Burning River

This weekend was amazing! I volunteered for the Burning River 100 Mile Endurance Run in Ohio. My job was course sweeping from Station Road (mile 40) to Pine Lane (mile 60). I got to run with a local man named Glenn and we picked up course markings, garbage, and did our best to help runners who were at risk of missing cutoffs.

I left home at around 11:45am on Saturday and drove about 2.5 hours to meet Glenn at the mile 60 aid station. There we helped the volunteers and cheered in the lead runners. It was amazing to see the front of the pack in action! I recognized Connie Gardner when she came through. What an outstanding athlete! She finished in 17:46 for first woman.

Connie at mile 60

The Pine Lane aid station was decked out for race director, Joe Jurczyk's, birthday. There was even cake! I was a little sad to leave to start sweeping but I met a lot of really great people and got to see some of what it takes to make an ultra happen.

Glenn and I left his car at mile 60 and headed out to Station Rd. When we arrived there were only 3 runners left to come through. We assisted by eating up a lot of the remaining food so the volunteers wouldn't have to pack it out! When the first of the remaining runners came through he was in bad shape. I didn't get his name but he was having cramps all through his legs. I helped him into a chair and got him food, drink, and massaged his calves. I'm in awe of the fact that he got back up not 5 minutes later and continued the race. Two more runners came in but dropped. It broke my heart but I know that feeling of being totally spent. Glenn and I waited to let the gentleman who had continued get well ahead of us before starting out.

We took our time, collecting course markings and Glenn told me about the history of the trail and the race. I had brought a couple bags and Glenn had brought a giant plastic sack. We began splitting up the course markings by type. I carried the flags, plates and paper signs while Glenn collected the wooden stakes the plates had been stapled to. I'm not sure it was totally fair for Glenn to carry all the weight but I'm not sure I could have done 20 miles with all those stakes! As we reached each aid station we emptied our goods (and their last food supplies!) before moving on.

A runner entering Pine Lane, mile 60.

The gentleman with the cramping issue unfortunately missed the cutoff at the next aid station by only a few minutes. We encountered him a few hundred yards out getting sick in the woods. Thankfully a volunteer had come out to meet him and help him in. Once he was comfortably settled at the aid station I gave him a high five and told him how much I admired his tenacity. It was a little like meeting a celebrity in my mind.

Glenn and I continued on and were thankful not to have to sweep anymore runners. At each aid station we always encountered one or two drops and I continued to feel the sting of those three letters every runner hates, DNF - Did Not Finish. I sincerely wished I could somehow give them my energy, fresh legs, or just a hug.

As night fell I started to struggle with the familiar demons in my mind. I have no idea why I get so stressed out by night running but I do. Glenn and I knew that the last runner was 45 minutes ahead of us so we wanted to do some actual running instead of hiking. Throughout the twilight period we got in some good miles and I realized Glenn is a lot faster than I am. As darkness fell I ran by the light of the moon for awhile and I was enjoying myself, which surprised me. Then Glenn began to pull ahead and I got a little freaked out being out there 'alone' knowing that he was pulling the course markers ahead of me. I pushed a little too hard and wiped out. It was then that I finally pulled out my headlamp and turned it on the medium setting. It helped immensely.

I remembered that Glenn had told me the course followe the blue blazes from the last aid station on to 60 miles. I felt a little better realizing I wouldn't get lost so I slowed down to a comfortable pace. Thankfully Glenn realized I had fallen off the back only a little while later and came back for me. We went a little slower from there on out, only running on towpath and road sections.

During the last section I finally felt the joy of night running. I wasn't scared anymore and I began to have more confidence in my ability to navigate the tougher singletrack sections. Shortly before mile 60 we encountered our last runner. He was being paced by a woman, his wife I think, and he was surly at best. His wife told us that they had missed a turn and gone several extra miles. I didn't have the heart to tell them they had already missed the cutoff. I asked if they needed anything and they said they were okay. I told them we were going to take a break to rearrange our packs and they should continue on.

