Marathon Training - 13.1 Miles

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I was REALLY looking forward to today's training run ... why you may ask? Because I was going to have a special guest on part of the run!!! My friend Sarah, who just had the adorable baby I keep showing pics of just 7.5 weeks ago!

Her first post-baby race is going to be the Boston Athletic Association Half on October 7 with me. I can't wait to run the race together!!

But today she had 9 miles on the docket, while I had 13.1 so we met and she decided to run the first 9 with me then I would finish up what I had to do.

I was psyched to have someone to run with and I know we complement each other well when it comes to pace so I was ready!

We met along the Charles River at 6:45 and set out. We fell right into our normal groove, but quickly realized that we were going faster than we had set out to go so we tried to bring it back a little bit around mile 4.5 or so.

But the pace was working and the time passed quickly as we chatted the entire time.

Next thing you knew it was time for Sarah to finish.

We ended up running the first 9 miles together at about a 8:43 min/mile pace - perfect for her goal to finish the BAA Half in October under 1:55.

Aren't we awesome? ;)

So I gave Sarah a high-five, told her to give Joanna a hug from her favorite aunt (her words not mine ;)) and headed out to complete my last 4 miles.

Since I was ready to be done, I picked the pace up a smidge in the final miles, but I also stopped to soak in the scenery.

THIS is why I get up at 5:45am on a Saturday to run!!

I couldn't believe I was less than 2 miles from finishing so I had to stop and snap a pic...

... boy do I love these running sunglasses! For too long I said I needed a pair and now I can't imagine a run without them.

And just before I finished my run I saw a familiar face ...

... oh hey there to my Racemenu folks!! :)

I ended up with a time I was proud of:

Now is the time - with 63 days to go til the Marathon - to work on keeping the same pace throughout the entire run! I don't want to get tired to easy or burst on to the scene too late in Savannah in November.

But, today I really didn't think about my pace too much - I just enjoyed the time with Sarah and listened to my body.

Now, next week and the 18 mile run on Saturday is a different story ;)

Twist & Shout On The Charles River 5k - 8/30/12 - 23:23 (7:33 min/mile)

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Time freakin' flies my friends. I cannot even believe we already had the fourth of the five-race "Let's Run, Have Some Fun And Be Fit" Summer Series... The Twist & Shout On The Charles River 5k was Thursday night!

My dad and I did this same race series together back in 2005 when I started running, but due to injuries he hasn't been able to run in ages, but for this race he decided to volunteer. Why not, time to see some old running buddies of his ... and we got a free ride out of it. ;)

Well since we actually had to park the car and there is limited limited parking at these races - we cut it CLOSE to getting to the Start Line in time for the run.

Additionally, this is an old school race without timing chips/etc so once the clock starts your time is based off that - no matter what time you actually cross the Start Line.

So I usually try to get as close to the front as I feel comfortable going, but since we got there so late - I was much farther back than usual.

Which led to a TON of bobbing, weaving and running on the grass for the first 1/2 a mile or so. It was also a task running on the grass and avoiding the large divots, dodging the tree branches and not tripping on the tree roots. It was like a mini trail run at the beginning. ;)

But I really didn't mind since I love these races - great fun atmosphere!

As I got myself back up to where I would normally be running and actually seeing many of the familiar faces, I remembered one of the bridges was out - finally after years and years it was deemed unsafe - so we had a slight detour, which actually didn't alter the flow of the run at all.

On my Runkeeper, I was averaging a 7:13 or so pace, which is what I normally shoot for in the Summer Run series so I was excited. I knew it would be altered at the Finish because of the timing they use, but I was happy with how the run was going.

Especially since on Wednesday morning I had to cut a 5 mile run to a 5k, I was glad to be running painfree!

After that the race was pretty much the same as the others. ;)

I tried to really dig deep and push it when I got within 1/2 a mile of the Finish.

I knew the race would be longer than 3.1 miles because of the detour, but I have run the course so many times I still knew when it was time to kick it up a notch. :)

According to the official results - I finished in 23:23 (7:33 min/mile) - I would probably take off at least 30 seconds for the time it took me to get to the Start Line, but either way I am happy ... I came in 164th out of 917 overall and 32nd out of 515 females.

