The Last Weekend!

This weekend is officially the last before I meet my new kinder kiddos and a new kind of race starts - the race to get them ready for 1st grade academically, socially and emotionally. I am immensely excited to meet my new group, as we will be implementing more of our mass customized learning program with them and have tons of great ideas planned (and they seem like an awesome group!).

It was a busy weekend of back to school shopping, lunch preparation and finishing things up in both my classroom and my husbands. It was also a busy weekend running, with the Color Me Rad race on Saturday in honor of Melissa's upcoming wedding, and the L/A Bridge Run 5k on Sunday.

Color Me Rad...where to start, where to start. So, we were in the first wave, suppose to start at 9:00am. Alice and I left with plenty of time to spare, but got stuck behind a supposed accident about 1.5 miles away from the race venue with an hour and ten minutes to go. We did not get out of traffic until 8:59 (no joke). We parked about 2 miles from the actual race start and literally booked it like bats out of hell to try to meet Melissa and the "running bachelorette party" group.

During our 2 mile sprint to the race, I remember thinking how grateful I was for my fitness. I suppose that sometimes I take for granted my ability to participate in races (even though I have literally worked my butt off to do so), but this was a race of a different kind.

Alice and I never found the finish (where our race numbers were waiting with a friend), as we saw a color station and a staff member. We explained to him how we were looking for our bride and missed our start. He radioed to the race directors, who offered us a start in a later wave. We told him thank you, but we really wanted to run with our bride and party and asked him if we could just run the course backwards (without our numbers) to find them and join him. He agreed and even offered to hose us down with color so we looked "legit."

We continued our sprint for another 1/2 mile or so and came upon another staff member (recklessly) driving an ATV. We told him our story again, and he had us hop in. He drove us backwards across the race course, and practically through people running until we found the group! It was pretty funny in retrospect - we arrived in style - fashionably late, on an ATV and going the wrong way on the course!
We jumped in with the group and were able to run a good portion of the race with them!

Bride Melissa - she was a moving target!

While it was a blast, and for a good cause (Melissa's running bachelorette), I can't say I would do an event like this again without reason. It was pretty pricey and a little too large for my taste (I heard almost 7000 people...might explain the traffic holdup!). However, quite a few people I know ran the event with their young kiddos or as a family, and many others trained for this as their first running event, which is pretty darn cool in my book! AND, despite the initial disappointment at the traffic, I am impressed with the way the race organizers handled it. Between the two staff members helping us get to our bride and a follow-up email to all participants apologizing for the errors and offering free entry's or race gear to anyone not satisfied, I am impressed with the professionalism of this fairly new organization. And let's not forget to mention that although this was not a local race, they did donate part of the proceeds to the YMCA of Maine.

The after picture (we obviously missed the before picture!)

Alice and I with the Bride! 

Now, switching gears to Sunday - L/A Bridge Run! One of my favorite events of the year. My goal for this race was to break 21 minutes. I ran 20:48 at the Moxie 5k in July, but have not broken 21 again since, so I was eager to see if it was just a fluke. I ran Moxie on "fresh" legs (didn't do a long run the day before) and would be running the Bridge Run on fresh legs, so I was hoping that it would be the difference between 20:xx and 21:xx. When we went out for our warmup, I realized my garmin had one bar of battery left, so I would be running most of the race naked. This ended up being a blessing in disguise. It ended up lasting me until 1.45 miles in - just long enough to keep me from going out way too fast - which I would have done without it. There were 2 girls who gunned out ahead of me after the first half mile and I would have tried to stay with them if I didn't look down as see a 6:15 pace (no worries, I caught them after the 1.5 mile hill). But not having the watch for the second half was great! I was focused on running and reeling people in/passing people instead of constantly looking at my pace.

I ended up finishing in 20:51, meeting my goal and coming in 1st in my age group, and taking home 1st in my age group for the Triple Crown Series this summer. And once again, as always, the trackies took many age group wins!

I absolutely love this race, but it always marks the official end of summer for me. Tomorrow is back to school. I also love this race because it is my PR every year (missed it this year by 3 seconds, but I'm ok with that). Here's an interesting look back...and a testament to this year's work, after an obvious 2 year plateau.

2008- 24:48
2009 - 23:15
2010 - 22:42
2011 - 22:28
2012 - 22:23
2013 - 20:51

Hard work pays off. Period.

Yay for apple pie to mula to get
new sneaks! 

