Training Tuesday: 20. Freakin. Miles. BOOM.

*Hey guys!  Don't forget to check out my 31 bags fundraiser for Autism Speaks!   Thank you to Megan C., Karen B., Kiley M., and Karen G. for donating and entering!  I hope you will consider donating $5 to Autism Speaks, giving you a great chance of winning an awesome 31 bag! 

Well, I did it--I ran dragged myself through 20 whole miles Sunday morning, officially finishing the longest run of both my marathon training and my entire life.  It wasn't pretty, folks.  In fact, it was probably the toughest run of my entire life.  Buuuut, I did it!  And that's what matters, right? :)  Let me start at the beginning...

Sunday morning I had to be up at...wait for it...3:15am.  Yup.  Basically the middle of the night.  My running group was participating in the CARA Ready to Run 20-miler in Chicago with all of the other Chicago-land running groups.  The run was an organized training run with pace groups, aid stations, but no chip times.  Our buses left my training site at 4:30am in order to get into the city with plenty of time to spare before the 6:30am start time.  It was early, dark, cold, and we were tired.  The perfect mix of things to make sure NONE of us were super pumped up about the run...

I would NEVER have made it through the run without these ladies!!!

The course was a point to point from the north side of the city all the way downtown and through to the Museum of Science and Industry on the south side.

In other words, really freakin far.  I'm not a huge fan of point to point races; I think it just made it seem FAR.  I love running on the lakefront path in Chicago--the views are stunning, and there is always a nice cool breeze off of the lake.  

Sorry for the blur, but you get the idea.  Lovely!

We even ran past a little plan that had made an emergency landing on Lakeshore Drive in the wee hours of the morning!  Have you ever heard of such a thing?  Luckily I think everyone was okay.  (My pace group leader had to stop and take a picture!  I took a much needed stretch break...)

Like I said, the views were beautiful, but after 20 miles I was bored out of my mind.  Not to mention in pain!!!  So. much. pain.  I felt really good during my 18-miler two weeks ago up until the last few miles, but Sunday I was hurting WAY earlier in the run.  My left ITB/knee were bugging me early on; so was my right hip.  Later those loosened up but my arches and hip flexors started hurting something fierce.  By the end, every step was just agony.   We looked forward to our 1-minute walk breaks like a kid looking forward to Christmas, and moaned and groaned every time the walk breaks ended.

Finally, finally, FINALLY we made it.  I managed to kick it up the tiniest bit for a fast run to the finish line, knowing that the sooner I crossed it, the sooner I could lay down and take off my shoes.  It's the little things, right?!  I crossed the finish relieved and smiling in 4:07.

Hurting, but so happy to have set a new distance record and have conquered 20 mean miles!

(I loved running in my new Swirlgear Cap Sleeve--

check back later this week for a review and discount code!)

Immediately after the run I was more nauseous than hungry, but by the time I made it home I was STARVING.  And exhausted.  20mi + no sleep = naptime.  I curled up in bed (post-shower obv) with Jimmy Johns and New Girl--have you watched that show?  So cute.  Yesterday I got an AMAZING deep tissue massage--holy crazy, that therapist was amazing.  I didn't realize I even had some of the knots that she worked out!  But man, the pain...

A few weeks ago in my training, I thought that after the 20-miler I would feel super confident and ready for the marathon.  Now, I think I just realize how flippin' far 26.2 miles is.  (News flash: It's far.)  After the run, I found myself thinking, "I literally could not have run another single step, much less 6.2 more MILES."  I know, I know, the marathon will be different.  I will be running on rested legs on an awesome course with amazing crowd support.  I just hope it hurts a little less on race day!!  

I still can't believe I ran 20 miles.  God, I remember how proud I was after my first 5K--never in my life would I have dreamed I could have run this far!  Even though it made me more nervous than ever about the marathon distance, after Sunday I am just so excited about the marathon.  I can't wait to run through the streets of my awesome city with so many sponsorships for a cause I believe in and with my family and friends supporting me.  It's going to be the hardest thing I've ever done, but I'm going to make sure it's an absolute blast!!

Please, please, please give me some reassurance that I can get through my marathon.  Sorry to be needy, but actually I'm not sorry!! :)

Training Tuesday: That time I set a new distance record!

You guys, this weekend I did it.  Ran further than I ever thought I could, that is.  So far marathon training has involved runs of 13 miles and below, all of which I've done many times during half marathons and the training for them.  That doesn't mean they were easy, but it does mean that I mentally knew I could do it!  Saturday, though, for the first time EVER, I ran 15 whole miles.  FIFTEEN miles!  And you know what?  It felt amazing.  I can't wait to tell you all about it!

I was less than thrilled to wake up at 4:50 Saturday morning in order to be at our training site by 6:15am, the new start time for us slow runners from now until the marathon.  (So. Early.)  It was really chilly that early, let me tell you!  As I stood around with the other back-of-the-packers trying to stay warm, it definitely seemed like the atmosphere was a little on the pessimistic side.  Two of my running buddies were feeling really anxious about the run, even though they are both marathon veterans.  I started wondering if maybe I should be more nervous, but to be honest, my usual nerves just weren't there!  I'm not saying I was all sorts of confident, but I honestly knew I would be able to power through the run one way or another, and I knew my pace group would not leave me behind.  I wasn't sure it'd be a pretty sight, but I knew in my heart that I would be running 15 miles that day!

