I run for...preparation.

Last Saturday's 9 mile run - Chicago Marathon here I come!

"Do something today that your future self will thank you for."

Runners are creatures of habit, especially marathon runners. We know that all of our long runs during training are practice runs for the marathon. So we need things to be as similar to race day as possible. Shoes, clothing, time of day, elevation, nutrition, hydration, music, mantras, etc. We prepare for these things months ahead of time so that there are no surprises on race day. In fact, the #1 rule for race day is...nothing new on race day.

Beautiful landscape for a 9 mile run

Marathon training has not yet started but I'm already in preparation mode. This year has already been really different, in that I will not be running a race this Spring. Last year I did the Flying Pig Half-Marathon. The year before that I did the Go! St. Louis Half-Marathon. This year's plan was to run the Russ Vegas Half-Marathon in Arkansas but I missed the deadline to sign up. My back up race was going to be the Flying Pig 10K but I also missed the deadline for that. I still may work a race into June or July but by that time I will be in the middle of marathon training and the race will have to fit perfectly into my training plan somehow.

Big hill on one my training routes

Even though I missed the races this Spring, my training has been the same. I trained for the half-marathon and the 10K because I thought that I would be running them and it is all good prep for marathon training. On the topic of preparation, I have started to follow a normal routine, the same routine I will follow once marathon training starts. This means long runs on Saturday or Sunday and going to bed early the night before in order to get up early for the long run (and be out of the heat!). Right now I'm using mid-distances to keep myself in shape and maintain my endurance from the half-marathon training. So my Saturday/Sunday runs are going to be anywhere from 6 to 10 miles until official training starts.


Preparation also means starting to be more mindful of my nutrition. Before marathon training begins it's good to focus on weight loss. Simply put...you will become faster if you shed a few pounds and once marathon training starts weight loss generally doesn't happen for most people. The reason being that you need those extra calories to keep your body adequately fueled for those long runs. So adequate nutrition is my focus for the next month. Low carb/high protein on my non-running days and paying attention to good sources of carbohydrates on my running days. I'm also loading up on lots of fruits and veggies. Bananas, beets, Brussels sprouts, cherries, berries, kale, sweet potatoes, broccoli, watermelon - these are all packed with nutrients that are good for runners!

Apple, carrot, and strawberry juice - Post-run drink

For my first 2 marathons I followed the Jeff Galloway training program for beginners. I highly recommend this program for any beginner runners that want to train for and run in a marathon! However, last year I switched to a Hal Higdon program and as a result I had a lot more success in terms of being able to push through fatigue and increasing my pace. So I will be following a Hal Higdon program again this year. This is roughly the program I will follow from June-October:

Mondays - cross training (I stick to cycling, weights, yoga or walking.)
Tuesdays and Thursdays - maintenance runs (3-5 miles)
Wednesdays - mid-distance runs (5-10 miles)
Fridays - rest day or light walking
Saturdays - mid-distance runs (5-10 miles)
Sundays - long runs (gradually increasing mileage to 20 miles)

In the beginning, I will be averaging between 20-25 miles a week and at the end, before tapering, I will be averaging 40-50 miles a week. Last year I was flexible with some of the runs. I would skip a Tuesday or Thursday run some weeks. These are my long days at work so it's difficult to work these runs into my schedule. I might also switch a long run to a Saturday and eliminate the mid-distance run altogether or make it up on Sunday. However, this is the genius behind the training program. By having a mid-distance run on Saturday followed by a long run the next day, you prime your body (and mind) to work through muscle fatigue. Last year, I also got really into my cross training (cycling in particular) so I might cut back some of my mid-week mileage in favor of extra cross training. This year, I will probably do the same but I am also going to focus some on speedwork. Speedwork worked well for me in 5K training (sub-30 club!!!) so I would like to see if it makes a difference for me during the marathon. I've gotta get a PR this year! The speedwork will consist mostly of hill sprints, tempo runs, and intervals. These will likely take place on Wednesdays or Saturdays and be randomly dispersed into the training schedule.

