Tag Archive | 9 plus 1

Living the Dream!

As you read yesterday, I ran the Staten Island Half this past weekend. What I didn’t mention in this post though is that I did it! Now I don’t mean I did the Half because you know that already. I mean that I completed my 9+1 plan!!!!!

Words truly do not express how I feel about this. It is like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders as this has been months in the making having started this journey in January with Fred Lebow Half and ending with the Staten Island Half. The cherry on top is that not only did I qualify for running THE NEW YORK CITY MARATHON in 2016, but also the NEW YORK CITY HALF!!

Now, I know that I could not have completed this task alone. I would not have been able to do it. As the saying goes, “I get by with a little help from my friends.” In this case, I got by with a lot of help from my friends. First of all this is the amazing group of women who inspired me to push myself not only in my running but to push myself to dream of doing things I would have never thought possible for me. These are the women who showed me that with hard work and dedication I can do anything I set my mind to. These are the women who took a newbie under their wings when I didn’t even know anything about needing actual pace for a race. Remember my story of my first half? I have to admit that although there is still so much that I don’t know, I am no longer a newbie. They helped me in ways they don’t even know by never making me feel less because I am slower than them or didn’t know what I was doing. They shared themselves and their knowledge so willingly with me. These are also the women who without making it so fun to run, I would have stopped. Yes, I now love to run. Yes, I now need to run, but that all started with this group of women who got me to this point. There is also the logistics factor because with them I was able to make it to these races. Yes, I probably could have done it without them, but I’m not really sure that I would have wanted to or it would have been so easy to do. These are also the women that I have so much respect, admiration, and love for.

As we all know, I did not grow up dreaming of one day running the New York City Marathon. I was someone who grew up hoping not to be picked last in gym class, but that is the beauty of growing up. You realize that all that doesn’t matter because you no longer need to wait to be picked for anything life has to offer. You create your own future, dreams and if you work hard enough anything is possible. I may have come late to the party of wanting to run the NYCM, but I have now made that dream a possibility. It is in my reach and I just need to wait because it will happen. Although, I’m really not one to sit around and wait for things to happen anymore. So in the meantime, I’ll be out chasing other dreams.

What are your dreams?

I Do Have My Eye on the Prize!

Sep28

Well I am getting close to the finish line of both my marathon training and my quest to complete the 9+1 to get into the 2016 NYCM. Both have become equally important to me and I want them both. Yeah, I’m like that.

Yesterday, I had the Bronx 10 Miler which I actually thought would fit very nicely in my training plan, but do to a hiccup in my schedule did not. I still needed to do it though because it was race number 8 out of 9. In talking with my coach, it was decided that I would push back my l6 miles long run a day till Tuesday. This is an important run as 12 miles with any luck will be at my goal marathon pace of 9:50 to 10:05. So it was determined that I would do Bronx slow and steady. My mantra was to be, “This is not my goal race.” I was told to keep my eye on the prize.

Was I disjointed that I wouldn’t be racing Bronx. You bet. Did I want to race? Maybe a little:) But I knew what was important. I was going to keep my eye on the prize. I lined up with my friends, but told them all I would see them at the finish line. Dawn was planning to push it and I was so excited for her, but I knew that we wouldn’t be able to run it together and besides she didn’t need me. Initially I thought about starting in a slower coral, but I wanted to start with my friends. When the race started, I started slow and steady. I ran the first 3 miles around 10:15, but I really wasn’t paying attention to my watch. I even stopped to take a picture around mile 5. I was not pushing it or at least I didn’t think so. Then I ran into a woman and her husband that I’ve met at several races through a mutual friends. I decided to run with them. Slow and Steady. We literally were chatting the whole time. I wasn’t paying attention to the time. I just was running. Slow and Steady. Conversational pace.

We cross the finish line together.

We pause for pictures.

I even meet an online running friend from the group Runners United NYC. I recognized her from her beautiful hair and went up to her and asked if she was ConfidentCurls and introduced myself as Accidentally Running Mama. Yes, just like that! Then we take a picture together and until meeting her in person I did not realize how tall she was as I already knew how short I am. It amazing how inspiring people can be that you’ve never met in person and there are actually a few that I only know online that I can’t wait to meet in person at the Marine Corps Marathon!

