floating on a runner's high

This weekend was one that every runner needs every now and then to remind us why we love running. To remind us why we wake up at the crack of dawn to squeeze in a run most days of the week. To remind us why we continue to push ourselves through the good days and the bad to reach goals that sometimes seem insurmountable. Weekends like this one make it all feel worth it. Weekends like this one leave me flying high and ready for more. 

My weekend actually started on Friday this week. I worked on Monday, Labor Day, in hopes of taking Friday off so the bf and I could spend the day together (he worked Monday too). I wanted to do some exploring and find an outside adventure we could enjoy. In my search of "things to do on a hot day in Boston" I found a beach that was about 20 min away from us, in South Boston. We hadn't been to the beach this year yet, so I guess the first weekend in September was as good of time as any! We packed our bags and a cooler and headed to Carson Beach. It was an absolutely perfect beach day, 90 degrees, sunny, a slight breeze, and not crowded at all. I was a pig in shit. 

watching the planes...you'd never know you were right outside the city

Saturday morning I had plans to run with Kristin. Kristin and I met first through social media, and only recently realized we live just a few miles from each other. She's an amazing runner, newly crowned IM finisher, and a super sweet person. Maybe someday I'll actually be able to keep up with her! We met at Minuteman Park, which is this beautiful area of trails that start in Lexington. This was the first time I had been there, and as Kristin warned, it may just be one of my new favorite places to run. I had 50 minutes easy on the schedule, so we went out for about 25 minutes, then turned around and came back. The trails were wide and mostly groomed, the scenery was beautiful, and on an incredibly hot and humid day, the trees offered some welcomed shade. I ran hard trying to keep up with Kristin, but felt pretty good overall considering the hot and humid conditions. Not quite sure what I would do without my running friends.

Post run, super sweaty and smiling...totally unplanned twinning.

This morning's agenda included a 16-17 mile run, split between the beginning miles with Stephanie and the final 6 miles with some of my fabulous Oiselle teammates who also live in MA (some of us had met before, most of us had not). Stephanie ran over to meet me on the bike path in Lexington. We ran 3.5 miles out and back one way, and then another 1.5 miles in the other direction before I had to turn around to make it back in time to meet the Oiselle birdies at 8:30. By the time I met them I had already completed about 10.3 miles. I was surprised by how good I felt and was very ready to continue on with these incredible runners. We continued down the bike path, 3 miles out and back, sharing stories, and getting to know one another better. I finished the day at 16.34 miles, my longest run of this training cycle, and feeling great. After our run, we planned to have brunch at a place called Lexx. We had delicious food, bloody mary's, and mimosas and continued to talk like we've known each other for years. It was perfect. 

follow the spike bags
photo credit: Amanda

birds at brunch

Now, as I sit here on my couch, watching the Patriots and reflecting on this weekend, I can't help but smile. I am so grateful for the friends and teammates I have made through running. I am grateful for their support and encouragement, and how they pick me up when I am down and questioning my abilities. I am grateful for all of them, all over the country. I am grateful for this weekend.

Hoka One One Love

I've been asked many questions recently about my Hokas and what I think, so I thought I would write a post about why I run in them and why I love them so much. I made the switch to Hoka a little over a year ago and I must say it was love at first run. I took the leap of faith after reading about them on various blogs, and website reviews. I grew increasingly curious after reading about many positive experiences. Prior to trying Hoka, I had been a pretty loyal Mizuno fan. I liked my Mizunos, but I felt like I was going through them rather quickly. I also had some knee pain and problems in the past. So, I was intrigued by Hoka and what I was reading about runners experiencing fewer injuries and pain while running in them.

After reading the descriptions of each of their shoes on the market at the time, I decided to go with the Bondi for my first pair. The Bondi promised high performance cushioning for road runners. I was excited to give them a try! When they arrived on my doorstep I eagerly ripped them out of the box. They looked like no other shoe I had tried before. The clown shoe of running you may say. But just as you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, I knew I shouldn't judge the Hoka on it's appearance. I laced them up and went out for my first run. Based on their appearance, I couldn't believe how light they felt. They didn't feel oversized at all on my feet. I remember distinctly feeling like I was flying down the road with springs under my feet. I was immediately a huge fan. 

taking my first pair of Hokas to the trails

I still wear the Bondis for all of my longer runs and races. I have worn them through 2 marathons, a number of half marathons, and even a 5k (not the same pair). 

