Well...now I know what a morning without coffee is really like! So I did it! I went a month (28-days) without drinking coffee. Crazy. Right?! I figured since I have been going low-FODMAP to figure out my digestive issues (blog post on that coming soon), I might as well cut out the caffeine for a month and see how that goes. Coffee, French press and espresso, are allowed on the low-FODMAP plan but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to cut caffeine out for a month and see if it helps me out at all. Before I get into what happened to me let’s see how caffeine effects your body. Downside of Caffeine
Benefits of Caffeine (3-4 cups/day)
Throughout the month of February, I have to say I felt pretty good. The only beverage I allowed myself to drink was black tea or cinnamon spice tea. Yes, I know black tea has some caffeine in it but not nearly as much as my usual triple espresso. Day 1 was a breeze. Day 2 I had a headache the entire day no matter how much ibuprofen I took. But after day 2, it was smooth sailing. My headache was gone and there were days I didn’t even drink tea. I didn’t crave my afternoon coffee fix and I didn’t crash in the afternoon. Some people said I actually looked more refreshed. Near the end of the month the smell of coffee was stronger to me if someone around me was drinking it and I did miss the ritual of making a cup of coffee at home on a weekend in the afternoons. I missed my Keurig! My digestive issues remained the same so I now know coffee is not the culprit. Halleluiah! On Thursday, March 1st I had my first triple espresso over ice. All I can say is I was the most energized person on the planet! If anything, this experiment taught me I don’t need as much coffee as I thought I did to get me through the day: one cup in the morning is enough and I will decrease my intake of triple espressos. For now on I will brew my coffee at home or occasionally purchase some at work in the morning. In the afternoons, if I do need a pick-me-up, I am going to opt for green tea instead. But for the most part, I will try to avoid any caffeine in the afternoons. Want Energy Without Caffeine? If you are looking to kick the caffeine habit, here are ways to wake-up and get energized with out that cup of joe.
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"A dream is a just a dream. A goal is a dream with a plan and a deadline." (Harvey MacKey) It’s the second week of a New Year and I have given a lot of thought to my goals for the year. Many people have asked me what my goals are and while I know what they are, I am vague when I tell them because I have a lot of shit going on. In a nutshell, this year, I just want to get healthy, have fun and let things go (AKA zero F*#cks). 2017 was good to me in so many ways: 4 Ragnars (two road and 2 trail), 2 more marathons were added to my resume, I was sent to Reebok Headquarters in Boston to represent Ragnar DC and brainstorm with other ambassadors while presenting my recovery workshop, I created new friendships, my family and I went to Disneyworld and life was good. However, as I wrote here: my body broke down. I’ve been quiet on the blog regarding my goals/health because I wanted to get answers in order to know what I had to focus on. I had an EKG done at my physical and as it turns out there is a small “blip” that my doctor was concerned about. He say’s it is nothing major but he is thinking that is what caused my heart palpitations in November when I ran in Annapolis. I see a cardiologist next week and a stress test will be done (fun!) and I will wear a heart rate monitor for a few days to track my heart rate and rhythm. As for my foot (which started hurting late August), if you follow me on Instagram, you know I had a cortisone injection in my second toe on my left foot. As it turns out, my big toe has an awesome bunion on it that has caused it to dislocate and move away from my other four toes. That would also explain why I get that large (lovely) blister on the outside of my big toe. Because of that dislocation, my second toe is taking more of the force when I run. Also, the second toe has a cyst on it and when the base of my toe is pressed, it hurts. A lot. So I had a cortisone injection in that toe and I have to wear a toe splint when I am active. Speaking of being active: I can’t run for 6 weeks. I can Spin, do the elliptical and row…anything flat footed. In yoga/Pilates I have to avoid anything where my toes flex because that really hurts especially since I am barefoot. I’ll have to avoid any lunges and do things like 1-legged push-ups and planks. All this is awesome for someone’s who’s life revolves around fitness (#eyeroll) I’ll go for a follow-up in 6 weeks and fingers crossed things are better. And yes, this is all hereditary: thanks mom! Last but not least: my back. You read here that my back began bothering me two weeks before the Marine Corps Marathon. My back has always been a hindrance since high school and I have had cortisone injections in the past. Lately, my back has hurt me when I wake up in the morning and when I sit for a while. The vertebrae haven’t gotten worse (thank God) but the arthritis has. I am taking a steroid for the pain along with other meds and if those don’t work, I will get three cortisone injections in my back. Oh yeah…this is hereditary too. Heredity-2 Me-0 So it’s a good thing I decided not to run any marathons in 2018 and set my sights on shorter distances (and a few Ragnar’s)! So this is the year of no 26.2. This is the year I have fun running shorter distances and enjoy running again instead of making it feel like a job. This is the year I take care of me in new ways and stop taking my health for granted. This is the year I let things go. I’ve been told multiple times I care too much about certain things (work especially) so I am going to work on caring less about the things that don’t contribute positively to my health and well-being. In 2018 I will only do things that “feed my soul.” This is also the year of being married 10 years! Chris and I will be heading to St. Lucia and I am looking forward to being at the beach for 9 blissful days. Running on the beach: with no foot or back pain, healthy and happy. So there you have it: I look forward to sharing more of my 2018 with you on the blog!
