Friday Five – Race Memories

August 8, 2014 by 25 Comments

Linking up with the fun ladies of the DC Trifecta again this Friday. Today’s theme – Race Memories…so come take a little walk down memory lane with me!

Medals

Boston’s Run to Remember — My first half marathon! Without a doubt, this will go down as one of my all time favorite race experiences! My whole family turned out in force all along the course to support me, and my husband surprised me by ordering matching shirts for everyone. Best cheer squad ever. I smiled the whole race! (Recap HERE)IMG_0717

 

 

 

 

IMG_1273

Philadelphia Half Marathon — This was the first time I’d traveled to a race. I just loved everything about this race experience – as you can see from this picture 🙂 Loved the course and the crowd support — so much so that I’m going back this November! (Recap HERE)

 

ZOOMA Cape Cod Half — What made this race fun was all about the people! I was a race ambassador and the other ambassadors were a great group of ladies to get to know. Also got to meet Sarah & Dimity of Another Mother Runner fame. But best of all it was a fun girls weekend with my running buddy E – we both PR’d and had a blast together! (Recap HERE)

Pre-race+2

The Time I Played Race Director — Yep one of my favorite race memories is of a race I didn’t even run. A couple of years ago I took on the crazy, stressful and very rewarding task of being race director for the local 5K and kids’ fun runs to benefit my sons’ school. I was both thrilled and exhausted by the time the day was done, and I had developed a serious appreciation for all that goes into race planning. A very worthwhile experience and while everyone can’t play race director, I seriously encourage every runner to volunteer at a race at least once! (Recap HERE)

My Son’s 1st 5K — For those of you who’ve been around here for a while I’m sure you’re not surprised to see this one on the list of my top race memories! Nothing better than watching your child push themselves to reach a goal…and being asked to come along for the ride 🙂 (Recap HERE)  picmonkey_image (5)

Be sure to check out the link-up with Cynthia, Courtney & Mar — I’m looking forward to reading about everyone’s memories!

DC_linkup

 

signature
Filed Under: Boston's Run to Remember, family running, Friday Five, Philly Half, playing race director, race, ZOOMA Cape Cod

Thursday thoughts: ZOOMA, More ZOOMA & New Shoes

April 11, 2013 by 15 Comments
  1. ZOOMA logo_capecod                              ZOOMA Cape Cod will once again be held in September in Falmouth — I love the Cape in the fall and am very psyched to be a race ambassador again. So grab your BRFs and join me for a great girls’ getaway race weekend. Use code CCAMB2 to save 10% off the registration fee for the half marathon or the 10K. My friend E and I had a great time last year – can’t wait to go back!

  2. And speaking of ZOOMA, I’m happy to announce that for the next 4 months (between now and the Cape race), I’ll be working as their Social Media Coordinator! I love ZOOMA’s mission to inspire women to lead happy, healthy and active lifestyles and I’m very happy to be part of this great team!

  3. Newtons These lovelies showed up at my door recently. The great folks at Newton Running contacted me a couple of weeks ago to invite me to attend one of their Natural Form Running Clinics being held during Marathon Weekend.  I  was invited to attend one of their clinics last year as well – you can read about it HERE. While I couldn’t work my schedule out to go this time around, I was sent this pair of Distance Neutral Performance Trainers to try out! I may take them out on the track today – full review to come.

 If you’re in the Boston area on Friday or Saturday, head to the Charles River at the corner of Memorial Drive and Massachusetts Ave and look for the green Newton Running tent. Clinics begin at 8 a.m

signature
Filed Under: Natural Form Running, Newton Running, opportunities, ZOOMA, ZOOMA Cape Cod

Thursday Thoughts (aka 3 Things)

March 14, 2013 by 4 Comments

Returning to Running

After Sunday’s not-so-long long run, Coach Bennett insisted on 3 days of no running. Cross-training yes, strength training yes, but no running. Of course, Mother Nature decided to serve up some of the best weather days of the month so far – but I left my running shoes in the closet and stuck to my strength work and walking my dog. But today I get to run, and despite the crazy drop in temps, I’m going!

