I run for...a happy new year!

This view at the top of Table Rock cannot be beat!

New year, new blog post!! I have lots to catch up on. My last blog post chronicled my experience at the Table Rock Ultra 50K. It's 4 months later and I feel like I'm still reveling in the awesomeness of that day. I think it's a positive sign that it's stuck with me this long. I am definitely using it as fuel for my 2018 goals. More on those later.

Such a happy day! Completing my first 50K!

After the Table Rock Ultra 50K, I had the super strong desire to get to that next step. Because I finished relatively unscathed, I wanted to capitalize on all my training to spring board into my first 50 mile race. There just so happened to be one right in my back yard...the Tunnel Hill 50/100 on November 11, 2017. So I had 5 weeks to get in some extra back to back runs if I really wanted to go for it. I gave myself a one week break and I completed 26 miles (7 & 19 miles respectively) the very next weekend. It seemed like it was going to be possible but then I changed my mind. The crazy part is that I changed my mind because I felt like it would be too easy. Lol. I've come to the conclusion that I crave elevation change in a race. In my opinion it keeps it interesting and it is definitely more challenging.

Once I opted out of doing the 50 miler, I began focusing my energy on completing our local Trick or Trot 5K sponsored by the agency for which I work. I do this race every year as a final cap on my racing season so it's more for fun than anything else, just an opportunity where I can dress up in costume and hang out with family, clients and coworkers. To my surprise this year, I won first in my age group and for best costume! That was an added bonus to an already amazing year for my "Year of the Comeback".

First in my age group and for best costume!

I took somewhat of a "break" over the holiday season but researching the whole time as to what was coming next and keeping my mileage up in case of a spontaneous decision to run a race. Sometime in December I finally decided what I wanted to do. Without further ado here are my goals for 2018:

1. Running streak of at least 100 days

2. Spring Marathon

3. First 50 mile race

Current status:

1. I started my running streak on New Year's Eve with a 7.6 mile run. I have run every day for the last 28 days and still going strong. Total running streak mileage equals 82.4 miles. I've learned so far that there is time in every day for at least one mile if not three or four. It's not that much time out of my day! So my goal is 100 days but I highly anticipate that it will go beyond that. After 100 days, I just can't imagine myself being like "Okay, that was cool. Now I'm done. No run tomorrow." I also recently saw on one of my ultra running Facebook groups that one of my idols (Catra Corbett) has been doing a running streak for over 5 years!! Say what?! This amazing woman had to drop from a 100 mile race because she had the flu but still managed to shuffle for a couple miles to keep her running streak alive. I strive to have that kind of determination. I guess in 5 years we'll see. Lol. :)

2. My decision to do a Spring marathon was kind of just because it made the most sense. For the last 2 years my mom and I have done the 10K on the weekend of the Illinois Marathon in Champaign, IL. Last year we both had a great race. For one, we didn't lose each other like we did the year before. Secondly, we both got PRs! Last year my mom went on to complete her first half marathon and has discovered that just crossing that off a bucket list is not that easy. Lol. So this year for the Illinois Marathon weekend she is going to do the half marathon. I looked at my training schedule and my mileage and I'm practically already trained for the half marathon so I thought I might as well do the full! April 28, 2018 is the date. We are 12 weeks away and training is going exactly to plan. I'm excited to potentially get a PR for the first time at the marathon distance.

3. This is the big one. There are literally hundreds of different 50 mile races I could choose from. I spent hours upon hours researching, planning, crossing off, prioritizing, wondering, dreaming, etc. about which race to choose. And wouldn't you know it that the race I've chosen is not for the faint of heart. It's a challenge for sure! I have finally settled on The Hitchcock Experience 50 mile race on December 8, 2018 in Honey Creek, IA. The race consists of a 12.5 mile loop (4x) with an overall elevation gain of 9856 ft (that's almost double what I did last year in the TRU 50K). The challenge of it is a big reason why I chose this race. Another is the location...I've never done a race in Iowa and I'm trying to expand on the number of states where I've done races. I ultimately would like to do a race in every state. (currently: IL, MO, OH, NC, GA). This race also has a 100 mile race along side it. In my research, I have found that cutoff times for the 50 mile race were more generous when a 100 mile race was going on at the same time. That will be of huge benefit to me, especially in a race that has so much elevation gain! Even though training won't officially start until August, you better believe that everything that I do this year is in preparation for this race. I want to achieve this goal SO bad I can't stand it. Because the truth is....I really want to be doing the 100 miler but I am trying to have patience and go through the proper steps first. Finishing this 50 miler will mean I'm finally ready to make the leap to the 100 miler - a dream that seems elusive now. One day....

There you have it! My goals for 2018. The beginning of a new year also means that I do a lot of reflecting on my running journey as a whole. It helps keep things in perspective for me and I get a lot of inspiration from how far I've come. Here are some of the more interesting things that I've found:

Since November 5, 2011 when I started my running journey, my total mileage equals 3,759.

