Tag Archives: Marathon

What Las Vegas Taught Me – How to Run a Race at Night

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Have you checked out my Everstride Sweepstakes here (Terms and Conditions here)?


I am a morning runner.  I do not drink coffee or have any other type of caffeine (unless, of course, it comes inside a gel like substance we runners call “Gu”).  I do not need these drinks because I have running or any other type of cardiovascular workout for that matter.  I get up in the morning and I jump out of bed (well, sometimes it is more like reluctantly pull myself out of bed) because I know it is time for my morning run.  It is these runs that wake up, that get me charged for the day, that make it unnecessary for me to have caffeine.  I never ever work out at night.  Night is for more important things like Glee and blogging, seriously people.

When I saw the chance to run Vegas, I could not pass it up. Then I saw that it was at night.  This made me pause, but only for a second, because I am NOT a night runner.  I never run at night let alone run a freakin half marathon at night (I think the last time was a 3 mile run at PT in August and that does not count, it was still light and 4 p.m.) .  But come on baby this was Vegas how could I not.  So I signed up and months later I found myself at the big day – it was time to rock the Strip at night.   But the question remained

How do you rock the Strip at night when you are a morning runner especially when you are 3 hours away from your time zone and managed to do everything wrong the day before the race?

Now I am no expert on night running and I have not run a ton of these types of races, but here is what seemed to work for me.  Because in the end, for the girl who hates running at night, I did not mind it at all.  I felt energized, did not have any stomach cramps during or side stitches (which is usually a problem for me), and my legs and ankles cooperated (big plus given all the walking the day before the race and my ever-so angry ankle).  
You know what’s coming right….so without further ado here is:
Top 10 Tips for Nighttime Racing

10) Relax the day of the race (a.k.a sit on your butt as much as you can):  Usually the day of the race you wake up at the crack of dawn and go to the race.  Stinks to have to wake up so early but at the same time, if all has gone well you are well rested and coming off a night of good sleep (unless you are running a marathon and then you probably did not sleep at all).  For a night race, you can sleep in (so clearly I slept to 6 a.m., yay time change), but you also have to kill a whole day.  The last thing you want to do is go walking around or stressing yourself out.  Stay put!  Relax. Enjoy an easy day.  I planned to stay in my hotel room the whole day before the race.  I strayed a little bit from that…wouldn’t you if these awesome ladies called….
See we are relaxing (Monica, Anne, Meghann and I striking a pose) 
9) Do not freak out.  I wish I could master this.  No matter what type of race it is, I always get nervous before the race.  I just can’t help it.  Luckily most races there is not much time between the time you get up and the time you are, well.., running.  But for a night race you have HOURS to ruminate…great….In this case there is only one three things to do – 1) call the running partner – she will calm you down, go over your race plan again; 2) watch a motivational movie – Mighty Ducks – yes please and 3) stay out of your head.  Your head is your worst enemy…didn’t you know that?!?
8) Eat and drink right. I think this is the one that I was most stressed about and it seemed like everyone else was worried.  Luckily I have a pretty awesome sports nutritionist, Nancy Clark, who came to my aid.  With her and Robin’s suggestions, my fueling and hydration plan worked out great.   Nancy suggested eating more of a dinner at lunch or adding in some extra calories at lunch to be well energized for the race (like pasta or extra sandwiches).  Robin suggested eating breakfast all day long because we know that breakfast foods work before we run normally.  I combined these two suggestions eating foods that I was comfortable with normally before running and eating a bit more.  I had a normal breakfast with yogurt, Go Lean Crunch and a banana.  And at lunch I had PB and Banana sandwich with a banana.  I took a bit extra PB and some extra bread.  An hour before the race I had a granola bar.  And of course all day I hydrated with nuun (until two hours prior to the race) and I had no problems during the race.  Success :)
Meghann and Anne have stomachs of steel! I watched jealously as that ate this and just stuck with my old friend Mr. Peanut Butter. Thanks Meghann for not hating me stealing your picture…right?
Aaron’s favorite picture ever
7) Understand your Garmin.  If you are learning how to run at night make sure you know how to work your Garmin at night. This was a major fail on my part!  I knew how to light up the Garmin. But I did not know how to keep it lit.  This was a disaster.  It was really troublesome to see my time as I had to keep lighting up the watch.  I can never figure out my pace based on feel so I need my watch to tell me.  Fail Steph. If you are interested for the Garmin 405, this is how to keep it lit (check here for other manuals):  

