Week 14 - Eliminating the Need for Speed

Before I begin, I want to thank my two wonderful colleagues Matt P. and Aaqila A. for donating to my Boston Marathon fundraising page!  I am only $10 away from hitting $5,700! If you'd like to help round me out, click here!

Friday was also bib assignment day!  Be sure to follow me on Marathon Monday - I'll be in wave 4, starting around 11:15am.

Celebrating Spring

I started this week out easy since my knee was still irritated.  It's a struggle to hold back on my training when the big day is so close at hand, but I'd rather have a healthy knee than hobble for 26.2 miles.  I spend Monday and Tuesday resting, but once the temps hit 55 and the sun was shining on Wednesday I knew I HAD to get out there!

Flowers will be here soon!

On my way home from work, I spied a bunch of lovely little crocus stems poking out of the ground in a neighbors yard and marveled over how clear the sidewalks were becoming.  It only took a few days of above freezing temperatures to melt a good portion of the snow that made February so miserable.  It feels hard to believe that spring is on it's way and soon colorful flowers and green grass will be here!

I got home from work, changed into a pair of capri (!) pants and a long sleeved shirt (only one layer!) and headed out the door for a lovely 55 degree, sun-filled run.  EVERYONE seemed to be out for a run!  People were everywhere and everyone was smiling as we passed one another (very un-Bostonian).  It was lovely.  I ran Broadway to the Somerville Bike Path through Davis Square and to the Mass. Ave. intersection - about 2.5 miles.

When I left my house I had planned on running 5 miles, but I also knew I'd better listen to the old
body and let it dictate things...and the funniest thing happened.  My knee felt fine, but for 5 solid miles I struggled to breath properly.  By the time I hit the 2.5 mile mark, I actually had to stop and catch my breath.  It's always gotta be something!  After a short break, I turned around and headed home, where I got a glimpse of the beautiful Boston skyline from the top of Winter Hill. 

Post-run selfie was photobombed by my cat

When I got home I was pretty freaked out by how hard it was to breath.  I didn't know if in just a few short days of spring weather, my allergies were kicking in or perhaps my lungs were so used to cold air that they got confused by the warmth or if an incident from the fall was coming back to haunt me.

Back in October, I bought a condo and before I moved in I had the carpet replaced.  On my first night there, the off gases from the new carpet gave me such a bad asthma attack that I ended up in the emergency room.  It took a few weeks for me to be able to get my lung capacity back to where it should be when I ran and I still use an inhaler from time to time to open up my airways.  My running speed has never quite rebounded to where it used to be, but as time went on my breathing seemed to normalize so I kind of forgot about it.  I guess time (and a few more warm days) will tell what might have caused the problem, but I'll be sure to keep my inhaler handy prior to runs on upcoming warmer days just in case.

 

 

 

 

Flexible Friday

So much sidewalk! So little snow!

This weekend posed a challenge for my 18-mile long run.  The Saturday forecast called for rain all day long and I couldn't move my long run to Sunday because I was running in the Cambridge 5k Craicfest.  I had two options: 1. Suck it up and run in the rain or 2. Take advantage of my vacation time at work and run on Friday.  Call me a wimp if you want, but I chose the latter.  Not only did I not want to run my longest route ever in the rain, but I also figured it would be good to have a rest day between my long run and the 5k.

In my last blog entry I mentioned the "little old lady" technique and the 180 foot strike per minute rule we were taught by Marathon training coach Rick Muhr, but I didn't mention his other tip because I hadn't tried it yet.  Coach Rick told us that for every 9 minutes we run, we should walk for 1 minute.  This isn't a new idea, I'd heard about the run/walk method plenty of time, but I guess I always thought it was cheating a little.  Well, let's be honest.  I know as well as any of you, that there is NO WAY I am going to be able to run 26.2 miles without stopping on April 20, so I figured this was as good a time as any to give this strategy a try.

I've developed a long run routine this winter.  I wake up early, have breakfast of some kind with coffee, water and Gatorade and watch TV for an hour or two before taping up my knees and getting ready to go out.  It gives me an opportunity to fuel, hydrate and perhaps most importantly - WAKE UP!  I followed my routine on Friday morning and was out of the house by 9am.

