What I love about marathon training and other things

Hello!

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Ground Hogs Day.

I know it's been a while. I'm a terrible blogger but I'm going to work on that.

Things have been going pretty good. It's been a great start to the year for me even though I fricken hate winter and cold. 

I've been marathon training and things are going well. I'm not doing anything crazy long yet (Last week and this week's long run is 10 miles) but it's been going good.

And dare I say I've even enjoyed the many miles... and those many miles have been on a treadmill! I've been able to manage treadmill boredom by really digging into stuff on Netflix.  My longest run on the treadmill was last week's 10 miler and I've been doing just about every other distance on there.  I'm actually learning to really like the treadmill. I don't have to worry about the elements or where to carry all my stuff. I just have to hop on and go. 

Ten Treadmill miles thanks to watching Dirty Dancing
#NoOnePutsMyTreadmillInTheCorner

Here's what I love about marathon training - once you start building those miles it becomes almost like a "light workout" to run 4 or 5 miles. There's something very cool about that.  I'm also loving the feeling of accomplishment as I check off these workouts. 

And I'm super proud of the miles adding up - this month I managed to run 84.27 miles WOW!! 100 miles!! - the most I've run possibly ever in one month. 

the first few days of the year wasn't included in this graph
so I actually ran a solid 100 miles this month on the nose! 

I am now just 'loosely' following the simply filling plan for Weight Watchers. I am still keeping an eye on portion but am just concentrating on eating as healthy as possible. I feel like that is working out for me. I've lost a few pounds over the last few weeks but I'm trying not to be scale obsessed. I had to lighten up, i was making myself nuts worrying about the scale. I'm running lots and eating well. This is enough for me right now and I'm at peace with it.

Other good stuff this month included getting a rough cut of the From Fat To Finish Line film done! The finish line on that is in sight and we are excited! :) I also got to have a little reunion time with my good friend Linda from Fricken' Fabulous At 40. 

And I tossed my hat into the ring for the NYC marathon lottery again. We'll see and fingers crossed. 

And finally I happened upon a pair of compression running pants from Old Navy on the clearance rack.  They are a little loud for me since I'm a 'stick to basic black' type of gal (OK once in a while I get crazy and wear grey) but at just $9.99 on clearance had to give them a shot.

actual legging purchased

I have to say these are great running leggings (even though both my hubby and son kind of looked at them funny as I left for my run today). They didn't fall down when I ran and the compression feels great. They are on the Old Navy website in black or grey for $29.99 (but there's a 20% off code right now - you type in SAVE at checkout).  I'm definitely going to pick another pair up. This actual turquoise-striped color pair is on sale for $19.99 on the website so I really got lucky finding them for $9.99!

How is your winter going? Find anything good that's running or training related lately?

XO

Jen

PS: The legging review is my own entirely, Old Navy has no idea that I bought them or reviewed them - however, Mr. or Mrs. Old Navy - if you are reading this, feel free to send me an old navy gift card or a free pair of black compression running tights in a large. That would be fab. Thanks!! ;) lol

Monday Musings and Making a Comeback

So I'm three and a half weeks back on Weight Watchers and into Marathon training and things are clicking and feeling good. I feel like I'm on a comeback after a long stretch of nothing feeling like it was working.

This past Friday I had my weigh-in and I was down something small like .2 pounds. ALL GOOD. I wasn't even the slightest upset with the mini loss. First, I had lost a combined loss of about 7 pounds in the first two weeks which is a lot for me. Secondly the day before was Thanksgiving and I'm pretty sure that the extra sodium and wine wasn't helping my cause at the scale. As long as that scale is moving in the right direction I will take those .2 pounds proudly. :)

At this point even if I only lose .2 a week for the rest of my journey (annoying as that would be) I would be at peace with that. I'm feeling good. I'm exercising and moving often, eating right (for the most part), watching my portion size and doing a better job at hydrating. 

Starting line at Turkey Trot

On Thanksgiving I kicked the day off with a turkey trot. It was a great day. I ran it with a bunch of girls from the running club I belong to and it was great to see those friends. I planned for this race to be pretty much incorporated in as just a general training day. I didn't 'race' per se but I found myself pushing the pace more than usual. It's a tough little 5K because it is very hilly and it's also pretty congested for the first half of mile or so. Lots of little kids and walkers 5 across. This would not be the race to try to PR at. However, even with all that said, I wound up running it faster than I've done a 5K in a long time.  I've been training at around 11'50 - 12'00 min. mile. My hope was to be around 11'30 in this race. I wound up doing better - an overall average of 10'31! I didn't expect that.  It was a beautiful run. A little chilly (but felt great once running) big fluffy snow flakes falling and in a beautiful upscale, Bergen county neighborhood. 

And talking about beautiful - check out these sexy splits: 

9'56!? Wow. Haven't seen that time for a mile in a loooong time! Woo!

After the race we went up to my parent's house for festivities. I did well. I 'counted' my points for all the indulgences and between my weekly points and the points I earned through activity had plenty to cover. I'm happy about how I handled things.

Of course, the irony is that I did well on Thanksgiving and then while visiting a friend on Saturday afternoon wound up falling face first into a bowl of chips, dip and a few glasses of wine. :/

Partially responsible for that empty dish of french onion dip

Ooops. The good news is that I had the points to cover the damage thanks to a six mile run that morning and I had just got all my weekly bonus points back. The bad news is it's not the way I wanted to uses those points. Oh well. Crappy food happens every once in a while and the fact that I was aware of what I was doing is the key. It's important that I acknowledge it so I can learn from it and also adjust my eating the rest of the week to compensate for the slip. 

