Recovery-ing

Recovery is going really well. My resting heart rate was 44 this morning and my legs have felt good on the two easy runs I have done at the end of this week. My hamstrings have been a little tight, but that is normal for me after a long run or a tough workout, and they are just about normal this morning. I don't have any soreness or lingering tiredness (even after traveling all night Monday night and getting home at 3:30am on Tuesday morning).

I was feeling pretty down on Monday, but after some good conversations with Coach and with family and friends, I am feeling a lot better. It was a rough day and I didn't handle the weather conditions well. The general consensus is that I had some heat exhaustion, which would explain the blotchy face and dizziness during the race and the headache that lasted all day afterwards. I thought I was well-fueled and hydrated but it wasn't enough for me that day. The good news is that all of the hard training I have put in is still there, and I didn't beat myself up too much during the race since I pulled back so early on.

I work hard, I train hard, and I am consistent and dedicated, and I know that is going to pay off in a big way soon.

A while back I promised reviews on two new products that I have been using and loving.

The first is Tailwind Nutrition. I first read about Tailwind on the blog of the awesome Fast Cory. I have had decent luck with Hammer products, but I loved the idea of only needing one product for fueling and when I compared the calories, potassium, sodium, and magnesium to the other drinks I had used, I was really impressed with what Tailwind has. With Tailwind there is no need for electrolyte, salt pills, or other supplements during your training or racing.

I have tried the Lemon and Berry flavors and both are very light and tasty - NOT overly sweet at all. And let's remember that despite the rough day, Providence was the first marathon I have ever run that I have not had to stop at a portapotty! (And since I "crashed" so early on in Providence I do not think that my fueling during the race was the issue. I likely was underhydrated going in to the race, especially for the conditions). I should have been sipping on Tailwind the day or two prior to the race. I had great success in all of my long runs just using Tailwind (no gels or chews, etc.)

I love that this is a product made by an athlete for himself and other athletes, and that it is a small company. They personalize every bag! They also offer the Tailwind challenge. You buy the Tailwind challenge pack, and "if Tailwind Endurance Fuel doesn't make you stronger, happier, and less stressed while you train and at your next event, we'll pay your race fee." Pretty cool, right?

 They did not send me any product or ask me to write this, I am just sharing because this has worked really well for me.

More soon, including a review of another great new-to-me company, and a race entry giveaway! Happy Friday!!!

Providence recap

Six hours of flights, three hours of layover, and a three hour ride home is a lot of travel time, and a lot of thinking time.

First I need to say that minus the race,  it was a wonderful weekend. I missed Josh and the kids, but had a special Mother's Day. I had a lot of quality time with my parents, which is priceless. I enjoyed talking with them, watching them, listening to them, and just being around them. They were incredible as always. I also got some nice time with my brother and his friend which was awesome too. All four of them were amazing cheerleaders. I got to see them multiple times along the course, and Mark and his friend even made big signs for me. We ate a lot of good food too. Most of the restaurants we went to were great about me needing gluten-free stuff, and I even had gluten-free pizza and a burger with a gluten-free bun.

I got to meet two of the runners I coach, and one I got to go to lunch with and then she was on the course with her super cute daughter cheering for me in a bunch of spots with an awesome sign that they made. And one of my former colleagues was there cheering on her daughter in her first marathon and she cheered for me a bunch too. It was fun to have so much support out there, even though I felt like I was letting everyone down.

At first I was not going to do a full race recap but I guess I will, if for no other reason that I can process it and have a record of it.

Everything went really well leading up to race morning. I ate well, I was well-hydrated, my shake out run and strides the morning before felt good, and I got plenty of rest. I did not have any aches or pains and I was healthy. You can't ask for much more.

They day before the race, Chris, a really nice guy that I had connected with (and a very fast runner - check out his blog) had offered to drive the course with my parents and I so that I could see the course and so they could know how to best see me on race day.  Chris's coach, Ray, came along too and they were both great. We got to see the whole course and my parents got a spectating strategy and directions.

I was a little unhappy with some significant hills (on a course that was advertised as "flat and fast" and no updated elevation profile was provided). There were also a lot of turns, including a turn around a cone in the middle of the road. It was not a fast course. Even if I had PRed and run a great race, I would not have felt it was a fast course.

Our hotel was the host hotel and it was SUPER convenient. On race morning I didn't have to get up until 5:30. After getting ready, I went out and did a short warmup, came back in and used our bathroom one last time, and then went back outside about 20 minutes before the race started. There weren't any corrals and it was just a "line up at your pace" kind of start, so I positioned myself just behind the super fast looking guys. I was nervous but not terribly so. I think mentally I was in a good place. I was ready to go.

