running and yoga are complementary...right?

I'm on the struggle bus.

Running and yoga are supposed to be perfect complements. Yoga keeps you strong and supple while running keeps your heart happy (physiologically, anyway). Running, Yoga...I love you both equally...so, why can't you two get along???

Since the beginning of time, I have had a very tough time finding a good balance of my two loves (especially since I still have to work for a living and want to spend time with my fiancé). For some reason, when I'm knee deep in marathon - or half marathon training -  yoga falls by the wayside. The same is true right now, when my mind, body and soul are walking down the path of yoga teacher training, I've only been running about 3 miles every two weeks.

Is there ever going to be a balance? I guess I don't know.

When I recapped my 2011 races, I talked about all the races that I want to do in 2012...one of those was the Cleveland Half Marathon in May. If I don't get my act together right now, I won't be able to run a half marathon in May.

Last year at this time, I was running running running. This year, life's all about yoga (well, there's wedding stuff, and lacrosse...but as far as personal fitness and mental well-being go - yoga). Again, I'm just not able to find a balance.

So, my question to you...is it possible?

Right now, all I want to do is find a warm yoga studio or the comfort of my own home to downward dog my life away. Going outside is the last thing I want to be doing. Since the Cleveland Marathon last year, I've wanted to stay in half marathon shape year round, but I just haven't been able to find the motivation to get there.

Right now I don't feel like I'm a runner OR a yogi. Can I run the half marathon in May AND get certified to be a yoga teacher? I don't know.

How do I find my balance?

2011: A Year In Races

2011 Race Results

St. Malachi 5 Miler 44:58

Cleveland Ten Miler 1:36:49

Cleveland Marathon 4:58:32
Memorial Day 4 Miler 35:59
AkRUN 5k 28:03
Akron Marathon Relay 3:58:13/26:03 for my leg
Towpath [Half]Marathon 2:04:40
Twinsburg Turkey Trot 46:09

We’re well into 2012 and I haven’t put more than 6 miles on my running legs yet, but I want to take a second to look back at my last year of running…and to let you know that I have big aspirations for the year ahead.

I can’t give you my total year’s mileage because somewhere in the middle of the summer, I stopped wearing my garmin. I’ve loved every single minute of my life without knowing my pace and mileage, so I think I’m going to keep it that way.

69.5 miles

My 2011 race mileage.  I know that would be dwarfed in comparison to other CLE runners (ahem…Kali, Moja) but I’m pretty proud of it. I’m even more proud to say that almost all of my races were run side-by-side with my best friend. Brandon. (*cough*cheeseball*cough*)

The year started with an awesome showing at the St. Malachi 5-miler where we busted out a 9 minute mile on a beautifully sunny winter day downtown. It wasn’t a PR but it felt great, despite the monster hill/bridge at the end.

The Cleveland10-miler was our warm-up for the main event – the Cleveland Marathon – and it just so happened that it was another amazing day for a run followed by a huge Easter dinner.

I can’t say the same for the marathon….as you probably already know, it was 60 and misty at the start and 50 and sopping wet by the end. It was my toughest race of the year, but worth every second.

The Memorial Day 4-miler was one race I ran solo. Brandon was hurt at the time, so he tagged along with the pups. It was basically in my backyard and even though it was the first 90-degree day of the year, I busted my butt through those miles and had the best finish-line cheering team around!

The AkRUN 5k was my only PR of the year! Even though it was a PR by 3 seconds, it was a PR and it felt good. I celebrated with ample brewskis, since there was a post-race pub crawl.

Thanks to twitter, I teamed up with Kali, Julie and a few other to run the Akron Marathon Relay. Even though I ran the shortest leg, I doubled it up by running back on the trail on Sand Run Parkway. Including running to and from the exchange points, I totaled about 7.5 miles…all in my vibrams!

Best race of the year? The Towpath Half Marathon. I won’t say I didn’t train, but I never had a set schedule for training. It was a PR for Brandon and the second fastest half I’ve ever run!

Rounded out the year with a Turkey Trot in Twinsburg. We ended up skipping out on the CLE Turkey Trot so we could get to our turkey dinner in PA as quickly as possible. It was another beautiful day in the neighborhood and we were happy with our time.

So that was my running 2011…what’s next in 2012? Probably less races…but these are the ones on my 2012 wish list:

• March – St. Malachi 5 mi
• April – Cleveland 10 miler
• May –Cleveland Marathon, Half Marathon
• June – Towpath 10-10
• September – Akron Marathon Half Marathon or Relay
• October – Towpath Half Marathon (maybe, it’s on my birthday)
• November – a turkey trot
• December – the great NYE race (also a maybe, New Year ’s Eve is typically our night in!)
• Sometime before October 7: a destination race

How did your 2011 races go?