This Friday I'm heading to Palm Springs to participate in a Triathlon. I am signed up for the OLY distance but I'm going to drop down to the sprint. I'm not trained for the OLY distance - I have been exercising but focusing on running. I just haven't been motivated lately to work on my swim or bike. I don't know what my problem is. Part of me really wants to love triathlon but the other part of me just feels overwhelmed by the idea of breaking my training up into three different things. Just running is so much easier for me to wrap my head around. I'm not giving up on it yet (I just bought that bike!) and I'm already signed up for the Pococnos OLY next year but triathlon definitely continues to be a challenge for me. 

How was your Thanksgiving?

Thanks to you all for your comments and to those who've sent me notes I appreciate it!

XO

Jen

Talking Turkey, Weight Watchers and Running

Happy Thanksgiving!

So I'm into week three of marathon training already. It's a long-a$$ training program (24 weeks or something!) So far the runs have been manageable - a few 3 mile runs, a few 5 mile runs and I've been getting them all in - which feels great.

Beautiful park for running and eclectic collection of music getting me through the miles!

I'm aiming to run the New Jersey Marathon on April 26th. In case you didn't know, the New Jersey half marathon is what kicked off my whole "From Fat To Finish Line Journey" back in 2010. It was my first half marathon ever and what started me running.  I've run the half every year since and it's a very nostalgic and special race for me. 

I'm already signed up for it. To be honest with how crazy work has been I can't even guarantee I'll be in New Jersey to run the race! But the journey of training for a race is important so instead of not going for it, "just in case" I won't be here, I'm training. If I can't do that one I might find an alternate race around that time. We'll see. I am just finding a need to have a big goal and challenge right now. 

I'm also well into week 3 of doing the Simply Filling Program (a weight watchers plan) and it's been awesome. My first week I lost 5 pounds and last week I lost 1.6 - almost 7 pounds in two weeks! That's really solid for me. It's been a period of making some changes. The biggest sacrifice has been giving up my nightly cocktail. There's been a few cases of, "I could really use a glass of wine" that I have passed up. I'm pretty sure that the alcohol was a big part of my weight gain and weight loss stalls. I am trying to adhere to a "drink only on a holiday or Friday/Saturday" rule and limit it to one or two tops.  I've also been writing down what I eat and keeping an eye on portions - even of healthy foods. 

However, I also eat when I'm hungry. And that's what I like about the program. Not only can you eat but it doesn't have to be limited to just fruits or veggies. You could grab a bowl of black bean soup or have a little chicken breast with some sweet potato. Tons of whole, good for you foods are options. That makes me happy.

I am proud of myself because I've been striving to make good choices. Yesterday I conquered a challenge. I occasionally work as a freelance producer for a YouTube cooking show. During the course of the day we make 6 - 8 recipes and usually they are pig-out days. Not only do we eat what we make but the company also brings in a really impressive spread of food for lunch. Yesterday I didn't eat the food from the shows and for lunch I had a salad along with something I brought from home. I didn't feel deprived like I thought I might. I felt accomplished. If I felt hungry I took out one of my snacks (like yogurt or a banana). This was a major victory for me. 

On the cooking show set - all smiles no over-eating! 

I weigh in on Friday morning (which is the day after Thanksgiving this week.) And I'm not sweating it.

I've been eating good and exercising consistently. I'm doing it right. My plan for Thanksgiving is to eat moderately and indulge a little bit in seasonal foods that are worth it to me. I have saved some points and earned some activity points so I should be covered. Realistically I know that when I step on the scale on Friday that it might be artificially up simply because of the sodium and foods I eat (and the wine that I will be drinking) on Thanksgiving. I'm going to weigh in and not put too much stock in it - if I happen to show a loss, well, that would be awesome but I'm not going to be disappointed if I don't show one. I know I just have to keep eating well and exercising. 

For as rocky and tough it's been the last year or so weight-wise, I'm at peace with it right now. I don't want to sound like a spokesperson for Weight Watchers (I am not. Though if they'd like to throw me a few bucks we can talk ;) ) but this Simply Filling Program is so good for me mentally. It just brings me back to common-sense eating with a good balanced approach - with a little wiggle room for treats. So far so good. We'll see.

Tomorrow I'm running my very first 5k Turkey Trot. I'm kind of looking forward to it and kind of not. It looks like it's gonna be cold and today it's snowing but I am excited to start the day off right with a good run with friends. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! How are you doing? Are you doing a turkey trot? 

XO

Jen 

It's a New Day

Why yes I have disappeared off the face of the earth for a bit.

Sorry about that.

It's been a time of reflection for me. I've been humbled by a gradual weight gain that I've been trying to nip in the bud.

My run has slowed, my jeans are a little bigger.

I have tried a few diets to get a kick-start loss but it seems I lose five and gain back 6. Kind of like how it seems to go for people. 

I guess the overall problem is I wasn't paying attention and I let a few bad habits come back.  I was in denial about that because I still exercise and eat pretty clean for the most part. This weight didn't come from all of a sudden scarfing a pint of ice cream every night or slopping mayo on everything. The weight has crept up because of the handful of potato chips a few times a week instead of salad with lunch. Or the extra piece of cheese on something instead of being cheese free. Oh and the nightly glass of wine after my son goes to sleep probably hasn't helped either. 

