A New Training Focus

I normally spend my time pining after the next race, obsessing over the next training plan. I go from one race to the next whether its a 5k, 10k, half marathon or marathon focus. I love planning out my race schedule and aligning my training plans to go with them. Sometimes that training focus is on building a base; many times my training focus has been on simply working the plan–tempos, speedwork, hills, LSDs. Being pregnant doesn’t really lend itself to having a “traditional” training focus. I won’t be focusing on speed or logging big mile weeks. And I won’t be training for any particular race (though there are a few on the schedule). Continue reading

My Run for #MegsMiles

megmenziesI didn’t know Meg Menzies. I didn’t know James Callaghan. I didn’t know Trish Cunningham though I knew other Annapolis Triathlon Crabs who did. And I only met Doc Heslin once but knew his legacy through my husband and the Severna Park community who adored him. I ran on Saturday, January 18, along with about 150,000 others around the globe who collectively logged more than 108,000 miles (four times around the planet) for #megsmiles.

I ran because Meg was tragically struck and killed by a drunk driver while out for a morning run and she could no longer be on this earth to do what she loved. I ran because at almost the same time James was struck and killed while out for a morning run and is no longer on this earth to be able to run. I ran because Trish was hit and killed while out on an evening ride and she is no longer here to be able to ride. I ran because Doc was hit by a truck and killed while out on a ride and he is no longer here on this earth to do what he loved.

These tragedies are just that–tragic. And like so many tragedies they bring together a community of loved ones as well as total strangers who band together through social media, local running groups, and individual efforts to do the thing that gives us strength and hope that we can somehow provide strength to those who need it most–we run.

We run and we are reminded to be so incredibly grateful for being able to do so. We run and we grieve for the families that have lost their loved one. We run because we know it will bring a little bit of peace in a very loud world where unpredictable and incredibly sad and unfair things happen every day.

We run because we don’t want a moment of regret in the time that we have on this earth.

The Early Weeks

I’m somewhere around 5 weeks as I write this post and am having many mixed emotions. Excited about baby number two, fearful of losing my fitness, all that I’ve trained for and the work I’ll have to do to get it back but also ready for the challenge of making it all work. I said in the very first post in this series to keep it honest. So that’s what I’m doing here, for better or for worse.

One common piece of advice to pregnant women with regard to staying fit is that you should be able to continue doing the same things you did pre-pregnancy during pregnancy. So if you were always a runner, keep running. If you bike, keep biking. If you did pilates or yoga, keep at it.

In my particular case, running is my “go to.” I was always running pre-pregnancy so I will continue to run throughout pregnancy. What is holding me up this time, is that I didn’t go into this one in marathon shape; half marathon shape at best. My longest run in December was 7 miles. I had high hopes of taking on a pregnant half marathon in March, just to do it, but with each run I am trying to rationalize with myself that 10ks are a smarter choice if I have to race. I am hopeful to maintain my 3 days a week of running and use one of those as a weekend long run, preferably staying in the 7-10 mile range for as long as possible. The frustration I have is that even in these early weeks I can already feel a little more challenge in the runs. Maybe not so much a challenge as an innate understanding that I need to go slower. I mentally want to push myself for my sub-8 minute pace but the last few runs it’s just not been the right thing to do. I want to warn runners that if you had been used to pushing yourself, to doing speedwork, tempos, hill work, training for a pace–it all changes. There is a major shift in what your body will allow (and want) you to do comfortably. And it is ALL mental. If you think hard enough about while you’re running, you can stop focusing on pace and just enjoy running. I know I sound like I’m complaining. And I also realize this makes it sound like “running just to run” isn’t worth it but for me it is a readjustment. For the next 8 months I cannot consider running a competitive outlet. It simply as to be my outlet. It will keep me grounded, keep my mind clear, give me fresh perspective, and hopefully help keep me in shape to bounce back fast.

I also went into this pregnancy with a tiny bit of cross-training under my belt and I knew full well that if I was in shape to do certain things pre-pregnancy that I could continue doing them throughout pregnancy. These last few weeks I have been pushing it a bit to “get in” more cross-training in the early weeks so that I can tell myself I can continue to do these things for the next 8 months. I took back up rowing 1-2 times per week with my mini circuit training of squats, lunges, push-ups and core work. I added in a spin class once a week at a new spin studio in Baltimore (which is awesome by the way, check it out: Revuup). I also took on yoga for runners with three different videos on RW.com hosted by Rebecca Pacheco.

