The gear that got me through my training!

I'm continuing my post Boston Recovery, slow and steady!

I actually feel awesome but if there is one important thing all of us novice marathoners learn the hard way it is that you are not fully recovered for a few weeks. So slow and easy it is for the time being.

I have some fun races coming up soon (more like social events, less like races I imagine since slow and steady is my motto for now!) I am putting in some miles and having a great time getting back into a routine- and this has given me some time to think about the gear I use on a daily basis.

I put a lot of miles on my shoes and clothing and I really do not take the best care of it. Who has time to wash garments on the delicate cycle and then to lay them flat to dry? Not me. Or handwash? Or dry clean only? No way... My clothing is doomed.
My attire must stand up to abuse, sweat and a very juvenile approach to laundry.

I definitely love to try new things but I seem to stick with my tried and true items. I must admit that with the notable exception of changing shoe brands not much has changed in my attire over the past couple of years. Apparently I find what works, and then stick with it!

Everything I wear in one handy pic.

This is a great picture because it shows all of the things I rely on to get me through my daily training and races too!

From bottom to top:

Feet: Hoka Clifton's: Lightweight and cushiony, they are my favorite shoes to date. Even soaking wet in Boston they felt like feathers on my tired legs! I have a funky gait- these shoes take good care of me. I have had nary a pain since I started wearing Hoka's back in October of 2014. I swear that my recovery time is faster in Hoka's than in any other shoes, it is remarkable. My words last fall were "wearing these almost feels like cheating" and I stick by that!

Socks- Balega hidden socks. No blisters, EVER.

Legs: I always wear Oiselle tights and think they are super comfortable. They never rub the wrong way and they hold up very well- the pair in this picture has been with me for at least 2 years. I hope that someday Oiselle makes a very warm, insulated tight for those of us living in the freezing climates.

Waist: The amazing Flipbelt. As a rule I refuse to carry anything while running because fuel belts drive me bonkers! They rarely fit and usually feel bouncy and awkward. since I feel safer carrying my phone while on long runs I decided I needed something- and the Flipbelt more than meets my needs. What a great little gadget- I can fit all my snacks, kleenex and phone handily into it and I don't notice it at all. Amazing!

Top (s): I am extremely fond of Oiselle's Flight Long Sleeve- this one has been in my rotation for years and is still like new. I wear this top for running, riding and fashion (wait, what fashion?) It isn't cheap but is absolutely worth every penny!
All winter long I ran, rode and looked cute in the Wazzie Wool Baselayer. Was I skeptical that it would stand up to my abuse, bad laundry skills and overall tomfoolery? YES. Did it meet- exceed actually- my expectations? Hell yes. Comfy, stretchy, warm enough for most tolerable conditions and very attractive. I did a side by side test with a comparable Smartwool top and Oiselle came up on top by a huge margin- better fit, better wear-ability, wash-ability- and just a more attractive base layer. I must admit that I wore it just as much for normal human activities as I did for
athletic ones.

There is my Wazzie Wool baselayer- never mind my pain face...

Bra: Verrazano which is really terrific. No chafing or uncomfortable-ness. My one complaint is the removable cups- just make them permanent! I expect that I will lose mine in the wash fairly soon....

In my hand: Picky Bar, in my favorite flavor, Lauren's Mega Nuts. While I might be fickle about many things I am exceedingly loyal to Picky Bars. They have never failed me and will satisfy both choosy eaters and people with allergies or dietary needs.

On my head: A random Rev3 visor that I am very attached to. Rev3 isn't even a company anymore but I sure love the damn visor!

So there you have it, a few items that have been tried and tested by someone who abuses her gear like no other!

*for the sake of honesty I was not asked to, or paid to review any of these items and I paid for all of them myself with my hard earned cash money. I do run for Oiselle and love their gear but they do not require that I review their products!*

How I trained for Boston! (with wine and donuts)

Over the past year my blogging skills went from bad to worse.
While a valid excuse certainly is my very important and busy life, another reason is my fear that nobody cared about my training plan, goals, excellent snacking skills or favorite running gadgets.
While that might be the case I had an epiphany the other day which was: "This is my blog and if I want to write something I will write it!" How liberating.

After having a good race last week I had a few questions about how I prepared. (and I do mean a few, people asked me in real life, I had a teeny social media buzz- you get it. It's not like there were 200 people knocking on my door for amazing training advice!) If nothing else this got me thinking that I had certainly not over shared regarding my training regimen.