Either way I was stoked to be done :P It was wicked humid.

I got my Harpoon IPA and went to the usual meeting spot to wait for the rest of my crew!

Mmm... beer! :)

My dad (one in red) was actually helping with the beer distribution and "overseeing" the keg issues:

Well, the final run of the series is just 3 days before my birthday and I think my dad will be volunteering again! YAY!! :)

**REVIEW** Running On The Wall

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I think everyone knows my love ... okay obsession ... with race medals! I just love them sooo much. It is a great way to remember a fun race! Plus, every medal is so unique - just like the races themselves. Well, I LOVE to show mine off. I hang them on the wall right across from my bed! They serve as that extra motivation to get up and get my workout on. ;)

So I wanted the wife to experience that same feeling. She has been doing a great job in her races and I wanted to show off her hardware.

Enter: Running On The Wall

They have amazing wooden race medal and bib holders ... for all sports!!

I bought my race bib holder from them in early 2012 and it is sturdy, secure and holds all sizes of bibs.

They have so many great running related sayings that it was hard to pick which one I wanted for the wife.

Examples:

Pain Is Weakness Leaving The Body

Running: Run, Eat, Sleep, Repeat

Bling Chasers

But, then it crossed my screen. The one ... "Race Bling"!!! How perfect, right? That is exactly what I call my medals - my bling!

The next toughest choice was color. I hate having so many options ;) 14 different colors. Oh the choices. :) But we went with Blue since it would match the motif we had going in the bedroom and to match my bib holder.

And to top it all off shipping was quick and easy ... I received the holder within two days! Score!

All I had to do was install the hooks - which was super easy with a pair of needlenose pliers - and it was ready to be hung!

I presented to the wife and she LOVED it! Yay!!

Doesn't it fit perfectly between the windows?? :)

So if you are in need of your own bling holder (again for any sport) or a bib holder - check out Running On The Wall on their website or on Facebook. They are friendly, fast and affordable.

PLUS, for a limited time only they are offering 10% off any purchase of $40 or more!!

Show off your own bling friends!! :)

I Should Be My Own #1...

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The past few weeks for me have been a negative spiral inside my head. I'm not good enough.

I'm not strong enough.

I'm not worthy.

Why do you bother trying?

I shoulda ... I coulda ... I woulda ...

Now, I think everyone knows that for me the toughest struggle in this whole weight loss journey is switching the mental part from being the first to point out my flaws/self-deprecating humor to being my own biggest cheerleader!

In the deep part of my brain, I know I am worthy of all that has happened in my life in the past 2.5 years, but for some reason it keeps getting blocked by the negativity.

I should be my #1 priority ... ALWAYS!

Then on Saturday morning during my long marathon training run, Jessie J's song "Who You Are" came on my phone. Despite hearing this songs dozens of times before, the lyrics hit me differently this time around ... I really listened to what she was saying.

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I stare at my reflection in the mirror Why am I doing this to myself? Losing my mind on a tiny error

I nearly left the real me on the shelf No, no, no, no, no
Don't lose it all in the blur of the stars Seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing It's okay not to be okay Sometimes it's hard to follow your heart

Tears don't mean you're losing Everybody's bruising Just be true to who you are

Who you are, who you are, who you are Who you are, who you are, who you are Who you are, who you are, who you are

Brushing my hair, do I look perfect? I forgot what to do to fit the mold, yeah The more I try the less it's working, yeah, yeah, yeah
'Cause everything inside me screams
No, no, no, no, no

Don't lose it all in the blur of the stars Seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing It's okay not to be okay Sometimes it's hard to follow your heart

But tears don't mean you're losing Everybody's bruising There's nothing wrong with who you are

Yes, no's, egos, fake shows like boom Just go and leave me alone Real talk, real life, good luck, good night With a smile, that's my home, that's my home, no No, no, no, no, no

Don't lose it all in the blur of the stars Seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing It's okay not to be okay Sometimes it's hard to follow your heart

Tears don't mean you're losing Everybody's bruising Just be true to who you are Yeah, yeah, yeah

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It's like she's been in my head the past few weeks. But, she speaks the truth.

