I’m a sucker for Ryan Gosling memes so when I saw this tumblr yesterday, I wasted utilized a good 20 minutes of my time scrolling through them all.
Alas, sharing is caring. You’re welcome.
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Hey Runner Girl
19 MayRewarding Oneself
12 MayWhen I train for a race, I tend to bribe reward myself along the way (for example: a new running outfit, ice cream, new heels).
As for the big reward after the race, I’ve promised myself a tattoo after each of the last five races, though I’ve only actually cashed in on my reward once:
My hibiscus tattoo
I got my hibiscus after I ran my first two half marathons. It was supposed to be my reward after running the first one, but I jumped right into training for my second one and didn’t have the healing time needed when you get ink done. (By the way, I got the hibiscus done at Ascension by Hoffa and absolutely love it. I hope to have him do my next piece!)
It’s tough to get ink done in the midst of training for your next race and I’ve been training for one race or another for the last three years. Since I still owe myself the big piece I was going to get on my shoulder after my first marathon (mainly because I jumped right into training for another marathon) this marathon’s reward was much simpler and all calorie-based:
Monday: Bistro Burger topped with BBQ sauce and served with sweet potato fries from Miller’s Ale House
Tuesday: Chocolate Cookie Crumble Frappuccino *with* the Whipped Cream!
Yup, a BBQ burger and a frozen coffee beverage with whipped cream got me through 26.2 miles. Both were absolutely amazing. What can I say? Sometimes, I’m easy to please. 🙂
As for the shoulder tattoo, I keep going back and forth on whether or not to miss beach season (sun and water are tattoo healing no-no’s).
Do you reward yourself after races? How?
Race Recap: 2012 Flying Pig Marathon – Part 1
7 MayOn Sunday morning shortly after I woke up at 4:15 AM, I said “this is going to be the best day ever.” I was, of course, being highly optimistic. It was the morning of the 2012 Flying Pig Marathon.
After over a month of having issues with my right IT band (I blogged about it here and here and here and here) I knew what I was potentially walking into. But because of how fabulously stubborn I am, I decided I would still participate in the Flying Pig Marathon, even if I had to walk it. Or crawl it.
Let me start at the beginning: I run with some really fun and amazing ladies. Earlier this year, a group of us decided to run the Flying Pig Marathon and Half in Cincinnati, OH. I was just coming out of my first marathon, and determined to get right back on that horse.
Amazingly enough, I don’t have a single photo of all seven of us together. But with a few pics from this weekend, I got us covered:
Left to Right: Molly, me, Rachelle, Emily and Erin
Rox
Me and Wendy
Emily, being the traveling pro that is is, found us a great brownstone rental in Covington, KY. Covington is conveniently located just across the Ohio River from downtown Cincinnati and the house was just a tiny bit over a mile away from both the expo and the start line. And it was super cute with a rooftop deck (not that I could access said rooftop deck after the marathon):
Our view of Cincinnati
Sunday morning I woke up around 4:30 AM. I ate half of a bagel with peanut butter, drank some black coffee, used the restroom and got dressed. The night before I had laid out all of my stuff:
This included:
- Running tank
- Sports bra
- Running tights
- Running shoes
- Socks
- Bib number (filled out with emergency info)
- My borrowed Garmin
- Fuel belt (equipped with $20 bill)
- Fuel – Vanilla Stinger Waffles and Clif Shot Bloks
- Head band turned into my wrist band
- (not pictured) Cheap $15 sunglasses from Target
The rest of our group left the house around 5:40, while Rox and I ran fashionably late. This is not new for us. We’ve run several races together, and I’d say we’ve been running up to the start as the gun goes off for about half of those.
We left the house around 5:50 AM. We were just about to start crossing the bridge into Cincinnati when Rox looked down at my knees and asked where my IT band straps were. An expletive flew out of my mouth. I had forgotten to set those out, therefore forgetting to put them on.
We turned around to get them. Ten minutes and two IT straps later, we were crossing the bridge, where we got this lovely view of the super moon while we ate our bananas:
We followed the crowds towards the stadium and started to feel the energy created by thousands of runners ready to run their hearts out.
The corrals, or pig pens, at the start.
Especially this guy:
Praying or Tebowing?
Sure, it looks like Rox was doing the same, but she was just tying her shoes:
Here we are looking fairly relaxed for two girls that were running super late:
We stretched during the intro then Rox and I wished each other luck and split up to join our separate corrals pig pens. I tried to find the rest of the ladies, but had no such luck. I set my watch, stopped to say a prayer for strength and waited for my coral to start the race.
