Week in Review: Part 5 (End of the Year!)

This week was my first cutback week of the training cycle. I was looking forward to it but also dreading it. I really enjoyed seeing big numbers the past few weeks and I hated to see my average drop back down right at the end of the year. I decided to use it as a mini-taper for an end of the year PR attempt at the Harmony Silvester 5k. Shane and I have raced this for three years now and I set a PR last year. I hoped to repeat that feat this year.... But you'll have to wait for my race report tomorrow!

On to the training week!

Monday: 3 miles in 37:05 (run/walk) + weights.

Tuesday: Off (Christmas!)

Wednesday: 1 mile warm up, 8 hill repeats at 10% incline, cool down + CrossFit WOD. Total: 3 miles.

Thursday: 1 mile warm up, 6 miles steady state. Total: 7 miles.

Friday: 2 mile warm up, 6 x 200m repeats, cool down. Total: 4 miles.

Saturday: 3 mile walk.

Sunday: 3 mile easy run.

Total: 23 miles in 4:08:27.

Holiday Party

The holidays are past and we're 'celebrating' my birthday as I type. By celebrating I mean Shane and Ash are out cold and Gem and I are trying to be quiet!

Christmas is all about family and friends and too much food. We definitely did it right this year! The girls and I spent Saturday before Christmas with my side of the family. It was great to see my mom, her husband, my aunt and uncle, and my grandmother (plus all four dogs!) and catch up on what has been going on in our lives.

Christmas morning we opened gifts at home, just the four of us. There were a lot of presents under the tree but some of them stood out more than others. Here's a sampling of what Santa left for the Brunazzi clan:

Shane got an INKnBURN handheld

 

 

 The girls got all of the My Little Ponys they were missing from their collection.

 

 

Gem was really excited about Princess Cadence

 

 I got custom drop bags plus new INKnBURN gear!

 

 

 Close up of my new drop bag!

 

 Lily got a new ball, which she promptly destroyed, and a new sweater.

 

 And our little tree peaked in from the porch (to protect it from the ferocious dachshund above)

 

In the early afternoon Shane's parents came over for Christmas dinner and we ate more ham, lasagna, veggies, and rolls than anyone has a right to. After that it was presents with Shane's side and once again we were overwhelmed with wonderful and thoughtful gifts. A new purse for me, pajamas for Ash, a sweater and a robe for Gem, new clothes for Shane. Plus a gift card for Red Lobster.

 

Being that today is my 28th (WOAH!) birthday we put that card to good use. We each ordered our fill of seafood delights and desserts and left stuffed to the brim. Hence, the sleeping half of the family! One day I'd really love to run to celebrate my birthday, e.g. 28 miles for 28 years, but this year my birthday fell on a cutback week so I only got 7 miles for my birthday this year. Maybe next year...

 

What did you get for Christmas? What was your favorite running or fitness related gift? Do you have any special traditions?

A Technical Miracle

Shane loves to wear his race shirts around the house and to work. Pretty much on a daily basis he's wearing a race shirt. This also means he destroys a lot of his shirts pretty quickly. The latest casualty was a white tech shirt from a Christmas race last year. It looks like he got oil or grease from the garage on it.

The photo above isn't really a 'before'. I took it when I realized I might actually be able to save the shirt. I'm sure most people know that tech fabric is awesome but also fragile. Put it in a dryer and you'll lose the wicking ability and softness. Stain it and most stain removers or laundry treatments will kill the fibers too. Needless to say I was pretty sure a white tech shirt with black grease (that had already gone through the wash once) was a lost cause.

So how did I save it? Two things any woman will have at home. Hair spray and dish soap!

Steps to save technical fabric:
1) Apply dish soap (I used Palmolive) to the stains and let it sink in.
2) Rub it into the areas with your fingers.
3) Spray hairspray on the stained areas and rub it into the dish soap. A really cool foam appeared!
4) Rub gently with you fingertips or a soft brush (toothbrush?) until stain starts to lift.
5) Rinse in cool water and repeat steps on areas that are still stained.

By going through these steps twice I think the shirt is saved! As you can see in the 'after' picture there was still a spot in the seam that I couldn't seem to get to. The shirt is in the washer right now after soaking that seam with dish soap and hair spray for an hour so I'm hoping it will be completely clean when it comes out. Either way, I think Shane will be able to wear the shirt for work or play again!

