I run for...the mountains

Less than 24 hours before race day. I'm a mix of nerves and excitement. Last year's performance is constantly in the back of my mind. There's an obvious fear that I won't finish the like last year, that the elevation will prove to be too much. On the other side of that fear is knowing that I was able to run 20+ miles of the same course and roughly 4000ft of the total 5700ft of elevation gain. Last year being able to complete the 35K left my dignity in tact so that I could avoid the dreaded DNF and it was definitely the most difficult run I've ever finished in my life. This year I know better. I know the course. I know the climbs. I know when to step on the gas and when to pump on the brakes. I've trained for this.

Elevation Profile - Last year I made it to the 10mi turn around

The 50K course map

My plan going into training this year was to get some more trail experience and do more overall that would make me a better runner. In comparison to last year, I've definitely made an improvement. In addition to the endurance aspect of training, I focused on what would help me with the elevation - trails, stairs, and hill repeats. I also did more core work and cross training this year. Lastly, some jump rope to help with my foot strike and coordination. I don't want another fall like last year! Although, it could have been a lot worse.

24 hours before race day this is what I'm focusing on: hydration, nutrition, and mental training. As far as running goes, I know I've done all that I can do. I've been tapering my mileage for the last 3 weeks so my primary goal has been to be the best me I can be at the starting line. Hydration and nutrition is simple for me. Now that I've transitioned to a LFHC diet like Keto, I'm honestly not as worried about bonking out on the course but I am increasing my salt intake quite a bit. My hydration strategy has pretty much been the same for the last 5 years. I drink to thirst and make sure I alternate between electrolyte drinks and water. It's going to be hot day on race day so although there are plenty of aid stations, I plan on bringing both my hydration belt and my handheld with me on the course.

Mental training part 1: Every year this means something different to me. This year it's more important than ever. I've reviewed last year's race over and over again. I know that in the moment deciding to drop to the 35K was the best decision for me but I cannot shake the feeling that mentally, I could have been better prepared. I big reason for last year's failure had to do with not understanding the course or the elevation and have lofty goals for myself. Once I realized I could not run my 10-11min miles, I immediately got discouraged. This year I'm more realistic. I have three goals: a conservative one, an aggressive one, and one somewhere in the middle of those two.

#1 (conservative) - Pace: 20min/mi     Overall finish time: 10.5 hours   

#2 - Pace: 17min/mi     Overall finish time: about 9 hours    Projected finish time: 3:56pm

#3 (aggressive) - Pace: 15min/mi     Overall finish time: about 8 hours

Mental training part 2: As I'm writing this, I'm currently listening to my Ultra/Mountain playlist.A mix of motivational songs and mountain songs to keep me focused on the task at hand. I don't plan on listening to music on the race course but will listen to it all the way leading up to the race. It will also be ready to go on the course if needed for an extra boost. This year's theme song - Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons.

I was born to run, I was born for this

Whip, whip
Run me like a racehorse
Pull me like a ripcord
Break me down and build me up
I wanna be the slip, slip
Word upon your lip, lip
Letter that you rip, rip
Break me down and build me up

Whatever it takes
'Cause I love the adrenaline in my veins
I do whatever it takes
'Cause I love how it feels when I break the chains
Whatever it takes
You take me to the top I'm ready for
Whatever it takes
'Cause I love the adrenaline in my veins
I do what it takes

Mental training part 3: I've come up with some mental block "busters" to help motivate me during the race. Typically I will come up with a mantra or two each year but this year I've created a whole list. I need all the motivation I can get.

1. One foot in front of the other. 1, 2 (this has a nice cadence to it and I've used it during training runs)

2. I love doing this (sometimes I need convincing)

3. My legs don't hurt 

4. I can breathe. My lungs are open.

5. I did 21 miles of this course last year.

6. I did 4000ft of the 5700ft of elevation gain last year

7. I run for those who can't (and I will keep those individuals in my mind throughout the race)

8. I run in remembrance of those I've lost (and I will think of them individually)

9. Pain is only temporary, the feeling of achievement lasts forever.

10. Keep going.

11. Run happy. Smile.

12. I have completed 4 marathons. I can do this.

13. I can eat whatever I want after this. (Carbs included!!)

14. Giving up is not an option.

15. The time is now.

16. Be fearless

17. You are tougher than you think you are

18. Think - easy, light, smooth & fast (from Born to Run) 

So that's it folks. Nothing left but to conquer that mountain. This has been quite a journey this year. Last year's failure. Being sidelined from running for at least 2 months. Surgery 6.5 months ago. A spring PR at the Illinois Marathon 10K. Signing up for Table Rock 50K again. Training on the trails and through the heat. All to hopefully be able to officially call myself an ultrarunner and on to my first 50 miler or 100 miler. 

