Again? Really?

We are 3 weeks into the Dream Big Running (DBR) program (click to find out more information) and I can honestly say it has been an incredible experience not only for the girls, but for ME too!  I have learned more about myself and my running and it has really encouraged me to reflect on my experiences and choices.

Every week at DBR we have a word of the week.  This week it is Beautiful.  I couldn't help but think how applicable this is to my life right at this moment.  As I was writing the lesson plan for DBR practice  I was doing some research and stumbled across a great page in my training journal from Lauren Fleshman (one of, if not my favorite runner) "We all have ugly days and fat days, and the way we feel about ourselves projects outward to affect our productivity, our performance and our relationships.  Too often we get down on ourselves and find it impossible to motivate to improve things.  This is when we need to tell ourselves we are beautiful.  It's easier to make a change from a place of self-esteem than self-loathing, even if you have to fake it!"  Well thanks Lauren, and thanks to all the DBR girls for making me sit back and think for a minute.  I have been swallowed up in those ugly days trying to pull motivation out of a deep hole of animosity.  I had it backwards though.  In order to move forward I must first turn the contempt into beauty and work from there.  I have an incredible support network and once I can turn the disappointment/frustration into something positive I can move forward.

Once again I have a stress fracture in my fibula (confirmed today with an AWESOME orthopedist, and someone who will prove to be part of an important support network).  So 8 weeks no running ahead of me, but 8 weeks making aqua jogging and biking my job and being super focused.  First part of moving forward is some self reflection so I am going to use the DBR journal format.  I will keep adding onto this but here is a start.

How I was Brilliant...

• I kept my mileage lower than in the past.
• Supplemented appropriately with Vitamin D, Calcium, Magnesium and others
• Had decent nutrition
• Developed a solid strength program
• Had great quality in my running program

What I would've changed...

• 2 solid weeks of no running after a marathon
• Slower mileage build up after marathon
• Even LESS mileage for a long period of time (with very well planned mileage increase over several years)
• Different running shoes/keep track of mileage on shoes better
• Restructure running mechanics with running specific strength
• Fixing muscle imbalances
• Thinking long-term, 2016!
• Better nutrition tracking

More to come on this but that is a start, and a good one at that!  Now to Target to get myself an i-pod shuffle for my many glorious pool hours ahead of me (i-pod shuffle in a plastic bag so if I drop it in the pool it is not too much of a loss!)

Keep dreaming big and use obstacles to make you stronger and smarter!

Olympic Trials Re-cap - Part 1

So here is a brief re-cap of the Olympic Trials with more detailed information to come later in the week.  So today I had 2 choices, play the conservative side go out on pace to run 2:40 with hopes of coming up with a solid 2nd half and sneaking in around 2:39, or take the risk and try to go out around 6:00 minutes/mile pace seeing how long I could hold on with the chance that things might be rough in the last 6-8 miles.  Well I took the risk, where better than the Olympic Trials to do it, and went out a little too quick hitting the 10 mile mark in 59:22 and the half in 1:18 and the 20 mile mark in 2:00:45.  Falling off pace a little bit by 20 miles, but nothing too crazy.  The wheels feel off the bus after that and the last 6.2  miles were rough.  I managed to still finish with a PR, running 2:42:31 and finishing in 57th place. 

Could I have run faster?  Absolutely if I had run smarter, but if I had to go back and do it again I wouldn't change a thing.  I would go out and take the same risks and be happy knowing I gave it everything I had.  Knowing I had nothing to lose (I wasn't coming in top 10 here, so the risk really was not there at all!).  In my next marathon I will definitely take the 'smart' route but am glad I took the risk today!  Bring on 4 years of staying healthy, lots of awesome training, and lets see what we can do in 2016!  (check back later in the week for some more detailed info and insider stories about Ryan Hall, Meb, Bob Larsen and more!)

Thanks for your unbelievable support and never lose sight of your dreams!

10 AWESOME things about my training segment heading into the Marathon!

The power of positive thinking!  Here are 10 AWESOME things about my training segment leading into the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials:

10.  My Blogger Fans - Thanks to YOU for reading my blog and supporting me throughout my journey!

9.  Recovery - An overlooked part of my training in the past that has become essential and embraced over the past few months.  It is amazing how the right recovery can turn things around pretty quickly.

