RACE RECAP: Tyranena Beer Run 1/2 Barrel (Half Marathon)

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We drove up to Lake Mills, WI yesterday (Saturday) morning.  It's about a two hour drive and since we could only pick up our packets the morning of the race and the race didn't start until 11:30 am we had plenty of time to eat a healthy breakfast, pack up and get on the road by 7:45 am.  Soon we were pulling into the Kwik Trip in Lake Mills to grab some more water and then we headed over to Tyranena Brewing Company.  We parked, picked up our packets and beer and walked back to the car to get everything ready that we needed for our races.  I was running the half marathon and Dan ran the 1/6 Barrel (aka 4.37 miles) race.

Dan and Me
Pre-Race

I had packed a peanut butter sandwich (since it'd have been a few hours since we ate breakfast) to snack on pre-race as well as a banana and I enjoyed those while we sat in the warm car.  Shortly after that my sister sent me a text message to let me know they were there so we gathered up our stuff and headed to the tent. It wasn't long and they were calling for runners to come to the starting line.  Either people didn't want to come out of the tent or no one wanted to be up front so I stood toward the front and had plenty of room to warm-up while we waited for the official start.  We sang the anthem, got last minute starting instructions and were off.

While running these hills I was suddenly thankful
that I'd run hills in Idaho and at our weekly
fun runs in Deer Grove!

Going into almost any race I'm nervous.  I'm nervous for a number of reasons and so I sent a text message to my running friends (Coach B, Naomi & Kim) and received a massive outpouring of support and what they sent me is what stuck in my head the entire race.  I'd trained for this day and I was prepared.  This, no matter what the course was like, is what I'd spent months training for.

I'd reviewed the elevation chart last week so I knew there would be hills.  This was one of the bits of advice that Coach B gave me.  To run strong up the hills because I was trained for them and she was right.  There were a few that made me doubt whether I'd be able to run all the way up but I kept reminding myself that I was just out for a fun run and that I had trained for this.

I think I spent a lot more time enjoying the scenery of this race than any other I'd run before.  The leaves were in full color change making the views positively spectacular!   While we ran through the town of Lake Mills there were spectators here and there but once we left the city and headed out on the country roads the course support got more sparse.  I think my one actual complaint about the race had to do with the first two water stations - they seemed woefully understaffed and had no cups filled as I ran past.  I was thankful that I was carrying my own water at those moments so I could just keep trucking along.

Best damn cheer squad
L-R:  Paula, Mark & Brenda

I remember feeling really good up through mile 8 or 9 where I saw my sister cheering on runners.  I was happy to report that I'd been running the entire time except for the few breaks I'd taken to drink from my water bottle and eat the dates I brought for fuel.  Just after I saw her I came up to the last water stop.  I stopped to refill my water bottle to ensure I'd have enough to get me through the finish.  At this point I realized that I'd started slowing down... I went from a sub 10:xx/mile average to 10:2X/mile average but I knew I was still far ahead of my PR pace and I rationalized that if this pace felt good that I should continue at this pace so that I'd be able to run the entire race.

On the elevation chart it doesn't look big but my toes (which always hurt after about 8 miles) hurt, and my knee was bothering me and I just .... I don't know.  I just felt the need to walk a little bit.  At first I told myself I'd only walk two minutes and before I realized what had happened I'd walked about a half mile.  I knew I had to start running again or my muscles would continue to get tighter and I wouldn't be able to run.  So, I ran.  Slowly.  And suddenly these crazy people on the sidewalk screamed my name.  It took me what seemed like forever to realize they were my cousins Mark and Paula!

I was so tempted to walk a bit again but knowing that people I knew were watching me made me keep

The runners
L-R:  Alex, Kristi, me, Dan

running.  I got about a quarter of a mile up the road and I thought about walking again and then I saw Kristi who told me that the finish was just up around the bend.  And now I couldn't walk because there was someone else watching me!  As I turned the corner I could see the finish line.  Then I saw Dan and Brenda.  As I made the final turn I saw the finish line and I'm not sure where the burst of energy came from but I hauled it across the finish line.  I saw the clock as I crossed and as my feet hit the timing mat the tears hit my cheeks.  I had just hit a HUGE personal record.

My previous PR was 2:28:24
My new PR is 2:18:23

That's a full TEN MINUTES off my previous time!  I'm still shocked.

So, as far as my goals... let's review:

• Run the entire race
• So close... but not quite.  
• Begin Slow
• Yes!  I definitely consider this a success.
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
• Yes!  While I fueled appropriately I still felt dehydrated at the end of the day but I also realize that I ran a half marathon so that's to be expected.

I consider this half marathon to have been a complete success.  I truly appreciate all the advice and support I got from family, friends and fellow runners.  You all have no idea how much your words carried me through the miles and built my confidence.  I loved every single minute of this race and will definitely run this race again.

Who's in for next year?

Remember When?

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First, I'm sorry that I haven't blogged in awhile.  Life has been strangely busy so let's jump right in and catch up, shall we?