Tell me your goals for this year! When I think back to this year and my racing: it wasn’t a good year but it wasn’t a bad year either. I set a big goal and attempted my first (and second) BQ. I didn’t think going from a 3:43 marathon PR to a 3:35 would be that tough. But it was. I was happy with my finish in New Jersey back in March. I didn’t BQ and I ran a 3:44 but I got first in my age group. Something I never achieved before in a race. Read more about that race here. As you read here, I am extremely disappointed with the outcome of my second BQ attempt. It has taken me a while to get over the disappointment of the Marine Corps Marathon but it was also a wake-up call for me. I did some soul searching. I talked a lot with Deb and Chris. I now realize I race much better in spring races. I have to “break up” with my coach. While his training philosophy is a good one and is used by many other coaches and would probably be successful for other runners: it is not for me (or my body). I over trained. There. I said it. I burnt myself out. Both my body and my mind were just “done” probably even before I ran Marine Cops but I didn't want to believe the signs. The year started off great and in March I ran the marathon upbeat and healthy and finished with my head held high. I took a month off from all running and just cross-trained. I ran Ragnar Richmond for fun in April. I ran the half marathon in Cleveland in May for fun. Training for Marine Corps Marathon began in June and I kicked it off by running Ragnar Pennsylvania for fun. Noticing a pattern here? Training was going well but it also started to feel like a grind. At times I felt as if I was just going through the motions and just getting the mileage in. I didn’t think of anything else other than running, eating right, working out and recovering. I let things at home slide. I lost focus at work. I got irritated easily. There were times during my long runs I lost focus, lost confidence, couldn’t catch my breath, felt overwhelmed and just had to stop and walk to gather myself. That never happened before. The injuries just came one right after another. My knee didn’t get worse but hurt off and on. In August, after Ragnar WV (where I had fun), my foot started to hurt. And two weeks before Marine Corps, my back got sprained. My body was not recovering the way it used to. Another “red flag” for me was Ragnar DC. You know how much I love Ragnar and the fun I have. This year’s DC race was a grind for me. I didn’t enjoy it. It wasn’t my teammates or anything to do with the race. It was me. I think I was so damn tired from training and worried about my current injuries that I couldn’t enjoy myself. I actually couldn’t wait for it to be over. I took my 26 days off from running after Marine Corps and on day 27 I ran the Annapolis Class Half Marathon with Tim. We took it easy and set out at a decent pace. But around mile 7 my heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest. It was beating so fast. I started walking and I told Tim to go on ahead. I started running again but then around mile 10 it happened again. I ended up finishing at 1:57. I wasn’t trying to beat last years 1:45 but it was in the back of my mind! My heart settled down after the finish but I have to admit: I was a little worried.
