Are you Happy?

Are you happy Mommy? This was the innocent question that my 4 yr old daughter asked me this morning.  The question that brought me to tears. 
 Now, to give the question context, I have to explain that she has asked me this question several times in the last few weeks. She asks me this question when I am stern with her, when I am cleaning up a mess she has made (nail polish on the wall, anyone?), or when I am frazzled and rushed.  I have had to catch myself, and explain to her that although I may not be happy with her behavior, or the situation at the moment, yes, Mommy is happy.
 But, am I happy? This has been a tough week. And today I don't feel very happy.  Do I have many things to be happy about? Yes I do. I have a nice house, food to eat every day. I am healthy, everyone in my family is healthy.  I have a husband who I love and who loves me. I count my blessings every day.
 But the world's tragedies and others' sadness does affect me.  And when other of life's frustrations and disappointments occur in my everyday life, sadness creeps in. 
  I want to be the best mother I can for my children. Times like this make it quite challenging. So today I make a pledge to myself to do everything I can to feel happier and project that to those around me. And for me today, that starts with a run. An all out, breathing hard, sweaty run.

Feeling the Need to Help

I have read some wonderfully written blog posts regarding the horrific tragedy at the Boston Marathon.  I don't have much to add.  I was thinking to myself that I wasn't directly affected, so I didn't need to add to the commentary.
  But I was affected in some ways.  As a runner who enjoys racing several times a year, sometimes at major events, I am affected.  My family is affected.  I talked to my older kids yesterday (ages 10 and 12) about the tragedy because they had questions, and it had been discussed at school.  It is difficult to explain to them that although spectators were killed and injured at the marathon, this most likely will never happen to them. This tragedy, like other recent ones ( movie theater shooting in Colorado, shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, and others) creates fear in all of us.  It is difficult to explain to children that these are terrible things that happen,and that we can't prevent them. 
  I am running in a large Half Marathon in 11 days in a major city.  My kids know this.  They are fearful.  I have attempted to reassure them, but there is only so much I can do.  I had not planned on them being there, so that is not an issue. Will I hesitate next time when thinking if they should be there cheering myself or my husband on during a major race?  Right now, yes. I am hesitant.  Just as I was hesitant sending them off to school in December after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary. But the truth is, we can't protect our loved ones every minute of the day.  We have to trust that they will be safe.  We can't live in constant fear.
  So, with this helpless feeling comes the need in myself to DO SOMETHING.  Anything to help those affected by the tragedy. I was so happy to see in my email a post from Another Mother Runner this morning.  Dimity and Sarah are suggesting 10 ways that you can help, right now.  Please click on this link, and help in anyway that you can.  10 Ways to Support Boston
  For now, I am holding my loved ones close and praying for all those affected by this tragedy. 

