Category: Geek Girl Runner

Running related posts and content, including ten episodes of my geekgirlrunner.com podcast

  • Running Blog: Marathon Thoughts

    This made me laugh and laugh. That’s pretty much what I expect it to be like! (Link courtesy of This Running Life.)

  • And the winner is…

    Random numberPtinutz (aka Amanda) has won my drawing* for Marshall Ulrich’s book Running on Empty: An Ultramarathoner’s Story of Love, Loss, and a Record-Setting Run Across America. Thanks to those who left comments!

    *I disregarded the comments from me, Steve, and Heather. That left six comments, and the generator came up with 3!

  • RunningBlog: Book Review and a Giveaway!

    Running on Empty by Marshall UlrichThe upside to being sick is you get a lot of reading done. Today I finished Running on Empty: An Ultramarathoner’s Story of Love, Loss, and a Record-Setting Run Across America. I got sent a sneak preview of this a few weeks ago by the publisher! It’s the true story of Marshall Ulrich, an extreme athlete and ultramarathoner who, at 57, ran all the way from Los Angeles to New York City. If you want to get your own copy – and I highly recommend it – it’s just gone on sale and there are some special promotional deals on his site. OR you could just win a copy right here! Avery Books have given me a copy to give away to one of my blog readers. If you’d like to win it, just leave a comment on this post. Next Wednesday at noon, I’ll use a random number generator pick a winner.

    Now for my review…

    I cracked this book open expecting something light-hearted and fun, maybe in a similar vein to Chris McDougal’s Born to Run. By the end of the first couple chapters though, I didn’t actually like Ulrich very much. He’s a flawed hero, and the touching story of how he got started in running (as a way to deal with stress from his first wife’s death from cancer) quickly sours when he begins to use running as a way to push his subsequent wives and children away from him. He spends a lot of time away from home. He participates in some extremely dangerous events (such as climbing Everest) when when his family beg him not to. Once his mind is fixed upon this transcontinental journey, none of his wife Heather’s entreaties can dissuade him. He even admits to feeling resentful of the time she spent caring for her dying father! I wasn’t sure I liked this guy at all.

    And then somehow, once he actually got on the road and started running… Ulrich started to win me over. I started to cheer him on. Yeah, the guy’s clearly a nut. (He had all his toenails SURGICALLY REMOVED, for goodness’ sake!) He has his flaws, just like everybody else. But with every step, he was convincing me – and his wife, and his crew – that this was a goal worth pursuing. His descriptions of the misery of the run and the brief moments of transcendent happiness will be familiar to every runner. I winced with every injury and setback. (The photo of his feet after his plantar fascia ruptures? HORROR. I am going to hug my podiatrist next time I see him.) As an expat American, I also loved the attention he paid to each state and all the varied landscapes he ran across. I was especially amused to see the mention of his friend running to Fort Wayne to buy him new gear in Indiana and how happy it made him. (Hoosiers, represent!) I’ve never really had the urge to drive across the U.S. – much less run the whole way – but he got me thinking about it.

    One thing I liked about that book is that it isn’t a straight progression from A to B. Sure, the main storyline is his run across America, but he uses that as a jumping off point to discuss his own running career, the history of ultramarathons, charities that he supports, people who meet and run with him, and even worthy local businesses along the route. The constant threat of catastrophic injury looms on every page, and the personal relationships (and internal politics) of his support team get strained. And then there’s Charlie! He actually was doing this event with someone else, but as you can probably guess, that doesn’t really go according to plan. I found myself feeling the most sympathy towards Ulrich’s wife, Heather. She didn’t want him to do this thing, but once he committed, she was supporting him 100%. (I will admit my jaw dropped when he described crawling into the RV with her, stinking and dirty after 18 hours of running, only to paw at her like a teenager because the run was screwing with his sex drive!) Ulrich is not stingy with praise for his wife or the other members of his crew. They worked their asses off for very little reward other than seeing him reach his goal. The acknowledgements at the end of the book are vast, and that’s what finally turned my opinion of this guy around. He may have been self-centered in setting the goal, but he certainly wasn’t when it came to giving credit to everyone who helped along the way.

