I should and not because I wanted to. Despite frequent exasperated reminders from my spouse that I’m not a professional athlete and I don’t have to take this all so seriously, I do take it deadly serious because I love the training process and I worship at the church of physiological adaptation.

So in 2019 I bailed on that birthday race. We still traveled to Southern Oregon, we ran a really hot really fun 10 mile trail run just the two of us, read our books in the sunshine, took a nap, and had a nice dinner. Then on December 8 I ran my first 50 miler in Arizona and had a blast – it was the right race at the right time and it was a joy to train for.

This year I thought I was being sensible, not running hard during ski season. But when ski season ended abruptly in early March, and the climbing gym and Smith Rock closed, I thought the universe was sending me a sign – run many road miles, girl, work on your speed, try to qualify for Boston on a flat course. Perfect, I said, I will – I will train hard and run lots of miles and attempt a 3:50 time at the Chicago Marathon in October.

Then, inexplicably, the drumbeat of rethinking the goal started again about a week ago. I was run/walking on of my favorite sections of Shevlin Park, overwhelmed with gratitude that this trail system is basically in my back yard, overwhelmed with gratitude at that wonderful smell of warm pine and warm dirt that happens when the temperature is perfect and the sun is shining, and I thought – this is what I want to do all summer. I want to run a shit-ton of trail miles, I want to run most of those with Dan, I want to be caked in dust and carrying my water and food and running when it feels right and hiking when it feels right.

I don’t want to work on being faster.

I want to work on running farther.

I want to always been in the kind of running shape where I can drop into a 50K race on a whim.

Can I see the forest for the trees?

I had thought that I’d chase this 3:50 goal, knowing that if (when, let’s be realistic) Chicago is canceled, I could still do a flat 26.2 race on the paved loop behind my house. But what if trail races start happening again? They’re already significantly smaller events than even most small road races, and social distancing on the trail if everyone is running the same way tends to happen organically. If trail events open back up, I want to support those events.

Technically, I haven’t made a decision yet. Technically, my #350project training schedule starts June 8. If I do decide to put this goal on pause, it will be just that – a pause, not a retirement. I’d still like to train hard to qualify for Boston on a flat course (I don’t intend to actually run Boston ever again, but that doesn’t dull the shine of qualifying attempts). But for now, for the direction my soul is leaning, I think we might be looking at a goal pivot.

To be continued…

Training Log

05.17.20 training log

koribarnum

M – REST

Tu – 9 mile road run w/4 miles at lactate threshold pace (8:20; 8:20; 8:17; 8:15)

W – 11 mile road run @ long run pace of 9:30 minute miles (today I ran ~9:20 pace)

Th – 9 mile easy trail run, out and back through Shevlin Park, 11:00 minute mile pace

F – REST

Sa – 6 mile easy trail run, different Shevlin out and back, 10:55 minute mile pace + 30 minutes mobility work + strength work for core and lower body

Su – 15 mile long run, again trying for 9:30 pace but averaging 9:20 (I’m pretty sure once I start hitting the 20 mile range, dropping down to 9:30s will happen naturally). I like this pace – easier than racing, not “hard” per se but does require me to kind of stay on it so I don’t drift slower into a more leisurely pace.

Total run miles: 50

Meditated 7 out of 7 days

Blog

Quick Training Hits

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  1. Forget the 10% rule?
Forget the 10% Rule: How to Increase Mileage Safely

For running eternity, one of the training rules to follow was not to increase your weekly mileage volume by more than 10% per week. Staying within this limit lowered your risk of injury and allowed you to steadily gain endurance. I’ve always thought that sounded like a good idea in theory, but I’ve ignored it many a time without any issues – but I’ve also tried to do so sensibly, like running those extra miles at easy pace and on a forgiving surface like trails. Check out this article by Jason Fitzgerald to see if reconsidering the conventional wisdom might work for your goals.