For a few weeks in September I decided to try the Simply Filling technique from Weight Watchers.  I continued to track, because I'm a little OCD that way, and wasn't going over my DPT but every week I stepped on the scale and I gained weight.

At the end of September I headed to Wisconsin to surprise my dad who was being presented an award from an organization he's worked with for more than 30 years.  I mention this because I considered the road trip a success in the eating realm.  Normally I'd stock up on junk food at the gas stations when I'd stop but this time I went into the trip well prepared with a fully cooler of healthy options.  I ate moderately well at the awards banquet and breakfast/lunch the following day but when I got on the scale it showed I'd gained weight, again.

Felt like I was on top of the world.
Then Barbara made me climb even higher!

I decided that it was time to go back to Tracking.  I knew while doing the Simply Filling technique that I wasn't always listening to my body when it said it was full and I knew that'd be a problem.  I also know that when I'm on the Tracking program that I get X amount of food and then I'm done and I do well with those limitations.  At the same time I started back on Tracking I hit the road again, this time to Idaho.  We drove from my house to outside Victor, ID in about 22 hours.

At the Wyoming border you apparently line up by height.
L-R:  Kim, me, Barbara, Naomi

I tried to make healthy choices during the entire trip and since I was with my friend (and coach) Barbara, there was plenty of working out.  We hiked, and ran (at altitude!!), did some gardening and baking and most importantly we laughed A LOT!  Our friends, Kim & Naomi, flew in on Friday and the laughing, running and hiking continued.  I learned a few things on the road trip out that I decided not to repeat on the way home so I packed food for the trip home.

When I got home I was pleasantly surprised to find that I lost weight -- well, I lost what I gained before I went on the trip!  At least it's progress.

How have you been?  Have you learned any lessons or made any changes?

Training -- physically and mentally

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Having spent the majority of my life terribly overweight trained my brain to compensate for things.  I'd try to hide under clothes or behind people in photos.  I'd convince myself that I couldn't do something before I'd even tried.  Some things in life were unavoidable (e.g. school tests, performance reviews, etc..) and my brain would immediately go to the worst case scenario.  Generally this meant I ended up in tears with Dan rolling his eyes saying "you always do this and everything works out" and he was usually right (yeah, I hate that too) but I never figured out how to change my brain so it didn't go full tilt negative.

No, this photo will NEVER get old

The reason I bring this up on the blog is because the same thing happened yesterday while I was out running with one of my favorite people in the world, Coach B.  There are some scheduling issues and I knew I wouldn't see her for over a month (gasp) so we decided to get together for a run yesterday.  As we headed out she told me to run whatever pace I felt comfortable and she'd hang with me.  We were planning on only running a little over 4 miles so I was cool with whatever.  The sun was shining with low humidity and I was running with someone who has provided me so much guidance and inspiration that I didn't really care what pace we were running.

Apparently my new shoes came with rocket boosters?

She was doing most of the talking with the occasional comment or question from me and I was having the most fabulous time.  She told me crazy stories and we joked about family vacations.  I honestly could not have been happier.  Right until I looked at my watch and noticed that we were running sub 9:XX/miles.  The only time I've run that fast was doing speed work before the Oshkosh half back in April and I was only running that speed for short bursts.  In the first mile I didn't pay much attention to my watch but I knew I was pushing hard.  I heard my Garmin beep when we'd gone a mile and briefly looked at it and thought wow - that was fast.  We kept moving along and when the second mile revealed an even faster time my brain kicked in and started to take over.

I ended up convincing myself that I needed a break.  Coach B agreed and we walked for a bit, started to run again when I complained of cramping and so we slowed our pace.  Was the cramping caused by dehydration again or was this a mind over muscle thing?  Maybe a little of both.

When we finished our run I asked Barbara what I should do next?  I had been really tempted to sign up for the Chicago half marathon in September but was worried about training over the summer.  She looked at me in that way that you know she's going to tell you something you probably don't want to hear but know you need to hear and told me I need to suck it up.  She told me that I need to push through my brain telling me that I can't do something because I can.  When I told her that my first 3 miles of the last half marathon were low 9:XX/miles and that I don't normally run that pace she looked at me and said, yes, but you can.

So during the summer I'm going to suck it up so that on September 8 I will be prepared to toe my fourth half marathon start line.  I have a training plan (and I love having a detailed plan) and a shiny new goal/PR in mind!

Are you training over the summer?  What races are on your calendar?

Race Recap: Chicago 13.1

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Matt, me, Julie

Yesterday I ran the Chicago 13.1 Half Marathon with Team Challenge.  Running with Team Challenge is always an amazing experience and yesterday didn't disappoint.  My race weekend actually began Friday night with the Team Challenge Inspirational Pasta Party.  I was able to see Julie (@semicolongirl) and meet Matt (@matthewmelnick) which was awesome.  I met Julie (who I follow on Twitter) last December in Las Vegas because she put her twitter handle on the back of her singlet (great idea, by the way) and was thrilled to be able to see her again.