Also in prep for the marathon - my hotel room is already booked and paid for (yippee!!) and it's RIGHT NEXT TO the start/finish line. I cannot tell you how miserable it was to walk to our hotel after the marathon last year. Secondly, fundraising for the American Cancer Society starts NOW. Last year, I waited 2 months before the date to start fundraising. It was crazy hectic trying to do that with that short amount of time. We did it! I raised $1000 last year but just in the nick of time. So that being said, I need your donations!! Do me a favor. If you donated money last year, aim to double the amount this year! You can match last year's donation this month and then sometime between June-September you can match it again and BOOM! you've just doubled it. Of course, doubling it right from the start would work too. Then share, share, share. Tell everyone you know about the great work that the American Cancer Society does and direct them to my fundraising page (Donate here!) to make a donation.

If I have 20 people donate just $10 a month between May-October I will meet my goal. I know that it's hard to make such a commitment but it is so worth it. It is worth it to know that we are working towards something bigger than ourselves to eradicate cancer and create more birthdays worldwide. Cancer sucks! And I know you agree. Even just a small one-time donation of $10, $5, or even $1 can make a huge difference. Please consider joining me in donating to this worthy cause and thank you in advance.

Happy running!
Amanda

I run for...motivation.

May not be the ocean or even a lake but it was the perfect landscape for my morning run today.

The title of this blog post might seem confusing. After all, wouldn’t I run because I’m motivated? But I mean what I say. I run for motivation. I have to admit that I’ve been lazy lately. I will reluctantly let you in on a little secret. I have gained 10 pounds in the last 2 months due to poor diet and not much running. To my defense I was sick for almost the entire month of December which significantly drained all of my energy. In the month of December, I ran just 4x! And even that was a struggle.

January hasn’t been much better. Including today I’ve run 5x this month for a total of about 16 miles. I’ve kind of let myself off the hook here a little bit because it is “off” season but no more! This week is officially the start of my half-marathon training. This is where the motivation comes into play. I am NOT motivated at all to start my training and I know this has a lot to do with the last couple months of inactivity. When I’m running consistently, all I want to do is run. I am eager to get out on the road, to soak up the sunshine, to relish in some “me” time. It makes me feel good about myself. It keeps my stress level down. It keeps me motivated. But first, I have to get my butt out the door. 

Here are some tried and true methods that have worked for me when my motivation wans.

 

Find a catch phrase. Something short. Something snappy. Mine is “Don’t think. Just go.” This stops the negative barrage of excuses in my brain and reminds me to just go. Sometimes I don’t even go through my normal routine of prepping for a run. I throw on some clothes and shoes and I’m out the door. This shortens the time I have to sit there and decide that I’d rather just chill on my couch.

Remember the feeling AFTER the run. When I’m not very motivated to run, all I think about is the struggle. The huffing, the puffing, the soreness, the cramps, the weather, the hills. But I have NEVER hated the feeling I have after a run. Like I mentioned above, when the run is over I can feel good about myself and my stress level is down. Let me repeat…I have NEVER hated the feeling I have after a run. Not once. Not ever. NEVER.

Goals are good. I obviously have a long-term goal in mind….half-marathon in April. Then I will go straight into marathon training. But I need those short-term goals along the way to keep me motivated. Today my goal was just to get out the door. Now I can look to this weekend and see that I have a total of 9 miles to run (5 on Saturday, 4 on Sunday). I’ve purposefully planned my training for the next 3 months littered with hill repeats and tempo runs along the way to always give myself a short-term goal on the horizon. If you are not training for a particular race, vow to make it out the door X many days of the week or to run X number of miles in a month. When I first started my running journey, it was enough for me to tell myself just to get out and run once a week without a time or mileage goal in mind. Once I started doing that, the next goal fell into place.

Forget about weight loss. As I’ve mentioned, I have gained about 10 pounds in the last 2 months. But my goal is not weight loss. My running has NEVER been about weight loss. It’s about how it makes me feel and it’s about being healthy. Ironically I have had more weight loss success by NOT thinking about weight loss. When you have a goal that’s intrinsically motivated (better mood, lower stress, increased energy) you are more likely to succeed. That means lose the extrinsic goals such as, “I want to look good in a bikini.” Extrinsic goals are superficial and research has shown that these type of goals will often leave you feeling disappointed.

