J is for June 20th

June 20, 2016. Next Monday. Five days away. 120 hours. 7,200 minutes.

That my friends, is how long I have until Marine Corps Marathon training starts. And then I get to do THIS!! Watch this video...


It’s time to lace up my sneakers and get back in the training saddle. I’m excited. I’m nervous. I’m anxious. This will be my third time training for a marathon – the first time, very unsuccessfully I “trained” for the Disney Marathon back in 2012. I took training much more seriously in 2014 for the Philadelphia Marathon. Doesn’t matter how many times you train, my nerves still get me.

Last September's Rock n Roll half marathon was my last "big race" I trained for and I'll be honest, I'm excited to get back into training. I trained for my sprint Triathlon a few weeks ago, but the training is not as intense as a half or full marathon. This winter/spring I was a bit all over the place. For months and months I was just winging it -- run 3 miles here, run 5 there, walk a few. I'm a person that needs a schedule to keep me motivated and in line. I'm ready for this!

I wrote a post a few weeks back but I’ll mention this all again. What makes this year’s marathon so special is that I will be decked out in my pink & black, running with over 50 Ainsley’s Angels runners and rider duos AND I will be pushing the one and only TEAM DYLAN the entire 26.2 miles. You heard me, PUSHING -- spreading the word of INCLUSION along the D.C. streets and representing Ainsley's Angels in Southeast PA!

I am HONORED to participate alongside 49 other athlete riders at this year’s race and I'm blessed to know that Dylan will be pushing/pulling me (and most likely yelling at me to go faster, he's competitive) the entire 26.2 miles.

Training for marathons are tough -- the miles and hours you spend on your feet are harsh over an 18 week span. But this year’s training will be NOTHING like my training plans in the past. This year for my training runs I plan on pushing one of our Freedom chairs during training runs, adding weight to the seat the equates to Dylan (roughly 90lbs). I have on my schedule this weekend to hit Lowes and purchase a sandbag or two – luckily they are cheap at only $4.50 a bag! I’m also trying to come up with something creative to note that I’m training for this race with a fake human in the chair and to not think I’m crazy. Any suggestions/thoughts are welcome!

I have a few big focuses for training this year:

1. Stay healthy. I’m having some SERIOUS calf problems since I went to Ireland in March. Some runs are unbearable. Some runs my legs and feet go completely numb. Over the last month my main focus has been to keep rolling my calves with the foam roller, stop and stretch on my runs if need be and to DRINK MORE WATER!!! I’m not sure if this is a hydration issue or something else. I should PROBABLY see a doctor…meh!

2. Fueling pre- and during race. Believe it or not (and I know I’m not the only person) but I can’t eat anything before a race. The combination of my nerves and excitement have me usually taking 3 tiny bites of a bagel and ditching the rest. I ALWAYS carb load the night before so I know I have a full stomach, however, that’s not healthy and will not give me top performance.

Here is a little science info: Carbohydrate is stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver.  You can store about 400g of glycogen in your muscles, and about 100g in your liver.  This means you can store about 2000 kcal as glycogen – enough energy to run or walk about 20 miles. (You can read more here later). That being said, a marathon is 26.2 miles – you NEED more energy throughout the race and that is done with fuel.

So this time training I plan on eating before my runs (crazy I know) and I plan on something simple like half bagel or some oatmeal. I have a feeling this is going to be a trial and error situation and I better create some routes that have bathrooms near by. Haha For during race, I love GU and other have suggest to drink Tailwind. I’ll keep you posted on that!

3. Nutrition in general is key. I’ve been pretty lazy on the nutrition front, but over the last three weeks I’ve been regrouping on my food. Here’s to hoping I can keep at it and see some weight loss during this training (I did last time, I hope it works again!)

4. TO HAVE FUN. Marathon training gets tough…real tough. But to remember my WHY and what I am representing this time around allows me to put life in perspective.

Oh, and I should mentioned because who doesn't love a shameless plug -- Ainsley's Angels of America is a charity partner for the 2016 Marine Corp Marathon. Each runner and rider needs to fundraise to participate in this race. If you're willing to make a donation to help Dylan and me be present at this race, we would greatly appreciate it! You can make your donation by clicking here: https://www.crowdrise.com/picspoundingpavement

Another Race Season Gone

In 8 days, another running race season will be in the books. Where in the world did the time go?

When I look back at my race season last year, it was full of monumental achievements, with personal records set, and determination to better my overall health. My drive, passion and commitment to running pushed over into 2015 finding the most perfect running group and making a goal for myself of running 15 race in 2015.