Naomi showing her team spirit!

Coaches Barbara & Kim
Mentors Jen & Naomi

At the dinner there are a few guest speakers including the grand daughter of the founders of CCFA.  We also heard Kyle, a Team Challenge Illinois Honoree, speak and receive two standing ovations.  They also named the top 10 fundraisers and the amount of money that each of these people raised is nothing short of incredible.  The top 1 and 2 fundraisers raised over $18,000 EACH!  After dinner we had a quick Team Challenge Illinois team meeting and then I headed straight to bed.  It'd been a long day and any alarm that starts with a 4:XX is never a good thing.

I had nightmares about the race all night.  I dreamt about everything from getting lost, falling/injuring myself, to completely missing the race.  I woke up with sore shins but hoped that as I walked around to get ready that the achiness would go away, and it did, mostly.  We took a few team photos in the lobby before we boarded the shuttle bus to head to the South Shore Cultural Center.

That's @JasonKVD in the black
baseball hat behind me!

When I entered the race I used my finish time from Oshkosh as my projected finish time so I was actually in the corral behind the 2:20 pacer.  I was disappointed about this but since I didn't even know there were going to be pacers at the race I figured I'd just follow my original race plan.  Remember when I said I met Julie because she had her twitter name on her singlet?  I decided to do the same and met another twitter friend!

They were releasing corrals at a pretty quick interval.  The race began at 7 am and they were sending my corral out at 7:23 am.  I didn't think this was so bad considering some of the Chicago races I've done have left me standing there for over an hour!  When we took off I couldn't even see the people from the corral in front of us and since I had lined up at the very front of my corral and I felt like I was in first place for awhile!

Passed Dan, Bob and Sheri @ Mile 3!

Mile 1:  9:17
Mile 2:  9:20
Mile 3:  9:49
Mile 4:  9:44

I saw these splits as they ticked off on my watch and knew that I needed to slow down because I don't normally run long distances at that pace.  I'd caught up to the 2:20 pacer and passed her still hoping for my 2:10 finish time.  The sun was beating down on us and I was sweating.  A lot.  I grabbed water from the aid stations when I passed and drank a little from my water bottle in between but I was still super hot.

Mile 5:  10:10
Mile 6:  10:46

At this point I found Coach Mark along the course and stopped to walk.  My legs were burning and I took some chews and more water.  We walked and talked for a little bit and I told him that my legs were hurting and he told me that I needed to take it easy if I was hurting because it was a lot warmer out than it had been while we were training.  I tried to keep that in mind as I started running again.  By the way, thanks for the pep talk Coach Mark!

I met up with Coach Kimberly shortly after that and we walked and talked a little while too.  She got me through a water station where I refilled my water bottle, used the emergency Nuun tablet I'd stashed in my fuel belt before heading to the turn around.  I really thought I was ready to run again when suddenly my left calf started to cramp up.  I practically jumped off the path and hit the grass.  Coach Bill was nearby and came to help stretch it out.  I've never had cramps like this (thank goodness) and I was happy for any help!  Thanks Coaches Bill, Kimberly and Ann (who is the Team Challenge Illinois coach for the Nashville race and came out to cheer us on) for taking care of me.

After he massaged the knot out of my calf we got back on the path.  My watch got a little messed up around this time so I don't have mile by mile splits for the rest of the race.  Bill and I started out walking and he told me that walking might be best for me to prevent the cramp from coming back.  I tried to run a little bit when I could and could sometimes manage a half mile or so.  I caught up with the 2:20 pacer again, and foolishly enough I passed her, again.

Coach Paul from Texas

Around mile 8 or 9 there was a Team Challenge cheer station and they asked me if I was doing alright and I broke down, again, because my calves hurt so bad.  They had me sit and gave me Gatorade, Goldfish crackers and a salt packet.  I stretched my calves some more before getting up to walk, again.  Then a coach from Austin, TX caught up with me and walked with me until around mile 11.  I was extremely grateful for the company and the safety of having someone else with me.  I passed Dan, Bob and Sheri around mile 10 and swapped water bottles with him since he had a full bottle of Nuun for me.  Shortly after that I met up with Coach Barbara and the coach from TX ran on.  I completely forgot to say thank you so if anyone knows the guy in this photo, please let me know how to contact him.

I explained to Coach Barbara about my legs and we tried to run but every time we tried my calves kept spasming.  I was frustrated and angry that this was happening but Coach B tried to keep my mind off of talking about other things.  We finally passed another water stop and I grabbed a couple more cups of Gatorade.  I knew I wanted to finish this race running, even if I spent so much of it walking, and I figured the extra electrolytes would help.  When we were about a half mile from the finish Coach B told me to suck it up because I needed to run.  She was absolutely right and even though it hurt I ran.  It wasn't fast but I was running.

