Winter/Spring Races!!

I was productive over the past few days lining up my race calendar for the winter/spring. I had been going back and forth as to whether or not I wanted to race a marathon in March and then run Boston for fun, but I just couldn't get myself to pull the trigger. I was absolutely sure I wanted to race a marathon before I got into triathlons this summer (more on that to come!) and I was positive Boston was not the one to race. I'm too focused when I race and too strict leading up to it. I want to enjoy every step of Boston from the moment I get there, through the race, and up until I leave. Racing is not conducive to that. So yesterday, with just under 12 weeks to go, I registered for Shamrock Marathon in Virginia Beach!! I ran this last year and even though I blew up, I had such a great weekend and learned a ton. As long as I put in the effort to train hard for this, and it's not as hot as it was last year, I think know I can get my redemption for Philly down there. So, there it is...I'll be racing harder than I ever have at Shamrock. I got a kick ass training plan with the help of a friend and I feel more driven than I have all year. After analyzing the plan for a few minutes, I called Andy and said, "Shit, the next 12 weeks are going to be SO hard. I can't wait!"  I'm actually excited to buckle down and put in the hard work. It will be the toughest 12 weeks I've done yet and I'm hoping the hard work pays off with a sub 3:35 finish. I'll share more of the training soon but first, this is what else I have lined up...

February -  I'll be racing Frostbite 5 miler, which I run every year. I'm hoping to go balls to the wall with this one to gauge where I'm at for Shamrock. I ran a 37:08 (although my garmin had me 10 seconds faster, grrr) last year and was in no shape to be racing at that point. I'm hoping to see an improvement in 2011 with a solid month and a half of training under me.

March - Shamrock Marathon...going for that PR. Enough said.

April - BOSTON!!! Plan on putting in a good effort but will have a blast out there collecting kisses from the college students and doing cartwheels across the finish line!

June - My first TRI!! I registered for a little sprint TRI just to get my feet wet. It's a 1/4 mile swim, 10 mile bike ride and 2 mile run. I'll cross train all through the winter to get ready for this and am considering a bigger TRI mid to late summer. I love the sound of 70.3...just gotta get the guts to register!

Here's my schedule for the week:
Mon - 3 mi, cross train (AMT)
Tues - 5 mi with 6 strides at 6:58
Wed - lift total body, bike trainer
Thurs - 5 mi, cross train
Fri - 16 mi
Sat - cross train
Sun - 3 mi, cross train, lift total body

Good News!

It's been a nice little break from bloggy land. With the holiday and all the celebrating, I just didn't have time to think about blogging. In fact, just today I was wondering if I really had anything to even write about now that things are slowly getting back to normal. Then I got a little letter which I have been anxiously awaiting...

We were told a few months ago that the Brooks ID program was changing for 2011 and there would be different levels of membership. I wasn't sure what to expect since I was new to the program in 2010 and had my first injury which kept me sidelined, but I knew everyone currently in the program would be invited back in some way. As I read the forum posts about people getting their letters, some disappointed and some happy with where they fell, I started to worry about what Brooks was basing their decision on. I'm not an elite athlete. I'm not winning races or taking home the grand prize. And I sure as heck have had my share of falling apart during races. Sure, I may win a few age group awards from time to time but other than that, I'm just an ordinary runner pushing myself and trying to improve. And while I'm doing it, I try to smile and inspire others to run.

Well, turns out that's all that matters!! I was invited to join the Brooks 2011 Inspire Daily PACE (Performance and Coaching Elite) team today. I'm honored, ecstatic and love that having a passion for running has opened doors like this for me. I feel very lucky to be selected for this team and I am looking forward to a year of kicking ass and spreading the word.

Hope everyone had a great holiday. Santa was very too good to me and we got to spend a lot of time with the family, which is my favorite part! I'm hoping to have a few giveaways in the beginning of the New Year and I have another little annoucement to make later this week. Stay tuned!

Happy Medium

The Holidays are such a rough time of year. Way too much celebrating going on and not enough structure for this girl who loves routine! This time last year, right after Philly, I was lost without a gym membership, got caught up in all the Holiday eating and drinking, and put on a few too many pounds. Running wasn't enough to keep me on track and I was struggling to find the motivation after a busy year of running an Ultra then going right into training for my BQ attempt. I remember trying to hide the few pounds I gained and can still remember how crummy I felt on Christmas morning. My clothes were tight and I just felt horrible. But the celebrating continued through the new year and I remember times when I actually didn't want to go out because I couldn't stand how my clothes fit. I resolved to get back on track in the new year but I struggled for most of the winter and even into the summer to get things under control. 