Over the BU Bridge and to the Riverway!

I packed a Clif Shot Gel and a package of Clif Shot Bloks (both of which are what will be available on the marathon course) and filled my hand-held water bottle with Gatorade.  I thought this was a good time to start strategizing how I was going to fuel on race day.  I had planned to have two Bloks at miles 5, 13 & 16 and use the Gel at mile 9.

I also opted to leave music and headphones at home.  I brought my phone just in case of emergency and used only my Garmin watch to keep track of time for the sake of foot strike counting and implementing the walk/run technique. 

I had plotted out the first half of my route in advance through getting around Jamaica Pond - I had
never run it before and really wanted to - but was a little more improvisational on the way home.  It was really nice to run on a Friday when most other folks were at work.  The sidewalks were nearly empty and I was able to try my run/walk technique without feeling like anyone was silently judging me (my own made up neuroses, I'm sure).

Mid-point selfie at Olmstead Park

I got into a pattern where I would do a foot strike count from minutes 7-8 and 8-9 of each 10 minute block of time and then walk from miles 9-10.  When the minute walk was over, I'd do a foot strike count for minutes 1-2 and 2-3 of the next 10 minute chunk.  Not only did this exercise ensure that I kept my cadence throughout the run, but it also had an amazing effect on my psyche.  By breaking down and 18 mile run into 10 minute chunks, the whole run seemed easy to accomplish.  Instead of my usual "Ok, only 13 miles left to go...OH MY GOD 13 MILES," I was thinking "Ok, only 2 more minutes until the next walk break.  Time to count my foot strikes.  One, two, three..."  That two hour coaching session seriously changed my entire approach to the long run and I could not be any more grateful. Even as I was hitting the final leg of the run and was starting to feel tired, I kept my mind on the foot strike counting to keep my brain busy and to ensure I wasn't adding any unnecessary stress on my legs and knees.

I was only a few blocks away from my house when my watch hit 18 miles and I was SO EXCITED.  Not only had I completed the longest run of my life, but I actually felt AMAZING.  My knees felt strong and my legs, though tired, didn't hurt like the used to when I would finish.  I walked the few blocks back to my house, drank some Gatorade and basked in accomplishment.  It was a good, good day.

Cambridge 5k Craicfest

L to R: Paul, Heather, Me, Chris and Sarah

This year, I bought a season pass to the Cambridge 5k race series which includes 4 races throughout the year.  I started running their races last summer when I did my first trail run (Sasquatch) and had an amazing time on the run and even more fun at the after party.  Every run has an after party that includes a DJ, a dance off, and free beer from a bunch of different local craft breweries.  I run with the Slumbrew team every time and it's a lot of fun.  I usually try to convince people to come run with me and have had luck getting one or two people to join in, but I did good this time with FOUR friends participating!  My friend Sarah also bought a season pass, my buddy Chris ran his 4th Cambridge 5k race with me and my friend Heather and her boyfriend Paul joined in the fun too.

As I mentioned earlier, my speed hasn't been what it was before hurting my knee and especially since my ER-inducing asthma attack.  I used to go after breaking times and hitting PRs at races.  Over the summer when I was training for my half marathon I was running 8:45/9 minute miles - still not super fast, but not bad.  Lately, I am lucky to run a 10 minute mile.  I struggled with this HARD for awhile. I felt a little bit like I was failing.  I tried so hard to get back to my old times and found myself panting like crazy and still not getting to where I wanted to be.  It was frustrating and at times a little embarrassing.  But if Marathon training has done anything for me it is this: I have stopped looking at the clock.  Yes, I am keeping track of my 10 minute chunks for the walk/run strategy, but not because I care how fast - or slow - I am going.  When I finished my 18 mile run, I didn't even really look at how long it took me to finish.  It stopped being something I cared about.  Why beat myself up over a time when I had just finished something awesome. 

On Sunday, I told myself to just relax, take it slow and have fun.  I ran the whole race alongside a friend and kept a friendly conversation going throughout.  I felt strong, took a hill at the end without losing any breath and finished feeling like I could have gone for another 3 miles.  To me, that was a success - not anything the clock said.  In a way, this new approach is really freeing.  Maybe after the Marathon is over and I can go back to running more for fun and not for training, I'll play with trying to get faster again...maybe I won't...but for now just enjoying it is enough for me.

