Emotions...

... are okay! This simple three word sentence has taken me YEARS to understand and accept.

Well, I'm still working on accepting it, but getting closer and closer.

For years, I put on the smile and kept the way I really felt buried deep deep down. And in case it wasn't far enough, I piled food on top to make sure it was good and packed down. And to make sure the food was covered, I loaded up on layers and layers of fat to really make sure no one knew what was really going on on the inside.

There were times in high school where all I thought about was ending it all. I would look out on to the backyard or lay in bed and wonder if people would even miss me or show up to the funeral. But, I never wanted to burden anyone else with my thoughts or problems so I just let them sit in my brain and fester those negative thoughts. Which I think has to my ongoing journey of trying to nix the negative in my head.

For years I would tell myself that if I only lost weight all my problems would disappear. I can vividly see me - maybe in 8th or 9th grade - sitting in the car with my aunt telling her: "If I just got rid of like 50 lbs, everything would be better."

Well, news flash: losing weight does NOT make the problems/emotions/negative thoughts magically disappear. 

But, what losing weight has taught me is that it is okay to have feelings. It is okay to share the feelings. It is okay to release the feelings.

So now, when I am sad or mad or happy or frustrated or depressed I no longer feel like I have to bury those emotions under a plastered on fake smile.

I am allowed to be sad even when I feel it isn't justified. Does that make sense?

I know there are so many things I should be grateful for in my life and I don't want to seem unappreciative, but now I know it is okay to be sad even when I don't think I should be allowed to.

I AM allowed to feel any emotion at anytime. 

Through this blog, this tiny little space on the internet, I have given myself the freedom to release all of the emotional weight that bore down on my shoulders for years ... hence the title Weight Off My Shoulders. ;)

I have shared more on this blog than I ever thought I would. I thought I would bring those dark demons - eating disorder, cutting, etc - to my grave. But, once I wrote the inner thoughts down and hit publish (many times nervously) I felt a wave of relief come over me. I didn't have to bear these demons alone.

And you know what happened? I found others who were going through similar situations. I found confidants that I would never have otherwise. I found an outlet.

Now, I'm not saying everyone has to go around starting blogs - if that's not your thing - but I want to let you know that it is OKAY!

You are allowed to feel however you want.

If you feel more comfortable confiding in friends, do it.

If you want to see a therapist, do it.

If you like to use social media, do it.

But, just let it out.

Don't let the negative thoughts and feelings bury themselves into your brain and foster a harmful environment. I know from personal experience that it takes a looooong time to turn it around.

Just know ... you are NOT alone!

I am still a work in progress, but I know that I will not go back to the miserable/lonely person I was before.

What A Weekend...

Rarely does a weekend end better than it began ... I mean how could it with Monday looming on the horizon! But this time, it did!

On Friday, I was in a bad mental space. I just needed some alone time - which I half got. But, I was just sad and tired.

I am not sure what exactly is going on inside my head, but I think it needs a break. It just wants one day without Weight Watchers, Marathon Training, etc.

I just want a ME day.

Someday ... I hope!

But I digress.

The one shining moment of my Friday was being chosen as a Bulu Box Ambassador!!

Feel free to check them out here: http://www.bulubox.com?acc=a684eceee76fc522773286a895b c8436

If interested in making a purchase, use the coupon code: BULUGAN283

Friday was a nice quiet afternoon-evening in with the family as the snow fell and I prepared for my Spinning Instructor Orientation the next day.

On Saturday I rose at 5:30am and was out the door by 6:30am to head to my Spinning Instructor Orientation.

I finally arrived home around 7pm and called it an EASY evening in with the wife. I ended up doing some Weight Watchers work, but I made sure I was on the couch. :)

I had originally planned on running The Half Of Quincy on Sunday, but it was cancelled on Friday (which also impacted my mood).

But instead I knocked out 10 miles by myself around the River near my house...

 

... and finished it off with some low-fat chocolate milk of course!

I followed the run up with some meal planning, grocery shopping and quality time with the other half.

While we were at the store, I actually spotted my girl Tanee from From Fat To Fit Chick!

Doesn't she look amazing?!?!

As we headed home, I got a very special email from the ZOOMA Woman's Race Series ... they chose ME as an ambassador for their half marathon on Cape Cod on September 28!! WOO!!! :) :)

I am wicked honored and excited for the opportunity. Especially since so many of my friends participated in the race last year and RAVED about it!

After getting that amazing news, I got an email from Spinning.com that I was eligible to take my Spinning Instructor Assessment test to officially be certified. So I of course hopped on the computer to take the 50 question test and ...

... I got a 96! So I am officially certified as a Spinning Instructor!

WOO!! Little 'ol me ... who woulda thought?

So the weekend started out on a low and ended on a high (well besides the night of Weight Watchers paperwork)... :)

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How was your weekend? Anything good to report?

Journey To Becoming A Spinning Instructor...

