My 2nd Monumental Marathon

Well that was not the race I was expecting.  I haven't been updating well, I actually did about 85% of the training for this marathon.  I ran 4 times a week, a huge feat for a full time working momma of 2 and a wife of a busy construction working musician. We don't have time for me to be gone for hours at a time running, but we make it happen. I did most of my long runs, early on I had decided on Hal Higdon's novice plan I started with II but ended up switching to I. The group that I run with on Saturdays is amazing, a bit faster than I am so its hard sometimes to get the long runs in... Just because I don't like to be out running alone. 

Now about this training cycle, about 2 months in I started having some issues with what I assume is plantar fasciitis. I started waking up with some pretty good pain when I would get out of bed. It would always go away by the time I got to work and when I ran it never bothered me. My first 18 miler was amazing, I felt great, could've gone another couple of miles even. Of course the morning after more pain...the next weekend was a half and it was awful. I just didn't want to race. It made it hard to even do the 13.1 because I just didn't want to be there. Finished and went back to training. The following weekend was to be my one and only 20 miler. Started out feeling pretty amazing actually, somewhere around mile 13 I started feeling that Plantar pain...WHILE I WAS RUNNING :( 
I finished out 18 miles that day and iced and elevated for the entirety of tapering, I didn't stop running though. I still had two longish runs left and several short runs during the week. 

Race day...

I was feeling actually pretty good going into race day, even though I had mentioned to a person or two that I wasn't sure that I felt ready earlier that week.  I really felt great, I got plenty of rest and hydrated like a good girl.  We all met early that morning gathered our things and headed for the start line. I ended up running the first few miles with Stephanie, my sister, she was running the half. She kept asking if we were going to fast, but I honestly felt so good and didn't feel too fast at all. I had a tiny bit of discomfort for maybe a half a mile at the beginning in my heels but it quickly dissipated and I really had a good feeling about the end result. I had my Legend Compression Sleeves on and my legs were feeling strong and not tired at all. If you want to grab a pair at a discount let me know I will get you a special discount code!

At the halfway point I still felt good and was on track for a PR race, which I wasn't counting on.  I was hydrating at every water stop as it was getting warmer, it was supposed to hit mid 60's in November...strange for Indiana. Somewhere between mile 14-15 I started feeling like knives were being stuck into my heels at every step. There were tears, lots of them, several other marathoners stopped to see what was happening, whether I was okay, did I need a medic? I'm tearing up as I remember the feeling. It was so painful, it didn't hurt worse at this time if I was running or walking so I started doing both, about a mile at a very slow for me run and then a minute or two of walking. I did that until about mile 19 and then called my sister and told her to find me I was done. She said no...Then she had our other sister text me and tell me to keep going. 
Now I was doing more like 3 minutes run/2 min walk... a few minutes later she text me and said she and my husband were at mile 21.5, I got there and cried again... They asked what I wanted to do, by now my heels were on fire and still running and walking hurt, I decided to go on if she came with me. She's a trooper so she did. We walked most of those last 4 miles with little short bouts of running in there. By now it was hurting work and I was trying to keep the weight off of my heels so the balls of my feet were getting tired and sore. 

Somewhere around mile 24 the rest of the group text Steph and asked if she knew where I was, she said she was with me, they were waiting on me at the finish... more tears. Molly and Brittany met us with about .4 to go, I was running, it was so painful, but since it even hurt to walk I figured I should just get this over with. They ran me in that last bit we turned the corner and I heard my husband yell that I could do it. I am so thankful for the friendships we have foraged over the past two years and that these friends came and encouraged me over the finish. I finished 23 minutes slower than my first marathon, but I FINISHED and that is no small feat. 

I will do another one, I will conquer the Marathon the way that I want to. 

Marathon Number 2

Once I finished my first full Marathon back in November 2013 I wasn't certain that I would EVER do that again. Since then I've pounded out 2000+ miles, numerous halfs, 5k's (which I strongly dislike but more on that later.), a couple of 10k's and hundreds and hundreds of just because miles.

I've decided, thru some crazy runner logic, to do it again. Somewhere along the way I've lost my "want to" in the PR department, I just get out there in a race setting and decide that whatever "thing" that's working against me (weather, feeling, gumption) wins and I run just and only to finish. I'm hoping that accomplishing this Full will give me back the desire to get better. 

The first time I tackled the beast that is the full marathon I ended up doing it alone. I was running it with my sister and she ended up injured mere weeks prior to the race and the last 8 miles (which are the hardest anyway) were just excruciating to me...I honestly felt they would never end. That being said, there is the possibility that I'll be completing this one by myself, but not alone. There are 6 of us training together and while we may not all run together we will start together and cheer each other in. These people 😊

So with that, training starts on Tuesday, it's all written out and planned. I will be wearing my Legend Compression for long runs, they are fantastic and look good too!  During the next few months (18 weeks) I'll run literally hundreds of miles and I'll enjoy the journey. The last 26.2 is just the icing on the cake. 