Race Recap: Twinsburg Turkey Trot

Saturday was the first of this year's fall/winter races! Boy, we lucked out. It was sunny, probably 55 degrees and simply beautiful out.

I wish I had more pictures of the run, but I can't stand bringing my phone with me. It was a little paved trail, a little road, and a lot of fall colors!

A few things I loved about this race:

1. It started at 10 am, so it wasn't an excruciatingly early Saturday morning
2. They had results scrolling on a TV screen as soon as you finished
3. 5 miles is an awesome distance
4. I couldn't have spent a million bucks to get a nicer fall day in Northeast Ohio (ok, so that one wasn't a function of the race itself)

My biggest dilemma was trying to figure out what to wear. In the sun it was warm, but the wind was pretty biting. I decided on cold gear spandex pants with a tech-tee longsleeve shirt, gloves and a fleece headband. I figured if I got too hot, I could take the headband and the gloves off. Actually, it was a bit colder than I expected at the start of the race, but once we got started, it warmed up fast. I was dressed appropriately.

I didn't know what I was in for as far as the course was concerned. We started on the roads, got onto a trail that was nothing to sneeze at and then meandered through some neighborhoods and then back onto a more paved trail. The first trail was a bit of a beast though, there was a good chunk of uphill during the second mile, but as soon as the trail ended it was pretty much smooth sailing downhill. 

I was definitely feeling a bit parched though. I should have had more to drink before the race, for starters. There was a water station at mile 2.5 and then at about mile 4.2ish. Of course, that's all speculation because I haven't worn my garmin since my last marathon. Brandon and I were both getting that sticky phlegmy saliva by the end of the race, which resulted in Brandon chugging a cup of water at the last water station then promptly losing all that water at the end of the race. Poor guy :)

Overall, it just felt pretty good. It wasn't a PR (though...my PR is in the 41 minute range and I don't have high hopes for ever busting out a 5-miler that fast anymore) but I was happy to just enjoy the course and enjoy a run with Brandon. 

Plus, a 9:14/mile average isn't half bad! 

Races are so much fun. 

The Secret to Taking Great Race Photos

I'm pretty impressed with myself. The last few races I've run (minus the CLE marathon) I've ended up with some a.w.e.s.o.m.e. race photos.

BUT

I also have some pretty terrible ones.

I look like I am dying. 

And yes, I am wearing the same clothes in both of those pictures...but they're not the same race. 

Still, I actually have more awesome pictures than not awesome pictures.

So what is my secret? You ask. 

I'll tell you, but you have to keep this between us. Because not everyone knows the secret. Case in point:

My secret to taking GREAT race photos is.......

know where the cameras are

Alllriiighht, you are all going "well, that was pretty anti-climactic".

I'm seriously though, if you can locate the cameras, you can make sure you look good when you check in on your race photos a few days later. Trust me, it's worth it. Not only that, but camera-watching might help keep your mind off a particularly tough race. 

It's win-win. 

Do you take great race pictures or awful ones? Do you have any tips for taking good pictures?

Happy Smiling!

Race Recap: Towpath Half Marathon

People! Kali's out of town because she ran the Chicago Marathon on Sunday...so, go check out my guest post today over at Finishing Firsts about yin yoga for runners! 

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If the Cleveland Marathon was a 10 on the pre-race anxiety scale, this race was a 1.

And I like 1's a lot better!

Not gonna lie, I left work on Friday feeling like, I should be more nervous or more prepared for this race...but oh well! (Or "swaha" as my yoga teacher would say)

You know what? We did A.W.E.S.O.M.E.

I ended up running my second fasted half ever, and Brandon PRed! 

2:04:40

(for those of you with bad eye-sight, like me)

Seriously, people, it was birthday weekend. I gorged on sugary sweets and one too many glasses of red wine on Friday night. I guess that's how I should do it every time. 

Actually, I'm the most happy with how the race went because I didn't commit to a training schedule. I ran a couple times a week and a few races and probably one or two long runs. Ha! Running was almost an afterthought actually.

What I did do was a lot of cross training: 

Yoga (loads of it)

Body-weight circuits

Walking the pups (probably should have happened more often)

I honestly felt good the whole time. A little fatigued at the end, but it felt like we were cruising for the first 7 miles or so. We stopped for a few walk breaks to drink water, but overall had a really solid race.

This is a race that I would totally consider coming back to do the marathon next year (er...maybe in a few years). It's an awesomely flat course and it's beautiful! The towpath in the fall is probably my favorite time to run it.

Sunday's race also sealed the deal on half marathons for me - the half is far and away my favorite distance! My reasoning?

• Training for a half doesn't take up your entire life like a full does (and in this particular case, it hardly took up any of my life, although I would have liked to get in a few more longer runs)
• I feel much better running a half than a full. For some reason I ALWAYS die in the second half of a marathon. Maybe it's my training, or lack thereof, but I love being done after 13 miles. 
• After I finish a half, I'm not burnt out from running. Usually I need a good solid break from running after a full marathon. Not so much with a half.
• I honestly think I can PR a half. I'm not so confident in my ability to PR a marathon at this point.

