Weekend inspiration

For my weekly recap, I could write about my weekend runs and yep, that would be fine...OR I could tell you about some events I spectated this weekend that were really inspirational, events and people that reminded me to never give up. Do you believe like I do that there are no coincidences? Because all of this is perfect timing as I head into my Chicago marathon training and the chase for that sub-4 marathon.

Yep, that's what I'll do, recap those, because man, I had lots of goosebumps this weekend!

Saturday morning, I went for a 5 miler around the 'hood. Despite the foam rolling I had done the night before, my legs were uber stiff from that heavy lifting that Becky had me do on Thursday. I didn't mind the stiffness because I had a hamstring scare while doing my deadlifts. Luckily there were no residual effects and once I got moving, my legs loosened up. Sort of. It was a slowish-5, but I got it done and headed off to work. My son was playing in a rugby tournament, playing for the state championship, and I had hoped to get there later for some of the games in the afternoon.

Matthew with the ball

When I arrived, the second game of the day had just finished up. Matthew was playing on the B team, and I heard the coaches and teammates congratulating him for his hard work chasing down the runners on the field. He also scored a try, which was pretty exciting! (similar to a touchdown in football). He did get thrown to the ground and landed on his head, and I was a little worried, but he told me he was fine, even though his vision was a little funky. I hoped that he maybe was just a little dehydrated, and with some fluids and rest, he said he felt much better. He went back in for the third game, and played hard, but his teammates' play was less than inspired, and they lost, knocked out of the finals. He wanted to stay to watch the A team matches, and I'm so glad we did because we were rewarded with some amazing rugby.

The boys on the A team were playing for the state championship against a tough Catholic high school power team. This group, a combined team from 3 high schools, takes their rugby very seriously, even having a guy on the sidelines filming the matches. Our group is way more laid back. It was clear that the opposing team was planning on winning. Well (spoiler alert), that isn't what happened. Our boys showed up to play, and play they did. I have never seen so much heart and sweat in one game of any sport I've watched. They chased every player down, tackling and denying points. At one point, one of the players from our team was on his knees, trying to catch his breath. But the other players took over. On the sidelines, we were cheering, and the boys picked up the pace. There was some amazing defense, but wow, the offense, the passing, the catches, the trys...I didn't see any mistakes made. I walked away with so much respect for these boys and the passion they brought to the game. They never gave up, even though they were tired. The win was nice, of course, but even more so was the teamwork and camaraderie that I witnessed on and off the field. The championship was shared with all members of the teams, both A and B, and that was really, really special.

The entire Arlington Stallions Sevens team and coaches

Sunday morning, I did my first long run of my marathon training cycle, an 8 miler. Again, my legs were stiff, but they opened up nicely after the first mile, and I was able to finish the second half of the run with negative splits! I loved that I had so much left in the tank at the end, and I credit that to the heavy lifting Becky is having me do. More on that to come in an upcoming blog post.

After the run, I connected with Sara, and we headed out to the Lake Zurich triathlon to watch our friend Michelle cross the finish line of her first Olympic distance triathlon. We met up with Michelle's husband and daughters, and lined up near the finish line where she would be coming in. Her oldest daughter wanted to run in with her, and she got in position, waiting for her mom. While we waited, we watched all the athletes come in. It was a hot, steamy morning, and some of the runners were really struggling. A few were walking. We tried to encourage them, but some just shook their heads. It was hard to see that, but having been there, I get it.

Michelle, finishing strong, with Julia to run her in!

It wasn't hard to spot Michelle in her bright yellow trisuit, and she flew past us with Julia at her side. We met up with them at the finish line, where Mish struggled to catch her breath. Her youngest daughter told her that her heart was beating really fast. No doubt! Mish did better than she expected, but she told us how hard it was. The hardest part for her, she said, was the run. Which I found interesting, considering that she started out as a runner. But I guess after swimming and biking in the heat, the run would be tough for any of us. She kept saying she would never do another one, but you know that's just the exhaustion talking. I felt such a huge sense of pride standing next to her!