It was a BEAUTIFUL day to be out running!  Not too hot (at the beginning at least), and plenty of sunshine!  I was a little worried about my right hip flexor/quad at the start.  It had been super tight all week, and I just prayed it would loosen up once we got moving.  15 miles of pain?  No thank you!  Luckily after about 2 miles I felt just fine.  The miles just clicked by, and the conversation took my mind off things like a charm.  One woman who was new to our pace group that week asked if me and one of the other girls I was chatting with were friends before the running group.  We said nope!  We had just met here!  Loving making new running friends.  I can't imagine making it through 15 miles with a smile on my own!

Everyone but me was a veteran marathoner, but this run was a new distance for novice marathoner me!  At mile 12, I asked the group if anyone had a medal to offer me after mile 13, because I'd gotten a medal every time I'd run 13.1 miles before then!  One of the buddies offered me a dollar. :)  They all cheered for me, and I did a little happy dance on the run.  By the last couple of miles, I'll be honest--my feet were hurting, my legs were hurting, and I was ready to lay down.  But at NO POINT did I want to stop--in fact, I felt so strong at the end!

After the run, I was rewarded with an awesome little surprise--the running group had a massage therapist giving short leg massages to runners!  PERFECTION!  As the therapist worked out the million knots in my IT bands, he remarked that he thought he'd massaged some serious knots, but then he came here--he said the runner with the least knots still beat his knottiest non-runner client!  Yikes!  I believe it. :)

One of the other runners and I also hit up the farmer's market for some fresh squeezed lemonade and a yummy treat.  When I spotted the chocolate croissant, I knew I had to have it.  Every bite was magical!

I couldn't believe how good my legs felt post-run.  Of course, I could barely get out of bed the next morning, but I still consider it a victory. :)

Did you run long this weekend??  Tell me all about it!

Sleepy Post-Run Saturday + Endorphin Warrior Bracelet GIVEAWAY

Anybody else treat themselves to a lazy day post-long run?  It seems like lately I've been so exhausted from my crazy long school-grad-class-training-filled weeks that my long runs pretty much do me in on the weekends!  

My current set-up, where I've been laying all afternoon...

But no matter how tiring, there is something wonderful about pounding the roads for 8 miles on a crisp fall morning...

Seriously, is there anything better than a long run surrounded by fall leaves?  My eight miles passed pretty quickly this morning, and again, try as I could to keep my pace slow and steady, my legs kept itching to speed up.  I literally cannot wait for my half-marathon next month and to give my sub 2:30 goal a real shot.  It is scary even to say that that's my goal for this race!  

Speaking of sub 2:30, I've talked many times before about how this year I have committed to being fearless. This mantra has gotten me through training for triathlons and my first sub-30 5K.  Today I carried that mantra with me on my training run, thanks to my new Warrior Training Bracelet from Endorphin Warrior.  I am so grateful to Endorphin Warrior for giving me the opportunity to review one of their awesome training bracelets, and to share one with a reader!  

Not my best angle, but I just ran 8 miles and am trying to take a picture of myself on my cell phone...

thanks for understanding :) 

Fearless.  One powerful word.  I loved carrying it on my wrist during this run, and love keeping it close other times during the week.  This bracelet is lightweight, comfortable, and just plain perfect for displaying a favorite one-word mantra for both yourself and the world.  The leather band is 5/8" wide with a snap closure in back and a metal stamped plate in front.  The bracelets come in a few different sizes, and you are able to choose between many words or displays, including PERSEVERE, FOCUS, BREATHE, and many others--even distances like 26.2 or 70.3.  

The one improvement I would make to the bracelet would be to add a second snap closure to the band to make it adjustable between two sizes.  My wrist was SLIGHTLY larger than the smallest size option, and the website recommends to size up if that's the case.  My bracelet fits loosely now, and I wouldn't mind a slightly tighter fit.  However, the nice part is that I can fasten it around a long sleeved shirt during a run as seen in the picture above, and it still fits comfortably if my wrist swells during a long sweaty run.  So, even though the sizing isn't perfect, I am very happy with my bracelet.  I can't wait to wear it on my wrist during the Space Coast half as I chase my sub 2:30 goal.  Make it or not, I will not let fear of striking out sabotage this race for me!!

Want to win your own Warrior Training Bracelet?  

Endorphin Warrior Jewelry has been kind enough to let me give away a training bracelet to a reader!  One reader will get to select a bracelet with their own personal mantra to wear proudly.  Here's how to win (please leave a separate comment for each entry):

• Be a follower of Juice Boxes and Crayolas and leave a comment letting me know! (Mandatory)
• Visit the Endorphin Warrior website and leave a comment letting me know which warrior training bracelet you would choose (Mandatory)
• Like Endorphin Warrior on facebook (+1 additional entry)
• Share this giveaway on your blog, facebook, or twitter (+1 additional entry EACH!)