WHY do I let myself get so wrapped up in one mistake? WHY do I beat myself up constantly when I don't reach my own expectations? WHY after all this time do I hold myself to this regard of being perfect all the time? WHY do I care so much about what other's think of me?

I. Am. Human.

I. Am. Me.

And now it is time to remind myself of that.

I don't want to miss out on celebrating my successes because I failed to reach the ideal results that I had in my head.

Life isn't going to go exactly how I want it to, but I need to enjoy the ride while I'm on it.

So today is a new day. I'm ready to be proud of my accomplishments and to pick myself up when life doesn't turn out how I want it to.

I am ready to be my own biggest fan because if I can't do it for myself how can I do it for others.

Okay, it's actually WAAAYYY easier to do it for others than to do it for myself.

So let's rephrase : I owe it to myself to be my biggest cheerleader because I am so many other people's biggest supporter - friends, family, Weight Watchers members - and I need to be there for me ... so I can be true to who I am!

I just need to remind myself that no one is perfect so why do I expect to be?

It's time to love me ... imperfections and all! Because accepting me will allow me to be a better friend, a stronger Weight Watchers Leader and a happier runner!

Marathon Training - 16 Miles

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I was apprehensive going into this morning's run. I had been bumming all week about the Rock 'n' Roll Providence Half Marathon results and had no idea how today's 16-mile run was going to go ... ESPECIALLY since it would be my farthest run since completing a marathon (with a lot of walking) in 2006. We had a nice low-key evening in last night. Now that we have a couch we can just veg out again - it's been so long. :) I wanted to get out and hit the Charles River running path early so I had to set a motivating alarm setting:

Yup! Those definitely worked...

I leaped out of bed by 5:30 and got all of my stuff ready. It was going to be a training run in more ways than one. I was planning on testing out some new running accessories and trying some current accessories in different locations.

1) Sunglasses

2) New Snuggbud earbuds

3) My water belt ... without leaking

4) My new moving comfort shorts

5) Nuun hydration post-run

I got to my usual parking space near the Charles and was ready to get started by 6:20. My goal was to finish the 16 miles under 2 hours and 30 minutes and by 9am.

The only thing I REALLY wanted to do this morning was survive the 16 miles. ;)

I set out at a pretty slow pace (9:30ish min/mile pace) and knew I wanted to be closer to 9 min/mile. I didn't have any specific goals, but I wanted to work on getting in a rhythm and rocking one pace throughout the run ... which is what most people do in the marathon.

The weather was perfect and the path was close to empty - both in my favor.

I did notice that around Mile 4 that my legs seemed to wake up an come alive!

I was cruising right along and before I knew it I was over halfway through the run. Sweet - it's all downhill from there, right?

Well, once I got to Mile 10 my legs started to feel a little heavy (not sure if it was from the swim the day before or they were just tired), but I pushed through. I just kept telling myself you did 13.1 last week, you got this.

Plus, I always run on a loop so no matter what I need to finish to get back to my car. Good planning, right? :)

At Mile 12, I was getting a pain in my left foot - it was like the nail on my toe was getting squished. So I stopped to investigate and everything looked fine so I soldiered on.

By Mile 14, my head was getting the best of me - knowing that I was so close to the finish. It took a lot of self-coaching to make it through the final 2 miles.

Since I run the Charles all the time, I knew I had to change my route for the final 2 miles to avoid seeing my car prior to Mile 16 and just stopping. ;)

Once I saw Mile 15 on my Runkeeper, I tried to pull it into a new gear and finish strong. It was really reassuring to know I still had some gas in the tank after completing 16 miles.

I caught the Runkeeper distance note totally on accident!

I was wicked happy with the results today!!! All of my running accessories worked like they were supposed to. I was FINALLY able to run comfortably in a pair of shorts - YAY!

