tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55590412350156199372024-03-13T01:41:31.356-04:00Mom on the Movehttps://www.facebook.com/NicoleHartPersonalTraining/
Instagram: @coachhart17Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5559041235015619937.post-55113880195404656182017-10-04T12:27:00.000-04:002017-10-04T12:27:12.265-04:00Blues Cruise 50k: My First UltraMarathon! I did it! I completed my first Ultra Marathon on Sunday in Reading, PA. It was an incredible day, full of ups and downs (literally) and one I will never forget.<br />
The day began with some low lying fog, and some nice, cool temps. I arrived at the race site one hour before the start time, picked up my race number, and cool race swag including a hat, long-sleeved running shirt and Gu water bottle. I texted another mother runner in the Ultra group, Nanci, and we were able to meet up before the race. It was so nice finally getting to meet her in person!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before the start. Ready to Go!!<br /></td></tr>
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<br />Before we knew it, it was Go Time! We lined up near the back of the crowd of runners, wished each other good luck, and after a minute of instructions from the race director, we were off! The first few miles were "easy" with a few small hills, but generally pretty smooth single track. The biggest challenge was to get in the groove of having people right in front and back of me, and trying to keep a consistent pace. After a few miles, the crowd of runners thinned a bit, and it was easier to get into a nice pace. Before the first aid station (3.5 miles) was a bit of a climb. I hiked up the hill, took off my arm sleeves, grabbed a couple of twizzlers from the aid station and was on my way. Miles 5-10 were pretty smooth. I was able to run these miles between 10:00-10:40/mile pace, feeling really great. Before the race started, Nanci told me that there was a sign in the port-a-potty that said "If you start to feel good in an Ultra, don't worry, the feeling will pass". Yep! At mile 10, there was a HUGE hill. Looking at the elevation chart now, it looks like I climbed 223 ft over a quarter of a mile. When I looked up as I was climbing, I couldn't actually see the the top! It was tough, but I just took it one step at a time, telling myself "keep moving forward". It was so great to finally crest that hill. The "rolling" hills started at this point, and this is when the challenge of an Ultra really started. I would hike up one hill, then cruise on the downhills, which felt great at this point. I was able to pass people on the downhills, which was a big confidence booster. I had practiced running downhill during my training, and I'm glad I did. The hills just kept coming, but I was still running strong. At the half marathon point (13.1 miles) I looked at my watch and noted that I was still making great time. I was at about 2 1/2 hours at this point, which surprised me. I was hopeful that I would break 6 hours if I could keep up a steady pace. <div>
I stopped at each aid station, which were every 4 miles. I filled up my water bottle, added Nuun Performance, snacked on some cookies, candy, pretzels, PB and J sandwiches, and just kept going. I took a Gu energy gel every 40-45 minutes. The aid stations were absolutely amazing, with friendly, cheerful volunteers, and different themes at each one, including "Blues Brothers", "Margaritaville"and "Oktoberfest". I loved hearing the cheering up the trail and we approached each station. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The elevation chart. HILLS! </td></tr>
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Miles 15-20 were challenging, with the hills continuing. At this point the downhills weren't as fun as previously. My legs, specifically my quadricep muscles, were really feeling the pounding at this point. I still resolved to run on the flats and the downhills, and hike up all the hills. I noted the time at mile 15.5 (1/2 way finished), and it was just a little over 3 hours. I was still hopeful for a 6-6:15 finish time. Little did I know that the course would not let up, with relentless hills. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only photo I have of me on the course. I think it was taken sometime in the second half, climbing. Head down.<br /><div style="text-align: left;">
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At mile 21 or 22, another HUGE hill. Another climb of about 200 ft. This was tough mentally and physically, but I got through it. I was looking forward to getting past the marathon distance (26.2 miles) and knowing that I had gone further than ever before. Once I passed 27 miles, and the last aid station, I knew I would make it. I grabbed a handful of potato chips, and resolved to stay strong and get to the finish under 6 1/2 hours. </div>
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From miles 28-30 was a seemingly continuous climb, and I had to walk more than I wanted to. Finally I could hear the finish line, and I was able to run it in. I saw the clock, and it was reading 6:29:xx, so I was happy that I would make it just under 6:30! 6:29:56 (official). The elevation gain was over 3,000 ft, and the elevation loss was about the same over the 31 miles. </div>
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I was handed my finish award, a fleece hoodie and was told to "ring the bell". I rang the bell, and celebrated my finish. I hobbled over to my car, and took a few minutes to clean the salt off my face, change my shirt and hat, take off my trail shoes and then walked back to the finish to wait for Nanci to finish and grab some post-race food. I helped myself to some pasta, potato salad and a grilled cheese sandwich, which I really enjoyed, washed down with some Nuun Active to replace the salt that I had lost. The sun was shining and warm now, probably close to 70 degrees. </div>
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The finishers were still coming in at a steady pace, and I was happy to see Nanci come in and celebrate with her kids and husband. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She made it!<br /></td></tr>
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My next challenge was to get in the car and drive home 70'ish miles. I was tired, but so, so happy with my run. I never gave up, I move steadily through the course and felt pretty good! My fueling was consistent and adequate, and I never had any truly low moments. I also managed to stay on my feet the whole time! I had to catch myself a couple of times from falling, but I managed.</div>
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Would I consider running Blues Cruise again? Yes, I think I would. Most likely not next year, but maybe when I move in to the next age group (after 2019). There were a total of 370 finishers, 134 of them who were female. Of those 134 female finishers, 59 of them were in the 40-49 age group. That is is 44% of the finishers!! There were only 13 female finishers in the 50-59 age group, with the best time being 6:19. I think if I hold out, and stay in the shape I am now, I have a shot of placing in my age group in 3 years. </div>
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I loved this race because of the friendly organizers, easy logistics to get to the race, fantastic aid stations, and the beautiful course. </div>
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Of all of the finishers, I placed 205/370. 56/134 female, and 27/59 of female 40-49 yr olds. I'm happy with this for my first Ultra.</div>
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Next up? I'm not sure yet. Time to recover, continue to enjoy the trails when my legs are ready. I am considering a 1/2 marathon next Spring, and maybe a late 2018 Fall marathon, in order to possibly qualify for Boston again and run Boston Marathon in 2020 when I enter the next age group. I would also consider another 50k in the next year, and I am setting my sights on a 50 miler during the Fall of 2020, possibly <a href="http://www.jfk50mile.org/">JFK 50 miler</a>. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5559041235015619937.post-79686680135169405482017-09-27T11:18:00.000-04:002017-09-27T11:18:51.732-04:00Ready to be an UltraMarathoner This is week 24 of my training plan, so that means it's RACE week! I've made it through 6 months of training injury-free, and I feel fit and ready to run 50k (31 miles) this Sunday. The weather has been hot and humid with highs in the 80's here in PA for the last 2 weeks, but if the weather forecast holds up, it should be cooler on Sunday. Still not as cool as I'd like, but tolerable. My focus this week is to stay hydrated, get decent rest and go in to the weekend calm and ready to go.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I would prefer 50's to be honest, but I'll take it. </td></tr>
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I've been preparing myself this week by previewing the course, and making a plan for hydration and fueling. This race changes the direction of the loop that the runners take each year. Because it is an odd numbered year, the course will be run counter-clockwise. According the the race director, this means "First 10 easy. Big climb after aid station 3 (between 10-13.5 miles). Flattish until mile 29, then long climb at the end".<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here it is, seems really far to run ;)</td></tr>
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There are aid stations at about every 4 miles, and I plan to stop at every one, filling up my water bottle and snacking on whatever looks good to me. All that I've read about this race is that the food is diverse and plentiful, including such foods at perogies, burgers, potatoes, candy, energy gels, etc. I will rely on my tried and true Gu gels and some bars, but keep an open mind to trying some "real" food on the course. I will use Nuun Hydration Active and Performance as well, since that worked well in my training. We are offered the opportunity to leave a drop bag at the 5th aid station (around mile 17/18), so I need to consider what I would like to have in that bag. I'm thinking that a change of shirt, socks, and even an extra pair of shoes may be a good idea. Also: extra nutrition, baby wipes, body glide and chap stick.<br />
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Although I know I can finish the distance, I do feel a bit undertrained. The upside of this is that I am injury free. The downside is that I am concerned about feeling over fatigued in the final miles, especially with the hills. I am going to make a conscious effort to run very easy in the first 10 miles, and conserve my energy for the more challenging parts of the course. I am giving myself permission to walk up the hills, and take advantage of these walk breaks to make sure to take fueling in. I am going to aim for approx 300 calories an hour, as prescribed by coach <a href="http://www.stephaniehoweviolett.com/">Stephanie Violett</a>. Hydration will be especially important due to the predicted sunshine and temperature, with careful attention to taking enough water, but also electrolytes. I will carry extra tabs of <a href="http://nuunlife.com/products/nuun-electrolytes/">Nuun </a>and make sure to sip constantly. </div>
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As far as my running "outfit", I'm going to plan on a running tank, shorts, compression socks, hat or visor, my Ultra Direction hydration vest (with bottles, no reservoir), and my Pearl Izumi M2V2 trail shoes. This worked well in my hot summer training runs, so it should work on race day. </div>
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One of the biggest challenges I have on the weekend is staying off my feet. On Saturday morning, I am working as Assistant Coach for a Cross Country meet. While I normally like to run around the course to see our runners at different spots, I'm going to try to stay closer to the start/finish line and not run around. We'll see how that goes. My plan is to leave directly from the meet to drive to my hotel close to the race site in Reading, PA. It will be a quiet evening, with Netflix, takeout food and my feet up. </div>
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Like I said previously, I know I can cover the distance. The challenge is staying positive, moving steadily forward, and not giving up. I would like to finish the race knowing that I pushed myself to my best ability and that all the training over the last 6 months was not wasted. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5559041235015619937.post-81397232800143165372017-06-27T15:18:00.000-04:002017-06-27T15:18:18.165-04:00Almost Half Way There:Week 11 of 24 to 50k<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here I am in week 11 of a 24 week plan already. I would say that my training is going well, but to be honest, the heat of the summer has been a struggle in the last couple of weeks. I am still clicking off the workouts, but the effort has been higher than I would want or expect for some of the workouts. Heat has never been my friend, and I consider humidity to be my mortal enemy.</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9aw5qHvPq7Y/WVKkIhJniaI/AAAAAAAAB38/4H0lzVTc3doTDeUdEgv9sCTmisrce1UbACLcBGAs/s1600/hotandhumid.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="188" data-original-width="268" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9aw5qHvPq7Y/WVKkIhJniaI/AAAAAAAAB38/4H0lzVTc3doTDeUdEgv9sCTmisrce1UbACLcBGAs/s1600/hotandhumid.png" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My plan, carefully mapped out by the Ultrarunner extraordinaire, and total stud herself, <a href="http://www.stephaniehoweviolett.com/">Stephanie Violett</a> has a very gradual build up of miles and intensity over 24 weeks. It includes distance (easy) paced runs, run workouts (hill repeats, tempo), recovery runs,long runs cross-training days, strength circuit workouts (not optional) and 2 rest days per week. So far my long runs have not exceeded 2 hours, and to tell you the truth, I am itching to run farther! I have been a bit impatient with this slow, gradual ramp up in mileage, but I know that there is more work in the future, and keeping my eye on the big goal is the most important thing. Crazy as it seems, I am really looking forward to my 3 hour long run in a couple weeks. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> For any of you who just can't understand why anyone would want to run an Ultramarathon, I think this sums up some of the reasons why I'm doing it: <a href="http://www.runningcoachresource.com/single-post/2017/06/19/502-Reasons-to-Run-an-Ultramarathon">50 +2 reasons to run an Ultramarathon</a> I especially can relate to #8: <span data-reactid=".0.$SITE_ROOT.$desktop_siteRoot.$PAGES_CONTAINER.1.1.$SITE_PAGES.$jabsb_DESKTOP.1.$comp-iulmkpek.1.$mediaiulnic1v1/=1$mediaiulnic1v1.1.$comp-iulmkpgw.0.0.$child.$0.1.$1.$5.$0.0.15.0" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span data-reactid=".0.$SITE_ROOT.$desktop_siteRoot.$PAGES_CONTAINER.1.1.$SITE_PAGES.$jabsb_DESKTOP.1.$comp-iulmkpek.1.$mediaiulnic1v1/=1$mediaiulnic1v1.1.$comp-iulmkpgw.0.0.$child.$0.1.$1.$5.$0.0.15.0" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I run ultras because I enjoy the satisfaction that comes from devoting a small part of each day towards making myself better at something.”—</span><span data-reactid=".0.$SITE_ROOT.$desktop_siteRoot.$PAGES_CONTAINER.1.1.$SITE_PAGES.$jabsb_DESKTOP.1.$comp-iulmkpek.1.$mediaiulnic1v1/=1$mediaiulnic1v1.1.$comp-iulmkpgw.0.0.$child.$0.1.$1.$5.$0.0.15.1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dylan Bowman</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span data-reactid=".0.$SITE_ROOT.$desktop_siteRoot.$PAGES_CONTAINER.1.1.$SITE_PAGES.$jabsb_DESKTOP.1.$comp-iulmkpek.1.$mediaiulnic1v1/=1$mediaiulnic1v1.1.$comp-iulmkpgw.0.0.$child.$0.1.$1.$5.$0.0.15.1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running Happy on the Appalachian Trail</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span data-reactid=".0.$SITE_ROOT.$desktop_siteRoot.$PAGES_CONTAINER.1.1.$SITE_PAGES.$jabsb_DESKTOP.1.$comp-iulmkpek.1.$mediaiulnic1v1/=1$mediaiulnic1v1.1.$comp-iulmkpgw.0.0.$child.$0.1.$1.$5.$0.0.15.1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; font-style: italic; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span data-reactid=".0.$SITE_ROOT.$desktop_siteRoot.$PAGES_CONTAINER.1.1.$SITE_PAGES.$jabsb_DESKTOP.1.$comp-iulmkpek.1.$mediaiulnic1v1/=1$mediaiulnic1v1.1.$comp-iulmkpgw.0.0.$child.$0.1.$1.$5.$0.0.15.1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">To give you an idea of what this week looks like in training, here is what is on tap.</span></span><br />
<span data-reactid=".0.$SITE_ROOT.$desktop_siteRoot.$PAGES_CONTAINER.1.1.$SITE_PAGES.$jabsb_DESKTOP.1.$comp-iulmkpek.1.$mediaiulnic1v1/=1$mediaiulnic1v1.1.$comp-iulmkpgw.0.0.$child.$0.1.$1.$5.$0.0.15.1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Monday</b>: 45 minute run with tempo intervals: 10 min easy paced warm up, then 10 min at tempo (marathon pace), followed by 5 minute recovery pace, then 5 minutes at tempo pace, followed by 5 minutes recovery, then 10 minutes cool down run, with 3 x 30 second short burst of speed</span></span><br />
<span data-reactid=".0.$SITE_ROOT.$desktop_siteRoot.$PAGES_CONTAINER.1.1.$SITE_PAGES.$jabsb_DESKTOP.1.$comp-iulmkpek.1.$mediaiulnic1v1/=1$mediaiulnic1v1.1.$comp-iulmkpgw.0.0.$child.$0.1.$1.$5.$0.0.15.1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- Strength training circuit for 30 minutes following the run. A sample of exercises included high knee jumps, mountain climbers, kettle bell swings, dumbbell bench presses and glute bridges. All things that will make me stronger to conquer the demands of running long distances on trails. </span></span><br />
<span data-reactid=".0.$SITE_ROOT.$desktop_siteRoot.$PAGES_CONTAINER.1.1.$SITE_PAGES.$jabsb_DESKTOP.1.$comp-iulmkpek.1.$mediaiulnic1v1/=1$mediaiulnic1v1.1.$comp-iulmkpgw.0.0.$child.$0.1.$1.$5.$0.0.15.1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tuesday:</b> Recovery Run 40 minutes- very easy paced, with heart rate staying in the 120-130's range.</span></span><br />
<span data-reactid=".0.$SITE_ROOT.$desktop_siteRoot.$PAGES_CONTAINER.1.1.$SITE_PAGES.$jabsb_DESKTOP.1.$comp-iulmkpek.1.$mediaiulnic1v1/=1$mediaiulnic1v1.1.$comp-iulmkpgw.0.0.$child.$0.1.$1.$5.$0.0.15.1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Wednesday</b>: Long Hill Repeats: 20 minute warm up run, followed by 4x 5 min hill climbs, 3 min recovery with each to run down hill, then 20 minute cool down </span></span><br />
<span data-reactid=".0.$SITE_ROOT.$desktop_siteRoot.$PAGES_CONTAINER.1.1.$SITE_PAGES.$jabsb_DESKTOP.1.$comp-iulmkpek.1.$mediaiulnic1v1/=1$mediaiulnic1v1.1.$comp-iulmkpgw.0.0.$child.$0.1.$1.$5.$0.0.15.1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> - Strength Training (same as Monday)</span></span><br />
<span data-reactid=".0.$SITE_ROOT.$desktop_siteRoot.$PAGES_CONTAINER.1.1.$SITE_PAGES.$jabsb_DESKTOP.1.$comp-iulmkpek.1.$mediaiulnic1v1/=1$mediaiulnic1v1.1.$comp-iulmkpgw.0.0.$child.$0.1.$1.$5.$0.0.15.1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Thursday</b>: day off</span></span><br />
<span data-reactid=".0.$SITE_ROOT.$desktop_siteRoot.$PAGES_CONTAINER.1.1.$SITE_PAGES.$jabsb_DESKTOP.1.$comp-iulmkpek.1.$mediaiulnic1v1/=1$mediaiulnic1v1.1.$comp-iulmkpgw.0.0.$child.$0.1.$1.$5.$0.0.15.1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Friday</b>: Long Run 2 hours (on the trail, keeping heart rate and effort easy)</span></span><br />
<span data-reactid=".0.$SITE_ROOT.$desktop_siteRoot.$PAGES_CONTAINER.1.1.$SITE_PAGES.$jabsb_DESKTOP.1.$comp-iulmkpek.1.$mediaiulnic1v1/=1$mediaiulnic1v1.1.$comp-iulmkpgw.0.0.$child.$0.1.$1.$5.$0.0.15.1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Saturday: </b>Cross Training approx 1 hour ** Full disclosure- while I may do some cross training (easy bike ride, or yoga), I also plan on going for a easy trail run (45-60 minutes). I find that this is good for me mentally and physically the day after my long run, to keep my legs feeling good and loose.</span></span><br />
<span data-reactid=".0.$SITE_ROOT.$desktop_siteRoot.$PAGES_CONTAINER.1.1.$SITE_PAGES.$jabsb_DESKTOP.1.$comp-iulmkpek.1.$mediaiulnic1v1/=1$mediaiulnic1v1.1.$comp-iulmkpgw.0.0.$child.$0.1.$1.$5.$0.0.15.1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Sunday</b>: day off </span></span><br />