2. Pretty much every recovery method isn’t really that helpful

After reading “Good to Go: What the Athlete In All Of Us Can Learn From the Strange Science of Recovery” by Christie Aschwanden (2019), I was kind of deflated. Aschwanden basically found that the only recovery tool that is proven by peer-reviewed, scientific study to give a significant boost to recovery is sleep. Specialty drinks and diets, massage, foam rolling, infrared saunas, cryotherapy, meditation – not helpful in a meaningful way to your recovery.

That said, it’s important to consider that if a particular recovery method makes you feel good and doesn’t cause any harm, there’s no reason for you to discontinue it. No one knows better than you how your body feels to you, and as we all know from the placebo effect, if you feel like something is helping you, it probably is a little, even if it’s only mental. I don’t know about you, but I need all the mental health I can get, so I will resume regular sports massage once I can. And I will definitely consider this information when I justify napping and skipping out on foam rolling.

3. Watch a running movie!

image: Wikipedia

If you’ve burned through all your streaming options, check out the Runner’s World “30 Best Running Movies Ever Made” list for some inspiration.

https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/g20708975/best-running-movies-ever-made/?source=nl&utm_source=nl_rnw&utm_medium=email&date=032420&utm_campaign=nl19689565

Training Log

05.10.20 training log

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So this was a recovery week – low mileage, at any decision point the choice was “chill”. I’ve got 4 weeks left of “pre-training” before the “actual training” starts on June 8 for the Chicago Marathon. That adds up to two training weeks that will be pretty typical, and then two weeks of pretty low miles to get as rested as possible before I head into the 18 week training cycle.

M, W, F, Su – REST, baby, yeah.

Tu – 4 easy treadmill miles, ~10:10 pace with 1% incline. Watched some of the virtual Trail Mountain Running Film Festival. Remember when you could just shove your sweaty mitt into a bowl of M&Ms at an aid station without a care in the world? I do 🙁

Th – 5 mile easy road run, 10:24 mile pace.

Sa – 12 mile trail run with my beloved. Super easy pace, watched the miles but not the speed. Funny story – even with both of us paying attention and running on a trail system (Phil’s) that Dan has biked before, we still managed to miss a junction on the way back and added a few extra miles. Gorgeous day, close to home, no problem – but a good reminder as always that you need to vigilant in the wild.

Total run miles: 21

Meditated 7 out of 7 days

Training Log

05.03.20 training log

koribarnum

M – REST

Tu – 6 mile easy trail run, 10:32 mile pace.

W – REST [sick day – no work, no workouts, slept almost the entire day to the extreme joy of my kitty life coaches – after dragging my seasonal allergy suffering butt out of bed for weeks, I just. couldn’t. do. it.]

Th – 8 mile easy road run (back in the saddle, so to speak) at 10:18 mile pace

F – 10 mile SOS trail run, 10:54 average mile pace with speedwork sprinkled in of 10 x 100m repeats at 6:05-6:20 pace and 10 x 15 second hills

Sa – 6 mile easy treadmill run ~10:15 mile pace with 1% incline.

Su – 14 mile road long run. After a few warm-up miles, settled into ~9:20 mile pace (shooting for 9:30ish on long runs, so right about where I need to be). Honestly, I thought about quitting at mile 2, 4, and 7…and then was like, are you bleeding out your ears? Do you have CORONA? Do you have any valid reason to quit? I mean, seriously?! And found the answer to all those questions was a pretty firm “no”. So, to paraphrase the great Des Linden, I kept showing up. Another fine example of how just being super stubborn can get you places.

Total run miles: 44

Meditated 7 out of 7 days

Training Log

04.26.20 training log

koribarnum

M – 4 mile easy road run, 10:14 mile pace. Neighborhood laps within a few block radius of our house, basically running down the middle of the road because the sidewalks are getting a little busy and the roads aren’t. + Recharge strength class livestreamed in the garage.

Tu – REST

W – 9 mile easy road run, 9:56 mile pace. Long loop down to the Deschutes River and back.

Th – 8 mile easy trail run, 10:55 mile pace out and back from home to the Tumalo Creek Trail in Shevlin Park.