Long story short -- 15 races did not happen in 2015 AND I fell off the healthy bandwagon PRETTY
fast. After a tough half marathon in February and heartbreak of not PRing in it, my motivation fell. (As many of your read in my blog post, it's linked below) I think this happened for a reason because running in 2015 became for another reason....to help others.

While I may have not ran 15 races this year, I did compete in 8 events, one being very monumental for me, my first triathlon. This year I participated in the Be Amazo 10k, Quakertown Rotaty 10-Miler, Love Run Half Marathon, Brooklyn Half Marathon, Sandy Hook Triathlon, Runners World 5k, Philadelphia Rock n Roll Half Marathon on Halloween, and the PennSuburban Chamber 5k in December. I opted to sit out the Broad Street Run this year and with cash being tight, I had to strategically create my race calendar.

But despite all of the races and all of the miles, this year meant so much more to me. I made tons of new friends, rekindled a friendship with one, and I had the ability to watch and HELP a few fellow runners have a successful running year.

To my RUN Club-ers - I can not thank you enough for welcoming me into such an amazing, supportive and hysterical group of individuals. I wrote my first blog post about The Club on December 18 and I can say I'm still just as obsessed with you all now as I was that first day. This group has taught me that each and every one of us is an amazing and talented runner, and with the support of each other, we can accomplish ANYTHING! It doesn't matter your pace or your preferred distance, there is ALWAYS someone willing to run along side you. When injury comes our way, we have DOZENS of friends giving their support, prayers and motivation to keep our heads up when we're in a dark place. I love you all! Xo

To my dear friend Janice, I can not thank you enough for introducing me to the wonderful world of Triathlons. Our friendship dates back to second grade and here we are today, being a dynamic duo yet again despite several years of loosing touch. Your support, advice and friendship is something I cherish, and I can't thank you enough for opening my eyes to new possibilities and new adventures. You've made me realize I CAN do anything I put my mind to, and you helped me overcome my fear of getting eaten by a shark during the swim portion. :) I can't wait to Stroke It, Ride It, Pound It with you in 2016 -- watch out bitches, here we come!

Monica, I can not express into words how proud I am of you and all you have accomplished so far this year. I know you've told me many times how grateful you are that I introduced you to the RUN Club, but I'm grateful I've gained you as a friend. I hope you dont have me for yelling at you to "don't

stop running, do it for Jake!". I've been so honored to run by your side and help you train for some big races on your 2015 race schedule. Congrats! YOU need to be proud of yourself! Just like we are all proud of you.

Last and certainly not least, my dearest Taylor -- we are nearly a week away from your FIRST HALF MARATHON! What started out as a shot in the dark ask for 4 family remembers to run this race with me, you are the only one who stuck with it. Being able to run beside you, train you and witness all of your hardwork makes me fall more and more in love with you. Your determination and drive is something I've always cherished about you and it is great to witness it first hand. This half isn't even about me, it's about you! I can't wait to watch you cross that finish line and see that medal around your neck. I am so proud of you, my heart could burst.

Finish a Triathlon - CHECK

It’s officially been 24 hours since Iron Girl and I am still pumping with adrenaline from the race. It’s the same smile on your face/butterflies in your tummy you get when you’re in a new relationship. Most things new are exciting and this definitely is one for me.

Saturday: Heading to Sandy Hook
Heading to Sandy Hook for race registration was a breeze. I quickly got to packet pick up, got all my

items and hung around to listen to the “Course Talk”. For us newbies it was a great chat – they talked about the course, suggestions, tips and the day overall. It was nice to hear how much support the committee/organizers of the event are willing to give to make Iron Girl the best race experience there is. They were already winning me over on day one.

The race directors did acknowledge one hiccup for race day…they were missing an entire shipment of medals. If you’re an athlete, whether you want to admit it or not, most of us are all about the bling. You raise your hands as you cross the finish line…take 10 steps and right there is volunteers placing your precious bling around your neck. Limited bling means not everyone is getting one…most likely the individuals who are towards the back. I was in the second to last wave because of my age group so in my mind, Amanda wasn’t getting bling on Sunday. I knew they would mail it, but come on, WE WANT BLING! Liam wants bling!

So after buying a few shirts at the expo, it was time to go rack my bike. All the athletes are lucky with this race series being able to rack their bikes in transition the day before the race. They hire a night security team and watch all of the bikes over night. It was nice to worry about one less thing on race day morning.