<span data-reactid=".0.$SITE_ROOT.$desktop_siteRoot.$PAGES_CONTAINER.1.1.$SITE_PAGES.$jabsb_DESKTOP.1.$comp-iulmkpek.1.$mediaiulnic1v1/=1$mediaiulnic1v1.1.$comp-iulmkpgw.0.0.$child.$0.1.$1.$5.$0.0.15.1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I find all this to be very doable, with some planning in scheduling. We are in full-summer schedule mode in our household, which means I am at the mercy of the kids varying schedules. I also take into account the weather forecast everyday, avoiding the highest heat of the day, and thunderstorms that tend to blow through at different times of the day.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0tPra5hQRDA/WVKvBNR-UDI/AAAAAAAAB4k/XM-YcPDFGDkaCofxDxAQtFkYDNdtsI6NACLcBGAs/s1600/ULTRA-50K-150x150.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="150" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0tPra5hQRDA/WVKvBNR-UDI/AAAAAAAAB4k/XM-YcPDFGDkaCofxDxAQtFkYDNdtsI6NACLcBGAs/s1600/ULTRA-50K-150x150.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">- Question for anyone who has read this far---- Have you/ would you ever consider running an Ultra Marathon distance race (more than 26.2 miles)? </span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5559041235015619937.post-85653629016755059952017-04-17T11:24:00.001-04:002017-04-17T11:26:19.526-04:00#MomontheMove2Ultra Today is the Boston Marathon, and it is also the first day of training for my first Ultra Marathon which will be <a href="http://www.bluescruiseultra.com/info.html">the Blues Cruise </a>50K on October 1. Therefore, I am resurrecting this neglected blog page to start documenting my journey to Ultra.<br />
I have been thinking for years of attempting a race distance exceeding the marathon distance (26.2 miles). Once I had learned of <a href="https://trainlikeamother.club/">Train Like a Mother Club</a> offering Ultra training plans this year, I decided the time was right. And they sweetened the deal by having the very accomplished Ultra runner herself, <a href="http://www.stephaniehoweviolett.com/">Stephanie Howe Violett</a> as the coach of the program. Stephanie brings her personal expertise as well as an extensive educational background in Exercise Physiology and a PhD in Nutrition to the Train Like a Mother Club. She has designed a 24 week training plan for the 50K (31mile) distance which includes running workouts, strength training, tons of training advice and nutritional guidance. The majority of my runs will be run on the <a href="https://www.visitcumberlandvalley.com/listing/appalachian-trail/1252/">Appalachian Trail</a> which I am lucky enough to have so close to my home here in Boiling Springs, PA.<br />
I hope you can follow along with my miles and smiles in the next 6 months on the move to Ultra.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JxxZDCPalTk/WPTdzBIgUxI/AAAAAAAAB2g/MjO48UCc9OQ6mDV49zFzf9ThdtFAQS81ACLcB/s1600/IMG_2664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JxxZDCPalTk/WPTdzBIgUxI/AAAAAAAAB2g/MjO48UCc9OQ6mDV49zFzf9ThdtFAQS81ACLcB/s320/IMG_2664.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5559041235015619937.post-71284992421957748692016-04-20T15:03:00.001-04:002016-04-20T15:49:18.051-04:00My Boston Marathon Experience When people have been asking me how Boston Marathon was for me, the best answer I have is that it was a great experience. Because this marathon is more than just a race. It is a full experience and so different from any other race that I have ever been a part of. <br />
From the moment I arrived in Boston on Friday, I knew this was going to be special. The entire city embraces and supports this event. Everywhere you look there are signs of the marathon. <br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xKQv4TRRmgM/VxeENhDjU6I/AAAAAAAABjU/XyPQe4o8BZMuahlxeYpemZ5U7ceRn9zGgCLcB/s1600/BostonStrong.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xKQv4TRRmgM/VxeENhDjU6I/AAAAAAAABjU/XyPQe4o8BZMuahlxeYpemZ5U7ceRn9zGgCLcB/s320/BostonStrong.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
So, buckle in: I am going to just give the highlights, and a bunch of photos. I'll start with the expo on Saturday. First thing I did was pick up my race number, and it was honestly a emotional experience for me. I didn't think I would ever achieve this goal of running Boston, and holding my race number was the thing that made it real to me. This was really happening.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SfsX_mb_I5s/VxeJQIQ0R3I/AAAAAAAABjo/dFZKHUQDNLYuPEp9gxZU05gGIQY3Ft5GQCLcB/s1600/bostonbib.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SfsX_mb_I5s/VxeJQIQ0R3I/AAAAAAAABjo/dFZKHUQDNLYuPEp9gxZU05gGIQY3Ft5GQCLcB/s320/bostonbib.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
It was really fun sharing the expo with the other <a href="http://findyourfinishline.hylands.com/meet-the-runners/">Hyland's Find Your Finish Line </a> Mother Runners Donna, Meghan and Another Mother Runner's Sarah.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7zxlUKBNoQw/VxeJyC8zxFI/AAAAAAAABjs/xjqidHNxjqU3c-hBpmXFFUXI87lvFGEvACLcB/s1600/bostonmotherrunners.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7zxlUKBNoQw/VxeJyC8zxFI/AAAAAAAABjs/xjqidHNxjqU3c-hBpmXFFUXI87lvFGEvACLcB/s320/bostonmotherrunners.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I also had the privilege of meeting Boston Marathon's race director Dave McGillivray. He was very gracious, taking the time to speak with all of the Hyland's runners. I also met Katherine Switzer, who was so engaged with all the runners who stood in line to meet her, and she signed my race bib!<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eTfRGPNeu2I/VxeOe8LsgwI/AAAAAAAABkY/CESkWYHtOkw-GohJbukHxsLAEoeso6VjwCLcB/s1600/BostonKSwitzer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eTfRGPNeu2I/VxeOe8LsgwI/AAAAAAAABkY/CESkWYHtOkw-GohJbukHxsLAEoeso6VjwCLcB/s320/BostonKSwitzer.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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After the expo, I met up with some of Team Nuun on Newbury St. A shake out run was planned, but I elected to stay just for the meet and greet, and we were treated to a special edition water bottle and Active Nuun tablets. It was nice to see my fellow Team Nuun members, some of whom are also Oiselle Volee runners. As usual, it was a fun, lively group, led by the CEO of Nuun, Kevin Rutherford, who I met for the first time. </div>
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Next was the Red Sox vs the Toronto Blue Jays game at Fenway Park. Hylands was so generous to provide tickets for us to attend the game. This was so much fun, and I got to know my Hylands Team mates even better while enjoying the game. </div>
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After the game, I met up with some of my Mother Runner Ragnar 2013 buddies for dinner. I am sad to say that we did not get a photo, but I did enjoy the evening with Karyn, Aimee, Aimee's husband Matt and her son Flint. It was so nice catching up with them, and introducing my new Mother Runner friends Donna and Meghan to them. We, of course, starting talking about the race, our qualifying races, and what are plans for the race on Monday were. Cue the nerves.</div>
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Meghan, Donna and I were able to get a photo at the finish line area on our walk back after dinner.</div>
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Sunday I woke up fairly early and got a short 2 mile shakeout run in. It was incredible to see so many runners doing the exact same thing! Hylands provided our accommodations, and we were ideally situated in the Copley Square area, very close to the finish line area. I started my run in the Public Garden, and then completed the run on Boylston, right across the finish line. I started to visual what it would feel like to make that turn onto Boylston, and to hear the cheering crowds. Already a goosebumps moment. </div>
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Next we were treated to a lovely brunch at the home of <a href="https://hylands.com/meet-the-team/margot-murphy-moore">Margot Murphy Moore</a>. Margot is the President and Chief Strategy Officer of Hylands, and represents the third generation of her family in Hylands. She is also a force to be reckoned with. Her energy and enthusiasm is incredible. She was so welcoming and gracious to all of us throughout the entire weekend. I cannot thank her enough. She leads by example, and all of her team made us feel like rockstars. </div>
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After brunch, I returned to the expo to attend a Runners World Seminar highlighting Amby Burfoot's new book <a href="http://www.firstladiesofrunning.com/">First Ladies of Running</a>, with some of the women runners profiled in the book present and speaking for a few minutes each. It was very interesting and engaging. </div>
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Dinner Sunday night was along the marathon course, right around the half way point in Wellesley with more members of the Another Mother "tribe". We had a lovely dinner at Alta Strada. We partook in an abundance of carbs, and nerves started kicking in as we discussed the race. Sarah from <a href="http://anothermotherrunner.com/">AMR</a> and I were the only ones present at the dinner that were actually running the race the next day, and we shared with each other that we were starting to feel that pre race "dread" that happens in the hours before a key race. Months and months of preparation and anticipation, and then you start feeling panicked, wondering why you chose to do this in the first place. Not unusual, but a bit disheartening. Special thanks to Adrienne for driving us to Wellesley and getting that great parking spot! </div>
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The next thing I knew, it was Marathon Monday. I had an early wakeup to catch a special bus provided by Hylands at 6am that would take us to the starting line in Hopkinton. I tried to relax as much as possible, and get myself ready for the race, which for me did not start until 11:15. The weather was warmer than I was hoping for (70 degrees), with not a cloud in the sky. Not ideal racing conditions, but I vowed to stick to my hydration plan of stopping at every water stop and keep my pace even and controlled. </div>
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As Sarah and I were starting in the same wave and corral of the race, we walked over to the start after dutifully performing our Dynamic Flexibility stretches as prescribed by our coach Briana. Walking to the start was a good warm up walk, and my emotions really started kicking in. As they started to countdown to the start, the tears finally came. It was such an incredible feeling, standing there, knowing that I was going to run this historic course. It was such a different feeling than I had ever experienced before. I took a deep breath, wiped the tears, and reminded myself to enjoy the experience and take it all in. </div>
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As far as my goals for the race in regards to finish time and pacing, due to the weather, I was hoping that I would finish right around 4 hours. By mile 4 or 5, I knew that I was going to have to keep my pace in check. My face was already caked with a layer of salt from sweating, and the effort of my running was already feeling too hard. I was trying to keep the pace right around 9 minutes per mile, even with all the downhill sections. I felt like I could manage this pace, as long as I stopped and hydrated at every mile, and took my Gu energy gels according to my preplanned schedule. I was not planning on taking the provided Gatorade at the water stops, but because of the conditions, I decided to try that, taking it in at every other mile starting at mile 4. </div>
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I had heard that the crowds along the course were going to be like no other, and that certainly was true, beyond my expectations. I can't remember any part of the course that there weren't people along each side of the course, with encouraging and humorous signs, and so much cheering. So loud at times, especially, of course at the Wellesley <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVOMCJ8cRqU">Scream Tunnel</a>. The weather was ideal for spectators, and at times it was almost overwhelming. I tried to look around as much as possible, and I heard many chants of "Go Oiselle!" which was great. </div>
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It was also at the halfway point that I was able to see the Oiselle Cowbell corner, and two of my friends Ashley and Courtney. Ashley caught some photos of me, and I gave them both sweaty hugs. I was so happy to see them; it gave me such a boost. I was feeling tired already, and for a moment I wished I could just stay there and cheer on the other runners! </div>
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Once I passed the half way point, I was having cramps in my stomach, and some nausea. This is the first time I have experienced this in a race. Because I had not used Gatorade in my training runs, I became concerned that maybe the sugar in it was upsetting my stomach. I decided then to stop drinking it, and just going with water and my Gu gels. I began taking the time to walk through the water stops and <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/news/spt--the-sports-drink-exercise-trick-224324959.html">swishing and spitting out the Gatorade</a> and then drinking two cups of water each time. This seemed to help, and the cramping lessened as I went forward. </div>
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As I entered Newton, and the famous Newton hills, the race became pretty tough. I knew my pace was dropping off and I did something I had never done in a race before. I pulled out my phone and texted my husband to let him know that I was okay, that the heat was getting to me, but I was fine. I knew he was tracking me at home and I didn't want him to become concerned. Plus, my phone battery was getting low ( I had resorted to turning on some music a few miles in) and I wanted to make sure he heard from me at some point before the battery died. As I ran through the rolling hills miles 16-19.5, I had difficulty maintaining even a 10 minute pace. I just kept telling myself to keep moving forward. Quitting was never an option. I was hot and tired and my energy was pretty low, but there was no reason to stop. I tried to stay positive, thinking about getting to the water stop, the next timing mat and running as well as I could on the downhills.</div>
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Heartbreak hill was not quite as I expected. . I was expecting a steeper hill, and wasn't entirely sure when I had gone over it. It was a long hill, but it would not have been particularly difficult in normal circumstances. I only knew that I had gone over it when I saw a sign from a spectator that said something like "The Heartbreak is Over". I was relieved that I didn't have to worry about it anymore, and that the significant hills were behind me. </div>
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Miles 21-25 were uneventful, I just kept moving forward, looking forward to reaching the finish. It became my new goal to finish in 4:15. I don't know why I picked that number, it just seemed like something I could aim for and it kept me going at a pretty steady pace. My music turned off at mile 22 as the battery had finally died. </div>
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Once I reached mile 25, I was so relieved. I knew I could make it to the end, and I mustered every bit of energy I had to enjoy the last mile.I saw the Citgo sign and then I saw the sign that said "One Mile to Go" and I heard the crowds shouting "You've got this" "You're almost there"and they kept me going. I saw ahead that the runners were turning to the right, and I knew this was Hereford Street. I had remembered "Right on Hereford, Left on Boylston, and I kept reciting that in my head. </div>
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It was incredible turning that corner on Boylston, hearing the crowds and seeing the finish line in the distance. The day before, a <a href="https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-marathon/2016/04/18/heres-thin-blue-lines-final-stretch-marathon-route-year">triple blue line</a> had been painted on Boylston, leading to the finish line. I just kept following the blue lines, trying to finish strong. </div>
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Once I reached the bleachers on each side, I raised my hands and just gave it my all to the finish. I said aloud "I just ran the Boston Marathon!" with a big smile on my face.</div>
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A friend had described her race later as "amazing and awful all at the same time" and I would wholeheartedly agree. There were some dark moments, but overall it was the experience of a lifetime. The Boston Marathon is like no other, and it completely lives up to the hype. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finish Time: 4:15</td></tr>
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Time for thank you's: First of all, to my husband Chris who is my biggest support in all things. Thank you for always believing that I would get to Boston and handling things at home so that I could be worry free while I was away. You were in my thoughts through every mile and I knew that no matter what, I would make you proud.</div>
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Thank you to my kids for putting up with their tired, marathon training mother for months (years?) to get to this starting line. And thanks for understanding when I had to be away during so many big things happening at home this weekend, including my oldest son's first time shaving,(How long was I gone??!!) my middle's son's ballet performance, and my daughter's Healthy Kids race on Sunday. I know you guys understand how importance this race was to me, and knowing that you were cheering me on from PA kept me going all the way to the finish.</div>
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Thank you to Briana, ,my coach for my qualifying race last year, and for the Boston Marathon. You made me a stronger, more confident runner and I will always carry that with me. Thank you for always believing in me, and helping me to believe in myself. I share this Boston finish with you.</div>
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Big thanks to Sarah at Another Mother Runner for reaching out to me when this opportunity to run Boston Marathon came about unexpectedly. Your support and encouragement carried me through the last few months. Sharing that starting line with you was very special for me.</div>
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Thank you to all the people of Hyland's that supported me along the way to <a href="http://findyourfinishline.hylands.com/">Find my Finish Line</a> This was an incredible opportunity and I am truly honored to be a part of it. Thank you for bringing our team together, and treating us all like royalty. </div>
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Thank you to Oiselle for their continued support, and for keeping me in #Flystyle. The community of women Volee continues to grow and I felt the love on the race course and beyond.</div>
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Thanks to Team Nuun for continuing to keep me hydrated on and off the course. What a nice surprise to have Nuun offered to me at mile 17! I think my exact words at the moment I saw you was "Thank you Lord!" Let's hope that more race courses will feature natural hydration in the future. </div>
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Finally, thank you to all the family and friends that cheered me on before, during and after the race. I loved reading every text, FB message, tweet and email. This truly did help me carry on when the going got tough. </div>
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I hope that you will continue to follow me along as I find many more finish lines! </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5559041235015619937.post-65223146291601997212016-03-21T06:44:00.000-04:002016-03-21T06:44:03.545-04:00Boston Baby!! I have some wonderful news to share. I thought that my Boston Marathon dream was not meant to be for 2016, despite a <a href="http://momonthemove2.blogspot.com/2015/09/when-enough-is-just-not-enough-or-is-it.html">Boston Qualifying Time at the New Jersey Marathon</a>. I had started to train for another Spring marathon, with the hope of running Boston Marathon 2017.<br />
A very unexpected opportunity then presented itself, and I jumped at it. Ready for it???<br />
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Hyland's Leg Cramps is sponsoring me to run Boston Marathon this year!!! I will be participating in Hyland's "Find Your Finish Line" Challenge. Check out this <a href="http://findyourfinishline.hylands.com/">websit</a>e for more information, and to follow all the runners along their journey to the Boston Marathon.<br />
So, you may be wondering, how did this happen? <a href="http://anothermotherrunner.com/">Another Mother Runner</a> reached out to mother runners, like myself, as candidates to benefit from this wonderful opportunity. AMR has a partnership with <a href="http://www.hylands.com/">Hyland's</a>, who are the Official Cramp Relief sponsor of the Boston Marathon. I am happy to report that I, along with 2 other mother runners, and 7 other runners will be participating in this unique challenge. <br />