And if I ran the full marathon at a 9:04 clip, I would finish in 3:57:37 - I'd take that in a heartbeat.

I was so excited I even asked a stranger to take my pic ;)

Yet again I proved to myself that I am stronger than I think I am ... and I am DAMN proud!!

Just Keep Swimming...

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This morning I did my first swim workout in far toooo llooonngg!! Okay one main reason for that was the lack of a bathing suit made for lap swimming in my size. Yes I had one that I have had for years that was WAYY too big, but I just never could get around to buying one that fit. (See: my fear of buying bathing suits in general! :P)

So finally yesterday I decided that since I had a 16 mile run on Saturday, I wanted to get a low impact workout in on Friday and what better way than in the pool. So I asked the wife to borrow one of hers. She is a good 2 inches shorter than me, but I thought it would be able to stretch enough to make it work. I set that aside and proceeded to dig out my goggles and swim cap.

Ohh it felt good to even take those out of the bottom draw!

After my final Weight Watchers meeting of the week, I hit the Boston Sports Club pool near my house - since they always have at least 3 lap lanes available at all times - and was ready to get back to the pool.

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Growing up I always loved swimming. My mom always said I was a natural born fish. I was on a swim team constantly until I hit High School. In junior high, I even coached my own little swim team at the local Boys & Girls Club - Dani's Divers - and had a blast.

But then it just went to the wayside as other sports took the forefront of my time. I tried to get back into swimming after college whenever possible as a way to get back in to shape .

Thankfully our gym in Chicago had a pool, but it seemed every time I tried to hit up the pool it was jam packed.

So I was psyched when we got the Boston to find that this pool always had a couple lanes open and since my schedule is more flexible now I could pay attention to when it is dead.

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So this morning I put the suit back on and I can tell you it felt awesome! I was excited since my ActiveLink (Weight Watchers activity monitor) is actually waterproof so I could wear it in the pool as well! :)

I went into the pool without a clear cut plan and just made one up as I went along. I couldn't remember how much a mile was in "lap" speak so I focused on getting into the rhythm instead.

I felt AWESOME throughout the swim. I loved how I didn't have to worry about my back or my knees or my ankles. I could just let go and swim.

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Since there isn't much thought needed in swimming laps or outside noise to bother you, it is a GREAT time to just think. And as I swam I thought about how it relates my life and my weight loss journey.

No matter how long it had been since I was last in the pool or the last time I even thought about lap swimming ... as soon as I started the freestyle it came right back to me. The breathing. The strokes. The kicks. It was second nature.

My weight loss journey has been the same way ... especially this summer.

As many know I used to work many days straight without a day off when I worked in baseball, which led to a much more regimented schedule - which overall lent itself very well to weight loss and Weight Watchers during the tricky summer months.

Well, this summer is completely different, I feel like a New Member trying to navigate the world of Happy Hours, weekends away, BBQs, etc.

But, I am learning that even if I take a couple of weeks of what I call a "relaxed adherence to the plan" (thanks fellow WW Leaders for that phrase), I know that I can get right back into the swing of it when I need to.

I just need to jump right back in and start swimming...

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So in the words of Dori when it is time to bear down and get back to basics:

Rock 'n' Roll Providence Half Marathon - 8/19/12 - 1:52:58 (8:37 min/mile)

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I had to wait a few days to write this post. For some reason after this race in particular, I was really beating myself up over the outcome. Why? I am still not totally sure why because I did an amazing job, but something was eating at me. But I decided this morning when I woke up that it was time to move on and stop beating myself up over nothing.

So here goes...

Originally I hadn't planned on running this race in 2012, but with some gently prodding from friends and an entry discount due to the Leap Day in February - I signed up.

Then as time wore on more and more of my social media friends signed up as well. Woo! I love meeting Twitter/Facebook friends in person. :)

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The wife and I headed down to Providence late Saturday morning. Thankfully even with traffic the ride was under an hour, but of course it was raining. Yup, two weekend races in a row and we had to travel in the rain. Thanks New England. :P

We arrived in Providence and headed straight to the downtown area to grab lunch and hit up the Expo. I knew the others would be there around 1:30 and I didn't want to miss them.