Newport 10 Miler

 

More Race Shopping

Well now that I’m not running the New Bedford Half this weekend, I want to find another race of a decent distance this spring before Boston’s Run to Remember at the end of May. A ten miler would be perfect and I think I may have found the race!  It’s at the end of April so the timing is perfect. I’m going to see how cooperative my ITB is over the next couple of weeks, but I’m tentatively penciling this one in 🙂

 

ZOOMA Ambassador

ZOOMA logo_capecod

I’m very happy to say that once again I been selected as a race ambassador for the ZOOMA race series. I was an ambassador for their inaugural race in Falmouth, MA  last fall and had so much fun! I’m very excited to be part of such a great group of women when they return to Cape Cod in September! So stay tuned, much more fun stuff on this to come!

 

 

signature
Filed Under: 3 things, Boston's Run to Remember, ITB, New Bedford Half, Newport 10 Miler, race shopping, ZOOMA Cape Cod

September Rewind

October 1, 2012 by 15 Comments
Good things for the month:
Yes Dimity is very tall…and I’m so very not 🙂
  • PR at ZOOMA Cape Cod! 
  • Managed to cut off an ITB issue before it turned into an injury.
  • Lots of fun blogger meet-ups thanks to a great ZOOMA race weekend – plus I got to meet and chat with Dimity & Sarah from Another Mother Runner!
Things I could do without:
  • Cranky ITB that resulted in decreasing my miles – just 78 for the month.

What’s up for October:

  • Returning to speedwork to get ready for November’s Chilly Half Marathon.
  • Continue to build on the strength training (3x’s/week) so any ITB issues don’t flare up and I can complete all of my training runs.
  • Focusing on better post-run care — consistently using the foam roller after runs and Epsom salt baths after long runs.
  • Cleaning up my eating – which definitely got a little sloppy as I was adjusting to the new schedule of the kids back at school and all the after-school activities.
  • Running the Canton Fall Classic – a fun local race. I’ll be looking to shave some time off my 5k time, though I’m toying with running the 10k to make up for missing the Tufts 10k for Women (I’ll be cheering my son at his lacrosse tournament instead!)

What have you got planned for October?

signature
Filed Under: Another Mother Runner, Canton Fall Classic, Chilly Half, ITB, month in review, ZOOMA Cape Cod

ZOOMA Cape Cod Race Recap

September 24, 2012 by 16 Comments

Let me start by saying that I don’t think this post can do justice to the great time I had at ZOOMA!

Fun started Friday evening

Brooke, Felice, Tricia, Amy, me & Brae

E and I headed down to Falmouth late Friday afternoon. We checked in and headed to the expo so I could pick up my packet. First person to greet us was the wonderful Tricia! We did a quick tour of the handful of vendors there, met up with a few of the Ambassadors and chatted up Dimity (of Another Mother Runner fame!). Then we headed over to the “Mocktail Hour” sponsored by Hint water. It was great catching up with the other Ambassadors.

E, Felice & Amy

After a pizza dinner it was time to hit the room and get some sleep. When I called home to say good night to my kiddos, J & the boys told me that they were coming down to see the race (earlier we had agreed  that it was going to be too early of a start for them to drive down — apparently once I left my boys made it clear that they weren’t happy about not being there to cheer and promised J they’d be up and ready to go!) Needless to say I was thrilled to hear they were coming!

Race Day

It was wonderful to be staying at the Sea Crest – to just step out the front door and be looking at the starting line. E & I worked our way into the middle of the pack and we were off! Our plan was to try not to go out too fast and to run together until we got to the 10k/half marathon split. The first mile was an out and back that brought us up the road about a half mile then back by the hotel – and there at the turnaround was J and the boys! What a great boost to see them right at the start…and little did I know how many times I’d see them during the race!

