Dash to the Finish Line and other stuff

Ahhhh.

I can't believe that it's been so long since my last post.

So much to tell you, so little time.

First of all - lets discuss the NYC marathon - another year another stab through the heart that I wasn't running it. I know that 26.2 is a helluva a lot of training that I would curse and struggle severely with. I know that finding the time to run 3 - 5 hour long runs would be near impossible, I know that with all my cramping issues and everything else that I shouldn't be dreaming of this race but every time that race takes off, I am eating my heart out.

Dash to the Finish packet pick up at NYC marathon expo - one of these years I'll be running that marathon! 

This year I had a few friends running it and I couldn't be prouder that each one of them victoriously crossed the finish lines.

I did get to take a little nibble of the Big Apple by running the Dash to The Finish Line 5K the day before the big marathon. That was one great little race. It's a warm up to the marathon and you start by the United Nations, and then run by Grand Central, the NY library, up past Radio City and through Central Park - ending at the actual marathon finish line. I ran it this year with Linda and it was fantastic. Perfect running weather, perfect companionship and a fun course. I loved every second of it and it was over far too quickly.

Me and Linda after the 5K

I barely had time to watch the NYC marathon because my flight to go back to Kentucky was early that afternoon. We are back and in production on LogHeads an original series my company is producing for DIY Network.  My partner and I have worked long and hard to get established and bring a show to air so we are proud and happy to be here. (Although it is very hard being on location and away from my hubby and son.)

While here I have gotten some running in, in anticipation of running the Festival of Lights Half Marathon in Brooklyn on Nov. 24 I hadn't signed up early because I didn't know if I would be working in KY or back home. Well, I determined that I was going to be home for it the other day, ran another 8 mile long run (as I continue to train here).

lots of fricken hills here! One of about 100 hills I ran this past Sunday

So I come back from the hilliest run ever and all ready to register for the race only to find that it is sold out. Waaaaaaaaaah! Waaaaaaaaaah! I am so bummed about this. There are no alternatives for me to run in NJ or NY that day and a bunch of my friends are running it. I totally missed the boat. So gross. I am so disappointed. It was an affordable race (probably part of the reason why it sold out) and I never anticipated that it would be a problem for me to get in. I should've just signed up early and rolled the dice on losing the entry fee.  Hind sight is 20/20.  It sucks so bad. In the back of my mind I was running this race all fall so I've been mentally and physically training for it. Blech. I even reached out to the race director to beg but no dice. I'm out. No festival of lights for me.

ran thru an empty golf course during that run - even hilly there 

So that's about it for me. Have you ever missed the boat on a race you meant to sign up for but it was too late?

XO
Jen

Fun News, Great News and Big News

So this has been an interesting week of stuff!

First the fun news.

We landed an interview with David Willey, Editor-in-Chief of Runner's World Magazine for the From Fat To Finish Line documentary film. Going to Runner's World HQ was so awesome and I was so excited to meet him. I have been a dedicated reader of the magazine since the beginning and I look forward to reading it cover to cover.

He was so awesome and nice. I am so excited we get to have his thoughtful words of wisdom in our film!

The great news:

Last week I wrote this blog post about my new found love for New Balance sneakers. The only issue was they seemed to bother me on long runs (as my big toe nail has begun to turn purple after long runs.) I ordered them on-line at Foot Locker.

Well, New Balance saw my tweet about the issue and told me that I should swing by a local store to get fit. I figured maybe I could beg them for a small discount since I blogged about how much I loved them and since I just bought these. It would've been hard to dole out more cash right now and just eat this pair.  Don't you know that they took back the damn Foot Locker sneakers that I didn't even buy with them and that I had already run a few times in! They told me that their store is #1 in customer service in NJ and I see why. The staff was friendly and awesome. They let me try on a bunch of different styles. (I wound up with a new pair 1260 V3 - I paid the difference on them). They said they would even hold on to my old sneakers for a few days in case I changed my mind! Plus, I was told to go run in the new sneakers for a few days and if I had any issue with these they'd be happy to exchange these as well!  I will be a fan and customer for life. Good service goes a long way in my book. Plus it's a mom and pop shop - love to support those!