Touch and hold menu > select Settings > System > Backlight.
Mode—select how the backlight turns on. Select Manual to press two fingers on the bezel to turn on the backlight for the timeout period. Select Keys and alerts to turn on the backlight once with the two finger press, and then any time a key is pressed or when an alert message appears. Select off to always have the backlight off.  Timeout—select the amount of time the backlight stays on. Use a short backlight setting to conserve battery power.*Source

6) Practice taking photos.  While we are on electronics, don’t forget to figure out the camera.   We have a pretty awesome camera and Aaron always gets great shots of me but we were not prepared for night shots and got lots of these…
Hmm, not quite, but good try Aaron 
5) Stay alert.  At night, I kind of uh..how do I say this, get tired and act like a five year old?  My bed time has been known to be close to 9 p.m. (I am choosing not to be judged by this).  So I am not surprised that I managed to forget some things like putting EverStride ever, which created some not so fun chaffing (shameless plug for my Sweepstakes here) and emptying my pockets before taking an ice bath post race (are Gus and Shotbloks still good post ice bath?!)
4) Keep warm.  After the race (and even before) it is going to be cold! So always make sure to bring the fuzzy pants, clearly would you ever go anywhere without them?  But seriously, pack for the weather. 
Fuzzy pants are making a comeback, didn’t you know that?
3) Come home to fun packages. Ok this does not really have anything to do with anything but come on how can you be unhappy when you come home to these awesome packages for my Wellness Day (hope you all can come)
Just one of the many cool packages I got last night (got stuff from Stonyfield Farms, Tommie Copper, & Hint Water too, plus giveaway winnings from Danielle’s Lunabar giveaway)

2) Refuel Right.  After the race, I was so tired!  After all it was already 7:30 and my time it was 10:30.  We did not go to dinner until 10 p.m. and by that time my stomach was in shambles.  Make sure to eat quickly after the race if you can, and if not, if you just fall asleep make up for it the next day. Does not hurt to be in Vegas where the food is out of this world.
1) Have a cheering squad and support crew.  I could never do all of this without my one man support crew, my husband Aaron (I am such a sap but he is pretty amazing, even the girls noted he was super helpful!) Plus he has this one of a kind race shirts…we are thinking of selling them dri-fit for other support hubbys and boyfriends and a potential runner match-like shirt, interested?
Who would not want a shirt like this – let me know if you are interested!
*credit (thanks Meghann sorry for shamelessly stealing your pictures you are just better at this than me)
Have you ever run a race at night?  What did you think?  Did I miss anything

A PR is a PR for a Reason

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Every time a friend is upset about a race that he or she wanted to PR at, I tell him or her that a PR is a PR for a reason.  It is your BEST time.  Maybe, it is one that you fought hard for or maybe it came easy that time, but nonetheless it is a PR, and these things are not easy to get.  That is why they are PRs.  Sounds sensible right? Hmmm, so why is this so hard for me to accept this morning (and why, if I am being honest did it wake me up at 5 a.m. to check the race stats – I know…hang head in shame here).

So let’s see if I can tell you all about Vegas before Aaron needs the computer for work.  Yes we are still in Vegas, but yes he does need to work.  So if you are still in Vegas and want to adopt me for the day, I am free! Anyway, so here we go, this is a looong one, sorry!

After doing nothing right on Saturday to prepare for Vegas, I decided it was best to at least prep smart on Sunday.  I figured I would sleep in – you know so I got up at 6 a.m. and ate a “normal” breakfast for me.  I then lounged around.  I told myself I would not leave the room, but when awesome bloggers want to go to breakfast, how can one say no….

It took all the power in the world to resist this favorite meal of mine:

Aaron got White Chocolate French Toast. My favorite meal in Vegas.

