My two left feet...er, shoes

credit: www.softasagrape.com

Hello and happy Sunday. 

I've been meaning to write this post for a few weeks now but got a bit delayed with life and our Boston Marathon fundraiser! More on that in another post...

Anyway, a few weeks back the husband and I traveled down to the beautiful and picturesque isle of Martha's Vineyard to participate in a race called the "Martha's Vineyard 20 miler." 

Boats in Vineyard Haven

Those of you that know me know that this race is one of my favorite races.  Hugh and I have done this race every year since we started dating with the exception of last year when we we had an "A race" the following weekend in St. John, USVI. Even then, we still went down to the Vineyard to cheer on friends; I even ran the last 10 miles of the course as a long run on race day (before the leaders were on course).

Now I say it is my favorite race...with the exception of that whole twenty mile thing. Basically it is a beautiful picturesque course along the water for the first half then through the woods on the bike path for the second half. Additionally, it is SUPER easy to get reservations for accommodation on the vineyard in February - double bonus!

Photo credit: Tumblr 

Anyway, we stayed overnight at the Vineyard Mansion House so we did not have to rush in the morning. We got up, had a leisurely breakfast & coffee. At 10am I put on my running clothes and prepared my race nutrition. At about 10:20am I started to put my shoes on - I put my left shoe on and then my right and noticed that something just didn't feel right. I HAD PACKED TWO LEFT SHOES!!!!!! How could this possibly have happened!? Well of course I knew HOW it happened - I obviously packed two left shoes** without thinking.  Duh. 

It goes without saying that I was a wee bit upset but oddly calm too. I mean I was at a race, a running race, SURELY someone else would have a spare pair of shoes. I called one set of friends who were down for the race to cheer their husbands - no luck. I then texted my friend Rebecca - thankfully she had a pair of shoes that I could use (sadly this also meant that she could not do the run she had planned while cheering at the race). I was left with a choice - run the 20 miler in shoes a size and a half larger than my actual shoes or not do the race. As I mentioned before this is my favorite race, so I put on two pairs of socks and LOTS of "lube/body glide" around my toes and accepted Rebecca's kind offer. 

These are not THE shoes but I recall they were black with purple :)
credit: ebay.com

So, yes, I ran the Martha's vineyard 20 miler with many thanks to my friend Rebecca. It wasn't pretty in fact I got two huge blood blisters on the outside of my big toes (one of which ruptured and bled through the two pair of socks during the race -> I'm wondering if my bloody sock would be hall of fame material like Curt Schilling's??). It certainly beat attempting to run by myself the next day in blizzard conditions. Additionally, I can say that I truly embraced the philosophy of this race which is:

credit: thesecondlap.blogspot.com

They say you should not judge a person until you've walked a mile in their shoes. Well Rebecca, I've run 20 miles in your shoes and I think you're a pretty awesome friend. 

Many thanks to Laura, Morgan, Paul, Erin, Jessica, Dan, Jeff, Michael and of course Rebecca. 

**In case you're wondering WHY I have two left shoes: I usually rotate between a few pairs of shoes while training. I had been suffering from plantar fasciitis this past fall and part of the reason for this was that I was running in shoes that were one half to one size too big without realizing it. I wear Newton brand running shoes (which I love) - the sizing of their shoes changed between 2011 & 2012 models. I stupidly bought two pairs of the 2012 model at an expo thinking after running in this brand for 2 years that I knew my size. Oops. The good news is that my plantar fascia is feeling much better though!

Nemo, shmemo.

(credit: Facebook "Winter Storm Nemo" page)

As the title states - Nemo shmemo.  Okay, okay maybe THE Blizzard of 2013 was, well kind of a big deal. Okay, it was a big deal as it pretty much crippled the city for a few days and enabled us "adults" (notice quotes here) to have a SNOW DAY!!!!!! 

Knowing that even if Nemo didn't turn out to be a blizzard he would still create a slippery slushy mess of the sidewalks with the impending snowfall. Now I'm a fan of the slip & slide (TWSS) but more when it is like this:

(credit: Sears.com)

And less when it is like this:

(credit: thechirunner.blogspot.com)

Since I had an 18 miler on tap for the weekend I felt that it would be better to do the run before the storm hit. Not knowing when it would get truly bad I set out for my run with money and T pass (subway pass) just "in case." I also planned my run along the Boston marathon course as the terrain was "rolling" and because it runs along the public transport line. 

It was snowy and windy but not too bad for the "out" portion of my "out & back." I made the turn around nine miles in with ease - piece of cake. But then I turned around. As I headed back over Heartbreak hill the wind was starting to get to me. The snow was pelting my face so hard I felt that I had a free microderm abrasion facial. All of this was fine and dandy but I was starting to loose feeling in my fingers. Despite curling my fingers up in my gloves I could not bring circulation or heat back to my fingers - this made carrying my water slightly challenging. I convinced myself that I could tough it out but once I got to Cleveland circle I decided to call it "a day."

I only got 12.75 miles of my planned 18 miles but given the quality of the streets the following day I am happy to have gotten this run in!

