#TransformationTuesday
/2008 vs 2014
The difference in these pictures isn't about the pounds lost, but about the life gained!! The confidence, self-love & strength to leap outside my comfort zone can't be measured by the number on the scale!
An Exercise For Motivation...
/The topic I am asked most about is motivation: How do I keep it going? How do I find it again once it's lost? Can I buy it somewhere? Will you come to my house and motivate me on a daily basis? (Only if you live somewhere tropical on the last one ;))
There are a hundred things I could suggest and maybe some day I will take the time to write a wicked long post with all the things I can think of about motivation. But for now, I leave you with the number one tip I give everyone.
A little exercise I have been having some of my Weight Watchers members and readers do when saying they need to re-motivate or get back on track:
**get old school and write a list of all the reasons you started this journey (healthy living, fitness, etc)
**put those reasons on tiny pieces of paper in a jar to take out when you need a dose of motivation or put them on post-it notes and hang on the bathroom mirror
Like so...
Thanking myself for deciding I was worth the journey!
Reminding myself I am enough just the way I am!
So if you are looking to re-motivate yourself, grab some scraps of paper, a legal pad or post-it notes and get to writing! You won't regret it! :)
I'm F*ckin' Perfect... I'm Me!
/I feel as if the lyrics to Pink's song "F*ckin' Perfect" were written for me. I know I have mentioned it before, but I think each time I hear them it just resonates with me even more. The parts that really get me are: "Pretty, pretty please Don't you ever, ever feel Like your less than F*ckin' perfect. Pretty, pretty please If you ever, ever feel Like your nothing You're f*ckin' perfect to me.
You're so mean, When you talk about yourself, You are wrong. Change the voices in your head Make them like you instead."
The second stanza in particular was me to a T. For so long, I was my own worst critic. I honestly am not sure what has switched inside my head, but all of a sudden over the last month I am FINALLY taking some PRIDE in what I have accomplished. I can't tell you what made the trigger go off, but it did.
---
But, as I thought about how on January 28, 2011, I went under the knife for major back surgery, and how much has changed since that moment...
* I took the wife's advice and started this blog ... three-year blog-aversary is May 26, 2014.
* I proceeded to rekindle my love of running - completing 14 races from June through December of that year - including a half marathon less than 8 months after surgery.
*I've completed 15 half marathons and 3 marathons since having a microdiscectomy on my back January 2011, where the doctor said I wouldn't be able to run again because of the strength lost in my left leg.
*I've been lucky enough to travel around the United States running in races and meeting amazing bloggers/social media friends along the way.
*Married my love on November 12, 2010. :)
* The wife and I took a vacation together that was longer than three days. We finally got to go on that Hawaiian honeymoon we wanted ... where I proceeded to wear a bathing suit ... IN PUBLIC!
* I was featured in a magazine article about my weight loss journey.
* I hit my original goal weight that I set on November 2, 2009 (Day One of Weight Watchers). I hit the NEW goal weight (155) that I set after hitting the first goal weight (164). :P
* We made the biggest decision of our life together to date and picked up and moved back to the East Coast in January 2012.
* I was chosen to work for Weight Watchers as a Leader and continue to pay forward everything they had given me.
* I hit LIFETIME status with Weight Watchers, which meant I hit my goal weight and maintained it for 6 weeks. Woo! I even got to live out my fantasy of having a Biggest Loser type moment by throwing confetti in the air! :)
*I've improved my 5k time from 38:21 to 21:59. I hit my first-ever sub 8 min/mile pace in March 2012 - 7 years after my 5k! :)
* I've raised over $11,000 for Tedy's Team and the Fight Against Stroke in honor of my Grandparents!
* I completed the Dopey Challenge in Disney - 4 races, 4 days, 48.6 miles!
*I wore a bikini in public, which I NEVER thought would happen.
* After starting the #plankaday program with a 30 second plank in 2011, my PR for a plank is now 5 minutes and 30 seconds.