Now I'm back at my most hated time of year and struggling to stay focused. I'm counting down the days till I go back to work and am back to my safe routine away from lazy days and partying nights. Thankfully I have a gym membership again, my motivation to workout is in full swing, and the pounds are (barely) staying off. But once again, I find myself struggling to find that happy medium. I want to be able to have fun and not beat myself up the day after because of it. I want to enjoy my time off work rather than dread the next few days of non stop Holiday parties. I'm envious of people who can enjoy cookies, candy and cocktails and not think twice about it. Don't get me wrong, I'm having this stuff, too, but I can't really say I'm enjoying it. At the time, it's fun but the next day, it's all about remorse.

I'm finding myself wanting to cancel some plans I have coming up just because I don't want to expose myself to the temptations, but at the same time, I know that's no way to live. I want to be able to have fun and not worry while I'm sipping my champagne that my pants might be a little tight because of it. Life is too short and I wish I could learn to live more in the moment and not worry about the stupid stuff.
I think I know what my 2011 resolution is going to be...

My schedule for the week:
Mon - 6 mi
Tues - 6 mi, cross train
Wed - cross train, lift
Thurs - 15 mi
Fri - cross train
Sat - however many miles I want!
Sun - cross train, lift

Nice Little Break

There's not much to write about when you're taking a week to recover. While I haven't been running, I've been finding other ways to kick my butt in the gym and earn some HBBC points. I found this new little piece of equipment, the AMI, and love it. It takes a while to get used to the movement but once you have it down, it is an incredible workout. I'm able to get my heart rate much higher than when I run and I burn more calories. A little about the equipment...

"Freedom of choice. This is what makes the AMT so unique. By allowing you to alter your motion at the slightest whim of your imagination, no two workouts have to feel the same. This keeps your mind engaged and your body torn between wanting to experiment with new movements and needing a second to catch your breath."

My break this week from running wasn't so much to recover from the marathon because truth is, I don't feel like I ran a marathon last weekend. I have never had such a quick recovery where nothing hurt. But even though I could have run this week, I decided to cross train to give my brain a little break. I need to push things into high gear rather quickly for Boston (and possibly a marathon in March) so I wanted to make sure I didn't get burned out right from the get go. I actually enjoyed my few days off from running and my body has appreciated the non impact cross training. Since I was feeling so good this morning, I decided to go for a little 4 mile run after a boot camp type circuit class. I'm glad I went to this class because I needed the reminder about how stale we can get when we stick to traditional type workouts. We did jump rope, plyo jumps, bosu ball abs, shuffling, medicine ball squats and throws, and rope throwing. Definitely a fun workout and I'm sure I'll feel it tomorrow.

Tomorrow I'm going to hit the pool then it's back to the long runs on Saturday. I have a good endurance base and I want to keep that right through Boston. Hopefully I can find time to get my training schedule mapped out before next week because that's when I want to really start focusing again on some hard, quality workouts. It's been fun just winging it, but I need to get serious again.

I'm waaaaay behind on reading/commenting. Work is nuts and life is busy with Holiday craziness. I'll catch up soon!

Rehoboth Beach Marathon Race Report

On Friday night we headed down to Rehoboth Beach for the marathon. This is a really small event with less than 700 runners...618 finishers to be exact. After an easy packet pick up we checked into our hotel and headed out to find some dinner. Usually I'm so strict with what I eat the night before but since I wasn't racing this, I wasn't too concerned. In fact, I even had a beer with dinner and I've NEVER done that before. Back at the hotel Snowflake and I preped our stuff for race day and talked strategy for getting Snowflake that 3:50. I wasn't quite sure how a 3:50 would feel for me having just put a hard effort into Philly 3 weeks before, but I felt pretty confident that we could do it and I was as calm as could be. I didn't have any pre race jitters and got a great nights sleep.