Glenn and I rested and reorganized for 10 or 15 minutes and then continued on more slowly than before. A mile out from the aid station we caught the pair again. This time the runner turned on Glenn and I and went spastic. He told us to 'quit riding his @$$' and several other not-so-nice things. I knew he was tired and feeling the strain so I assured him that Glenn and I needed another break to rearrange the markings we were carrying. Glenn told me, "Don't worry, they aren't going anywhere." He meant the aid station but the runner and his pacer turned on us again. I really thought this bear of a man was going to strangle Glenn and I right there in the woods. I tried to placate him and tell him that Glenn meant the aid station people wouldn't leave without everyone coming in and they would be waiting for Glenn and I. I told him it was my first time on the trail and Glenn knew I was worried about getting lost. It didn't really calm down the runner but his pacer turned him around and they left. Glenn and I spent another 15 minutes carefully going through all our marking and organizing them into neat bundles for the aid station drop.

Thankfully we didn't run into the runner and pacer again until the aid station but when we did they ripped into us again. I quickly ducked into the restroom and stayed there until Glenn was ready to drive me to my car. When I emerged the runner and his pacer were gone and I was able to chat with some of the volunteers about my first experience on the trail and what I thought about it. I let them know about the unclear markings that led the runner astray and they said a couple people had issues in the same spot. They promised to let the RD know so it would be better next year. The encounters with the angry runner are the only bad memories of this experience and, since I understand missing a cutoff and getting lost, I still don't view it as too bad, just a little scary being confronted like that in the middle of the night in the deep woods.

Another runner at mile 60.

Glenn drove me back to mile 40 to pick up my car and then I followed him to mile 80, the covered bridge aid station, to help out there. I wish I would have taken some pictures during our sweep but my arms were loaded with markers and I didn't want to kill my phone battery in case we needed to call for assistance for an injured runner.

At the mile 80 aid station I was introduced to the aid station captain, Heidi. I told her I still felt pretty good and would be willing to pace if a runner needed it. Maybe it was coincidence or maybe providence but a runner sitting next to us looked up and asked, "Would you pace me?" I told him sure and he told me he was slow. I assured him slow was good for me. He introduced himself as Enoch and told me he had been having stomach issues since mile 60. I immediately went to work asking him about his food, hydration and energy levels. He assured me he was eating and drinking and was okay to continue. We waited a few minutes to let his cup of soup settle and then headed out.

From mile 80 the course makes a 4.7 mile loop that brings runners back to within a quarter mile of the covered bridge. At first Enoch was walking but soon he was jogging. I felt in awe of his ability to keep moving after covering 80 miles, 20 of them without being able to keep much down. During a steep climb he was able to take a gel and keep it down. I chatted away about meaningless things: how much I want to do a 100, work, school, kids, etc. It seemed like he got sick less if I kept him talking. I don't know if it was the right or wrong thing but it seemed to work and soon enough we were entering the next aid station. I got Enoch into a chair and made him promise to sit until he had eaten and drank something and let it settle. He promised me he wouldn't drop there. I wasn't willing to leave if he might drop. After he was comfortable I headed down the road back to the covered bridge.

Covered Bridge aid station, mile 80.

Glenn and I hung out with Julia (@ROJrunning) and cheered on runners. I started to stiffen up and get cold after an hour or two though. I wasn't really ready to go but I wanted my bed. I made my way to the parking lot and headed home thinking about what an amazing feat all of the runners were accomplishing. I also felt even more determined to be among them someday.

I now know that I have to dig a lot deeper and train harder than I ever could fathom. I saw runners with blood running from cuts, chafing and blisters. I saw runners whose feet looked like shriveled marshmallows and who couldn't hold down food but still didn't quit. It was really amazing to take part in something so much bigger than myself, to get outside of my own training and see what the toughest of the tough can do. Hopefully I'll be counting myself a member of this elite circle in 2013!

All total, I ran/hiked about 25 miles and got 8.5 hours on my feet!

Down with the Sickness

I think it's official. I'm sick. Not the mental kind either (we all know it's too late to fix me on that one). I'm tired, my throat hurts, my glands hurt, and my ears are stuffy. I was hoping I would feel better quickly but I'm not banking on it now. Shane said he's feeling it too, which means it must be a heck of a bug. My husband is hardly ever sick.

I still haven't missed a mile but I'm starting to worry. I did my 4 miles Tuesday but ended up breaking up my scheduled 8 yesterday. I got up at 4am, my new normal for Wednesdays, and was on the treadmill by 4:30. After 3.5 miles at an average pace of 11:50 minutes per mile I gave up and went back to bed. I figured I'd feel better after more sleep (and coffee).