I'll update with a final picture when it comes out of the wash!

UPDATE:

Post-wash perfection! It's like brand new again!

Have you found any stain removal tips for tech fabrics? Do you wear your race shirts for purposes other than running?

Training Week 4

Well my highest mileage week in probably EVER is over! And I survived! I can't believe I can say I ran 50 miles this week with no ultras or marathons to pad my total. And I ran all of those miles in 9:23:32. Wish I could do that when I run a 50 mile race! We also had our first snow of the season this week so it made for some interesting runs!

Gem in the snow

So what does a 50 mile week look like?

Monday: Walk 3 miles at 15:08 average pace on a 1% incline plus weights.

Tuesday: 1 mile warm up, 6 miles at steady state pace, 1 mile cooldown. Total: 8 miles @ 9:50 average.

Wednesday: 8 miles of 9/1 run/walks on the trail. Total: 8 miles @10:59 average.

Altras in the snow

Thursday: 1.5 mile warm up, run 5/4/3/2/1/2/3/4/5 minutes hard with 2 minutes recovery between, cool down. Total: 7.5 miles @ 9:45 average.

Friday: Walk 6.5 miles on 1-7% incline increasing .5% every .5 miles. Total: 6.5 @ 14:58 average.

Saturday: Hang out with family and exchange gifts. Stuff face, drink too much wine, and laugh a lot while the kids play in the snow.

Ash in the snow

Sunday: 17 miles @ 10:40 average pace. Really nice day on some easy trail and road plus one giant hill!

Elevation profile of Sunday's long run

Totals: 50 miles/9:23:32 or 11:15 per mile average.

Now I get to reward myself with my first cutback week just in time for Christmas! And hopefully just in time to PR at a NYE 5k!

How's your training? Got any fun holiday plans?

Picture Fun and a Challenge

The holidays are here and so is the fun! From getting a new hairstyle to new clothes and eating goodies it's the most wonderful time of the year. Or so the song says...

Making cookies with my kiddos was a nice touch this week. Of course Ash's cookies went in a separate tupperware since I don't think anyone likes baby drool flavor!

Gem decorating cookies 

Ash eating sprinkles 

So much fun! 

Final products

 

Holidays also mean end of the year fun and get togethers so I took the time to get a new 'do.

 

Sheila is a genius!

 

And what's Christmas without presents?! Running Skirts hooked me up with an awesome outfit for my cold weather workouts. I love the fit and fabric and the color of the top. There's even little leopard print accents on the pants! Too fun! The headband stayed put through a CrossFit workout too.

 

Pretty!

 

Fits wonderfully! (And I need a new mirror.)

 

Speaking of presents, I spent two nights making a cross stitch (my first ever attempt) for Christmas. Gem gave it to her great-grandma for Christmas. I hope she liked it!

 

 

And really the best part is just the large amounts of quality family time. :)

 

Mom & Ash fun!

 

Just as fun but also serious, I've been challenged to a dual. Well, not really but kind of? It's a running challenge. Altra Zero Drop tweeted to ask "Why do you run?" I saw one of my running idols, Harold from a A Veteran Runnah, answer the question and my own answer came to me. I run because I want to be better! Like Harold who I saw in action (from very far behind) at the Runner's World Festival.

 

Harold's PR's are really impressive (for a retiree or not!). Somehow our tweets turned into a challenge. We'll compare our PR's at the end of 2013 and see who has improved the most to crown a winner (of what, we don't know). So as of right now my PR's for 2012 are:

5k: 24:27
10k: 59:30 (soft)
13.1: 2:20 official, 2:08 time trial
26.2: 4:34:05

And, of course, there's ultras but these aren't part of the challenge.

So what do you think my chances are? Anyone else want to join in on the fun?

 

Growing Goals

As you all know I'm (still) in college. The reason why is simple. I didn't really know what I wanted to do with my life. Does anyone really at 18? I started out thinking I wanted to work in genetics. Dolly the sheep and glowing mice and the Human Genome Project all happened while I was in school. I began majoring in biology and quickly realized I didn't have the right stuff. I don't mean that I'm not a good student. I mean that I can't grasp things I can't see and touch. Electricity? Lost on me. DNA? Same thing.