Stay tuned for the race report to come in a couple days. Thanks for everyone's support!

I run for...the distance.

As I started to write the title of this blog post, I couldn't help but start singing the Cake song...."He's going the distance. He's going for speed...."

Anyway, today's blog post is about distance because I've come to realize that ultra marathon training really has changed my path on this running journey. I made a list last night of all my 20+ mile runs prior to this year. I needed some inspiration going into my scheduled 26 mile run today. Here they are:

Sept 8, 2012 - 20.7 mile training run
Oct 21, 2012 - 26.2 Rock n Roll St. Louis Marathon
Nov 9, 2013 - 26.2 Rock n Roll Savannah Marathon
Sept 28, 2014 - 20 mile training run
Oct 12, 2014 - 26.2 Chicago Marathon #1
Sept 15, 2015 - 20 mile training run
Oct 11, 2015 - 26.2 Chicago Marathon #2

The first thing that stood out to me is that I never had a 20+ mile run before Savannah!! No wonder that race was so terrible for me. That was the marathon where I ended up passing out at mile 20. I was definitely under-trained. The next is that I really only had one 20+ mile run before my other 3 races and the longest distance was 20.7 miles. Most people will tell you that running longer than 20 miles before a marathon is not really necessary but wow, this was definitely eye opening for me.

Now for this year. I'm gonna talk a lot of numbers here for a minute because I can't believe how far I've come.

Total mileage - Since November 5, 2011 I have logged 2,918 miles. I fully expect to break through 3,000 miles by the end of this month. That's roughly 600-700 miles average each year. And this year's not over yet...

Mileage by month - I started training for my ultra in June. In June I logged 80 miles. In July, I logged 97. In August, I'm already at 102 and I plan on finishing around 115.

And here's a list of all the 20+ mile runs I've done this year:

July 16, 2016 - 20 mile training run
July 30, 2016 - 22 mile training run
Aug 15, 2016 - 24 mile training run
Aug 27, 2016 - 26 mile training run

Just like that, I sign up for an ultra and suddenly I'm logging more miles than I ever imagined. I've run 4 separate 20+ mile runs before race day, as compared to the 7 that I've ran in the last 4 years.

I think it's still too early to officially say where I will go from here. I'm taking this ultra running journey moment by moment and loving every bit of it. However, I highly anticipate that after race day I will have caught the ultra running "bug" and start scouting out my next 50K or possibly even my first 50 miler and 100 miles is not entirely out of the question either. Exciting stuff!

On to today's run...26 miles! It was really weird getting ready for my run last night thinking that I was basically going to be running a marathon today. The formality of my usual pre-marathon routine was dismissed by just a normal night of carb loading and watching tv with my husband. There were no pre-marathon jitters. Nothing to finalize or to schedule or to map out. I was going to get up at 4 am like normal and just go run a marathon. Ha!

Beautiful morning!

Hitting the road at 4:57am

The morning routine was pretty much the same as well. I got on the road just shy of 5am. I can definitely tell we are getting closer to FALL RUNNING!!! (Hallelujah!) I spent the first 5 miles almost completely in the dark before the sun started coming up. I was also pleasantly surprised to find out that there was an abundance of cloud cover. This made for a nice and cool morning and I didn't really start feeling the heat until around the halfway mark. At 16 miles I needed some additional water so my wonderfully supportive husband and son came to refill my water bottles. I also got a nice, cold Popsicle. Just what I needed to put a little pep in my step.

This Popsicle might be the best Popsicle I've ever had!

The rest of the miles went by without too much excitement. The heat did end up getting to me on a couple of occasions so I stopped to lay down in the shade and get my heart rate back to normal while I refueled on some Gatorade chews. I think the best part of today's run was around mile 24-25. There was a woman walking about 4 young children around the block. As I was coming up behind them, they moved out of the way and this little girl, probably not even 3 years old, had the biggest smile on her face and started waving and clapping for me. Just the motivation I needed to finish my last mile. Thanks little girl!

