I’ve been mulling over in my head these last few days exactly what I wanted to write about my NYC Marathon experience, and where exactly I wanted to store these thoughts of mine. It’s been a hot minute since I posted anything to my blog—since my last marathon to be exact—but this avenue felt more right, compared to a lengthy Instagram post. I have a lot of thoughts & I’ll try to be concise, but I make no promises, ha!

If I think back to 5 years ago when I ran my first marathon, I would have called you a LIAR if you told me that: A) In 2019 I would run the NYC Marathon, B) I would run a 3:31, C) That 3:31 would not be a PR, D) I was trained & prepared to run a sub-3:20, E) I am elated with said 3:31, & F) NYC would not be my favorite marathon. But indeed, all of those things are TRUE! While I have so many good things to say about November 3rd, let’s knock out some of the “bad” things that happened first… they’re pretty much all related to shitty timing.

But first, a blast from the past. Back in 2010 when infertility was rocking my world, I learned how to LISTEN to my body. Once I got pregnant the following year and then had the babies, I really then began LEARNING my body. Call it motherhood. Call it wisdom. Whatever you call it, I discovered then that my body was finally functioning as it should… I finally began ovulating every month, & in essence, the pregnancy “fixed” my body (I do not believe that I efficiently ovulated prior to my successful IVF cycle). Since that time, I know my cycles like the back of my hand. You’re probably wondering what in the world this has to do with running. Well for me, everything. I urge you to understand your body (for all the woman out there!) & go pick up a book like “ROAR” to help you relate your cycles to running & physical activity as we age. So back to the Big Apple…

Leading up to the race, I had figured out that timing of my period would be very close to race day. Sure, periods are a taboo subject to talk about, but why? They don’t have to be. Aside from the “ick” aspects of them, for me personally (as I am sure for many women out there) it is so much more—I get night sweats the night before which affects my sleep, I have back aches/pains, I feel much warmer, my HR is higher, I intensely crave sweets, & my normally rock-solid stomach is sometimes tenuous. Of course your period is relevant to running when I put it that way, right?! (Clearly this post isn’t for any guy readers that I may have, lol!) Well timing sure got me this time… all those symptoms can be checked off as having occurred on November 3rd this year, the exact day I was running my 7th marathon. My “friend” arrived mid-race. “Oh, great”, I thought (at least I had “prepared” for this & there was no social disgraces happening, hehe!). I probably could have been okay if it were just a period. But no, the intense back aches rolled in & honestly, I just couldn’t handle it & run 7:35 pace at the same time. Around that time, the congested course put me in a really crabby mental state. A PR day quickly became an unrealistic expectation.

So what do you do… pack it all in OR adjust? Well first, try to keep pushing forward. #keepshowingup But when that fails, definitely the latter!

All of this, I felt/knew by the 10K mark. I told myself to just get to my 2nd gel at mile 9 and maybe things would improve. I wasn’t “dying”, but I also wasn’t feeling like I could follow the 3:20 race plan either. So… time to adjust & focus on ENJOYING the fact that I was running the freakin’ NYC Marathon! Forget time. Quit fighting the crowds. Just run for the fun of it & ignore the watch. Just after mile 9.5, I called my coach. I didn’t want him to worry that something was wrong with me as each 5K split popped up—I simply wasn’t having an “on” day. Shame an “off” day comes on one of your biggest running days of the year, but that’s life & you have to roll with the punches. After getting off the phone with James, I turned on my music for the first time during the race, hoping to zone out for a bit to get my mind right with some tunes inspiration. It helped for sure (along with the amazing crowd support all along the course!).

After the 10th mile, I don’t believe I looked at a single mile split. I ran the next 16+ miles by feel. James had established a speed “limit” of 7:30, but since I knew I wasn’t going below it, I would just run by feel. I had zero goals or expectations at this point (well, except for staying ahead of the massive 3:30 pace group…. because whenever I was near them, it was soooooo congested!).

It’s funny though—the biggest worry I had going into the race became one of the things I enjoyed most: the bridges. I felt super strong on all 5 bridges. I passed so many folks, cheering them on as I went. My legs loved the varied terrain. The flat-landers hill training had paid off!

Before I list all of the things I enjoyed about the NYC Marathon, here are a few of my issues (I say them not to complain, but to inform anyone who may attempt to run this race as a PR one day): 1) the road itself is full of potholes & you constantly need to watch your footing, 2) numerous (too many IMO) water stops caused for probably 1-2 minutes of lost time needing to slow down & either avoid the cups in the road/get a cup to drink/stay upright on your feet, 3) for a big city the roads seemed narrow for much of the course, 4) poor logistics (again, IMO) for corral size/course congestion (I’ve run Tokyo & Chicago… NYC needs to take notes from those other big city races that never felt crowded like this!), and 5) I know they prepare you for this, but the buses take so very long to get to Staten Island (which made my breakfast that I eat, Picky Oats oatmeal which needs hot water, late… I ate about 60 min. before the race vs. my normal 90 min… & by then, nerves set in & I wasn’t really hungry).

But… there was also so much good about the NYC Marathon. I mean, hello, you’re running through the 5 boroughs of NEW YORK CITY! Despite all that went down this past Sunday & knowing I don’t wish to run this race again, I still adore NYC & will happily visit at every opportunity given!!! There is still magic in NYC… just maybe not in this race, ha! So here’s the good stuff: 1) the spectators are amazing & their cheers are infectious, 2) the course terrain itself I really liked—some turns, concrete jungle, bridges, Central Park—all of it, 3) each mile has an easy to see marker so you know where you’re at every few minutes (good for spectating too—less guess work!), 4) you get to see some amazing views along the way, and 5) at the end, the volunteers were perfection—they put my mylar wrap on, then taped it, then later at the fleece-lined poncho station, they put that on too—top notch volunteers!

So what were some of my favorite & least favorite parts!?

• Favorite Sight: (tie between) 1) Reaching the peak of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge with all of NYC visible below, 2) Coming off of the Queensboro Bridge feeling so very strong, 3) Weaving through Central Park (taking the tangents) looking for Scott & passing so many people
• Least Favorite Part: Full mile steady incline on 5th Ave before you turn into Central Park… ouch!
• Slowest Mile: 8:37 (24th)
• Fastest Mile: 7:43 (7th)
• Favorite Bridge: Queensboro Bridge

And now the numbers (which we all know I love to geek out on, ha!):

• Official Time: 3:31:11 (8:04/mile)

• 1st Half: 1:44:47 (7:59/mile)

• 2nd Half: 1:46:24 (8:06/mile)

• Positive Split: 1:37

As I try to pull together some final thoughts here, I can’t help but to be grateful for where my running adventures have taken me (physically, mentally, & emotionally). I have the most supportive people by my side & I am SO THANKFUL for you all! It is crazy to imagine that 4 years ago, this was the pace that I ran for my half marathon PR… and now it has become my “bad day” marathon race pace. I don’t take that for granted for one second. I was not raised to be an athlete. I was forced to sit out of gym class because I could not perform in the skirt that my religion felt was necessary to be a “proper lady”. I was not permitted to attend swim week in 4th grade because the boys could not see me, as a girl, in an un-modest swimsuit. I had to lie (sorry Mom!) about the length of the field hockey skirt in high school and about the co-ed-ness of the swim team. And then in 2009, I became a runner. It did not come naturally to me & I have had to work damn hard to get to where I am today. But it is important to me, so I sacrifice at times & I make it a priority… for days like this, when your bad day turns into “just run easy” & STILL equates to a solid BQ performance & your 2nd fastest 26.2. BQ was not my goal, but it is a nice benchmark to meet. I don’t have all the answers & I am no better than the next average Joe runner; but, I do know that consistency pays off & I can’t imagine a life without running in it.

Thanks for listen to me ramble! XOXO

If you would have told me it’d take nearly a month to write the recap from my first ever Boston Qualifying race, I would have called you a liar. But, ehh…… life happens! The desire was there to put the details on paper & I had written portions of this recap sporadically, but the time just never presented itself. This December has been absolutely nuts, but the fun kind of crazy, mostly!! From holidays to birthdays to ridiculous stretches of work shifts, I’m really just staying afloat thanks to caffeine & cookies. Can you relate—I’m sure many can!? And while I’m not huge on resolutions, I am 100% ready to flip the calendar & start a fresh new year.

But before that “turn of the page”, I vowed to myself to devote a chunk of time to get my thoughts & experiences on “paper” from CIM… before 2018 was over. Talk about getting down to the wire! And we all know I am not concise with my words….

So… where do I start with one of the most epic & rewarding weekends of my life??!

I suppose it all started a couple years ago when the dream of breaking 3:30 in the marathon {8-flat pace} came into mind when I finished the 2016 Tokyo Marathon in 3:41. At that time, it seemed like such a far-stretching dream/goal—so it was perfect to shoot for! Then came the moped crash & tibial plateau fracture, which derailed most of 2017’s training. Onward I pressed.

