flashback friday #1

Many of you don't know much about me other than I like to run, write about running, and try to make people laugh (with me, of course, not at me).  But, I'm always talking about what I used to be like.  So for the next few Fridays I thought it would be fun to show you some pictures of me as I grew up.

Today's picture is from when I was 4yrs old.  How cute am I?!  Please don't judge the ruffly lace too harshly, it was the 80's after all.  My mom used to braid my hair after I took a bath at night and I would sleep in the braids so that my hair was curly the next day.  I always wished my pin straight hair was curly...the ol' wanting what I don't have feeling many of us have.

I honestly don't remember too much about being 4 years old...  One memory that does stick out is from the summer.  The ice cream truck drove by and my brother and I each got to choose one treat.  I got the red, white, and blue rocket pop.  It was my go-to treat.  My dad took a picture of me sitting in the driveway in my lawn chair with a big smile on my face and popsicle juice dribbling down my chin. I was wearing a Sesame Street t-shirt.  Life was pretty easy back then...

Next week's picture:  3rd grade.

lookin' good; feelin' good

When I first started running I wore a lot of cotton.  Cotton T-shirts, cotton running pants (yes, pants!), cotton, cotton, cotton!  I recall running my first half marathon in a heavy cotton tank top and thick knee-length shorts.  Looking back on those pictures I cringe just a little bit.  The main reason I wore stuff like that was to hide my bulky body.  I wasn't happy with the way I looked, in general but especially while running, and the thought of putting on spandex was unheard of.  Spandex used to be a swear word in my book. 

Since the summer of 2007, I've learned a thing or two about liking my figure and liking (horror of horrors!) spandex.  These tech-wick fabrics are specially designed to keep you cool and keep the sweat off of you.  Whereas a cotton T-shirt will get weighed down with the sweat and, in cases where you're running long, will begin to chafe.  More fitted synthetic fabrics will not bunch and droop to one side as I've noticed T-shirts have a tendency to do.

I have found that fitted knee-length pants are my all time favorite bottoms to run in.  I used to run in loose cotton capris but found that they did not breathe so well.  I'd end super hot at the end of a run even if it was only 60deg.  After finding these synthetic fabrics (at a great price, too - thanks, Target!), my running world turned around.  Of course after running more, I found that I actually looked pretty good in the tighter clothes and I wasn't embarrassed by my body anymore.  It turns out it's a win-win. 

The only down side to these synthetic fabrics is they hold the sweaty, musty smell much better than the cotton clothes.  It gets deep down into the fibers and even after washing the item a bagillion times, it still smells like you just went to the gym.  The trick is to get a laundry detergent that is made specifically for workout clothes/materials.  I have found Tide Sport with Febreeze to be my favorite.  My clothes (many-year-old running clothes included) come out smelling like green apples.  Mmmmm.  Really, is there a better smell in the world than freshly laundered clothes?  Maybe fresh-cut grass...or steak being grilled.  I digress...

If you've been running for a while and haven't dared to try "real running clothes" (as I used to think of them before I became a "real runner"), I would suggest giving it a go.  You'll be surprised at how good you'll look and how good you'll feel! 

surviving the heat

So how does one run in the heat and not die (or have heat related issues)?  Well, I can't tell you what will work for everyone...but I can tell you what worked for me.  Below is a list of tips that helped me get through the Boston Marathon with extremely high temperatures:

Preparing for Race Day -

• hydrate before race day.  Try to drink lots of water each day for a week leading up to race day.  You don't want to wait until the day before to hydrate, you're body will be storing up the hydration and it will come in handy on race day.  Yes, you'll probably have to take extra bathroom breaks, but you'll be glad come race day.
• enjoy salty snacks.  It's not often we get to indulge in salty foods and have it be a good thing!  But prior to a hot race day, it's a great thing!  There's no need to over do it, but enjoy those pretzels or roasted almonds, put an extra shake of salt on your steamed vegetables.  Your body will be storing this for race day as well.
• drink electrolyte beverages.  I prefer the G2 made by Gatorade because it's not quite a strong as the original.  An option is to water down the original as well.  I start drinking my G2's about 3 days before race day.  Just one a day.  It's got a bunch of good stuff that you simply can't get from water.  Stuff that you'll be expending come race day, so it's good to store it up.  

