I’m back in the game

Well my friends, the Boston Marathon is officially over. 353 days to wait again.

After taking about a week to rest and recover, I finally got back into the swing of things this week. No running just yet but back to spin class and just reviewing how the marathon went for me and my overall training. Recovering can be hard. It takes time and patience. For me, day 2 after the marathon was the hardest. I had to go back to work and sit at a desk all day, not fun! But I must say that my first ice bath was a huge success and can’t wait to do it again. (Yes, I just said that.) By Friday my body felt great, especially after my massage at Gretta Cole that evening.

One of the weirdest things about recovery was that I really wasn’t hungry last week. I felt that I had lost my appetite. I had in fact also lost a couple pounds, but my body tends to fluctuate 2-3 pounds +/- anyway. But knowing that I needed to refuel my body after the marathon, I forced in as much protein, carbs and fluids possible.

So now what?

Vermont City Marathon: 2 Person Relay

Boston is over and now what will I do with myself. Well I plan to continue with some races. Right now I have registered for at least two half marathons. Sunday May 29th I’ll be running in the Vermont City Marathon Relay with my friend Meg. We are doing a 2-person relay. I’m so excited to be there for Meg’s first half marathon and to be running in my college town. Everyone who has done this race that I know has raved about it!

Meg, her husband Ryan and myself at their wedding last June

Rochester Half Marathon

Then in September I’ll be running Rochester Half Marathon with my stepmom, two of her friends that are “Ironwomen” and possibly one of her other friends. It’s pretty funny to think that 14 years ago I was just a 12 year-old looking up to these fun, goofy women. But now, I’ll be running a half marathon with them in their hometown. AND two of them are Ironwomen. NUTS. But I am very much looking forward to it. Rochester is supposed to be a generally flat course, so I’ll be looking to PR this course and hopefully working towards that really hard this summer.

Other Races that I’m contemplating

Sunday August 14th: Falmouth Road Race. Most likely I’ll already be down the Cape. I ran this race 2 years ago and absolutely loved it! The course is hard for the 7+miler and a lot of fun! The spectators for the short race and a blast! Tons of food and activities at the finish. Only thing is that it is brutally hot! The lottery opens May 1st, so hopefully I’ll get a number!

Sunday October 2nd: Maine Marathon. Yes, maybe another marathon. Not registered yet, still debating. As much as training can be hard, I actually really enjoyed this training cycle. And I felt so great during Boston, why not try another marathon? I know at least one person that is planning on running and possibly another? (She knows who she is!!) So we’ll see how the next few weeks go and then I will decide. If not, I think this may be a good half marathon to try too.

Sunday October 9th: BAA Half Marathon. Depending on my decision for Maine Marathon, I may also try to get into the BAA Half Marathon. Also, a great race and one I’ve always wanted to do!

Yoga. Other goals include incorporating more yoga. Ryan bought me some yoga sessions for Christmas. I’ve only had the chance to go once due to my busy schedule and the class schedule they have doesn’t always fit (which class I want to do and when). But my goal is to use those within the next few months. I took a Yin Yoga class, which was tough, but I did enjoy the quiet time. Ryan’s sister Alli has been getting into running and has been a huge fan of yoga for some time. She told me to check out this blog, Yoga to Run. They recently had a post about the benefits of Yin Yoga for runners. It motivated me to want to get back into it.

Weights. Every time I see Earl, he bugs me about getting my weights in. I was pretty bad about it considering he gave me a free refresher session in January. I used to lift weights all the time in high school and college, being the athlete that I was am. So my goal is to start incorporating weights twice a week and resistance once a week. My refresher session with Earl was a little intimidating but I know that it will really tone of my body and give me the strength I need for running.

Why Keep Going?

Ryan calls me a machine, more often than not. I think most people don’t really understand why I put myself through this. But why not? If I didn’t, I would probably have less energy, weight 20 pounds more and be stressed/unhappy. Working out gives me the ability to destress and workout my thoughts. There is always way too much on my mind. So during my runs or workouts I can either choose to ignore my thoughts and totally get into the zone, or parse things out in my mind. Working out also helps me to eat better. I know I need to fuel my body. Sure, I’ll treat myself to “bad” things every once in awhile, but really right now I’m looking to maintain and hopefully lose another 10 pounds. Weight loss isn’t really my focus, but an added bonus.

Race give me goals. If I didn’t have something to work towards, I probably wouldn’t run or workout. I need motivation and then self-motivation follows. Plus, my readers/friends motivate me when they tell me I inspire them. I can’t count on both hands anymore the number of people in the last 6 months that I’ve inspired to run a half marathon or just to run. It’s extremely humbling but also so fun because now I have more people to run races with!

But when is enough enough? Is there a time when I should take a break or a hiatus? I’m not sure I’m there yet. Maybe eventually I won’t plan so many races but for now it’s fun. It keeps me going, keeps my healthy and keeps me encouraging others.

Some call it crazy, I call it GRIT.