Marathon #1

#2

Half Marathon

they even made the trip with me to South Korea

While I love the Bondis for longer runs, I wanted something a little smaller for shorter runs and speed work. I started using the Kailua Tarmacs, which have lightweight cushioning with a faster ride according the the Hoka website. The Tarmacs are not as softly cushioned as the Bodis, which make them great for shorter, faster runs. I used them on the track, as well as for races shorter than a half marathon, and easy runs. I loved having more than one shoe to switch between that compliment each other very nicely.

Kailua Tarmacs for Ragnar

also great on the trail

as well as the track

One of the newest additions to the Hoka family is the Clifton. After first seeing them at the Hoka booth at the Vermont City Marathon, I couldn't wait for them to be available. They are extremely lightweight, but offer the same amazing cushioning that I've come to know and love about Hoka. The Hoka website says "if you want to take the feeling of running on grass with you to the concrete jungle, look no further than the Clifton." I have to agree with them. I was amazed by how light they are (6.6oz...the Tarmacs are 9oz and the Bondis are 8.8oz). Again, I was in love after the first run.

Falmouth Road Race in Cliftons

Currently, I rotate between the Bondi 3, Kailua Tarmacs, and the Cliftons. Before switching to Hoka, I never used to wear more than one pair of shoes at a time. While I don't believe it's necessary, I do think it has really helped me stay injury free. Every shoe has a purpose. I am now on my third marathon training cycle wearing Hokas and I have never once looked back. I haven't experienced any major injuries since making the switch (knock on wood) and I feel as though I am able to recover from the long runs more quickly than when I was running in Mizuno. While I'm sure Hoka may not be for everyone, I am big fan and think they are worth giving a try if you're at all curious like I was. 

Current Hoka line up from L to R: Bondi 3, Clifton, Kailua Tarmac

I was sent these beautiful new Bondi 3s
from the very generous people at Hoka for no charge.
However, every other pair of Hokas I have owned,
I purchased on my own.
All of my opinions are real and genuine.

Tell me, have you tried Hokas? Which model and what did you think? Any questions for me? 

Falmouth Road Race

This past weekend was incredible. I got to meet some amazing people, spend the weekend with some new, and not as new friends, sit my butt on the beach, and run the Falmouth Road Race. So many great things packed in to a short period of time. I didn't want the weekend to end.

I headed down to the Cape on Saturday morning. Stacey was so gracious and offered to let me stay at her house Saturday night even though she was photographing a wedding in VT and wouldn't be home until after midnight. On my way to the Cape, I made a stop in Falmouth to finally meet in person two very influential people in my life right now, my coaches Stephanie and Ben Bruce. Ben was also running Falmouth as one of the many incredible elite runners (he ended up placing 4th overall and was the 1st American finisher, congrats Ben!). Ben and Steph were staying with a host family in Falmouth and we had planned to meet up while they were in town. Unfortunately I hit some pretty bad Cape traffic on my way, so I didn't get to spend as much time with them as I had hoped. But thankfully we still had some time to chat, drink coffee, and I got to hang with the newest Bruce, Riley.

little Riley is the cutest!! Thank you so so much for having me Steph and Ben! 

After leaving Steph, Ben, and their little cutie pie I made my way over to the beach to find Beth and her friends. After being internet friends for so long it was so great to FINALLY get to meet Beth, who is every bit as fabulous as I had imagined. We sat on the beach for a while and then went back to her friend Allison's house to chat some more. They were planning to have lobstah rolls (or lobster for you outside of New England) for dinner. I decided to head back to Stacey's to make myself a big bowl of gluten free carbs for dinner hoping it would be easier on my stomach.

Beautiful beach on the Cape
Photo credit: Beth 

After probably too much pasta, and a glass of wine, I went to bed early knowing my alarm would be set for 5am. When my alarm went off I got up pretty quickly. I was excited to get this show on the road. Stacey, her husband Gary, and myself were out the door by 6:00. Gary was volunteering at the finish line, so he dropped us off at the busses, which would bring us to the start at Woods Hole.

Stacey and I on bus
Photo credit: Stacey

We got to Woods Hole pretty quickly, which meant we had about 2hrs to kill before the race started. We walked around a little, checked out the starting line, and then settled in a spot by the water to relax, hydrate, and wait.

enjoying the water while we waited

pretending I'm fast

In all honesty, I was pretty thankful for those 2 hrs of waiting around. It gave my stomach just enough time to settle itself before the start of the race. I was pretty nervous things weren't going to go well during the race, but thankfully it turned out ok. Stupid stomach. Anyways! The race started at 9, so around 8:45 I started making my way up to the 8:00 pace flag. My goal was to finish under 56:00 so I lined up right by the front of the 8:00 mark. My local running buddy, Stephanie and I had talked about starting together and had similar goals, but hadn't planned on a place to meet before the race. I hoped if I went right by the 8:00 marker she would show up there too, and she did! She's actually the one who convinced me to enter the lottery for Falmouth a few months ago. I'm so happy I did and that was picked.