Blogging again

Wow! It's been a minute since my last blog post. I have had an eventful year personally, I lost my paternal grandparents within 6 months of each other, so we've been settling the estate and getting ready to put the house of my childhood memories on the market. I know everyone goes through this, that doesn't make it easier for anyone. I still have my memories tucked away in my banks for later, but watching the "stuff" go still makes my heart ache.

Running through all of this has been...challenging. I've done several halfs since last writing but no new PR's at any distance😳. I just haven't been ready to train to be faster. I can, however, run with my Saturday morning group at a PR pace, I just can't seem to be able to keep that momentum into race days. This group though, they are a blessing. We meet Saturday's and run our long runs, usually 7-10, usually. These people are so very motivating and the positivity that comes out of them is nothing short of amazing! I'm so happy to call them all friends. This group though...one of them is ready to run her first full, so I've signed up for full marathon number 2!! We are all training together! Yay!! 

One more thing today, I've become a Brand Ambassador for LEGEND Compression, a great newer compression company! They have a wide selection of socks, sleeves and recovery. I'm excited to share this discount with you, I've tried these and they are fantastic!! 

Here is a code for 15% off AmbFriend2016 

http://legendcompressionwear.com

Happy running!!! 

Rachel

Blogging again

Wow! It's been a minute since my last blog post. I have had an eventful year personally, I lost my paternal grandparents within 6 months of each other, so we've been settling the estate and getting ready to put the house of my childhood memories on the market. I know everyone goes through this, that doesn't make it easier for anyone. I still have my memories tucked away in my banks for later, but watching the "stuff" go still makes my heart ache.

Running through all of this has been...challenging. I've done several halfs since last writing but no new PR's at any distance😳. I just haven't been ready to train to be faster. I can, however, run with my Saturday morning group at a PR pace, I just can't seem to be able to keep that momentum into race days. This group though, they are a blessing. We meet Saturday's and run our long runs, usually 7-10, usually. These people are so very motivating and the positivity that comes out of them is nothing short of amazing! I'm so happy to call them all friends. This group though...one of them is ready to run her first full, so I've signed up for full marathon number 2!! We are all training together! Yay!! 

One more thing today, I've become a Brand Ambassador for LEGEND Compression, a great newer compression company! They have a wide selection of socks, sleeves and recovery. I'm excited to share this discount with you, I've tried these and they are fantastic!! 

Here is a code for 15% off AmbFriend2016 

http://legendcompressionwear.com

Happy running!!! 

Rachel

️Running Vs. Jogging?

It took me a long time to convince myself that I was a runner. I didn't feel worthy, fast enough, experienced enough...

Then one day I realized: IF you run, you ARE a runner. It's that simple. 

Let's step back and put a bit of perspective on this argument. If I'm running a 10 minute mile and that's as fast as I can go, like even if a bear is chasing me, I'm running. To my neighbor who is a Boston Qualifier with a sub 8 min mile, I may as well be standing still. But Wait!! Let's put my neighbor, who is blowing me out of the proverbial water, next to Shalane or Kara maybe Meb? Suddenly they are standing still at that crazy fast pace we just spoke of, of less than 8 min miles. 

Who are you to judge my pace? I'm racing me not you, just as you should be racing you. (Unless you are one of the aforementioned runners above, then race each other!) Pace is relative, you don't know my struggle, just don't tell me I'm jogging...

  

Winter Grays: Staying motivated?

In all honesty I don't know how on earth these die hards are running when it's below 20 plus 20-30 mph winds!! I've managed a few outside runs, snow covered bike trails, cold noses, wind burnt cheeks...and we know how I feel about treadmills.  

It was a blast running in the snow and a great workout for my quads, lots of high knees;) 

However, since my last 9 miles in the snow it's been down right frigid.  (Yeah most of the country knows what I'm talking about.) Negative windchills, gusts of wind in the 30 mph range, it's just nasty. I don't have proper cold weather gear for one and really being outside for anything if it's negative 10 does NOT appeal to me. I do make snow angels if it's above 20 though;) 

I've been cruising pages on FaceBook and listening to my twitter folks who are out there running in the cold and I envy them, I do...but I'm not going out there.  I found a new page called RunVine and it's pretty cool, race reviews done by racers, the goo the bad and the ugly.  Check it out!! http://www.racevine.com

How do you stay motivated in the negative temps? I want to know!!! 

Happy Running!!!

Also don't forget once our FB page reaches 250 we will have a give away!! 

https://m.facebook.com/ThisRunningMomma?__user=697585014