I saw Julie again!  I saw Michael (we trained together this season) running with Coach Kimberly! Finally I saw the finish!  Coach B grabbed my hand we crossed holding hands.  I grabbed a bottle of water and drank nearly all of it immediately.  Thankfully, Coach B grabbed a medal and hung it around my neck cause I was too focused on the food/drink to worry about it!

My official finish time:  2:47:58

Obviously this wasn't even close to any of my time goals but I continue to learn things about me and my running:

1. This is only my third half marathon and I've really only been running for a year AND
2. I won't PR every race so I have to accept that some aren't going to go my way
3. I need to figure out better hydration strategies because dehydration has caused me problems on two races (Las Vegas and Chicago) AND
4. I love the support that I get on the course when wearing my Team Challenge singlet

But most importantly, Crohn's and Colitis don't give up when they get tired or have cramps or get dehydrated so I won't either.  In fact, as we left the last water stop I told Coach Barbara that the fact that I was walking meant I was absolutely doing another Team Challenge race!  The only question is where I want to run next...  Stay tuned!

RACE RECAP: Zappo's Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon

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Life needs more cowbell

How do I sum up a race that I've been nervous about and looking forward to for six months?  I'm not entirely sure but I'm going to give it my best shot.  Six months ago I met Coach Barbara from Team Challenge on The Dr. Oz Show as part of the Transformation Nation Million Dollar You contest.  When I met her I was excited to train with a team and nervous about trying to run a half marathon.  I am absolutely in love with the fact that I trained with Team Challenge and would recommend that everyone do it (I'll tell you why in a minute) if you have any interest in training for a longer distance run.  So, here's what happened over the weekend.

Friday:  Dan and I flew to Las Vegas, took a shuttle bus to the hotel and grabbed a quick lunch.  We met up with my Team Challenge team to walk to the expo so we could pick up our bibs/race packets.  This was the first major race expo I'd been to and I was overwhelmed with the amount of exhibitors there.  I was excited to see new products and try a few samples.  I had no idea we'd been walking around the expo for nearly 2 hours - no wonder I was starting to get tired!  As we headed back to our room my mom called (they drove to Las Vegas to support me) so we walked to their hotel.  Mom had brought a ton of snacks and drinks for us so we went to gather them.  We came back to the hotel, enjoyed some of those snacks (she brought A LOT!) while chatting with Mom, Dad and my cousin Jane before heading downstairs to dinner.  Since Friday was my birthday I'd made reservations at Public House.  We met up with more family members, Mark (who was also running the half marathon) his wife Paula, Craig and his fiance Marina.  Dinner was super yummy and I was thrilled to be able to celebrate with everyone.

Yes, that's a cookie in the background
for post-race celebration!  Thanks Dad!

Saturday:  Dan and I met up with Team Challenge Illinois to head out on a short (30ish minutes) group run.  It was my last official Team Challenge training run and I was both excited (because we were running in Las Vegas) and sad (because it was the last group run).  When we were finished we headed to brunch with the group, which is really the best way to end a run!  After brunch we walked back to the hotel to get cleaned up before meeting up with Mom and Dad.  They'd been walking around all day and said that the Wynn (where everyone else was staying) was beautifully decorated so we decided to have dinner there.  We walked through Wynn and I was in awe at the decor - it was so beautiful.  Elegant and classy are not two words that I think of in Las Vegas but the Wynn made it just that.  We met up with Mark, Paula, Craig, Marina and Jane for dinner at Allegro.  Unfortunately, Dan and I were both pretty tired so we headed back to our hotel.  When I got back I found that my team had left me a belated birthday cupcake!  I laid out all of my race gear so I'd be ready for Sunday.

Pre-Race Interview with Coach B

Sunday:  Dan and I headed to Grand Luxe Cafe to meet Team Challenge Illinois for breakfast.  After breakfast I went back upstairs to lay down while Dan went in search of a place to watch the Bears game.  About 30 minutes later I got a major surprise - my sister and brother-in-law flew in to watch the race!  After some more resting it was time to get ready.  I was glad that I had everything laid out because it was easy to put things on and not feel rushed about it.  Once I was dressed we headed down to the lobby where Coach Barbara and I were interviewed by CCFA (how cool is that?!) and to meet my team for team photos.  

Mark and Me
He finished the race in 2:29:49
He's 100% badass awesome for that
(and more)

Then it was time to head to the bus for our ride to the start line.  Once we got there we headed to gear check, I hit the port-o-potties and then we started making our way to our corrals.  Even though the crowd at the start village was HUGE somehow Mark and Paula found me so I had someone to hang out with pre-race.  It was windy at the start village so I was glad that I'd brought a long sleeve t-shirt to wear while waiting to start.  The corrals were marked, however there wasn't any separators between the corrals so somehow we ended up lining up with 28 (our designated corral) but started with 30 - whoops!  The course started near Mandalay Bay and ran down past the airport.  This part was slightly brutal because the wind was really whipping and it was blowing a lot of sand around.  I tried to keep up with Mark (or at least keep him in my sights) but I'd lost him around the first water stop.  The crowds down by the airport were sparse but as I neared the hotels on the strip the crowds were there - and they were loud.  It was so awesome!  People were cheering for Team Challenge - whether they knew you or not they were screaming for you (this is why I think being a TC half marathoner was the best way to train!) and it gave me motivation to keep running.  Someone noticed my name (which was on my singlet) and shouted for me which was so cool!  I had a little trouble with my headphones because I was using a pair that I didn't train with.  They were earbuds with detachable pieces to go over my ears.  Unfortunately one of those pieces detached so I carried it because I didn't want to lose it.  Obviously, this is why you don't try new stuff on race day!  When I saw my family along the route I passed it off to them - thanks for hanging onto that for me!  