On Saturday morning (which by the way, Saturday marathons are the best!) I woke up feeling great. I always eat toast and banana before marathons but I changed it up and had oatmeal, banana and coffee. Crazy changing things up on race day, but I took my chances. Snowflake was nervous and knowing exactly how she was feeling, I couldn't wait to get to the start. The hotel was right next to the start so we stayed warm in the lobby until about 15 minutes before it was time to go. As we waited for the gun, I felt great and knew it was going to be a good day. I didn't have any time to prepare for the 8:46 pace we were shooting for, but come hell or high water, I was going to nail that pace for Snowflake and keep her on track. I thought it might take me a mile or two to dial it in, but apparently I'm pretty good at pacing. ;-)

Mile 1 - 8:44
Mile 2 - 8:43
Mile 3 - 8:40
Mile 4 - 8:46

We kept it right around there until around mile 6-7. For the previous few miles I caught Snowflake checking her watch a lot and I just had the feeling that me being there was stressing her out or that the pace wasn't feeling right for her. Around this time she told me that I should just go. I really didn't know if I should listen or stay and try to push her. But I did NOT want to make this a miserable experience for her and I also needed to prove to myself that my crap out at Philly is not me. I needed to finish the year knowing I'm capable of running a marathon and finish feeling strong and good. So I said goodbye to Snowflake and did my thing.

I tried not to look at my watch and just run by feel. I felt fantastic and my nutrition was going just as planned. The oatmeal held me over until mile 5 and at that point even though I wasn't hungry I started eating one blok every 2.5 miles. The miles were ticking away and before I knew it I was at the half way point at 1:54 and just under where I should be for a 3:50 finish. I chatted up a lot of people along the way and tried to take in the scenery and enjoy the morning. I made it a point to thank every single volunteer on the course and even the spectators, which were few and far between.

As the miles ticked away I knew I was running faster than the first half and a few times I tried to pull back a little. Since I wasn't really going for a time I didn't want to burn out and suck the last 6 miles but at the same time, my legs just wanted to go.  Around mile 18 a guy came up to me and told me that I had been pacing him for most of the race and that he was counting on me to get him to the finish. Um, hunh? I'm all about someone using me if I'm holding a pace they like, but I don't care what you need buddy, I'm doing my own thing over here. We did end up running together the remainder of the race but when he pulled ahead, I stayed and did my own thing. He would walk the water stops and then catch up to me and we played this little game until the last mile.

So, the last mile...again, I had no idea what I was going to finish with. All I knew is that I was under a 3:50. When I look at my pace band and see that I'm 2 minutes off the total time needed for a 3:50, I can't calculate what that does to my finish time. I apparently need to work on this. See, around mile 25 I saw my friend's husband, Troy, on the side of the road sort of walking/stretching. He just ran Philly 3 weeks ago and had bad experience. It was his first marathon and was running Rehoboth for redemption. I knew how badly he wanted this so as I approached him I told him to run with me. I asked if he could at least do a 9 minute mile and that would definitely get us in under 3:50. He said he would try and off we went. He was cramping bad and then at one point dropped a water bottle. As he slowed to pick up the bottle, I slowed as much as I could to give him a chance to catch up. It was then that I glanced at my watch and realized "holy shit! I have a shot at a BQ here!" Troy had yet to get back to me from dropping the water bottle so I took off like a bat out of hell for the last 3/4 of a mile. I knew it would come down to seconds and it was likely I wouldn't get it, but I tried so freaking hard. I couldn't believe I had that much left in the tank this late in the race and I was running in the low 7's to get to that finish. I needed a 3:45:59 to get Boston 2012 but it didn't happen.

I finished 3:46:42. Oh well, I wasn't going for a BQ but it would have been a fun way to end the year. I do wonder if I didn't slow down at mile 25 if it would have happened, but you know what, who cares. If I gave Troy even the littlest boost, then that's more important than a BQ. I could not be happier how this race went down. Not only did I beat my time from Philly, I felt great out there and proved to myself that I am capable of running a marathon without falling apart. This race was a huge confidence booster and there's definitely something to be said for running a marathon for fun. I had NO pressure on myself and it showed while I was out there. I was relaxed, happy and had a great time. And it must have showed because I had spectators comment on the huge smile I was wearing.

So, # 7 done. 3rd one in 8 weeks and I can now call myself a marathon maniac. I'm taking this week off completely from running and will just cross train. Then it's time to kick it into high gear because I think I found a race in March to get my 3:35...