For a minute I felt doomed. I blamed my age and just kind of accepted that being 25 pounds overweight is the new me and I should just deal with it.

Ha. NO. I can't accept that. 

Right after eating about 10,000 calories worth of Chinese Food on Sunday night I get this.
Oh. Good news.

For a long time I thought to myself, "but I train now. I should be able to have a glass of wine or a slice of cheese." Yes. I should but only depending on how hard I'm training and how often I'm eating the foods. If I'm having one slice of cheese in the morning, a few chips at lunch and a glass of wine a night that's 350 extra calories a day -2,450 calories a week! Without thinking much about it, then add a nibble of chocolate or a healthy heaping of guacamole to dinner and well - this is how the weight creeps back. Something has to give (or be given up) so I'm buckling down and cleaning up my act. And I do not mean I'm hard-core dieting per se. I'm revisiting the idea of balance and moderation. I have to get on a scale once a week. I have to track my food. I've decided to go back to what helped me take the weight off originally and that was Weight Watchers. More specifically the "Simply Filling" technique.  Of course back when I was losing my weight it was called "The Core" program. 

I like this program. It's based pretty much on clean eating and you don't have to count many calories or points. You base your meals around "power foods" (most lean proteins, veggies, fruits, whole grains, fat free dairy and a little healthy fat like olive oil) and then you get 49 'points' for the week and can earn even more points through activity. You use those points for treats - like if you want a glass of wine, some cheese or something that's not on the power food list (I like to try to use some of my points for healthy stuff that's a little more caloric like avocado in my salad.) 

FYI wine is 4 pts. for 5oz. :) 

You don't weigh or measure your food, you eat until satisfied. I am not sure why I haven't gone back to this sooner. I lost my weight with the core program. I like that I don't have to obsess about serving sizes and can eat if I'm hungry - it gave me structure without feeling suffocated. Anyway... 

This is what my day looked like yesterday: 

Breakfast - 2 scrambled eggs, 1/2 cup of black beans and salsa on a corn tortilla (certain corn tortillas like "Mission white corn" are considered a power food - so the whole breakfast was Simply Filling)

Snack - banana

lunch - steamed shrimp and broccoli with brown rice and a cup of egg drop soup (2 pts for the soup) 

pre-workout snack - small lean turkey burger (no bun) topped with salsa

Run 4 miles - (earned 6 activity points) 

Dinner - Lean pork chop, steamed broccoli with 2 tsp. of olive oil, sweet potato with 1 tsp. of ghee. (1 pt. for ghee).

snack - 1 tsp of cashew nut butter (licked off the spoon lol) 1 pt. 

= used 4 points for the day (And by the way if I was hungry during any part of this day I could've eaten more - and anything on the Power Foods list - like ff greek yogurt with fresh strawberries might've been another snack or a cup of homemade lentil soup - I could've also used points if I wanted a non power food treat.)

Now this day isn't "WW perfect" technically the plan calls for 2 servings of FF dairy to fulfill the guidelines they provide. 

You might remember that I did Whole30 earlier this year and some of you might wonder why I don't go back to that. Looking back I felt it was a bit restrictive for me. I think it's a decent plan and I know many who are successful on it. I enjoyed my journey while on it but it's a lifestyle too and not the lifestyle for me at this time. I lost a few pounds with Whole30 but because I felt a little deprived on it, gained the weight right back. 

I like the WW Simply Filling Program because I can strive to eat healthy most of the time but use a few points on indulgent foods and drinks too. I have kept a few of the habits I got from Whole30 like using ghee, eating avocados, using cashew nut butter, etc - I just don't use them without abandon and keep an eye on the servings. And even though WW considers fat free cheese and some other processed foods "power foods" I, myself, will be avoiding the few processed items that make the list. I'd rather spend the points on a real piece of cheese for taste and I try to avoid foods with ingredients that I cannot pronounce. 

I'm on day 3 of the program now and feel happy. I'm not hungry, I'm eating foods I enjoy and for the first time in a long time I feel like I'm truly back on a good tack. For the first time in a long time I'm not afraid about the future of my weight and feel positive again. 

In other news - I started day one of a new marathon training program. 24 weeks until race. 

24 weeks to go, 25 pounds to lose and 26 miles to run...

It's a new day. I'm back on my path and once again going 'From Fat To Finish Line.' ;)

XO
Jen

DNF and the success of "failure"

DNF.

For those of you who are newer to running DNF = Did not finish. As in I tried to run this marathon but broke a leg at mile 16 and got a DNF.

DNF is a big scary fear I've had and I would venture to say a fear for many of my fellow runners. Why?  Because in my mind (and possibly others) DNF somehow = failure.

The fear of DNF is what motivates us to train, get out there in sub zero weather and plug away at the miles but DNF has an evil side as well. The fear of DNF prevents many of us from even trying.

And DNF isn't just for runners or running. How many things in our lives do we limit ourselves in because of some sort of looming and scary threat of DNF.

For the New Year it struck me that many people are so fearful of "DNF" that they don't even bother to set goals or resolutions at all. More than once I heard, "I don't set goals because then I don't set myself up for disappointment."

There was something profoundly bothersome to me about that type of statement.

I'm not trying to judge, here. Believe me I was once that person as well.

What I've learned is, we have to get over our fear of DNF. DNF fear holds us back. When we aren't willing to fail we limit ourselves and we wind up living lives less of what we are capable of.