My new loves

Plus… one of the sales people is Olympic gold medalist (1988 games) Peter Rono. How cool is that?

Rono, Me and Larry the owner of New Balance in Hasbrouck Heights, NJ

And now the big news!

I signed up for my first Olympic Distance Triathlon! REV3 Pocono 2014! My parents live up in the Pocono Mountains so I know how challenging and hilly this should be. The distance is .9 of a mile swim, 26 mile bike and 10K run. I have a whole year to train so I'm not freaking out yet. :-) 

WOOHOO! 

XO

Jen

Perfect 10 Miler Cramp Free Race Report

This was the first Perfect 10 Miler to take place in Mercer, NJ. It was an all female race that covers the odd distance of ten miles. Not a 10k, not a half marathon - 10 miles. A bunch of my Moms In Motion friends decided they were doing this race so I decided to join them since I never put a half on my fall race schedule.

Moms getting ready to run! 

I got up at 5 AM and got lost getting down there but I made it. I had to shuttle from my car to the starting line and it was very easy. Plenty of buses and a very quick ride.

Once at the starting line the Moms all met up and we got ready to start. It was a chilly-ish morning and I was ready to go.  I had no real "race" time in mind. My aim was to try to run an 11 minute mile average and hopefully keep those freakin' cramps away!

I didn't wear my garmin. I haven't been training with one and have gotten pretty comfortable with running based on feel.

Moms in Motion coach Dana
She finish in 1:17 / 7'47 pace!! 

We start running. Now what was slightly annoying about this race is it was really, really congested at the start. No corrals or waves. If I had wanted to run faster I was kind of out of luck. But the first mile felt good otherwise.

Lots of congestion trying to run

Nike does update me in my ear every mile of where I'm at. After the first mile I was at 10'44. That's a good first mile for me. I typically 'warm' up at around 11'10 or so. I was feeling good.

My second and third mile felt good too - 10'41 and 10'18. Great! Now in half marathons I'd be panicking that this was too fast and I could cramp by the end but with only ten miles (and some cramping prevention measures taken) I decided that my new goal would be to run the entire race some where between 10'30 - 10'45 pace.  I mean, why not? I had trained for this. I have been running shorter distances quicker. Why limit myself to 11 min mile? If I had to walk at the end because of some cramping well, it wouldn't be the first time, so I decided to give it a shot. The pace felt good the whole way through - challenging but not ridiculous.

I slowed a little bit on a couple of hills and there were a few places in the run where the congestion was so tight that I was forced to slow down because I couldn't get around people in front of me.

The miles went quickly. I felt great.  After 7 miles my calves and hamstrings were getting tight but that's to be expected - tight is fine! I continued to believe this would be my race and the cramps wouldn't come.

They didn't. :)

I am just about to cross the finish line- All smiles!

I finished the race in 1:46:57 a 10'42 pace.  I think I would've been in the 10'30s if I didn't get stuck behind congestion in certain places but that's OK. I couldn't have been happier.

And nice bling!! 

It was a fun race and a great race. The best I've run in a race in a long time.  I really liked the distance too. It felt good. Also kudos to the race for a well-run event. More than enough port-o potties (never had to really wait for one - even right before the race) and the shuttles were right there at the end and quickly took us back to our car. For the amount of people at the race I was on the road in seconds with no delays.

If you follow my blog you are pretty well aware of the cramping issues I've faced.  It all started with the Hollywood Half I did in 2012 and went downhill from there. I haven't really raced as hard as I wanted since because I've been trying to keep that cramping at bay.

Even my Irongirl Triathlon I faced cramping.

I've tried switching up nutrition, adding magnesium capsules, salt sticks, and figured if I just ran more that would help but it hadn't really helped that much.

Then I saw this video at Runner's World and it clicked. It suggested to be really hydrated (I was always half-assed on this) add strength training and some stretching/flexibility.

