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Goofy Challenge

Hi! I’m Telisa and I blog over at Telisa5 (Clearly I’m not creative when it comes to making up blog names haha!). I was super excited when Ashley said she needed someone for this week’s Marathon and Moderation post.
 
I’ve ran 5 marathons (Chicago twice, Marine Corp, the Illinois Marathon, and the USA Marathon), 3 half marathons (Chicago, USA, and Virginia Beach) and am currently training for a few more this season (Philadelphia Half, Las Vegas Half, USA Half, Illinois Marathon, and the Goofy Challenge). At times I have let marathon training consume my life but I’ve finally found a way to balance life and running. After giving it some thought, I compiled a list of things that worked for me and will hopefully get you through marathon training AND allow you to still enjoy your life.

Illinois I challenge 
1. Find Your Motivation
Why are you running this very long race? What is going to help you get through those miles when you want to quit or cry (or both) because of the physical pain? What are you going to say when people ask why you’re doing this because they think you’re crazy? You gotta have something that means a lot to you! Maybe you want to be healthy? Maybe you want to prove to yourself (or someone else) that you CAN do it? Maybe its that bagel and chocolate milk that’s waiting for you at home? Maybe you want to lose weight (actually that’s easier said than done in marathon training)? Maybe its pictures of Ryan Gosling?

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Maybe you like running with friends? Maybe you like shiny medals? Maybe its your quiet time? Maybe you want to raise awareness for a cause? I ran my first marathon with the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (now the Team to End AIDS-T2). Not only did it come with a fabulous training program it provided motivation to keep running when it was tough (and let me assure you there will be tough times ahead). Whatever it is that’s going to keep you going-figure it out!

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2. Make running part of your schedule
Figure out when you can run and make it part of your schedule. Are you a morning person? Set that alarm and get out the door! Are you lucky enough to have a gym near work? Take advantage of that and go at lunch! Like running after work or at night? Do it then. Whatever you can consistently do -DO IT!

3. Schedule your social life around running
Not the other way around. We are all VERY busy people. Work, family, church, friends, school, clubs, sleep- all this alone can be hard to manage. Add in 30-50 miles (or more) of running on top of that and you realize there aren’t enough hours in the day! If you feel like you don’t have time for everything, see where you can give a little. Do you HAVE to go to EVERY obligation? See where you can multitask. I often run errands on my runs. Run to the library, get groceries after a run, push your kids in a stroller during the run, run instead of driving/taking the train on your commute. This won’t work for everyone and you may be the smelly person at the grocery store- but figure out how you can manage.

Illinois Race
 
4. Make running friends or better yet make your friends runners
Someone recently asked me if I was only friends with runners. I replied "No, but eventually most of my friends become runners." Why is this? Because people want to be part of whatever you’re really excited about! If people see you making positive, healthy choices in life, they want to be part of it. Even better, if you’re friends with runners you can multitask and get your social time in while you run! At the very least your running friends will  understand why you show up to brunch all sweaty.

Va Beach
 
5. Be healthy
Marathon weight gain isn’t just a myth. Try to eat healthy, figure out if supplements are right for you (I have lots of info on that so check this out http://telisa5.wordpress.com/2012/08/11/my-advocare-journey/ or email me at telisa.walter@gmail.com if you want more).
 
6. Reward yourself
You didn’t just run 20 miles for nothing! This goes with motivation-make a deal with yourself. "If I can finish 19 miles today I can get that awesome hot pink tank top I’ve been eyeing all week." 
 
7. Don’t overdo it
Injury prevention is important but is difficult because what is too much for one person may not be enough for another. Listen to your body! If there is persistent or sharp pain take time off and possibly see a Doctor. Some people can run many miles every single day but many people cannot. Be sure to stretch after every run! Try to get a/several deep tissue massage(s) (If you are in the DC area I’ve got a great recommendation). Spend quality time with your foam roller. She (or he) will become your best friend-go ahead and name it we won’t judge. Try out an ice bath-its cold but it works!
 
8. Find the training plan that works for YOU
There are so many plans out there how do you choose the best one? Don’t just choose the one your friend chooses. Look at the length of your race and what your fitness level is as well as how injury prone you are. I’ve used a Jeff Galloway program for most of my races. Most of his plans include a run/walk program and only running 4-ish days a week with lower mileage. This is great for beginners. During my last race I used a Hal Higdon plan while still using the Jeff Galloway run/walk method. Unfortunately, I ran too many days and miles on top of strength training and injured myself -making for a very painful and disappointing race. 
 