Me, Michelle, and Sara. And yep, I loved my salty, sweaty hugs! <3

Having been along for the ride as Michelle pursued this new activity and really going for it with an Olympic distance triathlon, as well as watching my son tackle a brand new sport after playing football all these years, showed me that you should never be afraid to take risks. As I head into marathon training, having witnessed both these special people pursue their passion, I plan to train with the same passion and zeal demonstrated by both my friend and my son and his teammates.

My new favorite inspirational lyrics:

"This is my fight song. Take back my life song. Prove I'm all right song. My power's turned on. Starting right now I'll be strong. I'll play my fight song. And I don't care if nobody else believes. 'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me. "-Fight Song by Rachel Platten.

Who inspires you? Have you ever considered trying something new? Why or why not?

I'm linking up with Tara at RunningNReading and her awesome weekend update! Check out what everyone else is up to!

DebRuns has picked inspiration as the word of the week for WednesdayWord! I'll be linking up this post. It's always interesting to see what everyone else says, so check it out!

Book Club Interview with Alexandra Heminsley, author of Running Like A Girl

This month's Taking the Long Way Home book club selection was Running Like A Girl by Alexandra Heminsley. I hope you enjoyed the book as much as I did. The review and link up will be posted on July 15. Meanwhile, I am thrilled to have this interview with Heminsley to share with all of you! 

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TTLWH: I really loved your story because I could really relate to so much of your story…from being intimidated in the running store (even after 20 years of running and multiple distance events, I still feel not worthy) to your struggle in the San Francisco women’s marathon. Out of all the races you’ve run, which is your favorite? Which race was the toughest for you?

AH: They all mean such different things! I think my favourite race to run is the Brighton half as it's my hometown, it's a road I run a lot, I always feel so proud of my city .. and it's short enough that you can go for a nice Sunday lunch afterwards! The toughest was San Francisco - I had massively underestimated how much the jetlag and the loneliness would get to me. I needed support more than ever that day - luckily I got a lot of texts.

TTLWH: And how did you run that half marathon while crying? As the mom of 2 teenage boys, I leave a lot out on the road, but the one thing I can’t do is run and cry at the same time! It’s too hard to breathe!

AH: Well, it wasn't just non-stop sobbing - it was more a lump in my throat that became a giant gulpy sob when I tried to smile, thinking I was sweating then realising my eyes were streaming with tears, a few gaspy sobs, then calming myself down for 20 minutes, then something would catch my eye and it would begin all over again... It really did mess up my breathing, but my head was so full of emotional after seeing what my sister and her family had been through that it felt like small fry in comparison.

TTLWH: I think that the inspiration you receive from your family, especially your father, is amazing! Does your dad still run? And do you and your brother have any races planned together this year?

AH: My dad doesn't run any more, but he has a mountain bike which he goes on huge expeditions all over Wiltshire on. I think running was such a specific part of his life, when he had three very young children and needed that escape. Now he lives in the middle of the countryside and we're all elsewhere so he has peace and exercise whenever he wants. He is an avid viewer though - we stood on the last mile of the London Marathon together this year and watched everyone from the elite men, to Paula Radcliffe on her final race, to the very last charity runners. 

TTLWH: Speaking of races, SF was your “goal race”. Mine’s Boston. What’s up next for you? Do you have any other goal races? 

AH: I don't have any more goal races, but my goal is trying to run 1000 miles this year. I'm a bit behind so far but I'm going to keep going to 1000 even if it takes me longer than 365 days. It's really changed my relationship with running  - its forced me to do just 2 miles on days when I really didn't want to, but I *hate* that some days it feels as if hill or sprint training isn't worth it as I get exhausted without getting a good mileage in. I've already run significantly further than I did in the two years that I ran two marathons though.