Then I meet up with my Mom’s Run This Town Mama’s. Excited to hear how they all did and that Dawn ran the race that we all knew she could run. Yeah, Dawn!! That is until she tells me that I’m going to be in trouble. She points out that I did exactly what she knew I would do which was not do a slow jog. Then I look at my time and realize that she may be right. I get home and look at my splits and although VERY pretty were not on the agenda for the day.

They are pretty. Aren’t they? Dawn laughed because she pointed out that my coach has me so well trained I do negative splits without even trying. There may be some truth to that, but I also know that every run is not this pretty. The truth though is that my coach has trained me so well that I was running this race at a faster pace, but I felt good doing so. I, really, was chit chatting away. I did not feel out of breath. I did not feel like I needed to stop. I was just plugging away. Now, maybe I should have paid more attention to how fast I was plugging away, but I really didn’t feel like I was pushing myself. Although I will admit that when I was getting close to the end, I did take it up a notch. Yes, I am one of those people that no matter the race or the pace; I will give it all I’ve got at the end.

Can’t help myself.

Makes for nice picture though. Don’t you think?

So now today is a Rest Day.

I will respect the rest day. I will honor it and keep it holey. Ok, maybe not that far but pretty close. Seems like I’m starting out on the right foot anyway. Because I do know that the only way I will not be in trouble with my coach is if I nail tomorrows Long Run. Yes, I do know that I am a grown woman who can do what I want when I want. That being said, the reason that I have a coach is to listen to her guidance and the things she tells me. She really is much smarter and wiser than me in the ways of running. She didn’t accidentally start running.

So rest, relax, and carb load today.

Has this ever happened to you?

Do you have Running Friends that you’ve never met in person?

Friday Five – 5 Fall Races!

Sep4

Friday Five Link-up with

Eat, Pray, Run DC, Mar on the Run, and You Signed Up for What?

Today’s Theme

5 Fall Races!

Well I’ve actually got only 5 Fall races on my schedule and then I’m going to call it a day!

No, I’m not going to hang up my running shoes, but I might let them collect a little more dust than they have right now which is zip,

Zerro

None!

I’m ending hopefully on a high note with the Marine Corps Marathon and then going to dial it back

At least as far back as I dial things back.

I will cross that bridge when I get there, but here are my 5 Fall Races

September 13, 2015 Iron Girl Sandy Hook Sprint Triathlon – Yup, this one is right around the corner. Nope, I’m really not prepared for it. Ok, I am ready for the run, but not much else. I haven’t really been on my bike in a while. I’ve been swimming off and on. That being said and I quote my coach said, “You can do this one in your sleep.” HA HA HA!!!! Actually, I am not worried as I am doing this one for fun. I just love this even. I’ve done it twice before and it is just such a great day. So as unprepared as I am, I’m going for it. I’ll keep you posted.
September 27, 2015 NYRR Bronx 10 miles – This one will be number 8 NYRR race for my required 9. I’ve done another Bronx run and it was fun. The best part is that I will be going in with my fellow Mama runners and I’m sure it will be a great day.
October 4, 2015 Paine to Pain Trail HM – This one Dawn did last year and talked me into doing. I signed up eons ago. I love running trails and I’ve been missing my running buddy, so this should be another great event.
October 11, 2015 NYRR Staten Island Five Borough Series Half – Hooray!! This will be my final check required in my 9+1 which will guarantee me entry to the NYCM for 2016!!!!!!
October 25, 2015 Marine Corp Marathon – This is the race that I will end my year on (maybe). This was the race that by some luck I was picked in the lottery to run. Still amazed at that. The more I read about this race, the more I know that it will be an amazing experience that I will never forget. I can’t wait to run it (which will mean marathon training is over!!!!). Being as I have always wanted to go to Washington DC and never have, I think that this will be an amazing way to see the “sights.” I know I will need to remind myself more than once that I need to run and not stop for photos. Can’t wait!

What 5 Races are you doing this fall?

Viva La France

Aug29

I’ve been to many races by now in my running “career,” but never in a volunteer capacity. Now that I think about it, I don’t think that I’ve ever even been to a race just as a spectactor. Kind of sad actually. My sister once said after watching the NYCM, “If you ever want to be inspired, just go watch a marathon.” Even though I do agree that a marathon is inspiring, really inspiration can come from watching any race. It was nice to be on the outside looking in for a change.

