Philadelphia Half Marathon 9-18-2011

Here it is...finally, my race report. Wasn't sure it was going to get done until later in the week, but here you go....

So, before I give you my race report, I will give you an update on life for me lately. It's been an interesting year. It's hard to believe that I only have 2 more half marathons to complete before I can stick my tongue out at the naysayers who said I was crazy for doing 6 in one year. Yeah, I won't lie, it is part of my motivation :) As usual before I do any race, I somehow manage to injure myself or have some kind of crazy issue...I think that is normal for me. So, right now, I am under the care of the orthopedic surgeon again....Dr. Ekman is taking care of my left wrist. It has been bothering me for about 5-6 weeks and I was finally able to get in to see him yesterday. He believes that it has been injured in the past, though I am unaware of any injuries and so is my mother. In addition to it being completely abnormal (so were my hips! LOL!), arthritis has set in and made lifting and little tasks like opening bottles, driving, etc. painful. So, I am now in a wrist support brace for the next 30 days to try and get it back to normal and I am on anti-inflammatories!! I had gone to see a chiropractor that I could get in to see earlier than Dr. Ekman and found out that they couldn't do anything for my wrist but my back and neck are way out of alignment. So, now I am on the chiropractic route and in a wait and see pattern about the wrist.

So, that is what's going on with me prior to flying out to Philly on Friday. We got into Philly and were able to get our rental car and get to the Expo. And I shopped...found lots of fun stuff...like the perfect shirt for me that says "I Run So I Don't Kill People" and it has the chalk outline. Yeah, I couldn't resist :) The expo was fun. We headed to what Food Network says is the best place for philly cheesesteaks only to find out that no one agrees who makes the best. It was a pretty fabulous philly though! The day before race day, poor hubby forgot that a walking tour would be a bad plan and walked me to death which agitated my hip and legs and back. So, on race morning after standing in the forever long port-a-potty line (and I forgot to stuff my bra! Bad morning). I headed over to join in my corral.

I started off with a pretty good run pace. And then I spotted my kindred spirit. Deanna is a runner who also does the run/walk program and she was injured. She was doing this half marathon with a broken foot. She was only 6 weeks out from the break and was determined to finish. Luckily, she did not require surgery. So, I made Deanna my best friend and decided to do the smart thing and stick with her as she walked it since she was doing about the pace that I wanted at that point. I figured that my neck and back would be helped greatly if I took it a bit easier this early in to therapy. Deanna was a rockstar...we talked the entire time distracting each other from any possible pain. And yes, we finished and finished strong. I had fun. And I remembered my dear friend and ironman, Taz, telling me that I needed to stop pressuring myself and have fun. I never even thought about the time for a second. It was great. Beautiful course. It ended near the steps to the Philadelphia Museum of Art where Rocky ran the steps :)

All in all it was a great race. My post race recovery though was not up to standard. I did not factor in a recovery day, so we rushed back to the hotel, got me a shower and packed up and then had lunch and headed to the airport. We managed to fly out standby and got back in earlier than expected. I did not get much sleep Sunday night due to a neighbor whose car decided to have the alarm go off for 4 hours...yes, 4 hours. It was insane and kept me up most of the night. Then, I had to get up early and head out to see Dr. Ekman and then off to the chiropractor. Stop for a quick lunch where I forgot to eat a sufficient amount of carbs and then off to work for 6 hours. Work was fun...I have half marathon brain :) Then I headed to grab dinner quickly and got a post race massage. When I got off the massage table, my body started shaking uncontrollably. I went in to shock. I was able to get the shaking to stop and then headed home where my hubby and my friend helped me in. I got a shower, warmed up and my body began the uncontrollable shaking. I was also fighting a headache all day that wouldn't go away. After trying to go to sleep, I gave up and decided since I was now unbelievably hot to check my temperature and had a nice temp of 101.9. The fever finally broke around 2:30. And of course, after very little sleep, I was up early to get in to work today. It's going to be a really fun week of recovery!! I fully intend to listen to my body and go to bed when I get off work tonight...promise.