Alice wins a pie for 1st in age group
for the Triple Crown 

Race Schwag from the weekend - 2 GREAT shirts, a tutu, an
apple pie, a beer mug, $50 to Lamey's and my Team
Sasseville Chiropractic headband! 

Cousins are your first best friends...

Motivation comes from a lot of places and can change day to day. But sometimes, there is a motivator so strong, that it will never leave you. It is a constant, sometimes nagging, reminder of who you are, what you do, and what you stand for.

This is my personal motivation to lead a healthy and positive lifestyle...for those who can't...


Happy 30th Birthday Matty-o. I miss you greatly....and all I can say is that I wish it were different.

 

WINNING!

Nope. Not races. Non-running (but health related!) wins!

I have been seeing a chiropractor since the first week of April for a naughty hip/lower back/IT band. When I first starting seeing her, my legs had a one inch length discrepancy, due to a hiked up hip. ONE INCH! I have never really believed in chiropractic (I had a bad experience with my first one the year before), but I was willing to give anything a shot at that point, and had heard rave reviews from this particular chiropractor.

For the first two months of treatment, I had to be adjusted three times a week. I saw some improvements and eventually was bumped down to two times a week. Summer hit, and I was able to go only once every other week with the addition of trigger point therapy on my hip, glutes and IT band.

Everything was going well, until about 4 days before GCI (of course!). I went out for a run, and immediately knew my hips were completely off again. I went in for an appt., and of course, the leg discrepancy was back again and my knees were so tight my feet wouldn't touch the bed when lying down on my stomach.

I knew I needed to add hip strengthening to my routine. The trigger point and adjustments were greatly helping, but it was not enough. So here I am, on week four of my new hip routine AND consistent foam rolling routine. It has been two weeks with hardly any issues, and when I went for my appointment today, my legs were even and my feet touched the bed! YAHOO! We are trying for 3 weeks now until the next appointment! FINGERS CROSSED!

So that's win number one.

Here's win number two.

The hubby and I were itching for some new dinners. We had visited the Nezinscot Farm Store this past weekend and decided to dig out our panini maker to have paninis one night this week. I let Nate pick out the bread - he choose 7 grain (big risk there for Mr. I only eat white bread). On our weekly Saturday night grocery date, I told him to pick out what he wanted in his panini. We ended up with mushrooms, spinach (yes, you read that right..the boy ate spinach), tomatoes, avocado and mozzarella cheese. And let me tell you, they were DELICIOUS! They are definitely going into the dinner rotation. (will post a picture next time we make em!). And we used all the leftover veggies for vegetable quesadillas on another night. Why is this such a big win? My husband could sustain on pasta, pepperoni pizza, brown sugar pop tarts (which he gave up three weeks ago and hasn't had since) and diet coke. He is exploring vegetables and liking it, which is making my job of cooking dinners that suit us both much easier! Can't wait for more experimenting in the kitchen!

On Sunday, I will be representing Team Sasseville Chiropractic at the L/A Bridge Run 5k! They have saved my running life this year! 

When Marathon Training and Running 5k's Intersect

Many marathoners shudder at the thought of running a 5k. They are too short, not worth the money in mileage, and are run at an all out effort often forgotten by the legs of the marathon runner.

This is not me. I still love them. I love the recklessness of just running as fast as I can for 3 cleansing miles. I love what they have done for the last 3 miles of my half marathon. I love how anyone can do one (and love seeing first timers there participating). I love how strong they make my legs feel. I love not having to worry about dehydration, gu, gatorade and lactate. Most of all, I love that I can roll out of bed worry free and race a 5k without much thought of preparation effort that morning.

Today this was not the case...

We had a 20 miler on our schedule today, and decided to run the Breakaway 5k first, and then finish our 20 miler. We were on the road driving to the race at 5:30am (gag - that's earlier than I wake up for work). We ran 3.1 miles slow prior to the race, and my heart rate was way high (not worried about it for the 5k, worried about it for the long run after), my belly was icky, and the achy pain in my LEFT (what the heck?) hip was just plain annoying.

The 5k itself was interesting. It can be summed up in a few notes...