My initial commitment to myself was to run at least once a week. In the entire 6 years and 2 months since I started, I've ran 282 weeks out of 320.

I ran the most miles in 2014 - 804 miles.

The most amount of miles in a month - August 2016 @ 106.28 miles.
The least amount of miles in a month - February 2017 @ 3.43 miles (chronic sinus infections)
Number of miles in my first month (Nov 2011) - 6 miles
Number of miles in the last month (Jan 2018) - 82 miles (with 4 days to go)
Number of 20+ mile runs - 17 (10 in the last 2 years)

While my running journey is mine, I also seek to inspire others. I'm here to tell you that once you ignite the spark inside of yourself, you'll never know what you can accomplish. I share a lot of my past and my stats because in the beginning I was where so many of you are now. It's not easy but it starts with the simplest of steps/goals. If all you can commit to is once a week (that where I started), then do it! I promise you that after you conquer that, you will be on to the next thing and then before you know it, you'll be running marathons or even ultras. :)

I run for...50K.

It's official. I completed my first 50K!! The year of the comeback is (almost) complete. This was the biggest part of my comeback story this year - to train for and complete the very same race that was the beginning of the end for me last year. I finished in 10:38:12. My conservative goal was to finish in roughly 10 1/2 hours so I'm pretty proud of myself, even if it is slow. Just took a look at the race results and I just happened to be the ONLY Illinoisan to compete. The great majority of the people in the race were from North Carolina and I'm sure they are very familiar with the mountains and the trails. So overall, I can't complain. Here's the official race report.

Me & Hubby

The day started bright and early at 4:00am. I kept to my Keto diet that morning by taking in some MCT oil with my coffee and then eating a Quest bar for breakfast. My nutrition plan for the day was to stick to what I had been doing in training - almonds, reduced sugar craisins, and bacon jerky. I packed up all these goodies in the morning and as a safeguard I threw in one GU gel (Campfire S'mores flavor!! Yum!). I also packed plenty of Saltstick tabs to replenish electrolytes and filled my water bottle with Nuun. After packing my supplies and getting ready, I used the rest of my time to chill out. I read some pages out of my book "Born to Run" and then repeated my mental block busters to myself. About 5:30am my personal support team, comprised of my son and my husband, woke up and within 30 minutes we made the drive to the race start.

Me & my son

The race begins at the Steele Creek Campground, which is about a 30 minute drive from downtown Morganton. There were lots of runners that slept in tents at the campground the night before. Maybe one day I'll be that hard core. Since we got to Morganton late on Friday night, I had to do packet pickup before the race. I walked over and got my race bib and t-shirt. One last trip to the potty and then I was ready to go. I stood by the start line with my son and husband and I was in great spirits! Not too nervous at all. One woman came up to me and shared her concerns that I she had packed too much. She had on an unusual hydration pack that was obviously full of supplies and had collapsible poles attached. We chatted briefly about doing the race last year and she shared with me that she had just run the Boston Marathon this year. Wow! She told me she'd see me around and well, I knew I probably wouldn't be seeing her again. If she ran Boston, she'd definitely be too fast for me to keep up.

I made it to the start line. The race director made his announcements and we started promptly at 7:00am to the sound of banjo music. Just one of those things that makes me love this race so much. I knew from last year that the first 5 miles were where I needed to make up some time if I wanted to start off on the right foot. I started out faster than I typically would and stayed pretty well within the middle of the pack. The first mile is completely flat but you are running through a giant field (that will also be the last mile of the race). After that you hit the first section of single track trails. This section slowed me down some because runners were lined up one by one trying to make it through. After this section of single track, you cross another big pasture and on to some rolling hills. These hills are very similar to most of the hills I run during training so again, this is where I knew I could push myself a little harder. Up and down on soft grass laden trails with the sound of creeks nearby. This part is SO enjoyable. First aid station comes in at mile 4.8. I made it there with an average of about 15min/mile (my aggressive goal). It was a hot day so I filled up my bottle and away I went.

After aid station #1, I knew what was ahead. This was the part that got me last year. Lots of single track trails, lots of creek crossings, lots of switchbacks up the mountain. I stayed in a positive mood the whole time and kept thinking of getting farther than I did last year. The switchbacks were still a challenge for me this year but I did not let myself stop. I powered through the pain and the fatigue and just kept climbing. Shortly after I finished with the switchbacks, I made my way up to aid station #2 on the gravel access road. This is again where I knew I could push myself a little harder because at the end of it was aid station #2 and my first cutoff time. Aid station #2 comes in at mile 10.2 and you must make it there by 11am - that's 4 hours from the start time. Last year I barely made the cutoff and this was a big factor in my decision to drop to the 30K. This year I made it to the aid station with an hour to spare! And to top it off I was feeling great! I filled up my bottle once more and took some time to rest before heading out on the next part. The guy at the aid station gave me some great advice on using my time on the gravel access road wisely. He forewarned me about the climb to Table Rock and wanted me to make sure I made the cutoff.

