Fort4Fitness Inaugural Marathon {A Race Recap}

"Ran a marathon to train for a marathon. And casually PR'd in the process." 

Well, when you put it like that ... but I have to say my Nuun teammate pretty much nailed my day on Saturday.

About the race: Fort4Fitness is the largest running event in Fort Wayne and hosts a weekend of races – Kids and Seniors marathons on Friday night and a 4-Mile, 10K and half marathon on Saturday. This year, Fort4Fitness added a marathon, which would consist of four loops – a bonus loop and then courses for the other races. The bonus loop, around 3 miles, was followed by the 10K, the half and, finally, the 4-mile race. The marathon began at 7 a.m.; 10K at 7:30 a.m.; half marathon, 8:30; and 4-mile, 10:30. These start times might seem insignificant but they come into play later as unless you were running a sub-9 pace, marathoners would be smack dab in the middle of the other races.

The plan: As I said earlier in the week, Fort4Fitness was to be a supported training with friends. To keep it a steady pace, I would run with my friends leading the 4:40 pace group (10:40 pace). If I was having trouble, endurance wise, I would back off on the last loop – the 4-mile course.

Pre-race: I was nervous as hell. I didn't feel ready to run a marathon, having only ran 18 miles before and one of my long runs was Ragnar Trail Cascades. I was glad to have my friend Kim there to distract me from the 26.2 miles ahead of us.

It was one of those perfect days. The temperature at the start was in the high 50s, where it was going to stay for most of the day. Clouds blanketed the sky and though the threat of rain had the humidity near 100 percent, it was one of those damp cold days.

The kind of day you want to run. And run I did.

Just shy of 6:50 a.m., I headed to Corral D and lined up with the 4:40 group. Joe shared the pace team's plan to keep the pace around 10:30 and bank a bit of time. While for most races, this strategy wouldn't be recommended but with the anticipation that we'd hit gridlock on the fourth loop when we hit folks at the back of the pack for the 4-mile race.

There was a silent countdown and then the cannon fired. We were off.

The pacers did a great job keeping the pace controlled and smooth on the first loop, as well as engaging everyone around us. There was a new mom who had a 6-month-old at home. A fan of Tough Mudders was running her first marathon. A Michigan man who liked to go on racecations was running his third marathon in as many weeks.

And then there was me. The girl everyone said wouldn't stick with the 4:40 group. But I did. There were times where I'd creep up and have force myself to slow down to let the group catch up. However, I was really conscientious to take it loop by loop, mile by mile.

Splits, 1-3: 10:30, 10:21, 10:10

The first loop seemed to be over in the blink of an eye, and we found ourselves turning right on Baker Street and heading toward the start on Harrison. We were about a minute behind the start of the 10K and once we were on course, we quickly found ourselves weaving around walkers.

With as much politeness as one could have in the situation, the pacers tried to advise the other participants to keep to the right so that we could pass. Thankfully, a course marshal on a bike cleared a path on the left side of the course so that we could make our way south down Calhoun Street.

Again, I found myself creating distance between myself in the pacers. Again, I tried to slow down. Again, I reminded myself that his was a training run. I needed to race smart so that I could recover and continuing training for Monumental. So I did what anyone would do – I turned around and busted out some quick dance moves for the entertainment of the group.

Just before the third mile of the 10K course (and mile 6 for us), we hit a spot that was added purely for mileage. We turned left down a side street, ran a half-block, around a cone and then rejoined the previous course. When we previewed the route three weeks ago, we identified it as an area of congestion – and we were right. But it was probably for the best because, as Stacey said, the group was running hot.

As hot as the pace was for the group, the first two loops felt like a warm-up and I was on cruise control. My mind started trying to go places but I fought it. Fought it hard.

Splits, 4-9: 10:11, 10:22, 10:30, 10:16, 10:07, 10:23

When Fort4Fitness announced the marathon earlier this year, I was skeptical. I did not like the idea of the four loops, and I thought it was a recipe for boredom and DNFs. Surely, passing the turn off to the finish three times would be too tempting for some runners.

However, I really found myself liking it. The loops broke up the race, and I felt like I just had to get through that loop. A marathon is much easier to take on when it feels like it's only 6.2 miles or 13.1.

As we started the half marathon, we again found ourselves navigating walkers but I was thankful to see that the crowd thinned out quickly enough – and by quickly enough, I mean within 3 miles.

But the work to get through it mean that I had lost the 4:40 group. I knew that this could mean trouble. There would be no one to keep me on pace but me. I'm terrible on not running like an asshole, and I have began doing my tempos on the treadmill to stay in the right zone.

Just keep it at 10:15, I told myself. If you're not going to do 10:30, make it 10:15. 10:15 is just fine.

I turned west onto Tillman Road and headed down one of my favorite stretches of the course. It's a fairly wide four-lane road that feels like it's in the middle of the country but is right in the middle of the city. It can be really hard not to open up on the stretch and more so on Saturday because I got a high-five and well wishes from the Fort4Fitness creator, whom I've gotten to know well over the years.

From Tillman Road, the race joins with the Greenway and we run nearly three miles through Foster Park – my home turf. It can be a monotonous part of the race because there's little crowd support and not much to see beyond trees and trees and, well, trees. For me, though, it was like a game of cat and mouse. I saw a pace sign ahead of me and wondered it was the 2:20 group for the half. I did a couple strides to catch up and told myself that I'd stay with them. But, it was the 2:30 group going at an 11-something pace and so I moved on.

I passed my BRF's husband, punched him in the arm (nicely, of course) and continued. I found the 2:20 group tried to slow to stick with them but couldn't, so I ran on.

Earlier in the week, I had been Athlinks-stalking someone and decided to see what my time was from the Columbus Marathon in 2012, my first 26.2 and my PR. (I ran Veterans in 2013 but ran a 4:35.) My time that day was 4:26 and change. As I made my way toward mile 9 of the half and mile 18 for me, I started doing some math.

Let me just say this: Math while running, much less racing, is never a good idea.

I looked at my watch. I looked at overall time. I looked at total distance. I factored in the extra distance I had already accumulated. And even still, if I ran a 10-minute mile, there was a chance I could PR.

Just then, as if the cosmos read my watch, I came up on the 4:25 pacer. I asked him if they were on pace and how he was feeling. They had lost time on the 10K loop but were running about a 10:03. I started to slow down to stick with him but I could tell he wasn't feeling it and so I moved on.

But with the discovery that a PR would be a possibility with a 10-minute pace, I tried to rein it in and stick to 10 minutes as I made my way to the last loop.

Splits, 10-22: 10:12, 10:04, 9:57, 9:51, 9:45, 9:42, 9:50, 9:43, 9:40, 9:50, 9:40, 9:26, 9:35

I like walking. I think walking is good. I think walking in a race is fantastic. I love that Fort4Fitness brings out so many first-time racers and walkers to its events, too. I really, really do.

That said, the last loop was a cluster.