It was not too hard to distract myself from the yummy goodness of White Chocolate French Toast (ok who am I kidding…) as I had great bloggers to spend time with.  I sat and chatted with Monica, Anne, and Meghann.  These ladies were super nice and we spent two hours talking, so much for not leaving the room.  But it was worth it.   Also, Monica’s husband came along and him and Aaron hit it off!  Before I knew it, it was time to go back to the room but not before a group photo.
 Yes I am wearing fuzzy pants.  No shame.  Are you jealous? These are the most comfy pants ever!
The rest of the day was filled with nerves, water drinking, and a phone call to the running partner for reassurance.  But then before I knew it, itwas time to meet the ladies to go to the race.  Aaron and I got suited up and went over.
 Team Sparkle power! I was nervous about this skirt, but it was awesome, worked perfectly
Yes his shirt says, I love my crazy bitch! We are thinking of selling them on the site for the men/hubbies/boyfriends.  Girl version to match, something along the lines of “Crazy Bitch” dri-fits. Anyone interested?

So we met the ladies and went over. 
Rosa, Meghann, Anne, and I pre-race

 Vegas has been advertising as being one big party with all your friends.  I sort of brushed this off. But it really was! People were so friendly and fun!  When I lined up in my corral, I stood and chatted with a guy who was spectating and his friends who were running.  They were really sweet and even snapped some shots for me.  At Mile 10, I heard, “Hey Boston!”  It was so nice to see a familiar face.  This actually happened throughout the race.  I saw Jess and her husband multiple times as well as Suar (although I am not sure she knew who I was).  Also, people were supportive throughout.  One girl, with a 1:45 on the back of her shirt, came up to me at Mile 6 and asked my time goal, I said 1:45 and she agreed and said she was not going to make it.  I encouraged her and kept her in sight for a good deal of the race.
Two thumbs up for runner love (thank you super nice spectator who took and texted me this photo)

Well, how was the race, before this post gets any longer?  I am going to be brutally honest.  The race was amazing, but I am a bit disappointed in myself.  But I am not in anyway letting this get me down, I will eventually PR but it makes me start to think…  I ran a hard race. I fought, I stayed out of my head and while I did not go under 1:47,  I pushed, I remained positive, and I looked up and enjoyed the view and had a freakin blast!
The amazing points of this race were the camaraderie and the sights.  It was absolutely out of this world to run along the strip.  I kept telling myself to look up.  To STOP looking at the Garmin (because I could not see it anyway…how the hell do you keep your Garmin lit up at night?!?).   I have been up and down the strip at night before but running it was incredible.  Plus, I had never gone down to the older part of Vegas which was an experience and pretty neat to see.  I kept thinking National Lampoon’s Vegas Vacation.  It also was not too bad that the fountains at the Mirage went off while I was coming back (it was an out and back course).   The sights also included tons of Elvis look-a-likes as well as people with cool wigs and costumes.  Although I have to admit when the Elvis and Santas passed me, it was a bit defeating.
Oh hey Elvis, so nice to meet you! (no I did not stop to take this photo, this was before, I am too Type A I guess, props to those who can stop and enjoy though, you rock)
Also the people of this race were amazing – everyone from the volunteers to the runners.  The volunteers were great at encouraging us, screaming water v. cytochrome (please explain to me what this is, I did not even spell it right) at aid stations and opening my banana at the finish line.  It was pretty much the coolest experience to continually see people you knew during the race.  I saw Jess and her husband, Spencer, twice! They were booking it.  I ran with them for a few, but could not keep up.  They rocked it!
Finally, the mile markers were pretty great. In the beginning, I could not find them but then they were pretty consistent after Mile 3.  It was good to be able to see a clock, because I clearly could not see my Garmin (I had to keep lighting it up but then it would dim).   Also, it helped me keep going and push a little harder.  At the end, Team Challenge had great signs saying “You Are”  ”A” “Hero.”  Just what I needed, perfect addition.  
As per me and the actual racing part, it seemed to start off well, as it always does.  I tried to keep myself slow to begin with but ultimately probably went out too fast and ended up positive splitting again.  Ooopps love those positive splits (hey, remember the time I negative spilt my first marathon).  Anyway, I felt fairly good until Mile 6.  I did feel a side cramp or two coming on but was able to breathe through them and they were never a problem. YESSSS!!!!  I did feel like my stomach was off though and got really nervous about taking anything.  I ended up having to wait until Mile 7.3 where there was a Gu stop to take something.  Not ideal in anyway.  My body is used to something at Mile 5 and 10 and only taking something at Mile 7.3 showed.   But I could not risk it with my stomach plus my fingers were not working and I knew I would not be able to open up my back pocket reach beyond the Sparkle Skirt and get something while trying to get water at Aid Station.  This resulted in me having to get a Gu at 7.3 at the Aid Station where the lady could not hand out the Gu fast enough (not her fault) and water was not well marked.  I prayed that the little water I got along with a flavor Gu I had never tried would be ok, thankfully it was.  
Here I go out too fast again (big props to Aaron who dashed a mile plus up before the race to catch me!)