* This blog's Facebook page is approaching 7,000 likes.
Wow, I cannot believe all of that awesome stuff has taken place in the last 14 months. After writing that out, how can I not be completely proud of myself. I have accomplished so much and have followed my heart in ways I could've never imagined.
---
Growing up I had zero confidence in myself, through this journey on Weight Watchers I have found a sense of outgoing confidence I never thought possible. Are there times (like this past weekend) when it fails me, sure, but deep down I still know that "I am STRONGER than I think I am!" Sometimes, I just need to repeat that to myself a few hundred times to get it to stick.
Because this journey has taught me that it is okay to be me because I am freakin' awesome! Each day I become a little more comfortable in my own skin because I have sooo much to be proud of.
---
So if you are ever having a down day, just know: you are freakin' perfect to me!!
A Year Ago I Thought I'd Be A Spin Instructor By Now
/A year ago today, I received my Spin Instructor certification and was on cloud 9.
It was one of the scariest "out of my comfort zone" challenges I had taken on at the time. It was amazing to be in a room with folks of all ages, sizes and backgrounds - there for the same reason. Plus, I can vividly picture how scared I was driving up to Manchester, NH for the orientation and knowing I overcame it is something I can't put a price tag on.
I physically took the day-long orientation on March 9th and the online test on March 10th.
If you want to know more about the day-long orientation, feel free to check my post out here.
I was anxious to get in front of a class and share what I learned. I reached out to Spin Instructor friends in the area to find out how they got their gigs. They clued me in on the audition process at most gyms/studios, knowing studio owners, being in the right place at the right time, etc.
I took my time reaching out to local gyms asking about availability and it kept being "No. No. No". I took it tough.
But at the same time, I was training for my 3rd marathon - the Boston Marathon - and took a step back from looking to focus on training.
I tried to network, but it wasn't going anywhere.
Now I sit here a year to the day ... and I am no closer to being a Spin Instructor.
Am I a failure for not becoming a part-time Instructor? Not at all.
Do I feel like I wasted the $333 it cost to attend the Spinning certification? Absolutely.
Would I have passed up the experience to become an Instructor? Definitely not.
I think that day has made me a stronger rider and more helpful to my Spinning friends and classmates.
I may not be in front of the room, but I still try to motivate my friends and classmates as best I can.
So am I truly okay with not closing the door on the dream?
Sort of.
I regret not doing more. I should've walked into studios, talked to owners, petitioned Craigslist to find classes to substitute Instruct in and just been more proactive.
But, maybe that was my subconscious taking the reigns of the situation.
I realized over the last year that I wanted to stay in the saddle as a student.
I cannot live in a world of shoulda, coulda, wouldas! I need to learn from the experience and move on.
So what is the next dream I will chase? I'm not sure ... but at least I keep trying!
Tedy's Team Group Run - 10 Miles
/The FINAL "Riverside Run" took place today and I had a special guest ...
my friend Christina! She is running with the John Hancock team and couldn't make their long run on Sunday so she joined us. It was great. I was able to catch up with her to see how she faired at the Black Cat 20-miler last weekend! :)
We had a heat wave in Boston this morning with temps in the high 30s! Hollah! I really didn't know how to dress. I stood staring at my vast collection of running garb this morning debating what to wear and what not to wear. I opted for a headband rather than hat, Team Chocolate Milk jacket, short sleeve shirt underneath - which meant no Under Armour, capris and my Superman socks.
Now I know I said I would wear calf sleeves for all my runs after the 20-miler last week, but I felt with 10 I would be safe in my Superman socks. I needed the extra pep in my step of wearing them today. They make me so happy. Plus later on you will see why the choice paid off. ;)
We all stretched at Joint Ventures in Kenmore Square and at 8am we headed to the T (train). It was nice to catch up with Nancy, Cristina and Christina. I missed the first two last week - we run together every week.
