One Year Anniversary

Today, the Spring No Boundaries 2015 program kicked off their season at Fleet Feet Sports. 

Today, so many people began a journey they know nothing about.  They don't know that if they stick to the program and believe in themselves, even at the toughest moment, they'll achieve so much more than just the "ability to run".  They'll realize that  by taking the first step, it will give them more than they ever asked.  They'll probably meet a friend and once they meet a few, SO MANY will just appear in their life without them even knowing it! And it will continue for the rest of their running adventure in life.

Today, as I sit here all cozy next to a warm fire, I wish I could have been at the Culver Road Armory, welcoming those people as they begin a life changing event. Roughly one year ago today, that was me. I was alone and scared beyond belief while walking into 5K orientation. I pretty much had the mentality that I had just paid $100 for a program to confirm I was NOT a runner. Even the merchandise in Fleet Feet intimidated me. It was cold outside, much like today and boy did I have my doubts! (Even then my mind was already trying to beat me down... what the heck?!)

Today, I can't imagine how much I would have missed if I didn't participate in in some sort of running program. Doing things you never thought you could, for the first time with new friends, creates such a special bond. I'll always remember what it felt like the first time I ran 5 miles with Pina... or 7.5 miles in Mendon with my girls Carrie, Tanya and Melinda. It's hard for me to describe how it feels, but I'll never forget it. It's emotional and crazy and hard but somehow you look forward for the chance to do it again...even if you hated life the entire time while you did it last time!  (Okay, maybe it's just me, but it's my blog, ha!) 

Today, 7 miles was on the "to do" list for the Half Marathon workout plan. It's been done before and will be done again. Last week I had issues with the cold, my stupid PF that's hitting my left foot something fierce and my MIND.  (Why can't I just leave my mind in the car before a run and then pick it back up as I buckle my seat belt?)  I was angry that Pina and I only got to 5ish  mileage on our GPS watch when SEVEN was the set plan.  

Today, mile 5 was again tough. It was like deja vu, only add a shooting jolt pain in my right calf.  I wanted to just stop... and I did.  I walked a handful of steps to get my momentum back up and to see where I was with the pain. I sucked it up, and then tried with all my might to get back in the groove.

Today, thanks to facebook, I didn't have to do this seven mile task alone. If I wanted to avoid running in the frigid temps tomorrow, these seven miles had to happen today. Pina wasn't free this afternoon so I reached out to people in this "Moms on the Run" facebook group to see if anyone wanted to run. A coach from NoBo and a complete "virtual stranger" said "YES". I was super lucky and very appreciative! 

Today, I had some great company and when we needed to stop for a bit to walk around mile 5, they were there to help keep me motivated.  We turned around and headed for our cars. When we got near the car, Christine checked in and asked about the pain.  It was still there but I wanted to keep going.  I HAD TO. And so we did.  Thanks to her and the awesome support from Leah, we ran passed the cars.  We only had a little more than a mile, and by that time it seemed doable. The weather was crazy at times, the snow kept falling and we kept running.  I was pretty lucky with the company I had the whole way through and look forward to running with them again! See... that's what I meant when I said before that other runners, (soon to be friends), will just appear in your life.  They too are on their own running adventure and once in a while you get to share the same path. It's pretty darn cool!

Thanks No Boundaries (for the 365th time and counting).  Running changes everything!!

"You better...

"...lose yourself in the music, the moment, You own it, you better never let it go whoa, you only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow...This opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo!"

I don't know what it is about this song but it really has carried me away at the hardest points of the three mile assignment... especially today while completing it on the treadmill at the gym. "This opportunity" is the here and now. The chance to forget the fatigue, sweat and desire to quit and finish the last little bit. "To own it" and "never let it go".

Thanks Eminem. Today's workout is because of you and your words. It's tough running without Pina and my girls at times, and I really appreciate your motivation. I know I have written about music before, and how beneficial it can be at times. Today was one of those times.

Slowly, I'm brainwashing my mind for when I need to tap into it during way longer runs. When I HAVE to ignore the negatives and push to that glorious end. This brain of mine can be so stubborn, just like my son... but my heart is stronger. Take that!