This giveaway will end on Saturday, October 13th at midnight.  I will post a winner selected using Random.org the following day.  Good luck!

Toughin' It on the Treadmill + Tommie Copper Review

Yesterday I wrote about the straight up bribe little deal I'd made with myself to get my lazy butt back on track. If I completed my planned workouts for the week, I got to buy myself some new "presents" (i.e. workout gear).  Well, I did it--and placed my amazon order!  ;)  I made it through my planned 7 miles on the treadmill this morning.  I know, I know.  I swore that this winter I would persevere through the cold and ice and get those long runs done on the roads.  Buuut between several inches of snow that froze over to ice and some freezing winds, the treadmill won out today.  Oh well!

The good news is that despite some lingering tightness in my hips lately, my legs felt pretty much okay on this run!  That's always a pleasant surprise for injury-prone me.  The bad news is that I was dragging the ENTIRE TIME.  I don't know what it was, but I was just exhausted on this run!  Oh well, I made it through!  I owe a big thanks to Running the Sahara, an amazing movie I re-watched during the run.  It's not quite as inspirational as Hood to Coast or Spirit of the Marathon, but it's still pretty darn awesome.

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When I got back up to my apartment I was so exhausted that I promptly collapsed on the floor in a pile of my running gear:

Besides Running the Sahara, another thing that helped me on my run today was a brand new pair of Tommie Copper compression sleeves! I am so excited that I have the opportunity to try out and review this cool product.  Y'all know my affinity for compression wear--I mean, recovery socks are featured in my blog header for goodness sake.  Anyways, when I heard about Tommie Copper I knew it was definitely something I needed to try out.  The folks at Tommie Copper were kind enough to send me a pair of calf compression sleeves and a pair of knee compression sleeves.  While I fell in love with calf compression wear last year, knee sleeves are something I'd never tried before.  (Tommie Copper makes a whole bunch of different compression products in addition to the ones I tried, including sleeves for ebows and ankles, gloves, and even compression shirts.)

Here's what Tommie Copper has to say about their products:
This unique compression uses multi-directional support and proprietary copper-infused yarn to provide relief from arthritis and other joint pains, promote muscle recovery and reduce inflammation all while being comfortable enough to be worn throughout the entire day.
The most important thing to remember is that compression products are only beneficial when they are being worn. If they are uncomfortable, bulky and can only be worn for short periods of time, they will not be very effective. That is why all Tommie Copper products are manufactured using a proprietary compression fabric combined with copper infused yarn that by design is so comfortable you may forget you are wearing it.  


When I first opened the package and took out my new sleeves, I was so surprised--they weren't at all what I'd expected!  I know the website said they were comfortable, but the word "copper" kept making me envision something thick and...I don't know, metallic-y maybe. That couldn't be further from the truth!  The sleeves are super thin and have a silky feel--way different from my CEP sleeves and Recovery Socks.  I loved the smooth feel of the fabric, and the sleeves were so thin that they were easy to fit under a pair of skinny jeans.  (Not that skinny jeans have ever stood between me and my compression sleeves before, but I didn't have to YANK my jeans over them with the Tommie Copper sleeves the way I do with my thicker sleeves!)  I will definitely rock these sleeves under my jeans or even under my dress pants at school.  They are for sure comfortable enough for everyday wear!

I wore the calf sleeves on my run this morning, and I loved the feel.  My calves felt great the whole time, and I could barely tell I was wearing the sleeves!  Double win.  I think they would be especially fantastic for a hot summer run.   One thing that surprised me was that the sleeves don't have the same *super tight* feeling as some of my other sleeves.  At first I worried that they wouldn't be as effective because of this, but since I didn't feel any calf tightness after my run, I'm thinking they did their job!  After the run, I pulled on the knee sleeves--and if that's not classy enough already, I layered my recovery socks over them...beautiful, no?

I don't have any joint issues when it comes to my knees (knock on wood!), but have been dealing with IT band issues on and off for the past year.  I know that knee pain is just a symptom of ITBS, but I figured that a little knee compression couldn't hurt!  I hung out in these all day, and my knees feel great too (although I don't know if the sleeves worked any miracle there, or my knees were just in a good place today).

My only complaint is that after wearing the knee sleeves all day, the elastic at the top of the sleeves was a little uncomfortable.  To keep both the calf and knee sleeves in place, there is a band of "grippy" elastic (<--technical term...).  While my sleeves fit fine, that part felt a little tight and uncomfortable on my thighs after several hours of wear.  I didn't notice this with the calf sleeves as all, and I'm wondering if my skin was already a little sensitive there after wearing my IT band straps on my run.  Either way, it's not enough to make me ditch the sleeves.  I will probably wear the calf sleeves for both running and recovery, and the knee sleeves just for recovery.  In my opinion, these are great products all-around, and I look forward to wearing them plenty more in the future (and hopefully reaping some of these magical copper benefits)!


Thanks again to Tommie Copper for giving me the opportunity to check out their products!

