Happy Two Year Runnerversary: I Went for a Long Run on Vacaton

Sunrise over the Atlantic

The last few weeks have been a complete struggle for me.  I have been struggling to find the motivation to complete my training. However, I think I found it in the most unexpected place.

Last week I spent the week in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  This is a trip that I take every year and look forward to the next year from the moment we leave the beach.  The part that has always made me sad about this vacation, is that it signifies the end of the summer and that colder months are knocking at our door.  However, since I have become a distance runner I am not as sad as I once used to be: cooler temperatures mean better running and right now I NEED better running!!  

I know that I am not alone in the fact that this summer has been BRUTAL in terms of heat and humidity.  Most people that I’ve talked to have said that their training has suffered and that they have had to cut multiple long runs short because it was just too much.  I have cut more runs this season than I care to admit and I am struggling to believe that I will be ready for my marathon on November 6. The farthest I have run this season is the 13.1 miles I did in the Outer Banks. 

I decided to do my long run on the second day of vacation.  My original plan was to do 12 miles, I was going to leave the house at 6:30, run 3 miles out and back and pick up Adam (my brother in law) for company on the last 6 miles.  That morning my alarm went off at 5:30 am, which is totally NOT FAIR on a vacation morning but I knew that with the temperature already at 83 degrees with 92% humidity it was already going to be a struggle.  As I prepared for my run I started giving myself a mental pep talk, I could do this, I WAS GOING to do it, and that I would feel so amazing after it was done. 

I headed out around 6:45 (yes, I left a little later than planned), put on my running play list, set my watch to my intervals and I was off.  The first half mile was through the neighborhood to get to the path.  It was trash day and all of the trash from the weekend departures was sitting on the curb, which meant one thing... BUGS and lots of them.  I spent the first ¾ of a mile swatting bugs, getting bitten and cursing.  I wanted to give up, I wanted to go back and crawl back into bed and (possibly) try again tomorrow.  I did not give up!

As I was running, some of my running friends were sending me texts of encouragement.  I would text back complaining and whining and they kept sending me motivational text messages throughout my run.  I have the most amazing friends!! 

I knew that this was going to be my longest solo training run to date and that I was going to want to blog about it, so I started making making little videos of what I was thinking at any given time so that I could remember the run.  I made about 6 of these videos (I am not posting them, they are embarrassing), some of them were of me saying things like: “This f**king sucks!” “Why am I doing this?” Then the videos morphed into more positive messages as I got further and further along.

I finally hit Mile 3 of my run and I was  beginning to feel a lot better.  I looked at my watch and realized that if I turned around, I still wouldn’t make it back by the time I told Adam I would be back.  Knowing myself, and knowing that I can be easily swayed to cut a long run short (nobody said I was perfect), and knowing that Adam wasn't thrilled about the prospect of a 6 mile run (not to mention that he is twice as fast as I am), I made the executive decision to keep pushing it further out, Adam would just have to understand (thankfully he did). 

Right before Mile 4, there was a TON of police activity on the road and I almost turned back.  However, there were other runners running past the police and I decided to keep going. I did stop to be nosy, and asked a lady walking her dog if she knew what was up.  She told me that someone ran their car into a sign post in the middle of the night and then took off on foot to the beach when the police arrived.  Apparently there was an all-out manhunt going on and the police were letting people by on the main road but they weren’t letting anyone through to the beach.  I thanked her for filling me in and kept going. I was also too chicken to take a photo. 

The hill at mile 4... what a beast! 

Around mile 4 and about 15 minutes before I was supposed to pick up Adam for our 6 miles, I called him to tell him where I was. I told him if he wanted to run, he should just go and I’d see him somewhere along the way.  He opted not to run and I kept pushing forward. 

The view from the path around mile 5. 

At this time I was approaching the end of the path, the path was 5 miles long, and I knew that I was going to have to turn back.  I had to start devising a plan so that I could complete my planned 12 miles without reaching the house first.  As I was lost in thought, and my running playlist, I became suddenly aware of someone right next to me... I turned and saw a girl that I had seen a few minutes before running the other direction.  She looked and me and said “This f**king sucks, doesn’t it?”  I told her yes and we started chatting.  I told her that I was on mile 5 of a 12 mile run and I was struggling.  She told me how impressed she was, she had set out to do more than she was doing and turned around at a mile and a half because it was miserable.  It’s funny where you find encouragement to get a run done, this stranger was my encouragement.  She was noticeably faster than me, but she was impressed at the distance that I was running. That was the push I needed, I decided in that moment that I was going to run 13.1 miles that day. Because as I say in one of the videos I made: "Why not run a half marathon on a random Monday at the beach?' 

This guy wanted a race, I knew he'd beat me so I declined. 

At mile 5, I said goodbye to my running partner and turned around.  I knew that there was police activity at mile 3.5 and I didn’t want to have to run through that more than I had to, so I decided that I was going run to mile 8.5, turn around and run back a mile and a half before turning around and heading home.  This worked out amazingly; mile 7 to mile 8.5 was totally shaded and felt cooler than the other parts of the path.  However, shade means trees and trees mean SPIDERS!! For whatever reason, this year in the Outer Banks the amount of spiders rivaled what I imagine Australia is like.  No joke, there was one cluster of 4 bushes that had 12 giant spider webs in them and it was terrifying!  I’d like to think that this made me run faster, it did not I just kept feeling like I was covered in spiders.  

This is just ONE of the spiders and webs that I saw. 

There were a lot of other details about this run that I wanted to write about, but as I am writing this, none of them seem as important as this moment...  right around mile 10 I had a complete and total mental shift about the marathon.  It’s amazing when you can pinpoint the moment you just KNEW you were going to do it and that you don’t have to be perfect.  I pulled out my camera and recorded a video pep talk for myself.  In that video I say:  “It doesn’t matter how fast or slow you are in NYC, you are running a marathon, you will finish the marathon, you struggled through the hardest running days of the year, you are strong and you will finish it.” 

Now, a week and a half later, I look at that video and guess what? I still believe it! I am not trying to qualify for Boston, I am not racing anyone (except maybe 2015 MCM Emily), I am running the NYC marathon to experience running the NYC marathon.  I am running NYC because TWO years ago I would’ve LAUGHED at you if you told me I was going to be training for my SECOND marathon.  Two years ago I smoked and liked beer a lot (ok, I still like beer a lot, but in moderation); two years ago I started running and could barely run a damn mile; two years ago I was “training” for a 5k and that was my only goal; two years ago I became addicted to running. 

