You’ll notice in this weeks training list, I took a couple naps. I really like naps, and still feel resentful that my folks made me give them up in the second grade (I know, late, I do most things at my own pace). I took naps a lot in college. I might to try to get more of them in…of course, that will mean that I stop doing the dishes and other housework completely, but I am nearly there anyway, and I guess I am sort of ok with being a slob, especially if it means I won’t be so TIRED.

Monday: 7hrs sleep, 5 mi. run, 2hr nap

Tuesday: 5hrs sleep, 6 mi. run

Wednesday: 8hrs sleep, Spin class, 3 mi. run

Thursday: 8hrs sleep, 3 mi. run, core circuit

Friday: 7hrs sleep, no workouts

Saturday: 8hrs sleep, 3.1 mi. run (UNO 5k!)-linked to blog post, 2hr nap

Sunday: 8hrs sleep, Spin class, body blast class, 8 mi. run

Total mileage: 28

I feel pretty good, my feet have been off and on in terms of some tenderness, seems to be totally manageable with stretching and wearing my night splint. It’s likely an effect of adjusting to the consistent frequency of my runs, which had been far more sporadic up until a month ago.

I am doing some research (which amounts to going back to books on my shelf, reading blogs, and scouring abstracts posted online from studies) on how effective weight lifting during marathon training is. So far the data suggests 40/40/20…many of the studies and runners out there say it’s absolutely crucial, many say that it may or may not be, and some say that it’s actually harmful.

AAAAAHHHH!

So, I will do what I do best, continue to experiment on myself. This week I will play around with my strength sessions. I am not going to nix them like I did last week, but I am going to vary from the traditional route.

All in all, I am trying to avoid the trap of discouragement and uncomfortable recoveries I experienced early on in my (failed) Boston attempt last year. I am referring to the photo at the end of that post. Ugh.

I can’t believe the weekend is over! I feel like I don’t get anything done on the weekends (I barely even finished the laundry), so how do they fly by?

My daily mileage chart. I don't know why the axis labels and scales are unreadable. Help?

I am looking forward to a good week. My mother is coming to visit next Saturday and she’ll be here all that week!

-AB

Ken, Jessie, Annabelle (it's ok, I am used to looking a little ridiculous). Pre-race.

I had a good run as well. I finished with a new personal record of 20:31, which is an improvement of only one single second. But a second counts and I will take it. I finished first in my age division, 6th female, and 60th overall. I haven’t won a lot of medals (finishers medal’s not withstanding), so I get really excited when I place. Today’s awards were better than medals, they were skulls painted by students in the UNO charter school network!

A skull to commemorate the joy of running, and the importance of athletic and academic after school programs for the kiddos!

There were pretty amazing kids all over the place; dancing, running, working support for race operations, singing and performing on the course, it was absolutely inspiring!

The race today was a fundraiser for after school programming. UNO Charter School Network operates 11 charter schools in Chicago that serve mostly Hispanic youth.  And I have to say, I got the impression today that they are doing a pretty good job.

I had an 8-miler scheduled for training today and had planned to do 5 mile run this after noon to hit my mileage for the week. However, after I got home from the 5k I was really tired, I took and nap and it was clear when I woke up that I needed to rest. So, I didn’t run more. Perhaps I will run tomorrow, but maybe not. We’ll see. Right now, I am going to snuggle with my fluffy pups and watch a scary movie.

I hope you have a great Saturday!

-AB

Did someone say snuggle?

I have had recurrent thoughts about that belt, mainly when I am out on the lakefront path and not only cyclists clip by too close for comfort, but runners frequently and very abruptly change their speed (often stopping completely), turn, flail, and otherwise nearly knock each other over. I have commented to friends before that if people get anymore distracted (yes, I largely blame iPods for this erratic behavior) while they run/walk/bike, I am going to start wearing a helmet ALL THE TIME. Or, my alternative solution is that a utility belt equipped with turn signals and break lights ala’ Bart Simpson should be required gear for anyone using the Lakefront path, including people walking their dogs and especially people pushing baby strollers (jogging or otherwise).  Or, bicycle cops could start handing out tickets for runners, walkers, and cyclists who do not perform a shoulder check before swerving, stopping, or turning. I do it, it ain’t hard, I promise.

And that is my segue into sharing this study (which you’ve likely heard of if you’re as NPR-dependent as I am), that research with woodpeckers may lead to more effective helmets! Here is a more non-sciencey-reader-friendly article.

I suffered a concussion in 2008 when I was hit by a car while riding my bicycle home from work (ironically, I was working as an EMT at the time, and refused for the ambulance to take me to hospital). I was wearing a good helmet, and hit the ground at a preferable angle. Still, I experienced pretty severe short-term memory, balance, and mood issues for about month after that.  I suspect that wasn’t my first concussion after having an active, accident prone childhood.