I will also honestly admit that I did not sign up for this volunteer position just to be inspired. I signed up because as part of the 9+1 program, I am required to either volunteer at an event or raise $1000 for charity. I opted for the volunteer position and I’m glad I did. It think every runner should volunteer at an event at least once to see what goes into it and I really only peaked behind the curtain and still have no clue as to what goes into it either. What I do know is that behind the volunteers are a whole event staff that worked hard to put it together. I couldn’t even begin to tell you about that, so I will tell you about my teaney-tiny small part I did today.

First of all I had to find an event to volunteer for through the NYRR Organization. I came across the France 8K and signed up. Luckily one of my MRTT Mama’s also signed up as I really don’t know how I would have made it there without Elaine. Although, I am not afraid to drive in the city, I don’t know the lay of the land nor how to really get there. Elaine used to live in the city and she understands the streets and parking in the city. She offered to drive which I am so thankful for. Yeah, Elaine!

One of the downsides of volunteering is the arrival time. We had to be there to check in for our assignments at 6:00 AM. Now being as we live outside the city, this meant leaving at 4:45 and waking up at 4:00. You may have hard me crying as my alarm went off this morning, but I really am not complaining. I know how lucky I am to live close enough to the city to even chase the dream of running the NYCM. So I will wake up at 4:00 AM on more than one occasion if it means that I will one day have the privledge of running 26.2 miles in New York and saying I ran the NYCM. (You know your a runner if you get that).

At check-in Elaine and I had to go our separate ways as we had different assignments. She was amenities and I was West Side Course Marshall. I know sounds very official, doesn’t it? Really what that means is that I stood along the course keeping people on the right side of the cones and keep those not racing on the left. Really not difficult.

Then the race started. As I stood there watching the front of the pack fly by, I really didn’t know what I should do. I felt silly just standing there, but my friends may not believe this but I am actually a very quiet person (I hope noone spit out their drink when they read that). It is the truth. I am quiet UNTIL I get to know you and I’m usually quiet in groups too. So as I stood along the course, I had to step outside of my comfort zone as I know how when I’m racing that the encouragement of the volunteers is so helpful. At first I started off a little tentative. A little clapping. A little “nice job runners,” “water around the corner,” “ect, ect, ect.” By the end, I was doing the booming clapping and hollering. I got a few smiles, I got a few high fives, and I got a few thank yous. I didn’t want to just stand there like a dud even if that would have given me a check.

I’m not sure if I helped anyone running by, but I know in some small way I did help one female runner. (Sorry male readers). This one woman runner came up to me and asked me if I possible had a tampon. Luckily for her, I did have one. By the look on her face, I know that I helped her and that she did not want to make a statement like that woman in London which is a whole different blog post. For now, I will say there are other ways to make your statement. Anyway, I’m glad I could help a sister runner out.

I will also say that I made sure to clap just as loud for the very last runners as they in my opinion they need more encouragement than those running to win. Today the last runner was a very obviously pregnant runner who had pinned baby on board bumper stickers (I think) to her shirt. She was working it, but she finished!

After the race, I had to walk back to return my lovely volunteer vest and badge. It was a long walk, but so glad that I did it. I have run in Central Park a few times now, but when walking you get to see a little more. It was a beautiful day, the sun was out, and I was enjoying my rest day and the fact that I have one more check.

Have you ever volunteered at a race?

Race Day Recap

Jun22

Yes, Sunday was Father’s Day. Yes, I had another race. That being said I didn’t realize it was Father’s Day when I signed up and my husband was fine with me racing again, so all was good. I will say that it feels good not to have another NYRR event on the calendar till September for the Bronx 10 miler and then October for the Staten Island Half. Then I’m done and will have my nine! That being said though, it’s not like I’m going to go into rest mode over the summer as Marathon training is starting but that is a discussion for another day.

Today is all about race day!

Going into this race I had no real plan. I had some ideas, but no plan. Part of the reason that I didn’t have a plan was because according to the forecast we were going to be experiencing major storms. The forecast was so dire that NYRR even pushed back the start time an hour the night before. That was nice for the extra sleep but bad because it meant a later return home. Although we really didn’t sleep much later as the clown car still left at 6:30ish.