I spent all day at work dealing with some of the craziness that has taken over my life lately. By the end of the day I just wanted to fall down. Instead I got home, ate dinner, and then played Life with Gemma for an hour or so. When I looked at the clock and realized it was almost 7:30 I almost had a coronary. I told Gem to get ready for bed (Ash had fallen asleep on the couch after dinner) and I headed out the door. I ran my remaining 4.5 miles but felt like I was fighting for every inch. I made it home with only minutes to spare before Shane had to leave for work.

Today I'm scheduled for 4 miles again and the weatherman is calling for severe storms. I'm kind of worried about getting it done. If it's 50 MPH winds and hailing I won't be outside. And if the power is out the treadmill will be a no-go too. I've had the experience of the power 'blinking' while I'm on the treadmill before. Not fun! The belt stops but I don't and I get clotheslined in the stomach by the control panel. I'll be happy to never do that again!

If the worst happens though, I'll take it as a sign that I need some rest right now. Maybe I'll switch my Friday rest day for today's 4 or maybe I'll miss miles for the first time this training cycle (that's a last resort though!). No matter what I need to trust my training. I've built almost 8 full weeks of solid running and I get to have a blast with course sweeping from mile 40 to mile 60 at the Burning River 100 Miler this weekend. Sometimes it's good to take a step back and put running and training back in the proper perspective. After all, if it's not fun then why are we doing it?

How strictly do you follow a plan? What forces you to take a day (or more) off? How do you keep your priorities straight when all your hopes are pinned on a single goal race?

And The Gym Hits Back...

I am blessed to have a CrossFit box only 15 minutes from my house. It takes time away from my family to go there after work but my husband and I agree that it is the best option at this point. And, let's face it, I really do love CrossFit more than I ever did personal training.

I went back for my first WOD in forever last night. After getting another text message from my ex-trainer I really needed the stress relief. I was hoping for slam balls but the workout my coach selected was almost as good. Five rounds of 400m run, 7 x deadlift, 15 wall balls (10 pounds), and 30 single unders (jump rope). I finished in 25:10 which I think is pretty good for my first time back!

Now I just have to figure out how I'm going to fit in my runs without going to the gym on my lunch breaks. I planned to get up an hour early today and do my 4 miles but when the alarm went off I was way too exhausted, probably from the WOD last night. So instead I have my clothes, shoes, and Garmin in my bag and I will stop in the park on the way home. Tomorrow I will have no choice but to get up at OMG-early and put in my 8 miles. But in the end, I just have to focus on what matters. A PR at Baltimore in October and hopefully a PR at Baker 50M. At the very least I need to get my second piece of the medal.

I am blessed to be surrounded by family, friends, and readers who really care. I value every bit of input you all have given me over the years whether I agreed with it or not. The honesty and straight-to-the-point advice is often just what this stubborn runner needs. So thank you all very much!

Have you tried CrossFit? Do you regularly WOD? What's your take on it, whether or not you actually attend a box?

Long Run Leisure

On Thursday I posted about how awesome it is to be a third of the way done with my training plan. I thoroughly enjoyed my rest day Friday. I took it easy at work, went out to lunch with coworkers, and really did nothing of consequence Friday night. It was wonderful!

Saturday was a little crazier. Every summer our neighborhood has a community yard sale. This year the weather didn't cooperate and it was misting and overcast all morning. We still took a chance and put out all the junk treasures we had to offer. Shane's parents also set up with us. Between getting up at 6 am, setting up all our stuff, and sitting in the drizzle for hours I was already worn out. Shane took the opportunity to advertise our race to all the people browsing plus the local churches and businesses that were offering food and refreshments for the bargain hunters.

Ash and 'baby' at the park.

When Shane returned I went to get up from my chair and something in my left knee popped. I almost fell over and caught myself on the edge of our table. There was no pain but I knew something wasn't right. I waited a little bit longer before doing my scheduled 8 miler. It was supposed to be at marathon pace but I ended up running 5 miles pretty slowly and then doing the last 3 near tempo pace to come out almost at marathon pace for the average. My knee was still stiff and a little tender last night. After everything I gave up and went to bed at 8pm. I guess I needed it because I slept for almost 13 hours!