I think a lot of us are busy humans. Maybe juggling a busy job, maybe running around after a few kiddos, or just dealing with life in general! Managing marathon training can feel really overwhelming- and even unpleasant unless you have both flexibility and a sense of humor. A sense of humor is pretty important especially when training through a horrible horrible winter, right?

This blizzard was on April 5th so yeah....

I have learned a lot about what I should and should not do leading up to a big race over the past few years. For most of us who don't run for a living learning how to train is done by trail and error- and usually without expert help! How many miles to run? How fast? Cross training or not? Also, the pressure of trying to "keep up" with others on social media is very real and intimidating!
All of us can get trapped in the "more is more" "faster is better" mindset and while this certainly might be a good way to roll if you are a 2:33 marathoner- I just break my legs when I do too many fast miles...!

Here is a little example of my weekly training plan. I made the choice not to cross train at all- my time and life simply did not allow for it. (ok, I tried to bust out a few planks and squats, with a few yoga poses thrown in occasionally. Like, 5 minutes at a time.)
I was running reasonably well and fairly consistently during January (I had some decent 35-40 mile weeks. Like 3 of them.)
BUT THEN February hit and all bets were off! Eric and I vacationed, I was sick, there was chaos and FORGET it- lousy month!
So, I laughed it off and got to work on March 1st.

Every week during March looked like this:
(there was a little juggling of workouts, that is where the flexibility comes in! But- I fit in all of my workouts and hit my goal mileage every week March 1- Marathon day. I feel like that is a good accomplishment!)

Monday- Off  (well. active active rest day!)

Active rest day: working in the barn, riding, teaching lessons, being bothered by the CAT

 Tuesday: Some kinda speed work. I would typically do a tempo run, about 6-7 miles and my pace improved from an 8:56 to 8:01 (I am happy if my tempo runs are actual race tempo! Also, HILLS. Flat isn't available here!)

Wednesday: Mid length mid distance at base pace. Base pace to me is what feels like work but not like race pace. Typical run was 10- pace improved from 9:00 to 8:30.

Thursday: Hills.... This was tricky since I didn't have a good hill route until March 26 (I did uphill on the treadmill but planning for Boston one needs a few downhills- ya know?) Once I was in the clear for safe roads I had a 9 mile route that included a tough, but doable 5 straight miles of long, moderate climbs and declines. It was about 775 ft of climbing which seemed legit. I never shot for a specific pace but I saw my speed improving over the weeks.

Top of the world! Mid April snow coverage.

Friday: Easy peasy run. 5 miles easy. Easy days are supposed to be just that so I would shoot for 9:30-9:45's.

Saturday: Long run day. I did a 14, 16, 18, 16, 20, 18, 10 and that was that. With the exception of the 20 which was at Eastern States (and an 8:25 pace) all of my longs were in the 9:39-9:07 AP. I never shoot for speed on my long runs. Personally, this works! I know that some of you can knock back your longs at close to race pace but I think the biggest thing I have learned for my running is that I can't do that. Slow and steady works for me!

I managed 3, 40 MPH weeks, 2, 50 MPH weeks, then cut back to 35, 16 then race day!

My only good long run! You don't need any until race day though...

Three years ago when I started marathoning I would not have thought that a low mileage plan such as this would have brought about good results. But live and learn! I am at the other side of marathon day now and am healthy, back to running some short and fun miles and looking forward to my next adventure- rather than needing to take weeks and weeks off due to ailments and discontent.

The moral of my story is that every runner needs to experiment a little to find what works for them. Take it from me- sometimes it is a process to find what is ideal and what works "now."
But don't give up, aim for consistency and relatively healthy living, with a good dose of wine and donuts and you will meet your goal!

The best race pics ever, fashion and recovery!

Ugh recovery! I was such a strugglebus up until today. I'm not sure what to blame, the notorious hills, the cold weather, the 7 week training plan or WHAT but I can't remember the last time I was so sore after a marathon. ***whine*** It might not have been ideal to climb into the car and drive home quickly post race but it got me back to work and bringing home the bacon quickly and that was the goal for this year. Mission accomplished.

The stellar news is that starting today I felt quite good. I suppose that the other pleasant news is that my "problem areas" from the past did not flare up at all and the agonistic pain and suffering was completely in my quads and (oddly) inner calves. Woof. Send help, or a massage therapist.