    Couple other things I liked: The book includes a neat graphic along the bottom of most pages so you can see how far along (and how high up) he is at any given point. It’s got some great photos sprinkled throughout, even though every now and then you see one you wish you hadn’t (like the aforementioned feet). There are several Appendices that give information I was curious about, like the logistics of planning and carrying out a run like this. (He even gives sample training plans! Yeah, not doing that.)

    Overall I’m probably no closer to understanding why Marshall Ulrich feels compelled to push himself to such extremes. But he admits, neither is he. He starts by running away from guilt and responsibility, but by the end of his run he’s running towards something new. A chance to rest; a chance to reconcile with his family; a chance to reflect on a long career. I hope he found what he was looking for.

  • RunningBlog: Week 15

    After last week’s monumental distance, this week ended up being a lot shorter. Sunday I went out for my scheduled 10K with the Snook. We did 1:1 all the way to Newtown where we met Fiona for a jog around Sydney Park. Great run with good friends! Monday I was feeling frisky so I did a Spudds circuit in the evening. It was a good workout, but my hamstring was feeling pretty tender afterwards. Tuesday I gave blood, so a deserved day of rest. Wednesday I meant to do Spudds again, but I felt pretty crappy. My allergies were acting up, and I had an awful sinus headache. I piked and rested. Thursday I still had the headache, but I dragged myself out for an easy jog at lunchtime. That afternoon, I discovered the point of my left cheek/jaw was tender and sore… which meant my mystery infection has returned! (My doctor suspects an infected salivary gland.) I took Friday off to rest and get antibiotics. WHAT A SUCKY WEEK.

    Apr. 10: 10.31km
    Apr. 14: 4.71km
    Total this week: 15.02km (9.4mi)
    Total in 2011: 359.22km (224.5mi)

    In order to meet my goal of running 1100km in 2011, I should be at 317.3km right now. So I’ve still got a hefty 40km cushion. One more week of cutback before the next long one. Hopefully I’ll be feeling better by then!

    Edited to add: I’ve just re-read last week’s entry… and I TOTALLY JINXED MYSELF, DIDN’T I? Gahhh.

  • RunningBlog: Week 14

    Woohoo! Probably my longest running week EVER. I had my excellent 20-miler on Sunday, then two easy 5K runs through the week to recover. I also managed a session at Spudds on Wednesday. My right hamstring/butt/hip is still a bit tight, but I’m being vigilant about gentle stretching and taking walk breaks on these runs. I’m also thrilled to report that I have OFFICIALLY SIGNED UP for the Macleay River Marathon 2011 on June 12th. Only 66 days to go!

    Apr. 3: 33.08km
    Apr. 5: 5.10km
    Apr. 8: 5.51km
    Total this week: 43.69km
    Total in 2011: 344.2km (215.1mi)

    To meet my goal of running 1100km in 2011, I should be at 296km. Wow. I’m up to nearly 50km of cushion. I don’t necessarily want to revise the goal upwards yet though, as I’m sure my mileage will drop off after the marathon. I’m definitely thinking Bay Run, City 2 Surf, and Sydney Running Festival as my winter/spring goals, so that will keep me training. But I know from last year that a cushion can disappear pretty quickly, especially if you get sick… *KNOCK ON WOOD*

  • Momentous Weekend

    Man, does April Fools’ Day suck or what? It used to be amusing, but now it’s just 85 of my Facebook friends all linking to the same Google prank. It was funnier when you actually had to work to figure out which news stories were true and which were fake.

