Saturday, February 28, 2015

Reasons vs. Excuses

I've thought a lot about the motivations behind doing or not doing something. I put those motivations into two buckets: Reason and Excuse. This kind of thinking is beneficial for me, especially during those times when I'm not sure what to do.  This mainly applies to working out and sometimes, parenting.
Reason: something beyond your control that prevents you from doing what you want.
Excuse: something that you've convinced yourself is beyond your control and therefore preventing you from doing what you want. These are lies we tell ourselves in order to validate a decision that we know isn't right. 



-Training has been pretty uneventful, which is good. 
-Running with friends is a new thing for me and I love it!
-Monday night speed sessions are paying off- I feel the speed coming back!
-I'm dealing with a lot of tightness in my shoulders which is most likely a direct result of getting out of my yoga routine. No bueno. 

Upcoming races:
Irish 10k
Bentonville Half
Square to Square Marathon


Sunday, February 15, 2015

The 5 Things You Need To Know About The 10 Things I Learned From The 7 Most Common Mistakes About The Top 5 Parents In The 12 Best Places to Live Before You Die

Oh. Were you actually expecting some sort of essay here? Or advice? You were?! Then do yourself a favor and quit reading blogs, Facebook, and the Huffington Post.
You're welcome.

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Back on the blogging bandwagon!




My last update was about 8 months ago. A few things have happened since then. 


My last run before the baby was the Cancer Challenge 5k in June. The goal to keep preggo-running until this race and then turn my attention to yoga for the last 3 months of baby-baking. It's funny to see what a difference a year makes......
2013 race- 23:41 7:38/mile. I ran by myself, for myself.
2014 race- 32:26 10:28/mile. I ran 6 months pregnant pushing 2 kiddos in a stroller. It was epic. 



Then I did a lot of yoga and a lot of walking to work. 

Then I birthed a child on Sept 10, 2014. Her name is Mara and her sisters adore her. Mara's name is a nod to the stage of life the husband and I are in right now. We've been doing a lot of running and marathoning. So we took inspiration from the word "marathon" and decided Mara would be an appropriately awesome name. 


I'm back on the running wagon now and (mostly) loving it! I get questions about starting running again after baby #3 and how it's going. I have two answers:
1. Being in pretty good shape when we got preggo and staying active throughout made a huge difference. It was pretty easy to go out and run 3 miles my first time out, which was about 7 weeks after Mara showed up.
2. On the flip side of #1, I had worked really hard for quite a while to get my body to where I wanted it to be physically. Nine months of baby-cooking pretty much throws all of that out the window. I'm left with a more difficult mental battle than I was prepared for. Toning and tightening takes a long time to accomplish and I need to be patient with it. I have remind myself of that everyday.

I signed up for the Bentonville Half Marathon training program and I love it! It's great to have something to work for and an accountability aspect since you meet every week.  And man, those folks at Rush Running and all the volunteers they've recruited to show up every Saturday are just unreal. Such supportive, amazing, inspiring, and awesome runners. Even though they may not know who I am, I love them. You know what else is great? Having a spouse whose motivation for you to do well is (almost) greater than your own motivation. I love that he willingly and happily takes all three girls and kicks my butt out the door for a run, or yoga, or barre. He is also supportive, amazing, inspiring, and awesome. And cute. 

Monday, May 5, 2014

A Good Excuse for a Hiatus

I have a new adventure for the year... running for two! Yay baby! I'm not really on a hiatus, more like a taper. A super long one.

So I did end up running Bentonville half marathon. Glad I did it- it's an awesome race! There was more support out on that course than I could have ever imagined. I've decided now that I'll sign up for the Bentonville half training group at the end of this year in prep for the 2015 half. I keep wanting to do it and this year I'll be 3 months post-baby so it'll be a perfect excuse to sign up!

Running while preggo is strange. I remain in the same state of tiredness/out of breath no matter how far I run. I'm just as out of breath and tired at the end of street as I am 4 miles in. But it's not tired in a bad way. Sometimes while running I think I'm developing asthma, but then I realize it's just because my sports bra is too tight.

Yoga while preggo is strange too. And awesome. I highly recommend yoga while preggo. Or anytime. Yoga triathlons are neat too. And tons of fun.
 
I'm not sure what the next race will be on the calendar. The Cancer Challenge is in June and it's one of my favs. I might have to do it with the double BoB since I'll be single-parenting-it-out that day. I mean, lots of people run a 5k while 6 months preggo and pushing 75 pounds of baby and stroller, right? At least the course is flat.  

Sunday, January 12, 2014

What is harder than running a Marathon?

I will get to the answer to that question. But first.....

A Year in Review

I've taken a pretty solid break from running during the past 2 months. It was actually a good 2 months to take off. The weather has been complete crap, motivation has been pretty low, and it was Holiday time which means my focus was on eating, drinking, and finding the best twist-off-cap Chardonnay on the market. I managed to find the motivation for a couple races: Turkey Trot in Belleville, IL, Frosty 5K here in town, and an Impromptu Fayetteville Half Marathon that I ran with the husband (so fun! and so cold).