I work with, and daily meet, several individuals who would be absolutely like you and me if it weren’t for a twist of fate and a brain injury, all it takes is a hard fall on your bottom, a fall from a bike, a tree, a missed cheerleading catch, or maybe a fall getting out of the shower, from a high chair, or maybe, no fall at all, but ingestion of cleaning products or a self-injurious behavior, to change the course of a persons development, and life.

For more information on brain injury here are some links:

The Brain Injury Recovery Network

TBI dot com

The CDC and TBI

Brain Injury Association

NPR broadcast regarding brain injury and football

Always wear a helmet on your bicycle, rollerblades,  motorcycle, scooter, unicycle, horse, great dane…and so on! Even if you’re only going to the mail box!

-AB

As I mentioned in my previous post, I’ve been feeling tempted to add mileage to my plan. Boston is still 25 weeks away, so I won’t. I am going to stand by my plan of periodization training with a slow and steady progressive mileage increase.

On my last run (this morning: 5 miles) my right foot (heel) felt pretty tender, which is a very early warning sign from my old, very persistent (as in, years) planters fasciitis. I have a night splint which I wear before and after long runs and races. I am going to wear it all week and get in some extra stretching/rolling, which will hopefully stop the injury from really re-surfacing. It’s quite frustrating really, that I have been working on my running form for almost two years now, and still this issue has not resolved.

As I have also mentioned recently, I am still crotchety as hell, I really don’t know what my problem is, I realize that aches and pain and irritability are signs of overtraining, but I really don’t think that is the case here. They are also signs of not enough sleep, being overwhelmed by a few of life’s necessities, an colitis. So, it is what it is and hopefully I will pull my head out of my ass soon.

For the first time since starting this training cycle I skipped a training session today. I ran this morning, but after work I came home straight from my last on-site visit (which got me home at around 5:30- very early for me), instead of heading to the gym to lift, I took a 2 hour nap. I don’t feel refreshed, but it couldn’t have hurt!

I also ate Twizzlers, just before that nap. Just felt like confessing that.

Last week’s log:

5 runs, 25 miles, 3 weight training sessions

Monday: 8hrs sleep, 6mi.

Tuesday: 6.5hrs sleep, 3mi., shoulders/bicep/tricep

Wednesday: 7hrs sleep, 3mi. Spin class

Thursday: 8hrs sleep, 30mins elliptical, legs

Friday: 7hrs sleep, 5mi., back/chest/core

Saturday: 7hrs sleep, 8mi.

Sunday: 7hrs sleep, Spin class, Body Blast class

25 weeks to go until the Boston Marathon!

-AB

I have been wanting to get another dog (I know 3 dogs in a 1 bedroom apartment in the middle of a major city would be irresponsible). I’d love a large breed dog that I can run with. My Shih-Tzu’s are great sprinters, but on even walks that go longer than 20 minutes they form a rebel resistance, laying down and refusing to move.

On the look out for any more Cujo attacks.

When I am in a stubbornly sour mood, I find the way out is often through recognizing that out of ALL experiences, and passages of time, come lessons. So I am hereby going to start a weekly blog tradition of posting “What I learned this week”, every week. (Probably on Fridays, so I can do training re-caps on Sundays)

What I Learned This Week

1)

A tablespoon (OK, many a teeny bit more) of peanut (or almond) butter mixed in with oatmeal (+raisins and cinnamon) is really, really, satisfying. Another win for nut butters!

I got the idea from a post on Fitblogger (click to go to the article).

I think I will try adding sliced banana, and a glass of OJ, which will make the most perfect post-run, pre-work breakfast!

2) (warning: overshare coming!)

Even if you know something is a culture-bound phenomenon, does not mean you won’t still fall prey to it. (either I really hate my life, which I don’t think I do, or I had serious PMS this past week). Alright, I know I am going to get questions about this so I will just expand here: I was in a shitastic mood from the moment I woke up last Sunday morning, until ,well, unknown (still pretty grumpy). Although there are several circumstantial reasons why this might be (all very mundane, I promise) when my period arrived yesterday, which is always a surprise because apparently using a calendar is not one of my strong suits, I was like “Eureka, my pissy attitude and rude comments directed toward those I love and adore are totally and irrevocably justified!”.  No, my moodiness is an appropriate response to stress and frustration, and thusly I need to be accountable.

3) (which is really an extension of number 2)

The next person who I hear say “man, you’re in bad mood, are you having your period?” will get punched (seriously, that’s annoying AND sexist).

4)

Don’t rush the plan, enjoy the pace. My 8-miler yesterday felt effortless. No, not effortless, it felt just right, a perfect fit. My running base going into training even this far out from Boston, was much larger than when I trained for Portland in 2010 (by larger I mean more consistent), and so I have had recurring impulses to sneak in extra mileage. But I am steadfastly committed to the 10% rule this time around, I WILL NOT increase my mileage from any given week to the the next, by more than 10% (ok maybe as much as 15%, but that’s the design of the cities fault, not mine). The reward for such diligence? Gloriously enjoyable long runs!

