by megrunnergirl

My Dad Is A Runner (And That’s Pretty Freakin’ Cool)

Waaaaay back when I was an elementary school soccer nerd and before I began running seriously, I can remember my Dad and I going for runs together. I can still picture us heading out as the setting Southwestern sun painted our neighborhood a blazing orange hue. We’d tackle the hills together, and I’d race him back down. I doubt we went very far, but I know I loved every second of it. Though my Dad never ran competitively, he’d tell me how he used to take off on impromptu five-mile runs through the snow in Chicago when he was in high school just for the heck of it. I’m sure it wasn’t his intention, but his passion rubbed off on me, and, well, I’ve pretty much been a runner ever since.

Then life kicked in. Between endless soccer tournaments, violin lessons, the arrival of my youngest brother when I was 10, having to deal with my then-insufferable Type A personality, El Paso’s scorching summers, a few extra lbs, stubbornly chronic knee pain, and God knows what else, my dad’s running shoes saw less and less of the roads over the years. And even though he never really expressed it, I’m sure he missed being able to just go for a run.

Around this time last year, his itch to run returned. Taking full advantage of the winter’s cooler temps, my Dad slowly began his build-up. When I was there for break, he could run-walk a five-mile route down the mountain and back. We even went for a 30-minute run together. It was the first time we’d run together in years, and I know I’ll never forget that day. (I actually just teared up thinking about it). Then a few months later in March when I was back at school, I video chatted with my family one night. My mum switched the camera to show my dad, and my jaw literally dropped. Not only did he look fit, but he looked fast. Absolutely incredible. He told me that he’d kept up with his running, and now could run every single step of an eight miler. Witnessing the product of his tenacity as he fought tooth and nail from square one to speedy quick was flat-out awe-inspiring. He even ran a 5-K at my old middle school in 31:36. Not bad for an “old dude.” (Just kidding, Dad!) I physically could not have been any prouder of him.

Come summer, the relentless heat and some yucky medical issues got in the way. Stupid two steps forward, one step back cliche. But when I returned to Texas for this winter break, to my surprise, there was my Dad, eagerly showing me his running log that he’s kept up for the past month. Since I don’t live at home anymore, things tend to slip under my radar on occasion, so I couldn’t have been more thrilled to see that he was right back at it again! And this time around, I can tell you he’s got a fire in his belly to keep up this running streak for good. He’s got his eye on a sub-30-minute 5-K (Ted Spiker, I’ve ordered him to read your blog!), and I secretly hope that he will run the Runner’s World Half-Marathon with me in October. I know for a fact that he can do it. Not an ounce of doubt in my mind at all.

DadTo top it off, he even got to go for a run in the snow again. Mind you, this is a pretty rare occurrence in the desert, so thank you Mother Nature for the spot-on timing of that cold front! (That’s him pre- and post-run with the awesomely goofy grin).

Over the years, I’ve met and read about countless runners with moving and motivational stories. But I can tell you that my Dad’s takes the cake in my world. I’ve run so many tough workouts and races, but I know the effort and perseverance it took for my Dad to get where he is today trumps all of that handily. He’s taught me to never take my fitness for granted and be grateful for every run I have the ability to do. I can only hope that I can be such an incredible influence on my kids one day. And, since no one else in my family runs, that special bond just the two of us share is something I will cherish for the rest of my life. At the end of the day, all that matters is that my dad is a runner, and that’s pretty freakin’ cool. Love ya mucho Dad!

UPDATE: On Saturday, January 26, 2013, my Dad officially broke 30 minutes in a local 5-K race, running 29:41 and placing THIRD in his age group! To top it off, he toughed it out after having the flu just over a week ago! Totally badass. I haven’t been that nervous for a race in a while, and I wasn’t even running, but I audibly squealed and jumped up and down with excitement when I got his text saying he’d done it. AHH! I physically could not have been any prouder of him. When I spoke to him today, I could hear it in his voice that he was still basking in the relief of having accomplished his goal. He also said that he wants to focus on building his endurance so he can run the RW Half-Marathon in October! Sweetness! Do I sense a father/daughter race in our future?!? =) I sure hope so!

Dad sporting his well-deserved age-group bling!

Dad sporting his well-deserved age-group bling! Two thumbs WAY up!

QUOTE OF THE POST: “I have voices inside me that tell me I’ll always feel like a misfit: a tank amid rockets, a redwood among twigs. They remind me I’m caught in a vicious cycle — needing to get faster to get smaller, and needing to get smaller to get faster….With every pound I drop and with every improvement I make, that internal dialogue does get drowned out by the support of others — my wife, my family, my friends, my readers. A pat on the back, a compliment from an unexpected place. And that’s what fuels me to keep pushing.” – Ted Spiker

Who inspires you to run?

by megrunnergirl

Greatest Hits of 2012: This Year’s Highs (and Lows)

Between graduating from college in May, landing my dream job at Runner’s World soon after, and starting my life in the “real world” over 2,000 miles away from home, I’d say 2012 was a pretty darn pivotal year for me personally. Running-wise, I crossed the finish line of my last collegiate race and my first marathon. I got to meet one of my idols, make friends with some of the best bloggers around, and enter the blogging world myself. I ran about 1,500 miles give or take a few. Looking back, this year had SO many highs (and its fair share of lows), all of which helped me grow and develop as a runner. Here’s a look back at my year of running along with what I learned along the way that I hope to apply this year.