My parents, Mark, and Alex got to stand right close to me as we waited. They sang the anthem, told us 7 minutes to go, 5 minutes to go, 3 minutes to go, 1 minute to go - and then we waited and waited and waited. We ended up starting 7 minutes late without any explanation to the delay. It was awful to hear "one minute to go" and get all ready and then to just wait. It was VERY overcast and muggy. Right before we left the room I checked the weather one last time and it said it was 61 degrees and 98 percent humidity. Bleck. Chris had warned me that being along the coast that there definitely would be wind at different points of the course too.

We finally took off and I felt pretty good. It was much warmer than I was used to (I have only even run in the 40's a few times so far this year, the rest has been 30's or colder) and the air was thick and muggy, but I felt ok. It was super overcast and I almost wished it would rain, but it never did more than sprinkle. The plan from Coach was to go out at about 7:15, and then drop it down. I was running about 7:05 on the downhill/flat miles and about 7:20-7:25 on the uphill miles so I felt pretty good about where I was at.

At mile 2.5 I saw Ray (Chris's coach) on his bike, and he was great! He rode along side me for a little bit, told me I looked great, warned me about the hills coming up, etc. I handled the early hills pretty well and the intermittent head wind. It never felt too bad, although it was just one more added challenge. Around mile 7 I started to feel like I was working harder than I should have felt for only being at mile 7. I know it is supposed to almost feel easy early on, and it definitely wasn't. I tried to make sure I was hydrated and fueling, not to obsess about the Garmin, to stay relaxed, etc. and assumed I would regroup and recover, but it just kept getting worse.

I saw my family for the first time at mile 9 which was a great boost and I saw them again around mile 10 and 11. At this point my pace was around 7:20, although it felt like I was working MUCH much harder than that. I kept hoping I would recover and rebound and again, it didn't happen. Over the next few miles I kept the effort level the same (maybe even increased it some) and my pace just kept slipping away. It was extremely frustrating. I was working so hard and the pedal was down, but I just couldn't make myself go any faster. In Tallahassee in February I held a 7:00-7:05 pace for 17 miles so I know these paces should have felt much easier than they did.

When I crossed the half-way point I knew a PR was not happening and I knew a strong time wasn't even happening. There was zero chance of picking up the pace, and even maintaining the pace seemed impossible. The dizziness and light-headedness started about mile 14 or 15. I just felt exhausted. I knew my choices were to quit, or to take it easy and finish the best I could. I figured it was Mother's Day, and I was going to be kind to myself and just finish the race taking it easy and not beating myself up.

I walked quite a bit, ran as much as I could, and appreciated the support from my parents, Mark and Alex, Ray, Portia and Maple, Susan, and a few others. Pam jumped in and ran with me for little bits a few times which was sweet and fun. I cheered on other runners and talked with a few.

I eventually got to the finish line and was glad to finish, but did not have that sense of accomplishment.  I did not feel strong. I did not feel fast. I did not feel proud.

A silver lining in the whole thing is that I did not have to stop ONCE for my stomach. Not once! I have never made it through a marathon without any bathroom stops. Heck, some days I don't make it through short, easy runs without a bathroom stop. Since I used the bathroom in our hotel room before the race, I actually never even entered a portapotty the whole weekend.

I had a terrible headache and was quite dizzy after the race, and it hurt my lungs to take a deep breath. The dizziness passed in about an hour, but the headache and the pain in my chest lasted until the next morning. It was just a rough day.The humidity kicked my butt, which I didn't expect, especially since it was not super hot. 60-65 was warm for me, but definitely not hot. Some people still ran well in the conditions, but I was not one of them.

When you put so much training and preparation and hope into a race, it is hard not to be disappointed and discouraged to have it turn out so badly. Keeping it real, I have even had some of those, "maybe I am just not good at this" thoughts.

So I really thought about it. I thought about not training and racing, and just running for fun and for fitness - no stress, no pressure, no nerves, no disappointment, no risk.

And I could not even pretend that I wanted that for more than a minute. There is nothin wrong with running that way. But i love to run, and I love to train, to race, and to push myself. The day will come when I just run for fun and for fitness, but that day is far away and for now, I truly want to see what I can accomplish and how good I can be, and I believe that is what I am supposed to do. Just because it is hard sometimes doesnt mean it is not good and worth doing. And every race is a learning experience. So I am definitely not giving up. I am going to keep at it, even though there will be days that are rough and days that sting. They will just make the awesome days that much sweeter.

Couch Doug has been great, and I am really confident in and grateful for his guidance and support. 