The first 3 miles flew by! We were going faster than either of us had planned, but the pace felt good and every so often I’d tell E the pace and make sure she was ok. As we hit the 3 mile marker I told E I was going to slow down just a little but she should keep pushing. We high-fived and she was off and I tried to settle in and prepare for what lay ahead….hills! And oh my the hills seemed to never stop – seemed like every time we turned a corner there was another hill. Lucky for me on the very first climb was my family again! The roads were not closed to traffic so J & the boys could literally drive the course – every couple of miles I’d look up and there they were again and again! It was the best! The comraderie among the women on the course was great – there were about 4 of us who stayed within strides of each other for a good chunk of the race and we would chat and encourage each other which really helped!!


The hills took a toll on my ITB and I slowed considerably during miles 8 and 9. I pulled it back together for miles 10 and 11. Then came my least favorite mile – Mile 12, part of it was uphill and then there was this crazy out and back down a side street- uggh. (Big thanks to Nicole who shouted to me that I was in range of my goal!) Over the final mile I just kept picking up the pace and as I crossed the road to the entrance of the Sea Crest there was J yelling to me. I hit the final turn into the drive and my boys were running along behind me on the lawn. I crossed the finish line with a 2 minute and 21 second PR! The first person I saw was E – she yelled “You did it sub 2:30!” and gave me a big hug. When I asked how she did, she had PR’d too! Awesome!!

After catching up with my family and then seeing the women I’d been running with all finish (Nicole PR’d too!), E & I headed to the after party.
Yes I waded into ocean!
with the amazing Colleen

Ever since I was invited to be a Race Ambassador I have been super excited to be a part of this great race series! I just loved the spirit of this event and it reminded me why I love women-only races. I have to say that I was truly honored to been a part of ZOOMA’s inaugural Cape Cod race!

 

signature
Filed Under: Half marathon, race report, ZOOMA Cape Cod

Getting Ready for ZOOMA

September 21, 2012 by 10 Comments

I just finished my bi-weekly call with Coach Bennett and I’m feeling so positive and fired up I wish I could run now! We talked about my last few training runs this week and how to approach Saturday’s race. But beyond talking race strategy, the biggest gift Bennett gave me this morning was to help me reflect on this training cycle — to remind me of the challenges he put before me and how far I’ve come since we started.  He says things in such a calm, matter-of-fact way that you can’t help but feel confident.

So I am ready to see what tomorrow brings. My goals?

  • Execute a smart race strategy – especially avoiding going out too fast
  • Run strong on the back half of the course
  • PR (I’ve got A and B goals on this one)
  • Finish the race without injury so I’m set up for the rest of my fall races

I’ll be heading down to the Cape this afternoon with my friend E once our kids get home from school. Looking forward to seeing the whole ZOOMA crew tonight at the “Mocktail Hour” sponsored by HINT water – should be a fun way to kick off the race festivities!

Who else is racing this weekend?
signature
Filed Under: pre-race, race goals, running coach, ZOOMA Cape Cod

Race Week Craziness

September 17, 2012 by 11 Comments

I have a confession to make….

I do not enjoy the final week leading up to a race!

My mind and body play terrible tricks on me and I find I spend the week working to keep my anxiety level in check.

I’m happy to say I had a good solid long run on Saturday. I got to run the first 3 miles with my friend E who will be joining me at ZOOMA then we split up at her turnaround and I headed off to get 7 more. My legs felt pretty good and I didn’t even mind getting caught in a crazy flash downpour that lasted about a half hour. It was a good way to end what had been a pretty good week of training. From there I was off to enjoy a fun weekend with J, the boys and friends.

All should be good right?
Wrong….all the sudden I’m discovering all kinds of mystery tweaks and aches, my mind is in hyper-drive (which is messing with my sleep) and I’m definitely a little edgy this morning. I’ve already had dreams that I missed the start of the race or, worse that my left leg refuses to let me run at all.

Crazy I know….irrational I know….welcome to my world leading up to a race 🙂

You’d think with this being half marathon #5 that I’d have all of this under control, but I find it’s getting worse with each race, not better. Maybe because my expectations are higher…I’m passed the point of just wanting to finish with a smile on my face. (And, this isn’t even my “A race” for the fall, so can you imagine what I will be like in November?!)