Today I felt better and my knee was stiff but no longer aching. I figured I'd give my long run a try. My husband kindly agreed to take Ash grocery shopping with him while Gem stayed and played at home. Being that Gem is 7 she can easily entertain herself for three hours so this worked out well. I hit the treadmill and decided to break the run up into 4 mile segments. After each 4 mile portion I took a Gu and drank about 6-8oz of water before starting the next one. It helped me stay fueled and hydrated but it also helped me stay aware of my knee. After slowing down my knee would be stiff again and it took me 2-3 minutes to loosen it up. It never gave me any pain though or I was prepared to shut it down and miss mileage for the first time this cycle.

After I finished (in 2:54:49), Shane had already put away the groceries and made gnocchi for lunch. I wolfed down my portion and then drove down to the corner gas station to pick up some bagged ice. I had a feeling the 4 trays in our freezer wouldn't be enough today. Our hot water tank went out a few days ago and the new one is like super-powered or something. Even when our faucet is on fully cold the water is still warm. Even with 7 lbs of ice I only shivered for a minute before the water started to melt the ice and I warmed back up.

Yeah, I rock the Disney princess wash cloth!

Luckily, the ice bath seems to have done its job. My knee is no longer tight or tender. I took 2 Advil after my ice bath and then focused on rehydrating and staying moving. We took the kids on a walk to the park where we played for about an hour. Dinner was a quickly thrown-together pulled pork BBQ, corn on the cob, and salad. It's really amazing how quickly the weekends go now that my long runs take up a significant portion!

Do you take ice baths? Why or why not? And how do you stay connected with family and friends when you're devoting significant time to training?

One Third Crazy

I'm one third of the way through marathon training! I can't believe it. I don't think I've ever made it this far into a training program without missing a mile. In fact, I'm even ahead by a bit! I wake up every morning and look at my training schedule hanging on the fridge to see what I have that day. When I finish the planned workout I highlight it and pat myself on the back (or have a cookie... or 5).

See all that yellow?!

Other than a tight hip flexor I'm still feeling good and seeing improvements. I decided to check the McMillan calculator to see where my training paces should be now. I used my most recent 5k race time to get the following:

Recovery: 10:55 - 11:43

Long run: 9:54 - 11:11

Easy: 9:52 - 10:46

Tempo: 8:53 - 9:11

That's a huge improvement over the prior paces! I was a little scared of those tempo paces but I decided that I wasn't going to let that stop me. Tuesday I ran 4.25 miles on my lunch break at 10:38 average pace (right in that easy range!). So I decided to used yesterday's scheduled 8 as my first 'real' tempo run.

I woke up at 4am and made myself coffee and toast before heading to the treadmill. I started out slowly with the goal of doing 2 miles warm up, 4 at tempo, and 2 miles cool down. I think I started at 5.6 MPH (10:43 pace) and every quarter mile or so I would pick it up a bit. At 2 miles I started into the 9 minute mile pace ranges and worked my way down to 6.5 MPH (9:13 pace) and held it until 6 miles. Then I repeated the process in reverse and finished out at 10 minute mile pace. It's amazing how easy 10 minute miles felt after running 3.5 at 9:13 pace. I ended up with a 9:45 average pace!

Today I'm scheduled for 4 miles and I plan to do them at recovery pace so my rest day tomorrow can be as productive as possible.

Do you use prescribed pace ranges? What do you think of McMillan and the other pace calculators?

Hitting the Gym

If I haven't mentioned it lately, I LOVE my LA Fitness membership. I go to the gym on my lunch breaks and work up a sweat without taking time away from my family and other commitments. I get to relieve stress, blow off steam and feel like I'm doing something for ME for that 30 or 60 minutes.

I also work out with a personal trainer one day a week. He makes sure I incorporate strength training and some HIIT ala-CrossFit rather than just running. I really enjoy my sessions and always wake up with a good case of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) the next day. So I thought it was really cool that my trainer offered to add an additional session per week at no additional cost.

Now I think he had another motive other than my typical badass, work-myself-to-death-and-love-it attitude. During my last session my Ink N Burn camisole flipped up during burpees showing my tramp stamp lower back tattoo.

A very old pic showing all my ink.

I got this tattoo on my 18th birthday and I don't regret it but I don't show it off either. My trainer has lots of tattoos so I wasn't worried about it. He made some small talk about our tattoos and future plans for more ink but I didn't think much of it. At some point he used the word 'cute' in what I thought was in reference to my tattoo.

Apparently I was wrong. This morning I was on my way to the office and I got a text from my trainer. It's not that odd for him to let me know he has an open session or has to cancel by text so I checked it when I arrived at my desk. The ensuing conversation went like this:

Trainer: Hey I didn't offend you with the cute comment did I?