So I have to describe my first cheering squad.  Craig, Marina, Brenda, Alex and Mom were hanging out around mile 3 or 4 - I think but am not sure.  The first person I saw was Marina standing on the median screaming her head off - seriously she is the cutest little person ever and she was yelling and cheering.  I saw Craig holding out his hand for a high five but all he got was my ear bud piece (sorry dude, next time?).  Brenda and Alex were cheering crazy mad and since they have both run half marathons they knew how I felt.  Mom was cheering and blowing kisses.  I'm not sure who had the cowbell but I heard that thing clanging and it was awesome!  I kinda wanted to stay and hang out for awhile with these amazing people but I had more miles to run.  

Just shy of the 10K mark
Lots of things had started hurting by this point

There was more cheering from random strangers and I tried to wave or smile at them.  I thanked the water station volunteers (even though I was carrying water I grabbed some at the stations to sip because it was colder than mine) because they were cheering like crazy too.  I don't really remember much else until I got nearer to Stratosphere.  Dan had texted me and told me where he was so I started scanning the crowd for him.  I spotted Paula and her pom-poms first and Jane next.  I saw Dan (who was taking photos) and Dad who was yelling his head off.  Dan said that Dad saw how much the runners responded to his cheering and it made him yell louder!  Incidentally both of my parents were practically hoarse the next day.

I stopped shortly after this point to retie my shoes - why do they always loosen up as I run?  I ran until I hit the 10K mat and then started walking.  I just couldn't run.  My brain kept telling me to run but my legs kept telling me to lay down.  On the strip.  I hated it but kept walking quickly.  I kept thinking of Christine telling me during a training run that if I was going to walk that I had to walk quickly.  I'd pulled my arm warmers off around mile 1.5 and tied them on my belt.  I'd started to get cold around mile 8 so I put them back on.  I tried to run a few times but everything hurt and I ended up walking the majority of the rest of the race.  I met up with Coach Barbara around 11.5 and she tried to get me to run again.  That worked for all of about 150 feet.  I felt very defeated and sort of wanted to be alone but once I crossed the finish line I was glad she was there.  My official finish time was 3:03:31.

Crossing the finish line wasn't the big emotional part that I thought it'd be but that was because I felt like throwing up.  I saw chairs in the med tent and asked if I could sit for a minute.  The medics started to ask me some questions and things kind of got a little fuzzy.  I started shivering - very badly.  Coach B ran to grab space blankets for us but I couldn't get warm.  I tried to drink water but it was cold so that seemed counter productive to me.  The medic told Coach B to sit behind me and bear hug me to try to warm me up and that's when she realized how wet/sweaty I was.  She told me to get my sleeves off (done) and somehow she got my gear check bag brought to the med tent.  They asked me if I'd be comfortable changing and I said I didn't care - I immediately pulled off my singlet and t-shirt and pulled on my sweatshirt.  I got my shoes and capris off and pulled my pants on.  I couldn't get my fingers to work to get my shoes back on so Coach B helped me.  It was at this moment that I was so thankful she'd yelled at me about my gear check bag at the Hot Chocolate race because I was prepared this time!  I pulled on my the gloves and winter hat that I'd also packed (and wondered why since it was 70 degrees outside at the time!) and was then escorted to a golf cart for a ride to the main med tent.  Once there I was wrapped in more blankets and put in front of a heater which felt amazing.  Somehow Dan made it up to main med as I started to feel better.  The girl next to me was not feeling well and she started throwing up.  That's pretty much what made me get up and leave.

We started walking towards the exit and I grabbed some snacks on the way out.  We stopped at the Team Challenge tent to check-in and I got my 13.1 finisher's pin.  Clearly this wasn't the race that I thought it'd be - I thought I'd run much more, if not all of it.  However, I did it.  I did the training and I covered the 13.1 miles - maybe not the way I intended but I did it.