After the run, the post-race party began!  I didn't stay long - just enough to enjoy a Happy Sol and participate in the Slumbrew Team photo.  My boyfriend had come home from New York and was at my house with fresh bagels, cream cheese and lox, so I bid the party adieu and went home.

Week 13 - I Kneed A Break!

Before we get started this week, I want to thank Kathy H., Alex B. and Kathleen M. for their recent donations to my Team Victory fundraising page!  I am now just over $5,600, which is more than I could have ever hoped to raise.  Now that $6,000 is so close...I kind of want to hit it!  If you'd like to make a gift, please click here.

Weak in the Knees

Post run selfie with Heather

Ever since I saw the orthopedic doctor back in the fall, I've been working on getting my knees stronger and up until recently I felt like I was making great progress and then...BOOM!

After my long run last weekend I could feel some soreness in my right knee (it was my left in October) and knew it meant Sunday needed to be a rest day of the highest order and it seemed to have done the trick.  My knee felt oodles better on Monday.  So much better, in fact, that when I went to the gym on Monday evening with my friend Heather, I logged a full 6 miles.  In retrospect, this probably wasn't the smartest idea. My knee pain came back and continued to nag me for the rest of the week.  I knew I wanted to get my long run in on Sunday so it was imperative that I not put any unnecessary stress on it so I took most of the rest of the week off.

I just finished my long run an hour or so ago (more on that later) and although I do feel a little soreness, I think taking the time to rest really made a difference.  From here on out my long runs are no joke - 18, 19 and 21 over the next three weeks before tapering for the marathon.  I'll be monitoring my knee and training accordingly.  I haven't made it this far to be stubborn and injure myself before the big day.  As my orthopedic doctor said - LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.  It can be really hard to pull back on training - especially at this juncture when you feel like you need to be ramping it up even more than normal, but keeping the goal in the forefront of my mind means making smart choices - not emotional ones.

Ironically, I came home the other nice to find my new issue of Runner's World in my mailbox with a headline on the cover about how to keep your knees healthy.  It's like they knew!  The spread on the inside gave 4 common knee injuries, what the symptoms are, how to treat them and of course how to avoid them. It looked like I had a case of the ol' runners knee.  Hurts after a run and mostly acts up when I am going down stairs.  The magazine said to treat it, I should ice my knee for 15 minutes, 5 times a day, take ibuprofen, foam roll my quads and reduce my mileage.  It, of course, said to see a doctor if paid doesn't cease.  I think I'll be ok if I continue to follow those guidelines, as my knee has felt better and better every day since starting to take care of it on Tuesday.

Team Victory Meeting

On Tuesday, my coworker Shauna who is running our Team Victory efforts organized a team meeting with marathon charity trainer Rick Muhr who spent about two hours with us sharing tips on our training and the marathon course.  Rick was really fantastic and I was so glad we had the opportunity to learn from him.  He stressed the importance of cadence in our running and suggested that we try to keep a pattern of 180 foot strikes per minute.  He told us to count the number of foot strikes we make with our dominant foot (my right) and you should hit 90 foot strikes in one minute.  If you can keep that cadence going, he said, you'll be making the most efficient use of your energy.  I knew I was going to utilize this exercise on my long run!

I also had the opportunity finally buy my official 2015 Boston Marathon jacket.  I didn't want to risk waiting and having them be sold out by the time the Expo rolled around the weekend of the race.  I also know it's bad luck to actually wear your jacket until after crossing the finish line so I bought it, took a requisite selfie with it and put it in my closet until the mission is complete!  I plan on asking my boyfriend to bring it with him so I can put it on as soon as possible after finishing!

Cross Training Instead

To be honest I have been terrible at cross training from the get-go.  There isn't much other activity I really enjoy and since I'm on a budget, adding spin classes or yoga classes is a luxury I really can't afford.  This week, however, with my knee acting up the way it was, I knew I had to try something to get the ol' heart rate up that would have less impact on my joints.  So on Friday, I went to the gym and did three miles on the elliptical machine.

