A quote you will never hear from me

Um, someone take away my Brooks if I ever say this!

 Poor thing!

Happy Friday Peeps. Back to the grind. Daily 14 milers to catch up. Have a great weekend!

Laura

How do you stress out a runner 3 weeks from the Boston Marathon?

Answer: Jack em up, but just for a day. And while you're at it, make it their long run day.

Clearly, I was being punked by the fitness gods. I appreciate my health obsessively. However, I may have been getting a little aggressive with the back to back Half Marathons and the seemingly, but not quite triple digit mileage of late. I have felt unstoppable for so long. I never have any twinges, wonkiness or injuries.

However, I did a few things that tested me last week. One or all of them took me out for 2 days:

*I ran 22 miles of hills in the Adidas Boost. New shoes to me. Probably not the best idea.
*I ran a 1:24 half and then 30 miles in the following 2 days. Way too fast to be considered recovery.
*I ran through exhaustion. I wasn't listening to my body. I wanted the mileage. I was digging a hole.

So, I ended up with some itis in my ankle. Of course I had my ortho and physical therapist on it immediately. I googled my fingers off and figured I inflamed my flexor hallucis longus and or my tibialis posterior tendons.  It may have just been inflammation to my Drs but I needed specificity.

So basically, ice and NSAIDS. Lots of stretching, electrical stim and more ice. I've never had a non bone related injury so I needed answers and I needed them NOW. I needed to do something to help my bum ankle recovery faster.

So I stared at it for two days. I poked at it. I pleaded with it. I talked to it. I put gobs of lotions and potions on it. I bought every homeopathic placebo I could find at Whole Foods. lol. I had to do something! Then the twilight zone hit. I picked up my iphone and see this random photo. It freaked me out so much I screen shot it:

I said to myself, I GET IT!! I LEARNED!! Please fitness gods, let me pass go! I'll never run crazy again! I'll go to church. Whatever you want! My phone refreshed and the image went away. I couldn't find it again. Clearly, this is deep. haha. Eventually, I found it on my BFF's Facebook page but still!!

My PT said I was being a baby. But I wasn't chancing anything. I was out a day and then took a buffer day. Today I ran 10 miles with what seemed like brand new legs. Phew!

My days off were time consuming. I knew if I didn't stay active I'd lose my fitness right away (haha). I could feel the muscle atrophy almost immediately. So I biked 2.5 hours. Swam free style for an hour straight. Lifted every damn weight I could find in NE Raleigh. I tried most of the Nautilus equipment in my gym, twice. Reduced my calories to avoid the inevitable beer belly. I wasn't gonna let my fitness get away!

So now it's back to the grind. A happy grind. A grind I love and missed! I wanted to blog about this because after a bazillion hours googling I noticed that no one has anything good to say about itis. So hopefully some jacked up runner will see this and know it will be okay.

Continued healthy and happy training guys!
Laura

Guest Blogger!

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

I was recently contacted by a women who has undertaken a great mission in helping people with cancer. Melanie Bowen from The Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Blog has asked me to post some information that would help those afflicted with this horrible disease. She knows this disease does not discriminate and those who have been diagnosed need to stay strong! Keeping a healthy mind and body is essential.

The following is some great information and for more please visit her site here:

Explore the Different Types of Cardio Exercises That Benefit Cancer Patients

If you or a loved one is going through treatments for breast cancer, mesothelioma, colon cancer or any other form of cancer, your doctor may have suggested you try exercising as a way to promote physical strength.  When many people think of physical strength, they often think of large muscles and ultra-toned bodies.  This is a part of strength, but the types of strength exercise provides for cancer patients is far beyond what meets the eye.

The Benefits of Exercise for People with Cancer

Increasing blood flow, improving circulation of oxygen throughout the body, and toning muscles helps to strengthen the heart and the lungs.  Exercise also provides many benefits to other major organs throughout the body, and this helps a person to grow stronger.  Growing stronger while going through surgeries or other types of cancer treatment adds numerous benefits and helps a cancer patient to have an increased quality of life.  

The Advantages of Cardio Workouts

Cardio workouts help promote overall improvement of a person’s body and mind.  Cardio exercises keep the heart rate going, promote healthy hearts and also work to tone and strengthen both the upper and the lower portions of the body.  Working the body out in complete unity, with all parts benefiting, is an ideal way for cancer patients to begin taking control over their health and increasing the way the feel and how strong they are.

