Have Beer, Will Run

It’s been a while huh? Well let me get you caught up: right after I ran the marathon, I got pregnant. I had a baby boy, and these past two years has been filled with crazy. I haven’t been able to run much because, well, now I have two kids under 5 and it’s HARD. I ran the Boilermaker 15k in July of 2016 while being sick with a stomach flu, so it was a disaster to say the least, but I ran with a college roommate that I hadn’t seen in many, many years so it was worth the chills and fever I got after the race.

And yes. I still drank the beer. Of course I drank the beer.

But let me tell you: working full time, commuting in DC traffic, and having two kids has been ROUGH. So I stopped running as much and started focusing on workouts that give me better results, much much faster. When I had my son, I didn’t run the baby weight off - I did Insanity. That weight melted off so fast - and I was hooked. It took me two years, but I decided to pull the trigger and start coaching. So here’s a snippet of what I’m doing with Beach Body and how I can help you with your goals.

I will start by saying this is NOT a sales pitch. I’m not going to be trying to sell you on anything - that is not me. I’m a writer - I love to write about my experiences. This is a platform for me to show you how Beach Body is working for ME, and how it can help YOU if you want it to. I’ll talk about my workouts, my friends and their workouts, and all the cool shit in between. Yes, I will still be running and yes, I will still talk about running. But let’s be honest - I want to share how doing workouts with Beach Body has helped me to become a better runner! I ran that 15K sick, without much training, 5 minutes faster than my last one because I was in so much better shape overall.

Now that we got that out of the way, let’s talk. What are your fitness goals for 2018? Are you training for any races this year?

26.2 done. Boom.

I stressed out for an entire week that it was going to rain. I was so anxious about this race that my face, neck and chest broke out so bad that I looked like a teenage girl. I went through 18 weeks of running in the dark, in the cold, in the snow, early in the mornings, during my lunch hour and late at night, through being sick, and even through being injured. I got sick four times, and spent three full weeks riding a spin bike instead of running to get my knees healthy. I blew out a pair of sneakers. The list of people to thank is endless - Michelle, my running coach, for believing in me and helping me through the endless sick season and injuries, my husband for just dealing with me. My family and friends who supported me and just dealt with me (yes, they had to deal with me too.) I asked every runner friend I had if they had to shit or pee while they ran, if they lost their toenails, if they ended up with funky feet, if they had rashes in weird places ... so yeah, they dealt with me. I tried not to let this marathon consume my life, but so much of it took over my every thought. So thank you for listening. 

I’ll give you updates throughout the week since I have a lot to say. I will start by saying this: If you want to run your first marathon, DO YOUR RESEARCH. Research the course, research the reviews, research the volunteers - research everything. I have run the RocknRoll DC Half Marathon and had such a great time, so it was natural for me to think the full course would be just as awesome. 

Wrong. 

Week 17

Guys - my race is on Satruday.

SATURDAY. As in, 5 days from today. I'm a freaking mess.

Last week, I did a 3 mile pain-free run and was SO excited. My 8 mile run on Saturday, however, was not as pretty. I had an upset stomach, which obviously wasn’t a good way to start, and then the good knee started bothering me again. BUT - I made it though, and I’m pain free now, so again, this mental barrier is a bitch. I am trying not to psych myself out for the race because it’s calling for rain rain rain. I am really hoping the forecast changes to NO rain (ideally) or very light and scatter showers if rain has to happen. 

Fingers crossed.

The beer - Southern Tier Dark Robust Porter. My husband liked this more than I did. I prefer a heavier body than this beer offered, but as far as porters go, this wasn't a bad choice. I will give this one more try since we have another bottle in the fridge. It just didn't have the "punch" that I like in a porter. 

Week 17 Complete!

After last week's HORRID 20 mile run, I had a bit of a set back. My good knee started bothering me pretty bad after 7 miles in the ice/snow and 13 miles on the treadmill. I actually made it through 4 miles this week, but it was rough. I was struggling with figuring out if it was actually PAIN or just an annoyance. After this run, I realized it was pain and I need to back off. (the thumbs down was taken just after that painful first run back) I spent the rest of the week taking spin classes and I demolished back to back spin classes Sunday in place of a 19 mile run. 2 hours of spin classes aren't exactly the same as running 19 miles and I realize this - but the teacher of the second class is no joke. The amount of work you put into her class is sick. I feel very confident that I made the right choice, given the state of my knee. This week is where the taper begins.

I started going through the race course online last night and figuring out my itinerary for race day. It made me nervous and excited at the same time. I'm bummed that the weather turned so crazy toward the end of my training because I never had the chance to do a "trial" run with the clothes I plan to wear on race day. I'm assuming the weather will get back to "normal" for March in the metro DC area, which will be low to mid 50s instead of this single digit crap we've been having. As long as it's dry, I'll be happy. 