I took it seriously.

The last few weeks I've been drinking about 12 glasses of water a day on average and on a bad day maybe 8. That's a lot for me since I used to average maybe 2 - 4 glasses a day.

I also have added strength training, consistent foam rolling and dynamic stretches before every run - plus a proper cool down.

Well wouldn't you know it, it seems to be working! During the race I did make sure to take in a salt tab or two as well as a gel - I do sweat a lot and get a very salt-caked face so I figure that making sure I keep my electrolytes up couldn't hurt either.

I got tight during the race but the cramps pretty much stayed away.

It's a great feeling to be looking forward to racing and being able to hope for the best rather than fearing the worst.

XO

Jen

Can this relationship be saved?

First of all - thank you for all the kind comments and notes you sent in regards to my last blog post about my son. We continue to have good and bad days but I know that we'll get to brighter days soon. I  also want to stress that he's an amazing kid and we are so blessed to have him in our lives. If you look sideways you will always find someone who has it easier or has it tougher and that's how it is for everyone.  It was a hard post to write but also healing. So your kindness does really help.

But on to another topic. One that is also hard for me to write about. One that I dread having to even explore.

Recently, I fell in love with a new pair of sneakers. I went out of my comfort zone of Saucony's and Brooks and used a Foot Locker gift card to order a pair of New Balance Sneakers off line.

I didn't know what to expect because I couldn't try them on first. I tried to find them in store but I couldn't find them - I did some research and hoped for the best.

It was love at first sight.

Beauty

And the fit. OMG the best. They felt light and springy. They hugged my foot snuggly but not too tightly, while still giving me the support my over-pronating feet need. I know it's my own crazy but I even felt faster. 3 miles - great! 4 miles - great! - 5 miles - woohoo! Even 7 miles felt good. And no blisters!! I was ready to buy several pairs of these babies just to have them in reserve.

7 happy miles

I've never fallen so hard for a pair of sneakers.

And then I did a nine mile run and my big toes felt a little achey - I thought not much of it. My son accidentally stepped on the left one (which didn't help) and it continued to ache. So I peeled off my toe nail polish and my toe nail is purple. Uh oh. If I'm being honest (and not trying to ignore the only little problem with these heaven-sent kicks) they are probably the teeniest, nearly unnoticeably, a tad tight in the toe box - but nothing that immediately struck me. In fact, so blinded by love am I that I don't even care that my toes ached a little after the runs - the only reason for the rational thoughts of breaking up is I'd rather not lose a toe nail if I can help it.

Though, it might be too late?

sorry. I know it's gross

Do I need to break up with my sneakers? Can I ignore the fact that they are maybe a wee bit tight in the toe box? I know Food Locker won't take back worn sneakers (I only went through FL because I had a gift card) I think going up a size will make them be way too big for me. Can't I just pretend that my son stepping on it is probably the reason it got so bruised? (The other toe did stop aching eventually and is normal color.) 

I have a ten mile race on Sunday and I soooooo want to run with these - my other sneakers are either too old or give me blisters after 4 miles. And I love my NB's. I really do. 

Have you ever had a pair of sneakers that you just love though might not be best for you?

What would you do?

Have you ever lost a toe nail from running? I did the third toe nail in once during marathon training. Didn't hurt a bit. Not sure how the big one would feel though.

XO

Jen

PS: I got an email from an author. She's giving her book away for free - I haven't read it yet so I can't necessarily recommend it but for free, it could be worth the read here are the details: This Friday, October 11^th in celebration of “International Day of the Girl,” I will be offering Weight Loss, The Screenplay: Discover Your Inner Superstar and Manage Your Weight for Life for FREE on AMAZON! You’ll be able to download it for FREE until midnight, Pacific Standard Time on Friday.