 

Giveaway Alert! Check out Blue Eyed Runner’s Giveaway, Running on Empty  by Marshall Ulrich

Song of the Post: "Country Girl (Shake it for Me)" - Luke Bryan (need some new song suggestions, leave one in a comment below!)

Boston Marathon Video

I was lucky enough to have many people cheering for me on the sidelines and from their computers/phones on Monday. The support was overwhelming and sometimes can be hard process. I was definitely feeling the love and want to thank everyone for whichever way they contributed to the day!

Ryan’s mother’s boyfriend Lee put together a video. The first part is from Wellesley, somewhere between the halfway point (mile 13.1) and mile 14. The second part is just after Heartbreak Hill, around mile 22 in Cleveland Circle.

 

Boston Marathon 2011–video by Lee Bodzioch

True Power Band Giveaway Winner

I know I am a few days late announcing the winner for the True Power Band Giveaway, but haven’t had a chance to go to random.org and generate a winner. I know, I know… takes 30 seconds.

The winner is…!!

 

 

#4 “Robes”!

 

You are the winner of a black True Power Band!

Post Race Recovery: My First Ice Bath

I’ve read many articles, blogs and heard many people say they’ve done the whole ice bath thing. I hate being cold so I’ve always been afraid to try it out. But now that I’m becoming a “seasoned” runner, I figured I’d give it a whirl. I’ve heard how much it helps. My sister said she heard on the radio that Usher does it, therefore it must work! Ice baths help to reduce the inflammation in the muscles. I also took Advil this morning when an ice bath wasn’t available. It took the bite off the soreness at work. It’s daunting but I definitely suggest it… read on.

I prepped the tub with cold water, while Ryan boiled water and made me a cup of green tea with honey. My friend Kate told me to wear a sweatshirt, which helped a lot. As the water got high enough to sink it, I took my first painful step into the cold water. Once I was settled in the tub, Ryan poured in the bag of ice. The first minute was the most painful and hardest. But just like a race, it’s a mental game. Once the first 90 seconds were over, my body was numb and it was tolerable. I had Ryan play some music I could sing to so I didn’t have to think about how cold it was. So I rocked out to some Glee and Ke$ha.

 

I’ve been stretching and foam rolling as much as I can. Yesterday I was off and was able to walk around in the city (got my medal engraved for free at Niketown) but today was really hard to go to work and sit at a desk. Luckily I had to do a lot of printing, so I was able to get up often. I also made sure to go to the gym during lunch. I brought my spin shoes and got on a spin bike in the cardio room for about 15 minutes. I spun out with very little resistance and just read some magazines. I then foam rolled and stretched my hips before headed back to work. I bumped into my trainer Earl and he gave me a high five and  hug. It felt good that he was also so proud of my performance. I’m usually sore for 36-48 hours after a half marathon so I’m thinking by the end of the week I’ll be good to go. Friday I will be getting a massage and can’t wait! I’m hoping this weekend I can get in an easy, light and short recovery run.

 

My friend Meesh is training for an Ironman and also will be going to school for PT starting this summer. We played hockey together in college and is an amazing athlete. She’s been a great support system, always lending tips and encouragement. Check out her blog too. She sent me a great post from a running/triathlon coach from her team. Check it out: http://coachjorgem.blogspot.com/ I think this is a pretty good recovery plan and plan to follow it.

 

*What are some of your post recovery tips, tricks? How do you deal with coming down from a race “high”?*

 

Tonight Ryan made stir-fry for dinner, his specialty. This was a perfect post-marathon recovery meal: rice (carbs), veggies (nutrients) and shrimp (for some protein and omegas).

 

Next Race: VT City Marathon Relay with Meg on May 29th (each doing a half marathon portion) – looking forward to running in my college town

 

Song of the Post: "Forget You" - Glee version and "Tick Tock" - Kesha

Boston Marathon: Race Recap!!

Picture I posted early morning for those watching to know what I was wearing.

::WARNING, LONG POST – BROKEN UP BY MILEAGE FOR EASE OF READING::

Alarm rang at 5:00am. I hit snooze and rolled out of bed around 5:15am. New set of contacts, brushed teeth and hit the toilet. I put on my gear I laid out the night before while Ryan put together 3 mini cinnamon raisin bagels for me. Ryan warmed up the car as I put the last minute items I needed in my bad and we were off.

Cops for Kids with Cancer provided luxury buses for us from the Boston Athletic Club to the start in Hopkinton. We also had a police escort! There were a total of 14 buses, also carrying Mass State police marathon team, Boston Police team and any military/veterans that were also running. My friends and I all sat together on the bus so we could exchange tips, food and stories.