We hit up Trinity Brewhouse for a beer and lunch. I had a DELICIOUS pulled pork sandwich and tested their Rhode Island IPA - yummy!

After lunch, we walked the long 0.2 mile trek to the Expo. ;)

 

I was really looking forward to hitting the Expo and actually stopping at the booths that I missed in Chicago, but unfortunately this Expo was MUCH smaller than Chicago and the booths I wanted to hit didn't attend. Boo!

Oh well, I was still excited to pick up the usual awesome schwag bad that Rock 'n' Roll usually has and to move up in corrals (because of my time in Chicago I was able to move from Corral 6 to 3).

Once we entered the Expo itself we actually walked right into Samantha, Janine and Amy ... right place at the right time! :)

This was my third Rock 'n' Roll Half, but the first time I actually took part in the photo booth. How could I not with this awesome crew? ;)

Don't you wish you were as cool as us? :)

I hit up the Snuggbuds booth to exchange the pair I had bought at the Chicago expo for a better fitting pair ... Thanks Chris and Jane for your AWESOME customer service. (Side note: the new pair is perfect!!!)

After the Expo, the wife and I ventured out to find our Hotel and explore the area near the hotel before dinner. We even found the Start and Finish Lines while wandering near the mall.

Sam did a great job picking a dinner spot since it was RIGHT next to our hotel. Sweet!

We met back up with Janine and her mom and Sam and her boyfriend for a delish dinner...

...before calling it an early night! After I did the normal routine of laying out my stuff, I enjoyed a few episodes of My Boys on the iPad before getting some sleep.

You would think the sleep would've been boring, but nope! We got woken up at 1:48am by someone possibly getting mugged outside of our room, which was along a nice alley. It sounded as if the person ran off so I think they were overall okay.

The alarm went off too soon at 5am. I got changed and headed down to the courtyard to meet the crew to walk to the Start Line.

Once we got to the Start area it was go time ...

... we were able to connect with both Colleen and Robin. Even though these two awesome ladies are usually in Corral 1, they were both dropping back to Corral 3 to help pace us slow people. :) Thanks ladies.

Sam, Colleen & I

Colleen was going to help me try to get another PR since the weather was perfect for it. But for some reason, my body was against it. :( My mind kept wanting my legs to move faster (especially once we hit Mile 12), but for some reason they just wouldn't do it.

The hills were more frequent and bigger than I expected. I just kept thinking where are these hills coming from Providence. Where?

Colleen did a great job pushing me through the run even though I was getting discouraged with myself. I had run so well in Chicago - with even warmer temps - but couldn't get my legs to move any faster.

I just kept pushing forward as best I could.

The first four miles seemed to be ENTIRELY made up of hills with Mile Four being legit straight up. Wow! I mean I go to Spinning to help with my hills, but I kept thinking "Spinning couldn't prep me for THESE bad boys."

Once we hit Mile 5 the road stayed flat for a couple miles that was refreshing and much needed.

Thanks Janine for snapping this awesome action shot!

The hill that hit around Mile 8-9 seemed like nothing compared to the hills at the beginning, but I still found myself slowing down.

My brain kept telling my legs to move faster, but they wouldn't - wicked frustrating.

I had never been so happy to see a Mile 13 marker. I was done. But the hills weren't, the city of Providence decided to have the last .1 miles of the course also be a hill ... how fitting right?

Well, that one I pushed since I knew I would be close to my time in Chicago ...

... but I failed. I crossed at 1:52:58 (8:37 min/mile pace). I was 1:16 short of a PR. I was pissed.

Now, when I first signed up for this race, I thought of it as just a training run for the Marathon (as long as I had hit the PR I wanted in Chicago, which I did), but I got myself wrapped up in the idea of the PR so I was pissed that I let myself down.

But everyone tried to remind me how far I'd come. I mean really I had to be proud since the Half I ran in January 2012 was a 2:05 time. Either way I cut over 10 minutes off my time. Not too shabby.