Negative Splitsville: It is Possible at the Cherry Blossom 10 miler

Yes, I finally did it. I was able to run a negative split at the Cherry Blossom 10 mile race.  In case you don't know what "negative split" means, it is when you run the second half of a race faster than the first half. And I've never done that before.  Until now. Booyah!
 I went into this race thinking that I could take it easy, enjoy myself, and I wouldn't worry too much about pace. Just run comfortably in the first half, and then just run faster in the second half, by feel.  I did use my Garmin watch, but honestly didn't look at it much until the 10K mat, and then in the last couple of miles.  I felt myself pushing it at the end, but I was never in "pain". I guess what I've heard for years is true: by taking it easy in the first half of a race, you can speed up and finish strong. Huh... pretty cool.
  Another reason I wasn't worried about my pace was that my target race this spring is the Nike Women's 1/2 Marathon in DC which is on April 28.  I am hoping to pull off a big PR at this race, so this 10 miler was just a way to practice racing, and to test my fitness.  The good news is that it was a great practice at a negative split, and I am feeling pretty fit!
 I managed to achieve a 5 minute PR, and I felt great the whole time.  I ran the first 5 miles in 44:30, and the last 5 miles in 42:46, for a total time of 1:27.16. My slowest mile was the first (9:16). It was very crowded at the beginning, and I was placed in the blue corral, which ended up being behind the 9:30 pace group. I didn't want to waste too much energy getting around people, so I just took my time to find a better pace.  My fastest mile was the second to last one (8:09). The last mile had a little hill near the end, so the final mile ended up being 8:19.  Pretty happy with that pace, considering I am hoping to run right around that pace for the half marathon in order to achieve the sub 1:50 time goal.
 I found this race to be well organized, especially the expo.  I was able to take the metro from my hotel to the expo, and I was in and out of there within just a few minutes.  Great for such a big race.  I did run into 2 other Oiselle team members while at the expo. They spotted my Oiselle Spike Bag and we stopped to chat for a moment and take a photo.
  The morning of the race, after a restless night of sleep, I left my hotel at 6am after a quick "breakfast" of Picky Bar Cherry-Limeade Nuun, water and coffee. Breakfast of Champions, right?
I arrived at the start line of the race, which started near the Washington Monument, at approx. 6:40.  There were plenty of porta potties, so I took care of that business first and then tried to stay warm until the race start. I had worn some old running clothes over my Oiselle singlet and roga shorts. I dumped the old clothes at the start.  I also (wisely) wore my Oiselle arm warmers. The temp was 40 degrees, and the sun was just coming up. I passed the time before the start by listening to a great podcast from Another Mother Runner. Sarah and Dimity talked with Kara Goucher. This really helped pass the time, and it was totally motivating to hear Kara talk about preparing for the Boston Marathon!  It was windy and chilly at the start. I received a nice good luck text from my best friend Michele as I was moving to the start. Thanks Michele!  The race started on time (Love that!) and I crossed the start line around 7:39.  There were water stops every 2 miles, but I opted to only stop for miles 4 and 6 (took Roctane Gu with 2 cups of water). In the interest of time, and the fact that I was feeling well, I skipped the other water stops. The course was great.  Not boring, and the cherry blossoms were almost in full bloom.  I was pretty focused on not tripping over anyone, or my own two feet, and had to remind myself to look around at the scenery.  I remember some of the course because some of it is the same at the Army Ten Miler race which I did in October. There were many turns, which made it a bit difficult, but overall I really liked the mostly flat course.There was great fan support, and some along the course musicians.   It was a bit windy, but nothing that I'm not used to here in central PA.  At the finish line, I found that it could have been more organized with indicating where the food was.  I was able to get water right at the finish, then I had to walk around for several minutes to find the food, which was bananas and muffins.  I was hoping for a bagel, or maybe a protein drink, but no such luck.  So, I headed towards the metro station to get back to the hotel for a warm shower and to get ready for the Oiselle Team brunch meetup. 
  After getting back to the hotel, I received a congratulatory text from my husband with my race time. He had checked the website for results, and he knew the "official" time before I did. That was nice. I had a nice shower, a good stretch and foam roll, packed up and headed to Open City Restaurant for brunch with some fellow Oiselle Team members.  It took me a long time to find parking, which was super frustrating, but I finally made it there (after having to walk for over a mile) and it was great meeting Mollie, Stephanie V, Stephanie J, Jenna, Amanda S, Amanda P and Abby.  I had a yummy egg white scramble with spinach and tomatoes, with toast, hashbrowns and a Cafe Latte.  It was great chatting with the ladies, and we stopped outside after eating to take a photo in our pretty pink Oiselle t-shirts. 
 I made the long drive home, and was happy to be welcomed home with a delicious dinner prepared by my husband.  It was a busy 24 plus hours, but I am happy that I was able to run this race. I'm planning on entering the lottery again next year, and hoping to run it, and PR again!
 One more detail I loved about this race. Check out this great chart of my "stats" from the race. http://www.runpix.info/arace8/00/finord_one.php?id=8511&ev=chy13&dt=16 Can you believe I passed 782 people in the second half? And I beat the times of 54 % of the male runners? So cool.

 

This is me, Abby and Stephanie at the Expo.

 Brunch at Open City

more hardware for my collection!