That night, Taylor and I met up with Sarra, Augusto and Laia for a tasty Italian dinner. Carb load – check. Back to the hotel I got all my items in order – Check. A restless nights sleep filled with nerves – check.

Sunday – Race Day

Transition Set Up
It was an early start…4 a.m. WOOF. The day began so early because for Iron Girl Sandy Hook, each triathlete (ahhh weird saying that instead of runner!) needs to have all of their items in transition and set up by 6:30 a.m. For those of you who do not know, transition is sort of like “home base.” At transition you rack your bike and lay out all of your gear. So first you swim, then you run into transition and put on all the necessary items you need to bike. After the bike portion you head back into transition, rack your bike and get all the necessary items to run.

The Swim
So once our items were in transition it was the waiting game until our start. The ladies were entered
into the water by waves starting at 7 a.m. Each wave had a different swim cap/age group. The blue cap (that’s me) started at 7:50 a.m. As I mentioned before, I was most intimated by the water. And rightfully so. On Sunday the bay was choppy…realllll choppy. And there was a strong cross wind coming across the bay. On the swim there is a bit of a channel created – one side is all blow up inflatable buoys and the other side is lifeguards in kayaks and on paddle boards. They are there to help rescue, but they are also there in case a swimmer needs to take a break to catch their breath, and then keep swimming.

The first few waves of swimmers went off and some never moved. With each minute watching, I saw more and more swimmers struggle. And then it was whistles for rescues. Some swimmers couldn’t handle it and had to be picked up by the rescue boats in the water. Just like that they were disqualified and their Sandy Hook adventure was over – 13 women in total on Sunday. My knees were feeling weak and my stomach had knots. How am I going to do this? Did I train hard enough? This 1/3 mile looks soooooooo long. Holy shit, I'm gonna puke.

And before I knew it, I was off. I ran three steps into the water and then dove in like Baywatch (I’m sure you can image how graceful haha) I was in and there was only one option, get to the other side. The waves were as rough as they looked. I focused on keeping my strokes steady and on my breathing. I took several HUGE gulps of sea water. Had one time where I needed to stop because I started to panic, but took a second, regrouped and went after it. Sixteen minutes later I was running on to the beach seeing our cheer squad and trying to catch my breath.

The Bike
I ran into transition, quickly dried off my feet, put on my shirt, sneakers, helmet and sunglasses and I was OFF. Off I went on a two loop, 15 mile course. Heading away from transition was amazing, wind at our backs and I was flying. But it was coming back that was the struggle because wind was in our face, but luckily I knew that because my friend Janice warned me, I was already mentally prepared. My game plan in the bike portion was to peddle my ass off on the way out with the wind, and focus on strong strokes into the wind.

Some of these women in the race are pure badasses. I was in awe of many of them. Two loops and
back to transition I was welcomed by screams from Taylor. I jumped off my bike and my legs turned into spaghetti. Taylor is screaming for me to sprint into transition and I could barely walk. Ut oh...

The Run
As I racked my bike I was telling myself “I have no idea how you are going to run with your legs feeling like this.” When I trained for this race, I trained all three events separately (except the swim where I would run to the pool and run after). But I never practiced bike and run. I headed out to the road for our run and it took me nearly ¾ of a mile to actually feel my legs and feel like I was going somewhere. I’ve never felt so slow in my life!

Once I hit the one mile mark I knew I had an okay stride and could actually feel myself hit the pavement. I hit the turnaround point (1.5 miles) and I told myself, this is your strong area Amanda, run home girlfriend. And that’s what I did. I ran my heart out to see Taylor screaming at the finish line as always, screaming with cowbell in hand. Seeing him at the end always makes me smile. Apparently he makes me run faster as well because I had a 9:19 pace after all that swimming and biking (I'm lucky to be there on a normal run day!)


And just like that, I am officially an Iron Girl AND I got a medal. The ‘do a triathlon’ is checked off the bucket list. I had a goal time of 1 hour and 45 minutes based off my training and my official time was 1 hour 47 minutes FLAT. Not too shabby for a first timer.

I have no idea what the “average” time is for these things and honestly, I DON’T CARE. I crushed it and I kicked some ass in my mind which is all that matters. My friend Scott who is our Special Olympics head coach posted “I hope everyone realizes how hard this event is and what an achievement you have made. Way to go!” Scott himself is an AMAZING athlete and for him to post that was humbling to read. I couldn’t help but get teary eyed because I myself don’t give myself enough credit sometimes. I should be very proud, and honestly I am! I am one happy triathlete.