Words To Run By

My friend Sara from Words To Run By, didn't let DNF scare her from signing up for the GOOFY challenge in Disney World.  The Goofy challenge is a two day ultra marathon. One day running a half marathon followed by a full the very next day both taking place thru Disney theme parks. This challenge is not for the faint of heart.

Sara trained, she tried and she gave it her all. You need to read her journey of it, it's amazing.  Talk about strength, fearlessness, perseverance, pride, passion.  She completed her first 13.1 on Saturday and started her day two full marathon in pain, with a blister the size of Wisconsin and very little sleep - but she went into it with open arms.  She was an absolute warrior and stotan thru more than 22 miles until her body gave up and the volunteers made the call to take her off the course. She left it all out there. But is Sara sad that she only (ha) completed 35 out of 39 miles? UM no. Nor should she.

35 miles out of 39 - failure?  I think not. Anyone would consider that a triumph and an incredible accomplishment.  A roaring success in my book.

She fearlessly ran with a DNF hanging over her head.  She didn't reach the physical finish line but shit. She had the courage to try.  DNF shouldn't mean did not finish - it should mean - did not fail. We are never failures if we are trying and dreaming big and going for it with gusto. Failure is placing limitations on ourselves.  If Sara decided to "shoot" for a 5K, 10K, or just the half she would've been "successful" in reaching the finish line… but Sara and her "did not fail" got so much more from not being afraid to dream big.

Someone commented on Sara's Facebook page, DNF is better than DNS (did not start) and that is something that will stick with me forever. I will gladly take a DNF over a DNS any day of the week.

Stop being afraid to fail. If you never fail, you're not aiming high enough.

Along the same theme - I saw this amazing video yesterday:

XO
Jen

Sh*t runners NEVER say

As I was writing yesterday's post "Sh*t runners say" I realized that there are even more things us runners would NEVER say.

Sh*t runners never say:

1. 25.2 already? Damn, only one more mile.
2. No, no. I don't want the medal - running was its own reward.
3. I'm not hungry.
4. I like being the slowest in the group.
5. I really hope I don't PR this time.
6. What does BQ mean? 
7. I decided to race without my Garmin.
8. One pair of sneakers are plenty.
9. How many miles is this marathon?
10. I'd rather be walking.
11. This sport would be so much easier if it was all uphill.
12. Can you pass me my jean jacket - going for a run.
13. Nothing sucks more than crossing a finish line.
14. I hope there are a bunch of dogs off their leashes at the park today!
15. Oh, how fun. An ice storm.
16. I'm so glad I had the burrito and hot wings before this 16 miler. Great call.
17. I hope I "pants my poop" this time ;)
18. Awesome! I'm injured - now I get to rest for a few weeks!
19. Thank God for the wall of walkers in front of me, now I can slow down.
20. Woot! I just ran thru a pile of dog poop - It's my lucky day.

Now I'm sure I'm missing at least 20 more so bring on your own 'sh*t us runners would NEVER say' in the comments below!

Have a great day!

XO

Jen

Sh*t Runners Say...

more funny chickens found here

I've seen all of these videos popping up on FB - "sh*t white girls say, black girls say, club people say, etc, etc…"

So it got me to thinking…

What is some sh*t runners say?

Hmmm.  How about…

Big news!

1. I'm gonna just do an 'easy' six miles today.
2. I was supposed to do a long run but only got 10 in.
3. I wonder if I should just pee on myself and try to PR this race?
4. I know I just ran 26.2 miles but I am disappointed.  I only shaved 1 minute off my last time.
5. Don't forget to DVR the Olympic Trials.
6. Fartleks.
7. Yippee! GU now has a peanut butter flavor!
8. Hell no I won't get chicked.
9. Hell. I just got chicked.
10. Yes! Negative splits!
11. All I want for Christmas is a new Garmin. And maybe some cold weather gear. Oh OK and a copy of "Spirit of The Marathon."
12. Woo hoo / boo hoo - hill work.
13. Lost another toe nail. Oh well.
14. "Please don't pants my poop."
15. I totally bonked after hitting the wall so today I'm just going for a recovery run.
16. Ugh. Taper sucks. I just want to get out there and run.

What am I missing?

What would you add to the list?

Happy Friday all…

XO

Jen

Marathon decisions, decisions - which road shall I travel?

I've already mentally committed to the idea of running a marathon this spring.

According to my training program, the ideal date would fall around the first week of June but I'm pretty sure that it's so far out I could probably cheat a few weeks sooner…

So now it's just figuring out what to run.

If money were no object, I would have already signed up for a 'racecation' with Lesley and head to Seattle for the RNR one - that sounds very cool!

But then Jen recommended one in Maine -- it's a mid-May one and that one could work because then my husband could come with me, we could drive up for the weekend.

They are two entirely different races too.  The Rock and Roll races are HUGE events with thousands of runners. The Sugarloaf race in Maine looks beautiful but small and cozier.

I would LOVE to do the Jersey Shore full - as the half was my first race I ever run and it holds a special place in my heart. Plus it's close to home -- the issue with that one is it's the first weekend of May and a whole month earlier than the training program i'm doing says I should race.

Decisions, decisions.

What are you racing this spring?

XO
Jen

PS: In other news - Weight Watcher peeps with iPhones might be excited (like I was) to learn that their App will soon allow members to scan barcodes of foods and instantly get the points values. I'm (such a dork) but pretty excited about it.  Thanks Baby Weight My Fat Ass for telling us about it!