I plan to ease into a couple of miles this weekend and then see what happens. I have some upcoming plans so while PR's and speed won't be a goal for a while, I do hope to recover enough to run some solid, easy miles soon.

I found out some great news post race, which was that the Crow Athletics Women's open team that I was on place 10th! This is really incredible and while I know I was not one of their fastest women it is an honor to be on such a badass and impressive team. Way to go ladies!

Due to my good mood this year I got some pretty funny Boston race pics- I always hesitate to shell out mad cash for race photos but sometimes you just have to go for it.

I was the only person with an umbrella. The photographers took like, 45 pics just like this....

For the first time EVER that there was NO line for the sign! So there I was!

Also, please take note of my incredible layering system. The winter hat and visor. The glorious poo brown sweatpants (with running tights AND long underwear underneath) The incredible AQUA fleece (which had a 20 year old thermal fleece underneath and a singlet...) It merits mention that (in my BAA approved FANNY PACK) I also had an emergency heat sheet (which I used) a rain poncho, hand and foot warmers (which I used and shared) plastic bags to wrap around my shoes to keep the rain out- fashion win- as well as a battery pack for my phone (which I gave to a kid at the start) and snacks, obvs. If anyone wants to hang out with the best prepared person next year please come find me!

15K. The guy in front of me really wins for fashion. I am impressed. 

OMG JAZZ HANDS! SO PUMPED. ..relax lady you have 168 miles to go...

Newton. Soooo cold, trying to warm up my lobster claw hands....

The fun thing about this year- on top of having a blast and a great race- is that I knew, for the most part, where photos get taken so I could prepare and ham it up. I took full advantage. I'm going to make my Mom a collage of "Sara's amazing race pics" which she is sure to love and cherish. Lucky my Mom.

Finish! WHOO go me and my bright pattern tights!

In other fashion news, you can clearly see the effects of my added clothing in Newton. PINK gloves and arm sleeves. So glad to have them. So damn cold and rainy!

The obligatory post race pic, BIG smile!

 

Shake it off: Or, Boston Marathon 2015: where things get awesome.

Everyone knows about last years Boston experience. I was PR hunting in a big way and was very singularly focused on that- to the point where I ignored overly warm weather conditions and was not willing to change my plan. Mile 18, DIE. Then I spent the next few months questioning everything including if marathoning was worth it. (it isn't all rainbows and unicorns.)

Fast forward one year to yesterday and there I was, in Hopkinton with thousands of other people, in a tent, in the cold and rain and grinning my stupid face off. Yeah, that was me.
I was so happy to be there. I was the happiest person in the damn world! I was totally ready for a crap day of weather and so pumped to shake off the demons from last year and run whatever race was in store for me. Clearly, I had decided that it WAS worth it.

Two hats, two fleeces and a sweatshirt and three pairs of pants. YEP.

I'm still running garmin-less since I'm just too cheap to buy another. My plan was to "feel" like I was running 8:30's since that seemed like a reasonable pace given my training. I figured I could use the clocks at each mile for a rough estimate of how I was doing. "Calm and Reasonable" was my game plan- I wished to make it to the final 8 miles with gas left in the tank.

I snuck into my coral with only seconds to go. I'm sick and tired of having to take a pee break at mile 5 so I made a start line pit stop. Super smart, and I made it to coral 6 in time for the all important selfie. 

Down to one sweatshirt. One pair of pants. Two hats.  Happy not to be sweating!

From the start I felt good. I have always had some issue in Boston, either I take 10 miles to get into it or I'm a dumbass and run like I'm an elite and then fall over. Needless to say I was happy that my body got right into the action and even happier that I was consciously limiting my desire to sprint away with the win.
"Just be smart and easy" I kept telling myself  "run your own race, don't get sucked into chasing people." "Don't think about last year, just shake it off!"

There were a few rain showers in the first miles and it was cool but the wind was non existent (or, so little that I did not notice it.) (I had my last long run in a 40 mph headwind so there's that too.) The crowds were still out in droves despite the weather creating all kinds of mayhem which was great fun.

Thru the 5k and 10k I was running perfectly even splits according to my mental math. I thought I was somewhere in the 8:15 range and that was fine because I was feeling great. Happy legs, easy breathing, no issues. Somewhere around the 10K I had one of those "OMFG I'm running BOSTON AGAIN and it is SO AMAZING" moments which, of course, turned me into a crying mess. I pulled myself together because, seriously, and turned on my ipod for distraction from my own excitement.

