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

I Am A Runner

I've been sitting on this blog post for a long time....a REALLY long time actually. It's been sitting in my drafts folder -- rewriting versions, updating, deleting, updating, deleting....but I've never had the balls to hit publish.

I'm excited to hit publish today because I am a runner -- and you can be too.

I'm not really too sure why, but I have had a really hard time saying "I'm a runner." Could I say with confidence that I'm a soccer player and I'm a writer -- sure without a doubt I could say that.

But for some reason to say I'm a runner, I've been hesitant.  I feel like calling yourself a runner has a stigma...

• YOU'RE FAST: runners are fast right? They are the ones running marathons in less than two
  
  and a half hours and half marathons in a little over an hour. Running a 10 minute mile for runners is just a warm up walk for them. 
• YOU'RE TINY: female runners are tiny and fit -- they barely wear any clothes, just a sports bra and little pants. Ripped abs show through their shirts and they don't even know what 'chub rub' is.
• YOUR FORM IS PERFECT: when you watch elite runners their form is perfect...strides are long and smooth, their runs look effortless. They don't even look tired.
• YOU'RE RUNNING TONS OF MILES: running only 15 miles a week is NOTHING -- it's more like 40+ miles a week.
• YOU'RE A HEALTH NUT: no junk food and pumping your body with healthy foods only, 365 days a year, all day every day.

I often had this conversation with my friend Terry at Merion who is a runner. I would ask her, "am I a runner? Can I call myself that?" I always thought yes and Terry would always reassure me with a 'yes' answer, but I also had a co-worker tell me one time that she doesn't think I'm a runner, I just run to challenge myself. Maybe she's right, I don't fit that runner mold...I am none of thee above. If she thinks that I'm sure lots of other people think that as well.

Despite what other people say or think, it took me a long time to get over the runner "stereotype" and to finally admit to myself that YES, I'M A RUNNER! Who cares what other people think or say, it's how I feel!

• I'M NOT FAST: I am no means a speed demon, I'm a middle of the pack runner coming in right in the middle at races. Was I always in the middle? Heck no!! I use to be in the back, but I've worked hard, DAMN HARD! I've come a long way since starting my running journey back in 2012. My first half marathon time was 2:43 and I've cut that down to 2:01...my first marathon time was 6:18 and I've cut that down to 4:49. I strive to get better each and every day and I will continue to push myself to do so.
• I'M NOT TINY: I am not skinny...I never will be and I'm okay with that. But despite being on the "larger" side, that doesn't mean I can't run. I say ran loosely, but when I 'ran' my first marathon in Disney I was not fit and I was not healthy. I'm sure people looked at me wearing my marathon medal and said to themselves "how in the HELL did THAT girl run a marathon." (That line stings a little bit because I had a family member actually say that to me while we were in Disney, confirming that I KNEW people had to be defiantly thinking that in their minds.) Running has actually transformed my life which many of you have seen. It has helped me shed weight and more importantly helped me define my muscles, leg muscles in particular. I have some meaty quads on me but you better recognize those babies help me get through those hill climbs during races. I'm body is changing every day because of running and I'm super proud of myself because of it!
  
  
   
• MY FORM ISN'T PERFECT: My form is far from perfect...I actually have 'dino' arms when I run. Sorry I'm not sorry -- my little dinosaur arms and my occasional little shuffle steps get me across the finish line which is all that matters!
• I RUN LOTS OF MILES: I run a decent amount of miles a week, my weeks were really long during marathon training. But just because I'm not running 20+ miles a week doesn't mean I'm not a runner or not working hard. Each week is different, everyones schedules are different. We can't compare, just encourage each other that we are getting off the couch and DOING IT!
• I'M NOT A HEALTH NUT:  I'm far from it -- I love cheeseburgers and french fries. But I know when to reel it in. During marathon training I was running anywhere from 20-45+ miles a week. I could eat what I wanted because of the calories I was burning but with lower milage I know I need to focus on what I'm putting inside me -- but you better believe I will treat myself when I think I deserve it :)
  

I crave to hit the road -- I crave to tie up my laces, put my running gear on and feel the wind against my face. THAT is what makes me a runner -- the absolute joy I get with each step, letting my mind be at ease, clearing out all of my stressors and enjoying the moment -- the beautiful moment of making myself healthy, taking in the scenery and being in the now. 

It doesn't matter how slow or fast you run to be a runner...it's getting out there and joining this wonderful community who does everything they can to support you! It's amazing. I'm so happy to finally be able to say I'm a runner!