This is a dream come true for me, and I hope you will follow along. Less than a month to go!!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5559041235015619937.post-30488856287858814122015-10-28T15:04:00.000-04:002015-10-28T15:04:08.343-04:00Runner's World Half Festival 2015: A PR in Fun!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After I completed the Hat Trick at the <a href="http://momonthemove2.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-top-ten-reasons-why-i-loved-runners.html">Runner's World Half Festival last year</a>, I knew I would love to come back to this race weekend again. Not only was it a great opportunity to participate in a race weekend close to home, but I also met up with some friends and last year even achieved a PR (personal record time) in the Half Marathon.</div>
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As this year's race weekend was approaching (Oct.16-18), I knew that my training would not produce any PR's. After the <a href="http://momonthemove2.blogspot.com/2015/05/no-regrets-marathon-journey-in-numbers.html">New Jersey Marathon</a> in April of this year when I was able to achieve a big PR and Boston Qualifying time, I took a step back in my training, running for fitness and stress relief, but with no big goals in mind. The hot, humid summer made it difficult to run with any quantity or quality. Still, I did a few double digit long runs and knew that I would at least be able to finish the distance of a half marathon on October. The one PR I think I set this year was a PR in Fun!<br />
So, this will be a quick summary of the race weekend, with some photos to tell the story. The photos were offered for FREE after the race, which was an added bonus.<br />
I registered for the Hat Trick again ( 5k and 10k on Saturday, 1/2 marathon on Sunday). There was also a trail run added on Friday afternoon, at a distance of 3.8 miles, which would bring the total mileage for the weekend at 26.2. This was just irresistible to me, so I added that to my itinerary. <br />
The trail run was at South Mountain Park. It was a ton of fun, and a very challenging course. Rocky and hilly terrain with a single track for most of it caused me to slow it down. I finished in 45 minutes. There was pizza at the end, and a swag bag with an REI Kleen Kanteen. It was definitely worth the effort to get there on Friday for the trail race. I even ran into two Oiselle teammates- Lisa and Shannon.<br />
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Friday night I had planned an Oiselle Team meetup with a few of the ladies from the local area. We met at Bethlehem Brew Works for a nice dinner and yummy beer, of course.<br />
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I checked in to the Sands Casino Hotel for the weekend, and was happy to reunite with my <a href="http://momonthemove2.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-ultimate-mother-runner-showdown.html">Another Mother Runner Ragnar Relay friend</a> Nikki. Nikki is from Pittsburgh, and had been on Dimity's team. It was great sharing a room with her and getting to know her better. We also met up with Joan who had also been on Dimity's team. She had traveled from Virginia with her family. I love AMR reunions!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun times with NIkki and Joan</td></tr>
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Saturday morning was the 5k and 10k races. Staying at the Sands was so great, because we were within walking distance of the race start. We also were able to stay warm in the Arts Quest building before the race started. Both these races went well for me. Again, no PR's, but I was able to put in some solid effort given the hilly courses and pushing the pace at the end, finishing strong. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finishing strong </td></tr>
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After getting a quick shower in, and grabbing lunch, we headed over to the Arts Quest building for some great free seminars. This is one of my favorite parts of this race weekend. I love attending the seminars, gaining new information and interacting with other runners. I attended Jordan Metzl's "Getting the Most from you Machine: Secrets to Strong, Injury-Free Running", "The Female Running Body Through the Years", Liz Applegate's "Performance Nutrition", and the best of all, "A Conversation with Deena Kastor", hosted by David Willey. I absolutely loved hearing Deena's perspective on her running career, balancing racing and family life, and some of her mental strategies in life and in her running career. Her positive attitude is so infectious. It is no surprise to me that she has had such a successful career. What a pleasure it was for me to have a chance to meet her in person. We had a nice chat about Oiselle and masters running, and she was nice enough to pose for a photo with me.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a highlight of the weekend. Deena is fantastic!!</td></tr>
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The fun on Saturday continued with Happy Hour with the Editors of Runner's World, followed by dinner. I also met Gene Gurkoff from <a href="https://twitter.com/CharityMiles">CharityMiles</a>. I have been logging miles for Charity Miles for the last 2 years, and I really love this organization. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meeting David Willey at the Happy Hour</td></tr>
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The last event of the weekend was the 1/2 Marathon on Sunday. It was a chilly morning, 32 degrees- brrrrrrr. Again, staying at the Sands was fantastic. Nikki and I were able to walk out to the race start 10 minutes before and jump into the starting corral. My plan was to start out nice and slow and pick up the pace as much as I could in the second half. The first 8 miles of this race are challenging, with some decent hills. I was able to average a 9 min pace during the race, which I am happy about. This included a "skirt" stop between mile 4 and 5. <a href="http://www.aardvarksportsshop.com/news.html">Aardvark Sports Shop</a> had a water stop, and were handing out Running Skirts. They had done the same thing last year, but since I was gunning for a PR in that race, I didn't stop. This year I knew that I wanted to stop. I was able to snag a really cute skirt, although in the photos it was riding up a bit and didn't look quite as flattering over my Roga shorts. I will definitely wear my <a href="http://www.oiselle.com/shop/running-bottoms/running-shorts-and-skirts/stride-shorts">Stride shorts</a> under the skirt the next time!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit goes to Joan - thanks!<br /></td></tr>
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I finished the 1/2 marathon in just under 2 hours, 1:59. I met up with Nikki who finished a few minutes before me, and we enjoyed a beer before heading back to the hotel for a nice warm shower. <br />
It was a fun-filled weekend, with some happy miles thrown in. I've already registered for next year- The Hat Trick plus the Trail Run, which is now dubbed the "Grand Slam". If you want to join me, register <a href="http://rw.runnersworld.com/rwhalf/">here.</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thank you Runner's World for a Great Weekend!!</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5559041235015619937.post-9873859510968740752015-09-30T15:19:00.001-04:002015-09-30T15:20:00.975-04:00When Enough is Just Not Enough... Or is it? When I achieved my Boston Marathon qualifying time at the <a href="http://momonthemove2.blogspot.com/">New Jersey Marathon ,</a> I immediately started planning on getting to run the historic race that is the Boston Marathon in April of 2016. <br />
This was my 7th marathon in 8 years. My first marathon was the Zurich Marathon on April 1, 2007. I completed that race in the time of 4:45 at the age of 37. I never dreamed that I would be able to achieve a BQ time.<br />
I continued to run, through raising children, military moves, injuries and all the challenges that those things bring. The crazy thing was, that it was getting easier. And I was getting FASTER. And, as luck would have it, I was getting OLDER. <br />
Which, in the running world can be a detriment as well as an advantage. For those unfamiliar with Boston Marathon qualifying standards, as you age, you gain minutes on your qualifying time. For example, for a women who is age 35-39 the qualifying time last year was 3:40, age 40-44 it was 3:45, and for me last year age 45-49 the time was 3:55. A whole ten minute "cushion" to achieve in the older age group. <br />
For the first time in this whole running journey I had been taking, I actually thought I could have a chance to achieve the previously unattainable goal of a Boston Qualifying time. I set my sights on achieving this crazy goal. <br />
I trained harder than ever, first attempting the time at the <a href="http://momonthemove2.blogspot.com/2014_12_01_archive.html">Philadelphia Marathon</a> in November of last year. The day didn't turn out as I expected, and I finished in a disappointing 4:06. I knew that if I was really serious about this BQ attempt, I would have to get serious. I decided to hire <a href="https://twitter.com/BriBoehmer">a coach,</a> who not only helped me immensely in pushing to my physical limits, but also gave me such confidence that I actually believed that it was possible. With Brianna's help, I went to the starting line of the New Jersey Marathon fully ready to achieve my personal best. <br />
I ran hard that day, and was able to complete the race in the time of 3:53:15. That is 1 minute and 45 seconds faster than the qualifying time. I was thrilled. It was an almost 13 minute improvement on my previous best marathon time. That is a huge PR (personal record)! I believed it would be enough to get me into the Boston Marathon in 2016. <br />
But, alas, it was not. <br />
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<strong>Dear Nicole Hart:<br /><br /> Thank you for submitting your application for entry into the 2016 Boston Marathon. Regrettably, we are unable to accept your application due to field size limitations and the large number of applications we received from those runners who met the qualifying standards. The B.A.A. recognizes the achievement of everyone who has met the qualifying standards that we have established for the race. Those who meet -- and aspire to meet -- these standards have helped distinguish the Boston Marathon from any other marathon in the world, and we realize the effort, training and commitment involved with achieving the qualifying times for the various age groups in both genders.</strong><br />
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<tr valign="bottom"><td><strong>Name of Applicant</strong></td><td align="center"><strong>Gender</strong></td><td align="center"><strong>Age on<br /><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_288251059" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ"><span style="color: #222222;">4-18-2016</span></span></span></strong></td><td align="center"><strong>Submitted<br />Qualifying Time</strong></td></tr>
<tr><td><strong>Nicole Hart</strong></td><td align="center"><strong>F</strong></td><td align="center"><strong>46</strong></td><td align="center"><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_288251060" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ"><span style="color: #222222;"><strong>3:53:15</strong></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<strong> Entries from applicants in your age group were accepted through and including the time <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_288251061" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ"><span style="color: #222222;">3:52:32</span></span></span></strong>.<br />
So, not quite enough. Or is it? The more I think about it, I knew that I did the most I could for that day. The work I put in was not wasted. I qualified for Boston. No one can take that away from me. I could walk away knowing that the work was enough. I am enough. <br />
But I do know that the journey isn't over for me. I will go back and do it again. Maybe just a few minutes faster.......<br />
The journey continues.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5559041235015619937.post-46948740293451350022015-05-01T16:42:00.000-04:002015-05-01T16:43:08.284-04:00No Regrets: A Marathon Journey in NumbersFive hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes<br />
Five hundred twenty five thousand moments, oh dear<br />
Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes<br />
How do you measure, measure a year?<br /><br />
Okay, how about how do you measure a Boston Qualifying Marathon time? <br />
<br />
In 7 marathon finishes in 8 years<br />
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In 16 weeks of training with a fabulous Coach<br />
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In 543 training miles<br />
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In 21 pre dawn runs with headlamp and reflective vest <br />
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In 112 Treadmill miles <br />
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In 48 Spin classes taught<br />
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In 28 TRX classes <br />
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In -20 degree and 80 degree (while on vacation in Mexico) temperatures<br />
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In 8 Snow days and countless school delays<br />
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In 3 -5k races, each one faster than the first<br />
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In one tumble down a hill repeat, resulting in a busted up knee and twisted ankle <br />
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In 10 ice baths <br />
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In many tubes of Nuun Active and Nuun Energy <br />
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In countless loads of laundry to wash all my Oiselle #flystyle <br />
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In a solid race plan<br />
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In 7 Gu Energy gels<br />
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In 13 water stops<br />
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In 26.5 Garmin miles<br />
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In a 3:53:15 finishing time<br />
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See you at BOSTON 2016!!!!</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5559041235015619937.post-55719907650834738172014-12-24T14:38:00.000-05:002014-12-24T14:38:02.109-05:00Wrapping up 2014I had never gotten around on posting about the Philadelphia Marathon, so now I will take this time to sum up 2014 and include that.<br />
As I reflect back on 2014, it was a great year. We purchased our first home, and moved into it in April. I started working at the Army base fitness center in August as a trainer, teaching TRX, Spin and leading 2 running programs. In August I travelled to Bend, OR for <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5559041235015619937#editor/target=post;postID=85625589687832368;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=2;src=postname">Birdcamp.</a> <br />
November 15 I joined my Couch to 5k group that I had been coaching for 10 weeks to run The Drumstick Dash. I had several ladies complete the race, and I even PR'd!! <br />
This whole experience of meeting with the group twice a week and coaching them in their 5k training was very rewarding. I am hoping to do another program in the Spring. <br />
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Next was the Philadelphia Marathon on Nov.23. This was my "A" race of the year. I had trained quite well for it. I made sure I got all my long training runs in, as well as running many of those long run miles at "race pace". I was aiming for a sub 4 hr, time, as well as a Boston Qualifying (BQ) time of 3:55 or better. The day before the marathon, I stopped by the Expo to pick up my number, and to meet up with some ladies from <a href="http://anothermotherrunner.com/">Another Mother Runner</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Philly Expo with Sarah Bowen Shea and Karyn Ryan <br />
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Race Day started out very well. The weather was great, cold at the start (mid 30 degrees), and warmed up to high 40's by the end. I felt really great for the first 17-18 miles, right on pace for a sub 4 hr marathon. At mile 19, I started feeling tired physically. My legs started to slow, and no matter how my mind tried to will them to go faster, they wouldn't. The last 6 miles were really rough, but I kept moving forward, only walking through the water stops, taking electrolytes and energy gel regularly. I was not able to pick up my pace, and I finished in a disappointing 4:06:00 (yes, right down to the second). Although it was a 3 min and 58 second PR from the Napa Marathon I ran in 2012, I had not reached my goal of sub 4hr, or BQ time. <br />
Looking back now, I most likely went out a bit too fast in the first half. The pace felt so easy, and I may have pushed it too much while I was feeling great. I believed I fueled well, taking a Gu gel every 4 miles, just like I had in training. <br />
I am now looking into hiring a coach to help me in training for my next marathon. I would really love to achieve a BQ time before September of 2015 so that I can run Boston Marathon 2016. <br />
I am proud of my running achievements this year though. I did achieve PR times in the 5k, 10k, 10 mile, 1/2 Marathon and Marathon. I was injury free the whole year, and I was very consistent with my running and cross training. <br />
I would like to thank <a href="http://oiselle.com/athletes">Oiselle</a> and <a href="http://www.nuun/">Nuun Hydration</a> for continuing to support my training and running. I also loved having the support of the <a href="http://anothermotherrunner.com/">Another Mother Runner community</a>. I absolutely love getting "Kudos" from all the ladies on <a href="http://strava.com/">Strava</a>. <br />
Here's to a great year in 2015! <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5559041235015619937.post-25995456659454344832014-10-23T17:10:00.000-04:002014-10-23T17:10:09.738-04:00The Top Ten Reasons Why I Loved the Runner's World Half and FestivalThis past weekend, I had the pleasure of participating in the Runner's World Half and Festival. Here are my top ten reasons of why I loved it:<br />
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10. <strong>The timing</strong> of it worked out perfectly in my training for the Philadelphia Marathon (Nov.23) and for the <a href="http://anothermotherrunner.com/2014/10/18/half-marathon-podcast-with-music/">Another Mother Runner 13.Fun Challenge.</a> <br />
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9. <strong>The different race distances</strong> made it accessible to family members as well. My son, age 13, decided since he was coming with me that he would run the 5k on Saturday. <br />
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8. <strong>The option of race day pickup</strong> for racing bibs. I wanted to get there Friday night, but wasn't entirely sure I would make it to the expo in time. Knowing that I could pick up my number on Saturday was great. This is rare in running events, but much appreciated. <br />
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7. <strong>Runner's World Half and Festival app</strong> for my smartphone. This was a free app that allowed me to check the schedule quickly, keep updated on weather, and look up results after the race.<br />
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6. <strong>Bethlehem, PA</strong>: What a beautiful city. I had never been here before, and the setting was perfect, especially at this time of year for a road race. I loved running over the Fahy Bridge and enjoying the beautiful Lehigh river, as well as some of the quaint neighborhoods that we had the pleasure of running through. I also enjoyed the restaurants, especially <a href="http://www.thebrewworks.com/bethlehem-brew-works/"> Bethlehem Brew Works,</a> where I enjoyed spicy fish tacos and a delicious oatmeal stout.<br />