Here’s the link to the book page on Amazon: http://amzn.to/16MjChS

Running away from Autism

I don't talk about my son and his autism in this blog very often. In fact, aside from a few close friends I don't talk about it with others either. We don't think of Ben as our 'autistic' son, just our son who happens to be a handful. ;)

Ben pretending to fly with Daddy

For years we didn't really even say 'autism' around here. We preferred 'needs' it just seemed much less label-y. We've tried to downplay the issues to the outside world. It's not because we are embarrassed or anything but we try to keep things moving forward rather than get bogged down in diagnosis. 

And we work within our family to get Ben the best care and the best shot for a happy, healthy life. 

But it's been tough. I've had days where we just can't get through to him. Like any kid, he has good days and bad days. Ben is a non-stop kid. Even on his best days you can't take your eyes off of him because he likes to get into everything. 

We recently began seeing a top-notch specialist in the field and Ben has been put on a strict gluten-free and dairy free diet. He's also taking an anti-fungal to get rid of yeast build up and getting supplements to help heal. These approaches are pretty tried and true and I believe they will help him but the process has been HELL. Ben is going through withdrawal and die-off (Die-off happens when yeast dies and it's not pretty - but you go thru it to get to a better other side. Here's an article about it.) 

He's been aggressive in just the last two weeks he has hit me in a face with a paper weight (and it still throbs) has dumped glasses of water on the floor, peed on the carpet and has chucked every toy in his toy box at us (several times). He dropped my computer on my foot (my toe is still black and blue), and that's just for starters. Poor Ben is having a very hard time all around. Everyday we have been dealing with more than it seems we can take. But we figure it out.  They compare the food withdrawal in these kids to drug addicts. In fact the reason why they have to go GF and DF is because the food doesn't digest right and it turns into a toxin that becomes like an opiate in these kids. It's partially why they have such slurred reactions and seemingly don't feel pain - they have produced pain-killing opiates within!

But I have hope. There are moments of clarity now - I can see glimpses of him getting better. After a violent episode he is sweaty and flush and seems legitimately confused. He'll begin sobbing and then curl in my lap and say, "I'm very, very sorry. I don't know why I did that." And I believe him. In those moments I know that my son is in there and trying to escape a body and brain that is keeping him trapped. It is my and my husband's job to help him get out or at least reach whatever his "best" is. 

One of my fav. pics. Ben having the best time ever with Angela (who
braved lots of spinning rides and endured dizzy nausea for his joy)

And I thank God every single day that I get to run. That I have time when he is in school or some time on the weekend when my husband is home to lace up my sneakers and run. If I didn't have running, I'm sure I would be smoking, drinking or eating away those moments where I just don't know how to help him. Those moments where I feel like a shitty mommy because I just don't feel equipped to deal.

It makes me feel proud that my son knows me as a runner. He knows when my sneakers go on that  "Mommy is going to exercise." He likes to ask me about my medals. He says he wants to run someday. I can't wait for his first fun run race. 

Saturday was hard. He was in a destructive place and he was explosive. My husband said, "run." I cried in my car as I pulled out of the driveway. I know my boy is hurting and I want him to get better.  I ran a fast 3 miles. I sweated, my mind was cleaned. I came back with sweat instead of tears and we made it through the day. Sunday was better. Somedays it's overwhelming - but if I can find even ten minutes to run, it helps me keep it together and keep moving on this road of recovery for my son. 

Thanks for listening.

XO

Jen

PS: If someone you know is dealing with Autism, ADHD or other childhood behavior issues, this book was easy to read and eye-opening: Healing The New Childhood Academics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma and Allergies. By Dr. Kenneth Bock - the expert we are seeing is his colleague. 

Running and Muscle Cramps: Cracking The Code

First of all - Hello. Sorry it's been a while. Since the Iron Girl Tri I've just had my head down and have been focusing on running again. I've had one or two bike rides and ZERO swims.

Instead, I've wanted to really, really focus on cracking the code on the cramping issues I've been dealing with.

There hasn't been one race since the Hollywood Half (April 2012) that I haven't been foiled and faced with painful cramping. And the cramping isn't limited to running alone. As I reported in my IronGirl race recap, I dealt with awful, awful cramping in the water that made me worry that I'd be unable to complete the race at all.

