Guest Post! Only 80 days left

 

She's back!  We've got the update from Becca's marathon training over the past month.  Enjoy!

-Sarah

So here we are folks, just about halfway through marathon training and as I write this 80 days from the marathon. To say I'm nervous is an understatement. I'm excited too, but definitely nervous. The time just seems to be flying by and I feel woefully unprepared. I've missed miles, I'm far from where I want to be me, but that doesn't mean I'm going to just quit trying and not do it. I have a goal, and no matter the time it takes, I'm going to crush that goal.

A couple questions came my way that I thought were good points of discussion; how do I keep myself motivated, what do I think about before going on a run, and why train on my own?

So why train on my own?  Well it wasn't really a thought, I prefer running on my own mostly anyway so I didn't even consider anything else as an option. I like to use my running as time to think, or time to clear my head if I'm thinking too much. And considering the amount of time I'll be spending in my brain during the marathon, I'd better be ready for it so why not train for it as part of my training?

What do I think about before going on a run? That definitely depends on the run. If it's a shorter run it's not a lot, mostly the plan for the run then talking myself into getting out the door.  But if it's a long run I'm usually running down a checklist of all the things I may need while out on the run, making extra sure I've got fluids planned in or maybe a place to stop on the route.  I plan out a route EVERY. TIME. Partially because I like to make sure I'm getting the right mileage in, and because I like to try to plan fun places  like parks or local landmarks along the route.

How do I keep myself motivated?  I don't. Motivation is like the tides. It comes and it goes.  And it can come in as quickly as it can disappear. Frankly I'd say the first half of my training I've been battling majorly with motivation. You have to just address it daily as it comes and goes. Discipline in the end is what will get you through, not always motivation. I do however have a few people I follow on social media that inspire me to be better, which in turn helps with motivation. That can be important, make sure the people you follow on social media are motivating to you. 

How about you? Do you find it easy to just fall into a training rhythm? Or do you struggle with staying on task and staying motivated to get all the workouts in? Let me know how you're training is going. Let's finish out the summer strong! 

Guest Post! First Time Marathoner

Hi there! I thought it would be fun to feature someone that is tackling the marathon distance for the first time.  You’ll see a monthly post from her as she trains over the summer and throughout the fall.  And, the bonus is that she is my sister!

Enjoy!

-Sarah

  

Hi I'm Becca, and I'm a runner. I've been running a few years now and have really come to love it. I've done a few 5ks, a few 10ks, half a dozen half marathons and even a 25k. My sister is definitely to blame for me starting running, and I'm so glad she got me in to it. I've found it really helps bring me peace and keep my mind in check.  I'm a proud back of the back interval runner and love bringing the party to the back so make sure to say HI if you see me out there!!  

So it's official, I made the decision for the big plunge, the FULL plunge...I'm doing my first full marathon this fall!! This is a decision I've pondered for a while now, and after quite a bit of back and forth and getting other peoples' opinions, I'm going for it. And bless my husband's heart, when I told him he completely supported the idea no question.  When I first thought about doing a full marathon my thoughts were to wait until I hit 40, give myself more time to get in better shape, or if I'm really honest....get faster at running.  But I did some deep digging, listened to a lot of the 300 Pounds and Running podcast with Martinus and Latoya and decided I was only robbing myself if I waited. I shouldn't let my pace be the biggest reason I don't think I can do a marathon. Who knows, I could wait forever until I hit a pace I'm "happy" with. You just never know what life will throw your way or how long you have left until for whatever reason, you won't get the opportunity to try the things you want to try.  So with that in mind, I decided to go for it, screw waiting until a milestone birthday, or a "better" pace (let's be real there is no such thing, we all ALWAYS want a better pace) I'm going to run a marathon no matter how long it takes me.

So now that the big decision to do a marathon was made, here comes the next big decision, WHICH marathon to do?! I don't know if everyone else puts this much thought in to what marathon to do for their first but I have a lot of things to consider, and I'm just nerdy enough to make a spreadsheet of my top five possible marathons and their details in order to make my choice.  The factors I considered where things like location, fees, date of race and the time limits. The most important factor for me, is the time limits.  I'm a back of the pack runner and a run/walker, and it is very possible that I will not make the usual 6:30:00 cutoff times.  Three of my top choices had those.  The more I thought on it the more I knew I didn't want stressing about beating a time limit to be what I worry about most in my first marathon.  That left me with two final options; one with a 7-hour time limit, and one with no time limit. After a little more discussion with my sister about logistics for race weekend as a final selling point, I decided to go with the race with no time limit.  So Grand Rapids Marathon here I come!!