Right at 9am the elite runners were off and running. Not long after that it was time for us to go. The sun was warm from the start, which made me a little nervous because of my bad experience in Vermont in May. I told myself I would push as much as I felt comfortable and be sure to stop at all the water stops. The first few miles are rolling hills through winding tree-lined roads. The crowds of people right from the start were incredible. I tried to settle in to pace right around 8 min/mile. My legs quickly started to feel the burn from the hills but I tried not to focus on it and instead focus on what was in front of me. I decided to try to relax on the up hills a little more than I usually do, and let it go on the down hills, which seemed to work out pretty well. 

Around mile three we came out of the woods and ran along the beach (same beach I met Beth at the day before). It was beautiful. However, the sun was beating down and my legs were still burning. There were multiple people standing out by the roads with hoses spraying water. It was around this point that I dumped the first cup of water on my head. I could feel myself getting warm and I didn't want to risk it. The water felt great. From then on out I hit every hose I could see and continued to pour water on my head at every stop. 

It was also around this time that my watch beeped at me as if to say I had completed another mile, but I hadn't (super annoying). After that I was pretty unsure of where I was at. There are mile marks painted on the road, but I as having trouble seeing them. As I approached mile 5, and saw the painting on the road, I thought it was actually mile 6. I pushed on and began looking for the steep hill I knew was near the finish. I kept looking, but I didn't see it. I was confused, and tired, but kept my eyes forward and continued running. Eventually, I saw another pained number on the road....mile 6. Crap. I kept running.

focused on the finish

The crowds, cheering, and support throughout the entire race was incredible. This was even more evident during the last mile. I was so thankful for everyone there that day who kept me pushing forward. I don't remember much about the course at that point, except the large number of people lining the roads. Finally I saw what marked the beginning of the last steep hill that would lead me to the finish. I knew there was a slight downhill on the other side and I was determined to give it all I had left. And then, just before the bottom of the hill my shoe came untied. At that point I couldn't stop to tie it, so I kept going hoping I wouldn't trip and fall on my face. When I got over the top of the hill I spotted the American flag that hangs over the road just before the finish line. I let my legs go and cruised down to the finish. 

this was the flag we ran under on our way to the finish line
Photo credit: Beth

My time ended up being 56:56, which is an average of 8:08/mile, about a minute slower than I was hoping. However, I can honestly say I am very happy with my race. As I said earlier, my legs were tired and burning nearly from the start, but mentally I felt stronger than I have in a while. I fought for every mile and stayed focused on my race. It was a huge step for me mentally this year. So, even though I didn't quite finish where I had wanted to, I consider this race to be a big victory. The Falmouth Road Race itself was probably one of my favorites so far! Everything was very well organized, the course was beautiful, and the support was amazing. I will definitely be entering the lottery again next year!

    

breaking in the singlet

On Saturday, July 26th I ran my first race in my shiny new Oiselle singlet. It was amazing. Well, the race not so much I guess, but racing in the singlet was everything I had hoped for and more. The race was a 5k in Somerville, MA called Running on the Streets of Gold. I ran with my totally awesome teammate, braid twin, and new friend Rebecca. She picked me up around 7, after I made her wait in the parking lot while I finished gathering all of my stuff. I am a terrible packer and planner, I am great at throwing things in a bag last minute. 

at least I have an awesome new spike bag to throw it all in

We got to the race early so we would have time to do about a 15 min warm up, get our bibs, and braid some hair. Thankfully, I perfected the art of the french braid at a young age. Also thankful I was able to share this skill with Rebecca on Saturday. When we got to the race we were pretty surprised by the number of people. There couldn't have been more than 20. We weren't sure if we were in the right place until we spotted the porta potties. We were able to grab our bibs pretty quickly, along with a fresh copy of Chicken Soup for the Runner's Soul. Definitely the first time I've gotten a book at a race! After we got our stuff, we ran just under 2 miles to warm up. The sun was already warm and the humidity was already making things sticky. My singlet was soaked before the race even started. 