There's Table Rock in the distance. How much farther?!

On to Part 2. To make the 50K distance (and the elevation gain) more manageable, I broke the race into 3 parts. The first part was everything I did last year up to aid station #2. Part 2 was the meat of the race. 10.2 mile aid station to the Table Rock summit and to the last aid station cutoff. This is what I was most worried about. As I made my way from aid station #2 to aid station #3 at mile 16.5, the very slightest bit of doubt started to set in. Thankfully I was at the back of the pack with some amazing runners. Every so often I would pass someone or someone would pass me and I would hear "Good job" or "Looking good. Keep it up." or "You got this." So, so wonderful to know that there is a sense of "we're all in this together" when you're running one of the hardest races around. The trek to mile 16.5 was not an easy one. I tried, like the guy at aid station #2 said, to use the gravel access road to my advantage but it was steady uphill for at least 4 miles. I got to aid station #3 though and filled up my bottle once more. So far I had only eaten some bacon jerky and about half of my almond/craisins mix but I was still feeling satiated and had not experienced a bonk yet. Still feeling good I made my way to the summit of Table Rock.

This next section was nothing but single track trail and it was ALL. UP. HILL. Every single bit of it. I began to panic for the first time in the race because I was having a hard time remembering whether the next cutoff time was 1:00pm or 2:00pm. About 30 minutes before I reached aid station #3, I had texted my husband to ask him and he gave me his reply: "Looks like 1:00pm". Time to push. I really didn't think I was going to make it to the summit before then. My husband also tells me that aid station #4 is the summit but that didn't sound right to me either. Then he tells me that the summit is at 19.3 miles but I was pretty sure it was around mile 17 or 18. AHHH! What was happening?! I tried not to think about the time too much and just kept pushing. The uplifting part about this section up to Table Rock is that you also pass all the people who've already reached it and are on their way down the mountain. Everyone was SO encouraging. Once again I was flooded with these cheers: "Looking great", "Good job", "This is the hardest part. I swear.", "You're 15 minutes from the top. You got this." I even saw that lady from the start of the race when I didn't think I was going to see her at all! I stayed positive and repeated my mantras to myself. At one point, the most I felt like I could do was climb for 30 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds. Climb for 30, rest for 10. I did this for what seemed like forever but it was really only like a mile. Once I reached the rocky portion of the Table Rock Summit, I felt such great relief. It leveled off some and became easier to climb but then....I would turn a corner and there was another section to climb. Then another corner, another section to climb. How is this possible?! How can I still be climbing?! I looked down at my watch. Big mistake. 12:54pm. If the cutoff was truly at 1:00pm, I would not make it. How could I bring myself to say "I reached the summit" but then have to drop due to not making the cutoff time?

Almost there...but not quite

As I neared the summit, I saw a familiar face from the back of the pack. She cheered me on as I came up to join her next to the photographer. The photographer took my picture and then it was up a few more steps to get my race bib marked. I thought it was weird that they would go through all that hassle if I was going to end up dropping the race. So I asked the lady in front of me, "Do you by chance know when the next cutoff time is?" She said, "Oh we have plenty of time honey. We have a good 48 minutes or so." Wait, what? The cutoff time was actually 2:00pm!! Hooray! About that time we made it to aid station #4 with about 45 minutes to spare. Hallelujah! Everyone at this aid station was so relieved. It was the last cutoff we would have to make before the end of the race. I took quite a bit of time to rest at aid station #4 because I just wasn't feeling right. When I sat down I started feeling lightheaded and ended up lying on the ground with my feet up on a cooler. I stayed horizontal for awhile before I got up to fill my bottle again. I attempted to eat a PB&J but that just made me sicker. I decided to just push through the feeling. The section right after aid station #4 was another short jaunt uphill before taking the plunge down the gruesome trails you just climbed.

The view from the top!

Finally!

Back down I go...

You would think after 17-18 miles of running mostly uphill that you would welcome the chance to go downhill, to give yourself a little "break". Nope. Not the case. In fact, after running uphill for 17-18 miles it is the hardest thing ever to try to control your legs to run downhill and OUCH does it hurt. There's a tendency to want to let yourself go and especially make up the time that you spent climbing uphill but there's just no way it can be done safely unless you are very, very skilled at running downhills and do this for a living. And I am not that person. Haha. I think I went downhill just as slow as I went uphill. Eventually I made it back to aid station #3, which was also aid station #5. All I needed was to fill up my bottle and I was off again.

Part 3 of the race...the last 10 miles. I had about 4 1/2 hours to do it. I totally got this. For the first time all day, I felt the need to crank up my music and not because I needed the motivation, but because I was ready to celebrate this accomplishment. For the most part, the trails the rest of the way down were easy compared to all the rest. I covered some new territory but eventually got back to the same section of gravel road and single track that we ran on the way up. I felt the urge to take in some GU right before aid station #6 and I'm glad I did. It was just the kick in calories and carbs that I needed to make it the rest of the way. At aid station #6 I switched over to filling my bottle with Gatorade for the extra calories and off I went to the last 4.8 miles of the race. Right here and now I was in uncharted territory. I had never ran this far before. Would I feel any different?