Cardio Workouts for Outdoors

Jogging or walking provides excellent ways to get regular amounts of cardio workouts outdoors.  Getting outside is often beneficial for cancer patients, and walking or light jogging can rejuvenate the mind and relieve stress while also building up the person’s physical strength.  Hiking through nature trails and bicycling are other enjoyable ways to add to a weekly cardio fitness program so a person does not grow bored with doing the same activity every week.

Cardio Workouts for Indoors

LiveStrong recommends step aerobics and dancing for people who want to exercise indoors.  Coming up with indoor exercise routines is a great way to have a fallback plan if the weather conditions prevent a person from engaging in exercise outside.  Keeping fitness routines varied will help to keep you inspired as you make an effort to meet fitness goals while going through cancer treatments.

Thank you for reading!

Wrightsville Beach Half Marathon Race Report

 The Wrightsville Beach Half Marathon

This race has been on my schedule for a while. I wasn't too excited about it performance wise because I just came off the ING Miami Half with a PR. I didn't think back to back PR's existed in the Half. WRONG-O!

For race week I knew I wasn't going to taper. The Boston Marathon is my goal. But I wanted an easier Saturday pre-race. So I did what any logical runner would do. I ran 75 of my weekly miles in the 5 days preceding the race so I could do 6 miles on Saturday. I padded the front of my week with heavy mileage. 

Well, it worked! When I headed to the elevator Sunday morning at 5am I felt like a million bucks. I was saying to myself, "are you kidding? I get to run this race with this body?" Meaning, I felt so strong and rested that it was almost third person. It was like I was going to the office. This is what I have worked so hard for. Now I get to go tour the city for 13 miles on these legs that I worked so hard to train. All the special diets, no sugar, cross training, freezing rain, exhaustion. Now, it's the easy part.  My goal was 6:30 pace.

heated seat warm up, SURE!

I arrived at the finish area of the race and was bussed to the start. It was freezing. I didn't want to warm up. I didn't have a drop bag. I stood outside for an hour in booty shorts and a sports bra in 50 degrees plus wind chill. I was shivering. I would stare at people and try to will them with my eyes to give me their shirt. I got few, "hang in there's." It sucked. I couldn't wait to run. I saw some old friends and chit chat was nice.

The next 13 miles plain old rocked. I felt great. My only issue was to try and slow down. I didn't think I could run so fast for so far. I did all those dorky runner things. I high five'd every aid station worker. I talked to runners on the course. I cheered every walker I saw. The race seeded the walkers first for logistical reasons. So I'd try and say something cheerful as I passed which was usually countered with, "No, you good job!! I was having fun!

My splits and thoughts were: Garmin here:

6:18   you just blew your race. Good job Slick.

6:25   slow down

6:28  

6:28   ok, this clearly will be my pace

6:20

6:26

6:18  WTF, how is this happening?

6:29

6:28

6:27

6:29

6:19  for real?

6:24  I don't want this to end. I want to keep running. I love running!. lol

5:58 for .25

CHIP time 1:24:51 

4th female overall

1st age group

17th overall of 1901 runners in the half. results here.

So upon finishing I felt like a rockstar. My mind was sharp. I felt like I could lay out this:

 I never looked at my garmin aside from the splits.  I wanted a surprise. That it was.  I went to my car for my phone to make the usual calls to my family and coach. 

Then I switched out of my racing flats into my pure flow II's and set out to find my friend who was doing the marathon. I wanted to do a few miles with him near the end of his race. So I set out for 5 miles. Immediately upon entering the crowds it dawned on me. Where the hell my friend? I have no idea. So I figured I'd just stand there and wait on the marathon course...lol Suddenly, my brain went to mush I couldn't calculate what mile to go to.

Post race dumbing set in

Well, I was looking for a dude with a red shirt. As we discussed pre race. So I used all my brain power and focused for a red shirt. Suddenly I see a guy carrying a red shirt. I screamed out, "you're not wearing the shirt damn it!!" So much for my motivational chit chat. 

I ran along side him. We decided I'd be better off meeting him on the other side of the loop he was doing. So I took off in the opposite direction. Long story short. I never found him. My dehydration was turning into delusion after waiting 40 minutes on a curb all alone. 

Awards were coming up soon. It suddenly dawned on me that *maybe* the 3 girls ahead of me were in the marathon. Or at least 1 of them!! I could be top 3!! So I shuffled quickly back to awards. That pipe dream was killed quickly. I was indeed 4th female. I won this:

 

After I received my award I headed to my car to leave.  A met a few of you guys along the way! I LOVE that! Sometimes I feel like I'm typing into a dark hole in a galaxy far, far away. So when someone says hi it's awesome. 