Have FUN! When I need to enhance my motivation or if I’ve hit a plateau in my progress, I switch things up a bit. Go run without music. Leave the gadgets behind. Run in the rain. Dance or sing during a run. Find a new route. Find a running partner. Challenge yourself with sprints or hills. Enjoy the scenery. Travel to a new location to run. Put on some new music. Listen to a funny podcast. Race someone. Reward yourself after a run.  

So I can attest to the fact that I these work. This morning I had little to no motivation to run and now, after my run, I am eager to get out and tackle my next goal! I will keep you updated on my half-marathon training as I go. Stay tuned!

Happy running!
Amanda

I run for...experience.

After marathon day this year, it was time for me to set a new goal. Technically the end of marathon training signifies "off" season for me. However, I've found it most helpful to sprinkle short races throughout the "off" season to keep me running and in shape for when training starts back up again at the end of January. This year I signed up for a local 5K race - the UMCH Turkey Trot - with a very specific goal in mind - to get a sub-30 minute time. In 2012 when I ran this same race I finished in 32:16 and ended up getting 2nd in my age group. I wanted to get a PR but I REALLY wanted that sub-30. And….I did it!

The training for a 5K, specifically to meet a time goal, and the training for a marathon are so vastly different that it was really hard for me to switch gears. Usually in marathon training I don't do a lot of speedwork. I might do hill intervals or short pick-ups here and there but it's typically all about endurance. For my 5K training, it was all about the speedwork. I had 4 weeks of training available once my recovery period from the marathon was over. My weeks consisted of a mid-long run on Wednesday (45-60minutes), speedwork on Saturday (tempo runs), and long runs on Sunday (60-90 minutes). Tempo runs were the key to my sub-30 5K. I knew that to run a sub-30 5K I would need to run at a 9:39min/mi pace. So my first tempo run went like this: a short warm-up (10-15 min), then 3 minutes of running at a perceived exertion rate between 6 and 7. I repeated the 3 minutes of running five times with about 60-90 seconds of jogging in between intervals. The idea behind tempo runs is that you are forcing yourself to run at a faster pace for longer periods of time each subsequent tempo run. So my second tempo run involved 5 x 4 minute intervals and then lastly, 5 x 5 minute intervals. I also managed to get in a hill workout (also considered speedwork).

Me and Emerson before the race

My reminder to run a sub-30

So despite a 24-hour stomach bug about 2 weeks before the race that knocked out 2 maintenance runs for me, I was able to meet my goal! Even though it was about 20 degrees on race day, I felt great! I warmed up by running to the starting location - only about 1 mile away from our house. I did short bursts of running back and forth to stay warmed up while there. I had an ammmmazing playlist. I kept my sights on certain people ahead of me and focused on passing this person and then the next. Once I got to the end of the race, I saw my husband and my son standing at the top of the hill cheering me on. I kept telling myself "sub-30!" and then I saw the clock and realized I was within a minute of that 30 minute mark. I sprinted as fast as I could to the finish and ended with a time of 29:22. Success! I did not get top 2 in my age group but I wasn't far behind. I placed 4th in my age group and I was 12th overall for the women's division. Pretty proud of that!

Emerson ran in the Kids Fun Run!

So this blog post comes to you today from a 3-peat marathoner and a sub-30 5K runner. Furthermore, November 5th of this year marked the 3 year anniversary of my running journey. I feel like I can finally call myself an "experienced" runner. And in fact, I have had conversations with friends and family, received Facebook messages and texts about my "expertise" at least weekly. It feels good to be able to mentor and guide others to change their lives. That's the main reason why I started this blog. I recently came across my running journal from year one of marathon training. Here are a few excerpts:

01/31/12 - "First run since my injury. It was HARD. Stopped to walk a few times mostly because of my breathing."

02/09/12 - "This was a slow run, more of a jog really but I didn't stop to walk once! And I was just proud of myself for going out and doing it. This week wasn't about getting in long runs anyway. I just need to get myself in the habit of running more."

02/15/12 - "First run of the week! Better late than never right? I knew I wanted to do a long one, mainly to boost my confidence and jump start my motivation for the rest of the week. It worked!"