Hollywood Half. I've got a monkey on my back

The cramps aren't in one place. I get them in my toes, the arches and the tops of my feet, calves, hamstrings and even the tibialis anterior.

The biggest problem with the cramping is that it has put fear and apprehension in me. It is paralyzing me before I even lace up my sneakers. With all my talk of "dreaming big" and "going for finish lines," the cramping is stopping me dead in my tracks. In my heart I want to run another full marathon someday, and even possibly a 70.3 distance Tri someday. But I hesitate to even dream that big because if I can't get thru 13.1 or a sprint triathlon without cramping then how could I ever think to go for something bigger? It also doesn't inspire me to try to PR or run my best, instead i slow my roll and pray that being conservative will help me not to cramp later. It's really messing with my head.

I have finally come to grips with the fact that I've been limiting myself because of this issue.

And that shit has got to stop right now.

It's one thing to make decisions on races because of time constraints or other reasons. But being afraid of cramping up and possibly failing is not going to fly.

Recently my friend Angela sent me this video from Runner's World called, "Inside the Doctor's office: Cut Out Cramps." This was a terrific eye-opener. Up until this point most of what I've read had to do with making sure i had enough electrolytes during running and making sure to be trained. I've been consistent on that front so what gives?

Well. A lot. I have work to do.

Some of the key contributors to cramping according to the video are: Dehydration, lack of strength and lack of flexibility. I'm probably guilty of all three of those things. I am a big sweater and even after a 3 mile run I can be caked in salt. So right off the bat, yes, I have to hydrate and figure out electrolytes. I have days and even weeks at a time where I'm coming no where close to what I should be drinking in water. I always try to hydrate the days leading up to a race but that's just not enough.

And flexibility and strength? Bah. I've been amiss in paying attention to those things. Not on purpose. Remember I had that brief stint with yoga (I was going to and then just didn't stick with it - I wasn't a big fan) and I take a strength training class here and there but when training it all falls by the wayside and I focus on running (or biking and swimming.)

That's gonna change. First off, I'm sucky, sucky at hydration, which is stupid. This is a no-brainer, easy thing to do. Drink freakin' water all day. That's it. This shouldn't be a big whoop. I've got water drinking apps and playful cups - I'm going to drink water and keep hydrated.

It's the first time I have ever heard that flexibility and strength could help cramping. I have heard that it would improve my running. I took yoga to help the tightness in those muscles but for some reason I never put it hand in hand with the cramping part. It makes sense though. So I've started taking this strength training boot camp class every Tuesday night that I'll be continuing with. I've also added a few extra strength moves at home. I'm using my foam roller consistently and I no longer blow off dynamic stretching before my runs. Maybe I'll even (gulp) give yoga another shot.

It has only been a few weeks but I think it's paying off. My runs are feeling better and my legs don't feel as spent after. We'll see. The proof will come when I do my 10 mile race in two weeks.

The good news is that I now have a plan and some hope.

Hope all is well with you! What's your running fear that holds you back? Any races coming up?

XO
Jen

Iron Girl Triathlon Sandy Hook: Race Recap Part Two

And we are out of the water and on to T1 and the bike!

Read Part One of my race recap here.

The water the day before

So after a tough swim that has left my lower body painfully cramped up I make it to my bike. I am a little panicked about how I'm going to pull the rest of the race together feeling like I am. I take the advice of Dana and down a bottle of water (with a salt stick) eat half a gel, and swig a little coconut water for good measure. I then stretch, say a silent prayer and work on getting out of my wetsuit.

As a side note, I am super proud of myself for successfully getting in and out of my wetsuit. I am thankful to my friend Jen Small. Jen gave me some really great wetsuit tips in Maine and also sent me on my way with a can of Tri Slide which really helped.