It was bittersweet to get to the Riverside stop on the train. It would be our final training run here, which means the marathon is nearing!! :P
I made my final venture to the dingy, but life-saving bathroom at the train stop ... and we were off!
It was awesome to be back with the crew and to have that crazy orb in the sky that many call - the Sun. It made it feel like it was 50 degrees out. I welcomed the warmth.
I really tried to take in the scenery of the run. The first mile or so is through a neighborhood before we are plopped out on to the marathon course.
Mile 1: 9:32 Mile 2: 9:04
Every week the guys from the Newton Firehouse were out offering up water and snacks to the runners. Today I finally remembered to snap a pic. It was a great sight seeing them out clapping for us and manning their own aid station. Plus, this spot was at the start at Heartbreak Hill so it was a great little boost to the spirit.
Like my drive-by/creeper pics as I ran? :P
Mile 3: 9:08 Mile 4: 8:52
I felt good on the rolling hills today. I kept thinking how the extra time on the bike trainer is really paying off. It is making my legs stronger without beating the body up like running does. I had to scale the running back this week because of those pesky blisters from the 20-miler so the bike trainer was my savior.
I love seeing this sign plus the amazing water stop guru Margaret every week. After bidding farewell to our lovely volunteers, it was time to catch up with Nanci and Christina to see how he run was going. This was Christina's first experience with the rolling hills of Heartbreak so it was great to hear her thoughts.
Now as I continued on, I heard "Hey Dani" to my right. It was a blog reader Jamie. How did she recognize me?? By these awesome socks! :)
Thanks Jamie for saying hi and good luck with your marathon training with Girls On The Run! Right after we parted ways I finally had my first gorilla sighting of the training season.
I love seeing Bill the Gorilla from the Heartbreak Hill Running Company. I always stop for a pic with him when on the course. A fun long-run tradition! :)
I saw Nanci and Cristina again after I stopped for my picture so we chatted before the final hump of Heartbreak. I was ready to "make it my B&^%ch" as usual so I tried to power over it.
Mile 5: 9:36 Mile 6: 9:05
And just like that the rolling hills were done. Another meeting with Heartbreak Hill was in the books. Still no matter how many times I train on it - it is way different on Race Day! The crowds and the 16-miles prior to it all play into the experience.
I did a check-in with myself and was feeling strong. My toes were slightly sore which can be expected with the blisters, etc. But with the hills over I was ready to release the legs for the final four miles. I wanted to see what I had left in the tank.
And you know what I had? Some sweet negative splits!! Don't they look pretty?
Mile 7: 8:47 Mile 8: 8:39 Mile 9: 8:26 Mile 10: 8:15
I opted to run music free. I was having fun chatting with teammates when they were near me and waving/saying hi to a ton of friends and blog readers along the course. I really love seeing familiar faces out training. Plus I had fun remembering which charities they were putting those miles in for and thinking about the thousands of dollars going to good causes one mile at a time today!!
Technically today's run is 10.2 miles long so I stop at 10 and take the last 0.2 as a nice cool down walk. Stretch out the legs, etc. Once back at Joint Ventures, I made sure to use the foam rollers and stretch everything out.
After saying bye to everyone it was time to head home, shower, snuggle the pups, throw on my Zensah compression socks and work on my recap (hello recap!).
But now I am heading to see some of my favorite folks in Maine. So until next week's 18-miler folks...
***
Week 13 Workouts:
Sunday, March 2: 30-minute bike trainer session
Monday, March 3: 1.1-mile run and Spin Class (56 minutes)
Tuesday, March 4: 30-minute bike trainer session
Wednesday, March 5: REST DAY
Thursday, March 6: REST DAY
Friday, March 7: 45-minute bike trainer session
Saturday, March 8: 10 mile group run
***
Looking To Donate
Are you interested in helping to fight Stroke? Please feel free to click on the link HERE to share a donation. Wondering how much? How about $10 in honor of the 10 miles I ran today with Tedy’s Team?
