Albany's Last Run 5K

I have been doing 1 or 2 of my runs outside each week.  I am trying to get used to running in the cold weather, which is a difficult task for me because I am a huge baby when it comes being cold.  I only run outside when I have someone to run with because I do all of my running at night and it is very dark at 6:00 now.  These training runs helped me to prepare for Albany's Last Run 5K this past weekend.  You can't run this race for time because it is so crowded, but it is beautiful to run through the park at night with all of the holiday lights.  The larger races are a little frustrating for me because I hate being packed in like sardines and tripping over people.  However, I am glad I did it because I love the race atmosphere.  I feel most comfortable around other runners, especially at races.  I did the first mile at very slow jog, but when I saw the time at the 1 mile mark, I had to speed up a little.  I wasn't trying to get a PR, but I had to put in some effort.  I am too competitive with myself not to.  I didn't really get any real running in until the last mile when it opened up a little.  My time is not worth mentioning, but it was nice to get together with my team again.  It had been a couple months since I raced with them.  Even with the slow pace, I didn't even notice how cold it was.  This leads me to believe I may actually be able to bear the cold this February for the winter marathon I am considering.  I am still on the fence about it, but I am leaning towards running it because I rarely turn down a challenge.

Back on Track

It feels good to be back to my active lifestyle!  Yesterday was my first day back to HIIT, which I love because it kicks my butt in a good way.  Of course I signed up for 5 days a week again - everyday bright and early before work.  I also decided to return to Turbo Kick on Monday nights, which turned out to be an excellent decision.  I had forgotten what a good workout it was.  On top of that I realized that the only way I would stay on track with my running was to sign up for a winter race.  I have two 5Ks scheduled for next month, but I knew that wasn't going to cut it because I can run a 5K with no training.  So I went with a winter marathon - 26.2 miles in the middle of February in the Northeast.  Sounds like a good idea right?  Since it is only 12 weeks away, I had to start training right away.  Training for a marathon has gotten me excited about running again.  Problem solved!  I can't control the weather so I just have to hope for the best and buy some more winter running gear.  I also plan to run another marathon in June as part of my training for the main event of 2013...an ultra marathon in October.  That's right, I have officially lost my mind and I am loving every minute of it.

Running is Not Just Exercise

Since my husband and I officially split, I have been neglecting certain aspects of my life, like this blog and my running.  I have been focusing on helping my children with the transition.  Specifically, my oldest, who seems to be struggling the most with the changes.  However, my time away from running has made me see how important it is to my life.  Running is not just exercise.  It has changed my life.  The times that are most challenging are the times when I need to run the most.  Originally, I had planned on focusing on strength training during the winter months and getting back into running in the spring.  Now I have decided to make running a priority all year long.  I am a better person when I run.  I think that only other runners understand that. 

Sick & Grumpy

Sickness has the ability to stop you in your tracks and ruin months of training.  Being around small children all the time added to the fact that I don't sleep nearly enough tends to lead to a lot of sickness.  I have learned the hard way several times that trying to keep pushing and pretending like you aren't really sick does NOT work!  I can't tell you how many times I have tried this and ended up much worse and taking even more time off.  So as much I did not want to, I did the unthinkable and skipped not only my race yesterday, but my workout this morning.  As I sit here hating myself for it, I try to remind myself that it is better to take 2 days off because of a cold than 2 weeks off because of something more serious.  That being said, there is pretty much nothing that can keep me from the gym tomorrow because the more time I take off, the grumpier I get.  So it is probably best to stay away from me until I get my workout in!

Great Pumpkin Challenge 10K

Since the marathon, I only ran a couple of times and they were short runs.  Then I had a 10K race on Saturday - The Great Pumpkin Challenge.  What happens when you don't train for a race?  You run slow!  Yes, I have still been going to the gym 5 days a week.  But if you want to improve your running, you actually have to run.  So I am working on building my mileage again because I've got big plans for next year and I want to have a solid base before I start training for all those events.  Here's Team Gabby Gabs at the race:

I'm still struggling with nutrition though.  I eat healthy the majority of the time, but I cannot say no to dessert.  And I am not that person at the party saying, "I'll just have a tiny piece of pie."  I'm that person creating a sampler platter of all the desserts and going back for seconds.  So, I am working on some much needed changes in that area and I'll let you know if I ever get some self control.

