An epic day of a different type!

Hey Runners, Creepers and Loves!

I'm so stinking proud of myself that I had to share. I know you guys are hard asses like me so you'll understand.   Here's my Monday. Keep in mind THIS is NOT normal for me:

5am woke up
6am kids up
7am carpool
7:30 back in bed
10:00am still sleeping
10:15 came down for a massive calorie intake and back to bed
11:00 watched the Biggie and Tupac documentary on Amazon Prime
12:00 thought about running
1:00 ate more
2:00 got pedicure
3:00 kid stuff (on auto pilot)
5pm thought about running but ate froyo on the couch and laughed
7pm Was gonna run but said Fuck it!

This was seriously the coolest day ever. I NEVER do this. I've had time to think about it and this is how THAT happened.

This week was a cut back week. I did 100 miles. But I ran in yak tax, on treadmills, on ice, I stressed out WAY too much. I went bonkers on my long run and actually pulled the plug 16 miles in because I couldn't do the workout in the conditions. My body was beat. My legs ached. I thought I ripped my right ankle off. I was mentally spent.

I am a perfectionist when it comes to my training. I give 100% to every footstep. However this week I hopped laterally, jumped and slide for 100 miles. I started getting sloppy in traffic. I needed to take a day off. The whole day felt like indigestion. I'm blogging about running so I don't grab my garmin and bolt out of the house. Sigh.

But I know tomorrow I'll feel fresh and ready to roll. Hell, I may even have a normal BMI, haha.

I hope your training is going well. Here are some randoms from the week. Thanks for all your awesome comments! Rock on guys!

17 mile TM tempo with 4x 5k

How I really felt after 4x5k

Fun for a day. That's it!

How I recover off a 400+ mile month

Hey Guys!

I meant to get a recovery post up sooner. But geez this week was crazy. 7 doubles. 120 miles. All workouts nailed. I'm thrilled! Now, I'm starting a cutback week. I'm not complaining either!

I definitely don't know everything or claim to be an expert in anything.  Possibly a tangent expert within a 5 mile radius of my house, possibly. But I have lots of weird rituals that could be better than placebo. Or not, who knows. But this is what I do:

*I take amino acids 3x a day. Before and after the run, and before bed. This is new this cycle.
*I take Sport Legs before I run and sometimes before bed.
*I drink Udo's Oil before bed.
*I eat 3 Quest bars a day. 1 within 20 mins after each run and 1 at night. 20 grams of protein. No sugar.
*I take Endurox after I run.
*I take Epsom salt baths about twice a week.
* I put various lotions and potions on my legs with arnica, glucosamine etc.

I have links to all of these products down below.

That's it for supplements. I eat chicken, nuts, cheese and other high protein food ALL day. My diet doesn't have any refined sugar other than trace amounts. Sugar is inflammation. That's a big no, no! I force food down until I have at least 3,500 calories in me a day.

Physically, I use roll recovery often and I stretch pretty much all day. I'm always leaning on something and getting a stretch. I also get weekly deep tissue massages.

And the thing I HATE the most is that I force myself to put my feet up for 30 minutes after my morning run. I always have stuff to do and laying there is not my personality! But I think of it as a gift to my legs. Also, I probably collapse 2 times a week after mileage bumps and need a nap. Again, I don't like feeling "lazy" but hey. Sometimes I'll sleep in my car while my kids are at a Taekwondo class. I can power nap and answer homework questions in my sleep. I just figure a way to make it all happen.

Because we are 9 weeks from Boston I put a little more thought into my daily activities. You won't see me swimming laps or riding my bike. I wouldn't jump on a trampoline with my kids. Obvious stuff. My goal is to stay healthy. If you said let's go to the mall and walk around a few hours the night before a long run, I'd say hell no! My ass is in the tub soaking at that time!

This may sound obsessive, but to me it's not. I'm not a college kid. I'm not even young! I'm a 40 year old 98 pound marathon runner with 3 kids.  I need to take precautions!

Here are some random pics as well as my supplements. Thanks for reading! You guys rock! Your support makes me giddy : )

Car console food is a must

This is half my life!

Yup, it happens!

1 degree long run!

I'm going to link out these supplements. Also, that's liquid calcium. 

I'll show you crazy!

Udo Oil
Endurox Excel
Amino Acids
Quest Bars
Liquid Calcium
Sport Legs


Some people ask me why I put it all out there. I'm up late after running 20 miles today so you can learn from all the good, bad and ugly I have come across. In the end, it makes me happy to see you do well. More so than myself. Now, I didn't say I'd let you beat me at the finish line, but you know! haha.

Well, continued happy running guys!!

Laura

A short rambling touching on my friend: High Mileage

Marathon Training by Sophie, age 10. The kid is smart! We are building our castle so to speak.

TGIF My Dears!! 

I guess this whole "exercise and have more energy" thing works. Because 8x out of 10 I'm locked and loaded! The other 2 I'm dead as a doornail, semi conscious, and drooling on myself. But hey, that's the fun part too!

So, for my Boston-ites we are 74 days out. The work is real. The dedication is hot! We are now in too deep to look back. Forget sleeping in on Sunday. Forget no carbs at night. Eat like a maniac! Rest after you rip your legs off. We are part of an army of badasses that will unleash on Hopkinton Mid-April. We worked our asses off to get there. We worked again to prepare. Now, we will let all hell break loose! 

I love that I have my Strava widget on the side so you can see what I'm up to. The last 5 weeks for me have been: 95, 95, 100, 109, 110.  I seriously never want this to end. Running twice a day, sometimes for hours at a time changes you. 

It's like Prozac for your temperament! 

*Road rage assholes, don't care. 

*Out of sandwich bags, big deal, use tupperware

*There is dog crap in the kitchen. Meh, I'll get to it.

*Oh, my favorite: My home alarm system went off yesterday. Normally, I'd freak. But on a 110 mile week I just got in the car and left. Screw it, just don't steal my Garmin.

HA!

So the fire is building. The benefits are being had. All is good at Camp LaBella. 

I hate to sound like a broken record but I have to say THANK YOU to you guys. I don't exist in a bubble. I have made so many awesome friends in the progress. Heidi and Laura, you guys fire my ass up every day! Freaking Joey...freaking Joey. This guy is an inferno that I am happy to be able to run with weekly and enjoy his seemingly endless talent. Both, physically and mentally. You all rock! We roll hard in the most badass of sports. I respect you all. 

I'm going to do a post on supplements and nutrition this weekend. I've REALLY tightened my game and have a few good finds. 

Until then, happy running!!

Laura 

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