    But of course, Friday had another significance in our house. On that day, eleven years ago, the Snook and I first kissed in London. We’ve been practically (and literally) married ever since. (Him: “I don’t think other people celebrate Hook-up Anniversaries.” Me: “SHUSH. We do.”) In honour of the day, we went out for dinner at Porteño in Surry Hills. I’ve wanted to go there ever since the official SMH review called the lamb “f–king amazing.” It did not disappoint. We had the lamb, the blood sausage, and the brussels sprouts. SO GOOD. The place also has a serious retro vibe going on, so it was fortunate that I got frocked up for the occasion. (The hostess actually asked me if it was a Yoshi Jones dress. I told her it was from Heartbreaker.) The only downside to the meal is that we were both totally suffering from over-indulgence all day Saturday. I was in a lamb fat coma for like 24 hours straight…

    The second momentous occurrence from the weekend was that I finally finished my entry for the Easter Show knitting competition. I made a Hipster Cardigan for the Snook. I don’t have any photos of the completed garment yet though. The shoulders came out weirdly pointy from my blocking, and it looked kind of odd when he modelled it. (I think it’ll be fine for the show since they’ll just hang it on fishing line anyway.) But I think I’ll need to give it a proper wash once it’s home before we do a photo shoot. I was also meant to have a toy and some mittens to go with it… but yeah, that didn’t happen. Totally overambitious this year. Note to self: You can’t train for a marathon AND knit three Show entries.

    Marathon training provided the third momentous achievement of the weekend: I ran TWENTY MILES today! That’s 32K. (Well, actually I did 33K.) It took me nearly five hours, but I did it. The amazing thing is that I felt totally great the whole run and actually enjoyed myself! I think I’ve finally hit the magic combination of run/walk intervals (1:1), nutrition (Hammer Gels in apple/cinnamon are SO GOOD), and hydration (Hammer Endurolytes meant no cramps at all!). I wrote a long run report over at dailymile that I’ll reproduce here below. Like I said, MOMENTOUS WEEKEND!

    Run Report:

    I am just in awe of how great this run went. I had been apprehensive beforehand, since my stomach had been bothering me all Saturday. I was well-prepared though. I was trying out the Endurolytes that Eoin O. recommended, so I took two of them before the run. I had a mix of Endura and Hammer gels. I had my water belt filled and ready to go. I taped my right foot and ran on my orthotics in my new Mizunos. I had my new Mophie Juice Pack to double my iPhone battery life. And once I got out there, it just all came together perfectly!

    It was sunny today, but I was out there early enough (6:30am) that it didn’t get too hot. I did 1:1 run/walk the whole way. First I did the 5K from Chippo to the start of the Bay Run. Nice and easy. My right hip/hamstring started to make itself known, but I’d slathered it with Voltaren so I knew it wouldn’t get too bad. I addressed it with my mind: “Hamstring! I acknowledge you. I know you’re not happy. But if we get through this together, you’ll have another three weeks to rest up.” It seemed to help.

    I had my first new Hammer “apple cinnamon” gel at the 45 minute mark. YUM! Ohmygosh, these taste just like the inside of a McDonald’s apple pie! Best gel ever. There were a lot of people out doing the Bay Run today. Lovely breeze over the water too. I was feeling good. I refilled my bottles and headed back towards the city over ANZAC Bridge.

    I was having a gel every 45 minutes, and 2 Endurolyte capsules every hour. That seemed to be a perfect ratio. My stomach felt absolutely fine. On my last run I was mixing gels, gummy bears, and sports drink, and it was just TOO MUCH. With just the gels, I was able to manage exactly how much sugar was going into my stomach.

    I reached the halfway point back at the house, feeling great with a big smile on my face. I changed my shirt, used the toilet, and slathered some more Voltaren on my hip. The Snook refilled all my water and food supplies. Then I was off again towards Centennial Park.

    I had planned to meet up with my friend Kristin at the start of the park loop, but I didn’t spot her. I stopped for 5 minutes to send her an SMS and refill my water, but she wasn’t there. So I headed off on my own. I was 3/4 of the way around the big 5K loop when she rang me. She’d been within 100m of me the whole time, but somehow didn’t get my SMS! I caught up to her and we did the second small loop together. Running with a friend is the BEST part of these long runs. I just don’t feel tired or sore at all when I’m running/chatting with another person.