Never thought I would title a blog post like that. I mean when I started this weight loss/fitness journey almost four years ago - Spinning wasn't even on my radar.

But, as the pounds starting coming off, I found myself comfortable ENOUGH to take my first Spinning class.

Yes, I hung out in the back row ... in the corner ... where no one could really see what I was doing.

Thankfully the Spinning Instructor I usually attended also liked to keep the lights low ... maybe because it was like 5:30 in the morning. :P

But, once I started attending Spinning classes I got hooked. Especially because of the diverse population of the class. There were people of all ethnicities, sizes, athletic abilities and ages.

Spinning appeared to be a class that ANYONE could take ... and I loved that.

The more and more I attended Spinning classes the more comfortable I felt on the bike.

Oh don't think I started plopping my big butt in the front row. HELL NO!

I - to this day - tend to keep myself in the back row, but I don't tend to think that everyone else is staring at me judging my form.

I love Spinning because you get in your OWN zone and can make the class what YOU want. LOVE!

When I was featured in TimeOut Chicago in December 2011 about my weight loss - I talked about my love of Spinning so they had me do my photo shoot on the Spinning bike! :)

Who would have thought that 1) I would be in a magazine and 2) They would want to take my picture on a Spinning bike.

But that whole experience just solidified my love of Spinning.

So when we made the decision to move back to Boston in 2012, the idea of possibly becoming a Spinning Instructor started popping into my head.

I got wrapped into running road races and becoming a Weight Watchers Leader during that time so I just attended my usual 2-3 Spinning classes a week and the idea of becoming a Spinning Instructor was pushed to the back burner.

But that all changed in December 2012 when I finally took the plunge and signed up on December 18 for the Spinning Instructor Orientation for March 9, 2013.

There was no looking back now.

And if I didn't like it or didn't do well - at least the all-day orientation would give me a nice lesson in the background of Spinning.

Before I knew it it was time to attend the Orientation in Manchester, NH ... which was yesterday.

It is roughly an hour trip from Boston to Manchester so I woke up at 5:45 to make sure I had all the essentials packed - lunch, snacks, water, workout clothes, manual, etc - and hit the road at 6:30.

I made sure to stop by Dunkin' Donuts for an Iced Coffee before I hit the highway. ;)

The drive was simple since pretty much everyone else was probably asleep at that time. It was simple until I was about 1/2 a mile from the facility then I got into trouble. I kept circling and circling, but couldn't find the right path to the Executive Health & Sports Center.

Thankfully I found a local Dunkin' Donuts and the women there knew exactly where to send me and within 3 minutes I was there. :)

And THAT is when the nerves really started setting in...

This adventure was FAR out of my comfort zone and as I saw the other students walking in and looking super fit ... I started to doubt my right to be there.

But, with the help of my other half and my Twitter peeps, I got the courage to walk into the conference room.

There were 20 of us in this particular orientation with an amazing Master Trainer Jennifer Ward.

We went around introducing ourselves and of the 20 people in that group, 4 had lost over 100 pounds ... including one woman who shed 198 pounds. Wow did I feel lame with my 60+ lb weight loss. (I was the third person to introduce myself so those 4 people were all after I shared).

(Editors Note: Yes I know I cannot compare my weight loss journey to anyone else's because I didn't have 100 lbs to lose - but I still get caught in that initial reaction of "man, my story isn't that great.")

The majority of the morning was spent learning the background and basics of Spinning - which was thoroughly entertaining - before we actually got on the bikes to ride.

We learned all the basics of the Spinning bikes and how to truly fit someone to a bike ... and then it was time to ride.

 Our first of two rides of the day was all about the forms and moves of Spinning.

It was a great experience. I felt more knowledgable just walking out of that ride.

We then broke for lunch at about 2:30/2:45, which made the afternoon fly since we were supposed to end around 5:30.

The afternoon was looking more into how to put together a Spinning class, which I was most interested in. It was enlightening. There is SO much that goes into a 45 minutes Spinning class.

Before we knew it, it was time for a shortened final ride - since we were running a little over - and then the day would be complete.

The Master Trainer put us through a great 30 minute Spinning class. Boy was I feeling it, but loved every minute of it.

And with that the day was over and I officially completed the Spinning Instructor Orientation...

... but the journey isn't over.

This certificate does give me permission to now lead Spinning classes, but I still need to pass an online assessment to officially be a certified Spinning Instructor.

And then of course I need to start searching for a gym to teach at. Eeek!! Another "out of the comfort zone" experience I will be going through. :P

But I went into the day frightened and doubting whether I deserved to be there and left feeling stronger and more determined to reach the Finish Line! :)

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Additional Note: After publishing this post, I actually took ... AND PASSED ... my Spinning Instructor Assessment!! WOOOO!!!

Tedy’s Team Group Run – 18 Miles

Solo runs can be the best and worst experiences in my opinion. On Saturday, I woke up at 6:30 to do a little weight check on the home scale and get ready for my Tedy's Team 18 Mile Group Run.