 1. I wish people would line up correctly at the beginning of a race. There was almost a pileup. I apologize, I was cranky, and I may not have been nice about it...sorry.
2. Flat courses are no longer "fast" courses for me. I need hills. This was the flattest course I've ran all year...and by far the one that required the most effort.
3. Even after years of working on it, I still need to work on my last tenth of a mile kick. I got out-kicked by one speedy chica in the last seconds crossing the line.
4. I was bummed I didn't break 21 again...but I know I need to be happy with 21:12, especially considering how icky I felt at the start. (Why can't we runners ever be satisfied...we are greedy...nothing is ever good enough and we also want just a little more!).

And, the most important of all...

5. TRACKIES FLIPPING ROCK! We took home four, that's right, FOUR first place age group finishes today, one third place finish AND a huge PR for Marc!

Me finishing up!

Sole Sisters waiting for awards

Awards for this race were super late, so we were able to squeeze in another 3.8 miles before they started, leaving 10 miles for after. Overall, this method of getting in 20 miles is not one I would recommend. The stop and go made for super stiff legs and by the time we had finished we had been in the sun way too long and had probably walked an extra 1-2 miles at the race. But as for an adventure with the trackies, well, as always, that was a great time!

Alice gets her award

Aud wins her age group

Age group winners! 

Getting my mug

How Teaching is like Running...and Running is like Teaching

The countdown is on and the final days of summer are here. It's been a great summer - I  participated in a lot of races, worked on cleaning up my diet a bit more (minus the fact that I ate a ton of ice cream from The Whole Scoop), and watched way too many episodes of Criminal Minds, Tosh.O and Family Guy.  I had some great runs with my sole sisters, without having to worry about lesson planning or cutting out laminating afterwards (ugh!).

Meeting Area

I've always said that running has allowed me to be a better teacher. I am more patient and in a better mental space to deal with the chaos of managing and teaching twenty four and five year olds all day long. Running gives me the energy to keep up with them all day long. Running has also helped me understand the goal setting, and adjusting, process - something I do daily with my kiddos as a classroom piloting Mass Customized Learning (MCL). I also believe that running has helped me be a healthy role model for my kiddos - I can take care of my students needs better, because I know how to take care of myself.

It occurred to me this summer, that maybe teaching has helped me be a better runner as well. Anyone who has been through a teacher prep program knows the emphasis placed on reflection. Write a reflection on your lesson, reflect on why this student is struggling, reflect, reflect, reflect. When it comes  down to it, getting faster and stronger in running is all about reflection too. I log my runs daily (using three different websites, and a printed out spreadsheet - yes, I am that O.C.D.) AND I record my workouts and everything I eat in a journal. But I don't just log them and never look at them again. I go back...frequently. Bad run? I go back to see what I have done for workouts in the last few days/weeks and what I've eaten. Awesome run? I do the same. Before big races I go back and check out what I did/eat prior to previous races that I either rocked or tanked on. This has become part of my daily "wellness" routine.

Small Groups/Me "desk"

This time of the year is always stressful for me, and I don't stress out easily. The demands of being a kindergarten teacher in September are high, requiring lots of hours after school and before school at work, time making parent phone calls, and lots of cutting, laminating, creating, ect. Traditionally, this has been a hard time for me to get all the runs in on my schedule each week. The exception was last year. Last year, I SHOCKED myself by not missing a single workout in the weeks leading up to school  and the first month of school, training for MDI. I needed a confidence boost to ensure that I could do this again, so I went back to the logs and made a game plan...

1. Schedule the workouts in the plan book a week-2 weeks out and switch em up when the schedule calls. Open house next Thursday = mid week 8 miler will NOT happen that day...but it WILL happen the day before!

2. Remember - I cannot be an effective teacher if I am burnt out and not taking care of myself. On those days I want to stay at school till 7PM and forego the run...remember..PURPOSE. Chances are staying until 7PM won't make me a better teacher the next day. Getting my run in and being healthy (mentally and physically), will.

3. If I am really burnt out and need a rest day, I will take one. But not because I am planning on pulling an all nighter making stuff for my kiddos or planning (done that one too many times in past Septembers). A rest day will be a rest day...

4. Plan out my meals for the week on Sunday, and even prep some on Sunday as well. I am not worried about executing this one...I feel like I have made this habit over the last year.

5. Stop. Enjoy. Breath. Enjoy. Although the beginning of kindergarten is a lot of work, it is amazing fun. The kids change SO much within the nine months I have with them. At the end of the year, they are completely different little people. Every year I get to June and reflect back on how far they have come, and regret not taking more time to enjoy how little they know in September. They are innocent. They are cute. They say the darnest things! And, it's a testament to the work we do at our school how far they come in a year. This year, I will try to appreciate it a little bit more, instead of compulsively analyzing where they are at and looking forward to what I need to teach them next...