It's funny because a few years ago when I was trying to lose weight the elliptical was my favorite machine.  I'd do it for an hour at a time like it was nothing and now I really struggled to get through just over 30 minutes.  I had a hard time getting into a groove and it was so boring!  I'm going to have to suck it up, I suppose since I want to be conservative with my knee going into this next week and will probably replace one or two runs with elliptical work instead.  Blech!

Last Short Long Run

To be totally honest I had no intention of doing a short long run this week.  I planned on doing 18 miles, but - again - I knew I had to play it SMART and be flexible so I don't cause any damage to my body before the big day.  I knew I still had three solid weeks of long runs left so I should just roll it back a little this week and cut myself a break.

A friend of mine on Facebook had posted that the bike trail from Davis to Arlington was, for the most part, clear of snow and ice and I knew that from my house to the Arlington line and back was about 10 miles so that's what I decided to do.

My friend hadn't steered me wrong! The path was pretty clear until the last leg heading toward Arlington when there was a stretch with three or four unavoidable ice patches.  I saw several runners just keep going across them (how on earth do they do that!?!), but I stopped and walked/slid across them until clear ground showed up again.  I actually almost fell a few times just trying to walk on it!

On my run, I practiced Rick's cadence count - 180 steps per minute - by counting my right foot strikes until I got to 90.  I did the exercise 2-3 times per mile and was happy to see I was right on track!  The biggest aid in this, I think, is that Rick told us we should run like little old ladies walking on ice.  Teeny tiny steps.  I usually keep a short stride to begin with, but any time I felt like I was stretching out too far, it was a mental reminder - BE AN OLD LADY!

I finished my 10 miles in about 1:50 - although I did pause at the half way mark to try the Clif Shot Energy Gel.  These will be the gels passed out along the marathon course so I wanted to be sure to try it and make sure it didn't mess with my stomach on race day.  I am relived to say it settled nicely and I'll be sure to use them along the course along with the Clif Blocs that I have been using since my half marathon training over the summer.

Next Week

I am excited to finally hit the 18 mile mark on my long run next week!  I plan on doing the long run with the folks from South End Athletic Company again (I had to get my taxes done this Saturday, otherwise I would have been with them again this weekend).  It's insane to think there are only a few more weeks left until the big day!!!!

Week 12 - There's Sidewalk Out There!

Many thanks to Kathy H. and Denise T. for donating to my Boston Marathon fundraising page! I am only $82 away from hitting $5,500!  It would be so lovely to hit a nice round number like that :)  If you'd like to make a donation, please click here!

Treadmill Time

I never thought I'd say this, but I think I am actually getting used to the treadmill.  I cannot wait until I don't have to look at it ever again, but it is becoming less of an enemy with every passing week.  Though we've been spared much snowfall over the past week or so, temperatures have been unbearable and snow has turned to ice making running on the pavement a little too scary for my liking.  I decided to keep my training indoors for awhile long.  The Marathon is less than two months away and I don't want to slip and break a bone this close to the big day!

Accidentally hit the stop button of mile 1 of 6 so it says 5. Oops.

This week, I took rest days on Monday for the Boston Marathon Training Clinic, Thursday to attend a fundraiser and Sunday to recover from my long run.  On Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, I spent quality time at the gym.  In addition to the treadmill runs, I've been some time working on the weight machines to build up my leg muscles to try to prevent any further knee injuries.  I've noticed that my right knee takes about a full day to recover after my long runs and I really want to make sure I can keep it healthy until after April 20!

At the training clinic I attended on Monday, the BAA High Performance Program Coach, Terrence Mahon talked a lot about different types of training - including hill training, which I have avoided because hills are awful.  He did point out, however, that since Boston is a hilly course training our muscles to be able to tackle them is really important.  So, this week at the gym I did all of my workouts using the Hills option - something I'll probably do more frequently now through the race.  I kept the incline relatively low this week with the hopes of amping it up a little each week.  Maybe this is just what I need to get through Heartbreak!