Running Costumes: Yay or Nay?

I thought it was hard enough running 13.1 or 26.2. Really I did… 

But then you've got these special folks.  Not for nuthin' but I wouldn't even want to walk around the block in these cumbersome things:

I guess a big boulder chasing me would inspire speed…
My iPod would have to have that Indiana Jones 'chase' music on loop

The flower is an interesting touch?

Totally puzzled how this guy does it

Uh. Can someone give me a 'hand' with
opening my Gu?


I have friends who like to dress up for these things. I'm torn. I have a (little) sense of adventure but I barely like having my race bib on and usually don't even want to push a pair of sunglasses on my head - it bothers me.  I can't imagine running with a costume and not being tortured by every second of it.

What about you?

Have you ever dressed up in costume for a race?

Would you ever?

Do you think you need to train in your costume to perform in it?

What's the best costume you've ever seen on someone else?

XO

Jen

Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY for a FREE Jack LaLanne Power Juicer!

The Long Run: Ugh! I mean, I love the long run

my long run park - Bergen County NJ

Ah, the long run is back.

The long run (for me) is any run that requires me to run an hour and a half or more so for me, that's pretty much anything over 7-8 miles (though as training starts to become serious - I look forward to 8 milers because they are easier than 16 or 20!)

Anyhoo.

I hate to admit it but I often (well almost always) dread the long run.

Ironically, I always feel good after the long run but finding the oomph to get ready for it before hand… Well, that's where and when a lot of the crappiest excuses to get out of a run start ebbing it's way in.

As I embark on marathon training, I'm trying to get my motivation up for these long run days and will fake this til I make it. I have a new mantra for every time a dreaded long run thought seeps into my mind. It's not particularly clever or creative but I figure its easy and to the point. I LOVE THE LONG RUN.

I'm also comprising a list of reasons why the long run ROCKS! (Yes, read that with gusto! Feels more real that way…)

So here's my list of why the long run rocks!

1.  FOOD I love to eat. Even with all this running, I have to be careful with my food. And while I'm eating relatively clean, running (especially long runs) allows me eat a little bit more peanut butter, avocado or even an extra glass of wine without sweating it.  My long run of 8 miles yesterday yielded me 15 WW points!

2.  TUNES I love music but don't get to carve much listening time out. So running is my time to catch up on tunes and jam to my favorite songs. I enjoy exploring and finding new music for these runs and have special playlists just for long runs.

3.  TIME Ah… an hour (or two, or three) that are entirely mine. No phones, no Email, no answering to anyone. Just me, my thoughts and my music. This time is completely a gift.

4.  NATURE Aside from the occasional treadmill long run, my long runs are through a beautiful park in Northern NJ. There's no better way to experience the change of seasons then running through that park. It's a really nice way to 'smell the roses' and get outside.

5.  ACCOMPLISHMENT OK the best part of my long run is when I'm finished. But not because all that hard work is simply over. There is no bigger feeling of accomplishment or pride then thinking about all those miles you just stared down and tackled. I've never ran a long run and shrugged it off as no big deal. Every long run means something significant in my journey to me.  And lets face it, every long run is bringing you one step closer to marathon success.

So those are my reasons why I LOVE THE LONG RUN - tell me why you love the long run. Or share your mantra. I need all the help I can get for when the "Ugh, I don't feel like running for a million hours" voice tries to get in the way of my mantra!

XO

Jen

Marathon Monday - 1st day of the rest of my running life

I have been bugged for the last few weeks.

There is something deep inside me that is screaming - run another marathon.

I thought I'd be one and done.  But, nuh-uh.

I thought that halfs would suffice - enough to keep me training and active but, nope.

I want more.

So today I started training for a marathon. I'm not sure which one or where yet. I can run the full at the Jersey Shore in early May (that would be poetic as it was the site of my first half marathon and holds a special place in my heart). Or I'm considering Sugarloaf in Maine per the suggestion and twitter "c'mon" of my blogging buddy Jen at Miles, Muscles & Mommyhood.  My training program on Nike takes me thru June 5th so i figure anything between the first week of May and then should be OK since we're still in November.

I really want to run NYC but who knows when the lottery is gonna open and who says I might not just do that too if I get in?

So, 16, 18 and 20 mile long runs here I come.

Get Road Runner (my running store) on the horn, I'll need a box of Gu and Sports Beans.

And I hope my favorite gatorade is on sale because there's gonna be a lotta training going on up in here. 

I've been accused of sometimes looking before I leap but the truth is, I believe that you do have to look before you leap but there comes a point where you just have to leap or you could miss your opportunity to jump.

See ya at the finish line and at every mile in-between.

What marathons are you doing?

Do you have any to recommend for the time frame I've mentioned?

XO
Jen

Slow Your Roll, Yo

I'm gonna feel like this guy after my 5k YIPPEE!

Tomorrow I'm racing a 5K and I have every intention of running as fast as I can - right up to the point of feeling like puking. (Hellz yeah! How did I ever get to the point in my life that something like that even sounds like fun?)

Anyway -

Today, after having a crappy Weight Watcher weigh-in (up 2.8!) Yikes… (Still under goal but still…) I decided I needed to get a little extra run in today for at least a little calorie burn.