But in reality, I can't help it. It's the teacher in me...or, maybe, it's the runner in me...

My leveled library

Another small group area

Hydration (or, Lack There of...)

Long run hydration and nutrition differ for everyone. I've heard some people swear that you don't need fuel or water for any run less than 2 hours. Some people, don't use anything at all. I am NOT one of those people.

I have been gathering information and chatting with Coach Bob all summer about hydration. We realized early on in my "marathoning career" that I was prone to dehydration because my heart rate while running would be fine...and then suddenly spike 30-50 beats in a matter of minutes...and not come back down, even with walk breaks.

So this training cycle, I have been recording my weight loss over the course of each long run, and how much water/gatorade I intake each run. Yesterday, I ran 18 miles (2:38), took in 80 oz of water (plus a 12oz glass of chocolate milk after and 3 Gu's) and lost 3 lbs. From the data I collected this summer, this is typically what happens. 80-even 100 oz taken in on a long run of 16-18 miles = a average of 2.5 to 3 lbs lost. BOO.

I am SO glad I used GCI as a trial run for Hartford. I was running well and feeling great until BAM! Mile 16...Heartrate jumps from 163 (marathon pace) to 191. Dehydration! BAH! I have 9 weeks (and 4 super long runs left) to figure this out. I spoke to Bob about a electrolyte replacement pill/salt pill, and I am going to start trying Hammer Endurolytes or something similar on next weeks long run. Additionally, I wanted to find out what exactly I need to be taking in for hydration/calories during a long run. Enter Jamie, the MEGA nerd.


This was my beach homework today....

I dug out my Hanson's Marathon Method Book and reread the parts on marathon hydration and nutrition. They recommend taking in 8oz. of hydration every 20 minutes. Big fail. I have always done 8 oz every 40 minutes (and that is IF I am on plan). Over the course of a marathon, that means I am getting only HALF of what I need in liquid...and that is IF I am on plan (which I don't think I've ever been). I carry a 6-bottle fuel belt. According to the calculations out of the book, if I were to just carry my own liquid on a course, I would need to take in 12 bottles. (Who wants to meet me at mile 13.1 at Hartford and do a fuel belt switch off? Pretty please!!). Or, I need to make damn sure I am getting water at every water stop.

So, here is the plan...
1. Practice, Practice Practice. Four super long runs left. Four runs to try out the endurolyte capsules and *attempt* to take in 8oz every 20 minutes. I am anxious to see how my belly feels with that much liquid. It will certainly be trail and error.
2. Study! Study the Hartford course. Know where the water stops are. Plan to stop at each one. I will practice drinking on the run during a race at the Lake Auburn Half in a few weeks, and then again during the Maine Marathon Relay.
3. Keep on tracking my weight lost during long runs. Hopefully, I will see some improvement.
4. Plan. Maybe I will need someone (mom!!) to switch off a fuel belt with me at the half point? Maybe not. Time shall tell!

What I Ate (for Breakfast) Wednesday

I always used to find breakfast tricky. I was the first to grab a bagel with peanut butter or eat a big bowl (oh, ya know, like 3 or 4 serving sizes full) of cereal. The result...starving...only an hour later.

When I started eater clean(er) last August I knew I had to start with breakfast. No more cereal (even "healthy cereal"), no more bagels (the exception being the morning of a half or full marathon) and skipping breakfast was absolutely not an option.

I found the answer to my breakfast dilemma on pinterest (duh!). The delicious, ready-to-eat, filling EGG BAKE!

I make this egg bake every Sunday night and it lasts me 6 days. I eat it, with a banana, every morning (yes, I am a creature of habit). The best part is you can throw whatever veggies you prefer in it, so I can change it up often. Typically it goes like this...

12 eggs
1 package of frozen chopped spinach
frozen broccoli cuts
mushrooms
chia seed
pinch of salt and pinch of pepper

Spray your casserole pan. Put in and mix the 12 eggs. DUMP all the veggies you want in. (I sometimes will add green peppers or onions if I have them handy). Add in chia seeds and some salt and pepper. Bake in the oven at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Viola! Breakfast for the next 6 days.

Each morning, I just cut myself a slice, stick it in the microwave for 45 seconds and a grab a minute. Breakfast in 5 minutes.