On Tuesday and Wednesday, I did 4 miles each.  I had wanted to do more, but I had evening plans following the gym so I needed to get in and out quickly as I could and 3 miles just isn't enough at this stage in the game.  On Friday, I went back and forth about how many miles I would do.  I wanted to take advantage of the fact that I didn't have any plans for the rest of the night so I didn't need to rush, but I also wanted to have fresh legs for my long run on Saturday.  What to do!?!  I settled for 6 miles.

The hardest part of running on the treadmill is finding something interesting enough to watch on the TV to keep me engaged enough that I don't obsess over the time/mileage on the machine's dashboard. I should really bring a towel to cover it over, but I keep forgetting...and I'd probably just peek anyway. On Tuesday I forgot to bring my headphones and watched the news with questionable closed captioning, which was pretty bad.  Luckily, on Friday Ghostbusters II was on, making it an easy hour!

Long Run OUTSIDE with SEAC

THANKS SEAC! YOU'RE AWESOME!

From the get-go, long runs have been tricky to plan out by myself.  I usually just ended up doing the same routes over and over again, which is kind of boring.  I just found out this week that the South End Athletic Company & Heartbreak Hill Running Company do group long runs out of their stores on Saturday mornings and I got really excited to run with them!

I decided to run with the South End Running Company, since getting to their store is much easier for me AND their run started at 10am instead of 9am.  I always get really nervous when I go to join a new running group.  You never know if the people are going to be nice or not (although in my experience they usually are), if you're going to be the slowest person there (you're probably not and even if you are, who cares), if you're going to get LOST (I didn't, but you never know!), or any number of other things. I am really happy to tell you all that the staff and runners at SEAC were totally awesome.  I felt really welcomed by everyone and ran with a few folks who were around the same pace as me.  It was great to have some other people to keep me motivated and I know without them, I would have stopped once or twice when I really didn't NEED to.

You know you're marathon training when 16.5 is the beginner route

SEAC offered two routes - beginners at 16.5 miles and intermediates at 18 miles - I did the beginners. The route started at their store in the South End, along the Muddy River in the Fenway, around Jamaica Pond to the Brookline Reservoir, through Newton Center to their Heartbreak Hill Running Company store where we paused to get some water and fuel up (around mile 9).  I was so excited for our break because I FINALLY GOT TO TAKE MY PICTURE WITH HEARTBREAK BILL! This kind, wonderful person dresses in a gorilla suit every weekend to cheer on marathon runners making their way up and down Heartbreak and I hadn't had the pleasure of making his acquaintance yet.  It was pretty cool.  You can see he's wearing a Batman mask ON TOP of his gorilla suit because evidently there was a superhero theme this week (I never got the memo :shrug::).  Anyway, it was a fun break!

Heartbreak Bill - Batman Gorilla

From the store we did the final leg of Heartbreak and the 6 miles back into Boston along the actual marathon route - Commonwealth Avenue to Beacon Street then into the City, across the Finish line on Boylston St. and back to the store on Tremont.  As my new friends and I made the iconic left on Boylston we ran (no pun intended) into one of the intermediate runners who paused at a red light and we exchanged fist bumps.  He'll be running his FIFTH Boston and said he still gets goosebumps running down that final stretch on Boylston even in training runs.

Upon arriving back at SEAC, the staff greeted us with high-fives, smiles and water, which was much needed and appreciated.  Justin, who runs their social media accounts had recognized me from Twitter and tweeted a shout out to me, which made me feel great!  I really wish I could run with this crew again next week, but I have to get my taxes done ::eye roll::  I definitely plan on joining them again on 3/14, though and will probably use whatever route they post for this week for my long run on Sunday.

Heartbreak Hill Running Company

Before I end this post, I want to say what a total joy it was to run outside on Saturday.  The sun was out, the air was cold and everything looked beautiful. Sure, the terrain was still a little iffy with packed down ice and snow and a lot of slush, but being able to watch the world pass by is one of the great joys of running. I didn't listen to my headphones at all.  I just took the time to think, center myself and take in my surroundings.  It's so rare to be able to do that and I loved it SO MUCH.  Hopefully the coming weeks will feature more beautiful days like this!