Snowy Run

Season's first official long run in the snow: CHECK!  6 quiet, peaceful, snowy miles through the forest preserve.  I think I'm going to like this winter running thing...

Exactly. :)  

A frozen run, a great book...and IS IT BREAK YET?

Hi friends :)  I just don't seem to have the attention span for writing these days!  Anticipating that this week would be at least slightly hellish, I basically did nothing but relax all weekend to mentally prepare.  I did a little christmas shopping, browsed online for gifts for a few girlfriends, and spent about 10 hours on the couch reading.  BLISS.  I finished another YA fantasy-ish novel, then moved onto another YA book, Forgotten by Cat Patrick.  (Anyone else feel like they don't have the attention span for grown-up books?  Just me??)  This book was different than a lot of the dystopian YA books I've been so obsessed with ever since Hunger Games, but I LOVED it!  A little bit adventure, a little mystery, of course a little romance...I curled up with it around 6pm Saturday night and literally didn't move from the couch (except to make a bowl of oatmeal...nothing like gourmet cooking!) until I finished it around 1am.  Nothing's better than getting completely lost in a great book.

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 Here's the summary, courtesy of goodreads: Each night when 16 year-old London Lane goes to sleep, her whole world disappears. In the morning, all that's left is a note telling her about a day she can't remember. The whole scenario doesn't exactly make high school or dating that hot guy whose name she can't seem to recall any easier. But when London starts experiencing disturbing visions she can't make sense of, she realizes it's time to learn a little more about the past she keeps forgetting-before it destroys her future.   Part psychological drama, part romance, and part mystery, this thought-provoking novel will inspire readers to consider the what-if's in their own lives and recognize the power they have to control their destinies.

Oh, I did manage to tear myself off the couch for a 5.5 mile run Saturday morning, which just so happened to be the COLDEST day we've had yet this season--it was about 15 degrees when I left the house!!!

Dear God, Please don't let me freeze on this run!

I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous about the cold!  Thank goodness I had this awesome fleece scarf that my mom helped me make:

I wrapped it around my mouth and neck during the run, and even though my face was freezing, it sure helped!  The whole run I was thinking about the starbucks hot chocolate I was going to treat myself to after finishing.

Speaking of cold weather running, I am officially in love with winter night runs.  Perfect way to check out the Christmas lights!!  (Running on the sidewalk through quiet, safe neighborhoods, of course!!)

Clearly my brain is a scattered mess tonight, mostly due to the fact that today was QUITE the interesting (read: GOD AWFUL) day at school, so I think it's about time for me to give up trying to say anything that makes sense and read some more. :)  Seriously, thank you if you managed to make it through this whole post without giving up because I can't string two coherent thoughts together!  4 more days...THANK GOODNESS

How do you stay motivated to run in crappy weather? The cold ended up being better than I expected, but thinking about hot chocolate sure helped!

10 Miles? No problem.

Side Note: I am almost to 100 followers!  I have a fun giveaway ready for when I hit 100, so pretty please help me get there soon!!!  Thanks!! ;)

My IT band pain returned with a vengeance this past week, and after Tuesday and Thursday's painful runs, I was more than a little nervous to tackle my first 10-mile run of this half-marathon training cycle.  In an attempt to calm my anxiety and mentally gear up for the run, I started laying out gear FRIDAY afternoon even though I wasn’t running until Sunday.  I know, I’m completely crazy.  Gear this week included a brand new fuel belt! 

This morning I dragged myself out of bed at 5:15am and headed out to a new (GORGEOUS) running trail.  In addition to my new fuel belt, I tried out another new gear item today: an IT band strap, per my physical therapist's suggestion.  This little strap doesn’t SOLVE the problem or HEAL the IT band, but it's supposed to help keep pain at a minimum so I can continue to run as we work on fixing the real problem.   After I velcroed on the strap, though, I looked down at my legs and realized I look like an injured mess between my beloved compression sleeves AND the IT band strap.  Oh well. :)  I will do whatever it takes to get through a run!!!

 I know, I look ridiculous.

Of course I had a mantra for this long run…Sorry it’s blurry, but today’s was, “You’ve got this.  Keep Moving.”

In hopes of achieving negative splits, I concentrated on starting out SLOWLY and listening to my body.  Did anything hurt?  Thankfully, the right IT (my trouble one) felt fine!  I took a Gu Roctane after mile 5—usually I’m a chocolate Gu girl, but it was HOT and I thought the Roctane would be a good thing to try.  I liked it!  The consistency is a little thinner than regular Gu and it’s a little saltier, but I felt great after taking it.

Miles 6-8 were a little tougher.  The trail was REALLY sunny at that point and I was running low on water.   But, glancing at the mantra on my arm every now and then, I reminded myself that I just needed to keep moving.  As I continued running, around mile 9 I realized that not only was I going to finish these 10 miles, but I was going to finish them STRONG with negative splits, and in my fastest time ever for this distance!  Even more exciting was that my IT band was STILL pain-free!  MIRACLE!   I literally started tearing up because I was just so unbelievably happy and hadn’t thought this was possible.  I can’t even describe how I felt when I watched my garmin change from 9.99 to 10.00—relief, joy, exhaustion, elation, pride, CONFIDENCE.  