5) (actual, measurable wisdom gained)

WORK WITH WHAT YOU HAVE. I gave that one all-caps because it’s revolutionary, seriously. This started on Wednesday when one of my coworkers and I were chatting about finance and she said “it doesn’t really matter HOW MUCH money you make, it’s how you MANAGE it”. The woman is a genius. I realize this might be common knowledge. But I am a financial simpleton, a blank slate, clueless, and in debt (under water, as they say). I began using a free personal finance service about a month ago so that I could obtain a factual baseline of how my money is coming in, going out, and to see how and how long I am going to be living with my school loans hoisted on my shoulders. I have been slaving away at it, but felt like I was making zero progress. After the conversation above, I realized that even though it seemed like I was making data-based decisions, I wasn’t. So, I spent a few hours on the phone and have found (so far) $90 worth of monthly savings. Living within your means, working with what you have, does not mean just going to Starbucks fewer times a week, and acknowledging the difference between “wants” and “needs”, it means pulling the trigger on excesses you are allowing other people to control. The savings I found came from asking for credit card fee’s to be changed, downgrading television service (I don’t have much free time anyway), and re-allocating how I divvy out entertainment costs. My goal is to find another $200 in savings, which will officially put me as “working with what I have” or as a financial advisor would probably say “living within my means”.

When it comes to training, working with what you have is also relevant, and #4 (above) is really pointing right at it. If you don’t have the base for a 40 mile week, don’t aim for one!

The concept of working with what you have is one I also apply daily in my work. I do it from the ground up and so never really thought about it in a concrete way. I help service and care providers figure out what skills they, and the individuals they serve have to work with, and how they can shape those things to meet larger outcome goals. It’s a beautiful thing. (toot-toot, that’s my horn)

Have you heard of this website? It might save my life and financial soul: Mint.com

Did you learn anything this week? Over-shares are always welcome

Training update tomorrow,

-AB

I say the week is strange because it has gone by shockingly fast, but mostly in a fog. I am so tired! There really isn’t a stand out reason I should be so tired, but it’s probably that I am not fueling properly. I mentioned cravings in my last post. Those are gone, but I haven’t been eating very balanced and it’s so easy to take for granted how important good nutrition is when you are both increasing training volume and are away from home for very long days.

One of my friends and co-workers made a comment today while we were on a very, very, very long car ride and listening to lots, and lots, and lots of NPR. She said “the more I learn about the world, the more I hate it.” She and I talk a lot about how the population we work with are stripped of many of their human rights by virtue of having disabilities, and how the system largely works against them.  This week, I have had a really hard time not hating the world for all of the injustice and pain people cause one another, often by simply not listening. I have been frustrated that for all of the listening I try to do, I have very few solutions. I absolutely love my job, and I feel like at several levels, we are making a difference. That said, sometimes I feel like I spend the majority of my time these days arguing for things that should be a given.

But I digress.

I have hit all of my training goals so far this week, and that feels good! Almost no matter how tired or frustrated I am, a work (even a less than par one) leaves me refreshed enough to be glad I did it. It occurred to me during my run on Tuesday morning that running really doesn’t relieve stress for me. Mostly because while I run I am usually thinking about whatever is bothering me most, or a problem that needs solving. I don’t use a ipod or anything on a.m. run (safety first!), so there is lots of space (er, brain cells) for reflection.

I don’t very often come to conclusions during these times, but do get a sense of having accomplished something other than the run, even if that something is a snarky on-liner to deliver later in the day.

Well, this post has really devolved from it’s original intent, which was to share with you all the following, which my sister-in-law shared with me last week”

Here’s to finishing the week strong!

-AB

Strangely, my cravings for junk food increase greatly whenever my digestive system is acting up.  I have tried for the last couple of years to suss out whether these cravings are caused by emotions or biology. I think both. Naturally, if you are in the bathroom a dozen times a day, you’ll have a natural drive to replace all those unused and lost calories, but also, it’s exhausting, and sometimes it’s hard not to feel like a victim. What better for a spell of the boo-hoo-buckets than cake, pie, and pop!? I also get stricken each bout with the attitude of “no matter what I eat it makes my stomach hurt anyway, so who cares”, I am working on that, and making progress. I promise.

I have been craving 2 things for the last two weeks, and my stomach has been crappy (it’s impossible to avoid puns with this disease so just accept it now) for about half of that time.

Apple pie and Fudgsicles. That’s what I’ve been pull-your-hair-out craving. Which is weird because I don’t think I’d had a fudgesicle in about 15yrs (until yesterday!)

yum...40 calories each (which only matters if you DO NOT eat the whole box at once)

There, craving number one under control. I find if keep ignoring a junky craving, I eventually cave into a shopping trip of confectionary delights the size of which could rival my body weight.

I have been devouring Macintosh apples this week. They remind me of home (New England), and good Mac apples have been hard to find in Chicago. Mac apples make the best pie…so craving number two actually does follow some logic. My birthday is in three weeks, my mother will be visiting then and I have already placed an order for her made-from-scratch apple pie when I hit the big 3-oh. But the craving persisted.