I decided not to aim for miles but rather for minutes. I decided to aim for a light pace. I wanted to slow my roll and save most of my weekend effort for tomorrow. I tried. I failed. I thought the minute vs mile thing would help. Yet I still ran around my average speed of about 10:40 per mile - I was trying to run more like an 11min mi. 10:40 is still pretty speedy for me. My best 5K is around a ten minute mile. Every time I would try to slow down it felt like I was dragging, practically walking. The crisp air and sunny skies begged for me to pick up the pace. 

While I wasn't running my hardest, balls-to-the-wall and it was only a 3.5 mile jaunt - I still think there is something to the whole question of why it's so hard to slow down. I mean there was a time in my life where I would have preferred to run slow that pushing myself to run fast just sucked.

I don't know.

Who woulda thunk this could be such an issue?

But selective and strategic slowing down is (from what I understand) crucial to running success - especially in long distances.  We all saw what happened to Mary Keitany who decided she wasn't going to slow her roll at the beginning of the ING NYC marathon. It was her race to lose and she did. The commentators frittered about her way fast start and indeed it was her undoing.

no slow roll here

And the commentators were right but I don't think there's a runner out there that didn't understand Mary's heart.

Now, I don't think my whopping 10:40 3 mile run today is going to affect my race tomorrow one way or another - and I don't think this was so super fast or anything. Just brought up some interesting observations about trying to find the right balance between speed and distance.

If you want to run faster, you've got to run faster :) So there's obviously 'right' training times for speed work too.

What about you? Do you find it tough to slow down? Do you ever train at a slower speed? Have you ever faced this issue in a half or full marathon? Has running too fast ever bit you in the ass? 

Inquiring minds.

Have a great Saturday!!

XO

Jen

The Extra Mile: Giveaway

I am back baby!

Operation no mile left behind (I just decided to declare it an "operation" by the way) is paying off. I've run for one week straight! Monday - Monday and that's good news for me! Part of the reason I was able to run everyday is because the "do a lot of miles" pressure was off and i just ran when i could or felt like it.

Now, admittedly, most of those days were mere 2 miler's - in an effort to just do something. Remember in my last post I decided not to poo-poo or look down at any opportunity to get something in.

Well, because of that stance, I logged the most miles last week that I had in more than a month (20 miles!) and the two milers helped me to feel motivated to do my 'longer' runs of 4 and 6 miles. Not to mention that all those "throw away" miles actually added up to 10 miles - exactly half of what my week totaled out to be - truly proving (at least to me) that those baby runs are valuable.

Most importantly with my no mile left behind 'tude, it's gotten me motivated to run again. The pressure is off. If I'm busy and can't get in 3 or more - I'll take 1.5 or 2 and not feel guilty about it and I love that I'm loving running again.

I am right back on track with the half marathon schedule that I'm following to get into half shape for a half I'm planning to do in October. I have two I am eyeing - Either the Atlantic City, NJ half or the Los Angeles RNR half.  I travel to LA often but money is tight so between flight and race fees, it might not work out. I'm going to try to decide by next week (before Sept 1 when both race fees increase.)

AH! YAY!

So with all of this talk of taking miles when you can, not leaving them behind and going an extra mile when possible, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for a giveaway!

I've been reading this book called The Extra Mile: One Woman's Personal Journey to Ultrarunning by Pam Reed. WOW - talk about taking miles! This woman WON Badwater TWICE - her second win, she even beat out Dean Karnazes by a mere 24 minutes. She's competed in some of the biggest, toughest and some might argue craziest long races out there. 

If you would like to win a copy of the book all you need to do is be a follower of this blog and leave a comment. 

Get an extra entry if you post on your blog/facebook page/twitter account and tell me about it. 

Give away will continue until Tuesday August 30 and the winner will be announced sometime shortly after that.

Hope you find plenty of opportunities to get an extra mile in this week!!

XO

Jen

PS: If you want to try to win something really cool check out Words to Run By - Sara's giving away a pair of CEP compression socks and shorts!

26.2 and California here I come!

I thought I would check in before things get too hectic, I'm probably not going to get to post again until post-marathon so this is my last post before my life changes forever. (OK so that might be a little dramatic but whatever.)

Anyway, I didn't do too much running this week. Just a couple of easy miles. My hip has been achey for the last few weeks and when I began to run last night it started up and I decided I would just blow off the few miles in lieu of extra rest for the hip. After the marathon, I'm considering having it looked at. It only really hurts when I run and for a day or two after but it's enough to be pretty annoying.

Enough with the idle chit-chat.

Deep breath.

I'm gonna run a marathon! Holy crap. I'm going to be running a marathon in less than 48 hours.

I'm excited, scared, nervous but I'm gonna do it.

Thanks for to you for your support, cheering, shoulder to cry on and all the other stuff you've given me to help me get to this point.

I've gotta go pack now. Wish me luck and I'll see you again when I get to the other side. :)

XO
Jen

TWENTY miles, I ran twenty miles!!

OMG! I ran 20 miles.

I needed to run 20 miles.

I was dreading running 20 miles.

I didn't really need to run 20 - Coach Lesley told me it would suffice for me to do 16 or 18 and more important that I have a good run than a bad one with a lot of miles.  I entertained doing less more than once.

But I needed to do 20, to just mentally *know* I could.  In my heart I feel that if I can run 20 I can do 26.2 - it was an important number to hit for my mental preparedness and a huge milestone in the face of all the bumps in my training I've hit along the way.

But I will not lie. I was dreading it.