Sometimes I lose my motivation and forget why I am training and running in the first place.  Then I envision the finish line of a race and how amazing that last quarter of a mile feels and the feeling of accomplishment when the medal is placed around my neck.  I remember that two years ago I couldn’t even imagine that I would come this far.  Two years ago I was the guy that says: “You ran 26 miles? I don’t even like to drive that far.”  I remember that I am not only a runner, I am a distance runner and that’s pretty awesome... HAPPY TWO YEAR RUNNERVERSARY TO ME!! 

Jumping in the pool after a long run makes everything better!!

Not my fastest run, probably my slowest run to be honest

11 weeks until the NYC marathon

Longest run this season: 12.4 miles. 

I couldn't decide what shirt to wear,
so flat Emily was shirtless for a while. 

Ready for the race.
From left: Me, Lisa, Jamie and Natalie (front)

This summer has been rough for training. It's been so hot and humid every long run day (mostly Saturdays) since the beginning of July. The heat and humidity are killing my pace and ability to run the miles I should be running and many of my long runs have been cut short. I have been feeling a little nervous that I am going to be ready for NYC and I have been really hard on myself about cutting runs short and barely hitting any of my long run mileage. In comes the...

Leesburg 20k Race. - Training run with blingThe race started out (and continued to be) hot, humid and overcast. The first 7 miles were mostly uphill with the first 6 being a gradual incline. Personally, I would rather have some bigger hills that I can tell are hills than a gradual uphill. With the gradual uphill climbs, you don’t always realize why your pace is suffering (especially in the heat and humidity) and it can be very defeating in the earlier miles of a race.

I woke up with major tummy issues and a terrible night's sleep. I'm used to training runs on Saturdays and, for me, it’s easier to fall asleep early on Friday nights after a long week at work than on Saturday nights. Luckily, Sunday training races remind me to prepare properly for Sunday goal races. It’s so easy to hydrate on weekdays while sitting at my desk, it’s hard to get the proper hydration while running around on Saturdays, it takes a concerted effort to get the water in. Fortunately (unfortunately but I learned), I ended up super dehydrated earlier in the week after a short and easy 3 mile run (the “feels like temperature” has been over 100 degrees every day for the last few weeks) and I was prepared to do everything I could to not have that happen 3 miles into a 12.4 mile race.

I started out running with Jamie, Natalie and Lisa at a pretty uncomfortably fast pace (for me – especially with my tummy issues). I felt terrible in the first 1.5 miles and decided to run my own race. I was not racing this race and I was not trying to beat any time so I slowed my pace to a nice comfortable training speed. As soon as I slowed I knew I was going to completely lose Jamie and Natalie so I yelled out goodbye to them. I was ok with this since I did not feel well and I hate to feel like I am slowing people down. Lisa stuck back with me and we settled into a good pace. We were chatting and getting into the race when we started talking to another runner (Lea) right before mile 2. Apparently, we had overheard the same conversation between two male runners about marathoners pooping their pants (one of the male runners will appear again in this recap), we chatted a while about running marathons and on our walk interval she ran ahead of us.

Water Stop at Mile 2.
Used the restroom, regrouped and reassessed my goal for the race. We caught up with Lea again and she inquired about our run/walk intervals. I explained how they worked and she expressed interest in trying them. I told her that she was welcome to run with us if she wanted to. She said she was going to think about it and somewhere between miles 2 and 4 she settled in to run with us.

Water Stop at Mile 4.
Grabbed some Gatorade and water and mixed it. I always have an issue with Gatorade at races being too strong and my tummy was already constantly reminding me that it wasn't happy running this race.

Miles 4 to 6.Somewhere around Mile 4.5 we saw a giant pile of horse poop and we joked that on the way back to the finish line we will know that we will have less than 4.5 miles left when we see that poop again. We kept going but I amused myself with the thoughts of being excited to see a pile of horse crap. My favorite bridge on the whole W&OD is around mile 5.5 of this race, it's an old railroad bridge that I find incredibly beautiful. I didn't get a photo again this year because I was focused on running my race and being in the moment. The bridge is also right at the bottom of the biggest hill of the race (which because it’s an out an back, you have the pleasure of running up twice).

Water/Gu Stop at mile 6.
They had my absolute FAVORITE Gu at this stop (strawberry banana) and I grabbed a couple and kept going. I have to be very very careful of Gu that I get at a race because I am very sensitive to having caffeine when I run, it makes my tummy hurt. We momentarily lost Lea when we got separated during the confusion of the stop (this is also the mile 7.5 stop after the turn around). She thought that we had pushed ahead and we thought that she had stopped for the restroom. We ended up seeing her right before the turn around and we agreed to meet at the Water/Gu stop at mile 7.5.

Turn around mile 6.5(ish).

That feeling everyone (at least that I know) gets in a race when you realize you are on the way back and have less ground to cover than you've already done. I had convinced myself that the rest of the race was going to be all downhill. Unfortunately, the course marshal (although friendly) dashed those dreams by reminding me that we had to go back up the hill that we had run up around mile 5.5.

Water stop at mile 7.5.
Met back up with Lea and pushed forward. I grabbed another round of Gatorade and water to mix and may have grabbed another couple of my favorite Gu packs. By this time I was really feeling the heat and humidity and the sweat was starting to sting my eyes. I grabbed one more cup of water and poured it on my neck and was ready to go.

Mile 7.75.
While we were running (back) up the biggest hill in the race, we started discussing the advice of many race directors of summer races. They say "if you start feeling bad, stop and find a course marshal for medical attention"... We started discussing the difference between when you feel bad because you've run X-amount of miles and it’s hot and you’re uncomfortable and when you actually should seek attention. Basically, the difference between feeling like you WANT to die and when you actually WILL die. Probably not the greatest discussion to have when you are 4.5 miles from the finish line but at that point it was a fight to the finish.

Mile 8, top of the hill.
What goes up, must come down! Running down the hill back under my favorite bridge and knowing the gradual uphill that was the first 3/4 of the race will be a gradual downhill for the last few miles. Feeling good, feeling good!