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5. <strong> Free seminars</strong> offered Saturday afternoon. I attended Women's Running with a panel of women, including <a href="https://twitter.com/RWtish">Tish Hamilton</a> and My Life on the Run with <a href="https://twitter.com/BartYasso">Bart Yasso.</a> I also attended Course Strategy: How to Run the RW Half, which was especially helpful. Having the route explained ahead of time really helped me to prepare my strategy the day before. It was a hilly course, and it was nice to be prepared mentally. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i_WeXZ7LSHg/VElRFl-QpEI/AAAAAAAABHw/vwROV7-_igE/s1600/Tish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i_WeXZ7LSHg/VElRFl-QpEI/AAAAAAAABHw/vwROV7-_igE/s1600/Tish.jpg" height="200" width="165" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tish Hamilton<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zdOA-3-yLi0/VElRThbsw9I/AAAAAAAABII/V_Pk4Lpj-tI/s1600/Bart.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zdOA-3-yLi0/VElRThbsw9I/AAAAAAAABII/V_Pk4Lpj-tI/s1600/Bart.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Race director of the weekend events, Bart Yasso.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XtS52_QnK3c/VElRYSxqWYI/AAAAAAAABIQ/PMdfzYGSHp4/s1600/DaveWilley.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XtS52_QnK3c/VElRYSxqWYI/AAAAAAAABIQ/PMdfzYGSHp4/s1600/DaveWilley.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Editor-in-Chief David Willey</td></tr>
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4. <strong>Getting to meet some of the people from Runner's World in person</strong>. I have been reading Runner's World for at least 14 years, just a short time after I first started running. Through social media, especially twitter, I have enjoyed getting to "know" them. They were all so friendly at the seminars, and even on the race course. <br />
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3. <strong>This was one of the most organized, runner-friendly races I have experienced.</strong> From the emails I received before the race, all the way to the finish area, everything went exceptionally smoothly. There were plenty of helpful volunteers, no lines at gear check, clean bathrooms and porta potty's, and a nice warm venue for my son to wait while I ran. I stayed at the Hyatt hotel, which was only a 5 minute drive away, and offered special rates for the race. There was always plenty of parking, as I went back and forth all 3 days. An added bonus was having Bart Yasso greeting the runners at the finish line and calling out our names. How cool is that? <br />
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2. <strong>Reuniting with some of my Another Mother Runner Ragnar teammates</strong>. Karyn and Joan were able to come for the weekend as well, and we all stayed at the Hyatt. We had fun catching up and supporting each other at the races.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mother Runners Karyn, myself, and Joan<br />
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And the number one reason I love the Runner's World Half and Festival...........<br />
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<strong> The Hat Trick</strong>. What a fun challenge this was! I would encourage people to sign up for this, rather than just one of the races. It allows you to really enjoy the entire weekend race experience. It includes a 5k on Saturday at 8am, followed by the 10k at 9:30. On Sunday morning, you line up to run the Half Marathon. I decided to use the 5k as a warm up, with some strides at the end. I pushed a bit on the 10k, and came close to setting a PR. The biggest surprise was achieving a PR in the Half Marathon, on a quite hilly course! I came away from this weekend feeling very well trained and strong for the Philadelphia Marathon on Nov.23. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elevation chart from Strava from the 1/2 marathon course. I loved the downhills!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some nice hardware earned in this challenge! Plus, a hat, t-shirt and pair of socks! And of course, a shiny new PR! Sweet.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">So, if you're looking for a fun weekend, and a great challenge, sign up for the 2015 Runner's World Half and Festival. Registration is already open: </span><a href="http://rw.runnersworld.com/rwhalf/next-year.html"><span style="font-size: small;">http://rw.runnersworld.com/rwhalf/next-year.html</span></a>.<span style="font-size: small;"> Come on, I know you want to try the Hat Trick! </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5559041235015619937.post-856255896878323682014-10-15T15:38:00.002-04:002014-10-15T15:38:17.937-04:00The Feeling of Being on a TeamThe last few months have been a whirlwind of working, getting the kids started with school, and supporting my husband with a transition into a new job. I am finally sitting down to blog about the amazing experience I had this summer at Oiselle Birdcamp. <br />
As a <a href="http://www.oiselle.com/blog/oiselle-team-manifesto">volée </a> member of Oiselle, I had the opportunity to travel to Bend, Oregon this August to attend a special camp, dubbed "Birdcamp". Activities that were planned included running (of course), yoga, hiking, group sessions with information about nutrition, training, goal setting and general fun and bonding. <br />
I am not going to go into many details related to our daily agenda, as I feel some of my team members did such a nice job summarizing the activities that we experienced. If you would like those details, you can see them <a href="http://www.runnerleana.com/2014/09/oiselle-birdcamp.html">here</a> (from my fellow Canadian team member, Leana), <a href="http://lifes-run.com/2014/08/24/oiselle-birdcamp/">here</a> (from Regina, an "online" friend before camp and now one IRL) and <a href="http://www.oiselle.com/blog/bird-camp-photo-story">here</a> (from the Oiselle web site with some beautiful photos from the week). <br />
What I took away mostly from the experience was the feeling of being part of a TEAM. I had never experienced this type of connection before. As a less than athletic kid, I was never part of a sports team, unless you count my brief stint on a youth bowling team.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4vJWf2nKkbQ/VD7MeWAe49I/AAAAAAAABG8/i4Arsj8gYhI/s1600/bowling.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4vJWf2nKkbQ/VD7MeWAe49I/AAAAAAAABG8/i4Arsj8gYhI/s1600/bowling.tif" height="217" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am the one second from the left, not even looking at the camera. Don't you love the overalls? Tres chic. </td></tr>
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Growing up in the early 70's, I never really felt that I was encouraged to participate in sports. Yes, there were sports activities built into our school experience, but unless you showed an exceptional talent for it, you were not encouraged to keep trying to get better. <br />
I played the piano, participated in Girl Guides, 4H (the homemaking kind, not the show your cow kind), and eventually played the flute in the high school band. I was not a runner, and our small high school didn't even have a cross country team. (Well, truthfully, it may have, I just never paid any attention to the sport activities). I do know it had a hockey team. Hockey was and is everything there. I also remember going to football games. Running events, not so much.<br />
So, fast forward to 2012 when I was accepted to join the Oiselle team. To say that I was shocked that they had accepted me would be an understatement. I was thrilled, and I am still giddy with excitement when I think about the fact that I am a part of such an inspiring, powerful group of women. <br />
It is very difficult for me to express in words what Birdcamp meant to me. To have the opportunity to be around like minded women who really "get you" is an almost disarming sensation. I felt completely included, and appreciated for the contribution that I make to this team. <br />
As a 44 year old wife and mom of 3 kids who tends to feel like an awkward teenager in social situations at times, this feeling of inclusion was huge! <br />
From the leadership team of Sally Bergesen,(CEO) Sarah Lesko(Head of Corporate Development and the super organizer of Birdcamp) and Kristin Metcalf (Team Manager), through the elite runners that attended camp (known as Haute Volée), including the incredible Lauren Fleshman, and with all my fellow volée members, I felt complete acceptance and appreciation. This is a team made up of women of all different ages, from different backgrounds, with different athletic abilities. Although we are different, we all share the drive to perform better (not only in running, but in all that we do), to train hard, and to not settle for any less. Add to this the sisterhood of sport that we encourage and we emulate on our team and in our communities. I have never experienced this type of atmosphere before with a large group of women. It was refreshing and encouraging, and it clearly comes from the leadership team of Oiselle.<br />
The leadership team even took the time to meet with some of us to discuss where the team is going as this company continues to grow in leaps and bounds. I feel that since this is a company founded and led by women, and for women, it moves and develops quite differently than many other companies. For me, as a team member, I appreciate the differences, and as a result, I feel valued and very optimistic for the future of this company. <br />
I may not be the fastest runner, but I am always striving for my best, in training and on race day. I hope that my passion for running can also inspire others to work to their full potential. Thank you to Oiselle for giving me Wings to Fly!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5559041235015619937.post-27109179001090186952014-07-29T16:05:00.002-04:002014-07-29T16:05:53.239-04:00The AMR Traveling Ultimate 6 Kit from Trigger Point TherapyI have been dealing with Pirformis Syndrome since last Fall, and when the ladies at <a href="http://www.anothermotherrunner.com/">Another Mother Runner</a> were offering to send injured Mother Runners the Ultimate 6 Kit** from <a href="http://www.tptherapy.com/">Trigger Point Therapy</a> to try, I jumped right onto that! <br />
Here is the post and video that I helped to contribute to after trying out the products for 3 weeks: <a href="http://anothermotherrunner.com/2014/07/21/piriformis-syndrome/">http://anothermotherrunner.com/2014/07/21/piriformis-syndrome/</a><br />
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I am thrilled with the results, and I ordered my own Ultimate 6 Kit as soon as I had to send it to the next ailing Mother Runner.<br />
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**The Ultimate 6 Kit was sent to me to try out,with the option to contribute to a blog post and video. I was offered a discount to purchase any products from Trigger Point Therapy afterwards. All opinions and comments are completely my own. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5559041235015619937.post-16401487495949989542014-06-03T22:23:00.000-04:002014-06-03T22:24:17.875-04:00National #RunningDay June 4I hope you will all get out for a run on National Running Day, June 4. This is a relatively new "holiday", only 5 years old. The day is set aside for runners to declare their passion for running. Sounds like a great day for me!<br />
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I will run tomorrow with a few of my running friends, just to reaffirm my commitment to running and a healthy lifestyle. I will push my 5 yr old daughter in the stroller, and have her run at least part of it, to set an example of a healthy lifestyle. My kids have learned that running, and daily physical activity is "normal" and what is expected. I think that is the best lesson that I can ever teach them. <br />
I will also be running my miles for charity tomorrow. I discovered <a href="http://www.charitymiles.org/">Charity Miles</a> more than a year ago. It is a free app that you can download onto your smartphone and dedicate your miles to several different charities. Every mile walked or ran equals 25 cents to the charity of your choice. You can also bike to earn money for your charity of choice, with 10 cents earned for every mile biked. Charity Miles has partnered with several corporate sponsors, including Timex and Humana in order to collect the donations to charity. I run with my phone anyway, for safety, and to be reachable while my children are at school. It is so easy to turn on the app when you head out. <br />
My favorite charities include <a href="http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/">The Wounded Warrior Project,</a> <a href="http://www.teamrwb.org/our-approach/mission">Team RWB</a> and <a href="http://everymothercounts.org/">Every Mother Counts.</a> Just by turning on the app when I start my run, I have been able to donate at least $25 per month, just by doing what I would have done anyway: running! <br />
I hope you can get out there and run or walk tomorrow. Also, think about turning on Charity Miles when you do. #EveryMileCounts<br />
Happy <a href="http://www.runningday.org/">#RunningDay</a> everyone!<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5559041235015619937.post-66306390660612028512014-05-20T14:34:00.000-04:002014-05-20T14:38:32.992-04:00AMR Strava Prove it ChallengeI'm finally getting around to posting about this challenge. Dimity and Sarah over at <a href="http://anothermotherrunner.com/">Another Mother Runner</a> introduced this challenge way back in January. The challenge offered a 17 week training plan for either a 10K or Half Marathon distance. Training started January 13, and was to conclude Mother's Day, May 11. The "Prove it" part meant that you would accept the challenge to "prove" something to yourself. Maybe it was to run the distance the first time, run it faster than ever before, or maybe even just to commit to getting the miles in no matter how life got in the way.<br />
I accepted the challenge, and chose the Half Marathon distance. I have run at least a dozen half marathons over the last 8 years, so this seemed like an appropriate choice for me. What appealed to me about this challenge was that there was going to be a virtual community of support at <a href="http://strava.com/">Strava.</a> In case you have never heard of Strava, it is a free mobile app and website that allows you to track your runs ( or bike routes, if you are a cyclist). You can follow other users, and they can follow you, with the option of giving and receiving "kudos" and comments. There are also discussion boards within challenges to share comments and questions. I had never tried Strava before, and at first it seemed like just another thing to add to my social media "time suck". Once I got started with the challenge, however, I found it to be quite enjoyable. I liked seeing what other people were doing for their workouts, and I must admit, those "kudos" and kind comments boosted my ego a bit. Not only did I have this group of "mother runners" on Strava, but I soon found Strava teams to join with Oiselle and Nuun. How fun!<br />
I tried the mobile app on my iphone, but I found that using my Garmin Forerunner 10 watch and uploading the run from that device to Strava was easier for me. The mobile app was good for checking others' runs during the day, and receiving push notifications when I others had given me kudos and comments. I am going to continue to use Strava. It is a great way to track my runs, set goals, join challenges and feel like part of this running community. <br />
Another aspect of the challenge that enjoyed were the weekly emails with the training plan, and training tips. The plans were designed by <a href="http://www.therunningcoach.com/">Christine Hinton</a> and I found them to be comprehensive and challenging for me. They included easy, tempo, interval, hill and long runs. I looked forward to receiving the email on Sundays for the following week, although I had printed out the plan at the beginning of the challenge. During the month of April, we moved into a new home, and somehow those papers got lost in the shuffle! Knowing that I could just check my email was helpful. What also was provided in the plan was two 20 min strength training workouts. The recommendation was to do these workouts twice a week. I have to admit, I was sporadic at best with getting these in. Even getting a good stretch or foam roll during the last 2 months has been difficult, giving the stress of moving. That is probably why I am still having issues with my piriformis syndrome. <br />
There were also monthly Webinair hangouts, with different experts answering questions, including <a href="https://twitter.com/sagetree">Sage Rountree</a> and <a href="http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/">Greg McMillan.</a> And to top it all off, there was swag: a "Prove it" t-shirt, a medal, Nuun tablets, Hyland's Calm Forte tablets and Roctane gels! <br />
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Now, as far as me "proving it", I have struggled with this since I completed the challenge on May 9. I chose to race "virtually", rather than joining an organized race on Mother's Day. There were no logistically easy races for me around here on that day, and I decided that I would rather relax at home on Mother's Day rather than race. I decided to "race" on Friday, May 9 after I dropped my daughter off at preschool. No fanfare, no on course support, no cheering fans. This was fine with me.<br />
If I were to choose a word to describe my training for this challenge, I would have to choose lackluster. Very few shining moments, mostly "blah" workouts. After struggling with piriformis syndrome in the fall, only coming back to running in early January after Physical therapy treatments and rest, I was ready to take this challenge. <br />
But, for good or for bad, I had also registered for two half marathon races, which were to take place in February and March. February was the <a href="http://momonthemove2.blogspot.com/2014/02/love-rox-12-marathon.html">Love Rox 1/2 Marathon in Richmond, VA</a> with my best friend, Michele. I went into it without expectations, only hoping to finish the distance. I was able to run that race in 2:10 and it was a hilly course. I was happy with the result, just coming back from injury and it ended up being a great weekend. The next race was the <a href="http://momonthemove2.blogspot.com/2014/03/birds-of-feather-flock-together-at.html">Shamrock 1/2 Marathon in Virginia Beach</a>, which was also a fantastic Oiselle Team meetup. I had some solid training effort going into this race, and it showed. I was able to run 1:58, which I was very happy about. I felt like I was finally getting back in shape, and running this Half Marathon Challenge could possible bring me to a PR. <br />
I don't want to dwell on excuses, or come up with reasons why I wasn't able to run faster on May 9. But I have to say that April was an extremely busy and stressful month for our family. We closed on a new house on April 7, and moved for a whole week from the 15th to the 25th. Most of the move was done by myself and my husband with some assistance from friends. I also had to go back to the old house to clean, which was exhausting. On top of this, my son was performing in a ballet with <a href="http://www.cpyb.org/">CPYB</a> in Harrisburg. Not only was I driving him back and forth to rehearsals and performances, I had committed to volunteering with back stage costume changes. Oh yeah, and I haven't mentioned that I started leading a new running group on Saturdays for my local gym and studying for my Group Fitness certification. To think that I would be able to run a PR was unrealistic at best. I really should have sat down to think about my goals, and set some realistic goals.<br />
The day of my virtual race, I set out with the thought that I would just run by effort, not worry about the time. I covered my Garmin watch with a piece of tape over the time. I could still see the distance, so I would know when to stop. I didn't want to be focused on pace, just effort. I ran through my normal running routes, which tend to be pretty hilly. The weather was warm and humid, so that may have affected my pace as well. The run was tough. I actually had a really difficult time just convincing myself to finish in the last 2 miles. It did not feel good. It was upsetting. But I did finish. In 2:08. Disappointing for sure. <br />
What did I "prove"? That is such a tough question to answer. I feel like I really haven't proved it yet. I still think I have better times in me. I would love to get faster than 1:50 in the half marathon. My fastest time is 1:53, which I ran in early 2012. Is it possible? Maybe. Do I need to really dedicate myself to training? Yes. <br />
Which brings me to the next AMR Challenge: <a href="http://anothermotherrunner.com/">13.Fun</a><span id="goog_833030273"></span>. Starting in July, I will join this challenge, with my focus on a PR on October 19. <br />
What will bring me there? First, I need to get my body strong, and injury free in the next 2 months. I am going to work on my core, with special attention to my hips and glutes. I am going to go into this challenge much stronger and smarter. Strength training will be non-negotiable. I will finally Prove It in October. Who's with me?<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5559041235015619937.post-36370100223677620712014-03-17T19:57:00.002-04:002014-03-17T19:57:22.645-04:00Birds of a Feather Flock Together at Shamrock <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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I had been looking forward to this Oiselle Team meetup in Virginia Beach since last November. Since being selected for this team in the fall of 2012, I have jumped at any chance to meetup with my teammates. <br />