8.  Foam Roller - What a great discovery and my new best friend who is 100% dedicated to giving me a massage (still not as good as hands, but a reliable alternative!)

7.  Stockade-athon 15k - Even though I used this race as a workout/training run I still managed a new PR, team win, individual win and a fun day running.

6.  Flagstaff/McMillan Elite - I got to train with McMillan elite in Flagstaff for a week, get a taste of altitude and learn some awesome things from some of the United States top elite runners.

5.  Wind and Rain No Fear! - I have put in some solid workouts in all kind of weather so I am ready, bring it on (I didn't realize it was so windy in Albany!)

4.  ARE Racing Team - Joining ARE Racing Team was a great choice, not only did we join a competitive running team, but we joined a community and are proud to put on the ARE jersey.  I know I have a whole team at ARE behind me and my dreams.

3.  Mat Nark - Having a strength and running coach who a) has kept me healthy b) made me stronger (physically and mentally) c) pulled the reigns in when need be and d) pushed my limits, is definitely making me a better runner with long term goals out on the horizon!

2.  Consistency - Over the past 8-12 weeks I have had the most consistent workouts ever in my training.  I have done workouts but never felt good enough to successfully complete 2-3 solid workouts every week.  By reducing my mileage we have really focused on Quality not Quantity.

1.  Aaron - The unbelievable support I have received from my husband Aaron!  Whether it is helping to pace me through a workout (even though I always yell at him at some point, nothing personal!), helping to motivate me on those 'dark stormy' days, or being there to listen to me spill my guts about what a great day I had with an awesome workout and nap while he worked his tail off all day teaching!

'Irony' Before the Marathon

Irony, that is what the 10 days before a marathon is filled with.  The irony that one moment you are on cloud nine confident you have maxed out your potential for this training segment, made great choices and are ready to take on the world (or United States in the case of the Olympic Trials), but 30 seconds later something hurts, you have doubt.  Will I make it to the start line?  Can I stay injury free?  What could I have done better?  Did I miss something in my training?  It will not be partly cloudy, or partly sunny, or drizzling over the next 10 days, it is either pouring or clear blue skies, doubt or confidence.












One extreme or the other, but most likely nothing between black and white, not a single shade of gray.  As I write this, yesterday was one of those crystal clear white days, but today is black and pouring, so I calmly (or maybe the text message that said HELP!, wasn't that calm) text Mat with hopes that he will have some magical cure for this hamstring/groin/abductor thing that doesn't feel so hot right now.  Two weeks ago I probably wouldn't have noticed this so much, but 10 days before the marathon I notice every possible thing.  What did I do wrong between last night and this morning that turned my banana from the perfect shade of yellow to the dark brown over ripe mess it is now, I have no idea, but I have hope that after a 4:30 appointment I will be back skipping in the clouds, conquering the world without fear.  No running today, just laundry, reading, blogging, cleaning, netflix and hope!  I will use my knowledge to push these dark clouds out of the way and take out my blue crayon and start coloring!

Let's Talk Nutrition!

Eat, I LOVE to eat!  Now that my mileage is a little higher it seems not only am I running and sleeping more, but eating a whole lot more too.

So let's talk some of my favorite things to eat.

Favorite thing to fuel with while running: Definitely GU energy gels, preferably Jet Blackberry or Tri-Berry, and GU Brew, Blueberry Pomegranate flavor.  Thanks to the wonderful support at GU, I have received some GU Goodness this year that has enhanced my training and marathon preparation and will be essential over the next few weeks leading up to the trials.  On January 14th I will definitely be using GU products to help get me through the best marathon I am capable of on that day.

My favorite snack: A local energy bar called "Camille's Bars."  The ingredients and nutritional values speak for themselves!  Made with natural almond butter, organic flax, organic quinoa, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, organic chia seeds, brown rice syrup, organic maple syrup and ground spices how can you not love them?  Good for you and delicious.  If you are an athlete they are a must have snack to keep in running bag, glove compartment and desk drawer!  Contact Camille at 518-495-8224 to get a box of your own.