On Race Day - 

• wear clothes that you've run in before.  If you've never run in a pair of shorts before for a long distance, don't try it on race day, even if it's gonna be hot.  This is a basic rule of racing - never wear new items on race day.  Stick with tried and true items that you know don't bunch or chafe.
• stop drinking about 1hr before the race starts.  Drinking any more water at that point will just be sloshing around in your belly for the first few miles and might provide discomfort.  (And you might have to make an unscheduled pit stop at a port-a-potty!)
• start slow and get acclimated.  The tendency in any race to head out too quickly.  This sets you up for a possible hitting of "the wall" in the later miles.  Start conservatively, get a feel for the temperature, and find a good pace that is comfortable to run all day.
• take two cups of water at each station.  Sip from one of them, pour the other on your head.  This was a new thing for me in Boston.  It sounds silly, but I'd never dumped water on my head in a race before.  But this was so important to keep me cool(ish) and to run through the heat.  Take a Gatorade too.  All those electrolytes are important to replenish!

The last thing I learned about running in the heat is to not expect an epic race.  Enjoy the course, enjoy the people around you, don't try to bust out a PR (personal record) and hurt yourself in the process.  If it happens (which it did for me in Boston!!), that's awesome and a nice surprise...but it's better to stay safe than to hurt yourself in attempting a record race.

Are there any tips that you've used that I've left off the list?  Share your wisdom in the comments section!

 

been there, done that

This Sunday is the Run to Remember in Boston.  The weather prediction is currently 81 degrees, full sunshine.  At first glance I was annoyed...then I realized that I'd done that before just 6 short weeks ago.  And that was 26.2 miles, not just 13.1 (yes, I did say just). 

At the end of every GI Joe episode, he would always say, "And now you know and knowing is half the battle."  (Yes, I watched GI Joe growing up...I had a brother.)  I think this statement fully applies to running in the heat.  I now know what it takes to stay cool and hydrated and fueled and run a good race.  And knowing that is half the battle.  The other half is obviously putting it into practice. 

The Run to Remember folks sent out an email recently letting runners know to stay hydrated before and during the race and to assist in that, they have doubled the number of water stations along the course.  This is most excellent news because in previous years, there has not been enough water/water stations...in my opinion.  The past two times I have run this race it has been incredibly humid and warm and by the time we "back-of-the-packers" get to the water stops, there's not much left.  (The first time I ran the race, they actually had run out of water at a few of the later water stops.  Not cool.)

I plan to drown myself in water and Gatorade this week and make sure that I am sufficiently hydrated prior to Sunday.  I plan to dress accordingly to the weather prediction and, as the BAA suggested on Marathon Monday, wear white if possible and as little as decently possible (they really did say that...).

This will be the first half marathon in my ambitious goal of 12 in 12.  I think this one might be a bit of a wash due to my lack of training after coming off of the marathon, but it will be good starting point to train more seriously for the summer half marathons. 

Speaking of, I did find one for June - The Castle Awards Half Marathon in Seekonk, MA on June 10th.  Now to find one for July...   

fake fit

I would say I'm pretty fit.  I'm in the best shape of my life.  I can run for miles and miles, enjoy it, and not feel sore the next day.  I can carry on a conversation while running with friends and not feel winded.  But am I truly, overall fit?

This question was answered for me this week.  I have run everyday since Saturday (minus Tuesday) and topped that off with a Zumba class on Wednesday and a Box and Burn class yesterday.  Both of these classes kicked my butt, seriously.  Typically Zumba doesn't wear me out...but it was stinkin' hot in the room.  And then we stayed for a 10min ab session.  Let's just say I need to keep working on my abs.