After a disappointing senior cross country season, I was determined to turn things around and snag an indoor 3-K PR. Despite having the slowest seed time in the fastest heat at the Patriot League Championships in February, I managed a three-second PR, running 10:22.08. Don’t know why, but I always seemed to find my groove when I raced indoors. Getting over a crappy season to run a solid indoor season was a definite high-point of my senior year.

> You can always bounce back from a slump, so trust that you will break out of it. Stay positive and don’t get discouraged. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming!

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Just before the start of my final collegiate race – that’s me second from the left.

As pumped as I was coming off of my indoor season, my body and my brain decided three months too soon to call it quits for my outdoor steeplechase season. I tried so hard to fight past the slump–no one wants to have a crappy final season…go out with a bang right?–but come each race-day I just couldn’t pull it together. I was still hitting my splits and feeling great in workouts, but my time (frustratingly) hovered around 11:52 all season… nearly 35 seconds slower than my PR from the year before. Ooof. My coach still sent me to the league championships, and I was so thankful for the opportunity to don my Lehigh uniform one last time (left). Even though my last collegiate race was one of my worst, I couldn’t help but feel incredibly blessed for the ability to run every single season of my collegiate career. Four years, 12 seasons, countless races. Still can’t believe it’s over…

> Cherish every race that you get the chance to run, even the bad ones. Relish the moment, accepting each barrier you have to hurdle along the way. You’ll come out stronger at the finish line regardless of your time or place.  

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A box of costumes arrived at the office one morning, so naturally we had to do our lunch run in them. 

Now, on to bigger, better things! The summer brought my first runs in my life that I got to do just for me. In other words, in my 10+ years of competitive running, I’d never done a run that wasn’t a training run or workout prescribed to me by my coach. Ahh it felt insanely incredible. Rather than following a training plan, I did what my boss calls “secondhand training” – whatever my coworkers wanted to run each day, be it a tempo run or easy four miles in a tutu (right), I tagged along. Most days I even went without a watch. I was content with whatever distance we ran and didn’t get bogged down by our pace. Along the way, I began to regain my passion for running, and it was invigorating.

> Lacking structure and embracing spontaneity when training can be one of the most refreshing things you can do. Shed the watch and daily expectations and just run.

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This moment still gives me chills and will stick with me forever!

Then came my first marathon in October. (You can read my full, nitty gritty recap here!) For the first time in a long freakin’ time, I had a race that came together perfectly – I felt strong and smooth, the uncontrollables worked in my favor, and I hit my best-case-senario goal. BEST. FEELING. EVER! Not to mention I qualified and got into the 2013 Boston Marathon a couple days after! Pure euphoria.

> Practicing a positive mindset and cementing a reasonable game plan for months in advance can make executing it come race day a cinch. Shedding the negative energy during training makes it that much easier to knock it out mid-race. 

Despite my coworkers warning me about about post-marathon exhaustion, I was struck by how much the race sucked the life out of me. I felt like I was back to square one again, out of shape and slow as ever for over a month. So not fun. It wasn’t until the day of the would-be New York City Marathon in November that I had a run where I felt like I was myself again. After such a high post-marathon, the recovery period was a yucky low. Now I know what to expect, and I fully intend to let my body fully heal before I try to run again. Mental note for next time!

> Rest is a good thing. Yes, you might lose some fitness, and yes, it sucks missing out on lunch runs with friends. But you’ll make your next build-up that much smoother and keep injuries at bay. Patience young grasshopper. It’ll pay off later.

I desperately needed to get out of the slump, so I decided to commit to the #RWRunStreak, which means running at least one mile a day between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. I cherish my off days, so taking this on was a big deal for me. But hey, I needed to get back in shape for the Walt Disney World Marathon in January. Not only did I have some of the best runs I’ve had in a while, but it got me back on track, and it was one of the best decisions I made all year. I made it a full 26 days straight, and I couldn’t believe I stuck to it.

> Making a commitment real by telling friends about it on social media or writing it down in your training log can be just the kick in the butt you need to get out the door for a run and stay committed toward reaching a goal. It’s amazing what encouragement you can get from friends.   

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What a year! =) Looking ahead to 2013, I have three marathons on the calendar so far for the spring and, since I’m already a bit top-heavy, I’m only going to run one in the fall. I’m not one to make New Year’s resolutions, but my goal is to get faster and stronger so I can race for time rather than race to finish. I also hope to keep up this blog and start widening my circle of running friends on the web. The online running community is so incredible, and I want to be a part of it! So 2013, bring it on! I’m ready for ya!

What were your running highlights this year?