In March of this year, during my tapering for the 2018 Shamrock Marathon, I hired Sarah Bishop with McKirdy Trained to help me reach my running goals. The following month, I set my first PR in over 16 months {half marathon, 1:41:42}. I was elated! My goal for the Fall of running sub-1:40 in the half distance didn’t seem “big” enough. Although I had said no more marathons for 2018, I changed my tune & signed up for the 2018 CIM. I didn’t know anyone going to this race, but I liked the prospect of a fast time on a fast course with historically great weather. Fast forward to August, when I attended the inaugural McKirdy Trained Camp & met some of the coolest running humans on the planet. I was stoked that some of them would be at CIM & suddenly, I wasn’t headed to CA “solo”.

As training progressed, I ran my fastest paces EVER. Along the way, I nabbed a mile PR, a 10K PR, & in the final month before the marathon, I PR’d my half marathon on back-to-back weekends during long runs…. with the 2^nd half having a 4-mile warm-up of marathon-paced miles. Like whoa! It all comes with a cost though—walking the fine line between maximizing training & developing an injury. Unfortunately, I did develop a “sore” foot that persisted for the final 2 weeks before the marathon. It was “present” during the marathon, from mile 1 to the finish, just never “painful”. {No definitive diagnosis, but PT continues to work with me on some chronic lower back tightness which we have assumed is referral weakening in my ankle. But, have no fear; this did not interfere with me crushing this marathon!!}

Then in November, when CA experienced some of the most devastating fires in its history, the reality set in that this race could very well be cancelled. Coaches offered options of switching goal races & gave advice on such prospects. No other marathons lit a fire in me like CIM. I promised myself if the race went on as planned, I would give it my all, no matter what.

In total, the 16-week training block produced 910 miles, averaging just under 57 miles per week {peaked in my first ever 70-mile week!!}. My long runs maxed at under 20 miles. Each week I did a “shorter” speed session {usually 10-12 miles} & all long runs incorporated miles that were at marathon pace or faster. So, enough of the stats, right?? Only number geeks like me appreciate that mumbo-jumbo anyway. Hehe! Basically, a totally new way of marathon training for me & yep, it definitely worked.

On Friday before the race, I flew from Norfolk to Baltimore. When I boarded my flight from Baltimore to Sacramento, another girl sat in my row. I quickly identified her as a runner, thanks to her Bowerman Track Club backpack. By some amazing aligning of the stars, we ended up chatting for hours as we crossed from the East Coast to the West Coast & discovered that we shared a running coach. Talk about crazy small world!! Alexis, this new friend of mine, went on to have an amazing weekend as well & we had so much fun hanging out, eating all the carbs, & chatting all things running! Her spectator crew, sister Leah + girlfriend Molly, which pretty much adopted me for the weekend too, was THE BEST!! Thanks for all the laughs & pics, girls!

I suppose now is a good time to quickly touch on logistics of this race. Being a point-to-point race (Folsom, CA to Sacramento, CA), you have the choice to stay at the start or the finish. I 100% think staying at the finish is the best option. There are free, race-sponsored buses that will transport you from your Downtown Sac hotel to the race start. It is a bit of a hike on the buses en route to the race start, so I recommend trying to get on one of the earlier buses. Another point worth mentioning is Downtown Sac is an interesting place—be prepared for potential panhandling & sketchy activity. I wouldn’t recommend walking alone at night in certain areas, so plan accordingly with dinner & such. Be safe!! Lastly, the terrain of the course—which I will also comment on below—do some UPHILL and DOWNHILL training if you are accustomed to pancake flat running. I did zero hill training. And that I do regret. While the course is net downhill, there is definitely a fair bit of climbing {again, all in perspective based on your usual terrain conditions}!

So back to the weekend’s timeline. Saturday in Sacramento was a blast—a McKirdy Trained meet-up, shakeout 2+ miler in the rain, expo experience, a yummy salad & pizza lunch, back to the expo for a panel discussion, a coffee shop meet-up, & then dinner with fellow McKirdy Trained athletes at Pizza Rock {so glad I finally met Whitney, as well as Michelle who I recently began following on Instagram!}. So much fun to meet so many people who are as obsessed with running as myself!

Sunday morning, Race Day! It began with a 4:xx wake up, a search for hot water for oatmeal that the front deak swore they’d have {wrong!} which we luckily found at another hotel, & then onto the buses which were a very convenient 5 minute walk from our hotel, The Citizen Hotel. Alexis, Michelle, Whitney, & I stuck together race morning. Those girls are so much fun! It was a brisk morning in the upper 30s. PERFECT race conditions, warming up into the 40s by the finish. I had a throw-away fleece & PJ pants for the start, which I should mention hosted the LARGEST selection of port-a-potties that I’ve EVER seen. At the dry bag drop, we randomly met up & said well wishes to our coach & then headed to the start corrals. There is no set corral number on your bib, you simply line up near where you predict yourself to finish. I positioned myself ahead of the 3:30 pace group—I did not want to get bogged down with that large group! My coach had written my race plan to run a 3:23-3:24! I was fit & I was ready to go! Off we went at 7am sharp.

I should mention here one tip I have for racing if you’re a Garmin wearer. Plug your race plan into your watch as a workout. I did it many times this Fall & it kept me controlled when I needed to be in training runs & races alike. Plus, it eliminates the need to think—just do what the watch says & you’ll achieve your goal! {if only it were always THAT easy… ha!}

A comment Whitney had said that morning stuck with me for the beginning part of the race—“the beginning isn’t hard, it should feel easy, so it’s really like only 10 miles are hard”. Which is kind of spot on. Marathon pacing isn’t 5K pacing. It SHOULD feel easy at the start. How controlled & easy you run the first 10K will predict how much you suffer the last 10K! Shortly after the race started we had our first uphill {which was not small}… “Oh boy, what have I gotten myself into??” But, for every uphill, which were plentiful, there was an even bigger downhill.

Miles 1-6: 7:53{ish…I accidently paused my watch for a couple seconds, whoops!}, 7:57, 7:48, 7:56, 7:48, 7:54

It’s funny what you hear during a race that just sticks with you & is exactly what you need to hear in that moment. Around the 10K mark, a man on the sidelines said “Just settle in & run”. So simple, but it stuck with me.

The next segment also just ticked by. About this time I realized, “Wow, marathons go by so much quicker when you’re running fast”…. Again, simple & a duh statement, but it was a mid-race revelation.

Miles 7-13: 7:50, 7:52, 7:47, 7:47, 7:41, 7:55, 7:38

Being an experienced marathoner, I know the wheels can fall off at any point, but I was holding out hope that it would NOT happen on December 2^nd. My first “uh-oh” came in mile 15. My left quad got tight. Crap, Crap, Crap. “Ok, maybe it’ll let up”, I thought. Nope… never did. The downhills had gotten me. Just to keep the party equal, my right quad joined in sometime after the 20 mile point. “Great.” This is probably the one thing I want to figure out in my next marathon training cycle. I do not cramp during training, EVER, but I have now cramped in 2 of my 6 marathons. I take SaltSticks & fuel adequately. I drink water at every stop. It’s just bizarre.

Miles 14-20: 7:43, 7:45, 7:41, 7:40, 7:48, 7:42, 7:36

One thing I noticed during this race was that I was never alone. I was constantly running stride by stride, not in a congested way, but in a “you’re not alone & these people are working just as hard as you are” kind of way. It was also impressive & inspiring the number of speedy racers out on the course—some 99 or 100 women qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials on a perfect racing day! American distance racing for women is on fire! About this point on the course, I met & chatted with a couple of fellow McKirdy Trained athletes—I believe there were 60-something of us out there. They definitely inspired me too! Thanks y’all!

Miles 21-Finish: 7:43, 7:49, 7:52, 7:47, 7:55, 7:51, 7:42{final 0.34 miles}

Things got tough during that final 10K due to the quad cramping. I never once struggled though from a fitness or an exhausted standpoint the entire race. I never felt like the pacing was out of my wheelhouse. I had successfully completed the first 3 segments of the race plan. Nailed it. All that was left was to maintain 7:40 pace… but my quads said “no freakin’ way”. Surprisingly though, every time I looked at my watch, I was maintaining 7:48 average pace. So I wasn’t slowing much, but I just could not speed up. This was reassuring & kept me putting one foot in front of the other; as well as some perfectly timed songs on my playlist that made me think of my boys & a spectator on the side with a big SCOTT sign {hubby’s name}. I had a few internal conversations. No way was I walking, because if I walked I knew my quads would still hurt & I had to get to the finish regardless {thank you, point-to-point race}…. running was the quickest way to get there! So if I wasn’t quitting, I better just go as fast as I could. I knew sub-3:30 was nearly in the bag, barring my legs didn’t seize up {which I willed them, verbally talking & all, during the last mile}. I practiced Lamaze breathing, which I’d never taken a class for during pregnancy, but I’ve seen on TV, hehe! As the finish line loomed, I heard someone yell my name, louder than others had mid-race, & then yelled again—it was Alexis! We crossed the finish line seconds apart, both crushing our PRs & punching our ticket to Boston in 2020.