I owe a special thank you to the wife for getting up at 7am on a Saturday to drop me off at the group run (and saving me $8 in parking fees).

The weather was saying mid to high 30s so I kept with the normal winter running attire (Lululemon jacket and long pants with my Under Armour long-sleeved shirt), but decided to risk it and left the winter hat and gloves at home. I was hoping if I put the "I want nice weather" vibe out there - the universe may finally answer back. I mean we've run through every type of conditions this winter on our group runs ... except a nice sunny morning. C'mon Mother Nature.

I arrived at FitCorp on Beacon St in Boston (our weekly starting point) earlier than usual so there wasn't anyone else really there yet.

It seemed may people from the group were taking part in the Black Cat 10 & 20 Miler so there weren't as many folks milling around as usual.

As usual I had to head outside before everyone else to give my Garmin Forerunner 110 enough time to locate satellites. I'm not sure why my watch takes so much longer than everyone else in the group's watchers, but I know with all the tall buildings that it takes anywhere from 5-10 minutes for my watch to get ready. This leads me to be chilling outside for awhile before everyone else has to enter the cold weather.

And it gives me enough time to take a pic of my shadow while stretching...

Before I knew it everyone was heading out of the gym and hitting the course.

I started the run chatting with some fellow Tedy's Team running mates, but quickly found myself in between two different running paces ... it was at this point I realized I would be running a majority of this 18 mile training run alone.

I was not mentally prepared for that and soon knew this would be a long 18 miles. Running with people always helps the time pass quickly and takes the focus off the task at hand.

But, I knew I had to dig down and get it done. Especially since on the day of the marathon I probably won't have anyone running with me so I will need to get over the running alone hurdles now. Plus, I ran Rock 'n' Roll Savannah alone and we remember how that turned out (well in case you don't ;)).

I started playing the normal mind games with myself.

Okay 3 miles in, you are 1/6 of the way there. Just do that 5 more times and you're Golden.

Alright 6 miles in, you are 1/3 of the way done - just 2 more times and you are done.

Woo 9 miles in - halfway there - less than double digits left.

That helped get me through the first 10 miles of the run, which took us out from Beacon St in Boston to Chestnut Street in Newton, where we take the turn onto Comm Ave and head back to Boston ... running along the Boston Marathon course itself, including Heartbreak Hill.

The sun was shining. The air was comfortable. I was ready to own Heartbreak.

Note: Many people know one thing about the Boston Marathon and that is Heartbreak Hill. It is actually about 2 miles of rolling hills through Newton with the toughest hill at the end of the stretch. But, the hills themselves aren't that bad it is placement within the race that makes it tougher. The hills come about 16 miles into the race. Yeah, that makes them suck people say. :P

As always I needed to psych myself up to get through the hills, but yesterday I needed a little something extra since I was alone. So I just kept repeating to myself:

You Can Fucking Do This

Excuse my language, but I needed to repeat that over and over to get through the final push.

And it worked.

I felt strong throughout the rolling hills ... and I thank my cross-training with Spin for that!

I even saw my girl Robin kicking some booty on the hills - as usual! I love seeing familiar faces during a run.

Once you take the decent over the final hill, it was a little over 12 miles into the run and the next water stop was at Mile 13. So it was nice to get through the hills and have some much needed water and Gatorade waiting for me. :)

That water stop is always a great sight. Usually Jackie (the volunteer) has her pup there, but he was home sleeping this week. :P But it is such a symbolic point because I know there is just 5 miles left and I can run 5 miles. It just makes the final stretch of the run doable. I don't really know why or if I can even explain it, but I think other people who do long runs understand what I mean.

I texted the wife that I was 5 miles out so that she could time her pick-up accordingly. :)

At the water stop, I ran into another Tedy's Team member and ran a little bit with her. She is from Venezuela and is a Boston qualifier (so wicked fast) so it was nice to catch up with her for about a mile or so before I told her to feel free to run ahead and off she went. I hate holding people back.

The last 5 miles are on the same part of Beacon St that we start out on so it is always nice to get back to familiar sights. Plus, it is useful to know how far from the finish you really are.

I hit the final water stop - about 2.5 miles from the finish - and downed some water and Gatorade and picked up some Swedish Fish.

I really owe Tedy's Team a big thanks for showing me the awesomeness that is eating swedish fish on a long run. They really do give me a bigger boost than the sport jelly beans I normally use.

I texted the wife again that I was about 2.5 miles out and asked her to bring a full water bottle as well. :)

I think I stopped at the final water stop a little too long because the last 2.5 miles were TOUGH. But, I knew I couldn't stop.

Even though at Mile 16 I thought: "I can just hop on the T." NO!

I set out for 18 - I was going to run 18.

Plus it wasn't physical at all ... it was all mental.

So I refocused, turned the music up and just kept moving one foot in front of the other.

It didn't help that at every light I hit a red light and had to stop. Grrr...

But I just kept moving forward.