Me: No. Not at all!

Trainer: Ok good! Cuz you are very cute. 

*insert the theatrical music here.... dun, dun, dun....*

Me: Uh, thanks. LOL.

Trainer: LOL. You're welcome. Are you shy?

Me: No, not really but I am happily married.

End conversation.

Now I'm worried and upset and lots of other weird feelings. I never looked at my trainer as anything but a guy with a lot of muscle who knows a lot about workouts. I am not attracted to him and I would never betray my husband like that.

In essence, I'm worried that my gym, my sanctuary, has now become a place of stress. That it will be awkward to work out with him in the future. That, if I were to switch trainers, I might not get one as knowledgeable and well trained. That I might need to just cancel my membership and lose out on those lunch breaks altogether. And that, if I tell the gym why I do any of these things, he will lose his job. I don't like any of the solutions and I don't like being in this situation.

I wear my wedding ring to the gym, I talk about racing with my husband, I talk about our children and I can't think of a single time when I've ever given any hint that I'm not happy or would ever want to change my current status. I feel guilty, like I must have given the wrong impression at some point. I feel angry that my trainer would think it's appropriate to use his work to pick up married women. I feel confused about what to do and, most of all, I feel sickened and disgusted that this is happening at all.

So tell me, has this ever happened to you? If so what was the outcome, what did you choose to do, and why? What do you think that I should do and how should I handle it?

Wild Weekends

I guess I'm getting old because my 'wild weekend' consisted of my usual training plus a (mis)adventure in cycling. If you remember my husband gave me a bike for Christmas and I really haven't posted much about it since. I've been so focused on running that it's mostly gathered dust for the last 7 months.

My husband decided we should change that Saturday morning. He signed us up for a 20 mile bike ride on the trail by our house. I wasn't too thrilled to wake up and find rain but I tried to put on a happy not miserable face. My mom came to our house to take the girls on the 2 mile walk that was also an option.

Right when we got started the rain started to actually fall rather than mist. I looked at Shane and told him it was going to get worse. He swore the weather didn't call for anything worse so we kept going. Three miles in it began to pour. The trail was soup, our tires were flinging mud up our backs and I was dreaming about being back in my warm bed. I was also worried about my mom and the girls on their walk. We ducked into a shelter at a cemetary 6 miles out and decided to turn back once the rain calmed down. Thankfully it wasn't too long.

By the time we turned around I was cold and my butt hurt. I was not very pleasant I'm sure. Thankfully we made it back to the starting point in good time and let everyone know we were calling it a day. We headed home where I indulged in feats of laziness until I was forced to complete my scheduled 7 miles for the day. Thankfully it wasn't as horrid as I was sure it was going to be and I was glad to have a treadmill where I could avoid the nasty weather outside.

Sunday I focused on getting our house clean and into some form of order. Shane worked on putting in the new baseboard where we'd left off some months ago. I cleaned the basement and laundry room and garage. Laundry also got done. Other than that I organized my running gear.

Holy shirts, Batman!

I guess I shouldn't have been shocked that I can no longer close my bin of race shirts. I decided to fold them neatly and see if that helped. It did, a little. With Shane sitting on the bin I was actually able to close it and then get it under the bed! Final count was 31 short sleeve cotton, 5 long sleeve cotton, 9 short sleeve tech, and 11 long sleeve tech shirts! Oh boy!

After the shirt fiasco I decided was forced to (Thanks honey!) run. I put in my scheduled 10 miles at 10:51 average pace. Not too shabby. An ice bath, dinner, and an Advil later I was ready for bed. Of course, that's when someone decided to use up the rest of their fourth of July fireworks collection. After ensuring that our dogs were whipped into a slathering frenzy and I was too irritated to sleep the noise finally stopped.

Thankfully today was a workout with my trainer. I chose to do upper body since my butt STILL hurts from the bike ride. Is this normal?! He massacred me with a CrossFit-style workout in honor of the games this past weekend. Jerks, burpees, renegades, etc. I'm surprised I can type this. The best part was that he asked if I'd be interested in doing two sessions per week instead of one! Apparently he actually LIKES training me! Huh, how about that? Now I just need to figure out where to fit it in!