Everyone talks about the Newton Hills but I have my own issues with Natick. It is 400 miles long and uphill in every direction. WHY? I really hated that stretch of road last year but this year I was up, over and through it before I even knew it. Which promptly had me celebrating and sobbing some more about how incredible everything, especially running Boston is.
I was just SO. DAMN. HAPPY.

From Wellsley to Newton it rained pretty hard and I was glad to have the distraction of more big crowds and a good (above pace- I'm bad at math) half marathon split. 1:44 might be the slowest first half I have ever run in Boston but it certainly was the smartest.

I feel like there are a few miles, maybe between 14-17 that are a little tricky. Maybe it is simply because one has been running for a while and there still is a ways to go, or maybe the adrenaline has worn off- who knows, but every year I lag slightly in this zone.  If I ever hit a small low point during the race it was then and I snapped out of it quickly. "SHAKE IT OFF" I shouted at myself "you are running smart and strong and there will be no whining!" And so it was, I had some snacks and got back to work.  Upsettingly, I also saw a clown during this period of time which is most certainly something I never wish for. (really, there was a clown creepily standing on the roadside. OMG. Who does this?) It was a good reason to try to run faster, so I fled.

Because of the cool temps and precip I was getting pretty chilled but knew that at mile 18 my Dad was waiting with a bag of dry clothing.*heaven* I was having a debate with myself about if stopping was worth it, but since my arms were completely numb and my hands were like little lobster claws I knew I had to! I started looking forward to warm arm sleeves and dry gloves at mile 15....

Needless to say at 18 I came to a full halt, my Dad and I wrestled the sleeves onto my soggy arms, I snagged some extra food, grabbed my gloves and I was off- about 2 minutes later. (my poor Dad drives 600 hours to see me for 2 minutes! Best Dad ever.) Dad and his brother had been standing there with gigantic umbrellas for who knows how long just to see me for a tiny moment, but it is a great couple minutes of the race for me!
At any rate, it was the smartest 2 minute stop that I have EVER made. I was immediately so much more comfortable that I dropped the hammer and started running like someone was chasing me!
....and then my shoe came untied.... Triple knots. UNTIED. So I stopped and my lobster claw hands managed to get the damn shoe tied- I was laughing and wishing someone would help me! I felt like it took 10 minutes but it probably took 1.

Anywhoo. I jumped back up and ran as fast as I could to the finish.
No seriously, that is what I did. Like an effing boss. Sure, it was a positive split finish but there was all that mile 18 stopping- and the hills- and shit shoelaces- but no lie, I ran like a superhero for those last 8 miles. High fiving all the people, smiling like an idiot, telling my screaming quads to shut up.

All I could remember was the death march of last year and how now I was running through the rain like a lunatic, having the best time ever and leaving 2014 in my dust. Honestly you guys, it was incredible. I have never had such a good time running a marathon. And yes, it was cold and rainy and not exactly a stylish running day but I didn't care- I trained in horrible weather all winter for a horrible weather day and here is was. No complaints.

Turning onto Boylston I ran by my Uncle Bill who was cheering his head off and, keeping in the mood of the day I started crying and cried all the way through the finish line. I'm an emotional mess of a woman. While a 3:33:07 might not be the fastest time of my running career I honestly believe it was one of the best runs of my life. Complete redemption. Happiest marathon that I have ever had.

Upon finishing I immediately froze a horrible death. I don't know if the wind just picked up then or if I simply ignored it while running (I believe that is the case) but either way, it was 45 degrees and wet and windy and I got stupid cold. Luckily my perfect husband met me quickly and put all 3 of his jackets onto my shivering body. If THAT is not love I don't know what is! I told him that giving me all of his clothing on this particular day made me almost as happy as the day he proposed a few years ago. That says something about how cold I was! (and how thoughtful Eric is!)

Back to THREE jackets and a heat sheet of magic.

I spent today being pretty damn sore but it certainly didn't take away from the sense of pride that I have in my race yesterday. Getting to run Boston is a really big deal and I felt so lucky to be there again. While I was focused enough to run my own race I really picked up on the positive energy of the crowds this year more than ever and tremendously enjoyed what a special experience it was.

So there it is, Boston Marathon 2015. A day of rain and cold, happy crying, the best feeling marathon I have ever run, my great family supporting me, terrifying clowns, screaming crowds and redemption.

The HAPPIEST of running!