At Mile 17, I tried to get my legs to move faster. In my head they were, but looking at the Garmin - they weren't. :P

But I just kept pushing.

At 17.75 miles, this song came on

as I was running towards the Massachusetts State House

It was one of those moments that you couldn't plan, but was perfect. The right song came on at the right moment.

And all of a sudden 18 miles were run.

As I did the nice post-long run shuffle into the car, I was pleased especially after figuring out I had been spot on with my previous 18 mile run.

I mentally beat those 18 miles. I wanted to stop. The self-doubt crept in. But, I silenced it all and just kept moving forward.

We headed to home so I could complete #myafter:

Dunkin' Donuts Iced Coffee

Low-fat Chocolate Milk

Foam Rolling

Apparently Molly even wanted to get into the foam rolling action...

... or just distract me. :P

Overall, the 18 miles were done in good time and I felt strong throughout the run. The mental part on the other hand is something I will still work on.

But that is why we do these training runs - to train the body AND the mind.

Next week, I will miss the Tedy's Team 10 mile group run because I will be at a Spin Instructor certification class. I will however be running the Half of Quincy on Sunday, March 10 to make up those miles.

Really Self A Triathlon?

TRUTH! I went so far out of my comfort zone on Friday and signed up for my first triathlon ...

... and immediately made this face:

Yup - exactly. :P

This is the face expressing:

*nervousness

*self-doubt

*pride

*fear

*excitement

*amazement

*happiness

If you told me four years ago, that I would be training for the Boston Marathon, that I would be attending a 9-hour class on Saturday to try and get certified as a Spin Instructor or that I would be constantly going outside of my comfort zone ... I would've told you to stop dreaming!

But thanks to Weight Watchers and shedding 60+ lbs - it is happening. It is the truth.

In December 2012, I was thinking back about how I had set out my goals for 2012 and completed them all, which I was proud of on it's own. But, it got me thinking about what I wanted to see happen in 2013.

And a little voice in my head kept repeating "triathlon ... triathlon ... triathlon" over and over and over again. So I took that little word and stored it in the back of my brain for safe keeping since clearly it wasn't something I would ever really do.

I mean I'm not built to do a triathlon.

Plus, I was focusing on my Boston Marathon training plan and making sure I could follow through with that.

Then a few weeks back I started thinking - what am I going to do after the Boston Marathon? What do I want to do next?

I've been toying with the idea of trying to qualify for Boston (aka take 24 minutes off my current marathon time), but then that pesky little word crept back into the front of my mind: triathlon.

Now, I'm not sure if it was a high power or fate or destiny or dumb luck, but on Friday I was wasting some time on Facebook and up posted a status update from Boston Triathlon. I really don't remember ever even liking their page.

So I had to click through to their Facebook page, which led to clicking on their webpage, which was followed by reading through the event details, which somehow ended with me pulling out my credit card and registering.

Do we see how this all happened because of Facebook. Can I blame them? ;)

I was gchatting with the wife while I kept clicking through from page to page and asked if I should really do this. But, before she could really say yes - I had already hit SUBMIT ... and the rest is history.

It's like the stars aligned and it was just meant to be as I was looking for something to train for locally so I'm excited that my first tri will be in Boston so my family can come cheer me on. :)

So now once I run the Boston Marathon on April 15 I will take a couple weeks off and then begin Tri training.

The Boston Triathlon is on August 4 and looks to be a Sprint Triathlon (or closest definition of a tri I could find). It features a 1/2 mile swim, a 9 mile bike and a 4 mile run.

I know I can complete all of the components now I just need to make sure I can do them consecutively on the same day. :P

I am currently shopping around for Sprint Triathlon training plans so if you know of any, please pass them along!

Now that the registration is complete - it's time to buy a bike and a wetsuit.

I am excited to share the training process with you all ... since this is completely new to me!

Let's Do This!

There Through Thick & Thin...

Whenever asked what my longest relationship is I usually answer: 8+ years. That is how long my car, Jinxie, and I have been together. BUT, then I think of one confidant ... one friend ... one support that has been with me since the beginning.

No not my parents or my family, but the one and only Curious George.

Curious George and I were united when I was just 6 months old. My mom always says it was love at first sight.

Yes, at one point in time he was about my size if not slightly bigger than me (even though I was a hefty little kid).

I am an only child so growing I didn't always have people around to hang out with, but George was always there.

I remember crying into his face when I would sleep at night if I was upset.

If I was out of town at my grandparents and missed home, I would make sure to smell George whenever I needed to get that "home smell."

I think you all know what I mean by the "home smell."

Even when I went away to college, George came with me. I didn't care if anyone saw that I was the girl that still kept a stuffed animal with me.

I studied abroad during the summer of my Junior Year of college in Ireland ... and you guessed it - George was the first thing I packed.

He is a world traveler you know. :)

Whenever I need a sense of comfort, George is the first thing I grab.

My friends have nicknamed him "Crusty Monkey" due to his poor ability to age well. :P

I can say at the age of 30, I still sleep with George on my pillow every night.