Now there was only one other big decision left, deciding on a training plan! This one is tough for everyone.  Every runner is so different and in such a different place. You have to consider where YOU are with what the training plans are telling you to do. A quick Google search of beginner marathon training plans gives you quite a wide range of plans for an even wider range of beginner abilities.  As I've mentioned before, I'm a back of the pack interval runner, so this was a big factor in what training plan options I looked at.  After looking at a minimum of 3 different plans I finally ended up with one I found on a website that even had plans for Walk/Runners and Walkers. So this plan has you running 4:1 intervals (running 4 minutes, walking for 1) and eventually 5:1 and doing the marathon at 5:1. I can now tell you after a few weeks that as someone who has been doing 1:1 intervals for a long time, the jump to 4:1 was seriously tough and honestly disheartening. I let it get to me and it really affected the first couple weeks of my training. The more I thought about it and discussed it a bit with my sister when she came out for my long run this past weekend, I decided to just change the intervals. (Seriously she rode her adorable Schwinn bike while I ran and I haven't had that much fun on a long run in a long time!)  It's my training schedule after all!  And as my sister wisely noted, increasing both run time and distance is not generally a great idea. So that's where I am now, 4 weeks in doing 1:1 now and not feeling like my runs are completely impossible or a failure.  I look forward to keeping you updated with the process over the next 16ish weeks!


Race Recap: Let's Run in Croatia!

Dubrovnik Croatia.  To be honest, it was not on my bucket list.  I didn’t even know where it was on a map.  But, last year, my friend Emma posted a message asking if anyone wanted to go to this race with her.  It was organized by another Run Camper that happened to be a travel agent.  How could I say no to a trip like this?

 

Du Motion organizes a Runners’ Day festival in Dubrovnik.  It consists of a run on the walls (more about that later), half marathon, 5k and kids run.  Initially we signed up for both the Wall and the half marathon.  Because of my lack of training and the time limit on the half, we both decided to drop down to the 5k.

 

The expo was held at Lazareti, a set of stone buildings that were once the quarantine buildings outside the city.  It was an intimate expo with a couple vendors, including free products from the sponsors.  We could also purchase additional race merchandise, including custom wine and tennis shoes with the outline of the Dubrovnik on the heels. (I really wish I would have purchased them!!!)  The race packet swag was OFF THE CHARTS!  Depending on the race package, we could get a backpack, reusable shopping bag, hoodie, tech short sleeve shirt, cotton shirt, VIP pass to local museums and island excursion.  The VIP pass also gave the runner discounts to various restaurants in Dubrovnik.  The best part of the expo was meeting the race director, Alen Bošković.  He was extremely friendly and offered plenty of tips for all the races.  He even introduced us to the founder of the Big Sur International Marathon, Bill Burleigh. The Monterey Bay Half Marathon is a sister race to Du Motion and the top runners are offered the opportunity race in the sister race.  Finally, we tried some of the special Runner Ale from the Dubrovnik Beer Company.  (We are from Beer City after all!)

 

Saturday morning was the "Run The Wall" event.  Note to self:  FULLY READ the race descriptions.  From the race website:

 

The Walls of Dubrovnik have been considered to be amongst the greatest fortification systems of the Middle Ages. The walls run an uninterrupted course of approximately 1,940 metres in length, encircling most of the Old City and reach a maximum height of about 25 metres.

Once a year they are the track field to a very tricky 2,5K race. Upstairs, downstairs, slippery ancient stone, magnificent view…All of it makes this race unforgettable as well as dangerous.

The number of runners is limited at 100. Be sure to register on time!

 

Did you notice this word…dangerous?  What was I getting myself into?  Emma and I did half the wall the day before the race, which really messed with my head. Did I mention I am terrified of heights?  But, I also like a challenge.  What I didn't realize until we were there is that this race is different from anything else that I have ever experienced.  It rained quite a bit the night before and continued to sprinkle up to race time.  In case you are wondering, limestone becomes very slick when it is wet.  They line everyone up according to bib number. Then, let each person go every 30 seconds.  According to bib number??? I am a last of the pack kind of person!  This was not what I wanted to do.  And then, the hell of all hells for me, the first quarter mile is you, just you, running down the limestone street with people lined on each side.  For me personally, there is nothing more nerve-wrecking than being the center of attention in a race.  Yes, I know that it is all in my head.  Yes, I know I should be proud of what I do.  But the only thing I wanted to do was crawl back in bed and hide. Lucky for me, I was surrounded by friends.  I ran down the street and made it to the steps.  Once I got up the wall, the race wasn't so bad. I spent the majority of the time watching for fasties to come up from behind me.  To be honest, I actually kind of enjoyed how hard it was.  (Don't tell anyone!). And I was doing really well until…I got to the last point of going down the stairs back to the street.  This was a very slippery and steep stairway. I gripped the railing with both hands and moved at a snail's pace.  But, I did it!  Not gonna lie, totally felt like a badass after doing the walls.