Although I would have been thrilled with 3:29:xx, accomplishing my long-term goal of sub-3:30, I was elated & shocked that me, little ole me, had run a 3:25:21. Say what?! A 16:07 PR. Well hot damn, you are correct Alexis, WE ARE FAST! At the finish line I got the best hugs ever from James & Heather McKirdy. Amazing folks, those guys.

Once the cramps decided they weren’t going to become all out leg seizing, I walked around & met up with the rest of Sarah’s athletes. Pics were in order! We all had amazing races & had big smiles on our faces, thanks to some awesome coaching! Best day ever {well, except for my wedding day & the birth of the boys}!!

For those curious, my race day fuel was Picky Oats {Can’t Beet Chocolate} for breakfast 90 minutes before the start, & then a non-caffeine Huma gel at the start. During the race, I took 5 Huma gels—at miles 5, 9, 13.1, 18, 22.5 {alternated non-caffeine with caffeine}. I can’t rave enough how happy I am to have discovered Huma gels. They are AMAZING!! 100 calories each & I have had ZERO GI distress from them. I also sipped water at all stops, plus a sip of Nuun at a hydration point in the last 10K due to the cramping. I popped in a piece of RunGum at the halfway point & took a SaltStick at miles 6, 12, 18, & 24. It seems like a lot to remember {& carry… thank you Lululemon shorts with a full waistband pocket!}, but with having burned 2,400 calories & being a decent sweat-er, this is just replacing what is lost over the course of 26+ miles.

And more numbers for my stats junkies…

Splits:

5K – 24:39

10K – 24:23

15K – 24:28

20K – 24:24

25K – 23:59

30K – 24:08

35K – 24:06

40K – 24:27

*All within 40 seconds*

First half – 1:43:02

Second half – 1:42:19

*Negative split by 43 seconds*

All in all, a GREAT {obviously!} racing experience! I loved nearly every minute of this weekend… except when I felt like my quads were ripping inside my legs. HA! Getting home was uneventful & I had my obligatory/100% necessary massage at the 48-hr post-marathon mark. As the New Year approaches, I am happily embracing some changes. Bring it on 2019!!! Best Wishes to all of you for a Happy & Healthy 2019—May it bring all that your running heart desires!

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you know that I had a pretty incredible race this past Saturday. Without a doubt, my best race performance ever—but not only because of the time on the clock. No, there was so much more that came into play with this personal record.

Friday morning, I headed the 90 or so miles to Richmond, VA for a girls weekend with Saturday races as the basis for this trip. My friend Emily & I enjoyed a little shopping, had a nice lunch, & then went to the expo. The weather was AWFUL. Pouring rain nearly the entire day. Gross. Gross. Luckily, the rain was scheduled to taper off a couple hours before race time. For once, the weather people were absolutely correct {race day temps were GREAT, in the low 40s, with zero rain}. Dinner that night was at CAVA for a yummy grains + greens bowl with tons of veggies & protein on top. A pit stop at a random bar Mojo’s was next, & then on to the hotel for a fairly early night.

I would guess I was in bed from about 10:30pm until around 6am. However, sleep was total crap… as it usually is for me the first night in a new hotel bed. I swear I woke up every time I changed position. Really annoying, but I was glad I had enjoyed a good nights’ sleep the previous night. I am believer in the theory that sleep TWO nights before a big race is more important than the actual night before.

Once I got up race morning, I ate my Picky Oats {Can’t Beet Chocolate} about 90 minutes before race start time. I quickly dressed in warm clothes & after potty break #1, I headed out for a 2 mile warm-up. I had plotted a route that was easy & minimized my chances of getting lost, ha! The warm-up itself was not great. My watched dinged with a horrible performance rating at its’ normal early-in-the-run-interval. I tried to not let this get to me, but how could I not?? I didn’t feel great & my stomach was a MESS. “Ignore this & any excuses my brain would try to create”, I told myself. I was ready to race & see how much fitness I had gained. I got back to the hotel in time for potty break #2 {Ugh, please don’t let this be an omen of the day, I thought} & then a quick change into my racing clothes. Slowly, my stomach did start to settle & I ate a banana.

We walked the ~1/2 mile to the start, dropped a dry bag, & then hurried to try & shimmy our way into our overcrowded Corral A. About this time, I split off from my friend Emily & needed to focus on getting myself ready to run. Ear buds in. Playlist on. Phone into Koala Clip. Shed the fleece throw-away. Sip on a Huma gel. Turn on the Garmin. Find GPS signal. Click on pre-programmed workout. I had a lot to do & only 3 minutes to get things straight. Thankfully, everything went off without a hitch. Right at 7:30am, my adventure through the streets of Richmond began.

Leading up to the race, my coach had given me the following race plan:

“Miles 1-3 7:35s
Miles 4-6: 7:35s
Miles 7-9: 7:30s
Miles 10-13: 7:25s or whatever you have left.”

Strangely enough, this race plan didn’t scare me. I was nervous about the last step, as the “whatever you have left” was when I pretty much bombed the Crawlin’ Crab Half a month earlier. Because on that day, I had nothing left with 4 miles to go. I so wanted this time to be different!

Back on the course, I was held back a bit the first half mile due to the crowds. When I had shimmy’d my way into Corral A, I never made it up to the 1:40 pace group. I did not intend to run near the pacer, but I did think it would make sense if he were somewhat in my sights since my main race goal was sub-1:40 {he was out of my sights/too far ahead for most of the race}. Just a little soap box… as you will see in a bit, I ran faster than 1:40 average pace (7:37/mile) for much of the race; however, I did not catch up to/pass the 1:40 pacer until mile 12. TWELVE. For those friends who pace groups of people, please run even splits & avoid banking time!! I am convinced this particular pace group ran at least a minute faster than goal—which is HUGE considering 4-5 seconds per mile is a large “chunk of change”! Okay, rant over.

As I mentioned before, I had a pre-programmed the run into my watch in the 3 segments: 7:35s, 7:30s, 7:25s {I had given myself a 3 second window on each end so my watch would only beep if I were outside of those parameters}. Doing this I do believe was clutch! Just stay in the average for this segment, I would tell myself. Miles 1-6 ticked by uneventfully. I only had a brief worry of “Can I actually get down to 7:25s today??” Otherwise, I stayed positive & focused on my nutrition plan/the scenery. I would take a Huma gel at the start, then around miles 5 & 10. SaltStick pill for electrolyte replacement around miles 6 & 11. Basically, I was practicing my CIM fuel plan during a long run.

7:35, 7:36, 7:35, 7:31, 7:37, 7:35. Boom! 7:35 average on the dot, on to part 2. I thought.

At mile 6 I popped in a piece of RunGum & it was time to get to work! Only 3 miles in this segment. I didn’t want to overdo it yet, as there were a good amount of race remaining. Reel it in, I told myself.

7:30, 7:32, 7:22 Whoops! That last mile was too quick…. But I’m feeling strangely good! I kept on.

Finally. We’ve made it to the 4.1 miles of “whatever you have left” part. Well hot damn, I had a good bit left in me! No crumble today, thank you very much. I told myself to keep it steady & on planned pace for the first 2 miles, then I could let loose & go wild at mile 11. HA!

7:25, 7:23

So how much do I have left??! This was what I wondered internally during a check-in. I wasn’t dying. I wasn’t struggling. I had ignored HR the entire run, but I knew it was reasonable as I wasn’t breathing heavily. Hammer. Dropped. Let’s go! I began passing folks & finally saw that 1:40 pacing group up ahead. I wanted to pass them with authority. I thought about commenting as I did so, but decided to keep it classy. Keep pushing. I knew I really only needed to get to mile 12.5, because after that point, the downhill finish would ease the final half mile of racing.

7:11, 6:59

Somewhere during miles 11-12, those preceding well-under-pace miles, I got emotional. I knew the sub-1:40 was “in the bag”. I did not over-analyze the total time to try & eeeek through on some number on the clock. I did not check my HR. I simply just ran what I could, in order to get the best version of me on the day. I knew people like my friend Kara, who BQ’d that day(!!), were pushing their bodies to the limits. I was determined to do so as well. I had the shock set in & couldn’t help but think, “Is this real life? Am I really running this well & FEELING this great, in this WIND & on these HILLS??” Good freakin’ god. Training works. Miles works. Consistency works. Having a coach works.

At the top of the downhill finish, I saw about half of my #BALG, who had finished their 8K races already {3 other #BALG were on the half marathon course with me, crushing their own races}. Hearing my girls cheering propelled me to the finish. Or maybe it was their comments on my booty. Whatever it was, they effing rock {as did the rest of the fun girls weekend!!}! The final stretch of 0.18 miles I ran at 6:20 pace. WTF?! I did it. Two thumbs up to the camera person & across the finish line I went. A long-time goal of sub-1:40 was not only reached, but it was CRUSHED. If I did this, what else am I capable of??