But next week, I am gearing up for Myrtle Beach in October. Then a nice recovery run in Savannah. Clearly even though I thought my body could handle what I was putting it through, it let me know otherwise which means I will plan for a much easier day after the race to recover better and much more sleep.

I loved the course in Philly and could absolutely see myself doing it again :)

Time Keeps on Ticking...

No new blog in over a month??? Really??? Seriously, a whole month has passed with no new blog. It is hard to believe that I have been that busy and not just my normal busy, but almost an insanely busy. I have spent the past month making some adjustments to my schedule. Now that I am working at Nutrition Warehouse (which I LOVE!), I seem to have less free time...imagine that :) LOL. I am working at balancing all the ins and outs of working almost full time again and household stuff with training.

Most people would think that this means I have less time to train. But since I have made training a priority, I decided that house cleaning would be less of a priority. Don't get me wrong, the laundry gets done and the dishes get washed, but they all may wait until I have a free moment. Caring for my body is more of a priority than keeping the cleanest house on the block! And I can very well live with that...it is by no means a pig pen, but it sure could use a good sweeping and a vacuuming! I decided to subscribe to the Scarlett O'Hara thought process about the house..."I will think about that tomorrow!"

As for my job, I truly enjoy it. I still have A LOT to learn. I wish there were more hours in the day and that I required less sleep so that when I come home at night, I had more energy to study up and more time to focus on ways to improve my performance and knowledge. I think what I enjoy about work is being able to talk to people about their health and wellness, being able to suggest products to them that will help them to reach their goals and my co-workers are pretty awesome too. Most days I come home tired after work but it is a good tired. In fact, my body is showing signs of the adjustment. I have been finding it difficult to remind myself to actually eat when I am there and often grab a protein shake to satisfy my hunger. So, I am having to learn to not only bring food but to remember to actually take the time to fuel my body. Some days I am so incredibly busy that even when I bring food, I forget to take a few minutes to eat. I am working on this because it is a very bad habit to get into. Also, my poor hamstrings and calves are super super tight from being on my feet all day and running around the store! LOL. Of course, you add in my runs and workouts and these legs and feet are so tired! Thank goodness I got a recent visit in to see the massage therapist! Perhaps I should work on that stretching thing again at night when I get home :)

Other than work and training, life is about the same. I am currently nursing an injury to my wrist. I would give you more detail but I don't really know what is going on. And I have a couple weeks to wait before I see the doctor regarding my problem. All I can tell you is that it is painful and has caused me tons of frustration. I am hoping when I see the doctor he can fix whatever it is with no too much difficulty. It does occasionally hinder a workout which really annoys me, but Tripp has been great about trying to find ways to work around the pain.

I took some time out a few weeks ago to see my favorite tattoo artist and have him pretty up my back piece for me. I LOVE what he did. We are still in the healing process, so it is very itchy right now but it is beautiful! It makes me very excited about seeing him again in December to get some more work on my half marathon tattoo. And it also makes me think about other tattoos or areas I might want to tattoo. I think I might be addicted to the pain and the ink :)

Probably the hardest thing about my new schedule is that I find I have a whole lot less time to hang out with family and friends. (And even less time for blogging and Facebook! Horrors!) So, once I get settled at my job, I am going to work on trying to find more time to just chill with family and friends. (Blogging and Facebook will eventually happen but they are less of a priority obviously!) It all will balance out once I get into a good regular routine and schedule. There have been a couple of bumps along the way, but we are ironing out all the kinks.

Anyways, time for another cup of coffee and a little bit more relaxation before my long day!!

A Few of My Favorite Things :)

People ask me all the time about the tools and things I have used for training and races. So, I figured I would just post a blog for all of you with a recommendation for the essential tools in my training.