Gone For A Run Makes Drinking Beer And Wine A Little More Runtastic + Giveaway!
/Annddddd the winner IS:
***
On most Friday nights, you can find me sitting in bed, catching up on blogging and asleep by 8pm. Does this sound familiar? Are you getting flashes of your own Friday or Saturday nights.
If you don't want to admit it, that's fine. I won't out you. :P But I understand. For most of my Saturday mornings are taken up by long runs or races around the country.
Again, sound familiar?
<<insert silent nod with fit bump>>
On those Friday nights, I like to relax the nerves of the long run or race with a little extra carbo-loading ... aka BEER!
My Friday night before the Black Cat 20-Miler :)
That's right. I rarely go the night before a long run or race without a beer or glass of wine ... or two! It depends if it is a race-cation or not. ;)
One Friday night as I was wasting some time on the interwebs, I stumbled upon a section of Gone For A Run's website that I hadn't seen before.
Drinkware!
I KNOW! I had no idea either. I buy all of my bib holders from Gone For A Run, but I haven't spent serious time exploring their website.
So after perusing the site and connecting with Gone For A Run on social media, I was given the opportunity to test out some of their amazing drinkware.
Then came the hard part ... choosing which glasses to try. Ahh I wanted ALL of them. But I finally decided one one of each.
Beer Glass
Wine Glass
I should've filled the wine glass all the way to the top for the pic, but it is against my religion to pour wine back in a bottle. ;) It says 5k, 10k, Half and Full.
If you want to check out more of the beer glasses/steins and wine glasses, head on over here. The possibilities seem endless.
These glasses have really perked up my pre or post race adult beverage. I have drank wine the night before my last half marathon (1:44:30) and my last marathon (3:58:49) PRs. So I think I will stick with it. ;)
Now you may be wondering, Dani how can I get my own amazing glassware.
Well, here's how to enter YOUR chance to win a $20 gift card to Gone For A Run so you can pick your own:
The giveaway will run from Monday March 3 (7am ET) through Monday March 10 (7am ET)!
The winner will be selected and announced on Monday!
My New Race Ragz Shirt & A #Giveaway!
/Annddddd the winner IS:
***
Do you love hearing people cheer your name during a race?
Would you love a way to let folks know your blog name or about a charity you are working for?
Just want a personalized t-shirt to rock?
Well, I'm ready to help.
Say hello to My Race Ragz!
I made my first purchase with Race Ragz in late 2011 for a half marathon I was doing in January 2012. I ran the F^3 Half Marathon in Chicago in honor of the Dempster Foundation.
I had a great time designing the shirt through their website. I raised over $3000 for the Dempster Foundation before that race so I made sure to honor my top donors on the back as well as the person I was running for - Mile 13 for Riley. :)
Can you all see I've been using/loving the "Finish What You Started" mantra for awhile now?
So when I was offered the chance to design another shirt with Race Ragz through the Sweatpink community, I jumped on the chance (value $32).
For this shirt, I wanted to showcase my blog.
The process was simple as I:
*headed to MyRaceRagz.com
*clicked on the create button
*selected the type of shirt (I chose the women's endurance race tee in XL. I heard from another blogger that they ran small)
*chose "customized shirt"
*designed the shirt by uploading graphics and adding text to both the front and back of the tee
The whole process took about 10 minutes since I already had my logo ready to go. Obviously, the activity could take longer if you are playing around with different graphics and text, but that is the fun part. Right? You want it just right!
So you want to see the finished product in action? Here it is.
Front
Back
The shirt is the tech material so I can't wait to show it off at the gym and during my races ... as soon as the weather warms up of course. I am glad I went a size bigger so it is nice and loose - just the way I like it.
Delivery took 4-5 days, which included a weekend. The turnaround time and quality is top notch.
Now if you aren't feeling overly crafty or getting overwhelmed with the possibilities, Race Ragz has designs on the site that you can choose to put on a shirt.