Then, this morning, at my spin class, one of my dear, sweet, super-fit, regular class participants brought me, wait for it….

a slice of homemade apple pie! ( I ate it in the car (with my fingers), it was mouth watering delicious).

And now I am craving free and back to being happy with some fruits and other whole foods Amazing thing.

On to the business of training: 27 weeks out re-cap

Monday: 6 mi. (am), 9hrs sleep, still feeling pretty sluggish and phlegmy.

Tuesday: 3 mi. (am) 7hr sleep, chest/back/core strength session (pm)

Wednesday: 3mi (pm)-treadmill, arms/legs strength session(pm), 6hrs sleep

Thursday: 6mi (pm)-treadmill, 8hrs sleep, still coughing, run was a little tough 9mostly boredom)

Friday: Rest day! good timing too, I was very sleepy at work and feeling really anxious as a side effect (not so good when you work on a crisis team).

Saturday: Trinity-Triumph 5k! I had fun running: 21:35 (?), I wanted to enjoy myself so I didn’t push real hard. My dogs got tons of attention! 6.5hrs sleep.

Sunday: Waaay slept in, 9hrs. Taugh my usual Spin and Body Blast classes, then I did a abdominal circuit.

Total mileage: 21

I am really happy with this week and looking forward to the next!

Total Momma's girls. Post race, watching everyone finish. There were even two shih-tzu's who walked the entire course!

How was your week?

Where do you stand on the theory of cravings?

-AB

I have finished the first 4 weeks of my training plan for Boston. You can see it below (didn’t copy so well, hopefully it’s discernible). 27 weeks to go! I have decided to go the route of periodization training. The first 6 weeks of training are all to establish a solid base and see how I respond to a higher and more consistent training volume. Although I am working out 6 days and up to 10 sessions a week currently, I am always consistent and systematic in the way Boston requires. More importantly, I haven’t been running 5 days every week. More like 2-5.

You’ll notice in the plan below that I am moving around which days I do which activities (except group X, because I am the instructor) so that I can see how my energy level is, then plan the rest of the regime accordingly.

Once I get to week 21 (to go), the phase will include: strength building, mileage, speed, and taper, not necessarily in that order.

The plan is printed out and I will be keeping track of how many hours I sleep per night and notes on how things go….stay tuned

-AB

A while ago, mid hiatus, I attempted to do a raw food cleanse along with my sister-in-law (yes, “cleanse” is a myth, however, eating clean is great for you regardless of the label you give it) . I was surprised at how much I learned from the experience . One such kernel, which echoes in my mind everyday now, is this: even if you did things wrong today, or slacked off, or misunderstood; focus on what you did right, what you learned, and what you accomplished, then move on (that last bit I added myself, ain’t I clever?)

I think the example used in the cleanse program was something like, even if you skipped todays workout and ate cookies, give yourself credit for taking the stairs and eating an apple, or some such thing.

One of the reasons this sentiment really resonates with me is that it perfectly aligns with some of the principles of ABA (applied behavior analysis, for those of you new to this blog). Nearly everyday at my job I teach people how to notice and praise the things they see others doing RIGHT, whilst offering support and forgiveness for the things that they do wrong. It can change the world, it really can. It can also make you happier, more productive, and yes, fitter.

With that introduction, I went into this week extremely excited to get a baseline measure of my mileage, my body composition, and my overall routine before finishing writing my training plan for Boston. In the end I only ran 3 times this week for a total of approximately (my Nike+ broke) 13 miles. I only lifted weights twice.

Why? I have a cold, the kind that builds and builds and you anticipate every additional symptom because we’ve all been here before. The common cold, is commonly annoying.

I felt not-sick-at-all on Tuesday, then, as I was driving back to my office from visiting a client, at about 12:15pm, I was, very suddenly, sick. It was that raw, almost tickling, sensation you get in your throat a day or two before the common cold renders you a common snot-sack.

Yah, so that was Tuesday, Wednesday  had a very sore, post-nasaly throat and no less than 4 bouts of dry-heaves whilst teaching a spin class (I don’t think anyone noticed). Thursday, I went home at about 1pm from work, feeling pretty sorry for myself, I slept a lot. Friday was meh, I was congested but busy enough that the day flew by. Saturday, oh Saturday, brought more congestion, lots of snot, and a fever. Before the fever came on, I went for a very common run, I ran for exactly an hour and listened to an audiobook, I was slow, but it was a great escape because the common cold is even slower.

I slept  11 hours, and used nearly an entire roll of toilet paper for my nose. yum. I got up and taught my usual group exercise classes today, then came home, took a 3 hour nap, and returned to the gym to teach another 30 minutes.

I made rice (sticky white: a common comfort), chicken breast, and baked beans for dinner. No flair, very common. I am uncommonly excited to eat it (and watch IRT Deadliest Roads).