Mile 8.5 (ish).
Remember the horse poop that I mentioned earlier? There it was, now I know there is less than 4.5 miles to go. I am giggling at this point because I have never even considered that seeing a pile of horse poop would give me a renewed energy to finish a race. Haha, I might be weird but I’m ok with that. Also around this time one of the police officers in the race (who was an INCREDIBLY ATTRACTIVE tall bald man) informed us that it was going to be a gradual downhill grade for the rest of the way into Leesburg. This was music to my ears! Also Mr. Officer, if you are reading this and you are single... hit me up!

Water Stop at Mile 9.5.
Grabbed another Gatorade and two waters. Dumped one water on my neck and one in the Gatorade. Chugged the Gatorade and kept pushing on. Getting closer and closer. Less than 5k to go. We can do this!!

Mile 11.
Oh man, this is actually happening, we're going to finish. Oh no...! I have to use the bathroom, it can't wait until the end... all that Gatorade and Tailwind has caught up with me!! We catch up with (or he catches up with us) one of the guys that had been talking about marathon runners pooping their pants. I ask him where his buddy is, he jokes that he pushed him off the trail down a hill and we have a good laugh. I told him that it was probably for the best as I never liked that guy anyway. We part ways.

Water Stop at Mile 11.5.
Gatorade, water, dump water on neck and use the bathroom. We've got this. Less than a mile. Push push push. We lost Lisa at this point, turns out she didn’t see us stop and kept going thinking we had gotten too far ahead. We caught back up with her with a little less than a mile left to go. Right about that time, I heard the cowbell and my name being screamed... It was SHANNON and SALLIE and they were just the little push I needed for what happened next.

1/4 of a mile to go.
"Hey! Wonder Woman!! Ruuuuuun!!" There he was again, the guy that was talking about marathon runners pooping. This time his friend was back with his medal. I have to say that this ALWAYS HAPPENS to me at this race (ok, the second year in a row). There is always a guy that I'm bantering with during the race, who challenges me to a race to the finish. I LIVE FOR THIS!! The race to the finish is why I run.

What happens next is almost second nature to me...

I take off and he takes off. I gain a good lead.

My hamstring (which I've successfully had been ignoring for most of the race) starts screaming louder than ever!

I round the corner; I can see the finish line up the final hill. I think to myself: “Oh crap! Who put a damn mountain here? It’s ok, I’ve got this!”

Hamstring screaming!

Push, push, push!! Come on Emily, faster!!

What's that I hear behind me? Breathing!! He's catching up.

I move to the left to get in front of him. He gives me a friendly push! "Come on Wonder Woman!! You've got this!!"

Run faster, faster. FINALLY I’m sprinting. I can't breathe!! You’ve got this Emily!!

I hear my name from ahead of me. "Come on Emily!!! Gooooooo!! You can do it!"

Push harder, feet moving faster – faster - faster! I see the finish line. There it is, right there.

The announcer calls out my name...

And I'm done!! A medal appears in my hand out of nowhere, I finished!! - I realize someone handed me the medal but I was so dead by that time that it seemed like it was not there one second and there the next.

My hamstring is screaming, my heart is pounding, I'm drenched in sweat, I can barely breathe. I've completed the 2016 Leesburg 20k!!

Did the crowd go wild? No. Did anyone post a video of my finish on Facebook? No. Did my friends scream and yell and applaud my finish? Absolutely! Am I proud of myself? So proud.

August 21, 2016 was a good day.

2016 Leesburg 20K Finishers! 

My Bib and Bling

Goals? Who needs 'em? (June Recap)

As I fly head first into Marathon Training Season, I have been focusing a lot on what my goals are/will be for the rest of the year. June started out amazingly as I attempted a run streak (#RWRunStreak), and finished the 3 miles that I pledged for Global Running Day on June 1.  Unfortunately, I was quickly sidelined from my run streak with concerning pain in my lower right leg.  I was forced to take some time off but after a week of no running and two painful physical therapy sessions with my amazing PT, Sam, I was back in action.  During my hiatus I kept asking myself: "What's next?"  The ultimate goal is to run the TCS New York City Marathon in November and to arrive at that day healthy and properly trained, but what about setting small goals along the way?

I set out to do just that, set those smaller goals for this years Summer/Fall training that will keep me going along the way (and keep me from burning out).  My 2016 race calendar has been set for a while now so it was time to start thinking about which ones I was actually going to race with minimal risk of injury (I am aware that there is always a small risk).

I have been listening to the Runner's Connect - Run to the Top podcast in the mornings as I have been getting ready for work and I have been enjoying it immensely. There is  a TON of great advice in each episode of the podcast.  There have been a couple of episodes about cross training, strength training and advice about how to incorporate both into your running training.  As I mentioned in another post, one of the things that I have been doing differently from last year is focusing on running ONLY. I have been neglecting my cross training and strength training which has been biting me in the butt.  Unfortunately, my gym membership is no longer (the reasons behind this could be a whole other blog post but I really don't want to go into it... ever), and I don't have access to my beloved spin classes... until I stop being cheap and join the gym again... hmmm, anyone want to contribute to a gofundme campaign? I could call it "reunite Emily with a spin bike and indoor pool".

Goal No. 1: Start a go fund me campaign for my gym membership 
Start cross training and strength training. - The great part about where I live is that the local high schools in my area allow the public to use the lap pools (for a small fee - $6 for one swim, $X for 10 swims, etc.) and there is one less than a mile from my house. I also ordered a few free weights for my house (sometimes I am lazy and won't go to the gym in the other building of my apartment complex), and I have been trying to do weight and core exercises at home.

Goal No. 2: Stretch and foam roll more. - As I am starting my training, I am trying to be better about stretching and foam rolling.  I bought the Orb a few weekends ago and it is amazing.  It is really good for massaging places that the foam roller doesn't quite get to, ex. I have a piriformis muscle that gets angry with me when I run too many hills. I have a foam roller that I have an amazing love/hate relationship with and I also have a Stretch Out Strap that I use while I am watching TV at night.  I have really been focusing on trying to stretch twice a day and I have been seeing some improvements (think not as sore after the long runs or during the week).