Here’s a picture of a few of us before the bus left: Catie, Mark, Marisa, Kim, myself and George (my 2nd cousin)

Before the start: I was actually surprisingly calm before the race. There were a few moments when I just needed to be quiet, read a magazine or listen to music to get in the zone. My phone was still blowing up with texts, facebook messages, tweets and emails wishing me good luck! I honestly felt so much love over the past few days that it helped so much during the race. The buses were parked in the parking lot on the left side of Main Street near the Start. We were hooked up big time. Did not have to deal with Athlete’s Village, being outside during the chilly morning or the porta-potties. We started to get ourselves ready: putting on our bibs, writing our names on our arms and stretching. I also wrote my power word, GRIT, on my left hand. At 10:20, wave 2 was off! I went outside to test the weather and it was perfect. I didn’t bring any extra layers and I’m glad I didn’t because I really didn’t need them. It was a tad chilly at the start but the sun felt SO good!

“5 minutes to start!” I was getting so pumped! I gathered the troops and we headed to the start. But Katie was left behind finishing her last bathroom attempt. I tried to find her when she walked down to the corral, but alas, we were all separated. But it worked out for the best. We knew at one point it would happen.

As I was waiting for the start, I went to boot up my Garmin in order for it to read the satellites. LOW BATTERY. You’ve got to be kidddding me! What was I going to do? I had my pace strategy in my wrist band on my right arm and a dead Garmin on my left.  It was still working but a low battery.

First 6 miles: Pass the start and it’s still working. My first few miles were ahead of pace but I felt okay. I was nervous and had no idea when the Garmin was going to completely die. The first few miles were exciting, narrow and hard to hold back but I made sure I did. I tried to match my pace to my plan as best I could. It was fun reading everyone’s jerseys. Seeing the goofy costumes. And of course, the famous biker bar in Ashland. Before I knew it, we were in Framingham. And I was already dying from the heat. I was so glad I wore sleeveless. My fuel belt felt like it was pressing hard against the bladder. I pulled over around mile 6, just after the 10K and where I stopped last year for a quick pit stop. And then it died. My Garmin was gone for the next 20 miles. Ok, so I just kept positive thoughts, although it was a huge downer. My first cheer squad was in Framingham: Ryan, Shana, Andy and Jeff. I ran over, gave them a high five, dropped an F bomb about my Garmin and handed it to him, as well as my gloves. And I was off again. Shortly after the train station I saw my friend Caitlin from college, who is currently living in Mexico but was home to see her sister run!

Picture was taken by Ryan’s aunt Kathy in Wellesley, but this is basically what the running crowd looked like for most of the course, esp. the first 6-7 miles before the roads widen.

Miles 7-10: The next stretch is pretty much flat road and the course is more than familiar, as two of my 20 milers began in Framingham. I was getting into the groove, but didn’t feel awesome. I GU’d around mile 6 as well and it went down pretty easy. The next group I saw was at Mile 8, the Donate Life Team. I gave them a smile and wave for the camera and “Good Job” from them. And I was off again. I saw two runners next to me that looked to have Garmin on (hard to tell and focus on not running into someone). So I asked if they were keeping track of their pace and if so what it was. I think they thought I was being competitive because they were a little awkward about it. I explained that my Garmin died and I was trying not to go too fast! They were at 9:43, so I knew I needed to slow down. I finally arrived in Natick and saw my friend Kaity, gave her a hug and off I went again. I was pretty thirsty, even though I drank fluids consistently all weekend in preparation. I drank water at every mile marker water stop. But was still worried about meeting my goal time. I was running on pace only based on how my body felt. I would look up at the mile marker and knew to subtract 50 minutes from the digital clocks (from the 10K mark). I would look down at my pace on my wrist and I was basically 5 minutes ahead of schedule, which was great, because I knew I would need this at the end.

Miracle Mile 10.75: I knew my friend Charlotte decided last minute to run bandit. She was supposed to run 20 miles for her training for the VT Marathon in May. LOW AND BEHOLD, I spotted CHARLOTTE on the back of a yellow shirt. I sped up to catch up to her. She was so excited to see me, we hugged it out and chatted. I explained the Garmin situation and she so kindly gave up her stop watch. And it was perfect timing because mile 11 was coming up and I could restart the stop watch and try to stay on pace as best I could. And it totally did the trick…I GU’d around this point too.

Mile 11 to Mile 13: This stretch I think is extremely boring. There are too many people out cheering and it’s mostly a residential area. But before you know it, you can hear the Wellesley “Scream Tunnel.” As I entered Wellesley College I was re-energized. There were hundreds of girls outside with signs “Kiss me!” for all the guys and constant cheering! Girls I didn’t know cheering for me just because I wrote my name on my arm. Before I knew it, I was past the half way mark.

Mile 13 to Mile 17: As I rounded some corners in Wellesley, I recognized some familiar faces. Ryan’s (let’s just say brother-in-law, it’s easiest) Brian and his girlfriend Christine were NOT paying attention but were walking. I spotted them first! “CHRISTINE!… BRIAN!” And they turned, cheered and held up the sign! It was so great to see people I knew! And just a few feet away were Ryan, Shana and Andy, holding signs my friend Melissa had made! Melissa’s company makes all the signs for the marathon and she hooked Ryan up! Ryan rang his cowbell to alert his Mom, her bf Lee, cousin Nick and aunt Kathy, who were all cheering, taking photographs, etc. Soon after I was passing mile 14 and a downhill appeared (felt so good). Mile 15 and 16 were tough, bringing me closer to Heartbreak Hill. The crowd a Newton-Wellesley Hospital was also amazing!! I also GU’d before HB Hill.