So, we keep moving forward. Some recovery, some shorter races, and training for Chicago Marathon in October. 

Not my day

It just wasn't my day today. I was on target through mile 11, but the effort level was way too much for the pace I was running and I knew it. It was 60 degrees and 98% humidity at the start, and 80% humidity at the finish, and it just kicked my butt. I was really dizzy and it hurt to take a deep breath. Lots of turns and lots of hills didn't help anything. After mile 11 I knew a PR or good time wasn't happening so I just let it go and took it easy the rest of the way - walked and ran and tried to still enjoy it and not beat myself up too much. Finished in 3:50ish for those that care. Next one will be better. Despite the ups and downs, I do so much love this sport.

Happy Mother's Day to all of the awesome women who read my blog! :)

 

Here we go!

I made it! I managed to get most of the cleaning I wanted to get done accomplished and I managed to get everything I needed to pack organized and into my bags, and still managed to keep kids fed, keep up with the laundry, and help a procrastinating child to get a catapult built at the last minute (thank goodness for my Ryan who was super helpful because carpentry is not one of my better skills). I got up at 4am today, got in an easy 6 mile run, got to eat breakfast and visit with the kids and Josh for a little bit, and then Josh drove me to the airport shuttle at 7:30am.

After a three-hour drive I am now on my first of two flights. It will take 14 hours of travel start to finish, but I will be with my parents tonight.

Deep breath - exhale. It is finally time to focus on the race.

Here are some pre-race thoughts.

- For past races I have let other people put pressure on me, and I have put a ton of pressure on myself. I have let that go, and it feels REALLY good. Don't get me wrong - I still have a killer drive, I still VERY much want to perform well, I still expect a PR, and I still am going to go out there and give it my ALL. But I am keeping the pressure at a healthy level. I have put in a ton of training and work for this race and I expect it to pay off and plan on making the most of it, however this is not my only race. Whether this race is incredible or disappointing, there will be more. That said, I am planning on incredible, and I am willing to work hard and hurt to make it happen.

- I have reminded myself how much I love running and racing. When there is too much pressure, that takes away from the joy. I do this because I love it. I have goals and dreams I am chasing after, but that is not why I run. I run because I love it.

- One of the things that stresses me out the most with racing is my GI issues. Someone asked in the comments of my previous post if my GI problems were isolated to races or if they bothered me in training too. I deal with the GI issues pretty much every single run. Diet makes it better (or worse) and it is improved since I went gluten-free, but not resolved. I know where every pitstop option is on every route I run. I do have a medication that my doctor gave me that helps which I have only used lately for a few long runs and will use on race day (I don't like the side effects of taking it all the time and it wasn't as effective when I tried taking it daily for more than a week or two.)

Stressing over my GI problems doesn't help a dumb thing, so I am trying not to. It will be what it will be. Later this month I am being seen by one of the very best docs at the Huntsman Cancer Institute when I have another colonoscopy done to treat some aggressive precancerous polyps, and am I hoping they will have some answers and guidance for me.

- Race day weather looks decent. A little on the warm side for me (low of 55, high of 70 for the day) but with a 7:30am start I should be done before it gets too warm. This morning I was running in a fleece hat and gloves though, so even 50's are going to be a bit warm for this girl.

- My training has gone really well and I have every reason to be confident. There were a few rough runs/workouts (on the treadmill), but for the most part, I felt good and hit the paces, especially on my workouts and runs outside. I have worked with Coach Doug for two months now and it is really nice to have found the right fit for me with a coach. He really knows his stuff and I feel confident with him. He has given me an awesome combo of killer workouts and easy days, he has adjusted things as we have gone along, we communicate very well, and he is fun to have as a coach (when he is not trying to kill me). :) His relaxed attitude has been really good for me. 

- This cycle I ran my longest long run ever (24 miles) and my longest mileage week ever (107 miles) and I handled both very well and felt really good throughout the training. I stayed free from injury and did not miss any runs or workouts. There is lots to feel good about.

- Of course I would love to run a sub 3:00 marathon in Providence, but I think that is an aggressive goal and it would take everything coming together perfectly, which we all know is a rare gift on marathon day. My solid goal is a 3:0x, and then sub 3:00 in Chicago in October (if it doesn't happen this weekend).  My PR is a 3:14 that I ran in February in Tallahassee (although I lost quite a bit of time in that race with bathroom stops) and I definitely plan on bettering that.

- I am grateful for this opportunity. I am grateful for ALL of the love and support I get from Josh. He is my #1 everything. :) I am grateful for my parents and my brother that are coming to support me and spend time with me this weekend. I am grateful for Josh's mom for helping out with the kids (especially Noah). I am grateful to get to do this awesome sport that I love.  I tell the runners that I coach that they should see their races as a celebration of their hard training, and that is what I am going to do this weekend. Like my awesome sponsor Brooks says, I am going to "Run Happy!"