Team Stroke It, Ride It, Pound It – congrats to you ALL. We rocked it out there and EVERYONE loved our shirts. Go girls!

My first Triathlon

It’s been 116 days since my last race.

Part of me feels like it has been forever. Four months have passed by and tonight I pack my bags for a new race and new journey…my first triathlon! I’m scared. I’m excited. I’m nervous. I’m emotional!

Now don’t get too excited, I’m not competing in an Ironman, but I am competing in a Sprint Triathlon. Triathlon’s come in four types: sprint which is roughly 16 miles, Olympic which is roughly 40 miles, half Ironman which is 70.3 miles, and Ironman which is 140.6 miles.

This weekend I’m heading to Sandy Hook, New Jersey for the Iron Girl on Sunday which aspires to bring women of all ages together as a community by offering a supportive, energetic and empowering environment for females pursuing a healthy and active lifestyle. (WOO HOO!) My girlfriend Janice is an Iron Girl Ambassador and has been bugging me for quite some time to do a Tri/Iron Girl with her. This year I finally caved in. A race full of inspirational women – heck yeah, I love it!

For my race this weekend I will have to swim 1/3 mile in the bay, bike 15 miles and run 3.1 miles. When it comes to being on land, I’m comfortable on the bike and running portion. However, it is the water where I put in a lot of work and focused most on. My apartment is luckily right by Whites Road Pool so I would run to the pool, jump in, swim my distance, jump out and run home. As a resident is was only $4 a pop after 5 p.m. and Wednesday I could go for $2 (half price day!! Holla!)

Just like any other race, whether it is a 5k, 10k, Ironman, whatever … you always have to start somewhere. And that is what I’m doing. I’m going to New Jersey this weekend with butterflies in my stomach and a new obstacle I can say I faced and tackled. I have a goal time in mind, but I’m not trying to worry about that. I’m going to have fun with thousands of women, especially the 7 ladies who will be my Stroke It, Ride It, Pound It teammates.

Despite some leg issues recently I’m going to hunker down and enter beast mode and get this race DONE! Lots of ice, stretching, foam rolling and water over the next 48 hours. I can’t wait to be an Iron Girl! I’ll be sure to fill everyone in on how it goes. And I can't wait to force Taylor rub my calves post race. #BoyfriendProblems

Motivation Monday Vol. 2.4

Happy Monday and Happy President's Day. Is anyone else as lucky as me and off today?! Work has been absolutely insane and I couldn't have asked for a better mental health day. With temps in the teens you'll find me on the couch under a blanket all day long. Brr!

Today's Monday motivation is directed to myself as a reminder, but I'm also throwing it out there to

everyone else who may notice you're going back to bad habits. We're nearly a month and a half into the new year and I hope everyone is still staying strong to their resolutions/goals for 2015.

I'm pounding the pavement strong this year and like many of us, we are putting in the miles on the road or hours in the gym, but we're not going to see a difference unless we watch what we are putting in our mouths. So today's Monday motivation is "You can't out exercise a bad diet."

I hope everyone has a great week! Stay focused and keep your head up -- this cold weather WILL pass soon. Stay warm!

Motivation Monday Vol. 2.2

Work smarter, not harder. 

I've been hearing this quote since I was 10 years old on the soccer field and I never thought I'd start using it in my work life. Our coach use to tell us this quote when we played against teams -- guiding us to pass the ball around the field (work smarter) and not play kick and run which was making us exhausted (not harder).

I've been at the United Way for exactly two months and from day one things have been non-stop and full speed since my arrival. I thought a lot of this was because I was new and I of course had to learn the lay of the land -- but I was wrong. From day one I hit the ground running and I've come to learn this is how the industry is. I'm a fan of a fast-paced environment (hence why I think I loved journalism.) But being action packed all day has made me realize that I need to "work smarter, not hard" while at the office. There are many days when I look at the clock and it is 3 p.m., I've yet to get out of my chair, eat lunch OR pee.  AND it feels like I have nothing checked off my "to do" list.

But that is what time management is all about - working smarter, not harder. Not all days are hunky dori, filled with flowers and rainbows. Lots of days suck, like today. But luckily with some running therapy and nearly two hours of Facetiming with your best friend, you day picks right back up and you're ready to do the whole thing all over again.

Motivation Monday VII

Motivation Monday this week is coming to you from Wildwood, NJ. (I didn't forget!!) My family is on vacation for the week but I was only able to sneak away for a few days due to work and vacation time. Regardless of how long I'm here, I always appreciate the little things it offers each time I travel here. 

