Return to Racing

So after taking sometime to think things through, and just run for the fun of it, I think I'm ready to return to racing. I've been looking at a few different races, and I'm still a little torn on whether or not I want to return to longer distances. One day I want to race, and the next I don't. Instead of burning myself, and putting extra pressure to train for a half-marathong, I've decided that I want to return to racing; yet still have fun. I haven't registered for anything yet, but here is my tenative race calendar for the remaining of 2014.

• Baltimore Running Festival 5k 
• Trenton 10K 
• The Color Run 
• Columbia Turkey Chase 10k 
• Jingle Bell Jog 

  I have also began looking into race for 2015. Also, have a tenative calendar, but will spare those details for later. As of right now, my plan for next year is two distance events (10-miler or half maration) with a few locals races in between. Notice I say right now, because I'm sure this will change. 

Are any of these races on your 2014 calendar? Drop me a line or two and let me know!

#Wellness Wednesday: National Running Day

Happy Wellness Wednesday! Since today is  National Running Day, I've decided to share my 5W's and 1H about my running journey:

Who: Well me of course! As for running groups, I am a proud member of Black Girl RUN!, W.E. Run!, Baltimore Road Runners, and I'm also Half Fanatic #7854.


What I like/dislike about running: What I enjoy most about running is the endorphin release I get from it. Trust there are plenty of days where I don't feel like it, but I get out there anyway. I also like being around like-minded people, making new friends, and pushing my body to limits that my mind didn't think I could pass.

What I dislike about running is a tough one! I guess I dislike running when I lose my "mojo." This has happened two or three times, and I think it correlates to overtraining. After my first half marathon and after my half-fanactic status (3 races in less than 40 days) I disliked running. Nothing a few days of rest and spending time with the family can't cure.

When do I run: I'm an earlier riser so I prefer to run first thing in the morning. That always is not the case. Although yesterday I had about 30-40 minutes while my husband was in between jobs so I ran my neighborhood for the first time since we moved here in November. Aside from that, I try to run two short runs a week (normally mid-day after dropping off the kids or at work) and one longer weekend run (normally either saturday or sundays sometimes both if I'm half marathon training).

Where do I run: I run wherever the winds blows me! In my neighborhood, at a local park/ lake, in the city, and sometimes out of town if I'm racing. Oh and let me not forget the dreaded track and treadmill runs; both of which I ran quite frequently this winter.

Why do I run: I run for a number of reasons: my sanity, to de-stress, to be a better wife & mother, for weight loss/ maintenance, preventative diseases, because it feels good, to get my sexy back….the list goes on!


How do I run: I run like a turtle stampeding through peanut butter, but I run! How I run varies. Some runs are better than others. Some days my focus is time, other days my focus is distance but I run. Somedays I run intervals (Jeff Galloway method), somedays I run until I can't run anymore.

When I first started running I was averaging 16+ min/miles and could barely run 30 seconds with the C25k app. Now I'm averaging 12-13 min/miles.

Here's a few quick facts about me & running:

• First Run: August or September 2012
• First Race: October 2012 Junior League of Baltimore Commit to Fit 5k
• First Running Shoes: Just some cute Nike's my mom brought from Kohl's
• Favorite Race Distance: 10k
• First Half-Marathon: Zooma Annapolis 2013
• Favorite Running Shoes: Asicis Gel Tri-Noosa
• Must Have Run Items: Lipgloss and my Nike featherweight cap

My advice to beginners or those thinking about running:

Like the Nike slogan "JUST DO IT!" Seriously though! Give it a shot, you'll be surprised how it will change your life. Give it 30 days. If you enjoy it get fitted for shoes, buy a good sports bra, continue to lace up!

June Goals

Alright it's the start of a new month! May was a really good month for me, and I'm hoping to have bigger & better results in June!