***
Let's get to the part you are waiting for ... the giveaway!! Race Ragz is giving YOU the chance to design YOUR own shirt! Woo!
So here’s how to enter:
The giveaway will run from Sunday March 2 (6pm ET) through Friday March 7 (6pm ET)!
The winner will be selected and announced on Friday!
What If Everybody Ran?
/The Macarena.
Beanie Babies.
Boy Bands - especially NKOTB!
***
You may be wondering where I'm going with all this... besides to one AWESOME place!
What do those three things have in common?
You have any idea?
You too busy singing Hangin' Tough? I know - my bad!
These three things were all national movements ... at least in my opinion!
They are crazes that shook the Nation and spread joy and lifted spirits throughout the land.
So what will be the next movement to riase the Nation's spirits...
... could it be running?
Let's find out!
Mizuno USA teamed up with the University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School for an in-depth statistical analysis. UNC's job?
Simple. Explore the question: "What if everybody ran?"
The UNC Research Team poured over extensive academic and scientific studies and used stats from the US Census Bureau for their calculations.
Did you know the US Census Bureau estimates that of the 320 million Americans - 270 could realistically be converted to regular runners? I had no idea!
Now the math nerd in me loves hearing about the calculations and stats, but I know not everyone is as cool as me. ;) So we will get to the good stuff.
Buuuut, before looking at the official results, I know my life has improved ten-fold since welcoming running into it. I fought running for so long and now I can't imagine my life without it ... It picks me up when I am down. It allows me to push myself outside my comfort zone. It gives me freedom. It's there for me when no one else is. It shows up rain or shine. It's helped to give me purpose.
Okay Okay Okay here are the official results!
***
If Everybody Ran, there would be:
*37 percent more smiles!
*29.3 million happier marriages
*63 million happier dogs (based on increased walks/runs)
*Increased average life expectancy of 6.2 years in men and 5.6 years in women.
***
So what are we all waiting for?
What if everybody ran? Share your thoughts on social media using hashtag: #IfEverybodyRan
Black Cat 20-Miler - 3/1/14
/A balmy 7 degrees as we headed to Salem, Mass on race morning - March 1. Can you see there is a pattern here with the temperatures I've been reporting? Yeah it's cold. And yeah I'm over it.
And please remind me why I decide to run a spring marathon, which means training through a New England winter. ;)
Oh right ... to Fight Stroke one step and one dollar at a time!
So I end my complaining (about the weather) now.
The ride to Salem takes just over 30 minutes so my wife, my dad and I climbed into the car around 7am to head to the race site. I had to get there nice and early to pick up my bib, t-shirt & water bottle.
We thankfully lucked out and found a spot at a meter on the street just around the corner from the Start, which gave us a spot to hide (aka warm up).
The Black Cat 10 & 20 miler is put on by B&S Event Management and they had a TON of volunteers on hand race morning to help registration and pick-up go smoothly.
Can you tell I was going for Boston Marathon colors ? Blue & Gold
After hiding in the car for about 15 minutes and powering up with my ENERGYBits, we headed over to see the lovely folks from Blue Trailer.
I've shared about the Blue Trailer portable lockers before so I was excited to finally test them out. The 20-Miler was their big debut.
Small Lockers
Molly, CEO/Founder, graciously gave me a large locker to store my gear. I had so much extra room in there that I wish I had brought more stuff to store.
My Large Locker = Lucky #6
Once I had my key securely in my pocket, it was time to stretch and get lose for the Start. Blue Trailer was set up right next to the Start so I didn't even have to move.
I was in contact with friends I knew at the run and finally made a connection with the lovely Elizabeth (aka @EJComeau) from Twitter. We have been chatting online for a couple years, but kept missing each other at races and social engagements.
Until this race!
MAGIC!
With an out and back course totaling 10 miles, I knew I would see Elizabeth and my other friends out on the course multiple time. This made me one happy camper.