So I eventually decided that a degree in business administration was a good base for whatever I ended up doing. I got my Associates around the same time I started running and realized that I wasn't going to be happy sitting at a desk and crunching numbers. So I changed my major to Sport Management: Health and Wellness. I seriously would run for a living if I was talented enough. I eat, sleep, and breathe running. I have a running calendar, running ornaments on my tree, a running tattoo on my ankle, etc.

Running makes me smile

I've kept plugging along at this degree thinking that working with athletes would make me happy. I'm not sure WHAT exactly I'll be doing with it but it will be closer to my dreams. Then I got laid off at work. It's not permanent or anything. It's just seasonal downturn that is the nature of my day job. The last couple weeks I've been doing nothing but focusing on my training, my classes and, of course, my family. Apparently the euphoria surrounding me during this period has been palpable. One of my friends commented, "Did you change jobs? You seem so much happier lately." And that got me thinking....

What exactly is it that I'm looking for? I know I can't just run and be mommy when I finish college as much as I would love to. There's bills to pay and races to register for and little people demanding clothes, food, and entertainment. So what will make me happy and put food on the table? What are my exact needs and wants in a career? I started by taking the time to really examine what I DON'T like about what I do now as I suffered through a treadmill run today.

The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. It's GOALS! I love running because I have goals and benchmarks and I can measure my success in a quantifiable form. Perhaps those business classes are paying off? I don't know if I ever would have thought about quantifiable goals without them. However, in my current job I don't have them. Every day I go somewhere different and work with new people and see new things. These are elements I DO like because I get to move and learn. (Add to 'need' list.) BUT I can't measure my success in any form except financially.

It's easy to measure success here

If I were an accounting professional at a company I could aim to improve cost savings by X percent or increase profit by a certain margin. If I were a health professional I could work to improve patient outcomes. In my job I can't control anything or work towards anything. I am given an assignment (perform X number of tests tonight) and then left to do it. My shift is over when the work is done so it's not a race against the clock and I can't outperform expectations. I simply do as instructed and move onto the next job. And THAT is exactly what drives me nuts! I want to measure my improvement and my growth. I want to set new goals as I exceed my current ones. I want to know what's expected of me in a quantifiable way and then work to rise above them.

So where does that leave me? Well, in fact, nowhere. I still have twelve more classes until I graduate and I still have to work at my current job until that point. And rumor has it that the university I'm attending is facing a teacher strike so it may take longer than the 3 semesters I had planned. But now I have a new goal! Find a job that meets these needs: Work in varying places and/or with varying people, have room for growth and learning, and be able to set and meet quantifiable goals with my supervisors. Now I can look at job openings in the health and wellness field with a better eye for what I may want to pursue. And that in and of itself is a huge step for me! Maybe I'll actually be able to answer the age old question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Week In Review: Week 3

This week has really been so much better. I feel like I'm finally getting into the swing of training again. It was my highest weekly mileage in a really long time and I didn't die. There may be hope for me yet!

Monday: 5 mile walk + CrossFit. 5 rounds of 7 deadlifts, 30 squats, and 7 handstand pushups.

Working on my HSPU!

Tuesday: 5 miles with 3.5 at steady state pace.

Wednesday: 7.5 miles using 9:1 run/walk + arms and core workout at home.

Thursday: 6.5 miles with 7 x 800m at 8:34 pace with 400m recovery.

Friday: 5.5 mile walk.

Saturday: Rest.

Sunday: 15.65 miles of rolling roads.

Looking good post long run in my INB capris and rock n roll shirt!

 

Shane and a group of our friends ran today's long run with us. A couple of the guys run sub-6 minute miles. Shane went out with the 7:30 pace guys and I followed a pair of ladies hoping they would be more my speed. We ran along chatting and I realized I was wrong! First mile was 9:24 and they only got faster from there! Thankfully I caught up to one of the guys who was going around 9:40 pace and decided to hang with him instead. He was done after 10 miles but Shane headed back out for the last 5 with me and in the process finished his longest run ever! Super proud of him for hanging tough!