The cramping began to subside enough. (Thank God!) The cramped muscles were super sore from being so tight but workable. I washed off my feet, got my socks and sneakers on, put on my helmet and made my way all the way to the "bike out." Right before exiting I realized I had forgotten to put my ankle timing chip thing back on! GRRR! So I had to wheel all the way back, get that thing on and get back on the road.

Let's get going already!

I have no idea of how long my transition had taken. In the results they listed my transition as 47 minutes and my bike as 4 seconds. Now I will admit that my transition certainly felt like 47 minutes but even with a 47 minute transition I am pretty sure that I didn't bike a 8.25 miles in 4 seconds.

And made it to the bike! Whew.

However, I am guessing my transition to be 10 - 11 minutes easily. It took me a bit of crawling to get to my bike, guzzle 24oz. of water, eat a gel, stretch, shimmy out of the wetsuit carefully trying not to re-cramp, wash off the feet, get socks and sneakers on, head out to "bike out" not once but twice - and none of this was at lightening speed. I contacted the timing chip people and they said my bike out didn't record so they can guesstimate and make up my T1 at 4:36 but that's impossible. Plus I know that I felt pretty good on the bike and pushed it trying to make up time.

I'm feeling pretty good on the bike for the most part. A little sore but pretty good. I know that if I don't cramp again (and even if I did) I would finish this race and that's really what mattered to me most.

I'm back!

The bike was pretty uneventful. Flat a little scenery of the ocean and reduced to only 8.25 miles. I'm guessing my bike was around 36 minutes or so. It was fun to see the Moms who were in waves before me coming back in since the course was an out and back.

T2: 2:54 - Not sure what took me so long but it is what it is. 

And on to the run.

Took a minute for me to figure out if my legs would give me any trouble. I was still sore from the cramping (and would be for days after) but started off with a slow jog. In the first quarter of a mile or so I walked for a second or two and then got mad at myself and decided that I could freakin' run 3 miles, even if it was slow. I soon started to see the Moms ahead of me coming in for the finish line and knew I wasn't too far away to completing my day.

I caught up to fellow Mom'er Dede and that was great. We ran and chatted a bit. She needed to stop for water at the aid station and since I had a hand held, I kept going. 

Running without music was a little bit of a challenge. Not impossible but I was not finding that "enjoyable" thing that many non-music runners report. I felt a little bored. I know my pace would've been a bit better and the run would've been more enjoyable if USAT rules allowed for music. Guess I should consider a few non-music runs in my training for future races.

Love these Iron Girl girls! Dede, Heather and Monica

During the last mile I was getting tired I began repeating a mantra to help me to keep moving forward. I kept saying to myself, "I'm strong, I'm fast, I'm focused." Finally I entered the shoot and headed towards finish line! This was it! I set a goal and I swam, biked and ran my way to the finish line!

I'm gonna make it! And I didn't sh*t the kit! Woo hoo!

How sweet it is to see…

Jennifer Roe - You are an Iron Girl! :-) 

Success!

And every Mom in Motion made it too. A truly wonderful day!

YAY!!

Run time: 32:04 Total time on course: 1:50:55. That time will not get me on a podium but I'm OK with that. From here I can only go up!  I am also pretty stoked that while this swim was tougher, I was much more confident and comfortable than I was on my last Tri. My overall bike was faster and my run was faster too. They were pretty comparable (both flat). Progress!

I really loved this race. 

The bling up close

Thank you Iron Girl for putting on such a good show!

Thank you Dana for taking the time to train us for this big milestone in our fitness worlds!! 

Thank you Angela Lee and Jen Small for all of your Tri advice and hand-me-downs!

Thank you Roxi for letting me use your bike all season!!

Thank you to my fellow Moms who made this journey so much fun and so worthwhile.

Thank you to the Tri Bloggers who've inspired me over the years.

I am blessed and grateful to have had this experience and can't wait to do it again.

XO

Jen

PS: Speaking of my friend Jen Small - the day I was doing this Sprint, she was kicking some serious butt doing 140.6 at Rev3 Cedar Point! Read her journey here. She's amazing.