I am Not an Athlete

When I started running just 5 short years ago I wanted to be lean and defined and 'athletic'. I wanted the body and the attitude that went with it. I assumed that once I completed the Couch to 5k program I would feel like an athlete and be well on my way to looking like one too.

Then I finished my first 5k in 29:59 and realized that I am not fast in any sense of the word. I didn't have an excuse for not being able to beat that mark for a long time. I wasn't overweight. I quit smoking. I followed training plans. But I was still slow.

After my first half marathon

 

I convinced myself that I must be a distance runner. You know, all slow twitch. So I set my sights on a half marathon and finished in 2:29. I was still slow and I still looked exactly the same. The pattern continued and I tried the marathon, the 50k, the 50 mile. And the results were the same. I finished in the back of the pack, sometimes even dead last.

Shane and I after my first ultra in 2009

 

Every distance I tried I succeeded in finishing but it was never good enough. When I failed at 100 miles it was a real shock. When I failed a second time I was doubly convinced that I must not be cut out for it. So I hired a coach and gave training my all and finally 'succeeded' on my third try. I thought for sure that NOW I would feel like an athlete.

 

Well, the truth is, I don't. I still finished at the back of the pack. I didn't do anything impressive. All I did was endure. That's all I've ever done; Hold on until the finish line is in sight and then heave myself across. I still don't look any different. I still don't feel any different.

 

I'm not saying running hasn't given me anything or changed my life. I am more confident because I feel more comfortable in my skin. But it's still the same skin. And I have made tons of great friends and travelled and gotten to experience many great things. But I'm still just me. I am still just average and I'm still scatter-brained and eccentric.

 

The Pretty Muddy experience

 

I don't know what it will take to convince me that I'm 'good enough'. Obviously, distance wasn't the answer. I'm not sure there IS an answer. Maybe that's the telltale sign of a competitor. Maybe I'm overly competitive. Maybe I'm just insane. In the end, all I know is that I still want to be better. The question now is what kind of better? And I think the answer is speed.

Boston Harvest 5k 2012

 

I want to consider myself fast. I want to take a podium spot because I ran a great race, not because the fast women were somewhere else that day. I want to be able to dream of Boston. I want to be in the front waves of my next marathon. I'm not sure how I'll get there or what it will take but I plan to find out. And I can only hope that the same initiative and drive that got me over 100 miles will push me to new race times as well. At least now I have a base to build on!

 

When did you feel like an athlete? What are your favorite speed workouts or training plans?

Walking on Water

Okay, so not really walking on water. More like water mixed with dirt (and other nasty things).

I set out to complete my last 20+ mile run before Burning River 100 on Sunday. I started out in North Park on the Rachel Carson Trail and got a few miles out when I got the message that there was going to be a training run on the Burning River course in a few hours. I aborted my current run, jumped in my Jeep, and drove to Ohio as fast as I could. I pulled into Station Road (the checkpoint where I began my course sweeping experience last year) right as the run was scheduled to begin.

I threw on my pack and joined Kevin, George, Randy, Johnathan, and Joshua as they headed out. The first portion was paved and pleasant. Then we turned onto the bridle paths and the Buckeye Trail and encountered the consequences of weeks of rain in the Cuyahoga River Valley.

Muddy legs post-run

For the next 15 miles we slipped and slid and cursed. At first I tried to pick my way around the puddles or find the shallowest path through them but after a few miles it didn't matter anymore. My feet were soaked and I was splattered from head to toe. After that I just splashed right through and didn't give it a second thought beyond hoping it will be drier on race day.

After a few miles we reached a Y in the trail. The directions seemed to point us one way but the locals thought it should go the other way. We ended up running a loop three or four times before we finally found the right direction and got back on track. Shortly after this one of the members of our band headed back to Station Rd. Can't say I blame him for thinking we were a lost cause (literally). One of the last things he said before he ran off was, "You'll never see the stables that way".

Posing with the stables sign

Thankfully, our pessimistic runner was mistaken and the directions took us right to the stables where we were able to use a real bathroom and get some cold water from the fountain. We couldn't help posing with the sign so we could poke fun later. After an all too short break we continued on towards the Boston Store. George had thankfully dropped a cooler of cold water at a road crossing a few miles later and we were able to refill one more time.

The last few miles were brutal. The mud and flies and ascents/descents were beginning to wear on me. I really hope it's less gross out there in two weeks or the middle 40-50 miles are going to be awful! We finally emerged onto a road and I could see the store just ahead across a bridge over the Cuyahoga. The water looked wonderful and inviting after 17.5 miles of slop!