The Number SIX

The last time I wrote, it was sunny and warm and I had the Rochester Relay Marathon on my Bucket List. It was about SIX months ago.  I was fit, prepared and ready to tackle that race and "graduate" No Boundaries 3.0 my own way, since I wasn't in town to graduate at Summer Fest.  I was scheduled to run the 7.5 third leg of the relay on a team with a great group of runners. We called ourselves "3's Company", and nothing stood in our way... MY WAY.  The leg was hard and lonely and it was the best way to prove to myself how far I had really come!

 

Today, as we embrace a 'Snow Day', ironically on Groundhog Day,  I find myself lost in thought, reflecting on what has happened over the past SIX months. Maybe it's because the number SIX has been on the brain? Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and now were stuck with SIX more weeks of winter.  Yay! Not.  Running outside this past month has really been torture at times and I'm so over it!

(Okay, enough about that. I'll have another paragraph coming up where you can listen to me moan about the weather.  Oh yeah, and that number SIX will come up again)  

After the Rochester Relay in September, I teamed back up with No Boundaries.. but this time on a different level.  I joined the Mentor team and was extremely eager to help others who were just like I was realize that they too could learn to run! It was an amazing three months.  I was able to coach new people (some who hated the fact that they were up early, running intervals on their coveted Saturday) and make them slowly realize that anything is possible if you have the drive to make it happen!  They had the same fears, excuses I did... but now it was my turn to ease their worries and make them realize that they were doing a great thing for themselves.  I never once doubted that they couldn't do it, just like my mentors and coaches believed in me. This whole No Boundaries experience was coming full circle and it was so much fun!

I ended 2014 satisfied and so proud of everything I was able to do.  My husband and I are so close on a new level. I've never really understood him as a runner and why he did the things he did before races, while training... and now I do.  It's given us new things to talk about together.  It's allowed us to share this sport with our children which ultimately is one of the reasons I ever started this journey. The kids have participated in a handful of races this past year.  I'm such a proud mama!

 


Fast forward to today. A new session of No Boundaries is about to begin and last year at this very same Spring session, I started my journey. The goal was to learn to run, and graduate at the Rochester Flower City 5K.

What moves me today? Setting my NEW GOAL to complete the Flower City Half Marathon on April 26th!  

Yep, I'm back to training and feeling very similar to the way I did last year, but this time with a whole new set of lesson plans in front of me! While mentoring, I took a big step back in the miles I logged each week. I realized early on that I'd need to make even more of an effort to get them in, but didn't really do much to make it happen. I know "shelfing" my mentor shirt this season is the right choice so I have limited distractions and enough time to get on board with Half Marathon Training! It pains me to do this, but I can't give this wonderful program the commitment that I would want to receive as a participant. There's always next season!

The best thing about training for this next goal is that I have my partner in crime with me, Pina! Her and I have been through so much and I can't even express the excitement I feel knowing we'll cross that finish line together.  It will be her first half marathon too.  We have come such a long way!!! I still think about last summer when I was waiting the SIX long weeks in between the end of 5K and beginning of 2.0.  We accomplished so much, getting up to our very first 5 mile run. 

This past Sunday our schedule had us run SIX miles. (I told you that number would come up again). It was HORRIBLE. I pretty much hated life for 75% of the time and was very emotional. We had hills, ice and slushy snow covered the street. We were vulnerable while running on main roads to cars who were also dealing with these conditions or that weren't awake just yet. The temperature wasn't too unbearable... for I've now lowed my standards that 20 degrees or higher is "warm enough to run".  Crazy, I know!!!

The only reason we are smiling is because the stupid sucky snowing 6 miles in Spencerport are finished. 

During the run, my left foot really started to bother me.  Unfortunately, I'm currently dealing with a flare up of plantar fasciitis (again) and is causing a bunch of pain. It makes running on the snow more difficult and unfortunately makes me the most anxious as well. I have taken strides to help the pain and to prevent it. I have switched to new sneakers and have been icing, soaking and massaging my foot before and after runs. I'm about to get the Strassburg Sock to wear at night that can help stretch the muscles and tendons. I'm hoping this will also help decrease the flaring in my heel spurs. Hopefully things will really turn around soon. The pain is manageable, but would like it gone! 