The beer!

A friend of mine manages a restaurant. He knows the type of beer I enjoy and was surprised I hadn't tried Founder's Red Rye IPA. After (conveniently) finding a bottle with a ripped label that he couldn't sell (thanks buddy) I happliy took it home and waited patiently to give it a try. 

 It's hoppy, but not overwhelmingly. Just like the black IPA I drank last week, it's a nice combination of "red ale" with a good hoppy flavor to it. I enjoyed this beer and would definitely drink it again. 

Week 15 complete! 20 miles down! 

We had a snowstorm today that started WAY earlier than I was hoping, and it really screwed up my plans. I wanted to start running no later than 9:30, which I did, so I could be done before the snow started. It wasn't predicted to begin until around 3, so I should have had plenty of time to complete my run and call it a day. Instead, I started running at 9:30 and the snow started falling at approximately 9:31. I ran my little heart out for 7 miles in some pretty shitty conditions - it was cold, windy, and the snow was icy, so it was extremely slippery. I couldn't run on the sidewalks, thanks to the 5 inches that fell earlier this week, temps in the teens, and people not shoveling their sidewalks. I had to run on the street, which REALLY pissed people off. They were rolling their windows down and yelling stuff at me as they drove by (I waved, of course, because seriously) but I pushed through for 7 miles. I wanted to get at least 10 in, but it just got way too dangerous. I was running very gingerly, which messed with my gait, and every step was a challenge. 

I came inside, changed, and hopped on the treadmill for 13 long, mentally draining miles. I mean, this was rough. I knew running 20 miles would be hard, but running on the treadmill is physically and mentally a completely different ball game. It.Was.Rough. And to top it off, I hit the emergency knob off by accident, so I don't even have a picture to prove I did it. 13 long, mentally draining miles that I can't prove. And it's not that I feel like I NEED to prove to you that I ran it - it's more that I felt like it was something I needed to have for myself. Something I can look back on to say, "Hey-here's the day I ran 13 freaking miles on the treadmill. That day sucked." 

I'm proud as hell that I was able to do this. It just took a lot of out me, and to see it disappear right in front of my eyes, just as I was grabbing my phone to take a picture, really messed me up. (PS, the pic of me on the treadmill was before the run. I was way too pissed to take a picture of myself after.) 

It took me about 5 hours before I was able to eat a real meal. I had chocolate milk immediately after the run, and then about an hour later I had some chicken soup with toast that went down hard. It took me a while to be able to even drink water. My pee was so orange it scared me. I was super dehydrated. I felt a thousand times better after I was able to eat and drink enough to hydrate myself. My attitude really sucked after that run, which I had to work through because my little person was all about mommy for 4.5 hours, but I have a beer and a half in me now, so I'm good. 

The beer: Bad Wolf Brewery is a small, Virginia based craft brewery in my neighborhood. I love supporting local businesses, and their beer is great. I'm drinking their Withroak Porter - it's 6.2% ABV and has a lot of chocolate and coffee notes. It's very smooth and a little thick, and I think it's great. 

Mofos, I ran 18 miles today and not only did I not have to pee or shit, I survived a massive wall that I thought would crumble me.

The mental part of running is real, and it can really mess with your entire body in a way that is just amazing. Being that my IT band was being an asshole, I missed my 16 mile run 2 weeks ago and took 2 spin classes in a row, so before today, 14 miles was my longest run. I broke my run into 3, 6 mile runs that would allow me to run by my house every 6 miles for water/Gatorade and a bathroom incase I needed it. I was doing awesome and feeling great until I hit that 14 mile mark and then suddenly, everything started to hurt. It was like a switch - the Nike+ app said “14 miles” in my ear and then my back and hips and legs started hurting immediately. It was like my mind was saying “this is the longest you’ve ever ran and I’m going to F with you. Ha ha!”

Luckily I knew what was happening and I just kept fighting back.

Until I noticed I hit the 15 mile mark and my Nike+ app didn’t tell me. So I looked at my phone and saw that the app shut down. I opened it back up and it said “beginning workout” and picked up at 14.45 miles. I said, out loud, “no no no you have got to be kidding me!” And I almost started to cry - I wasn’t sure if I had made a mistake and overestimated my last 6 mile route or if the app really stopped working, so I kept going and pushed it out farther than I planned to get to that 18 mile mark. But in the end, I realized that I actually had run 18.5 miles instead of 18. And I survived.

Once I got past that 14th mile (longest mile ever, literally!) I started feeling better. I just kept telling myself to take it one mile at a time. I reminded myself that I ran this far and only had a few miles left. It was such an amazing feeling to be able to get through that.