1 mile to go. 1 happy girl.

I absolutely felt different in the most wonderful way possible. It's not really something I can even explain. Yes, my legs were hurting. My feet were DEFINITELY hurting. I couldn't be certain but I was pretty sure that my feet were bleeding or had blisters on them. My back hurt. Even my arms hurt. But I soldiered on. I walked when I had to but I pushed myself to run as much as I could. The nice rolling hills from the first 4.8 miles were a comforting sight. The air was cooling. Finishing this race was becoming a reality. Last section of single track. Boom. Last mile through the pasture. Boom. I crossed the bridge and turned towards the finish line. There was my son waiting and cheering me on. A group of runners sat at a picnic table cheering me in as well. I saw my husband as I closed in on the finish. The race director stood at the finish giving me a high five as I made my way across. My prize? A gray 50K hoodie that I will cherish for a lifetime. This feeling. This feeling right then and there...is priceless. It's this crazy, undeniable thirst and desire for more and more adventure and more and more life. There will be more races like this in my future. There will be a 50 miler and a 100 miler. As long as I continue to have blood in my veins and air in my lungs, I will continue to push myself beyond my limits to see how far I can truly go.

That's it! After the race we spent the evening in Charlotte, NC. I got my pizza and chips as my reward meal. I definitely had some nasty toe injuries...one black toenail and a gnarly blood blister on another. It's day 4 post-race and I don't have any more soreness. Finally feeling back to normal again. Now I'm settling into a post-taper run routine. I'll be training soon in the hopes of gaining another PR at my 5K race in October. That's really all that's on the race agenda for the rest of year but you never know!

I run for...the hills.

I aptly named today's blog post after the hills. Hill has a totally new meaning to me after my first 50K attempt. This blog post is coming to you 8 days after one of the most brutal races I've ever ran in my life, the Table Rock Ultra 50K. So here's my full race report with all the nitty gritty details.

My husband and I got to Morganton, NC on Friday afternoon and headed straight to the packet pickup. I have to admit that I was immediately intimidated as we drove into town and could see Table Rock from the road. It was massive. I could not believe that I would be at the summit of that mountain in less than 24 hours. After packet pickup there was no time to waste. I settled into my pre-race routine - meditation, a bottle of Nuun, and carb loading. I went to bed totally at peace and ready to embark on the uncharted territory of my first ultra.

Yikes!

Race day began as per usual. I was surprisingly well rested. The cough and cold I had been nursing the whole week prior to the race had seemingly disappeared. I drank my coffee and ate my oatmeal. Then, I just kept doing the visualizations that I had been practicing in the weeks prior.

Driving out to Steele Creek Park for the start of the race, I was definitely nervous. It was dark and I didn't have a head lamp so I was really hoping the sun would be up soon. I checked in with the race directors and then made my last pit stop to the restroom. I was pleasantly surprised when I realized the long line I saw was for the men's restroom. So I was in and out and had only a few minutes before we began. I packed everything I needed into my handheld water bottle or my flip belt. Then, got some love and encouragement from my husband before heading to the start line.

Me and my amazing husband

I stayed at the back of the pack, making sure I had someone to follow so I didn't get lost. The sun was starting to rise and I no longer had a fear of it being too dark. The race began slow and steady. It was flat at first and we started out racing across a huge pasture. It was like this for maybe the first 2 miles and then we hit the first section of single track trail.

Oh. Em. Gee. Nothing could have prepared me for this. This was not even the hardest part of the race but I knew if this was what was yet to come then I was in for a world of hurt. By the end of this short single track section, my legs were already burning and I had to stop to walk multiple times because there was just no "running" to some of those trail sections.

As predicted the next couple miles were nice rolling hills that were much more my caliber. I was actually able to make up quite a bit of ground on this section and passed a handful of people. One group of young men I caught up to had an injured friend that had twisted his ankle in the first couple of miles. They stuck with him and helped him as much as they could but I found out later he had to drop at the first aid station.

When the first aid station approached, I had no idea how I was doing on time. I felt like I was going at a snail's pace and sure enough I was right. I think it took me a little over an hour to make it 4.2 miles. My next aid station wasn't until 10.2 and the cut-off time was 11am. At the rate I was going I wasn't sure if I'd make it. I just knew those next 6 miles were going to be a true test for me and the thought had already crossed my mind that I might need to drop to the 30K. I had no idea what was in store for me next.