Official Time: 1:38:01 (7:29/mile), a 3 minute + 41 second PR {foreshadowing of my 3:41 marathon PR about to go down in a few weeks…..hmm, I hope so???!}

Overall: 501/7,590

Female: 153/4,756

Age Group: 24/763

The other evening, the night in which I had PR’d my 10K that morning, my husband asked me, “Why haven’t you updated your fans??” Of course I laughed hysterically & then said, “I have no fans!” Okay, sure … I have people who follow my running & friends who care about my adventures; but I wouldn’t say that I have fans. I am no elite; just a girl next door doing a sport I love. Regardless though of how you’d categorize these lovely folks, a blog update is long overdue. If for nothing else, simply for me to look back on just how far I have come in my running & life adventures.

I thought about writing in my traditional fashion, but really, that would take a long time. And my “fans” may become bored with a bunch of long paragraphs. Life is busy. I get that… preaching to the choir. A lot has happened in the 4 months since my last blog post! So, in simple & random {hopefully concise, too!} order, enjoy 18 things that I have done since my last 2018 update:

1. Miles, loads of them. The first almost 3 months of CIM {my next marathon, coming up on December 2^nd} training is nearly complete & in those 12 weeks, I have run almost 710 miles. For you math geeks out there, that an average of roughly 60 miles per week.
2. Easily linked to #1, I completed my 2018 goal of 2,018 miles for the year at the end of October… the 23^rd to be exact; 68 days ahead of schedule. I am late for everything; but arrived quite early to this goal & that made me uber proud!
3. I finally found a gel that is comprised of decent ingredients, as well as tasty & tolerable for races. Huma gels for the win!!
4. Likewise, I started consuming a “normal” amount of pre-race/long-run calories instead of my normal 190 calorie Luna bar. It’s amazing what happens when you’re fueled for the long haul! For that, Picky Oats Performance Oatmeal has been amazing! Despite not liking beets, my go-to fave has been the “Can’t Beet Chocolate”. Yummmmm!!
5. And while we’re on the subject of chocolate & food, probably worth mentioning my love of Shalane Flanagan & Elyse Kopecky’s newest cookbook — “Run Fast Cook Fast Eat Slow”. So many great recipes! I have already made 3 batches for my house alone of the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups … & that doesn’t include ones I have made to take to events!
6. Trips. Anyone who knows me knows my LOVE of travel. I certainly don’t go as many places as I wish I could; but who does when they have little ones around?! We did however enjoy a family trip to the mountains outside of Charlottesville for a few relaxing days in some gorgeous scenery. Despite persistent rainy weather, I did get some solid elevation gain miles in, as well as adrenaline pumping while being chased by mountain dogs. That part was NOT fun, ha!
7. Another mountainous trip that will forever hold a piece of my heart was Flagstaff McKirdy Trained Camp. I met & became friends with a dozen other like-minded runners who have fueled my fire & made me realize that I can be destined for greater. Those were 5 unforgettable days & I can’t wait to go back next year!!
8. While a few weekend trips are approaching, one place I will not be going this year is New York City. I have officially deferred my NYC Marathon to 2019. Watch out Big Apple, #RoD is coming at ‘cha next year!! #girlsweekend
9. Although the current temps are not indicative of fall-leaf-changing-weather, it is safe to say that I “survived” the summer’s sweltering heat & humidity for another year. Whew! Hopefully, the days of losing 3-4 pounds of sweat every run are behind us for a number of months!
10. Along those same lines, this past summer I fell in love with the THREE Bs: 1) Sports BRA running, 2) BRAIDED hair, 3) BEER {if you count cider beer…} I blame the sweat from #9 on these newfound loves.
11. Not related to running was a professional change since I last blogged. While I still work at the same hospital that I have since I was 21-years-old {love CHKD!}, I have taken on a new role in my Neonatal Nurse Practitioner career. I am essentially splitting my time between my main high-intensity NICU & a lower-intensity NICU. Main difference in the new role is that I have to attend deliveries & basically be the primary person for newborn resuscitation … if things are not going well. Talk about stressful!! Despite that, I am thoroughly enjoying the new challenges that this role brings.
12. Although this new job isn’t adding to my salary, per se, I did splurge on buying a pair of the Nike VaporFly 4% shoes. I’ve only worn them once, but I am looking forward to them helping improve some race times by four percent!!
13. Shall we talk races?! Shortly after my last blog post, I did a couple Summer 5Ks. Naturally, I never expect to PR in the summer… & spoiler alert, I didn’t. The July 4^th race ended with a time of 23:04 (7:25/mile). A few weeks later, I PR’d my mile time on the road in 6:45. One week after that, at the Memorial Scholarship 5K, I finished 2^nd in my age group in 23:12 (7:28/mile). It was nice to do a little speed in the summer, but my heart is truly in Fall/Winter distance running.
14. Next up were two sweltering Half Marathons—the Rock n’ Roll VA Beach (1:46:01, 8:05/mile) & the Crawlin’ Crab (1:44:50, 8:01/mile). I totally view summer racing as a means to a beautiful end…. the “end” being gorgeous cold–weather PRs!
15. Somewhere in between training runs & races, another 12-person relay event was thrown in. Bourbon Chase Ragnar in the beautiful state of Kentucky DID NOT disappoint! Another fun event with 11 friends, my #BALG, where I covered 21.51 miles {over 3 legs} at an average pace of 7:57/mile. Yessss!! Well on my way to my Fall marathon goal!
16. Finally, a 10K PR! As mentioned in the beginning of this saga, I recently PR’d in the 6.2 mile distance. At the Wicked 10K last weekend, I dug deep in some windy conditions & pulled out a 47 second PR—that’s over 7 seconds per mile! I finished the festive event in 46:17 (7:27/mile); knowing on a decent weather day, I’d easily have been in the 45s. Onward & upward!
17. As for my twins, the cutest 6-year-olds I know—they started 1^st Grade & have been continuing with swimming lessons {both} + soccer {Alexander only}. It is a lot to juggle with two full-time working parents, but we make it work as best as we can!
18. Life. Isn’t that the common theme of the previous #’s 1-17? So cliché, but living my best life is always goal #1—whether in marriage, parenting, work, running, or friendships. I’m not always successful, but dang if I don’t try to live it up in some way, every single day.

So as the next month progresses, I will race 2 half marathons {Richmond & Norfolk Harbor}, plus 1 full marathon {California International Marathon aka CIM}; as well as log a bunch of miles. My goals are big, but so is my determination & drive. Coach Sarah Bishop says I am fit & I couldn’t agree more. I’ve never felt more capable of crushing some PRs! And since it makes you more accountable, albeit vulnerable, to share your heart & goals with the world… I have my eyes set on a sub-1:40 half & a sub-3:30 full. Eeeekkk! Let’s do this damn thing!

Thanks for reading {& enjoy some pics below from the last few months!} & I will take all the good vibes you can send my way, as I work toward crushing these goals—both HAPPILY & HEALTHILY reaching the start & finish lines!!

When I decided to step back from coaching runners, I also consciously took a step back from my blog being a priority. Other things just had to come first. And let’s be honest, I am not a naturally gifted writer—I mostly write to inspire others; but I do also love to read my own posts as motivation. While I have been itching to make a post on how all of my spring races went down, time & life hasn’t allowed for that.

In my bathroom, the ledge of my tub is used for air-drying sweaty clothes & beachwear {often times, I can rarely find space for the newest sweaty garb with the prior worn ones still drying out, haha!}. But that ledge is also used for stashing my race bib/medal until my blog about the particular race has been written. And currently….. there are 5 race bibs sitting there. Yikes. Plus a few Lego creations, if I am being honest. #boymom I know some would say just “get over it” & start fresh; & that’s kind of what I want to do. But I am also an OCD, organized, Type-A freakazoid, so I feel like each race should at least be mentioned. So, here goes a quick {hopefully!} post about how my spring went/how the summer is going thus far!

~April~

Dismal Swamp Stomp Half Marathon: 1:51:48 {8:35/mile}

National Women’s Half Marathon: 1:41:42 {7:46/mile}

Two races—1 went awful {first really hot day of the season} & 1 went perfect {unseasonably cool}. Mother Nature was definitely the predictor of my April races outcome. The second of the two halfs brought home a PR {wooohooooo!}. After training with Coach Sarah since the beginning of March, I knew a half PR would eventually come… but I honestly didn’t expect it until the Fall. Sarah knew better though—she’s an awesome & very intuitive coach. Sure I had put the work in, but a sub-1:42 seemed pretty far off! But, like a good coach should be, she was right & I ran my fastest half that day through the streets of DC!! Ultimately, this PR has helped shape my mentality & racing plans for the Fall.

~May~

CHKD 8K: 39:02 {7:52/mile} *2^nd place age group; 8^th female overall*

Chicago Ragnar Relay, 3 legs for 17.81 miles total: 2:29:31 {8:23/mile}

One of my favorite annual races, the race that benefits the hospital where I have worked for 13+ years {CHKD} was held on another hot day. I wasn’t so concerned with time, as I knew a PR was next to impossible; but I did want to place well amongst my fellow lady competitors—check! This was a fun race as I got to see a bunch of ladies, who I had been working with & guiding their training through the local Fit4Mom franchise, complete their 8Ks! Hard work pays off! A few days later, my Ragnar team packed our bags & headed to the Windy City for another fantastic 200ish mile relay {aka party with 11 of your closest friends!}. While the sights during my time on the course were kind of bland compared to the other relay races I have done, the weekend itself was a BLAST!! I could write an entire book on the shenanigans of that weekend, but I’ll spare you the details. Just make sure you follow our Facebook page when we venture to our next Ragnar!