So, in the end, this week was not as I hoped, or planned, but I still did enough to feel that I am on track

AB

P.S. I want to shout out to my friend Shelly (who has an inspired, and inspiring blog). She has absolutely transformed her lifestyle and I am so proud! Also, she ran the Chicago Marathon today and took 30 (ahem’ 36) minutes off her previous time!

I am back! I never left, I just didn’t post because I have been generally overwhelmed for the past 6 months. After many failures, and many “incompletes” in my life, I have finally learned that in order to succeed, one MUST prioritize. Actually, I have been using the term “triage” a lot because it’s a lot more accurate. Speaking of more accurate terminology, let’s call my failures and incompletes “not yets”, like we do in ABA.

I have, however, during this blog-intermission, been following blogs and reading books on running, fitness, and nutrition, as well as continuing my own little experiments with my own. Also, many of the goals I have discussed here, remain unchanged: I still want to change the world with ABA, I still want to run, and run well, at the Boston Marathon, I still want to lose 5-10 pounds, I still want to learn to manage my health (read: auto-immune disease be gone!) optimally, and I still want my goal list to grow and grow.

I’ve had  experiences since my last post (in March!) that I really want to share , they will come, one at a time. Right now, my plan is to post approximately once per week. I will supplement those posts with training updates for those of you who are also training for Boston, or for a BQ, or who are just plain interested in following along. Welcome!

Here is a brief run down of the aforementioned “experiences”:

• Completed my Master’s Degree
• Finished and defended my Thesis (as a part of above)
• Got a job as a Behavior Analyst on an amazing grant funded crisis team (I am sure I will post lots about this)
• Took the BACB exam (behavior analysis certification board), results posted in November (eek).
• I re-applied, and was accepted to the Boston Marathon 2012!!!
• My foot has healed nicely, still sleeping with a splint, but I can run-run-run.

I think I wore the hat wrong.

Boston Bound, published by Dog Ear Publishing, offers serious runners proven training techniques and strategic approaches for running a fast marathon, based on five years of research by Venable, who feels compelled to coach other runners to achieve their personal best and to qualify for events like the Boston Marathon. Readers will find everything from proper clothing to nutrition, injury prevention, selecting a qualifying venue, the proper taper and a suggested marathon training schedule. The book includes qualifying standards for 2013, and the final chapters feature personal stories of others that have overcome challenges and inspired the author to pursue excellence in his own life.

Author David Venable moved from being a novice runner finishing in the mid-pack to a top 1 percent finisher while running everything from a 10K to a marathon. Venable has been inspired to give back in honor of his mother, who battled cancer. All proceeds from Boston Bound will benefit select organizations dedicated to fighting cancer, via donations to Goals That Give Inc.

For more information, visit www.BostonQualifying.com

Boston Bound: The Runner’s Guide for How to Qualify for the Boston Marathon or Run Your Best Marathon Ever!

David Venable

Dog Ear Publishing

ISBN: 978-145750-139-5                        214 pages                         $14.95 US

Available at Ingram, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble
and fine bookstores everywhere

About Dog Ear Publishing, LLC

Dog Ear Publishing offers completely customized self-publishing services for independent authors. We provide cost-effective, fast, and highly profitable services to publish and distribute independently published books. Our book publishing and distribution services reach worldwide. Dog Ear authors retain all rights and complete creative control throughout the entire self-publishing process. Self-publishing services are available globally at http://www.dogearpublishing.net and from our offices in Indianapolis.

Dog Ear Publishing – self-publishing that actually makes sense!

Please forgive my hesitance to share full details, as my health situation is quite private, but I don’t want you to worry because I’m in good hands out here, so I’ll explain just a little.

Over the past few days, I was seen by several doctors for unusual lower abdominal/pelvic discomfort. It’s to my greatest shock to hear that the doctors found a large, abnormal “complex mass” behind my right ovary. It requires immediate surgery to be removed. I’ve been advised not only to lay low till the surgery, but also, to not fly.

Please don’t worry about me, I’m in great hands out here. Surgery was scheduled right away – so please understand if I don’t blog for the next week or so. My parents are flying out to support and be with me. Weez has been by my side throughout all the doc visits. The surgeon is confident in the procedure and I feel optimistic.

Though the initial shock of missing out on Boston weekend devastated me- something I’ve poured my heart and soul into, physically and emotionally since I BQ’d in May 2010 – I’ll be okay. There will be more Bostons. I will BQ again. I will eventually see all you lovely ladies that I was so badly looking forward to meeting up with. I have a friend picking up my goody bag, and gosh darn it, I’m going to wear that long sleeve. Maybe under another shirt if I’m out in public :P But I earned it.

Life is what happens when you’re not paying attention. I didn’t see this coming. Hell, the timing couldn’t be worse. But I’m blessed that the docs found the mass now, before flying/running. I’m blessed that the situation isn’t worse. I’m blessed to have my friends and family’s support. Thank God for modern technology.