I drove down to Virginia Beach on Friday morning. The drive was long, it took 6 hours, but so worth it. I checked in to the Holiday Inn in Norfolk, then decided to head to the Expo at the Convention Center to pick up my number and hopefully meet up with some of my teammates.<br />
I was able to meet up with <a href="http://www.oiselle.com/athletes/ellen-moss">Ellen,</a> <a href="http://www.oiselle.com/athletes/allie-bigelow">Allie,</a> <a href="http://www.oiselle.com/athletes/carolyn-huang">Carolyn</a> and <a href="http://www.oiselle.com/athletes/allison-camp">Allison</a> at the Expo, who had travelled from North Carolina. We picked up our numbers and beer bracelets (we showed our ID's so that we could enjoy some Yuengling beer after the race the next day), and perused some of the free samples. Our favorite was the Post cereal. Hungry runners always need a nutritious snack! We posed for some silly leprechaun photos, and then decided to head out to dinner. We searched yelp for a local restaurant, and found <a href="http://baladicafe.com/">Baladi's</a> for some yummy Mediterranean food. It was one of the best wraps I have had: Tofu and Portobello wrap with tabbouleh salad. It was fun chatting with these ladies who I have only known from Twitter. Allie was racing the 8K in the morning, so we planned on getting together the next day to cheer for her, and some other team mates and join some other ladies for a "shake out" run.<br />
When I got back to the hotel, I ran into <a href="http://www.oiselle.com/athletes/kristin-metcalf">Kristin Metcalf,</a> who also happens to be our team manager. It was so nice finally meeting her. She came all the way to Virginia Beach from Seattle to support all of us runners and cheer us on. She is full of positive energy and her love for the team is immeasurable. We are all so blessed to have her leading the team.<br />
I had planned on sharing my room with <a href="http://www.oiselle.com/athletes/ashley-swink-fincher">Ashley,</a> who I had never met before, but we had corresponded via email. Her flight was delayed, so I was able to leave her a key to the room at the front desk so she could let herself in when she arrived at midnight. I left a welcome note for Ashley, and settled in for the night. With my earplugs in, I didn't even hear her arrive. The next thing I knew, my alarm was going off, and I was up and getting ready to head to the beach to cheer on my fellow teammates who were racing the 8K on Saturday. Ashley and I found our way to the meetup place, and were able to do a short shake out run while finding a good place to cheer. <br />
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It was a beautiful day at the beach, and we were treated to this sunrise.<br />
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Once all the ladies running in the 8K finished strong, a few of us headed for much needed coffee and breakfast. Ashley headed to the Expo to pick up her number for the next day. Once returning to the hotel, I took some time to rest, shower, catch up on computer stuff and prepare for the team dinner that night. I also was invited to watch the movie Blue Jasmine with another team mate, <a href="http://www.oiselle.com/athletes/rebecca-trachsel">Rebecca</a> in her room, and I took her up on it. I have to say, it was a great movie, with incredible acting performances by Cate Blanchett and Sally Hawkins. <br />
The team dinner took place at an Italian restaurant named Bravo. A local team member, <a href="http://www.oiselle.com/athletes/mollie-turner">Mollie</a> organized the whole dinner, and it was a great time for everyone. We had not only the Oiselle ladies, but also some spouses, children, parents and friends. I love this shot of our "paparrazi" taking our team photo after the dinner:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The local paparrazi. Photo credit: Allie Bigelow<br />
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An early bedtime was definitely needed for the early morning awaiting us. Ashley and I settled to sleep by 9pm despite our loud hotel neighbors, who were in town for a Mason's reunion. These people liked to party!<br />
Wake up time on Sunday morning was 5:15 am. Ashley and I donned matching outfits of <a href="http://www.oiselle.com/shop/running-tops/new-lesko-shimmel-with-removable-cups">Lesko Shimmel tanks</a> and <a href="http://www.oiselle.com/shop/running-bottoms/running-shorts-and-skirts/distance-short">Distance shorts</a>, with several warmer layers on top. We grabbed a quick breakfast and were on the road with Rebecca and Kristin, who graciously had offered to drive us to the start. Traffic was crazy once we got close to the race. Kristin dropped us off several blocks before the start, so we started walking. We took a quick pit stop at a hotel, and then continued walking. Within a few minutes we noticed that the runners we saw were not carrying their dry bags. But where was the bag check??? Apparently, in our relaxed "have fun" weekend, we had forgotten to check where the start was, where the bag check was, and the deadline for getting your bags on the truck. Oops. <br />
We saw a few trucks sitting there, so we asked what we were to do. They were set up for the marathoners, but thankfully, one lady on the truck said she would take our bags. Thank goodness for nice people who take care of us spaced out runners. By the time we checked our bags, we realized the race was to start within 10 minutes. And we still had a long way to walk. So we walked fast. It ended up being a good warm-up for the race.( I like to think "glass half full"). We rationalized that it was chip timed, and our race didn't start until we crossed the line. True, but it would have been nice to be in our assigned corral, and to hear the national anthem. Live and learn.<br />
Rebecca took off, trying to catch up with corral #1 which had already started (we heard the countdown to the race). Ashley and I tried to catch up with corral #3. Navigating from corral #7 to #3 was not very easy. Ashley rushed ahead, but I decided to save my energy for the race. I managed to get into #4 before crossing the line. My Garmin watch gps kicked in just in time and I crossed the line. It was crowded for the first mile, but I didn't let it bother me. I did not have a specific goal in mine, other than "under 2 hours". After running <a href="http://momonthemove2.blogspot.com/2014/02/love-rox-12-marathon.html">The Love Rox 1/2 Marathon in Richmond</a> 3 weeks ago in my slowest ever time of 2:10, I figured anything better than that would be fine with me. I also knew that this course would be flat. The wind would be the only issue. <br />
After the first mile (9:30), I settled into a nice pace (around 9 min/mile). I was feeling very comfortable, and knew that I could maintain this pace for quite a while. The weather was good, partly cloudy, maybe 40 something degrees, and a bit windy. I stopped to drink water at about every other water stop, and took Gu gels at 4.5 miles and 9.5 miles. I was able to pass the 2 hour pacer group somewhere along Shore Drive, maybe at 4 miles in. I knew that if I stayed ahead of them, I would make my goal of under 2 hours. Once we entered Fort Story at mile 5, the wind picked up quite a bit. There was also a slight hill. I managed to keep a steady pace, right around the 9 min range. I even saw some 8:5x splits in there, and I was still feeling pretty good. I felt quite good until about mile 11.5 when I started feeling tired. I knew that I would make it, but my mind was starting to get the best of me. I pushed those feelings away and carried on, not allowing myself to slow down too much. By the time I made the final turn at 12.5 miles and saw my team mate <a href="http://www.oiselle.com/athletes/paulette-ference">Paulette,</a> I got a second wind and was able to push hard to the finish. I saw Kristin and some other team members cheering just a few yards from the finish, and I smiled as I crossed the finish. 1:58:25 official time. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo credit: Katie Anderson's fiancé, Drew</td></tr>
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Through the finishing chute, I collected my medal, beach towel (sweet!), running cap, granola bar, water and shamrock cookie. I looked for the bag check trucks, but didn't see them, so I figured I would meet up with the ladies from Oiselle. It was so cold by this time. Once you finished running, the wind was fierce, and freezing. <br />
I met up with them, and Kristin was nice enough to get this shot of me and tweet it: <br />
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A few minutes later, I was shivering. I wrapped my new towel around me, and <a href="http://www.oiselle.com/athletes/asher-henry">Asher,</a> an elite member from our team, was nice enough to wrap her French Feather fleece scarf around my neck as an attempt to warm me up. Thanks, Asher! We all soon decided to find my bag, and skip the after party, opting for coffee and breakfast instead. I was able to locate my bag, after seeking out any UPS trucks I could find, and soon we were headed to the <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/java-surf-beach-cafe-virginia-beach-3">Java Beach Café,</a> where we enjoyed coffee, breakfast sandwiches and wraps, served by friendly staff, and helpful neighbors that seemed to just drop in to help serve breakfast. Elderly neighbors, in tight sweatpants. I guess you had to be there....<br />
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Here's a photo of my room mate, Ashley, who definitely wins the prize for the glamor shot of the day. And this was POST half marathon. <br />
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How does she look that good after PR'ing by 2 minutes??? <br />
Anyway, we had a great breakfast and then we were heading back to the hotel driven by Kristin, with some mad driving skills. Rebecca had to get back to the hotel so that she could get showered and to the airport to catch a 2pm flight. I volunteered to drive her, and was also promised a sweet set of <a href="http://www.oiselle.com/shop/lux-arm-warmers">Lux arm warmers</a> if I could get her there on time. I would have done it anyway, but I wasn't about to say no to some extra Oiselle gear. Could this weekend get any better?<br />
We made it to the airport on time, without any crazy "Daisy Duke" maneuvers, and I hit the road for a long 6 hour drive. I made it home safely, and was happy to be home with my family after a very memorable weekend.<br />
Once again, I am feeling very blessed to be part of the Oiselle Family. It is a community of women runners who embrace each other, literally and figuratively. No matter your age, size, or ability, we are all runners, with a passion for the sport. We all put ourselves out there, toeing the line, to do our best. In some of the best gear a lady can find. <br />
Special thanks to Kristin Metcalf who brought us all together for this Spring Team Meet-up. Thanks K-Met for taking care of all us and making us all feel so special. It wouldn't have been the same without you.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5559041235015619937.post-56902380178555322522014-02-28T10:03:00.001-05:002014-02-28T10:03:46.477-05:00Love Rox 1/2 MarathonWhen I registered for this race, way back in the Fall of 2013, I was running well, uninjured and excited to plan a fun girl's getaway weekend with my best friend, Michele. She was able to find a race exactly mid distance from where we both live: Richmond, VA. We each would have a 4 hour drive, the race looked "flattish" and the best part was that your race entry included tastings at the Virginia Wine Expo after the race. Perfect!!<br />
At the end of October I developed an <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5559041235015619937#editor/target=post;postID=1609033453337680826;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=3;src=postname">injury</a> which lingered well into the end of the year. I was finally able to start running again in early January. That left me only 7 weeks to train for the 1/2 marathon. I tried to stay positive, just reassuring myself that I would just run as well as I could, not to be concerned about any time goal. Luckily, Michele has had on and off training as well, so she was willing to go in with a "do what we can" attitude.<br />
The longest run I was able to complete in training was a 9.5 mile run 9 days before the race. I felt pretty good, I ran slowly, but I was able to run the whole distance. That was somewhat reassuring. But I still had another 3.6 miles to run. <br />
I drove to Richmond Saturday morning after dropping my son off at ballet and leaving the other two at home with a sitter. My husband was not so conveniently coaching his swim team in their final swim meets this weekend. The drive to Richmond was without incident, and Michele and I met at the packet pick up. The pick up was low-key, with just a couple of vendors, no lines to pick up our race bibs. We were in and out in just a few minutes and off to check in to our hotel in downtown Richmond.<br />
We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn which was the host hotel for the race. It was conveniently located across the street from the Convention Center where the Wine Expo was taking place, and only a block away from the start/finish area of the race. And did I mention that the race didn't start until 10:00 am the next morning? How easy was this going to me?<br />
I had been to Richmond several years ago while dating my husband. I don't remember much about that trip, so the city seemed new to me. Michele and I walked around a bit after checking into our hotel. We walked along next to the James River on the Canal Walk. Part of the race route would be here the next day. The weather was great, much warmer than it had been for me in PA. It was nice walking around in short sleeves and enjoying the sunshine. <br />
We stopped at an English Pub on the way to dinner to have a drink. <a href="http://www.pennylanepub.com/">The Penny Lane Pub</a> is a cozy bar, which was quite crowded when we arrived. The older man at the front told us to head to the bar, and to make sure to show our ID's. I took this as a joke, but Michele thought he was serious and quickly got out her driver's license to show the bartender. I hated to break it to her that he was joking, and trying to flatter us. We each had a "pint" , and then headed to dinner.<br />
Dinner was at a restaurant within walking distance, <a href="http://caferusticarva.com/">Cafe Rustica.</a> It is a small restaurant, with good food and friendly service. Dinner was good, relaxed and not rushed at all. It reminded of us of being in Europe again. After dinner, we headed back to the hotel and watched Olympic highlights. It was nice knowing that the race didn't start until 10 am and that we were within a 5 min walk to the start.<br />
We did, however, have to walk down to the parking lot where our cars were to pay for daily parking in the morning. It seemed impossible to pay for the whole weekend, and our parking space was expiring at 5:59am. We had spoken to "Angela" the voice who answered the telephone when we called the info line and she assured us that we could park there, we wouldn't get towed, as long as we mailed her a check on Monday for the Sunday parking. ????? We decided it was probably best to pay for the parking on Sunday and head out early Monday morning to avoid having our cars towed.<br />
Sunday morning we paid for parking, then stopped at Starbucks on the way back to our hotel. I was feeling apprehensive about the race. My body felt tired, my legs tight. Would I be able to run the whole distance? What about the temperature? It was already approaching 50 degrees. I hadn't run in anything warmer than 30 degrees during my training. I shared my concerns with Michele, and we just hoped for the best. We were able to catch the end of the Olympic Hockey game, with Canada beating Sweden for the gold medal. I proudly sang my national anthem before heading to the race. <br />
We walked down to the start and realized this was a much smaller race than we thought. (We found out later that there were only about 400 runners for the 1/2 marathon). There was a moment of silence for <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/489458451159627">Meg,</a> a local woman who had been killed by a drunk driver while running recently. Then the national anthem was sung beautifully. I began to calm down, and get ready to run. <br />
We started right at 10am. The course was 2 loops, with the 10K runners running one, the 1/2 marathoners running 2. Within the first mile this "mostly flat" <a href="http://www.richmondmultisports.com/assets/Love-Rox/Love%20Rox%202014%20Course%20Map%202-19%20FORWEB.pdf">course</a> was anything but. We started to head up a long, gradual hill. Thankfully, for every uphill, there was also downhills. We tried to make up some time on the descents. I actually enjoyed running through downtown Richmond for the most part. I like passing the sign that said "U R Downtown" twice. Crossing a small bridge into Brown's Island was nice. Running along the Canal Walk and seeing some of the cool <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=richmond+canal+walk+street+art&tbm=isch&imgil=FyXYsLHt9JKL6M%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F%252Fencrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com%252Fimages%253Fq%253Dtbn%253AANd9GcSrwwS7PX6yRIM4YpLgCafAYpy4c6DAlwvg-WgjDHHHhhXlYExQ%253B640%253B480%253Bd3jsCdDirxXlhM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.rvariverfront.com%25252Fmonuments%25252Fstreetart.html&source=iu&usg=__8btJZHNMOKHn5QP4WzdD71kA9Fo%3D&sa=X&ei=eY4QU5vxKaXf0gGSuYG4Bg&ved=0CDQQ9QEwAw&biw=1366&bih=673#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=FyXYsLHt9JKL6M%253A%3Bd3jsCdDirxXlhM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.rvariverfront.com%252Fimages%252Fphotos%252Fgallery%252Fstreetart-01.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.rvariverfront.com%252Fmonuments%252Fstreetart.html%3B640%3B480">graffiti/art</a> was interesting. I debated stopping to take photos, but as Michele stated on the second loop "I want to save my energy for running". Good point. We were definitely feeling it on the second loop. <br />
Crossing the 14th street bridge seemed to me to be the most boring part. It was mostly an industrial looking area. All the runners seemed to have become quiet on the second time around. We were about 8 miles into it by then. The hardest part, physically, was the second time up and over the Lee Bridge. There had been a water stop at about mile 8.5, and not another one until almost 11 miles. We were wanted to take our last Gu and had to wait until that water stop. We were both struggling, and I think we both considered walking, but we somehow kept going. Speaking of water stops, we did walk through all the water stops, drinking each time and taking Gu's at approx. miles 5 and 11. Michele also ate some Sportsbeans while going up the Lee Bridge. She said it helped her get through it. I have never really liked them, and the energy it would take to chew and run was just too much for me at that point.<br />
Passing the mile 12 sign as a good feeling. We were able to finish strong, with a slight uphill finish. We ran mostly even splits, with the last mile being one of our fastest (9:20). My watch time was 2:09:30. The official time was 2:10. I think that is my slowest 1/2 marathon ever, but I was just proud to be able to run the whole distance, feeling good without evidence of my injury. Running the race with Michele was really fun. I like that we can support each other without even saying a word. She kept me running when I really wanted to walk. And I know I did the same for her.<br />
We took a couple of photos at the end of the race, even though we were tired and sweaty. <br />
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I was proud to represent not only Oiselle, but also, Team <a href="http://www.nuun.com/">Nuun,</a> which I was selected to be an ambassador recently. <br />
I really like the medal that we received. It is in the shape of a wineglass, which I thought was cute and original. I thought it was a bit silly to have the little check boxes on the race bib: "Available, Taken or It's Complicated". Were we really supposed to check one? ;)<br />
