When sickness forces you to rest

In sickness and in health...

Sometimes becoming sick can be a blessing in disguise for a runner. Of course I am not talking about serious illness, but something like a light flu that binds you to bed for a few days. The thing is, we who love to run, are not always very good in taking a rest when we should. In that sense, having to stay in bed, as annoying as it is, might give your body exactly the rest it needs.

The first time I experienced this was when I was preparing for my very first half marathon. Just a week before the race, I had a 10 km test run in the early morning where I really pushed myself, after which I entertained guests, drove a long way, and was outside in the cold for the rest of the day. In the evening of that day, I started to feel terrible, got high fever, and ended up in bed for four days. I was so worried during that time. First of all I was afraid that I would not get well enough for the race. But I was also very worried that I was losing my form and my strength by having to stay in bed. What I realized later is that becoming sick at that point was perhaps the best thing that could happen for my performance at that race. As inexperienced as I was, I knew nothing about tapering and slowing down before a race. Had I not become sick, I would have continued to train until the race, and my performance would most probably be much worse. With completely rested legs, and a short run to get my legs going two days before the race, it all went very smoothly and well, and it was an incredibly good race experience.

It happened again just this week, but this time it forced me to rest after a race. The day after the Deer Run race last Sunday, I got sick again and had to stay in bed for three days and away from running for five days. I have become much better in tapering and resting before a race, but when it comes to resting after a race, I am still not patient enough. So this sickness has given me the rest which I might not have taken properly otherwise. After Oslo half marathon in 2014, I did not rest at all, which started a period of more and more pain, and finally ended up in a big injury and no running for a long time. At that time I had just joined my running group Melkesyre in Bergen, and I did not want to miss a single training. On top of that, we went for a holiday in Italy, and I wanted to keep running to compensate for all the eating there. I forced Frank up early every morning, and we went for tough uphills before our friends woke up and we continued the day with hikes and late nights with them. My legs were aching, the morning runs were not pleasant at all, but I still kept going. So incredibly stupid, when I think of it now...

Of course if sickness is going to be a benefit, one has to obey it and actually get to bed. I learned also this the hard way. Exactly a year ago, we were on a week's skiing holiday. The whole family was together; the youngsters hit the downhill slopes whereas Frank and I had plans for cross country skiiing. I started to feel sick already on the second day, and instead of staying inside and enjoying the rest, I took painkillers and went on (now in hindsight) unbelievably long and tough cross country skiing. Why? I was so impatient at that time about training. My form was steadily improving and I wanted it all too fast. I was so afraid to let any more than one day pass by without proper cardiovascular training, because I did not want to lose my form or fall behind my improvement plans. What happened of course, in addition to some pretty unpleasant skiing experiences, is that I got really sick in the end and had to stay in bed probably much longer than I would have had to, if I had not been so stupid and stubborn to start with. But that was not the worst part. When I finally became well and started running again, it took me extremely long to get back into shape. I lost so much form due to training when sick, and it was really hard and took a long time to get it back. I have since then read that this is very common. If you push yourself when sick, you might experience a serious deterioration of your form, which might take you long time to repair.

During the times I have been sick and impatient to train, I have been desperate and searched for hours and hours tons of advice on the Internet. There seems to be a rule that if the discomfort you feel is above your neck, then you can still train. So, just headache, or running nose, or pain in the throat, does not necessarily have to stop you from running. But if your whole body aches, regardless of whether you have fever or not, it seems to be the best to stay away from training. And I have read that training when you have a fever can actually be seriously dangerous. You might end up hurting your heart and having to stay away from training for a long long time. For myself I have found the following rule: if I have to take painkillers to be able to run, ski, bike, swim, etc, then I simply don't do it. Instead I try to concentrate on the benefits of no training for a while.

Always look on the bright side; take your rest and enjoy it!

The most unexpected victory ever: Deer Run 1 - 2016 Istanbul

Sometimes good things come so unexpectedly that you miss the opportunity to make the most out of them...