So to all my dear friends going to Boston this weekend, run like hell and/or cheer extra loud for me. Scream “woop woop woop!”. I’ll be with you in spirit. I’ll be cheering for you from Colorado,
~Erin

If Monday is truly 63 degrees and partly cloudy, I will cry with joy. That’s a runner’s DREAM weather right there, baby. Fingers crossed!

Last night, my girl friends and I got together for another pot luck (lovin’ this weekly pot luck thing). It was the dose of girl talk I really needed, ya know? Everyone brought such amazing items, I definitely ate waaaaay too much. And it was awesome.

LJ provided the bubbly, Les brought oven roasted veggies, I baked (with the help of Les and LJ!) a chickpea casserole with lemon, herbs, and shallots (which I highly recommend! It was delish and filling!).
Cara brought homemade lemon frozen yogurt and ‘Rah brought fresh cinnamon rolls. Yes, I absolutely had seconds of both. They were divine.

I feel so lucky! I’ll be enjoying amazing meals with good friends pretty much every night through Monday :)

And if being in Boston this weekend isn’t something exciting enough to look forward to… my dad and mom are coming out West to spend Easter with us in two weekends!

Love love love.

Is it Friday yet? :)

Thank you so much for being good to me over the past four months and letting me get through yet another marathon training cycle. I know we’ve had our ups and downs, but I know you want me to complete Boston just as much as I want to. I’ve been trying my best to take care of you, and I think you really appreciated that. We’ve got 26.2 miles ahead of us on Monday and I know that it’ll be tough on you, but I know we can do it!

I’m not worried that you’ll act up on me. Each week, you’ve slowly treated me to more and more confidence. I’ve got a good feeling about the Boston Marathon, don’t you? Think about how cool it’ll be to run by all the thousands of spectators, up and over Heartbreak Hill (which I know you ain’t scurred one bit about. We’ve been doing hills like crazy all training cycle), and down the middle of Boylston! We earned this! We made it through the hardest part, now we can reap the benefits of our hard work!

I remember how much you hated me after the Cleveland marathon last May. I remember constantly fighting with you over the summer. I remember the day the sports med doc looked at your MRI results and told me to quit running cold turkey for 6 weeks.

Do you remember when we went for our first run back? I called you my bambi legs. We had a few set backs since that run, but I kept listening to you, making sure to take care of you. And you slowly let me back into the world of distance running.

I can’t believe we’ve literally trained for a marathon from only being able to run 3 minutes at a time. And now, we’ll be running (hopefully less than) 4 hours straight together on Monday! That’s a story to tell the kids!

When I first started training for Boston, I honestly wasn’t sure we’d make it. I didn’t think this day would actually come. But it has! We’re here! In 6 short days, we’ll be standing in Hopkinton, MA ready as we’ll ever be for the ride of our lives. It’s exciting, and I’ve got you to thank for getting me there!

So thank you, Knee, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you a million times. Just 6 more days, then I’ll reward you with massages, shorter distance runs, cycling, and better yet: hiking trips!

Love, your biggest fan,
~Erin

Last Thursday, Weez and I celebrated our anniversary, so we got dressed up, enjoyed a great dinner, and saw a movie. A perfect date night. We reminisced about the beginning of “us”, we dreamt about our future, we appreciated the moment. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t feel wordlessly thankful to have Weez in my life. He’s so good to me. He’s my perfect match; truly the ying to my yang.

On Friday, we drove up to Wyoming to kick it with my brother. Will had his geo friends over for a comfort food Friday festivity, and for one of the first times, Weez was introduced as my fiance (it’ll never get old!). And then as my brother’s future brother-in-law. It’s so cool to hear that.

The three of us went for a very windy 11 mile run – the last of my long runs – on Saturday. I seem to always forget how dang windy that place gets, and how much harder it is to run at 7,200′. I love running with those two guys. My big bro and my fiance? Could I be more lucky to train with 2 of my favorite guys?

This week is full on taper mode, so I went for a nice, light, 25 minute run this AM. I’ve almost got my marathon playlist perfect, I just need a few more new tunes (yes, I’m considering downloading Justin Bieber’s “Never Say Never”… don’t judge me). What’s a must-have on your running playlist?

Just a few more easy runs, then here comes Boston! ONE WEEK from this moment and I’ll be running the Boston marathon! Woop woop!

*Gasp* I’m drinking beer before a marathon?! Chill bro, I’ll only have a couple. ‘Sides, it’s like carbo loading. That, and I don’t think 2 beers will negate 4 months of marathon training.

I’ll be pretty busy all weekend, but Saturday is the day I plan on soaking up the Boston blogger experience, as I’d like to call it. So here’s part of my Saturday (4/16) game plan:

1-4PM ish: The Expo… where I plan on buying a silly amount of Boston marathon apparel, taking a gazzilion many pictures, getting thoroughly lost, and hopefully meeting up with you! If you’re planning on going to the expo on Saturday, leave me a message or send me an email and we can make plans to meet up and find each other amongst the craziness.