I look half asleep because I was...
(picture stolen from Rebecca)

Once we returned from our warm up miles, there were many more people lined up to get their bids and take a trip to the porta potty. After some delayed announcements, the race finally got started close to 8:30 (it was supposed to be an 8:00 start). It was their first year doing the race, so we cut them some slack. I went in to this race not knowing what to expect. Of course, I always want to shoot for a PR, but even more importantly I want to walk away knowing I gave it all on that day. Training lately has been extremely up and down with the weather (heat and humidity is NOT my friend). I also very rudely woke up at 2:30am Saturday morning and was not able to go back to sleep. I finally rolled out of bed around 5:45 and hoped some extra caffeine would give me some wings. I knew very early on this would not be the case. Rebecca is a super speedy bird. I knew she would be running much faster than me, even on my best of days. My thought was I would just try to keep her in sight as long as possible. It didn't take long after a couple turns, and some hills before I could no longer see her. I was flying solo and feeling pretty beat up. 

I had two options. I could give in to the pain, slow way down, and just use the race as a training run. Or I could embrace the pain and push on knowing I 'only' had a couple more miles to go. I chose the latter. I knew if I completely gave up I would be really upset when I finished. So, I chose to push forward and give the most that my body could at that moment. Near the finish, the course did a weird little out and back and I was able to see Rebecca in the distance still running strong. It gave me a little boost I needed to finish strong as well. 

I crossed the finish line at 23:47. Not even close to a PR, but not my slowest 5K either. It was however a fun day with a great teammate. I'm starting to understand that just because every race doesn't result in a PR, it doesn't mean every race that doesn't result in a PR is a bad race. Racing is fun because it's a challenge. You can't predict how your body will perform on any given day. You can only keep challenging it and hoping for great results. All I can ask of myself is to give my best in that moment. I want to walk away from each racing knowing I gave my best. Thankfully, I can say I gave my best effort at that time, during that race on Saturday. 

after we run...we drink coffee!
(again stolen from Rebecca)

 

Volée!

I have started and restarted this post a handful of times. Where do you even begin to write about something that still seems pretty surreal. I still feel the need to pinch myself...maybe I'll wake up and this will all be a dream.

I have a fun announcement.

I run for Oiselle!

Wait, what?! Me? Yes, I am EXTREMELY (caps are necessary) honored and proud to be able to say that I am a member of the Volee Team. Saturday I will be running my first race wearing the coveted Oiselle singlet that I've been dreaming of wearing for almost two years. Holy shit. This is real.

Side note: in case don't know, Oiselle is this totally incredible company that produces beautiful running clothes, supports incredible athletes, promotes positive change for the sport, and has inspired me to believe in myself every day. They're pretty amazing.

Oiselle gave me wings

Let me back track a bit. I applied to be a member of the Oiselle Team last year in June. On the last day of July I received an email saying I was not going to be offered a spot. I was totally bummed. I thought a lot about it, along with the email I received from Kristin (fearless team manager). Then wrote this post. There was a line in the email that stuck with me, "We hope that you keep in touch with us and continue to be persistent if being on the team is a priority to you." It absolutely was a priority for me. Even though I was not an official member of the 2013-2014 team, Oiselle had become a very important part of me, and I wasn't willing to let it go.


I never gave up hope over the past year that I would one day be able to say I run for Oiselle. I reached out to Kristin throughout the year and kept in touch. I continued to be inspired by all the talented, speedy Oiselle athletes and always felt welcomed and loved by the running community (family) they've built. It really is something very special. 

Ragnar birds

Seriously, when can we do this again?!

  

Oh wait, this isn't a Ragnar post

Steph and I at the Turkey Trot in NH
(can we do this again?!)

To my biggest surprise, a couple of months ago I was asked if I would like to be a member of the Oiselle Team. My response? YES!! Proceeded by jumping and dancing around my apartment for a while. The catch? I had to keep quiet until now. Maybe this is what winning a reality TV show feels like. It was tough because I obviously wanted to scream to the world that I am a member of the Oiselle Volee Team! My profile is on the athlete page. I almost still don't believe it.

Please don't pinch me. I don't want to wake up from this dream.
    

from the city to the trails

I'm always so sad when Sunday evening rolls around, but this has truly been a great weekend. It started yesterday with a short drive in to Boston to run along the Charles River. This is my favorite place to run and I haven't had the chance to do it nearly enough. However, now that I live just a few miles away, it will definitely be happening more often. If you've never had the opportunity to run here, I would very highly recommend it. I ran down one side of the river along Storrow Drive, then crossed over to the other side and ran back along Memorial Drive for a total of 12.5 miles. It was beautiful despite the humidity that doesn't seem to want to quit.