Here are some thoughts about the previous year and the the year to come:
- I struggled throughout marathon training with intense stomach pain after any run over about 10 miles. On any long run day, my husband had to take care of the kiddos not just for the 3 hours I was out running, he had to take care of them for the entire day. I would liken this experience to have the flu. Once a week. For 4 months of marathon training. It was mentally and physically exhausting (for both of us no doubt). It is an amazing thing that our kiddos are super awesome and don't really require too much parenting. So after the Impromptu Fayetteville Half when I was doubled over in pain and trying not to vomit everywhere, I came to the very sad conclusion that I could no longer run any distance over 10 miles without some pretty stellar consequences.
- I'm super stoked about both of my marathon experiences! Signing up for two marathons was a great idea. The weather was perfect for both: 60+ degree days for Chicago AND Philly. You can't beat that. The experiences of both were unforgettable and I'm so grateful for all my family and friends that were a part it.
- The marathon goal was a sub-4:00 marathon and I ran a 3:54. I still don't believe it. I mean, a 3:54 marathon is like an 8:45 minute mile for 26.2 miles.... that is unreal. But I did it. When people talk about things they've accomplished and they aren't really sure how they did it, this is one of those. Even though I had the goal and the focus and the training, I really never thought that kind of pace for me would be possible. Crazy. And Amazing.
- The 5K goal was more of a moving target. By the end of this year I really wanted to run under 23:00. I never made it. 23:20 was about as close as I got. I'm going to keep the sub-23:00 goal on the back burner. I'd really like that one to happen.
- My dad is getting back into running which is super fun! He was like a little kid at the Chicago Marathon- I think he was more excited than I was! :) We bought him a fancy new Garmin for Christmas and I'm excited for the weather to turn around so he can really get out there and use it.
- My brother has started running too- also super fun! I will be interesting to see where and how far his running journey takes him. Probably all the way to the Cross-Fit gym :)
- We have officially entered into the Year of the Husband. Well, if our family was the country of China, that is what it would be called. He's supposed to run a marathon but hasn't signed up for one yet. My guess is that he's afraid he'll get "chicked". Or I guess "wifed" would be more appropriate. He's afraid he won't run a faster time than I did. This is clearly a legitimate fear ;)  I'm totally joking (kind of). I bet he runs super fast. Like 3:35. He's pretty awesome like that.
-There are some races I'd like to do this year. Even though I said I wouldn't run anything over 10 miles, I really want to do the Bentonville Half Marathon in April and the unofficial Square to Square Marathon in May. We'll see how that works out.....


Now, after 2 months of eating, drinking, and Chardonnay, it's time to get back on the wagon. Unfortunately, it is also the time when the rest of the world has decided to get back on the wagon. At least the majority of the rest of the world will only be on the wagon for a month or two and then they'll go away and the treadmills at the gym will be free again.

So now this brings us back to the original question of this post:
What is harder than running a Marathon?
Answer:
Running while pushing your own weight (or at least close to it) of kids and stroller for over 2 (yes, just 2) miles against 25+ mile per hour winds. Think that doesn't sound too bad? Try it. Just try it. You will probably die. I'm not even talking about gusts here- just wind. I was both hands on the stroller, head down, trying to run forward, and was barely moving. Three different times I had to stop, turn the stroller around, and walk backwards. It was intense. All I could think about was how much easier it was to run a marathon. And then I thought wind schmind: I'm a mom of 2 who works full time, I run more miles in a day than most people drive, I ran 2 marathons, I have an awesome husband and awesomer kids, and hell if 25 mph winds will get the better of me and my kiddos on a 60 degree day in January on our way to the park. Bam!

Side note: What's more Fun than Running a Marathon? (other than everything)
Answer: Running while pushing your own weight (or at least close to it) of kids and stroller for over 2 miles with 25 mph hours winds :)

Thursday, November 21, 2013

The End of an Era

I just called the last 18 months of my life an ear. No, wait. Typo. Era. An Era. "A time marked by distinctive events." Running. Lots and lots of running. And some yoga. And a little bit of parenting. A smidge of work. Stir it all together and what do you get?? A sub-four hour marathon in Philly. BAM!! 3:54 to be exact. That is a 12 minute PR from Chicago. This is a big deal for me. Huge.

It is tough to go from a marathon as epic as Chicago to the one in Philly. I mean, Chicago is so.... grand. I shouldn't blame Philly, it's really not her fault. Chicago would have ruined it for any marathon even close to it.

Pre Race
Shake Shack. Dunkin Donuts. Philly Cheese Steak. Beer. That pretty much sums it up.

Race Day
This is where I got serious. And by serious I mean focused. Like, super focused.

I'm a believer in visualization. I think if you truly believe that you can achieve your goal and you stay focused on it, you can totally achieve it. Like, totally, man. Disclaimer: I'm not crazy. I didn't wake up one morning and decide I could run a marathon at a certain time. I trained for a long time. So yeah, don't be stupid. You probably can't wake up one morning and run a sub-four hour marathon. Unless you're Dean Karnazes.