I turned down Baker Street toward Harrison Street where I got the best surprise – my BRF was there with not one but two cowbells. She was there cheering on a host of folks racing (like her husband) but we'll pretend she was there just for me.

I was in near solitude as I made my way down this stretch, nary another marathoner in sight (there were less than 500). I grabbed a Gu and some water and headed toward the mats to begin the last of the race.

But by the time I made the two turns toward Calhoun, I found myself in a sea of walkers, 10 wide headed south. I debated going down the right. Or maybe left. At one point, I wondered what would happen if I spread my arms and just blasted down the middle. But the truth of it was that there was no good way to run it. I was either sacrificing my race or coming off like a complete asshole. At one point, around 1.5 miles into the last loop, I had to walk a block as the congestion at a water stop was impossible to navigate.

I tried to control it but I couldn't: I was pissed.

And when I rounded the corner with 2 miles to go and saw the boys, Mark could see the intensity in my face. He thought I looked strong, and I did feel strong, but really I was frustrated. So I ran with it.

It might have been that annoyance that pushed me through any potential wall because, I'll be honest, I never felt like I hit one. I felt good and capable, and I think my fueling was on point. I took Gu at 5, 10, 15, 20 and 23 and salt tabs at 7, 13 and 21. I drank from my hydration pack through the first three loops and then hit the water stations. Hard.

There were other stations, too. With beer. I had told myself that I would stop at the beer stations in the Williams Woodland Neighborhood during the fourth loop but I was ready to get it done. Beer, sadly, could wait.

Even having moved past walkers for the better part of 3 miles, I was still weaving in the final stretches. I finally gave in and started yelling, "Marathoner on PR pace coming through. Make room for marathoner."

And as I made the turn, I finally got to go left toward the stadium. I had made it. I ran down the drive and onto the red dirt of Parkview Field, the baseball stadium for our minor league baseball team. I had two tenths to go but it seemed so much farther. I stuck to the inside, not antsy to run any more than I could, and picked it up.

I picked it up and took it home ... in 4:23:33 – a nearly 3-minute PR.

Splits, 23-26.2: 9:48, 9:26, 9:53, 9:33, 8:47 pace

What Have I Done {It's Race Week}

It seemed like such a good idea.

Fort4Fitness 2015

My training plan called for 18 to 20 miles this weekend. Fort4Fitness, the largest running event in the area, is this weekend. The organizers are also putting on the city's first full marathon in more than 20 years. My friends are all participating in Saturday's races in some way and two of them are pacing the 4:40 group for the marathon.

Can anyone guess where this is going?

Fort4Fitness 2014

So yeah ... I'm running a marathon on Saturday.

As a training run.

And I'm scared shitless.

It was after a hot, ridiculously humid early-morning run at the end of July when I registered. I was happy to have been running with Joe and Stacey and the idea of being with them for 4+ hours seemed like a grand time. It seemed even grander when I convinced another friend to run the race (and later the full), too. Sure, there was some incentive on my part but she was a willing participant.

Of course, I was fearful that I would have FOMO if I didn't run the first full marathon at Fort4Fitness. For years, I've stated in post-races surveys that I would definitely be all about a 26.2-distance if the event were to offer it.

And I guess I am. All about it, that is. Or at least full of it.

The most nerve-wracking aspect of running the marathon on Saturday is feeling ready, like I have the endurance base there. I've been consciously opting to run  the high end of the mileage ranges my plan has in the hopes that the midweek mileage will build that fitness. I also ran 18 miles three weeks ago, and it was a pretty decent run. I felt like I was holding back for most of it and my fastest splits were the last two.

But one 18-miler does not make someone ready to run a marathon. I know this. However, I also know that people have ran marathons on less mileage.

I also know that no matter how well you prepare for a race, you have what the day will give you. And you know what? I'm going to take that day for all it's worth. Let's just hope that bitch isn't a walker.

Toeing the Line

Please file the following under: What Have I Done To Myself.

At the end of last year, it was announced that the premier race in Fort Wayne, Fort4Fitness, was adding a marathon. 

The decision came after two successful years of a Triple Crown option, which allowed participants to run the fall festival's three events – a 4-miler, 10K and half-marathon – and eight years of running the streets. 

To say the running community was excited would be an understatement. Fort Wayne has not had a marathon in decades and the closest 26.2-mile race was in South Bend, a two-hour drive. 

For me, though, the announcement was bittersweet. I was already (mentally) committed to running the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon and the course for the new distance was less than stellar. Participants, in a nutshell, run a small bonus loop, then the 10K course, then the half marathon course and then the 4-mile course. Read: I'd run past my in-laws' house FOUR times. I would literally have the chance to lay down in the grass and quit four times. As many times as I had selected "yes, I would run a marathon at Fort4Fitness" in the participant survey, I just couldn't wrap my head or credit card around it.

But here's the thing: Many of my friends are running the marathon, if only to support and encourage the growth of the race; two of my favorites are pacing the 4:40 group; and I have 18-20 miles on the schedule that weekend. With my running buddies all participating in F4F, I'd have to do that long run on my own.

So after talking with one of those pacers during a pre-dawn run, I found myself registering for the Fort4Fitness marathon on Oct. 1.

Yikes. Two marathons in, like, six weeks.

Now, let's be clear: This race will be a glorified training run. If I stick with the 4:40 group, the average pace will be 1:30 slower per mile than my goal for Monumental and I will earn a personal worst. I've also given myself the OK to run/walk the last loop if need be. 

The Fort4Fitness marathon is just the latest in a series of races to make my schedule in the last month.

• The Inaugural 3RRC 15K on Aug. 6. Apparently, I like to spend money to do training runs. I've never run a 15K, though, and I'd love to add another PR to the list this year. HA!

• Running Between The Vines half marathon on Aug. 13. My BRF is injured. I-N-J-U-R-ED. My life is basically ruined because she can't run with me. Forget that she has to deal with the fact that she's not able to run. Anyway, she was registered for this race in Jackson, Michigan, and offered me her spot. It's like a consolation prize. Plus, Mark and I are using the race as a chance to getaway for the weekend.

• Ragnar Trail Cascades on Sept. 16-17. 

This race deserves a moment of silence for its awesomeness.

...

...

...

I'll be running with Nuun for this one, and I couldn't be more excited for the opportunity. I've never done a Ragnar-branded race much less a trail one, and it's hard to beat the experience that Nuun offers its ambassadors when they are selected. I also will get to reunite with some of my favorite hydration peeps.

What's on your schedule?

Believe. I Am. {Fort4Fitness 2015}

At some point, you're going to stop surprising yourself and start believing in yourself, right? Because you really are stronger than you think. :)

The comment from Tami on my Muncie Mini-Marathon recap stuck with me as I prepared for the Fort4Fitness Double Play.