So how were your weekend adventures? Don't forget to check out the Badwater runners too! I'm seriously cheering for Alexa Dickerson and her boyfriend, Mark Matyazik! Alexa has given me tons of great advice on my running and she doesn't even charge me for it!

Rest Days are Stressful

Today is my scheduled rest day and I'm finding it stressful. Does this happen to anyone else? I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one! I've been trying to enjoy the extra time by going out to lunch with a coworker and thinking about the reading, blogging, cleaning, and stalking I can get done tonight. (Hello! Hardrock 100 AND CrossFit Games in the same weekend?!)

I'm feeling really good about my training up to this point. I even woke up at 4:30 in the morning on Wednesday to run my scheduled 7 miles before work. What I found odd was that it wasn't really a relief to have it done and out of the way. I didn't feel like I had run (brain wasn't awake yet I guess?) and I kept looking forward to the stress relief of an after work run. I'd start to get excited and then remember I had already run. I guess I'll have to deal with it though because I don't see any other way to fit midweek long runs in now that they'll be 8+ miles.

Yesterday was another easy 3 miler. I stopped at the park on my way home from work and ran a paved course of rolling hills. It was great except for the lack of shade in the blazing sun. I was dripping by the time I finished with 3.2 miles. None of that creepy glistening stuff here!

Seriously hot. Look how red my face is!

I was a little peeved when I got home and found that my Team Aquaphor gear had already arrived! It wasn't scheduled to show up until Friday or else I would have waited to take it for a test drive run. I made due with just trying it on for now. I love the way it all fits and I especially love the colors! I feel so patriotic. Perfect for an Olympic year!

Not that I could ever pass for an Olympian!

So for now I'm going to entertain myself with cleaning my fish tank and maybe doing some actual work while I dream about racing in my uniform tomorrow! Hopefully I'll end up with some hardware to make my team proud!

What's on your schedule this weekend?

Fresh Ink (& Burn)

I'm now in week 6 of marathon training and still going strong! I have to say that the more comments I get on here, FaceBook, Twitter and DailyMile the more motivated I feel to keep up with it. I can't let all of you down now, can I?!

Sunday was a little rough. I was scheduled for 14 miles but we had to take our niece about 4 hours away to meet her grandmother for a visit. After a 9 hour round trip, including a stop for lunch, I didn't feel much like running and the temperature was still in the high 80's. My wonderful husband wouldn't let me quit though. He practically shoved me onto the treadmill as soon as we got home and I felt better for it (once it was over!).

My treadmill resets at 100 minutes so the actual time was 2:32:25. Not bad!

On Monday I did an intense leg workout with my trainer. I'm really enjoying how much more I can do now without suffering (as much!) the next day. We did step ups with 10 pound dumbells in each hand, pause squats with a 10 pounder (hold for 2 seconds at the bottom), and lunges with 10 in each hand. After that it was calf raises with my feet at different angles to hit all the muscle fibers. I was stoked that I could do it all without an issue the day after my longest run of the training cycle!

The best part was waiting when I got home though! My package from INK N BURN was calling me to work out again. I resisted but I did try everything on right away! If you know me then you know I love, Love, LOVE INB gear! Maybe you remember when I ran the Lt. JC Stone 50k in 2011 wearing my Run or Die shirt? I do!

Somewhere on the way to 50k and still smiling in my favorite shirt!

I was practically bouncing out of my chair all day waiting for my lunch break so I could go try out my newest outfit. As soon as my time was up I rushed to the gym. I was only scheduled for 3 miles today but you can't be a pansy when you're wearing Ink N Burn clothes!

Could this outfit be any more awesome?!

Let me start the review with my first thoughts. I would NEVER run in denim. I can't imagine that I have enough Aquaphor to deal with the resulting pain despite the massive supply in my basement. So when I found out INB was making denim-print tech shorts I jumped on them! These have a built-in liner that fits like a glove, doesn't rub or move, and breathes amazingly well. The print is so realistic that I could probably wear these in public without anyone realizing they're not real jean shorts. The camisole fits perfectly too. The straps lay just right without rubbing or twisting and the built in shelf bra is supportive but not constricting. And, of course, all the seams are flat so they won't chafe. The print and colors are to die for too!