Goal No. 3: Silence the little voice inside my head that tells me I can't. - I know that voice is always there in the back of a distance runner's mind and can start screaming at the most inopportune moment... "Damn it voice, I am ten miles away from my car, I did turn around but it's going to be a while before we can stop!! BODY... KEEP MOVING"...

I have been thinking about the past year of running; and what works and what doesn't work for me.  I know that there are a few things that I resist in all entirety, but I always feel better after completing... did someone say speed work (track)?? When it comes to track I do not trust my body and I generally end up crapping out somewhere along the way (or I tell myself that I will do the workout tomorrow).  For example, I KNOW that I can run an 800 easily, it's half a mile (or two laps around the track) and I KNOW that I can run it at a FAST (for me) pace, but somewhere in the middle of a set of 4-6 x 800, I start to doubt myself, I start to listen to that little voice inside me that says: "Emily, you're tired, you can't do this..."

Goal No. 4: PR a 5k - This goes along with Goal No. 2 in a way.  I am so mentally prepared to run long distances that I cannot wrap my brain around going faster for shorter distances.  My long runs usually don't start to feel good (if they even start) until around 3 miles. To PR a 5k would mean that I can break out of my comfort zone and push myself harder than I think.

Goal No. 5: Eat better - Since marathon training ended in 2015, I have let my diet take a nose dive into the abyss.  I was eating super healthy before I started training last year and gradually (as the miles increased) I started eating more and more junk.  My excuse always was "my diet isn't enough calories to sustain the volume of running".  Maybe I wasn't eating enough, maybe I needed more calories, however, I stopped paying attention to the TYPE of calories and foods that I was eating.  Now I am trying to focus on "real foods" with the occasional (hopefully less) indulgences. I would like to reach the marathon at the same weight (or less) than last year. I honestly feel that weight, and diet have a HUGE impact on how well I run and how fast (or slow) I can compete.

Goal No. 6: Do better at the NYC Marathon than at the 2015 Marine Corps Marathon. - My mantra for the marathon (and training) will be: "You are stronger than you think, you have done this before and you can do it again... better".  I am confident that since I know what to expect, and I am more comfortable in my training routine, that I will most definitely be able to achieve this goal.

Now that I have shared my goals, what are some of your goals?  I would love to hear from you in the comments.

The Benefits of Training with a Training Program

As many of us are gearing up for fall marathon training, here are my two cents on why you should choose to train with a training program for your fall marathons.  

 I started running with the Potomac River Running Training Program (PR Training Programs) in the fall of 2014.  Since then, I have gone on to run multiple races (including a full marathon as well as countless other distances) and have continued to see improvement in my running and overall fitness. This post is focused on my experience with PR Training Programs but there are various options all around the country (I personally recommend the PR Training Programs if you are in the DC/NOVA area). I am not being paid for this blog post. 

The benefits of training with a training program are immense and the following are just a few examples:

• the camaraderie of group runs 
• having support out there on the longest long run days
• having a schedule to follow (and people to follow it with)  
• having people cheering for you during your race 
• having coaches who can relate to where you're coming from and help you through those tough runs
• having coaches that will push you just enough to be better 
• making new friends (because who doesn't want more friends)

I have been fortunate to have run with multiple different groups within the PR Training Program (101/201, the Distance Training Program (DTP) and Base Camp) and each of those groups has been made up of amazing individuals who all have their own goals and abilities but are all out there for the same reason: Their love and passion for running.  

In my OPINION the BEST part about training with a group is that there is ALWAYS someone there with similar goals and abilities.  From the slowest runners to the fastest runners, you will always find someone to run with.  If you are not a social runner (you like to run alone), youhave the piece of mind that there is someone on the trail with you if something were to happen... oh, and there's Gatorade too (that's pretty nice). 

Don't just take my word for it though, I have asked a few of my fellow PR trainees and coaches a couple of questions about what they think about training programs, below are their (unedited) responses. 

1.)  What has been the biggest benefit of training with a group?

Coach Emily - The camaraderie and accountability that a group provides.  Even if I wake up on a Saturday morning at 4:30 and just want to stay in bed, I know that there are people out there expecting me to show up to run with them. 

Coach Leesy - The friendships! It's such a supportive community and everyone has common goals and interests. 

Sallie G - The biggest benefit of training with a group is having people to encourage you and cheer you on.
Rachel K - Being able to meet other people who are also passionate about running who can give you advice.
Jamie S - Making friends and finding people to run with.  Running alone is always so much harder.  No matter what the mileage is, having buddies to chat with while running make it go so much faster!  And they can help motivate you to keep going if you’re having a tough run.
Deb B. - For me running with a group is one part social and one part educational.  I find that I learn a tremendous amount from hearing people's stories about how they started running and why, things they found that worked, and just the input they can provide by watching me run and making comments that make me better.  On the social side I've found that contrary to what I first thought, other runners are SOOO encouraging -- they really do cheer everyone on!  Plus since you run into them in a multitude of places -- favorite running spots, running stores, and other races it really does make it feel like family.

2.) What has been your biggest accomplishment that you can attribute to training with a training group?

E - I owe my biggest running accomplishment to date to the PR Training Programs.  Without the program training for and running the Marine Corps Marathon last year would have never happened.  I also attribute having the guts to even consider a marathon to the amazing coaches and trainees with the program.  

L - Racing!! I would have never raced before training with PR.

S - My biggest accomplishment that I can attribute to training with a training group is running not one but two full marathons in 2015.
R - Meeting people I can run and train with. Also having people on the same goal path as you is great
J - Finishing 2 marathons.  I never would have been able to finish the distance without a group of coaches and friends to support me.

D - Well this question is two-fold for me -- one is through actually training with a training group I was able to get to the point where I really liked the 5K distance.  I'd like to say that they helped with some of my bigger goals, but I ended up alone for most of those and that did make it tougher.  The second part of that question is that I'm part of a National Running team -- Illuminati Racing (www.weruneverything.org).  We are a non-profit team with folks all over the country and we do everything from small races to ultras -- and that's on-line component of encouraging people -- similar to the PR DTP FB group -- has been incredibly encouraging and motivating.

3.) Would you be where you are if you didn't train with a group?