So after Mile 6, just as in my last half I did, my legs tired.  The Gu helped but not enough, I started cramping, sign of not enough fluids, which I sensed was happening but without a water belt of some sorts (still working on this), trying to grab water at the Aid Stations just did not cut it.  So I did the best I could.  Many times I almost got into my head.  I am proud to say that I stopped that right then and there.  I would make myself sing with the music, think of my mantra for the race “Kill It,” focus on the sights and the buildings (landmarks were an awesome plus to this race), and imagine my husband waiting for me.  The last mile was slow goings, I just wanted to me done.  I felt defeated.  But I pressed on never stopping always remaining positive.  But I have to tell you that last .1 was killer…how does that always seem to be so long?!?
Ultimately, I made it.  
Look its me?!? Nope, Aaron stood 1.5 hours on a sprained ankle to get this shot and then someone ran right through it, the nerve! haha, thank you Aaron!

No shiny new PR, but a hell of a medal and a big hug from the husband.  
This thing is for real, heavy and amazing!
And you know what, so what?! Yes, I am sad and disappointed.  But I just ran my heart out after a marathon 5 weeks ago and got to experience the Vegas Strip at Night.  So PR I will see you another time, for now I am going to bask in the fact that I just ran a great race!
How do you deal with not reaching your PR goal?  Would you be interested in a Crazy Bitch shirt?  How do you carry water…I am still working on this one. Oh and how the hell do you keep your Garmin lit?

How Not to Prepare for a Half Marathon – Vegas Style

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The day before a marathon, I have been told not to get off the couch.  To hydrate, hydrate, hydrate and to rest up. If you have any injuries, nurse them like a good patient.  And just relax.  By doing this, the thought is that you have the best chance of performing well on the big day.

Apparently, that is not how it is done in Vegas.  For this half marathon, I have done everything but the above.  So here is how not to prepare for a half marathon.

3) Do not spend the entire day on your feet walking everywhere especially when your ankle currently looks like this.  Even if you are in Vegas and who can help it!

All taped up and ready to go?!? I don’t know first time with KT Tape, we will see

No heels before race day!

And no ice skating with Penguins…

2)  Remember to hydrate and eat right.  It might be hard because water costs 4 bucks and a small salad costs $15 but suck it up…
 Save the M&Ms and Chocolate Fountain until after the race!
3)  SAVE YOUR $$$. Go to the Expo once and then get out if you want to save your money!!  We may or may not have gone back to the expo and ended up buying more new cool gear…can you really blame me….
Run as far away from the expo, as you can, you will not be able to resist all the amazing gear

Short and sweet for now! Got to get going for blogger meetup.  Yes I am again not taking my advice and not resting…Hmm we will see where this leaves me for tomorrow.  Ever do all the wrong things before the race?  Ever use KT Tape?

Hello from Vegas a.k.a the Emergency Room

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Hello all!  We made it! We are in Vegas!!!! Well, sort of.  We are actually currently in the Vegas Emergency Department (Grandma, refrain from fainting and calling Dad, we are fine).  So remember when I mentioned yesterday that my ankle was hurting?  Well, this has nothing to do with that..

Instead my day sort of went like this.  I woke up at 4:30 a.m. to get an elliptical session in.  It was painful, my ankle was not happy.  But did not have much time to ice and stretch before Robin showed up at our door.  I guess Aaron was extra excited to go to Vegas or to see Robin because he sort of got ahead of himself and tripped on his good ankle (the one he did not sprain this summer).  He sort of brushed it off until conveniently informing me when we got out of the car at the airport that he thought he sprained or broke it…Goood…There was not much to do at that point.  He could walk so we decided to press on.  He is a pretty strong guy huh? Anything in the name of a race  Vegas Vacation.  We asked the Security if the airport had a Medical Area – no. Hmmm…not great…
Ankle Sprain Number 1 this summer – here’s hoping we don’t have a repeat today!