1) Tripp Worthy :) LOL...that would be my amazing trainer and if you are here in Columbia, SC looking for one, he is top of the line. I trust him implicitly. I often have to laugh when I am reading my running and fitness magazines and they suggest things to add to my workout to help me become a better runner of be in better shape....they are all things that Tripp has already incorporated. He is a wealth of knowledge, a source of inspiration and motivation and a great kick in the butt when I need it. Everyone should have one of him :)

2) Protein Shakes. When I first began training, I swore that I would never be someone who was dependent on shakes for food. I am still that person, however, I do use my protein shakes to supplement my diet. My absolute favorite brands are Optimum Nutrition 100% Gold Standard Whey and Champion Nutrition's Pure Whey. I think both are amazing brands. I prefer to mix my Optimum Nutrition with skim milk or almond milk and Champion Nutrition is perfect with just plain water. I use these after my strength training workouts or with my snacks to add extra protein to help build muscle. If I occasionally want a meal replacement shake (which is rare, but does happen) I use BSN's Lean Dessert Protein. All of these proteins have a variety of flavors.

3) Scivation's Xtend. This is an amazing supplement that I use while I am strength training and during runs. From their website: Xtend is a meticulous, scientific blend of Energy Aminos containing the proven 2:1:1 ratio of Branched Chain Amino Acids (L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine and L-Valine), Glutamine, Citrulline Malate, and Vitamin B6 that will supply you with the energy you need to maximize your training while enhancing recovery at the same time. Encourage vasodilatation which can lead to better assimilation and absorption of protein. Elevate growth hormone levels. The complex ingredients in Xtend have been scientifically proven to help speed recovery and enhance ATP production and promote cell volumization. Stay away from fatigue by blocking entry of fatigue-inducing tryptophan into the brain. Boost protein synthesis, immune function and digestive health.) Flavors I like are Watermelon, Apple, Grape and Lemon Lime. I have not tried any of the others. This really does help with muscle soreness. And it is so much better than Gatorade!!!!

4) ipod Nano :) Music is a must for me, so having my iPod with me during workouts and runs is perfect. It's great added motivation when an awesome song comes on and pumps me up for my workout :)

5) Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS receiver with heart monitor. I will admit that I don't use the heart monitor much. However, when I am out doing runs, this is perfect and gives me exact mileage that I have done so I can keep track of my training. It also will plot out your runs on the computer for you and save your mileage and give you details on your runs as well. I love this device for it's accurate mileage information! It is a bit bulky but I love it!!

6) RoadID. I ordered one of these for days where I do a long slow distance run alone. I don't run with my i.d. or anything on me, so this is a quick way for people to know who I am and who to call if there is ever an accident. They come in several forms, wrist bands, shoe tags, etc.

7) Brooks Running Shoes. I won't lie I am addicted to Brooks Running Shoes! They are my favorite shoes to run in! I just recently bought two pair to switch between during training for my next 3 races so that I won't wear them out as fast as I have been and will have good shoes for all of my next races. Their Adrenaline GTS line is awesome. I was fitted for my first pair of Brooks at Fleet Feet a couple years ago and I just keep ordering the new version of this shoe :) Also, Runner's World Magazine gave this shoe high props!!!

8) Gu....chocolate outrage. I use packets of Gu during my long runs and races to give me an instant carbohydrate quick for energy. I am interested in trying a new product that a friend of mine has fallen in love with 2nd Surge. Same thing as Gu but a different brand. Hoping to get to try it out soon :)

9) yurbuds. For those of you that have not heard of these, they are awesome headphones that do not fall out of your ears when you are running and they are not very easy to be pulled out if they are grabbed. I got a pair of these in May at my last half marathon and I am in love. They are not cheap but the sound quality and the fact that they stay in place without the ear hooks is just awesome. I fully intend to get another pair at some point for backup.