Legs from the back

As soon as I reached the other side I dropped my pack and my Garmin onto the grass and waded right into the river, shoes and all. It felt so good to wash away the layers of grime and sweat and soak my tired legs in the cool water. I can only hope that the Cuyahoga will be as kind to me in two and a half weeks when I see her again! 

A Sordid Tale

If you noticed, my last post was taken down after a day. If you didn't notice... well that's okay too.

I feel like I'm living in a bad reality TV show, maybe a daytime soap. Things like this just don't happen in real life, right? Before I get ahead of myself, let me just start at the beginning.

A little over 2 years ago Shane and I went to a volunteer clean up for a conservation area near our home. We spent an entire day mending and painting fences, signs, and benches. We cut apart fallen trees to clear the trails and picked up litter. It was at this event that we met the president of the Mon-Yough Trail Council (MYTC) and pitched our idea for a race on the trail.

Fast forward a few months and our dream became a reality. Team Brunazzi teamed up with the MYTC to create what is now known as the Boston Trail 5k & Half Marathon. About this time Shane and I began experiencing our first 'trolls' but we quickly realized it was just one person who seemed bound and determined to find ways into our lives.

Since the first year of this race Shane and I have been targeted by this person. Fake Facebook accounts pop up and add us as friends or 'like' our event pages and then start complaining about the event or trying to sabotage our relationships with other community-minded people. We realize the pages are fakes when this happens (and the name on the account was never a registered participant at the event, etc). In the past we have always reacted by 'unfriending' the account and moving on.

Now a line has been crossed. This person created a Facebook page for the Mon-Yough Trail Council after last year's race. No one realized it was not created by the MYTC and the Brunazzi family and many of our friends 'liked' the page. The page pretended to be the real MYTC for almost a year, posting about upcoming events, council meetings, and the like.

At one point the page sent Shane a message asking him to submit an article for the MYTC newsletter. Shane spent hours writing and rewriting his article and then sent it off to the trail council by snail mail. Because he sent it to the true MYTC the article was published (without them questioning why he sent it) and we never questioned that the page that asked Shane to write it was legitimate.

This false sense of security in the false MYTC page almost cost us our relationship with the council. A few days ago Shane created an event page for the Boston Trail race and began inviting friends and family to attend. A few hours later the supposed 'vice president' of the MYTC used the Facebook page to ask us to take down the event page stating that we couldn't advertise the race because it's 'not ours' and their sponsor wouldn't like it.

Shane apologized and took down the event page but questioned why free publicity was suddenly frowned upon. In years past we have bought banners and signs (with our own funds) to promote the race and never been asked to take them down. The response was that Shane and I are 'arrogant' and use the race to promote ourselves instead of the MYTC and should leave the race to the professionals. We quickly retaliated by asking our friends and family NOT to attend the race. Of course we were angry, justifiably so, but we were also wrong.

The next day I spoke with the true MYTC board members and learned that the Facebook page was false. We were stunned to say the least. For over a year we had been duped and sabotaged unknowingly. This person managed to set it up to look like the real MYTC by asking Shane to submit the article which was then published. They posted about every event and meeting diligently just like the true council would. Never once did we doubt the authenticity of the page, until it almost ruined an outstanding event.

We quickly apologized to everyone for the mix up and took down our posts about it. This led to the next deception. The person behind all of this obviously had access to Shane and I's personal Facebook pages. The messages we received referred to posts we had made on our private accounts so we began to hunt for 'suspect' friends. We unfriended dozens of pages and people simply because they didn't have mutual friends or we didn't know them on any personal level. We began to feel a little more secure in our online world again but it was short lived.

You may remember Shane and I's first 'Team Brunazzi' event, the Boston Harvest 5k, from last year. It benefits a little boy, named Rex, in our community who suffers from Batten's Disease. We had the pleasure of meeting many family members and friends of Rex at the event and some of them became our Facebook friends too. One of these 'people' claimed to be Rex's grandmother.

For the last year 'she' has been privy to our private Facebook pages and all of our posts. 'She' has commented on our events and 'updated' us on Rex. But today we found out 'she' is not real. We spoke to Rex's family and mentioned this 'grandmother' and quickly realized it's another fake page. The Brunazzi stalker strikes again.

Right now we are just blown away by the length of time, the amount of planning that went into the fake MYTC and 'grandmother' pages, and the amount of hate that must be behind such an effort. So I hope you will forgive us if we are not as active or open as we would normally be online. Until the investigation into these matters is completed and the person behind it is facing legal consequences we won't be very trusting.

Not to fear, however, there will still be race reports, running pictures, and some product reviews coming up. There just will be no updates on our personal or charitable lives. We need to protect ourselves, our children, and our events. I'm sure you understand!