I wanted to run strong, be strong, when I hit the line for the 10K. But just how much, I wasn't sure. I had, possibly stupidly, ran a 2:04 half the week before a A-/B+ race. I would do my best to recover but a week might not be enough. I also was logging decent paces, for me right now, but those were still in the 9:20 range.

Could I do that for an entire 10K? Was I that strong?

I was going to hope so. So, as I prepared for the race on Friday night, I told Mark that my goal was to average a 9:15 pace.

Tami's comment looped through my head as I stood at the start. I didn't need to be strong. I was strong. I just needed to believe.

But in the 6.2 miles between the start and the finish line, I realized something: It's scary to believe in yourself.

You tear down walls and expose insecurities. You open yourself up to disappointment. You open yourself up to failure.

Also, self deprecation and doubt are decidedly not cute.

If you dare, though ... if you give yourself the chance, you have the opportunity to build confidence. To surpass your expectations. To be the person you've been chasing.

At mile 3 of the Fort4Fitness 10K (the first of my two races Saturday), with a nudge from a run clubber, I decided to believe. I decided I was strong. I willed myself to catch up to that girl.

My 10K with an average pace of 9:15 turned into a race without a single split beginning with "9."

8:45, 8:30, 8:31, 8:50, 8:53, 8:52 and 8;30 (pace for 0.2)

My finish time was 54:39, for an average pace of 8:49.

So much for the 9:15. I decided to save that pace for the 4-mile race that was two hours later.

Weekly Training Update {8/31/15-9/6/15}

Currently training for: Muncie Mini Marathon, Fort4Fitness Double Play, the Bourbon Chase

The dining room armoire. That's where I found them. 

My 10-ounce Nathan Quick Shot, my larger Nathan handheld (I think it's 22 ounces) and my Nathan Speed belt.

Obviously, the key components to my hydration arsenal belonged in my flipping dining room armoire where I would never thing to look for them. I wouldn't, say, put them in the kitchen cabinet with the rest of the water bottles or a different one where I stored them last year. I didn't pack them away in the storage tote with the rest of my summer running gear nor did I put in the basement next to my vest.

Nope. They were in the dining room for a good 9 months, two of which were spent actively searching for the bottles.

But all is well and good now ... now that I have them. I can now go on long runs, even short runs considering our recent streak of 90+-degree days, and feel good with my hydration.

Well. Sort of.

On Saturday, I took the larger bottle for my 12-mile (!!!) run and it was good to have that much Nuun with me. I needed it on a rather sticky morning. However, it was a pain and a half to carry – heavy and hard to hold. I feared that I was going to get a blister from holding it the wrong way. Thankfully, I didn't but still.

The problem – from locating the bottles to the potential chafing – would have been moot had I properly cleaned my vest. Not just that but purchased the right stuff to clean it, rather than letting it hang out in the basement all winter. I need an industrial length bottle cleaner to save it now. 

Or at least I think. I'm scared to actually look at it. I am such a flipping grown-up ... as evidenced by my stellar storage skills.

But enough about that. I ran 12 miles, and it was OK. Pretty decent, actually. And now I can say I'm relatively trained for the half in two weeks. Holla.

The week, in training:

Monday, Aug. 31
X-TRAIN | Boot camp {taught}
Time: 45 minutes

Tuesday, Sept. 1
RUN | 5 miles
Time: 49:18 Pace: 9:38

X-TRAIN | Boot camp {taught}
Time: 50 minutes

Wednesday, Sept. 2
X-TRAIN | Piloxing {taught}

Time: 45 minutes

Thursday, Sept. 3
RUN | 5 miles
Time: 46:44 Pace: 9:20

X-TRAIN | Boxing fusion {taught}

Time: 60 minutes

Friday, Sept. 4
RUN | 4.11 miles

Time: 39:48 Pace: 9:48

Saturday, Sept. 5
RUN | 12 miles
Time: 2:00:03 Pace: 10:00

Sunday, Sept. 6
REST 

Note: I have added affiliate links. It's a douche move, I know, but I'm trying to be fiscally responsible and reduce my debt. Also, diapers are expensive, yo. I'm trying to make the little things add up. The links are a little thing. Thank you for your understanding.

On the line {fall racing plans}

There are three things that you should know about me: I love coffee, I love running and I can't refuse a good deal.

And it was two of those and a lack of the other that I found myself doing something that I said I wouldn't: Registering for a half marathon.

I could go into a verbose explanation of the situation but here's what you need to know: I hadn't had enough coffee that day. It was a free half marathon (well, $1.60 with fees) on a weekend I had planned to run 10 miles, and there's not a whole lot of difference between running 10 and running 13. I love competition and securing a free spot was like a race in itself. Muncie is less than an hour and a half from me but I have only been once. Plus, I get a medal and a glass and the only glasses we have at our house have either come from Nuun or a race. #sadbuttrue

When I got the deal, I didn't think much beyond that ... except how to sell it to Mark. But he knows me and those three things so he's usually fairly amenable.

There was just one thing I should have thought of: The race is the cream filling on my Oreo of September racing.

Sept. 12: The Color Run in South Bend

Sept. 19: Muncie Mini Marathon

Sept. 26: Fort4Fitness Double Play

It's going to be fun, for sure, but I'd be lying if I wasn't kicking myself a bit for filling up my schedule like this. There will be two weekends of travel, three Saturday mornings away from the boys with two of them tied to the pump and a whole lot of solo parenting for Mark.

Thankfully, I have racked up some major brownie points to "earn" that other fall race I'm doing – the Bourbon Chase. Oh, and I have one of the most supportive husbands ever. I couldn't do it without him.

Everyone with me: Awww.

I did come up with a brilliant idea to soften the blow of this whole, "Hey! I signed up for a half marathon without telling you" thing plus racing all of September. I invited my in-laws to travel with us and the race will become a small part of a family weekend. After I cross the finish line, we'll head south to Indianapolis to eat lunch and go to the Children's Museum.

Bonus: I'll make the boys – all of them – really happy by suggesting we grab Giordano's (Chicago style pizza) on the way to the museum. Not that I would want cheesy, delicious pizza after doing a half. Nope. Not at all.

Anyone else gearing up for a busy fall of racing?

Training Again: Ready ... Or Not?

July 1.

That was going to be the day – the day I began training and the day I documented it my Believe journal.

I bought my journal way back in January when Lauren Fleshman, one of the co-authors, was speaking at the Fort Wayne Track Club banquet. I had her sign my copy, going ridiculously fangirl as I told her that I was saving it for my post-baby comeback.

The one, I had decided, would begin July 1. It was a date that seemed far enough removed from Silas' birth that I would be ready to put my nose to the grindstone and ready to do it safely. I was excited to think about the workouts I would document, the successes and challenges I would face. Words like tempo and repeats made me giddy. I had visions of shedding time (and pounds).

But now that go time is eight days away, I'm not feeling butterflies in my stomach. Rather, it's more like a pit.

