Hills for Breakfast, Lunch and Next Year DINNER…

Who Needs New Year's Eve for a Goal?
I am going after my first 50 mile Ultra! That's right, the "U" word has been said out loud and I already pre-registered for 2013. I have one year to fill my head and prepare my body for not just any Ultra, but a monster of a hilly forest—eating hills and then some more please—at the North Country Run (NCR) in the Manistee National Forest. Thankfully, my running buddy Evie is going for it too and NCR has a mentor program I am going to take advantage of.

Crista's reenactment of the
pain and her wounds.

I ran the half marathon just last weekend, and I really enjoyed the trails and even the continuous hills (seriously, they never end!). There was enough to look at to keep me occupied while I constantly had to watch my footing. I started to look forward to the next hill just to recover on the fast walk up. This was such a challenging course that it tool me 43 minutes longer than my PR on a flat road race and the 85-90 degrees didn't help. I found myself dehydrated and had poorly decided to only carry half my water pack. The trails are thin and provide ample tripping obstacles of stones, roots, sand and plant life. Many people fell and our girl Crista had the battle wounds to show for it. Props to Crista for getting up and pushing on.

And yes, this is what I think is fun. This is how I will celebrate turning 40. I was even more happy to see that although this run took the wind out of my sail—and I sweated enough to look like a greased up pig while some people looked like they had just showed in their own sweat—I place 9th out of 33 in my age bracket of 35-39 aged women and 1st for women of age 39. So next year it will be ON to see if I can finish this within the 14 hour cut off. It is going to be quite the year. I am collecting the wisdom of past runners of this course to help me succeed...that's what I do.

Next up…Plantar Fasciitis, please let it not be so.

Above Photo: Me with my NCR Medal. The NCR has the largest Half and Ultra awarded medal and the 3rd largest Marathon awarded medal in the nation. All three are the same USA handmade medal with the ribbons differentiating them.

The Body Says "Quit" And The Mind Says "NEVER"

2 Marathons + 1 Half within 30 Days = A Dragging Charlevoix Finish
I will never run that combination in 30 days again, unless I have lost my mind. In which case please remind me of Charlevoix 2012. Remind me that although I was heading into a PR at the half way mark that my quads were crying at mile 10 which never happens and the pain just grew. Remind me that I tried to get the next point in my head, but the moment without pain, never came. And by the last 4 miles I could not bend my left knee and was shuffling in with every step feeling like I was caring 300 pounds on my legs resembled a feeling of thunder striking. Remind me that the only reason I crossed and made it was because I repeat these words:"The Body says "quit" and the Mind says "NEVER."

Remind me that if I am going to overtrain, to bring a friend and stop at each aid station to enjoy licorice, pretzels, ice cold drinks and what ever else they may have.

Some of the highlights on the course came from this being an unexpected tough run.
• I made a lot of people feel good as they passed me after mile 20. That's right. You beat me.
• I got a fist pound by one male runner as he passed at mile 24.
• I talked to a mature runner afterwards who finally hit her PR and had passed me at mile 23. She asked me how my ankle was after the race. Yes, she could tell I was that pathetic as she passed me. How sweet of her to ask about my gimpy leg.
• I met a guy at mile 11 who was on his 100th marathon run since 2006. He had just ran a 100 mile ultra the weekend before. Seriously! I was missing my run buddy with this conversation.

This was my full circle race. This was my first Marathon a year ago and marked 4 in one year. Although I did not run well, I still beat last year's time and with two rest stops. That is the way life goes. No pun intended.

Traveling and hanging out with a couple running friends is something I look forward to. This trip involves going to the Taffy Barrel, and then to Cherry Republic to start the appetizers—I mean samples. After our purchases there and some shopping, we ventured to dinner with our tour guide Mike. Mike allowed us to pose with is Jeep and take lots of photos of us. He also ran the Half Marathon with a PR and showed up at the finish line with chocolate milk! Being Crista's boyfriend, that really makes him her milk man. But we really appreciated the kindness.

Becky arranged for a great hotel location call Pointes North Inn, and they were very accommodating with providing bagels the night before and a late check-out. Our back door was literally outside the finish line and maybe 50 yards to the start. The only odd thing was the pull-out sofa sleeper (my bed). It had a mattress made of springs and lacked the padding. WHO would be able to sleep on that?? I stacked the cushions on top of the bed and made my own ridiculous princess bed. Yes! I am a problem solver. They should have a diagram of this procedure next to each pull-out sofa.