May Recap: 

The month of May was record breaking for me! I ended the month with over 50 miles; the most miles I've ever logged since I started my running journey in October 2012. As you can tell I'm super excited. My original goal was to complete 60 miles, and I as look back on my history that may have been a little far stretched. Before hitting my 51.64 the most I've ever run was somewhere between 40-45 miles. I normally only achieve those numbers when I'm training or racing. So having only completed one race last month (Frederick Running Festival 1/2 marathon), I am very proud of myself for keeping up with my miles when I wasn't training for a race. Yes I felt short of my goal, but sometimes you have to take the good with the bad and for that I'm very glad! Progress not perfection is something I always strive for.

Special shout out to Black Girls RUN! DC for keeping me accountable with their May 30-60-90 challenge! Always great networking with like-minded folks.

June Goals: 

Moving on to June, here are my goals for their month! Overall I plan is to maintain my current level of activity (4-5 workouts a week), and clean up my eating.

• My weight goal is to reach 160. At my last weigh-in I was 166, so that's about 1.5 pounds per week. 

• My monthly mileage goal is to 30. I'm not racing this month, and there's no since in setting the bar too high when it's the summer. I respect those that can train/race all year long, but June-August is my time to enjoy with family & friends.

• My nutrition goal is to eat clean 80% of the team. I've been consistently using My Fitness Pal since the start of the year, and will continue to do so. Ideally, I would like to never exceed my calorie intake goal, but the reality of that happening is slim to none. So my plan this month is to track daily, and stick within my calorie six out of seven days a week. 

• My activity goal is to mix things up a bit. Last week I ordered the P90x3, so I'm looking forward to that arriving, and getting started. Since the workouts are marketed as 30 minutes, I hoping to get in at least two 30-minute runs in addition to following the program. 

I could use a little motivation and accountability for meeting these goals, so feel free to comment & leave me some encouragement.

A Look Back...

While tweeting with one of my favorite running mentors (Lisa), it dawned on me how far I've come in the past year. This weekend is a year to the date that I ran my first half marathon: Zooma Annapolis. I had the pleasure of being one of five Muscle Milk Light Challenge Athletes, and underwent a training program sponsored by Charm City Run. To be part of the program, I first had to apply and underwent a telephone interview before being selected.

I remember the day I received the call that I had been selected for the training program like it was yesterday. Naturally I had a mix of emotions. In the days before my first group run, I emailed the program director expressing my uneasiness with completing 13.1 miles. She gave me some great advice, and told me to take the weekend to think these over. Of course I was nervous about the both the training and the race, but I was more so concerned with the date of the race being on my brother's high school graduation. I talked things over with my husband, and then reached out to my brother. Both gave me their full support, and I knew it was no turning back. I was 100% committed, and would not  quit.

 This pic is my first solo 9.5 mile run

A week later was my first training run at the Charm City Annapolis store. We ran an out-and-back 5 mile course, and returned to the store for some post-run fellowship. Some of the Zooma Ambassadors were there, as well as the other challenge athletes. We were greeted with bagels, fruit, mimosas, muscle milk light samples, and our official Zooma training shirts. I remember each of us sharing stories, and making plans to communicate regularly throughout the program. I was partnered with Lisa as my mentor/coach and was emailed a training program for the next 10 weeks. Surprisingly training wasn't that bad. I completed my short runs alone, and my long runs I either linked up with my local BGR! group or on some occasions I trained with the other challenge athletes.

 Zooma did an excellent job communicating via their website & other social media sites! I really loved their time-ticker. 

About two weeks out from race day, we did  a 10 mile course preview. Once again the group shared many laughs, hugs, and even tears. It was hard to imagine that less than three months ago, we were all strangers and how close we had grown in such short amount of time. It was also pretty cool to see the growth in all of us. We met up once more the night before the race at the packet-pick-up/ mocktail party sponsored by Honest Tea. I didn't stay long because I was eager to get home, and get ready for race day. Here's a pic of my flat runner:

Race day was a hot, humid June 1, 2013. I woke up in the wee hours of the morning to make the 45-50 minute drive to Annapolis. Definitely a bittersweet moment. Pre-race was great meeting and greeting fellow BGR! members, and the last words of encouragement from my run mentors.