Those next 6 miles were mostly single track trail. Steep inclines, multiple creek crossings, lots of rocks and boulders and tree limbs. I could not only feel my legs burning but now my lungs. That cough and cold I had been nursing all week caught up with me. Every push to run a little faster threw me into a coughing fit. And if it wasn't the coughing, it was my legs screaming for a rest. But I pressed on. I knew every step forward was progress. I tried not to think about the time but it was hard. I was starting to get passed by all the 30K people who had started 30 minutes after me. One lady stopped to walk with me a bit. She asked how I was doing when I clearly wasn't doing well. I told her "I think I bit off more than I can chew". She said, "No! This is just a hike in the woods. We've got all day." This put a huge smile on my face and definitely renewed my confidence. Yes, this was going to be hard but yes, I am going to be able to do this.

Slowly but surely I made it up those steep climbs. They were absolutely brutal. There is no other word for it. However, I was relishing in the atmosphere. The views were spectacular. I'm not sure when I actually made the decision to drop to the 30K but as I got closer to the 10.2 mile turnaround, I knew I had made the right decision. I barely made the cut-off time for the 10.2 aid station at 10:30am. 3 1/2 hours after I had started the race. I can walk 10.2 miles faster than that! At the aid station, I filled my water bottle and got some carbs in me. Then, I asked if I could drop to the 30K. The man radioed down to the race director and he made the changes from there. The 30K was a true out and back course. Now all I had to do was run back the way I came.

I was definitely re-energized at that 10.2 turnaround. Giving myself a new goal to finish the 30K, not risking a DNF with the 50K, made me feel much better about myself. For awhile, I was running and running fast. I passed several people again on the way down the mountain. I had expected to really feel the downhill after running uphill for so long but I was feeling great. I made it down to my first creek crossing and knew there was going to be an uphill again. I saw the tape that was there to mark the course but there was fork in the trail and I couldn't figure out which way to go. I choose left and I was wrong. I went out of my way for about 100 yards before I realized I was ducking out of the way of tree limbs way too much. I turned around and headed back and sure enough, I had missed the second strand of tape off to the right.

I got back on the right trail and continued on. The trail started to get to me again. The sections of trail with the huge rocks and boulders were not runnable at all and some of those steep uphill climbs with rocks and tree limbs littering the pathway were treacherous to go down. I ended up falling pretty hard down one of them and caught the whole thing on camera.

After the last aid station, with 4 miles left to go, my heart was already filled with regret and disappointment. I faced the reality that I was going way too slow. The best I could do was to just keep moving forward. I soaked in the beautiful scenery as much as I could. In the last 2 miles, one of the 50K guys stopped next to me to ask me how I was doing. I was honest. Haha. Nevertheless, we gave each other some encouragement and he bounded up to the finish line. I continued to take my time until making the turn toward the finish and then finished strong.

This was the last two miles. Beautiful!

All that being said, I'm extremely proud of what I accomplished. It really was the hardest run of my life. I was devastatingly unprepared for this ultra but I'm hoping that my experience has brought me that much closer to being prepared for my next one. I won't give up on this dream to be an ultrarunner.

How am I doing now? I've recovered for the most part. Physically, I stopped being sore about 4 days later. Mentally, I still battle those inner demons that tell me I've failed or that I could have done better. I really wanted to go out this past weekend and knock out 31.5 miles just to prove that I could do it but I know my body needed to rest. I felt the urge to run Wednesday-Saturday but I didn't get around to it until tonight. I'm glad I waited. Even after waiting 8 days, my legs still aren't the same. I got in 6.2 miles tonight and it helped mostly to clear the fog in my head and refocus my energy on my next goal.

Every year after my marathons, I sign up for a 5K to keep myself motivated. This year is the UMCH Trick or Trot 5K on October 22nd. I have now switched gears from ultra training to 5K training which means lots of speed workouts. 2 years ago I was able to meet my goal of finishing under 30 minutes. This year I hope to the do the same but getting a PR would be icing on the cake.

After the 5K, you better believe that I'll start training for the next 50K. I've scouted out a couple of race possibilities at the beginning of next year. I will be coming into this next attempt with more determination than ever before. Stay tuned...

Happy running!
Amanda

I run for...the good, the bad, and the ugly.

I've said it before and I'll say it again...running a marathon is hard. If it were easy everyone would do it. Every year runners that complete the marathon join an elite group of just 500,000 people. Yesterday's 2015 Chicago Marathon in its entirety was a success but there were several obstacles along the way.

Sleep. It's so important the week before a race and I'm glad I had my FitBit to show me that I met my sleep goal (7 hours and 30 minutes) all 4 days prior to race day. My nutrition was on point the whole week before the marathon as well - lots of carb rich, low fat foods to help keep me fueled for 26.2 miles. Everything on the surface the week prior looks great, like nothing could go wrong, but I'll be honest leaving for Chicago on Friday I had my doubts as to whether I would get to run.

Thursday night coming home from work, after an 11 hour day mind you, I felt sick. Nooooooooo! I checked my temperature. Sure enough....99.9 degrees. My throat had been scratchy all week and on this day, Thursday, it was a lot worse. I checked my throat in the mirror when I got home....looked like strep. Nooooooooo! I quickly started using every remedy in the book. I gargled salt water, drank tea with honey, took an Aleve every 8 hours, kept taking my allergy meds, and luckily I found a recent prescription for an antibiotic. I took one dose of antibiotic that night, all day Friday, all day Saturday, and race day morning. By Saturday, I did feel MUCH better but with the way race day went, I'm wondering if the illness and the antibiotic had something to do with my performance.