02/17/12 - "I'm writing this two weeks after the fact. What I remember is that it (my foot) hurt. Probably shouldn't have even ran because it started hurting from the beginning. But I pushed through and further injured myself."

02/28/12 (first official day of marathon training) - "I was so excited to run tonight but also scared about my foot. I ended up resting it for over a week. It felt pretty good but I wasn't sure about running on it. It was a success! - as far as my foot goes. But I ran into an obstacle elsewhere. About halfway through my run I started cramping really bad. Had to stop to walk a few times but it eventually subsided. "

03/17/12 - "First 5 mile run since my injury! It was long and hard at times but absolutely empowering. And no pain!"

Let this be an inspiration to you beginner runners out there. I struggled…really struggled…when I first started. I had to run through injury and illness and push myself to run on a daily basis. I stopped to walk. I was sore. It hurt to breathe. I had muscle cramps. Nevertheless I made a commitment to myself and to my running. I made a goal, albeit a lofty one, to run a marathon. This kept me running. So keep going!! With perseverance any beginning runner can become an experienced one.

Lastly, it is that time of year to share my 2015 goals with you! I just can't wait any longer! These are not so much set in stone yet but this is my general idea for next year. I will make more of a final decision as the new year begins.

Spring 2015 - Half-marathon like usual. This year I plan to run the RussVegas 1/2 marathon in Russellville, Arkansas. This is a definite race, already set in stone.

Summer 2015 - A couple of new developments. This year I would like to do my first triathlon. I still haven't decided between the Olympic distance or the Half-Ironman. Since I'm a runner, I think of these triathlons in terms of how much you run at the end. In an Olympic triathlon, you run 6.2 miles at the end. In a Half-Ironman, you run a half marathon. I'm also looking to find a 24 hour race somewhere close by to get my feet wet with ultra-running (any distance over a marathon distance).

Fall 2015 - Marathon! I'm undecided as to which marathon I'm going to run. I've got several options - Chicago (again), Twin Cities Marathon in Minnesota, Pensacola Marathon in Florida, Marine Corps Marathon, or the Philadelphia Marathon. Anybody have any suggestions??

So more to come as the new year starts. Next month I have another race on the books - the Hot Chocolate 15K/5K in St. Louis. Looking forward to running + eating and drinking chocolate. :)

Happy running!

Amanda

I run for...Chicago Part 2.

My view in the start corral. Beautiful view of the city!

I have been waiting in anticipation to share my marathon day story with you all. First of all, I want to share something personal with you. I got up at 4:30am on race day and wrote this…

"Race day…I am ready for this. Up at 4:30am. Dressed. Eating a bagel and drinking my coffee. In about 45 minutes we will leave the hotel to begin preparation at the start line. I will warm up my muscles. Drink some water. Have a quick banana. Then on to the start line. There I will wait, probably another 45 minutes. I will think "I am ready for this". I will try to move around as much as possible to keep my muscles warm. When I cross that start line, I will slowly but surely ease into my pace, taking in all that's around me and soaking up the energy. For the first 5 miles,  it will be like any other 5 mile run that I've had in the past. Easy then done. At the mile 8 point is when I will increase my pace. From mile 8 to 18, my goal will be to pass as many runners as I can. With each conquest I will use "Think strong. Be strong." When my legs get tired or my energy starts to waiver I will use sudden 30 sec bursts of energy to keep my legs fresh but I will never walk. When I walk it will be during the aid stations. During today's race I will use my tried and true method of nutrition and hydration. GU ever 45 minutes to 1 hour. Water drank to thirst. I will use "relax, power, glide" as needed. Then mile 20,  the wall. It's time to push through and show them how strong I really am. I will tell myself "I can do more" as I make my last 6.2 miles to the finish. 6.2 miles is nothing. A 10K that I've run a hundred times. This 10K will be different. It will be hard but I will not feel it. I will feel strong all the way to the finish. And when I cross that finish line in CHICAGO and realize I have earned another medal for my wall, I will rejoice. I will be emotional and it will ALL be worth it. Once again I have proven to myself that I am a fighter. Not many people can do what I do. I will take that energy with me back to my family. I will inspire others with my story. And I will be motivated to go out and do more. This is what I live for and this is why I live. In this moment there is nothing better than that feeling."