That's not to say I'm not going to run full marathons. When the time comes and I'm ready again, I totally will. In the meantime, I'm going to keep on running and loving my half marathons. I know that I can keep up my half marathon endurance if I just keep on doing what I've been doing, and I absolutely love that.

What a great birthday weekend! Smiles all around!!

Race Recap: Akron Marathon Relay

I'm gonna just say it. I suck at taking pictures. This post should have way more pictures than it does, considering I ran one of the shortest relay legs.

Oh well, I began the weekend severely unprepared anyway.

Let's begin at Friday. I spent the evening in Akron at Emily's (my old roomie) place. When I got to work on Friday morning - mind you, it's a 50 minute drive - I realized I forgot to bring my watch, my socks and my running shoes. Whoops.

Thank goodness my Vibrams were in my car.

I had a master plan for the morning: drive downtown to meet my team for the start, drive back to Emily's  and run the 1 mile from her apartment to my relay exchange point, run my leg of the relay, run the trail along Sand Run Parkway back to her apartment. Total mileage: about 7.5 miles.

Way more than I've ever done in my Vibrams.

I couldn't sleep at all on Friday night. I don't know why. I wasn't really nervous, I wasn't going to run too far, I'd started and finished this race before. But I was up every hour. On the hour. (Just like the news!) I finally got up around 5:20 - ten whole minutes before my alarm went off and began my morning rituals.

I managed to make it to the start without too much difficulty, considering the road closures, and met Kali, Ann (our official coach/cheerleader/relay organizer), Paul, Ryan and Julie to gather our race bibs. Julie #2 was also there to hang out with us at the start! She decided to run the last leg of the relay for her team 11 hours prior to the race, and I have to hand it to her because running 8 miles at the drop of a hat is nothing to sneeze at.

{photocred: miss julie}

I also got to catch up with a good friend of mine who moved to Milwaukee a few years ago but always comes back to work the marathon with his family. It was so awesome to see him for a happy, albeit brief, reunion.

I drove back to Emily's, watched a recorded episode of Community, then put my shoes on and ran up to my exchange point. I got there before it got super busy, but I started getting worried when they began announcing numbers, one after the other, as fast as they could. What if I missed them calling our number? Seriously, it was like"

"7645......8001.....7556....8012...8075..7915.8145 8556 8475 8225 8222 7895 8129 6954 8035 8054"

Ahh! That's my number, time to go!!

Julie was right before me and looking pretty strong after the hill she just had to run, I gave her a "you go girl!" and headed down Sand Run Parkway. I know the road pretty well because I used to live a mile away and traversed it a lot when I was training for Akron in 2009. I have a love/hate relationship with Sand Run Parkway. I'll tell ya what though, it's much nicer tackling those hills on fresh legs than it is after having already run 15.5 miles! Just sayin'.

All I know is that I was feeling pretty good and before you knew it, I was looking for Kali at the next exchange point. I didn't have a watch on so I couldn't even tell you how fast (or slow - it's all relative) I was going.

Unfortunately I didn't make it back to the finish because after running back to Emily's there was no way for me to get there in time to see Kali finish...the road closures make things a bit sloppy. I didn't miss all the tweets though:

3:58!!!! That's really exciting to someone who has never run a sub-4:30 marathon. The official time:

So it looks like I was running about a 9:18/mile. I was feeling awesome the whole time and I managed to get in almost 8 miles in my Vibrams! I'll take that.

And I'll take pancakes at Fisher's and a two and a half hour nap before the tribe game. 

It was a good day :)

Tips for New Runners

If you're new to running, this blog might be a bit overwhelming to you. The truth is, yes, I do run marathons. I do love to challenge myself with long endurance events. I do like to write about all my long and exciting feats of humanhood.

When it really comes down to it, I love my typical, everyday slow and short run. You just don't hear about them very often, because they are just that: typical. I don't often write about all of those shorter less intimidating  runs. The techniques and training plans that I follow are pretty tried and true and they'll work for runners of all flavors; from the marathoner to the "half a mile is enough for me" runner.

So, here are some tips if you're just getting into running and needs a bit of direction, if you are coming back from an injury, or just need some back-to-basics inspiration...