So we get on the plane, and I am all excited (minus worry city about Aaron) because there is Glee Movie, Harry Potter Part 2, Contagion, Crazy Stupid Love, Elf.  Good selections!! I have wanted to see Contagion for a while so started watching it.  Next thing I know, Aaron is not looking so hot.  He says he got squeamish from the movie but he was not looking good so we went to the back of the cabin with the stewardess and they gave us water, ice, juice, and free snacks.  Pretty awesome minus Aaron looking like he was going to faint?! But Aaron needed food, like a lunch….
Now ladies, here is what happened last night.  I was packing my PB Sandwich and Apple for the plane ride of six hours.  
Me (while packing lunch): Aaron want a sandwich.  
Aaron: No I am going to have snacks on the plane…
In his defense, the snacks are so good, ever have Blueberry-Pomegranate Quaker Rice Cakes (sooo good, so not filling in the least though).  Hmph, good thing I love the guy because next thing I know he is eating the sandwich on the plane (I should have made two, I knew it) and I proceed to have the weirdest lunch/snacks ever including rice cakes, PB granola bar, two apples, and some cookies. Hahah I am not kidding.  All in the name of love….My body is a wreck right now, needless to say.
White Chocolate French Toast (the best meal in Vegas) was not my meal today, but it will be tomorrow!

Ok but more importantly the hubby.  When we got off the plane, we called his doctor who told him to go to the Emergency Room.  And here we are.  They checked him out and determined that he was ok in terms of the nausea/light headiness.  Then someone came and took him for X-Rays and now he is back here sitting next to me.  I asked him if they examined him before the X-Rays?  Nope!  So cool, just took the expensive test, did not even look at his foot…ooo my health care dollars hard at work.
So here we are folks, kicking off Vegas in style! Playing the waiting game…so fun. Ooo he just got called they are putting on the bracelet as we speak.  And I am once again alone with our bags…PS  I promise I am not awful, someone has to stay with all the luggage and as I am joking I am being a crazy Jewish worried wife right now!
To be continued….

The Elusive PR – My Fears

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First things first – we have a winner of the Road ID Sweepstakes and it is Cheryl!  This lady is too cute. Congrats Cheryl, e-mail me. 

So amidst all the post-MCM excitement, there is little thing I have not really been talking about much called Rock n’ Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon.  And I happen to be running it, uhhhh this weekend.  Oops?!?  Now, I have not forgotten about this race, but it is also not something I have been really “training” for.  The focus of this past month has been recovery.  My long runs have meant 8 miles at most, and my weekly runs have been short and as fast as my legs will allow.

But now we are here, it is Vegas time baby!! I love Vegas and I can’t wait.

Yay Vegas – it means M&M World!

But what about the actual race, you know that 13.1 I am running on Sunday that I have not trained for.  Today, I really started to consider this race and what my strategy is going to be and well, truth be told, I would love love to PR!  But a PR for me would be 1:47:14 – oh gosh!!! I have not seen those days in a looooonnnng time and my speed is not what it used to be.

So I consulted this wise lady, who might as well hurry up and get her coaching certification.  And we came up with some numbers about how to PR and boy are they scary.  They involve some low 8 numbers for too long of time.  When I asked her if she thought I could do it, she said as long as I stayed positive and did not let negative thoughts in my head.   She knows me too well. And I think I could do that, stay positive, at least I hope!

What is really holding me back though is FEAR! I am afraid of the idea of not being able to hold on to those low 8 numbers, of positive splitting (like always), and of struggling….When I sat down to discuss this with Aaron, he said why not go for it.  And why not?! When I put these fears down on paper, they seem kind of silly.  Why am I so scared?  If I get out there and go and can’t do it, so what, at least I tried.  This race was and is supposed to be for fun.  It was not supposed to my race of the season (I did that, it was amazing, I want more of that), so there really “should” not be so much pressure.  I should just be able to go out there and have fun.  So folks that is what I am going to try and do.  I will get out there with the intention of going fast, and just see how it goes.  If I can do it, great.  If not, well that is why they call it a PR, there is always next time (and there will be a next time!)