 

Of course, the best part of long run days is eating and drinking! And as soon as we finished our run Shane and I headed to Max & Erma's for lunch. I had a delicious Cabo shrimp salad and Shane had a steak and ribs platter. I was going to get a picture of his lunch but it was gone before I could blink!

 

Yum!

 

And I topped it off with a Sam Adams Seasonal! Carb (re)loading at its best! I was good and had a water too.

 

 

Let's hope week four brings just as much fun and goes even better!

Counting Blessings

This week is going so much better than the last couple. I'm finally feeling the extra energy from training instead of feeling tired all the time. I've been catching up on housework and homework. I've even been playing more with the kids. And after the news about the shootings in Connecticut today I'm really glad that I have. I'm not going to rehash it any further than saying my heart breaks for the families and friends and everyone affected.

Ash squishing me on the couch a few days ago.

 

I've been thinking about how lucky I am this week and how happy I am that I have a perfectly average life. I have a husband and kids and dogs and mountains of laundry and homework and dishes. I also have the ability to run and lift heavy weights and give back to the community. I signed up to volunteer for a 5k race in a few weeks. The race is being put together by Team Odyssey and benefits the Children's Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation. Being able to give my time to help such a good cause feels very good and I hope it will make a small difference to a family affected by this disease.

 

Blessed to be able to move

 

As I finish up finals this week I can hardly believe that I only have 12 classes left! I can't believe I'm going to have a 'real' degree before I'm 30. I also can't believe I'm going to be 28 in less than 2 weeks! There is just so much going on that makes my life amazing.

 

 My living room transformed into a train station yesterday.

 

I love being a small part of wonderful brands and companies. FitFluential, INKnBURN, and Aquaphor have all touched my life and my training. And now I've applied to be an Altra Zero Drop ambassador! I'll find out in only a few weeks if I've been accepted. (Feel free to tell them how awesome I am!) Either way I'm still in love with their shoes. I've been running in my Superiors more and more and I'm hoping they'll be the shoe that gets me through my first one hundred at Burning River.

 

Altras in Action

 

I'm loving every minute of my trail runs. I feel stronger, faster, happier... I'm blessed to have a trail just out my back door to run on. For the kids, the dogs, my own mental health I appreciate having that crushed limestone right outside.

 

Happy trails....

 

Everything in life is really about perspective. And I've realized that everything hard about life is what makes it worth it. When my muscles ache, my lungs burn, my feet blister, my mind gets foggy with fatigue and trying to force knowledge into it, my hands dry out from dish washing, etc. I need to remember that life is worth living and celebrating every day. And I will choose to celebrate by moving, breathing, enjoying and even indulging a little sometimes.... like those cookies at the race meeting! ;)

 

 

 

 

Active Accessories

I finally have a minute to breathe (and take pictures). So I wanted to share with you some really awesome products that my friend and fellow runner has designed for her brand, Active Accessories. If you follow me on FaceBook or Twitter you've probably seen some posts about these but if not you should definitely check them out! (My pages and the products. *ahem*)

First, there is an awesome little accessory pouch. It has several pockets and pouches on the inside plus a cord that snaps back onto itself (you'll see what I mean in the pictures). It is made from ripstop nylon and it's super light (only 2.4 ounces). It comes in two colors and two patterns right now: black, fuschia, polka dots, and pink and grey circles. It can easily hold a debit/credit card, a little cash, your jewelry, and a smart phone while you're working out. The wrist strap has a clip so you can attach it to your purse, use it as a wallet, clip your keys onto it, or attach it to a pack or your pants. And it's only $14.95 available on Amazon. Perfect for a last minute stocking stuffer!

I chose grey and pink circles.

 

 

I was easily able to take my car key, my debit card, and some cash to CrossFit. Plus I clipped my rings on the snap-strap in the center so I could deadlift in comfort. I also zipped my phone inside during my workout. I'll be getting one of these for each of my female running friends plus also one for Gemma. I think she'd love to use it as a tiny purse for school plus she can clip it on her backpack.

 

The second thing Active Accessories has come up with is something (almost) every woman needs. Who hasn't busted a hair tie trying to get thick hair into a ponytail? Who hasn't looked desperately in their purse, car seats, and every pocket for a hair tie before a workout? And who doesn't hate the stupid line they leave in your hair when you're done?