I love this passage because it is so true to how race day went for me. I am thrilled with my performance. As I have mentioned several times this training season, I was hoping for a PR (personal record). My fastest marathon before Chicago was the R'nR St. Louis at 5:45. I unfortunately did not get a PR in Chicago. I finished in 5:52:44 but nonetheless I am thrilled with my performance.

Here's what I discovered studying my splits (total time divided by distance - 5K, 10K, half, etc.). I think I've mentioned in previous posts that on race day I do not track my pace. I like to go by listening to my body so as not to do too much, too soon and risk pooping out at the end. I did exactly as I wrote in my morning reflection. At mile 8 I increased my pace, going about 30 seconds faster per mile than my first 7 miles. I found the 5:25 pace team and I liked the group. They were all similar in fitness to myself and they were using a 4 minute run to 1 minute walk ratio. This felt really good at the time that I found them because I hadn't stopped to walk AT ALL up to that point. So it was a nice change of pace. However, I quickly realized that their walk was about the same as my slow jog because my legs were so short. HAHA. And then when they sped up to run the 4 minute intervals, I was basically sprinting. I knew this would wear me out quickly so I had to fall back. This was between miles 15-19 and my splits showed that I slowed down at this point almost 1-2 minutes slower per mile. That's what killed my chances for a PR. But I kept thinking about what this guy said while waiting to go to the start corrals. He said, to the guy behind me, "I see you're in the same corral as me which means you're slow like me. I find that it's best to go slower, walk, talk to the people around you. Because you know what the difference is between a 6:00 marathon and a 3:00 marathon? Nothing. The medal is the same." 

Mile 20. The Wall.

During those slow, tough miles, I talked to a lot of people. I even sang! Yikes. I high fived a lot of spectators and I just had fun. I kept thinking about what I was running for - The American Cancer Society - and I focused on just finishing the race strong. I did exactly what I said I was going to do at mile 20. I reminded myself that I only had a 10K left to run, a distance that I've run hundreds of times. I told myself that I could do more and I used short pickups (bursts of energy) to increase my pace. I remember at the 2 miles to go mark there was a band singing "2 miles to go. 2 miles to go." This gave me the kick that I needed. I ran my last 1.2 miles the fastest of the entire race. YES! I crossed the finish line, got my medal, and a BEER (the best beer ever by the way). I got the rest of my goodies (banana, protein shake, protein bars, etc.) and found my son and my husband waiting at the W, per tradition. I sat down and stretched my tired legs and I cried. Yes, I did get emotional after the race. Pinned to my back I had the names of my grandmother and my uncle. I ran in memory of them and in honor of my great aunt, a cancer survivor! I thought of them often during the race to remind myself what I was running for…less cancer, more birthdays. This race certainly reinforced things about myself that I may have forgotten - confidence, determination, courage, spirit - but I wholeheartedly ran this race for those who cannot.

Making my miles count. In memory of Mema and Uncle Marty and in honor of my great aunt, a cancer survivor.

Finisher selfie after receiving my medal. SO HAPPY!

Some other highlights from race day…

• I was really worried that with 1.2 million spectators I wasn't going to EVER see my son and my husband. We made a plan that I would stay on the right side of the road so that anywhere they watched the race they would also be on that side. And I did see them!! At mile 2!!
• The Chicago marathon is an absolutely FABULOUS way to tour the city. We ran through the Loop, Old Town, past the zoo, Lincoln Park, Old Town again, the West Loop including Greektown, Little Italy, University Village (UIC), Pilsen (my favorite neighborhood of the whole race), Chinatown, south, then back north into downtown, finishing in Grant Park where we started.
• There were actually 44,000 runners this year. All 50 states were represented and 100 different countries.
• The song I sang was "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake. Haha. I unplugged my headphones so everyone around me could hear the music and I sang along. A few people even joined me.

Love to all my supporters! I ended up raising $1,150 for the American Cancer Society and you can still donate up to October 27th! Just go to http://determination.acsevents.org and search for me by name (Amanda Winchell).