I knew the race would be more a mental tan physical exercise for me. I have put in those miles before, but on this day I would be solo (meaning no assigned running buddies) and zero Disney character stops! :P
I bid adieu to my dad and wife and started making last-minute adjustments to my gear and outfit. While chatting with my Tedy's Team running mate Lisa, the Start horn went off.
Saayy wwhhaa??
Well, it was Go time.
I knew within the first mile that I was going out too fast too soon.
Mile 1: 8:28
THAT would not fly for a 20-mile run ... and I knew it.
I tried to have a mental conversation with myself and slow it on down. Reel it on it if you will. I KNEW there would be hills coming up and I should be using the first 10 miles to learn what was going on. I mean I would be doing it twice.
Mile 2: 8:44
Mile 2 included the first of two BIG inclines. I cursed it the first time and knew I'd be curing it again 10 miles later.
Mile 3: 9:17
Oh you might be thinking, "Wow Dani, you got it together and slowed it down at Mile 3." NOPE!
Port-o-potty stop.
Exactly.
Since I am lazy with updating my music, I was rocking the same playlist from the Dopey Challenge, which was fine by me. It combines today's hits, musicals (Wicked) and Disney tunes. It was nice to hear those songs again and think about where I was when I heard them last while in Disney.
I was trying to distract myself from worrying too much about pace and time.
I also thought if I worked on taking in the scenery and keeping an eye out for the elite athletes at the front, my pace would slow down on its own.
Ummm not so much!
Mile 4: 8:41 Mile 5: 8:48 Mile 6: 8:50
During Mile 6, we headed back down the large hill to head back towards the Start area ... and another hill. Yeah I was too focused on slowing myself down when we first started that I didn't notice the decline. Because you know what goes down must go up (that's what she said) and vice versa.
Mile 7: 8:59
The route took you past the Start Line to do a 2.5 loop that would connect you to the transition area/Finish Line (more on that in a moment).
This loop kicked off with a nice flat stretch before opening up for more rolling hills, including this BAD boy during Mile 9 (and 19).
I kept my focus on catching the guy in the left corner.
Mile 8: 8:30 Mile 9: 9:12 (hello hill)
Once we hit the top of the hill, we had a great water view before running through a neighborhood for a few blocks before hitting the Mile 10 transition/Finish area.
Mile 10: 8:56
Let me explain. The race was a 10 mile and a 20 mile race. Soooo you ran through the inflatable arch with 10-mile racers going to the left and the 20-milers to the right so we could head out for another loop.
Mental mind game my friends. I saw the 10-mile runners getting their medals, water and banana ... I wanted to be them. But, I knew my training called for 20 so out I went.
Now, it was during this time that I noticed some major pain in my toes. I had doubled up on socks and I think it was a poooooor choice. I had a pair of peds and a pair of knee socks. I think that pairing took up too much room in my sneakers causing my toes to squish on top of each other, which resulted in unfortunate rubbing.
There was nothing I could do about it at that point. There weren't any medical tents on the course. I didn't have any bandaids on me. So I just told myself, the faster you run the sooner you can take your shoes off and figure out what was going on.
The pain was taking over my mental game so I focused on my list of which mile was dedicated to which person = my virtual running buddies! :0)
Mile 11: 9:05 Mike 12: 9:06
That damn hill again. I just channeled my Heartbreak Hill mojo and yelled out loud: "You will be my B^*%ch!" (Sorry I don't have the cleanest mouth especially while running)
Mile 13: 8:49 Mile 14: 9:06
We hit a turnaround point before the Mile 14 mark and the volunteers were handing out a special snack for the runners. I was overjoyed as I knew I'd be missing my swedish fish at the Tedy's Team water stops.
Twizzlers!!!!!!!!