'Till next year Charlevoix....keep the awesome aid stations, shirts, friendly people and righteous medals coming.

Getting My Freak On at the Finish Line

Glen Arbor, MI 
Solstice Half Marathon

Me, dancing and ululating at the finish line while running? Well… you bet!

I am thrilled that the ladies and tribe from Another Mother Runner and writers of Run Like a Mother and Train Like a Mother thought the photos of me at the finish line were just as hilarious as I thought they were. They made them their cover photo on their Facebook page this week.

With a Marathon the following weekend and a ferocious hill at mile 8, the realistic mission on this race was to keep it smooth and not set a PR. My running buddy was there with me the entire time and this was another awesome experience. We ran steady at marathon pace and passed the only 6 runners we saw going up Inspiration Point—because we never stopped running and everyone else had to walk at some point. I was barking "hills for breakfast" 3/4 of the way up. Evie said she need that right then. And thank you to the man who was saying "good job" as we passed him. As bad as the hill was, I needed it. I needed to find faith after last week's rough 15. I could feel the disappointment I would have had if I did not push thru this mental and physical barrier. Yes, I was inspired. 

After getting over the top I was firing my fists in the air and then it was a swift recovery DOWNHILL run. Translation: ululation time. yei yei yei yei yei yei yei

And oh yeah, this was a race were told to be quiet during since it might disturb the community. So I had to find the right surroundings to disturb. No houses at this point. And the hand slapping did start from here on out. I was zig zagging just a little to get some energy from volunteers. I admit it, I NEED them.

The last 3 miles were flat and entailed a beautiful view crossing between two crystal blue lakes.  We passed around another 6 runners who were just having a hard time. Every time I see this, I remember my own past rough moments, been there. Closing in on the finish line I saw my other two run buddies who were done and waving—so this is what happens: dancing, running and ululating all at once. Celebrate and live it up.

Thanks for taking my photo Fly Chics.

Now to find my Focused Drive for tomorrow's marathon.

FLY RUNNING CHICS: Becky, Jill, Crista and Evie

Soul Sister

Georgia, I'm with You.

Yesterday I was sleeping in to fight a cold coming on and the kids were behaving in front of the TV (home a week from school) when the phone rang at 8am from Georgia. It was my soul sister on the other line calling to tell me that her husband has cancer and that it is an aggressive kind. This day took on a whole new up-side-down twist. I had encouraged these two to date 14 years ago and they quickly became an item and were married within a year. I have loved that this man makes laughter in my friend's life.

It was actually an accident that they found the cancer, but found at his wife's insistence that his stomach pains were not just an upset stomach or something to be taken lightly. By demanding action and going through a few doctors an ultrasound showed much more. It's completely OUTRAGEOUS and unexceptable if you ask me—to have to fight for proper health care and attention where serious pain is involved. It's the same thing I tell my kids. "If there is a problem, tell somebody. If they are not listening or doing anything, tell somebody else until somebody does something." I just didn't realize that this applies to going to the doctor as well.

I spent the entire day in an awkward sadness, wondering what I could do. I felt useless—thinking of how terrifying this is for them and their family to not have answers and to deal with this potential loss. I needed that 5 miler like nobody's business. When I finally got it in later that evening, I was tired, worn, feeling bla, depressed and my right hip had been aching for a week, but I ran it. I ran it like the pain could just take the edge off of their pain. I wished it would work that way—that I could endure the 26.2 as a trade. I ran with my legs of lead since this is nothing compared to what they are going thru and what distance is ahead for them. I ran choking back tears just trying to breath. I ran praying for 5 miles and giving thanks for each breath and the lives I have met and love. By the time I returned, a little of my edge was scrapped off on the road and the tears could be mistaken for glistening sweat. I had a good limp, but I still felt useless for Georgia.

 

Keeping it Honest for a 17-Minute PR

4:39 BayShore Marathon 
I may never have another PR with this much time—17 minutes! I can hardly believe it. I am pleased, but the actual experience was the smartest and most enjoyable race I have ran to date. So all this gabbing and running in training really did pay off in a big way.