I could look at this view all day

After my run, Ryan and I had planned to spend the day in the city. It's the first time we have had the chance to do so since we moved here. We spent the day walking, eating, and drinking. It was perfect.

my last name = I have to take a picture

This morning I finally decided to explore some trails I've been wanting to check out. I haven't done any trail running since I moved, but I knew there were a lot of them right down the street in place called Middlesex Fells Reservation. I eyed spot on google maps before we even moved and have been wanting to run/walk/bike there since. I ran to one of the many trailheads and was super excited to see what I could find.

very inviting

Pretty soon after I started I was greeted with options of which trail to take. Since I'm not at all familiar with the trails, I decided to stay on as straight a path as possible so I didn't end up lost in the woods somewhere. I followed the trail called long pond, which sounded pretty inviting. It didn't take long before I was running along a pond covered in lily pads. Of course I had to stop and enjoy the scenery.

While I was running I felt this sense of freedom and almost childlike. It was so fun running along the trails, hoping over rocks and logs. I can see why trail running is such an attraction. I stopped paying attention to my watch, partially in fear of falling, but mostly because I just didn't care. I was having fun and enjoying what was around me, so the time no longer mattered.

not going to lie, I kind of love this picture

taking it all in

Both runs this weekend were the type of runs where I finished thinking, "this is why I run." It showed me that where you run can make such a difference. I am so happy living where I am, and even happier after I saw what this weekend had to offer. I can't wait to explore the rest of those trails, and am super excited to run many more miles in the city along that dirty water. This weekend proved to me that running shouldn't always be about the numbers on the watch, it should be about the true love and passion for the sport...however you may find it. 

2014 goals check in

Over the past couple months I have been working with my friend Renee, who is also a health coach. I have always, for the most part, considered myself a healthy eater. I enjoy healthy foods, but like many people often fell in to the trap of convenience. I ate the same similar foods week after week, cooked easy quick foods for dinner, and meal planning was a foreign language. I've always struggled with feeling tired and unrested even after sleeping 10+ hours at night (and by sleeping I mean waking up multiple times throughout the night). I felt like I wasn't fueling my body the right way for enough energy to get through the day, let alone with the number of miles I wanted to run added on. So, after hearing of the success of another friend while working with Renee, I decided to give it a shot.

my first experience with overnight oats...
see, I can be healthy.

I'll write another post on what changes I've been making and the progress I've felt, but this post is about running goals. One of the first things Renee and I did was set (non running related) goals for myself over the course of the six month program. Each week she encourages me to review my goals and then we talk about them during our bi-weekly phone calls. She pointed out that reviewing my goals will keep them fresh in my mind, and more likely to be met. This got me thinking...didn't I set some running related goals for 2014? Oh yeah, I remember that. Since the year is already more than half gone (how the hell is that possible?!), I thought it would be a good idea to review those goals and see what progress I've made.

new goal: start taking off makeup before bed
so I don't look like this on every morning run.

2014 Goals

1. To be good to me body, so my body will be good to me. I'm learning this is an ongoing process. As I mentioned above, I have been working with a health coach, which directly relates to this goal. I have been learning how to be good to my body and what exactly that means. I have been feeling better overall, with more energy and getting more solid sleep. I am realizing this may not be a goal I can simply check off at the end of 2014 and mark as done. It's ongoing, but I am making progress.

When I first saw this picture, I though my thigh looks huge.
Then I looked a little longer and thought, I kind of like it.
While there will always be things about my body I'd like to change,
I am learning to appreciate it for what it is and what it does for me. 

2. Strength Train. Oh boy. This is such an ongoing battle. I realize the importance and the benefits. Why can't I get myself to do it?! This is a goal I also set with Renee that we have talked about during each session so far. When we talked two weeks ago, we set the goal of starting small and adding strength training once a week. I managed to do that. Kind of. It's been very minimal. Still working towards this one. 

Does lifting a bib count as strength training?
No? Glad we cleared that up.

3. To PR in every race distance I run this year. I realize this is a big goal. An even bigger goal now that it's already July. Let's see... I ran a half marathon in February. I did not PR, not even close. It was not pretty. I ran a 10k in April and PR'd, then ran another one in June and PR'd again. Check. I ran the Vermont City Marathon in May and did not PR. Again, not even close. I'll have another shot at the marathon in Philadelphia in November (super excited). I'll be aiming for a PR (and sub 4hrs) there for sure. I ran (my first) 5 mile race in June. Automatic PR...does that count? So, this goal is also still a work in progress. Coming up on the race calendar (so far) is a 5k this month, a 7 mile race in August, another shot at the half marathon in September, and the marathon in November. Time to do some work.

running my way towards a PR at the BAA 10K 

4. To run a sub 4hr marathon. See above. 

Continuing to review my goals will be an important part of achieving them. The expression out of sight, out of mind is very true for me, especially with how busy life can get. However, they are still very real and realistic. Time to prove it.

How are your 2014 goals coming along?