After indulging in a couple of Oreo cookies and some hydration, we headed back to the hotel for a very welcome shower. My face was covered in salt. The temperature was in the 60's. Luckily, it had been cloudy for most of the race. Under normal circumstances, this would have been an ideal temperature to race in, but my body was not quite acclimated to the higher temperatures. I made sure to fill our water bottles, and we added some Nuun to replace the electrolytes that we had surely lost during the race. <br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h8SD6pkUTNc/UxCbHOYAIVI/AAAAAAAAAlc/ShYC77ecMcI/s1600/loverox3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h8SD6pkUTNc/UxCbHOYAIVI/AAAAAAAAAlc/ShYC77ecMcI/s1600/loverox3.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a> Next was the <a href="http://www.virginiawineexpo.com/">Wine Expo.</a> We made it just in time to have some veggie chili that was being offered from the race. They were packing up as we arrived, but we were able to get a bowl, thank goodness. Then we headed into the expo, which was much larger than we expected. There were countless vendors, with I believe 450 different wines to taste!! All the tastings were included in our race entry. We alternated between wine tastings and the free samples of food (crackers, cheese, cheese sticks, salad dressings with bread, chocolate). There were several good offerings of wine, but our favorite was the last one we went to: <a href="http://www.chathamvineyards.net/">Chatham Vineyards.</a> I enjoyed their Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Vitner's Blend. We began speaking with John Wehner and his wife, who have been operating the winery since 1999. They asked where we had travelled from, and when I said I was from Pennsylvania, John stated that his wife's family lives in <a href="http://www.boilingsprings.org/">Boiling Springs</a>, where I live! What a funny coincidence! It is tiny, actually a village, with a population of only 3,000 people. I asked John's wife for her parent's contact information, and I hope to run into them in the "Springs". What a nice way to end the tastings. We grabbed a delicious crabcake before heading back to the hotel before dinner. <br />
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We had decided to return to The Penny Lane Pub for dinner, but found it to be closed on Sundays. We quickly checked our phones, and found another "yelp" recommended restaurant just a couple of blocks away, <a href="http://www.tarrantscaferva.com/">Tarrant's.</a> It ended up to be a lovely choice. We both had the fish tacos, which were more than enough, and delicious.<br />
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By the time we returned from dinner, we were both exhausted. We headed to bed early, knowing that we would have to move our cars from the parking lot by 6am, and head home. <br />
The next morning, we were both tired and a quite sore from running up and down those hills. We both had to return home to our families, back to "reality", so we checked out early and headed our separate ways.<br />
All in all, it was a great weekend. I would definitely recommend this race, especially since it includes the wine expo. Well worth the price of the race entry. I had a great girl's weekend, and got my first race of the year in.<br />
Next up on the calendar: <a href="http://www.shamrockmarathon.com/race-info/anthem-half-marathon/">Shamrock 1/2 Marathon</a> in Virginia Beach. I'm looking forward to this race. I ran it a few years ago, going under 2 hours for the first time with Michele. It is also going to be a Oiselle Team meetup. I will finally meet some of my team-mates that I have been corresponding with via twitter. I am also hoping to run well, getting closer to the 2 hour mark. <br />
<span id="goog_356522345"></span><span id="goog_356522346"></span><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5559041235015619937.post-50506569168886345702014-01-30T15:53:00.002-05:002014-01-30T15:55:24.402-05:002013 Recap (It's still January, right?)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One month already into 2014, and I am finally getting to recapping 2013. Better late than never, right? 2013 was a great year for me. I was looking back at my goals I set for 2013 and I am happy to report that I was successful in meeting most of them.<br />
<strong>Goal #1: Have an injury free year</strong>. Well, can I say I was successful for 10 out of 12 months? I ran more than I ever ran before (1,145.3 miles to be exact!). I ran consistently most weeks 5 times a week. I had my gait analyzed in January with a Physical Therapist, and was fitted with new orthotics. I had no issues with shin splints for the entire year because of this! Unfortunately, in October I developed Piriformis Syndrome while coming to the end of my marathon training. Up to that point I had run in 12 races, and felt like I was going to finish my year strong. It was not meant to be, even with backing off training and starting Physical Therapy right away .After that, I was able to run a <a href="http://momonthemove2.blogspot.com/2013/11/what-would-mother-runner-do-drop-to-half.html">Half Marathon</a>, participate in a <a href="http://momonthemove2.blogspot.com/2013_11_01_archive.html">Marathon Relay</a> with my family and even walk/run a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day with a run coaching client. Not the way I wanted to finish my running year, with only 1 measly mile ran in December, but onward and upward we go!<br />
<strong>Goal #2: 13 races in 2013.</strong> I would say I "raced" 14 races in 2013, so goal met and exceeded!! <br />
<strong>Goal #3: PR.</strong> With five 5K's, one 10K, three Half Marathons, two 10 milers and 2 Ragnar Relay races (with 6 mini "races") , I would think that I had plenty of opportunities to PR. I was able to PR twice in the 10 mile distance (6 min off previous times!) . Try as I might, I could not PR in the 5K distance. My best result was to tie it (24:10). I guess the 10 mile distance was my sweet spot in 2013. I should probably find one or two to race in 2014.<br />
So, 2 out of 3 running goals met for the year. I think the biggest thing I take from the year was that I had so much FUN!!<br />
Some of my favorite moments from the year:<br />
- My first Oiselle Team meetup at the Cherry Blossom 10 miles in Washington, D.C. in April. <br />
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- Meeting up with my best friend Michele at the Nike Women's 1/2 Marathon in Washington D.C. at the end of April. It was a great <a href="http://momonthemove2.blogspot.com/2013/05/race-5-nike-womens-12-marathon-dc.html">girls weekend</a> that I will never forget.<br />
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- celebrating my son's age group win at <a href="http://momonthemove2.blogspot.com/2013_06_01_archive.html">his first 10K race</a><br />
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- My first Ragnar Relay with <a href="http://www.nuun.com/">Nuun</a>. I loved this whole experience. Check out my blog post <a href="http://momonthemove2.blogspot.com/2013_07_01_archive.html">here</a> .<br />
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- Because I travelled to Seattle, I was also able to go to Oiselle HQ and even meet Mama Bird extraordinaire herself, Sally Bergeson!! So cool.<br />
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- Running on Team Sarah at the <a href="http://momonthemove2.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-ultimate-mother-runner-showdown.html">Ultimate Mother Runner Showdown</a> at Ragnar Relay DC. I met some great women there that I can now call my friends. <br />
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- the Harrisburg Marathon Relay with my sons and husband. Check out <a href="http://momonthemove2.blogspot.com/2013_11_01_archive.html">Team Hart</a> here.<br />
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I also had set some personal goals, including becoming a Personal Trainer and a Running Coach. I was able to become certified as a Personal Trainer in August after many hours of studying. I was a bit behind in the second goal, finally becoming certified as a RRCA Running Coach after attending their weekend course Jan. 11-12.<br />
This was totally not a goal, or a forethought, but I did cut most of my hair off in 2013. Not sure why exactly, but still pretty happy with my decision. Here I am pre-haircut: (really bad selfie)<br />
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My first cut was in right before my birthday in March: (with my fellow birthday boy)<br />
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By July, I had cut off a few more inches: <br />
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It is still quite short, and I have no plans to grow it out. Although I am kinda liking it mid length. Hmmmm. Maybe I'll keep it as an yearly update in the blog. How exciting, right?<br />
Overall, 2013 was a great year. I am truly blessed to have a healthy and happy family. We continue to live in Central PA, as the Army has not decided to move us yet. I have yet to sit down and formulate my goals for 2014. Let's hope I am able to do that before another month goes by! <br />
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<strong>Questions for you: </strong><br />
<strong> How did you do in 2013 with setting/meeting goals?</strong><br />
<strong> Any big plans for 2014?</strong><br />
<strong> Any thoughts about my haircuts? Which do you prefer?</strong>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5559041235015619937.post-73861176629485822362013-11-17T18:35:00.002-05:002013-11-17T18:35:48.155-05:00The Harrisburg Marathon: Team HartI'm going to give full credit to <a href="http://www.runnersworld.com/person/marc-parent">Marc Parent, writer of the Newbie Chronicles</a> for Runner's World magazine for the idea to do this. Last March, I was reading <a href="http://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/running-relay-family">his column </a>in which he recounts the marathon relay that he had run with his family. He had requested that his family run a marathon relay with him as a birthday gift to him that year. As March is my birthday, this was very timely. Immediately after reading the column, I gathered my family around and let them know that I would like to make the same request of them. At first I got blank stares. Crickets. "No really," I said," we can do this. The Harrisburg Marathon has a relay. It's not until November. We have plenty of time to get ready for it." I grabbed the laptop and googled the Marathon to research the distances. 4 people relay, leg distances of 5.7-7.4 miles. "We can do this!". I think the responses were: "maybe", "we'll see", and "yes". The yes came from my 10 yr old son, the one we have dubbed "the runner". At the time that I suggested this, he was in the middle of track and field training. His favorite event is the 1600m, and he had run several 5K's. He was also planning on running a 10K later in the spring. At least I had one willing participant.<br />
Time went on. "The runner" <a href="http://momonthemove2.blogspot.com/2013/06/art-ship-10k-family-affair.html">ran the 10K</a>, I continued to train through the spring and summer, eyeing a <a href="http://momonthemove2.blogspot.com/2013/11/what-would-mother-runner-do-drop-to-half.html">fall marathon.</a> Once fall came, our weeks became very busy with school, and after school activities. My oldest son had joined the middle school cross country team, so he was running 5 days/week, but his maximum distance was 4 miles. The "runner" started ballet training with <a href="http://www.cpyb.org/">CPYB</a>, and rehearsals for the Nutcracker. It quickly went from 8 hours a week of ballet to 20+hrs. No time for running in that schedule. He also complained of some pain in his Achilles tendon 3 days before the race. My husband and I were also <a href="http://momonthemove2.blogspot.com/2013_10_01_archive.html">nursing injuries</a> right before the race. <br />
The night before the race, as we sat down to dinner, we discussed our race "strategy". It came down to "don't worry how long it takes us" and "we just want to have fun out there" and "the course is open for 6 hours". We had no time goal, no aspirations other than to finish. I was really just hoping we would finish, and that they wouldn't all hate me for making them do this. I had a very fitful sleep the night before, with visions of crying, pouting and long-term resentment. <br />
In the morning, I decided I would just commit to a positive attitude, and hope that my attitude would rub off on them. We had decided to come up with a <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/cp/customize/product2.aspx?number=1031090792">t-shirt design</a> for our team a few days before. My daughter had slept over at a friends house, so the four of us on Team Hart were up early, ate a quick breakfast, mixed up some <a href="http://www.nuun.com/">Nuun Hydration</a> in our favorite flavors, and were on our way to Harrisburg. The <a href="http://www.harrisburgmarathon.com/relay.asp">marathon</a> is set up very well for the relay. I was runner #1, so we all headed to the start line together. I lined up at the start line, right behind the 8:55 min/mile pace group, figuring that was a good place to start. As the race started, I waved to the rest of the family, assured them I would "return with honor" (inside joke among us), and I was off. While I was running, my husband was to take my oldest son, Runner #2 to the exchange point located only 1/4 mile from the starting area. Then he and my youngest son (Runners #3 and #4, respectively) would head to the other exchange area at the 1/2 marathon point. <br />
As soon as I started to run, I knew it would be a tough one. My left leg was already bothering me, and all I could hope for was a decrease in pain once I was warmed up. I stayed with the 8:55min/mile group, feeling pretty well for the first 4 miles. At this point the route went on the Greenbelt path, a gravel trail. I enjoyed this part of the course because we were off the pavement. I started to slow a bit, mostly because of the pain increasing in my leg. The pace group got a bit ahead of me, but they were still in my sight. By the water stop at 5 miles, I was hurting. I walked through the stop, sipping water, then gave myself a inner pep talk to get through the last part of the run. I knew that my son was waiting for me at the exchange. I knew that he had never run more than 4 miles in his whole life, and I was expecting him to run 6.4!! I needed to show him that he could do it, that our team was strong and we could do it together. I didn't allow myself to walk, I just kept going. With 1/2 mile to go, we crossed the Market St. Bridge. My stride was altered at this point, but I pushed through. I saw my son at the exchange, he was so excited and smiling! I removed the relay timing chip from my ankle, and attached it to him. I handed him my watch, and he was off! The distance of my leg in the relay was 6.7 miles.<br />
I was in pain, limping as soon as I stopped. I headed to the Carousel Pavilion, where I picked up my drop bag with warm clothes, and it was a place I could wait until my family was finished running and we could meet at the finish line. I called my husband to let him know what time I handed off to my son. He suggested that we plan on running across the finish line at the end. I suggested that he forget that idea since I was now limping and unable to run another step. So much for the positive attitude!<br />
Now I had to just wait. For 2 and 1/2 hours it turned out to be. My husband called me to tell me that he was almost finished the 3rd leg, he had run faster than he thought he would. He also had run the most challenging leg: 7.4 miles, including hilly miles through <a href="http://www.harrisburgmarathon.com/images/Elevation_Profile2010.gif">Wildwood Park.</a> I could not believe we were already 3/4 done with the relay! <br />
Soon after, my husband called to say that he handed off to "the runner" and that they were heading to the finish area. I started hobbling to the finish line, which was less than 1/4 mile away. It was slow going, my left piriformis muscle was very angry with me. The full marathon runners were walking much better than me. It was quite sad, really.<br />
I looked at my watch when I got to the finish line. It was now 3 and 1/2 hours since we had started. We may just make it under 4 hours! So exciting. I was still concerned about my youngest son. His Achilles had been bothering him for several days, and now we expected him to run 5.7 miles on it. What if he didn't make it? What if he hurts himself, and he is hobbling like me? The next thing I knew, my husband and older son were there. They said they had passed "the runner" with about 1 mile to go and he was looking good. We started watching the finish line. We could hear the crowd getting excited, we looked, and there he was! Coming down Walnut Street Bridge, smiling and happy. The crowd was cheering as he raised his arms while crossing the finish line.<br />
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I looked at my watch 11:40. That means we ran the marathon in 3:40 (official time ended up being 3:39.11, by the way). We had done it. I was thrilled, despite my personal pain. I hobbled over to my team, we had a group hug, and we headed to the food tent. People were congratulating us, we felt like rockstars!<br />
After grabbing some food, we posed for a team photo.<br />
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So, thank you to Marc Parent for a great idea. There were no tears, no pouting, no grudges harbored. At least not for today. We are already talking about next year's race!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5559041235015619937.post-16090334533376808262013-11-12T17:42:00.003-05:002013-11-12T21:48:49.046-05:00What Would a Mother Runner Do? Drop to the Half.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I had registered for <a href="http://www.delawareandlehigh.org/marathon/">The Delaware Lehigh Heritage Marathon</a> back in May of this year. I was looking forward to a low-key, non crowded marathon with a beautiful course within 2 hours from my home. Perfect. <br />
I trained all summer, through the heat and humidity of the East Coast. I did tempo runs, hill repeats, intervals and long runs. I stretched, foam-rolled, did my <a href="http://www.oiselle.com/blog/core-routine-runners-dozen">core routine,</a> followed every workout on my training plan. I even worked in <a href="http://momonthemove2.blogspot.com/2013_07_01_archive.html">Ragnar NWP</a> and <a href="http://momonthemove2.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-ultimate-mother-runner-showdown.html">Ragnar DC.</a> My training went so well, until it didn't. <br />
My last, longest run was scheduled for Oct.12. 20 miles, easy. I woke up super early that morning in order to get in 10 miles before joining my running group at 8am. The plan was to run the last 10 with them. My left piriformis muscle felt a bit tight during those first few miles, but once I was warmed up, I felt fine. I was able to complete the run in 3hours and 20 minutes, an avg. pace of 9:30 min/mile. Perfect.<br />
The next morning I woke up early to get ready for church, and I had to hobble to the bathroom. My left leg/hip was tight and sore. Not so perfect. I then proceeded to take a day off, foam rolled, stretched and tried to loosen up my left piriformis. I hobbled through a 2 mile run/walk with my 5K group that I coach on Tuesday, ran a slow, uncomfortable 3 miles on Thursday, and somehow managed to run 10 miles at the <a href="http://momonthemove2.blogspot.com/2013_10_01_archive.html">Army Ten Miler</a> on Oct.20. 2 weeks before I was scheduled to run the marathon. My one marathon of the year. My "A" race. The one I had trained so hard for. To finally run a sub 4 hour marathon.<br />
I was still determined to run the marathon. I made an appointment with my Nurse Practitioner in order to get a Physical Therapy referral and in the meantime just continued with stretching and foam rolling. <br />
I was able to see Physical Therapy a few days later. The diagnosis was piriformis syndrome, hip bursitis and very tight hip flexors. The therapist did ultrasound therapy, massage and stretching, and then introduced me to a therapy that I was not familiar with: <a href="http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/sportsinjuries/a/Iontophoresis-In-Physical-Therapy.htm">iontophoresis.</a> This is used in order to administer medication to the affected area. Like having a cortisone shot without the needle. Pretty cool. And completely painless. <br />
So, after 4 physical therapy sessions, it was time to make a decision about the marathon. I was feeling better, but certainly not 100%. I had contacted the race director on Wednesday of the final week to inquire about whether or not I could change my registration to the half marathon, since there were no deferrals for refunds. She got back to me quickly, and let me know that I could drop to the half if I needed to, as long as I told them when I picked up my number on Saturday. This gave me some sense of relief, knowing that I at least had the option. <br />