P.S. This just came up in my Twitter feed. TOTALLY going to try it! Happy New Year’s everyone!

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QUOTE OF THE POST: “When we understand the privilege of what it means to be an athlete, we are in touch with, and rejoice in, our physical, mental, and emotional strengths and our endless possibilities.” – Gloria Averbuch

by megrunnergirl

Committing to the #RWRunStreak – Here Goes Nothing!

As a part of “Operation: Get My Butt In Gear”/start training for the Walt Disney World Marathon in January (I might not be “racing” it per se, but I need to at least get through the darn thing), I’ve decided to commit to the #RWRunStreak. This means I have to run at least one mile every single day until January 1. I think my longest “streak” capped off at around 10 days, so running for 35 days straight sounds downright crazy. I’ve considered trying a streak before, but I cherish my off days for the mental and physical downtime too much (and I like getting to stay clean all day!). I like my off days so much so that I got into the habit of taking a few too many of them post Steamtown. The race sucked the life out of me more than I anticipated–I felt like I was out of shape for an entire month–and although I needed the rest, I got into a slump. If I’m ever in a bad running mood, it’s when I’m out of shape. Not fun. After running once (once! gah!) while I was at home for Thanksgiving, I realized I needed a serious kick in the butt.

Enter… the #RWRunStreak. I hope that by making my commitment public via this blog and Twitter, I’m going to stick to it! (I even wrote it in pen in my training log–I just started my fourth consecutive book!–and I can’t back out on that!) I’m also going to start strengthening my core so that come Boston, I’ll be primed for a PR. I’ll be updating this post throughout the streak every week or so with my progress, so check back often!

Update on December 2 (Day 7): Before I say anything else…it’s absolutely amazing what a little kick in the butt can do! I was able to string together seven incredible runs – between a stunning eight-mile trail trek up a (small) mountain and an epic solo 15-miler today, I feel like I can really say I’m out of my slump. =) Let me put it this way, my 15-miler felt easier than my six-mile run I did over Thanksgiving break. Seriously. I ran a couple loops on my old Lehigh XC “stomping grounds,” which was refreshing in and of itself, AND I hit a few 7:30s-7:40s mid-run. Mental note for next time I’m in a rut – get back on my favorite roads, blast some music, and go. Shaking things up is a good thing every once in a while!

photoUpdate on December 10 (Day 15): Whoa – I can’t believe it’s been FIFTEEN days so far! I think that’s my all-time longest run streak! (Talk about Monday Motivation!) The highlight of this week of streaking was running in NYC all weekend. I ran in the NYRR Jingle Bell Jog with a few Lehigh cross country alums. And yes, we ran with bells on our shoes – it was definitely a neat way to get in the Christmas spirit! I also completed my first real run in Central Park on Sunday, logging about 13 miles total. I ran one big, six-mile loop and a couple laps around the reservoir. I ran alone and without music, and I loved it. I spent half the time chasing down other runners, which turned my run into a mini fartlek, and I enjoyed pretending I was a New Yorker for the morning as I wove through the park with hundreds of other runners. Yeah, I seriously need to do that again sometime.

Update on December 16 (Day 21): Yesterday I ran 20 miles (20 miles on Day 20! – heck yes!) on my own, just me, my music, and the roads. After doing all but one long run with coworkers in my training build-up for Steamtown, it’s been an eye-opening experience knocking out those runs solo in my abbreviated build-up for Disney next month. I tweeted post-run about how I realized that the hardest part about getting out for those runs (especially alone) really is the hardest part. Once I got into my rhythm a few miles in, I was golden, especially when “Sail” came on! =) For newbie marathoners, I would definitely recommend finding a buddy to get you through those long runs. But I have to admit that once I finished that run yesterday, I’ve never felt stronger or more confident in myself and my running. There is something truly empowering about voluntarily going out for a nearly three-hour run. Try it–it’s worth it.

Today I rewarded myself with an easy, one-mile recovery run, some core, and this post-run yoga session from my girl OmGal:

Keepin’ the #RWRunStreak alive! Over halfway to the finish line!

** Final update on December 26: So…due to a holiday travel debacle that left me suitcase-less (and running gear-less) in Chicago for a full day, my #RWRunStreak came to an unexpected conclusion on December 22. =( I made it a full 26 days–which is ages longer than my longest streak on record–so to be honest, I’m thrilled! The streak got me back on track for Disney (which is just a couple weeks away now!) and I strung together a few surprisingly solid long runs that left me confident in my fitness level. Even though I’m a bit bummed I didn’t make it all the way to January 1, all in all it served its purpose. I took four days off (learn why “none” miles every once in a while can be a good thing here) and had my first run at home today. It wasn’t pretty–the higher elevation kicks my butt–BUT I got to break in my shiny new pink Garmin Forerunner 10, which is freakin’ awesome! It  works exactly how I hoped it would – it’s super easy to navigate, and it tells me only what I want to know (i.e. pace, time, and distance) sans bells and whistles. I have a feeling we’re going to log many, many happy miles together!