Just like this!

George has clearly weathered the storm of being with me for 29.5 years, but I am thankful for him. He may not answer my questions. The conversations may be one-sided.

But, when I have felt completely alone, George has been there ... when I was depressed and feeling like I wanted to end it all, George was there to catch the tears ... when I am away from home, he still brings me back to the safe place of my bedroom.

I will continue to patch and sew George up for as long as I can because he deserves to see where I am headed since he has been there since the beginning.

Do you have anything that you have kept with you for years? Something that you use as a security blanket?

*Virtual* Half At The Hamptons - 2/24/13 - 1:58:04 (9:01 min/mile)

Let's just call this the race that almost didn't happen. One always takes a risk signing up for a race in New England ... in the winter ... that a race could be called due to weather. But, you never think it will happen to a race YOU sign up for. Okay, well maybe that is just me.

My friend Sarah and I had signed up for the Half At the Hamptons on November 24. Yup, three months before the race so clearly we didn't know what the forecast would be that day. :P

At the beginning of February, Boston was hit by Blizzard NEMO where roughly 30 inches of snow landed by my house. So I thought that would be it ... but I was wrong.

As the weather reports started hitting the week before the run, people started talking snow, snow and more snow! But, you always have to take the weather forecasts with a grain of salt - again especially in New England.

As the week went on, the forecast got worse. By Thursday (February 21) they were calling for 6-12 inches in New Hampshire, which is where the race was being held.

Rumblings started that they would be deciding by Noon on Friday whether the race would go on as scheduled on Sunday.

I DID NOT want to see the race called. I sent positive thoughts to the weather gods...

... but they must've been blocking them because we received news I didn't want.

After much agonizing and discussion, we are very distressed and sad to announce that the 2013Half at the Hamptons is cancelled. The  weather prediction for Saturday night into Sunday morning is predicted to dump 6-12 inches of heavy snow and up to 40 mph wind gusts. There will not be a makeup date. We are just as disappointed as you are and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We want to say thank you to everyone involved in the race for working with us and the Ashworth and Town of Hampton for being our gracious hosts.

Race cancellation decision process: The final authority on whether the race can be held is determined by our Assembly permit which is issued by the Town of Hampton and the HamptonPolice. With the promise of inclement weather it has been determined that the roads are unsafe for our event and our permit has been cancelled. Therefore we are unable to conduct the race.

SAD! :(

I was bummed when I saw this come across my email.

Then I immediately went to social media and my friends came up with an idea: Come run the Hyannis Half on Sunday instead!!

The wheels started turning, but that race too was possibly going to get canceled as well due to high winds (50mph or so) and their decision was coming down by 4pm on Saturday. At that point, my friend Sarah said she wouldn't be able to do that run.

We decided to run our own 13.1 mile race on Sunday near our house.

So late Saturday morning, the wife and I headed up to NH to collect our race t-shirts and medals. They didn't allow bib pick-up, but we were able to get the rest.

That night I asked the wife to design a couple of custom racebibs for Sarah and I and she didn't disappoint.

Aren't they amazing? I wish you could see the seagull design she put as the background, but it is a little to faint.

She wanted to put our numbers on there, but I said NO! Sarah and I are the elite runners today so everyone will know us by our names. ;)

Okay, I've just always wanted to be considered one of those elite runners. If this was the only way possible, I'll do it. :P

I met Sarah at her house at 8:30 yesterday morning since she had a nice 13.1 mile loop close to her house.

I wore my normal race gear because I was soooo excited to FINALLY wear my Got Chocolate MilkTeam REFUEL singlet in a race!

We stretched and hit the pavement.

Running at normal race pace was not our goal for today's virtual run ... especially once we hit the River path and BAM there was the snow, ice and puddles. This was just a TINY TINY preview for what we would experience over the next 13.1 miles. :P

But, we are professionals - okay not really - but once we started we weren't going to stop until we hit 13.1 miles.

Once we hit Mile 5 I looked down only to notice that my bib had blown off thanks to the winds. Boo! It was nice while it lasted. :)

My knee was a little sore from the lack of traction on the course, but once we moved to the street the pain seemed to go away.

My Garmin beeps every time you complete a mile and the splits were all over the place during this run. I could tell when we hit a patch where the road was completely clean because we would post a 8:15-8:35 min/mile then when we were wading through the snow/shuffling over ice we had a 10:00+ min/mile pace.

Again, we weren't going for any PR today ... especially with the wind/rain.

Thankfully I gave the Sparkly Soul headband and Got Chocolate Milk visor combo a try and it was PERFECT! The curls stayed in place and the rain was kept out of my eyes. I think I will be breaking this out again for many runs to come...

As we made our way back to Sarah's house, we realized we would be hitting her place at about 12.9 miles and CLEARLY I wouldn't let us finish short of 13.1 so we started sprinting.

And it was our luck that we were still heading right into the wind for that final .75 miles. But, we did it.