E- I would definitely NOT be running, that's for sure.  I never thought that I liked running until I joined the group in 2014. Before joining PR Training Programs I was in the gym 4-6 days a week and I could feel myself getting burned out.  The group taught me how to run and how to love running. 

L - 25lbs heavier, pale and with less friends. (Editors note:  This is my favorite response out of all of them.)

S-  I definitely would never be where I am running-wise if it were not for Shannon Scalan and the PRR Running 101 training program as well as the PRR DTP program!
R - I would probably have never finished my first marathon. I signed up for one before but never was motivated to train.
J -  No.  Maybe I would have finished one marathon without a training group, there are lots of online training programs, but I doubt it. I don’t think I’m motivated enough to coach myself.   But I most definitely wouldn’t have run a second, since it was essentially peer pressure from the friends I made the first time around that made me sign up for the second one.
D - I don't know if I would have stuck with it as long as I have (started in 2012) or that I would keep coming back to it after setbacks.  The group and the people you meet there keep you accountable and they do check on  you -- like family!

4.) What would you say to a new runner that was scared to attempt longer distance races?

E- I was in your shoes not long ago.  The training is tough, there will be times that you don't want to put in the time and effort, but in the end when you cross that finish line and you collect your medal it is all worth it. 

L - Just stick with it. Running is hard, FOR EVERYONE. Even professionals have bad days but you'll be glad you stuck with it when your cross the finish line. 

S -  I would tell a new runner that was scared to attempt longer distance races not to stress about it. If you really want to do a longer race and just afraid you are not ready, then the DTP program will get you ready for the race you want to do; BUT you have to want to do that distance and be willing to train for it. Not everyone wants to be a distance runner or has the desire to run more than 3 or 6 miles; and that's okay. Don't run a race just because "everyone else is" or "all my friends are".
R - Anything is possible if you put your mind to it. I never thought I would actually be able to finish a marathon but the training group helped me so much.
J - Just go for it.  The only way you’ll find out if you can do it is to try.  I still have trouble wrapping my head around running 26.2 miles, but I’ve done it twice now.  Doesn’t matter where you are in the pack, the back-of-the-packers run exactly the same number of miles as the fast runners at the front.  And they are ALL passing the people sitting at home on their butts watching TV and stuffing their faces.  If you want to do it, you can.  And finding the right group makes it that much easier.  

D - Live your dream!  If you want to do a longer race and are willing to put the work in don't let anything or anyone stand in your way -- including yourself (only wish I could follow my own advice :) ).

 5.) Any other thoughts or comments about why someone should consider a training program. 

E- I have met some of the most amazing people through training with a group.  People that are there to listen when I inevitably have bad runs and to cheer me on when after (during) the good runs.  I have people (who are just as crazy as I am) willing to head out for a 20 mile run in the pouring rain just because the schedule says we have to. People to run with when time constraints force one of us to run earlier than the group. 

L - The groups hold you accountable and help you develop a schedule and routine. For someone new to running, this is huge!!

S - As I said in question one, having a group of people who will encourage you and also hold you accountable is invaluable to accomplishing your running goals. Add to that the expertise of the running coaches and the fact that you know there are other people going through the same fears and accomplishments that you are makes training with a group the best way to train in my opinion. Also, especially the PRR training programs have something for every skill level of runner.
R - A training program can help you to achieve a goal and have people to help along the way. 
J - Training with a group gets you through the tough times.  While training for both marathons I hit a wall and got burned out.  But I was able to check in with my coaches and friends and realized it was totally normal and I wasn’t alone, I just needed to push past it to the other side.  If I had been training by myself I probably would have stopped and never made it all the way to the starting line.

D - It does push you and encourage you and it keeps you accountable.

6.) How long have you been training with a group?

E- I joined the PR Training Programs in September of 2014, since then I have run a full marathon, 4 half marathons, 5 10 mile races, and numerous 5k and 10k races. 

L - (Editors note: I forgot to ask Leesy how long she's been running with PR but I know it's been a few years consistently. She has been in every training program in the Arlington/DC area that I've taken part in since 2014.) 

S - I have been training with PRR since the beginning of 2012.
R - Near two years. 
J -  I’ve been training with groups off and on since the summer of 2012.  And if you told me back then, when I signed up for my first 10k training program, that I was going to training for my first marathon 2 years later, I would’ve laughed so hard!  Just goes to show you what a little training can do!  :)

D - I started training with Florida Running Company in May 2013...and have done it off and on since then...

There you have it! Do you have a fall goal race? Do you want to increase your weekly/daily mileage? Do you want to start running but don't know where to start? Do you want to increase your fitness and/or ability? Do you want to train with an amazing group of athletes? If you answered "YES" to any of these questions, YOU should be training with a training program. 

What do you think?  What are the benefits of training with a group?

Getting Lost in the Woods and Finding my Way Out

Whew, last week was a tough one for sure. It's gotten warm here in the DC area and it's really been taking it's toll on my not training (but sort of always training) running. Most of May so rainy and cold (it started raining the day Prince died and didn't stop for what felt like forever) that with the arrival of summer temperatures it was tough to get in any sort of quality runs last week.

After the Historic Half (see post here), I was kind of DONE with running.  I decided that I would take a week off and enjoy a week of doing absolutely nothing physical. Although I thoroughly enjoyed my week off of ADULTING, I missed running and jumped right back into it... kind of.  For the last two years I have been one of those people that feels GUILTY missing a workout and the last few weeks I have been making a concerted effort to not feel guilty.

I am generally an after work runner (I'm one of those people that will talk myself into sleeping more rather than run) so the heat and humidity are always at full force during my summer training.  Last week was no exception to that...

Monday morning, I packed my gym bag and made plans to go out for an easy 3 miles after work, However, mother nature had other plans for me.Normally I would totally run in the rain and love it (during training in the summer), but a huge storm rolled in and I just did not feel like running in a thunder storm and since I'm not officially training for the NYC Marathon yet. I decided that I do not HAVE to run in the rain at this point, so I didn't, I went home and opened a bottle of wine and watched the storm roll in and roll out from the comfort of my balcony.