One hot & sweaty MESS!

 When I got home I subjected myself to my first ever ice bath…and it actually wasn’t TOO bad!  I climbed right in in my running clothes and pulled a fleece hoodie over the top to keep my upper body warm—I think that really helped.  While it wasn’t as bad as I anticipated, I can’t say I wasn’t ready to leap out after 10 minutes!

Per the PT's recommendation, I also used an ice cup to massage my IT bands later on which felt AMAZING.  (Though it was a little messy…)   (Instructions: fill Dixie cup with water & freeze.  After run, peel the top of the cup off and massage sore muscles with ice.  Watch out for drips!)

Verdict on my new running gear: I LOVE the IT strap!!!!!!  I wish I’d bought one months ago!!!!!  While I think it’s important for me to still feel once in awhile whether or not I’m having pain, I will definitely wear the strap on my long runs and might even buy a second for my left IT.  While it’s not as tight/painful as my right, it definitely gets nasty tight too.

I also loved the fuel belt.  While I ran out of water, I know that combined with water stations at the race it will be plenty.  The bottles were easy to get in and out, the pouch in back was perfect for gu, keys, whatever, and it didn’t move around.  Also it was super easy to tighten and loosen the velcro closure even while running.

All in all, a fabulously successful run. :) 

How do you carry your fuel on long runs?

Did you run/race this weekend?  How did it go??

Sweaty Six

I ran my first six miles EVER five months ago while training for the Princess Half.  It was snowy and freezing out that day and I was stuck inside on the treadmill.  I remember that it was really tough to make it through the end of the run, and afterwards thinking, "MAN!  How am I EVER going to run more than DOUBLE that?!"  The next week I ran my second EVER six mile run.  This time, it was December 26th, and let's just say I was not in the best shape after an extremely *festive* Christmas celebration the day before with my family which had been filled with beer, baileys, and general debauchery.  During THAT six miles on the treadmill I spent the entire time staring at the trashcan located about 10 feet away from me and repeating "you are NOT going to throw up" over and over in my head.  That was a fun one.

Today's six miler (the first in my training cycle for the Rock 'n' Roll Half) did not include snow or near-vomiting.  THANK GOODNESS.  It also didn't involve *fear* because this time the distance is not scary to me.  :)  Been there, done that!!  That being said, my first run of the year in 80 degree heat was a bit of a challenge.  Like a good little runner, I went to bed early-ish last night after putting on my running clothes (obv) and laying out all of my things...

...including the new pair of Brooks Ghost running shoes I bought yesterday!  My Nike Vomeros still have about 200 miles left in 'em, but I've been wanting to try a new pair that's a little lighter.  Mrs. Mentor Teacher moonlights as a fabulously knowledgeable salesperson at her local running store, so I trekked out there yesterday with my mom and tried a bunch of shoes before settling on these Brooks.

This morning the fabulous Girls on the Run Coach Melinda was running in her second ever 8K race, so I dedicated my run to her. :)  It was a gorgeous sunny day, but a little warmer than I expected, and leaving my water/gatorade in the car was a mistake.  I definitely wish I had brought my hand-held water bottle, because by the time I passed my car after 4 miles I was parched!  I took a quick break and GULPED down water/gatorade and saw that I had a text from Coach Melinda that she had PRed in her race!  YAY!  

Coach Melinda shares my affinity for compression gear and the color pink.
How amazingly vibrant are her sleeves?!

After my quick break, I set out on my last two miles feeling MUCH more hydrated, but still exhausted.  Let me tell ya, they were pretty tough, but it definitely could have been worse.  I finished strong (albeit tired and mega dehydrated...), having kept a solid pace throughout the run.  I LOVE the Brooks shoes--they felt great!

What I Learned: It's better to bring too much water than not enough!  I definitely was wishing I had another entire bottle of water for after my run, not to mention the fact that I could have used my hand-held bottle throughout...It is now officially WARM OUT, and (duh) I need to be bringing water on long runs.  Period.

PS: A big hug and shout out to Coach Lauren who had a rough race this weekend but is still a superstar (cue sparkle fingers)

I've freaking got this!

Remember Thursday's infinite run?  Well, I was DETERMINED to recreate it for my long run today!

I decided to do my long run this week on Saturday instead of Sunday because College Roomie is visiting from Atlanta and we are reuniting with Other College Roomie tonight!!!  And I'd prefer not to wimp out early on our reunion tonight because I need to get my pre-long run rest...

Roomies & I sophomore year acting silly in IKEA :)

For my pre-run gel I picked up this chocolate gu at the sports store yesterday afternoon since my stash of Razz Clif Shots has been anything but appetizing these days...

Umm this was AMAZING!  How have I never tried chocolate gu before?  This was seriously chocolate frosting, I swear.  Ding ding ding!  I think I've found my new fuel!