So this week was the peak of my training. As of tomorrow I start tapering for race day. Weekly mileage will probably still be around 20-30 miles but now I just have to trust the training. Definitely easier said than done! But in a month it will all be worth and I will be reveling in the aftermath of having run my first ultra. Can't wait!

Happy running!
Amanda

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

I run for...improvement.

 

One of the reasons I fell in love with running is that with every run you improve. My very first run (described in my initial blog post) was hard but that second run was a little bit easier. Then with ease came distance and suddenly I was running farther than I had ever run before. Even now, two years into my running journey, I make improvements along the way. Sometimes it’s a faster pace. Sometimes it's in regards to a mental feat - just getting myself out the door or convincing myself to run all the way up the hill, etc. I am always improving.

A big part of making improvements is making goals for yourself. In life I have learned that I need challenges. Challenges pose as opportunities for improvement. This is also true for my running. I have never been one to make it "easy" on myself. Right out of the gate, with just 2 months of consistent running experience under my belt, I made a new year's resolution to not only run 500 miles in 2012 but to also run my first marathon. Guess what? I did it! Crazy as that may have seemed at the time it was that commitment that drove me to success.

Last year with 2012 coming to an end I once again made a commitment to running 500 miles for the year, running a marathon, and adding in an additional race, a half-marathon, in the Spring. DONE! I have surpassed my goal of 500 miles (555 miles to be exact). I ran the Go! St Louis Half-Marathon in April 2013 and the Rock N' Roll Savannah Marathon in November 2013.

In 2014 I plan to push myself even farther.

#1 - Run 600 miles for the year.
#2 - Half Marathon in May - The Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati (possibly making this a marathon run)
#3 - Marathon in November - Pensacola Marathon in Florida

And most likely, I will add a few other fun races in there too. I've always wanted to do a color or neon run and the hot chocolate run sounds awesome too!

So what are your goals for the year? I CHALLENGE you to do more running this year. Do you need to commit to a race this year? Running faster or farther? Or maybe you just need to commit to getting out the door. Whatever your goals may be I know you won't be disappointed with the rewards that running can bring you.

Happy New Year! Best wishes (and running!) to you in 2014!

Love, Amanda

I run for…my life.

 

Today marks my first blog post. First I want to tell you what this blog is all about. Running! And so, I feel like it is important for you to know how my running journey started.

I officially began my running journey in November 2011. Prior to this date I had run before but my runs were few and far between. The longest distance I ever ran was about 4 miles. Fast forward to November 2011. My husband went to the doctor for a check-up and received some pretty scary health news - pre-diabetic, high blood pressure, obese. I did not have to go to the doctor to realize I was in the same boat. We lived a pretty vegetative lifestyle, full of fast food and inactivity. At the time he was 30 years old and I was 27 and we had a son that was not yet 2 years old. That's what inspired me to start my running journey. I wanted (and still want) to have a long, healthy life and be there for my son. More importantly I wanted (and still want) my son to grow up making better choices and living a long, healthy life as well. I needed to be an example for him. My husband felt the same way and so it began.

I will never forget my first run. It was HARD. It was just around my block, which is approximately 1 mile. I had to stop to walk several times. That first run, just 1 mile, took me at least 20 minutes to finish. In the days following that run, my legs, my back, my sides, my everything hurt. I was incredibly out of shape. It is extremely difficult to look back on those days. I'm ashamed at how far I let myself go. However, it serves as a wonderful reminder of how far I've come and I hope that by sharing my story it can serve as motivation and inspiration for so many others.

 

 

Last year (October 2012) marked a huge milestone. I ran my first marathon (see above pic). The journey to that finish line was full of ups and downs but I persevered and finished! I really thought that after my marathon I would check it off my Bucket List and move on but NO! As of today, I am right smack in the middle of my training for my second marathon. This year has presented with a whole new set of obstacles but I will not give up. I love running too much and I hope to share that love through this blog. Feel free to comment, offer love and support and encouragement (much needed!), and ask all the questions you desire. I want to share what I've learned these last two years and what I continue to learn