I have not ran in a week. Just Spinning, rowing and weight lifting. I am running the Fairfax Four Miler New Year’s Eve. As for 2018 and running…I am not running any marathons. Can’t believe I just typed that. No 26.2 for me. Part of me wants to put my name in the lottery for the Marine Corps Marathon and see if I get in and try to at least run it in 4-hours but I will resist. My body needs a break from 26.2 and the rigorous training. I will be running in the following: Healthy Strides 10K (April) St Michaels Running Festival Half (May 19th) Ragnar Niagara (June 1-2) Ragnar WV (August) Ragnar DC (September) Other races will pop up I’m sure and I will do them for fun. I plan on running a few races for Ainsley’s Angels because I love their charity. I will do weekly fun runs with local running groups: Pacers, Summit 2 Soul, PRR, Trottin Oxen and Shake Shack. I will still be an ambassador for Reebok Ragnar because that is one organization I am truly passionate about. I won't follow a specific training schedule. Just run. I am also going to get back to other things I used to make time for: yoga, headstand practice and Pilates. Chris and I are even taking a much needed “just the two of us” vacation in November. First thing though: I am getting my foot checked out (there is still a bump on the top of it at the base of my second toe) and I am getting a complete physical done. Both my body and mind need time to rest and recharge. I took on a lot this past year and I need a break. This break from 26.2 will allow me to refocus, re-evaluate and come back healthier and with more purpose. So when will I run 26.2 again? March 2019. I’ll head back to Myrtle Beach and run the marathon like I did in 2016. Spring race. Flat course. 3rd BQ attempt. I am going to go through major FOMO watching my running friends train for their 2018 marathons but I know my body will thank me in the end. And hey…if a much needed break worked for Shalane Flanagan maybe it will work for me! I dug into the archives of my old blog (I'd Rather Be Sweating) and am making some of the old workouts new again! This is just a small taste...there will be more!
If you are new to my workouts: welcome! If you have experienced them before: try them again! These workouts require ZERO equipment! AMRAP= As many rounds as possible It’s been about three weeks since I ran my 12th marathon: The Marine Corps Marathon. I am going to stray away from the norm and I am not going to do a play-by-play recap. My heart just isn’t into it. As the magic 8-ball would say: outcome not so good. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you've seen first hand how my training went. Leading up to the Marine Corps Marathon I dealt with a series of injuries. My right knee would give me problems off and on but nothing major and an MRI told me it is just normal wear and tear that my doctor was not worried about. In late August, my left foot started to give me problems. After my training runs, I would have pain on the top of my foot at the base of my second toe. My foot never hurt when I ran: just after. Icing and massage seemed to help it but anything where I would have to bend my toes (plank, push-ups etc.) hurt to try. I dealt with the foot pain. Two weeks before the race: I hurt my back. I rode the bike a lot those weeks and I think I laced up my running shoes twice. Massage and ice helped a lot. I have a history of throwing out my back so I had muscle relaxers on hand which helped a little: made me sleep amazingly well but didn’t get me to 100%. Race day morning though: my back felt good. I woke up race day morning and looking back I realized something just felt “off.” It was all business at the starting corral: no selfies with Tim or pictures of anything. Not my usual race day routine. We started out on pace: not too fast and enjoyed the first 11 miles. Then it got hot. I started to feel light-headed and ended up walking through water stops and then eventually walking about every half mile. Getting over the bridge between miles 20-21 was a nightmare and my back decided it wanted to lock up on me at certain times. We ran the last mile, made it up the hill and finished in 4:11. A PR for me on the Marine Corps Marathon course. After the race I kept my head up and was happy that I completed another marathon. I did have to defer last year because training wasn't possible after my hip surgery. I was grateful that I crossed another finish line. It never really occurred to me how disappointed I was until I drove into work the following morning and had to drive past the Iwo Jima Memorial where I finished the race the previous day: I started to cry. I wished I would’ve pushed myself harder. I wished I would’ve been mentally