 

The only post race difference was that they only provide water. Don't get me wrong, a full liter of water was nice!  But, there was no buffet of post race food. 

 

That afternoon we went to the pasta dinner that was being offered to the runners.  It was located at a beautiful beach club called Banje Beach Restaurant.  It was a nice simple pasta dinner with a free beer from Dubrovnik Beer Company.  The best part of the pasta dinner was the gorgeous beach view!  Hello Croatia!

 

Sunday morning was the Half Marathon and 5K.  It was the same as any other race morning, other than it was in this BEAUTIFUL location.  The half marathon started first, followed by the 5k.  The race director originally said that the 5k was uphill the first half and then downhill back to the finish.  I would beg to differ.  It was more than that.  The best part of the race was the aid stations.  Each aid station had music and one even had a DJ.  The 5k went by three aid stations.  You read that right, there were three aid stations! The finish again provided only water.   It looked like they were cutting oranges for the half marathon finishers.    The 5k was a good race.  But the big takeaway for me was that I really need to take my hill training more seriously. These hills were no joke.

 

After the race, there was a post party at the Revelin Club. It was an old fort turned into a dance club, complete with cages for dancing, black lights and smoke machines. The race said we would get a sandwich and beverage.  The beverages were unlimited and the sandwich was a “fundraiser style” sub sandwich. It was definitely a fun atmosphere and great way to end the race festivities. Every race should have a finish party just like this!

 

So, would I do these races again? Absolutely!  While they were tough, I think they were quite beautiful and definitely a destination race.  If you ever get that chance to go to Croatia, make sure to check out the Du Motion Runners’ Day Races!

Race Recap: Gazelle Girl Never Dissapoints

Gazelle Girl race weekend is one of my favorite weekends of the year.  And this year was gearing up to be one of the best.  From being a first time team leader with Gazelle to seeing my sister finish another half marathon, I had a lot to look forward to.  

 

Saturday morning started with a walk from Field & Fire with the Gazelle Girl 5k/10k Women’s Run Camp.  Instead of walking with the group, I decided to stay behind and enjoy some coffee.  The group walked to the Calder Plaza to see where the race would start and finish.  

 

Following the walk, everyone returned to Field & Fire for breakfast.  I was gifted a lovely birthday cake macaroon from Kate A.  (Thanks Kate!)  And, we had to kill some time before heading to the Expotique.

 

I look forward to the Expotique every year.  From the shopping to fitness classes, there is something for everyone.  This year there were fewer fitness classes for my girlfriends to try.  I believe there was only a shakeout run and yoga class. The venue this year was Clearwater Place on Monroe North of Leonard.  

 

What follows is my honest opinion of the Expotique.   

 

I was extremely disappointed in the Expotique.  First, the layout was not spacious enough.  It was “butt to gut” going down the side aisle with the booths.  It didn’t allow much space to look at the information or goods in the booths.  I am sure that some of you are saying that you didn’t have any issues with it.  But, from my perspective, the lack of space was very unnerving.  And, for people that were experiencing this for the first time, it would probably be overwhelming.  On the positive side, my favorite booths returned…Fellow Flowers and Michigan Runner Girl.  Gazelle’s store location took up the center portion of the Expotique.  I found one saying on a tank that I need to put on something in the future.  “I don’t chase my dreams.  I run them down.”  I did not like the style of the tank which is why I did not purchase it.  I ended up buying a t-shirt that said “Run Wild”. There were quite a few nice things, but the sizing was limited in the larger sizes.  Honestly, this is typical of most race expos, so I don’t expect much when it comes to anything bigger than a large.  There were additional booths in the front, but because of the flow of traffic coming in the front entry, I did not visit any of those booths. Bib pickup was too the right and was well organized.  I didn’t have any issues finding my bib number online.  

 

At this point, my sister arrived to pick up her bib.  She got her packet and we decided to head out for lunch.  We planned to come back in the afternoon to listen to the panel moderated by Shelly Irwin.  Feeling full from lunch, we returned with enough time to do another walk around the Expotique.  The crowds were a little less, but we still had problems getting down the side aisle with the booths.  The panel was located in an upper conference room with a beautiful view over the Expotique.   