F – 5 mile easy treadmill run, 10:15 pace. I find that although monotonous, doing some of your easy runs on the treadmill is a good way to really dial in that gentle pace and work on your form. Training for my Boston Qualifier marathon 2018, I got through 3 seasons of Empire just on easy treadmill runs – I even got caught up to the current episodes. Now I’m behind again, partway through Season 5, which is just as well, because I have many miles of easy runs ahead between now and October.

First road race of the year!
Aravaipa Strong Half Marathon

Sa – Aravaipa Strong Virtual Half to benefit the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. Endless loops around our block in kind of challenging humid, windy, rainy conditions. Couldn’t hold race pace and settled for a 9:15 minute mile average. Good reminder of how tough the half marathon distance can be, something I tend to forget when training for ultras. 13.1 miles is still kinda far (I know, duh, but I forget these things).

Su – 6 easy treadmill miles, ~10:15 pace with 1% incline. “Empire” catch-up continues.

Total Run Miles: 45

Meditated 7 out of 7 days

Community

start seeing native lives

koribarnum

I experienced something new [to me] and fascinating at some inclusion conferences I attended last year. At the beginning of the event, someone would recognize the Native American tribal group(s) that had lived, and continue to live, in that area. As a runner, there is something about being so close to the earth, to the literal and profound connection of feet to soil, that fosters a feeling of connectivity to all who have traveled the land before you. However, this awareness feels more distant to me in my day-to-day life, and sometimes (especially at the current moment) life is so complicated, it’s hard to remember to pause and look up from your personal lived experience to see that of others.

Approaching the world through a lens of inclusion doesn’t have to be complicated or intimidating. It can begin with something as simple as a recognition of the presence of others; in this example, a recognition of the rich and varied Native American tribal presence that permeates every corner of this country, a presence that lives in our nation’s history but also in our nation’s present, in the lived experience of Native individuals who live in your town and shop at the same supermarket and run the same trails.

I recognize and honor the Native peoples who lived and ran, and who continue to live and run, on the lands of my childhood and adulthood:

Willamette Falls, Oregon City, OR
image: TripAdvisor

I grew up a stone’s throw from Willamette Falls in Oregon City, OR. Although modified dramatically by the locks and mills built to power local industry, the falls still retain some natural beauty. They were a significant fishing (primarily salmon and eels) and trading location for the “original Chinookan…tribes in this area, which included bands known as Tumwaters, Clowwewallas, William’s Band, John’s Band, and others”. https://ndnhistoryresearch.com/2014/12/15/clackamas-people-of-willamette-falls/ ; Dr. David G. Lewis.

Smith Rock, OR
image: Kori Barnum

My favorite place to run on the planet is in Smith Rock State Park. Nowhere do I feel more joy, peace, and connection to a higher power than at this place, which looks like it was dropped in central Oregon by the hand of god – there’s nothing else like it anywhere around. According to The Oregon Encyclopedia, “Smith Rock is the traditional homeland of several Native American groups, including the Tenino (Warm Springs) and Northern Paiute people. The Northern Paiutes referred to the environs of Smith Rock as the Animal Village, a reference to the abundance and variety of plants and animals in the area”. https://oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/smith_rock_state_park/#.Xn_cW4hKg2w

If you are interested in learning more about contemporary Native American history, I would highly recommend “The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present” by David Treuer (2019). Although the author dedicates a significant portion of the text to the pre-1890 historical record, I found this background to be a necessary foundation to better appreciating the more recent history; to be honest, much of this information was new to me even though it comprises the majority of our continent’s populated history.