Friday after work my husband, my son, and my mom picked me up at work and we left straight for Chicago! Traffic wasn't too bad and we settled into our hotel room about 9:30pm. After last year's craziness of having to walk 2 miles to the start and then from the finish to our hotel room, I knew I had to be closer this year. I booked our hotel in January to make sure we could get a room at a CLOSE hotel. This was The Congress Plaza hotel, a historic hotel right there on Michigan Avenue and also apparently the most haunted hotel in Chicago. Fun!

View of our hotel room

Saturday we got up and took our time getting around and ready for the day. The only thing on the agenda was to get to the expo to get my race packet. The expo wasn't far from the hotel so we walked there. The expo is always quite the experience. Tons of people everywhere! I think we were all a little overwhelmed even though I knew what to expect. We looked at all the booths. We stopped by the ACS Team DetermiNation booth to get my ribbons for race day and my mom got her a shirt to wear and Emerson a cow bell to ring. At the expo, we also might have found a next race for me...the Illinois Marathon in Champaign in April. I would probably do the half marathon in April but my mom was thinking about running the 4x marathon relay with my aunts and uncle. I'll be sure to keep you updated about my plans for this. The only other thing I absolutely HAD to get while I was there was my watermelon Nuun. I used my last tablet on my way up to Chicago. I had trained with my watermelon Nuun and for that reason wanted it for race day. Nothing new on race day! That goes for your flavor of electrolyte tabs as well.

At the ACS Team DetermiNation booth

Finally, race day was here. I woke up at 5am feeling wonderful. Had my usual pre-long run meal - a plain bagel with Spark to drink (for the caffeine). Got down to the ACS Team DetermiNation team photo in the ball room about 6am. I was able to take a few pictures with my family. I got my names pinned to my back - in honor of Yvonne Ray and in memory of my Mema and Uncle Marty. Then I decided to head back to the room to wait before going to the corral. I ate a banana as last minute fuel and continued to stay hydrated. Always the last thing you want to do before getting to the corral is go pee. I learned this lesson after I stopped in Savannah at the port-a-potty and I think in the Go St. Louis half marathon. So while I was at the hotel this was the last thing I did.

The ACS Team DetermiNation photo

I got to the corral around 7:00am. The first wave started at 7:30am. I was in the second wave and wouldn't be starting until 8:00am. There's not a lot to do in the corral. I had my headphones in listening to my marathon playlist on repeat and people watched. Lol. You also try to do what you can to stay warmed up without expending too much energy. The corrals moved slowly up to the start line. I had a lot of anxiety in anticipation for the race to start but I knew I was ready for this. About 8:30am I finally crossed the start line.

I started off slow like I had planned, letting people pass me, knowing that if I start out too fast it'll get me in the end. The beginning of the race felt great. The first 5K went by as planned - 36:49. Then I hit the 5 mile mark and I can't stand it any longer.....I have to pee. Nooooooo! So right after the 5 mile marker there's an aid station equipped with port-a-potty's and.....long lines. But I couldn't take it. I apparently did not plan my last bathroom break late enough. I don't know how long I waited in that line. It felt like forever. But I did my business and got back to running. I tried to make up time as I went. I finished my 10K at 1:25:26, significantly slower than the first 5K. I blame the port-a-potty's.

As I made the turn from the north side of Chicago on Addison, I hit mile 8 and this was my moment to turn my pace up. I had planned it this way just like last year. For awhile, this was easy to do. I ran through Boystown, a lively LGBTQ community complete with drag queens performing on stage. This is my favorite thing about running Chicago. You totally forget sometimes that you are running a marathon. The fans and spectators are ammmmmazing in this city.

Then my next obstacle hit me at mile 12. Cramping. It started just as a twinge in my right calf but after awhile any time I tried to push my pace, my leg seized up on me. It was so bad I would have to stop to massage it out on the side of the road. I frantically texted my husband and my mom and asked them to bring me salt. I had been drinking my Nuun as I usually did on my long runs and at mile 12 I had already consumed two servings of Gu but somehow I was losing a lot of salt. It was unseasonably warm on race day. As I kept wiping the sweat off my face, I could feel the grittiness of the sweat on my skin....salt. I've always known that I'm a salty sweater (ew...I know) but what was going on with this cramping?!

At the halfway point, I saw my son, my husband and my mom cheering me on, a much needed pick me up! Steven gave me two salt packets. I quickly dumped one into my water bottle and tore open the other packet to eat. I gave myself a couple miles to let it do its magic. Nothing. No change whatsoever. In fact, I think it got worse. This was the most frustrating thing ever. I felt great. I knew that if only my legs would cooperate I could go faster and make up for lost time. My legs never cooperated. What started in my right calf traveled to my shins, then to my left calf, then to my hamstrings and quads. It was a lost cause. Once I hit about mile 18 I finally just accepted this as how it was going to be. I didn't try to push my pace because my legs would seize up every time I did. So I just keep my head down and kept my stride to a shuffle. I knew I was going slow but at least I was going forward.