Hopefully Punxsutawney Phil was wrong and Spring will show it's beautiful face in a month or so! Regardless, there are miles to log.  Until then, here's to the next three months of getting back to where I was last September, and then move ahead to being even stronger.

"I've got this"... right?

The Power of Music

It's crazy how music can send you to so many places and bring back memories either recent or from years past.  I'm sure you've experienced it many times.  A song can catch me off guard, regardless of where I am or what I'm doing and cause the biggest smile or tears to come across my face.  I love it and hate it all at the same time.

Today I was cleaning the kitchen and had Pandora on with my new favorite station created from the Broadway Musical 'Once'. I've only listened to that station a few times, and have really connected with some of the songs and artists that station plays.  I highly recommend it!

Well, the last time it was playing on my airwaves was on Saturday when I was driving  home from Mendon Ponds Park. That  was the first time I heard an artist, new to me, who  was singing a cover of 'With or Without you'  by U2.  This song captivated me.  The acoustic guitar and voices that are in this version hit me and immediately made me feel calm.  At that moment when it was playing in the car, I was driving out of Mendon Ponds Park.  The sun was high over the Sunflower field, creating such a beautiful picture.  I wish I had my {good} camera! It was stunning.
Well today, when I was in my kitchen and this song came on again, I was able to think about that perfect morning.  It was such a great distraction from the dishwasher that needed to be emptied and plied dishes in the sink that needed to be rinsed and loaded.  I was able to get lost in the song, continue the task at hand and reminisce about Saturday mornings' accomplishment.... where I ran the longest distance I ever had!

I remember feeling invincible.  It truly was the proudest I have ever been about myself.  7.5 miles.  Who knew I had it in me?  Who knew that on that cold February morning when I walked into Fleet Feet to "learn how to run" that 6 months later I'd be enduring the hills of Mendon Ponds Park... oh and actually RUN seven and a half miles? All that and more was flooding my mind Saturday morning. I knew that when I pulled in the driveway that moment was going to be over.  And I was perfectly content with that.  I had things to do (SHOWER) and people to see (Family Reunion Party) and I knew I was going to feel great inside the entire day!
The run itself had it's good parts and bad, but the group I was with was the BEST ever. I've become close to new runners who have an amazing energy! Pina was our fearless pacer and just kicked butt! Honestly, I see her get stronger after each run!  

I don't know what it is, but after I can physically see 4 miles on my watch, everything a head of me seems easier.  The first 3-4 miles, always seems boring and tough.  It's all a mental thing, but as soon as my watch reads something more than 4.0, I feel like a switch in my brain turns on and sends a signal to my body that it's "GAME TIME". Call it adrenaline or call it the drive to make this a "significant" run that means something.  As I explore longer distances and realize that I can do it, I become more excited to get it done.  Sure, the jitters the night before are still there, but the confidence the morning of is getting stronger!
What moves me today?  September 21st. In less than a month I'll be running the Marathon relay with some pretty inspiring people! I'm in 'training mode' until then and am pretty excited to see the end result!!  

Going the Distance

24 hours ago I was a nervous wreck. I I had butterflies in my stomach and I was so worried about the 6 mile No Boundaries workout at Mendon Ponds Park. I questioned if I had hydrated enough and worried that I wasn't prepared mentally and physically for this morning's challenge.

I woke up at 6:30 a.m., like every Saturday these past 6 months, determined that a running workout was going to happen. The next 1.5 hours flew and before long I was in my pace group fiddling with my watch to get satellites when Ellen yelled "Lets go 13's"... and we were off. 

Within 2 seconds, literally, we were faced with a pretty steep and incline. Within a minute, I was out of breath. I guess I felt okay since everyone else around me was in the same boat and felt the shock to the body too.

Long story short, there were highs and lows throughout the run, but bottom line...I felt stronger than last Saturday and am so proud about how far I have come. Next week I tackle 7.5 miles with a great group of runners. I'm excited for the challenge.... and will probably still have those same butterflies the night before. And I'm okay with that. 

What an incredible journey this has been!