{photocred: http://sme-blog.com}

1. Start with the basics. I mean this literally, just put one foot in front of the other. Ok, try going a bit faster. Now slower. Jump over the cracks in the sidewalk. Run like you did when you were a kid, just because.
2. Run on a route you are familiar with. From your front door, make 4 right turns until you get back to your front door. Run around your neighborhood so you know the landscape (no hills that can sneak up on you!) and your neighbors (just in case something happens). Since most neighborhoods are not terribly large, this will help your first few runs seem less intimidating...unless you have a big neighborhood...then that idea is hosed. 
3. Run with a buddy. Whether it's your husband, best friend or your dog, running buddies are the way to go, in my experience. Talking to someone will help keep your mind off the mileage and help push you a bit more. Trust me, it's tried and true. If you don't want to run with a person, because you want to try it out on your own first, a dog makes for a great running buddy with the added bonus of keeping you safe. 
4. Wear stuff that you already own. Don't worry about going out to buy new shoes or running clothes for your first couple of runs. Old sneaks, a pair of athletic shorts and a t-shirt will do just fine. That dry-fit or moisture-wicking material doesn't really matter until you get up into longer mileage anyway. Don't worry about not "looking like a runner" either. At some point or another, we all look ridiculous when we are running and you are not running to look like a runner, right?
5. Don't be afraid to run/walk, or just plain walk. If you get too tired to continue running, just walk. You'll make it through no matter how fast you are moving...that doesn't mean you failed. To be cliche, it's about the journey, not the destination. You can also alternate walking and running, which has a number of other benefits besides making things a bit easier. I know people who train for marathons like that.
6. Your biggest hurdle is going to be your mind. All you need to do is get out the front door. The first step is always the hardest, but luckily, you get that out of the way first. 
7. Listen to your body. I've said it again and again in various posts, but this is the single most important part of running, and it's something that many runners ignore. Don't try to run through an injury - you'll eventually have to take an extensive leave of absence from running if you do. Injuries (specifically musculoskeletal injuries) don't give you much warning before they sideline you. Your body is the best barometer of what you are capable of, so heeds its warning signs. Be nice to yourself and your body will reward you. 

{protocred: http://dingo.care2.com}

You are doing something awesome by simply putting one foot in front of the other. The possibilities are endless once you just start.

Happy running!

No Gym? No Problem!

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If you haven't noticed in my last few running posts (specifically this one) my master plan to stay in good racing shape involves a lot of cross training. For me, that comes in two forms; yoga and body-weight circuits.

I am not a member of a gym and, even though I love me some free weights, I don't really feel like putting up the cash for something I can essentially accomplish at home (plus, I'm a spinning instructor on hiatus, and paying for a gym membership is completely foreign to me).

Well, I've got some news. It turns out you DON'T need a gym and weights or machines to strength train. This isn't the first time I've said this (ahem, 100 pushups) but I'm here today to give you guys somewhere to start if you're coming up empty on the "ideas for new workouts" gauge.

The following is a half hour body-weight circuit geared towards toning muscles. It requires zero equipment and about ten feet of floor space.

(that's my mom. isn't she awesome?!?)

WARMUP:

2 minute light jog in place. Don't forget to stay on your the balls of your feet.

1 minute plank. Feel free to shimmy around in your plank, as long as you keep your body in one straight line, it will activate different abdominal muscles.

2 minutes alternating straight leg kicks, you can also walk and kick if you have the room.

2 minute recovery - stretch, drink water, breathe.

2 minutes alternating step back lunges, keep your weight in your front leg, drive with your back leg

2 minute sumo squat with press (with or without dumbells - you still get a shoulder workout without them)

30 seconds squats

30 seconds squat jumps

1 minute pushups with feet elevated (on a medicine ball or exercise ball if you have one)

2 minutes single leg deadlift with reverse fly (no weights is a-ok, I just couldn't find a video of what this looks like together - basically you go into your deadlift and then pull your arms out for the fly, then stand up straight again)

1 minute recovery

1 minute pushup plank to row

2 minute russian twists

1 minute knee tucks

1 minute plank walks (holy harder than it looks)

2 minute single leg deadlifts

1 minute froggers

1 minute two foot forward/backward jumps (exactly how it sounds, jump forward and backward with both feet as fast as you can)

COOL DOWN:

5 minutes stretching - quad stretch, hammy stretch, lower back twists. Just stay in these positions for 30 seconds - 1 minute per side.

Still think you have to go to a gym to get a good workout? Seriously, you have to try this out. I did a 45-minute body weight circuit the other day and was sweating like a maniac. If you're not used to it, you'll definitely be a little sore a day or two after you work through this. 

How do you get in strength training without a gym?

Stay In Motion

People in motion stay in motion.

Law of inertia, right? I learned that in high school science.

I have a tendency to train for one or two big races a year and then just go into no-man’s land with running once the race is over. I love it, but after training for a big race, I always need a break. My intention is always to keep my running up after the race, but (often without a plan) I get lax about it very quickly.

And that happens every. single. time.

So, I was on the plane to Charlotte, headed right into the path of Hurricane Irene and reading the backlog of my Running Times magazine and there is an article that really struck a chord with me. It’s about running an endless season: not training for a specific race, but being race ready all year long.