tougher. Would’ve. Could’ve. Should’ve. I’ve re-played that day over in my head quite a few times in the last few weeks and the biggest takeaway for me is that given my series of injuries and how I felt “off” on race morning: I should’ve adjusted my goal. I think I should’ve aimed to finish in 4-hours then that way there would’ve been less pressure, less stress on my body and I could’ve enjoyed the race more. Next time I run MCM (2019 anyone?) that will be my goal: 4-hours or less and a nice PR for that course. So what have I been up to since the marathon? I have been following coach’s orders and have been taking off my 26 days from running. I have been biking, rowing, lifting heavier weights than I was when I was training (man I missed that!) I did however run 7.5 miles this past weekend in a 50.2 mile Growler Relay with some fellow Ragnar Ambassadors which was a blast! I’ve been thinking about what I am going to do next. I have enjoyed my break from running and the training schedule. I realized that this past training cycle I was straight up tired. My body (and mind) weren’t recovering well. I wasn't enjoying training like I was in the spring. The last few weeks I have been more energetic and upbeat. I am excited to get back to running though and will be running the Annapolis Running Classic Half Marathon November 18th with Tim. Ironically enough that is the first day I am allowed to officially run again. I'm not going to lie: I am still disappointed with the outcome of the marathon. I am an athlete and a competitor and I worked my ass off. But each race I run brings lessons that will make me stronger for the next one. Boston will always be there and I want to enjoy the journey getting there. I have been mulling over training plans and race calendars planning out 2018. I’ll say this: I’m hitting the reset button and 2018 is going to be a fun year. Part of my reset will even take place in Niagara Falls :) My reset plan and 2018 race schedule coming at ya next week. It has been quiet around here on the recipe front due to my digestive issues. My diet has been pretty bland and since I had to cut out bananas, a staple in all smoothies: I had to get creative. BRING ON THE DATES! Bananas are a staple in just about every runner's diet. However, dates are found to be easier to digest than bananas and are a nutritional powerhouse. Dates are rich in potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium. Looking for a more natural source of energy during your run? One date has 70 calories and 17 grams of carbs and way less sugar than gels that contain about 90 calories and 25 carbohydrates.
I have missed the thickness bananas add to my smoothies but dates have been a nice alternative and pairing them with coffee?! YUMMY! CAFFEINE BUZZ SMOOTHIE Makes 1 smoothie Ingredients 1/1 cup unsweetened Almond Milk 1/2 cup brewed coffee 1 scoop vanilla protein powder 1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt Handful of dates; chopped 1 Tbsp. almond butter 1 tbsp. ground flaxseed Dash cinnamon Handful of ice cubes Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until thick. Enjoy! Even though I am over three weeks out from running Ragnar Pennsylvania: I think I am still on a runner's high! Lots of "firsts" happened in PA: running from Lancaster to the Poconos, running with a team of Facebook "acquaintances", not being captain and running on a 12-person team. This year I wanted to run a a Ragnar Relay somewhere new. I know Lancaster, PA isn't very exotic but it was somewhat close so that I could drive there and not pay crazy airfare. I took a chance and posted on the Ragnar PA Facebook page that I was an experienced Ragnarian looking to join a team. Jen immediately messaged me and said she was trying to get a group together. PERFECT! She also told me more runners were needed so I immediately started recruiting and my friend Justin joined us. I figured it would be nice to know one person on the team! Team Dirty Soles was formed. The months leading up to the relay we all messaged each other on Facebook getting organized and trying to get to know each other a little bit better. Jen, Jeremy, Ashley, Justin, Adam and myself were in Van 1. I was runner 2 and would be running a total of 19.9 miles. Todd, Vaughn, Chris, Rich, Ruth and Jane were in Van 2. Justin and I headed to Lancaster right after work the Thursday before the race and checked in at our hotel where we finally got to meet everyone from Van 1. Except for Adam: he was driving from MN and would not be in town until 4am race morning. Yeah...you read that right! Honestly it was as if we had knew each other for years. Conversation was easy and we laughed the entire time. The five of us headed