The Nitty Gritty:

I brought espresso from home and had about 4oz at 4am heated up in the microwave.

I took a caffeine pill around 5am.

I sipped Street King energy drink on the car ride over.

I had a Cliff Shot Cherry Chocolate gel at the start and sucked on one for the first half of the race.

I took 2 sips of water on the course.

It was 50 degrees. Swirly wind and a 6:40am start.

Overall, a great race. A new PR. A great confidence booster going into Boston. I am writing this on Tuesday still so freaking tired I could nap all day if it weren't for my voracious appetite that keeps me staggering to the fridge.

A few more weeks of training! Happy Running Guys!!!

Laura

I'll take that with 2 Splenda's and a side of BITCH!

Hello My Dears!

Here we are about 6 weeks out from Boston.  I don't know about you but my tolerance for your average BS is pretty low. My day starts out great because I'm running but then midday fatigue sets in and pisses me off. I'm tired and can't get stuff done as quickly. Which makes me irritable.

I usually piss my way through the evening and then the magic of a night's sleep sets in and I wake up happy and cheerful. Occasionally I can get a nap and I'm more tolerable. I've noticed this happens on mileage over 90 a week. Thankfully I'm almost back into the low 90's.

This mood craziness often begs the question: WHY? Why run so much I turn myself into an antisocial heathen with borderline personality disorder?? Why not run 60 miles and stay happy and rested?

I'll tell you why:

*I really do love it.

*I appreciate the fact that not everyone can train like this. I can. I am among the lucky ones right now. Some people are content channel surfing with Doritos. Whatever it is that I have than makes me the polar opposite I appreciate. I have never ending motivation. I feel lucky in that respect.

*I want to see my potential. Like a kid peeking under the Christmas tree at midnight. I want to see my best. I want to be able to know that I never gave up and realized my potential.

*I want to beat Gary Franks at the marathon : )

*I love the daily structure and monotony of rigorous training.

*I love the challenge!

Because I'm a little tired I'll photo box some pictures of my daily grind:

As far as the daily running. I'm doing most of it at 7:30-7:40 easy pace.  I'm trying to peck away at tempo pace to a low 6:XX. My intervals are around 3 miles. This week it was 2x3 miles. My long run last week was 19 with the middle 15 miles at 6:35 pace. I was shooting for marathon pace which I think is around 6:45 but I was having a good day and it was a struggle to keep it this slow. The rest EASY.

I've also started to listen to audiobooks on my solo runs. I have Meb's Run to Overcome in there now. It's very peaceful to run to.

Oh, I asked for some other Sub 3 blogs and Robyn recommended these. I have to check them out! Thanks!

sealegsgirl.blogspot.com, sweatonceaday.com and theboringrunner.com

Have a great weekend guys!!
Laura

What I've learned from 95 mile weeks

Happy Saturday My Dears!

I'm still alive! But heck, I tell you 90+ mile weeks are no joke! That's some serious commitment. Everyone has their 2 cents on high mileage. Some think it's absolute junk and others, like me see how it takes your endurance off the charts. For this marathon I wanted to see how this worked for me. So far, so good! I'm on some permanent high I can't explain.

Here are some things I've clued into lately:

Mind over matter. Seriously, I have to wake up either dying for speed or force myself into a fog for my slower miles.

The old 8 miler is the new 12 miler. If you want 90 plus with minimal doubles this is a must. Learn to love it.

Keep easy days easy. My easy is 7:45 pace. I click off that pace day after day with as much pride as a 6:10 on tempo. One facilitates the other. Did I say that? haha

EAT! I'm burning about 10,000 calories a week in running and x training. I'm hovering at 100 pounds. One missed meal and I'm 98 and feeling like shit. My diet is almost more important than the miles. I know what works. I have become a Foodie.

The power of the 30 minute nap. I am constantly telling Siri to wake me up in 30. Studies show that's the best length for a power nap. And so says my tired ass. It helps, along with the 8pm bedtime.

My Words with Friends skills are off the chart:

However, every twinge becomes a flash back to every stress fracture I've ever had. I try not to put negative out there but having broken my tibs and fibs three times in previous years definitely bring a little stress.

While running I feel like this:

Other hours I feel like:

A simple curb cut at the Harris Teeter could cause this

All day 'err day

hmmm, good idea!

So Boston is right around the corner. It will be a fun 26 miler but I enjoy the training far more than any race. 

Keep plugging away guys! If anyone has any sub 3 blogs or any marathon training blogs leave it in my comments. I'd love to see how you train.

Laura