Training like an Elite, Volume 2

Two years ago, just coming off a broken leg, I was in Lake Tahoe, California at 6,000 feet above sea level when I started my slow comeback to running. This trip, with its scenery and confidence building steps, gave me the altitude bug. Ever since then, I've kept in the back of my mind that I wanted to head back to altitude to do some serious training. Training and peaking in my milage for Boston seemed like the perfect opportunity, so I booked tickets to Boulder, Colorado to visit a good friend and have the wind knocked out of me.

I was in Boulder for a full week and initially I didn't seem to be affected by being at 5,000+ feet above sea level. A quick shake-out run the first day I was there felt normal, even good. I did burn the chicken I cooked because #bakingataltitude. But my big concern, and the reason I was there, was my impending 20 mile long run on Saturday morning. 20 miles, or for me three hours of running, is mind-numbing and potentially awful on one's own even at sea-level, so I sought out a local running group that I could accompany. I got really lucky that the women I ran with were chatty and good for about 14 miles in the morning. They lead me through the packed dirt roads around the Boulder Reservoir, and thanks to their incessant chatter (one woman was espousing the incredible company that is Uber...like who's never heard of them before?), I was able to soak in the sun and beautiful scenery and forget that I was suffering internally.

No wonder I had a nice run!

In reality, my 20 miler went great! I ran the third hour on my own, and while I did start to get very hungry around mile 17, I didn't hit a wall and was able to keep pace for my whole run. Even more exciting was that this 20 miler was two minutes faster than my run of that distance last year, but this time I was breathing in significantly less oxygen. I had been warned beforehand that recovery at altitude often takes a lot longer, so as soon as I finished my run and returned to the car, I chugged some water and a protein shake, and nibbled on a pistachio muffin (all the sugars and carbs!) as I did some dynamic stretching. Once I got home, I showered, pulled on some compression socks and curled up for a nap.

Of course, my "elite" altitude training wouldn't be complete without some sort of social media interaction with women much faster than I. Heading to Boulder, I knew that many elites were in the area altitude training as well, and I was hoping to at least run into them, if not actually stalk them and become best friends (Kara Goucher, why didn't you respond to my invitation to get coffee together!?). And I did almost literally run into a few. My running team, Oiselle, has an elite training group called Little Wing that at the moment consists of three steeple chasers chasing the OTQ, and coached by the incredible Lauren Fleshman. Halfway into my LR around the reservoir, my group and I ran by another group and I recognized these women by the Oiselle clothes they were in. Later, on my own, I ran by two of the women and waved to them, yelling "Hey Little Wing!" They seemed pumped to both recognize my running top (also obviously Oiselle #flystyle) and realize that I knew who they were. After my run I checked Twitter, and was delighted to find this awesome tweet from them. Once again, day/week/life made:

*praise hands emoji*

And my active altitude training didn't end there. The next morning, I headed even higher up, to about 10,000 feet, to go cross country skiing. Now I am not one to put on any type of snow sport equipment, but knowing that Nordic skiing is such good cardio and non-impact cross training, I had to give it a try. I went with my friend to her local mountain and we explored the pristine trails for about two hours. We worked up both a sweat and an appetite and had so much fun. My parents can't believe I'm saying this, but I would definitely cross country ski again!

Now that I'm back at sea-level and tapering, I'm continuing to get massages from my amazing PT, and today even I ran some easy miles on the AlterG anti-gravity treadmill at 75% body weight. Boston is 11(!) days away and I'm doing the best I can to take care of my body, given how many miles I've pounded them through over the course of the past four months. My training hasn't gone exactly as planned but at the same time I've had some awesome runs. I feel fit, ready and beyond excited to toe the line in Hopkinton and make my way into Boston, with a right on Hereford and left on Boylston. My stint as an elite at altitude in Boulder has prepared me well.

Love,
Rachel "legs up on the wall" Runner

The Anti-Gravity Experience

As I mentioned in my last post, one of the ways that I got back on my feet (literally) as soon as I did was because I ran on an anti-gravity treadmill. Its huge advantage is that you can run at a percentage of your body weight to minimize the impact on your legs. I ran so much more than I thought I would be able to, but before I recount my weightless experiences, let's go back a little farther.

The summer before senior year of high school, my mom connected me with a colleague and friend who coached and ran. Her guidance and support, among other influences, helped me reach the next level of running and training, and senior fall I finally had the cross country season I was hoping for, and got my 5k times down enough to run in college. This mentor, Marcia, helped me think about my training, connected me with a sports masseuse, and got me in the pool the first time for aqua jogging. Marcia is the queen of aqua jogging, due--unfortunately--to the many injuries that have plagued her over the years. She has since stopped running, but we've kept in touch and she always inquires into my running when she sees my mom.

December, when I broke my leg, was the first time I considered an anti-gravity treadmill. I knew that elites often ran on them, but never thought that I, a mere D3 college runner, could or should try it out. My mom brought up Marcia and her connection to a local AlterG (that's the brand) at my very first orthopedist appointment. I was barely on crutches, but was already planning on my return to running via an anti-gravity treadmill.

No sooner was I given the green light to run (3 months to the day that I broke my leg), than I contacted Marcia and booked an appointment on the AlterG. For those of you in the Boston area, this one is in Woburn, right off of I-93. It was surprisingly affordable for 60 minutes, and I visited once for free to work with the physical therapist to figure out the machine and focus on my stride. To get set up on the AlterG, you put on wetsuit-like shorts that zip into the bubble. You turn the machine on and it weighs you and calibrates. This is where it starts to feel exciting, because as it's figuring you out, you're being raised and lowered by the seat of your pants. I elected to run at 80% of my body weight, and it didn't feel particularly special. Any lower percentage and I felt like my feet were barely touching the ground. But at 80%, I was able to run without pain for 3 miles. We won't talk about how slow those miles were, because that short distance was a huge milestone in and of itself. Once I turned the machine off and came back to 100% gravity, I noticed the difference; all of a sudden my legs felt so heavy and leaden. This is how our legs normally feel, and the difference of 20% body weight makes me realize how much stress we put on our bodies on a daily basis. The AlterG is undoubtedly a great advantage for elites or recovering runners, and it turns out that anti-gravity treadmills are way more accessible than I thought. Many marathoners will often do one anti-gravity run a week to minimize the pounding in a high milage training plan. The treadmill looks badass, but isn't just for those hardcore folks out there. I encourage everyone to try it out, either for the thrill of weightlessness or for the recovery advantage.  

Marcia accompanied me on the last day, and as I slogged through the miles, she took pictures of me and we caught up and talked about running and life (one in the same, right?). I am so grateful to Marcia for her support over many years despite her own athletic ups and downs, and for introducing me to her secret recovery weapon. She refers to the AlterG as "Mariah" because it can be a lifesaver. This is certainly true in my case, for it not only got me back to running and kickstarted my running recovery, but it gave me the confidence and strength to tackle the humbling and invariably frustrating experience of a slow comeback. Thanks to Marcia and Mariah, I have many miles ahead of me once again.