So, if you’re like me, what I’m about to share with you is how to make a paradigm shift in your training mentality and give you a way to put that into action. Effective immediately.

The components to the “stay in motion” plan are (in no particular order):

•  Intervals – also known as speedwork, up to 6 miles of high intensity intervals; mile repeats at 5k–10k effort with recovery jogs in between; 800m repeats at a 5k effort with recovery jogs in between; 100m sprints; fartleks of any shape, size or flavor. Whatever kind of interval is singing to you on a given day, but keep switching it up to keep your body continuously improving.
• Frequent weekend races, or VO2Max runs (high intensity) – this is a sustained, unbroken efforts at 85-95% of your current best 5k effort, or a 5k or 10k race. The adrenaline associated with racing more often than not, causes you to sustain a more intense pace than you would on any normal run-of-the-mill run day. If you’re not racing, this might be a shorter, faster tempo run anywhere from 20-40 minutes long.
• Easy runs – slower, more relaxed runs anywhere from 30 – 60+ minutes that will make up the bulk of your weekly mileage.
• Midweek longer anaerobic runs – the second longest run of the week, at a moderate effort. I’d recommend running with a running group or a fast running partner or running hills for this one. Just so you don’t get sucked into letting this fall into the “easy run” category.
• Weekend long runs when not racing – this is your long, slow distance run when you’re not otherwise occupied with a race. Roughly at the same effort as your easy runs, just over a longer distance, just keep this run mellow.
• A true recovery day –the most important part of the stay in motion plan. Even if you do a short run-walk, walk, easy bike ride, hike, etc., our strength coach in college used to call this “active rest”.  Take this day for yourself (I use it to get my life back in order, cook, clean…) Something to get a bit of blood flow to your muscles on your recovery day is good, stretching is great, smiling is a must.
• Strides and accelerations – 50-150m hard efforts, but done without too much straining. I like to throw 4 or 5 of these “strides” in at the end of my easy runs to help teach myself to kick into gear at the end of a race.
• Cross-training – this is the second most important component of this plan. Give yourself a break from pounding the pavement, but stay active and get your heart pumping. I regularly practice yoga as a form of cross training and try to use my Nike Training Camp app for body weight circuits as often as possible. Whatever works for you.

There are a couple of other important parts of this plan. One is f.l.e.x.i.b.i.l.i.t.y. I think I mention this every single time I do a post about my workout schedule, but I can’t stress it enough. You can always plan a plan, but you can never plan results. Sometimes you just don’t feel like working out, sometimes your commute to or from work takes WAY longer than you expected it to. Whatever it is, take it one breath at a time and just be flexible.

The second important part of this a bi- tri- or quad-weekly week of lower mileage. Especially if you’re a new or injury prone runner. I found this chart in a different Running Times magazine that suggests how often to have a down week:

Your “score” is how often to take an easy week. So if you fall into the first category, you should make every other week and easy week. If you are in the second category, you should make third week and easy week, and so on and so forth.

I, for one, am going to start with an easy week every other week, to avoid burn out and injury. So, when most training plans go through a 7-day cycle, my stay in motion plan will be more of a 10-14 day cycle. Here is an example of a two week rotation:

Then you just start over again at week one. For me, Tuesdays and Thursdays are my “date night” runs with Brandon. Since he’s the expert in all things speedy, he is going to orchestrate our speedwork.


{Aside: I am so lucky that he’s willing to stay with me when we run. Honestly, he is SO FAST.}

The cool thing about this plan is, theoretically you should be able to continuously improve if you approach this properly in terms of intensity. You can keep a comparison of your race times and use any good running website (Runner's World Smart Coach or Greg McMillan’s pace calculator) so you can determine what your workout paces should be. By continuing to work out at the correct effort you for now, as your race times drop, you’ll start training at faster speeds. So essentially, fitness will come to you rather than forcing workouts to make races happen.

Oh, and one more thing. Say you want to lay it all out for a certain race, you can tailor your workouts to be more event specific for a few months (plus a taper period!!) and you should be good to go!

How do you stay fit, even when you’re not training for a race??

p*ss poor planning = poor performance

Me + exercising have not seen eye to eye this summer.

As I've mentioned before, this is pretty ironic because this weekend I'm going to ride 150 miles to Sandusky and back. On. My. Bike. (Bicycle, for those of you who needed that clarification).


It's not that I don't think I can do it, but I just don't feel like I prepared adequately for it. In other words, it's a matter of how sore I am going to be next Monday.

This is no body's fault but my own, and it's not even because I've been lazy. It's simply because I didn't have a plan. It can be pretty easy for me to get burnt out on training, but I freaking LOVE running, or biking, or just BEING active. Regardless, I still need to force myself to make time in my day for it...otherwise it hits the back burner pretty quickly.