For Treuer, this book “is an attempt to confront the ways we Indians ourselves understand our place in the world. Our self-regard – the vision and versions we hold of who we are and what we mean – matters greatly. We carry within us stories of our origins, and ideas about what our families, clans, and communities mean” (11). Acknowledging others is the first step towards an inclusive perspective. The second step is learning more about others – history, lived experience, cultural perspectives. The complexity of our nation’s tribal communities coupled with the hesitancy of asking questions as an outsider can make research intimidating; this text is a good place to start. It is compelling and well-written, and I struggled to put it down.

image: amazon.com

Training Log

04.19.20 training log

koribarnum
Nothing motivates better coming off an easy week than an inspiring biography…
Especially with quotes like this…

M – Recharge strength class livestreamed in our garage. Nice to have a spouse that hauls a bunch of weights down from our home gym once a week so we can keep up our training. And nice to have Renee Metivier encouraging and challenging us remotely!! http://www.rechargesport.com/

Tu – 6 mile easy road run around the neighborhood at 10:12 mile pace. Starting to feel a little like a steeplechaser with all the social distancing darting around required to run safely and be a good citizen.

W – REST

Th – Shitty easy trail run. 11:25 mile pace felt like I had an elephant on my back and a vise around my heart. I hardly ever have a truly bad run, the kind where you question if somehow in the time since your last run you have lost every ounce of work you’ve ever put in to this activity and something has gone irreparably wrong, but this was definitely one of those runs. Meh.

F – 9 mile SOS road run w/7 miles at marathon pace (8:45), although I averaged 8:36 (8:36, 8:37, 8:38, 8:33, 8:38, 8:39, 8:31). Yep, less than 24 hours after a run that made me question my life choices, I had a glorious tempo workout that made me happy to be alive. Life, what can you do?

Sa – 12 mile easy trail/road combo run with my beloved, 11:34 mile pace. Tried a couple new trails in the Shevlin Park system. + 30 minutes of mobility and core work.

Su – 7 mile SOS general aerobic w/10 x 10 second hill repeats and 10 x 100m repeats (my pace varied much more than normal on these, 5:45-6:30 mile pace) – probably a little tired and a lot allergic. + 1 hour walk through Shevlin Park with Meagan.

Total running miles: 40

Meditated 7 out of 7 days (funny story, I think I also fell asleep during 7 out of 7 of these meditation sessions. Putting in the work as best I can at the moment)

Training Log

04.12.20 training log

koribarnum

It was an easy running week, trying to remember to sandwich some chill time in before I start the official training for the Chicago Marathon on June 8. I actually have to write reminders in my planner to chill. And sometimes even with that it takes significant effort to NOT employ significant effort. Sigh.

M – REST

Tu – 5 easy trail miles @ 10:36 mile pace on the Cascade Highlands Trail. Sunny.

W – 5 mile SOS Lactate Threshold run, with 4 miles at ~8:11 mile pace (8:07, 8:11, 8:10, 8:14). Seasonal allergies got me gasping, especially that last LT mile. Trying to frame that within the perspective of gratitude that it’s allergies and not COVID-19.

Th – REST

F- 12 mile trail long run easy pace (11:46 mile average). Shevlin Loop – Mrazec on a hot, sunny, achingly beautiful day. I could smell the warm pine, see the bluest sky, and had lovely orange butterflies flitting around me like a Disney princess. I originally planned on running 10 miles but it was just too wonderful to stop early.

Sa – 3 mile easy road run, with frequent stops to sneak in some strength (walking lunges, box jumps, walking squats, calf raises)

Su – REST

Total Run Miles: 25

Meditated 6 out of 7 days

Book and Product Reviews

let’s talk about clothes, baby (women’s version)

koribarnum

Herewith, a passionate proclamation concerning the apparel that powers my runs. You will see immediately that the Oiselle brand dominates my selections. I’ve supported and worn Oiselle since nearly the company’s beginning, and I’ve found their garments to be well-made and very long lasting; they’ve held up to years of washing and multiple trail tumbles and repeated cat landing-pad and taking-off encounters. I narrowed down my favorites to a mere three (Dan would find this feat particularly impressive since I’m often garbed in head-to-toe Oiselle): the Flyte tank, all versions of Roga shorts, and the Flyout bra.

If you care about how a garment looks, that’s cool but optional. What you very much should care about is how a garment FEELS on your body; it should be comfortable, because you want to feel empowered in your workouts and not distracted by an ill fit or chafing. If you also want to feel like a conquering warrior who achieves their goals and laughs in the face of uncertainty, you may find that a certain color or fit or brand strengthens your badassery – if that works for you, go with it.