~June~

OK5K: 22:30 {7:15/mile} *1^st place age group; 5^th female overall*

Last months’ 5K result came as an actual surprise. My coach says I am capable of faster, & maybe I am, but I am completely happy with the official time! It was the 2^nd fastest 5K I have ever run & it came on a hot, sunny day in June. Anyone who knows me knows that I prefer 30 degree weather over 70 degree weather, for running at least! So to be only 17 seconds from a PR…. AMAZE-balls! I am excited to see what I can do when the dew point isn’t at the level of the Devils backside. Is it Fall yet?!???!!!

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So that’s what I have been up to race-wise. Running-wise, it’s been all miles, miles, miles! And I’m just LOVING IT, as is my body. Prior to the tibial plateau fracture that side-lined most of 2017, I was a pretty much injury-free runner. I had the occasional IT band twinge, but nothing a break from speedwork for a few days & an ART visit couldn’t fix. I am finally feeling like that runner over the last few months. I have said it before, but I am in awe of what the body can do.

Just to put things into a little perspective—

My peak weekly mileage for the Tokyo Marathon {current marathon PR}, was 60.13 miles. My average mileage for that race, over the 12 weeks of training, was 40 miles/week.

I hired McKirdy Trained, specifically coach Sarah Bishop, on March 5^th during the start of my Shamrock Marathon taper. Following the marathon, I took an entire week off. Zero, zilch, nada miles for a full 7 days. Then, we got to work. That puts us at March 26^th, 14 weeks ago. In that time, I have run 679.33 miles, for an average of 45.5 per week {max: 56.51 miles / min: 36.01 miles}. Definitely more miles than ALL of my FIVE marathon training cycles! Insane. And the even crazier part, I feel GOOD. Like real good. Healthy good.

I know, I know… that’s a lot of numbers in the preceding paragraph, for my non-math friends; but the gist is: I am running more & feeling great!

Most runs are slow jaunts {2-3 minutes per mile SLOWER than 5K pace}, with a handful of faster miles each week. I am keeping up with a monthly Trigger Point Therapy or Deep Tissue Massage—which I think makes all the difference in the world. But the real kicker {pun intended!} for me personally—which I believe has kept me healthy—is my rotating of 3-4 pairs of shoes & not letting said shoes accumulate too many miles. Running shoes are not the place to be frugal, folks! My only “sacrifice” with running so many miles each week is lack of time for strength training. I am however trying to re-incorporate that component this week, while still enjoying the summer with my sweet babies.

So what’s next?? Well, first off is a 5K tomorrow. Then a few other shorter races prior to Fall. I have my heart set on a sub-1:40 half marathon this Fall {signed up for 4 chances to do this in Sept-Nov!} & although I swore off another marathon in 2017, I have entertained the idea of a December marathon. Eeeekkk! Dream big, baby!

But, the big thing I am looking forward to in the nearest future is attending my first altitude training camp! Next month, I head to Flagstaff for 5 days of running fun. I get to be around running-obsessed-weirdos like me & I couldn’t be happier!

So that’s about it! I hope this was more concise than prior blog posts, as I have been told I am quite long-winded. HA!

Stay cool this summer & stay strong my fellow moms/dads at home with the kiddos… school will return before we know it {because let’s be honest, I doubt I’ll find another block of time to write a post for another few months}!

Happy Running!!

I saw a sign along the Boardwalk during the latter miles of Sunday’s Shamrock Marathon that said something to the effect of, “Be who you want your children to be.” That resonated with me then & still does now, some almost 48+ hours since the race was finished.

This morning though, that quote strikes a different chord as I urgently hustled everyone through the morning routine… eat breakfast, get dressed, do chores, grab backpacks, get in car, arrive to school on time. Some mornings go smoothly, others, like today, are just plain stressful. This is probably why I chose to be absent from most mornings—usually running while hubby handles the start of the day {& I tag-team in for the remainder of the day}. But with a post-marathon rest week underway, there is no reason for me not to offer a hand. Maybe it was the rain outside, or maybe someone just woke up on the wrong side of the bed; regardless, it makes for a tough start to the day when the miniature people are crabby!

And maybe definitely therein lies why I am so driven to run my best races right now. It is actually something I can succeed at, during a time when I feel like my job as a mother is sometimes a failure. This season of life is hard. The most trying days I have ever encountered. And I am sure it will get more difficult before the light at the tunnel gets brighter. Sure the ages of 2, 3, & 4 were physically tough, but there is something about having school-aged kids {my twin boys are 6-years-old} where you struggle day in & day out with decisions made. They will remember these times? Their future is being molded now. Constant questions flood my brain. Did what I said scar them permanently? Will they ever be functional citizens? When will they learn to do x, y, & z without being told? Are we making the right choices? When will they find their self-control? Is being a twin the reason they are so competitive & attention-seeking? I’d be lying if I didn’t say that parenting breaks me down on a daily basis. And while I strive daily to be better at that job {hence the stack of parenting books 10 feet tall!}, I am also working hard to become a become runner.

This past weekend was no different.

When I registered for the Shamrock Marathon, I did so that I could simply check a 2018 marathon off of my calendar. Since 2014, I have run one marathon per year & I didn’t want to break that streak. Training for a fall marathon through the awful heat & humidity of the summer sounded dreadful, so a spring race won! Shamrock, being the local marathon just miles down the road seemed like the obvious choice. I could use the small base I had built through Chicago’s training to improve my aerobic fitness. I had zero goals, just simply wanted to finish with a decent time on the clock.

Fast forward a couple months & a few hundred miles later—I hired my amazing coach, Sarah. She guided me through the last 10 days of taper & then proved to be crucial on race morning {more on that later}.

For those who have never participated in a Shamrock weekend, you really should change that!! J&A Racing does a phenomenal job at organizing & executing race weekend. And it truly is a full weekend experience!

On Friday, I headed the 20 or so miles to the beach with my friend Emily in tow, for a fun run hosted by the Oiselle Volèe—but the BEST part being that I would get to meet {& chat with, like we had been friends for years!} the iconic Kara Goucher. Yes, THAT Kara—the one who’s an Olympic distance runner & a downright cool chick! That experience was pretty darn awesome & unforgettable, which I have Emily to thank for being so bold & outspoken!! Later that day I headed to the expo {plenty of parking & vendors to check out, for those who have never participated in the VB Shamrock weekend}. I found my finishers “jacket”, which has become a ritual for my marathons. This marathon attire just so happened to be the same sweatshirt I saw Kara Goucher sporting the following day. Win Win!!

On Saturday, the family & I had a low-key start to the day. I continued with my healthy carb-loading + hydrating, all while organizing things for the following morning. Mid-morning, we headed to the beach for the boys to participate in their first Operation Smile Final Mile. Over the course of the months prior, they had completed 25.2 miles at school during gym class. To “complete their marathon”, they ran with their classmates for one final mile. In true rock star fashion, Alexander finished in 8:50! My more timid boy, Andersen, finished with his Daddy by his side, in 9:04!! Both were PRs for the twins! After rewards of donuts & sandwiches, we headed home to relax.

Sunday, race morning, started with a 5:45am alarm. Everything was laid out & ready to go {which I HIGHLY recommend—race mornings are stressful enough without the worry of where things are}. I Uber’d 2 miles to my friends’ house where I met up with four gals from my BALG—2 being spectators & 2 running the half. Getting to the beach & to a close drop-off point was uneventful; as was a potty stop in a restaurant {YAY for ZERO port-a-potty stops the ENTIRE race weekend!!}. An easily dropped off dry bag & a few selfies later… we were off!

Now is probably a good time to mention how on point my coach was {IS!} for race day. It is no secret—I am a type-A, OCD, control-freak. Having a coach means letting go & allowing her to take the reins. I feel like this weekend, she proved herself & moving forward, I will have zero issues with following her orders {ha!} … not that I didn’t follow this weekend; I just now have more trust & confidence in her judgment. In the days leading up to race day, Sarah gave me specific paces to shoot for. She was spot on with weather {wind!} predictions. She gave nutrition/fueling advice, & so much more. It was all just amazing & exactly how a coach should be. It has actually made me strive to be better with my clients! Do yourself a favor & consider a running coach for all of your racing adventures—I highly recommend my coaching group, McKirdy Trained!!