Thank you and love you! <3 p="">

BQ or Bust Baby!

Okay, not really. I'll never qualify for Boston (unless I keep up my current speed until I'm about 85). And raising huge amounts of money for charity isn't really feasible for most of us either. I don't mind fundraising but some of the spots for Boston charity are just outrageous! However, there is now another option!

My favorite shoe company, Altra Zero Drop, is giving away ten, yes TEN, entries to the Boston Marathon. So how do you win? The complete post is here. But here's the basics...

Facebook (4 winners):
1. Tell Altra why you deserve a spot! Tag Altra Zero Drop in the post on YOUR own wall. BE CREATIVE! Pictures, videos, or just words are all acceptable.

Twitter (2 winners):
1. Send out a tweet about breaking up with your old running shoes! Tag @AltraZeroDrop at the end of the tweet.
Ex: “Dear old running shoes: You’re unstable. We’re done. @AltraZeroDrop’s are the shoe for me.”
Ex: “Hi old running shoes, There’s someone else. @AltraZeroDrop and I can go for hours and I love the way he/she holds me.”

Instagram (2 winners):
1. Show the world what #ZeroLimits means to you!
2. Follow @AltraZeroDrop.

Pinterest (2 winners):
1. Follow Altra Zero Drop.
2. Repin the Altra Takes Boston “Pin it to Win it” graphic.

Vine (1 winner):
1. Follow Altra Zero Drop (Open app-> Click the house in top left corner-> Explore-> Search “Altra Zero Drop” on “People” tab->Follow).
2. Make a Vine showing why you deserve a Boston entry.
3. Use the hashtags #ZeroLimits #AltraTakesBoston and #Running in the description.
What’s Vine? Its a new iPhone app. Check this out.

Terms and Conditions:
-All entries are pre-qualified
-Registration fee not included
-Travel and related expenses not included
-Registration Code will be mailed upon completion of contest
-Contest will run from 12 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 7 through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17
-Winners will be notified Monday, Feb. 18 2013

So there you have it! Now 9 of you go win and save the last one for me! See you in Boston!

Random Thoughts and Such

I really don't have too much to write about right now. As evidenced by the lack of posts lately. I have random snippets of information that I feel might be of interest, however.

Remember how I checked the calibration on our treadmill and it is way off? Well I have scheduled an appointment for Monday to have our treadmill checked over, calibrated, and any problems diagnosed. We will then have the option of buying any parts that have worn out and either install them ourselves or have them installed during a second visit. I'll keep you posted on how that all works out. I think I'll do some research into treadmill maintenance that will hopefully prevent us from getting into this situation again.

Next awesome thing.... Shane and I are adding a second race to our resumes. On August 11, 2013 at 7am runners can meet on the Yough River Trail in Elizabeth Township, PA for a 4 or 10 mile run. It will be called the P&LE Express in honor of the railroad that used to run through here. The Greater Pittsburgh Road Runners will be the sponsor and cost will be $3 for non-members and $1 for members. No shirts, no medals, etc. Just run and be timed for cheap!

The old railroad logo

 

Our second annual Boston Harvest 5k will be on September 21, 2013. This year we will also be adding a 10k option. The 5k will start at 9am and the 10k will start at 9:15am. Cost is $15 or $10 for kids under 15 and seniors over 59. Late registration will be $5 extra. Last year we were able to raise over $4,000 for Rex Timko of Forward Township. Rex has Batten's Disease which is a life limiting disease that causes mental impairment, seizures, loss of sight, speech and motor skills. All proceeds go to Rex and his family. For more infomation on Rex visit www.rallyforrex.com. We are also still in need of sponsors and donations to cover the costs of insurance, permits, and awards. If you know of a company that may be interested in sponsoring please email TeamBrunazzi@gmail.com.

 

 

 

Lastly, I'm still continuing with Graston treatments and a few people have asked me how to find a Graston practitioner. You can search for one here. As a word of caution, make sure you don't 'suck it up' if the force is actually painful. I learned this thanks to an aggressive treatment on my quadriceps tendon that led to a huge bruise that's hung around for two weeks now!

Lesson Learned. Speak up if it hurts!

 

I guess that's all for now. Work is picking back up, I'm still working through my ACSM CPT classes (over halfway!), I need to go take a CPR/AED class, and I am still running like a mad woman! I finished January with a PR 190.8 miles! So if you find yourself wondering why I haven't posted it's probably because I'm out on a road or trail (or hopefully our treadmill again soon!).

 

How was your January? Did you let the winter weather keep you from running? Did you workout indoors in other ways?

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.