After yelling at myself in my head and out loud, I grabbed my medal and post-race snacks before stepping in for a pic...

Big thanks to Tori and Colleen for trying to cheer me up/calm me down after the Finish.

Tori even presented me with this cool Rock 'n' Roll charm bracelet with a Chicago, 13.1 and a Providence charm on it.

I can't wait to add 26.2 and Savannah to the bracelet come November!!

While I got my medal engraved,

Colleen got ahold of Robin so we could meet up with her before having to head home.

The three of us have combined to lose over 270 lbs through Weight Watchers!

Overall, it was a great 24 hours in Providence! I love meeting my Twitter/Facebook/Blogging friends in person and collecting new race medals. ;) But, I would've loved to have seen a different outcome with my race time.

I was actually so mad with how I finished the run that the next day I ran another 3.1 miles at the pace I had wanted the day before. Yeah, I need a life... :P

It's The Weekend...

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I am WICKED excited for this weekend!!! After having a fantastic time at The Falmouth Road Race on the Cape last weekend, I am following it up this weekend with the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Providence, RI.

Woo hoo!!

Now when I orginally set out with my plan for 2012, this race was not on my list.

Buutt....

then Runcupcake (aka Samantha) and The Fit Bee (aka Colleen) got to me! :P

Yes, I succumbed to peer pressure and signed up. Okay okay, there was a Leap Year/Day sale going on and I couldn't resist.

And as the weeks and months dragged on - more social media friends started signing up and now it is gonna be a Fitfluential party up in here!

So I really cannot wait to see these lovely ladies tomorrow for dinner and to meet many face-to-face for the first time ever!!

Then on Sunday we dominate ... we run the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon!

I am wicked excited to try and keep up with my fast friends - Colleen and Robin - both elite elite runners! I am ready to be pushed.

This weekend will be awesome! And this race will be number 18 of the 24 I have signed up for in 2012.

Bring it!

 

One Month Til...

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... the big 3-0!! I don't have dire panic over turning 30. I mean it really doesn't change anything in my life - except that I end up in a new division in my road races ;) - but other than that it is just another birthday.

And for those that don't know I am NOT a big fan of celebrating my birthday ... except in 2010 when Tori proposed the night before it.

So maybe it's just entering a new decade that is giving me reservations about my birthday or society's common response  of freaking about getting older that has me questioning the day.

But when I sit and really think about why this birthday is so different from the others - one things come to mind:

HEALTH!

I am in the best shape I have ever been in and getting more comfortable in my own skin.

I am ready to enter this new chapter in my life - fit, healthy and happy.

If you had asked me when I turned 21, what I thought would be going on in my life at the age of 30 - I would NEVER have imagined I would be where I am today. It wouldn't have seemed like a realm of possibility.

But now, I am entering this next phase with a wife, two pups, a fulfilling job, wonderful friends, supportive family and a more positive outlook on life.

Wow! How could I have any reservations about what awesomeness my 30s will bring?

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I am wicked excited for what I have planned on my birthday weekend.

On the Saturday (September 15), the wife and I are taking part in the Warrior Dash in New Hampshire. My first and her third. I am sooo excited to finally cross this off my Fitfluential Fitness Bucket List. :)

Then on Sunday (September 16), I am hosting my very own 5k in my neighborhood. I am psyched. I really wanted to celebrate in a fun, unique and fitness based way. I thought what better way than to get my friends and family out running/walking before enjoying a good BBQ. :)

Since everyone doesn't live in the Boston area, I also created a virtual runner option. That means you would set up your own 3.1 mile course near you place of residence and send me the results.

I decided to add a charity element to the day as well. I am vying for a charity bib for the 2013 Boston Marathon and the fundraising goals for non-qualified runners (which I am) can be lofty. So the $15 registration fee for in person and virtual runners goes straight to my fundraising fund.

Additionally, every person that registers (in person or virtual) will receive a Finisher's Medal! OOhhh race bling! ;)

If you want more information about the birthday 5k, it's sponsors or to register please click here.

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So come on world, bring on the 30s ... I'm not scared of 'em!