My run near Crater Lake served as a very tranquil start to an otherwise hectic day of traveling. A morning 5k in the upper-30s at the start of July while enjoying a pristine sunrise was quite invigorating.

This afternoon’s run was quite special, though. It was just another 5k run from our campsite, but I chose to run along a horse path abutting Hwy-20 in western Montana. Running in this part of Montana is not a new thing. I lived in Hamilton, Montana during the summer in 2000 while working in a research internship with the NIH/NIAID, and enjoyed many a run through the Bitterroot Valley/Blodgett Canyon. It was during that summer that I made the decision to train for a marathon, endured a nasty forest fire, slept in my green Saturn SL at Glacier National Park, and swam down the Black Foot River. No real obligations or responsibilities; just to learn and have fun. Then, I returned to western Montana in 2006, now as a married young physician (an intern) rather than a college student, and again ran to the views of mountains, ranches, and big skies. Here I am again, in 2010, now the mother of two children and a physician finished with training. The scenery is just as beautiful. The mountains appear the same, yet my life is so different. Over ten years everything has changed, but the views remain steadfast. I found myself reflecting on my own mortality, and thought about how life will continue shift for me, but the mountains will be here. And long after I am gone, they will still stand.

Running at 6800 feet elevation proved a bit of a challenge. Breathing was rougher at the end than I recalled. Despite running on Seattle’s hilly surface, I have definitely not been training for this. Still a worthwhile experience, nonetheless!

Evan even noticed that my running experience was captured on the KIRO-7 news – I am the runner over the reporter’s right shoulder (wearing a yellow top and dark pants).

This was about 11.5 miles into the race, when some nasty acid reflux had taken hold of me. Lesson learned: no more carbohydrate gel packets in the middle of races for me. It definitely hurt my final two miles, but I cannot complain too much – the full experience, only nine months after having a baby, was an exhilarating one!

Perhaps the best part of all was cutting nearly three and a half minutes off of my previous personal best for this distance. In 2002, while in the midst of training for Grandma’s Marathon, a friend and I ran the Charlotte South End Half-Marathon in 1:53:20. Here were the splits for the race this past weekend:

• - 8:27, 8:02, 8:18, 7:51, 8:37, 7:34, 7:48, 8:02, 8:17, 8:30, 8:22, 8:29, 9:50 (wasn’t feeling too great during that last mile) + 0.1 miles; total – 1:49:57 (8:26/mile)
  - 5k: 25:47; 10k: 51:08
• Now it’s time to plan for the next race to keep up the motivation. I’m feeling so much more committed to this than I have previously. I like the way I feel right now – running rocks!

I finally visited Mount Saint Helens this weekend, a trip I have been meaning to take for years. I promised myself I would run there before leaving the area, so I ran my 5k yesterday evening – 23:45 (7:40/mile). I am going to break through that 23 minute mark someday (hopefully soon – it continues to tease me!).

I never even saw the mountain this weekend, though – the clouds/fog/rain completely obscured any possibility of a view. Ahhh, western Washington June weather. Who can complain when so much is right, though? I suppose that is just all the more reason to return someday.

I also participated in the Beat the Bridge to Beat Diabetes 8k run this morning, my first organized road race since October 2008. I definitely felt the burn during the last mile and a half or so, but it was such an incredible feeling to cross the finish line on the field of Husky Stadium in Seattle’s University District. Such a great cause too – as of 9AM over $1 million had been raised for juvenile diabetes research. Many enthusiastic teams of walkers and runners participated to raise money in honor of loved ones afflicted with the disease. I excitedly achieved what I thought was a far-fetched goal (but turned out to be achievable) – to average less than 8:00/mile. Overall time was 39:00, giving me a 7:51/mile pace. Yay!!

But focusing on this week’s mileage:

5/9/2010: 7 miles outdoors (9:19/mile)
5/12/2010: 4 miles on treadmill (8:16/mile)
5/14/2010: 8 miles on treadmill (8:57/mile)

Total for week: 19 miles

I’m only managing about 3-4 times/week with everything else going on, but things are feeling great! I’m looking forward to June 26th and the half-marathon that awaits.