 

 

I really don't remember too many details from the course. I know it was scenic, great crowd support, and I started out way to fast the first 10k. I also remember running into an old co-worker, and a few of the other challengers. My goal was to finish the race smiling within the 3.5 course limit, and I did just that. As a matter of fact, I remember turning the bend into the Navy Yard stadium and some of the coaches yelling, keep running don't stop now. I remember looking at my watch and saying I'm not last, I can walk now!

Overall a great first half marathon experience. From the training until I crossed that finish line and received my medals it was awesome! Whenever I encounter someone asking about Zooma Women's Race Series, I always have positive vibes about the race. I look forward to returning to Annapolis or another location in 2015. Oh and dare me not to mention, that Zooma has that best swag. I still use my handy tote bag, water bottle, and wear the necklace.

Since that date, I have completed three more half marathons, making me half fanatic #7854. I'm down two sizes (still not at my pre-pregnancy size). Also was an 2014 Ambassador for the St. Michael's Running Festival, started this blog, and am now a sweat pink ambassador.

The best is yet to come! Shout-out everyone participating in this year's Zooma Annapolis Half Marathon & 10K!

Fab Five Factors for Deciding which Race to Register For

Whether it’s your first race or 100^th, deciding which race to register for can be a daunting task. With so many races to choose from, here is a little checklist I go through when deciding which race I’m going to run.

Training: While running my last few races, I met quite of few people out on the course who expressed that this was there first race (or first at this distance), and they were not prepared. From 5ks to marathons and any race in between, I highly encourage you to respect the distance, and train.

Before deciding which race to register, set realistic expectations about your goals and the amount of time you can put into training. Depending on the distance and your current fitness level, training programs can range from 8 weeks till 6 months.

Another aspect to consider with training is a program to follow. My absolute favorite is Jeff Galloway. Fortunately for me, I have enough races under my belt where I can pretty much map out my own training program, but I always refer to Galloway for guidance.  There are tons of training programs available; so I definitely suggest you do your homework. Do your research, ask around, and compare two or three programs before making a decision.

When I first started running, I began with a C25k app on my phone. Since my last few races have been half-marathons, I typically start about 12 -15 weeks out from the race. My total mileage ranges from 12-25 miles each week. Again using Galloway as my base, I normally run two short runs (30-45 minutes) and one weekend long run.

Location: As a mother runner, location is a very important deciding factor when I’m looking to register for races. I tend to stay local, because it’s easier on my family, plus it keeps the cost down (we’ll get to that later). The races I register for are typically within a few miles from my residence. There’s just something about getting a good night’s rest in your own bed the night before a race, and only having to drive a short distance post race.

Since I’m a born & raised “Jersey Girl” I always scope out races in this area because it usually means my parents get to spend some time with my children, and I have a guaranteed sitter on race day! Regardless of the location, http://www.runningintheusa.com/Race/Default.aspx is an excellent resource for choosing a race. I like the site because you can search races by state and distance.

Swag: I’m a sucker for athletic swag, so if a race features a great medal (a.k.a. bling) and/ or premium article of clothing I’ll register 90% of the time. It’s just one of those things you can’t really explain. Some get it, others don’t, but this chick loves to run pretty.

Out of all the races, I’ve run Zooma Annapolis (my first half) has had the best swag yet. For this race, I received two technical tees, a water bottle, yoga mat, finisher’s medal, finisher’s necklace, and a reusable tote bag.

Bling is also a big component for race swag. I love when race organizers publish sample of the finisher’s medals. Some organizers have really gotten creative, even offering larger medals for those that complete half or full marathons. Hard to pick a favorite for this one…I love all my medals.