Happy running!

Amanda, 3-peat marathon runner :)

I run for...Chicago.

One week until the Chicago Marathon! I have been tapering my mileage for the last 2 weeks and I am experiencing such a profound sense of peace. At this point, my hard training is finished and there is nothing that I can do in the next week that will do anything to improve my performance on race day. I've done all that I can do. Now I just need to trust in the training and make a game plan for race day. So today's blog post is about my preparation for Chicago.

Tapering

As I mentioned above, I have been tapering for the last 2 weeks. This is an essential part of marathon training. I have really struggled with the taper the last two years because I wanted to cram a whole bunch of extra miles in at the end thinking it will do some bit of good. But the truth is, it doesn't make any difference. If you stay consistent with your training program, then you have a pretty good indicator of how you will finish on race day. As I mentioned previously, nothing more can be done in those last 1-4 weeks (depending on your training program). Tapering allows your body to rest and restore the vital energy needed to run 26.2 miles. So this year I have fully embraced the taper mode and I'm feeling restless but I know it'll all be worth it.

Nutrition and Hydration

As far as running goes, I'm not doing much. I have cross training on Monday, 2 miles on Tuesday, and 4 miles on Thursday. I will do one last shake out run, 3 miles, on Saturday before race day and that's it! My diet, on the other hand, needs to be right on point. Most people understand that runners need to carb load before race day but that really doesn't need to happen until 1-2 days before the race. So for this week I will concentrate on eating lean meat, veggies, and about 50-60% carbs. During the 1-2 days before race day, that carb ratio will jump to about 70-80%. I've been pretty consistent with my pre-long run meals for awhile. On the day before, I generally have cereal and a banana for breakfast, Subway sandwich with fruit for lunch, and plain pasta with bread for dinner. Throughout the day I usually snack on pretzels, bagels, or crackers for extra carbs. Keeping track of my water intake this week will be as equally important as what I'm eating. This week I will take in an extra 1-2 glasses of water each day. Then 1-2 days prior to race day I will include an enhanced electrolyte substance (usually Nuun) with the water I drink.

Mental Preparation

This is SO important and you really need to have the right balance of tried and true methods versus novelty to keep things interesting. This year during my training runs I have stuck to one primary manta - "Think strong. Be strong." This has been particularly helpful during hill training and speed work. I will, no doubt, be using this on race day. But like I said, it's also important to keep things fresh and interesting because 26.2 miles is a loooooong run. Lol. So my new mantra, to be introduced during miles 20-26.2, will be "I can do more." I think this will give me the push I need at the end to endure the pain and exhaustion I will be feeling at that point. I also recently listened to the latest Another Mother Runner podcast in which they suggested dedicating every mile to someone. This really struck a chord within me, especially since this year I am running for the American Cancer Society. So I will be making a list of my closest family and friends and others that have donated to my cause and every mile will be dedicated to a different individual. The idea behind this is that you think of this person during "their" mile - the good memories, the qualities you admire in them - and it gets you through the miles easier. I'm hoping this works!

The Day Before

Yesterday I FINALLY made reservations for our hotel room next weekend. Nothing like waiting until the last minute! It's going to cost me an arm and leg but I was able to get us a room a mile from the start line and about 2 miles from the finish line. I think it'll be worth it to have a little peace of mind on the morning of the race. We won't have to worry about trains or cars, etc. So we are set to arrive in downtown Chicago on Saturday afternoon. Once we get checked into the hotel, we will go over to the expo. At the expo, I will pick up my race swag and most importantly my race bib and timing chip. The rest of the day is designated to relaxing to the MAX. I will follow my pre-race nutrition and hydration and go to bed early.

Marathon Day!!!!!!

The Chicago Marathon will have two waves on race day. I am slow (haha) so I am in Wave 2 and will start at 8:00am. I reviewed my participant guide last week and this will be unlike any marathon I have run before. It's estimated that a total of 2 million spectators will be in attendance on race day and I will be one of about 34,000 runners. To accommodate this number of runners, there will aid stations (water, Gatorade, toilets, and medical tents) every 1-2 miles. This is new for me. During my last 2 marathons, I had to carry my handheld water bottle and refill along the way. I am hoping to utilize the aid stations this year. For this, you need to plan ahead as well. On my training runs, I generally drink to thirst and I don't typically need something to drink until I reach 6 miles. Then about every 2-3 miles after that. So I will follow this same pattern on race day. As I have for the majority of my training runs, I will carry my own supply of GU energy gels. 