Our goal was to run 10:30 splits and we were close with 10:25 during the first half and 10:40 during the second half. And, this was included one restroom stop!

Running Smart:
There were a few things I consciously did to power thru this:

1) I fueled correctly starting two days before. I made a big deal out it and gave no excuses not to have food that could become glycogen for my muscles.That means, the whit stuff that we are told is so bad; white rice, bread, flour tortillas with hummus, pasta and more white rice. I also met a friend for dinner the night before who was running her first 10k—it has to be fun too! Unfortunately, I did have a dream that I gained 50lbs and couldn't run in the morning. Good thing that doesn't happen overnight.

2) Pro KT Tape. I have a strained Achilles tendon and this it a must to keep it feeling good and give it a little extra support. The Pro version of the tape does stick better. It comes in a plastic case to store it. KT's site is loaded with videos demonstrating how to apply the tape for your particular strain. www.kttape.com/instructions/

3) I ran with one head phone on and the other off so I could hear my run partner and interact with spectators and other runners. I felt the cheerleader in me from the late 80's surface and I loved ever howl of it. I even thought of my old coach—CheerLEAD. I believe that these bursts of excitement, thanking volunteers, telling runners "Sweet Skirt!", and slapping high-fives to every stranger that looked like they were energized and ready for it, actually springs more bounce to my step. However, the talking was consciously kept in check. I am not making that mistake again. We mostly checked our Garmins to say, "we're doing great, I love this course, I am feeling good, or there's the photographer!"

4) I have found my new favorite thing to energize with at mile 20… Pickle Pops. It is a packet of crushed pickles in pickle juice with 250mg of precious sodium. It is an instant kick in the can.That is twice that of GU Roctane and about 4x that of regular GU. I first tried pickle juice at the Grand Rapids, Michigan Marathon and it gave me an awakening boost. My run partner tried the Pickle Pops at mile 23 and she was amazed. She said it saved her. Pickle Pops will now be part of my training and big race days. I will have 2 of them in my next Marathon. http://bobspicklepops.com

5) My mindset or "mission" was really on keeping as close to goal as possible and enjoying the circumstances of this race. I wanted to have a smile on my face and to have the new experience of running with someone without completely turning inward. There are plenty of future adventures that I can rely on just me. But this moment I wanted to LIVE the experience of a little teamwork, and fun and it payed off.

6) I had 4 GUs. That is a first for me. I seem to loose my mind and stop taking them—not this time.

7) I pulled out a mantra: Don't…You…Surrender! When my body was spent I told myself to relax and slow the breathing and repeated Don't…You…Surrender! Every race is hard, and if it is not for you, maybe you need to go faster or move on to a longer distance. Unless I am running with a five year-old, I am on "E" for Empty at the end of every race no matter the distance.

8) Time to recover with CherryFlex. I have been taking this real food product for a couple years after runs of 8 or more miles. I would take it more if I was a beginner. It is particularly important for me after a race or when I have a strain. I take more of it then (4 pouches or 2 teaspoons of the tub) usually within 30-minutes after going long. Tart cherries reduce muscle and joint inflammation and have strong antioxidant properties. This product tastes like concentrated whole tart cherries and that is what it is. I believe it helped me recover quicker to run my first Half Marathon after a hamstring-pull that I could not run on the week before in 2011. I was sore the day after the BayShore Marathon going down stairs, but I was still able to be active. My in-laws didn't even notice I was sore or stiff. I could actually run 3 days later, but due to my rules of recovery I am waiting a week no matter how good I feel, and depending on this CherryFlex to help the swelling in my Achilles tendon so I can recover faster and better. www.cherryflex.com

Other Racing Highlights

Pre-Race Greetings: I love seeing my race friends before the race to wish each other a good run and get a photo. I know just where to find them—Porta-Potties. We all had a PR this day, except for Becky on the far left. She is always kick'n our tails anyways and the first to cross the finish line. Evie Ultra and I snapped a fun pre-race photo with the 6mm line-up sign. Sorry I am laughing like a hyena. I will never hit this pace, let alone hold it.

Family: One of the highlights was seeing my two children and husband as I was approaching the track finish. I lost 16 seconds hugging them. But it was worth it and I would do it again. I want to mark their memories as they have marked mine and when 98% of this is about me, it is important to give it up a little. It is not like I was heading to Boston Qualify. I knew I was heading in for a PR and it is their time too.