So first of all, please tell me I’m not alone in my craziness? And, how do you keep yourself both relaxed and focused during race week?

signature
Filed Under: race week, taper time, ZOOMA Cape Cod

Friday Five

September 14, 2012 by 9 Comments

1)  Made it through this week’s hill work without any angry outbursts from the left ITB! My schedule has been crazy this week so I ended up swapping Wednesday & Thursday’s runs so I did my hill work on Wednesday. It was a solid workout and the ITB behaved…what more could you ask for?

2) Thursday’s recovery run didn’t happen. I could feel my left wasn’t going to cooperate even before I got out of bad, so I put my ego in check and skipped the run. I’m trying to be smart about this!

3) “Yikes!” is never a comment you want to hear from a massage therapist when she feels how tight your ITB is 🙂 She beat the tar out of  intensely worked on my legs then sent me home for an epsom salt soak. My schedule didn’t allow for the time for a soak, but I will do one after Saturday’s long run. I did get to my “Yoga for Runners” class and after that 2 hr session I can say my legs were officially junk!

4)  My boys have been back in school now for a week and a half and the family calendar is a ridiculous sea of colors and I’m desperately trying to carve out white space! How did we get so crazy so quickly!?!

5) Just 8 days until the ZOOMA Half Marathon – Let the weather watch begin 🙂 I’ve got my last long run tomorrow to use as my dress rehearsal for clothes, shoes and fueling decisions. Hopefully the ITB will continue to be quiet!

What Have you got lined up for this weekend?
 
signature
Filed Under: crazy week, Friday Five, ITB, ZOOMA Cape Cod

Resisting the urge to run

September 6, 2012 by 15 Comments

Towards the end of my long run on Saturday, I tweaked my left knee. I was on my last down hill when I must have landed funny on my left foot because I felt a zinging sensation on the front outer part of my knee that radiated up my ITB — pretty much stopped me in my tracks. I walked for a minute and it seemed to subside so I went on to finish the run (I only had just over 2 miles left). After the run I iced my knee and then went on to join the family for more vacation fun. On Sunday we did a little hiking, nothing strenuous, but I didn’t feel any soreness until towards the end of the day…so more icing.

After a 7 hour car ride Monday, I was stiff and tight and really looking forward to my run on Tuesday. Unfortunately, my knee was not! Within the first half mile I was uncomfortable and by the time I reached 3 miles I was starting to worry that I was just aggravating the situation so I cut the run short for more icing and rest. I got in touch with Coach Bennett to get some advice on whether to attempt my easy run on Wednesday. Given that the soreness is persisting, his advice was to not run again until my next long run Saturday. With just two and a half weeks until ZOOMA, he told me that I’ll benefit more from additional rest than running hills today.

So despite that fact that I’m itching to run, I’m heeding his advice, taking the extra rest and focusing on the strengthening exercises he’s given me so this doesn’t turn into a full-blown injury. Fingers crossed for Saturday!

 

signature
Filed Under: half marathon training, left knee, listening to your body, ZOOMA Cape Cod

Thursday Thoughts: More hills, Mocktails and Pre-Run Food

August 23, 2012 by 7 Comments

It’s Thursday so its week 2 of my new hill workouts. I got some quizzical looks from a couple of people putting out their trash this morning as I barreled up and down their street. I don’t know if it was the fact that I was running the hill over and over that got them, or all the muttering and cursing that went with it 😉

4 weeks till ZOOMA Cape Cod and the excitement is building! ZOOMA just announced that they will be hosting a Mocktail Hour the night before the race for all you ladies who are running and their “fan clubs!” The event is sponsored by Hint, and will be a great time to hang out with friends, meet other runners and special guest Finessista. Be sure to RSVP on the ZOOMA blog.

Of late I’ve been finding that my tried and true pre-run breakfast of a multigrain English muffin with almond butter has not been sitting well with me lately on my runs – especially the long runs. So I’m going to try to play with some other options and see if I can find the right combination before my fall races.

Do you find you have to change up your pre-run meal? What’s your favorite go to food before a run?

 

signature
Filed Under: 3 things, fueling a run, ZOOMA Cape Cod