TTLWH: Like many other women, I was inspired by your story! I couldn’t imagine that you almost quit running, after all those people told you that you inspired them! The first marathon is pretty magical, and it’s hard to top that experience. Are you still the “girl who did”? Do people still look to you for inspiration, advice? Have you run any of your other friends across a finish line?

AH: Yes and yes! The book has been published in 13 countries now, so every single day I hear from people in Norway, Mexico, Australia, all over - either telling me their stories or asking for advice. It's incredible the number of miles that have been racked up all over the globe now! And two weeks ago I did a 10k with my sister and my sister in law, whose first ever race it was. It was a fantastic day, and I got to meet loads of readers too. People kept coming up to me in front of my family - they find it hysterical that I can inspire people to any sort of sporting activity given my teenage years!

TTLWH: As I’ve become more serious about running, my circle of friends has changed. I spend more time with my running friends and less time with my ‘mom’ friends. Do you still hang with your same group of friends? Do you find that you have changed, that you have less in common with those friends?

AH: No, my group of friends hasn't changed at all. I was very much the outlier as the runner. I only joined a running club about 3 months ago! The thing that has changed is that I got married, and between us we have a lot of nieces and nephews, so my weekends aren't quite as free for endless long runs as they were. 

TTLWH: Besides your dad, who inspires you? Have you ever met any of your idols?

AH: I find all sorts of people inspiring. There are some feminist pals like Caitlin (Moran) who really gave me confidence to write Running Like a Girl the way that I wanted to, there are sports people like Paula Radcliffe who I have now met, and I'll cherish that for the rest of my life, and then there are people like the swimming teachers I have got to know this year who change lives and give people confidence on a day-to-day basis that I find hugely inspiring. I find volunteer projects like goodgym very inspiring too - running is more than exercise, it can be used for social good.

TTLWH: It took me forever to call myself “a runner” or “an athlete”. How do you see yourself? 

AH: I'm a runner. I'll always been a runner now, even if I'm playing dodgeball that day. 

TTLWH: And finally, did you really think Simon Cowell was sexy? I just LOL’d at this comment! 

AH: It wasn't just me! When he was first on tv about ten years ago he was in all the magazines as some sort of sexy beast and the world fell for it hook like and sinker! It was a collective moment of madness...

Have you read her book? What would you have asked her if you could? 

The book review and linkup goes live on Tuesday July 14! I've included the badge below for you to insert in your blog post. PS: I still haven't figured out how to get the code to link back to this post...any helpful hints would be great!

Remember, you don't have to write a blog to post your review! You can just post in the comments. Thanks again for participating.

<a href="http://oldrunningmom.blogspot.com/2015/07/book-club-interview-with-alexandra.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_2306_zpsp6y4hf8j.jpg" border="0" src="http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo181/wendyrivard/IMG_2306_zpsp6y4hf8j.jpg" style="height: 256px; width: 320px;" />/&gt;</a> 

The humbling

Bill Rodgers, veteran marathoner said it best: "The marathon can humble you. " But let's face it. Running any distance is hard. Running is humbling.

Any runner who has trained for an event and then crashed and burned would agree. I talk a lot about my disappointing first Chicago marathon. I trained well for that race. I set a goal time for 4:30 to finish, based on my training runs. My 20 miler went without a hitch. Then came the morning of the race. I was already  a bundle of nerves. But what did me in was the heat of the day. While I was prepared to run the distance, I wasn't mentally prepared to deal with the conditions. And those conditions were my undoing. I was so humbled by this race that I couldn't even consider doing another marathon until I won that entry last summer, a full 3 years later.

Respect the distance? Yes, sir!

I've come a long way since that race. My second marathon was the race I knew I had in me. I've run quite a few halfs since then as well, and most of them have gone well.

Alrighty, then! I've got this thing!

Ok, maybe not. I say most of those halfs, because, last year I had 2 very difficult, humbling halfs. Both of them were run in high humidity and heat, which seems to be the biggest humbler for me.