I've been running consistently over the past 5 weeks, and I'm getting comfortable at shorter distances. My runs are at least 3 miles, sometimes 4, but they are almost all at the same pace – start strong and fizzle. I'm adding a "long" run, too, on the weekends – shooting for 5 or 6 miles. I did this for the first time Saturday and made it 5 but the struggle was real for that last half-mile.

I have no pressing need to push the distance or the pace. Even though I declared this summer the season of the 5K, I am not registered for a single event at that distance. I'll be toeing the line at Fort4Fitness on Sept. 26 but I haven't handed over my credit card yet for the 10K or 4-mile race (or both). The only thing I really have to worry about is the Bourbon Chase and that is in mid-October.

And so I keep thinking, do I really need to start worrying about training? My fitness and average pace will improve with time, and I feel confident that I will run regularly without a schedule or journal to keep me accountable. I just had a baby (and C-section) 10 weeks ago, after all, and there's no need to put undue pressure on myself.

But.

The big but. I have to ask myself if my hesitation to use the Believe journal is because, well, I'm not ready to believe in myself yet. Am I questioning my physical ability to put in the work? Am I scared that I won't be able to push myself like I did last year? Do I not feel worthy of the journal?

I don't know. I just don't. But, I guess, I have eight days to figure it out.

Training Plan Redux

I whined about it. I moaned about it. I came to despise to looking at it. At times, I  hated the 12-week training plan with every muscle fiber in my being.

Why? It made me work.

After completing Fort4Fitness on Saturday, I thought it would be good to look back on the plan that brought me so much anxiety and talk about whether it was successful.

Spoiler alert: It was.

I have been gunning for a half marathon PR for the past two years but it seemed elusive. I had followed myriad training plans, including the "Train Like A Mother" own it plan and Hal Higdon Intermediate schedule. The plans offered challenging but doable speedwork but despite putting in good efforts - or what I thought were good efforts - my times stagnated, if not got worse.

2013 half marathons
March: Run the Bluegrass, 2:02:42
May: Wisconsin, 2:01:10
September: Oak Brook, 2:01:05; Fort4Fitness, 1:58:56

2014 half marathons
April: Athens, 2:03:18
June: ZOOMA Napa Valley, 2:03 flat

During this time, I felt like I was getting better during training but it never translated on race day. Never. Of course, race days hand us things out of our control - heat, stomach issues, hills - but a good runner can overcome those. Or at least with every run feeling like bad conditions, the times in bad conditions should improve.

Though I didn't come away with a PR on Saturday, I bested my times this year by 7.5 minutes and my time at last year's race by more than 3 minutes.

How?

Twice weekly quality workouts. I did steady states and tempos, threshhold intervals and goal pace miles.

Longer workouts. My short runs were never really short, with midweek minimums at 6 miles and going close to 9. My base mileage was much higher than year's past where a midweek long run was 6 miles.

Step back? I think not. I had gone over the half distance in training with other plans but I always had the luxury of stepback weeks. I would get an 8-mile run on a weekend here and a weekend there, and it was glorious. This plan did not give me that. After week 2, the long run never dipped below 10 and I think the number of double digit runs also improved that base.

Less cross training. I am not sure if it's coincidence or overtraining but the decline and later improvement with my race times corresponded with my teaching schedule. The more classes I taught - and led - the slower I got. I continued to strength train during this cycle but I was down to two or three sessions a week rather than four plus.

Pace training. In previous plans, there were rough guidelines for the times to hit during certain intervals. The TLAM plan wants you in certain zones but I don't usually wear a heart rate monitor to run, and the zone system can be confusing. Using accurate race times for the 5K and 10K, both of which I PR'd during this cycle, helped me to have a number to hit and thus led me to make the gains. Sure, I sometimes didn't hit those, usually going faster, but having a range helped me complete the workouts where as I often felt defeated before.

For all of its advantages, though, this plan is not for everyone and even for the right runner, it's not an all the time plan.

It's time consuming. The longer runs during the week can be close to an hour and a half if you are a middle-packer. It's difficult to find the time to run sometimes much less that much time.

High mileage. I was around 35 miles a week for most of this plan. It's not a lot by many standards but it was more than I had done. It can be difficult to make that jump and lead to injuries. Prior to this plan, I would have said that higher mileage plus five days a week running contributed to injuries/niggles during both of my marathon training cycles.

Fun times? Running for pace and mileage can be all consuming, and it can take the fun out of running. You have to be ready. To be dedicated. To be able to say no - to running dates and casual jaunts around the park.

Rest. If you are going to do this plan, you will need to be coming off an easy cycle or some downtime so you can complete it physically and mentally. Otherwise, you will face some serious burnout.

As I look forward to some downtime (hello, pregnancy), I am happy that I was able to find that break through and learn what works for me. After all, it's about finding what works for you as a person.

What kind of training plan have you used to bust through a plateau?

Baby, You Got My Number: Fort4Fitness 2014

There were hopes. There were tears. There were shouts.  And, once again, Fort4Fitness proved to be magic.

I didn't get my PR. I was about 1:30 off with a time of 1:55:47. I am proud of that time, though. So, so proud.

It's my second fastest time out of my 13 half marathons. I bested my time from last year's race by three minutes. I broke 2 hours by a considerable margin.

More importantly, maybe, I didn't give in. When I hit a wall at the 10K mark, slowed to a walk and burst into a sob-filled rant about training so hard, I picked a sign then picked up my feet. It didn't always last, the quickened pace, but every split that was not what I wanted thereafter was followed by a better one.

And I managed to do it all at 12 weeks pregnant.

Please, don't get me wrong. I am by no means special for running this race pregnant. There are other mother runners who have attempted and completed far greater physical feats than this. But to hold onto the dream, still entertain a PR, might have been a bit optimistic.

It was not unfounded, though. I had been running well when I got the news and continued to do so for some quite time. I really thought the goal was achievable until the past two weeks. It was then when things just started to get harder and not as fun. I didn't know whether it was Baby X (due April 2015) or just burn out or both.

So, on race day, I didn't know what to expect - not that anyone ever does. I just wanted to put my fears aside and run to the best of my ability on that day. With some much needed encouragement from my husband, it's exactly what I did. And that was a 1:55:47.

 ◊  ◊  ◊ 

To read a more traditional recap of my race, go here.

I will probably post later in the week about my decision to continue with my training plan after getting the news. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments or email me at hlthystrides at gmail dot com.

But for those burning questions, here are the answers:

1. I didn't wear the tall Pro Compression socks. The temperature at race start was in the 50s and the day's high in the 80s. I thought it would be too hot so I went with the shorties. I'm glad I did.

2. I wore my hydration pack, which allowed me to have my gels on my chest and skip all but one water station. Just before mile 11, I took the car key out of the zippered pocket, tucking into my sports bra, and tossed the pack to my in-laws who were cheering with Miles. Please note that Miles was picking up dirt and throwing it on the sidewalk.