As vain as it sounds, be sure to check out what the swag is like before registering for your next race.

Expenses: I love running (well kind of) and everything that comes with the sport/ community, but let’s be honest it’s expensive. Shoes, gear, supplements, and race fee’s OH MY! All of these things can add up rather quickly. I do my best to stick to a race budget. I don’t have a said dollar amount, but I do have limits. I haven’t grown to love the sport so much to pay an excess of $90 to run a race, but I know many of people who have.

A great way to cut down on cost is to race local and register early. We already discussed location, but following race organizers on social media are great for knowing your costs up front, and when prices may increase. I tend to keep a tentative calendar of races that I would potentially be interested in running, and keep a look out on the fees. If there is a race that I’m really interesting in running, I’ll mark it on a calendar or in my phone so I can save a few extra bucks.

Traveling expenses are another factor to consider. I don’t do to many overnight trips, but if you do partnering up with friends is a great way to share expenses.

Cause: I have also been known to register for a race because it “speaks to me.” Weird I know, but that is just how it is sometimes. It maybe a particular charity, location, or even the name of a race that attracts me (i.e. Iron Girl), and I go for it. The same thing may also apply for me not wanting to participate in a race. Take for instance, the Baltimore Running Festival (BRF); one of the premier events in the community. Even if you aren’t a runner, if you live in or near Charm City you know all about it. It seems like everyone and his or her grandmother is running this race, but I don’t have the desire too. Not really sure why, but just cause!

I hope my fab five tips will give you something to consider before registering for your next race! As always feel free to drop me a line or two. Thanks for the read.

Run, Rest, Repeat!

I've been in a bit of a run funk over the last week or so, and after taking some much needed family time I feel great! Let's back track a little bit....at the beginning of the year, I set out to become a Half Fanatic. For those that aren't famiailar with what that entails, it's a large group of runners who are fanatical about running half marathons, and the group has a series of levels in which you have to meet said criteria. For me to be accepted into the "asylum", I needed to finish either 3 half marathons in 90 days OR 2 half marathons in 16 days. If you've followed some of my other posts, you know I completed the Philly Love Run, Iron Girl, and Frederick Running Festival in a span of 35 days. Before completing these races, I was selected to be a 2014 race ambassador for the St. Michael's Running Festival. St. Michael's should have been my fourth (fifth overall) half marathon in 48 days. After the Frederick Half and becoming an offical Half fanatic my motivation started to dwindle, and I had very little motivation to run. Luckily (or so I thought)I signed-up for two monthly challenges with my local BGR! groups. My goal for May was to complete a minimum of 50, not to exceed 60 miles. Very doable and since I wanted to keep up my long runs in between races, I thought ok why not. I did a solo 10 miles, and was on cloud 9, because I was at top of the BGR! leaderboard (well fourth place). Somehow, I started looking at all these numbers, miles, days, etc, and said oh no there is no way in hell I'm doing another 13.1 anytime soon, I'll just run the 10k. Nonetheless after a few hiccups at home, my only option to take the 1.5 hour trip to St. Michael's was get up at 4 a.m. Saturday morning. Even that didn't seem like a long-shot, since I'm a morning person BUT I just didn't have a desire to do anything and was just tired. So I took the weekend off, not doing a single movement of physical activty. Spent some time with family & friends, stuffed my face, and I feel so refresehed today. I'm back on track with both my eating choices and did over 50 minutes on the ellipitical this morning. I'm looking forward to getting in some short runs with my BGR! and W.E. Run! groups this week, and we'll take it from there. So the moral of the story is so listen to your body. The running community is superb, and it's so easy to put up money for race fees because you wan't to keep up with the joneses. Truthly, that may not always work for everybody. Trust your gut. There will always be more races, but you only have one body and one family. If that mean's taking an extra rest day or two, so be it. Besides, proper rest and recovery are just as essential to running as hill training and tempo runs. Never neglect allowing your body time to rest. In fact, if you don't do so already, incorporate at least one full day of rest into your training plan. Depending on the week, mine typically has two; one for active-rest (light actvity usually yoga, pilates, or walking) and one day for complete rest. Also, remember if you are a first-time half or full marathoner, most experts recommend taking a day of rest for every mile. With time you're recovery will diminish.