There are a few other "humblers" that keep me in check.

A few weeks ago, during my virtual half marathon, I got a horrible side stitch! I tried to run it off, which works most of the time, but this one was really painful and I had to stop and walk. I thought only beginners got side stitches? Talk about humbling. According to this article in Runner's World, side stitches are caused by a spasm in the diaphragm. The diaphragm gets fatigued, just like any other muscle in the body. I was tired and hot on that run. But a side stitch? I haven't stopped thinking about it, and have been paying a lot more attention to my breathing since then.

Hitting the wall is humbling. Not just limited to marathon runners, hitting the wall or "bonking" happens when the body runs out of fuel. Not too long ago, I hit the wall when I was running an 8 miler. Seriously. At mile 6, my legs just didn't want to go anymore. I felt like I was running through the mud. When I finally finished and looked at my splits, I was astonished at the drop in my pace. I didn't eat before that run, which isn't unusual for me, but this time it didn't work out so well for me. I felt pretty stupid, because as an experienced runner, I should know better.

My tummy keeps me humble. I may be fast, but I can't always run the paces I want because my GI tract also likes to run. I won't go into details, but I've had to stop in the middle of a race to avoid a code brown, and that's pretty humbling. I've learned mostly what I can and cannot eat, and that has helped this issue a ton. When I eat a food that affects me, I pay the price. How many times do you have to get hit over the head before you learn a lesson?

Injuries are humbling. I've had my share of injuries, and there's nothing worse than having your feeling of invincibility shut down by ITB syndrome. Or patellofemoral stress syndrome. Both due to overuse. Both very preventable. Both very humbling. I do a lot of yoga and stretching to try to prevent some of the more common injuries. Foam rolling helps too.

Sometimes you trip and fall. A few summers ago, I was running across the sidewalk and my toe caught a sprinkler head. I started to fly and knew that it wasn't going to be a good ending. Time passes so slowly when you're going to hurt yourself. All I could think about is, "my teeth!" and I turned my head as I landed on the ground. Ugh. I got up on my hands and knees. A car stopped to ask me if I was ok, and I waved him off. By the way, I did finish the run. Bloody knees and all.

The last humbler is the biggest one of all. There will be people in your life who aren't impressed with all your running and your accomplishments. Maybe it's jealousy or maybe they just don't care. Or maybe it's you? There's nothing like indifference to bring a runner back down to earth. My dad always used to say "when you're as great as me, it's hard to be humble". Tongue in cheek of course, but something to keep in mind.

No matter what it is, just when you think you've got this running thing, something happens to remind you that you're just a mere mortal. I think it's running's way of making you appreciate the gift that is running. It's important to set realistic expectations for yourself. Not every run is going to be awesome. Be grateful for those good runs. When you're having a tough time out there on the road, remind yourself of a good run. And keep it humble.

What keeps you humble?

I'm linking up with DebRuns' Wednesday Word link up! Be sure to head over to her blog and see what everyone else has to say about this week's work, humble.

Street cred

I'm a little late to the party, but it looks like I have two more inductees into my Great Liars in Running Hall of Fame. Did you miss this post? Last year, I took to task those runners who printed copies of a woman's Boston marathon bib after she posted it on social media. I also found a few other runners and race organizers to keep those runners company. I've had a few other inductees since that original post. The candidates just keep on coming forward.

I'm going to put it out there: I despise cheaters. But my teenagers tell me that cheating is rampant in school these days. Tom Brady is letting the air out of footballs. FIFA officials are taking bribes and the St Louis Cardinals are hacking into the Houston Astros computer network. Cheating is everywhere, and why shouldn't amateur athletes be any different?

Everyone's doing it, right?

It's getting hard to be an honest athlete.