Weeks 10 & 11 - Befriending the Dreadmill

As always, I like to thank my amazing friends and supporters who have donated to my Boston Marathon fundraising page for Victory Programs.  Many thanks to Amy M., the O'Brien Family, Daniela F., Tashia G., Edda M. and the incredible Nancy L, for their generous donations!  I am now over my fundraising goal and am excited to try to reach $5,500!  If you haven't made a donation yet, but would like to, you can click here to give.

Snowmaggedon Strikes Again

After thinking I was in for a lovely winter of marathon training, it seems everything has taken a turn for the worst - weather-wise that is. Snowstorm upon snowstorm upon bitter cold upon bitter cold, it's been a real mess.  This has caused a rash of indoor gym runs and lack of anything particularly interesting to share with all of you, so I decided to recap weeks 10 & 11 in one swoop.  After all, how many photos of treadmill workout summaries does anyone really want to see?

Week 10

One thing of note that has happened over the past two weeks is that I have finally begun cross training.  My orthopedic doctor had told me that I really need to start working my leg muscles to avoid re-injuring my knee, but I've always been really intimidated by the weight room at my gym.  My boyfriend knows his way around all the weight stuff that scares me, so he offered to come with me on week 10 and show me how to use them.  He also tortured me with squats, lunges and planks.  I thought I was strong because I do distance running, but was VERY humbled by how HARD all of those exercises were. My boyfriend really kicked my butt at all of them! Really proved that I have a lot of work to do to get as fit I need to.  He taught me how to use the abductor and adductor machines, which my doctor specifically told me to use as well as some of the other weight machines and I have started incorporating the weight routines into my training.

I didn't get a lot of miles in on week 10 because of a very busy schedule.  On Valentine's Day weekend, I was in a performance of the Vagina Monologues and we had rehearsals on Wednesday and Thursday with performances on Friday and Saturday, leaving me a very limited window to get my runs in.  I did a little 3 miler on the treadmill on Tuesday (2/10) and didn't get back to the gym until Saturday evening.  That's right, I spent a very romantic Valentine's Day evening logging 5 miles on the treadmill!  Snow was falling in earnest by the time I walked home and continued to fall and fall and fall right through the night.

The following day - February 15 - was my birthday (34 years old...yikes) and, of course, there was a blizzard.  Another 14 inches of snow on the ground meant a housebound birthday just me and my cats (in case you were wondering, my boyfriend was in Utah for his brother's bachelor party so he got an excused absence).  I spent the day enjoying mimosas, doing laundry and watching Netflix.  The snow abated around noon and the sun actually came out.  I thought it would be fun to try to get a few miles in, but when I stepped outside to give it a go, the wind was blowing so hard I could barely see.  I decided to scrap my running plans for the day for safety reasons.  Nothing is worth getting hit by a plow for!

Week 11

Monday, the 16th was Presidents Day and since I hadn't gotten a long run in over the weekend I decided to spend the day at the gym.  As far as I am concerned, the idea of running 15 miles on the treadmill is a miserable one.  To keep it from making me totally crazy, I split my run into three sets of 5 miles with short breaks between them where I used the weight machines and did some stretches.  It was the longest run I had done in a long time and I forgot to bring any fuel with me and that really impacted the last 5 miles. I ended up doing a walk/run for the last 5 miles and had to stop to re-tie my laces (hence the 4 screen shots on the left).  It was HARD and took about 4 hours out of my day.  Yikes!

Anyone who lives in Boston knows the recent storms have really taken a toll on our public transit system and my psyche wasn't the only victim of the mess.  I had planned on going to the gym after work on Wednesday before going to my mom's house for a belated birthday dinner, but after a THREE HOUR COMMUTE home, there was just no time to fit it in before dinner.  Thursday evening brought another belated birthday gathering with friends, leaving only the weekend for quality time at the gym.

My boyfriend and I had plans Friday evening so I had enough time to log 5 miles before going out and hitting the town.  I also had a realization that Friday marked the two month countdown to Marathon Monday on April 20.  Oh jeez. I gotta get serious and FAST!  