I was prepared for the monsoon. Even cutting up a garbage bag the night before for a throw away poncho. Luckily, I did not need it but it is good to be prepared. I also decided not to wear my Hoka Ones as I didn’t want to ruin them. I fear this was a mistake because by mile 5 my left foot was screaming. I won’t make that mistake again. I also thought since this was going to be a wash out that I would just make it a fun run and not push it at all hence not needing the Hoka’s. Then a funny thing happened. The weather forecast was wrong. Not just a little wrong, but majorly wrong. We had some showers in the evening and barely a sprinkle when we arrived. Other than that, no raging storms. It ended up actually being VERY hot and humid. Very similar to last weeks Oakley temperatures.

We arrive at Citi-field and the horrors of the parking we heard about from last year thankfully did not happen. So we had some time to spare. We walked to the corral area meeting some other Mama’s along the way. For some reason, I don’t know if it was the daze of the morning or what; but it seems that we failed to get a group shot. I’m not sure how we let that happen. Boo us. Boo.

I will say that the Corrals this week were tight and moved up quickly on each other. Last week they had people checking to make sure that you were entering your correct corral. Not so much this week. I’m wondering if they had volunteers bail because of the “weather” as we seemed to be all mixed together and smooshed. I did not enjoy it, but I do think it helped me start strong as I’m not a big fan of the crowds like that.

Standing in the corral gave me the push I needed to get moving. I still had no plan as far as pacing, but just took off when I crossed the start line. My goal was to get a little space. I glanced at my watch here and there during the race, but for the most part kept a consistent pace during the entire race without really trying. Although it would have been much easier to do if it wasn’t for people strolling in the middle of the course, but that is for a different days discussion. There was also the dodging of the potholes and puddles. So according to my Garmin, I ran 6.35 not 6.2. I’m thinking that is from the weaving.

Mile 6 was my slowest because by that time my foot had really decided that although I was running in good shoes, that these shoes were not the shoes for me. Not enough cushioning. Not at all. I pushed through it though telling myself the faster that I got to the finish line, the faster I would be able to rest it. I will also say that the slow down wasn’t attributed to any other factor as I felt good otherwise. Hotter than Hell and drenched in sweat, but overall good. I even managed once I hit the six mile mark to sprint to the finish. There is something to be said for doing that. Try it sometime and you will see what I’m talking about. I can’t wait to see those race photos even if I don’t purchase them:)

I’m still waiting on NYRR to post the “official” time and give me my check for the 9 plus 1 and my third borough race. My “unofficial’ NYRR time is

1:00:48

If you notice, my Garmin time is only one second off. Not too shabby.

What did you run this weekend?

Monday Morning Race Recap

Jun15

Another Weekend.

Another Race.

At least that is how it seems of late.

Even causing my 8 year old son to question me saying , “Another one? How many races are you doing and haven’t you already done enough to get into the NYCM?”

I agree. It does seem like it’s been a lot, but really I’m only on number 6 with 7 this coming weekend. Then taking summer off. Ok not, off; but off from NYRR events. This will leave me 2 in the fall to do which will get me not only into the NYCM, but also the NYC Half Marathon. Yeah!

Back to this past weekends event – The Oakley New York Mini 10K.

I thought the mini was odd in the name, because how do you have a “mini” 10K. Wouldn’t that just be a 5K then? I thought maybe it was a mini because it was an all women’s race (although if you look at the finish stats for some reason it lists 3 men finishers). I was wrong though. It is called a mini because it the first one was ran in 1972 with just 78 runners compared to this last event with 7,784 finishers. In 70’s fashion, this event was actually called the “Crazylegs Mini Marathon” due to the fashionable miniskirt at the time. Well ok then. I guess it’s good that I ended up wearing a cute mini running skirt over my running pants. If only I knew that I was paying homage to the first event.

So back to the event at hand. This was fun on so many levels. First, it’s a race and they are always fun especially when running with friends. Then there was the fact that it was my one friends, Geniine’s, first time running a 10K and running in the city. She likes to say that I talked her into, but I disagree. I know her well enough to know that she is not going to do something she doesn’t want to do. (so there:). That being said, I did make it relatively easy for her (not taking into account the running) by securing her a place in the clown car and making sure that she was in on the bib pick-up.