I made a whole list of goals before the race.  Let's see how I did:

• Exceed my fundraising goal - Thanks to the best family/friends ever I did this!
• Be happy while running this race (you've already done the hard work of training and fundraising and now it's time to have fun) - I did for the first 10K and then I forgot about this goal
• Run the entire race, even if the pace is slow as hell, keep running - I did not do this
• Listen to the crowds and enjoy the bands on the course - I definitely loved the crowds.  I didn't mind the bands though I didn't spend much time listening to them either
• Don't fall down - HUGE SUCCESS!
• Do not accept anything on the course (food/drink) that hasn't been tried during training - I only took water and high fives on the course, so I guess this means success!
• Finish the race running - seriously - maybe next time?
• Finish the race with a gigantic smile plastered all over my face - definitely failed at this one (the official race photos are proof that I didn't smile)
• Fuel appropriately during the race - this I did pretty well
• Have a photo taken with my space blanket and race medal - I am bummed about missing this one but the med tent seemed like a better place for me
• Rehydrate appropriately after the race and then enjoy a beer - I rehydrated but did not have a beer.  Last night we had some wine with dinner so I think that counts as satisfying this goal
• Eat whatever you want after the race - don't count the points but that meal is it. Then back on track. - I had a bacon cheeseburger from room service.  It was alright.  Eating yesterday while we were en route home was a little off base but I'm glad to be back on track now
• Have fun with your family who will be there before/during/after the race - Definitely accomplished this goal.  I can't believe all of the people who came to Las Vegas to support me.  I know that I am truly blessed with such wonderful people in my life

If you are considering training for a half marathon find a group like Team Challenge (or do it with Team Challenge) because the coaching and on course support from the entire Team Challenge family was absolutely amazing.  I will definitely run more races with Team Challenge ... it's just a matter of deciding which one.  Anyone want to run/train with me?

Half Marathon Training Update - Week 12

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This week was my longest run.  Ever.  I was planning on being home in Wisconsin for the weekend so I wanted to get the run out of the way before we left.  After the 7 mile run last weekend I planned out my route and tried to get excited about it without getting overwhelmed.  It definitely wasn't working until I got an email from Coach B... she told me to not think of it as 10 miles but to break it up.  She suggested breaking it into 2.5 mile segments but I went a little smaller than that and made it 1 mile segments.  I am so glad that I got this advice (and that I followed it) because it felt so amazing when my Garmin beeped and told me I'd completed a segment.  I kept an eye on my pace knowing that I needed to stay out of the 10's and in the 11:XX pace.  I felt pretty good for the first 5 miles at which point I stopped and took off my sweatshirt (I layered my clothes - appropriately this time) and continued on.  I thought miles 6-8 were boring so I kept thinking about the segment I was in (rather than the total distance) and that helped.  At the beginning of miles 7 and 8 I stopped to stretch and drink water (I paused my Garmin) and at mile 9 I walked for 2 minutes (I didn't pause my Garmin) before continuing.  I was so extremely proud to have finished but I'd be lying if I said it was easy.  I know that the last 5K of the race is going to be tough but I am also beginning to believe that I can actually do this!  YIPPEE!!

So, here's what I was supposed to do last week:
M: Run, 4 miles
T: Cross training or Speed
W: Run, 3 miles, threshold
T: Strength
F: Off
S: Run, 10 miles
S: Off

Here is what I actually did:

M: Run, 4.42 miles
T: Cross train (elliptical & stationary bike) and strength train
W: Run, 4.03 miles
T: Off
F: Run, 10 miles
S: Off (casually walked around)
S: Off

I thought that beginning taper would be awesome.  So I went for my run today and while the starting mile was rough (my legs felt heavy) I ran 5 miles.  As I thought about my workouts for the remainder of the week I realized that I felt really good and considered running 5 miles tomorrow too.  Yeah, that's not in the plan.

How do you handle tapering?  Do you feel like you can run more miles than you're supposed to?  If so, how do you reign that in?

Half Marathon Training Update - Week 11

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Today was my last group run.  I have terribly mixed emotions about this detail.  On the one hand it'd be nice to not have to get up at 5 am on at least one weekend day but on the other hand it is fun meeting up with the group, warming up, running a bunch of miles and then catching up with folks when we're done.  I suppose I knew this adventure would come to an end but I never thought of how I would feel when it did.

Training isn't over yet, I have two more weekend runs (10 and 5 miles) to do but will do them on my own since the scheduling doesn't work.  I have already mapped out my 10 mile route and I'm oddly excited to tackle this challenge.  The five mile run is already mapped out since I have been running that at least once a week for the last several weeks.  It'll be a little sad to do these runs on my own but I hope that I have learned as much as possible from my coaches to be successful.

Today's run was a 7 mile jaunt in Libertyville (aka the hilly forest preserve) that kind of kicked my butt.  A few days ago while stretching my legs I'd noticed a knot in my calf muscle and tried to work it out.  I might have worked it a little too hard because it started to bother me today.  I ended up walking a few times but Coach B kicked my *ss and got me running again.  I finished the run with an 11:28 pace and 1:19:18 which was 13 seconds faster than the last 7 mile run I did and 1:07 faster than the first 7 mile run.  Clearly this means I'm progressing as a runner?  I really just need to work on my pacing so that I can be more consistent.