Gentle Reminder

Some times when I'm down about my weight, I need to a gentle reminder (or slap in the face) about how far I've come....

Key West 2004

(I can't believe I posted this...horrifying)

Wedding/Honeynmoon Jamaica 2004

(At least I know Andy loves me even when I'm chubby!)

October 2005

(~40lbs lighter)

Christmas time 2006



Christmas Eve 2007
(Andy doesn't have a gut AT ALL...this is just a weird angle. He told me to take if off because he looked like he had "paunch" :-) )

Christmas Eve 2008

(still wearing my post 1st marathon perma smile)



October 2009

(not the best year for weight managment)



Late July 2010

Your Goals are My Goals

I have a little friend named, Snowflake. She runs a gazillion marathons a year. Not only does she run them on consecutive weekends, but I was there to see her finish strong at Asbury Park marathon after running one the day before. Needless to say, there's not much time for recovery, speed work and training for a PR when you're pushing through 26.2 miles over and over again, but Snowflake keeps crossing the finish line. She's the definition of a marathon maniac.

We signed up for Rehoboth Beach marathon together and planned for it to be a fun little long run. Our last one for the year with smiles, giggles, and butt tickling along the way. Well, I've been stressing over this run since crapping out at Philly. As much as I want to race it, I know I'm not ready this close to Philly and I don't want to end the year on a miserable note. But, I do know I'm capable of putting some effort into it and having fun at the same time. After countless emails with Snowflake about this, we somehow decided (or I might have bullied her) that this will be the race that Snowflake goes for her PR...and I'm going to be there to experience it with her!! With her current PR of 3:52, we're going to toe the line on Saturday sporting our 3:50 pace bands.

Honestly, I can't express how excited I now am for this race. Before I was on the fence. I didn't know how I felt about it and what I should shoot for. I thought I could at least go for another BQ attempt to make myself feel better about Philly but that wasn't making me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Neither was treating it as a fun long run. I just felt blah without a goal in place. But now that Snowflake has set her sights on a PR, that's my goal, too. I know what it feels like to get that PR and I can't wait to be there when she gets hers!!

With all the marathons Snowflake has done over the past few months, this will be a challenge. And she knows it. But I think it's cool that she's even willing to give it a shot. It's all about guts, people. You don't know what you have in you until you try!

So, bring on Saturday. 3rd marathon in 8 weeks and marathon # 7. Can't wait! :-)

The Giving Season

Since it's the holiday season and all, I thought I'd mention something other than running for a change. If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that my sister and her husband recently adopted a little girl from Russia. I've always thought adoption was an incredible thing to do and at times have thought about doing it myself. I've never wanted to have my own child but felt if I were to have kids, I'd much rather give a child in need a chance and a loving home. Seeing my sister go through the adoption process and bringing home her baby girl is an experience I will never, ever forget. My niece has been home since May and every time I see her I have to fight back the tears. I'm so happy she was given the chance at a good life, surrounded by a family who loves and adores her.

Gracie

First Thanksgiving together as a family

I know times are tough for a lot of people but as we all seem to find the cash to pay for over priced races and running clothes, I wanted to pass along a link to Reece's Rainbow. Andy and I sponsored a child through this organization this year and our little Christmas ornament showed up the other day. I love it!! My sister even had the boys pick out a child they wanted to sponsor and they had very sweet reasons as to why they picked the child they did.

We are blessed to have way more than we will ever need so until I'm ready to have a child of my own, the least I can do is try to help kids find their way into a loving home.

Falling Apart in Pictures

I couldn't figure out how to snag these pictures without the "proof" mark so I zoomed in on my face and then stole them. They say a picture is worth a thousands words. Well, here's how falling apart looks.



At the start, all smiles.

(wearing a Brooks ID shirt tends to get you in a lot of pictures...I'm not that worthy)

Just past the half way point, feeling ok.

Starting to hurt but still hanging in there.



This is the exact spot that Dave later told me he knew something went wrong. Geesh, I wonder if the look on my face gave it away.

Trying to be a good sport.

Shocked, happy, relieved that I actually made it to the finish!

After the finish, teary eyed and cramping terribly. BUT, still smiling!! My body might have crapped out, but I still finished.