10) Bosu ball. I love this tool to use to help strengthen my core and build up my balance and coordination. It is one of my absolute favorite things to use in a workout :)

Over the course of my training, I have tried many things that have worked and not worked for me. For example, I have tried the Phiten titanium necklaces, the Power Balance energy bands, and the Energy Armor energy bands. Do I believe any of these provide any extra energy? They did not for me. I did a test of the Energy Armor ones with 3 other friends. Two of us slept better with it and two had to remove them because it totally threw off their sleep patterns. Bottom line, if you ever see me wearing these in a training session or run, it's simply because I like the look of it. I don't believe they have any special powers or do anything amazing for you. I also used the Nike Sport+ iPod kit for awhile but found that it had to be calibrated often and did not keep an accurate record of my mileage for my runs. Other friends have had better luck with theirs than I have, but for me, the Garmin gives more accurate information.

There are many supplements on the market. Not all of them work for everyone. Currently, I am going to be trying out a few new ones. I picked up Hylytes which is an electrolyte pill supplement to try out to help with muscle cramps during racing. I also got some other electrolyte supplements to try to see if I can completely eliminate those pesky cramps. I will let you guys know what I think. I will admit that I tend to be a supplement junkie. I have tons of different flavors of protein and xtend. I also use a multivitamin, preworkout supplement and a fat burner. All of these have been suggested by my trainer and have worked well for me.

And for fun news, this supplement junkie will officially be working at a local supplement store. I am really excited about the opportunity. I know I am going to learn tons and cannot wait to share more details with you as I learn more. Tomorrow is my first day and I am really super excited about it!

Because I Can....

Now, most of you probably know by now that I LOVE leg days. My leg muscles are my strongest and I enjoy the challenging workouts!

Last year, after hip surgery, I became really concerned about my leg workouts. In fact, sometimes I was downright afraid of them. After surgery, it was 12 weeks before I could lightly train legs. I did very light leg workouts in physical therapy those 12 weeks. Leg days scared me. I was terrified of hurting my hip or causing any other injuries or issues that would take me out of the gym or keep me from running.

I finally have gotten to a point where I am not afraid. I trust Tripp and his knowledge and wisdom. I know when he asks me to do something then I am capable of doing the exercise. Leg press was always one of my favorite machines. I loved feeling powerful from lifting so much weight. Prior to surgery, I was able to do 10 45-lb. plates (565 pounds which includes the weight of the sled) for 10 reps. Yesterday I was able to do 16 45-lb. plates and 2 25-lb plates (770 pounds--not sure what the sled weighs because there was no weight listed on the machine....but pretty good assumption would be about 45 pounds...so 815 pounds.) And I managed 10 good reps. Here's a pic with just the 16 45-lb. weights.

This was a personal best. A couple of weeks ago when I was about to lift something that I believed was insanely heavy, I asked Tripp, "Why am I lifting this weight?" His response was simple..."Because you can!" Honestly, I have said in the past that I would do so much better lifting weights if I was blindfolded because occasionally knowing how much I am about to lift just unnerves me. And yesterday, the shear idea of lifting just the 16 45-lb weights was nerve wrecking! Who knew I was going to get another 50 pounds added to it!!

I trust Tripp implicitly. I know that he is never going to ask me to do anything that I cannot do. Since I have this trust in him, I am willing to attempt whatever the task is that he asks of me. Occasionally, I fail because my muscles aren't strong enough or I allow my mind to freak me out. But Tripp tells me that I only fail him when I don't try.

So, I am working on re-focusing my mind. There is no way I will be weight lifting blindfolded, but I can start giving myself positive messages about my abilities. I am a lot stronger than I think I am. (Tripp reminded me of this a few weeks ago.) I often think that I am not very strong...physically, emotionally, or mentally. But I am capable of a lot more than I give myself credit.

So, it's time to rebuild some mental toughness....because I can!!!