Anywho, kudos to those streakers still streakin’! It’s certainly not easy yanking on those kicks when it’s dark, drizzly, and cold outside. But fighting past those moments of weakness to come out on the other side mentally and physically stronger is worth the extra loads of laundry (I almost broke my washer mid-streak!) and lost sleep. Committing to the streak was one of the best decisions I’ve made all year, and I think it’s a training tool I’ll pull out of my back pocket the next time I need a shot of motivation. I’ll close this post with a motivational poster that I thought complimented the streak that read, “Summer body earned in winter.” True that.

QUOTE OF THE POST: “There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstance permit. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.” – Unknown

by megrunnergirl

Putting a Face to a (Social Media) Name

I’m quickly realizing that one of most favorite parts about working at Runner’s World is the opportunity to meet runners from around the country (and world). Between the slew of races and events I’ve attended this fall, I got to meet running blogger extraordinaire Dorothy Beal, and her yogi counterpart Rebecca Pacheco. Between the two of them, I finally got the inspirational kick in the butt to get this blog started. If you’re not already following them on social media (see Twitter handles below), get on it. Stat.

Dorothy first tweeted at me out of the blue to congratulate me after Steamtown. I have to say I honestly didn’t know who she was beforehand, but after “stalking” her blog a bit, I was immediately hooked, especially after watching the motivational video she did for Saucony. Not only is she fast, but she’s fast after having kids! I’m nowhere near ready to have kids of my own, but it’s neat to read about her experiences so I can have an idea of what to expect when I get there. She’s also got one of the most poignant mantra’s I’ve ever heard: I run this body. It speaks to every runner and is powerful on so many levels.

A couple weeks later at the Marine Corps Marathon, we got to meet in person! She was there to interview Shalane Flanagan for her blog, and I was hanging around talking to Shalane’s husband while she was doing a signing for Nissan. I couldn’t believe it when Dorothy recognized me from my Twitter photo. I really didn’t think anyone really followed me on Twitter, so it was awesome when she said she’s enjoyed reading about my transition into the “real world” all summer. We immediately hit it off. We geeked out about Shalane for a bit–Do we seriously get to hang out with her? Ahh!–and then I introduced her to a few RW staffers at our expo booth before she went to interview Shalane. I don’t think I’ve met a more positive person, and it was so cool getting to forge a new running friendship. (The best part? She sent me one of her “I Run This Body” t-shirts that I’d been drooling over for weeks. I love that she gave me the opportunity to be an ambassador for her message!)

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I met Rebecca at a Lucy Activewear event in San Francisco in early November. She’d become friends with one of my (super speedy) coworkers and was recruited by RW to be our yoga expert at the event. Rebecca is so quirky and warm-hearted that it’s contagious. Not to mention the fact that she’s got some seriously mad skills when it comes to yoga. (I’m 100% NOT flexible, so seeing what she’s able to do is even more impressive. I need to be doing more of this.) Plus, she’s a runner, too! Even though we’d just met, Rebecca didn’t hesitate to share insightful words of advice about pretty much everything, from boys to starting this blog. Her words were dose of wisdom I needed to gain some perspective and direction on what I hope to do with my life and career. It’s not every day that you meet someone who can do that over 48 hours. Freakin’ awesome.

Follow Dorothy at @MilePosts and Rebecca at @omgal. Do it now.
QUOTE OF THE POST: “The obsession with running is really an obsession with the potential for more and more life.” – George Sheehan

by megrunnergirl

An Interview With Julie Culley Post-NYC Marathon Cancellation

0033025d-b4d1-48f5-ac71-2ac8d1e99e7e.LargeAfter witnessing first-hand the events throughout the would-be New York City Marathon weekend, I can tell you that nearly everyone in the running community couldn’t quite articulate how they felt about the news. From what I gleaned via interviews RW did with participants and social media, the general sentiment was this: although it was the right decision, it was made too late. I still volley back and forth about how I feel–I’ll read an article that’ll sway me one direction, then read another that swings me back–so it’s not worth delving into that mess here. But, in the days following November 4, the RW staff scrambled to summarize and draw meaning from the cancellation, putting together what I think is an incredible, comprehensive look at what went down. Though it offers various opinions, I agree with it all. (The package is in the January 2013 issue–I’ll link to it once it’s online). Though it didn’t make the cut for print, I did an interview with Julie Culley, an Olympian who was set to make her marathon debut in New York. She’s also happens to be a New Jerseyan through-and-through and was directly affected by Hurricane Sandy. Julie offered a truly unique, heartfelt, and eloquent perspective that I think is worth sharing. Below is our conversation detailing her thoughts about the NYC Marathon cancellation:

Me: Now that it’s been over for a few days and you’ve had some time to let it sink it, where are you at emotionally today?

