four down... sixteen to go...

I did it. I am alive. I conquered the rolling hills of the Canton Marathon.

Three weeks out from race day I decided to look at the course map. I usually don’t do this because I’d rather have it be surprise where I’m running. When I signed up for this race, for whatever reason, I thought it was a flat course. WRONG. I saw the elevation chart and about peed in my luon pants. Already having slacked on training a bit, I went completely below the line. I was eating fear for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. People would ask are you ready? Are you excited? And my response would be, “uhhhh… yeah.”

It’s so funny how we can trick ourselves into thinking we can’t do something. I could have backed out. I could have transferred my registration to the half marathon but I didn’t. This was my “Do one thing a day that scares you.” I was flying to Ohio to be with friends and family. I couldn’t NOT do it.

So, the week before I stocked up on healthy pre made meals from MyFitFoods and bought $25 worth of electrolyte enhanced water from Whole Foods, as well as coconut water and chia kombucha tea. I popped 2-3 Emergen-C packets a day (way more than you need I promise) and knew that if I did everything I could to physically prepare myself all I’d have to worry about was my mind.

Marathons are 95% mental toughness, 5% physical.

My alarm went off at 4:15am and I’m up. I’m shaking. I can’t let anyone know how nervous I am right now. I eat a pack of black cherry shot blocks as we zip away to the start line. I kiss my husband and hug my family. Here we go.

I was fortunate enough to have a good college friend with me running the half we paced together with solid 10 minute miles for the first 6 of the course. Then she broke off and I entered the point of no return.

Mile 14. Shit, what was that? My left foot started to hurt and my toes went numb. The hills we’re getting to me. I’d been to Canton a million times and never noticed this? A couple miles later the pain subsided but in the back of my mind all I was thinking about was the fact I may have a stress fracture.

Mile 18. Here comes the rain. For about 20 minutes I was pelted in the face by rain drops. My shoes we’re soggy, feet numb. I had to keep chugging along. The rain water was pooling in my ears and my left ear bud stopped working. I didn’t really care much about my iPod, if the rain ruined it so be it. I had to keep running.

Mile 23. Oh… my… God. Should I move to the side of the road and die? The “wall” people talk about was here, much later than I’ve ever experienced it before. I saw a man put on a stretcher and I wished it were me. Noises we’re coming out of my mouth I’d never heard before. Right around this time I came up next to a guy who asked me if I was okay. He also appeared to me in great shape but limping a little. “Yeah, just locking up a bit” was my response. He said, “Yeah, I’m pretty sure I just blew out my knee. I just need to finish this thing.” Oh my god, how hard core is he? We wished each other well and I trotted off ahead.

That the thing about most runners. What I love so much. We’re hard core. We don’t know how to give up. We could have blood coming out of our ears and we’d still want to finish the damn race. Everyone is so supportive of each other on the course. “Are you okay? You got this! Come on! Almost there!” It’s all you hear… and it’s enough to get to you to the end.

The Canton Marathon finish was one of the best in my opinion. It didn’t feel like it dragged on forever. Sometimes the finish will twist and turn and feel like a damn obstacle course. The finish line was on the field of Fawcett Staduim at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. My new thing now is crying when I get close to the end. I think its the crowd support. Everyone wants you to cross that line, receive that gorgeous hunk of metal. I’m not sure if it’s the pain or not but tears stream down my cheeks. I see my family, I hear my name being called.

I cross the finish.

I almost collapse. I suddenly feel so sick. I’m cold and wet. My dad wraps a solar blanket around me and I block out my surroundings for a few minutes. People we’re talking to me but I honestly don’t remember a whole lot of it.

I did it. I feel sick and can’t walk very well but I did it. And 4 minutes off from my PR none the less! With all the hills I’d like to think I could have done this race in 4:30:00 if it were flat. I didn’t expect to be as fast as I was for this race. My average was under 11 minute miles the whole time. You can really make up speed on those down hills (and boy, were there a lot of those)

I’m happy to report that nothing is broken or fractured in my foot. I just strained some tissue and ligaments. I’ll be back at it in a few weeks. Enjoy the photo of my giant sausage foot J

I’m going to take a tiny break from marathons. I’ll get after it again in January.

Stay tuned…

Liz and I around mile 6.

#sausagefoot #isthata300lbmanfoot?