Post-Marathon

I cannot wait for post-marathon. The feeling that comes from finishing a marathon is hard to explain but it is one of the best feelings in the world. That being said post-marathon can offer some challenges as well. When the training has ended, it can be easy to get sucked into a post-marathon slump without a goal to work towards. So I have prepared for this by setting up a reverse taper program: no running Monday-Wednesday, 3 mile run Thursday, cross training Friday, 2-3 miles Saturday, and 6-8 miles on Sunday. After that I will slowly increase mileage again. I have a 5K to work towards in November as well. This will hopefully keep me motivated and on track. 

Staying motivated and keeping a consistent running routine is important because more is yet to come! Next year I will be doing bigger and better things. Stay tuned...

Happy running!

Amanda

P.S. I am still raising money for the American Cancer Society until October 27th. If you have not donated and still want to, you may go to http://determination.acsevents.org and search for me by name (Amanda Winchell). 

I run for...the American Cancer Society.

If you have been reading my blog, most of you know that I am running this year's Chicago Marathon on October 12th for the American Cancer Society. Today's blog post is primarily devoted to helping you make the decision to give. Marathon day is fast approaching and I only have 1 month left to raise $1000. Every little penny helps!! Let me assure you that the American Cancer Society is an excellent charity to support.

According to the BBB (Better Business Bureau), the American Cancer Society meets all standards for charity accountability. You can go to www.bbb.org to explore more about what that means but let me give you a brief overview. The ACS has 4 basic programs - research, patient support, prevention, and detection/treatment. In 2010, 80% of ACS' income went to programs, while 11% went to fund raising, 9% to administrative, and less than 1% for other expenses. For me, it's important to know that a charity I support is doing what I WANT them to do with that money.

Need some proof besides just statistics? My little sister is actual living proof that amazing work is being done in the field of cancer research funded by the ACS. Last year my little sister participated in the Summer High School Research Program for the ACS under the direction of Judy Davie, PhD  working on the "Analysis of Myogenic Deregulation in Rhabdomyosarcoma Cell Lines". I have NO idea what that means. Ha! But I know from my sister's account, that it was interesting and productive work.

So that is partly why I choose to donate to the ACS but mostly it's because I have lost those that I love to cancer. It sucks! I want a cure. I don't want any more family, friends, coworkers, classmates, or ANYONE to die from cancer anymore. And I know the American Cancer Society shares in this dream.

This year I'm running in honor of my mema, Alice McCoy and my uncle, Marty Schwartz.

Listen, if you're like me, I know it's difficult sometimes to put gas in your car let alone donate EXTRA money to charity. But try to remember that I'm not asking for a lot. My challenge to every person is to try to give $1 per mile - $26.20. But if you can only spare $20 or $10 or $1, I'll take it! I promise that it's all worth it. And through today's blog post I have attempted to prove that to you.

Do not wait! Donate now! It's as simple as going to http://determination.acsevents.org and searching for my name (Amanda Winchell) under "Support an Athlete". If you'd rather, you can also get with me personally to write a check or give cash. 

I absolutely cannot do this without your support! Thank you so much for donating!

Happy running,

Amanda

I run for...HOPE.

 The beautiful scenery on today's long run

It's been awhile since my last blog post and  I promise, there's a perfectly good reason for that. Training has been really intense. Just an example, to date I've run 106.5 miles for the month of August. That's crazy!! AND I still have a week left in the month of August. It's year #3 of marathon training and I'm getting in double the number of miles that I did in year 1 and 2. Which brings me to the topic of today's blog post…HOPE! I am extremely hopeful, based on the way training is going, that this year will be the year for a PR (personal record). My marathon times are 5:45 and 6:30 respectively. I would LOVE to get a sub 5:00 and like I said, I'm hopeful that will happen.