While we ran, I kept telling myself in my head that no matter what I wanted to try and finish in under 2 hours - even with the conditions.

And. We. Did!

Did I mention it was also raining while we were running?

As soon as we walked back into the house, we grabbed our medals and took our post-race pic. :)

Yeah not my best attempt at a selfie, but Wyatt (the pup) wasn't offering to help at all.

I'm proud of Sarah and I for sticking with our plan of running today. No rain. No cancellations. No wind. No ice. Nothing would stand between us. Sarah put a lot of time into training for the run and I had already worked it into my marathon training.

So no matter the time. We won ... and we really did since the race was just 2 of us and we finished together!

WOO! I came in first. :P

C'mon let me have this one.

I think my Superman socks got quiet a workout today with jumping over ice/puddles and flying in the wind.

I picked up my usual post-race Dunkin Donuts Iced Coffee, but was planning on grabbing a fat free Chocolate Milk at the same time to refuel - but they only had whole milk.

It just meant another stop on the way home to make sure I gave my body what it needed:

Lowfat chocolate milk contains the right mix of carbs and protein scientifically shown to help refuel muscles. Chocolate milk helps restore muscles quickly to their peak potential.

Yum!

Once I refueled, the wife and I headed to lunch and I was able to enjoy my post-race celebratory beer!

Even virtual races deserve beer, right?

While this may not have been the race I expected or desired, it was still a great morning with a great friend. We pushed past some boundaries and kept our eye on the prize.

So never let a little race cancellation get in YOUR way!! :)

Learning To Run WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

And the winners are: a Rafflecopter giveaway

That's right, Brad was so excited about the giveaway he let me pick not 1, but 5 winners!! YAY! Congrats to you all and thanks to everyone that entered!!

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For most of my life, I HATED running ... like would do anything to avoid running or even jogging for that matter.

I disliked running so much that I tried to play sports that involved the least amount of running --- catcher in softball, setter in volleyball and defense in lacrosse, to name a few.

But then something changed. I REALLY wanted to lose weight and figured running would be a good way to burn calories.

So in January 2005, I took the plunge.

I started by running 1/2 a mile a few times a week at the gym treadmill during the first week of January.

In the second week of that month, I ran - okay jogged - 3/4 a mile a few times a week.

Each week I worked on upping my mileage by just 1/4 of a mile. I felt that was a doable amount.

Did I really know what I was doing? Not so much. I was winging it.

I had many friends and family members that were runners, but felt like such a loser that I didn't really ask them for advice.

And when I started running there wasn't a social media group I could turn to for advice.

So I just did the best I could come up with.

I started my journey in January 2005 and ran my first 5k in March 2005 (38:21). It was fun and my dad ran with me the entire time. Thankfully my dad ran with me for most of the first races I completed.

We kept it going until I ran my first half marathon (Hyannis Half) in February 2006 (2:20:18) and my first full marathon (Clarence De Mar) in September 2006 (5:59:27).

But, I was undertrained for that marathon. I again didn't have anyone to turn to for advice so I just searched the internet and tried to use a training program to help. However, during the training period I got injured - IT band - so I was still nursing the injury and ill-prepared for that full marathon and it showed in the results. I walked for probably 6-7 miles of that 26.2 miles, but I finished.

Then promptly stopped running ... for years.

Yup that's right. I started running for about 21 months and then gave it up.

I finally gave it another shot in June 2011  and this time I reached out to friends and social media for help.

Now, I have sounding boards for racing tips, training schedules and learning how important cross training really is.

And I couldn't be happier! Having the help and support of knowledgable runners can make all the difference.

So that brings me to the GIVEAWAY!

My twitter friend and the creator of the #7daychip, Brad Gansberg, has graciously offered up his services to one lucky reader!!

Brad is a running coach and offers a couple different services through his website.

For this giveaway, he is allowing me to give away one Basic membership ($99 value) to his Running 101 program:

Running 101 is designed to teach the non runner how to successfully complete their first 5K run in 100 days.  The program will help you reach this goal using a series of 46 instructional videos, which will cover all topics necessary for success.  The program will also include a 15 week training schedule, which will take you step by step, from short runs, all the way up to a non-stop 5K.  Lastly, I will be there to support you, and share all that I have learned through my years of teaching and training others.

If you have always wanted to learn how to run, but never knew how, this is the program for you.

How awesome does this sound?

The Basic Membership includes:

This plan has everything you need to successfully complete my programs.  It includes 15 weeks of planned workout schedules, which will help to ensure that you stay on the right track.  It also offers weekly video lectures (over 45 in total) covering every topic needed to reach your goal.  Lastly, you will have access to my extensive members only library, which provides answers to the most common running related issues and questions. While basic plan members do not have personal contact with me, they will have access to my years of coaching knowledge, offered through the program materials.

Giveaway is open from February 11 (today) through Midnight on February 17!!