Titanium Girl Recap

On my quest to become a Half Fanatic, I became a Titanium Girl! Yours truly completed the Iron Girl Columbia and Frederick Running Festival half marathons exactly one week apart from one another. Below is a my brief recap of both races:

Iron Girl Columbia:

Sunday, April 27th was another “wake up & lace up” day, as I set forth to tackle the hills in Columbia, and be crowned an Iron Girl. I experienced many mixed emotions about this race, because about 5 -6 weeks before it was announced that the organization was having financial limbo. To train or not to train? Register for another race or wait it out? These were just a few questions that ran through my head, before it was announced that another organization stepped up to the plate, and the race would go on. Needless to say, I kept the course and continued my training. Thanks to  BGR! Baltimore and W.E. Run! for the hill training and completing half #2 (Philadelphia Love Run) a month before, I was overly confident about the race. Despite the delayed start (apparent accident on course), I truly enjoyed this race, and it’s a for sure do over! My favorite moments were: BGR! cheer groups, seeing my name in chalked into the ground around mile 10.5 (love ya Chris), and a new PR. Yep I shaved over 15 minutes for Philly!

Frederick Running Festival:

Fast forward a week later and it was time to do it all over again. I arrived to Frederick and met up with my W.E. Run! crew, and they knew I wasn’t feeling it. My mood was blah, and all I could think of was why in the hell did I sign-up to run another 13 point 1 freaking miles. I made my way to my corral, and chilled until it was “go time.” About 1.5-2 miles in I heard chants & screams of my name, and was surprised to see some of my run-boos from BGR! DC.  Thankfully, that gave me the extra push I needed, bc it usually takes me 3-4 miles just to get in my groove. About mile 4, I met up with some more Black Girls RUN! ladies who were doing 1:1 intervals, they invited me to join.  We laughed, talked and shared stories and the miles we’re just flying by. The scenic views in downtown Frederick and the neighborhoods were just beautiful. I zoned out and loved how involved the community was. As expected I hit my “wall” around mile 11, but thankfully looked down at my watch and saw I was on pace for another PR. For those last 2+ miles, I was in my zone. Dropped the intervals and just wanted it to be over already! Before I could blink, I beasted (yeah i made that word up) up that final hill, and took my victory lap around the track. Just as I was closing in on the finish line, I was greeted by more cheers from my run-boos and ended the race with another PR.

Embrace Your Pace!

So I’ve seen way too many posts this week on other social sites with people beating themselves up about their pace. Granted I haven’t been running all that long, but I don’t get it. Welp, I take that back actually I do. As a matter of fact, when i first joined BGR! I was so concerned or embarrassed about my pace that I let it held me back. I agree it can be intimidating when you’re just starting out, but bashing yourself will not make you any faster. It took me about a solid year to figure this out, and since I have I’ve truly grown. A mile is still a mile, so whether it takes you 8 minutes or 16 minutes you’re still faster than everyone else who is sitting on the couch.

I’ve gone from 16 minute miles to sub 12′s. I still cannot maintain that sub 12 for a half marathon quite yet, but I know I’ll get there. Regardless of my speed, I’m still very happy of far I’ve come, and i realize that with time and consistency I can only get faster. Doesn’t mean I don’t set time goals, but that’s not my primary focus. I’ve embraced my pace, and am a proud back-of-the-packer! Below is my running mantra, so hopefully that helps you embrace your pace!

NOTE: This post what brought over from my original blog. The hosting site is shutting down.