Mile 18 to Mile 21: Just before the turn onto Comm. Ave for HB Hill, I spotted my aunt Mary! She was with her 3 kids, my uncle John, his wife Rebecca and my littlest cousin Seamus! I gave each of them a hug! It was such a great surprise and in the perfect spot! It totally motivated me for HB Hill! I knew I could power through! I took the turn onto Comm. Ave and the Kiss 108 DJ was the fire station. I spotted Leslie, a mentee of mine from Team Challenge last season, gave her a high five! Shortly after mile 18, the first “little hill” after the turn, I saw a couple that Ryan and I know, Jackie and Phil. Phil just got back from the Middle East, gave them both a huge hug, and Jackie’s mom – and kept on cruising. I refused to walk HB Hill. It honestly hurt to even walk and felt so much better to just power up the hills. I did so much training on these, I knew I could do it. I knew how many hills there were and where the flats came in. Around Mile 20, I saw my friend Meesh from Saint Mike’s hockey. She was at the tent for her Physical Therapy company she works for! Before I knew it, I was at the top of HB Hill and in the midst of the CRAZY Boston College crowd. Last year, I enjoyed this part, but this year, the crowd was out of control. Students were in the course and the cops weren’t doing anything. They kept trying to touch runners to get them to high five. But it just motivated me to keep going. I took my chocolate outrage (fave flavor, tastes like brownie mix) at the top, as this was my “dessert.”

Mile 22 to 25: Around mile 22, I saw Ryan and crew. I wasn’t feeling well at this point and he could see it in me. I handed off my fuel belt and kept plugging along. I knew I had 1.5 miles until I would see the Team Challenge cheer squad. I pass mile 23 and kept looking for them. I finally saw them! YAY motivation! Ali ran with me for a few, caught me up on how those were doing that passed and I thanked her. Off I went. Before I knew it my friend Leslie, also from college hockey, ran up beside me in her flip flops calling my name! She ran with me for a bit, said I looked great (even though I felt like shit) and off I went again. I heard some randoms call my name, which helped and just kept looking for people I knew. This part of the stretch is where I kept looking at my left hand GRIT. My power word. This also got me through the race. Just remembering that I have grit and perseverance. I can do this. I GU’d around mile 23, but it was awful. My mouth felt so gross and my stomach was turning. I took half and threw the rest away.

Last 1.2 to go: Fenway was a blast! So many people, a few I knew as well! The little dip under the Mass. Ave bridge and up a small hill, WOOF. But before I knew it, my favorite part. Right into Hereford, Left onto Boylston. I was a little less emotional than last year, but started to tremble and tear up. The finish line looked so far away. But I pushed as fast as I could, looking and listening for anyone calling my name. Although there were a ton of runners finishing, I felt like I had an open road. I dug deep inside me to sprint to the finish. My goal was in sight. NO matter what, I had a PR, but I wanted  to kill my goal time. I saw my aunt Nancy on the right, then my mom, sister and cousin just after her… and then my friends Vanessa, Katelyn, Jeff and Lisa just before the finish.

Finish Line: Last year, I threw my hands up for the finish photo. This year, it was a blur. I honestly don’t even know what I did! But I started to tear up. The announcer spotted my jersey and said, “HEY! Donate Life, there’s no crying!” I laughed and smiled. The volunteers were SO helpful! One woman helped me put the heat sheet on and she taped it to keep it on. I got blinged. I met my family and friends in the family meeting area for some photos.

After, the Cops for Kids with Cancer bus took as back to the BAC. We had free range of the club, showers, etc. I was so hungry and wanted to save the shower for later. My grandparents also met me at the cookout, along with my mom, aunt, sister, cousin, Ryan and friends.

Stats: My official splits are below. I wanted to figure out what my pace was each split, so I calculated in excel and pasted below. Final official time was 4:38:06!!! I know you’re all wondering about my goal and my dream. My goal was 4:40. I think if it was a little cooler out, I would have been less dehydrated and probably could have run a bit faster. I was so used to running in the cold but I think the treadmill workouts helped a lot since you get really hot. I dreamt that I finished in 4:20. Which I knew was probably not what would happen, but I think it was motivation that I could meet my goal. I have a weird intuition and given my dream before Hyannis, this only gave me positive energy. A PR by about 34 minutes!

 

 

Things I would have done differently: Double checked that my Garmin was charged properly the night before (although last I looked it did, so not sure what’s going on with it).  I would have worn sunscreen! You can definitely see where my headband was along my hairline and my shoulders/top of my arms are burnt as well, but not too bad! I also would have used some body glide on my feet. I have one nasty blister on the bottom of my right foot. Other than that, nothing!

What I learned: I know my body better than I thought. The Garmin is just a bonus and I clearly didn’t need it yesterday! I’m really proud of myself that I was able to pace without it. AND come in under my goal!