OK. So a friend of mine ran one of her many marathons at some point in time. Clearly. Anyway, so she posted a picture of how herself after this particularly super tough marathon and it really stuck with me. I kept thinking, "that is how someone looks when they run a marathon. That is how I should feel when I cross the finish line." I would say that is how I should look when I cross the finish line, but in all honesty, I will never be that photogenic. The point is, it was a reminder for me to leave it all in Philly, to really push myself for 26.2 miles, and as a reminder that this is my one chance to do what I set out to do.
So thank you, Rachel, for being my reminder during the last few miles when my right butt cheek felt like it was going to explode and my feet hurt like bitches, that it's all part of the game and that it's ok. It's ok to be spent at the end. And isn't nice to know that someone thinks of you at mile 23 when they have an intense pain in their ass? ;)

The very vague ins and outs of the Philly Marathon:
The half and the full started together. I counted down the miles until the half runners split from us. The aid stations were only 2 tables long and it got a little crowded. It was much better once we parted ways. I really want to make a comparison here to Chicago, but I'm pretty sure you got the picture from the first paragraph.

There were hills. Philly Marathon people need to stop saying this is a flat course. Chicago is flat. Philly has hills. Not HILLS, but hills. Enough of them for it to not be considered a flat course.

Philly does win over Chicago in 1 part (surprise!). Because the last half of the marathon was, more or less, an out and back, it meant I was able to see the top finishers go by which was super cool! Everyone running with me was clapping for the first few dudes and the first few ladies as they basically sprinted past us on the other side of the road. And man, talk about pained faces. Those runners leave everything out there. It's intense. And awesome.

Post Race
Not much here. We flew home the same day as the marathon. The first and longest leg of our trip was in first class. I highly recommend doing this if you're flying home after a marathon. All they do is feed you and fill up your wine glass.... for the entire flight. It's amazing. Did I mention they feed you?
By the time we got home I had discovered a whole new level of tiredness. And this is coming from someone who's had two kids. I can't even put into words how tired I was... but I sure will try. You know that time, usually around 4am, when you've been up all night because your tiny child has decided they are incapable of sleeping unless they are in your arms and you are standing up? It was sort of like that kind of tired. Except mix in a pinch of drunk, a smidge of drugs (I didn't take any but it sure felt like either I did or I should have), and 26.2 miles. Eghbleh.... that about sums it up.


It was so great to see old friends (Maja!) and meet new ones in Philly. The food was great, the company was greater and I laughed a lot. It was a win for sure. It feels awesome to be able to travel to a city you've never been and meet so many super people. What a blast.

I have two more races on the books. A Thanksgiving 5k and another one in December. After that, it will be on to a new adventure. I'm not quite sure what it is yet, which is a little (a lot!) scary. But I am excited to pass the reigns onto the Husband and see what sort of awesomeness he can accomplish in the world of marathons!!

Monday, November 11, 2013

Philly Marathon Countdown- 5 days!!

The Final countdown has begun. Philly is in 5 days. Yikes! I'm super excited about this marathon. I'm feeling good- like I can totally run 26 miles in under 4 hours. This is a vast improvement over my feeling for the past 2 weeks of just wanting it all to be over with.

I've been doing a lot of reflecting on running over the past few weeks. I think about how far I've come and how long it's taken me to get here. Perspective is a funny thing too:
A year ago my legs about fell off trying to do a 10 mile run. Sunday morning I was super excited because I only had to run 12 miles.
A year and half ago my pace for running speed sessions wasn't even listed on the board.* Now my pace is three quarters of the way up the board.
*(So at our speed sessions there is this neat board that has all these different paces/distances so you always know, no matter the distance, how fast you are supposed to run. It goes as fast as about 4 minute/mile and as slow as about 10 minute/mile. It's awesome.)
A year ago I didn't think I would ever be able to run significant distances at a pace that begins with an 8. Shoot, I was just trying to get my 5k splits down to that pace. Now my long run splits are fairly consistently at an 8-something pace.

Running is fun. Watching other people on their running adventures is fun too. My dad is starting his running adventure again and it's hilarious to see how excited he gets about it. We'll be doing a Turkey Trot this year together with one of my brothers.... I'll kick both of their asses but it'll still be fun ;) A friend of mine just did a 50 MILE trail race (crazy!).  And my husband is starting to plan out his next marathon adventure. I love it.

I think my own adventure is going to start winding down after Philly. I want to focus more on halfs, 10ks, and 5ks. And yoga. And sleeping in. And doing laundry less often.

Lessons learned from Chicago to take note of for Philly:
-keep track of my damn silicone YurBuds covers. It's just not the same without them.
-Audiobooks are fine for training runs, but Jersey Shore fist bumpin' songs are way better for races
-Remember the Glide. I actually did remember this for Chicago I'm just afraid I'll forget in Philly
-S-caps are your friend. Almost as much as ibuprofen.
-Find a place for the chapstick. For some reason I really need this when I run.
-eat