This year the Goofy Challenge (a half marathon one day and a full the next) provided a scheduling challenge. I knew I needed to get enough miles in but was afraid of injury. On top of that I am doing a few half marathons earlier in season. My plan is to use Hal Higdon’s Intermediate 2 program (still with the Jeff Galloway run/walk method-I love it!) because it includes a long weekend run with a long-ish run the day before -just like the race will be. I’m treating all my shorter races as long training runs and just having fun! I’ll have to let you know how this works out!
 
9. Rest Day(s)
The most important thing about any training plan and the only way to run in moderation is to REST. Your body needs it and your mind needs it. Let those muscles recover!
 
10. Take time off
After my last full marathon, a very wise running friend told me to take 7 days off before running again. While I was itching to get back to my Nike’s (I wanted to run off that marathon weight gain) I listened and my legs recovered better. You may find after a race you never want to run another one-I certainly did (although obviously that didn’t last long). Take off as much time as you need for your body- and more importantly your mind – to recover. Figuring out splits and times and miles constantly adds a lot of pressure and can lead to burnout. So lighten up and take a break!
 
11. Schedule your race around your life
So what if everyone is doing the NYC marathon (BTW I am so jealous and want to do it too)?! That doesn’t mean you have to. Depending on where you live, running at certain times of the year may be really difficult. When I lived in Chicago I didn’t attempt to run outside in the freezing, ice, and snow covered winters and now that I’m in DC I LOVE winter running but the heat and humidity of the summers make running more than just a couple miles feel like a marathon in itself. Do you hate running hills or know that you won’t have the chance to train on them? Then don’t pick a hilly race. Do you hate running on the treadmill or maybe love it? Keep all this in mind when scheduling your race.
 
12. Have FUN
You’re not going to want to complete 12-18 weeks of training if its not at least somewhat enjoyable. So make it fun! Wear bright clothes and sing silly songs in your head (or out loud-no judgment here). Whatever is fun for you-Do It!
 
Thanks for reading along and let me know if you’re running Goofy! I’d love to see friendly faces there!!!!

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Over the Narrows 10 Mile Race

I’ve waxed poetically about how much I love running in a new cities. But, I love racing in new cities even more! It’s so fun to see the differences between each race and how the organizers handle the crowds, traffic while also getting to see the local runners.

As soon as Bo and I planned the trip out to visit Ryan and Amy, I hopped on Google to search for local races happening over the Labor Day weekend. We knew that we wanted a Saturday race so it wouldn’t affect our weekend plans and we wanted it to be a distance between 10k and half marathon so it could also serve as a marathon training run. Luckily within minutes I found the Over the Narrows Gig Harbor-Tacoma 10 mile race. 

Over the Narrows Gig Harbor to Tacoma Run

It fit all of our requirements including distance, new area that we’d never visited, great scenery, would push our legs more than we normally would during a training run, and would allow Amy and I to continue our tradition of running races together. In fact, this was the tenth race that we’ve run together!

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After preparing peanut butter and banana sandwich and a half cup of coffee we hit the road. The race was over 45 miles away so it allowed us to enjoy the drive from Seattle to Tacoma while taking in some awesome Mt. Ranier sightings thanks to the clear day. Since the race was so far away we picked up our bibs this morning from the local Galaxy Movie Theatre. Who would have thought that a movie theatre would be a good place for a bib pickup but it worked perfectly! There was plenty of parking, plenty of bathrooms, warm heated area for stretching, and plenty of space.

We had enough time to enjoy a quick photo shoot before the race began.

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I mention the heat because there was a 10 degree temperature difference between Seattle and the Tacoma area where we ran. It was 49 at the start and about 60 by the end which meant we had AWESOME running weather! Nice and cool which is a welcome change considering the heat back in New York City.

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At 7:55 we headed out to the starting area, which included no corrals or fancy elite start. Instead the group of approximately 500 people all started when the organizer yelled go! We each had timing chips on our shoelaces which were only used to clock the time we cross the finish.

Oh the course. Where do I even begin. Luckily, we didn’t spend much time researching the race in advance or I think I would have been scared shitless. The out and back race took us through the Gig Harbor area, over the Narrows Bridge to Tacoma and then back.