Life After the Marathon

I took a full week off from running after the marathon even though I don't think I really required that much time to recover considering my slow pace.  However, things have been a little crazy lately so I figured it was a good time for a break.  At first it was nice to have some extra time, but then I started getting alittle depressed that it was over.  What am I training for now?  Just a couple 5Ks, 10Ks, and a 15K.  No major running event to look forward to or to train for anymore.  That is when I decided that one marathon was not good enough for me and that 26.2 miles might not be good enough for me either.  I can't just pat myself on the back and call it a day.  It is time for some new challenges.  So my major goals for 2013 (yes I do plan this far ahead) are (1) run a faster marathon and (2) complete an ultra marathon. 

Marathon Madness

This past weekend has been all about the marathon.  I spent Saturday carbo-loading, picking up my race packet, and resting and then Sunday was the big day.  The race started at 8:30 a.m. and it was freezing!  I stood at the start line shivering next to the 4:20 pace team.  I guess I was a little optimistic.  I started out smiling and excited about running 26.2 miles.  I have the pictures to prove it.

About 5 seconds into the race, I had to pee because it was so cold.  I started out too fast because I was on a mission to find a porta-potty.  I wasn't the only one either because I saw people left and right dodging into the woods.  I skipped the aid station at mile 2 and finally found a porta-potty at mile 4.  I felt much better after that, at least for a couple minutes.  All of a sudden I had a sharp pain in my lower back.  I had never experienced anything like it while running before, but I kept going, hoping that the pain would subside eventually.  I was still in extreme pain when I saw my mom's face at mile 8.  I pulled over to the side and asked her to walk with me because I wanted to keep moving.  I got some gatorade, stretched alittle, assured my mom that I would be fine (even though I wasn't sure that was true), and started running again.  The sharp pain eventually turn into soreness, which I can deal with, so I started running too fast again.  I'm built for speed, not endurance so I make this mistake a lot.  Then I realized that I would not see another familiar face until mile 20, where my brother and his fiance told me they would be.  I tried to push that thought to the back of my mind and concentrate on 1 mile at a time, but the mile markers seemed to get farther and farther apart each mile.  I didn't realize how fast I was going until I got to the halfway point and saw 2:07 on the clock.  That was only 2 minutes slower than the half marathon I ran in April.  All I could think about was that I had another 13 miles to go and I was in a lot of pain already.  Around mile 14, the pain in my calves started to get really bad.  At mile 16, I had to start taking walk breaks.  Unfortunately, the walk breaks started to become more frequent.  It hurt to run and it hurt to walk.  The pain in my calves spread to my ankles, knees, and feet.  Each step hurt more than the last.  I was actually fighting back tears for most of the race.  I was starting to doubt my abilities when another runner, who was also struggling, ran up next to me and proposed a plan for us to finish the rest of the race together.  The plan was to run for 5 minutes, walk for 2 minutes, and repeat until we reached the last mile.  I agreed because I wasn't getting anywhere with my method.  5 minutes seemed like an eternity each time we ran and 2 minutes felt like 2 seconds each time we walked, but it did help that I wasn't struggling alone anymore.  I saw my brother and his finance at mile 20 and managed to smile for the first time in hours.

I started seeing people drop out the race left and right and I thought, how could anyone quit this close to the end?  It just wasn't an option for me.  However, I was starting to worry about the 5 and 1/2 hour time limit.  My running partner, who I only know as Pat, and I continued pushing through, determined to reach the finish line.  Along the way, we added another runner to our group.  It was alittle depressing to see the 4:40 pace team pass us, but finishing the race was now the main goal.  When I saw mile 25, I started running again and I was running fast for the first time in many miles.  I really pushed through the pain at the end and finished strong.  4:57 was far from my time goal, but I finished my first marathon and I've got the medal to prove it.

Seeing the finish line after struggling through 26.2 miles of physical pain is an amazing feeling!  I am so thankful for all my supporters including family, friends, fellow runners, race volunteers, and spectators.  Thank you for believing in me! 

Now I am definitely sore, but the pain is manageable.  The worst pain I have now is in my toes.  I am pretty sure I am going to lose a few toenails, but it was worth it.  I am spending today relaxing with my kids (and unfortunately typing a paper that is due tonight).  I am focusing on recovery with absolutely no running for the next week.  I didn't go to my HIIT class this morning, but I am going the rest of the week.  I don't want to get soft!  After a week of recovery, I will ease back into running focusing on shorter runs and then adding some speedwork.  My next race is a 10K on October 20th.

Rugged Maniac

I just finished another mud run, the Rugged Maniac.  I can't get enough of these races!  They make me feel like a kid again and it is one hell of a workout.  I have run the Warrior Dash 3 times so far, which is similar to the Rugged Maniac.  Both are 5K races filled with muddy obstacles.  Today, I climbed walls and cargo nets, crawled under barbed wire, jumped over fire, and made my way through a lot of freezing cold water.  The rain made the course expecially muddy, which only adds to the fun.  And of course it helps to know that there is some beer waiting at the finish line for you.  I don't have any photos from this race yet, so I will share a photo of me and my son from the last Warrior Dash I did (He is making a weird face because he said, "It smells like poop sandwiches here").  He was right, but that's not going to keep me away.  I am already beginning to plan my race schedule for next year and there will be several mud runs included.