In the future I am going to do a few things to avoid that "I am riding 150 miles in a few days and have not trained a lick" feeling. I know have one bridge to cross before getting to the next, but after the Pedal to the Point ride, I am going to start training, in earnest, for a half marathon on October 9th.


4 Tips to Avoiding The "OMGIhaven'ttrainedandI'mrunningamarathonin3days" feeling:


PLAN. I am coming to the realization that I have to have a plan to stay active, even if that plan is just what I'll be doing for the next week. "Monday, rest. Tuesday, run. Wednesday, bike..." etc. etc. etc. Whatever your plan is, put it on paper...or on your calendar, on your blog, on your facebook page, whatever. When you can see your plan as a whole it makes it much easier to plan around, keep track of, and make changes if necessary.


BE FLEXIBLE. Here's the other side of the "make a plan" part...be flexible with it!! Life is a lot like the ocean; fluid and unpredictable. If you have dinner plans, you can always switch your workout day with your rest day. If you are feeling extra tired, take an extra day off. If it's too hot (or too cold) out, move your workout to a different location. Most importantly, whatever happens, be totally okay with it. I am the first person to feel guilty for a missed workout, but I've been working very hard on just being. Every day is a new beginning and tomorrow is never going to remember that you had to skip today's workout.


CHANGE IT UP. Although doing the same thing day after day provides certainty and consistency (if you're into that) most people tend to get bored of the same 'ol, same 'ol after a while. Physiologically, your body even gets bored of it and will refuse to continue improving. You don't have to actually work out to be active; if you have a rest day on your schedule, take the dogs for a walk or clean your bathroom (no lie, I get a s.e.r.i.o.u.s. workout scrubbing my tub).  Go to the rock wall instead of hitting the weight room. Do a body weight circuit instead of 45 minutes on the treadmill (ugh. dreadmill).


REWARD YOURSELF. This is probably the most important part. Be generous with your rewards. Make sure they often come in the form of gratuitous amounts of ice cream (or popcorn!!!) I know this only from empirical evidence, but when you first start potty training your kids, it's often done with some sort of treat. Peanut M&Ms perhaps? Positive reinforcement is a powerful tool...there is no reason to skimp on it just because it's for you and not someone else.

Where am I going with all this?? I am taking my own advice (for once). I planned my half marathon training and I'm putting it out there; it's in my google docs and now it's out on my blog. I am going to be flexible with it though, because - unlike the Cleveland Marathon - Brandon and I won't be able to train together as much unless I can learn to bend and flex my plans. I'm changing things up, I want to incorporate speed into my training more and get faster (running faster is something I plan to rely heavily on Brandon for, because he was a soccer speed demon in a former life). AND I'm going to reward myself, because, let's be real...I never skimp on engaging in activities that make me happy!

Here is my big plan:

I will get into specifics more as I update you throughout the next eight weeks, but my end goal is not to just train for this half marathon. It's to get up to running regularly and being able to run a 10k-15k race without much prior planning and to eventually PR a 5k, then a 10k..etc. etc. 

In the meantime, wish me luck for the next 150 miles of my life!!! Have you ever experience that "I just haven't prepared well for this {insert event here}" feeling? What do you do when it happens?

Guest Post: 10 Tips For Participating In An Endurance Event

While I'm away hippie dancing my butt off at Floydfest, I asked Jess to stop by and write a post for my readers who have been missing my posts about running...since I've seriously been lacking in the running department lately. She's a fellow CLE blogger and marathon maniac who I truly admire because she is such an incredible athlete! It's so great to have the support of the blogging community, especially when we're all training for big races, and Jess's blog is always my first stop when I need some motivation to get moving! I hope you enjoy her tips for participating in an endurance event!

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1. Start with the proper equipment, a good pair of running shoes. Go get fitted at your local running store! They are some of the nicest people and will fit you for what you need, not for what is the most expensive. You will also need proper clothing attire, something form fitting that also has a wicking material. Avoid cotton unless you want to chafe. Speaking of chafing, invest in some sort of anti chafing lube (BodyGlide or even Vaseline), throughout training you will learn where to put it.
2. Prepare for all types of weather. In colder weather bring warm up clothes that you can throw away. I usually pick old race shirts and sweatshirts to use as my throwaways. If it is wet and rainy don’t be afraid to wear a garbage bag to keep warm and dry at the start. In hot weather run naked. j/k, run in light colored clothing and clothing that is light in weight.

3. Test all fuel options ahead of time. I love Gu, specifically Vanilla Bean. However energy gels work differently for different people so test them all out. Same goes for Bloks, Chews and powerbars. Test your fueling options on your long runs to determine what works and what does not. Race day is not the time to try something new.
4. Fuel with food properly. Everyone knows you need carbs before a long endurance event but you should really try and stick with whole grain carbs (whole grain pasta, brown rice, quinoa, etc). Also limit or avoid alcohol and dairy before a big event.