    By that point, I was well and truly beyond my previous barrier of 27km. And I felt GREAT. I just couldn’t believe it. Yeah, my hamstring was sore, and my feet were pretty tired. But I had zero cramping, my back was fine, and my stomach felt good. I said goodbye to Kristin and headed back up Cleveland Street for home.

    I soon met the Snook, who gave me a massive double-high-five when he reached me. We ran the last 3K home together. It was so great. I was smiling and feeling good. I feel like I could’ve done another 10K to finish out the marathon! Isn’t there supposed to be a wall somewhere? I didn’t feel any walls! This just felt too easy. The Snook was like, “Are you sure you didn’t miss a bit???” That’s what it was like. I felt like I’d done 10K, not 32K.

    So hooray! Another milestone reached and another goal exceeded. Super huge thanks to Eoin for his advice on the Endurolytes. I think those were a massive help to me today. And of course thanks to Kristin and to the Snook for running a bit with me. Three weeks to rest up before the next long one!

  • RunningBlog: Week 13

    I’m still having some hamstring issues. This is my last cutback week before the 20-miler on Sunday, so I’m trying to rest it as much as I can. Sunday night I went out for a 10K and recorded my best “Magic Mile” time yet: 9:49! Monday night I had an hour-long massage focusing on my legs and butt, and it was pretty brutal. Tuesday I did an easy run at lunchtime just to try to shake out the soreness from the massage. Wednesday was my Spudds class, where I had a good workout. Today I’ve got the day off work, so I decided to turn my normal Friday run into a brisk walk to Newtown and back (to save my legs for Sunday). I’m still counting it in my mileage though. 🙂

    Mar. 27: 9.74km
    Mar. 29: 5.01km
    Apr. 1: 5.32km
    Total this week: 20.07km (12.5mi)
    Total in 2011: 300.51km (187.8mi)

    To meet my goal of running 1100km in 2011, I should be at 275km right now. That leaves me with about 25km worth of cushion.

    This Sunday will be my longest run ever: 20 miles (32km). I’m actually looking forward to it. I have my route planned out. I have a few friends who’ve volunteered to run parts of it with me. I’ve got Endurolytes, energy gels, a Mophie Juice Pack Air to extend my iPhone battery, and a new SPIbelt to carry it all in. LET’S DO THIS.

  • Running – good for your knees!

    NPR had a story recently about whether running hurts your knees. Great news – it doesn’t! In fact, it looks like running actually helps ward off osteoarthritis. Just be sure to go out slow, especially if you (like me) are on the heavier side of the bell curve.

  • Macleay River Marathon News

    Thanks to a Google Alert, this week I spotted this CoolRunning thread about the Macleay Marathon. (That’s the one I’m training for.) This year they’ve had all three races (Marathon, HM, and 10K) certified because they’ve changed the course somewhat. The website will be going live and entries will be taken from Friday, April 1st. Apparently there’s a field limit so I’ll be registering as early as I can. There does appear to be a time cut-off, but it sounds like after that you just have to run on the footpath because they have to open the roads.

    I’m getting excited!

    Edited 29/03/2025: Link is dead and not archived.

  • Running Music

    I got an email from Jimmi asking: “Have you ever shared your running playlist? I have just started training and I’m not sure what music to use.” Here’s my reply:

    Hi Jimmi! Nowadays I mostly listen to running podcasts, actually. My favourites at the moment are:

    B-HAG Running Podcast
    Running with the Pack
    Running the Golden Years
    You Don’t Have to Run Alone
    Slow Runners Club

    When I was first starting out and doing Couch to 5K, I loved Robert Ullrey’s podcasts for it. They’re mostly just dance music, but the intervals are built in so you know whether you’re meant to be running or walking. It was really helpful.

    If you prefer music to talking when you run, Podrunner is a great show. The DJ organises each show around a specific “beats-per-minute”, so you can find out exactly which tempo you like to run to.

    I hope that helps!