Check out my video of my "Nemo" Blizzard pics here:

WDW marathon weekend 2013

This past weekend  hubby and I went down to Florida to participate in the Walt Disney World marathon weekend. As I mentioned in a previous post - I had a marathon coming up that I was essentially not entirely prepared for. I didn't want to defer as it was the 20th anniversary of the Walt Disney World marathon so my plan was to bring my camera and "enjoy the ride." Well with unseasonably warm weather the "ride" was a sloppy, sweaty, at times miserable one.

HONORABLE mention: The husband rocked out a super fast half marathon time - in fact it was his "forties PR." That being said 1:24:28 is not too shabby at any age!

Please enjoy the following slideshow of some of our weekend, or what I like to call "How I spent 5 hours & 52 minutes Sunday."

There is a soundtrack so make sure you have your volume turned on :)

Enjoy!

Did I mention I have a marathon this weekend?

Goofy Challenge 2010                                                

Did I mention that I have a little 26.2mile run coming up this weekend? Well I do. I am admittedly not as prepared for this marathon as I would normally be but I did manage to get at least one 20 mile run in my training -> even on the Boston marathon course :)

A few years back the husband and I did the Goofy challenge (photo above). The Goofy challenge is a half marathon on Saturday followed by a FULL (yes a FULL) marathon the day after. I can honestly say that was one of the hardest things I have ever done. We got lucky in that the temperatures were unseasonably cold in Florida that year.  In fact it was so cold that the water stops along the marathon course were frozen and icy!

Walt Disney Wold half marathon 2011

So why am I doing the marathon when I don't feel fully prepared? It is because Disney puts on a great race plus it is the 20th anniversary of the Walt Disney World marathon. To me not every race is for "racing." It is my plan to do the race as a very long "supported" long run. I plan to have as much fun as possible and to definitely stop and take pictures with the characters.

Have a Magical Day!

Hydration is your friend

While on my long run yesterday I had a lot of time to think about hydration; I repeat a LOT of time. As I was running it occurred to me that a lot of people underestimate the necessity of hydration. Everyone is different with regards to hydration needs plus there are many factors such as weather and temperature that come in to play.

A good baseline for judging hydration needs is a "sweat test." I performed a sweat test a few years back on a day that was sunny and in the low 60's with a light breeze. I weighed myself at the gym using the scale with the slide-y thingies (yes, that is the technical term) BEFORE I went on a run. I ran for 45 minutes and stopped to talk to a friend for about 5 minutes during that run. I was barely misty. Boy was I shocked to learn that in that easy 45 minute run that I lost 2.5 pounds!! Note that one pound of weight loss is equivalent to approximately one small 16oz (500mL) of water. Amazing, seriously amazing.

Credit: designerfied.com

It is important to note that finding the right hydration strategy can be tricky because too much water can lead to a dangerous condition called hyponatremia (low blood sodium) which brings to light the importance of balancing hydration with electrolyte intake. And by balancing electrolyte intake I don't mean licking salt and lime before a tequila shot!

Regardless, this information made me much more cognizant of my hydration habits for sure.

To find out how to do your own "sweat test" check out this article from Runner's world HERE

So remember hydration is your friend even when caught in a downpour at mile 9 of a 16 mile run!
(Yes, that happened)
Save the fruity drinks for after you've hydrated and are reaping the rewards of your run +/- training.

Super, Super Girl Power!

Me & Miss "Girl on the Run" Grace

Hello friends. Today I am sharing with you a little about a wonderful program called Girls on the Run. Girls on the Run is a 12 week program for girls ages 8 to 13 years old. As the website states the program teaches girls to be "healthful, joyful and confident" or as a past participant states "[the program taught her] to be "the boss of my own brain." Along with the lessons of empowerment the girls train to participate in (and complete!) a 5k run.

Before the Race spring 2012

After the race (spring 2012)

I have been volunteering with Boston area Girls on the Run for a few years. Starting this year, I have been lucky enough to be a coach for the program. Over the last several weeks Head coach Alex, coach Katie & myself have taught a wonderful group of girls about empowerment and healthy living. In fact over a week ago we had our practice 5k - I am so proud to say that all of the girls completed this distance!

The fall program will finish this week with the "real" race this coming Sunday -> the Walters Run 5k. If you are in the Boston area sign up as it is a great race plus you'll be able to see all of our local Girls on the Run teams complete their 5k - sure to bring a smile to your face!

To register for Walter's Run in West Roxbury go to: http://www.waltersrun.org

To be inspired by Girls on the Run check out this video:

Have a SUPER SUPER (girl power) DAY!

Silliness

Caught in the act! (photo credit: Robert Terry photography)

Over the last few days I've run into a few of you and it has been mentioned that it was unusual to see a sad blog post because usually I am so "chipper" as one friend put it. Firstly, thank you for your kind words & condolences; and secondly, thank you for reading - I really wasn't sure that anyone read this blog so that made me smile.

I have decided to post some silly pictures to make YOU smile.

Kiwi cat - insists that she's never silly so this photo will have to do

Here's a sort of silly story from my run the other day - while at a traffic light I smiled to someone that I thought I knew; turns out I didn't actually know the person. Sadly, I do that kind of thing a lot...maybe I should get my eyes checked again? Oh well could be worse.

Have a wonderful day!

Riley the JRT being silly (photo credit: Robert Terry photography)