I decided to rest from running until Saturday, and then go on a very short run just to see how I felt. I was now walking normally, and feeling pretty well. I ran for 20 minutes on Saturday morning and did feel some "pulling" and discomfort in my left leg. I made the decision at that point to drop to the half. I just didn't know if I could tolerate that for 26.2 miles, and I knew it would get worse before it got better. I also knew that I had plans to run the Harrisburg marathon as a relay team with my family on the following weekend. I needed to be able to recover enough to run my part of the relay 7 days after this race. Plus, I couldn't be in so much pain from the marathon that I wouldn't be able to function in my normal "mother" duties at home. <br />
I drove to Northampton, PA Saturday afternoon and my first stop was at the bib pickup. It was located at the Northampton Recreational Center, and was easy to find, and park. When I asked for my number, I found out that I had already been changed to the half marathon. Well, I guess the decision was made for me! No problem, I picked up my t-shirt and number, and then I was off to the hotel to check in. <br />
I stayed at the host hotel for the race, the <a href="http://hiltongardeninn3.hilton.com/en/hotels/pennsylvania/hilton-garden-inn-allentown-bethlehem-airport-ABEGIGI/index.html">Hilton Garden Inn</a> close to the Allentown-Bethlehem airport. A very nice, clean room welcomed me! I was glad to fill up my water bottles and settle in for a few hours rest before heading out to dinner. I started to check out local churches and restaurants so that I could attend Mass and eat before heading back to the hotel for an early night. <br />
I few days before the marathon, I had tweeted to a couple of people from Runner's World for some restaurant recommendations, since their headquarters was close by. <a href="https://twitter.com/megrunnergirl">Megan</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/BartYasso">Bart Yasso</a> tweeted me back some suggestions. I decided on going to <a href="http://meltgrill.com/">Melt</a> in Center Valley for dinner, because of this tweet from Bart: <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BYGfaoCtq7Q/UoKG12OVLmI/AAAAAAAAAe8/4djxDBBZdvI/s1600/bart.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BYGfaoCtq7Q/UoKG12OVLmI/AAAAAAAAAe8/4djxDBBZdvI/s320/bart.PNG" width="213" /></a>Unfortunately, Bart was out of town for the NY Marathon, otherwise I would invited him to have dinner with me. ;) Because I was going to be there for dinner, I decided to find a Catholic Church close by to attend Mass. I found <a href="http://www.assumptionbethlehem.com/">Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary</a>, in a place called, of all things, Bethlehem. How could I go wrong, right? I made my way there, and attended a very nice service, took some time to relax and get my head in the right place for the race the next day. Just what I needed.</div>
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Melt was located in a large shopping center very close to the church. It took me a really long time to find a parking spot, but I finally did, very far away. The restaurant was very busy, but I was told that I could eat at the bar on the 3rd floor. The bar only had a few people there, so it was perfect for a quiet meal. I ordered a Guinness and looked at the menu. There were some great looking appetizers. I decided on the sesame crusted seared tuna. Since I also wanted some type of pasta dish, the waitress suggested I order a "side order" size of any of the pasta dishes. I chose Penne Boscaiola: penne pasta with chicken, wild mushrooms, zucchini, sage and cream. I asked them to prepare the dish without the chicken, which was no problem, the kitchen staff suggested that they just add extra vegetables. Everything was delicious, especially the tuna. It was served with wasabi and soy sauce. It was so fresh tasting and yummy.</div>
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As I ate, I took the time to look through my <a href="http://www.believeiam.com/products/the-believe-i-am-training-journal">Believe I am Training Journal.</a> I find it helpful to look through the last few months of training in order to see how much work I have put in, and how much improvement I have seen in my running during a training cycle. It can be a real confidence booster before a race, especially one when I am not feeling my most confident. Seeing that I was able to do 15, 16 mile runs in the hot humid summer at a decent pace assured me that I had the fitness to do well in the half marathon. The only question was whether or not my left hip/piriformis was going to be an issue.</div>
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I returned to the hotel early and settled into bed. I took the time to catch up on some old episodes of <a href="http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway-all-stars">Project Runway Allstars.</a> Having the extra hour of sleep due to the end of daylight savings time was a nice bonus for sure!</div>
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The hotel was providing a free breakfast, as well as a shuttle service to and from the race start. I was up at 5:40, had a quick shower and then headed downstairs for a breakfast of bagel, peanut butter, orange juice and coffee. I chose to wear my Oiselle singlet, <a href="http://www.oiselle.com/shop/accessories-44/arm-warmers">arm warmers,</a> my favorite shorts, <a href="http://www.oiselle.com/shop/running-bottoms/running-shorts-and-skirts/roga-short">Rogas</a> in poppy, <a href="http://www.oiselle.com/shop/accessories-44/superfly-cap">Superfly hat</a> and orange Pro Compression socks. I also had an old hoodie sweatshirt to toss at the beginning to keep me warm until the race started. The forecast was for 40 degree weather with windy conditions. </div>
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The shuttle got me to the start 30 minutes before the start. Since this was a small race (total 700 runners, with a half and full marathon), that was plenty of time for a porta potty stop, checking a bag with some warm clothes and a short warm up walk. </div>
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The race started right at 8am. It was a low key start, with a few announcements, and then the half marathoners were off! The scenery of the route was beautiful! The first part of the course is on pavement through Northampton. Before long, we ended up on <a href="http://www.delawareandlehigh.org/index.php/trail/">The Delaware-Lehigh Trail,</a> where the rest of the course was. This was a nice, soft gravelly trail with pretty trees and water views. Just lovely to run on!! Especially with the leaves all turning color at this time of year. I settled in to a nice pace after the first few miles. I tried to keep most of my miles right around the 8:30min/mile pace. I did feel some "pulling" in my left leg, but nothing that affected my stride, or stopped me from running. I stopped at all the water stops for sips of water (miles 3, 6, 9 and 11). I also took a Gu gel at 6 miles. I tried to keep a steady pace, but found it difficult after the 8 mile mark. The wind picked up significantly at that point, and I was unable to keep my miles under the 9 min/mile pace. I had a few ladies around me that seemed to keep leap frogging with me. Every water stop we would get behind or ahead of each other, but at the end of the race I did try to pass most of them. I know one lady with a blue tank top and a blond ponytail I just couldn't catch at the end. I do think she was significantly younger than me, so that's just fine! I do remember thinking to myself at the end that I was very relieved that I had chosen the half marathon rather than the full. It was a wise decision, considering my leg pain. Once I crossed the finish line at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center, I was given my medal and a bottle of water. I walked for a few minutes, and then quickly went to grab my bag of dry clothes. It was cold and windy at this point, and I was surprised by how much salty sweat I had on my face! I slipped on <a href="http://www.oiselle.com/shop/running-bottoms/running-pants-capris/lux-pant-regular">my most favorite pants of all time,</a> and my Oiselle happy hoodie sweatshirt. Instantly toasty and warm. </div>
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One of the best parts of this race was the post-race food!! It is really the best selection I have ever seen, especially given the size of this race. They offered the runners 2 types of soup: Tuscan Bean vegetarian and regular, Vegetarian and Beef Chili, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Black Bean Veggie burgers, regular burgers, celery and carrots, cookies, coffee, hot chocolate and Gatorade!! Wow, what a spread. There were tables for us to sit in a tent that was blocking the wind and it was perfect for a recovery meal. Since I finished under 2 hours (1:56), I was there early enough that I didn't have to wait very long in line for the food. By the time I was finished eating, the line had become very long, and I felt sorry for the runners waiting in the cold for their food. </div>
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The race provided a shuttle back to the start, so I took advantage of this, and then called the hotel shuttle to come and get me. I had just enough time to return to the hotel to have a shower before having to check out. Waiting for that shuttle to arrive seemed to take FOREVER, even though it was only about 15 minutes. It was so cold and windy out there and I was completely alone at the now deserted start line. The shuttle driver was very pleasant to chat with though, and before I knew it, I as back at the hotel. I think the Hilton did a great job for the runners, and I only hope that maybe they could have offered a late checkout for the full marathoners so that they could shower after the race.</div>
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My leg was definitely sore after the race, and I was hobbling around. My iliotibial band was bothering me as well. I think I was compensating with my gait during the race, and this affected my stride. Once I returned home, after a 2 hour drive, I was very sore and stiff. I foam rolled my legs, and iced my IT band. I am blessed to have such an understanding husband, who had bought groceries, and treated me to a yummy dinner of pasta, salad, wine and chocolate cake for dessert! I am so spoiled!</div>
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I was very pleased with this race overall. Even though I didn't PR at the half marathon distance, I placed 11th in my age group (out of 58) and 147th overall (total for half marathoners: 439). I was happy to complete any distance due to my injury. And the course was just beautiful. It was a small, low-key race. The volunteers were exceptionally helpful, the food was the best I have ever had post-race and it was very organized. I hope to run this race again, hopefully the full next time, so that I can finally conquer "Heritage Heartbreak Hill".</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5559041235015619937.post-62722941852402733802013-10-31T15:59:00.002-04:002013-10-31T16:01:43.247-04:00Army Ten Miler Oct.20, 2013I rarely "repeat" races. I prefer to try new ones. The Army Ten Miler race is different. This was the 3rd time I have run this race. I ran it in 2009 with my best friend, Michele, and I also ran it last year. Check out my eventful account <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5559041235015619937#editor/target=post;postID=5073854839769375305;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=33;src=postname">here.</a> <br />
This year I was asked to run on a Masters Mixed team for Carlisle Barracks. My husband was also running, so I thought it would be fun. One of the runners on our team felt that we could possible place in the top 5 if we had a good running day. We had 8 people on our team, 5 men and 3 women. The top 4 times count toward the team score. I originally hoped to run somewhere between 1:20-1:25. Unfortunately, after my last long training run for a marathon I am training for, on Oct.12, I developed tightness and pain in my left hip and piriformis. After that run, I had to take a few days off and try to get the leg loosened up before the race. I endured a deep tissue massage on Wednesday to try to loosen things up. During the massage, I also realized that my hip flexors and quads were also quite tight. All the hill running of Ragnar and just the training for a marathon have taken a toll. I also had been rushing my recovery time after the long runs, needing to get my kids to activities on Saturday afternoons. Sometimes I would spend 5 minutes stretching, then showering and eating on the way out the door. No foam rolling post run, no ice baths. Not the best plan. I think I paid for it. <br />
The two days before the 10 mile race, I actually contemplated dropping out completely. What was the point in running if it would cause further problems, and I wouldn't be able to run very fast anyway? What if I couldn't even finish the race? On Thursday I ran for 30 minutes, but the run was not comfortable. I felt a pulling sensation in my left leg with every step. We travelled to Centreville, VA on Saturday afternoon to stay with friends overnight, and I was still debating whether or not I should run the race. Not the best feeling just a few hours before a race!! <br />
My husband, his friend who was also running on our team, and I went to the race expo at the Armory on Saturday afternoon. It was easy to find parking, and we were in and out in just a few minutes. We did stop by the Nuun booth to chat with Robert, who had run the Ragnar Relay NWP with me. Nice to see him again, and to fill my water bottle with some orange Nuun! I also was able to donate 2 pairs of running shoes to a veterans charity. It was a good feeling knowing that someone would benefit from one pair of gently used ones that I was done with, and with a pair that I had bought because they were going to be "extinct" and then realizing a few months later that I needed to size up to the next size, and change the type of shoe I was wearing after a gait analysis! They were never worn, so I hope there is a runner out there that will benefit from them.<br />
Saturday evening was spent with our friends at their home, eating spaghetti and Italian bread. I did indulge in one beer, hoping it would "relax" me and allow me to get some sleep. I was very nervous about attempting to run the next day. I had decided by then that I would go to the race, start and see how it went. If I was in too much pain half way through, I would find a way to get to the finish and link up with my husband. I put aside my ID, $20 and my cell phone to bring to the race. Cell phones and any electronics are not allowed on the course, but I could fit the phone the back pocket of my Oiselle Roga shorts and I wanted to make sure I had a way of reaching my husband if I had problems on the run. He also planned on carrying his phone. Luckily, they again did not enforce this "rule" that is supposed to discourage people from having electronics on the course. As I have seen every year, people ignore the rule, listen to music, chat on their phones, and take photos while running. I have always carried a phone, but do not take it out of the pocket until I need to reach someone at the end. This is a very large race, with approx. 30,000 runners and it can be difficult to maneuver around people that are not paying attention, stopping to take pictures, etc. <br />
Anyway, back to the evening before the race. The friend that we were staying with is a chiropractor, and she graciously offered to give us adjustments and treatments for our ailments. As a "masters" team, it seems that most of us had aches and pains that we had been dealing with in the weeks before the race. I was not alone in that. My husband was having knee pain, and his left calf had been cramping up in the days before the race. His friend, her husband, had injured one of his oblique muscles playing softball. We lined up for treatments, she pulled out her treatment table, ultrasound and KT tape. <br />
She helped me by applying ultrasound to my piriformis, and helping me stretch out some of the tightness. She then applied some biofreeze, and I went off to bed. I was still nervous, but hopeful that I would be able to run the race.<br />
I slept horribly. I just tossed and turned the entire night. Before I knew it, my alarm went off at 5am. I ate a bagel with peanut butter, drank some orange juice, and a cup of coffee and then we were off to the Metro station. We arrived at the Pentagon shortly before 7am. It was cold, probably in the 40's. I had worn old running pants that I planned on tossing at the start and an old race t-shirt. We found the porta potties, checked our bags and headed to the corrals. It wasn't crowded yet, and we were able to easily find our way to our starting corrals. My husband and his friend were in the faster corrals, so I let them go ahead, and I found a position in the front of the red corral. I had opted to not wear my watch. This was the first time I had ever done this in a race. I was feeling pretty discouraged and worried, so I was going to just run by feel and "see how it goes". Waiting in the cold was the hardest part. I was shivering even before I took off my throw away clothes. I chatted with a few people around me. We were positioned right before an underpass. We were astonished by the number people that were going just above the underpass on the hill and relieving themselves on the stone bridge. At first it was just a couple of guys, then before you knew it, they were lined up to do it, just like in a porta potty line!! I felt like yelling "We can see you! Just because you turn your back to us, doesn't mean we can't see you peeing!!!" But I didn't. I just found it ridiculous. There were enough port o potties at the race. This was unnecessary. There were even a few ladies that went to the other side of the underpass and I saw them squatting. Come on!! Even the Army guys that were monitoring the corrals were shaking their heads. I heard one guy behind me, apparently from another country say "You only see Americans doing things like this. Disgraceful". Wow...<br />
Next, we heard the announcer introduce the singer of the national anthem. The singer sounded like he had a nice voice, but there was such an echo, that it sounded like he was singing over his voice. Then, with the sound of a cannon, the Wounded Warriors were off first, 10 minutes before the first corral. I was in the second corral, so once the first went, I took off my throw away clothes and we moved ahead to our start. At 8:05 we were off!<br />
At first my legs felt quite tight. I just told myself to take it easy, try to find a good pace and that my legs would feel better after a few minutes. Several people passed me, but I just let them. I was going to run my own pace, my own race. I just wanted to enjoy the experience as much as possible. This race is always so inspiring, seeing all the Army units running together, the Wounded Warriors, the charity runners and the whole Army community. I passed a few Wounded Warriors with prosthetic devices for legs, and I told myself "If they can keep going, so can I. I have NOTHING to complain about". <br />
Sure enough, 20-30 minutes into the race I started to feel better. I could still feel some tightness in my leg, but I was finding my stride and feeling okay. The course runs by several monuments, including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Kennedy center and Jefferson Memorial. I took the time this year to enjoy the views. It can be difficult, since you are continually trying not to trip on your own feet, or someone else's. You have runners around you for the entire course. Some people can be pretty aggressive and pushy. I got elbowed a couple of times by a couple of guys trying to get around me. That was pretty annoying. I was running an appropriate pace for the corral I had started with, so I just let them go past me. I stopped for sips of water at the 4 mile water stop. At the 6 mile water stop, I took a Gu gel with some water. I was still feeling good, and went over the 10K mat in about 54 minutes. There was a race clock there, and I subtracted 5 minutes off that time for my time. I was running better than I expected, so I decided to speed up my pace a bit. I was feeling okay, and I knew that I was going to be able to finish. Miles 8-9 were the toughest. It is the only part that is "hill". It is actually a long bridge that you go over, the George Mason Memorial Bridge. Many people slowed down, and I was able to pass several runners here. Without having a watch, it was difficult to judge how far away the finish was once we got off the bridge. I could hear the finish line, but couldn't see it for the longest time.<br />
Finally, I spotted the black and gold balloons over the finish line. I sprinted the to the end, and was happy to see the time as 1:31, which means I ran approx. 1:26. I wasn't sure what my PR was for 10 miles. I had not checked before I left home. It wasn't until I arrived home that I realized my previous PR was 1:27:16 at the Cherry Blossom in April. I PR'ed when I wasn't even trying!! That means I did a negative split, running the last 3.8 miles in 32 minutes, 8:25 pace! Awesome.<br />