3. Mark ended up running beside me or just in front of me for most of the race. He started to play hare to my tortoise a bit more when I possibly got a *tad* snarky for him asking about pace more than I cared to answer.

Race Day Quandaries {A Three Things Thursday Post}

T-minus two days. Actually less than that. It's more like 41 hours.

Forty-one hours till the big race.

And though I have some things figured out, I am facing a few dilemmas.

1. For the race, I'm wearing an orange tank, Oiselle Flyte shorts and a pair of ProCompression socks. I just wish I could decide which socks to wear. I had planned, a long time ago, to wear the splash in royal blue ... but that was before I picked out my shirt. Ridiculous. Yes, I know. I could still wear he splash or go with an orange pair. Hi! Race photogs! Look. At. Me. I could also go with a pair of Nuun dotted sock and just be all repped out.

Note: I could just wear some low trainers and not worry about coordinating, too.

2. A concern with a bit more substance: Hydration. I've been training with my Nathan Sports Intensity vest and have loved it. As I'm going for time, though, the extra weight could affect me. Walking through water stops could be just as detrimental, though. Other options include a small handheld or wearing my speed belt with two bottles. The bonus with the belt (and vest) is I could have my phone with me. With the handleld, I could toss it in my in-law's yard around mile 11 if I'm tired of it.

3. "I'm going to be your annoying little shadow," Mark told me one night this week in the kitchen. While I had anticipated I'd get annoyed with him during his 13.1-mile pacing effort, I didn't think he'd be my shadow. I thought he'd be next to me, matching me stride for stride. He thinks it will be more motivation for him to be behind me. And he could be right, depending on that whole annoying thing.

Note: I do love my husband. Sometimes, I even like him. However, I know myself and I know I can get grumpy at the end of the race. Being that I love Mark, I know it will be easy to blame him, call him annoying and take it out on him.

It's my day, and it is about me - he's made it clear - so I'm wondering whether to be specific about how he runs with me.

Help! I'd love any insight.

Weekly Training Update: 9/16-9/21

Race week is here. Do you know what that means?

Taper!

I know people can feel unsettled during taper but, oh, how I welcome this one. Even though things dropped off last week and I ran a couple miles less than plan, I was still around 27 miles with two quality workouts. No joke, if you ask me.

Between frustrations with my watch and being reacquainted with teaching two classes on Thursday (and subsequent DOMS), everything felt like more of a struggle than it should of. It is done, though, and that's important.

The good: Running with a new face on Saturday. Don't get me wrong, I like the people I run with but adding someone makes it that much more fun. The bonus: She ran faster and did better than she thought she would with the group.

A little note about the long run: I ditched off to go to the bathroom and told them I'd catch up. It took me almost a mile to do so, and I ran that one at 8:20. My long run pace is 9:30ish so to do that in the middle of a long run was fun ... ish.

The better: Even though I threw the plan out the window on Friday, I actually fell into the pace I needed (8:50 for 4 miles) and it didn't feel crazy hard, even on sore legs. I don't feel as confident as I'd like for Saturday's race but being able to do that was a nice boost.

The best: TAPER! And knowing that this training cycle is almost over.

The week, in training:

Monday, Sept. 15
REST

Tuesday, Sept. 16
RUN | 7.4 miles
Time: 1:04:06     Pace: 8:39

Wednesday, Sept. 17
RUN | 6 miles
Time: 57:49     Pace: 9:38

Thursday, Sept. 18
CROSS TRAIN | 30 minutes indoor bike

CROSS TRAIN | Boot camp + Ripped

Friday, Sept. 19
RUN | 6 miles
Time: 54:00     Pace: 9:00

Saturday, Sept. 20
RUN | 8.1 miles
Time: 1:15:12     Pace: 9:17

Sunday, Sept. 21

REST

Fall Racing: Whats, Wheres and Hopes

The hay is in the barn, as they say. Or, as I like to say, thank grilled cheesus, I don't have to cry any more when I look at my training schedule.

This weekend, I completed my last double digit run and my longest goal pace workout - 6.2 miles - as I look toward the Fort4Fitness half marathon. The race is on Sept. 27 and is the big to-do here in Fort Wayne. The festival of events (4-mile, 10K, half marathon and kids and seniors marathons) attracts about 10,000 participants.

As the year's big event, it is always a lot of fun. Most of the run group is there, as are the running store employees, and the atmosphere is just insane. For me, it's just such a special race because the half course is the only place I've broken 2 hours (2010 and 2013), and it was my first race after having Miles.

I'm hoping the 13.1-mile route will offer just as much magic this year, as I have been training for a PR. Given the target paces of my plan, my goal half marathon pace for the race should be between 8:35 and 8:40 - a PR by at least 30 seconds and up to 1:30.

But if I learned anything this weekend, it's that even with putting in the work during training, a PR is not a given.

On Sunday, I needed to get in a goal pace workout. My plan called for a 2-mile warm-up, 3 x 2.5 miles at goal half marathon pace with 3 minutes rest between sets and a 1-mile cool down. Insane, right? As there was a track club 10K at 2 p.m. Sunday, I decided that I would just use the race as the workout. Yes, I would be cutting the workout short but I thought the length of that workout was absurd. It came in around 11 miles and my long run was 10.

The plan for the race was to jog to the start (1.5 miles), volunteer and then run the race around an 8:40 pace. The jog to the start was painful, and my legs were sore and tight from the previous day's 10-miler. I chugged along and hoped for the best.

But the best never came. From start to finish, the race was challenging. I never hit that stride where I felt like it was hard but doable. It was just hard. I walked through the water stop, which we passed three times, and took two cups every  time. By mile 3, I sort of just threw pace out the window and just worked to the finish. But, my watch threw working out the window and as such, I managed to hit my goal for the weekend - 53:08, an 8:34 pace.

We'll see how good that pace feels on race day. I'm hopeful, though, that after some rest, a good taper, lots of myofascial release and a well-timed massage will make it feel less arduous.

Here's the fall schedule:

Fort4Fitness half marathon, Sept. 27 in Fort Wayne

Bourbon Chase relay, Oct. 10-11, Kentucky. I'm runner No. 12. (I had been assigned lucky No. 7 but things got switched around.) Leg mileage is 3.6 miles, 8 miles and 4.9 miles.

River City Rat Race 10K, Oct. 26 in Fort Wayne. Undecided but it's a points race for the track club.

Veterans half marathon, Nov. 8 in Columbia City. I'm not sure about this one but I could be convinced as they have a great finisher's jacket. I just need to decide if I want to keep up long runs after F4F,

In the Sick of It {Weekly Training Update}

It began on Monday night with a queasy feeling that I hoped would settle. When I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and I still felt sick, I knew I was in trouble.

And I was.

Tuesday brought one of the toughest bouts with an unknown stomach bug that I've had in sometime. I will spare you the details but I couldn't walk 10 feet without feeling terrible much less run. Working became impossible, and I found myself in and out of consciousness on the couch by mid-afternoon. I would wake up intermittently to catch bits of "16 and Pregnant" on TV. When Mark came home with Miles, I couldn't even get up to give him a hug - much less make dinner.