To be continued …
Shiny New Running Outfit
2 MayThere are only four days until the Flying Pig Marathon and my emotions are everywhere. One minute I’m excited, and the other I’m so nervous because of this IT band issue. Excited is currently winning out and I think it’s because of this:
My new Lululemon marathon top
Yuppers, I got myself the Lululemon no limits tank in hot, hot pink for marathon day. I ran my first marathon in a no limits tank (in a different color) and had absolutely zero issues with chafing or the shirt riding up so I think I’m safe running in the same top without having actually taken it for a long test run. I will, however, wash the shirt so I don’t bleed hot pink (though that may be cool). I think the color is perfect for Flying Pig, don’t you think?
A couple of weeks ago I got the crops in the photo. They are the run: a marathon crop, also from Lululemon. I’ve done a couple of runs in them (one long run and one short) and they were great: the bottoms of the legs didn’t ride up and the top is higher wasted and didn’t ride down. And they passed the very-important-for-all-tights-bend-over test (when I bend over the pant does NOT get transparent). Perfect!
On a side note, it will be toasty on Sunday:
Expected weather for 2012 Flying Pig Marathon
However, I can’t run in shorts. My lovely Spanish thighs engulf shorts and I end up chafing and pulling my shorts down all run. So that’s why I’m usually in tights (unless it’s my Lululemon running skirt that I can use for anything shorter than 10 miles). It’s a good thing that my shirt opens up on the sides for some fresh air. 🙂
Yesterday I read this post by Meghann of Meals and Miles and it made me chuckle. I am in complete agreement with her when she wrote “I’m a big believer that a big race deserves a new outfit, sorta like a big date requires a new dress – am I wrong?” Nope, not wrong at all.
If you’re running your first half or full marathon, I would recommend you buy your new outfit a month before your race and wear it during a shorter long run. If it passes the test (no chafing, riding up, etc.) then wear it for your longest run. It’s amazing how a few miles can alter the wear of your running outfit. For example, I have a singlet that I wore in different colors for all three of my half marathons without any problems. However, when I wore one of them for an 18-mile run, I was surprised to see severe chafing on the inside of my arms. It was so bad I was bleeding! Needless to say, those are now restricted to runs 13 miles or shorter.
I consider this running outfit quite the splurge, but I’ve worked hard the last four months (and seven months before that training for Disney) and I like that I’m at a place where I can reward my hard work with a splurge like this. In my future I’ll have kids and a home to worry about and these days will be long gone. I’ll enjoy it while I can!
What do you do for your race-day running attire?
Yesterday morning I went for a 3-mile walk with Emily, one of my group leaders. She’s running Flying Pig with me so it was nice to catch up and do some race day strategizing. Afterwards I rushed home to start my day with some yoga. I took it easy with this Yoga Vibes class, focusing on the outer hip and IT band.
Four days until the Flying Pig Marathon!
Dance Marathon
29 AprSaturday morning I ran ten miles. According to my right IT band, that was about four miles too many.
I woke up at the awful hour of 4:30 AM, tossed on my running clothes and headed to the kitchen for a quick pre-run breakfast. Due to a lack of planning, here’s what I ended up with:
The Real Breakfast of Champions
Breakfast pretty much went like this: one bite of banana followed with a lick of peanut butter from a spoon and repeat. I learned this nasty (yet delicious) habit from my gluten-sensitive boyfriend, who gave up bread late last year. The fortune cookie was not a part of my breakfast, rather it was remnants of my pre-run dinner, chicken lo mein.
Our group was extra small this week (there were only three of us). We took off on a 10-mile loop.
Less than five miles into the run, I started to feel that familiar IT band nagging me. Around mile six I tightened the straps on my knee (I had two IT straps on one leg). That surprisingly relieved the pain for a mile or two. I managed to make it the entire 10 miles, but not without wondering how in the world I could do another 16.2 miles like that.
Here are the stats from our run:
- Distance: 10 miles
- Time: 02:10:13
- Avg Pace: 13:01/mile
I’m going to stick to strength training and yoga for taper this week and rest my leg. I’m also going to ice my leg three times a day, and foam roll my legs and hips twice a day. In fact, I’m icing as I type. My leg is mighty chilly.
Healing feels like a full-time job sometimes. Let’s hope this does the trick, or I may have to reconsider switching to the half marathon, which I really don’t want to do.
Last week a friend sent me a link to the video below. Not long afterwards, I tried to dance walk across 17-92 on our way to get coffee. However, I stopped when my co-workers shunned me. I’m now considering dance walking (or running) all 26.2 miles of the Flying Pig Marathon.
A Letter to My IT Band
29 AprDear IT Band,
I ask you to please quit playing games with my heart. One day (Thursday) we’re all buddy buddy and I think we’re getting along just fine and we might just have a beautiful friendship after all and then two days later (Saturday) you’re being a bitch again.