Now back to the good stuff! I hopped on the treadmill and I could instantly tell it was going to be a good run. My legs were sore but not dead and my breathing settled into a steady rhythm right off the bat. I ran the first mile at an easy pace and then decided to put my new clothes to the true ultra test, hills! I started doing quarter mile hill repeats with a quarter mile flat in between. I varied the hills from 2 - 5% incline and kept the pace the same the whole time. When I reached 3 miles I just wasn't ready to be done yet so I continued on to 3.25 or so and then walked to 3.5 as a cool down. I wouldn't hesitate to wear this outfit for my next long run!

Not a bad lunch run!

I'm going to try the outfit for strength training tonight. I promised my friend I'd help her get into a workout plan so I'm meeting her after work at the gym. There's no doubt in my mind that I'll be just as comfortable tonight as I was at lunch. And I'm really stoked about my first personal training 'client'!

Looking cute AND tough in the gym ROCKS!

The camisole even has a built in key or GU pocket.

The only thing that made my day even better was my Ultra Running magazine's arrival. I opened it up to find the Umstead results front and center! And, of course, my name is right there. I'm officially famous now right?!

Someday my picture will make it in there too!

*Disclaimer: I bought these items. They were not given to me for review and, as always, all of the opinions expressed are my own!

Reece's Round Up

Shane, Gabby, and I ran the Reece's East Coast Round Up 5k today. This race is for Reece who lives in Colorado and suffers from Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). Reece wasn't supposed to live to see a year old but thanks to his family and friends and the money they've raised he'll be turning 7 this October.

Seeing Reece made me even more excited about the race Shane and I are directing in September to raise money for Rex Timko. Rex is only 4 years old and suffers from Batten's Disease but I know with the help of our community I know we can celebrate many more birthdays in the years ahead! You can find more details on the Boston Harvest 5k for Rex at Miles of Smiles.

Hanging out with Reece after the race.

Today was the hottest day of the year yet. When we got to the race site it was already in the 80's. By the end of the race it was in the 90's and definitely felt even hotter. The firetruck blew it's horn to signal the start and off we went. I was feeling really good in the first mile. I was running with an older man who seemed to have a very consistent pace. I decided to go with that for awhile. As my Garmin clicked one mile I remarked to him that I hoped I'd still be running 8 minute miles when I'm in the masters group. He said he hadn't realized he was going that fast and backed off. I was sad to see him go. Mile 1 was run in 8:04.

But onward I went and soon I picked a new rabbit. A woman in a pink sports bra was running just faster than my pace. I pushed to catch her and we were side by side for most of mile 2 without exchanging a single word. I think we were pushing eachother. She'd get a little ahead and then I'd catch her and pull ahead by a few feet. We hit a few hills in this section and having her to pull me forward really helped. I believe my mile 2 split was 9:18.

In the third mile we turned into a headwind and lost all of the shade. I began to feel like I was baking. I was panting and my throat was dry. My stomach started to ache and I wondered if I should walk. I forced myself to plod forward but looking at my Garmin showed my pace was even slower than mile 2 on the hills. The woman in the pink sports bra started to pull away and I tried to catch her but my legs felt heavy and unresponsive. Three 5k's in 8 days may have been a little much. I missed my mile 3 split but it had to be mid or high 9's.

I turned the last bend and saw the finish line. It was still two tenths of a mile or so away and I tried to pick up my pace but settled for just maintaining. I heard footsteps behind me and two teenage boys flew past. They had been walking on and off the whole time and I realized that they had no clue about pacing. Next came three older gentlemen who obviously had a finishing kick left when I did not. Being passed 5 times in the last tenth of a mile was not fun at all but there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.

I came through the chute and stopped my Garmin. I started to dry heave as I walked to the chip removal area. The volunteer handed me a bottle of water and I made it to the grass without losing my breakfast. The EMT's were treating a woman who'd blacked out on the sidewalk. It was obvious it had been a rough race for everyone.

In the end my official time was 26:57 and I placed second in my age group. I was thrilled to do better than my last two 5k's on a rolling course in killer heat. Shane finished in 23-something and Gabby finished in 33-something. They both missed age group awards by one place. I really wish we could have sent Gabby back to North Carolina with an award but it didn't happen this time. Hopefully she'll kick some tail in her next 5k when she gets back home!

Showing off my hardware.

Afterwards we celebrated with Cracker Barrel for lunch and then I finished my scheduled miles for the day. My plan called for 7 miles at marathon pace so I did 4.3 more when I got home at 10:16 average. I'm pretty happy with that, especially with the heat and feeling so horrible after the race. All in all it's been a pretty awesome week and I still have one more day of my husband being on vacation to look forward to!