Soreness and Motivation

I love this slogan I found earlier today when surfing the web and looking at a site my friend Laura sent me to!!

It's so true. I often find myself commenting on how sore I am or how tired I am from all the strength training and working out. But honestly, I never regret it. Never. I know that every step of the way I am doing exactly what my body needs me to do. I am pushing forward towards my goals and I am making myself stronger and more fit. These are things that are important to me. So, if I have to choose between being sore or sorry....sore will always win out!

Today, I got up really early because my friend, Cathy, texted me the night before to see if I wanted to hit a LSD (long slow distance) day today. I knew that Tripp and I had a planned strength training session but didn't know what time we were working out. But I also knew that I wanted the time with Cathy as well as the distance. So, in spite of the fact that my legs and glutes are still completely trashed from Thursday's leg day and Friday's cardio, I agreed. I do not regret getting up earlier and getting my 6 miles in with Cathy. There were a couple spots along the path where I hurt and my body questioned me, but I knew that I could and would finish what I started. And yes, the end of the 6 miles was a blessing!

After breakfast and a trip back to my house to shower and grab my workout clothes, I got my stuff ready to hit the gym with Tripp. Today's target was back, biceps and triceps. And though I may have been a bit tired. I gave it everything I had and then some. No excuses to back down or go lighter. Instead, I pushed myself and Tripp pushed me and we had an amazing workout!

Was it perhaps a bit much to do both a LSD and a strength training session in the same day? Maybe. However, my nutrition was spot on and there was enough time in between the two sessions which allowed me some recovery time. So, it was pure perfection!

Am I sore? Yes. I am not certain there is a day that goes by during the week that some muscle isn't sore! Is it worth it? Absolutely. There is no point in my training sessions if my muscles do not continue to get stronger. And stronger often means soreness. I feel more fit and much stronger than I have in a long time. I am gaining more confidence in myself. I am a lot more knowledgeable about why I do what I do and how to do the things I do. I push myself harder because I know that I have someone else who wants me to push harder even when we are not working together. And when my motivation and will try to fail me, I remember that I cannot fail Tripp when he believes I can accomplish this. So, I push through the BS (as my former trainer Jake used to say!) Tripp has been a great inspiration to me in that he has never asked me to do anything he does not believe I can do and he is always pushing me to push myself harder and reach for more than what I think I can. It's awesome! So, if the price I pay for feeling better about myself and being stronger is being sore, I will take it and then some. Bring it on!

Laura posted this on my wall on Facebook earlier today. I loved it! It is so true. I get up everyday and whether I like it or not, I have to think like this poster!! I challenge you to do the same! Don't let soreness or anything else get in your way! Just do it!

Do It Anyway....

Somebody is going to criticize what you do....Do it Anyway!

I ran across this quote today and thought how very appropriate it is. How often do we set out on a lifestyle change journey and well-meaning friends and family members and heck, even strangers sometimes, offer us advice on how we can do what they think needs to be done. They criticize our methods and our successes or failures. When I began my weight loss journey, I had friends tell me I was going to fail, others who insisted that lowering my carbs was not the answer and still others that insist I never had to do anything but lift weights for 30 minutes a few days a week. I even had friends and family members laugh when I told them I was training for my first half marathon. Personally, I am glad that I didn't listen. I did what I needed to do anyways.

Life is too short to listen to uninformed people telling you how you can live it best. And frankly, unless you have firsthand knowledge or schooling of what I am doing, I often don't find the advice to be anywhere near relevant!