I think that this may have been the very first race that I have ever done where I actually got a great night sleep the night before. I was tired and went to bed at 11:00 sleeping soundly till the 5:00 AM alarm. I think I like getting a good night sleep the night before. I’m sure it was fluke, but I’ll take it. Even though Genine wasn’t picking me up till 6:00 and I had all my running gear together the night before, I still like the time in the morning. It gives me a chance to have my coffee, wake up, and not feel like I’m rushed.

The Clown Car left Teri’s at 6:15 and we were good to go.

Once to the City, we took our pre-race photo and off to our corrals we went.

Dawn, Teri, and I were all starting in the same corral. My plan was to try to do the first 4 miles at a 9:50 pace and then see what I had for the last 2 miles. Dawn and I planned to stay together as long as possible, but we each knew that we would run what we needed to run. I will say that it was HOT, HUMID, and really yucky that morning. Those not running might say that it wasn’t so bad, but those actually running might disagree. Plus this was a hilly course. The hills were a slow grade, but they were there. As far as staying on pace, once again I had technical issues in that I didn’t clear my Garmin previous run. My bad. So the calculations were a little off, but I tried to stay on pace. I really was hoping to finish under an hour, but alas I didn’t. Still had a good time. Finishing in 1:01:17. I honestly don’t think it was the technical issues. I think it was the heat.

The race itself was nice. I took a prerace gel 15 minutes before which I think helped. I did like the course and I think it is fun to start on the street and not the park. We started on West 61rst street running till 81rst and then entering the park. This is the first race in a while that I’ve used music during and I’m conflicted on it. I think it might be best if I work on my playlist for this coming weekends 10K because my music was not matching what I needed to do. I might have been better off without it. Hmmmm. I also didn’t take any additional fuel during the race which I think was my mistake. I should have taken my second gel at the 5K mark, but I didn’t. Lesson learned. They did have spray stations but unfortunately due to my phone, I really didn’t utilize them to their full advantage. I smartly brought my own water bottle as I really hate the stop and go of using the water stations as it’s always hard to weave in and out with everyone else. I also didn’t run with my Fitletic Hyradtion belt but a smaller spibelt which I’m not used to on race day. That was the reason I couldn’t easily access my second gel. I was feeling drooping towards the end, but still managed to push it the last 400 meters with a pace of 7.29 according to my Garmin which I REALLY have a hard believing. Think it might be off.

Anyway….

Finished strong. Got my medal. Got my Flower and then got some much needed cold water and tried to catch my breath.

Teri finished first and found the perfect meeting spot high on the hill by a statue. Plus we got a nice breeze up there. Then as everyone finished literally within minutes of each other. We all met up for, of course, more pictures, race recaps and meeting up with the second MRTT Clown Car that came.

By the way, you can’t tell in this picture but Dawn’s tutu was adorable! It was a great way to spend the morning even if we didn’t get our cupcakes and the ice cream store was closed when we stopped. This is such an amazing group of women and I know that I would not be able to do the 9 plus 1 without them.

What did you do this weekend?

Race Recap Part 2

May19

So yesterday I told you all about the numbers.

Today lets talk about the fun stuff!

The actual run:)

Ok, not all of it was fun. I admit it. The getting up before the sun really, really sucks. I’m always worried about oversleeping, so I set backup alarms. Good thing too because I didn’t get moving till 4:00 and everyone was arriving at 4:30. It was my turn to drive the clown car, so there was no being late.

I have to say if you have to get up before the sun, at least do it with friends. One by one they arrived – Elaine, Teri, Dawn, and Mary. Then off to pick-up Karyn who was to be the co-pilot. I may have been the wheels but I had no clue as to where I was going. Luckily, Karyn works in Brooklyn and Elaine used to live there. I literally just went where I was told to go and when I got there I made Karyn park as I’m not that good at parallel parking. It’s really not required where I grew up. She thought I was kidding until I jumped out of the car and made her do it.

Since this wasn’t a normal out and back run, we had to decide if we should park at the start or park at the finish line. There was some back and forth as to which way to go. We decided to park at the start. Since parking appears to always be a concern in the city, we allowed for plenty of time to get there. We actually got through security and in our corrals before 6:30. Yes, we had to wait but waiting is better than stressing out if you will make it to the start on time. It wouldn’t have been such a long wait if we were in Corral 1, but Corral 2 didn’t start till 7:45 sot that added some time. Although both Karyn and Mary were in the first corral. That being said at least we had the backdrop the the Brooklyn Museum looking very prestigious even with a line of port-a-potties in front of it. I am by no means knocking them either as I was very happy to have them.