to dinner at the amazing Neptune Diner. Apparently they specialized in anything and everything meatloaf but I settled for a hearty breakfast: After fueling up we headed back to the hotel so we could decorate the van (another Ragnar "first" for me) and so that I could watch the Cavs game. The following morning we were up bright and early to make our 7:45am start time. Seeing that orange arch will never get old... Jeremy was our first runner but decided at the last minute he needed a Dunkin' Donuts run. He ran across the street and next thing you know he is back with a dozen doughnuts about 10-minutes before the start. Happy National Donut Day to us! Jeremy got on the road and my 6th Ragnar was underway! Jeremy's 1st leg was short so we hauled it to the exchange (might have gotten lost a little!) and I set out on my 1st leg. Hot, hilly and beautiful describes those 8.4 miles. But I enjoyed every minute of it and kept it at a 9-minute pace based on my marathon training plan. All six of us made it through our 1st leg with no problem enduring heat and hills and we made it to Exchange 6 where Van 2 would continue on with the slap bracelet. What's the first thing we did on our down time? Wawa stop for coffee and to use a real bathroom! Successfully caffeinated and relieved, we went in search of food and found the Victory Brewing Company thanks in part to Jeremy's freakishly awesome navigating skills. After lunch, we found a park to take a nap in for a couple hours. Going into this weekend, I wasn't sure if I would like the down time or not. I am just used to being constantly on-the-go. On Ultra teams you don't have time to stop at a restaurant: you pack your lunch and eat in the van or you have your teammates pick something up for you while your out running. And you certainly don't have the time to unroll a sleeping bag and nap in the grass. I have to admit the down time went by fast and it was nice to chill out and get to know my teammates a little better and spend some non-running time with them. After our power naps it was time to meet van 2 at Exchange 12 for the hand-off of the slap bracelet. My second leg was 5.5 miles and the elevation chart was a nice downhill. It was WRONG. It was mostly uphill except for the last 1/2 mile. What made it fun though was running through towns where kids were outside handing out water and lemonade and cheering us on. I kept it at a 9-minute pace and got a nice surprise when I saw my teammates forming a tunnel for me to run thru about a mile near the end. All of us completed our 2nd leg and around 10:00/11:00pm (things get fuzzy here!) we met up with Van 2 before heading off to go sleep. It was cold all of a sudden so I passed out in the van with Adam and Jeremy while Justin, Ashley and Jen slept in the tent. Around 3:00 we woke up so that Jeremy could take the slap bracelet one last time around 4:00am. Jeremy headed out and we headed to Exchange 26. They had a bonfire going for us and it felt so good! Jeremy came in and around 5:15am I headed out for my final leg 6 miles. And...it started to rain. I kept my pace the same for this leg as the others and even ran with a buddy (I forget her name!) and we chatted the entire time. The miles flew by and we even commented how the elevation chart was marked "very hard" but this leg was just the opposite. My buddy and I hugged when we got to Exchange 27 and Ragnar #6 was in the books for me! My van finished their legs (Jeremy ran an extra leg because Van 2 had an injured runner) and headed to Exchange 30 where we handed the slap bracelet off one last time to Van 2...and ate an insane breakfast of Mimosas, pancakes, eggs and coffee. After breakfast, we headed to the Poconos Mountain resort to wait for Van 2 and cross the finish line together. At this point, the down time seemed like it took forever. Hard to just sit around when technically you are done running, tired and hungry. But we passed the time by cleaning out the van, shopping, drinking beer and taking advantage of the recovery chairs... After about 3.5 hours, we saw that Chris was heading towards the finish and we got ready to greet him and run under the orange arch together and collected our well-deserved hardware. I forgot that I could pick up my Mudslinger medal since I ran Ragnar Richmond and PA in the same year. It was time for pizza and beer. We all exchanged running stories, talked about our kids, where we were from and what we do for a living. Rich and I talked a lot since we are both trying to "chase the Unicorn." It was funny to see everyone energized with adrenaline as we talked about what happened over the last 32-hours but then one-by-one everyone's eyes got a little more tired! It was time to head home.