I probably won't post on here again before the race, but I will post on Facebook and Twitter and will update asap after the race. :) Here are a few quotes I have been holding on to for this race.

"To keep from decaying, to be a winner, the athlete must accept pain - not only accept it, but look for it, live with it, learn not to fear it." - Dr George Sheehan

"Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it's all about." - PattiSue Plumer, U.S. Olympian

"For me, races are the celebration of my training" - Dan Browne

"If it's not hard, you're not dreaming big enough." - Shalane Flanagan

“I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious.”- Vince Lombardi Jr.

"Do the work. Do the analysis. But feel your run. Feel your race. Feel the joy that is running." - Kara Goucher

Taper-cakes

I have to be out of the house and on my way to the airport in less than 34 hours and my to-do list between now and then is craaaazy.

Every day has just been super full and busy. Here is an example -

This morning I got up at 4am and was out of the door with Shane and Ben at 4:30am to get them to the junior high school to get on a bus to go to the "Best of the Best" junior high track meet. (Later in the day I found out that Shane - my 13 year old 7th grader - ran a 4:58 mile at the meet! The kid is a BEAST!!!)

After I dropped the boys off at 4:40am, I headed to the high school track and just started my workout since I was up and there anyway. It was an easy workout since marathon day is this weekend! I did a 2 mile warm up, plyometrics and strides, and then 10x400m at goal marathon pace and then a 2 mile cool down. It was really hard to keep the 400's slow (for 400's) but I felt good.

Once I got back home I proceeded to make 302 chocolate chip pancakes. Yes - 302 chocolate chip pancakes. Nate (my oldest son - will be a senior next year) is running for student body vice president and this week is their campaigning week. The school puts them into teams and gives them money and they have tasks each day. Today's task was to provide a meal for the school, and somehow I got volunteered to be the mom to make 300 pancakes.

I think it is a true testament to how much I love the boy that when he dropped the "I-volunteered-you-to-make-300-pancakes" bomb, and then smiled at me and said, "you don't have anything to do in the morning do you?" that I didn't strangle him.

Since I know you really want to see what 302 chocolate chip pancakes looks like -

Add in Noah care and therapy, laundry, cleaning the kitchen, a few phone meetings, coaching work, helping little kids with homework, dinner, trying to get the house clean and ready for me to be gone, etc. etc. and that is why I am not making a whole lot of progress in the packing/resting aspect of this taper week. But, that is life when you are a mom and I would not change a thing. :)

Despite the busy-ness, I am feeling good. I have embraced taper this time around, and I like feeling my legs feeling stronger, well-rested, and full of energy. I am missing the miles, but enjoying the physical benefits of running so little and know that this is all an important part of the training.

Emotionally I was feeling SUPER nervous this weekend, but a calm (tinged with excitement) has slowly been settling in. When you are only racing two to three marathons in a year, and you are putting so much training and hard work into each race, you really, REALLY want each one to be a reflection of the work you have put in. You want each race to be progress - a PR - a victory.

I have put in lots and lots of miles and training going in to this race. It has been a really strong training cycle and I am planning on going out, running with my head and my heart, and having a great race. And I plan on enjoying it.

A marathon, a weekend with my parents and brother,  a chance to do what I love and see what I can do, - yay for Providence!

But first I have to pack.

Girls Gotta Run Foundation/ Activyst Campaign

Back in March I wrote about volunteering for the Girls Gotta Run Foundation, which helps support and empowers Ethiopian women runners and their communities.

I am excited to announce that since then, I have been offered and accepted a position on the Board of Directors for GGRF. I am thrilled to officially be a part of GGRF and to help further the incredible work that they do.

Right now there are just three days left in an awesome campaign through Activyst. You can see all of the details here, but basically you make a donation to the campaign, and then in return get an incredible active bag (or you can choose one of the other awesome bags available). The money being raised through this campaign helps girls around the world play sports. The first $25,000 raised was for Soccer Without Borders in Nicaragua, the second $25,000 raised was for Soccer Without Borders in Uganda, and the last $25,000 will go to sponsor the first ever female running coach in Bekoji, Ethiopia!!

As of right now, $62,321 of the $75,000 goal has been raised, and there are only THREE DAYS LEFT.