Wednesday wasn't much better. I could stomach food but low blood sugar and an unsettled stomach left me dizzy. I thought I would try to power through and work but when I passed out at daycare, it became clear that it would be another day of rest for me.

It's no fun to be sick but it's even worse, for me, to be incapacitated when I am in the thick of training. I skipped one run completely, ran another workout easy and cut the miles short. I didn't run faster than a 9:15 mile, and it felt like death.

"How am I supposed to run Fort4Fitness on Sept. 27 at an 8:35 pace?" I thought with tears down my face.

"I don't know if I can do this!" I whined to Mark.

 It took all the logic and revisiting of past workouts to make me not throw out the plan - the schedule and the one for the race - and do the event for fun.

Note: I might have been feeling a bit dramatic because I hadn't eaten or gotten out of the house for days. 

My thinking, now, is that one missed workout won't kill me; I've put in the work; and a little rest might have done me good.

I hope.

The week, in training:

Monday, Sept. 1
CROSS TRAIN | BodyPump
At home. In the living room. With my child.
Note: I also biked 4 miles with Mark as he ran but it doesn't seem super worthy of noting. But, it was super fun. Especially when I told him that he had to keep up with me the last mile ;)

Tuesday, Sept. 2
CROSS TRAIN | Walk
I'm a dumbass and tried to run. It did not work. But I was stubborn and went for a 30-minute walk during which I wanted to hurl in the river.

Wednesday, Sept. 3
REST | Sick

Thursday, Sept. 4
RUN | 6 miles
Time: 56:14     Pace: 9:22

Mid-afternoon and hot and humid as hell. I wanted to die.

CROSS TRAIN | Boot camp

Friday, Sept. 5
RUN | 6 miles
Time: 56:45     Pace: 9:27

Farthest stroller run since Miles was a baby. It was humid, again, and I ditched my shirt at mile 1. It prompted Miles to ask my why and then to inquire further as to why I did not take off my sports bra. We also stopped for fruit snacks, apple sauce and sticks.

Saturday, Sept. 6
RUN | 13 miles
Time: 2:03:08     Pace: 9:28
Course preview for Fort4Fitness. I thought I would run a bit slower but Joe and I chugged along at an even 9:30 for most of the miles. Bonus: Our last two were the fastest at 9:15.

Sunday, Aug. 10

REST

Weekly Training Update: 7/14-7/20

Training for a goal half marathon doesn't stop when you go on vacation.

And I'm so glad for that.

This week my workouts have taken me to Arbor Day Farms, home of Arbor Day, in Nebraska City to Davidson Mesa outside Boulder to the top of the world in Rocky Mountain National Park.

All the while, we've driven 1,200 miles and spent time with some of my favorite people in the world. Some might not like the pressure of fitting in runs and workouts while balancing vacation fun but this week has been some of the most fun training I've had in a long time.

The week, in training:

Monday, July 14
RUN | 5 miles

Time: 46:55     Pace: 9:22

Plan: 2-mile WU; 5 x [30 seconds uphill at hard effort, walk down rest; 75 seconds 5K effort, walk down rest]; 1-mile CD.
Since I can't find good hills in my neighborhood and I'm taking this training seriously, I hit the treadmill for this workout. For the hills, I did the 30 seconds hard at 7.5 (8:00 pace) and the 75 seconds 5K effort at 7.3 (8:13 pace). Incline was at 4.0 for first two intervals, 4.5 for second two and 5.0 for last. It felt tough for sure.

Tuesday, July 15
CYCLE | 10.25 miles
Time: 50:00     Pace: 12.4 mph

Let me say this: It's totally weird to ride in the dark. I woke up early to ride, taking the long way to the YMCA. I did some upper body exercises and then rode home.

Wednesday, July 16
RUN | 6.6 miles
Time: 58:10     Pace: 8:49

Workout: 2-mile WU; 4 x 1 mile @ 10K pace; 1-mile CD
Goal pace for the repeats was 8:20 but thanks to the awesome support of my husband, we were able to nail it - with negative splits. 8:13, 8:11, 8:08, 8:00. It was definitely tough at the end and I sort of wanted to die but I really showed up. The weather didn't hurt either thanks to the second coming of the polar vortex.

Thursday, July 17
RUN | 3.21 miles
After a 10-hour drive (not including stops), my legs were happy to go for a run. My heart was happier to be able to run with my best friend. Our time together is never enough so it was great to have a few miles without kids and husbands.

Friday, July 18
REST 

Saturday, July 19
RUN | 3.4 miles + 1.23-mile run commute to cycling
First run at altitude, and it was as difficult as I remembered.

CROSS TRAINING | Indoor cycling class
I visited the nearby rec center, and I really enjoyed the class. The instructor was very "Boulder" and welcoming. The workout featured some sprints and steady flats. A few climbs, too.

Sunday, July 20
RUN | 9.05 miles
Time: 1:27:54     Pace: 9:43

I did the first 4 with Mark around Louisville, Colorado, and then finished the last 5 around Davidson Mesa. The views were breathtaking, and I was completely enamored when I saw horses. Good thing, though, that my sister-in-law told me later that I could have also spotted rattlesnakes. Ick!

Weekly Training Update: 7/7-7/13

And so another cycle begins.

This week marked the beginning of training for my fall half marathon, Fort4Fitness, and my preparations for the Go Girl Triathlon in Indianapolis. My primary efforts are directed toward Fort4Fitness but I am giving the triathlon the due diligence it deserves. It might be a bit tricky at times but I feel confident that I will be able to make it work.

For the half, I'm following a plan I found on Competitor's website. I debated - a lot - about getting a coach as I have found myself disappointed at the finish line of this year's half marathons but I just couldn't justify the cost. This plan scares me. A lot. However, I do think it is doable and with that, I knew it was the right plan.

To get ready for the triathlon, my greatest concern is the swim. I have never had lessons and am not especially proficient in the water.  While the race is 500 meters and, hopefully, will take 15 minutes or less, It will be the hardest 15 minutes of my life. I will be hitting the pool on Mondays and maybe Wednesdays, when I'll also bike. I plan to do one of the running plan's easier runs on Sunday so I can combine it with a ride for a true brick.

Of course, I say all of this and we're getting ready for vacation. Training on holiday is hard enough but I'll be at altitude, and I know it's going to be a challenge.

But I'm ready.

The week, in training:

Monday, July 7
CROSS TRAINING | Boot camp

SWIM | 600 yards

Tuesday, July 8
RUN | 4.33 miles
Time: 39:21     Pace: 11.3 mph

First run of Fort4Fitness training cycle - 4 easy with 4 x 20s strides. I tried to keep the four easy, especially since I felt less than energetic - 9:15, 9:08, 9:05, 9:16. I was going for NS but eased up last mile to save energy for strides. The strides definitely hurt, and I might hate them more than 800s.