Anyway, here are my stats from the past week:

4/11/10: 5.0 miles outdoors (gorgeous day!); 8/10 intensity; 43:01 (8:36/mi)
4/12/10: 4.0 miles on treadmill; 5/10 intensity; 37:52 (9:28/mi)
4/14/10: 1.5 miles on treadmill plus core strengthening exercises/weights; 5/10 intensity
4/17/10: 3.1 miles on treadmill; 8/10 intensity; 27:01 (8:43/mi)

Total Mileage this week: 13.6 miles running + 7.8 miles walking (commuting to work)

The long run last Sunday of 5.0 miles was the lengthiest of my workouts since December 2008, so that was a satisfying one. The warm, sunny weather made the experience that much more exhilarating. I just returned from today’s long run, but that’s for next week’s post.

My almost-seven month old daughter, Caroline, is playing on the floor next to me as I write this and keeps looking up at me with those huge blue eyes. I love her smile at this age – a big gaping mouth with two white teeth bottom and center. She does not know it yet, but we are about to take her for her first walk around Green Lake Park. I challenge any other city to prove it’s a more pleasant place to live on this day than Seattle.

Briefly, my running this week can be summarized in this manner: Sunday, February 28th – 4 miles outdoors with Caroline in the Bob Revolution stroller. It was, again, a day of perfect weather and a bonding experience with my baby. The hills still pose quite the challenge when pushing a stroller, but I think of them as good mechanisms for conditioning.

What was interesting, though, is that I walked to work every day this past week and home four of those days, totaling 14.3 miles (including up and down a significant hill on which the hospital sits). I now keep dress shoes and a pair of dress pants in my office at the hospital, and wear sweat pants with my running shoes during my trip to work and on my way home. When I ran my four miles this morning it was not difficult, though I had expected it would be after not running for a week. I think the frequent walking as a means for commuting to work has helped significantly.

Here is to hoping I can squeeze a few workouts into the upcoming week, even if it does mean crawling out of bed at four-something.

Also, I would like to publicly commend my brother, Tim, on his recent re-initiation into running. He possessed talent both as a distance runner (frequently running on the varsity cross country team as a seventh grader) and as a hurdler while in high school. He has now become motivated to return to sprinting in hopes of achieving a competitive age group time in the 400m run. We are holding one another accountable to ensure better running compliance.

Mileage:

• Sunday, 2/21/10: 4.0 miles outside on a gorgeous Seattle day – 60 degrees and full of sunshine. Is it really February? It was also my first time running with Caroline, my beautiful baby girl, in the Bob Revolution, so we enjoyed a wonderful bonding experience as well. She thoroughly enjoyed herself!
• Monday, 2/22/10: 3.1 miles on the treadmill, and also my first run in my new Brooks Adrenaline shoes. I really hope Brooks continues to make this shoe throughout the duration of my running existence.
• Tuesday, 2/23/10: break, flying to San Antonio for medical conference
• Wednesday, 2/24/10: 4.0 miles on treadmill in the fitness center at the hotel. I also found $0.03 along the way. I read an article in the December issue of Runner’s World about a guy who has found a total of >$8,500 while running over the years. Intriguing. Anyway, this was a terrific run at a moderate intensity – very invigorating.
• Thursday, 2/25/10: 3.1 miles on treadmill in the fitness center at the hotel. Another good run. No pennies in the hallway this time.
• Friday, 2/26/10: break, flying back to Seattle and playing with the kids
• Saturday, 2/27/10: 5.0 miles on treadmill in fitness center back in Seattle. About 4/10 intensity.
• Total Mileage for Week 1: 19.2 miles
• To date, the knees are cooperating. I’m incorporating a lot of stretching before and after workouts, beginning workouts slowly and building speed as my muscles indicate they can handle it, and including some light weight training for strengthening. Here’s to hoping for no injuries and a fun race experience in June.
• I can feel myself growing more fit again after recovering from the delivery. It’s so nice when that physique returns. Here is my newest little running partner.
• 

My workplace, which is approximately 1.5 miles from my home, remained the best source of walking, between frequently using the stairs and traversing long corridors with frequency; but leaving my home 20 minutes early each day gave me the nice morning walk to work itself that I needed. Until about two months ago, I was walking to and from work twice weekly and either to or from work another one or two days each week. On other days, I was taking the bus, getting off one or two stops early to build in at least a few extra blocks of walking. Then, there are walks with my husband and two year old son on the weekends, a time when we can all reconnect with one another after a busy week.