Battle Wounds: Sunburn and blister. Tight quads.

Bling: Unicorn medal, 2011 Boston Marathon Jacket, 2 cool t-shirts, 1 long sleeve tech jersey courtesy of Adidas and BAA… and sick “Let’s Go Remdawg!” posters… memories… plenty of love via facebook, text and email

*Did I forget anything? Anything else you’d like to know about the race, leave a comment below!*

Song of the Post: "We are the Champions" - Queen

A day in the life

8 am – sun shines bright in my face (“Oye, this is really happening tomorrow?”)

8:30 am – cuddle time with Ryan (“I should be foam rolling.”)

9:00 am – Ryan goes to get bread for French toast and the Boston Sunday Globe as I lay in bed reading blogs

9:05 am – pour myself a glass of cranberry and Biba to start getting those electrolytes in me

9:30 am – rise out of bed (mmm, French toast)

9:45 am – scarf the delicious breakfast Ryan made, French toast and scrambled eggs (Good carb/protein breakfast)

10:00 am – guess I should do the dishes

10:30 am – ready to seize the day at the marathon Expo take 2

11:23 am – get frustrated by the crowds of people at the expo (Get out the way!)

12:15 pm – bump into the the Donate Life folks (so nice and supportive of Ryan and my training!)

12:30 pm – sign up for a subscription of Women’s Running Magazine and get a free tech shirt! (who nominated me for Goddess of the day on FB!)

12:45 pm – meet  up with Kate and Craig to say hi!

2:00 pm – time for a green smoothie (Green Goodness and bananas) – got to get in that potassium!

2:30 pm – movie time with Ryan, Love and Other Drugs

2:51 pm – put ice packs on knees

4:00 pm – nap time

4:20 pm – woken up by non-stop phone calls/text from this time forward (thank you family and friends for all your support!)

7:00 pm – pasta with homemade sauce and meatballs with Ryan and friends (Deirdre and Wally)

9:00 pm – lay out marathon gear and necessities

 

10:00 pm – complete blog post for the day and hit the sheets. hoping to dream of my goal finish time….or just hoping to sleep!

 

Song of the Post: "Going the Distance" - Cake

36 hours to go…

In 36 hours I will step off the Cops for Kids with Cancer bus in Hopkinton. In just over 36 hours I will be lining up in my corral to run the Boston Marathon. In 36 hours I will be surrounded by thousands of runners with the same mission. And thousands of spectators there to support the runners, even if they don’t know you, they cheer for you. In 36 hours I will have the most intense butterflies before even crossing the start line.

Boston, you are here.

My friend Katie came over and we had a carbo-loading dinner. We had pasta and left over sauce from my cook fest last weekend. Katie brought bread and lemon for our water. We talked, I answered questions for the first timer and we watched Spirit of the Marathon. Katie sewed on letters of her name on her marathon day tank and we just chilled.

This morning I had an opportunity of a lifetime. Niketown in Boston hosted a meet and greet with Kara Goucher. If you aren’t obsessed with running or kept up with some of the elite US contenders for this year’s Boston Marathon you may never have heard of Kara. In short, Kara debuted in her first Boston Marathon in 2009, coming in third place by a mere 9 seconds. There was a significant amount of pressure on her, and male counter part Ryan Hall, to bring back the #1 to the US. Again, the pressure is on for these two. And Kara also had her first baby last year and is expected to make an amazing comeback. I mean, pick-up a copy of Competitor magazine or Runner’s World and she’s got her 6 pack abs back.

This morning the sun was beating down on my face at 6:30am (love to wake up to this but also probably could have kept sleeping). Instead, I got up, put on my 2010 Boston Marathon jacket and placed my copy of Runner’s World in my bag. I hopped on the bus and headed downtown. I was in line at Niketown with about 10 teenage boys and 2 other girls who looked like runners. I got into a conversation with the girls and apparently Nike was also releasing a new Nike Air Jordan today. Hence, the teenage boys! They finally let us into the store at 8:20am and we filed in to sit on the metal bleacher benches. They had posters and a cowbell waiting for us!

Next, Kara was introduced and the Q&A session began. A few things that I took away from this. Kara had tried out for her middle school volleyball team and was cut. She took up running instead. (Certain things are meant to be?) Kara felt the enormous pressure from her first Boston in 2009 and although the pressure is on this time she isn’t letting it get to her. (Anything is possible in Boston!) Kara also had a baby last year and has an amazing body back. (Whatever you put into your training you’ll get out.) Kara’s talk was definitely inspiring. I think I teared up at one point (Shocking!)

 

Kara also spoke of her power word. Each race Kara has a power word. This race her power word is “free.” She is freeing herself from the expectations and just going to run her race. I think this word is perfect for her given all the hype.

After the Q&A session Kara was nice enough to take the time to meet her fans and sign some autographs. Nike didn’t really organize this part very well and the crowd of course swarmed over. But I knew it would be worth it to be patient and finally get to meet her. I was like a 10 year old meeting their favorite celebrity/athlete. I was so excited, huge smile and shaking when I went up to her. So nervous, I felt bad asking for a photograph and she had to figure out what my name was by reading it on the mailing label of my copy of Runner’s World. Kara wrote “Lauren, Believe” and signed her name.