I love the beaches. I love the boardwalk. I love the memories it always brings me. And today I captured a new memory. For the first time in the 27 years I've been coming here, I saw my first Wildwood sunrise. I knew I had an 11 mile training run this weekend and purposely saved it for one of the days I would be here. Hitting the pavement around 5:45am, I just made it. Seeing the sun creep up over the sea horizon -- so large like it was literally in arms length. 

I've never felt the serenity like I did on my run today... The view was absolutely breathtaking and it made the run so much more enjoyable. I ran on the boardwalk, along the sea wall all the way to the bridge that enters into Stone Harbor and then back. 

I'm so glad I saved my run. Enjoy the little things in life friends because it may make your day. Xox

May Challenge: B is for Broad Street

 "If you run a personal best, whether it’s by 1 second, 

10 seconds, 2 minutes, you better celebrate, 

because they don’t come very often.” 

- Meb Keflezighi, 2014 Boston Marathon Winner

Today marked my fourth Broad Street Run. You'd think as a veteran Broad Streeter today would have been an easy journey -- a 10-mile cruise down the heart of Philadelphia I've done since 2011, a route I know by heart, a challenging course in MY hometown.

This year's Broad Street experience was far from easy and quite an emotional one for me. But I can tell you one thing, today was without a doubt the best running experience of my life.

Back in April, myself and thousands of other runners across the country entered the 2014 Broad Street Run lottery - crossing our fingers we would be one of the lucky 40,000 to be selected for this year's race.

I waited and waited until the selection email was sent. "Dear Amanda Piccirilli: Thank you for your interest in the 2014 Broad Street Run. Unfortunately, your entry in the lottery was not selected. Your credit card has not been charged."

Best Cheerleader! 

Sigh.

When I entered the lottery for Broad Street this year, I went in saying to myself "Well I have two options:
1. If I do get in that's awesome! Broad Street is actually the weekend of my 10-mile training run for the Wildwood Half Marathon on May 18. Sweet, my signature race and perfect training run, WINNING!! OR
2. If I don't get in, maybe it is a sign that other people should have the chance to experience why I love this race so much each and every year."

So, I didn't get in. Despite being upset and pissing & moaning on Facebook about it, I pressed on with my training for the Wildwood Half -- plugging away long runs at Valley Forge National Park, Peace Valley, throughout Lansdale, anywhere there was pavement I was out! I'm determined to do well this race reason as I have dropped over 30+ pounds and have been pushing my body to new physical challenges because it feels great.

On April 3, Danielle Esposito (who I played high school soccer with) sent me a message on Facebook saying she needed to sell her bib and remembered my bitching on Facebook about not getting in and offered her bib to me! Whattt?!?! Oh my gosh, yes yes yes! 

So there I was, a month away from Broad Street and mentally prepared to kick its ass. My training runs have been solid -- my times are times I have NEVER in my life had. I physically felt good after a rough few weeks with knee pain. I was ready to make this run my biotch. I was ready to prove to myself that I could and I WOULD finally go to Broad Street prepared, dedicated and eager to do well. Not just show up and run like I did the three years prior.

All this week I was a mess...my stomach was in knots, the pressure I was putting on myself was making me physically ill. "Amanda, just go out and run like any other run. That is all it is." But it's not. This race was to prove to myself that I am a healthier, happier and better runner than I ever have been before in my life.

And today I did just that. I proved that my training has paid off and my dedication is working. All of the weekend's of not drinking and early morning workouts are showing they were worth it. Today, I crushed Broad Street. (Everyone has there own crush, this was definitely mine!) I soaked in the atmosphere -- let my legs do the running and my heart was smiling as thousands of spectators cheered us on.

I finished the 2014 Broad Street Run and set a new PR for myself with a time of 1:32:46, 20 minutes  FASTER than my previous PR, which was last year's run with a time of 1:52:12. I crossed this year's finish line crying because I did it - I did this for myself. I've NEVER been more proud of myself.

Thank you to my family, my boyfriend and friends for having my back each and every day. This year must have been meant to be...4th BSR and 4th of May. As they say "May the 4th be with you!"






Interested in being a guest blogger for this year's May A-Z Series or know someone you think would be a great addition to this year's posts? Click here to email me asking for more details. Be brave! Take "write a blog" off your bucket list. Share your artwork, write a poem, showcase your photography -- Take Your Pic loves it all!!