On Sunday I participated in one of the most fun and well organized trail races I have ever been to: race number 1 of 2016 in the Geyik Kosulari (Deer Runs) series in the Belgrad forest of Istanbul. I picked this race long before moving to Istanbul, when I was trying to find a race that could be combined with visits from my running buddies from Norway. To be honest, I picked it just because the date was convenient, and I could never imagine that it would be such a well organized, challenging, and fun event.

Frank, and our friends Bente and Arvid from Norway also signed up, and they arrived a couple of days before the race, to leave enough time for acclimatizing and keep our legs going with quite a bit of sightseeing. We all felt fit for fight and ready for the unknown. But, as it happened several times before, my body likes to make pre-race time more exciting than necessary. Just like it was the case with the Blåmanen Race 3 in November, also this time suddenly I was not at all sure that I would be able to participate until the morning of the race.

The night before the race was as sub-optimal as it could be. I had to rush to the hospital due to an acute infection and was immediately put on antibiotics. The night ended up short with uncomfortable sleep, but in the morning I was fortunately feeling much better, except the strange feeling one has when on antibiotics. The advantage of having other things than the race to think about is that one is not as nervous about the race itself, and one gets so intensively happy when it becomes clear that one is actually able to participate. The insecurity of a possible problem during the race also makes one let one's shoulders down, which might in the end turn pretty advantageous for the race performance.

I had signed up for the 14 km course, and I was not sure what kind of time to aim for. The organizers advised that 14 km on this trail race would take almost the time one has at a flat half marathon. I had run in this forest once before, not exactly at this course, with my friends from Team Istrunbul, and I found that the half marathon time was probably a little bit exaggerated. On the other hand, at Bergen Fjellmaraton, which is a mountain half marathon, I spend one hour more than my flat half marathon time, so in that sense, the recommendation could make sense. In the end I concluded that I would be very happy to finish in 1:50 or less, and I lined up at the 1:50 flag at the start line. There I also found a couple of friends from Team Istrunbul, and it was calming to chat to them just before to the start.

The course turned out to be so much more interesting and adventurous than I had expected. I was somehow expecting wider tracks, like tractor roads, but we were mainly on real nature narrow trails, had to climb over and under fallen trees, jump over ponds of mud, with several steep ascends and descends. There was also much more elevation gain and loss than I had expected. Most people were not wearing trail running shoes, and I felt that I had a big advantage in the muddy uphills and downhills. There was indeed a lot of mud, and the mud is different than that in Norway. This one is more like clay, it sticks to your shoes and makes them heavier and heavier as you go.

The first part of the race was mainly uphill, but with some downhill and flat parts to give a rest. Feeling a bit the effect of the antibiotics, I was mainly following my heart rate, making sure not to exceed my threshold. At the 6th kilometer, as I was anyway getting pretty tired, the sun came out and hit me right in the face, and that gave an amazing boost of energy. Just after that I saw the sign that we were getting close to the drink station, so I quickly grabbed a gel and drank it just before I reached for a few cups of water. Filled with renewed energy, and with the path going slightly downhill for quite a while from then on, I was feeling much better and started to recalculate my target finish time. I figured I should be able to finish below 1:40.

It was all going perfectly well until there were 3 km left. I was not expecting any more real uphills, but suddenly the path took a sharp left, and the person on duty standing there cheerfully acclaimed "Come on, the last uphill!". OK, just one last uphill I can do, I thought. But that one uphill was a long and steep one; it took almost a kilometer. Perhaps sub 1:40 was too optimistic after all? Recalculating at the 12th km sign, I thought I could still do it. I grabbed another gel, fell while fiddling with it, but got up quickly, and got a real energy boost to go the last part. But when there was only one kilometer left, there was a new uphill. How is that at all possible? Before start, I was watching the first round of the 28 km, and I knew that it was downhill towards finish. So I was not at all prepared for this last uphill which lasted for about 500 meters. At that point I was really angry and I even shouted a few swear words I'm afraid. Anyway, finally the uphill ended and I could run with all that I had for the last few hundred meters down to the finish line. 1:38!!!! And extremely happy!