Sweet, sweet, victory.

easier said than done...

How am I doing?

On this weight loss journey, I’ve encountered ups and downs. My first post (my realization that I’ve let myself go) was in January. It’s May and I’ve only successfully fought off 10lbs.  I’ve had several moments of failure but with every failure I have a learning that I can put in my back pocket for the next time.

So losing weight is simple, right? Burn more calories than you eat. EASIER SAID THAN DONE! Here are a few essentials that are must haves for successful weight loss that can make loosing weight a bit more tangible:

1.      Eat right

      Choose foods that fuel your body and make you feel good. How many food hangovers have you had? They are awful, right?

       ***Experiment! (warning: involves eating junk food!!)***

       1. Eat something healthy and nutrious- something you'd be proud to say you ate. After you eat, take note of how your body (and mind) feels. You’ll probably experience feelings of happiness, success; maybe feel a bit lighter.

       2. For lack of a better term... eat something shitty. French fries, pizza, a taco bell 10 pack!You may feel anxious, depressed, sluggish… I could go on forever… I’m really familiar with this feeling.

      3. Decide how you want to feel every day

2.      Exercise daily (OK, maybe almost daily)

       You don’t have to train for a marathon but a jog may help. Even just walking 20 minutes a day has its benefits. I like to switch up my workouts weekly, even while training for marathons. Spin class, pilates, boot camps, CrossFit, barre classes, hot YOGA!

3.      YOGA

       It’s in its own category for me. Yoga keeps you flexible, gives you peace of mind, and presents a challenge every practice. It’s called a “yoga practice” not “yoga perfect” so don’t be intimidated if you’ve never tried it.

4.      Don’t take it personal

       Food is not out to get you. Your friends, family, and co-workers want you to succeed in your weight loss goals. If someone brings cupcakes to work they are not trying to sabotage you. If your partner asks if you want to cook in vs. eat out one night they are not saying you’re fat. Stop taking things in life so personally. GET OUT OF YOUR OWN HEAD.

5.      Small bites

       I mean this literally and figuratively. Surprise! You’ve heard it before but slow down your eating by taking smaller bites and chewing slowly. Don’t try to lose too much weight too fast. It won’t stay off. Create “baby steps” in 5lbs increments.

6.     Motivation

      What will it take for you to commit to living a healthy lifestyle, and living a life you love? No one is judging you. Maybe your motivation is to fit into your pre-baby Paige jeans. Maybe you’ll reward yourself with a trip to a tropical beach destination. For some it may be that they want to be around when their kids have kids and those kids have kids. #toowordy?

I’m not a doctor or nutritionist but I am a hell of a motivator. If you’re struggling keep your head held high and don’t keep it to yourself. Talk to someone. I’m available J

Until next time…

fighting doubt...

I received a message from a good college friend yesterday that I thought would make for a great reminder for us all about keeping a positive attitude. She ran a 10 mile race in Cleveland this past weekend and felt amazing at the finish line. No aches, no pains, happy to have finished. THEN she looked at her finish time from the same race last year. Poof… her positive energy was crushed by feelings of “not good enough.”

As humans, we are programmed to allow fear and doubt to creep in to our brains pretty much all the time.  The feeling of reaching our highest potential is bred into us and we can achieve great things when we have the right tools and the proper mindset. But whatever ever happened to just being happy knowing you did your best? Now with messages from the media telling us to be better, faster, and stronger will we always cross the finish line and say… “I could have done better”?

What I’m not saying is to settle for being mediocre. No, no, no! What I am telling you is to put your best foot forward and acknowledge yourself for a job well done when a JOB IS WELL DONE.

For athletes, remember that every time you go out for a run or swing a kettlebell there are millions of other people sitting on the couch. You’ve chosen to better yourself, to take yourself on. Be proud of that!

I’ve now ran three full marathons and still have yet to beat my time on the first one. BUT my 3^rd marathon was my favorite and THE BEST because I felt amazing. How many people can say they felt AMAZING while running 26.2 miles? Hell yeah, I’m proud of that.

Know when to push yourself but don’t ever tell yourself you are not good enough. Remember that YOU put the pressure on yourself. You can choose to let doubt and negativity creep in or you can slam the door in its face and bask in your accomplishments. (insert beer in hand) 

Cheers to that.