It's Getting Hot in Here!

Workouts:
Thursday: 3.5 miles/37:58
Today: rest day!

In case you haven't noticed it's HOT! I'm sure we're all sick of the car dash temperature readings on FaceBook and the complaints on Twitter. We're all suffering but some of us are choosing to do it more so than others.

Badwater Ultramarathon is in TEN days! And one of my personal heros, Alexa Dickerson, is running it. Alexa and her boyfriend, Mark, are going to run 135 miles through Death Valley in JULY! What is wrong with them? I don't know but I want some of that Koolaid! Alexa's journey has led me to embrace the challenge this early heat wave has presented. I've given up air conditioning in my car and stopped wearing shorts and skirts for the most part. It hasn't been easy but I think my fastest 5k in recent history proves it's working! So a huge shout out to Alexa for making me WANT to suffer!

Dr. Seuss says it best!

Another inspiring runner, and just as crazy in my book, is Dorothy Beal. She is running DOUBLES, sometimes with a triple stroller, in her search for a marathon PR. She's a total rockstar! Mom to 3 and a low 3's marathoner who runs for Saucony and is also a fellow FitFluential ambassador. I'm not quite sure where she finds the time or energy to keep up with it all but I want to be like her when my marathon experience grows up! Watch her video for the Find Your Strong Project and you'll understand.

So check out both these awesome women and then vote for Dorothy to be on the cover of Women's Running magazine here. I'll feel super cool to 'know' a celebrity when she wins! You can vote once a day and the voting continues into August so show her some love!

And then, you know, go run or something!

Independence Day

Happy Independence Day everyone! Hope you're happy, healthy and sharing it with your loved ones!

We're enjoying it thoroughly on our side. Shane is on vacation this week so he's been keeping us busy non-stop. We went to a local amusement park and got night passes after I got off work on Monday. It was fun to go for only a couple hours and not worry about riding everything. We'll save the whole day passes for when Gemma returns from visiting my grandmother.

Yesterday I took a half day vacation from work and Shane, his niece, and I drove to Punxsutawney, PA for their Groundhog Festival. It was a really long drive but we kept ourselves thoroughly amused by spotting all the rural oddities. Horse and buggy, check. Hotel that looked like a shack, check. Farms and livestock, double check. Of course, we knew we were close when we started spotting groundhog statues along the highway.

Drive-by groundhog sighting

We saw so many groundhog statues that we decided to make a game out of it. Of course, we had to actually race first. The 5k started at 7PM and ran through the major roads of Punxsy. The only complaint I have is that the town doesn't close the roads to traffic and the drivers were not very polite about sharing. The course was advertised as 'fairly flat'. This was nowhere near true.

Shane had told me he thought I should go out at PR pace and see what happened. What happened is that we hit two average-type rollers in the first mile which took my PR pace to 13 seconds slower than PR pace. Then in mile 2 we hit a freaking mountain! I'm not kidding, this hill took forever to climb and the grade was enough to make my legs scream mommy! Then we went down the other side to the turnaround and got to do it again! Yippee!

I lost almost a minute on those two climbs and by the time I was on the downhill headed back to the finish my legs felt like lead. I kept telling myself, "Embrace the suck." I have no idea where I got this from but it fit and it helped me keep pushing. I ended up finishing in 27:04 which was good enough for second in my age group. Shane finished in 23:xx and also got second in his age group. Gabby's age group was stacked with local cross country runners but she still put up a good fight. I think she got 4th in her age group!

Posing with Liberty Phil

Race Shirt and medal. Even the swag is groundhog brown.

Afterwards we went on with our plan for groundhog hunting. Our version was bloodshed-free though. We wandered around the town locating groundhog statues and taking pictures with them. We also spent some time at the festival itself. My marathon munchies have struck with avengence and a gyro, half a large order of fries, and an ice cream cone with sprinkles all fell victim. We all had a really good time and it made the 4 hour round trip worth it!

High five Phil!

Bellhop Phil

Nature Phil

LSD Phil? Shane looks high anyway.





After a good night's sleep we were ready to party! We had a cookout for family and had a grand old time pigging out. Unfortunately, marathon training won't wait for the holiday so I've got 7 miles to run before we reconvene for fireworks. Hopefully I'll burn off at least a quarter of what I ate!

Ash learned how to eat from her mother