An Almost PR and a Kitchen Makeover

This past Sunday, I ran the Saratoga Palio 5K in 23:37, my fastest race of the year, but not technically a PR because I ran a 5K last year in 23:23.  I was determined to get a PR for that race, but I came up short at the end because I had a little too much pumpkin pie the night before.  Instead of pushing hard at the end like I usually do, I was busy trying to hold vomit down.  This experience opened my eyes to the fact that I need to eat better if I want to perform better so I was on a mission the next day.  I cleaned out the entire kitchen and got rid of all the processed junk in my house.  Then I went shopping and bought whole foods.  Not everything in the cart is clean eating approved, but I still think I did pretty good so I thought I'd share my list with you:

• lots of fruits!
• veggies (fresh & frozen)
• chicken
• turkey
• tilapia
• tuna
• quick oats
• raw nuts & seeds
• natural pb
• almond butter
• plain greek yogurt
• eggs
• chick peas
• kidney beans
• brown rice
• 1% milk & chocolate milk
• unsweetened applesauce
• pure maple syrup
• honey
• ezekiel bread
• kashi cereals
• whole wheat flour
• green tea
• orange juice

Do What You Love

As I say goodbye to another friend, I am reminded once again at how short life really is.  We are not guaranteed tomorrow and we should live everyday like it is our last.  However, that is easier said than done because things like reality and responsibilities get in the way.  So instead, we try to find a balance between the things we want to do and the things we have to do.  Over time, the things we have to do take over and we are left with very little time to do the things we love.  My son once said to me, "I don't want to be a grown up because I don't want to lose my magic."  Even a four year old can tell that most adults are just existing, not really living life to its fullest.  Well I don't want to lose my magic.  I want to do the things I love with the people I love!  

 

Find a Cause

If your own health isn't enough reason to get active, you may need to find motivation somewhere else.  Find a cause that's important to you and you'll be amazed at how you no longer doubt your own capabilities.  There are many opportunities to participate in activities to support various causes, especially when it comes to running.  The majority of the races I run, benefit local charities.  Also, the team I run on, Team Gabby Gabs, represents the Gabby Rocco Foundation: (www.GabbyRoccoFoundation.org).  Here's a picture of me racing in my team shirt:

I placed 2nd for my age group at that race (Yay!)  I was also able to raise awareness of the foundation and remember the children of families who are grieving.  Everybody wants to change the world, but most people miss the fact that there are opportunities everyday to make little changes that add up to greatness.      

Dream Big, Work Hard, Make it Happen!

Dream Big, Work Hard, Make it Happen - words to live by!  What am I dreaming about right now?  The same thing I've been dreaming about since I starting running 2 years ago - a marathon.  So what did I do about that dream?  I signed up for a local marathon, read every book I could find about running marathons, picked a training plan that was right for me, and ran A LOT!  What did I do when I started having issues with my knee?  I signed up for high intensity interval training (HIIT) 5 times a week to build some muscle.  Why?  Because muscle helps prevent injury.  How do I workout and run that many times a week?  Time management!  I often hear people say that they don't have time for fitness.  Well I'm here to tell you that you do.  You just need to make it a priority.  I knew that the only way I could train for a marathon was to workout before my kids get up and after they go to bed (I have a 4 year old, 3 year old twins, and a 2 year old).  Did I want to get up at 5:00 everyday?  Hell No!  I was not a morning person.  But guess what?  Exercise is better than caffeine!  After a couple weeks, I had no problem getting up at the time.  I tip toe around in the dark and get my butt to gym for my first workout of the day.  Then I go to work which happens to be the lower level of my house  (I run a registered home daycare).  What do I do after 11 hours of chasing toddlers and preschool children?  I run!  Yes, I am tired, but I NEED to run after that.  I run to get some alone time and to be able to hear my own thoughts for a little while.  I come back refreshed and ready to hit the books (I am also a grad student).  After that, I collapse in my bed and pray that all the kids sleep through the night so that I can get a decent amount of sleep before doing it all over again.  I actually enjoy having such a busy schedule.  I am not afraid of hard work because I know that's what it takes to make my dreams a reality.  With the marathon 1 month away (October 7th), I am feeling confident that I can make this happen!  The best part is that I am already planning my next challenge.  I look forward to pushing myself to new limits!