 

After the Expotique, we ran some errands and went to Amway Grand Plaza Hotel to spend our pre-race evening.  We intended to eat dinner at Flanagan’s, but they were packed.  So we went back to the Amway and ate at GP Sports. My meal wasn’t anything amazing, but the dessert was off the charts.  If you go, make sure you get the peanut butter pie!  We went back to our room to do our flat pictures and get to bed. 

 

The next morning we got ready for the race, checked out of our rooms and put the luggage in the car.  It was a cold rainy morning.  I’m normally really good about not forgetting anything, but on this day I forgot my running leggings.  Good thing I planned to wear   my winter pants over my leggings.  I had to go with just my winter pants.  Run Camp met for a quick photo and the half marathon began.

 

I walked the 5k with my buddy Emma and Bonnie.  And I met up with fellow Fitzness Hottie Jonelle.  I loved the new portion of the route that went South of the Van Andel Arena.  I don’t know of any other race that goes through this area of town.  

 

After the 5k, I headed backwards down the 10k route to find some fellow Gazelle Girl Run Campers.  I was so inspired by all these women completing the 10K!

 

My plan after that was to walk the half marathon route backwards so I could catch up with my sister.  The best part of this plan?  Seeing all my amazing running friends completing their half marathons.  I was able to offer hugs, high fives and word of encouragement to everyone I passed.  It was the most enjoyable part of the race for me.  

 

So, there was a problem with this plan.  I was going to stop two miles out from the end of the race and wait for my sister so I could run her in.  The weather was atypical for Gazelle Girl. Very cold and damp.  And with my Raynaud's it was the perfect conditions to cause several hours of numb fingers.  The two mile mark from the race was an open section along Monroe.  The cold wind would have been difficult under the best circumstances.  I decided to keep walking down Monroe…hoping that I would see her sooner rather than later. 

 

As I walked farther and farther from the finish, I started to wonder if something had gone wrong.  Why didn't I see her yet?  There was a long gap with no one along the course except a few hardy volunteers.  I could only imagine what kind of head space she would be in.  Then the one thing I didn't want to happen occurred.  My hands and fingers went numb.  The pain was very uncomfortable.  Normally, I take precautions to make sure this doesn't happen. But, with the unseasonably cold weather, I was not ready for this.  What made matters worse was that friends started to text me.  And, when you can't feel your fingers…you can't text.  I tried using Siri, but it was just windy enough that she couldn't understand me.  So, I decided to use the only part of my body that would work…I texted back with my nose!  Don't laugh. It seriously worked!  Numb fingers and knuckles.  Ya gotta use what it available.  As my fingers started to burn from the cold, I tried to call my husband to come and pick me up.  I knew my sister would understand if I had to wait in his truck.  I was at a low spot and I wasn't even in the race!  I turned a corner and the next thing I knew, there was this cute girl with purple hair coming down the trail towards me.  I was so excited I almost yelled out to her. When she caught up to me, she was in a great mood.  Completely opposite of how I was feeling.  How could that be?  I was 100% sure she would be in a crappy mood from the weather.  

 

This year, the race director decided to enlist sweeps on the course.  In most races, sweeps are the one thing that terrifies any back of the packer.  But for my sister, they were just enough positive reinforcement to keep her going.  As long as she stayed in front of them, she knew she was good!!!  I believe they were called the Sparkle Brigade.  I need to be part of the Sparkle Brigade next year.  (Ahem, Holly…are you reading this?)  Having been the DFL person on several occasions, I know what that can do to someone's spirit.

 

So, my sister and I continued on towards the finish.  We gravitated towards three other women that were finishing their races as well.  One (and I can't remember her name) had THE BEST personal cheering person. He would show up with a Mickey Mouse shaped sign at almost every 1/2 mile mark.  I started to call him "Where's Waldo".  She was a huge fan of Disney and was even wearing a Minnie Mouse running skirt.  I talked to her a little bit and learned that she completed the Dopey Challenge several times.  As this is one of my goal races some day, I asked for any tips.  Her #1 tip…get sleep.  The early mornings are killer, even if you are a morning person.  As we got closer to the finish, it started to snow. And, my sister's calves started to tighten up on her. To help keep her mind on the task at hand, I decided to sing along with the Hamilton soundtrack.  My apologies to anyone that was within hearing distance.  I cannot sing, but I did my best to distract my sister. 

 

As we got closer to the finish line, I let her know that there was just a little uphill and she could do her run into the shoot.  That's her favorite part.  And, she saved enough energy to PLOW into the finish line. Dang girl!  I am so so so so so proud of her for doing the half in those conditions.

 

While it wasn't the day I planned on, it was probably one of the best and most inspiring days that I've had in a while.  You should add Gazelle Girl to your race list for next year. Maybe you will see me with the Sparkle Brigade!