 

 

Kara was funny, down to earth and modest. She has the greatest job in the world – running for a profession. She’s a hard worker and an inspiration!! After the Q&A session I had some time to kill. I walked around the store and they had a photo booth! They print out the pictures for you and also post it on their facebook page. It was a lot of fun! I look really goofy but had a good time!

 

After Niketown I met up with Kim and Katie. We killed time waiting for Ryan to get into town, Catie to wake up and head over with Nate (her bf). Once we were all in the city, we headed over to the Hynes Convention Center to the Expo! It’s just as overwhelming as I remembered it from last year! People and swag bags everywhere!

(1) Katie, Kim and I on the escalator to get our bib #s (2) me picking up my bib # (3) Kim, me, Katie and Catie posing with our bib #s

I didn’t have any time to head into the expo so tomorrow I’m going back for more!

Power Word for Monday:  Grit (check out my post about grit)

Song of the Post: rather than a song for this post, I’ll leave you with  Kara Goucher's BAA press conference

Never underestimate the power of a dream…RIGHT?

Boston Marathon 2010 – Boylston Street

 

I can’t remember if it was the night before the Hyannis Half Marathon or one of the nights leading up to it…. regardless, I had a dream that I finished the race in 2:05. Not exactly how things planned out but pretty close! And dreamt that I PR’d. And I did. I came in at 2:15 official time. PR by about 7 or 8 minutes. I absolutely smoked the second half. Negative splits baby!

 

I always have this really weird intuition too. I knew when two of my running friends (Kate and Bethanne) and a co-worker were pregnant before they even were… actually, I usually know before a lot of people tell me they are pregnant. Odd, right? Also, yesterday I asked Ryan if he had heard from his docs in Boston about his clinical trial for the kidney transplant about two hours before they called to say it was approved. Just a couple examples, but Ryan can definitely confirm because it’s happened on several other occasions.

 

Anyway – this blog is about my dreams. It’s about relating back to my favorite quote. “Never underestimate the power of a dream.” Whether my sleep dreams actually play out in reality or not, this blog is about never underestimating myself. Never giving  up on my own will power. Never giving up on possibilities. And hopefully inspiring you to do something to. Whether it is to run or something else. But this blog is about setting goals, having a dream and making it reality – and sharing it with YOU. And my dream right now is to finish Boston on Monday within my goal timeframe.

 

Last night I had a dream that I finished the Boston Marathon (woohoo, but of course I will!). At the end of my dream I didn’t know what my time was and didn’t look it up until the next day. OK, being obsessive compulsive, obviously I’ll be looking at the clock and hitting stop on my Garmin. So this part my not come true. However, could my finish time be true? Well, it’s actually a stretch. But my Hyannis dream time wasn’t my exact time, it was close. So I'm just hoping that I come close to my dream time. And guess what, ANYTHING is possible with Boston!

 

All I know is that I am going to give Monday my all. “Give it 110%… ONE-TEN” says Big Lou (shout out to any SMC Res. Life folks reading).  I know that I will push myself outside of my comfort zone on Monday. I will own Heartbreak Hill. I will enjoy every single second of the marathon. The crowd, the runners, the weather… each mile. Hopkinton, Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, Brookline, Boston! When I turn onto Boylston Street and start bawling from the overwhelming crowd. And of course when the volunteer at the end tells me I did a great job and puts some BLING BLING over my neck. When they wrap the aluminum foil around me for heat. And at the family meeting area, where I’ll get to see all of my family and friends at the finish. And when I ask Ryan to put my black and green marathon jacket on me.

 

Boston is the best of the best. And I feel completely honored to be running for a 2nd year in a row. Dreams can come true.

 

Anyone else getting butterflies? Because I constantly have them this week! Eat (carbs!!), sleep (dream), drink (love that dirty water)… BOSTON!

 

We’ll see the fate of my finish on Monday afternoon. Will my dream come true? Stay tuned….

 

Song of the Post: "Dreams" – Gabrielle (bringin’ it way back)

The Finish Line (is in sight)

My first memory of the finish line is from April 1996 [I think this is accurate, Beth can confirm since it was the first time I met her before she started dating my Dad ;)]. I was almost 11 years old and attended “bring your children to work day” with my Dad. At the time, he worked on Boylston Street, right across from the finish line. I slept over his apartment the night before and we took the T into town. When we got off the T, we walked across the finish line. My Dad explained it was the finish line for THE Boston Marathon, that happened the day before. The finish line is painted on the street and remains there every day of the year. The finish line is repainted a few days before the marathon and touch ups are performed up until hours before the gun goes off. I was amazed by the thought of running 26.2 miles.