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First up is Mike Rossi. You might remember him as that dad who posted a letter he sent to the principal of his kids school. Still doesn't ring a bell? He ran the Boston Marathon, and the school principal refused to excuse his kids' absences from school when they accompanied him on his trip. He wrote a really great letter, all about how they got all kinds of life experience traveling with him to Boston and watching him chase a life dream. This is the stuff that goes viral. And it did. I read it, and I was pretty impressed. Heck, I'd pull my kids out of school to accompany me to Boston, if I qualified. Even though my youngest recently asked me if he really had to go to Boston.

Unfortunately for Mr. Rossi, people scrutinized his self-righteousness. And they found something really interesting. It appears that maybe, just maybe, he didn't actually qualify for Boston. The race he ran was not consistent with any of his past race finish times. Race photos didn't show him in any photos except crossing the finish line. And there were no chip mats along the race to track his progress.

I've run races like that. Last year, when I ran that hot, steamy Zooma Chicago half marathon, there were no timing mats on the course. I could have turned around early and headed back to the finish line. No one would have been the wiser, right? I didn't do it, but I could have and salvaged what was my slowest half ever. Right. And live with the knowledge that I cheated?

I'm not saying Rossi did this. And since there was no proof that he cheated, the Boston Marathon didn't DQ him. He has to live with the knowledge that maybe or maybe not...he didn't actually qualify. His Boston finish time? 4:01:42. Way less than his 3:11:45 qualifying time.

Rossi photo courtesy of phillymag.com

Heck, I want to run Boston. But not bad enough to cheat. Not saying that he did. But you know what? I bet he was just so excited about running Boston that he had to go and make a big deal about it. In the world we live in now, where you can check everything with a click, you need to keep it on the up and up.

Hope he enjoyed his 15 minutes of fame/infamy. I wonder what his kids learned about all this?

I smell a rat....

As it turns out, Rossi isn't alone doing whatever it takes for a BQ. Kendall Schler qualified to run Boston this spring after she came in 3rd at the Go! St Louis marathon last year. This year, she won that marathon! Interestingly, when race officials reviewed the race, they discovered that their winner didn't cross any of the 7 timing strips along the course. Race officials smelled a rat, and reviewed last year's results as well.  Nope, Schler didn't cross any mats at that race either.

When asked about this, she told race officials that she "removed" the timing strip from her race bib. Oh, ok then! We'll just go with your word on it then. You keep that $1500 prize.

Sarcasm aside, I've run a lot of races, and I've never taken the timing strip off my race bibs. Help me to understand why anyone would do that? Supposedly she wears the bib on her leg instead of her shirt, and maybe the strip makes it hard to attach the bib to her leg? You know, that pesky plastic makes the bib a little stiff. Hard to run with that wrapped around your leg. Especially if you're a super fast runner--those quads need to breathe.

I know people do this, put their bib on their leg, but you're really not supposed to do that anyways...but I digress...

Schler photo courtesy of runhaven.com

Ok, just for the sake of argument, let's say she's telling the truth and she won fair and square, sans timing chip. Then explain why, just like Rossi above, there were no race photos of Schler anywhere along the course. Race officials reviewed this year's photos, and nope, none except of Schler crossing the finish line. And when asked to provide photos, Schler could not.

So race officials contacted the Boston marathon, and Schler was disqualified from the race. A BQ and a DQ. You don't see that every day.

I get the desire to run Boston. The Boston Marathon really is the pinnacle of running for long distance runners. I'd love to qualify. But I couldn't run it knowing I cheated to get in. I couldn't live with myself. Heck, I couldn't even quit on my virtual half last weekend! But just say I get a BQ but I don't get in because a cheater qualified with a little better time than me and took my spot. Wouldn't that be horrible? For me it would...

Sadly, these stories are becoming more common, and I can't help but wonder if cheating is becoming more acceptable. The desire to win is so strong and the stakes are so high, it's no wonder athletes are pushing the limits. But we're amateur athletes. We're never going to win. We should be happy that we get to run. Our only competition should be ourselves. We need to set a good example for our children and young athletes. There's pride in a job well done, a race well run, fair and square. And that should be enough for all of us.