I will say that I was impressed with the security and ease of it at the start too. We had to go through medal detectors and only runners were allowed in the corral area. Then there were all of the police that you saw and even those that you didn’t. There were the ones on top of the Brooklyn Museum with binoculars. I liked it. I liked it a lot. If made me feel warm and fuzzy like we were being watched over especially with the sentencing for the Boston Marathon Bombing just taking place. I don’t dwell on the what could happens of this world, but it is good to know that those that should were prepared.

Then there was the actual race. As you know I’m not a city girl. My sister who used to live in NY and I visited all of once in all the years she lived there (in my defense my boys were much smaller) jokes about how often I visit the city now that she is in California. Although she does love that I am finally broadening my horizons as I am not as much as a traveler as her. Anywho, I have seen a lot of the city and I like it. I think what is nice is that I’m seeing more than the tourist destinations. There is something to be said about running through a city. It is kind of cool to be running down a road that on any given day would be hard to even cross.

Case in Point

What I love about going in with the women I go in with is that once the actual race starts, we all know we have to do the race we want to do. We all follow the motto, “your race, your pace.” Not to say that we haven’t run together, but this was not to be the case this day. We all had our own ideas of what we wanted to do. If you were here yesterday, you know what my plan was already. Then at the end even with 26,000 people we come back together.

I would do this race again. It was a fun race with a really nice course even if it did start raining at mile 4. At least it was a humid day so it did feel good even when it started really raining by mile 6. Although, I was worried about my phone as I thought we dodged the rain and didn’t properly protect my phone in a baggie. Luckily it then cleared up. I was happy that even in the rain I was able to maintain my pace too. .

I was also happy that I saved some energy at the end, because in a cruel twist you had to run up the ramp to get to the boardwalk which was very cool to finish on. The music was pumping and that helped too. When I was approaching the finish they started playing Salt N Pepper’s Push It. This song takes me back to my Ahem party days and I will admit that I was singing it as I was running at the end. How could you not?

Then off to collect my medal, rest some and then make our way back to the other side of Brooklyn to collect my car. As happy as I was to be at the start in the morning, I will say it did suck having to take the subway back. It did add at least an extra hour of travel time, but what are you going to do. Traveling in NY is supposed to be rough, so it lived up to it’s reputation.

Finally we made it to the car. After a Dunkin Donuts stop and another food stop.

I was sore at the end. Not the I can’t move sore, but the sore that does indicate you just ran a good race and pushed yourself. My quads were sore and my feet were somewhat sore. Atlhough, I did not have any pain while running. Yeah!!! I’m wondering if it was the pace or the shoes. I didn’t wear my inserts and I’m happy about that. Running a half is not the way to break them in! That being said my foot problems are not gone, but I got through the race!

Did you race this weekend?

Living and Learning

Apr24

Living and learning go hand in hand. Opinions evolve as does your experiences grow. When I first started running, I knew of a couple of people that had running coaches. I thought to myself….. What a waste. I know. I know. I’ve evolved now. I understand that there is more to running than putting on running shoes. I also understand that you don’t need to be an elite runner to have a coach anymore than you need to be a professional bodybuilder to have a personal trainer. I didn’t think of it that way. I apologize to my hopefully new running coach.

I get it now.

No, I do not have to be an elite athlete.

No, I do not need to plan to “win” any races.

(Although, lets be honest for us mere mortals showing up at the starting line is a win).

No, I do not need to think that I am suddenly a top of the packer.

What I am though is someone who wants to improve.

I am someone who is smart enough to know that there is a whole Hell of a lot of things that I don’t know.

I am someone who has a full race schedule coming up that found a little overwhelming.

I am someone who is striving to do better than I did yesterday.

That is all.

No more.

No less.

My epiphany came when I realized that a cookie cutter plan would not work for me. I have had personal trainers in the past at the gym. No one though twice about that. This is no different. Instead of teaching me routines to use at the gym though, she will help me get the most out of each run.