My next memory of the marathon was from high school. Again, I went to the finish line with my Dad to see his friend Billy cross. I remember watching as everyone crossed the finish line, their children jumped the barricades to cross with them, some crying, some just with a huge smile on their face that they finish, and some in disbelief! That year my Dad’s friend Billy ran the marathon, later to find out that he broke his knee! A few surgeries later, he is back for more in 2010.

The next time I went to the Boston Marathon was in 2008 and 2009 to see my friend Craig cross the finish line. Craig and I had known each other in college but reconnected a couple years later. I was doing my first spring triathlon and Craig was a marathon maniac already. He had given me a lot of training advice last year when I trained for my first marathon and first Boston. Sadly, he will not be training but maybe cheering me on instead??

In 2008, before I went into the marathon to see Craig cross the finish line, I went to the gym that morning to run on the treadmill. Surprisingly, the TVs in the cardio room were set to some silly morning show. I walked to the desk and asked them to turn on the marathon. Of course they agreed. I was able to watch the pre-show but also see most of the elite runners race. It’s amazing to see how fast these athletes are and how inspiring it is. I will never be that fast and most likely never get a Boston qualifying race time (BQ as the runners say, but you never know…never underestimate the power of a dream, but it would take a lot of work and dedication)…. but I knew I was destined to run Boston.

Last year, I was lucky to apply and be accepted to run for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America and this year I will be running for Cops for Kids with Cancer. Both years I had successful fundraising and outpour of support from friends, family and even people I don’t know. The whole charity and Boston Marathon combo is a touchy subject with elite athletes. This past year many runners qualified but there was a record sell out in the number of bibs for those who actually did qualify. There was a lot of talk about it through the runner’s networks, as well as on Facebook on the BAA’s page. Many runners disappointed. Many runners not understanding why so many people who run for charity are able to get bibs. I can understand why these people are upset. They worked really hard. But at the same time, there are so many runners doing great things, raising money for so many people and organizations that need it. Training for a marathon and fundraising thousands isn’t easy. I think charity runners don’t get enough credit.

So to me – the finish line is very elite. So many words come to mind when I think about Boston: determination, hard work, will power, possibilities, dreams, etc. To me, crossing the finish line isn’t JUST about a goal time (I do have one) – it’s more. It’s about pushing my comfort zone. Proving to others that I can do it too. It’s about partaking in the greatest pastime MY city has to offer (sorry, Red Sox, you come second to the marathon). It’s about crossing that fundraising finish line too – knowing that my running is also helping others. It helped those with Crohn’s or Colitis. It’s helping those families and children with Cancer. And this year, I will be wearing my Donate Life New England singlet in honor of Donate Life month (April) and for my boyfriend Ryan, as he awaits his final months before his kidney transplant.

 

Right onto Hereford, left onto Boylston… here I come...

 

the final push before crossing, Boston Marathon 2010

 

crossing THE finish line, Boston Marathon 2010

 

Giveaway! Don’t forget to check out my giveaway! Follow the guide on the giveaway page! Deadline is Friday!

http://never-underestimate-power-of-a-dream.blogspot.com/2011/04/true-power-give-away-friday.html

 

Can’t get enough of Boston like me? Check out these links:

http://www.dailymile.com/blog/events/its-boston-week

http://www.dailymile.com/blog/events/what-to-expect-when-youre-expecting-to-run-the-boston-marathon

http://www.boston.com/sports/marathon/articles/2011/04/12/home_is_where_the_start_is/

http://www.boston.com/sports/marathon/

 

Song of the Post:  "Viva la Vida" - Coldplay

Run Vermont: Unplugged Half Marathon Race Report

On Saturday I ran the Run Vermont Unplugged (aka “No Frills, No Hills”) half marathon. I ran the half marathon with my friends from college, Melissa and Holly. I played hockey with these two girls and we thought it would be fun to do a race together. Melissa ran her third half marathon in 3 months and Holly was running her first. It was also Holly’s bachelorette party weekend! Holly met Melissa and I in the morning and we all went to the start together. This race was a lot smaller than the other races I have run. It was also extremely laid back, friendly and non-competitive.

Melissa and I ran with Holly for the first half of the marathon and then Holly dropped back in pace. I wanted to help Melissa PR this half marathon. She was nervous since she hadn’t trained much since the Hyannis half but I knew she had it in her. I was planning on just taking an easy run and running with Melissa and Holly since Boston is 8 days away. The course was unbelievably gorgeous! A majority of the course was run on the bike path along Lake Champlain, with a 4 mile neighborhood loop in the beginning and a one mile loop towards the end. The course was generally flat, with one hill in the beginning and another at the end.

Towards mile 11 Melissa said her goal was just to finish. But in my head, I had a different plan for her. The mile 11-12 was tough because it was an extra loop around a neighborhood towards the end of the race and you can see the other runners finishing. It was motivating to push through but definitely tough to see others finishing – and to have a hill at the end. But once we turned the corner for the last .1, I said to Melissa, “You totally got this!” And she did! She PR’d! It was so cool to see her smile on her face! Then I ran back and got Holly. Melissa and I finished with her and she crossed for her first half!