5-7PM: Blogger Happy Hour… the one and only SUAR is hosting the event at the Champions Bar at the Marriott Hotel Copley. I’ll be there, so will about 30 other runner/blogger folk. Let me know if you’re planning on going! Big thanks to Morgan who put together a list of blogger events happening that weekend, feel free to check them out HERE and add yourself if you want!

And finally… Race Day dets: My bib number is 16167.

I’m in Wave 2 (starting at 10:20AM). I’ll be catching the 6:30-7AM provided buses to Hopkinton/the “athletes village” (as recommended). Anyone else in that wave? Anyone else catching the buses around that time?

To my family and friends that want to keep tabs on me during the marathon: I’m pretty sure you can track my status along the way on the official Boston Marathon website, found here:
http://www.baa.org/

If you have any questions about the blogger meet ups, how (if you’re interested at all) in tracking me, or where we can meet up to talk running/blogging/fun, feel free to leave me a comment and I’ll get back to you!

One week! Woohoo!

My knee is really cooperating, too. Besides being sore on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, my knee didn’t ache or anything. Yesterday (Tuesday), I went and got a sports massage with a focus on my hips/gluts/ITB/knee area. The hour massage was so relaxing and refreshing, and I left feeling like all (if any) of the kinks were worked out. My friend, Mags, surprised me with a gift card for a massage after the Boston marathon the other day, actually! What a thoughtful gift :) I feel so lucky to have great friends.

I ran for 3 light miles yesterday. Music in my ears. Wind (really strong wind, actually) in my hair. Trails underneath my feet. I feel so lucky to have great health right now.

I tried thinking realistically what my goal time should be for Boston, but just couldn’t. It’s so hard to say… I run on trails at 5600′ altitude, with 1500-2000′ elevation gains on any given long run. My pace here probably can’t compare to what it’ll feel like to run on a flat/downhill paved road at sea level. The “goal” post will happen at some point, but I’ve still got to figure out what my real goals are! I feel so lucky to have trained at altitude. I know it’ll help when I reach Boston.

That’s all for now, I guess. I can’t wait to share with you some really delicious-looking pictures from a girls night we had a few days ago. And I have a post about Boston weekend plans so any blogger buds that wanna meet up, we can figure out the whens/wheres :)

What do you feel lucky to have/be a part of right now?

When I was getting my new running shoes at the Boulder Running Co last week, the lady who was helping me out said she’s running Boston too (word!), and that she’s run it a few times now. I asked her the same question I asked you guys, “what’s the biggest piece of advice you have?” (I love asking that question because everyone has different responses).

“Practice downhill running” she said. That makes sense… if my legs aren’t used to downhill running for a while, they could get trashed early on which would make for a miserable rest of the marathon.

Boston’s first 5 miles…

This morning’s 4 mile “downhill training” run…
Okay so maybe I didn’t find an all downhill training spot, but I tried! I ran to a spot that has a long gradual uphill, and did repeats in both directions. I took the ups fast, and the downs faster. The funny thing is that my legs felt totally fine on the up hill, but my legs felt trashed on the downhills. I can see why that lady suggested I practice some downhill running!

Maybe I’ll give this downhill training thing another go before April 18th.

In other news, I’m leaving tonight for a 16 hour road trip to Texas to (FINALLY!!!) visit my sister, b.i.l., and their new baby boy :) My brother, Weez, and I are driving together, so it’ll be a fun road trip. Tomorrow is also my brother’s birthday (love you bro!), so it’s going to be great celebrating it with him and our entire family together. Lovelovelove.

I’ll be running 14 miles this weekend in the warm, sunny TX heat. Ahhhh, I look forward to wearing shorts for a change! Can’t wait!

The great thing about Boston is the consistency. The course doesn’t change, there will always be people who’ve run it once, twice, ten times. It’s an event that brings both runners and spectators together every year. I’m really looking forward to meeting up with so many of you wonderful blogger friends that I’ve gotten to know over the year and a half that I’ve been blogging :)

I’m feeling physically prepared, but now I’m starting to mentally prepare myself for the real deal and this is where I want your help! If you’ve run Boston before, or know a thing or two about the experience, do you mind sharing a few pearls of wisdom? Experience is knowledge, and I want to soak up as much of your advice as I can before April 18th!

1. What’s the biggest advice you have about running the Boston marathon?

2. Temperature: how hot/cold/wet is it usually?

3. What clothes do you recommend wearing to the start (while you’re waiting around after getting off the buses)? Do you recommend staying warm before the start with a space blanket that you can just toss, or Good Will clothing that you can strip off and ditch?

4.  If you could have done anything differently, what would it have been?

5. Fuel belt: bring it or leave it?

6. In your opinion, what’s the most memorable part of the course? Why?

If there’s anything else advice-wise that comes to mind, please, don’t hesitate to let know me! I’m curious and excited and looking forward to hearing what all you runners have to say!