Julie Culley: I’m disappointed. I feel sad about not having run the marathon this weekend, and I’ve personally chosen not to run another marathon because of the emotional highs and lows that I’ve experienced this past week. I took a day or two off and suddenly came crashing down and got sick. I guess that’s a true sign of your emotional and physical state. I understand the pressure that was put on by the city and the pain that the city was feeling. I’m disappointed that the runners and NYRR became vilified because I truly and honestly believe that they have their best intentions at heart–in particular with the amount of money that was being raised for charity both for the relief efforts and for people who raise funds for other charities to gain access to run the race. And on top of that, the amount of expenses paid by 40,000 people to get them to the race–it’s really a shame. I think honestly if this marathon had been called off when the storm hit, it would be a lot less difficult for everyone. You know, natural disasters are not something you can prevent, and I’m sad that people are suffering the way they are suffering. I don’t think we should take anything away from their hardship.

Me: As an elite runner who prepared to run your first marathon, I can only imagine how you felt when you heard the news. How did you handle it all after Friday’s announcement?

JC: The day that it hit me the most was on Monday morning when we were leaving the city. The most frustrating part–and to me this is not a selfish thing–was the way that I saw the city continue on. As an elite runner and just seeing all the full time jobs, we were going to work on Sunday. I know that we were attacked even further for saying things like that because of the hardship that people are facing right now. Come Monday morning, that city was hustling and bustling and people were off to work. As soon as the power was back on, everyone went back to work. The frustrating part is that knowing people are hurting, people have passed away, and dealing with that emotion in and of itself. And also feeling somewhat betrayed because the marathon does so many good things for so many people. And me personally, I’ve been active in some of the charities and programs that they offer to the city of New York, so I know what the NYRR represents as well as what the elite runners were there to do. It’s a big financial hit, and I understand that everyone needs to play their part. It was definitely hard Monday morning seeing the city back to work, business as usual, long lines for the retail shops, long lines for the coffee shops, and thinking, that was what we were supposed to do. I struggle with that because my family’s shore house needs to be completed gutted. Obviously we are very lucky to have a second residence. We are not put out, our primary house is fine, but you know, it is difficult on a lot of levels.

I think that it is very unfortunate overall, and I think that the resiliency of the running community is inspiring because a lot of people put that time on Sunday to good use. I as well as many others were out there volunteering on Sunday, even after some of the harsh criticisms that came. The running community is a strong one, and I’m proud of the way people handled it. I think that’s a really important aspect of it all. It was a sad experience, and my heart breaks for the New York Road Runners because somehow this has turned into a big business move. That’s not it at all. If you see the differences that these guys make in the community and outside of it, too, it’s really inspiring. So it was hurtful to see them take so much from this.

It’s tough, you know, Monday I came home and after being so angry leaving the city, and then my parents came home after the first day they were allowed to go back on the island to see the devastation. It puts everything in perspective, of course, but it doesn’t make it hurt less.

Me: Out of the entire situation, what was the most striking or poignant moment for you from the weekend?

JC: The hostility had gotten to a point–whether it was real or just a bunch of talk–where I was with a fellow runner on Friday afternoon going for a jog, and the both of us expressed our concern for what was it going to be like out there on Sunday morning, especially with the women’s elite start being the first runners to come through the city. What is the tone of the city right now? Is it safe for everyone to be out there? That was starting to become a legitimate concern obviously for us, but for the organization, too. Honestly I think the New York Post article is what changed the entire tone. It went from, “Okay we’re going to do this, we’re going to put all of our efforts toward lifting the city and raising money for the relief efforts through the run,” to, “How dare you march through our city’s streets and parade around like nothing’s happened?” I think Friday morning when that article was published was when things really started to go downhill.

Ultimately, I think they did what they needed to do. I think if it was going to become such a divisive event toward the city, I think that this is what they needed to do. It’s still kind of like, was this the opinion of the majority or the minority–like a really small group that was making a stink–it’s really hard to know. Of course we weren’t there with Bloomberg trying to decide, but I think politics played a big part of this, and it’s sad that it happened to the marathon. Everyone had a criticism about it. I mean you turn on national television and people are chiming in about what the runners should do. And you know what? No one has ever paid attention to this before, so please don’t act like you know what to do going forward. You can’t postpone the NYC Marathon for two weeks. It’s kind of like asking the Super Bowl to be post-poned and having only 50% of the players show up. It’s crazy.

Me: What drove me nuts was that the Giants and the Knicks got to play.

JC: Yeah, when that happened, to me of course they passed the buck off elsewhere. You know, New York teams are New York until they don’t want to deal with them because they’re in New Jersey. I just felt that if it’s something that brings people together that’s positive for the community, then I wouldn’t be against the Giants game being played. I was against the fact that we were the ones that were singled out. At this point in time, it’s better for people to have something positive to focus on because it helps them keep moving forward, and it helps the recovery effort. It really, truly does. But if you take away all those things, there’s no inspiration or positivity. You’d be amazed at how much sport unites people and gives them hope.