5. Water! Don’t just drink water the morning of an event, start hydrating 2 days before an event. Before a long distance race, I will carry a water bottle around with me wherever I go.
6. Practice your routine. 90% of the time you will be getting up super early for an endurance race. Practice getting up at that hour so that your body is used to it and to help make you less zombie like on race day.
7. Get your Z’s.  Make sure you are getting enough sleep the weeks leading up to race day. Sleep allows the body to rejuvenate itself and to let your muscles rest and repair. The night before the event, get dinner a couple hours before bedtime and make time to relax. If you have trouble sleeping the night before a big event (I have this problem), don’t let it bother you. One night of less than perfect sleep will not hurt your performance.
8. Layout all items you will need. Have your clothes, food, watch, bib and anything else you may need and lay them out so that you are not searching for them (or stressing when you can’t find it) in the morning.

9. I.D. Yourself. Write your name, an emergency contact number and any allergies on the back of your bib or invest in Road I.D. You never know what could happen on a course and it is always better to be prepared.
10. Have fun! You trained hard and worked for this. Remember to enjoy it and to celebrate your achievement!

Huge thanks to Becca for letting me guest post on her blog while she is away, I am so honored!

Race Recap: University Heights Memorial Day Run

Happy Monday my lovelies! Thank you for understand I am back in action here and ready with a whole bunch of good posts planned and some very exciting news...

I got a new baby!!

Not gonna lie, this camera is the coolest thing since sliced bread. I've had a few photo shoots with my dogs, my veggies, my meals and a tiny bit of Fireside. So you can look forward to much better quality pics on PL&B from now on...startinggggg now:

Brandon was my official race photographer last Monday since he couldn't run with me {insert life-sized sad face here} You know what that meant? More great racing photos! 

I think I found out on Thursday that there was a Memorial Day 4-miler in University Heights, starting and ending at JCU  (aka 3 minutes from my house). I signed Brandon and I up. Friday we went on a run in the morning and something in Brandon's foot popped right at the end of the run. We walked 3 more blocks home and Brandon was out of the race that Monday. Bummer.

{Just to quickly follow up on that, he's okay. No fracture...I'm almost positive a tendon just popped out of place and needed to pop back into place, which it did. We're getting back to running together tomorrow!}

On race day, it was about 90 degrees! I totally wasn't ready for that one. Regardless, Brandon and I walked with the pups (and my new camera) up to JCU so they could cheer me on at the finish. 

I started the race waaay too fast, because I figured four miles should just be no problem right? I could run it quickly and easily. Hmm. Yeah, about that...

Actually the beginning of the race was mostly downhill, so that helped me start really fast. BUT I got very hot very quickly and, as it is with hills, what goes down must come up. Plus, this was my first race without Brandon in a long time, so I was really missing him since I didn't have anyone to talk to. Plus, it was the first time I had run with my iPod in about a year...and it desperately needed a musical update! 

Needless to say, each consecutive mile was slower and slower. That's okay though, I finished averaging a 9 minute mile...so that is still wonderful for me.

Those are my splits. Haha, I definitely died. In my defense, there was a big hill at the end. 

And it was hot. 

The next two pictures look strikingly similar. We are definitely sisters!

I was so happy at the end of the race to see Brandon, Buck and Pele'! All my boys there to see me at the finish. I was happy with my time. I was hot, hot, hot! Aaaand it was a day off work! I couldn't have asked for a better Memorial Day. 

I know I'm a bit late to the game, but what did you do for MDW?

Happy Monday,

Race Recap: Cleveland Marathon 2011

(photo credit: mojamala2)

That's a picture of the Cleveland Marathon race shirt this year (courtesy of Jess, I neglected to take a picture of my own shirt!)

Oh what a Cleveland Experience it was!!

Let's just start from the very beginning here...Alicia hosted an OBA pre-race carb fest for anyone who was running and any other bloggers/significant others who wanted to be there! It was awesome to meet so many other bloggers from the area who I regularly stalk via their blogs :) Plus it was an awesome meal before a big race!

Race morning, Brandon and I woke up at 5 a.m. after we both had nightmares about various aspects of the race. We had every thing ready for the morning and only had to get up, let the pups out and get out the door. The plan was to take the 5:40 rapid into Tower City and use the walk over to Browns Stadium as a warm-up lap before the race.

That was the plan.

We waited for the Green Line at Shaker and Green, where there were about 10 other runners/spectators there waiting for the train to get them downtown by 6:03. 5:40 rolls around...no train. 5:53...no train. 'Um...okay...should we just drive? It's going to be a mess if we do.' A minute or so later, we see a bus labeled "Green Line" drive into the parking lot and beckon us over. 