In fact we were all very very happy with our performances, and with the organization. First of all, there were so many more participants than I expected. And it was so well organized, with many officials along the course showing the way, taking photos, and cheering on, and a lot of people handing out all sorts of food and drinks after the finish line that I did not know what to take. Although we changed into dry and clean clothes, we still started to feel cold pretty soon. When we got a chance to get a ride with my university's shuttle almost all the way home, we grabbed that opportunity and hopped on. I was after all on drugs and did not feel too well at that point.

What I realized only after coming home and checking the results online was that I had won my class!!! And that with 11 minutes' difference to the next person! So, I became number 1 of the nine ladies in my class, and number 8 of all the 77 ladies who started in the 14 km course. Wow! That was so unexpected. In fact, as I have said to so many friends, it has been one of my biggest goals: to win my class in some race. And it happened now! But I left the arena before the ceremony, and thus lost the opportunity of going on the podium and receiving an especially designed medal for the class winner... What can I say? I simply hope that there will be other opportunities.

The day after the race I fell sick, and in that sense perhaps it was good that I took the earliest ride home, so that I did not get even sicker afterwards. But I think the medal ceremony would have been worth it. Perhaps you are thinking that I should not have raced at all, being on drugs, reduced and all. But believe me, it was totally worth it! It was an amazing experience! And I feel so incredibly lucky that I felt so good on exactly the race day, as the day before or the days after I would definitely not be able to race.

Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must, just never give up....

Picking up speed with Team Istrunbul

Half a minute faster per kilometer in one month.

Finally my speed and endurance are coming back! After half a year of not being able to run, when I cautiously started running again, I found that my old speed and endurance were largely gone. The entire fall was full of uphill races like Skåla Opp, Storehesten Opp, Stoltzekleiven Opp, Lake Garda Mountain Race, Limone Extreme Vertical, Blåmanen races, etc etc, which suited me fine, and my training mainly concentrated on uphills and terrain. Although my heart rate and performance were fine in these races, it did not translate into speed when it came to flat running, which was basically restricted to the one month I spent in Paris. Trying to run fast felt exhaustive and hard, and even slow runs bumped my heart rate up to threshold level when the distance got longer than 10-12 km. 

Moving to Istanbul gave a sudden improvement of form already from the very start. I think a new environment and joining a new running group gave a subconscious change in state-of-mind which was beneficial. Meeting new people and getting used to a new place kept my mind busy with other things than concentrating on the hardness of a run. The mornings runs of Team Istrunbul offer a large variety in speed and distance. The group is big, so there is always somebody to run with matching your pace and distance. I try to vary so that sometimes I do longer and slower runs, and at least twice a week I try to hang on to a group of faster runners. The best is when the fastest people are tapering or doing a (for them) low zone run, which gives perfect sweet spot (zone 3.5) conditions for me, as well as allowing them to tell entertaining stories all the way.

It is quite a lot of fun to check my training log since November and see the improvement. During November and December Frank and I did a few longer runs, but the distance never got over 16 km and the pace stayed slower than 7 min/km. Just before I moved to Istanbul we also did a few 10km runs at my sweet spot zone, which resulted in a pace of 6 min/km.

Nowadays, during training I run 10 km in 55 minutes staying in sweet spot all the time, which corresponds to pace 5:30. I have also tested that I can do 3-4 kilometers with pace 5:15, still not going above sweet spot. When I was training for Oslo half marathon in 2014, 5:15 was my target race pace, and it feels really good to get my body and head used to that speed again without feeling exhaustion. That is the beauty of running in a group. There is chatting and interesting stories all the way, so any negative thoughts about the hardness of running get distracted by all the fun stuff. The varying weather and the many beautiful sunrises also help keep my mind away from concentrating  thoughts. Also my long runs have become easier. During the last week I did two 20 km runs in pace 6:30, staying in zone 1 most of the time. This is a huge improvement compared to just a couple of months ago, when I had to break a 20 km 6:30 pace training at 14 km because my heart rate was close to threshold level.