Me: I think that was pretty apparent with what happened on Sunday between the runners who volunteered on Staten Island and who ran in Central Park. I mean, you talk about inspiration and unity, and what happened on Sunday was what it could’ve been like had the race gone on.

photophoto[1]JC: Exactly. It’s funny, you know my boyfriend and I decided we were going to go down to the East Village, and we found out about a community center that we could bring a bunch of stuff down to. We gathered some clothes and stuff from Asics, like a whole bunch of brand new stuff from the expo. We filled up a big duffle bag of it and brought it downtown. We thought if there is anything we can do to volunteer. I’m not trying to be a hero by any means, but he said to me, because I was dressed in all my marathon gear from Asics, and I said, “I should probably change, huh?” He just looked at me and said, “I’m not going to change. Why would we change? We’re proud of who we represent right now. We’re proud of this organization. If they want to yell at us, that’s fine, but we’re here trying to help out. The runners that ran in Staten Island in all their marathon gear, it’s like, we’re not a bunch of selfish people. We’re actually really here to help. I think that on some level, if there was enough time for the New York Road Runner’s to really create some sort of rallying effort, I think there would’ve been a different feeling about it. I think that it was a reaction to the negativity, and it was almost too late.

Me: So last question, what have you been up to all week?

JC: Monday when I came home, I wanted to take care of my parents who had just come home from smashing hammers into the walls the entire day by making them a big dinner. Unfortunately my intention was to try to find volunteer work as soon as I could this week, but I got sick. So my best friend from home and I started working on food donations that we’re going to deliver on Friday.

Photo credits: Elizabeth Maiuolo and Julie Culley

QUOTE OF THE POST: “Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.” – A.C. Green

by megrunnergirl

My Weekend With Shalane Flanagan

Back in August early on a Sunday morning, I pulled myself out of bed not to log my marathon training miles, but to watch the women’s Olympic marathon. With my caramel macchiato-infused coffee in hand, I watched my American idols, Shalane Flanagan and Kara Goucher, cruising up in front of the pack, clipping off mile splits faster than I can clock a single one. After seeing Bernard Lagat race in person back in college–and then taking to the track to plod through my own 3-K–I can say pros really do make it look, well, pretty darn effortless. These women, even as they navigated the cobblestone streets in London, ran with the same grace, agility, and seemingly superhuman strength. Like I always do when I watch elite races, I sat dumbfounded.

Having been a competitive runner most of my life, I’d like to think I have a reasonable understanding of what it takes to run fast–I’ve completed my fair share of mile repeats and tempo runs. But because I can barely begin to fathom the level of commitment and sacrifice it must take to reach their impossibly speedy level, women like Shalane and Kara simply amaze me. Period. How the heck do they run so fast? Over the past few years after having watched them compete and read (and reread) their stories in Runner’s World, they have become my idols. Or, as I like to explain it to my running-illiterate parents, I revert back to my 12-year-old, soccer-playing self, saying, “They’re like the Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain of running! Get it?”

Now you can only imagine how I felt while I waited to pick up Shalane from the airport before the Runner’s World Half & Festival a couple months later in October. (She was our one of our special guests for the weekend, and I’d been assigned to be her assistant for the weekend. Seriously. Talk about work perks.) The level of nerves in my belly rivaled pre-race jitters. Believe me when I say I spent the previous month composing myself for this moment–I really didn’t want to freak the poor woman out with my hyper excitement over meeting her, a three-time Olympian and American record holder. No biggie, right? Like she always does, my mum brought me back down to earth with a text saying, “Remember, she puts her underwear on the same way as you!” Thanks for that mom.

As the stream of passengers filed through the terminal, Shalane was easy to spot. (Side note: It’s no secret that professional running is so glaringly detached from other sports, and yet it seemed crazy to me that no one on her flight seemed to realize they were flying with an Olympic bronze medalist. Then again, it was late at night in Allentown, PA’s tiny airport.) She was toting a navy blue U.S.A.-emblazoned suitcase, to which she confirmed that it was indeed the one she brought to London. I tried to wrap my brain around that fact as I loaded it into my trunk.

On Friday afternoon, after spending the day at a RW blogger meet-and-greet and later a signing, I picked up Shalane in the hotel lobby for a shakeout run with participants of the event and local runners. Off we went, running down to the towpath where the run was to be held. On the way, Shalane mentioned that she didn’t know what to do with her hotel key, and I said I’d hold it for her. She said she sometimes sticks it in her sports bra even though her guy friends think it’s gross because it gets sweaty. I told her, “Heck, I do that too! Cards are just about the only thing I can store down there!” We laughed. Flat-chested women for the win!

On Saturday morning, Shalane had to log a 90-minute workout before her first commitment for the day. She hopped in my car at 7:30 a.m. so we could head over to Lehigh University’s athletic campus for the run. She mentioned that a wedding party had kept her up the night before and that she had called the front desk to ask them to quiet down the partiers. She admitted that she told them she had a race (rather than a workout) to run in the morning, because she knew they wouldn’t take her seriously if she had said “workout.” I’ll have to keep that clever little trick in mind for later. She also told me she wasn’t exactly excited for the workout, wishing it would just be over with and done. I thought, “Halleluiah! Even the elites don’t like waking up at the butt crack of earliness to log tons of miles!” It was so wonderful to realize that she’s so refreshingly…normal.