Tuesday and Thursday I met up with a group that I usually run with at and took out to the trail.  I was super excited that the temperatures had FINALLY reached the 80 degree marks and it was time to pull out the tank tops and shorts for good.  In all of my excitement (BOTH DAYS) I totally forgot that the humidity SUCKS in DC in the summer, it's kinda like running through soup and it makes it hard to breathe and keep going.  I tried to press through on both days but for each day I broke down around mile 1.5 and by the end of my 3 miles on Thursday I was starting to feel defeated... which is NOT the way that I want to lead into Marathon Training.  My intervals (yes, I am an interval runner) went from (run/walk) 2/1 to 1:30/1:30 to 1/1 and I was GUZZLING water at every walk interval, which was not helping to not feel bloated and sloshy (yup, I made up a word). I decided that I was going to chalk it up to a bad running week and make a plan for everything to be better.

Saturday morning my friends ventured out to my neck of the woods (they all live 30 minutes away and we generally meet near them) to try out a different route to shake things up. The first couple of miles (we did 6) were fairly normal and being mostly downhill they felt easy.  I was do happy that running had FINALLY become enjoyable again.  We ran 2 miles to Roosevelt Island and started down the path.  About a quarter of a mile into the run we were suddenly on a small trail in the middle of the woods complete with tree roots, fallen trees, DEAD SNAKES and large rocks. As we adopted the "run when you can" mentality I couldn't help but think to myself "of course we get lost in the woods when I'm just starting to feel good running again".  After about a quarter of a mile, we found the large packed gravel path (the one that I thought we would be running on for all of our time on the island) and picked up the pace again (there was also a large section of dock that we ran on).  I was feeling great at this point and we were rocking and rolling off the island when BAM! I hit the freakin' wall at MILE 3.75. The next 2.25 miles were a nightmare of an uphill battle (both figuratively and literally) and I felt like I was losing bad! The last 1.75 miles were uphill through the Rosslyn Neighborhood of Arlington and the hill which I lovingly call HELL HILL (ok, maybe not so lovingly) was kicking my butt.  Jamie and Rachel were totally having a great run and bounding up the hill, while Natalie and I were walking more than running and complaining about the hill the entire time.  I think that at one point Jamie and Rachel were at least a quarter mile ahead of us and we couldn't help but curse them a little. **I am not usually a hater, I love it when my friends have a great run and/or PR a race, but my run was going that terribly at that moment that I couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous that they were feeling unstoppable.

FINALLY, we got back to the car, the run was over and I was so GRUMPY about what had transpired.  I was starting to feel like I would never have another good run and that I was probably going to fall apart during training (cue the balloons and music for a pity party for one).  We decided that we would hit up the diner for some well earned breakfast (there may have been some chanting the word "bacon" but I'll never confirm nor deny that). As I was eating my chocolate chip pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon.  I had an epiphany... what was different this year from last year? I was eating better last year and incorporating some cross training (until marathon training started taking off and I discovered that the cafe in my work building sold chocolate muffins and I started buying cartons of moose tracks ice cream). It was at that moment that I decided that I was going to eat healthier and try to get back to my "ideal running weight" (you probably wouldn't be surprised what 6 months of eating like you're training for a marathon while only training for half marathons will do to your weight).

So here I am, on the brink of marathon training to begin, embarking on a journey to lose a little weight and trying to get back into a cross training and strength training routine... I believe I can do it, so I WILL do it.  I am determined to knock a good chunk of time off of my marathon this year and I'm beginning to feel optimistic.

What do you do when you're having a bad running day/week/month?  What is your "reset" to get back to feeling amazing?

Marine Corps Historic Half - Recap

At the finish (photo credit: MarathonFoto)

On May 15, 2016, I ran the Marine Corps Historic Half in Fredricksburg, VA (my 4th half marathon).  This race was not in any way my target race for the season and was barely on my radar from the beginning; but it was AWESOME. I will race this race sometime in the future but after 2 half marathon PRs this season and a tough (almost PR) 10 miler a few weeks earlier, I was EXHAUSTED going into this race, then circumstances leading up to the race sealed my quest to just have fun with this one...

RACE WEEK: 

The week leading up to the race was a tough week and I abandoned all hope that I was going to reach my 3rd Personal Record of the season.  For starters, the weekend before the race was Virginia Gold Cup and I skipped my long run to watch the horse races and hang out with my friends.  Sometimes as runners we have to make a choice to prioritize friends and social obligations over our runs and try not to feel guilty about it.  I am the type of person that feels guilty about not running when I feel that I am "supposed to be" or not giving a race my all, I am working on this and practiced this at the Marine Corps Historic half this week.

The Monday before the race I decided that I was going to go for a hilly run to prepare for Hospital Hill and knocked out 3.5 hilly miles.  When I got back from my run, I looked down to see that my ankles were super swollen, about an hour later (after freaking out and putting on compression socks) they hurt like I had just run 10 miles. Ughhhhhh... that was another indication that racing this half was NOT going to be a smart idea.  The next day was spent icing my ankles (which still hurt) and convincing myself that I was not going to run because preventing injury is more important than a run (my weekly mantra).  I decided that my ankle problems were probably from the shoes that I bought online (from a not so reputable shoe retailer) and they were probably factory rejects.  So I headed to Potomac River Running to try on different shoes.  I ended up buying a pair of Asics (I am a Mizuno girl all the way, but they felt so good on my feet with the extra cushioning) and am super happy with my new purchase.

By Wednesday, I was finally feeling better and decided to join the Potomac River Running 101/201 training group for a short run. I managed to knock out 2.5 miles with no swelling and no pain.  I felt good like I could go a couple more miles but did not want to push it.  The next day I took off to go out to dinner.  Friday, Cristina and I went for an easy "shake out run" of 3.1 miles and it was HARD (even though we tried to keep to a relatively flat course)! Why is it that some runs are so hard when two days earlier you felt like you could run  forever?

This leads me into Friday night before the race and the reason that I had to squash any time goals that might have been lingering in my head for this race... MY SISTER HAD A BABY on Saturday morning, but I was woken up at 1:30 in the morning to go to the hospital for labor support.  This is probably the BEST REASON to not race a race!! I was on the fence about whether or not I wanted to leave my sister and my niece's side but decided that I was going to go an treat it as a 13.1 mile fun run.