To Rossi and Schler, welcome to the Hall of Fame. Say hi to Rosie while you're there.

Race recaps: My threesome weekend

Before I start, this is a running blog. And when I post about a threesome, it can only mean one thing. Three races. A trifecta. The triple play. Hat trick. So if you were looking for something else, well, just keep looking. Mind, meet gutter.

This was a big race weekend for me. Not only did I have a live 10k, the Stampede Run, but I also had 2 virtual runs to complete, the Nuun Run/Ride/Hydrate 10k and the Gone For A Run All 4 Run The virtual runs could be completed any time over the weekend. At first I thought I'd just do them all on Sunday, as part of my live race. After more thought, I realized that just didn't seem like the right thing to do. So here are my 3 recaps of my 3 races.

Nuun Run/Ride/Hydrate 10k

As a Nuun ambassador, I was offered entry into this ambassador only race. There was a 5k, 10k, or 10 mile ride option. Since I normally run 6 miles, I chose the 10k option. As part of the race swag, I received a t-shirt, bib, medal, tattoos, stickers, and one tablet of Nuun. I really liked the t-shirt design! Sticking to the superstition of never wearing the race shirt for the actual race, I pulled on a Chicago marathon long sleeve shirt to run this one. My calves and shins have been bothering me, so I also wore my SLS3 compression socks to try to alleviate some of the discomfort. No luck there. I could hear my feet flapping on the ground as my shins kept getting tighter and I had to stop twice to stretch out my calves. It really wasn't until mile 5 that I felt loose. Luckily, my pace wasn't affected by my discomfort. I finished this one in 52:46, an average pace of 8:30 mins/mile. But I was concerned that this shin tightness was going to be an issue all weekend, and I did some yoga stretching after my run. 

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Gone For A Run All 4 Run

Disclaimer: I was given free entry and all the swag you see in the picture from Gone For A Run in exchange for 2 blog posts. The race and all the opinions are mine.

Because of the shin/calf issues I had on Thursday, for this race, which I ran on the 4th, I pulled out a new pair of shoes. The pair I had been running in only had about 320 miles on them, but clearly it was time for new shoes. I had hoped to get this pair through the next 2 weeks before marathon training started, but no luck. 

I put on my new shoes and headed out for my run. It took a while to get a signal on my Garmin, which was a little concerning to me with my live race coming up the next day. Once I finally got the go ahead, I headed out on my neighborhood 4 mile route. In spite of my vigorous foam rolling and stretching, the heavy lifting I did with Becky on Thursday really made my start painful and slow. On the other hand, I had no issues with my shins. I found that encouraging, and after about a half mile, my legs started to loosen up. I found my pace, and went with it.

I hadn't planned on racing this one, but with the gorgeous morning sun and my newfound power, I decided to go with it. And no tummy troubles at all! Wearing my new shoes seemed to be the right thing to do. This turned about to be a fantastic run for me. I finished this 4 miler in 33:42, with an average pace of 8:26. I immediately hoped that I didn't push it too hard for my live 10k the following day. It was back to the foam roller for me!

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Stampede 10k

Sara and me at the starting line!

This is my hometown race, held every year on the Sunday of July 4 weekend. There's a 5k and a 10k option, and the race is pretty popular, attracting some fast local runners.  This year was no exception. My friend Sara and I made plans to do this one together. She met me at my house early, and we drove the short distance to the race. We parked the car and walked the 2 blocks to the start line. Both of us wanted to make one last pit stop before the start of the race, and we headed over to the portapotties. Because the 5k and 10k racers start together, we were worried that we would be weaving through the walkers, and so we lined up towards the front. The gun went off and so did we! Sara took off with the fast runners, and I was surprised to be passed by so many people! I felt like I was running pretty fast, and at mile one, my split was 7:57, so my suspicion was confirmed! It was warming up, and I wanted to run conservatively, so I slowed down a little bit, and continued to be passed by people, most of whom I assumed were the 5k runners. My legs felt loose, and I was glad I ran that 4 miler the day before. 