Every time I run Ragnar, I learn a little bit more about myself and what I am capable of. This time around, while the hills were in-freaking-sane, I learned that it is so damn fun to run with strangers who have one common goal! Nine out of twelve of my teammates were new to Ragnar so for me, as a Ragnar Ambassador, it made me proud to hear how much fun everyone had and that they would do it again. I'll sign-off by saying...I'll see you next at Ragnar Appalachains-WV! If you have been following me on Facebook and Instagram: you know that this weekend was a whirlwind for me. It started out with me going to the Eric Church concert with Deb Friday evening. I was bummed to have missed the VIP Cleveland Marathon Dinner and hang with my fellow ambassadors but country music and some much needed out-on-the-town time was needed with Deb. After a late night of screaming and singing to every song (he is my all-time favorite country artist), I had to wake up at 5:00am Saturday to head 5 hours to Ohio, get my mom and head to Cleveland. Of course I was listening to Eric Church the entire car ride and my voice was a little crackly from singing and screaming the night before. Mom and I made it to the Brownstone Inn ahead of schedule! We settled into our room and then headed to the Expo to pick up my race bib, eat and shop at the Cleveland Clothing Co. and the West Side Market. After we relaxed a bit back at the Brownstone Inn, it was time to head to Bruno's Ristorante for my pre-race meal which turned out to be an unexpected experiment! Because I could still not eat eggs, I had to ask the waitress if they made their meatballs with eggs. She checked with the kitchen and not only did they use eggs to make meatballs but also all of their pastas! Bummed I couldn't get my usual spaghetti and meatballs but I made due with some fibrous vegetables (beet salad and some other steamed veggies) and the kitchen suggested I get the Chicken Marsala. I felt satisfied after dinner and hoped it would fuel me well the next day. FYI: the Chicken Marsala was AMAZING! After dinner it was time to head back to the Inn, lay out my clothes for the race and try to get as much sleep as possible. 5:00am mom and I woke up, got dressed and I fueled up and we were out the door by 5:30am. Very thankful for the VIP free parking and of course I had to say "good morning" to the big guy! Adam, a friend from work and fellow Ragnarian, was running the full marathon so we met up prior to the start but had to part ways in the corals. More on him later :) This was my 6th time running in Cleveland and I still get goosebumps from all of the excitement and energy at the start. That feeling never gets old and I don't think it ever will. Marathon Day is always an exciting time for the city but I think with all of the events this past year (Cavs Championship, the "Windians" and this being the 40th running of the Marathon) the city was more electric than ever before. THE PLAN For this race, the goal given to me by Coach Al was to take it easy and have fun since marathon training would be starting up the following-week. Although he didn't give me a goal time: I wanted to finish under 2-hours so I set out to maintain a 9-minute comfortable pace. The temperature was a nice 61-degrees with a breeze. But the humidity caught a lot of runners off guard from the start. THE RACE For the first 4 miles I felt good and had to tell myself to slow down since adrenaline and excitement were taking over. We ran through Playhouse Square and past First Energy Stadium (home of the Browns) which is always, for me, a fun site to see. Around mile 3.5/4 we hit a bridge and a lot of the runners came to a slow walk to get up and over it. It was comical to see runners go right and left to avoid running over the metal grates that were over the center of the bridge. Motivational signs along the road helped everyone keep pushing forward. I specifically remember this quote: "The climb is tough, but the view from the top is worth it." After the climb, around mile 5.5 the half marathoners and marathoners headed into Tremont where the spectators were pretty much having a huge block party! I gave a woman a hug who was all dressed up and dancing to the music. Next I know I hear a familiar voice saying "hi" to people along the course. I look behind me and it's Adam! He's just running along like he is the mayor of Cleveland giving hi-fives and shaking hands. It was hilarious but I was so glad to see him. He and I ran together from miles 6-11 where the half-marathoners and marathoners split up. I was happy to have the company and chat with him and he said he was glad to run with me to get his mind off of his stiff legs. He commented that he "thought I was going to take it easy this race" and I told him "I thought you said you were slow"! We both settled into a 9-minute pace and cruised along. We parted ways at mile 11 giving each other high-fives, I wished Adam luck, and I made my way back to the city. I was excited that running over the Shoreway was not in the route this year and instead we ran over a