One of things about training for a marathon is retaining that hopeful spirit. Marathon training is grueling, intense, tedious, slow and sometimes painful. Whether it's a 20 week, 16 week or 12 week training program, you have to DO the work every single day with that one goal in mind…marathon day. I know from experience that you only get out of it what you put into it. Last year was a perfect example of that. Having the attitude of "I've done this before" I allowed myself to slack off on some of my training runs. Looking back I NEVER ran a 20 miler before race day and on race day, that was evident. But last year's disaster has definitely inspired and motivated this year's training. I am working harder than ever and I HOPE that is evident in this year's race.

On to today's training run…

I had my first 20 miler scheduled for today. Following last weekend's 16 mile run, it was going to be a stretch to make it to 20 miles but I was hopeful that I could do it. Midweek it became clear that the heat and humidity were going to be a factor. We've been under a heat advisory and highs have been in the mid 90s with heat indices at about 105-107 degrees. I've been fortunate this year to not have to deal with the heat and humidity much so I was dreading this weekend's training. Yesterday, I ran a short 8.25 mile run and it was definitely hot but not necessarily unbearable. So that gave me some HOPE and confidence going into today's run. I was prepared last night to go to bed early so I could get up and do at least half of my running in the morning before the sun came up. I set my alarm for 4 AM. Sometimes we runners do crazy things. That is definitely one of them. So this morning, funny thing happens, no alarm! I look at my clock and it's already 5:45am. I accidentally set my alarm for 4 AM on Wednesday morning. Boo. So that was set back #1 today but I was determined to retain my HOPE for a good, long run. I hydrated well this morning and equipped myself with my trusty handheld water bottle, which holds 20oz, and my spare water bottle in my hydration belt, which also carries 20oz. I had about 5 servings of GU and Clif Shot Blocks altogether. I had on my moisture wicking hat, tank with built in bra, and my spandex biking shorts. Starting out it was actually nice and cool and I thought "This is going to be easy." But at 6:15am, about the time I was headed out on the road, the temperature was already at about 75 degrees, the sun was just coming up, and the humidity was at about 80%. UGH! It didn't take long before I realized "This is going to be hard."

One of the things I've been doing recently on my long runs is listening to podcasts. I've noticed they make the miles go by so much quicker AND I feel like I'm learning something. One of favorites has been "Another Mother Runner". If you're a mother runner like me, you should definitely check them out. A LOT of useful information. So recently on one of their podcasts I was listening to, they were talking about embracing "the suck". That is all that stuck with me today. Lol. Today was so sucky. My allergies were going haywire. My tank top was one I've never worn before and it gouged into my skin pretty bad. I have lots of blisters were the straps and the underneath of the bra were rubbing against my skin. At mile 10, I was about to say "I'm done". But then….HOPE. I held on to that notion of embracing "the suck"  and I was hopeful that today's very long and hard run would make marathon day so much easier. I held onto the HOPE that once summer was over I could fully embrace and relish in 70 or even 60 degree runs. I held onto the HOPE that I will PR. I just held onto those positive things for as long as possible and then lo and behold, I got my second wind. Then just as I was getting back into the groove, around mile 13, I ran out of water. Seriously?! I was about to accept defeat. However, I just so happened to be close to my aunt's house. I quickly texted her to see if she was home. Success! I stopped at her house right at mile 16 and got 2 refills!!! HOPE!

After that, I just wanted to be done. I knew I wasn't going to make the whole 20 miles but I was happy with anything over last week's 16. So today I logged a total of 17.25 miles. That is still progress and considering the suckiness that was today, I'm pretty proud of that. Today was a learning experience and a small victory for my mental capacity as well, which is a BIG part of marathon training.

Enjoying my ice bath after today's long run...got a lot of sun today too.

And lastly, during any long run, I always trying to keep the reason for this year's marathon at the forefront. I am running to raise money for the American Cancer Society. In that, there is HOPE for a cure. I am reminded that I'm not just running for myself but for the countless others that have been affected by this terrible disease. As a reminder, you can donate at http://determination.acsevents.org and search for my name: Amanda Winchell.

Thank you and happy running,

Amanda