The Box and Burn class was awesome.  It was pretty much cardio kickboxing with a few pilates thrown in at the end for good measure.  I loved it, absolutely...but after a 5.5mi run it was INtense.  Today my arms, abs, and back are all letting me know that last night's class was a success.  And it lets me know that I need to keep doing these kinds of classes to get more overall fit, not just running fit. 

I'm thinking about joining a boot camp class that meets at my lake in the mornings during the summer.  Have any of you done a boot camp...I'm a little nervous.  Maybe I'll try it Bridesmaids (the movie) style and hide behind a tree for the first few classes... 

finding joy

Sometimes life throws us for a loop.  Sometimes things are just plain hard.  They don't make sense.  We struggle to get through the day, only to toss and turn at night, not getting good rest, then struggle through the next day.  It's hard to find bright spots in a day when you feel like life is unbearable.

I was talking with a friend the other day about how quickly life passes us by.  How when we get to the end, are we going to say, "I wish I hadn't focused so much on my poor circumstances."  Or are we going to say, "I lived my life the best I could and found joy in every circumstance."  I'm not talking about surface-y, smile all the time kind of fake happy.  I'm talking about the my-soul-feels-better-right-now-because-of-___________.

My friend said that she tries to find one thing everyday that brings her joy.  So I decided that I would try too.  I think it looks different for everyone so what brings her joy may not give me the same feeling.

The past couple days have been hard and I've been sad.  But each day, I find that there are things that make my heart happy.  Yesterday it was spending time with a friend who just listened as I poured out my heart.  She didn't judge, didn't counsel.  She just listened.  Today, it was getting up early to spend a few miles with my roommate.  It was also knowing that I work with a group of people who deeply care about one another.  And having a friend invite me over to have dinner with her family before joining me at a zumba class.

It seems in the past two days, the joy that I have found is in the people that I am lucky enough to call my friends.  Whether they run with me (I am always looking for running partners so....drop me a line if you want to go!), or share a meal with me, or just listen to my irrational line of thinking (sometimes, not all the time).  These are people that I care deeply about and knowing the feeling is reciprocated is such a blessing and brings me much joy.

Who knows what will bring me joy tomorrow...  I have a feeling it might have something to do with a perfectly made Starbucks drink.  Or perhaps running a few miles after work with a new friend.   Or feeling accomplished after getting a lot done at work.

What kinds of things bring you joy?

a (half) marathon journey

If I have to wait until November 2013 to run another marathon (I don't...but I want to), I need to have another goal to get me through the next 12mos before training starts again.  What better way to do that then to present myself with another challenge, another journey - if you will.

To keep myself in good shape and working towards NYC, I decided to run a Half Marathon a month until next May.  Half marathons are the perfect distance, in my opinion.  It's a satisfying distance that you have to train hard and work for, but it is very attainable and rewarding.  The time it takes to train for a half is far less than a full marathon but you still get the challenge of running a distance a large number of people can't or won't.  It won't ruin your body but the training keeps you in good shape.  (It's also a good starting point for serious marathon training but I'll think more about next year.)

There are a few challenges I foresee in this adventure:  1. actually finding half marathons that are within a reasonable driving distance to me!  I have only 4 of 12 planned out (see info below).  2. Making sure the races I do find don't conflict with plans that are already on the calendar.  And 3. Staying healthy/strong enough to complete each one.  I'm nervous about not getting colds/flu/etc, but also about not twisting anything or straining any muscles (esp my ITBand!). 

Here's the list so far:
May - Boston's Run to Remember
June -
July  -
August - Monadnock Half Marathon
September - Around Cape Ann 25K (not a half...but it's 15.59mi so I'm going to count it!)
October - Applefest Half Marathon
November - (There are two that are up for discussion...will update when this is decided)
December -
January -
February -
March -
April -
May -

As you can see, there are many months that I don't have one listed.  If you know of one for those months (and want to run with me...or not) let me know! Let the (half) journey begin!