Wednesday, July 9
CYCLE | 10.3 miles
Time: 37:05     Pace: 14.4 mph

The first 1.5 miles took Mark and me to my in-laws where we dropped off the toddler. After we were able to unload the trailer, we picked up the pace. I was a bit surprised at just how well I was able to get into a groove. If this ride is any indication, I will be in good shape for the triathlon.

Thursday, July 10
RUN | 5.01 miles
Time: 46:04     Pace: 9:11

Reunited with my BRF! We started out conservatively, both of us sore from the day prior's boot camp. As such, we nailed perfect negative splits. The morning was gorgeous, to boot, almost crisp and a bit of fog.

CROSS TRAINING | Ripped

Friday, July 11
REST 

Saturday, July 12
RUN | Runners on Parade 5K + WU and CD

Sunday, July 13
RUN | 8.1 miles
Time: 1:17:28     Pace: 9:33

After the previous day's 5K, this run was all about getting it done. My legs felt tight, and it took almost 6 miles for them to loosen up. Figures. My abs also felt pretty sore, which made the first few miles interesting. Just glad to get it done.

Winning {A Three Things Thursday post}

1. Another week has gone by, and I am happy to report {to myself}that I am still rocking the no-grain, no-sugar experiment. It wasn't easy this weekend with Memorial Day outings that included a trip to the zoo, where ice cream is often a treat; a hog roast where green chile mac and cheese was served; another grill out with cookies and ice cream; and front-row seats at the minor league baseball game ... on $1 hot dog day.

Of course, it's not to say I didn't have anything. I just chose where I was willing to break the rules. Mark and I split a cone at the zoo but I said no to the beer and mac and cheese at the party that night. I had a bit more ice cream at the second barbecue but got peanuts at the game. What's more important to me, though, is that those indulgences didn't set me into a tail spin. I was back to work - and back on plan - on Tuesday.

2. Before the game on Monday, Mark, Miles and I did a little shopping at the outdoor mall. All of Mark's summer shorts seemed to have disappeared into the Bermuda triangle in our basement, and he was in desperate need as his school does not have air conditioning. As luck would have it, Old Navy had shorts on sale for $8. I grabbed a couple pairs for him and then went over to investigate the women's.

I found myself skipping over the too short shorts and heading toward the bikinis. Usually, trying on such things will send me into tears {related} but I was feeling brave ... or masochistic, grabbing a few to try on. I am pretty sure Mark was nervous for me {and himself} that it would be like so many dressing room trips before but I came out unscathed and with a bathing suit I liked. I am not sure whether I'm more self accepting and confident or was suffering from  heat stroke but I'm happy with my progress mentally.

3. Ever since I accepted Mark's invitation to pace me for Fort4Fitness, I've been churning about how I wanted to approach training for the race. I know what I need - speed work and tempo runs, long runs and recovery ones - but I didn't know where I should find it. I could get a coach, which is expensive and a bit self indulgent (in my opinion) based on my abilities. I could buy a plan from Smart Coach or Runner's Academy. Or I could go with some of the easily accessed schedules, either from Train Like a Mother or online.

I had been seriously considering the Another Mother Runner 13.Fun challenge but the timing wasn't right and the price was a bit steep {for me, at this time}. I was poking around on the local running store's website to see about coaching prices when I saw information about the training group for the fall half marathon.

I had always thought it was for beginners but, as it turns out, they advertise that it's for all levels and the program offers individualized plans. There are also group runs, info on nutrition, chance to make more BRFs and availability to ask questions of the coach. Plus a shirt. For $65.

Gotta ask the boss man but I'm pretty sure this is my answer!

Getting on pace + upcoming races {A Three Things Thursday post}

"I have a question to ask you and then a statement."

Mark was standing at the kitchen sink and I at the stove as we cleaned up dinner one night last week. The conversation had been rather pedestrian until that point, and I was taken aback by what he said. I inquired as to whether I could hear the statement first and the the question but, according to him, the order of things was crucial. If I answered the question one way, the statement would be void.

"Would you consider it a PR," he started "if someone paced you to the time during Fort4Fitness?"

Again. Taken aback.

To be honest, I have never really thought of having a personal pacer who would promise to pull me to a personal best. I was with a pace group for part of last year's Fort4Fitness, and I found the sub-2 goal quite literally looming over my head to be motivating. However, I had ran most of the race myself and had made the choice to stick with them no matter what. I had done it, accountable only to myself.

My answer to Mark's question, at best, would be laced with uncertainty but I didn't need him to make a statement. I knew what he was getting at - he was offering to pace me to a half marathon PR.

Mark has run two races of the 13.1 distance, with a PR of 1:34, but hasn't expressed a huge interest in longer events since. I think the combination of a busy track season, which means no running for him, and my performance at Athens have turned the tides this spring.

Note: Mark is not upset or disappointed in me about the race but bummed because he was so confident that I would be faster.

I haven't given Mark an answer - I have until May 5 when registration goes up - but after some encouragement from Joe on our run this morning, I am tipping yes. After all, Galen Rupp had a rabbit when he broke the indoor 5K record. I just want to run a 1:53 half marathon.

In addition to Fort4Fitness, which is in September, here are some other races on the calendar:

1. Dirty Girl Mud Run in Indianapolis on May 17. If you haven't registered, use code BLOGFRIEND for $10 off.

2. ZOOMA Napa Valley half marathon on June 28

3. Runners on Parade 5K on July 12. The 2010 race is where I set my 5K PR. I haven't tried to break it since, and I might just try it again.

What's on your calendar? Would you use a pacer?

2013, in running

2013 was the year to Make Shit Happen - in my life but in my running as well. And while I didn't smash any PRs or take on a new distance, I did fulfill a dream to run Hood to Coast with Team Nuun and finish a few races where, literally, shit happened.

So, I'm linking up with Miss Zippy to share my year on the road.

Best race experience. I think every runner has an event that will make the calendar every year - regardless of life or fitness - and, for me, it's Fort4Fitness. It's a well-organized event that unites and motivates the community, and it's the one to see and be seen. This year, it kept its place as the only course where I have broken two hours in the half and I did so by staying mentally strong. Crossing the finish line with a the number 1 at the front of the race clock and with my newfound friends in the pace group behind me was so satisfying.

Best run. The training, the runs - they all seem to blur together as the miles pass. However, I feel grateful that this was the year that I connected with my local running community and logged some miles in a group. The 8-miler I had the week before Veterans where G pushed me at a strong pace was confidence boosting, and my most recent 8 with J was reinvigorating. They were both outings where I felt glad to be a runner.

Best new piece of gear. I made big changes this year in terms of shoes. I ditched the Nike Structure Triax for the Brooks Ravenna in April, and I'm now flirting with the Altra Provisioness 1.5. I'm really loving the Altra - from the airy feel to the speed it inspires. The wide toebox is good for me as I often get black toenails, and I do feel like it is changing my gait for the good.