Back to the race. My goal paces were as follows: Miles 0-6 8:35; Miles 7-18 8:25 {8:20 would be okay with a good amount of tailwind}; Miles 19-Finish 8:20-25… or just hold on tight through the headwind. So, most of that went off without a hitch!! Yeah, except for the headwind part … that basically hammered the marathon from miles 18.5 through 25.7. That was fun. NOT! {imagine all of the eye-roll emojis here}

In the end, I ran a solid race, finishing in 3:48:22 {8:43/mile average}. I am proud of this time, not because of the time on the clock, but because there was no quit in me. I even continued to climb in the overall standings despite overall average pace slowing! A few times I wanted to walk when the headwind was just so intense, but I dug deep & pulled strength from all of the badass ladies I know. I reminded myself that although it was hard, I was not hurt. I thought of my client who was running her first marathon at the same time & how she was pushing through. I told myself— “you are strong, you are fierce, you are in control”… this had become my mantra in the weeks leading up to race day.

I saw friends along the course, cheering their butts off. My husband was the BEST bike support around for the second half of the race. My coach, who had finished the half marathon just minutes earlier in a blazing average pace of 5:52/mile, ran an additional 10+ miles with me—all while offering encouraging words & shielding me from the wind. Bad-freakin-ass! My fellow running friends finished their half marathons in PR times. All-in-all, an AWESOME experience. I am a lucky lady—tough parenting “season” & all. I will continue to use this “race fuel” to propel & encourage myself when the mundane parenting tasks get sometimes too hard to bear. Because in a vice-versa relationship, I am a better Mother because I am a Runner & a better Runner because I am a Mother.

THANK YOU ALL—every single person who had anything to do with Shamrock being a success. This is how you do Shamrock weekend. And yes, I will be back next year for my 8^th appearance at this epic March adventure!

Up Next For The Running Blonde: Dismal Swamp Stomp ½ Marathon on April 14^th!  

Whelp, the majority of winter has passed without a single blog post. Such is life! There’s been snowy days. There’s been sickness. There’s been vacations & holidays. But mostly, there’s been good memories made. I’ve tried to keep a running {pun intended!} documentary of my life via social media outlets—both to keep friends & family in the loop, but also because it is super fun to look back upon in the years to come.

So, what’s been going on with your favorite blonde runner??!!

For starters, training for the Shamrock Marathon has gone as well as could be expected! Aside from a short bout with what was assumed to be peroneal tendonitis, I haven’t had to adjust much training or skip runs/workouts. I did stop speed intervals when this tendonitis flared up, but I’ve kept tempo runs on the schedule. Long runs have gone off without a hitch & easy days have been spent solo with random podcasts/music or chatting with friends. Truly, it’s been a lovely training season. I’ve kept my thoughts light & airy, not dwelling too much on a fast pace, or sometimes, lack thereof. Much like the Chicago Marathon last fall, I am entering the marathon in 10 days (!!) with a very laid back attitude. What will be, is what will be!

That said though…… I can feel my mindset shifting. I miss my old running self. I miss racing. I miss toeing the line at local races knowing there was a chance of placing in my age group. I miss shooting for PRs. I miss those huge adrenaline rushes. I miss those final minutes of a race where you dig deep & thrust yourself through the finish line. I love running easy & having a light-hearted approach to training, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss all those other things that go along with intense training & racing.

Last week during the latter solo miles of my long run, after “ditching” two friends when their miles were done, I started listening to a podcast. Over the past few months, I have really gotten into podcasts as a way to stay engaged on a run & enjoy the miles more than I already do. On this occasion I was listening to Lindsey Hein with “I’ll Have Another”. Her guest that day was Sarah Bishop, runner & mother extraordinaire. Since I only had about 40 minutes of running left, I didn’t finish the entire episode that morning. Two days later, I resumed the episode & was even more enthralled with Sarah Bishop & her story. Maybe it was because I was deliriously tired & postcall, or maybe it was because I was subconsciously searching for all of those things I mentioned in the previous paragraph. Or maybe it’s because she was just so down to Earth & relatable. Whatever it was, my wheels were turning.

After my run, I did a Pure Barre class & headed home. Next up was a coffee date & shopping with my sweet boy Alexander {coffee for me; water for him, ha!} & then home for Lego building. A nap was thrown in the mix somewhere & a bit of Internet scouring. Through all of the days’ activities, I couldn’t get a certain topic out of my head. What was that, you might ask??

Well, one of the topics of conversation on the podcast was that Sarah is a running coach—specifically with a group that I have followed on social media for a while now. I had toyed with the idea of being coached in the past, even had a brief stint with a local guy; but never really felt like I had found the right person. Until now. What’s the saying, “if you can’t get someone out of your head, maybe they’re supposed to be there?” I am sure this saying is supposed to be for a romantic relationship, but it definitely applied to me/her that day. So with nervous typing, I sent her an Instagram message {my first time EVER reaching out to an “elite” or “celebrity”, HA!}. And what do you know?! … She promptly replied back to me. ME. Little ‘ole me! That night, I signed up with McKirdy Trained—with Sarah Bishop as my running coach. Y’all, this was 3 days ago. THREE. To say it’s been a spontaneous whirlwind is an understatement. She is amazing & I can just see that this is going to be a magical relationship. She, like me, is all-in for my goals & aspirations… & has even taken the liberty to coach me through the final days before Shamrock. I am super excited! And, did I mention I get to meet her IN person AT Shamrock?!

It has been a while since my running & training made me this happy. The fire has been re-lit & I am ready for it to burn baby, burn! I knew this was what I needed, when I couldn’t get the super cheesy grin off my face Monday night. Not to mention that, in a good way, I am nervously excited to begin this next chapter of my running adventure. I’ve got those butterflies you get when you begin dating a new person. Only this time, that person is not going to give me flowers & chocolate. Oh no, she’s going to push me outside of my comfort zone & make me want to vomit at times. I am quite sure. Hehe!

Oh & you’re probably thinking, “What’s so special about this Sarah chick??” Well, her resume includes 2017 Marine Corps Marathon female winner & an Olympic Trials Qualifier at the marathon distance—both within 6 weeks. Whoa! But, what appealed to me even more than that were her philosophies on training & the fact that she is a working mother—not to mention, a mother of TWINS! And, to top things off, she has served in the military! She sounds incredible, right?! I think so too.

That said though, I realize this all sounds sort of like a selfish blog post, like all “me, me, me”. Quite the contraire {I hope}. I am hopeful that my new adventure & re-discovered spark for running/racing will interest & inspire even more women {& men, I suppose!} to begin their own running escapades! Speaking of, I am excited to report that I will be helping {again!} with a Run Club with the local Fit4Mom franchise {previously known as Stroller Strides}– that same group I have mentioned multiple times in the past as having been extremely influential in helping me return to fitness post-babies. I can’t wait to see a dozen or so ladies conquer their spring goal of completing an 8K!!

So, if you thought I posted too much about running before, you’d better un-friend me now. I’m ready to take this passion of mine to the next level!

Thanks for reading & good luck to all of the runners at the Shamrock races next weekend!!

It’s been over 7 weeks since the EPIC-ness of the Chicago Marathon, and all of the FUN that the weekend entailed! I cannot wait to go back to Chicago!! I’m still in awe at my body’s ability to rally & cover those 26+ miles in just under 4 hours & 10 minutes. A feat that seemed truly impossible months earlier. The human body—simply amazing.

Like I have recommended to running clients & friends alike, I thoroughly enjoyed a massage at the 48-hour-post-race-mark & rested for nearly a week. The massage I feel is crucial for post-race success & “bounce back” into running/working-out again. Sure, there are exceptions, but having run 2 marathons without a massage & 2 marathons with a massage… I’ve pretty much done my own research study on the importance of it. HA!

Aside from steadily getting back into the swing of things, I have done a couple 10K races since the marathon. I also ran the Norfolk Harbor Half Marathon Relay the weekend before Thanksgiving. And then the “regular” running, yep, some of that too with some pretty kickass gals! Love my tribe, you know who you are {insert all the cheesy emojis, ha!}.

The first race was the Wards Corner 10K. Since this race was 6 days after the marathon & sandwiched in-between two nights with adult beverages involved, I had zero expectations or plans for the race. It was simply a fun morning with my friends Sandy & Whitney, as well as a way to support the local Norfolk community. Together, we ran/walked the race, finishing in just over 60 minutes—including a few stops for a twisted ankle {poor Whitney, thank goodness nothing serious!} & candy from a friend whose house was along the course {thanks Erin!}. Pizza at the post-race party was great, followed by a fun-filled family day!

The second 10K was an annual favorite in VA Beach—the Wicked 10K. Once again, Sandy joined me at this race; where we ultimately met up with fellow friend Megan. They both rocked their races & had PR times!! Woohoo BALG! There were also PRs in the costume department, for hundreds of the other runners that day—AMAZEBALLS! As for my race, my plan was to just go off of feel & run what I could. My goal was to make the miles progressive & to be smart if pain set in. Luckily, the pain stayed away & this race finished with 50:53 on the time clock {8:12/mile avg}. Although it’s nowhere near a PR, I was elated! Finally, I was able to run continuously again, without pain. YESSS!

The relay was also super fun! I just adore running races in Norfolk, passing landmarks that have defined moments in my life. Leading up to race morning, I had made no qualms to the other 5 friends who were running the relay—I was ready to “push it” for my portion of the race. I wanted needed to see where my “fast” was at, after many months of zero speedwork. Ultimately, I finished my “half of the half”, 6.81 miles in 55:29 {8:09/mile}. Just like the prior 10K, I was stoked. I had kicked the run/walk intervals to the curb & was running {most of the time} pain-free!