Anyways, in the spirit of recapturing Thursday's magic, I decided to run without music again and on the same fabulous trail.  While I wasn't as speedy as Thursday's 3.1 miler, today's 5 miles were pretty darn fabulous!  And you know what?  I'm really loving this no-music running thing!!  While I do love some good Katy Perry & Eminem on my runs, It was pretty fabulous to be able to hear the birds and animals and things in the forest preserve this morning.  Love.

After 4 miles I took a quick stop at my car to take a few swigs of water spiked with powerade and lose a layer--yay for warm-ish weather finally!

By the last mile I was pretty tired, but I finished fast and strong.  My garmin even showed a 7 minute pace at one point!  Albeit I was running downhill and it was for only a minute or so, but as a 12-minute mile girl, it was pretty thrilling.  Today's mantra that got me through: 

You've.  Freaking.  Got.  This.

And, sure enough, I did!  Finished my 5 miles strong!  :)  You know, I'm wondering if the difference in my last few runs is (besides less-injured muscles!) just plain confidence.  Remember my crazy anxious dreams when I started training for Half-Marathon #1?  Not so confident...But last night I had an awesome anticipatory dream about Half-Marathon #2!  I dreamed that I finished fast and strong--but I DID somehow forget to get my medal at the end...it could be worse. :)  Anyways, I'm just so happy to be running again.  

Tiring Twelve

Other possible names for this post include:
"Miles of Misery"
"Cold Face, Sweaty Everything Else"
"Ouch my calves hurt"

I just woke up from an hour and a half nap.  It was...unreal.  Amazing.  Fabulous.  Why do I not feel guilty about napping away the afternoon even though there are still papers to grade and lessons to plan?  Because this morning I ran 12 miles.  Wait, let me rephrase that...I ran...walked...shuffled...crawled...hobbled 12 miles.
Last Sunday I wrote this post about my amazing, energetic, dreamy 10 mile treadmill run.  Today did not go nearly as well.  However, I am not feeling bad about myself or my run because
a) I did the best I could
b) I believe that exercise is never something to feel bad about, no matter how well or how poorly the workout went
c) I did not quit.

^Especially that last one.  Once upon a time I was Little Miss Quits When Things Get Tough (specifically workouts).  I quit runs at the first sign of fatigue.  In fact, I would usually quit at the first time I had to walk.  Since I've switched to the Galloway Method of run/walk intervals, obviously I have gotten over my lunatic belief that walking = failure.  I have also gotten over my silly little notion that any imperfect workout is a failure.  The only time I fail myself is when I quit (this of course does NOT refer to running injured.  My tibia, gratefully, held up through the entire run with no pain.).  So today's run was a success.  No matter how miserable I felt while out there!

Today's Running Mantra

Let me recap...I was excited last night about the prospect of the first outdoor long run of 2011.  Well folks...it left much to be desired.  Since there is still a TON of snow on the ground, running on any trails/bike paths is not an option.  I had to be content with neighborhood roads.  Almost as boring as the treadmill (okay, that's an exaggeration, but they certainly lack some of the *sparkle* of the forest preserve paths I adore).  Also, even though the temperature is currently 48 degrees (??????? That's almost 60 degrees higher than it was Wednesday morning!!! Oh midwest...), it was still in the mid twenties with a light wind this morning.  I'm not really a winter girl, which is why I've been hiding indoors on the treadmill all winter.  It drives me crazy when, running, your face is freezing but the rest of your body is sweating.

The Starting Line...YAWN!!!

This run was just not fun from start to finish.  I had a tummy ache and some side stitches, one so painful that I actually had to kneel down for a minute.  Why?  I did nothing differently than the past few long runs!  What happened?  Also, my knotty calves plagued me throughout.  While they weren't unbearable while running, any time I switched to a walk I could just feel them tightening up.  As I walked at the end to cool down, I probably looked like a hobbling 90 year old.  Don't worry, as soon as I press "publish" here I'm off to subject myself to what likely will be a foam rolling session filled with tears of pain, before heading to a massage that I'm sure will be anything but relaxing.  It will be worth it though, I have no doubt.  (Side note:  I'm thinking about adding some protein shakes to my diet to help my muscles...I'm a vegetarian and getting adequate protein is a constant struggle for me.  I know many veggies who have no problem supplementing their diet, but I have always had a hard time getting enough.  Thoughts?)

After Mile 7 I stopped at home to shed a layer, take a potty break, and take a 5 minute mental break.  I did not sit on the couch or anything--I definitely would have been tempted to just quit.  But I really needed 5 minutes to just gather my thoughts and give myself a little pep talk before heading out for the last 5 miles.  I think it really helped.  I told myself that I only had 5 more miles, and 5 miles were a piece of cake.  That's what I told myself all the way through then end of the run: Just 4 more miles now!  That's 2/3 of the way DONE!  Just 3 miles left!  That's just a 5K, you can do those no problem!  Only 2 to go now!  Homestretch! 1 measly mile left!  Half a mile!  Quarter of a mile!  ALMOST THERE, JUST KEEP MOVING!!!"