Runners up: Anything by Oiselle. I raced Fort4Fitness in the Flyte tank, and it's long and lean. I scored a Lux Layer for Hood to Coast and it's by far my favorite winter running shirt. It's soft on the inside, a gorgeous color and very flattering.

Best piece of running advice. Finishing is winning, courtesy of an Another Mother Runner T-shirt.

Most inspirational runner. Everyone who runs inspires me but I was particularly impressed and awe-struck by Kim. She was smart and steady about running through her pregnancy and was logging miles past her due date thanks to a stubborn and gorgeous girl. It's been so long since I've been pregnant that I almost fear if it happens again that the prospect of running pregnant would be daunting. Kim and a few others (Jess + Liz) made it a reality again. The pregnancy, though, is not. Just to be clear.

If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be? Abundant. I raced much more than I anticipated and in places I could only dream. I tackled a second marathon when I didn't think I would, and I found people to carry me through the training and the race. It wasn't the year I planned but I couldn't ask for more.

How would you describe your year?

Doing it and doing it right: A half marathon game changer

The ninth time just might be the charm. Or, it could be the sixth. Better yet, let's try the fourth.

On Saturday, I ran my ninth half marathon - my sixth since having Miles and the fourth this year. I crossed the line in a time of 1:58:56, only the second time I've broken the 2-hour barrier (the first was at the same race 3 years ago). 

I can go on an on about how I was worried about whether I could break the mark, especially with the challenges I've had this past month, but I won't do that. Actually, I have done it and I'm not going down that road again. I'm also not going to write a straight recap of the race - I did that for my work blog and you can read it here.

Rather, I'm going to do something novel. Something novel for me. I am going to tell you the things I did right to help me reach my goal - even if it wasn't my "A" goal or a PR.

1. I started out positive. While I didn't visualize a time on the clock or try to create a light, airy feeling, I told myself that I was going to have a good race. I was going to run a strong race. I was going to have a fun race. Every time the nerves would slip in, I would remind myself that it was going to be a great race because it always is. The moment I did slip up, my running guru told me that the mileage I've been running would help plus I had cute hair. Cute hair = good race.

By the way, this guru ran a PR 1:17 half and went onto have an emergency appendectomy that day. Rock. Star.

2. I came up with a strategy, really a mantra, and stuck to it. Run smart. Run strong. Run with heart. I reminded myself of it an annoying number of times throughout the race but it worked. It reined me in when the pace crept faster, pushed me when I wanted to slow and kept me going when just finishing seems like a better idea. The times it didn't work, I repeated some affirmations from a video my Hood to Coast teammate, Devon, posted on her blog.

Why, yes, I am a mermaid.

3. I didn't lose faith. I left the 2-hour pacers just after mile 2 and thought that I might stay ahead of them the whole race. It was at mile 10, where I was walking through the water stop, where they passed me. I caught up with them and said hi as I ran with a few of them last week. I pledged that no matter how far ahead I thought I was or how much I might have slowed that it wouldn't get to me and I would keep them in my sights for the rest of the race. There were times when it was difficult but I repeated my mantra and tried to zero in.

4. While I thought I had slowed - and Mark had later told me that he was worried that I had, I didn't. Not really. I crossed the mat at 5 miles with a pace of 9:04; from miles 5 to 10, it was 9:05. The last 5K, I ran a 9:02 pace. I have never ran this even, not that I can think of but I'm not surprised. I didn't focus on pace obsessively but I kept a mental note of lap paces to make sure that I wasn't slowing down or going to fast time. You bank energy, not time.

5. It probably goes without saying but I stayed focused and positive. 

Told you it was novel.

Three Things Thursday: Photo Dump

First things first. I am happy to report that after four days of feeling crappy that I am finally feeling like myself. And by feeling like myself, I mean I said yes when Mark asked me if I wanted coffee this morning and I exercised with no nausea.

Excuse the profanity but hell yeah! (OK, to be honest, when I typed the "excuse the profanity" I fully intended to use the "f" word but I chickened out.)

Anyway, a few things I had intended to share on the the blog were shoved aside by illness - probably norovirus - but I'd hate to see them disappear into the black hole of ideas.

1. I was a big ole tease last week, promoting the Old Navy Activewear I scored via Crowdtap but never sharing the duds.

Shock of the century, I picked the printed compression capris in black and the printed knotted tank. I can't really wear them together, which is a fail on my part, but I have enough workout stuff to make do. I wore the capris for BODYPUMP on Saturday, and I have no real complaints save for the fact that I wish the internal pocket had a zipper. It's fine for cross-training, no good for running.

As for the tank, I'm in total love. I wore it on Monday for lounging/walking the zoo - which is totally active - and for a trampoline class today. Definition of fashion meets function.

2. Saturday morning, I made the somewhat questionable choice to volunteer for the Fort4Fitness Spring Cycle event. I had seen a link on Facebook that volunteers would receive a free entry to the fall race and, well, I can't say no to free. I selected the 5 to 8 a.m. shift (this is where the questionable comes in) because it would upset my/our schedule the least.

I spent much of the three hours moving barricades and fences, working with a guy in taper for his first half marathon and a master's triathlete who has competed in Kona and won a 70.3 event. The work sort of sucked (I told Mark it was my first time as a race volunteer where I felt like I was doing something) but talking to the guys was totally awesome. I learned that I should not shoot for a 70.3 in my first year of triathlons, if there is to be a first year of triathlons, and you can get a degree in heating and air conditioning.

3. Before the illness began, I did manage to squeeze in some fun. A friend of Mark's, who moved to D.C. last year to be a doctor of all things, came to visit, bringing with him dry-aged steaks - porterhouse, T-bone and sirloin. It. Was. Amazing.

I made a BLT pasta salad, using turkey bacon and yogurt ranch dressing, as well as some corn and the bachelors in the crowd brought prepared mac and cheese and craft beers. I'm not sure if they were trying to send me a message when they handed me a Hoegarden but it was tasty.

The party was also a good chance to try out some Kroger smoothie bars, which I procured using a coupon from BzzAgent. I had been in the habit of making fancy desserts but I realized that a) it takes a crapload of time; b) I spend too much money on ingredients; and c) I end up using it as an excuse to binge.  But I decided to let that go, especially since the steak was the real treat.

Everyone seemed to like them, and it was a great treat to give the kids without feeling insanely guilty. The bars are 50 calories each, and there are actual chunks of fruit in them.

What's your favorite summer treat? I really like these bars - for reals - and might try to make them at home for a little more quality control.

Disclaimer: I received coupons for the Old Navy Activewear and Kroger smoothie bars via Crowdtap and BzzAgent respectively via personal participation on the marketing websites. I was not required to write about the products on the blog but in doing so, I may be eligible for future opportunities or rewards. All opinions and words are my own. Duh.