Thanks in advance!

1,800 ft of elevation gain in total. We ran an out and back, on my most fav trails in all of BoCo. And we even got to my favorite spot on my favorite trail. I call it the Jurassic Park spot. You’re running along, on this dirt road after running through back country-like trails for 8+ miles then BAM… you’re in a huge canyon, surrounded by epic cliff sides and greenery. I love Colorado.
Everything felt so good, the entire time. I’ve got my nutrition down pat. My clothing choice was almost perfect. I was well rested/hydrated. We had high spirits the entire time. Sure, I had the aches and stiff joints that come along with running for 2.5+ hours, but nothing painful.
And I am IN LOVE with my new shoes. They’re amazing and I love them. Brooks Women’s Defyance. Not too neutral, not too much stability. Just right.

Brooks Defyance

My orthotics didn’t give me blisters, my knee didn’t hurt at all (I’ll be honest… I was nervous about that), and everything went smoothly.
Things went so smoothly, that I decided to bust out 3 of the fastest miles I’ve ever run during a long run for the last 3 miles of this 18er. And they felt solid. As in, I could keep that pace for another 8.2 to round out 26.2.

Talk about the huge confidence booster that I really needed. Man, I was nervous going into this long run. I was scared my knee injury would flare back up. I was scared my arch blisters were going to get the best of me (esspecially in my new shoes). I was scared it would hurt really bad. But it didn’t. The stars aligned. My body was happy.

And I am beyond thankful. Thank you knee, thank you so much for letting me get to this point in my training. I’m so, so thankful. And so very, wildly excited for Boston :)

My foot is recovering very slowly. I think perhaps because this injury is a rather cumulative one. I developed serious planters fasciitis over two years ago and it has never completely subsided (I have 3 different night splints, aka “boots” that I rotate and sleep in), because that injury when untreated for a long time I developed a small bone spur on the bottom of my right foot. Then, somewhere between miles 19 and 23 (I remember the moment, but the moments around it are a blur) during the Portland Marathon last year, I sprained my right ankle. Because of that injury I didn’t run at all between completing that race and beginning to train for the Boston Marathon. So, yes, I broke the golden rule of running (of training at all!), which is to increase your mileage (or workload) by increments of 10%. I went from ZERO miles per week to FIFTY within little over a month.

But it felt so good!

Until I couldn’t even walk, that is.

To run the Boston Marathon is on my list of life-time goals. And I have not wanted to give it up for anything. I have many goals, and right now my list of goals is growing so fast that I am overwhelmed and it’s hard to focus! I am a strong advocate for small goals, daily ones, as well as goals for individual workouts and projects. I think breaking larger goals into smaller milestones is of paramount importance. But sometimes, it’s a huge mistake to forget about the big picture.

Sometimes you have to step back, sit down, close your eyes, and think about the big goals. The goals that you feel silly calling goals, because you may never get there, but they make you grin to imagine. The dreams.

Although I want to run Boston, and I want to run it this year because I qualified at my first marathon attempt, my bigger (running) goals are to 1) run a marathon in 3hr15mins or less and 2) Win first place as an age-grouper in a 10k 3) run daily when I am 60 and 70. It is possible that by pushing through this injury and going to Boston this April, I will be sacrificing these bigger goals. So I will be sitting out.

Sometimes, courage is not to push through pain and hobble across a finish line, but to step away, start over from the beginning, and finish strong. Although I feel heartbroken rather than courageous, I am ready to set my eyes on some shiny new short-term goals.

-AB

It had been a loooooooong time (since the Cleveland marathon last May) since I’ve run for that long.

I forgot about all the weird stuff that happen to your body. The stuff no one ever thinks about: how your feet start to hurt/throb. And how the inside of your bones just groan at you. How basic things like lifting your feet up gets harder and harder once you reach a certain point. And how dry your mouth gets and even though you know you should be drinking your electrolyte drink instead, you go for the water because the thought of sugar grosses you out. How even though you’ve been running for 2+ hours, you just aren’t hungry but you know you probably gotta eat something or things will get worse physically. And how amazing it feels when you can finally say “okay, body, we can stop now” when the mileage clicks over on your GPS watch and you know you’re done. The pride. The confidence. The spring in your step the rest of the day :)

I’ve been so wildly lucky to have the most amazing man in my life, also be my always-there-next-to-me sidekick running buddy. He’s not running Boston, hell, he doesn’t even have a marathon on his radar this year, but he’s training with me so I don’t have to go at it alone. That takes a whole lot of motivation and heart. He’s so good to/for me. I’m so lucky to have him in my life.

He had a bit of a rough run today. He told me it was feeling tough by mile 4. But you know what? He didn’t stop. He ran every step of 17 miles today. I’m beyond impressed. Weez, you are my Rock Star. And I can’t tell you how much it means that you’re training with me.

I just wish you could be there with me when I head to Boston in April. You’ll be with me in spirit, every single step of the way.