And, somehow, I made it.  12 miles.  Almost the entire half-marathon distance.  My pace may have been so slow I was almost standing still, but 12 miles is 12 miles.  And I'd say, that is definitely something worth celebrating, no matter how badly it hurt.  Actually, maybe even more so because it was a rough run, because in spite of all of that, I didn't quit.

Alright, foam roll time...owowowowowow...

Gearing Up for the Big 12 Miler

I spent my afternoon today with my good ol' Everyday Math manual...aka the bane of my existence lately.  I've mentioned before how crazy EDM drives me, but the mid-year chapters are really the worse.  The order of the lessons just plain doesn't make sense, it teaches things the kids really DON'T need to know, and skips fundamentals that they absolutely DO.  Lately I've been dreading opening that manual because I know it will inevitably just mean planning supplemental lessons and creating tons of my own worksheets because the journal pages are too complicated/confusing/ridiculous.  Today planning was made slightly better by a delicious pomegranate oolong (spelling?) tea and a brand new pad of pink post-its.  Yep I'm a big dork.  I adore new office supplies ESPECIALLY post-its.




This evening has been spent with my good friend Mr. Tennis Ball.
Yes, I have more knots in my calf muscles.  WHY???  I'm stretching and foam rolling, I promise!  Ugh this is driving me crazy.  I'm hoping that I have managed to work them out enough with the tennis ball that I will make it through tomorrow's 12-miler with minimal muscle pain.  I know last week after making it through 10 miles I was feeling super optimistic and confident, but I'm getting a little nervous tonight...I guess it's time to blast my absolute favorite running songs, lay out tomorrow's running clothes, and tell myself over and over how amazing the run is going to be!

Exciting things about tomorrow's run:

1. I will be setting a new distance record!
2. Getting a massage tomorrow evening (just on my legs...) 
3. FIRST OUTDOOR RUN OF 2011!!!!!!  Yes, you read that right!!  It's going to me mid-twenties early tomorrow morning and only going up from there!  There is going to be a wind...but I'm optimistic. :)  

The only downside is there that there are still 2 1/2 feet of snow on the ground, so I'll just be running down the street around here...we'll see where the 12 miles take me!  I do miss my running paths though. :(

Wish me luck tomorrow!

Terrific Ten

Ladies and gentlemen...for the first time EVER I banged out a 10 mile run this morning!  And on the boring treadmill no less.  (It is snowing AGAIN...)  This is how I feel right now:

Wanna know the really amazing thing about today's run?  Other than the fact that it was ten freaking miles?  I did not feel tired at the end!!!  Well, (let's be real) maybe a little exhausted, but I definitely did not feel like I was going to pass out/fall off the treadmill/die like I have after some runs.  This makes me SO happy because it means I've actually figured out fueling and pacing strategies that WORK for me!  

I knew I would need plenty of energy throughout this run, so I had my usual pre-long run snack of gel & water about 20 minutes before leaving for the gym.  During the run I sipped a water bottle of 1/2 powerade and 1/2 water.  This was the first time I've tried that, and I was really happy with it.  I felt hydrated throughout  the run.  I also had a second gel after 5 miles.  All of that sat really well in my super sensitive tummy, which is a major celebration!  

As far as pacing goes, I am ALWAYS slow.  But I've been working on starting off even sloooower on the long runs, and increasing speed veeeery gradually.  I'm running the race in 3/1 run/walk intervals, a strategy I started as I was recovering from my tibial stress fracture that I have really come to like.  For me, it totally works.  I have SO much energy at the end that the last few miles I can really kick up the pace.  I did the 10th mile with no walk breaks, knowing that this was the time to use all of that stored up energy.  And I felt great the entire run!  (minus some pain in my knee the last mile...I'm not worried about it, though, because it stopped immediately when I slowed to a walk for cool down and is feeling fine now.  Maybe my body was just was confused about the long distance I was suddenly expecting it to do!)

Besides pacing and fueling correctly, another thing I have learned while training for this race is the power of a positive attitude.  While getting dressed and on my way to the gym this morning I listened to my favorite pump up songs on repeat.  I talked the run up in my head, and reminded myself how I had dominated my 9 mile run last week.  What's one more tiny little mile?  I wrote my favorite mantra on my wrist:

Trust the Process

But you know what?  I'm not sure I even needed all of that.  The long and short of it is, I was ready for this run.  My body has come SO FAR in my training.  I was ready to run 10 miles today.  I will be ready to run 12 miles next week.  And in 3 weeks I will be ready to run 13.1.  Can I just say that I'm starting to get REALLY excited???

10 reasons why tomorrow's 10 miler is gonna rock my sweaty socks off

Since I am training for my FIRST half marathon and since I've never been a distance runner in the past, for the past few weeks every long run has meant a new personal distance record.  This means that every Sunday morning I am met with a big scary CHALLENGE.  But more importantly, this means that every Sunday morning I am met with a new opportunity to push myself and ultimately surprise myself.  6 miles felt wonderful.  7 miles felt fantastic.  (8 was skipped because of injury...).  9 miles was bliss.  But this week we are entering new territory...DOUBLE DIGITS.  eep!  Because I know how valuable optimism can be in training, I plan to psych myself up all afternoon/night for tomorrow's run, starting with this list of 10 reasons why it's going to be pretty much epic.