I will say that after our initial chat today that I am frightened especially when she said she will build my running up to 40 miles a week. WHAT!?! She, as most coaches, takes this seriously which I should hope so since this is her job. She knows what she’s talking about too having just completed her 3rd Boston Marathon and now a week later getting ready to run Big Sur Marathon. I hope I am up for the challenge.

It will be nice for change not to have to figure out if I am following the right plan as she will create a plan just for me:) It will be nice just to focus on the task at hand.

If all goes well we will start in the beginning of May which is only a week away. She seems to think that with my past results it might be possible for me to get a 4:30 at the Marine Corps Marathon, but that seems out of my league right now. I guess that’s why we are starting the training now.

Wish me luck.

Have you ever had a Running Coach?

Don’t follow the plan….. Have the Race You excpect

Apr21

I had a plan. I had a very good plan. I never followed it. Ok, I did follow it in the beginning. More to the point the closer I got to the Moore/Fitness Half Marathon, the plan fell to the wayside. I would like to say that it was due to lack of time. I can’t even say it was lack of dedication. Ok partly. I think mostly it was because the plan changed even if I didn’t fully admit to it. That being said, I DO NOT RECOMMEND not running AT ALL two weeks prior to a Half Marathon. Really. Just don’t do it. Really. I am paying the price for it today and I paid the price for it yesterday.

Here is the crux of the situation though. I’ve been dealing, ok not dealing but avoiding dealing with my feet, since Philly. With my upcoming schedule, I realized that it was time to get my head out of the sand and deal with it. If you were here yesterday, you read that I finally went to the Podiatrist and what the problems were. So maybe it was good that I took a little bit of a break.. All will be good as the Cortisone shot is already helping, I will do the stretches, and follow the plan. The doctor knows the plan does not including my stopping my running anytime soon. Back to the Race.

Besides not doing any type of training 2 weeks prior to the race, I made some other mistakes. First, I didn’t hydrate enough the days leading up to it. I normally will just drink extra water leading up to an event to avoid feeling dehydrated. I’m not sure if there is actually any physical benefit, but I know there is a mental one from me. Then there is the fact that I didn’t bank my sleep during the week either. I try to go to bed earlier leading up to the race too. This way if I don’t get a good night sleep the night before at least I’m not as bad. I went to bed 12:20 the night before and had my alarm set for 4:45. Not smart. I was tired.

When I came up with my goals for the year, I thought it would be cool to run a sub 2 half on my 46th Birthday. The closer I got though, the more I knew it was not happening for this race. I then embraced that this would be my fun Birthday Run. I have to say as far as day went, it was fun. I think I spent more time worrying about my outfit than the actual run. Ok, I know I did, but look how cute my outfit came out…..

You know it’s all about the outfit and the accessories. Don’t you like my crown?

Ok, probably not, but I will say that this outfit did help me during the race. Really!

The Clown Car as we like to refer to it was leaving town for NYC at 5:45. As early as it is, we are all still smiling. Due to caffeine, I didn’t realize how much my lack of sleep would effect me. It did. Still we had a good ride into the city and were all smiles at the starting line.

We met the cutest elderly woman at the starting line while she was walking to her corral. She was adorable. I just wish we had thought to take a picture with her. Although, I did find one of her crossing the finish line and getting her medal! Go Granny Go!! I hope that I have her spunk when I’m her age. She was talking about the bus ride and people thinking she must be crazy. I thought she was awesome!

Right, amazing! Did I forget to mention her crutches?

And, yes, she is wearing rocking legging, long sleeved shirt, and some type of purple skirt dare I say tutu.

I hope that I’m still moving like this with this type of attitude at her age!

We line up in our Corrals. The excitement of waitig for the race to start never gets old for me either. Off we go. Two of the ladies were planning to run together. My cohort was going to push it and I was just going to take it easy. I end up staying for the first lap of Central Park with the two. I will admit though that I did think they were planning to take it easier than they did, but it was good. We chatted when we could. Did double takes when we saw someone running with what appeared to be nothing under her tutu. (We ran past her). We just had a good time. After we hit mile 6 or so though, I told them to go without me. I knew that I probably could push it to stay with them and part of me wanted to. Luckily my brain won out this time.