It was a stunning autumn morning, cool and misty, perfect for running. We warmed up together for 30 minutes, pausing only to hit the porta-potties where Shalane exclaimed after shutting the door, “YES! There’s toilet paper!” Yes, every runner appreciates toilet paper.

Near the end of the warmup, our pace had progressed to the point where it felt like a tempo run. Ooof. Then she told me she was going to kick it up a notch to start her workout, saying, “Catch ya on the flip side!” And off she went. I slowed down to a walk, trying to catch my breath. Talk about an out-of-body experience. I had just run alongside an Olympian, someone I’ve looked up to for years. Did that seriously just happen?

The trail was out-and-back, so I waited for her at the end so we could meet up and cool down back to campus. A while later in the middle of the workout, I spotted her bright-pink top and blonde hair charging soundlessly toward me. The moment struck me because it mirrored the London Olympic Marathon’s pace truck’s camera angle from which I watched her race just a few months earlier. Except this time, she was actually running at me on a trail that I’d done workouts on last year in college. Pure, utter craziness. Seeing her smooth stride was incredible, and, to be honest, it made me feel like I look like a baby giraffe when I run. After her workout, we cooled down a mile back to the car… at 7:10 pace no less.

Come lunchtime, we were both in desperate need of caffeine. Little did I know, Shalane literally “runs on Dunkin.” Deprived of her obsession on the West Coast in Portland, Oregon, I took her to the joint by Lehigh’s campus. (She even tweeted about it, and we went again on Sunday before she left so she could satisfy the craving.) We both ordered her favorite–“French Vanilla regular with cream and sugar”–and an assortment of doughnut holes because heck, she ran a crazy-hard workout this morning!

We had some time to kill, so we sat in the car and started talking, downing our pumpkin-flavored doughnut holes and coffee. She told me about she and Kara’s plan to race in Australia in December so they could snag the 10-K A-Standard for the 2013 World Championships early before the Boston Marathon in April. Then the topic moved on to having children. Between Lauren Fleshman’s recent blog post on the topic and the fact that she’s best friends with Kara Goucher, it was fascinating to hear her perspective. She said she hopes to continue racing professionally through the 2016 Olympics in Rio and then maybe a year or two after that, saving starting a family with her husband, Steve, until after she’s done. She said she has no problem following in the footsteps of fellow pro-runner Deena Kastor by being an “older” mom. Then we spoke about how she met Steve at the University of North Carolina, and I confided in her that I wasn’t quite so lucky in college in that department. Love it. Once we were reenergized on caffeine and sugar, we decided to explore the expo where we picked out some sparkly headbands that added the perfect touch to this photo that we took on a green screen at the RW Booth: Image

Who would’ve thought I’d be “sharing the RW cover” with Shalane Flanagan? It was especially wild because I life-size photo from her 2010 real cover was just a few feet away.

After more signings and a panel, she decided she would crash early. She was incredibly conscientious about her rest, explaining that on trips like these, she has to take extra measures to take care of her body so she avoids getting sick. This sounds obvious, but this is something we should all try to do on race weekends. Smarty pants.

On half-marathon morning, Shalane–wearing her signature white compression socks–and I headed over to the start. Shalane had decided earlier that weekend to run the half as a training run, shooting for 7:00 to 7:10s. Because I was just two weeks post-marathon, my “goal” was to try to stay with her for as long as physically possible, then drop off and enjoy the ride. As we wove through the runners to get to the front of the corrals, the announcers kept asking the crowd if they’d spotted Shalane, and we giggled because, well, we knew where she was!

Besides my over-excitement for just being at our event that we’d been working on for nearly a year, it was so neat to be there alongside Shalane. Once the gun went off, the two of us set off through the streets of Bethlehem toward Lehigh. We were flying. We rounded a turn heading into the first hill at mile 1 at 6:45 pace. Ooof. Much too fast. At the top off the hill, I was already spent and dropped back from Shalane to settle into my own pace. Yep, she’s fast, not like I didn’t know that already!

The race was absolutely awesome. I’ve run through those streets countless times for Lehigh cross-country training runs, and to get to race through them was incredible. Along the way, I ran into old Lehigh friends, spoke to RW readers, and even ran alongside Dean Karnazes for a few minutes. I finished in 1:37:52, which was much faster than it felt, so I was thrilled. I soon learned that Shalane had paced the female leaders for much of the race and let the winner break the tape. How freakin’ cool? I don’t think there really is another sport where an Olympian can run alongside a regular runner. Talk about reasons why I LOVE this sport! The thought of it just gives me chills.

Seeing that moment reaffirmed what I’d come to realize over the course of the weekend. Running bridges the gaps between all ages, shapes, sizes…the list could go on. I realize that sounds epically cliché, but it was truly eye-opening to see it right in front of me. I realized that an elite like Shalane really wasn’t “superhuman”–like the rest of us, she sometimes dreads those early morning runs and doesn’t mind occasionally rewarding herself with a doughnut hole or two (or three) after a workout–but that her commitment and dedication to her passion is what has elevated her to the level she’s achieved. Talk about inspiring, right?