Camille's Bars

My favorite race morning meal?  Oatmeal (oat groats cooked in the crock pot) with a banana.  Easily digestible I am guaranteed a happy stomach on race day.  I normally eat breakfast about 3 hours before the race start time. (Note to self, avoid APPLES before a run, not a good mix as experienced this morning!)

My favorite post-race/workout fuel?  Before I go to any workout or race I make myself a smoothie so I have good nutrition in me within 15 minutes of completing my workout/race.  My smoothie includes, frozen berries, banana, almond milk, Paleomeal Protein powder, greens, vitamin C and ground flax seed.  I put it in a thermos so it is still cold when I drink it.

What are some of your favorites?  I would love to hear so drop me an email or comment below!

What does my training look like?

Guess what, there are no secrets, just hard work!  So here is a brief look at my training over the past 2 weeks.  Over the past 2 weeks I am right in the bulk of my marathon prep with the Olympic Trials being 5-6 weeks away.  My mileage has been lower than in the past, as the main goal is to stay healthy, and there has been more of a focus on quality training with quality recovery.

Monday 11/28
PM - 8.13 miles
Core

Tuesday 11/29
AM - 10.3 miles, Strides and Drills
Strength workout
PM - 9.24 miles

Wednesday 11/30
AM - 6x1 mile at 5:40 pace with 60-70 second recovery, total 14.2 miles
PM - 4 miles (recovery)
Core

Thursday 12/1
AM - 10.5 miles

Friday 12/2
AM - 8 miles
Strength
PM - 8.65 miles
Core

Saturday 12/3
Fast finish long run - 13 miles easy 10 miles increasing pace from 6:20's down to 5:40's 1 mile cool down, total 24 miles

Sunday 12/4
AM - 10.2 miles
Strength
Core

Weekly Mileage:  107.37

Monday 12/5
AM - 1 hour swim/aqua jog
PM - Strength workout

Tuesday 12/6
AM - 8.66 miles
Core
PM - 20x 1 min on 1 min off, 12.4 miles total

Wednesday 12/7
AM - 8.15 miles
Strength workout
PM - 8 miles

Thursday 12/8
AM - 6.4 miles
Core
PM - Track workout, 6x200, 1x800, 1x400, 3x300, 4x200, 1x800, 1x400, 3x300, mixed intensity between interval, repetition and threshold pace total miles 10.3

Friday 12/9
AM - 10.2 miles
Core
PM - 6 miles, drills and strides

Saturday 12/10
Long run with 4x3.2 miles with 4 minute recovery, increasing pace for each set, starting 6:20's working down to 5:40's, total miles 23.3

Sunday 12/11
AM - 10.5 miles
Core

Weekly Mileage: 103.91


Overall a successful 2 weeks, looking forward to an even better 2 weeks coming up!  What does your log look like?  Drop me an email and share some of your training!  I am always up for learning a few new ideas and seeing what works for other runners.  Everyone is different and has different strengths and weaknesses, therefore requiring slightly different training.  Just because it works for one person doesn't mean it will work for someone else, but it is always good to keep learning and researching about your training.  New ideas and studies are continuously coming out, helping to refine everyone's training and make you faster.  Don't get stuck in old habits, keep reading and expanding your training knowledge, try new things and stay open to new ideas.  Happy running!

Tips from McMillan Elite

Thanks to McMillan Elite for a great week in Flagstaff.  Here are some pointers from some of our nations best professional distance runners:

1.  Run easy on your easy days - Be confident in your training and really use your easy days to recover fully and allow your body to absorb all the hard work you did!
2.  It takes time - Nothing happens over night, have patience, stay focused, work hard and you will see results.
3.  Create an environment and will enable YOU to be successful - Everyone is different, figure out what you as an individual need in your running environment to be successful.  Some people need a group, some work better individually, some like to share in the decision making with their coach, while others would rather to just be told what their workout is and do it.  Figure out what you need and find people who will support and enable you to succeed.
4.  Don't put one race on a pedestal - The first objective is to make it to the starting line.  Don't get caught up in the hype of a single race.  Train smart and stay injury free.
5.  Only you can do all the little things - You make the daily decisions.  Make good ones, take naps, eat well, do your drills and strides, make every choice count!
That being said, time to get back to work, see you on the road!