The early weeks are hard. They’re hard because they’re so early that you’re not supposed to tell anyone you’re pregnant so you feel like you’re keeping a secret and yet all you want to do is shout it out. They’re hard because you want to keep doing everything you would normally do but you’re not sure of any new limitations. They’re hard because depending on the woman and pregnancy, you may be zapped of energy to even think about staying fit. They’re just hard. But perhaps they’re also the ideal challenge to see what you’re capable of powering through.

If you’re in your early weeks of pregnancy and feel like it’s just hard, I understand. If you wish you could run faster again, I hear you loud and clear. But keep running. And stay honest!

P.s. This post was written January 15 and held for a post-date publication until we were in the “safe zone.”

Just a Little Bit of Running Gear

runninggearI enjoyed an extended holiday break thanks to my awesome employer and as any best laid plan goes, I had a long wishlist of projects and things I planned to do over the break and accomplished close to none of them. I did however, take on a “project” that wasn’t on the list so that has to count for something.

Taking advantage of my son’s nap time, I decided to go through my two and half drawers, one shelf and one large under-the-bed container of running gear and do an inventory. It was one of those experiences that by the time I’d taken everything out, sorted, refolded and put a slightly whittled down set of gear back I have no clue how it all had fit in the first place.

This was a somewhat cathartic exercise as I can pretty clearly recall the day I got some of the gear and definitely did some reminiscing of the runs and races in certain shirts, shorts, pants and even socks. I chose to keep certain things for nostalgia purposes despite being on their last life so by next season I will have to do another purge for sure.

Here’s where I netted out:

  • 17 tees: ALL from race entries; turns out I have not bought a single running short-sleeve tee just for the sake of buying one
    • I moved 2 to a donate pile
  • 6 tanks: all of which I purchased
    • I really only like two of these tanks. One gave me the worst chafe I’ve ever had in my whole life last summer so it has to go (it was an EMS brand tank); one is a North Face tank that has served me well for a very long time; one is a super lightweight Patagonia tank that is ok but rides up when I run; the best one is a newer one I got last year from LuLu Lemon (worth the investment!)
  • 7 lightweight long sleeves: This batch is a mix of race schwag, gifts and a couple purchases
    • This set is my favorite batch of gear and represents my favorite season for running, brisk weather when a long sleeve and shorts will do. I love all 7 shirts and they are a mix of Under Armour, Adidas, Brooks and standard wicking shirts.
  • 9 heavyweight long sleeves: I like all of these but could quickly see I use the same 3-5 consistently. I guess I never make it to the bottom of the pile.
  • 3 pairs tights: two Under Armour (one of which is old and really should be replaced) and one pair of Pearl Izumis for below freezing running
  • 5 pairs capris: This is a little excessive and I really only run in two pairs of them, both of which are Brooks. The others are more ‘pilates’ style pants though they do get used!
  • runninggear (2)7 pairs shorts: Some may see their last season this summer. Most of these are Brooks shorts which I’m a big fan of as they know how to put pockets in the right place.
  • 7 sports bras: Nearly none fit perfectly. I still tend to defer to my Gracie’s Gear bra though for races simply due to the front pocket.
  • Socks: I literally didn’t even bother counting. They overtake my drawer.
  • One pair compression socks
  • One pair of arm sleeves that I bought with the express purpose of using at the Steamtown Marathon and subsequently have never worn.
  • Currently have two active pairs of running shoes: Nike Zoom Vomeros and Adidas Energy Boosts primarily for speedwork and shorter runs

Of this inventory, I will always have my favorite ‘go to’ gear, gear that is best for winter and gear that is best for running at night

What about you? What’s in your drawers and what do you love best?

Running Pregnant: Day One

Ok, maybe not “day one” exactly since I’m not sure you can ever say exactly when a woman’s first pregnant day is, but nonetheless, I’m starting this at the beginning this time. I’ve already been through pregnant running before and I did a poor job of capturing that experience. There is also not a lot out there (that I can find) that is helpful, or honest enough, about what it’s like to run pregnant. So here we go. Welcome to my no-holds-barred, probably TMI most of the time, log of running pregnant with baby number two.

Step One: Be Brutally Honest

I apologize in advance to my unborn child but the day I found out I was pregnant I cried. And when I told my husband, I sobbed for a hot minute and wiped the tears. I wallowed in self-pity, doubt, frustration and general “bummed out-ness” for the first day. We’d been talking on and off about a second child for a while and I resigned to myself that I am a one child woman but that if it happened, it happened. Time to be brutally honest in order to just move on: my biggest fear of having a second child is losing myself and losing my “freedom” to race and train. Work? I can definitely keep doing that, and want to. Time with friends? No problem. They all have children, some of them with more than one. Travel? Not as easy but we’ll figure it out. Training and racing? There’s my real challenge.