10. 10 miles at my snail's pace = almost 2 hours of uninterrupted time to rock out to some awesome dance tunes!  In a busy teacher's life, how often does THAT happen?  Note to self: do not attempt to dance on treadmill.

9. It's 9 miles more than what I once thought was the furthest I could ever run!

8. After this run, I have only 1 more long run on the (dread) treadmill!  Hopefully spring will decide to show its lovely face again soon!

7. 10 miles means breaking into double digits for the first time ever!

6. People who run 10 miles just sound badass.  "Oh, I just ran 10 miles.  No big deal." (Except if I attempt to say that right after, it will likely lose some of the effect as I will simultaneously be gasping for breath and cramming a granola bar in my mouth.)

5. I will be rewarded with a wonderful massage afterward.

4. License to bum around on the couch the rest of the day.

3. This run marks just 3 measley weeks until I get to run here: 

source

2. This means I am just 3 miles away from half-marathon distance.  Whoa.

1. 10 miles = invincible me.

Let's hope I don't slice my mouth open on my gel again this week...cross your fingers for me!

Cloud Nine (miles that is!)

Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make...after finally dragging my lazy butt out of bed and away from Secret Life of the American Teenager this morning, I RAN NINE MILES, a new distance record.  woohoo!!!

I was pretty ecstatic during the last few miles of the run as the numbers clicked by on the treadmill and it began to hit me that I really was going to make it the full nine miles.  I kept a slow and steady pace throughout the run before kicking it up in the last two miles when it was clear that I was totally owning this run.  And when I finished the full nine miles, I felt like a champion.  This time last year nine miles was not even a pipe dream for me.  This time six months ago nine miles was exactly that--a dream, a wish, a silly hope.  Today, it's a reality.  And my half-marathon goal is just that much closer to becoming a reality.

And now, it's time to live on this high for the rest of the day while I tackle the lesson plans and grading that I (for some reason) ALWAYS put off until Sunday...but maybe I'll watch just ONE episode of Secret Life first... :)

[BTW I almost forgot--today was an epic energy gel fail day for me.  Not only did I goo up my computer eating one before leaving for the gym, but in my attempt to be super cautious and not get gel all over me at the gym during my run, I made sure the whole opening was in my mouth for that one...and obviously cut the corner of my mouth on the sharp edge.  Cut to me bleeding all over my gym towel, looking like a fool...]

Sensational Seven

Drum roll please...today I ran 7 miles!  I am pretty pumped just thinking about that.  Not only is this the FURTHEST I've ever run, it's over half of the distance of a half-marathon.  So finally, my big goal is starting to actually feel atainable, even if I still have a good ways to go.

My running confidence has been wavering over the past two weeks or so (as evidenced by my lovely race nightmares), and I was determined to go into this long run prepared and with a positive attitude.  I try to run on an empty stomach as much as possible because I tend to get tummy aches when I eat before runs, but I know seven miles is way too far to run without some calories in the tummy.  So yesterday I bought some Gu to try--I've only ever used energy gels once before, when I ran/biked the Muddy Buddy in 2008.  I was determined that a tummy ache would NOT mess with my run today!  Then, I talked the run up in my head all day and night.  When I was driving to go out with friends yesterday evening, I blasted my favorite running pump-up songs in the car and literally broke out dancing at the wheel a few times.  By this point, I was positive that the run was going to be epic.

I had a snack before bed, filled up my water bottle, added some fun new songs to my ipod shuffle, and put on my running clothes.  Yes, put them on.  I'm NOT a morning person, and even though I didn't plan to wake up insanely early for this run (actually the opposite, I slept in until TEN!!!  Glorious), I need all the extra motivation I can get in the morning.  And not even having to change certainly helps!  Then, in the car this morning on the way to the gym, I listened to a few of my favorite songs again.  I was literally itching to get running.

Since I got REALLY exhausted about half way through my long run last Sunday, I decided to not worry about speed this week.  I'm super slow as it is, but when I'm running on the treadmill I usually try to up my speed a tiny bit every mile, and finish with a big push.  Today I knew that my goal was distance, and kept the speed slow.  And between the amazing playlist I had going, the pep talks the previous day, and picturing myself running through the Magic Kingdom anytime I got tired, I powered through seven miles.  BAM.

I said in my last post that I sometimes feel like a half-marathon is no big deal in the grand scheme of things.  People do more ambitious races and run further distances every day, right?  Well, the thing is, those people are not me.  And 13.1 miles IS a big deal for me.  7 miles is a big deal for me.  Running this half-marathon is one of the most ambitious goals I've ever worked towards (well, you know, besides surviving every day teaching in the 5th grade jungle, of course).  And the fact that other people might run faster or further doesn't change the fact that I'm giving this absolutely everything I've got, and doing things I'd never dreamed I could a year or two ago.

I think I'll just take the rest of today to revel in my badassness...And hallelujah it's a 3-day weekend, so there isn't even any pesky grading and lesson planning to interrupt my happiness.  :)