What I hadn’t shared on social media or with many people, was that as the relay approached, I had settled on running a spring marathon. Although my “all-marathons-at-sub-4” goal had passed, I still have other marathon goals. And I finally felt ready to commit to another 26.2. I had even prepared the first 4 weeks of my training plan the night before the Norfolk Harbor Half Relay.

Sooooo, for those who have followed my 2017 injury journey, you’d understand my frustration when I rolled my foot in a silly freak accident during the post-race party!! Yep, so dumb {insert all the f-bombs!}. Because of the pops I felt & the swelling/bruising that came, I just knew I was done again. WTF?? Thankfully though, I did exactly what I learned in nursing school {R.I.C.E.} & it seems to have worked. YAY! After two days of COMPLETE rest, I was able to do a Pure Barre class, & then run PAIN-FREE the following morning. Whew! I really feel like I dodged a bullet there. And while I still have mild foot discomfort, I am 95% sure that the sprain/strain is healing nicely!

So now that I am feeling more like my old self, what’s next? Well, a few things are lined up for 2018, but the first big thing will be the Shamrock Marathon. That’s right; marathon #5 is in just under 16 weeks!! I am elated to be back training, as my body AND mind is truly happiest when I am logging miles & in “my” best shape. I have no crazy goals, although in an ideal world I will not need to run/walk the Shamrock Marathon & I would LOVE to “race” it; but I am keeping an open & smart mind on training/racing. Although the occasional run has discomfort or twinges, I’m just taking them in stride {& listening to my body!} as gentle reminders that I am still in the year window since the moped crash, resulting in the tibial plateau fracture. Perspective—that’s been one of my many mantras of 2017!

Thanks for reading & I wish EVERYONE a VERY Happy, Healthy, & Fabulous Holiday Season!! XOXO

There’s something incredibly freeing & relaxing about going into a marathon knowing 100% that you will not PR—even more so, knowing that you will in fact post your “worst” or slowest time ever. All pressure is removed & you are able to accomplish one of your two main goals—finish with a BIG smile. The other main goal being, don’t be in too much pain when you cross the finish line. If you don’t have time to read any further, just know that I did accomplish both goals when I ran the 2017 Chicago Marathon this past weekend!

It’s been a while since I did a blog post, but the summer pretty much was an up & down roller coaster—from a running perspective. There were good days, great days, & some downright awful days. Two weeks ago, I began typing a blog post to detail it all, but alas, life got in the way & it never made its way to the internet. The cliff notes version was basically this: I ran/walked a half marathon in early September & a 10K later that month—both leading up to race day. Overall, I covered just over 506 miles in the 20 weeks of training leading up to race day—approximately 370 of those miles were at running pace & the rest were speedily walked. Compared to Tokyo, where I ran 40 miles per week on average, Chicago training produced less than half of that for my average weekly run miles. Yes, lots of numbers but the simple answer is this—my training, while it was the best I could do with the cards I was dealt, really wasn’t on par for “racing” a marathon in the Windy City. Goals shifted to just have fun & enjoy the experience. Honestly, even if I could have raced this marathon, there was no way to avoid all of the fun that was had. Such an AMAZING experience & a FUN, FUN city!

Last November, when I received guaranteed entry into the Chicago Marathon based on my Tokyo Marathon time, I was stoked to begin planning what became known as CHICKago Weekend {I think Sara or Jessica is credited with the title—I am certainly not that creative, ha!}. A dozen mother runners, with a few husbands tagging along, off to run loose in the big city. So much fun! A great time was had by all!

Race weekend began on Friday & ended on Monday. For anyone planning to do this race, that to me was the perfect timeline! We took a nonstop flight early Friday morning, made our way through the subway & were checked into our hotel before lunch time. The BRF Julie & I stayed at the Chicago Downtown Marriott, which in my opinion was also just perfect (both location & company)! My first ChiTown meal, accompanied by Julie & my close friend Mary {+ Mary’s other half, Adam}, came from the Purple Pig on Michigan Avenue—a yummy Mediterranean tapas restaurant. Next up was the expo. Luckily, the race provides complimentary transport via school buses from various locations downtown, into the convention-type area of McCormick Place. Future racers, plan for PLENTY of expo time—this can be an entire morning or afternoon adventure {but don’t forget to rest your feet when you can!}. Honestly, I wasn’t too impressed with the expo. Tokyo & the organizational skills of the Japanese set a high standard for my World Marathon Major experiences. Chicago expo just simply didn’t compare. After perusing the booths, we returned downtown for some hotel relaxation before a delicious dinner at Devon Seafood + Steak {tasty salmon, potatoes, green beans, & wine was inhaled!}.

Saturday began with NO alarm clock & NO early morning plans—HECK YES!! Being busy working moms, Julie & I agreed that sleeping in was paramount this weekend! After a short jaunt through the city {~2.5 miles} to shake the legs out, we showered & headed to our Architecture River Cruise. Oh, how could I forget… mid-run, we stopped at the Nike Store to purchase a “just released that morning” Finisher’s Jacket. I refused to take the tags off or wear it until I had truly finished the race the following day. Another tip: If you wish to purchase race merchandise, ask around at the expo or sponsor store {i.e. Nike} for when the finisher’s items will be available {this stuff is different from the official race shirts & such}—for us, it was released on Saturday morning. With that said, back to the pre-race fun….

If you have never been to Chicago, or if you live there/have visited & have never done a river cruise, I highly recommend it! We went through Shoreline Sightseeing & everything about the experience was very easy, informative, & inexpensive {$35}. Very nice, especially for the marathon runners, to be able to sit & relax while enjoying the sights along the Chicago River. The afternoon was spent doing a little more sightseeing, a quick lunch pickup {Jimmy Johns sandwiches for the win, ha!}, & then more hotel relaxing to “save” our legs for the following morning. My dinner that evening, at a local & unpredictably scrumptious Italian restaurant called La Scarola, was a pre-race meal of bowtie pasta with chicken & shrimp in a tomato-based cream sauce. Plus all the bread you could want… & wine, of course! It was fun for the majority of the CHICKago group to get together & get out some pre-race jitters/catch up! Bedtime came shortly thereafter, & then it was on to race morning!

Sunday, a.k.a. GO TIME, began around 5:30am. Julie & I met up with two others from the group in our hotel lobby, & then we all walked the mile to Grant Park. In total, I logged about 5,000 steps before the race even started—just an FYI for future runners & for their planning purposes!

With the race having over 40,000 participants, there are three waves so that there is a stagger-start effect {7:30am, 8am, 8:35am}. Thankfully, I was in Wave 1. Weather forecasts weren’t great for marathon running—& would only worsen as the day progressed. The race began with temps in the upper 50s, with 85% humidity. By noon, temps were in the 70s with the heat index in the mid-80s. Hot! That’s just sticky, icky weather—especially for when you’re in the direct sunlight. Even now, over 2 days since the race, & I am still sunburned! Who-da-thunk that would happen at an October race in Chicago?!

As I reached the Start Line, I was focused. MY training. MY plan. MY race. No one else’s training, plan, or race mattered at that point. I reminded myself to be grateful for even getting to the start line. To be grateful for being able to run. To be grateful for having a husband who was supportive of these adventures. To be grateful for those amazing souls who truly care about me, unconditionally. To be grateful for a PT & masseuse that helped get me to the start AND finish line. I was happy. I was ready. Bring it on, CHICAGO! And off we went!

I would say that one of the hardest moments of the race was when I approached my first walk break. Just as I had done in training, my race plan was to run for 8 minutes, & then walk for 2 minutes; repeat for the duration of the marathon {or until something hurt too detrimentally & then I would walk the remainder}. As I pushed the lap button on my watch after those first 8 minutes, I had a moment of sadness. The culmination of ups & downs over the past 9+ months since the moped crash hit me like a ton of bricks. I was sad all over again that I was here. I was running a marathon, but not really. I had improved, pre-crash, by so much, & now I had regressed so very far. Although I was walking to reset my form & stride, not for lack of endurance; in that moment, I was a failure. This unhappiness lasted only during the first 2-3 walk breaks; before shaking the funk, saying “F-U” to the sadness, & continuing happily through the beautiful streets of Chicago!

From a physical perspective, the body held up great. Woohoooooo! This was a big win, especially considering I had some intense pain the day before during the shakeout miles. Over the 26+ miles, I had soreness & tightness in various roving parts of the legs, but no sharp pains or anything that made me nervous to run though. I took in the whole experience. I could feel myself laughing randomly at funny signs or smiling big when other runners happily encountered their spectator friends/family along the sidelines. I tried to take in all of the sights & listen to the course music {but I did have my playlist going for backup!}. Course support was amaze-balls! There were people lined up on the course, a few people deep in most parts, cheering energetically at the runners. Water & Gatorade Endurance was offered every 1-2 miles {a bit too frequent, in my opinion}. There were bananas, oranges, & gels offered. Personally, I took a SaltStick every 5 miles & drank water at many of the stops {plus a few random Gatorade swigs when it sounded good}. I ate my BOLT chews every 4 miles, with advancing amount as the race progressed {2 chews @ miles 4 & 8; 3 chews @ miles 12 & 16; 4 chews @ miles 21 & 25}. I also enjoyed half of a banana & a small baggie of Cheerios in the latter half of the race.