THE EXPO: 

Rachel, Natalie and I having fun with 13.1

I picked Natalie up on Saturday around 3:00 pm and had to run home to feed my little monsters (they were already not happy about being left around 1:30 am) and pack for the race. I was seriously so sleep deprived that I almost forgot my running shorts... I'm not sure how decent it would be to run in just a sparkle skirt, but I'm glad I didn't have to find out. 

We were on the road to drive the 100 or so miles to Fredricksburg around 4 pm and the GPS was showing some heavy traffic, luckily we still had a good buffer because traffic was terrible!! 

We Arrived at the race expo at 6pm (plenty of time to get our bibs and shop a little while), Rachel got there about 45 minutes before us so she had already done her shopping.  All in all, the expo was ok, there was no line to get the bibs and shirts (they had plenty of sizes left), the other race merchandise was marked down and really picked over.  I was ok with there being a limited selection of race merchandise, I do not need any more race shirts.  I bought the obligatory race pint glass (I started collecting them at MCM), a pair of sunglasses and body glide (I forgot to grab mine in my rush to pack and get out the door - also, sleep deprivation). 

After the expo we headed to downtown for dinner and ended up at Jay's Downtown Sport Lounge.  Without going too far into details, we were there for over an HOUR AND A HALF and by the time we left we had still not eaten dinner (even though we did order... TWICE).  We ended up stopping at the Panera by our hotel on the way to check in.  Upon check in we were given a welcome bag (it had a Gatorade, two granola bars and a water), and we were immediately offered a 1 pm checkout... it was probably the first time anything had worked in our favor since leaving NOVA and we were so happy to not have to worry about packing up before we left in the morning.

Flat Emily ready for race day - I changed 

hydration on race morning for some reason

THE RACE: 

During the race I used a 2:1 run/walk interval... except when I got distracted and/or the hills were too much.  Like I said, I did not take this race seriously I was out there to have fun and fun is what I had. 

Pre-Race

The alarm went off at 5:00 am on race morning and, unfortunately, I woke up feeling like I had not slept AT ALL. After not sleeping on Friday night and the ladies in the connecting room next to us being extremely loud until midnight, all I wanted to do was skip the race and sleep.  I finally peeled myself out of bed and began my pre-race ritual... body glide feet (I don't chafe but if it's humid I get blisters), chug a Gatorade, get dressed, fill water pack (why I thought that the marines wouldn't have enough water is beyond me... I was delirious).  On the way out of the hotel I grabbed a blueberry bagel to eat in the car. 

Thankfully I grabbed my old OBX sweatshirt as a throw away because it was CHILLY! We parked across the street from the start line and headed over.  Marathonfoto was out in full force and they were offering free downloads on all photos so we totally took advantage of FREE PHOTOS!! 

Heading to the start (photo credit: MarathonFoto)

We arrived at the start line with just enough time to use the porta potty and meet up with our friend Jen before the howitzer fired.

Obligatory Pre-Race Selfie

miles 1-3

Nutrition: 

- Clif Shots - Razz before the start and at mile 3.5

- Sips of water on walk breaks and Gatorade at water stops.

The start was pretty chilly on race morning, but I opted to not go with my throw away pants as planned since I was wearing compression socks.  I was glad that I didn't wear them and ditched my throw away sweatshirt within the first 1/4 of a mile.  The temperature seemed a lot warmer than when we were standing around waiting for the gun to go off.

The first two miles of this race are run through strip mall after strip mall and it was really hard to get my mind into the game. It was especially trying at Mile 1.3 when the Semper5 racers where passing by and only 1.5 miles to the finish.

After Mile 2, I FINALLY reached my comfortable stride and started feeling pretty good.  Then at mile 2.8 (or so) came the first HELL HILL... I decided that since I was not racing this race and I was sleep deprived and just out there to have fun, I would take the hill at a slightly faster pace than a walk (but not as fast as I could've or normally do take my hills).

Starting at Mile 3, I started taking selfies with the marines at the mile markers to give me something to look forward to and as motivation to keep going - a DNF is never an option for me, but this race was trying that rule.

Right before the Mile 3 marker a family was out in the road with a hose that they were spraying up in the air, I was so hot by this point that I ran through it and it was probably the highlight of the race thus far... it's the little things, really.

Favorite Sign: 4 More Houses Until Downhill (this was about 1/2 way up the first hell hill). 

miles 4-6

Nutrition: 

- Clif Shots - Razz  mile 6 (or 6.5)
- Sport Beans at mile 8 (ish)

- Sips of water on walk breaks and Gatorade at water stops.

Mile 4 was the slowest mile I had, I realized after running through the hose that I had to stop and use the dreaded porta potty.  I lined up with 10 of my new BFFs and waited, and waited, and waited for my turn.  This was painful even though I was not trying to beat or make any sort of time in this race, I knew that the longer that I waited in that line, the harder it was going to be to get back into the race.

FINALLY, I got back to the course (after about a 10 minute stop) and was finding my groove when all of a sudden THIS HAPPENED:

I name thee OSCAR

For anyone who knows me, I am a HUGE sucker for a feline and I will stop and pet a cat (or a dog - I pet plenty of dogs during this race too) any day.  This cat was super sweet and he gave me the "where the hell are you going? I didn't say you were done petting me" face when I had to run -- thankfully I spotted him on a walk break and my watch told me that I should keep moving or I would've sat there all day.

At the end of Mile 5 for about a 2 block radius there was a wonderful fresh donut smell wafting down the block.  Anyone who has run a race with me knows that I crave donuts while I'm racing and this was absolute blissful torture. If I had had some cash, I may have stopped and ordered one... I'm kidding... sort of...

Miles 6-7 were pretty uneventful.  They were through downtown Fredricksburg and the streets were pretty quiet. There were some people in amazing costumes, my favorite was this kid:

Mile 8 was the blue mile and as usual with any race with a blue mile, I removed my headphones and ran in silence while looking at every photo of every fallen soldier featured in the first part of the mile.  The blue mile ALWAYS gets me and I always tear up thinking about the fallen, how young most of them were and the sacrifice that they (and their families) made for our country.  The second half of the blue mile is always volunteers holding flags and cheering you on, I try to high five and thank every single person holding a flag.