 

Active Accessories' hair ties can fix all of that. They're also available on Amazon for $9.99 for a 6 pack. There are available in 5 color schemes: cool, elegant, warm, neutral, and polka dot. I picked neutral for my first pack.

 

The neutral hair tie collection

 

These ties are soft fabric/cloth and look pretty enough to wear on your wrist as a bracelet. In fact, the first time my friend wore her prototypes around me I thought they WERE bracelets, until I saw her put one in her hair. They don't leave a mark in my hair and they also don't cut off the circulation in my hands when I wear them on my wrist. What they do is keep my hair out of my face and look nice while I work out. These are definitely another great stocking stuffer! Pretty sure I'm ordering one of every color scheme... for the kids, ya know?

 

The warm scheme is perfect for girly girls.

 

You can also check out the Active Accessories brand on FaceBook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram!

 

So what's going in your stocking this Christmas?



Week In Review: Part Two

This week was another tough one but I feel like I handled it better. It started off deceptively easy with a 60 minute walk then progressed through speed work, steady state runs and a tough long run. So here's my week in review:

Monday: 4.2 miles of speed walking on the treadmill with inclines.

Tuesday: 1 mile warm up, 20 x 1 minute at faster than 5k pace (7:30 per mile) with 1 minute at 4-5MPH recovery, 1 mile cool down. Yes, that's right.... TWENTY repeats!

Wednesday: 70 minute steady state run.

Thursday: 0.5 mile warm up jog. 30 minutes of strength training: front squats, lunges, curls, rows, and then form drills.

Friday: 2 mile warm up, 3 x 10 minutes at 5k pace with a couple minutes recovery in between, cool down.

Saturday: Rest.

Sunday: 13.1 mile trail run.

Total: 39 miles

The trail run was AWFUL. It's been raining for days and the trails were nothing but mud and wet leaves and rocks. I can't believe I stayed upright the whole time!

Nothing but mud

 

Muddy Shoes

 

On a really cool note check out what I got from my Secret Santa! Nothing like a little extra motivation on the Christmas tree and my book shelf!

 

 

Stronger By The Minute

The last couple weeks have been really hard! And that's not a complaint. In fact, I'm ecstatic. I am tougher than I realized. I've been taking my weaknesses and working on making them strengths. I've been putting in miles when I'd rather sleep, watch TV, eat something, or play with my kids. Maybe I won't always be a back/middle of the pack runner?

For example, I did speed work today. A one mile warm up, 20 x 1 minute at 7:30 pace with 1 minute recovery job between repeats, and 1 mile cool down. I would have preferred a 2 mile warm up and cool down but the little one was out of patience early on today. And running for 20 minutes total at faster than 5k pace was daunting! In the end I finished with 10k at 9:40 average pace. That in itself is not that impressive but the fact that I wanted to die (or slow down) after 4 repeats yet I still finished 20 is! By 15 I realized something. It didn't feel quite so awful anymore. My legs and lungs were developing a rhythm. The recovery jogs now felt awkward and out of sync rather than the repeats. It was odd and kind of inspiring. By the end of the 20th interval I felt like I could do more. I didn't really want to but I knew I *could*!

I spend a lot of time in my home gym and on my treadmill and one thing that's really helping me is gathering inspirational memorabilia. We have two displays in the basement like this. The first is a Bill Rodgers signed print. He won the Boston Marathon FOUR times! It really helps to look at that and think that what I'm doing doesn't even compare to what he must have been running. It also helps to remember that even the fastest and strongest runners have moments of weakness. At the bottom it says, "To be a winner means preparing not just one day, one month, or even one year - but for a lifetime." I may not be better tomorrow or next week but you bet I will be next month and next year!

Someday I will see the Boston finish line!

 

The second display is Shane and I's autographed 'cards' from elite athletes. It really helps me to remember that I have met Shalane Flanagan and Amy Yoder-Begley and they are real women. They have aches and pains and bad days. They like junk food and don't have superhuman willpower any more than the rest of us do. They just set their sights on a goal and then make choices that make those goals possible. Whether that goal is a 4:29:59 marathon or a world record, it's a great lesson in perseverance for everyone.