Sunday called for another long run and it was actually a lovely day - the first above freezing day in as long as I can remember.  The sun was shining and it would normally have been a perfect day to run outside - and I probably could have except I didn't want to deal with the insane amount of slush the warm temperatures caused to pool at each and every crosswalk. I haven't invested in very good wet/winter weather socks and one wrong step could have made it a REALLY long run.  Long story short, I went to the gym to tackle 16 miles. 

This time, I remembered to bring water and fuel but forgot to bring my phone! You'll have to take my word for having completed the run, but I did!  I found out that the treadmills by the window allow you to go for up to 99 minutes, as opposed to the set of treadmills on the other side of the room that I usually use that only allow you to do 60 minutes at a time.  Lesson learned!  I set a slow pace and ran 9 miles before taking a break to refill my water bottle and help myself to some Cliff Shot Bloks (my fuel of choice) before resetting the time and doing another 7 miles.  I had my boyfriend snap this pic of me once I got home as some way to prove I really did it.

Two long runs in one week meant a total of THIRTY-SIX miles logged in week 11!

So here were are, less than two months to the big day and it's time to get down to brass tacks.  I am going to be doing a 21 mile run in March and want to be sure I am strong and ready by the time it comes along so I am looking forward to bringing my momentum into week 12.

Week 9 - From NOLA to Heartbreak Hill

 WE DID IT!

Before I get started on my week 9 recap today, I need to make a very exciting announcement.  Yesterday, I held my Lori Runs Boston fundraiser at Slumbrew's American Fresh Taproom, where I was joined by my incredible friends and family in the middle of a snowy Boston Sunday.  The event was not only incredibly fun, but also brought in a net total of $920, which brought my total fundraising efforts to $5,053!!!!  

Thanks to YOU, I have surpassed my fundraising goal for Victory Programs!!!!! 

I cannot thank everyone who donated to my Crowdrise page and came to my event enough for your amazing generosity.  This experience has been a truly humbling experience and your support and I can hardly put into words how much your faith in me means.  I am so touched and thankful.

Although I have reached my goal, I am still more than happy to accept donations at my Crowdrise page. Every penny donated does directly to Victory Programs so there's no such thing as being finished!

I'd also like to share that last week, while most of the city was shoveling snow or at the Patriot's Super Bowl victory parade, Victory Programs expanded its Chamblet Family Home to 6 additional families. YOUR donations helped make this happen!  Good job, guys and gals!!!

Note: Please note that my Crowdrise page does not reflect the total $5,053 as I have to wait for all of the funds from my event to be processed and manually entered into Crowdrise, but I promise you, we did it!

Lori Runs New Orleans

Last I left you, friends, I was in New Orleans celebrating a Patriot's Super Bowl victory! I was careful to keep the celebrating in check because I wanted to get up early on Monday and get my long run in. My boyfriend, who went to college at Tulane, gave me directions on a nice route that would allow me to get my 13 miles in.  Unfortunately, my sense of direction was WAY off and I got a little lost.  I wasn't sure what to do when I caught sight of a pair of runners and I thought, "hey, let's just follow the locals!"  I ended up on a nice riverfront stretch along the Mississippi River.  The sun was out and it was really lovely.  Unfortunately, I didn't want to get lost again so I just ran the river walk back and forth several time, which was less than exciting after the 3rd time or so.

I did a little bit more of the run around the French Quarter, which was really great.  I think New Orleans might be the most magical place I've ever seen.  The architecture was so beautiful and everyone I passed smiled or waved or wished me a good morning and I loved it.  All of the houses and businesses were also decorated for Mardi Gras, which was totally awesome.  I couldn't help but stop and take this photo of a house totally done up for the holiday.

Later in the day, Mike and I went for a drive around the city and he showed me where I went wrong on my run - I took a left instead of a right and threw myself off course.  Oh well, I'll know better when we go back in June.

Home Sweet Home? 

 

Tuesday was a busy day in New Orleans, as Mike and I tried to pack a lot of fun things in before going back to the airport to go back to Boston so I didn't run.  We came home to a LOT of snow on the ground.  An additional foot or so of snow landed while we were away and I immediately wished we had stayed in NOLA for a little longer!