How about you all, are you afraid of the elusive PR?

No fear I am marathoner, only kisses from this lady!

My Marathon Jacket – Rocking It With Pride

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It has been a little over two weeks since the big day – you can tell exactly how long because I have not exactly taken down my old marathon counter – am I in denial? Maybe. But don’t worry it will soon be replaced with a new counter (who did you take me for, I am not a one-timer, I like to go back at it, again and again – that’s what she said…yet another lame joke, sorry!)

Anyway, there is something I have noticed ever since I finished my marathon and bought my exclusive Brooks marathon jacket.  I have officially joined my own secret fraternity. It is not one you can just be in but one that literally requires blood, sweat, tears (and lets face it more sweat) in order to gain entry.  It is not one that everyone knows you are in but one that you yearn to join and are so proud to officially be a part of.  What club is this?  There is only one of course – the marathon club (oh of course and the 5K, half marathon club etc. as well, all races count!). And what club does not have their own official gear – e.g., the jacket.

Yes the marathon jacket.  I don’t know what it is but ever since I got it, I cannot take the darn thing off.  I wear it everywhere and I mean everywhere.  My days go like this – time to go to work should I wear my Anne Taylor nicely pressed coat or marathon jacket?  Marathon jacket.  Time to go to a wedding, should I wear my fancy long black coat or marathon jacket? Marathon jacket.  It is raining out should I wear my cute Black & White Polka Dot jacket or marathon jacket? MARATHON JACKET!!

No matter how I am feeling or what the occasion, I can’t help but reach for this jacket and each time I put it on, I beam with pride.  It is like I am telling the world, I am STRONG, I am FIERCE, and I am part of this pretty freaking amazing club!  Nothing makes my day more, when people stop and ask about my jacket.  Today, I was leaving a meeting and someone asked me wait did you run a marathon?  Of course, I stopped and exclaimed I did!  Did you? And we proceeded to talk about how he had run four marathons.  Which I countered with I am running the Vegas half in two weeks (oh, Steph always the competitive one).    I even can’t help but smile when people stop and ask me, wow you ran a marathon, how many miles was that? I JUST LOVE IT.  Pretty much the only thing better than this jacket is running the marathon (and Aaron, of course, sorry hunny I love you although I think you gave up reading this blog a long time ago, true test if he comments or not).

Well, that is about it. Got to put on my marathon jacket and go run a Christmas in the City meeting.  Note the meeting is inside, but that is no excuse not to wear the jacket, seriously?!?

Do you have a marathon jacket or another race article of clothing that you love to wear and show off to all?

What I Learned from Running Marathons

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Ok, my post title is a little misleading. I’ve only run two marathons, so I don’t have a ton of expertise in this area, but I can tell you what I’ve learned from training and completing those two marathons. Here are some lessons I learned about myself from running marathons:

I love running, but not for 4+ hours.

I love running. I really do. A nice easy run with some good music is my favorite way to relax, but running for hours and hours and hours just isn’t that much fun for me. Once I pass the 2-hour mark, I start to get bored. If I have running buddies or some amazing scenery to keep me entertained, I can usually stretch out my motivation, but, for the most part, running loses its “magic” if I do it too much.

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I love running more than my body does.

This one (literally) hurts to admit, but I love running more than my body does. I’ve known for a long time that my hips are misaligned from scoliosis, but I’m now starting to realize that I can’t run long distances without some pain. My body just wasn’t built to endure that kind of running. At one point, I tried working with a running coach, which helped keep my body healthy for awhile, but once I increased my mileage, injuries started popping up everywhere. It’s hard to admit that my body can’t do what I want it to do, but I can honestly say I am happy to just be able to run, so shorter distances are in my future.

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I’m a dog runner.

I always thought I was a cat runner, but I learned that I’m a dog runner. I love running with other people, especially on long runs, and I can’t stress enough how important it was to have running buddies to get me through my first and second marathons. I couldn’t have done it without their support. Plus, running with other people makes the time fly by and you really get to know your running buddies— no topic is off-limits when you run together for 3 hours! I’m actually thinking about joining a nearby running club, so I can run with people more often. I enjoy it so much.

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Marathon training makes me gain weight.