Lap two was not as good as lap one. I realized that I dropped my Salted Carmel Caffeine Gu. I walked when I felt I needed to. I ran when I thought it was time to push a little. I will say that my Princess Birthday sash and tutu helped me run a better race. Really. No lies. It helped because there were times that I was going to start walking and someone would run by, tap me and say something like,

“Happy Birthday Princess”

“You’ve got this Princess”

“You can do this Princess.”

“You got this hill Princess”

Some of them I even trailed for a bit as Dawn will tell you that is what I like to do sometimes. I’m like a shadow. These women motivated me. These women may not realize it, but they really did help me get to the finish line in a better time than I would have if I was alone on the course. Standing out in a crowd of more than 7,000 other runners isn’t a bad thing.

My Official Finish Time is 2:20:23.

I’ll take it.

I know that this is a great time. I will admit that it is my worst time and I was slightly disappointing. Off by almost 15 minutes. When I said this to Dawn, she told me to shut hell up. She as often is right. This may not have been the race that I envisioned when I set my 2015 goals, but it was still a great race. There will be other races where I can chase the elusive 2:00:00, but there will only be one Birthday Run!

So cheers!

Anyone Can Run…..

Apr15

Anyone can run. Really. Unless there is a medical reason, anyone can run. Not everyone likes to run. I know that too being someone who used to say she hated running. Although in retrospect it isn’t that I hated running. It was more that I had never given running a chance. So I unequivocally state again that anyone can run. That being said, there is a difference between just running and running well. This is the crossroads that I am at now. I’ve been running for a while now and I’ve gotten to the point that I might just want to run well.

Now I am not saying that I want to move to the top of the Pack or become a leading Master runner. I am saying that I think it might be time to take my running up a notch. Take it the the next level. Right now, I’ve been following generic training plans for specific events. I will say these have been amazingly helpful and I’ve learned from them. I know that without my Runner’s World Hat Trick Specific Training Plan that I would not have been able to run those events as well as I did. Online training plans are wonderful and will get you where you need to go. My problem that I am encountering and is starting to freak me out a bit is that I need to form my plan to start training for the Marine Corps Marathon while being prepared for other events. I seem to be going a few different directions at once.

Case in Point….

Running many events of different distances for the 9 plus 1 plan
Training for the Iron Girl Sprint Triathlon
Training for the Marine Corps Marathon and the final hill at the end of it.

Now I would have no problem following a plan on my own to train for one of these events, but I’m really having a problem wrapping my head around training for all of them at once. Probably because I don’t know what I’m doing and have no background in this field. Yes, I read my Runner’s World, Running Times and such but I’ve really been only running since I finished my first Tri in September of 2013. I’m in a bit of a quandary. I know I need to train. I know that both the Tri and the marathon will require serious training with the marathon only being a month after the Tri, I will need to train for them at the same time. That being said, I need to figure out how to train without over training, without causing injury, and without causing burnout. That is where a running coach might just be what I need.

I used to think that a Running Coach would be reserved for the “serious athlete.” The top of the Pack athlete. The career athlete. I used to think that a Stay-at-Home Mom wouldn’t need a Running Coach. What would the point be? Then I realized what the point would be? The point would be that they know what they are doing. The point would be that they can help me reach my goals. The point would be that they can help generate a plan just for me. Just like I’ve hired a Personal Trainer at the gym in the past, a Running Coach can help put me on the right path for running smartly. To help me run well. A Running Coach can help me reach my potential while at the same time giving me the skills that I will need to get to the end of the road all in one piece.

This is where I am now. I’ve started process. I have not hired a coach yet, but have contacted one to see her thoughts. Surprisingly, the cost is not as high as I thought it would be. To be honest, the monthly cost is cheaper than hiring a Personal Trainer for two sessions. Plus the coach that I am looking at has different packages depending upon my need. I don’t pay a gym membership right now and can justify the cost too. Although the biggest justification of the cost will be the peace of mind it will bring me.

Even though I have not hired a coach yet and am still investigating, just the thought of it is easing the stress. I am days away from turning 46. I am a Stay-at-Home Mom. I am a middle of the Pack runner. I have much to learn about the art of running and training. Bottom line is that I was wrong. A Running Coach is for an athlete at any level and I am worth it.

Do you have a Running Coach??

Have you ever had one?

The Accidentally Running Mama

Run, Bike, Swim and Have a Life!