Did you know that a girl who plays sports -

• Is less likely to get pregnant or engage in risky sexual behavior
• Is less likely to stay in an abusive relationship
• Has reduced risk of breast cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis and other chronic diseases
• Achieves higher levels of education, and does better in school and work
• Gains confidence, positive body image, resilience, and leadership skills
• Is less likely to suffer from depression

Bekoji is a small farming town in the Ethiopian Highlands with an astonishing record of developing long distance runners. It has produced some of the world’s greatest distance runners under the direction of Coach Sentayehu, including Olympic medalists Tirunesh Dibaba, Kenenisa Bekele and Deratu Tulu.

The Girls Gotta Run Foundation is supporting six female athletes and the training and funding of Bekoji’s first-ever female coach. 

Fatia Abdi Kadir is 22 years old. She says, “I want to help develop the best athletes. I feel good about being a female coach. There are no girl coaches here so that makes me feel special.”

Coach Fatia

 What can you do? You can go to Activyst and support this wonderful campaign and to get an awesome bag. Get one for yourself. Get one for a friend. Get one for a woman athlete in your life. Get one for your daughter, or for your mom.  Then help spread the word. Please share the link on your blog, facebook, twitter, etc. We have three days left to make this happen!

Thanks for your help! More soon. :)

Taper, Track, and Tips

On Saturday morning I ran into my driveway at the end of an easy-paced 12 miles, and let out a little cheer as I finished my 107-mile week (the most miles I have run in a week so far) and I had made it to taper!

Even better, I made it to taper feeling strong, healthy, happy and excited. Woohoo! :)

With lots of high mileage weeks and only a two-week taper, I have actually been looking forward to taper and not dreading it, although I may change my tune by next week. I look forward to getting that taper "spring in my step".

I did have an awesome track workout yesterday. The workout was a 3 mile warm-up (with plyometrics and strides), then -

800m (60 seconds rest) 400m (3:30 rest), repeated six times, followed by a 3 mile cool down.

I had not done this workout before, but Coach said it was a good one to teach discipline and to practice running fast on tired legs (heck yes it was).

I ran the 800's in 2:54, 2:53, 2:54, 2:57, 2:52, 2:51 and the 400's in 80 seconds, 77, 82, 80, 81, 83. In case you were wondering, 60 seconds is a really short rest interval! :) 

It was a tough workout but I enjoyed working hard and I love the track and the feeling of finishing a tough track workout completely exhausted.

Here are a couple of my tips on running high mileage and keeping yourself healthy. (And what qualifies as "high mileage" varies greatly from one runner to another)

- Build your mileage slowly and carefully. Gradual progression is important.

- Keep speedwork to about 10% of your total weekly mileage.

- Don't skip the small stuff. Do dynamic warmups and plyometrics (especially before any speedwork). After your runs stretch, use your foam roller, stick, R8 Roll Recovery, etc. and ice anything that is overly sore. Wear compression gear if it helps you recover after a long run or tough workout. Do core work and strength work regularly.

- Little niggles may pop up here and there, but pay close attention to anything that lingers or gets worse from one run to the next, and don't run with any pain or soreness that changes your form. 

- Drink lots of water and try to eat (mostly) healthy, real food that is good fuel for your body. 

- Make rest and sleep a priority as much as possible. With my schedule I usually only get 6 hours of sleep a night, but I do get another hour or two of rest that I am laying down and relaxing with my big kids at night.  

- Make your easy runs EASY. I know so many runners who fight or refuse to take their easy runs slow enough, and it is so so so SO important to do it.  My easy runs are a vital part of staying healthy, making progress, and recovering from my hard efforts.  For most of them I even leave my Garmin at home.

I LOVE this quote from the great Frank Shorter. It holds true for "potential elites" and the rest of us. Persistent and Patient. Amen!
  
"The potential elite runner must realize that hard means hard, easy means easy and they must patiently seek out what combinations work for them. They have to learn to be persistent and patient with their training and racing." - Frank Shorter

- Have scale back weeks. Every 3-4 weeks it is great to have a week of lower mileage to give yourself a little mini-recovery. 

- Enjoy it! If not, why do it? 

- Wear the right shoes for you, and keep track of your mileage on them. I recommend having two pairs or more and rotating. I have a column in my training plan where I note which shoes I wore each day and regularly tally up the mileage on each pair. Brooks has an awesome shoe advisor that can help you find the right pair for you. I am still loving my Pure Flow 2's (full review here) and they are all I wear.

- If you have a coach - listen to him (or her!). My coach has told me that it is his job to pull me back when needed just as much as it is to push me, and I know that he is right. I trust him and we communicate very well, so I appreciate and follow his guidance and it has gotten me to a great place.

Those are my tips! Do you have any you would add? What is the highest mileage you have run in a week? 

Only 11 days until race day!!

More soon!