I didn't let the snow stop me on Wednesday, though.  The temperatures were reasonable on Wednesday (above 32!) so I threw on my running YakTrax and gave it a go.

::START RANT:: If you don't shovel your sidewalk you are evil.  I know there's a lot of snow on the ground and it's tough to keep up, but if you don't even at least TRY to make it safe for people to walk/run down the sidewalk you are a jerk. Not only is it dangerous for pedestrians and runners like myself, but it's wildly hazardous for the elderly and virtually impossible for a person with a disability. Not taking care of your property forces people to walk in the streets, which adds additional potential for accidents and it's no bueno!!!  As Bill Belichick would say, "Do your job!" ::END RANT::

I logged 5 slow miles, dogging ice and snowbanks, cars and slush puddles.  It was TOUGH, but I'm glad I got out there.  Can't let the snow slow me down...I'd never run again if I did that! Just a note, I mentioned the other week that when I used my YakTrax for the first time that I was hitting my right leg with my left foot and got a bruise.  Well, it happened again this time and I actually took a photo of it.  The YakTrax are 100% worth it, but beware that if your form is a little wonky like mine, this might happen.

Cross Training 

 

At my last appointment on 1/26 my orthopedic doctor suggested that I do some more work to strengthen the muscles in my legs to avoid another muscle tear. Honestly, I know nothing about using weight machines or free weights or any of that stuff so on Thursday, I brought my boyfriend to the gym with me.  He does a lot of weight training and was able to teach me how to use a bunch of the machines and some good free weight exercises.  I want to start incorporating these into my training because another muscle tear is NOT an option during marathon training!

Facing Heartbreak Hill

 

Training for the marathon alone is HARD so I am lucky to have a friend that is looking out for me! By now, you've heard me talk about my friend Dani who is running with Tedy's Team.  She's been so awesome by inviting me to different runs and giving me really useful advice.  I was so psyched when she invited me to join Tedy's Team for their 10 mile run on Saturday that included Heartbreak Hill since I had never run it before.

In case you didn't know, Heartbreak Hill is actually a 3 mile stretch of rolling hills - not just one hill - and taken on their own are actually not so bad.  Heartbreak, however, falls at a critical point on the Marathon route (around mile 16) when runners are really starting to hit a wall so the hills feel 10 times worse then they normally would.

We all met in Kenmore Square and took the Green Line to Riverside and off we went!  It took about 2

miles to get from the station to Heartbreak so I was nice and warmed up but not tired by the time we got there.  I couldn't believe how many people were running the carriage road along the hill!  Individuals and charity teams alike were everywhere! It was so inspiring to see all of these people out in the morning working toward the same goal.  I was so caught up in the moment and the excitement of being around all of these other runners, I didn't even think to take out my phone and snap a photo.  Fortunately, Dani snapped a pic at Riverside before we began, so I am at least share that one!

We ran Commonwealth Ave to Beacon Street and back into Kenmore Square, where Dani's wife picked us up and spared us a long train ride back into Somerville.  Thanks, Tori!

Now that I feel like I have a  handle on how to get to get to Heartbreak, I want to try getting out there on my own and incorporating it into my long runs so I can really be ready for it on April 20!

An Amazing Time at American Fresh

 

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I held my Lori Runs Boston fundraiser on Sunday at Slumbrew's American Fresh Taproom.  I was so surprised that everyone who bought a ticket still came even though a steady snow fell for most of the day!

The raffle was a great success, and even strangers who were just at the Taproom for a beer bought tickets!  Everyone was impressed at how great the prizes were, so I owe a lot of thanks to the businesses that gave so freely to my cause.


Mike set up a Finish Line photo booth and people had a great time posing for photos.  You can check them out here.  I am particularly partial to this one of me and my mom.  She's the best!

I was also selling my Lori Runs Boston tote bags at the event and only have 8 left for sale!  They're $20 each and I'll cover shipping if you want one mailed to you!  If you're interested in purchasing, please email me!

I want to again thank everyone who came on Sunday and a special thanks to Slumbrew and the staff at American Fresh!  I highly recommend connecting with them if you'd like to hold a fundraising event. They were friendly, helpful and very easy to work with.  My guests had a great time and so did I!