I learned a long time ago that training for a marathon doesn’t mean you’ll lose weight—or even maintain it. I gained nearly 10 pounds during my first marathon and a few pounds for my second one. Of course, I know plenty of marathoners who are slim and trim, but I’m not one of them. When I run long distances, I burn a lot of calories, which, to me, means eat a lot of calories. I eat more than my body needs, so I gain weight. Lesson learned.

Running improves my body image.

Even though I’ve gained pounds while training for both marathons, all of that running actually improved my body image. I wanted my body to be as fit as possible in order to cross the finish line, so the number on the scale (and even how my clothes fit) were secondary. Even though I knew I was gaining weight, I didn’t bother me that much. Of course, I’d rather not gain weight, but knowing that my body could do amazing things and run 26.2 miles made me very proud of it.

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I’m tough.

I wasn’t sure what to expect on the morning of the New York City Marathon. After being sick and battling injuries, I knew I was undertrained for it. Running a marathon is obviously a physical challenge, but also a mental one, and I didn’t realize just how mental it was until about mile 24. At that point in the race, I had NOTHING left, but somehow, I kept going. I still can’t believe I didn’t stop running in Central Park. I honestly didn’t think I had it in me to push past the pain to achieve my goal, but I did it! I’m tougher than I thought!

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If you do your best, you will have no regrets.

I’m not the fastest marathoner, but I did the best I could and finished Arizona and NYCM without any regrets. There were a lot of things that I couldn’t control during my training and on race day, but trying my hardest was the one thing I could control. Giving it my very best effort was all I could ever ask of myself.

What has running taught you about yourself?

Honoring Your Body

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Once upon a time, I did not honor my body.  Sure, I took care of myself, sort of.  But I did not really think so much about it.  I could not tell you how many bottles of water I drank in a day or if I had the allotted number of carbs to optimize my workout for the next day, nor did I really care.  It was all about weight loss and maintaining weight.  Exercise was a basic means to an end, a way to stay “skinny.”  Food was something to enjoy, but also something to not eat too much of (you know evil calories and all…)

Anyway, that was before.  Before something clicked.  Before I realized how much more running was.  How it no longer was about losing or maintaining weight but rather about something more, about a passion and a love for a sport.  It was about being an athlete, performing stronger, pushing harder, and smiling wider than ever before

Big Smiles!!! I love running!

So what has this change meant?  It has meant learning to honor my body.  My body allows me to run.  It is nice enough to work hard day in and out and agrees to let me push it just a little harder the next day and the next day and  I could not be more thankful.  I thank my body every day by instead of just drinking when I feel like it and being careful about what I eat, by actually drinking fluids and food to fuel my body and give it what it needs.  I am not saying that I watch every little thing I put in my body and never eat or drink those “bad” foods because we know that is not true!  But I do look at my body, running, and food differently these days.  I realize that everything I do impacts my training and that everything I do or don’t put in my body effects it in a serious way.  Not drinking enough equals dehydrations on runs equals running fails.  Not eating my pasta means I won’t have the energy  I need to run.  It is a good thing I have the hubby around then – tonight’s meal pan seared bronzini over arugula and sautéed tomatoes and onions!  YUM.  And for dessert – Oreo Ice cream.  I honor my body, and my body is always thankful for ice cream!
Marathon ice-cream is the best kind of ice-cream!

How do you honor your body?

Marathons Make You Slower?!?!

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When googling marathons make you slower,  you may come up with the following

- can hill running make you faster?
- a 12-week training program
- Faster Marathon – How to Run a Faster Marathon

But what it does not tell you is that post marathon, when you go back to run, you may be unpleasantly surprised….Sure you expect to feel tired, sore and fatigued after the marathon. You even expect your first run to be pretty crappy but you figure that will wear off right?  And then it does, you no longer feel tired or sore, but something still is not right.  And what is it? It is your speed or lack thereof.  Because apparently 16 days post marathon, the speed I once had is pretty much gone.  Where did it go?  Well, to the marathon of course.

Case in point, this morning I got the treadmill to do 5 miles.  I was told to do one mile slow, two faster, two even faster. Ok, five miles. In June, I was in a five mile race and did it 37:04 (which is way fast for me).  I was hitting 7:14s on the Garmin and there were HILLs and I was flying high.  Today, I started at an 8:00 pace and at the fourth mile when I got down to 7:47,  I was ready to go flying right OFF the treadmill (and 7:47 should not be such a hard pace for me).  My mind remembers that I could do this type of speed but apparently my legs do not.