Here's how to enter:

**Don't worry folks! If you are not selected as the winner, Brad offers a #freerunning101 program that you can check out at anytime here. Through the #freerunning101 program offers everything you need (including videos) to run a 5k in 100 days.

EVERY runner should...

If there was ONE piece of advice I could give to fellow runners, it would simply be: volunteer at a road race! It gives a runner a new perspective on what goes in to putting a race on and may change some people's unappreciative attitudes.

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It was finally my time to officially volunteer at yesterday's Super Sunday 5 race put on by RACE - Run Against Cancer Events.

Last Sunday (January 27), I met up with the Racemenu and RACE crews to help stuff bibs ... which I had never done before.

I liked getting into the rhythm of putting the chip, safety pins and twists ties (for the chips) in the envelopes. Plus, they supplied free pizza ... and I can never say no to free pizza. :)

The bibs were being personalized with each runner's name so we didn't actually have to stuff the bibs themselves that day.

The experience was great and it was cool to get to know the people running the race better.

On Saturday (February 2), I had free time after my 16-mile training run with Tedy's Team for The Boston Marathon so I signed up to help with bib pick-up from 12-4 at the New Balance Store on Boylston St.

It was cool to be the one handing out the bibs, chips and t-shirts to the runners and wishing them a good race. Plus, everyone loves finding out that with their bib they would get 15% off at the New Balance store all weekend long. :)

Keeping a smile on my face was easy during the 4-hour shift as I LOVE seeing other runners excited to race. Some were nervous about the impending snow and cold weather, but most were ready to get after it. Plus, there was free beer at the Finish ... how could that not get you pumped for a 5k or 5-mile run to kick off Superbowl Sunday??

I missed setting up the station, but made sure to stick around and help break down the bib pick-up location. The four of us worked quickly to make sure we got out of the store on time.

Plus, I ended up using my own bib to get 15% off the one New Balance shirt I had my eye on since seeing them at The Falmouth Road Race in August.

Isn't it great?

Then yesterday was Race Day (February 3)! I signed up to both volunteer and run the race ... why not, right? :)

I was told to be at the race by 8am to get my location. I met Kim at 8 and was assigned to set up baggage claim.

I was intrigued by this spot since I rarely use bag check myself and wanted to make sure I set it up the best way I could since there were over 1,500 runners signed up.

Thankfully we had a large space so we were able to set up 8 different rows designated by an orange cone where each row could hold 200 #s/bags if needed (1-200, 201-400, etc). Within each row, there was a second cone denoting the second 100 #s (100, 300, etc) to make the area as organized as possible.

Yes my math mind loved this activity.

By about 9:30, Kim said she needed more help at Registration as those volunteers needed to head to the course itself. So I happily headed to registration to help hand out bibs and t-shirts. It was sprinting back and forth between bib table and t-shirt table so it was a perfect warm-up for the race itself. Plus, I was able to see a couple people I knew pre-race. :)

Finally at about 10:15am, I headed to do my personal prep for the race itself (which started at 10:30am). The port-o-potty lines moved quickly, but thankfully the race director had to tow some cars on the course so the Start was slightly delayed giving me plenty of time to get in position. :)

I had NO idea what to expect from the run since I had done 16.2 the day before, but as soon as the gun went off I booked it ... and felt great.

I somehow had a sub 8 minute/mile pace the entire run, which I didn't expect, but happily accepted.

It was snowing while we ran through Cambridge, which set a lovely scene. ;)

I caught up with my friend George just before Mile Four and helped push him along the final hump/hill.

I just reminded him that "we had 1.08 miles til beer" and that "we eat 1 mile runs for breakfast." :)

Hey! Those things keep me moving too.

I ended up clocking in at 38:34, which was a 7:43 min/mile pace ... WOW!! I really don't know how I did that.

As soon as I finished the run, I headed to the beer tent to grab a celebratory drink (of course!) then headed to find Kim to see where I could help.

I ended up going back to bag check to help with the masses, who just wanted to get home and out of the cold. I tried to move as quickly as my tired legs would take me because I knew how cold the runners were. We ended up having about 6 of us on hand to knock out the long line of people waiting.

Once the bag check was under control, I actually was able to meet up with Tyler from Popchips, who has helped me with some giveaways here on the blog and at my 30th Birthday Charity 5k. It was great to finally put a face with the name. :)

After catching up with Tyler, I realized it was already Noon and time for me to hit the beer tent and pour beers. I have NEVER helped at post-race beer distribution before, but I wanted to make sure to be on my A-game since I DO know how important beer is to runners. ;)

Samuel Adams, Long Trail Brewing, Mayflower Brewing Company and Shipyard Brewing Company  donated bottles of beer, while Bantam Cider provided kegs. I was put on bottles so thankfully a co-volunteer let me borrow his iPhone that had a bottle opener attached to it - yes I need one of those too!