My training plan this week was:
Monday: Run, 5 miles
Tuesday: Cross Training or Speed
Wednesday: Run, 4 miles - Start easy build to fast finish
Thursday: Strength
Friday: Run, easy 30 minutes
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Run, 7 miles

What I actually did this week:

Monday: Run, 4.27 miles (pace began at 11:27, finished at 11:16)
Tuesday: Bike, 10.98 miles
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Run, 5.33 miles
Friday: Run, 3.19 miles
Saturday: Bike, 8.05 miles
Sunday: Run, 7 miles

I had to flip my Monday/Wednesday runs around because of the 15K race last week.  My legs were not ready to tackle 5 miles on Monday but I knew I needed to get them moving so that is why I swapped those to runs.  I think it was a fairly successful week except for missing the strength workout.

Any tips for conquering the long runs?

Half Marathon Update - Week 8

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Why does it feel like I just finished writing the week 7 update?  Oh right, because I was a little late with that one.  My bad!  Week 8 went much better than week 7 did and I'm really pleased with that.  Last Sunday I was supposed to meet up with the Team Challenge Group for a 7 mile run but the weather was crap - it rained all night and was still raining when my alarm went off.  I checked the weather and it didn't appear like it was going to clear for a few hours and I did not want to spend over an hour out in the cold/rain.  Having dealt with the cold/sinus infection all week I decided to email my coach to let her know that I was going to back out on the group run that day.  The weather report showed clear skies on Monday so I had already started planning to hit a new trail (actually it's the path where Dan and I have biked a bunch this summer) just so that I'd get a different view than the same view I have running all around my town.

I programmed my Garmin for a five minute walk, then 3.5 miles of running at which point I'd turn around and run 3.5 miles back with another 5 minute walk to cool down.  I also decided that it was time to break out my headphones and I'd started creating my half marathon play list.  For the shorter runs/races I sort of enjoy being unplugged however I've started to notice on the longer runs that I do start to get bored and I thought it'd help me stay on pace/upbeat about running for so long.  The trail was nearly empty on Monday so I happily mouthed the words to quite a few songs while I was running.  I even kept up a pretty consistent pace throughout the run so I was pleased with that.  I was also pretty excited to text Coach B when I got home to report that I had tackled 7 miles!

So here's what I was supposed to do during Week 8:
Monday: Run, 4 miles
Tuesday: Cross training or speed work
Wednesday: Run, 5 miles, Medium effort
Thursday: Strength train
Friday: Run, easy 30 minutes
Saturday: Run, 8 miles
Sunday: Rest

Here's what I actually did:

Monday: Run, 7 miles
Tuesday: Bike 11.69 miles, Strength train
Wednesday: Run, 5.5 miles (includes warm-up/cool-down walk)
Thursday: Speed work and bike (in the gym)
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Run about 4 miles, walked the rest = total 8 miles
Sunday: Run, 3 miles

I am super disappointed in my performance during the group run.  My stomach had been bothering me all day to the point where I took some Tylenol (I rarely take anything) and I just couldn't seem to get it together last night.  On top of that I tried some Gatorade chews around mile 6 and shortly after that my stomach started to feel even worse.  The last few group runs we've done I've struggled but when I run on my own I seem to be fine.  I might try running on my own during the group run next weekend so I can just focus on running and go at my own pace.  No excuses.

I am still fundraising and have quite a ways to go to reach my fundraising goal.  Can you help?  Please use the secure website to donate to CCFA a registered 501(c)3 charity.

Half Marathon Training - Week 4 and a RAFFLE!!

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This week I was coming off my shiny new PR high from the Bucktown 5K.  Being able to run that fast for 3.1 miles made me realize that all the training is paying off and that I really need to complete all the required training elements every single week because on December 2nd I'm going to need every single ounce of that training to work in my favor.  So, here's what coach wanted me to do this week:

Monday: 3 miles
Tuesday: Cross Train or Speed
Wednesday: 3 miles, start easy build to fast finish
Thursday: Strength
Friday: Easy 30 minutes
Saturday: 5 miles, start slow last 3 fast
Sunday: Rest

Here's what I actually did:

Monday: Bike 9.31 miles/42 minutes
Tuesday: Run 5.88 miles (W7D3 of the 5K - 10K program I've been doing)
Wednesday: Bike 11.91 miles/56 minutes
Thursday: Speed (10 minutes slow, 20 minutes fast, 10 minutes slow) & Strength train
Friday: Off (I thought I'd be running on Sunday so I took an early rest day)
Saturday: 5 miles with the TC Group
Sunday: Bike 12.4 miles/54:13

Overall I feel really solid about the training I did and feel like I'm making good progress.  The run on Saturday with my TC teammates did not go exactly as planned.  I'd intended to run an 11:00/mile but the first two were in the 10:XX range.  I struggled to hang onto that pace so the last 3 miles were slower, especially the last one because I ended up walking about a quarter mile.  I was disappointed with this but I was talking to Coach Bill who gave me some advice about speed training (it's necessary even though it sucks) and I really appreciated that.