 

 

I'll never be a world-class athlete but there's no reason I can't be better than last year or last race! And I'll keep imagining that day when I qualify for Boston or finish my first one hundred or age group at a major race. Because I know one day I will achieve anything I put the work into.

 

 

Week In Review

I think it will help me (and maybe those of you who want to follow in my madness) if I post a review of my training. I'm going to try and make this a weekly post, hopefully every Sunday, and use it as a way to keep my motivation up.

Because we all need more cat pictures on the interwebz

 

So here is the week of November 26 to December 2 in review:



Monday: 5.5 miles at 10:45 avg. pace + CrossFit

Tuesday: 6 miles at 9:58 avg. pace. This included speed work intervals.

Wednesday: 5 miles at 11:56 avg. pace. Recovery run + CrossFit.

Thursday: Rest. (Sick)

Friday: Unscheduled rest day due to being sick.

Saturday: 6 miles at 9:52 avg. pace. The middle miles were fast tempo.

Sunday: 10 miles at 11:20 avg. pace. A shorter version of a long run.

Total: 32.5 Miles


All in all it was a good week except for the illness that snuck up on me Wednesday. Let's just hope this week doesn't hold any nasty surprises!

The Journey

This week has been rough. I'm not complaining though. I expect hard and I want tough. I knew when I registered for Burning River 100 that 'easy' was a thing of the past. Sure I might have easy runs or recovery runs on my schedule but they'll come after hard workouts and more mileage than I have ever consistently run before. I'm going to feel muscles I didn't know I had and I'm going to have to train through illnesses and minor injuries. No more 'playing it safe'.

And, as I thought about this today, I was reminded again how deeply running and life mirror eachother. I started coming down with a cold early this week. By Thursday I felt awful with stuffy head, runny nose, sore throat, headache, body aches and fever. However, I sucked it up and went to work. I felt thankful it was a rest day, sure that I would wake up tomorrow feeling better. But then tomorrow came and I felt WORSE. All through work I wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed. There was no way I could run.

I had a hard workout on the schedule Friday and my long run scheduled for today. I put some effort into figuring out what to do. And I came up with pushing everything back one day. Run my time trial today and my long run Sunday. I'm extremely happy that I woke up feeling better, not 100% but better, today. Because you know what they say about the best laid plans...

As I hit the treadmill (my safety net in case I was still too sick and had to cut it short) for a warm up, 5k time trial, and cool down I thought about how there are no short cuts in life or running. I want a degree so I do the homework and studying sometimes late at night when I should be sleeping. I want to have a meaningful blog so I make time to write about things and leave myself notes with ideas all over. I want to run one hundred miles so I will put in a thousand miles (or more) of training. And that reminded me of my favorite quote and necklace...

 

The front of a necklace is a compass rose and the back says, "The journey begins today." It is a reminder of the quote from Lao-Tzu and I purchased it when I was just beginning to run. I have no idea of the company who made it or anything about it except I have been wearing it for the past four and a half years and it reminds me that I made the first step, the hardest step. Now it's up to me to finish the journey.

On July 28, 2013 when I cross the Burning River finish line I will finally feel that I've completed the journey I set out on in 2008. It doesn't mean my journey will be over, just that it will head in another direction. I can't wait to see what 2013 holds!

Do you have a favorite quote? A favorite piece of jewelry? What inspires you to give it your all every day?

Randoms, Running and WOD's

Since signing up for Burning River 100 I have been focused on getting into training and finally finishing my first hundred. I have been plotting with an amazing ultra beast and my CrossFit coach. I've been having salad at night in front of the TV instead of M&M's (those come later) and I'm drinking more water than I ever knew I could hold. (Glad hubby pays the sewage bill!)

This week is my first week of real training since Marshall University Marathon. I was so excited (and I still am) but I forgot how much real training sucks too. It's been a fun couple days mentally readjusting to not being able to easily walk up and down stairs or get up from the couch. And it's not even a ton of mileage yet either!