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We knew that the views would be gorgeous over the almost 2 mile bridge portion but didn’t really know what to expect for the rest of the course. We were literally running along the shoulder of the road under tall Evergreen trees which felt very Northwest. What we didn’t expect were the hills outside the bridge, which was a joke compared to these other hills. image

As you can see from the above, the hills were long as well, the two worst lasting more than .8 miles! The very last hill was just evil. The downhill at the beginning made it hard to maintain speed and definitely made me thankful that I ran in calf sleeves. Amy and I stayed together for the first 9 miles just smiling along and telling each other that we would push through. We didn’t talk during the run since we were pushing ourselves, instead we listened to our own pump up mixes and enjoyed the sights.

As you can see from the above pictures, I ran with my handheld water bottle which held a water and NUUN mixture along with 4 Margarita CLIFF Shotblocks. We weren’t sure whether they would have water stations along the course but were pleasantly surprised by the 3 stations which could be enjoyed both ways on the course. Due to the cool weather I ran in my New Balance jacket from Reach the Beach which I can tell will be a Fall running staple as the vented back allowed me to stay cool enough while the thumb holes kept it down while we ran.

Our pace for the first half was right around 9:50 which was perfect considering the early hill and my focus on keeping the pace slow so I didn’t bonk at the end. During the second half I did my best to keep the pace under 10:10 as I conquered the worst of the hills. As we came to the final mile I let Amy push herself ahead of me since I knew she had some gas. We both just wanted to be done. I meanwhile started focusing on people to pass during the last mile. This was a great way to take my focus off the last hill and push through. I ended up passing five of the women we’d been running with most of the race.

Ten miles later this beauty was well earned and a nice surprise at the finish. Ten miles done at a 10:01 pace!

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Only in Seattle does a clear day call for celebratory pictures in Kerry Park after 45 minute ride back to the city! We have so much to celebrate, especially Bo’s first race back from injury! He kept a 9 minute pace which is AMAZING considering that he was out of commission for almost 3 months! His comeback is proof that swimming and strength training can definitely help keep you in running shape!

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Hope you all have a great day! We’re heading out Woodinville for an afternoon of wine tasting!

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NYCM Training Week 8: Running on Tired Legs

It’s amazing the difference a few weeks can make.  But before we get into running, I want to share a few fun links and things I’m loving right now. Because hey, sharing is caring, right?

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Okay, back to marathon training.

Last week I was excited to embark on another week of training, feeling far better than the week before after a few quality runs. Overall my mind was in a better place. This week I’ve already spent time analyzing this week and next week’s plan, figured out how it will work with my upcoming travel plans to Seattle and Los Angeles, studied this week’s running splits, and spent time focusing on the other important non-running aspects of marathon training. Instead of being worried I’m really excited for this week training, especially after tonight’s tough run. Gia is great at reminding me that every workout won’t be easy and the ones that happen on tired legs tend to be some of the most important. There will be times during the marathon that my legs feel “too tired” but I’ll need to push through. So, while I didn’t hit the 30 miles I so wanted this week, I did log each of my runs and felt stronger during them than weeks past.

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Tonight’s 5 mile run over the Queensborough Bridge after 19 miles in the past 2 days was no walk in the park. Instead of worrying over my speed I told my co-workers that my legs felt heavy and that I’d run behind them. In his normal style, Marcial refused, and instead made up for my silence as I focused on running by telling me about his fun weekend. Since I had gone out slow and steady, by the time we came back over the bridge I was able to let loose and pick up speed to the point that I finished our last mile running down 2nd Avenue at a sub 9 pace. Not bad for tired legs!

This week’s workouts will include a new mid-week distance record and some fun West Coast running with Bo!

  • 5 mile run
  • Personal training session
  • 5 mile progression run
  • 8 mile mid-week run
  • Yoga/Cross Training DVD
  • Hiking
  • 10 mile bridge race+warmup+cooldown miles

Oh and last but not least, guess who crushed his first double digit run in over a year and then has done 8 more miles since Saturday? BO! His doctor has given him a clean bill of health to start training for the New York City marathon and we’re both so thrilled. Fingers and toes crossed he’ll make it to the starting line with me this year! What better time now that we’ll have his sister Meg to cheer us on along the sidelines?! I’m so pumped to have my running buddy back!

If you’re training right now, how’s it going?

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