How do I ask my husband to give me those 3-4 hours on a Saturday morning so I can go for a long run, stretch and shower later while he mans two children? How do I work out my morning logistics so I can still get up and run and get two children ready for daycare plus myself ready for work? These are truly my biggest fears and questions when it comes to being a working mother of multiple children. One has been almost easy now that I think about trying it with two.

Step Two: Keep Running!

With baby number one I was well into marathon training for the Marine Corps Marathon and carried on with the training. I ran that race at the very end of my first trimester. From there I kept running as long as I could with no real rhyme or reason to the miles.

The day we found out about baby number two I’d just been trying to figure out my 2014 race plan with the goal of doing a spring marathon. I can easily recall the runs the week prior to January 5 and they were still at about the right speed but low in quality. On at least two of them I was hungover (hey, it was the holidays!). On another, a 6.66 mile long run I put in my log notes later how I felt sluggish. I did 5 miles on January 4 with a hunch that I was pregnant and my legs felt heavy and my breathing off. Pace was still staying below 8 minutes which made me happy.

On “day one” of being pregnant I went out for a four-miler and made some resolutions. I will try to do a March half marathon and two spring 10ks. I will do my absolute best to run the June Father’s Day 10k in Annapolis. With this baby due in September, if I can manage the Annapolis 10-miler in August that will be amazing. I’m not ruling it out yet. This plan forces me to keep running. I know that it will get harder and that I will lose speed. But there are some things I plan to do different. Namely, I will be doing kegels starting now! No one told me about the total loss of bladder control that pregnancy causes. I had to pop one too many squats during and after pregnant runs with baby number one. There’s no way to tell if kegels early on will fix that but it can’t hurt to try! I have already started doing yoga and more strength work so I plan to keep up with all of that though I know it will become modified with time.

For now, my plan is to absolutely keep running. Keep moving. Keep working on strength and flexibility. I will report back regularly!

Ps. This post was written on January 5 and I waited the obligatory “safe time” before publishing this post as this makes my news very public!

The Art & Science of Race Selection

I spend a lot of my time while running thinking about racing. Even when I’m not training for a specific race, I’m thinking about racing. I think about the “perfect” race. I think about what it would take to win a race (in my age group). I think about races of different distances and set crazy stretch goals for them quickly followed by aggressive goals and truly realistic goals. When I went about thinking about my race plan for 2014 I realized there is probably an art and science to race selection. Continue reading

2013 Running Year in Review

I’m really proud of this year in running. Hands down, this has been the year I’ve raced more than any other year. I busted my butt starting back in April to focus on getting fast. So it was also a year of speed. And then there were weeks of pain. And then recovery and back to speed. This year in running might also be the first time I feel like I truly figured out the balance of running and the rest of life (though I’m not entirely sure my husband would agree with this!).

I also set some pretty specific goals for the year and accomplished most of them with a few new goals peppered in as I checked things off the list. I totaled 14 races for the year and originally hoped to cover 1,000 miles for the year. I’ve happily covered more than 1,326 for the year. Continue reading

The Winter Mileage Decline

In November I ran two half marathons, one of which was an awesome PR. I had a couple shorter runs on the calendar for the rest of the year–a Turkey Trot and the Baltimore Celtic Solstice 5-miler to be exact–so nothing that required me to really keep up my mileage. Like every year before, I (still) have all intentions of doing more strength training this winter while maintaining a base. The problem is that I’m not positive I know what mileage counts as a “base” nor do I know yet what to try and maintain as I haven’t nailed down my 2014 race plans yet. And so, I have fallen into the trap of the winter mileage decline.

Continue reading

From Painful to Pain-Free

I am very pleased to report that I’ve been running pain-free for about four weeks. I give enormous credit to Doyle & Taylor Physical Therapy in Annapolis and also have to admit that a reduced weekly running schedule (3 days) combined with diligent strength exercises and stretching have allowed me to resolve the sources of my hip pain. I’m not entirely convinced the pain is gone for good but I am most definitely back to my normal running pace, comfort level and optimism. Continue reading

The Baltimore Running Festival Finish Line

10232860003_a4674beea2If you want a race with a fantastic after party, the Baltimore Running Festival does it right. Taking over parking lots at M&T Bank Stadium makes for a perfect post-race tailgate. An awesome band for live music, tons of food trucks and tents, moon bounce and other fun kid games, plenty of porta-pots (though not necessarily with TP!) and even rows of long tables where runners could pick crabs in true Maryland style–this plus more made up the finish area for 5k, 13.1 and 26.2 finishers. I was among the crowd in a form rare for me–as a spectator. Continue reading