Shortly after mile 2, I was really hot, so I walked through the water station while drinking. Off to the side, I saw Sara, looking very distressed. I stopped to check on her, and she told me to go ahead and that she'd meet me at the finish line. I felt really badly for her, but I started to run again. She was on my mind the whole time after that. 

At the 2.5 mile point, the 5k runners turned off. It's always so tempting to cut the race short when it's hot, isn't it? But I moved forward with my 10k pals, and for the rest of the race, stayed with most of the same people. I stopped once more to get water at mile 4, and then counted down the songs to the finish. I felt great. There was a guy running next to me, and he would not let me pass him. It was pretty funny. I'd speed up, and so would he. Lynyrd Skynyrd's Call Me the Breeze came on, and I picked up the pace, finally losing him. But at the final turn to the finish line, I watched him blow past me at full speed. Nothing like being passed by a 52 year old woman to get a guy moving, right?

I crossed the finish line in 52:04. My Garmin time was 51:46, but I have it set to stop when I do, and I did have those 2 water stops. I was happy to see that I didn't lose much time doing that! I grabbed some water and a kefir and headed over to the results table to see how I did. I was happy to see that I came in 3rd in my AG! When I checked the official results later, though I saw that out of 342 runners, I was 113. That tells you how fast this field was!

After that, I found Sara, and we headed home. She ended up with her first DNF, but was a trooper about it. I shared my TMI stories with her, to make her feel better. It's her story to tell, but I will share with you that she left her shorts on the curb and went home in a blanket that I gave her. Something that only runners can understand. We laughed about that all the way back to my house!

Overall, I enjoyed all 3 races, but there is nothing like a live race atmosphere. I was nervous for this one, and those nerves drive me to a fast finish. It's fun to run the course along with the other participants, even the guys who get motivated by being "chicked". My favorite part of the race is the last mile and crossing the finish line. That is the best feeling. No bling from this one, but I do get a pint glass for my AG award. I actually prefer that, because every time I drink from one, it reminds me of what I'm capable of!

Did you race this weekend? How did you do? Have you ever done a virtual race? Which do you prefer, virtual or live?

I'm sharing this with Tara's RunningNReading Weekend Update linkup! Check out what everyone else is up to!

And the Silvah Lining!

#RunThisYear June 2015 summary

And another month comes to a close...it's time to check out my progress on this years goals!

June was a great month for me. Without any race to train for, I got to just enjoy running. It's a good thing, because this was, according to Tom Skilling, intrepid Chicago weatherman, the wettest June on record. I wasn't exaggerating when I whined about the humidity and the rain. There wasn't much sun to enjoy. But I got those miles in, and hit 600 for the year! We were in one of my happy places, Door County Wisconsin, which you can read all about here. I can't think of a better place to hit a milestone.

I forgot my bib. Can you tell that I'm holding my iPad? 

So how did I do on the goals?

Sub-2 half marathon: I am happy to have hit that goal twice this year! This month I ran a virtual half marathon, the Skirt Sports 13er, on a humid, hot Sunday morning. I recapped it here. I didn't hit sub 2, but for this race, I had no goal but to complete it, since I wasn't trained for a half. Plus, there was no way in these conditions, that I could sub-2. It was brutal. And we all know that humidity is not my friend. The victory was in the finish, since this was a virtual run, and I had no incentive to finish it, except for pride. It was a mental victory, for sure!

Staying injury free: Fingers and toes crossed, but things are status quo. The toe keeps reminding me that it's there, but nothing has escalated. To me, that's a win. My tummy problems are a little better, but I think that due to some continued stress in my life, I'll be battling that for the rest of my training. Becky has me doing a heavy lifting cycle right now, and I look at that work as insurance for my marathon training. Strong muscles=protection for my joints.