Aside from eating, drinking, & taking in the race experience, I “kept busy” with texting the hubby & friends, plus a few silly Snapchats with my #BALG. Yes, I was THAT girl mid-race, lol. I owe a lot of credit to my lady gang back home for cheering me on remotely & for accompanying me on many training runs… not to mention being good listeners to my complaints of aches & pains. Thank you—you know who you are!! XO

I suppose since this is a blog post that I hope will help future Chicago Marathoners, it is worth mentioning that you should IGNORE YOUR GPS WATCH on this course—seriously, it’s just cray-cray. Looking closely at my Garmin file, I “ran” through buildings, “swam” in the river, & did some serious “circular” action along the route. Clearly it was bouncing around between the tall buildings & under the tunnels. Your best bet is to “lap” the miles when you approach them by the official signage. According to my Garmin, I ran 27.25 miles… obvs I didn’t! I did have to do a little dodging here & there due to the run/walk intervals, but not a mile worth! If you have a goal time/pace, stick with the pacers—they know their assigned pace well!

This blog post wouldn’t be complete without mentioning how proud I am of two of my closest running friends. Julie & Mary both rocked their races {as well as the rest of the CHICKago girls!}, pushing through some tough conditions. These two gals though made my weekend such a blast & I couldn’t thank you ladies enough for the laughs, convos, & just fun girl time away. I love you both dearly!!

In the end, I crossed the finish line, with happy tears in my eyes {yes, so dang sappy!} in 4:09:56 {9:32/mile}! Not too shabby, considering I had walked 48 minutes total! I am so damn proud of this marathon. Sure it is slower, compared to my marathons #1-3; but this one wasn’t about the clock. This time, some serious heart & determination fueled my training & race. I won’t elaborate upon all of the “background” work that went into this success, but it was intense. There were numerous PT appointments, massages, chiropractor adjustments, x-rays, MRIs, etc… oh, & loads of stretching. Many people would have called it quits with the discomfort & pains I experienced, but I was determined to make this goal a reality. Maybe I was stubborn. But, whatever. In the end, I am happy my body cooperated & persevered. The final moments of this marathon I will forever hold close to my heart—Chicago, you are simply amazing!

Following the race, we indulged on some delishness from Shake Shack—which was just the most perfect post-race meal. Some more relaxing & sightseeing lead into dinner + drinks at Doc B.’s Fresh Kitchen {their Wok Bowl was on point!}. We ended the night at Joe’s, a speakeasy type of establishment, for more libations & dessert. A GREAT way to end an amazing marathon Sunday!!

The next morning, following a pancake breakfast & some more sightseeing {plus kid-gift-shopping!}, we ventured to the airport to end our EPIC girls’ weekend trip.

My wheels are already spinning on what running escapade will come next & I can’t wait for that adventure!! But first… get this body back to pre-moped-crash running conditions, so I can “survive” all of those jaunts, HA!

Thanks for reading!

It has been 10 days since I put on a pair of tennis shoes, with the intention of logging running miles. And strangely enough, I am doing A-okay. Perhaps the current weather conditions of heat, heat, & more heat… with a little humidity tossed in is making the abstinence easier. Of course, I would LOVE to just go for a run, but I am being smart & dedicated to the present conditions that life has thrown at me. The uncertainty is frustrating, but I am trying my best to push on through. After all, it’s simply running that I can’t do—I still have my health, a great life, & for that, I absolutely cannot complain! Perspective, folks.

Last Wednesday, when a run brought such intense pain {mostly my right knee}, I had many thoughts go through my head… along with a few f-bombs & other 4-letter words. My sane self pondered, “Why am I doing this?” “Why am I putting myself through run after run, with the pain never letting up?” So I stopped. And I haven’t run since. I doubt I will run for the month of July as well. But who really knows?

I pondered writing a blog post when all of this began, but decided I would wait until I had more answers. After quite a few people asked questions about my Chicago training over the last couple of days, I knew an update was in order. Likewise, I want a blog post for me to read in the future, when I am fully healthy, to remind myself to never take this great sport & a healthy body for granted. I suppose part of me too was opposed to writing a post initially, because I felt like I was a “broken record” this year with all of the complaints of pain… & who really likes a whiner?!

I may never have answers as to why I am still being tortured with the effects of the 12/31/16 moped crash. One thing is 170% certain, if I could turn back the clock, I would NEVER have ridden that damn thing! Every time I feel like I am getting back to “normal”, pain rears its’ ugly head.

My specific pain is focused on my entire right leg—the one that had the tibial plateau fracture from the crash. Back in March, before the Shamrock Half, pain in the IT-band region returned; and that has since evolved into pain in my glute, hip, calf, & outer knee. Most of April & May’s running was bearable, sometimes even just darn lovely(!); but in June, the discomfort became more pronounced. The time came when I could no longer “fake the funk” & hide the pain. Time to be transparent. The week or so before I stopped running, the pain wasn’t ONLY while running, as it had been previously. Instead, it became a mainstay of EVERYDAY life. I had been “okay” with pain during the run, as long as once the run was done, the pain was done. However, I was NOT okay with the pain affecting my walking around town with the kids or sitting at a movie with friends. And really, I am a running coach & healthcare professional—clearly I know better! What would I recommend to a client in my shoes? That was the piece of advice I needed to follow myself. There was no way training for the Chicago Marathon could continue along that sort of path. I was in pain sometimes by the 2^nd mile. How would I ever get through 26.2!!?? Clearly, something is/was not right & things needed to change.

I would guess at this point there are readers shaking their heads at my stubborn-ness. I don’t fault you for that. Some of the running despite pain was probably not smart, but I was truly trying all that I could to rehab the leg & put forth some sort of training. I have been in Physical Therapy since the beginning of May & he was not opposed to me running, so it’s not like I “went against doctor’s orders”. However, he may or may not have known the true degree of pain; hell, I am not sure I do either…. I am the chick who ran on that broken tibia so my track record proves to be poor & at a high threshold for pain. That said, I am on the “get healthy” train now, along with be smart & proactive about things! I have my whole life to run—2017 is clearly not my year to log miles.

So, before you think I am sitting home eating bon-bons all day, think again! That is so NOT my style. I am trying to “rest” while remaining “active”. I am embracing the present by doing what I can, with what is before me. PT exercises will hopefully help. Being back in the pool this last week has actually been enjoyable! I am considering upping my membership level at Pure Barre (LOVE that class!!). My occasional walks are very reflective & weekly yoga has kept me limber. And the icing on the cake has been feeling stronger—by all of the above things, as well as by returning to the Fit4Mom group, via Body Back with some of my favorite ladies! So while I have eliminated all things with impact on my knee & glute/hip, I am not being lazy by any means. My current philosophy is: if it hurts, stop; if you enjoy it, do more.

Like I mentioned before, I don’t really miss enduring long runs in this heat. I by far prefer a 20 degree day over an 80 degree day, for a run at least! So while I hope to resume running before the summer ends, I am thoroughly enjoying summer days with my boys way more, since I am not utterly exhausted every day from hot-a$$ runs. That time with Andersen & Alexander is worth so much more than any time on a race clock! And did I mention cooking & baking… yep, lots of that happening too. When I stopping running, I thought, “well if I can’t run, maybe I’ll just focus on my nutrition this summer!” Ehh, starting next week. Thanks to NOT being stressed from marathon training, I happily enjoyed a busy week of evening events all 5 nights this week, making amazing memories with friends, family, & co-workers… hence why on a Saturday night, I am grateful to be planted on my couch, typing a blog post!

The answers I hope to receive will with any luck come from this period of rest, getting stronger in my core & glutes, as well as an MRI of the glute/hip {date TBD, but ortho doc has ordered the test}. I will also see my knee ortho in the beginning of July, so he may order additional diagnostic tests to determine why the pain is persisting. I just want to do whatever it takes to feel like I used to, before that fateful day in Bermuda occurred.

In the meantime, I am just enjoying what I am able to do & hoping it can help maintain at least a portion of the endurance I have built over the last almost 8 years of running. If it doesn’t, I am fully prepared to start fresh & make new gains. Compared to having withdraw from the Shamrock Marathon training & race, I am a bazillion times more calm & composed this time around. I absolutely still plan to run {or run/walk} the Chicago Marathon in October! I know, it sounds cray-cray, but I am hopeful & optimistic. All plans for a BQ are obviously out the window; but if this year has taught me anything, pace & one silly iconic race certainly isn’t what this running thing is all about! There are a dozen local girls heading to the windy city for CHICKago & I sure don’t want to miss out on all of that fun! After all, life is an adventure, right!?

Thanks for reading! XO