Photo by SPIBelt (because I couldn't make it look this good)

Now for the fun part!  The fabulous folks at SPIBelt have donated one of their very fabulous belts to help me raise money for Crohn's and Colitis Foundation!  I got my SPIBelt for Christmas last year and have LOVED having it.  I've used it while walking, running, biking and hiking.  Pretty much anytime I'm going out alone I have that handy little belt with me.  At first I thought that it wouldn't be big enough to hold both my phone and my house key/cash/ID etc.. but I've been able to store my iPhone, a full size CLIF bar, car/house key, ID & Cash with no problem.  Even with all of that in there the belt stayed securely on my waist and didn't bounce at all!  These things are AMAZING!

In order to be entered for the raffle you just have to do one thing!  For every $5 donated to Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (using that URL) you get an entry to the raffle.  Please share this with everyone you know so we can share the SPIBelt love and raise a lot of money for CCFA!  The contest is open now through next Monday, October 1, 2012 at which point I'll pick (using a random number generator) & will post the winner with next week's training update.

Edited to add:  I have a few more raffles to do and once you've donated you're entered in all of 'em!  So donate now!!

Good luck everyone!

And another thing ...

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Remember two weeks ago when I said we'd gotten back from Alaska and that I gained 14 freaking pounds?  No, I haven't lost it all yet and it's just serving as another reminder of how long it takes to lose it once you gain it.  I did lose weight this week (1.4 pounds) and I'm happy about that and I suppose I am also happy to have the reminder of how quickly things can go bad when you stop following the plan.  Considering how I ate last week I am happy with a 1.4 pound loss.  The reason I say that is that I struggled with (at least in my mind) endless eating.  I ended up eating 20 of the 68 activity points that I earned which is more than I usually do (prior to vacation I was eating 10-14) but apparently not enough to really affect my weight loss.

The other big news I have to share is that I am now smack dab in the middle of week one of half marathon training!  We had our first group run this past Saturday and I met more of the team and got in 1.5 miles.  It was my first time running in a group (other than for a race but that wasn't so much group running since it's ever man for themselves!) and it was fun.  The coaches and mentors (shout out to Coaches Bill & Barbara and mentor Christine) were fabulous to run with.  Coach Bill kept reminding me to keep my head up (given my tendency to fall over, well, nothing I tend to look down which changes my posture.  Coach Barbara gave me a tip to rid my arms/shoulders of built up negative energy and coincidentally run faster.  I also learned some great stretches to do before running which is always awesome since I don't do nearly enough of that.

The distance for Saturday's run was only 1.5 miles.  I wasn't sure how to approach this since I'd been running longer distances and since we were having a clinic after the group run I wouldn't have the time to run longer after the group run.  So, I decided that I'd just try to run really fast for that distance and apparently I did because I ran the distance in 17:39 with an average pace of 10:46/mile.  WOAH!  Who am I?

So what is your big news?  Have you relearned anything (similar to realizing how long it takes to lose weight)?

Don't forget to donate to my Team Challenge fundraising campaign.  It's super simple and tax deductible and it is for a fabulous cause!

A reality check from my new coach!

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When we filmed the finale show for Transformation Nation:  Million Dollar You I was elated to find out that I would get the assistance of a coach from Team Challenge (part of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation).  However, I'll admit that I was also slightly terrified.  Up until now my training has been on my terms and while I try to stick to a training plan I know that if I want/need to take a rest day I can because the only person I'm really affecting is me.  Having a coach is someone else to be accountable to.  In all honesty it also made me worry that it would be someone who would judge me and how hard I was training.  Anyway... I confessed my anxiety to Coach Barbara who quickly responded (we've been corresponding via email) that she has no doubts I will be able to do this because I'd already done something major by losing 180+ pounds.  

While I was out for a training run this morning I couldn't stop thinking about what she said.  Why wouldn't I be able to do this?  Why did I think that training to run a half marathon would be any different than deciding to lose weight to live healthy?  And then it hit me like a ton of bricks.  When I set out to lose weight I never focused on the big goal - I never thought to myself that I needed to lose 200+ pounds.  I always focused (thanks to my fabulous Weight Watchers Leader, Karen) on the small goals.  I'd set a goal to lose 10 pounds and then I'd go do it and I wouldn't feel completely overwhelmed by it.  When thinking about running a half marathon I kept focusing on 13.1 miles.  This, in my twisty brain, is a lot of miles considering I haven't even run a complete 5K yet.  However, it made me realize that I was doing this all wrong and that I shouldn't be focused on the total mileage but rather smaller achievable goals.

It's important to keep the big picture in mind but not so much that it overwhelms and stops us from achieving a goal.  So that's what I'm going to do!  I'm going to break my training into smaller pieces to focus on rather than to continue stressing out about having to run 13.1 miles.  Ironically, during my training run this morning while thinking about all of this I ran farther than I was supposed to and ended up walking PAST my house for my cool down!