Today I took it easy and ran my prescribed mileage at recovery pace. And then I hit CrossFit for some more torture training. This was the WOD I was given by my coach:

I didn't push super hard. I wasn't out of breath when it was over. I focused on slow and steady but still my legs wanted to rip themselves off and club me with my Altra shoes. As you can see I only managed 8 rounds + 2/3 of a 9th round. I really can't wait to get into shape where a 30-ish mile week and two CrossFit WOD's don't total me. Instead of being upset I'm just going to use it to fuel my fire. By July this won't even be worth doing as a WOD, maybe not even as a warm up.

In other news, Christmas is bearing down on us (which also means I'll be another year older, you can send presents). Most of my shopping is done and everything that's here is wrapped. Even the Christmas cards went out already. I'm pretty proud of myself! But what I'm really ashamed proud of is this:

My poor Lily has been walking around shivering in our drafty old house. She is always on my lap or under a blanket or trying to cuddle with our other dog. I finally took pity on her and bought her Dachshund pajamas. Yes, there are companies that make extra long clothes just for weiner dogs. And yes, I am now one of THOSE people. My dog wears clothes....

In other (odd) news, I'm not racing this weekend. Shane has signed up for at least one 5k and may do a 5k/10k combo race the next day. It's really weird for me to say no to (THREE!) races but I know I need to put in my long run and then rest up for next week. Eyes on the prize and all that jazz... What's cool is that I might be able to be a spectator and cheering squad for once!? Never gotten to cheer on Shane in a race before. Maybe Sunday could be the first!

The Pain Cave

During the interview with Shalane Flanagan the topic of cross training came up. While I love to hear all about the training of the athletes I admire, I found the next question to be even more interesting. A member of the media group asked about Shalane's tolerance for pain and how she can push herself through moments when her brain is screaming, "STOP!"

See for yourself!

I remember when I first started running and I would wonder, "Is that supposed to hurt?" There were aches in my shins, my calves, my knees, my hips and basically every part of my body. I vividly recall my first case of Illiotibial Band Syndrome (ITBS) and not being able to walk up and down stairs after my first half marathon. I was truly worried that I'd damaged myself beyond repair and ended my running career before it ever got started.

I found Shalane's response truly comforting. She can get past it because she's been there in practice. I may not be busting out 15 400 meter repeats on the track once a week or tempo runs at a 5 minute mile but I do push myself. Sometimes my lungs start to burn, literally burn. My heart starts to beat so loud I wonder if it might just quit. My leg muscles throb and, when I finally stop, shake with the effort they've just put out. I've spent sleepless nights tossing and turning because I can't shake the cramps and pains that are wracking my body, especially after an ultra.

I think one of the reasons I was able to PR at Marshall was because I have wrecked myself beyond good sense at other points in my training and racing. I was able to pace it better because I know what each effort level feels like and how long I can sustain it. The same thing with the Baker 50 Mile. I didn't take 53 minutes off my time by running myself into the ground but by knowing my body inside and out.

Sometimes you have to push past what you think you can endure to find out where your limits really lie. And then you push those limits out a little further every time you train and have to find them all over again.

Nerve Check

Last month I had the amazing experience of meeting Shalane Flanagan during the Runner's World Hat Trick. Getting to Q&A an Olympic marathoner has to be one of the coolest things I've had the pleasure of checking off my bucket list (even if I didn't know I should have put it on there!). I promised to get up the videos of the session and I finally am! I'm only about 5 weeks late so hush!

The first video I wanted to share is Shalane talking about her pre-race nerves and how they affected her throughout highschool and college and how she uses them to push herself now. After the video I'll talk more about my own experiences with keeping pre-race jitters in check but for now here's the good stuff:

Now, if you're still here, let's talk about me! Every person is different but from my own experience I know that race day nerves can ruin a performance. My first marathon was an absolute disaster and a big part of it was nerves. My stomach went sour in the days leading up to the race and I let all the fears, excitement and anxiety get the better of me. I had the worst race of my life and a miserable couple days on either side of it to boot.

So what can you do? The answer is to focus on what you can control.

Have you done the training? If the answer is no then maybe you should reevaluate your goals or even drop down to a shorter distance. But if the answer is yes then you should feel secure in your ability.