Headphones out, time to run in silence and contemplation

mile 9 - 13.1

Mile 9 was one of my favorite miles of the race.  I was feeling beat up and tired entering into it and at about the half mile marker I saw the (what I would later realize) Team RWB giving out bottled water.  As I grabbed a bottle of water, I told the guy handing it out that I loved him (and at that very moment, I did).  Then (my new friend) Thomas called me over and asked me if I wanted a beer (Do you think it had anything to do with the "How Far To The Bar?" headband that Rachel got me at the expo? Me neither.)... DID I EVER!! I stopped long enough to drink half a Bud Light and chat for a minute and take a selfie with Adam: 

The Team RWB crew really helped me keep going

After mile 10 came (what everyone said was) the most dreaded hill in the whole race.  This hill had been hyped up almost as much as Beat The Bridge at the Marine Corps Marathon, and just like beat the bridge at MCM, this stupid hill was not that bad... ok, so I didn't run the entire way up in, and I was prepared to run it slowly, and I can see how it would be terrible if you put forth 100% effort the whole race. I just didn't really think it was as bad as some of the other hills on the course, for example the hill in the last half mile of mile 11 was worse in my opinion, at one point I was walking up it BACKWARDS.  

FINALLY I hit mile 12 and all I wanted to do at that moment was be done running the race, shower and have brunch.  This meant a final push to the finish at my normal race pace to finish strong.  Even though I had not hit anywhere close to my race pace the entire run (and I was ok with that).  Unfortunately my body had other plans for me during Mile 12... about 1/4 mile in I had to PEE again!!! Ugh.  So I did what anyone would do... I stopped at McDonalds on the corner, ran into the bathroom with the whole restaurant staring, and begged the woman at the front of the line to let me go first because I was still in the race... I told her I was going to win (she had already finished).

After my unexpected bathroom break, I finally hit my stride for the last 3/4 of a mile and finished at a pace that I'm proud of. All of the Marines at the end were so awesome and encouraging, giving me high fives and cheering me on.  I finally crossed the finish line THIRTY MINUTES SLOWER than my first half marathon (which was a terrible - but fun- trail race that ended up being a "run when you can" type of race).  I am not going to reveal my finish time right now (I probably will for other races) because there are a lot of haters out there that may get angry to know how not seriously I was taking this race... However, I did cover the same distance as everyone else and I earned my medal just like everyone else and I am displaying it proudly as my second favorite medal (the 40th MCM medal is my favorite... that one is dope).

FINISHED!!!! (photo credit: MarathonFoto)

This cutie marine gave me my medal

Our friend and training buddy 

JEN HILL getting TWO

personal hotties escorts to the finish line. 

All in all this race was awesome.  I will be back to actually attack Hospital Hill head on in a year or so. Before I make plans that far in advance, it's time to take a few weeks of rest before JUNE 18, 2017 when I start training for the 2016 TCS NEW YORK CITY MARATHON... STAY TUNED. 

Have you ever just run a race to have fun?  I'd love to hear your experiences in the comments below. 

Introduction: My Running Journey Begins

Hi! Welcome to my blog!!  I'm glad that you've decided to join me for this crazy ride! A little bit about myself: 

My name is Emily, I am a Litigation Paralegal and distance runner in the DC area.  I am also a single woman trying to date in this crazy atmosphere that we call the DC dating scene while trying to juggle work, friends, marathon training and family time. This is my journey to run ALL THE RACES!

I embarked on this crazy running journey in September 2014.  My sister decided that she did not want to buy me "stuff'" for my birthday that year, she wanted to get me an "experience"... I'm positive that she did not realize that, with that purchase of a Potomac River Running training session (101/201 program, whoot whoot), she would create a total monster.  During that first 8 week session, I realized for the first time in my life that I LOVED RUNNING!! 

Let me back up here, I have to say that I was NEVER EVER EVER anything close to a runner at any point before I was 32 years old... seriously, never.  I was the kid in middle school and high school that would walk the track so slowly that the gym teacher would get irritated that I was only a half done with the mile by the time that gym class was over.  I was never athletic at all, I preferred watching TV and playing Sega Genesis while eating ungodly amounts of junk food. Yes, I played some sports when I was young but never more than a season and I never put any effort into getting any better (swimming, dance, softball, lacrosse).  I just wasn't into it and I was lazy.  This did not catch up with me until after college, I was always rail thin until my 25th birthday when it all caught up with me. 

When I embarked on that first 8 week session, I could not run a mile, at all, and I never thought that I would ever improve or get better.  At the end of the session I ran my first 5k (Potomac River Running Turkey Day 5k) and I could run it almost ALL THE WAY THROUGH (I only stopped to walk twice)!  After that I was HOOKED.

Turkey Day 5k Around Mile 3

I decided that I was going to sign up for the Potomac River Running (anyone else see a theme here) Distance Training Program (DTP) and attempt to run a half marathon the next spring.  Yes, I threw myself into running hard core; and no, I don't necessarily suggest that someone do the same.  

After another 5k and a 15k, I was ready to run the 2015 Rock n Roll DC.  Then a week before, I came down with a nasty case of Bronchitis, basically my doctor told me that I would need a miracle from God himself to be better by race day. I was not better by race day, in fact it was still rough to get out of bed and/or off the couch by race day and I was still using my inhaler like my life depended on it!  So I had to do what most runners fear (including myself) and go into race day with a DNS, It was a lesson in moving on and really visualizing the idea that there is ALWAYS another race to focus on; and that's just what I did, I set my sights on running the 2015 Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Miler and I have to say that the race was AWESOME!!

So, funny story about this time in 2015... I was out on a run with my friend and running buddy Cristina (who also started running with Potomac River Running 101/201 at the same time as I did) after she ran RnR DC (I had convinced her to run with me and then had to bail).  As she was recapping her race day experience (think monsoon) and casually mentioned that she had signed up for the Marine Corps Marathon Lottery.  All I said was "ok", meaning that I was going to sign up too. 

On March 18, 2015 I received the greatest and most frightening email that I had ever received...

The email that changed my life

I was registered for the 40th MARINE CORPS MARATHON!!  My initial thoughts (after I almost dropped my iPhone) was: "HOLY CRAP, I haven't even been running for a year, how the heck am I going to run a MARATHON??? At that moment I knew that sh!t just got real and I was actually becoming a serious runner!"

... and so the journey began...