Oh and it’s exactly 4 weeks until the race. Crazy.

Week 13 complete! 

Two weeks of spinning, stretching and a little strengthening and I was able to run my “long” run of the week. Hooray for taper weeks! 

The only issue I had after this run came the next day - I ran Saturday and Sunday morning I was feeling the pull of the IT band. It was sporadic, but it was enough to make me worry about the rest of this training. However, we had amazing weather yesterday, so I spent a lot of time running around with my toddler outside. Surprisingly, the more I moved, the better I felt. Imagine that? I will have to keep that in mind for the next few weeks ahead - which will be rough - my long runs are 18, 20 and 19 miles respectively. I’m nervous and excited at the same time. 

My week of Spinning - Week 12 complete 

I replaced all of my running this week with spinning, and I have to say, I’m pretty sad I didn’t force myself to incorporate spinning into my training much sooner! 

I realize spinning doesn't exactly translate equally with running, but it's a great way to keep your fitness up and your muscles working. It was a little easier to justify spinning for the shorter, midweek runs, but trying to come as close as I could to equating a 16 mile run on a bike was going to be difficult. Luckily, I was able to find two back-to-back spin classes on Sunday morning, so I went for it. 

I don't know if you've ever taken spin classes back-to-back, but I'll tell you, it was quite the experience. 

The first class was full - there was only one empty bike - of older people. The teacher was older as well, and so was the music. It was a decent class and I felt like I got a great workout, and like very spin class I take, I was drenched 10 minutes in. I hopped off the bike to stretch before the 10:30 class started and just one look at the teacher and I knew I was in trouble. 

"GOOD MORNING EVERYONE! HAPPY FREAKING SUNDAY HUH?" 

The spin instructor came FLYING in the door with her bags like she spent the night there, shouting and clapping and talking about her super hero t-shirt of the week. Then, the music - very loud and current, fast paced music.  

I love spinning, and I love loud, upbeat instructors and music! But yeah - this was rough. About 20 minutes in, after 3 songs straight of hills and sprints and hill sprints, she says “Recover!” so people started slowing down and drinking water. She lowers the music and says, very seriously, “Ummm, this isn’t break time people. This is RECOVERY time. So put your water down and keep spinning. You get a break in 10 minutes.” 

Yikes.  

I made it through the class unscathed, and immediately grabbed my recovery fuel of chocolate milk in a box like I’m 12, and 10 minutes later, I was at home drinking a 16 oz bottle of water with Skratch hydration. I have to say, even though I felt drained just after the class, after the chocolate milk and Skratch, I felt great. (I ate some Shot Bloks in between the classes)

This week, I will continue to spin since I am still not 100% - (Unless Coach Michelle says otherwise, of course!) OH - and I also bought resistance bands to try to strengthen my hips and butt muscles that will help in the healing of my IT band. I found a video here that has a series of exercises that I hope will help. 

BEER! 

We busted out the big dogs for the Super Bowl last night. Ommegang Brewery is in Cooperstown, NY, and their beers are killer. They’re Belgium style beers and they do NOT mess around. About 10 years ago we went to a bar that had bottles of Ommegang Abbey Ale as their Happy Hour special - $3 a bottle - which was a STEAL.  It’s 8.2% ABV. Two 12 oz. beers are enough. Let’s say, I had more than two. 

Week 12 complete! Not without any hiccups, of course, but I made it. 

My IT band has been a real asshole this week, and yesterday’s 14 miler didn’t do me any favors. I’ve had this IT band issue for about 15 years (omg that makes me sound so freaking old) It’s an old soccer injury that I never was able to properly manage. I’ve been using the foam roller and I’ve worked with athletic trainers and physical therapists, but it’s never really gone away. Since I’ve never run more than a half marathon, I wasn’t sure how it would hold up throughout this training, but I got fitted for a new pair of sneakers and they seemed to be doing the trick (a stabilized shoe rather than a neutral shoe) Coah Michelle asked for a picture of the tread on my sneakers, and I obliged. Then, I ordered a new pair of sneakers. I’m hoping this will help. 

I was doing great up until last weekend’s 12 miler, which wasn’t TERRIBLE, but I knew it was the beginning of my problems. I used the foam roller, tried some yoga moves, and stretched (albeit not as much as I probably should have) but as the week went on, it continued to get worse. 

Yesterday’s 14 miler was great other than that. I tried Skratch Hydration before and after the run per Coach Michelle’s advice, and a raspberry Hammer Gel every 4 miles. My pace was a little faster than my last 14 miler (by a total of 3 minutes) and my energy levels were steady. I didn’t feel any signs of “bonkage” and the run felt easy to me - except for that pesky IT band. During that run, I thought I was going to have to stop and call my husband, three separate times to come get me. I basically had to stop and stretch every mile for the last 5 miles. Once I stretched, it was OK, but as I kept running, my knee felt like it wanted to give out on me. I felt the pain from the my hip, down the outside of my knee and down into my shin. It wasn’t debilitating or else I wouldn’t have been able to finish, but I had my moments where I was nervous I’d have to throw in the towel. 