My 16 miles and 18 mile long runs hurt. A lot. And they weren't very encouraging that I could actually pull off much more. I also dreaded it because as much as I like to run, running for 3-4 hours just doesn't give me a thrill. I mean I get bored watching my favorite band in concert after 2 hours or so, so ya know. The prospect of running for a million hours… Well. That's just tough to get amped for.

But be that as it may, I sucked it up and headed out for the 20.

I did things way different this time. I decided that I would do my own "Galloway" experiment with walking and running. Since I'm not aiming for any sort of time on this thing - my big goal is just to finish,  I would see if that would do me any better. I also purposely slowed my run waaaay down.

What a huge difference.

I will not say it was easy but even at 20 miles the "wall" never came. In my last two runs I hit walls around 13 - 14 miles and thought I was gonna die.

The first 13 I walked for a tenth of a mile at the end of every mile - it actually made things enjoyable. I walked, hydrated, popped a jelly bean and let go of any sort of "time" deadline. It really kept me fresh. Past 15 I walked much, much more and that was more because of stomach cramps than leg issues. Again, I was OK with walking as I needed to. I didn't berate myself - I know that for me and where I am at with training, I'm going to be walking a lot those latter miles so I might as well embrace it.

Sure I will be slow, there will be no record breaking time, no BQ'ing that's for sure :D but I will be a marathoner and I think this approach will not only allow me to finish but keep me injury free and make the experience a good one!!!

Now, hopefully I'll have the discipline on game day to keep my roll slow and stick to the plan!! ;)

20 miles! No matter what happens from this day forward, no one can take that away from me and I'm soooo happy about it.

XO
Jen

Setbacks

OH how I'm being tested.

Last week was busy but I got my long run of 18 miles in. I have been fudging the other runs during the week -- usually getting in slightly less then I should on the other given days due to an overwhelming schedule. But I strive to get something in and the long run day is sacred.

I was going to get an extra 10 miler in last week just to add some extra miles under my belt. I was planning on doing that on Thursday. As I was getting ready to go, I got the call from my son's school. "He's sick, please come pick him up." OK. Foiled again. My husband was nice enough to pick him up which gave me a few minutes to run a quick 3 miles to get something in.

So Friday rolls around, I knew running would be tough as I'd be taking care of my son all day but thought I'd aim to do something Friday night after hubby got home. Friday night came and I was hit over the head with the "I'm so tired I could die" stick. So I didn't go -- I thought to myself, "Saturday I'll do ten, rest Sunday and aim for my 20 on Monday."

Well, Saturday came and I got hit with the "I'm so sick I could die" stick. Wow. 103.5 fevers, vomiting, chills, you name it, I had it. Foiled again.

It's Tuesday and its the first time I don't have a fever in days but I still feel crappy. Doc wants me to wait a few days to run.  OMG. I am dying.

I feel hit over the head with the "how the hell am I ever going to pull off a marathon" stick.  I'm so freaking out. I feel so under-trained.  I'll get the 20 in somehow. And then 16 an then taper down but it's going to be sticky and I'm disappointed in myself for not finding a way to get myself better trained for this thing. I know it was a battle of snowstorms, injuries, business trips and illness but still - I feel like I put myself in a position to be going into this thing in a really tough place.

image from: myrunningaddiction.wordpress.com

My last long run of 18 miles was really, super hard. I hit the wall at mile 14 and the last four miles was an all-out battle of focus to get to 18 I don't know what I'm going to do if I hit the wall at mile 14 and have to stick it out for 12 more miles.  UGH. FREAKING. OUT.

help.

Best Mother's Day Ever! New race

It's only 10:15 AM and so far this is turning out to be a great Mother's Day.

Gift #1: I awoke to a beautiful day - blue skies and sunshine for miles.

Gift #2: I make my way to the kitchen to find my two favorite guys all smiles and standing around the most beautiful bouquet of flowers.  (There was a Mother's Day balloon that was included but my son was dying to play with it so it's floating around here someplace!)  :)

Gifte #3: My 3 year-old somehow knew to get me a gift card for iTunes to start loading up my iPod for the big upcoming marathon!

But here's the biggest and best gift of them all. My husband who hasn't been so physically active has decided to take a big step. This morning he found a 5K training program and decided he wanted to start training for a 5K! So we found a 5K six weeks out for June 19 which lands us on FATHER'S DAY and together - we'll run my husband's FIRST 5K!!  I'm so excited that he's committing to a healthy path and I think he's going to rock it!

So this is what we're running and by coincidence this 5K takes place where I do most of my long runs - it's a beautiful park and the perfect place to 5K.

I am one happy Momma today.

Side note: I was supposed to do my long run today 18 miles. But decided to wake up way early tomorrow and knock it out in the wee early morning. The park is going to be jammed-packed today and I really didn't want to spend hours away from the family on Mother's Day. So today it will be the park, playing, maybe a little BBQ and I couldn't be more excited for a perfect day.

I'm looking forward to the big  challenge tomorrow.

Happy Mother's Day!

XO
Jen

VICTORY! Jersey Shore Anniversary half marathon recap

It's a beauty

I am overjoyed, yesterday was a perfect race in every way.

The sun was shining, the temperature was perfect, the crowd once again amazing - everything in place for a great day.

I got up nice and early: 4:30 AM to make my trek southward down to the Jersey Shore. I chewed on a well-earned bagel (mmmm gave those carb-y ass-fateners up long ago but figured I'd have one for "fuel") and guzzled my coffee to go.