Note: I group the apparel here into the “women’s” category, and will do the same in a future post detailing Dan’s favorite running apparel as “men’s”, but fit and function are about more than gendered distinctions. Find what feels good on your body and buy that. What matters is what gets and keeps you running!

image: endurancesportswire.com

“Oiselle is a Seattle-based by women, for women athletic apparel company that has always loved to go fast, take chances. We make running apparel for female athletes of all ages, paces, and places and bring together a community of women who love to move, run, and fly. Our mission is threefold: make great product, improve the sport, and build the sisterhood. We believe in the transformative power of sport”. https://www.oiselle.com/pages/about

Oiselle Flyte Tank $48
image: fleetfeet.com

The Flyte tank is made of a buttery soft fabric that strikes the perfect balance of being lightweight but not too lightweight, long enough for good movement coverage but not too long. It’s the perfect porridge of a tank top, and currently comes in 8 colors. Personally, I find $48 for a tank top to be a bit dear, and I bought my first Flyte tank during a sale. But I love it so much, I would be willing to pay full retail (a condition I normally avoid) to buy more. They are worth it.

If you started running anytime after 1980 or so, you may not have given much thought to buying a running bra. You run. You have breasts. You buy a running bra. Duh. But the embarrassment of retail riches that is the current running bra selection would have been a distant dream for female runners before that time period – it took years and some serious moxie to get a sports bra on the market:

https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a20860634/a-brief-history-of-the-sports-bra/

Oiselle Flyout Bra $56
image: activeandrea.com

So I say, god bless you brassiere pioneers. And to Oiselle’s designers, I say god bless you as well. I have struggled for years to find a supportive running bra (often buying a bra that’s really too small so it will be tight enough to mash my boobs down and provide adequate support) that is also comfortable. The Flyout bra is unique in Oiselle’s line in having a pocket between the shoulder blades for your cell phone; I initially resisted trying this bra because I thought that might be a gimmick or just uncomfortable. I’m happy to report that it’s an awesome feature – I can’t even tell my phone is there, it doesn’t bounce at all, and now I don’t have to wear a waist belt to carry my phone – freedom, oh freedom! And dare I say – the bra is supportive AND comfortable. No binding, no need to apply anti-chafe balm, and I can actually inflate my lungs completely.

Oiselle Roga Shorts $58-62
image: oiselle.com

And for the final installment in my Oiselle fan-girl manifesto, I offer the Roga short. Comes in deliriously cool patterns, vibrant colors, and sedate neutrals, and three inseam options (2″, 4″, 6″) – so basically if you want short and sassy, long and subtle, or any length/color combo in between, you got it. Also pretty cool is the “Toolbelt Roga”, which features 5 POCKETS – there’s room for your gels, your keys, lip balm, you name it, all without making you feel like you have an actual toolbelt around your waist. The fabric used in these shorts wicks like a dream and is crazy durable; my oldest pair are from 2013, and I have yet to tear a pair of these during a trail fall or have a seam fail from use. I currently have 5 pairs, and I may very soon have 6 because I don’t know how much longer I can resist buying the absolutely lovely floral print that is currently available… https://www.oiselle.com/collections/shorts/products/toolbelt-roga-shorts

my sexy fast zebra impression
Adidas Terrex Agravic Wind Running Jacket
apparently now on wicked discount ~$40
image: Kori Barnum

And finally, to prove I occasionally buy another athletic brand, my favorite lightweight windbreaker is the Adidas Terrex Agravic Wind Running Jacket. I feel like a sexy zebra in this jacket, and more importantly, I feel like a sexy fast zebra. It shields the wind and light precipitation, and conveniently stuffs into the chest pocket, creating a small bundle that fits in the palm of your hand or a hydration vest pocket. Sadly, Adidas no longer makes this jacket (maybe because it had such a long and awkward name??). A quick Google search shows that it is still available through some other retailers (the-house.com, ebay) at way less than its original retail in spring of 2018 when I purchased it.