Is your goal realistic? We all have the desire to blow our last time out of the water or get a medal. Evaluate your training and races leading up to your goal race. Do the times and paces that you ran indicate your goal is attainable? Note: I didn't say easy, just within reason. Again, if not, reset your goals. If yes, try to relax and trust in your training.

I was extremely nervous meeting Shalane for the first time!

Do you have a plan? Have you figured out what your splits should be at each mile or certain interval (5k, 10k, half, etc)? Do you know when you are going to take a GU or a Shot Blok and when you plan to drink? For my PR marathon I had everything planned: 52 minutes per 5 miles and GU or 2 Shot Bloks every 5th mile. I carried a handheld and drank to thirst. Knowing that I had everything I needed in my SPIbelt and that I wasn't depending on luck, the course aid stations, or last minute decisions really eased my mind.

Check the weather the day before and lay out your clothes, your drop bag (if you're using one), your (charged!) Garmin and iPod, your GU's/Shot Bloks/whatevers, and anything else you will need to take with you. Having everything right in front of you when you wake up will make it easier to remember your plans and you won't leave the house wondering if you forgot something important.

Lastly, eat your normal breakfast even if you have to eat it earlier than usual. If you ate a bagel with peanut butter and coffee before long runs then eat that before your race. Think about how long it usually takes you to feel ready to run after your meals and allow at least that much time between your breakfast and your race.

You may not be entirely relaxed and confident, but as long as you know there's nothing else within your control, it will be easier to trust in your training and have an enjoyable day.

What are your favorite pre-race rituals? Do you have any superstitions or good luck charms? How do you keep your nerves at bay?

Chasing the Turkey

I can now say that I have chased a man dressed in a full turkey costume for 3.1 miles. The first ever Turkey Chase 5k took place in Cranberry Township this morning and Shane and I were there. Shane expressed hopes that it would be small first year event. I, of course, laughed in his face. Every runner likes to create a calorie deficit before they fall into a three day tryptophan coma.

When we arrived at Graham Park 45 minutes early the parking was already getting tight. I pulled the Jeep onto some grass and we went to get our bibs and chips. I'm not sure what the point of chip timing was since there were 593 people and no starting mats. Being only a couple weeks post-marathon I decided there was no point in racing and this would be an easy run. No watch, no hard effort, and hopefully no pain.

Love the shirt

I lined up 6 or 7 people deep and when the gun went off I gritted my teeth as people blasted past me. I hadn't realized there were SO many people there! And I felt my pace start to pick up. I pulled back even more and tried to not be angry that runners were leaving me in their dust. I saw my Team Aquaphor teammate, Jordan, go by and felt another surge of envy. I wanted to race!

And then we hit a small but steep incline and I didn't want to run anymore. Someone said the distance was 0.63 miles and I suddenly just wanted to be done. I pulled my attention from my lack of speed and focused on my form. Stand tall, small arm movements, smooth stride, high cadence. I tried to estimate my pace based on effort. I knew that I was probably going faster than it felt since I was running with such a large group. I guessed I was in the 9:30 per mile range.

At one point we passed the finish line and the clock read 12:4x. I figured I must be around the halfway point, probably a little less based on the time and my estimated pace. As I headed out to the turnaround I counted from the leaders back. I expected to see Shane and as more people went by I started to worry. When I finally saw him I had counted 60 people ahead of him. I still didn't realize just how large this race was.

I rounded the turn and headed back to the finish. People were kicking and struggling to the finish. Rasping breath and coughs and staggering forms were all around me. My breathing was still easy and I felt the urge to find another gear for the finish but I held back. As I passed Shane he yelled out, "27". I figured he meant the clock was already past 27 minutes so I didn't kick. I crossed the mat at 27:0x. I should have FREAKING kicked! Doh!

I'm still pretty amazed that I ran a 27:04 easy race though. That's a big improvement and I feel a great 2013 season coming! The really cool part was finally meeting my Team Aquaphor teammate in person though. I've been following the exploits of these 200 people for most of the year and I feel like I know them.

Jordan and I

 

Of course, after that it was turkey time! Ash couldn't wait to dig into her 'big chicken' and I love pumpkin pie! Happy Thanksgiving y'all!

 

 

 

How was your day? Did you do a Turkey Trot/Gobble Wobble/Gut Buster?