 

Hood to Coast Relay with Nuun

I haven't blogged the last couple of weeks because I have been using any extra time I have to create my Hood to Coast application for Nuun. I have never made a video before, so to say it was challenging is an understatement.  The toughest part for me was to come up with a concept.  I am not the most creative person, so I decided to make it just about me, about my family, and about my joy and passion for running.  So, either the people at Nuun will like it, or not.  No matter what, it represents me. 
  I have been wanting to participate in a relay for a long time.  And the Hood to Coast is just so epic, being run 31 times already!  One of the most appealing parts of this application process is that it is for women runners.  I would LOVE to be on a team with 9 other women who are passionate about running like I am.  How fun! And while the whole journey seems pretty daunting (have you seen the elevation profiles?), I know I could do it. 
 And, of course, the other reason I want to be accepted is because I would be representing Nuun.  How great is that? I am so impressed by their products, and their company in general.  Here is a small company, only around now for 8 years, that is making such an impact on the running/cycling community.  I first learned of Nuun from the ladies from Another Mother Runner, Sarah and Dimity.  I listen to their podcasts (now weekly!!) and they would talk about hydrating with Nuun.  I was very curious about their products.  We moved last summer to Pennsylvania, and my husband and I visited the local running store, Appalachian Running Company . I was excited to see Nuun tablets there. How great was it to have Nuun when we were both adjusting to the change in climate from dry California to the humidity of Pennsylvania in July? What a difference it made.
 Nuun is doing a great job spreading their message through twitter, facebook and by being present at many races.  I hope that they will choose me to join their Hood to Coast team. Not only would it be fun, I would be honored!

 

 Here is my video, just completed tonight. I hope you like it.

Frozen Foot 5K #3

This was race #3 in the 5K series. The weather was the best of the 3 races. 40 degrees, with some sun and no wind! I felt like I had a chance to PR in this race, but alas, I was a little short of my goal (again). I think maybe the fact that this race takes place at 2pm is a factor in me not going as fast as I think I am capable of.  I had gotten up early for church, attended Mass at 9 am, then taught CCD class to 7 preschooler/kindergarten kids. At 12, I went home, grabbed a bagel, some Nuun, changed my clothes, and headed out the door for the 45 minute drive to Elizabethtown.  Not necessarily ideal race preparation, but it is only a 5K, right?
 I did my normal 1 mile warm up on the track adjacent to the race start, then lined up at 1:55. I chose to wear myLong-sleeved 50/50 green t-shirt from Oiselle (in honor of St. Patricks Day), my singlet, my new Bum Wrap,   plus a new pair of orange compression socks.  Quite the color combination! I was thrilled to wear the Bum Wrap. I have had it for a few weeks, and the weather has been so cold, I haven't had the opportunity to wear it.  Verdict: LOVE! I think it's going to be one of my favorites for spring/summer running.  Super comfortable and super cute!
  I felt pretty good for the first mile, doing well with the first long and substantial hill. First split was 7:49.  At 1.5 miles, my legs starting dragging. I was telling them to go faster and they were not responding.  I knew at that point it was going to be a struggle to continue at a good pace.  Mentally gave up for a while there, not counting on a PR for this race. Couple more hills, 2nd mile split 7:59. Somehow in the final mile I rallied a bit.  Just knowing it was almost over helped me to get through it. And a couple of little downhills! 3rd mile split: 7:30.  Pushed it out at the end (not the easiest since there is another incline right before the finish!). Time on my Garmin: 24:25. 5 seconds slower than last month's race, 16 seconds off PR.  UPDATE: 3/21: Found out I placed 4th in my Age Group for the Series. Pretty good. I'm going to aim to place higher next year!
 I was a little disappointed at the end, but pleased with myself that I was able to run the last mile the fastest.  Negative splitting is my goal in future races, so maybe someday I will actually figure out how to do that!
 Ran a mile on the track to cool down and then headed home.  Skipped the post-race food (chicken soup again), and opted instead to eat a Picky Bar on the way home.  Post race fuel of champions!
 I have decided that the next 5K I run will be a FLAT course.  Then I will actually have a chance of a PR.  Next race coming up is the Cherry Blossom 10 miler in DC on April 7.  Looking forward to an Oiselle Team meet up, and a fun race. Definitely feel like a have a PR in me, since I rarely race 10 miles.  Looking for a sub 1:30, which according to my recent training times, should be fairly easy. Bring on the Cherry Blossoms!

One Year Wiser and Faster!