My hands were frozen, but it was necessary to be on the other side of the beer. Many runners can get testy when waiting for free beer - seeing/experiencing what the volunteers go through (frozen hands, delays in beer delivery, running out of cups, etc) makes you appreciate and understand the wait a little more. I am not a person that ever got "bitchy" at a post-race party, but I definitely wouldn't in the future after trying to open beer bottles with frozen hands. :P

Once we ran out of bottles of beer, I headed back to the post-race party tent to find Kim. They needed help breaking down the Finish Line so I headed that way. I wasn't very strong, but helped out however I could.

I did learn how to properly fold the American flag in the triangle pattern.

Following Finish Line breakdown, I headed back to the post-race party tent to help clean up the tables and empty cups that were strewn around as people danced to Bearfight.

As the party started to wind down, I headed out around 1:30 as the wife arrived to give me a lift home. :)

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Overall it was one AMAZING experience.

I don't think many runners are aware of what truly goes in to putting a road race on.

To get a truly well-rounded understanding, I recommend that EVERY runner volunteers at a local road race at least once in their life.

And please remember to always thank every volunteer and police officer along the course ... they give a lot to be help secure your safety and that you have a kick ass race/party!

Boston Marathon & Tedy's Team Update

I can't believe there are a mere 78 days remaining until I run The Boston Marathon with Tedy's Team!!

I am excited ... anxious ... nervous ... pumped ... and overall honored to be able to run on April 15, 2013 for such a great cause.

Tedy's Team is a group raising money and awareness on behalf of the American Stroke Association:

Tedy asked the American Stroke Association to work with him to create “Tedy’s Team,” a group of runners raising money for the American Stroke Association and training to complete the Boston Marathon® and the Falmouth Road Race.  Their participation supports Tedy Bruschi’s fight against stroke and honors both the survivors and the loved ones lost to America’s No. 4 leading cause of death.

In addition to the dollars being raised, an equally important issue for Tedy's Team is the increase in awareness of stroke and recognition of its warning signs. Tedy’s Team is striving to reach as many people as possible in its message of recognizing the warning signs and acting appropriate when seeing them -- calling 9-1-1 immediately.

I am running in honor of my Stroke Heroes - my grandparents - who both survived strokes. Unfortunately on December 27, 2012, we lost my Grampa suddenly from cancer so this race is especially in his honor.

I keep him with me on all of my runs on the inside of the Sparkly Soul headband I wear on all my training runs and I will wear in the Boston Marathon itself.

There are two main components to preparing for the marathon: fundraising and training.

Fundraising

In order to run with Tedy's Team, I needed to raise at least $5,000 and as of today I am at:

Woo!! I am wicked thankful for such a kick ass support system. My friends and family have truly risen to the occasion. I thankfully also raised $1,000 through my 30th Birthday 5k.

If you are interested in donating, you can do so here.

Training

For the most part, I am using the same training schedule that I used for the Rock 'n' Roll Savannah Marathon in November, which was a success. It is a combination of a few different websites and help from my friend/pseudo running coach Sarah.

It is a great mix of running and cross-training. I have really been working on incorporating more Spinning into my routine, which really helps on the hills. I've also wanted to increase my speed work as I am trying to (possibly) one day qualify for Boston, which means I need to take at least 24 minutes off my current marathon PR. So cross training is a MUST...

I am LOVING the group run components to this marathon training schedule. Every Saturday Tedy's Team has a group run out of the FitCorp gym on Beacon St. The run begins at 7:50am and is designed for a certain length, but you can always add or subtract depending on what your personal training schedule has you at.

Since so many of my Savannah runs were done alone, I love having teammates to run with on Saturdays. My teammate Meg lives right by my house so we can carpool in together, which is wicked fun. It is also a nice bit of accountability especially on wicked cold mornings. :)

My group run times and paces have been amazing. I think the group, and Meg in particular, are helping to push how far I can truly go.

But, I missed the last two training runs - the first because I was running the Disney Half Marathon (where I got a new PR) and the second because of sickness - so I wasn't sure how yesterday's 10-mile run would go. Since I had been sick, I didn't want to risk trekking in to Boston and not being able to finish the run so I stuck around my house to complete it.

This was definitely my slowest long run pace since starting Tedy's Team on December 1, but today was really about the mileage, getting back to running after being sick and battling the snow/cold weather than time.

So I was proud of myself for getting out there ... even with all the salt on the ground. ;)

But just as important as the running and cross training are, is the refueling of the body!! Especially on long run days.

I make sure to end all of my long runs with some low-fat chocolate milk!

According to the Got Chocolate Milk:

Lowfat chocolate milk contains the right mix of carbs and protein scientifically shown to help refuel muscles. Chocolate milk helps restore muscles quickly to their peak potential.

Yesterday, I paired it with a banana and an english muffin with peanut butter. Mmmmm...

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After my training schedule was thrown off for the last two weeks due to being sick, it is time to get back into full swing and get back to my groove. We have 10 group runs remaining until the Boston Marathon and I cannot wait to take full advantage of the group experience.

So Boston Marathon prepare ... I'm coming for ya!