Who just ran 5 miles?

...... THIS GIRL! 

What an incredible morning, spent together with my No Boundaries group. We were unified, all with the realizations that milestones were on the horizon, but work had to happen in order to taste that sweet flavor of SUCCESS! 

I have to say that I was extremely nervous.  The fact that I ran 5 miles this past May, once before, didn't ease any emotions.  I got up, dressed and made some breakfast as I waited for Pina to come greet me with her "It's game day attitude" hidden behind her smile.  
I couldn't find my watch, and I was letting that get to me.  I also was going to try "magic jelly beans" during this run to help aid with energy and nutrition. Two new things to tackle, but I had to keep my head in the game.

We got there, and when I saw all the others from our pace group, a sense of calmness came over.  If I was going to have to do this, they were going to have to do it as well.

3.2.1. GOOOOO.  We left the beautiful scenery of Durand Park and headed for the streets and subdivisions.  After that we continued towards the O'Rourke bridge that gets you from Irondequoit to Greece.  I've crossed that COUNTLESS times via car over the past 30 years of my life and never once ever thought I'd run over it.  The view of the Lake, and all the new renovations this area has made helped block the horrible incline.  After that, we were at the 2.5 mile mark.  Right about then I popped the full bag of Pomegranate Jelly Belly brand of Nutrition/Energy beans. They tasted really great actually, which was a nice surprise.  Eating and Chewing them however, as I labored a bit with my breathing; was not something I appreciated.

So... did they work?  I don't know. Ha!! 
I couldn't tell if it was more in my mind, or if they actually improved the last half of my run.  I can tell that they did a number on my stomach... but can't be completely sure if my stomach just needed more water.  (Note to self, upgrade the amount of water I carry when running more than 4 miles).  

At one point we were told that we were at 3.75 miles and the Park was in the distance. It was the best news ever.  "I got this" I said to myself. "And soon you'll be home to tell you husband how awesome it was!"

When we got to our starting point, we were only at 4.7 miles.  Once getting over that mental block that we indeed had to run farther than we thought, it was smooth sailing.  Disappointing at first, but the fight I still had left to give shined as best as it could. We did it.  We ran passed others that had finished their goal and were now stretching. 

We did it... and we were together, start to finish!  These girls along with Pina, our fabulous pacer and friend gave this run our all.  

THAT's what moved me today!  And it felt great!  Dare I say SIX MILES is next week?  Holy cow... but it is.  So here's to a great week of strength training and homework runs. I put faith in No Boundaries time and again, so I shouldn't have anything to worry about!  Running CHANGES everything!

I Don't Want To RUN!

I woke up today completely against going for the "assigned" 4 mile run. Sure, the St.Lawrence River was outside my window. But I had a headache and just wanted to be lazy. I thought I could 'fly under the radar' in front of my family and just suppress the guilt inside UNTIL my husband uttered the words... "No run today?"

Those three horrible wonderful words were exactly what my body didn't want to hear and what my mind needed to. I was caught in a crossfire of emotions.

Why should I run today?
1. My fellow 13's were doing 4 miles today.
2. I had to cut my workout short yesterday due to bodily functions.
3. The forecast predicted showers the rest of the day (and tomorrow) and if I  wanted to take advantage of the beautiful sun, I needed to do it then!
4. GUILT

There were tons more and in order to just shut them off from circling throughout my brain, I knew I needed to start getting ready. "I don't want to run" I kept saying to myself.... which wasn't the best way to prep and start off the workout. I felt defeated even before I started. And I was the one to blame!

I managed to pull things together and as I headed out the door, I gave one last kiss my little Elijah James and even made him say "Have a good run Mommy" to me. I was banking on that being the last push to confirm to my body that THIS RUN IS HAPPENING!

His words hit me, even if they were forced, and I focused on them a lot during that 56 minute run. Today is his third birthday and part of the main reason I began to "learn to run" was because of my family. And today, FAMILY was the driving force that got me through.... beginning to end.

Happy Birthday Elijah! What moves me today? YOU... and the desire to spend countless birthdays with you and your sister.

I can't say that was the best run, nor was it pretty, but it was done.... and I'll take it as a win!