Controlling the mama drama: Nothing earth shattering this month, my oldest finally got a job again. The good thing is that his hours are 4-10, and I think that keeps him out of trouble. But he's so rude to me that it's very stressful for me to be around him. I didn't realize this until I was out of town this past weekend and I was able to relax and get some good sleep! On this trip out of town, I spent some time with my youngest and that was just great. Stay tuned.

Have you started it yet?

Grow the blog: I finally took the plunge and signed up for Twitter. So many people told me that I needed to do this if I wanted to get more engagement on the blog. Dare I say I'm more than overwhelmed? I'm starting to figure it out, but there's so much to learn. Right now, I'm trying to keep my focus on writing good posts and interacting with my readers. That's why I started writing, and that's the goal! I had 2 blog posts featured on FitApproach. The Book Club is still going strong. This month's author, Alexandra Heminsley has agreed to an interview, so we're back on track! And the book, Running Like A Girl, is getting good feedback! It's been fun to have a few campaigns tho...I had a giveaway for SLS3 compression socks, which was a huge hit, and the webinar for the Vision Council, which I really enjoyed. I'm linking up with The Silvah Lining once a month for a Race Recap link up and HoHoRuns and I are working on another link up...stay tuned! 

My downtown Chicago run!

Sub-4 marathon: Becky and I are finishing up this heavy lifting cycle, and then marathon training commences in a couple of weeks. I'm running conservatively right now, just trying to preserve the legs. I was feeling a little burnt out and blah, but a few good runs in some decent weather and some fun places turned that all around. I can and I will!

The Stats:

Miles run: 105

Miles biked: 30.6

Races run: Skirt Sports 13er virtual run 2:06:50

How about you? It's the halfway point for the year? Have you checked in with your goals?

Miss Independence

Independent? Me?

Last week, while training with Becky, I met another woman who is also training for Chicago. She's also a nurse practitioner, my age, my pace, and I commented that we needed to talk "training". She told me she's running long runs on Saturday with the Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA). I replied that I couldn't participate, that I work every other Saturday. And yes, that I like to run alone.

George Thorogood sang it...

Just substitute the word "run" for "drink" and you've got it...

And there's that...

Last year for my marathon training, I did run all my long runs alone. I do this for all my race training. I actually enjoy this. I most recently ran a virtual half marathon by myself. You can read about that here.

So many people like to run with a group or a partner, and I think about this a lot. But there's a couple of legitimate reasons that I like to run by myself.

And there's that..

My race, my pace. I like to run my pace. I never know what a run is going to bring. Some runs are fast, some are slow. I don't want to have to adjust my pace to someone else's. Whether they are faster or slower, it doesn't matter. I don't want to have to worry about slowing someone down or making someone run faster than they like.

A little less conversation, a little more action please...thank you very much. I'm not really an Elvis fan, but seriously. When I run, I like to listen to my music and tune out. And run. Besides, talking while I run messes up my breathing. Unless I'm running slow. Which is not what I want to do on a training run.

And speaking of music, I like to listen to music on a training run. If I'm running with someone else, I can't do this. Can I?

Oh God, no!

My...ummm...GI issues.. And there's that. It had to be said. Sometimes I have to make a pit stop and this can be distressing to me. The last thing I'd want is to embarrass myself while running with someone. I need to deal with this, alone.

I love the idea of training with a partner. I do. Companionship, camaraderie, moral support...it's all good.

But not for me. Above all, the main reason I like to run alone is that running is the only time of day that I'm by myself. For me, it's a time of reflection and self-assessment. I cherish those runs. And I look forward to them.

How about you? Do you like to run alone? Or do you prefer a partner or a group?

I'm linking this post with DebRuns and Wednesday Word! It's Independence Day this week, and our word of the week is Independent. Check out all the other posts to get their take on this word.