I prefer the good ol’ days when we used to run the streets in glee. When together we would conquer our mileage, one step at a time. The days when we would skip off into the sunset laughing. Where did those days go? How do we go back to that?
I hope that we can work out whatever it is that is causing this tension between us. I miss us.
Best Regards,
Hemarie
Shut Down
25 AprI spent all day checking my email, my credit card account and the ING New York City Marathon registration page to see if I would be training through a hot, sweltering summer for the ING New York City Marathon this year.
Sadly, I finally got this message:
Shut down for the 2012 New York City Marathon
Well darn. This is like the time I didn’t make the cheerleading squad, without the awful cartwheels.
Since the Flying Pig Marathon is but days away (11 to be exact), I’m going to wait to decide on my next race until then, but I see lots of half marathons in my future. These poor legs of mine need a rest.
Have you ever put your name in for the New York City Marathon lottery and if so, did you get selected?
On a side note, the marathon lottery tweets that said “May the odds be ever in your favor” had me chuckling today.
Running and Squats and Stretches… Oh My!
24 AprAfter some thought, and talking it out with the people around me (or them coaxing it out of me), I think there are two major things that could be contributing to my IT band problems in my left leg:
- Need new shoes
- Lack of strength training
Recently I did get new shoes, but since my current NB Minimus shoes were still feeling good, I decided to wait until after the marathon to switch over to the new pair. I’m not sure that I have any good reasoning beyond that… as I honestly don’t know what I was thinking. Maybe I was afraid that since the new pair was a slightly different style (the new ones are the trail version while my old ones are the road version) I could injure myself switching so close to Flying Pig. And when I say the old pair were still feeling good, what I mean is that it usually takes me a while to realize that the pain I’m suffering from might just mean it’s time for new shoes. Here I was worried about hurting myself with the new shoes when I’m hurting with the current shoes!
So this morning I tossed on the new shoes:
I also wore long tights and a long sleeved shirt… and gloves. Yes, gloves. That’s right… my body no longer remembers living in New York and I’m officially a Florida girl that wears long sleeves and gloves when the weather drops to this (in April in Florida nonetheless):
The run went well. There were only three of us this morning and we ran four miles at an easy pace. While I felt the familiar twinge of my IT band in my right leg, it wasn’t so bad that I was in pain or limping for that matter.
Here are the stats for this AM’s run:
- Distance: 4.06 miles
- Time: 50:21.45
- Avg Pace: 12:24/mile
Afterwards I came home and addressed problem #2: lack of strength training. I think I dropped my minimalist strength training plan that was working so well when I started up with yoga, thinking that was working the same muscles in a similar fashion and could just substitute yoga in. I think I was wrong, and need to be doing both, so back to squats, lunges, planks and push-ups I went! I tossed in some one-legged squats for good measure and finished up with some serious stretching of these hips of mine.
By the way, did you know you could download the Maxwell squeal on Geico’s website? Oh yeah. I totally just downloaded it.
Off I go to get my Tuesday on. Only 12 more days until the Flying Pig Marathon! Wee wee weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
Testing the Waters
18 AprOkay, so I know that I said that I wasn’t going to do any running this week in efforts of healing my IT band, but I couldn’t stop myself from taking the ol’ legs out for a test spin Monday night.
I was riding my yoga high when Donnie came home from work and said that he was going to run one mile. Yes, that’s correct. ONE mile. He is currently coming back from an almost-stress fracture in his foot and is starting on his long road back to recovery … one quarter of a mile at a time.
Wanting to be the ever supportive girlfriend and feeling good from my yoga, I volunteered to go with him. I brought along our pug, Tank to make sure we didn’t go further than that. Pugs aren’t exactly runners, but this one is always looking to run some laps in.
We didn’t run far, and my legs were feeling tip top. However, I’m going to stick to my plan and do yoga instead of my run tomorrow just to make sure. And it looked like we wore Tank out. He was napping soon after we returned.
Yesterday morning, I woke up and did another yoga class from YogaVibes.com in the Yoga for Runners series. This time I took the class appropriately named Yoga for Runners. Like the day before, I set up shop in the Florida room and it was perfect. Our Florida room has two of the four walls covered with windows so you almost feel like you’re outside. And as I was doing my breathing, the sun was rising and the birds were chirping. It was amazing.
I went to work feeling completely relaxed. At one point we had a meeting where my boss brought up something that normally gets me stirred up. But yesterday I just sat and smiled and said “I did yoga this morning. You’re not going to get me riled up today. ” Ha!
How’s your week going so far?
I Sweat Pretty 