Before I dropped Shalane off at the airport, I admitted that I needed to geek-out at her for a second and that she needed to sign my race bib – the perfect memento for a perfect weekend.

If you got to hang out with an elite runner, what would you ask them?

QUOTE OF THE POST: “Every time I fail I assume I will be a stronger person for it.” – Joan Benoit Samuelson

Read my other Race Reports here. 

by megrunnergirl

Race Report | Steamtown Marathon

I couldn’t tell you how many races I’ve run since I began running competitively over 10 years ago. That being said, it’s a pretty rare occurrence for me to toe the line for a distance I’d never run before. And a marathon is definitively a distance. Even though I’d completed two 20-milers in training and was assured by my RW coworkers that I would get through the elusive final 6.2, I still couldn’t wrap my brain around it all. A marathon is a lonnnnng way for things to go awry, and that’s where my anxiety was rooted. Here were my goals for the day:

  • The goal of any newbie marathoner: finish. Unless something dramatic happened mid-race, I knew I’d get to the finish line eventually. I wanted the medal so badly!
  • Feel “good” for most of the race and keep a reasonable pace from start to finish – no major tummy issues, unplanned trips to the porto-potties, or cramps bad enough to force me to a walk.
  • Follow my race plan to a T. I’d have to be an idiot not to use the advice given to me by my coworkers (one even won the darn thing a few years back!) The plan: go out slow­–no faster than 7:45–and fight the urge to surge down the downhills for the first half so I’d have something left in the tank for the second. I’d reassess at the half (and maybe pick it up a tad), and then let the horses go for the final 10-K if I could. Fueling-wise, sip something at nearly every aid station starting around mile four or five.
  • If A through C worked out, I’d be thrilled with anything under the Boston qualifying time of 3:35 – best case scenario would be 3:20s.
  • Regardless, I knew I’d be satisfied with any result, knowing that just getting to the line healthy was an accomplishment in and of itself. That was my mindset throughout the week leading up to the race.

The way I summarize my race when people ask is, “The uncontrollables–like the weather–worked in my favor. And, I was blessed to have an army of marathon experts around me, happy to drill the right mindset into my brain so that come race day, I could execute.” I didn’t psyche myself out because I knew I had the ability to finish. I had a concrete game plan that I was prepared to carry out. I wasn’t “racing” anyone per se, a new post-graduation development that certainly took a load of pressure off my shoulders. For the first time, I was racing for me. And it felt awesome. If I’ve struggled with anything consistently over the years on race days, it’s my head. So the fact that not a single legitimate negative thought crept into my head that morning was a victory even before the gun went off.

Within a mile of the start, I latched on to a girl named Whitney, who was shooting for the same time goal as me. We decided we’d run together for as long as possible to keep each other company, and having her by my side made the first 18ish miles fly by. We talked on and off, swapping stories, but we also were content just running in silence occasionally. We hit halfway at around 1:43 (to which I yelled, “Happy Halfway!”), and we both decided to maintain our 7:45 to 7:55 average until 20. That was plenty fast for us, and we were already a bit below our goal pace. We still had a long way to go. We both made sure to smile when we saw the race photogs, which resulted in this epic shot:

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(In response to the photo, my mum said, “You looked like that at mile 16?!?” )

I lost Whitney at a water stop around mile 18, so I set off to finish the race on my own. So far, everything felt all right save for my quads, which were starting to curse the course’s earlier downhills. I kept plugging along, passing people even though my pace had dropped to around 8:00 to 8:15 per mile. At that point, if I had started walking, I wouldn’t have be able to start back up again. Around mile 24, I started literally singing out loud when I passed speakers playing “Twist and Shout,” regaining a bit of momentum as I headed toward the final hill, dubbed “Homestretch Hill.”

And boy was it a hill. Even though it felt good to use muscles other than my quads to climb it, I was starting to get desperate for that finish line. Once I finally got close enough to see the clock, I realized I had a shot to eek out a sub-3:30 time. I surged toward the line, immediately overcome by the sheer joy in the realization that I had finished. And I didn’t walk a single step of it. What a journey.

My official time was 3:29:23. I don’t think I’ve ever been more pleased with a race result than this one, especially because the stars haven’t exactly aligned for me race-wise for a while. Turns out I was able to land one of the final spots for the 2013 Boston Marathon a couple days after the race, and I couldn’t believe it! (Whitney qualified and is running it, too! Yay for newfound running buddies!) I have to say that I’ve been bit by the marathon bug, and now I want to run them all–I already have three planned for the spring!

To say this race was a learning experience is an understatement. In the few weeks post race, I’ve tried to bottle up all that happened so I can do it again next time… only faster. =) Bring it on marathon #2! I’m ready!

QUOTE OF THE POST: “I’ve learned that finishing a marathon isn’t just an athletic achievement. It’s a state of mind; a state of mind that says anything is possible.” – John Hanc

Read my other Race Reports here.