As I always try to do, no matter what the circumstances, I finished strong. From 40K to the finish line, I had my fastest pace since the first 5K. I knew I was probably close to not finishing within the 6 hour 30 minute course limit. I could see the event car with the timer on top alerting runners to a DNF (do not finish) fate. However, I didn't let it get me down. I would finish no matter what and in fact, I crossed the finish line with about 5 minutes left to spare - 6:24:53.

Got my medal!!

It's hard to recount the events of the day and not see the potential to do so much better. I am better than a 6:24:53 finish. I don't like making excuses but race day was full of problems for me - strep throat the week before, antibiotic (something new) on race day, stopping to pee, and severe cramping in my legs. But here's the way I see it....I will have good races, bad races, and ugly ones. This day, October 11, 2015, my 4th marathon, will just be one bad one in a long line of races for me. I #cantstop #wontstop. Lol. I will forever be trying to one up myself, trying to do better than the year before. That's the great thing about running. Was I technically competing against 45,000 other runners during the marathon? Yes. But I'm really only competing with myself. Next year here I come!

And yes, you can bet there will be a next year. I'm trying to scout out my next marathon right now. I've got my eye on the Twin Cities Marathon in Minnesota, the Philadelphia Marathon, possibly Chicago again, Portland, Pensacola, the Marine Corps Marathon, and the list could go on and on. I just wanna know...who's coming with me? This solo running is getting kind of old. I would love to help someone else train for and run in their first marathon!!!

Happy running,
Amanda

I run for...big dreams.

Marathon 1, 2, 3 & soon to be 4!

One run. 2 miles. That is all that stands between me and 26.2 miles. This week I have continued to taper. I always get so restless at this point in the training. I'm running less and it feels weird but I have to trust that I have done everything I have needed to do the last 18 weeks. 18 weeks of 350 miles. I'm at 550 miles for the year so far. I managed to get in two 20 mile runs this year, something I haven't been able to do since marathon training year #1. No illness and no injuries. I've got this.

This week has been an easy one. 6 miles on Monday, 2 mile walk yesterday, and 4 miles this morning. I will rest for the next two days and then do a short 2 mile shake out run on Saturday, the day before the marathon. This last little run is important in order to improve blood flow and reduce pre-marathon jitters. Then...race day.

This year I'm feeling more at peace with marathon day than I ever have before. Once again I am amazed at the places running takes me. Have I ran a marathon before? Yes. Have I ran Chicago before? Yes. But I have never been in this position before where I have 3 marathons under my belt and I'm running a race that I have run before. It's comforting and familiar. I think that has ultimately led me to be at peace about it.

 

As with my last 3 marathons, when training comes to an end and the marathon is over, I will be thinking about what's next. I will most likely be running another marathon next year. I can't help myself! Sure, I've imagined being someone who runs whenever I have "free time" or someone who runs occasionally for exercise. Then I could devote more time to cycling or swimming or painting or...whatever. I think about it but I know that I would be deeply unsatisfied and unfulfilled. I have no idea how I got here but I know without a doubt that running is my passion. As marathon season comes to an end, I look ahead with BIG dreams for my continued journey in running.

Running is important for all the reasons I have presented in this blog. One of the biggest things that I wanted to accomplish by starting this blog is to show that running is for everyone. It can change your life. Dream BIG and never let your fear hold you back. With running, anything is possible. Truly.

Happy running,
Amanda

*** I can still collect donations for the American Cancer Society up until Monday, October 26th!!! If you have not donated yet, do it now! This is for a good cause and our team is so close to reaching our goal of 1.5 million dollars!! Go to the link here to donate! Thank you!***

I run for...the best me that I can be.

15 miles on Sunday morning. It was a hot one! I managed to complete 11 miles outside until I ran out of water. My husband offered to bring me extra water but with it feeling like 100 degrees outside, the comfort of the air conditioning and my treadmill sounded wonderful. So my amazing husband picked me up and I finished the last 4 miles on the treadmill.


I love running long distance for various reasons, many of which are mentioned in this blog. One of those reasons is that it is much needed alone time; alone time to listen to my own music, podcasts, etc. and to think. I think A LOT in the course of 15 miles. Yesterday was no exception.


Yesterday I got to thinking about the “old” me. There’s a lot I can say about that person. She had a lot of good qualities but as is usually the case, she also had her weaknesses. The problem? She didn’t think she was allowed to have weaknesses. She was a perfectionist and a planner and when things didn’t go perfectly or as planned, this caused her a lot of distress. I do believe this is ultimately what let to her demise.