Once on location, I found Frannie who decided to make this half her second.

We found our places to run. I decided I wanted to run this race in 2:30 (or around a 11min mile) - a lofty goal as my long runs on a good day say that I am around 2:37. My last race in September I did in 3:03 and the a year ago I did this very race at 3:19.  Sure I'm a slower runner but a runner none-the-less!

Anyway, I must've used the potty about 50 times (well at least 3 times) before the start. And son-of-a gun wouldn't ya know it, by the time I was crossing the start line I had to go again. While I was deeply trying to enjoy the moment and I was - I couldn't help but be distracted. Instead of focusing on "the need for speed," all I could think of was, the "need to pee."  So, for the first time ever, I jumped on a potty line in the middle of a race between mile 2-3.  UGH. I probably lost around 5 mins. or so but I did feel 1,000 times better.

SIDE NOTE:  I know you hardcore folks will just pee on yourselves and save that time. As tempting as that was, I decided against it. Though never say never.

Back to the race. I felt strong mentally and physically and was knocking out miles left and right. It was such a far cry from my last race - for the first time I really felt like a runner. And a runner that wasn't just trying to finish but to finish with a purpose.

OH THIS IS WHAT WE TRAIN FOR. For moments that feel like this.

Into the last mile - Friend Amy caught me excited to see her

The last two miles were run along the ocean and I promised myself that I was going to save something to make those miles really count. That last mile, I turned my music off and ran like I'd never had. I was wooing with the crowds, pushing myself to go as fast as possible, adrenaline doing it's thing and fist pumping like a crazy, middle-aged Jersey girl the whole way! Nike+ data says I was running at a 9:03 at one point during that last mile which is insanely fast for me, never mind to be pulling it off at the end of a 13 mile race!

About that 2:30 goal? That goal that I was worried would be too much to achieve… Hmm, well how's 2:24 grab ya?  11:01 pace… Now if I hadn't stopped to potty, I would've been sub 2:20 and prob. around 10:49 pace! WHAT? SHUT UP! :0)

VICTORY

Thanks to all of you who've been a part of this journey. The Jersey Shore marathon is one I plan to participate in every year. It's really well organized and just awesome. I would encourage anyone to try this one.

Some signs that made me laugh yesterday:

"Worst parade ever!" "Run faster, Snookie is gaining on you!"  "No matter what, last year was worse!" (Last year it was record breaking heat 90 degrees and humid)

And thank you to my bff Amy who came to see me at the finish line -- it meant a lot to me.

Onward and upward - in just (holy freakin' crap) 33 days I'll be taking on 26.2…

XO
Jen

I could run 500 miles and I could run 500 more...

I love this corny stuff… Nike celebrates my 500th mile ran. Even though I've run more (this is just since getting Nike+ ) It still makes me happy :)

Did 16 miles this morning. Not. Easy. But psyched that I did it!  this weekend I'll be running my anniversary half at the Jersey Shore!



xo
jen

The good news and not so great news

Our movie poster up at the theater! The red guitar! 

Hello running buddies!

Last week I was in Nashville to celebrate the world premiere of the film I worked on as a producer, "Happy On The Ground: 8 Days at GRAMMY Camp," at the Nashville Film Festival.

It was an exciting week and an awesome experience to see our film on the big screen in front of an audience of strangers -- all who seemed to really love the film. We followed our screening with a really cool after-party that was hosted by Ben Folds. It was neat.

Of course all this moving and shaking left me with little running time. I am proud to say I got a few miles in while in Nashville. It was beautiful there. I did a paltry little 2 mile walk/run the first day (I was super dehydrated and had about 20 minutes to kill) and then I did a four miler.  While it was a far cry from what I should've been doing, the pride comes in because I had to find that time and in the past I wouldn't have done anything at all. At least I gave it a shot and hopefully, next time, I'll give it a better shot.

Upon my return this past Thursday, my schedule has not become lighter and I'm yet to really run miles I should be. But, again, I'm proud of what I'm getting in. 2 miles, 3 miles, 2 miles and five miles today. (I was going to do 6 today but the heat broke me down and I walked the last home - teaches me to remember to bring my water!)

While I'm not doing what I'd like to/supposed to be doing but I'm doing something which is more than the old me would be doing -- I'm rolling with the punches and stealing in time when I can. This week I plan to hunker down and concentrate in being in good enough form to run/walk/crawl this marathon in June. OY. I wish I had 2 more months!

So the good news is, I'm hanging in. I'm not throwing in the towel - I'm not giving up. This is great news for me who's always been so black and white - if I couldn't run 8 miles on an 8 mile day, then I'd do nothing. So even if it's only 2 out of 8 - while it's not ideal it's better than nothing. The not so great news… well, I'm woefully behind in training and it's going to make the marathon even more challenging. Eh. It is what it is as they say.

I have plans on getting the 16 I was supposed to do over the weekend either tomorrow or Tuesday morning - really early in the morn -- and then this weekend I run the Jersey Shore half - My anniversary run! I'm looking forward to it, though a little bummed that no one is going down with me. I'm on my own. I'll have to be content to run for the bling and the cool strangers rooting me on. Someday, I'll have someone with a sign out there for me :)

And sad news - Sara at Words to Run by lost her mom this past Thursday. Her mom was a runner and training for her first quarter marathon and suddenly passed away. My heart is heavy for Sara and today I spent most of my run thinking of her. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

XO
Jen