Boston Marathon Expo Time!!

For the past two years Eric and I have turned Marathon weekend into a big event. Usually spending several days with Family and staying in the city, socializing, seeing a game, running the 5K (Eric) and having a really fun time.
This year shaped up a bit differently with both work and finances telling us to trim down a bit. While Boston is a bit of a drive from us it is close enough to be able to make an early trip down for the expo, returning on Sunday to stay with family living within easy striking distance.

So this morning, instead of waking up at zero dark thirty to dash to the 5K I woke up at home, and proceeded to put on all my new attire and drink coffee. Totally normal!

Love the mug!!!! And the jacket, which looks better in person.

Much to my delight, yesterday was Expo day! One of the best days of the year!

Fridays are not always the easiest day for me to take off but since I have had months to plan this outing I was able to work it all out and my Dad and I hit the road right on time to get there the second it opened.

Road trip yo.

After a rather amusing attempt at parking, which resulted in us throwing our hands up in the air and opting for Valet (so fancy) we moseyed up Boylston and saw the longest line ever waiting to get in.

Apparently we are the best at timing things, and smart not to bring bags, or just famous- because as we walked up to get in the huge line an additional door opened and they shooed us in! (it was obvious that the long line was a line with people who had bags- we are not the biggest line cutting jerks to ever live.)

In typical BAA form they kept the line moving smoothly and I was able to obtain both my bib and shirt in under 15 minutes which is delightful.

Good luck copying my bib with the big red X, bandits... :-(

 You NEVER would have thought  the short lines possible with all the people pouring in!

Just like that!

I had prepared a plan of attack for the expo itself. I am one who becomes easily distracted by all the pretty things and any plan I might have started with fails quickly. I had a feeling that my Dad might not be too fond of my distracted meanderings so I had created a list of places to go, where they were and exactly what I needed. Literally, turn by turn GPS directions.
So. Organized.

I was delighted by how pretty the finishers jacket was in person so I went off list a bit and splurged on one. I LOVE my jacket from 2013 and would love to keep it nice, so I did not feel guilty about this purchase! I collected my other hoped for items (track jacket and mug- I could not find the winter hat that I was wishing for...) All that shopping and we easily moved thru the Adidas booth in under 15 minutes. An absolute record- the line itself typically is twice that long!

Some of my Favorites. Official gear, HOKA and Oiselle!!

From there things went smoothly and as planned. Happy runners were everywhere but the crowds were polite and manageable. I enjoyed being able to talk to the reps and chat about the products that I use. In the past when I have been expo-ing things are so busy that I don't bother with chatter.

I had excellent luck at City Sports, grabbing the beautiful, limited edition Oiselle Boston shirts. I loved the color choices this year and was happy to get an extra as a gift!

I'm sure it comes as no great shock to anyone that I picked up my next pair of Hoka's. I got pretty excited seeing some of the soon to be released shoes- they are doing a nice job creating a great product which works wonderfully for me.  I love freebies so was pumped to be gifted a visor and shirt, totally made my purchase even more worth it!

Cheezin' it up. I'm such a geek haha.

After swinging through North Face for a couple more gifts my Dad and I went to the most important booth at the entire expo....!!!

Sam Adams. Obviously.

My cup had more beer than my Dad's and he was jealous!

It was the only line that we stood in all day and only about 90 seconds long. We enjoyed our 3 ounces of beer, I picked up a pint glass and an opener for my collection (it is an utter travesty that they did not put openers in the swag bag this year...) We took some selfies which is important.
As we made our way out, my Dad made friends with many of the husband/Dad types who were in dire need of a beer! The tiny cups are not inconspicuous. 

Impressively, we were walking out with everything I had hoped to find (and in good spirits!) two hours later. My Dad was an excellent expo buddy, very helpful in the navigation department, excellent at carrying bags and (as always) good at making new friends. And he helped to drive which was key!

From there we hit the only slight bump in the road when first, the Valet seemed to have lost my car (yeah. he did. but we found it!) Then of course, we hit some traffic but it was no big deal.

So great success! A very fun expo trip!
While it is a bit odd to be back here in Maine working on Marathon weekend it is totally fine for this year. The camaraderie of the thousands of like minded people is something that you don't get to experience that often and certainly is what I miss most but I'll have a few hours on Monday to enjoy it!

So until Monday comes, I'll be staying out of trouble and (sort of) off my feet!

Good luck Everyone!