In a sense I am experiencing the form improvement that I had in 2014 all over again. However, at that time I was not really aware of my heart rate zones, and I was pushing my self hard, feeling exhausted at the end of every single run. I think sweet spot training is really working. No exhaustion; just a lot of energy for the rest of the day, and steady improvement of form. What I have not been doing so far in Istanbul is interval training. Perhaps this is fine for the moment, as I am still building up my endurance and distance, which I need for the long flat races of this year. I might soon start doing treadmill intervals once a week. I have just tested the university sports facilities. They have treadmills, all the equipment I need to continue with my HSR training, as well as a huge swimming pool, which really makes me start planning a swimming session once a week.

So many opportunities, so little time...

Read and weep: racing weight

I read a book and it changed my body....
 
I wish it were as simple as that. Last week I was writing about a book which I really enjoyed reading. Let me continue with books and mention another book that I immediately wanted to read as it was brought to my attention a few weeks ago. It is called "Racing weight: How to get lean for peak performance" by Matt Fitzgerald. Unfortunately the book does not seem to have an electronic edition. At the time I was about to move and I could not wait for a hard copy to arrive, so I gave up on reading it for the moment.

Since then, though, I have been thinking about these issues and discussing it with friends. Loosing a few kilos is already on my list of this year's goals, and I am finding more motivation to do so. I have recently read that without any improvement of form, one can in average run every kilometer 3 seconds faster per lost kilogram. So, losing 5 kg means 15 seconds faster per km. That is immediately more than 1 minute faster 5k, and more than 5 minutes faster half marathon. Just like that! Of course this only applies to runners who have excess weight. If you get too light, it probably means that you are losing muscle mass, which might ruin your form.

As I was expecting, it turns out to be much easier to eat right when I'm on my own. There is no chocolate, ice cream, sweets, crisps or nuts in the house. Only healthy, lean stuff and fruit. So whenever I am craving for something naughty, it has to be something right. I have for example yogurt and feta cheese which both make perfect deserts with a little drizzle of honey on top. An apple cut into cubes with a lot of cinnamon is excellent as well... OK, excellent is a big exaggeration, but believe me: when there is nothing else it really feels wonderful. The most important: I am able to avoid alcohol when I am alone. This is perhaps my biggest weakness. Hmmm... now it sounds like I am an alcoholic. It is fortunately nothing like that. But I really really enjoy a glass of wine or beer in the evening. The best would be not have at all in the house, but I do have a couple of bottles. The trick is not to open them. As long as they are unopened, I am able to stay away from them.

And I must just mention my lunches once more. I cannot describe how happy I am about the food that is served at the university cafeteria, samples of which you can see in the pictures here. At least three different hot vegetable dishes everyday. Note that I am not saying vegetarian, but vegetable. Unfortunately vegetarian dishes usually contain a lot of carbs, like potatoes, rice, pasta or grains. Here the dishes are pure vegetable, like a casserole of squash, or spinach, or leeks, all so extremely delicious. This is the kind of stuff you can eat almost as much as you like because it is so nutritious and has so little calories, and it fills your stomach and keeps you full and content for so many hours.

As well as I am able to behave when I am on my own, I am terrible when Frank is here visiting or when I am with friends and family. Then I really let go of all the barriers and eat and drink just as I like. I have to find a balance in that. In the beginning I was thinking "come on, it's all the stuff that I've been missing for so long" but now it is time to be careful also when I am enjoying myself.

A challenging thing, which might turn out to be a disaster or a blessing, is that I don't have a bathroom scale yet. I have been without a scale since I left Bergen over three weeks ago. It is the first time during the last 30 years that I have not weighed myself for so long. From previous experience I know that it is easy fool oneself if one does not go on a scale. "Oh, I'm running so much; I'm sure I'm losing weight". Wrong. Eat a couple of pieces of baklava or a bag of pistachios, and the run is gone, at least in calories. On the other hand, this time I have the feeling that not having a scale is giving me the opposite effect. I am more cautious. And the belts are looser. Fingers crossed!

Let me find that book...