Today I’ve had a hard time walking up and down the stairs, and even taking normal steps has been a slight challenge because my knee doesn’t want to straighten - there’s a feeling that it wants to pop out of socket - but when I stand, there’s no pain whatsoever. 

Since I’ve been feeling on and off for years that I really don’t believe the foam roller has helped me, I’ve been trying to find another solution. I’ve seen many articles that say the root of the problem is in your gluteus medius, a muscle in your butt. When that muscle isn’t working properly, the tensor fascia Latae (TFL) muscle, which is meant to stabilize your knee and assist with abduction, tries to take over. But it’s not strong enough, so the IT band, which the TFL is attached to, kicks in and tightens to help stabilize the knee. I might be botching the explanation, but essentially, the reason the IT band is being tightened is because the stabilizing muscles in the glutes are weak, and foam rolling it isn’t going to do shit for me. 

So. I will be relying on the bike this week, and also, trying to figure out how to strenghten my “glue med” so that I can run my scheduled 16 miles next weekend. 

Fun fun! 

I'm noticing a couple of things. One, my pace is getting slower, even on my shorter runs. There could be many reasons for this, but I'm not going to stress too much about it for now. 

The other thing is (and this is one of those "duh, aha" moments) but training for a marathon is much more than just getting your runs in. When you run, you have to make time, not just for the run, but for the pre run fuel, pre run stretch, post run fuel and post run stretch, etc. So, if it normally takes me a little over an hour to run 7 miles, I have to set aside 3 hours for that run. This is a big deal and it's really making me rethink how I plan for my runs. I can't just get up, run, shower, grab something on my way out the door and head to work. No, no, it's not that easy. 

Tuesday's 5 mile run was great, but difficult for a few reasons: 

 I ran on my lunch break, so I was rushing from the start

I had never run in/around the town where I work, so finding 5 miles without running loops around the same streets was very difficult. That can be mind numbing, but it wasn't terrible

The HILLS. I legit ran 3 miles STRAIGHT UP HILL. It was a great challenge. I wasn't prepared for such a hilly run though, but overall it was fine. I felt great, I had no issues, and I'm glad I was able to get it done outside

Today's run was a 7 miler that I had to squeeze in before work. I didn't give myself enough time to stretch or warm up before I ran, and I didn't really give myself enough time to stretch after. I DID, however, use the damn foam roller and do a few yoga moves to stretch my IT band, which started bothering me almost immediately after I started running. I stopped just about a mile in to stretch and it felt better, but I know I need to give it some more love and attention. Which again, falls into the game of better planning. And it's only temporary, right? It's only for a few more weeks. 

Week 10 Complete -

I have so much to tell you so I am working on getting a YouTube account set up to make a video instead of typing it all out.

I have a new running schedule and a new running coach that came into my life at the perfect time. Being that I kept getting sick, I was afraid I'd have to drop down to the half marathon and try again next time. I was unable to run for over a week and was so afraid I'd lost everything I had previously done. 

We had a training event at work and one of the presenters is a runner who coaches on the side. She didn't know me from Jack but wanted to meet with me to talk about my situation - and I am so glad she did. She asked me a thousand questions and created a new plan for me to follow for the duration of my training. I only spoke with her in person for about 40 minutes, but she gave me my confidence back and made me feel so much better about everything. 

I saw 12 miles for last week's run and thought, "Wow - 12 miles? Really? That's EASY!" But - I hadn't fun for 9 days so I was a little nervous. 

I made a few changes that helped me keep pushing through this 12 miles with energy to spare, at a quicker pace than I've been running (not by much and not on purpose). I discovered that if I take a quick .05 mile walk break every 3 miles and eat a ShotBlok, it will keep my energy levels stable and keep me from crashing. My 12 miler was great -  I didn't have any issues at all. I never felt tired, I never felt overwhelmed, I never felt any mental blocks. I will say, though, that around mile 6 (and this has been a trend) my IT band starts to bother me. I'm not really sure what to do about that because it doesn't hurt me after I'm done and it doesn't inhibit me from continuing my run - it's just a nagging pain that I know is there. 

And yeah, the beer - it's a repeat, but I can't get enough of this Old Rasputin. I only need to drink one and I'm good. I've had a few friends mention that they stopped drinking completely about 6 weeks prior to their marathons, but I don't drink more than one - MAYBE 2 - beers a week, so I don't think I need to worry too much about that. My new coach might have something else to say about that though.