I have now reached a point where the walk to and from work is a bit much, but I still enjoy walks in the evenings and on the weekends at a leisurely pace with my family. I think it will be easier to lose the pregnancy weight after the baby is born as I have not gained much mass aside from where it should be. I think it will keep me from feeling the “baby blues” as I feel more connected with my surroundings. I think it will mean good healthy role modeling for my son while physiologically benefitting the unborn baby. Overall, remaining active has been a good decision.

After baby is born, I’m giving myself a week to recover at my own pace, and then the pedometer is returning back to its rightful place on my belt. I look forward to the outdoors time, strolling with my (growing) family, and soon enough hitting the pavement with my running shoes and Garmin Forerunner again. I also look forward to cheering my husband on in the Salmon Days 5k run in October (my first year not running it since moving here, but I will be at the finish line with baby snuggled in the Bjorn), and encouraging my son as he sprints across a parking lot in his first 1k fun run.

In the past, I have recommended that people wear pedometers if they are uncertain as to how active they are. A researcher in Japan claimed to have evidence that taking 10,000 steps daily was the way to better health and fitness, and it sparked a national campaign. Currently, various groups have implemented the 10,000 steps notion into their guidelines. The official recommendation from the office of the U.S. Surgeon General is to participate in 30 minutes daily of brisk exercise. Personally, I believe the nation would be a much fitter place if everyone engaged in 30 minutes of brisk exercise daily, whether or not they were reaching 10,000 steps. However, 10,000 steps is likely a mark we should still attempt to achieve, as it is more likely to promote actual weight loss, whereas the first goal strives for fitness and overall well-being.

I was certain that I was reaching 10,000 steps daily with little effort required. After all, I’m on my feet much of the day, walk to the bus stop and back, and take regular walks with Evan and Gabriel. In addition, I try to run regularly, even if I only make it a few days each week. In an experiment to see if I was following my own advice that I give to patients, I began wearing a pedometer for the New Year. Wow, what a surprise!

After completing my first week with the pedometer, here are my results:

- From 1/4/09 through 1/10/09, I took 56,363 steps.
- Average steps daily: 8,051
- Most active day: 12,525 steps (included a 5k run in the morning)
- Least active day: 3,752 steps

I know my average would have been lower had I not been wearing a pedometer, as knowing that each step is being counted gives one extra incentive to walk several blocks to the next bus stop instead of catching the one right at the corner. There was also a day when, rather than catching a bus home from the V.A. Hospital, I actually walked the 3.2 miles home, keenly aware that each step would boost my weekly average.

This illustrates a few interesting points. First, even those of us who consider ourselves very active may not be as active as we think we are. Next, 10,000 steps is a lot of steps! Depending on stride length, that could fall anywhere from 5-7 miles daily, and I doubt many Americans are making this goal daily (although they should strive for it). Third, wearing the pedometer is a great way to motivate people to build extra activity into their days!

I have refined my advice for patients a bit based on my own experience. It goes something like this:

- Wear the pedometer everywhere for one week. Keep track of the number of steps being taken daily in a log book.
- Next, calculate the average steps daily based on that week’s log book numbers.
- Aim to increase the number of steps being taken daily by 500. If that becomes more comfortable and routine over another week, then increase by another 500 daily the following week, and so on, until reaching a goal of 10,000 steps daily.
- Build 30 minutes of moderate exercise into the week, at least three days weekly to begin. After a few weeks, increase exercise frequency to four times weekly. The goal should be five times/week.

In the meantime, I will continue to wear my pedometer and track my own steps (in addition to regular exercise – my preferred form, of course, is running). My hope is to catch people with multiple stroke risk factors after a TIA or mild stroke has occurred, and assist them in making changes that will prevent the next, more catastrophic event from occurring. My enthusiasm for this is high, and it’s a New Year.

For further reading on building activity into daily life, click here for a website I found helpful.