Massage: Another factor that made this a great experience, included a trip to the Excelerate VIP tent where I received a leg massage and my swollen Achilles tendon got some attention. It was the best massage I have ever had. There has to be something different about a sports massage technique. I am thinking that the foam roller needs to come on these trips so I can drive after. I am not kidding in the least bit. Rolling out those super tight muscles is painful but relieves tension.

Food: The BayShore Marathon has homemade cookies at the end and chocolate milk! I will pass on the Doritos, and premium ice cream (sorry, I can't stomach that after all this) but you would have seen me down 5 homemade snicker doodles, sugar, m&m, and peanut butter cookies with a chocolate milk. They also had a large spread of other carbs like bagels, pop and oranges—which I usually lean towards, but the homemade cookies swept me away.

What I need to Fix
Choking up: I don't know how to fix this. But I need to NOT think about anyone dear to me in the last 3 miles. I get emotional. I did this in my first Marathon and decided then, that dedicating the last 5 miles to my loved ones made me gasp for air and tighten my throat. Apparently my run partner has a similar issue. She was getting emotion in the last 2 miles. My squeal about having a monthly visitor at that moment changed the game and slapped us both out of it. This race needed to be over now. And add this to a tip: I bring extra clothes and was glad I did this day.

Digging Deep

Last week Friday I really did DIG DEEP in my closet and donate 2 years of running shoes to the Soles4Souls organization thru my local running store, RunningFit. Soles4Souls takes gently used shoes to those in need of footwear in deprived or devastated countries like Haiti. The shoes also become part of economic relief for families to sustain themselves. In all, I dropped off 3 paper bags full of Saucony Stability shoes pictured in the pile above and two boxes of kid shoes not pictured. To my surprise, they take whatever gently used shoes you have, not just running shoes. I thank you Soles4Souls for caring for others and the environment, and my closet thanks you too.

Make It Rain

The last week seemed to have one theme: MAKE IT RAIN

It has rained every morning for a week now. Which was working out okay since I have a kick'n treadmill. I was getting nervous about these slower 20 milers, so I took the opportunity and picked-it-up with 4 mile runs at 9mm. I can say that the treadmill looked like it was raining inside and I felt super charged.

I was motivated to "Make It Rain" by this video below featuring a local girl, Courtney Argue who is singing the lead. Looks like a lot of sweaty rain to me. It works—just what I needed.

I have started to prepare my Marathon list and now need to reserve some music that really helps me pick-it-up. I am not one to sneak in too many ballads and I need a fresh mix for each race. This Week's 4 Miler Pick-It-Up and Make It Rain List: Make it Rain | 3:16 Courtney Argue & J.Greene Feat. Pitbull Go Get It | 3:16  Mary Mary Whistle | 3:45  Flo Rida Touch Me | 3:51  Smash Cast Version Featuring Katharine McPhee) All This Time | 3:26  Britt Nicole Live Like That  | 3:57  Sidewalk Prophets Let's Go (Radio Edit) | 3:46 Calvin Harris Love U Betta | 3:21 Neon Hitch 50 Ways To Say Goodbye | 4:08 Train Some of these will make the reserve Marathon cut and others will have to go.

Last 20—Washed Away

By Saturday I had had enough rain! My last run with Evie Ultra for this training session, and any melancholy I had for the last 20 miler was washed away in the showers and down the flowing streets. Cold wet feet with a good attitude got us thru the last 20.75 miles. Yep, we pushed a little further and talked about mental toughness. I am now prepared for a cold shower Marathon—but it isn't my desire at all. It's taper time! I have been experiencing a NEW perk the day after my 20 milers—a running surge/urge the next day and I have high energy and crave a run like chocolate. Not remotely kidding. I hand-washed the floors in the house, put away 5+ loads of laundry, cleaned and then finally flung out of the gate like I was in the Kentucky Derby—it was this weekend afterall. I ran a 4 mile recovery run that was a little speedy for recovery mode and felt amazing the entire time. My legs were not as happy, but my mind seemed to say this was pure adrenaline. Ahhhhh no rain. Find your FOCUSED DRIVE.
JGP