I am happy to report that I was successful in my quest to run 43 miles last week in order to celebrate my 43rd birthday. I enjoyed every run, and ran with joy.  I truly do love running, and to do it without pain is just the best gift I could ever wish for. 
 Monday was a 10 mile run, and I set out for it with a little bit of trepidation. I don't think I have ever run 10 miles on a MONDAY! It just seemed a bit unnatural.  I had to plan the timing just right so that I would have time after dropping off my daughter at preschool, and when she need to be picked up 3 hours later.  I wanted to make sure I could allow for stretching and a shower.  Success! I ran fairly easy, and was still able to run an average pace of 9:08.  That is a great pace for me. I've been reflecting lately how my "easy" pace has gone from 10 min/mile to 9 min.  This has all happened in the last 18 months or so.  It seems that the more I train, even though I am aging, I am getting faster.  Not sure how long this trend will last, but enjoying every moment of it!!
 Tuesday I ran 7 miles.  The weather was mild, 34 degrees, and sunny. Beautiful day for a run.
Wednesday was my actual birthday, and I had planned to run 4.3 miles with 3 running friends.  We were all to meet at my home and run in a local park, and then go for coffee.  The weather had other plans. Tuesday night, starting after midnight, the snow started.  It came down heavily, and at 5:30 in the morning we received a call from the school, letting us know that school was cancelled for the day. I turned off my alarm, and went back to sleep.  Once I got up at 7, the snow was still coming down heavily.  I texted my friends and let them know that I was still planning on doing my planned miles, and they were off the hook.  I wasn't expecting anyone to drive to my home to run with me.  An hour later, one friend called to say she would still join me.  She lives less than a half mile away, and she was going to run to my home, and we would leave from there.  How great is that?  So, I convinced my husband to go out and shovel the driveway and walkway so she could get to the door.  He shot me a look, then reconsidered and silently went out to shovel.  Luckily it was my birthday!! My friend showed up, and we trudged through the heavy, wet snow for 4.3 miles.  I gotta say, this was the toughest run of the week.  My legs were tired from the previous days, and running through snow is not easy! So glad I did it though. Thanks Chrissie!!

 The rest of my birthday was spent at home, with the kids and my husband, who also had the day off. I share my birthday with my oldest son, who turned 12.  We had fun opening our presents, and just hanging out.  Later that evening, the weather had cleared up, and we were able to go to our local Red Robin for dinner. I had a yummy veggie burger, sweet potato fries and a Guiness beer.  We finished off the meal with chocolate cake we had bought at a local grocery store.  Delicious!
 Thursday called for 7.7 miles. I figured out a new loop from my house which I really enjoyed.  I have never done it as a loop before, just out and back.  It actually worked out very well, and ended up being 7.5 miles.  I ran a small loop around my neighborhood to add the .2 miles and was done for the day. Still feeling great. I was careful all week to stretch, foam roll and hydrate/fuel well. Every afternoon, I took the time to ice my shins which kept shin splints away.
 Friday was a day off. First day off since the previous Wednesday, so a very welcome day off.  I attended my monthly book club meeting, where we discussed the book The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. Great book, and a great discussion with my group! I always look forward to our meetings, and 2 of the members are also my running buddies, so we made plans for the following morning to get together for our long run. Friday night I did go with my 2 sons and 3 other preteen boys to play Laser Tag. My oldest son was having his birthday party with a sleepover, so no rest for me that evening!! It was fun, but a bit tiring, I have to say.  I handed off the party to my husband at 9pm and wished him luck.  This old lady needed some rest before the early morning long run!!
 Saturday I met with my running group and we figured out a 14 mile loop to run.  The weather was a bit cool, but the sun came out and it quickly became much warmer.  My two running friends and I enjoyed a great conversation as the miles just flew by.  The only time the conversation was paused was during the many hills we conquered that day. This photo shows the elevation profile of our run:

 

All in all, it was a great run. We were able to run an avg. pace of 9:25/mile for the run. Not bad for some tired legs over rolling hills. After a very large breakfast of pancakes with blueberries, home-made latte and orange juice, I was a happy lady.  The rest of the day was spent relaxing and recovering. 
 So, what did I learn from this week?  I learned that I am strong, determined, and motivated.  I love setting goals for myself and accomplishing them.  I learned that no matter how many miles I run, I run with JOY.  I actually loved every mile I ran this week.  Some people cannot relate to this, but running is truly my passion.  I am so blessed to have found this passion more than 15 years ago.  I only wish that I had found it 30 years ago!! I plan on running as long as my body will allow.  Hopefully another 43 years!!