smaller bridge that gave us an amazing view of the skyline. I loved how it got bigger the closer we got to it and I ended up sprinting to the finish. Because of the new race course, the finisher's area was much less congested than year's past and I was able to find my mom immediately. She gave me a hug and we found a place where I could stretch and inhale some pretzels! We then went to a VIP brunch held at a nearby hotel where we both loaded up on coffee and I had bacon and fruit while my mom enjoyed eggs! After the brunch we walked to the top of the Convention Center where I was able to get a quick picture before the rain came down! Back at the Brownstone Inn I got cleaned up and said goodbye to Robin the Innkeeper. Most likely this would be the last time I see him since he has become very sick and can no longer maintain the Inn. The Brownstone Inn has been my "home" for the race for the last 4 years. Before I left I had to get one more glance of that blue door... TAKEAWAY
This has got to be the most relaxed I have ever been for a race that I have ran by myself. Running races with friends and running Ragnar are fun for me and I don't put pressure on myself. I just run. Not having a goal pace or finish time this year for the Cleveland Half Marathon took so much pressure off of me and I was able to enjoy the race. I enjoyed running through the city. I ran my race. The feeling I had before the race two weeks ago is the same feeling I want to carry with me at each race from here on out whether I have a set goal or not. I want to be focused but care free. I want to be confident but excited. Thanks again to Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon for giving me the opportunity to run in the city I love! Thanks to all of my fellow Ambassadors for providing inspiration and motivation. Even though we are miles apart we share in one common goal: to share our love of running with the masses! I already cannot wait for next year's race! I'll start this recap by sharing the lesson I learned from this race: don't fear fast. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever try to attempt a BQ. I always joked maybe I would make it to Boston when I was 70. But running a 3:43 in Myrtle Beach in 2016 boosted my confidence and recovering so well and feeling stronger than ever after hip surgery made me think that a BQ wasn't a dream anymore. It was time to make it a reality. I was nervous to tell family members and friends about my goal because I wasn't 100% sure I could accomplish it. But I had to try and in order to give it my all: I needed my support crew. Training Leading up to the Ocean Drive Marathon (BQ attempt #1) many of you followed me on Facebook and Instagram and got to see how I was dealing with the training load, injuries and nutrition. I had an amazing coach, Al, who instilled a confidence in me I never had before when it came to running. He knew I could achieve a 3:30/3:35 without a doubt. Training six days a week definitely took its toll on me. I dealt with runner's knee through the majority of the training cycle but it never hindered my running. I took a few weeks off from the sprint workouts and that seemed to help it a bit. I got the flu a month before the race: right before we vacationed in Disney World. So training was put on hold for a few days. When I wasn't running I would be foam rolling. When I wasn't running or foam rolling I was sleeping or re-fueling. What time (and energy)I had left was for work. Run, eat, sleep, repeat. Oh yeah...and be a good wife and mom. I was tired a lot of the time. Waking up in the morning when it was still dark outside and asking myself, "Why am I doing this?" when the answer was obvious and once I was out the door I immediately felt energized. I dealt with "mom guilt" and walking out the door leaving Addy with Chris and hearing her say, "I want to go with mommy!" By the end of the training cycle I was so happy to be done with sprints and was so tired of lugging extra cold weather clothes to work to run outside that I would just hop on the treadmill. I was ready go get that 3:35 BQ! Saturday Chris, Addy and I left for Jersey Friday night before the race so we could make it to packet pick-up Saturday morning and relax the remainder of the day. Saturday morning we got to the Wildwoods Convention Center where there was a lot of activity going on so Chris and I thought the Expo looked promising. As it turns out all of the activity was for the Special Olympics events they had going on! My "expo" was in a room on the other side of the building. It took me all but 2-minutes to grab my packet and then we were back in the car to drive the hour back to my in-laws! I did a quick shake-out run Saturday. First time I have ever done a pre-race shake-out run. It felt good just to get out, run and let my mind wander a bit. Saturday night was the traditional spaghetti dinner, lay out my race outfit and get to bed super early. I fell alsleep with Coach Al's pep talk in my head: "You've got it: steady and patient." Race Day I woke up Sunday ready to rock. I was nervous