The bus driver goes, "there's a car across the tracks and the train can't get down here, I'm going to take you to the Shaker Square stop"

Brandon asks "But if the train can't turn around at Green, are there any trains going west into downtown?"

Bus Driver "I'm not sure"

Holy crap! I am in panic mode at this point, 'what if we don't make it in time? How on earth are we going to get downtown?! All the roads are closed!!'

The bus takes us down to the Shaker Square stop, and on the way we see a car flipped over on the train tracks. As we are driving up we see a train (that is headed west!) pulling up into the station. So everyone jumps out of the bus and sprints to the train. It gets us to Tower City at 6:30. So, Brandon and I jog down to the stadium and get there by 6:40 (give or take a minute). We both need to poop. We need to check our gear at the bag check. I manage to find a bathroom with no lines and run in while Brandon waits outside for me. No such luck with the Men's bathrooms...they all have lines out the door. Oh, and where in god's name is the bag check???? 

Finally, I see signs for the bag check so Brandon decides to wait in line for the bathroom while I got check our stuff. We agree to meet right outside the bathroom he's going into. I go check our bag, by this time it's 6:53, and I run back to the bathroom to wait for Brandon. 

6:54

6:55

6:56

I start panicking (again) because I am seeing people filter all the way through the line and out of the other door while I was waiting there...but no Brandon. 'Maybe he tried to find me at the bag check?' I start hearing announcements outside and I am no longer seeing people with marathon-colored bibs anywhere in the stadium. I called him, thankfully we both had our phones on us in our trusty Camelbaks...but he didn't answer. I run back towards bag check...nothing. I head outside towards the start...nothing. At 6:59, I call again and he answers. He was waiting for me by the bathroom, where we agreed to meet. Dummy...why did I even leave? Apparently there were like 30 urinals in that bathroom and 4 stalls.

Honestly? Every runner there is going to want to poop. Not pee. Get real Browns Stadium.

Thankfully, either my watch was fast or the race didn't start quite on time. We got down to the starting area (for lack of a better word for the cluster that was the start of the race) and had a minute or two to calm down (well, I had a minute or two to calm down). Deirdre, my favorite yoga teacher ever, who was also running the race with her boyfriend, managed to find us right before we started to say hi. Then we were off.

I have never experienced so much anxiety before a race like I did that morning.

Seriously, my heart rate was probably higher at the start than it would be for the entire rest of the race.

Our plan was to get a couple of solid miles in before we started our 4 minutes running, 1 minute walking. Well, we ended up running the majority of the first 13 miles...and killing it! If we had kept up that pace for the whole race, we would have easily beat my PR. 

There was a problem with that. I hit a wall early. As soon as the half marathoners split off and we began to heat east, the field in our immediate vicinity suddenly went from about 50 people to about 12. The wind started blowing. It got cold. The 60 degrees and misty of the beginning of the race quickly turned into 50 degrees and rainy. My hands turned into two ice cubes. I seriously underestimated how cold it was going to get. My shorts and t-shirt were not keeping me warm anymore.

By mile 14, I had to start run/walking. I was getting tired, cold and the worst part was, my shoulders were tightening up on me. It started feeling more and more like there was a gorilla sitting on my shoulders and I couldn't shake the feeling. Thank goodness that Brandon was able to stay positive through all of those miles that I couldn't. Mentally, that second half of the race got the better of me.

At some point, the 4:45 pace group passed us, and I couldn't find the heart to catch up. I apologized to Brandon a few times for slowing down so much, but he kept reminding me "We trained together, we started together and we're going to finish together. That's all there is to it."

Love him.

At mile 20, I got a good jolt. Liz, a good friend of my from college, rode her bike down with her husband to see us. In the crappy weather, they came to cheer us on! That meant so much to me. I can't even put it into words. She asked how I was doing and I said "dude, I'm struggling". She reminded me that I only had 6.2 more miles. I could do this

Liz posted this picture on facebook after the race. Our mile 20 smiles:

We continued to run/walk all the way to the finish. I just had to digest it in 4 minute bite sized pieces or it was going to get the best of me. My shoulders were tight, I was soaked, my hands were icicles (isn't it freaking May?!?!) but I had Brandon next to me the entire time. Smiling and keeping me positive. I am so lucky for that. The clock time at the finish was 5:06 and we crossed the finish line holding hands. I swear I almost cried, until I heard them announce our names and then everything just dissolved. I made it...in once piece...so did Brandon...phew!

All I could think of was chocolate milk. Thank goodness they had some for us at the end.

Even though we wanted to beat my PR, I think the bigger accomplishment was working through four months of training and running that entire race right next to each other. We finished. Together. That 26.2 mile journey  with Brandon by my side meant more to me than I could ever put into words. Pretty sure we can conquer just about anything now.

Now, I think that deserved a day off work yesterday, don't you??