Here I am running fast and uphill for that matter!!

So what happened?  I wanted to quote some scientific article for you here explaining how marathons make you slower, but I can’t seem to find one.  All I seem to have is basic word of mouth (a.k.a what I hear from other bloggers and runners).  And what I hear is this – marathons make you slower!  You are going for distance and ultimately that means you have to SLOW down, which in turn teaches your legs to go slower and not faster.  You may get the marathon time you want (yayy 4:07 MCM forever, sorry shameless plug) but you may be unhappy about what comes after – high 7s average pace for a five mile run.
At one point, this change in time would have upset me more.  I would have been really PISSED that I was not going as fast especially since I knew that at one point I could do better.  And I am not saying I am thrilled about the situation, but I also know it is not THAT big of deal.   Running has become so much more to me than just a time.  Getting out there, trying my best, and having fun with my favorite running buddy means so much more than 2 minutes on a 5 mile run.  Sure, don’t get me wrong, I want to push it, I want that high of rocking a PR, and I do not smile when the time is not what I want it to be, but then again, I am still smiling (I know I am making sense now right?). Because I am getting out there and I am loving every minute of it.  I wanted to run a marathon and it made me slower, for now, but I would not trade that for the world.  
Yup thats right  I am running a marathon!

So, next marathon (spring 2012) watch out! I am going to be building up my speed and distance to kick your butt because sub-4 I know I have it in me some day, somewhere :)
Did you slow down after you ran a marathon? Don’t tell me I am the only one please!

Principle of Specificity

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Holy crap. I am so sore this morning. I mean, everything is sore. I can’t remember the last time a Body Pump class kicked my butt like that. It sounds like the principle of specificity to me!

Ready for some science?!? (I totally just felt like Mal writing that. He says that any time he wants to teach me something new.)

The principle of specificity is often refered to as the SAID principle, which stands for specific adaptation to imposed demands. Essentially, this means that the body will specifically adapt to the type of demand (training) placed on it. Lance Armstrong’s experience in the 2006 New York City Marathon is a great example of the SAID principle.

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Armstrong barely met his goal of breaking 3 hours in his first marathon. Rumor has it he pretty much walked the last couple of steps of the race. For real. He said no alpine climb on his bicycle had ever been as tough as the New York City Marathon.

For the level of condition that I have now, that was without a doubt the hardest physical thing I have ever done. I never felt a point where I hit the wall, it was really a gradual progression of fatigue and soreness.

Ok, Lance finished in 2:59:36, which is still an amazing time, but he really struggled.

I think I bit off more than I could chew, I thought the marathon would be easier. [My shins] started to hurt in the second half, especially the right one. I could barely walk up here, because the calves are completely knotted up.

Even though I’m sure he trained for the marathon, Armstrong’s body was likely much more adapted to the endurance cycling training he placed upon it. (I mean, he kicks ass at cycling for a reason!) According to ESPN.com, “Armstrong’s build presented a stark contrast to the elite men’s runners who preceded him on the course. The cycling champion’s heavily muscled legs and powerful chest set him apart from the slender Kenyans who traditionally dominate the race. Even Armstrong compared the leaders’ legs to pencils.” Hello, SAID principle.

Obviously, I am no Lance Armstrong, but the same principle applies. After all of that training for NYCM, my body adapted to those demands, which helped me to run a 4:21 marathon and not die doing it. However, I wasn’t strength training as much at the time, so my muscles were definitely surprised by a new demand placed upon it yesterday during Body Pump.

Interesting stuff, right? Studying for this NASM exam is actually a lot of fun. I hope you guys don’t mind me sharing this type of info with you. I think it’s really neat, and it helps me learn it!

Breakfast

Yummmm! Great breakfast this morning!

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I made an oatmeal pancake with peanut butter, maple syrup, and banana slices on top. I amped up the nutrition of the pancake by adding 1 tbsp of ground flaxseed and 1/2 scoop of vanilla protein powder to the recipe.

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Murphy and I are off to the dog park!

Enjoy your Saturday!