It may have taken me the rest of the mile to tweet and post this picture without losing the Twizzler to the ground. Priorities over time/pace. ;)
The Twizzler gave me the boost I needed in the moment. Plus, I was ready to head back towards my cheering squad. :)
As I headed back down the "big hill" that annoyed me around Mile 2, I saw Elizabeth heading up and took it upon myself to grab a creepy stalker-type photo. Made sense, right?
Just after passing Elizabeth, I knew I needed to take a picture of the beautiful nature around me.
Living in the moment, enjoying the blessings of life ... and distracting myself from the pain in my feet!
Mile 15: 9:18
Morale was getting low and I took to social media to try to find a pick-me-up. Plus I was texting my dad and wife that I needed help. The weather was warming up (to a sweltering 20+ degrees). I couldn't handle holding my gloves or hat any longer.
So after updating my Facebook status at Mile 16 (priorities), I called my dad to see if he could meet me before the final loop to take my stuff. They were in the center window shopping so it was a no go. In the moment, it was the last thing I wanted to hear.
Mile 16: 9:03
I was ready to be done. My spirits lifted as I saw we were heading towards the Start area and the start of the final loop.
Mile 17: 8:48
At Mile 17 I tweeted, "17 miles and not one Disney character stop." Yes, I crack myself up. And as I turned to see the Start area, there was my wife. She hustled down to grab my armband, hat and gloves. My savior! ;)
I was ready to push through the final 3 miles - less than a 5k. I could do that.
Mile 18: 8:48 Mike 19: 8:56 (that damn hill again)
I just kept repeating the faster I moved, the faster I'd be done! I was ready for the post-race water, chocolate milk, beer and Dunkin Donuts Iced Coffee - in that order.
And before I knew it - there was the final few blocks to the Finish!!!
Mile 20: 8:24
My initial goal for the day was 9 min/mile pace, which would've been a 3 hour finish. My official time was 2:57:59 (8:54 min/mile pace). The miles weren't as consistent as I would've liked, but without the toe pain I think it would've been a different story.
Now, my wife and dad were right at the Finish. Right where I needed them. But there was one problem. I couldn't take a full breath to save my life. :( I was having a really hard time breathing and taking control of my airwaves. It felt like my throat was burning and closing at the same time. I experienced the same thing after the Rock 'n' Roll Savannah Marathon in November 2012, but not really since then.
I tried to walk it off. Nope.
I tried to stop and bend over. Nope.
I hobbled inside to see if the warmer air would help. Nope.
I guzzled water. Nope.
I couldn't find any medical personnel so I just tried whatever I could.
After a good 5-10 minutes, I started to gain control over my breathing again. I was an asthmatic as a child through high school. I also know there is sports-induced asthma.
Once my breathing was back to normal, I chugged some more water and was ready for my post-race beer! :)
First, I had to take my obligatory post-race photo with my bling.
Then we grabbed my stuff from Molly and the Blue Trailer crew. It was great to hear how successful their debut went. It is a great company so I can't wait to watch it take off. Look for them at races around New England.
After feeding the parking meter, it was time for a beer at Salem Beer Works. We walked in to a crowd of runners - people after my own heart. I saw a few familiar faces, which is always a cool experience. Yes these are friends I have met thanks to running and the interwebs.
Mmmm Blue Trailer shades ... bling ... beer!!
***
Overall, it was a successful race with sweet bling. I love an out-and-back course. Unfortunately, the roads weren't closed to the race so it was a battle verse cars - especially during the second loop. The cops did the best they could, but they weren't at every cross road or intersection. I almost got run over - seriously run over - by three people, including an old lady that apparently needed to get her 24-pack of paper towels home ASAP. They were scary instances, but it is part of the game with races that don't have the means to have the streets closed.
Would I run it again? Sure, the hills were amazing practice for Boston.
A special thanks to B&S Even Management and especially Ashley Stevens for inviting me to run the Black Cat 20-Miler!
Dani Dishes 3-3-14
/On this episode of Dani Dishes, it's time to play catch up with all the changes happening in life: running, blogging and a new job!