After the race we celebrated first with a beer and then post-race lunch at Moe’s for a burrito! Later that night was Holly’s bachelorette party. I’ll spare the details, but it was a fun, low key girls night!

Mile 7 – Leddy Ice Rink

Coming into the finish with Melissa for her PR!

Pushing Holly to cross for her goal time and her first half! She’s addicted now!

Post race beer! Congrats Melissa and Holly!

 

Giveaway! Don’t forget to check out my giveaway! Follow the guide on the giveaway page! Deadline is Friday!

http://never-underestimate-power-of-a-dream.blogspot.com/2011/04/true-power-give-away-friday.html

 

Song of the Post: "Two Step" - DMB

True Power & Give Away Friday!!!!

Many people have asked me what my pink bracelet is for and why I wear it. When I work out I wear my True Power energy band. I had always heard about these bands and know that there are so many different companies that make them. When I forget to wear my bracelet, whether I can't find it in my gym bag or I left it at home, I get very sad! I love this bracelet!

Back in the Fall, Ryan and I attended a ski show that my friend Jewels was at since she works Cannon Mountain. We visited with her and then walked around to see what the other vendors had to offer. I heard my name called out, "Remdawg!" My little freshman Stephanie from college (I was her RA her freshman year, the best obvi) was working for True Power. She asked if we wanted to take "the test." Knowing that she was trying to sell me this band, I humored her and said ok.

The first test is that you stand with your arms out and she pushes down on one arm to try to get you to lose balance. Then you do it again with the bracelet on. Ok, it worked. Still not convinced. So the next test is spinning around with your arms out to see how far you can extend; then again with the bracelet on. Both myself and Ryan were able to spin and extend almost an extra 8 inches to a foot (he has longer arms, he wins) with the bracelet on. I don't think I was still convinced until Stephanie gave me her testimonial.

They were $10 off at the show, so what the heck, I'll buy one! It's worth a shot right? It comes in 2 different styles and a few color options. I went with this one below.

Has it worked? I'm not totally sure. I do feel that I have more energy when I wear it versus when I don't. But is it mental? Perhaps. Even so, I think when I wear it, it is a reminder of MY true power inside me. Also, there are tons of professional athletes that wear them as well. You gotta walk the walk to talk the talk!

Check out their website for more information and the technology in the bracelet: http://www.true-power.com/default.asp

*****Give-away details*****

True Power offered me one bracelet to one lucky winner!

I will use Random.org to select the winner…at random, from all the comments posted.

You'll have until Friday April 15th to enter and I will draw the winner on Saturday April 16th.

How to enter - 4 chances to win:

1. Leave a comment below telling me what you do to get energize.

2. Leave a comment below telling me what you believe "true power" means.

3. Extra entry if you follow my blog, leave a comment below telling me you do so (whether through google reader or blogger, etc.)

4. Blog about the giveaway on your own blog and let me know you did so by commenting below!

True Power was gracious and provided a discount code for those who wish to purchase a bracelet! So try it out yourself and let me know what you think! (http://www.true-power.com/) To purchase a True Power energy band, enter 9896 upon checkout to receive a $5 discount per band.
 

Check out True Power at the Boston Marathon Expo next weekend!

Google Reader: For some reason there is a delay from when I post to when it hits google reader. Does anyone know of any solutions?

Song of the Post: "Friday I'm in Love" - The Cure

Goddess of the Day

Last month Women's Running Magazine was running a contest via facebook. They asked their readers to submit photos of themselves for a "goddess of the day" contest. They would re-post pictures. I completely forgot I had entered a photo.

I submitted the photo of me from the 2010 Boston Marathon last year when I made the turn from Hereford onto Boylston...I just burst out in tears. The amount of people at the finish line was overwhelming. This was the moment I had waited for. It was by far the best running moment of my life thus far. And hearing your name called from different directions by the people waiting for you. Crossing the finish line was something I had always dreamed of doing since a kid when my Dad used to take me in....or three years ago when I asked the women working the desk at my gym to change the tvs to the marathon coverage so I could bust out some mileage on the treadmill while being inspired (and later going to the finish line to see my friends cross). ANYWAY....

Today, Women's Running Magazing posted me as "goddess of the day" on facebook! So please find them on facebook and like their page!

Good omen for April 18th? I think so! Bring on the "good signs!"

Yesterday's workout: I ran just over 3 miles on the treadmill during lunch. I'm trying to squeeze in my workouts as best I can. Life is so busy! But it's taper time!

Today's workout: Tonight I'm running 3-4 miles after work with my friend Katie. We'll probably do some loop around the city! The weather should be decent!

Lunch today: Top a bowl of fresh spinach with 4 ounces chunk light tuna in water, drained; 1 ounce feta cheese; and 1/2 ounce sliced almonds.
Dinner tonight: Top 2 ounces whole-wheat pasta with a splash of olive oil, 1 cup steamed broccoli, and 3 ounces grilled chicken.  

See for recipe and fuleing ideas! http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20412001,00.html

Song of the Post: "Don't Stop Believin'" - Journey (for all you Sox fans as well...)