Walking through the finish chute took a long time. It was very crowded. I grabbed some water that was being handed out, and finally made it to the place where they handed out the finish coins. <br />
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I was so happy to have finished. I linked up with my husband and some of my other team members at the Hooah West Point tent after grabbing some food (bagel, muffin, granola bars) from the food tents. We were able to link up with most of our team members and took a team photo.<br />
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Here I am with the 5 guys on the team. My husband is to my right, with the orange visor. The "C" on our singlet stands for Carlisle. If you are not familiar with Jim Thorpe and his history in running, find it <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Thorpe">here.</a> This is a similar uniform that Jim Thorpe wore when he was an athlete for the "Carlisle Indian School" which much later became Carlisle Barracks. It was our way of honoring him. There were 2 other ladies on the team, but unfortunately, we did not link up with them for this photo. <br />
We did find out later that our team place 4th in the "Masters Mixed" category. The top 4 times counted for our team score. My time actually counted, with the 3 fastest guys. I'm glad I was able to run as well as I did. <br />
I was able to link up with a few Army friends at the race, including my best friend, Michele, who had travelled from North Carolina for the race. After spending some time with her, I was starting to shiver, and it was time to head to the bag check to retrieve some warm clothes!<br />
We saw the long line for the shuttle buses, and decided to walk the mile instead to the bag check. My legs were tired and sore, but it was good to be moving. Getting our bags was quick and easy and I was "happy" to put on my Oiselle Happy Hoodie- pun intended! We made our way to the Metro and worked through the crowds before finally getting on a train. <br />
We made it back to Centreville, and met our friend with our kids and hers at Tropical Smoothie. We enjoyed yummy smoothies and wraps before headed back to their home for warm showers. <br />
After a quick foam rolling session and packing our things up, we were on the road to home. It was a great weekend, and turned out much better than I expected! This a race that I enjoy every year. I hope to be able run it for many more!<br />
Hooah!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5559041235015619937.post-60369244308465502802013-10-12T17:53:00.001-04:002013-10-12T17:53:55.719-04:00The Ultimate Mother Runner Showdown: Ragnar DCWhere to begin this post? I had the most amazing experience last weekend, and it is difficult to summarize my experience with words. I was selected to be part of this relay team back in June. 22 mother runners (+2 alternates) were selected to join Sarah Bowen-Shea and Dimity McDowell in Cumberland, MD to run 199 miles all the way to Washington, D.C. I was selected to be a member of Team Sarah (later named Badass Mother Runners), and I became runner #5. <br />
During the last 4 months, these Mother Runners have been getting to know each other on our own BAMR Facebook page, discussing training, logistics, costumes and packing lists.<br />
I decided not to do a full recap of the relay, but at the bottom of my blog, I will share some of the recaps of some of my team-mates. There are some fun tales in there. I instead decided to share on here my poem that I wrote for the Another Mother Runner website. We were asked to write a short recap for the website, and keep it under 200 words. Since I had applied for the relay with a poem, I felt this was appropriate. Here is my poem, based on Elizabeth Barrett Browning's "How Do I Love Thee?"<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How Do I Love Thee <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mother Runners? Let me count the ways…<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">How do I love thee Mother Runners? Let me count the ways.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I love thee with all my heart, you my sisters in sport</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As far as my legs can run on dusty roads while white vans
rumble by</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For the laughter, support and passion that comes with
running</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the dark of night with red blinking lights and Christmas
lights on tutus.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I love thee as much as Cherry Limeade Nuun and tabouli salad
made with c are.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Most quiet need, by sun and headlamps.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I love thee freely, as tightly as my compression socks
squeeze my calves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I love thee purely, as much as that communal shower cleansed
me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I love thee as I pass that sweaty slap bracelet</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And as my quads ache from tearing down those hills.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I love thee with a love and an appreciation for the
generosity of spirit</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That is shared among us as we ventured together,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Smiles, dance parties at the finish---and if our paths
should cross again,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I shall but love thee better as an Ultra Team in Ragnars to
come!</span></div>
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Here's a few photos from my epic weekend. As they say, pictures are worth a thousand words. Enjoy!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S5HH95XeWCg/UlhiXpAGbdI/AAAAAAAAAbk/5F1hNVYYDZI/s1600/Sarahteam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">Hot Mamas in Tough Girl Tutus Team Sarah</a><br />
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<u><span style="color: #0066cc;"></span></u><br />
This about sums it up for me. Pure joy!! Special thanks to Sarah and Dimity for selecting me to be part of such a great event that I will never forget. Thanks to all the mother runners that I now have the pleasure of calling my friends. Thanks especially to my van mates, the ultimate Bad Ass Mother Runners: Bethany, Schuy, Terri, Jill and Sarah. You have all RETURNED WITH HONOR!<br />
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For more recaps from some of my team-mates, please check out these links:</div>
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<u><span style="color: #0066cc;"><a href="http://seejainrun.wordpress.com/">http://seejainrun.wordpress.com/</a></span></u></div>
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<a href="http://www.runwifeyrun.com/ragnar-dc-recap-5-things-you-need-to-know-to-run-the-race/">http://www.runwifeyrun.com/ragnar-dc-recap-5-things-you-need-to-know-to-run-the-race/</a></div>
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<a href="http://michiganrunnergirl.com/my-michigan-running-story-jill-plamondon-tackles-ultras-an-epic-ragnar-relay-this-weekends-lighthouse-half-marathon-in-traverse-city/">http://michiganrunnergirl.com/my-michigan-running-story-jill-plamondon-tackles-ultras-an-epic-ragnar-relay-this-weekends-lighthouse-half-marathon-in-traverse-city/</a></div>
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<a href="http://anothermotherrunner.com/2013/10/09/ragnar-d-c-running-relay-races-recap-team-sarah/">http://anothermotherrunner.com/2013/10/09/ragnar-d-c-running-relay-races-recap-team-sarah/</a></div>
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<a href="http://anothermotherrunner.com/2013/10/07/ragnar-relay-d-c-race-report/">http://anothermotherrunner.com/2013/10/07/ragnar-relay-d-c-race-report/</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5559041235015619937.post-73791398834552756632013-10-01T15:38:00.002-04:002013-10-01T15:40:44.443-04:00Charity MilesIn January of this year, I discovered the Smartphone app <a href="http://www.charitymiles.org/">Charity Miles.</a> It seemed simple enough:upload the app on my phone, pick a charity to run for, turn it on when I start, turn it off when I'm done. Each mile I run, 25 cents is donated to the charity of my choice. It has become a regular habit of mine to use the app on my daily runs. <br />
My charity of choice is almost always the <a href="http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/">Wounded Warrior Project.</a> This charity is close to my heart, being an Army wife. This charity helps Wounded Warriors and their families. It is an easy way to give back to an organization that is helping so many people affected by the recent deployments. <br />
What I like most about Charity Miles, other than the simplicity of using it, is that you have so many charities to choose from, including Every Mother Counts, Do Something.org, Habitat for Humanity, Ironman Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, The Michael J. Fox Foundation, ASPCA, Feeding America, Pencils for Promise, Partnership for a Healthier America, Achilles Int'l, WFP, Stand up 2 Cancer, (Red)to Benefit The Global Fund and Autism Speaks. Everyone can find a charity that is close to their heart. <br />
I recently watched this <a href="https://www.smallbusinessbiggame.com/NY/Charity-Miles/387761">video</a> which features Gene the founder of Charity Miles with his grandfather, who suffers from Parkinson's Disease. Gene started this company in order to gain support from corporate sponsorships that will contribute to these charities. I love their slogan #EveryMileMatters. Because it does. As a runner, I'm out there running anyway. Why not benefit a charity at the same time? <br />
Right now Charity Miles has the chance to have the opportunity of being chosen to have a commercial during the Super Bowl. Click <a href="https://www.smallbusinessbiggame.com/NY/Charity-Miles/387761">here</a> to vote for them to get to the next round. <br />
I also hope you will be inspired to upload the app, and start earning your own Charity Miles. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5559041235015619937.post-34269834486343713262013-09-30T15:23:00.000-04:002013-09-30T15:23:49.259-04:00Preparing for Ragnar DCI am heading to Maryland in just a few days for an epic adventure:<a href="http://momonthemove2.blogspot.com/2013/09/ultimate-mother-runner-showdown.html">The Ultimate Mother Runner Showdown.</a> As I am starting to pack and prepare for my journey, I thought I would review a couple of products that the sponsors of this adventure had sent me recently. So, of course, the obligatory disclaimer: Yes, these products were sent to me for free. I was not asked to promote these products, and all my opinions are my own.<br />
Two of the most recent products I received were the <a href="http://www.ultimatedirection.com/p-539-fastdraw-plus.aspx?category=hand-helds">Ultimate Direction Hand-Held Fast-Draw Bottle</a> and <a href="http://110playharder.com/shop/flat-out-sox-hi-viz/">110% Flat-Out Sox.</a> <br />
I was very happy to receive the Hand Held bottle because just recently I had lost my Amphipod one. This sounds strange, but I think it went out with the recycling by accident. I had received as a gift for my birthday, and I stored in our pantry, right above the recycling bin. Just a couple of months ago, it went missing! To tell you the truth, I wasn't a big fan of it because it always leaked while I was running. I had been looking for a replacement, and lucky me, I got it!<br />
The Ultimate Direction Bottle does not leak. It holds 20 oz of fluid, has a "kicker valve" which takes a little practice to get used to. It involves squeezing, biting and sucking to get the liquid out. That sounds very suggestive, but I have no other way to describe it! I have gotten the hang of it, and the fact that it doesn't leak makes it all worth it. I like the tension-lock hand strap. I can adjust it so that it is tight and after a few minutes, you can forget it is even there. There is a zippered pocket which has just enough room for my car key and a Gel. And I love the color I received- Pink! That means there will be no "borrowing" of it by my boys and husband. Bonus!!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0agWdncMavQ/UknLqUDawyI/AAAAAAAAAaU/q1z0qiRB3l8/s1600/waterbottleultimate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0agWdncMavQ/UknLqUDawyI/AAAAAAAAAaU/q1z0qiRB3l8/s320/waterbottleultimate.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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The second product I received were the Flat Sox from 110%PlayHarder. I have been using the <a href="http://110playharder.com/shop/double-life-shin-calf-sleeves/">Compression Sleeves with Ice</a> for at least a year now. They have helped my shin splints so much. I love putting these on when I get home from long runs. The fact that you can insert the ice sheets into the pockets of the calf sleeves is ingenious. In the past, I have had to hold an ice pack to my shins, or tie a tea-towel around my leg to hold the ice. I have loved these compression sleeves. Now I have the Compression socks and I have really liked the support they give for long runs. I find the material very supportive and soft. They are made of a wicking material, so sweating is kept to a minimum. Not only do my shins feel supported, so do my feet and arches. The only thing I think is missing from these socks is the ability to insert ice post-run. It would be great to leave them on, put my feet up and insert ice right into the socks. Instead, I have removed these, and then pulled on the compression sleeves with the ice pockets. Not a big deal, they are a good compression sock. I will definitely be wearing them for the Ragnar Relay during the runs and while waiting in the van. </div>
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Here's a photo of the socks I received: </div>
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You will be able to see me coming down the road with these reflective stripes!! </div>
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I will bringing both of these products with me to Ragnar. Any body who is training for a long distance event would benefit from trying them out. Now, it's time to start packing all my gear for the relay. Cumberland, MD, here I come!!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5559041235015619937.post-42767851436511426192013-09-04T10:18:00.002-04:002013-09-04T10:18:34.065-04:00Ultimate Mother Runner ShowdownOne month from today, I will be in Cumberland, MD for an exciting adventure. Back in June, I found out that I was selected to be on <a href="http://anothermotherrunner.com/2013/06/10/meet-sarahs-ragnar-relay-team/">Sarah's Team</a> from <a href="http://www.anothermotherrunner.com/">Another Mother Runner</a> for the Ragnar DC Relay. I have been a fan of Sarah and Dimity's for years, starting when they were blogging for Runner's World about training for the Nike Women's Marathon in 2007. I followed them along as they wrote about their training, and when poor Dimity developed a stress fracture that relegated her to cycling on her trainer in her basement to prepare for the race. I could relate to these "mother runners" as they chronicled their daily struggles with balancing training with the demands of being a wife and mother. When they wrote their first book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Run-Like-Mother-Moving-Family/dp/0740785354">"Run Like a Mother",</a> <br />
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I was excited to read it and was not disappointed. Through their personal stories of running and training, I was able to commiserate and laugh along. The book offers really practical information about being a "mother runner"such as how to incorporate your running schedule in with your spouse, including a hilarious description of "Horizontal Sweat Sessions", which can ensure that your spouse will be more agreeable to you being gone for a 3 hour run on Saturday after "intimate cross-training" on Friday night. They also incorporated quotes from other mother runners that offered advice and also provided relatable tidbits of information. They since have written another book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Train-Like-Mother-Across-Finish/dp/1449409865/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378220698&sr=1-1&keywords=train+like+a+mother">"Train Like a Mother"</a> which I have found very useful. The book offers several training plans for beginner runners, all the way up to a "Own it Plan" for the marathon. I have used the training plans for the half and full marathon, and found it to be very helpful. They also offer advice about nutrition for runners, cross-training and strength training advice and setting realistic goals for racing.<br />
Sarah and Dimity also have a busy <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AnotherMotherRunner?hc_location=stream">Facebook page,</a> <a href="http://www.anothermotherrunner.com/">web site,</a> and one of my favorites, weekly <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/another-mother-runner/id452025505">podcasts.</a> I look forward to having a new podcast every Monday morning as I head out for my run. Most recently, they interviewed <a href="http://asklaurenfleshman.com/">Lauren Fleshman.</a> Lauren is a pro runner who also just happens to be a fellow <a href="http://www.oiselle.com/athletes/lauren-fleshman">Oiselle</a> runner. She is also a new mom, and it was interesting hearing her take on running while pregnant, and postpartum. She also offered many great tips on staying motivated during tough workouts and when set backs happen. If you're looking for a great running podcast, check out AMR Radio! You will not be disappointed. And if you're looking for some motivational running tops, check out their <a href="http://anothermotherrunner.com/store/">AMR Store</a>. One of my favorites is the lifestyle tee "It's All Good. I Ran Today". Pretty much sums it up for me. <br />
Anyway, back to the Relay. I was thrilled and honored to be selected to run on Sarah's Team (which will be known as Badass Mother Runners at the race). It will be the <a href="http://anothermotherrunner.com/2013/03/31/ragnar-relay-contest-team-dimity-vs-team-sarah-in-the-ultimate-mother-runner-showdown/">Ultimate Mother Runner Showdown</a> with a friendly competition to see if Sarah or Dimity's team makes it first to the finish line in Washington, DC. Some of the ladies selected have been very active on Facebook, and we have been getting to know each other in preparation for the race. We are all "mother runners" and fans of Sarah and Dimity's, coming together to run, laugh and chat. And optimistically, sleep a couple of hours in the 24-30 hours we spend in the vans! As I found out with the <a href="http://momonthemove2.blogspot.com/2013_07_01_archive.html">Ragnar Relay NWP,</a> these relays can be quite a bonding experience. <br />
As well as the fun of running the Ragnar Relay with the ladies, there is some great swag involved as part of being selected to be part of the teams: (as taken from the AMR website)<br />
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A rundown of what each relay runner will receive:<br />
Nuun: tasty hydration in non-sticky, super-convenient tablets (and sponsor of Ragnar)<br />
110% Flat Out Sox: squeezy gradient compression socks to keep your legs fresh and kicky<br />
Saucony: sampling of products from our fave running company <br />
Sof Sole: custom-to-your-arch Fit insoles for cradle-like support<br />
AMR Top: to-be-determined (and designed) tank or shirt for our kickass teams<br />
Skinfare: organic, healing balms that soothe chafe, chapped lips and everything in between<br />
Ragnar: an entry to the mother runner version of the Amazing Race <br />
NuttZo: delish organic nut- and seed-butters that are brimming with healthy, good stuff Hyland’s: Calms Forte, our must-have homeopathic sleep aid, and Muscle Therapy Gel with Arnica <br />
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As of today, I have received most of these prizes in the mail, and I have to tell you, it's been like Christmas. All these sponsors have been so generous, and it has been great sampling all these products. I will have a more detailed post soon, with raves of some of my favorites. <br />
For now, I continue to train for my second Ragnar Relay. I have been assigned <a href="http://www.ragnarrelay.com/race/dc/distances">Runner #5,</a> which means I run a total of 15.1 miles over the 3 legs. There are some serious climbs in this relay, so I have been working on my hill repeats. Luckily, living here in central PA, there are plenty of rolling hills. No matter what, I know this weekend will be one to remember. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17185723112906986996noreply@blogger.com1