One of the coaches I follow on Facebook posted this today....When others treat you with aggression and contempt, it is because they have realized that you possess certain qualities, which they are unable to attain in life. Keep on being you. Hatred meted out by others is just fuel to boost your success! (Coach Kendrick Ribiero)

I find this to be so true. I have decided to stop allowing others to make me feel bad about myself or cause me to second guess what I have going on because they are not able to do the same things. It does us no good in life to compare ourselves with other people. I could very easily try to compare my running with several friends of mine who run, but truthfully, we each come to the sport from different perspectives and different levels of expertise. So comparing myself to my friends will only result in frustration for me. Therefore, I use the same strategy that I do in my races....I take things at my pace. I do it anyways....in spite of the frustrations, irritations, naysayers. My success depends on me. In fact, I recently told Tripp that really the only acceptable failure is muscle failure. Of course, as a trainer, he LOVED that! But it's true. I use my fear and failures to fuel me to my successes. I use them as learning experiences. Am I perfect at this? No. But I keep moving forward. I keep striving. I do it anyways.

What are you letting get in the way of your successes? Who are you comparing yourself to? Are you letting criticism keep you from where you want to be? I urge you to stop allowing others to determine your success and failure. Seek out advice from people you trust who have been there before or have the knowledge and skills to help you in these areas. Don't allow other people's fears and negativities keep you from achieving or reaching out for your goals! Take all that negativity and frustration you are feeling and fuel your passion to achieve! You can do this!!

3.5 Half Marathons Down = New Flowers for Tat

I absolutely adore my tattoo I got last November to have as my own personal medals/reminders of my half marathons. I knew when I got it that this tattoo would grow and extend to some degree. I never in a million years imagined that I would challenge myself in December to complete 6 half marathons in one year (which of course meant adding 6 more flowers for 2011!) It would be different if this was the original tattoo that I had planned a simple ankle chain with little flowers representing my half marathons. But, NO, my artist said that anklets were overdone and he wanted to do something more. So, I went with it! And I guess it's truly one of my mottos to "Go Big or Go Home" because it is so much bigger and so much more than I imagined it would be. But I LOVE it!!

After completing my three half marathons this year, Tripp and I were talking about my races. I was still irritated and frustrated over the half marathon in Columbia that I tried to run with a stomach virus. I hate that I had a DNF (Did Not Finish) but I knew I could not complete the race feeling that way. Tripp suggested that since I ran half of that half marathon (my quarter marathon! LOL!) that I should get an unopened flower bud to symbolize the race that I did not complete. I LOVED the idea and decided that it was a perfect way for me to move past that race. I did make it through half of it and with the way I felt that day, it was an accomplishment to make it that far!

So, today was the big day...I went in to see my tattoo artist, Matt Terry at Fu's Custom Tattoos in Charlotte. He does awesome work. I love that I can tell him what flowers I like and he figures out which flowers we will add and positions them and picks the colors. I just have to like the concept he comes up with and so far I have loved what he has done. He was in complete agreement with Tripp that I needed a bud to symbolize my DNF and I was thrilled at his exuberant response!

And though getting tattoo work is uber painful, (Yes, I subscribe to the belief that lying to you that it didn't hurt is just wrong and that anyone who thinks they don't hurt in some way shape or form has not had a larger scale tattoo done or any work done near bone OR has the highest pain tolerance ever!) this tattoo is so worth it! I may have squirmed and occasionally squealed and made some of the most amusing and painful faces ever, but as always, I am thrilled with the end result. My custom tattoo is something that people will ask me about and I will never regret having it done.

(It amazes me the people who mock me or tell me that I will regret my tattoos or question why I would want to do that. I have been told that I will never be able to get a real job with my tattoos either. These were my choices and I don't regret them. And as far as I am concerned, I can get tattoo cover-up for the one on my arm and wear pants if I am ever trying to get a job that has issues with tattoos. And as my tattoo artist says he would like to know what kind of job interview I have that requires me to take my pants off! LOL)

Anyways, I am thrilled with the new flowers added to my tattoo. And although I am terrified to go in for the one in December which will have flowers going across my shin and some really bony areas...I cannot wait to see what Matt comes up with then!!! Here is a pic of my newest addition to my tattoo. (Side note, we also discussed cleaning up the tattoo on my back and adding on too! I am super excited!!!)