but I was to the point where I just wanted to run. I felt good. The temperature was in the 40s and the winds were at about 10mph: perfect! Chris and I parked near a house that was under construction and a porta potty was right out front. I took advantage of that (two times!) before we walked to the start where I used a porta potty one more time. I wasn't taking any chances! The start of the race was small. I had my headphones on and didn't even hear the "3-2-1" countdown. Nobody was on a microphone or megaphone and all I saw were the runners in front of me moving and knew it was go time! I did tear up a little at the start: I was racing my first marathon after hip surgery. It was awesome running through Sea Isle City and seeing all of the brightly colored beach houses. I was feeling good and made sure to to stay on pace and not go out too fast. There was plenty of aid stations along the course. For a small race I was surprised to see that. I saw Chris around mile 6 and tossed him my gloves and was excited to know I would see him next, along with Deb and her family at the turnaround at mile 13. It was so nice to look at the ocean as I ran but the bridges we ran over were a little annoying. The metal grating on the bridges ranked up there with running on a cobblestone street. As soon as we came over the last bridge to Grassy Sound I spotted my support crew and started waving my arms. Seeing them gave me a burst of energy along with the tailwind that I soon would find out was really 20mph. I rounded the 13.1 mile marker, gave Chris, Deb and her family high-fives and then immediately ran into an insane headwind. Chris would later tell me that as I was running, the winds increased. My pace immediately went from 7:49 to 8:15. From that point I just told myself to just keep running. Just keep fighting. I felt great but I was getting tired fighting the wind. I tried to get behind a few runners so I could draft off of them and it worked for a bit but then I would lose them at a water stop. I remember being behind an older gentleman wearing a Boston windbreaker. I thought to myself, "I am literally chasing that damn unicorn!" I saw Chris at mile 21 and that is when I had to walk for a bit. I was just done fighting the wind. The last mile was the worst. It was right alongside the beach and the wind was horrible. Sand was flying in my face and I felt as if I was running in place. I crossed the finish and even though I knew I didn't achieve my goal: I was happy to be done. Another marathon in the books. I crossed the finish, collected my medal and just took a few seconds to put my hands on my knees and think before I faced my cheer squad. I remember telling myself to not be upset and to be proud for finishing a race in these conditions. I met up with everyone and we went to the finisher's tent were I got some food and warm coffee. Deb went over to look at the race results on the computer to get my official time and that is when we found out I got first in my age group! Holy Shit! Never in my wildest dreams would I ever think I would get first in my age group in a race. That achievement made me even more proud. Lessons Learned
I ended up missing a BQ by 4-minutes and 1-second. But given you technically need to beat your BQ time by at least 2 and a half minutes: I missed my goal by 7-minutes. 7 damn minutes! Despite the wind slowing me down and the walk break: I came damn close. Of course now when I train for BQ attempt #2, those 7-minutes are going to push me. Sure, I am disappointed. I worked my ass off. But this race made me realize that this dream is not far out of reach. In the past if you told me I would need to keep a 7:40 pace in a race I would've called you crazy. Hell, even race morning I was nervous at seeing 7:40 and 7:49 on my pace band. Seeing anything below an 8-minute pace freaked me out. But now I know I can keep a fast pace (fast for me) and feel comfortable doing it. I no longer fear fast and I realize that is the biggest thing that has been holding me back from improving my race times. After this race, I felt a sense of relief too. I was putting so much pressure on myself worrying about disappointing those who had supported me: they had so much faith in me. In the end, everyone was happy about what I had accomplished and still proud of me. The next race, I won't have the added pressure about letting people down because I know they are proud of me no matter what. I have taken 26-days off from running after the marathon. My right knee feels good and my left hip feels stronger than ever. Six months from now I will be going for BQ attempt #2 at the Marine Corps Marathon. A course I know well but also a course that has challenged me in the past. I am excited to run a local race and take in all of it's energy. Training begins in May. Al will be coaching me again and I am excited that the weather will be warm. Between now and October I have four Ragnar Relays (two road and two trail) and the Cleveland Half Marathon. All of those will be incorporated into my training. Time to focus on those 7 damn minutes! |