Enter the “new” me. It didn’t happen overnight. It took years of self-exploration and experiencing failure after failure with a renewed sense of acceptance of my weaknesses that lead to more confidence, spontaneity, and an adventure for life. And you as you’ve probably guessed, running had a lot to do with this.


When I run, it’s not that I am perfect or even striving to be. When I run, it allows me to embrace the best me that I can be, weaknesses and all. I am still a human being prone to stress, anxiety, laziness, depression, insecurities, etc. The difference is that my running allows me to better cope with this. No therapy, no drug, no vacation, no seemingly quick fix has done anything comparably close to what running has done for me.


I want to be really honest about this because I think it’s important. Especially in today’s society with the filter of social media ever present, it can look as though certain people’s lives are “perfection”. It seems to be all about what everyone else is doing and what you’re not. I started this blog for many reasons, none of which involve tooting my own horn or talking about how great I am. Let me be perfectly clear. I run. I am a runner. I’m not fast. I’ll probably never win 1st place. But…I train hard. I’m determined. I believe I can do anything. All I want is to be the best me that I can be. By writing this blog, I just want to inspire others. I want to talk about the ways in which running has changed me and have it change others.


If this all sounds good to you, then you should start running! Experience first hand all of the amazing things that can come from changing your life through the simple act of running. Yes, it is simple. All you have to do is put one foot in front of the other. I promise it gets easier. "Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must, just never give up." - Dean Karnazes

Happy running!
Amanda

***DO NOT FORGET TO DONATE TO THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY!! DON'T MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF SOMETHING AMAZING! DON'T DELAY!

I am running the Chicago Marathon AGAIN this year to raise money for the American Cancer Society. "Every mile (26.2 to be exact) means more birthdays." Your donation will help the ACS fight cancer by: 1) helping people stay well by improving cancer screenings and methods of prevention, 2) helping people get well by supporting treatment programs, including free transportation and lodging for out-of-town patients, 3) finding cures by financing research programs, and 4) fighting back by advocating laws that help defeat cancer and rallying more communities to get involved.

You may wonder why I chose American Cancer Society as my charity of choice. Part of it is that I do know exactly where the money goes when I donate to their cause. As a senior my little sister was chosen to participate in life-saving cancer research with the ACS and it was truly eye opening to learn of the incredible work that they do each and every day to find a cure. My family is unfortunately no stranger to this disease. I run in memory of my Mema and my Uncle Marty and in honor of my great aunt Yvonne, a survivor.

Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the US, accounting for nearly 1 out of every 4 deaths. Who would you be willing to dedicate your donation to? For anyone that donates $25, you will get a ribbon to write your dedication and I will run in honor of or in memory of your loved one(s) on race day.

To donate, follow this link: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/DetermiNation/DNFY11IL?px=27819447&pg=personal&fr_id=69178&_ga=1.54451628.503825691.1437925766

If you would rather donate offline, please message me for details and I will get you an offline donation form.

I run for...training.

This week is cause for celebration! It's the first week of marathon training! Yippee! Right now I'm feeling hopeful, motivated, and determined. I always feel like the first week of marathon training is the ultimate indicator for how the next 4 months will go. Here's a run down of week 1...

Monday - Cross Training
Tuesday - 3 miles
Wednesday - 5 miles
Thursday - 3 miles
Friday - walk
Saturday - 5 mile pace run
Sunday - 8 miles

This week's cross training consisted of walking. I usually stick to either walking, cycling, or yoga for my cross training days. Each have their unique benefits to marathon training but any form of cross training is absolutely essential. First and foremost is aides in injury prevention and muscle recovery. When you devote so much time to one sport - running - this can lead to overuse injuries. Last year I experienced this firsthand with my plantar fasciitis. So switched gears 1-2 times a week can give those overworked muscles a break and allow for healing. Plus it breaks up the monotony of just running. I've really grown to love cycling over the last couple years, even entertaining the idea of possibly doing a triathlon in my future.

Today's run was my mid-week 5 miler. I opted to run on the treadmill today because the temps would be climbing into the low 90s . Normally with the summer heat and humidity I just get up super early (I'm talking 3 or 4am) for my runs. But unfortunately midweek, since my husband works overnights, I do not have the option to do this. I was fueled by the excitement of beginning my marathon training this morning and pushed myself to go a little faster than I have been the last couple months. Success! I average about 9:44 min/mi. This is actually close to my goal "race pace" for the marathon this year. Gotta get that PR!

So technically, with only 2 runs into my marathon training, I'm feeling quite confident. I think the next 4 months will go smoothly, hitting my pace and mileage goals along the way. Even though this is my 4th time around (I still can hardly believe this) I know this will be a brand new journey.

I know I've already made my first plea for donations for the American Cancer Society but now that marathon training is underway be prepared for more mentions of this as well!  You can donate to the American Cancer Society on my personal Team DetermiNation fundraising page. Just click this link... Cancer Sucks. Any amount that you would be willing to donate would be greatly appreciated and do it now while you're thinking about it!! Thank you all for joining me on this journey again!

Happy running,
Amanda