 

 

 

Birthday Plans for this Old Lady

 I was recently studying in my ACE Fitness Exercise Science textbook about how during intense exercise, some of the blood flow is diverted from the brain to the active skeletal muscles.  So, if the following plan seems to lack some of the common sense that I usually display, I am going to blame it on coming up with the idea during a 5 mile run on Tuesday. 
 My birthday is coming up next week, number 4-3 to be exact.  I always try to mark my birthday in some personal way.  Since the birth of my first child, on my 31st birthday back in 2001, my birthday tends to be pushed to the side in order to celebrate his birthday.  So, I tend to come up with something quiet, personal and only for me to mark the occasion.  Sometimes it is just a little on-line shopping spree, hair appointment, massage, or coffee with a friend that week.  This year I would like to mark my birthday with a special running goal.  About a month ago, when I started thinking about my birthday, I thought I would run 4.3 miles the day of my birthday and invite some of my running girlfriends to join me, followed by a trip to the local coffee shop for some "girl" time.  That is a very nice idea, and I still plan on doing that.
  But, on my run on Tuesday, the idea to run 43 miles during my birthday week popped into my head.  It seemed like a fantastic idea at the time.  I love those moments during a run, when various thoughts pop into your head, in between singing along with Pink and Fun. (my 2 current faves). Sometimes these light bulb moments pass, and I give them no more thought.  This one has been sticking there during the last 2 days.  I even sat down last night, looked at my training plan from Train Like a Mother 1/2 Marathon Training Plan, and contemplated if I can work the extra miles in.  It looks doable, even while taking my requisite 2 rest days.  I just need to make sure to make them easy miles and not push the pace, which could cause increased chance of injury.  I will be on week 6 of a 13 week plan.  The scheduled long run is 14 miles on Saturday.  My proposed plan looks as follows:

 Monday 10 miles
Tuesday 6.7 miles
Wednesday (birthday) 4.3 miles
Thursday 8 miles
Friday off
Saturday 14 miles
Sunday off

Total: 43 miles

It seems a bit daunting, but if I keep the miles "easy", and with alternating shorter and longer days, with the 2 rests days before and after my long run, I think I can do it.  I have been running 30 miles/week (with many of those miles as tempo and interval training) so this isn't totally out of reach.
 Important things to remember:
 - stretching and foam rolling is necessary post run, not just an optional activity.
- icing my shins with the 110 % compression ice sleeves will be done daily post run to prevent those nasty shin splints that may crop up
- I will listen to my body, and any signs of injury I will back off and rest as needed
- this is a personal goal, and even though I tend to be stubborn when it comes to meeting a goal, the world won't end if it isn't met.  Life can get in the way sometimes, with 3 kids, a husband, and all the demands on my time, running could be pushed to the side.  Things like illness and weather could also derail my efforts. I will be kind to myself, no matter what.
  Why am I setting this goal? I was just asking myself that as I decided to write down my goal in my Believe I Am Journal.  I wrote that I wanted to set and meet this goal in order to celebrate my birthday, and to feel "alive and well".  The "alive and well" thing is huge for me.  As I age, my mortality follows me like a shadow sometimes.  I know that sounds dramatic, and 43 is really not "that old".  It can feel old when you have a family history of heart disease.  My mother suffered a heart attack in her early 40s.  She passed away from heart disease at the "young" age of 62.  I do need to remember that she was overweight, did not exercise regularly, and did not eat the most optimal diet.  Her father also died in his early 60's  I need to remember that I am of a healthy weight, I exercise regularly, and eat a mostly vegetarian diet, with some healthy fish thrown in.  But, I also have had issues with my heart, including Wolffe-Parkinson-White Syndrome.  I'm not going to get into this during this posting, but I will share my story of that in a future post.  I had ablation to correct that condition, and came away from it mostly unscathed.  I see a cardiologist annually and am cleared to participate in vigorous exercise.  No complaints here.  Just stating all this to say that 43 does not feel so "young" when you are literally attempting to outrun your genetic makeup and mortality.  But I'm going to focus on setting and meeting this goal to "celebrate" my birthday.  I will run all these miles with joy in my heart, knowing that even as an "old lady" I am capable of doing it.  So, questions: Have you set a birthday running goal? What do you think of my proposed goal?

Wish me luck!